It is Queen! Late-70s Queen! Which means iconic epic songs and anthems, hard rockin' fun, super chill songs - this album covers most of their bases.
Highlights: We Are the Champions, Spread Your Wings, It's Late, We Will Rock You
8/10
News of the World: Raw Sessions - Queen
Pretty much the main reason to get the News of the World boxset. Just Brian May putting together an "alternate" version of the album. Clearly there were not many versions of Sleeping on the Sidewalk lying around, so they had to complete things with a live version. Some other songs get almost instrumental versions.
Highlights: Spread Your Wings (Alternate Take), We Are the Champions (Alternate Version), It's Late (Alternate Version), All Dead All Dea (Original Rough Mix)
7/10
THE NEXT [BiSH Ver.] - BiSH
Just when they were supposed to be done, they go and release a song from the show to find the successor to BiSH. It is fine, no doubt better than the kids on the show did, but by no means classic BiSH.
7/10
→Next Generation - PSYCHIC LOVER
Bah gawd these guys know how to get the party back on track! Pretty much the classic PSYCHIC LOVER mix of bubblegum pop and 80s shred-tastic metal.
Highlights: ネ・バ・ギ・ビ・ラ! ～ Never Give It Up, →Next Generation, Proud of Wings (instrumental)
8/10
Next Level - Ayumi Hamasaki
I always love that this album starts with such a beautiful song, and then quickly moves in to full-on pop and disco. I need to watch the concert from this tour again, because Ayu in that bob wig and her disco hoodie was absolutely iconic. That strings section in GREEN is about the smoothest thing since Disco Inferno, and lifts the song to places it probably would not deserve otherwise. There are like 4 or 5 instrumentals on here, but they actually flow seamlessly and you do not even notice half of them. Pretty well flawless album, this one!
Highlights: NEXT LEVEL, EnergizE, Days, Rule, rollin'
9/10
A Night at the Opera - Queen
More ICONIC 70s Queen, you say? The crazy thing about this album is it most of this album is some of their biggest hits and most epic recordings. And every so often, they split things up with just pure nonsense and silliness. Bohemian Rhapsody gets all the attention (and deservedly so), but The Prophet's Song is the most adventurous song and features the most incredible vocal layering. And the most perfect heavy guitar tone for about 20 seconds.
Highlights: The Prophet's Song, Bohemian Rhapsody, 39, Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)
8/10
Night in the Ruts - Aerosmith
I lost track of things somewhere and realised this album was on. Seriously. It just encapsulates the most mediocre ideas about how mediocre Aerosmith could be.
Highlights: No Surpize
5.5/10
Night Visions - Imagine Dragons
Once again, how did I end up with this album in my iTunes library? It is not bad or anything, but I barely know 1 song by this band. Oh hey, this song sounds familiar - maybe I have heard that one before, as well? They sound like Coldplay for a modern audience, which is weird considering we still have Coldplay out there touring being Coldplay. I think they still make albums, too?
Highlights: It's Time, On Top of the World, Amsterdam, Working Man
6.5/10
Nimrod - Green Day
Green Day sounding like a less-awesome Living End; this album has some fun, but has them veering further away from pop punk styles of their earlier albums. Really not sure what you would even call this, other than radio rock that could not even make it on radio? I am actually being quite harsh - this album is enjoyable for the most part - it just was very disappointing for someone that had these guys as one of my favourite bands as a teenager. There is none of the fire Dookie and Insomniac had. But I had forgotten about some of the gems on this album, so that is on me.
Highlights: Haushinka, Uptight, The Grouch, Hitchin' a Ride
7/10
Nine - blink-182
This is a real mature album for these dudes; no silly skits or crude lyrics. Just a bunch of earnest pop punk with a bit of emo in there with some electro fun thrown for extra good times. For me, this is the spiritual successor to self-titled and a testament to how much better they were with Skiba.
Highlights: Pin the Grenade, Blame it on My Youth, No Heart to Speak Of, The First Time
8/10
"Albums" listened to so far: 1165
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