The Rating Thread

[len(songs)]

I need 2 more for a digest... what the heck, may as well provide them myself Edited December 26, 2014 by len(songs)

[Segue Myles]

Bruce Springsteen- Darkness On The Edge Of Town

 

1. Badlands 15/15

2. *Adam Raised A Cain* 15/15

3. Something In The Night 14/15

4. <Candy's Room> 13/15

5. Racing In The Street 15/15

6. The Promised Land 14/15

7. Factory 14/15

8. Streets Of Fire 15/15

9. Prove It All Night 14/15

10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town 15/15

 

Average Rating: 14.4 (Rating E)

 

My actual rating: F

 

Ok, this album has individual songs that fail to excite me as much as the very best of this album. But this isn't an album to play in a shuffle or to even skip songs. Darkness' magic lies in it's ability to unite the listener with the music like a needle in the thread. We get sucked into the bitter anguish, regrets and disappointments of Springsteen's protagonists, and whilst it is true I have definite favourites off of this album that I can play separately at any point in time, the "lesser" songs (which are amazing in their own right) are not to be overlooked. Would you delete pivotal, but slightly unexciting scenes from your favourite movie just to get to the best parts? No. As a whole, every song on this album is needed. And yes, many better songs were left off this album (and released in 2010 as the gorgeous double album The Promise), but this album works as a whole, not the mere sum of its parts. Flaws are what makes us human, after all. And this album makes no claims to be an angel.

 

An absolute masterpiece, heavier going than anything else he had released before, but perhaps because of this it is more rewarding. Regardless of the teen biker epics of Born To Run, it is this album that has the more vividly realistic characters. And sadly it is the bitter experiences they each face throughout these songs that we perhaps all recognise the most from our lives. Where Born To Run offered escapist fantasy, Darkness On The Edge Of Town see's Bruce, and we, the listeners, touchdown on reality. Harsh, bitter reality.

[movinghemispheres]

Another Maiden album:

Iron Maiden - Virtual XI (1998)

Futureal: 11/15

<The Angel and the Gambler>: 5/15

Lightning Strikes Twice: 10/15

*The Clansman*: 12/15

When Two Worlds Collide: 9/15

The Educated Fool: 6/15

Don't Look to the Eyes of a Stranger: 7/15

Como Estais Amigos: 11/15

Overall rating: 7/15, their worst album ever? Yeah, probably there is real debate about it. The production is weak, the drumming is the worst I've ever heard from Nicko (is he really playing on the album??), the guitars are so quiet, no power here but worst of all, the songs are really, really average at best. Almost all of them start with a slow intro (this is still ok for one or two but almost all of them start this way!), they have very boring chorus that are repeated so many times I didn't even bother to count (the worst of all being of course The Angel and the Gambler, the chorus goes for more than 2 minutes at the end!). Didn't they notice while doing it that it was a "little" bit too much. It looks like each song had to be at least 6 minutes long so instead of trying to come with some creative instrumental parts, they just thought that repeating over and over again the same line was ok!!!! Even the "best" song of the album, The Clansman, suffers from this with the "Freedom" chorus repeated way too many times. But still a decent song on a very mediocre album. And at the same time, Bruce Dickinson released The Chemical Wedding a heavy metal masterpiece...but that's another story!

[Segue Myles]

Bruce Springsteen- The River

 

Disc One:

1. The Ties That Bind 12/15

2. Sherry Darling 13/15

3. Jackson Cage 13/15

4. Two Hearts 12/15

5. Independence Day 14/15

6. Hungry Heart 14/15

7. Out In The Street 12/15

8. Crush On You 11/15

9. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch) 11/15

10. I Wanna Marry You 11/15

11. The River 15/15

 

Disc Two:

1. Point Blank 12/15

2. Cadillac Ranch 11/15

3. <I'm A Rocker> 10/15

4. Fade Away 14/15

5. Stolen Car 13/15

6. Ramrod 14/15

7. The Price You Pay 14/15

8. *Drive All Night* 15/15

9. Wreck On The Highway 15/15

 

Average Rating: 12.8 (Rating C)

 

Another correct average score! This is a pretty wonderful album that I can play from start to finish and really enjoy. But their is no denying that this is the first Springsteen album to feature throwaway pop songs. But what joyous pop songs they are! Disc One is hardly vintage Springsteen, but it has some startlingly great deeper cuts amongst all the pub rock tomfoolery (Crush On You anyone?). Independence Day and The River are hauntingly beautiful songs that fit in more with the songs on the second disc, but here prove to be perfectly placed simply because, amongst all the joy, their sorrow speaks more clearly. Terrific songs.

 

But disc two is a different beast altogether. A few of the songs are frustrating, because it is so alarming how many great songs were kept in the vaults whilst songs such as I'm A Rocker and Cadillac Ranch found disc space! But, and this is a big but, The River is a joy because of this uneven quality. Springsteen tackles a variety of emotions on this album, and his ambition to write better and better short form songs is really coming to a head on this album.

 

But the album really reaches its peak with the eight and-a-half minute dirge Drive All Night. The shivers, the chills, the emotion of this song makes all the pampered pretties of the album worth it. Masterpiece, and one of the best from The Boss.

 

Sadly, most people remember this album for the hit single Hungry Heart. Although I will not argue the virtues of that track (I gave it a 14/15 after all), the best songs on this album are more than great enough to equal the best of Darkness.

 

Yes, this album has, on the surface at least, a cheery disposition. But ultimately, for all the light The River offers, at its core this is another dark album.

 

But you cannot have the shade without the light. Uneven in quality this album may be, but in many ways this scrapbook of stadium anthems and locker room heartbreakers is the definitive Springsteen experience. I certainly am glad this is a double album!

 

It just cannot rank as one of my DIVINELY TRUE favourite LP's, no matter how great much of the sum of its part might suggest it should be.

[Segue Myles]

Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska

 

1. Nebraska 13/15

2. *Atlantic City* 15/15

3. Mansion On The Hill 13/15

4. Johnny 99 14/15

5. Highway Patrolman 13/15

6. State Trooper 15/15

7. Used Cars 14/15

8. Open All Night 13/15

9. My Father's House 13/15

10. Reason To Believe 14/15

 

Average Rating: 13.7 (Rating D)

 

This is an album I admire more than love. It is hard to love something so full of tragedy, because who chooses to escape to desolation? But this is an album written from the heart. Springsteen channeled his inner Steinbeck (which is an author whose work would go on to inspire Springsteen's masterful classic The Ghost Of Tom Joad), and the result is gritty, raw and pained.

 

But for all the reasons I battle to play this album, I cannot deny they are also the reason for why Nebraska is such a classic Springsteen album, a fan favourite, and a critical darling. Atlantic City and State Trooper are my pick of the bunch.

 

But I long for the bombast of Darkness, although I agree that this is missing the point. This album is Springsteen pouring out his words directly from his soul. All I can think when listening to this is he must use his music as a way to channel his demons, for his public image has never, to my knowledge, revealed a dark disposition such as that which he toys with on Nebraska.

[Segue Myles]

Bruce Springsteen- Born In The USA

 

1. Born In The USA 13/15

2. *Cover Me* 15/15

3. Darlington County 13/15

4. Working On The Highway 13/15

5. Downbound Train 13/15

6. I'm On Fire 15/15

7. No Surrender 15/15

8. Bobby Jean 14/15

9. <I'm Goin' Down> 11/15

10. Glory Days 15/15

11. Dancing In The Dark 15/15

12. My Hometown 14/15

 

Average Rating: 14.9 (Rating E verging on F)

 

My Rating: D

 

Born In The USA was originally written during the sessions for Nebraska. And lyrically, the angry tone makes it all to obvious. Musically, the song erupts from the speakers like a roaring Bananarama smash, which incidentally leaves us with an question mark: is he proud or angry to be an american? Although I really enjoy the song for its anthemic majesty, the original, acoustic arrangement (found on the Tracks box set) remains my favoured version.

 

Personally, I don't really mind the politically charged lyrics. He can preach as much as he likes, but I come to this album to bop along and have fun. Sure, the lyrics are often MUCH MORE SERIOUS THAN YOU MIGHT EXPECT FOR SUCH A COMMERCIAL ALBUM. But the songs, released as they are here, are pop rock heaven!

 

Dated production aside, this album has aged really, really well. But there is something lacking on this album that keeps me from ranking it higher. Obviously, looking at the average score, I should be ranking this album higher, but in all honesty, the glossy sheen is a little too polished for my liking.

 

But my goodness, the hooks on Cover Me, Glory Days and Dancing In The Dark are enough to keep me satisfied and hungry for more! I am glad this album is hugely popular. But I am also very delighted he chose to rarely return to this style with this amount of shine.

[Segue Myles]

done for today...

 

...but i need more springsteen!

[len(songs)]

:clap:

[Segue Myles]

:clap:

 

Stacks of jumbled sentences, dodgy grammar and purple prose...but hey these were rushed reviews!

[Mr. Not]

Radiohead - Pablo Honey (1993)

12/15 You

13/15 *Creep*

08/15 <How Do You?>

10/15 Stop Whispering

08/15 Thinking About You

11/15 Anyone Can Play Guitar

10/15 Ripcord

12/15 Vegetable

08/15 Prove Yourself

09/15 I Can't

08/15 Lurgee

10/15 Blow Out

 

rating: 8

 

If I listen through this album, I just tire myself by doing so. If they had more songs like the first two, it would have been an amazing album :D the other tracks, in addition to being not as great musically, lack the pessimism I admire found in the first two tracks as well.

 

My previous rating

Edited December 26, 2014 by Mr. Not

[Segue Myles]

Jimmy Eat World- Static Prevails

 

1. Thinking, That's All 15/15

2. Rockstar 15/15

3. Claire 13/15

4. Call It In The Air 14/15

5. *Seventeen* 15/15

6. Episode IV 14/15

7. Digits 14/15

8. Caveman 15/15

9. World Is Static 14/15

10. In The Same Room 13/15

11. Robot Factory 13/15

12. Anderson Mesa 15/15

 

Average Rating: 14 (Rating E)

 

90's Emo will forever be a great love of mine. I love the sound of Texas Is The Reason, Rites Of Spring, Mineral, Sunny Day Real Estate and The Juliana Theory.

 

But Jimmy Eat World are the best of the best. Their major label debut Static Prevails is a masterful, crusty pop classic! Anthem after anthem, it is bizarre to think theat there was a time when it seemed as if they would never make it big. Sadly, most people today recognise emo as the black clad, miserable looking scruffs wearing My Chemical Romance or Black Veil Brides T-shirts that haunt city streets and shopping malls with their annoying "look at me I am so cut up inside but not afraid to to show it" attitude. Shame, as much of the genre at its peak is refreshing, warming, invigorating and poetic. The so called emo that hit the mainstream in the last ten years is little more than repackaged goth from yesteryear.

 

Don't we all just hate dividing music into genres?

 

Great band. One of the best of all time.

[Mr. Not]

Radiohead - The Bends (1995)

12/15 Planet Telex

11/15 The Bends

11/15 High and Dry

12/15 Fake Plastic Trees

11/15 Bones

12/15 (Nice Dream)

13/15 Just

14/15 *My Iron Lung*

10/15 <Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was>

12/15 Black Star

11/15 Sulk

11/15 Street Spirit

 

Rating: D

 

The band matured :D the cover art reflects the feel of this album well.. Very atmospheric and calm, while still having noisy parts which are only now good, supported by interesting riffs and rhythms (Bones, My Iron Lung) rather than being cluttered or of a more grunge/punk nature like on Pablo. Bullet Proof is the lowest point of this album, and it's still not bad. The quality here is beautifully consistent, and Thom does good work on vocals.

[Segue Myles]

I need to get into Radiohead. I have OK Computer, and it was too challenging for me back when I bought it.

[Mr. Not]

Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)

12/15 Airbag

15/15 *Paranoid Android*

13/15 Subterranean Homesick Alien

08/15 Exit Music

11/15 Let Down

14/15 Karma Police

12/15 Fitter Happier

09/15 Electrioneering

08/15 Climbing Up the Walls

07/15 <No Surprises>

10/15 Lucky

10/15 The Tourist

 

rating: B

 

Could have been an outstanding album - but half of its tracks only serve to weight it down (Exit Music, and the last five tracks on the album)... This album is highly rated and loved by many, and I can see why. Music like this should appeal to a broad audience. Radiohead's masterpiece Paranoid Android, was written here... The key influence for this track was Bohemian Rhapsody. Other than this and both being multipart prog rock tracks, I don't see how the two are related, so I find it silly when people say "Paranoid Android is just a Bohemian rip off" (which I've seen people say on two occasions). Jonny Greenwood himself admitted the song is too simplistic to be considered next to Bohemian Rhapsody, and I'll agree with that in the song doesn't transit as frequently or as much as Bohemian does. Subterranean Homesick Alien is a beautiful song which has strong guitar writing and ambient like echo and pitch shifting effects... I won't touch on the lyrics, I'm sure a friend will do so better if he ever decides to come back to this forum ;) Karma Police is the last of the big three (fitter happier didn't make the cut for being too short, Airbag for not having too strong of an ending. Let down, while on the good half of the album, doesn't cut it as fantastic) on this album, and the "bridge" (it seems like a bridge, but the song actually ends with it.. so it's better described as a second part... But since it deceived me as being a bridge on the first listen, I've thought of it as one ever since. Maybe I should call it "a bridge with no end") is what makes it... It's probably my favorite excerpt from any Radiohead song "For a minute there, I lost myself", with use of amazing backing vocals "aa-aah" which I can't even explain really, and to tie it all in a uniquely catchy bass line which I can't help but air bass with my left hand while listening.

Edited December 26, 2014 by Mr. Not

[Mr. Not]

Porcupine Tree - Up the Downstair (1993)

[ ]/15 What You Are Listening To

13/15 *Synesthesia*

[ ]/15 Monuments Burn Into Moments

12/15 Always Never

10/15 Up the Downstair

08/15 <Not Beautiful Anymore>

[ ]/15 Siren

11/15 Small Fish

11/15 Burning Sky

12/15 Fadeaway

 

rating: 10

 

The most ambient album. The two long tracks are instrumentals, and while repetitive they're quite rewarding. Synesthesia and Always Never remain to be some of Steven Wilson's finest tracks. This album makes me wish Steven Wilson would do more solo works virtually all on his own, he had very little assistance on this record and while it shows, it's only because of the lack of drums / use of loops.

[Mr. Not]

Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways (1995)

11/15 *The Sky Moves Sideways (Phase One)*

10/15 Dislocated Day

09/15 <The Moon Touches Your Shoulder>

[ ]/15 Prepare Yourself

09/15 The Sky Moves Sideways (Phase Two)

 

rating: 7

Edited December 27, 2014 by Mr. Not

[len(songs)]

Just a general word of warning: if you see a new digest pop up on the archive thread, check it if you made a review recently to make sure I'm not mis-interpreting/representing your scores. If you do see an error post it here and I'll get to it ASAP.

[Mr. Not]

Porcupine Tree - Signify (1996)

13/15 Signify

10/15 The Sleep of No Dreaming

12/15 Waiting Phase One

07/15 Waiting Phase Two

11/15 Sever

06/15 Idiot Prayer

12/15 Every Home is Wired

05/15 <Intermediate Jesus>

15/15 *Dark Matter*

 

Raing: 9

 

I've left out three tracks which are autoskips - I see them as generic transitory tracks :zzz:

This is a mixed basket... Half good (one outstanding) and half bad to terrible. The good show Porcupine Tree has peaked in it's maturity! So, I'm usually torn in deciding whether I consider this the first PT album, or Up the Downstair. Up the Downstair was a good honest work, but then The Sky Moves Sideways followed it, which was a step in the wrong direction. It was wrong by being similar to Up the Downstair, but too much so in just sharing the bad aspects of UTD.

So, the bad songs are indicated above. Most which are listed with low ratings are instrumental tracks with seemingly anti-christian titles and samples slapped on. Anyone who's read my posts knows I'm not the biggest fan of songs of any sort of religious context with the exceptions being made for well written subtle ones (like Freewill) or Jon Anderson's new agey babble But, I'm in luck for these songs given that they're instrumental (hold the one with the sampling from a preacher or something), right? Nope, instrumentally they suck. They sound like bad improvs, and I was surprised to find that in fact none were improvs... Oh well

Dark Matter is a masterpiece, the title track instrumental quite good (a bit reminiscent of YYZ), and the other three tracks I rated well have very nice vocal melodies... The lyrical content was still heavily focused on drugs and drug use like most Delirium PT, but here it's more bearable and intelligent than usual.

Edited December 27, 2014 by Mr. Not

[len(songs)]

Just a general word of warning: if you see a new digest pop up on the archive thread, check it if you made a review recently to make sure I'm not mis-interpreting/representing your scores. If you do see an error post it here and I'll get to it ASAP.

What I'm most concerned about is when people don't put "word" ratings next to their "number" album ratings, so I don't know what to put in the digest thread (usually I'll go with what makes the most sense but occasionally I can't think of anything approximate enough)

[Mr. Not]

Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream (1999)

15/15 *Even Less*

12/15 Piano Lessons

[ ]/15 Stupid Dream

13/15 Pure Narcotic

13/15 Slave Called Shiver

12/15 Don't Hate Me

10/15 This is No Rehearsal

09/15 Baby Dream in Cellophane

08/15 <Stranger by the Minute>

11/15 A Smart Kid

11/15 Tinto Brass

12/15 Stop Swimming

 

Rating: C

[bathory]

crazy ass rating system!

[bluefox4000]

crazy ass rating system!

 

yes that's why i'm steering clear......sorry folks, lol

 

Mick

[Mr. Not]

The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium (2003)

12/15 Son et Lumiere

11/15 <Inertiatic ESP>

13/15 Roulette Dares

[ ]/15 Tira Me a las Aranas

12/15 Drunkship of Lanterns

15/15 *Eriatarka*

12/15 Cicatriz ESP

12/15 This Apparatus Must be Unearthed

13/15 Televators

12/15 Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt

 

Rating: E

 

The Mars Volta- the third(?) project started by Omar and Cedric, and to date unquestionably their greatest

Going into this album, Omar said they wanted to make their own sort of "Saucerful of Secrets". The lyrics were written by Cedric, and like all Mars Volta albums, the lyrics are very weird the story is fittingly odd as well - based on a true personal story. The album describes the death of "Cerpin Taxt", and his experience overdosing on a morphine and rat poison. Eritarka is a beautiful track presenting Omar's best writing on the guitar, and Ikey's work on the organ during the bridge always gives me chills. I gave the song 15/15, so naturally I love it to no end. The ending of this album (the ending minute of the last song) - without spoiling it, is absolutely perfect in context of the concept. Musically and lyrically is leaves you very uneasy.

This album is Volta's best, say the critics and fans... I think it's neck and neck with a Bedlam in Goliath for the best... And it's strange to admit this, as usually I find debut albums to be some of musician's most immature works. But, Omar and Cedric have plenty of experience together writing and producing (not as producers but in the studio), so this is much more likely than not the reason why this album is so well - ideas of theirs they previously didn't have the format to express them through.

Lastly, I'll say that throughout this album I notice their post-hardcore background having influence more than on any other Volta album.

 

My previous rating

[Mr. Not]

The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute (2005)

12/15 Cygnus... Vismund Cygnus

10/15 <The Widow>

12/15 L'via L'viaquez

10/15 Miranda the Ghost That Just Isn't Holy Anymore

13/15 *Cassandra Gemini*

 

Rating: A

[Mr. Not]

The Mars Volta - Amputechture (2006)

10/15 Vicarious Atonement

15/15 *Tetragrammaton*

12/15 Vermicide

11/15 Meccamputechture

11/15 Asilos Magdalena

13/15 Viscera Eyes

14/15 Day of the Baphomets

07/15 <El Ciervo Vulnerado>

 

Rating: B

 

Their last album to contain epics, but this is good because they're ended it on a good note!