Reviews Supplemental

BONUS REVIEW: "Smash" by The Offspring
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/fuck-chin-by-chin-chin-chin-fuck.html
No idea why I decided to do this.
I have to remind you here that I grade on a curve on the blog.
Bad Habit features Dexter trying to sing! That's not a thing that he can do.
I couldn't tell you why the good songs on this album are good and why the bad ones aren't.
Highlights: What Happened to You?, Nitro, Come Out and Play, Self-Esteem
Lowlights: Bad Habit, Genocide
In relation to other albums:
Better than Conspiracy of One.

08 May 2012: "Life's Rich Pageant" by R.E.M.
And here we are. I've found it. The R.E.M. album that rivals Document in quality.
Their cover of Toys in the Attic is rather enjoyable, moreso than the original, I'd say.
I don't really have much to say about this. It's R.E.M. being super-great. The three-album stretch that is I AM A GIGANTIC FAGGOT PLEASE RAPE MY FACE of the Reconstruction, Life's Rich Pageant, and Document is one of the best three-album stretches of the 1980s, at least.
Highlights: Hyena, Begin the Begin, Superman, These Days, I Believe, Just a Touch
Lowlights:
In relation to other albums:
Better than most.

BONUS REVIEW: "Bolan's Zip Gun" by T.Rex
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-by-fuck-fuck.html
Welp.
Coming into this, I noticed that I've heard at least a third of this. And that third is a good third, so.
Oh hey! It's female backing vocalists! And they're sort of ruining this song! Yay!
We went over this on Zinc Alloy, but I still think that Marc was at his best when it was raw and not glossy. And, most of all, when it was just his voice. At best, the gloss and sheen is mildly annoying. At worst, however, it's torture. I used to always think that people who complained about production were elitist assholes. Now I'll make a concession if they're complaining about post-Tanx T.Rex.
Highlights: Golden Belt, Zip Gun Boogie, Light of Love, Solid Baby
Lowlights: female backing vocalists
In relation to other albums:
Better than Zinc Alloy.

09 May 2012: "Warpaint" by The Black Crowes
I don't have much to say about this album. The Black Crowes play songs that you'd expect them to play. Nothing here is especially notable.
It's a good album, but you know.
Highlights: Wounded Bird
Lowlights: God's Got It
In relation to other albums:
Worst.

BONUS REVIEW: "Green Mind" by Dinosaur Jr.
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/to-ground-by-guys-of-guyitude.html
Yeah.
This album is significantly more lethargic than You're Living All Over Me. It doesn't ruin the songs, but it certainly doesn't put them on-par with You're Living All Over Me's.
Highlights: Water
Lowlights: Flying Cloud
In relation to other albums:
Worse.

10 May 2012: "Extra Texture" by George Harrison
To start, This Guitar Can't Keep from Crying, surprisingly, isn't a cash-grab song saying "I WAS IN THE BEATLES ONCE". Instead, it's actually a good song. Who would have thought?
This album was actually really great.
Highlights: You, This Guitar Can't Keep from Crying, Tired of Midnight Blue
Lowlights:
In relation to other albums:
Better than Thirty-Three-and-a-Third, Cloud Nine, and Dark Horse.

BONUS REVIEW: "Green River" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/articifically-flavoured-by-men-of.html
The title track remains as highlighty as ever.
Unfortunately, apart from the four singles, the album is largely mediocre. This, of course, is discounting the best song on the album, The Night Time is the Right Time.
Highlights: The Night Time is the Right Time, Green River, Bad Moon Rising, Commotion
Lowlights: Cross-Tie Walker
In relation to other albums
Worse.

11 May 2012: "Long Player" by Faces
This is my three-hundredth artist on Last.FM. Yay.
Bad 'n' Ruin has the worst song title ever. It doesn't even remotely make sense.
I don't really like their cover of Maybe I'm Amazed at all. It doesn't work when Rod Stewart sings it.
This album was good, but nothing outstanding.
Highlights: Had Me a Real Good Time, I Feel so Good, Tell Everyone
Lowlights: Jerusalem, Maybe I'm Amazed, On the Beach
In relation to other albums:
Sure.

BONUS REVIEW: "Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders" by Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/hands-by-hands-of-hands.html
If Yellow can do obscure French albums, I can do this.
The first track has, like, bongos or something? Oh, it's normal drumming now. Nice.
The ending of I Want to Get Down reminds me of something silly Yellow would do. R.I.P.
I really like Taylor's voice; I have ever since I first heard Cold Day in the Sun and Foo Fighters' cover of I Feel Free. It's certainly good enough to support an album, as seen here.
I really enjoyed this album.
Highlights: Pitiful, Louise, Better You Than Me
Lowlights: N.O.A.
In relation to other albums:
yeah

if it helps, the obscure french album I did is on the essentials list

Serge Gainsbourg is hardly obscure disco

12 May 2012: "Ringo 2012" by Ringo Starr
We know we know we know we know we know we know
Anthem is okay. Kind of annoying, but it's okay.
Wonderful has a great guitar part.
Overall, this album is pretty good, if a bit underwhelming after Y Not.
Highlights: Wonderful, Think it Over
Lowlights: Anthem
In relation to other albums:
Worst.

BONUS REVIEW: "Deep Purple" by Deep Purple
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/men-are-okay-by-women-of.html
Welp.
This was the last of the Rod Evans albums. Yellow said I wouldn't like it, and gave it five stars on RYM.
Lalena is rather boring. Like, incredibly boring.
April is also boring, but in the opposite direction. It's rather pretentious.
Other than those, Yellow's wrong. I gave it the same rating as the other two.
Highlights: Why Didn't Rosemary?, The Painter, Chasing Shadows
Lowlights: Lalena, April
In relation to other albums:
Best.

hooray

i am a fan of being wrong sometimes

13 May 2012: "Desolation Boulevard" by The Sweet
GLAM ROCK
i still think the sweet is a much cooler name
I am reviewing the US version of the album, because that's what my search turned up. It has, like, three tracks in common with the U.K. version, but it starts with The Ballroom Blitz, which I love.
The Six Teens and No You Don't really impressed me. Between this, Heaven Tonight, and Hunky Dory, I think the message is that I need to listen to more glam rock.
I Wanna be Committed has a part where guy's singing reminds me of Freddie Mercury, followed by a short acapella part that reminds me of Roundabout. Huh.
Solid Gold Brass closes the album, but it opened the original U.K. version. I can't imagine it working as an opener.
I loved this album. Yellow decides he likes albums in French, I decide I like glam rock. Never pictured this happening.
Highlights: The Ballroom Blitz, Fox on the Run, The Six Teens, No You Don't
Lowlights: Into the Night, SOlid Gold Brass
In relation to other albums:
Fuck yeah.

BONUS REVIEW: "Strangeways, Here We Come" by The Smiths
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/i-dont-think-its-by-men-of-that.html
Welp.
I Started Something I Couldn't Finish is one of the band's better songs from what I've heard. I like the rhythm and how it goes along.
I love the way Death of a Disco Dancer is presented. When it started, I expected to shove it into lowlights, but the instrumentation is phenomenal, as well as Morrissey's phrasing.
Girlfriend in a Coma continues the trend of instrumentation pulling the song together in all the right ways.
Uh-oh. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me has a piano/riot noise intro that goes on for way too long. It's almost two minutes long. It's a shame, because the actual song is really good.
The first half of the album seems to be much more ambitious than the second. Shame.
I think I've figured out why I found the debut just "good", while I found this and The Queen is Dead to be really good, if not worthy of superlatives. The debut feels like it's just kind of there; the songs tread the same ground and never really get anywhere. With the latter two, however, the songs feel like they're actually going somewhere, with better instrumentation and such. I also think that Morrissey's voice improved a lot from album to album. But I skipped Meat is Murder, so who knows.
As a side note, I think Yellow would enjoy this album.
Highlights: Death of a Disco Dancer, I Started Something I Couldn't Finish, Stop Me if You Think You've Heard This One Before, Girlfriend in a Coma
Lowlights: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
In relation to other albums:
Once again, I disagree with the majority. I place this as The Smiths' best album.

14 May 2012: "Some Girls" by The Rolling Stones
This album starts with Miss You. I rather enjoy Miss You.
Far Away Eyes is pretty much filler at its worst.
This album pretty much sums up my thoughts on The Rolling Stones. Mostly good-to-great songs, but with a decent amount of filler.
Highlights: Miss You, Lies, Beast of Burden, Shattered
Lowlights: Far Away Eyes, Before They Make Me Run
In relation to other albums:
On-par with Aftermath.

BONUS REVIEW: "Good News for People Who Love Bad News" by Modest Mouse
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/fuck-it-by-buys.html
I lost the first draft, so this is what you get:
Highlights: Satin in a Coffin, Black Cadillacs, The View, Bukowski, The World at Large
Lowlights: Dance Hall
In relation to other albums:
Worst.

15 May 2012: "Sweet Sour" by Band of Skulls
Another 2012 album here. I rather enjoyed Baby Darling Dollface Honey.
The title track is more rock-y, but less musically/lyrically interesting. Not sure I like this tradeoff.
And the entire album is like that, or it's ballads. What happened
Highlights: Lies, Lay My Head Down
Lowlights: Wanderluster
In relation to other albums:
A huge disappointment.

BONUS REVIEW: "Evil Empire" by Rage Against the Machine
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-eyes-by-sad.html
This album has Bulls on Parade, which is one of my favourite RATM songs.
This album is basically the debut 2.0, which certainly isn't a bad thing.
Highlights: Bulls on Parade, Down Rodeo, Vietnow
Lowlights: Revolver, Tire Me, Wind Below
In relation to other albums:
About even; slightly worse if anything.

16 May 2012: "Doolittle" by Pixies
Oh boy. It's been a while since the essentials list reared its head.
Basically, this album is good. I can't talk too much about it because nothing in particular stands out.
Highlights: Wave of Mutilation, Here Comes Your Man, Monkey Gone to Heaven
Lowlights: Silver, Lalalove You
In relation to other albums:
I guess.

BONUS REVIEW: "Pyromania" by Def Leppard
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/floatin-by-guys-who.html
One the first track, the guy sounds like Brian Johnson! This is great!
why does rock of ages always make me expect GIVE IT TO ME BABY oh right
are they yelling "FUCK ME" during action! not words
Other than that, I found this album very average. Thanks, Purple.
Highlights: Foolin', Rock of Ages, Photograph
Lowlights: Rock 'til You Drop
In relation to other albums:
Probably won't get to it.

17 May 2012: "Vol. 4" by Black Sabbath
First off, the opener, Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener, is one of the best Black Sabbath songs. Go and listen to it. I'm not going anywhere.
Changes. Changes, Changes, Changes. It's so un-Black Sabbath, but I really like it. No idea why.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. I'd recommend it.
Highlights: Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener, Supernaut, Changes, St. Vitus' Dance
Lowlights: FX, Laguna Sunrise
In relation to other albums:
Best Black Sabbath album.

BONUS REVIEW: "Strays" by Jane's Addiction
http://musiccouldbebetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/waiting-for-by.html
There's really not much to say about this album. It's not as interesting as Nothing's Shocking or Ritual de lo Habitual, but it doesn't have any glaring low spots. I think it was a very good album, just not up to par with the other two.
Spoke too soon. The final song, To Match the Sun, is rather interesting. Shame I don't know what to make of it.
Highlights: Suffer Some, Hypersonic, Wrong Girl, Just Because, True Nature
Lowlights: Price I Pay, Everybody's Friend
In relation to other albums:
Worst.

18 May 2012: "My Generation" by The Who
The Who's first album; 1965 and all that. This is the American version, because that's what I could find. Only one song is different, so.
This album has a few great songs, and some filler. It fits in nicely with their discography.
Highlights: I Don't Mind, Out in the Street, The Kids are Alright, My Generation, It's Not True
Lowlights: Much Too Much, The Good's Gone
In relation to other albums:
Best.