tmc555
@tmc555.bsky.social
Aspiring music writer.
Currently listening through and (micro) reviewing the 500 Greatest Albums list from Rolling Stone Magazine.
More music review/writing projects planned.
Currently listening through and (micro) reviewing the 500 Greatest Albums list from Rolling Stone Magazine.
More music review/writing projects planned.
I'll also mention the Ray Charles compilation. There's a lot of differing views on compilations being part of this list and I'm on the negative side myself...
7/9
7/9
January 8, 2025 at 10:18 PM
I'll also mention the Ray Charles compilation. There's a lot of differing views on compilations being part of this list and I'm on the negative side myself...
7/9
7/9
It doesn't sound like anything else. All epic strings and unsettling beats, brilliant poetry and unignorable wails. Not a recognisable song-structure in sight. It demands further listening but there was something to love in every track on first spin.
6/9
6/9
January 8, 2025 at 10:18 PM
It doesn't sound like anything else. All epic strings and unsettling beats, brilliant poetry and unignorable wails. Not a recognisable song-structure in sight. It demands further listening but there was something to love in every track on first spin.
6/9
6/9
But It's the vibe of the thing, so evocative of the era and the Cool Britannia 90s. It's loud, it's fuzzy, it's a big drunken singalong, it's Britpop.
Their problem from here on in was they believed their own hype.
(10/10)
Their problem from here on in was they believed their own hype.
(10/10)
December 27, 2024 at 6:07 AM
But It's the vibe of the thing, so evocative of the era and the Cool Britannia 90s. It's loud, it's fuzzy, it's a big drunken singalong, it's Britpop.
Their problem from here on in was they believed their own hype.
(10/10)
Their problem from here on in was they believed their own hype.
(10/10)
212. Wild Is the Wind - Nina Simone: Reverberating, authoratively voiced. Take heed. (Liked)
211. Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division: Dark, uninviting, atmosphere. Needs time (Liked/Maybe)
Highlight: Fiona Apple/Elliott Smith
Can't choose between them. Both intriguing...
(4/10)
211. Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division: Dark, uninviting, atmosphere. Needs time (Liked/Maybe)
Highlight: Fiona Apple/Elliott Smith
Can't choose between them. Both intriguing...
(4/10)
December 27, 2024 at 6:07 AM
212. Wild Is the Wind - Nina Simone: Reverberating, authoratively voiced. Take heed. (Liked)
211. Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division: Dark, uninviting, atmosphere. Needs time (Liked/Maybe)
Highlight: Fiona Apple/Elliott Smith
Can't choose between them. Both intriguing...
(4/10)
211. Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division: Dark, uninviting, atmosphere. Needs time (Liked/Maybe)
Highlight: Fiona Apple/Elliott Smith
Can't choose between them. Both intriguing...
(4/10)
showcasing some great song-craft. Definitely one to revisit.
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Nobody did what Rage did. Their sound is almost inimitable due mainly to a guitarist in Tom Morello that defies logic...
6/9
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Nobody did what Rage did. Their sound is almost inimitable due mainly to a guitarist in Tom Morello that defies logic...
6/9
December 22, 2024 at 7:21 AM
showcasing some great song-craft. Definitely one to revisit.
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Nobody did what Rage did. Their sound is almost inimitable due mainly to a guitarist in Tom Morello that defies logic...
6/9
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Nobody did what Rage did. Their sound is almost inimitable due mainly to a guitarist in Tom Morello that defies logic...
6/9
Highlights:
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
Madonna and Rihanna albums here both very strong but Wilco had me at first listen. Has shades of a lot of the lo-fi indie coming out of the states in the early 00s but this is experimental enough to be intriguing whilst also...
5/9
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
Madonna and Rihanna albums here both very strong but Wilco had me at first listen. Has shades of a lot of the lo-fi indie coming out of the states in the early 00s but this is experimental enough to be intriguing whilst also...
5/9
December 22, 2024 at 7:21 AM
Highlights:
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
Madonna and Rihanna albums here both very strong but Wilco had me at first listen. Has shades of a lot of the lo-fi indie coming out of the states in the early 00s but this is experimental enough to be intriguing whilst also...
5/9
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
Madonna and Rihanna albums here both very strong but Wilco had me at first listen. Has shades of a lot of the lo-fi indie coming out of the states in the early 00s but this is experimental enough to be intriguing whilst also...
5/9
I hear it and it sounds impossible to play and he's obviously a true master of his instrument. It's quite unsettling on first listen because the solos go everywhere except where your brain assumes they will. I'm really interested to know how Jazz-lovers engage with this music?
(8/9)
(8/9)
December 12, 2024 at 6:18 AM
I hear it and it sounds impossible to play and he's obviously a true master of his instrument. It's quite unsettling on first listen because the solos go everywhere except where your brain assumes they will. I'm really interested to know how Jazz-lovers engage with this music?
(8/9)
(8/9)
Kraftwerk another artist in the 'Heard lots about/never looked into' Category for me. I really got into this and had the weird experience that I listened to the german-language version first, not aware that there was also an English version which I then listened to as well.
(5/9)
(5/9)
December 12, 2024 at 6:18 AM
Kraftwerk another artist in the 'Heard lots about/never looked into' Category for me. I really got into this and had the weird experience that I listened to the german-language version first, not aware that there was also an English version which I then listened to as well.
(5/9)
(5/9)
It's a concept album that apparently has a story (but I couldn't tell you what it is), but it did strike a chord with a lot of people at the time, in no small part due to Billie-Joe's mastery of a great melody and the best 'fists in the air' musical moments.
(9/9)
(9/9)
December 7, 2024 at 7:11 PM
It's a concept album that apparently has a story (but I couldn't tell you what it is), but it did strike a chord with a lot of people at the time, in no small part due to Billie-Joe's mastery of a great melody and the best 'fists in the air' musical moments.
(9/9)
(9/9)
242. Loaded - The Velvet Underground: More accessible, still not hitting. (Maybe)
241. Blue Lines - Massive Attack: Inventing Trip-hop. Some decent standouts. (Liked/Maybe)
Highlight: Odessey and Oracle - The Zombies
(4/9)
241. Blue Lines - Massive Attack: Inventing Trip-hop. Some decent standouts. (Liked/Maybe)
Highlight: Odessey and Oracle - The Zombies
(4/9)
December 7, 2024 at 7:11 PM
242. Loaded - The Velvet Underground: More accessible, still not hitting. (Maybe)
241. Blue Lines - Massive Attack: Inventing Trip-hop. Some decent standouts. (Liked/Maybe)
Highlight: Odessey and Oracle - The Zombies
(4/9)
241. Blue Lines - Massive Attack: Inventing Trip-hop. Some decent standouts. (Liked/Maybe)
Highlight: Odessey and Oracle - The Zombies
(4/9)
I'll also mention Freewheelin' as it is my favourite Bob Dylan album. A product of its time in the midst of the looming threat of nuclear war and the civil rights movement. The poetry is unrivalled and the sneer at injustice is almost visual as you listen.
(7/9)
(7/9)
December 7, 2024 at 12:12 PM
I'll also mention Freewheelin' as it is my favourite Bob Dylan album. A product of its time in the midst of the looming threat of nuclear war and the civil rights movement. The poetry is unrivalled and the sneer at injustice is almost visual as you listen.
(7/9)
(7/9)
Obviously this album contains probably Tracy's 3 best known tracks (Fast Car, Talkin' Bout a Revolution & Baby Can I Hold You) which would make it a strong contender in any batch but the whole is more than a sum of its parts.
(5/9)
(5/9)
December 7, 2024 at 12:12 PM
Obviously this album contains probably Tracy's 3 best known tracks (Fast Car, Talkin' Bout a Revolution & Baby Can I Hold You) which would make it a strong contender in any batch but the whole is more than a sum of its parts.
(5/9)
(5/9)
Some more fleshed out than others but charm in every one
Really, my favourite of these is Wish You Were Here, which amazes me as an album. It shouldn't work but so does. It's 5 tracks long.
(7/9)
Really, my favourite of these is Wish You Were Here, which amazes me as an album. It shouldn't work but so does. It's 5 tracks long.
(7/9)
December 5, 2024 at 6:45 PM
Some more fleshed out than others but charm in every one
Really, my favourite of these is Wish You Were Here, which amazes me as an album. It shouldn't work but so does. It's 5 tracks long.
(7/9)
Really, my favourite of these is Wish You Were Here, which amazes me as an album. It shouldn't work but so does. It's 5 tracks long.
(7/9)
I like Randy. He seems a fun chap. He has an unorthodox singing voice (not bad but very unique) and his song-craft is brilliant. There's a lot of humour on this album and it just struck me that he was doing whatever he wanted and just laying the tracks down as they came to him...
(5/9)
(5/9)
December 5, 2024 at 6:45 PM
I like Randy. He seems a fun chap. He has an unorthodox singing voice (not bad but very unique) and his song-craft is brilliant. There's a lot of humour on this album and it just struck me that he was doing whatever he wanted and just laying the tracks down as they came to him...
(5/9)
(5/9)
Foals definitely paid attention to this for their early sound.
Shout out to Nirvana Unplugged. I never considered myself a big Nirvana fan or believe that they are/were truly worthy of the massive esteem they are now held in but I did always like this album.
(7/9)
Shout out to Nirvana Unplugged. I never considered myself a big Nirvana fan or believe that they are/were truly worthy of the massive esteem they are now held in but I did always like this album.
(7/9)
December 1, 2024 at 3:42 PM
Foals definitely paid attention to this for their early sound.
Shout out to Nirvana Unplugged. I never considered myself a big Nirvana fan or believe that they are/were truly worthy of the massive esteem they are now held in but I did always like this album.
(7/9)
Shout out to Nirvana Unplugged. I never considered myself a big Nirvana fan or believe that they are/were truly worthy of the massive esteem they are now held in but I did always like this album.
(7/9)
Highlight: Entertainment! - Gang of Four
A lot of stuff I've listened to has been described as 'Post-Punk' and I've never truly understood what it meant. It just seemed to be a catch-all for any kind of alternative indie-rock from the late 70s/early 80s.
(5/9)
A lot of stuff I've listened to has been described as 'Post-Punk' and I've never truly understood what it meant. It just seemed to be a catch-all for any kind of alternative indie-rock from the late 70s/early 80s.
(5/9)
December 1, 2024 at 3:42 PM
Highlight: Entertainment! - Gang of Four
A lot of stuff I've listened to has been described as 'Post-Punk' and I've never truly understood what it meant. It just seemed to be a catch-all for any kind of alternative indie-rock from the late 70s/early 80s.
(5/9)
A lot of stuff I've listened to has been described as 'Post-Punk' and I've never truly understood what it meant. It just seemed to be a catch-all for any kind of alternative indie-rock from the late 70s/early 80s.
(5/9)
Have they ever actually listened to it? Because I have and it definitely wasn't one of my favourites.....(I even had to seek out one of the songs on a different streaming platform because it was greyed-out and unavailable. I am nothing if not committed to this task)
(9/9)
(9/9)
November 30, 2024 at 7:08 PM
Have they ever actually listened to it? Because I have and it definitely wasn't one of my favourites.....(I even had to seek out one of the songs on a different streaming platform because it was greyed-out and unavailable. I am nothing if not committed to this task)
(9/9)
(9/9)
Highlight: Post - Björk
Never looked into Björk despite many recommendations. This album is so packed with ideas that it changes up wildly from track to track. From minimalist whispers to Big band bombast and lots in-between.
(5/9)
Never looked into Björk despite many recommendations. This album is so packed with ideas that it changes up wildly from track to track. From minimalist whispers to Big band bombast and lots in-between.
(5/9)
November 30, 2024 at 7:08 PM
Highlight: Post - Björk
Never looked into Björk despite many recommendations. This album is so packed with ideas that it changes up wildly from track to track. From minimalist whispers to Big band bombast and lots in-between.
(5/9)
Never looked into Björk despite many recommendations. This album is so packed with ideas that it changes up wildly from track to track. From minimalist whispers to Big band bombast and lots in-between.
(5/9)
The Blue Album is one that I've been familiar with individual tracks for many years but never listened to the whole thing many times. It's all great and the fact that I knew some songs a lot better than others didn't diminish it.
(7/8)
(7/8)
November 28, 2024 at 6:49 PM
The Blue Album is one that I've been familiar with individual tracks for many years but never listened to the whole thing many times. It's all great and the fact that I knew some songs a lot better than others didn't diminish it.
(7/8)
(7/8)
Yeah, yeah, I was somewhat familiar with both of these records before this batch but they are so much better (to me) than everything else here that to choose anything else would just be pedantic. Sue me.
Daft Punk really produced something amazing with R.A.M.
(5/8)
Daft Punk really produced something amazing with R.A.M.
(5/8)
November 28, 2024 at 6:49 PM
Yeah, yeah, I was somewhat familiar with both of these records before this batch but they are so much better (to me) than everything else here that to choose anything else would just be pedantic. Sue me.
Daft Punk really produced something amazing with R.A.M.
(5/8)
Daft Punk really produced something amazing with R.A.M.
(5/8)
Shout out to Joy Division. Despite them being a hometown band and there being a beautiful mural of Ian Curtis just down the road, I had never listened to a whole album of theirs. Partly because I don't really like New Order and presumed it would be much the same.
(6/7)
(6/7)
November 27, 2024 at 9:06 PM
Shout out to Joy Division. Despite them being a hometown band and there being a beautiful mural of Ian Curtis just down the road, I had never listened to a whole album of theirs. Partly because I don't really like New Order and presumed it would be much the same.
(6/7)
(6/7)
301. New York Dolls - New York Dolls: Evolution of Blues-Rock to Punk (Liked/Maybe)
*Compilation
Highlight: Just As I Am - Bill Withers
I think Bill just missed out on a highlight last time but he gets it here. This is phenomenal. A soul record so organic and engrossing.
(4/7)
*Compilation
Highlight: Just As I Am - Bill Withers
I think Bill just missed out on a highlight last time but he gets it here. This is phenomenal. A soul record so organic and engrossing.
(4/7)
November 27, 2024 at 9:06 PM
301. New York Dolls - New York Dolls: Evolution of Blues-Rock to Punk (Liked/Maybe)
*Compilation
Highlight: Just As I Am - Bill Withers
I think Bill just missed out on a highlight last time but he gets it here. This is phenomenal. A soul record so organic and engrossing.
(4/7)
*Compilation
Highlight: Just As I Am - Bill Withers
I think Bill just missed out on a highlight last time but he gets it here. This is phenomenal. A soul record so organic and engrossing.
(4/7)
Although this music is very indicative of a certain point in time, none of it sounds dated and it really was a very high watermark for indie music and the Britpop scene that it maybe sparked into existence. Pity it all started to fall apart after this.
(7/7)
(7/7)
November 26, 2024 at 10:39 PM
Although this music is very indicative of a certain point in time, none of it sounds dated and it really was a very high watermark for indie music and the Britpop scene that it maybe sparked into existence. Pity it all started to fall apart after this.
(7/7)
(7/7)
312. A Seat at the Table - Solange: Empowered portrait of black womanhood (Liked)
311. On the Beach - Neil Young: Sunshine rock and earnest emotion. (Liked)
Highlight: Seat at the Table - Solange
Enjoyed this. More interesting than a lot of the recent RnB I've heard.
(4/7)
311. On the Beach - Neil Young: Sunshine rock and earnest emotion. (Liked)
Highlight: Seat at the Table - Solange
Enjoyed this. More interesting than a lot of the recent RnB I've heard.
(4/7)
November 26, 2024 at 10:39 PM
312. A Seat at the Table - Solange: Empowered portrait of black womanhood (Liked)
311. On the Beach - Neil Young: Sunshine rock and earnest emotion. (Liked)
Highlight: Seat at the Table - Solange
Enjoyed this. More interesting than a lot of the recent RnB I've heard.
(4/7)
311. On the Beach - Neil Young: Sunshine rock and earnest emotion. (Liked)
Highlight: Seat at the Table - Solange
Enjoyed this. More interesting than a lot of the recent RnB I've heard.
(4/7)
Shout out also to Still Bill by Bill Withers. There's been a lot of 70s Funk/soul on the list so far that I've not particularly gelled with but this is a great record. Very close 2nd highlight.
Also, turns out I really don't like Roxy Music. Who knew?
(7/7)
Also, turns out I really don't like Roxy Music. Who knew?
(7/7)
November 23, 2024 at 8:36 PM
Shout out also to Still Bill by Bill Withers. There's been a lot of 70s Funk/soul on the list so far that I've not particularly gelled with but this is a great record. Very close 2nd highlight.
Also, turns out I really don't like Roxy Music. Who knew?
(7/7)
Also, turns out I really don't like Roxy Music. Who knew?
(7/7)