Omar's Album Reviews of The Rolling Stones' Top 500 Albums (and some other albums too)

[Hank Kingsley]

I am a firm believer that every album needs listening to at least twice before you can form a valid opinion on it.

And if you like it way too much the first time, chances are it won't sand the test of time.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

The fact that this was the 2nd album after Brian Jones' death might have had something to do with the "tone" of the content. I'll leave that to more knowledgable folks here. I do know that this album was my first foray into the Stones (I was 15 when it came out) and a classmate invited me over to check it out. It was also the first time I smoked a joint. Nice combo platter. Just a great, great album - start to finish.

Love Dead Flowers.

And it has lots of Bobby Keys.....

 

[Chewbaccer]

Love Dead Flowers.

And it has lots of Bobby Keys.....

Dead Flowers is probably my favorite Stones song.

Never heard it until they played it on Outlaw Country on SiriusXM either.

You can credit Outlaw Country on SiriusXM for really opening me up to the Stones(I'm still not the biggest fan of their more popular radio hits though)

 

[beardown07]

Dead Flowers is probably my favorite Stones song.

Never heard it until they played it on Outlaw Country on SiriusXM either.

You can credit Outlaw Country on SiriusXM for really opening me up to the Stones(I'm still not the biggest fan of their more popular radio hits though)

The radio has ruined a many great songs.


It's the songs that weren't played that allow us to not hate every band of the past.

 

[Chewbaccer]

The radio has ruined a many great songs.


It's the songs that weren't played that allow us to not hate every band of the past.

Which is why Outlaw Country on SiriusXM has my vote for the greatest station of all time. It's called Outlaw Country, but it's actually a roots music station that specializes in Country-Rock.

They play a lot of the Stones album cuts that weren't radio hits, and really they play anything from Jimmie Rodgers(In the Jailhouse Now Jimmie Rodgers, not Kisses Sweeter than Wine Jimmie Rodgers) to The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty.

 

[Voltaire26]

I'll now list my 5 favorite songs off The White Album:

5. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
4. Blackbird
3. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
2. Martha My Dear
1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

I love reading your reviews ... even if I disagree it give me a fresh perspective.

 

[Voltaire26]

I was at the Baltimore airport a couple of weeks ago and I Am The Slime played over the PA. That was surprising to me. Enjoyable, but surprising.

A song about media manipulation ... sadly, truer today than 1973 (when it was written)

 

[Omar 382]

I love reading your reviews ... even if I disagree it give me a fresh perspective.

Thank you for the compliment. As you may have heard me say, I am by no means a music expert. So my "fresh" perspective may actually be a novice's perspective masquerading as freshness. Or something else poetic.

Have you ever heard The Flaming Lips?

 

[Omar 382]

And if you like it way too much the first time, chances are it won't sand the test of time.

Interesting. I'd never thought of it like this. I feel like that's not 100% true, but true more often than it isn't actually. The exception to the rule are the "Modern Love" or "Don't Stop Me Now" type songs that are so catchy and awesome that their catchiness and awesomeness extends seemingly for forever. But yeah, I love "It's The Same Old Song" and other Four Tops' songs, but I no longer listen to their songs 50 times a day. Lol.

 

[Omar 382]

I wouldn't compare it to Bohemian Rhapsody but its definitely a great song.

We'll have to disagree on that one for now. I've listened to that particular song 8 or 9 times in the past week, each time looking for things to like. I'll say this- the final part/portion of the song is the best. But the rest of it, and as a whole- I'm not a fan.

Is Kid A worth my time? It was in the 60's on RS' list IIRC.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Interesting. I'd never thought of it like this. I feel like that's not 100% true, but true more often than it isn't actually. The exception to the rule are the "Modern Love" or "Don't Stop Me Now" type songs that are so catchy and awesome that their catchiness and awesomeness extends seemingly for forever. But yeah, I love "It's The Same Old Song" and other Four Tops' songs, but I no longer listen to their songs 50 times a day. Lol.

It is for me.

It's why I don't like Stairway to Heaven. Overplayed it and don't care if I ever hear it again.

Ditto for the Pink Floyd song Money.

 

[Clayton]

We'll have to disagree on that one for now. I've listened to that particular song 8 or 9 times in the past week, each time looking for things to like. I'll say this- the final part/portion of the song is the best. But the rest of it, and as a whole- I'm not a fan.

Is Kid A worth my time? It was in the 60's on RS' list IIRC.

Everything in its Right Place is probably my 4th favorite Radiohead song. Its basically a gateway IDM track. How to Disappear Completely is Thom Yorke's favorite radiohead song, IIRC.

You might like Idioteque but I think its kinda 'meh'

I just can't imagine not liking Paranoid Android. Its probably in my top 150 songs of all time. Bohemian Rhapsody is probably top 40 which is why I don't think they're on the same tier but Paranoid Android is excellent.

 

[Voltaire26]

Thank you for the compliment. As you may have heard me say, I am by no means a music expert. So my "fresh" perspective may actually be a novice's perspective masquerading as freshness. Or something else poetic.

Have you ever heard The Flaming Lips?

Familiar with them ... my expertise is late 60's - early 70's ... love the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Harry Chapin, Bruce Springsteen, Moody Blues, Frank Zappa, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, etc ...

Sometime I bore the heck out of my Granddaughter ...

 

[Sir Robin Of Camelot]

Everything in its Right Place is probably my 4th favorite Radiohead song. Its basically a gateway IDM track. How to Disappear Completely is Thom Yorke's favorite radiohead song, IIRC.

You might like Idioteque but I think its kinda 'meh'

I just can't imagine not liking Paranoid Android. Its probably in my top 150 songs of all time. Bohemian Rhapsody is probably top 40 which is why I don't think they're on the same tier but Paranoid Android is excellent.

Radiohead is one of those newer acts that hasn’t registered with me yet. I should try “OK Computer” again. I have co-workers who swear to them and whose music tastes I respect. Might just take another swim this weekend.

 

[Clayton]

Radiohead is one of those newer acts that hasn’t registered with me yet. I should try “OK Computer” again. I have co-workers who swear to them and whose music tastes I respect. Might just take another swim this weekend.

It ain't that new. Thom Yorke is the oldest looking 49 year old on the planet.

 

[beardown07]

Radiohead is one of those newer acts that hasn’t registered with me yet. I should try “OK Computer” again. I have co-workers who swear to them and whose music tastes I respect. Might just take another swim this weekend.

Go with The Bends. Their first two albums are all I can stomach.

 

[Clayton]

Go with The Bends. Their first two albums are all I can stomach.

I had the words 'You should start with The Bends' in my field when you posted this.

Its definitely the most accessible Radiohead album. I'd imagine less than 5% of the American population can make it through Amnesiac or King of Limbs. Id even go as far to say that I hate Amnesiac.

 

[Clayton]

I think I actually hate Rolling Stone's list if only because they have Arcade Fire's Funeral as one of the best modern albums.

(its not)

It also seems like they are working under the assumption that all modern music (post 70s) is inferior but somehow Radiohead and Green Day?!? get a free pass. It reeks of elitism

 

[Wazmankg]

Sticky Fingers: 4.5/5 stars. I liked this one a lot almost on first listen. Though there is some filler with "Bitch" and "You Gotta Move," but almost every other song is a single song worth listening to. My favorites were "Brown Sugar" (whose riff sounds identical to "I Can't Get No Satisfaction," which sounds very similar to Bowie's "Rebel, Rebel"), "Sway," "Wild Horses," "Sister Morphine," and "Moonlight Mile." Usually, I only want to highlight two or three songs I liked best off each album, but this album was so good that each of those songs deserves a mention.

I don't even know the background of this album too well (though I know that there is one), but I have heard people call it a "drug album." Aside from that being a lame thing to call an album in general, I feel that that description is particularly ill-suited for this album. I haven't scrutinized all of the lyrics in detail, but from the couple times I listened to each one, and the music on, say, "Sister Morphine" and "Moonlight Mile," I would call the album an album full of sadness and pain, rather than drugs. It wasn't like these guys were getting tuned up and then recording all the songs (that's what Their Satanic Majesties Request (3.5/5 stars) sounded like); this album- both its lyrics and music, sound as if they were carefully chosen with the utmost care to reflect its curators' pain.

It paid off. One of my favorite rock and roll albums of all time, and also one of the sadder albums I've ever heard.

Just catching up here. All 4 from Beggars Banquet through Exile get 5/5 from me, but they're my favorite group. It's cool that you appreciated this one. "Bitch" was the B-side of "Brown Sugar" and got a ton of airplay.. it still does. It probably would have been a hit single if it was released by itself. I get why you're not impressed with it, though, because it's basically just a straight ahead rocker without much else going on. But it definitely isn't filler. "You Gotta Move" is just a blues/traditional cover which is right in their wheelhouse. They include at least 1 on just about every album. It's not their best nor their worst. They were doing a lot of heavy drugs during that period.. that's the story anyway. I'm really enjoying these, btw.

 

[Omar 382]

Just catching up here. All 4 from Beggars Banquet through Exile get 5/5 from me, but they're my favorite group. It's cool that you appreciated this one. "Bitch" was the B-side of "Brown Sugar" and got a ton of airplay.. it still does. It probably would have been a hit single if it was released by itself. I get why you're not impressed with it because it's basically just a straight ahead rocker without much else going on. But it definitely isn't filler. "You Gotta Move" is just a blues/traditional cover which is right in their wheelhouse. They include at least 1 on just about every album. It's not their best nor their worst. They were doing a lot of heavy drugs during that period.. that's the story anyway. I'm really enjoying these, btw.

Thanks man- I appreciate the feedback! And thanks for the info about the songs too.