The Official Needles and Grooves 1001 Album Generator Project (aka Preachin’ about the Preachers if today’s selection sucks)

10/19/23
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Soundgarden - Superunknown




I don't understand how I made it this far in life without listening to this album. It was probably one of the best 90's alternative/grunge albums I've listened to. 4/5 for me because it did feel a little long. I was already thinking it was a great album before I noticed that Black Hole Sun and Spoonman hadn't even been on yet. Kind of weird that they're both so buried in the album.
 
10/19/23
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Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour




I forgot to rate this one.

Kacey's side of country that she presents here is one that I like, especially given that it contains pop sensibility. This is one of the best modern country/pop crossovers I've heard possibly ever. Kacey has really pretty vocals, particularly gripping on the opener "Slow Burn," sounds like leaves falling in autumn. The ending run of "High Horse" to "Rainbow" is godtier, and amplifies my impression/score considerably. I do think the middle of the record has a few tracks that didn't stick out to me, but may have just been my then feeling after a pair of listens.
You're not going to get me to be a country music believer, but this one is a wonderful marriage of two worlds. I've noticed that sticking to women in the genre bears better results overall for me.

Rating: 3.5/5 [Great]
 
Man, Rolling Stone didn’t think much of it:

Queen II​





BY KEN BARNES
JUNE 20, 1974

Queen is a reasonably talented band who have chosen their models unwisely. On "Side Black," they venture into a lyrically muddled fairy-tale world with none of Genesis's wit or sophistication. They've also appropriated the most irritating elements of Yes's style — histrionic vocals, abrupt and pointless compositional complexity, and a dearth of melody. "Side White" is quite an improvement, containing many of the same muddled tendencies, but with the saving grace of timely and well-chosen power chords and some rather pretty tunes. But the album remains a floundering and sadly unoriginal affair.
2 1/2 stars.
 
Maybe for the best. The three other band members in queen go on about under pressure basically being Bowie and Mercury spending the whole sessions trying to one up the other. I think the line was “there’s only room for one queen in any band”
They had both given in to the extremes of their… well… everything by Under Pressure. It’s very interesting to me that Metal Queen was still somehow linked to Bowie and touring with Mott the Hoople.
 
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