Stream of Consciousness & Music Reviews

      I'm afraid that I don't have all too much to say today. Jethro Tull's Aqualung is a pretty standard 70's British rock album that's well made and fine to listen to. It's pretty similar to how I feel about what I've heard from Led Zeppelin: it's ok, not bad in any way, but just feels a little empty and indistinct. I will say, the songs do have elements of folk rock to give it a bit more identity, and the frequent use of flute (both as a backing instrument and for multiple solos) was cool and well done, and helped the album to stand out a bit. The composition and lyricism were good, although not too catchy aside from a few key moments (i.e. the hook of the title track) and the instrumentation was a little too ambient for my liking; I think I would have liked it a bit more if it was more involved and kept some of the heavier and groovier sections going for longer. I think that the whole work could have used just a little more focus to help it feel tigh...

      Super Ghostbusters is an excellent psychological exploration of insanity, humor, and copyright violation. The artist utilizes a low quality instrumentation and unorthodox vocal timing and technique, combined with comedic lyrics, to create a real atmosphere that puts you into a maddening headspace that I can only assume the creator was in during the creation of the album. The variety in tempo and occasionally instrumentation between songs helps to differentiate the otherwise pretty samey tracks, although a lot of them do sort of blend together at times but that's mostly due to the midi used in most (if not all) of the songs. The vocalist's tone and accent contribute to the overall humorous nature of the music, crafting outlandish and funny scenarios that enrapture the mind and stimulate the diaphragm. The runtime of the album is almost perfect, sitting at a nice 20 minutes so that it doesn't overstay its welcome (although depending on your sense of humor th...

      This album has "it"; no clue what "it" is, but Fragile has got it. One of prog rock band Yes' most well known albums really earns its reputation, with its rich sound and inventive style that present a remarkable listening experience. The creativity shown throughout each track is astounding, with each song seemingly having its own completely unique identity while all still remaining a cohesive unit. Although I described Yes as prog rock earlier (as they are most known and classified as) the music is able to really break away from the title through its eclectic mix of styles and timbres while still maintaining everything together in a satisfying track progression (which somehow is pretty emblematic of prog, huh?). The main unifying factor is the composition, which I think every member had a hand in somewhere, and it is amazing. The overall atmosphere of the album is incredible, with it being one of the best examples of auditory storytelling I've heard, b...

      Steely Dan's first album is pretty summative of what Steely Dan is known for: soft rock infused with Latin rhythms that anyone can get into. The bands mix of Latin rock and jazz creates a relaxing yet energetic sound that you can't help but just groove to. The band showcases a good deal of technical prowess in the studio, both in composition and performance, as well as mixing/editing that makes the songs take on a wholly unique feel that I've not heard anywhere else. The sort of Latin percussion and strings that you expect are paired up with more "electric" sounding components that combine beautifully, such as the multiple guitar solos that are given a sort of rough, almost compressed timbre that goes oddly well with the backing instruments. Another area of note in the album are the lyrics/themes of the songs, which all have a similar theming along the lines of mistakes, regrets, and other sorts of "that's just how life is" that I don't kno...

      Imagine in your head what 60's sci-fi sounds like; that's this album exactly. Upbeat, bouncy synths overlaid on light wind instruments makes up most of the album for an easy going and simple listening experience. Mr. Nimoy takes on his role of Spock for the album, telling some tales from outer space and waxing poetic on human life on earth and whatnot. I'm sure by this point you have a pretty good picture of what the music's like. It's simple and pleasant music to have on in the background for 24 minutes, if you don't mind Spock talking at you occasionally. Not much to say here, maybe a neat piece of history for Star Trek fans, and a simple once-over listen for anybody else.      Highlights: Theme from Star Trek, Where Is Love, Music to Watch Space Girls By, You Are Not Alone.  Rating: 3/6

      Continuing my yearly tradition of reviewing Aphrodite's Child on Christmas Eve is their third and final album 666. This is their most well known and critically acclaimed album, and uh, yeah it deserves it. The album is a massive improvement over their last showing with It's Five O'Clock, returning with as much bombastic energy, slow sorrow, and experimental weirdness that was present in End of the World, but now tenfold to deliver an even better product. Every compliment that I paid to their first album is the same here. 666 is a pseudo-concept album, as it tells the story of the Book of Revelations; I'm not religious and haven't read the Book of Revelations, but the 'story' that this album tells is perfectly suited to the band's weird and psychedelic sound, with how cryptic and trippy some of the material can be. In addition, the band has majorly improved their sound that they've established, increasing their quality and complexity, while also...

      ELO's grand return to form, or at least it supposedly is. 15 years after the band's 'final' studio album, 2001's Zoom is... odd. I have some mixed feelings on this one. As I hinted, this album isn't quite the ELO from the 70s and 80s, now with Jeff Lynne being the sole member of the band and featuring various artists on certain tracks; notably George Harrison and Ringo Starr of Beatles fame, and Richard Tandy as the only other returning ELO alumni (and sadly for only 1 song). With this major shift in status quo brings with it a major shift in sound. As you could probably have guessed, Zoom is a big deviation from the band's past works. The album seems much more centered around a more straightforward plain 'rock' sound. It's a bit of a shame compared to how unique and varied other entries in ELO's discography have been, only for their comeback to be as watered down and generic as it is. It's not necessarily bad (Lynne is a very good ...