JohnnyoftheWell
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Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am
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A nice overrated albums list

Since this had apparently become a thing, I thought I might as well raise the tone and offer some balanced insights instead of slamming albums aimlessly. Maybe it will catch on and the next wave of these lists will be interesting contributions rather than irritating trolls. Let's see...
1My Bloody Valentine
Loveless

Sputnik rating: 4.5/5
My rating: 3.3/5

Okay, this is a hard pitch, but here goes: Loveless just doesn't work particularly well as an album for me. There are tracks that I like (Only Shallow, Loomer, Come In Alone and (especially) Sometimes) and then there's the rest of the album, which washes over me inconsequentially; listening through it feels patchy and strangely draining. For an album so renowned for production value the bass is irritatingly absent, and some of the hooks are the wrong (irritating) kind of catchy. I don't hate it and am prepared to give it a lot more time, but Loveless hasn't done very much to impress me so far.
2Rush
Roll the Bones

Sputnik rating: 3.4/5
My rating: 2.3/5

Eww. I enjoy most of Rush's work considerably, but this is something else. The production is tinny 80s awfulness, the songs are unusually trite and there's a definite lack of standouts (besides Bravado, a true gem). These three gents are stellar musicians and just about hold this together with their chops, but I can't stand the vibe.
3TTNG
Animals

Sputnik rating: 3.9/5
My rating: 3/5

When I heard about this, I got all excited and expected something calculated and daring, perhaps with a bit of bombast a la Tera Melos. What I found was...surprisingly insubstantial. It's hard to criticise it in a way; when I pay close attention, the arrangements are tight and tasteful and the musicianship is absolutely solid. I just find it very hard to engage with this album; unless I focus on it absolutely, it passes me by entirely, and every song seems to sound almost the same as the one before it. I wish it grabbed me more, because there's clearly a lot of cool, hidden ideas here.
4Metallica
...And Justice for All

Sputnik rating: 4.2/5
My rating: 2.3/5

*deep breath* I love Blackened. And To Live is To Die is cool. And the first half of One is fantastic. And there are several great riffs floating about. But for me, the production is caustic, the arrangements are bloated, contrived uninteresting and it goes on too bloody long. And all of these factors really, really grate on me; I get the appeal, but this one is not for me.
5The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground & Nico

Sputnik rating: 4.5/5
My rating: 3.4/5

The featured review for this pretty much sums up my opinion to be honest: this is a bold, important album made by interesting musicians, but I find it overly repetitive and stagnant. Nico is a chore to listen through and many of these tracks recycle themselves to the point of oblivion. However, Heroin, Sunday Morning and Venus In Furs have a lot of my love and even European Son raises my eyebrows with its scratchy noise. White Light/White Heat is much more of my jam; this is an album full of potential but executed disappointingly imo.
6Refused
The Shape of Punk to Come

Sputnik rating: 4.5/5
My rating: 3.6/5

Okay, it's cool, it's inventive, it's kinda groundbreaking but...it just doesn't hit me the way it should. I don't dislike any of these tracks and I love, love, love the way Refused experimented - this is a fresh, exciting album! However, it just doesn't gel well enough to deserve my hype; tracks like Worms of the Senses and Tannhäuser / Derivè showcase a ton of great ideas that are cobbled together somewhat awkwardly, whilst Refused Are Fuckin Dead, Summerholidays Vs. Punkroutine and the t/t drag on far longer than they should (the first three minutes of all three are a kick, but afterwards something starts to lag). This isn't hate, it's reserved appreciation.
7Ulver
Kveldssanger

Sputnik rating: 3.9/5
My rating: 3.3/5

Whilst there's very little outright wrong with Ulver's folkiest outing, it doesn't quite hit the mark for me because: 1 - a lot of it isn't quite as beautiful as I was expecting; these acoustic themes are all solid, but there are very few that make my jaw drop, and 2 - it's too damn short. Most tracks seem to burn themselves out as soon as they get started, lending Kveldssanger the unfortunate feel of a rushed sophomore (which it pretty much was anyway) that could have been so much more given a little extra composition time. The main saving grace is the vibe on Nattleite, which absolutely mesmerises me; a few more cool ideas like this, and Kveldssanger might have topped Nattens Madrigal in my books.
8Mew
And the Glass Handed Kites

Sputnik rating: 4.1/5
My rating: 3.3/5

I loved the hell out of Frengers because every track carried its own weight and brought something new to the table. What happened when Mew took that away and opted for what is effectively a 40 minute megatrack with two long outro numbers was that the bulk of the album felt sporadic and bloated, whilst the last two songs (both highlights of their discog) overshadowed it effortlessly. There are some cool ideas and great hooks (although for some reason, The Zookeeper's Boy does very little for me), but they often feel too compressed and dense, and get lost in delivery. By no means a bad album, but a bit confused.
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