Reviews Supplemental

BONUS REVIEW: "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/biggest-lack-of-ideas-ever-by-locks.html
Suggested by sir father. You know.
One thing I noticed about this album is that it doesn't have a Jungleland or a Racing in the Street. The longest song is 4:50. I'm glad that we're not going through the Racing in the Street thing again.
Sound-wise, this is a lot like the other two albums I've reviewed, but with a nice coat of '80s sheen. It's familiar, yet different.
I skipped the title track. I've heard it a million times. I know that the lyrics are intended to be ironic, but no one knows that. They use it for TRUCK commercials. It's been turned into the ultimate patriotic drivel song. I don't hate it for what it is. I hate it for how it's interpreted. If I could take it seriously on its own ironic terms, I would probably love it.
Working on the Highway is an attempt at '50s rock 'n' roll. Think of it as '50s rock 'n' roll with '80s production. I think it works well.
Downbound Train is a 3:38 song that tells a story. The story is emotion-inducing(?) enough to support a ten-minute song. I'm kind of disappointed that it stops where it does. It's rare that I comment on a song being too short, but here I am. Maybe stretch it to four minutes, giving us more time to think about the line "now don't it feel like you're a rider on a downbound train". It doesn't help that the next song is almost the opposite.
On Bobby Jean, Bruce is singing higher than usual. It actually works.
I'm Goin' Down and Glory Days are pretty much Bruce going through the motions of being Bruce Springsteen. I think Glory Days is better at it, though.
Overall, this album was great. I'm glad I reviewed it, especially after the earlier trainwreck.
Highlights: Downbound Train, Dancing in the Dark, Working on the Highway, No Surrender
Lowlights: I'm Goin' Down
In relation to other albums:
On-par with Born to Run, at least.

13 Apr 2012: "Let it Be" by The Replacements
On the /mu/ essentials list.
Going into this, I've heard nothing from it. I sort of liked Pleased to Meet Me, so.
Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out reminds me of Nirvana's Floyd the Barber. Apparently, Kurty was a fan of The Replacements. It all makes sense.
Unsatisfied tries to be an anthem. It succeeds.
Seen Your Video is an instrumental. It's okay. ... oh wait nevermind
Gary's Got a Boner has a cool guitar solo.
Overall, I liked it. There was only one song I didn't like.
Highlights: Unsatisfied, Favourite Thing
Lowlights: Androgynous
In relation to other albums:
Better than Pleased to Meet Me.

BONUS REVIEW: "Enema of the State" by Blink-182
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/play-it-again-guy-at-piano-by-guy-at.html
Suggested by Purple.
The album all blurs into itself. It's... okay. And my version has weird noises at random points?
I think I'd go so far as to say that this is the most average album I've ever listened to.
Highlights: All the Small Things
Lowlights: Adam's Song, What's My Age Again?
In relation to other albums:
Eh.

14 Apr 2012: "We're an American Band" by Grand Funk Railroad
The main draw here is the title track. The line "then we proceeded to tear that hotel down" isn't very rock. Poison's version is actually better there, changing the line to "then Poison tore that hotel down". Overall, I kind of prefer Poison's version.
Black Licorice has a cool organ solo. It's just a shame that the vocals border on unbearable.
I found this album to be very average, on average.
Highlights: Loneliest Rider, We're an American Band
Lowlights: Black Licorice, Railroad
In relation to other albums:
Ugh.

BONUS REVIEW: "Mylo Xyloto" by Coldplay
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/inbreeding-it-is-super-okay-by-guys-of.html
Us Against the World has the sound of fingers sliding across guitar strings in it. I instantly hate it. U.F.O. does it, too.
Princess of China is a golden example of what's wrong with music today. All of these fucking "hey here's a popular musician from today" songs. I hated it on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and I hate it here.
Up with the Birds is pretty boring. I mean, it picks up in the middle, but it's not interesting.
The vonus tracks are all live. Only one isn't from this album. In it, you can hear pyrotechnics or fireworks or something. I bet it was fun to watch.
This album has incredible high points, and really awful low points. Sigh.
Highlights: Hurts Like Heaven, Paradise, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall
Lowlights: U.F.O., Us Against the World, Princess of China
In relation to other albums:
Not as good as Viva la Vida.

15 Apr 2012: "Tattooed Millionaire" by Bruce Dickinson
This album came out between Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (which reviewed this month), and No Prayer for the Dying (which is up next month).
This album is weird. I mean, the separate parts aren't weird at all. But we have Bruce Dickinson, one of the most well-known metal vocalists, singing over standard rock instruments. And it's not like he tones it down. This is Dickinson being Dickinson, over rock music.
Dive! Dive! Dive! is like Ghostbusters meets... hmm. There's a song another bit reminds me of, but I can't place it.
The cover of All the Young Dudes is cool. It sounds a bit off, but it's cool.
Lickin' the Gun is incredibly cheesy.
Riding with the Angels is the most metal song on the album, due to being a Samson song, I guess.
Basically, this album was... good.
Highlights: Dive! Dive! Dive!, All the Young Dudes
Lowlights: Spirit of Joy, Zulu Lulu, No Lies, Darkness be My Friend
In relation to other albums:
I'm glad it's not an Iron Maiden album. I'll probably go through his solo career as we get further into Iron Maiden's discography.

BONUS REVIEW: "The Queen is Dead" by The Smiths
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/i-cant-i-cant-i-cant-stand-losing-shoe.html
On the essentials list.
I honestly don't know how to describe this album. Just go for it.
Highlights: There is a Light That Never Goes Out, The Queen is Dead/Take Me Back to Dear Old Brightly, Bigmouth Strikes Again, Frankly Mr. Shankly, Cemetry Gates
Lowlights:
In relation to other albums:
Better than debut.

16 Apr 2012: "Slanted and Enchanted" by Pavement
On the essentials list.
I'm reviewing this completely blind. I've never heard any of their songs.
Conduit for Sale is tryin'. Tryin' to annoy me
I found this album very average. Incredibly average, in fact.
Highlights:
Lowlights: Conduit for Sale!, Two States
In relation to other albums:
I guess so.

BONUS REVIEW: "You're Living All Over Me" by Dinosaur Jr.
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/controlling-winds-of-windliness-by.html
Welp. The essentials list strikes again.
First thing I notice is that singuy sounds incredibly lethargic.
Sludgefest has a really great guitar solo.
Poledo is... shitty, whatever it is. Luckily there's a bonus track, so this doesn't end the album.
Despite a slow start, I felt that this album was really good. It's another green mark for the essentials list.
HOWEVER, I don't think Yellow would like it at all.
Highlights: Lose, Raisins
Lowlights: Poledo
In relation to other albums:
Sure.

17 Apr 2012: "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel
THANKS YELLOW
The title track is good for what it is, I guess. But it's not something I particularly enjoy.
The Boxer is really annoying. The album really started annoying me here.
Overall, this album is rather annoying.
Highlights:
Lowlights: Baby Driver, The Boxer, Byebye Love, whatever else
In relation to other albums:
No.

BONUS REVIEW: "Diary" by Sunny Day Real Estate
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/death-of-guy-by-guy.html
On the essentials list again. I chose this album based entirely on the album cover.
I'm glad I did.
Highlights: Seven, Song About an Angel, Shadows
Lowlights: Grendel, In Circles
In relation to other albums:
Sure.

18 Apr 2012: "Blunderbuss" by Jack White
This is the first album I've listened to from this year.
Freedom at 21 has an awesome guitar solo.
Take Me with You When You Go is incredibly annoying.
This album is pretty much what you'd expect it to be.
Highlights: Hip Poor Boy, Sixteen Saltines, Blunderbuss, I'm Shakin'
Lowlights: Take Me with You When You Go
In relation to other albums:
This sounds more like The White Stripes than The Raconteurs or The Dead Weather.

BONUS REVIEW: "In the Court of the Crimson King" by King Crimson
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/see-you-in-hell-by-guys-of-guyalation.html
Oh god. What have I gotten myself into this time?
21st Century Schizoid Man is really interesting. It's just a shame that I'll always think of Power when I hear it.
Moonchild is interesting the first time, but I doubt I'd be able to listen to it more than once.
Overall, though, this album was rather nice.
Highlights: 21st Century Schizoid Man
Lowlights: Moonchild
In relation to other albums:
Not sure.

19 Apr 2012: "Disintegration" by The Cure
On the essentials list.
Starts off boring. Hooray.
Lullaby is about... Spider-Man? Huh.
Most of the album has good parts, but the songs take far too long to get to them.
Whatever.

BONUS REVIEW: "Rubberneck" by Toadies
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/german-men-by-men-of-grenade.html
Yeah, why not.
Mister Love is really awful. Words can't describe how awful it is. The third track follows suit.
The fourth track is Possum Kingdom, you know, from Guitar Hero II. It appears to be unlike any other song so far.
Ultimately, this album is pretty good when the guy isn't screaming his fucking head off.
Highlights: Possum Kingdom
Lowlights: Most of the rest
In relation to other albums:
Nah.

20 Apr 2012: "By the Way" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
This album came out between Californication and Stadium Arcadium. Or, according to my spell check, Multifunction and Stadium Vanadium.
This album doesn't have any HUGE HUGE songs like the other three I've reviewed, but you should all know Can't Stop, if from nothing other than Svart. Or, according to my spell check, Safety.
Throw Away Your Television comes off as pretentious. Repeating "it's a repeat" over and over isn't clever.
"I can see clearly now that this is not a place for playing solitaire". This like really spoke to me because I was playing solitaire when he said it
I enjoyed this album. Granted, there were some average-as-fuck songs, but there were also a good number of, well, good ones.
Highlights: Cabron, On Mercury, The Zephyr Song, Can't Stop
Lowlights: Throw Away Your Television
In relation to other albums:
Better than Multifunction.

BONUS REVIEW: "Unknown Pleasures" by Joy Division
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/hands-of-hands-by-hands-of-hands.html
On the essentials list. I'll probably hate it.
I'm not sure I like this guy's voice. It's not interesting at all. In fact, I hate it. There's no inflection, and it's boring as fuck.
The music itself would be fine, if it had a competent singuy over it. Or, as my spell check says, a competent loosing.
At least now I have another half-star album that RYM loves.
I think I'm allergic to this album I can't stop sneezing

21 Apr 2012: "Too Fast for Love" by Motley Crue
I've decided that since I've hated most of the albums I've reviewed lately, that I'd only review glam metal albums from now on.
Live Wire has cowbell, thus it's the best song ever.
Come On and Dance is really weird. It has the required cowbell bits, but the guitar parts are odd, and the vocals are odder. I like it, whatever it is.
On the continental album, the only songs that sound like they were worked on for more than a couple hours are Live Wire and Too Fast for Love. They're highlights of the entire genre, but the rest of the album is kind of wonky.
... there's an alternate version of Too Fast for Love here. It has a weird intro before the opening riff. I don't like it. They were obviously on drugs; the song length was 4:20. If you're interested, tell me and I'll picosong it. It's... something. The ending is fucked, too. I kind of wish this didn't exist.
The songs mostly have potential, but if they'd had another couple weeks to work on them, I feel that this would be a great album. As it stands, it's just okay.
Highlights: Live Wire, Too Fast for Love, Come on and Dance
Lowlights: Merry-Go-Round, Too Fast for Love demo
In relation to other albums:
Oh yeah.

SECOND REVIEW LATER MUST DO
STUFF

BONUS REVIEW: "Out of the Cellar" by Ratt
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/dying-of-by-merangue.html
I wasn't joking.
Round and Round is, of course, the only song on this album. It's very good.
I bet that if there was an album around it, it would be rather decent.
As a side note, I hate the new blogspot interface.
Highlights: Round and Round
Lowlights: ???
In relation to other albums:
... they only have one song

22 Apr 2012: "Metal Health" by Quiet Riot
Apparently iTunes can play lossless flac. You learn something new every day.
The title track is as great as ever. I skipped Cum on Feel the Noize, though.
Slick Black Cadillac is as cheesy as ever.
Run for Cover, as always, is badass. You know. After it is Battle Axe, which wants to be Eruption. Or Exploder. Whichever.
Thunderbird would be much better if the chorus weren't so cheesy.
Danger Zone wants to be as badass as Run for Cover, and it doesn't do a horrible job at it.
Overall, this album was good.
Highlights: Run for Cover, Metal Health
Lowlights: Cum on Feel the Noize, Slick Black Cadillac
In relation to other albums:
Yeah.

BONUS REVIEW: "Stay Hungry" by Twisted Sister
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/sit-and-drink-by.html
OH YEAH
To start, I want to say that if all you think of Twisted Sister is I Wanna Rock and We're Not Gonna Take It, listen to the title track. Ever since I first heard it, it's been my favourite Twisted Sister song (of, like, what? four?). It's just a shame that it's followed by We're Not Gonna Take It, which is pretty fucking cheesy at this point. It's not bad, but fuck. Yes, Dee, I am so condescending. It's how I roll. Also, the military guy? gym teacher? at the end is ridiculously cheesy. The 1980s, ladies and gentlemen.
Burn in Hell has the lyric "there's just five words to say as you go down". I think we know. It would be a pretty good song without the intro, but it's the 1980s! At least half the album has to be fucking cheesy.
Captain Howdy/Street Justice proves that all Twisted Sister want to be is Black Sabbath. Also Motley Crue. It explains a lot.
I Wanna Rock is incredibly cheesy, but in a good way. It's followed by The Price, which is their attempt at a deep, meaningful slow song. It mostly succeeds. It loses a lot when it fades out, though.
Well, that was nice.
Highlights: Stay Hungry
Lowlights: Captain Howdy/Street Justice, The Beast
In relation to other albums:
Sure.

23 Apr 2012: "Rage Against the Machine" by Rage Against the Machine
This album was pretty fucking edgy when it came out in 1992. I mean, the lead single has a coda that repeats the phrase, and I quote, "fuck you I won't do what you tell me".
Take the Power Back grooves rather hard.
Fistful of Steel's solo sounds a lot like Tom Morello's guitar battle in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Hmm.
This album was rather good, though it does have an "okay" streak at the end.
Highlights: Killing in the Name of Love, Take the Power Back
Lowlights: Bullet in the Head, Fistful of Steel, Wake Up, Township Rebellion, Freedom
In relation to other albums:
Sure.

BONUS REVIEW: "Purple" by Stone Temple Pilots
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/guarding-guardsmen-by-cunts.html
Welp, here we are. I wasn't a huge fan of Core, but I'm willing to give them a second chance, since I like both of the songs I've heard on this one.
The first notable track is Rock Band's Vasoline. I didn't like this song at first, but it's grown on me.
Interstate Love Song has always sounded like STP trying to make another Plush. It's a good song, but it's certainly not Plush.
Pretty Penny sounds like they let some other band play on their album. It's also way too long, even at 3:42.
The end of Silvergun Superman has, like, two drum beats at once or something? It's cool.
I didn't recognise Big Empty at first, but then I had a "OH THIS SONG" moment. It's good.
The final track, Kitchenware and Candy Bars, is really good, but it's attached to one of the worst hidden tracks ever. Fuck.
Overall, I enjoyed this album. It doesn't have a song on the level of Plush, but barely any songs are.
Highlights: Unglued, Vasoline, Still Remains
Lowlights: My Second Album, Pretty Penny
In relation to other albums:
Much better than Core.

24 Apr 2012: "A Different Kind of Truth" by Van Halen
Welp.
The album starts with the lead single, Tattoo. It's okay as fuck.
China Town has a fucking insane drum part, Eddie does what Eddie does best, and DLR makes me wish he was Sammy Hagar.
Bullethead features the album title in its lyrics. It's also one of the better songs here.
The Trouble with Never tries to be more thought-provoking than it can be. I like the guitar solo, though.
Is Stay Frosty supposed to remind me of Ice Cream Man? That's what it's doing. Whatever this is, I really like it.
The album gets a lot better towards the end, which is good. Overall, it was pretty good.
Highlights: Stay Frosty, China Town, Outta Space
Lowlights:
In relation to other albums:
Better than Van Halen II, Fair Warning, and 1984.

BONUS REVIEW: "Angel Dust" by Faith No More
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/09/forces-crosses-by.html
This is the album with Midlife Crisis on it. It's supposedly good.
Land of Sunshine reminds me of something. I can't place it.
Midlife Crisis, as always, is fucking amazing. I love the line "you're perfect, yes it's true, but without me, you're only you".
I hate when Patton does his growls. It's a shame he does them on most songs.
Kindergarten has a cool instrumental part, but I hate the vocals.
Easy sounds nothing like the rest of the album. I really like it. OH IT'S THAT SONG OF COURSE
Overall, I hated most of this album. Hooray.
Highlights: Midlife Crisis
Lowlights: Most of the album.
In relation to other albums:
Nope.