2025 in 2025: Day 162

Sign O' The Times - Prince

Mostly minimalist, mostly just Prince. Somewhat psychedelic pop. And mostly funky. Probably as brilliant as it is funky.

Highlights: I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, U Got the Look, Sign O' the Times, It

8/10

Sign O' The Times (Super Deluxe) - Prince

Three discs and four hours of outtakes, demos, rehearsals and whatnot from The Vault. And most of it is absolutely essential listening. Some seriously exceptional songs here and some epic big funky jams. This is what happens when you plan to make three albums and then try and whittle those down to one. Those Camille songs sure are fire. I also love that one of these demos still has the click track in there. 

Highlights: Soul Psychodelicide, In a Large Room with No Light, Love and Sex, Crucial, Emotional Pump

7.5/10

Sign O' The Times: Promo Mixes and B-Sides - Prince

The b-sides are all sorts of funky good times. And it never hurts to get a good extended mix of an already awesome Prince song. Someone talk to his estate about getting us more of these Super Deluxe Editions.

Highlights: Shockadelica, U Got the Look (Long Look, Shockadelica (12" Long Version), La La La He He Hee

8/10

Significant Other - Limp Bizkit

Between this and Eminem, 1999/2000 sure was the time to be a young angry white boy. And as much as we all like to make fun of Fred Durst, this album has a lot of fun moments. The downer stuff is just a downer, but when songs are less serious and mostly just Durst yelling about Ken Shamrock and being tough and broke (which also applies to Ken Shamrock?), that right there is my jam. Also, Method Man is pretty great.

Highlights: Just Like This, I'm Broke, Nobody Like You, Break Stuff

7.5/10

Silk Cuts - Various Artists

Another one of these big long remix albums. This time featuring a lot of classic UK garage tracks and a little bit of US hip-hop & R&B. 

Highlights: All Good - De La Soul & Chaka Khan, Do You Really Like It? - DJ Pied Piper & The Masters of Ceremonies, Flowers - Sweet Female Attitude, Course Bruv - Genius Crew, Gotta Get Thru This - Daniel Bedingfield

7/10

silver lining - LAMP IN TERREN

This dude has moments with his voice that legit give me chills. This is all just really strong driving emo-tinted indie rock. And I dig it.

Highlights: L-R, 緑閃光, send me, ゴールド・ルーズ, balloon

7.5/10

The Simpson Sing the Blues - Various Artists

Is this the most hilariously dated album in my entire library? It is even cheesier and sillier than I remembered; this is possibly the least rockin' version of School Days I have ever heard, Homer singing a blues rock song just makes it sound like a comedy moment on the show, Deep Deep Trouble may be the funniest 'rapping' of the 90s, and Lisa almost sounds like my girl YUKI when she sings. Marge and Homer singing a duet is absolutely funnier than any episode of The Simpsons in the last 25 years! As usual, Mr. Burns wins the song wars of Springfield!

Highlights: Look At All Those Idiots - Mr. Burns & Smithers, Do The Bartman - Bart Simpson, Sibling Rivalry - Bart & Lisa Simpson

6/10

Sing When You're Winning - Robbie Williams

I only have the one song here - Let Love Be Your Energy - because I never had much interest in the other songs from this album. His first two seemed pretty cool. This song is awesome.

9/10

SINGALONG - 緑黄色社会

While nowhere near as amazing as their debut album, this still has its share of highs and is pretty solid. Less indie pop and more radio friendly. This is what happens when you get signed to a major label.

Highlights: Shout Baby, あのころ見た光, Mela!, スカーレット

7.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1509

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2025 in 2025: Day 159

sabotage - 緑黄色社会

I think this may have been their last great single? Suitably epic and grand. It was the theme for a pretty fun drama about some people learning to play the violin. The b-side is killer. Then there are some pretty decent live songs as well.

Highlights: sabotage, Alright

7/10

Saints of Los Angeles - Mötley Crüe

The Crüe return with their first album with the original lineup in 10 years. And it is the follow-up to Dr. Feelgood they should have released in 1991; very old school hair metal, lots of swearing, Tommy Lee doing massive drum fills, and just all round a badass attitude. Good times!

Highlights: Down at the Whiskey, Motherfucker of the Year, Saints of Los Angeles, Goin' Out Swingin'

8/10

Sam's Town - The Killers

Their debut album was so amazing that this was never going to live up to it, so I was certainly disappointed on release. A few goods songs, but what I really liked about that first album was missing from this. This feels a bit more radio rock, less new wave dark romantic. Little did I know that it was all downhill from here...

Highlights: Bling (Confession of a King), When You Were Young, My List, Why Do I Keep Counting?

7.5/10

Sandinista! - The Clash

Well, this certainly was ambitious! And in no possible way can I see the reason this needed to be so massive. A lot of weirdness, a lot of different styles, a lot of just mediocre songs. I could remove two albums' worth of material and still barely get a good album out of this.

Highlights: Something About England, Somebody Got Murdered, Let's Go Crazy, Police on My Back, Washington Bullets, Charlie Don't Surf, Lose This Skin

5/10

Sap - Alice In Chains

Another mostly acoustic EP. This time the songs are pretty are far more chilled.

Highlights: Got Me Wrong, Brother, Am I Inside

6.5/10

Saturation - Urge Overkill

Supposedly alternative grunge but super overproduced? Yes indeed. Super awesome? Absolutely! These guys were such a vibe. And had the hooks to match.

Highlights: Sister Havana, Nite and Grey, Crackbabies, Positive Bleeding

8/10

Saudades De Rock - Extreme

I am generally one of Extreme's biggest supporters, but I do generally find Gary Cherone's voice on this album not so great. That said, the album still rocks pretty hard. And the ending on that coda is just beautiful.

Highlights: King of the Ladies, Interface, Peace (Saudade)

7/10

Savage - Eurythmics

An 80s new wave essay on feminism. Far more experimental musically than their previous album - so completely different to Revenge or Be Yourself Tonight, which were just straight pop. And I love it all the more for these reasons.

Highlights: You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart, Shame, Savage, I've Got a Lover (Back in Japan)

8/10

Save Rock and Roll - Fall Out Boy

FOB return with a full on dance rock kind of album. It is like a dark Summer jam all over; you just want to party, but with a serious edge. It's Courtney, bitch!

Highlights: Save Rock and Roll, Rat A Tat, My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up), Alone Together

8/10

Sawdust - The Killers

Two albums in to their career and already throwing out a b-sides and rarites compilation? That should have been another warning. At least being so early in their career it is mostly still pretty dark and more in the vein of their debut album. This version of Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll is inferior to the version on my copy of Hot Fuss. Under the Gun and Move Away are also re-recorded; I should find the original versions, because I do like those songs.

Highlights: Under the Gun, Change Your Mind, Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf, Shadowplay

6.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1469

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2025 in 2025: Day 1

I'm still not convinced there are 2025, but hey - here we go!

ABBA - ABBA
Mamma Mia is a hell of a way to start this whole thing... ABBA's self-titled album is their third studio album and is just a barrel of good times like that opening song and SOS, which is probably one of all-time favourite ABBA songs. The deep cuts here are also pretty freaking great. Man in the Middle is so dang funky. Particularly the lyrics about a 50 year-old dude dating a 17 year-old... I disliked Rock Me when I was younger and first discovered ABBA. However, once I finally joined an ABBA tribute band and was required to do a bit more of a deep-dive on their catalogue, it really grew on. But, man, did I used to shred my voice screaming it! You know, I don't often miss performing live, but ABBA really do that for me. Genuinely one of the greatest pop bands of all-time. And this album at 4am just hits hard! First album in and already I wish I could stop and just listen to ABBA all day...
Highlights: Mamma Mia, SOS, Rock Me, So Long 
8.5/10

Abbey Road - The Beatles
From one brilliant pop act to another! And my favourite album, to boot! This is just perfection after perfection. Even Maxwell's Silver Hammer isn't actually that bad! I'll never understand why that song gets so much hate, yet Beatles fans are totally fine with the other trite Paul McCartney wrote. Anyways, I'm not going to get bogged down in hating, because it's followed by one of McCartney's shining moments and then Harrison hits us with some of his grooviest lead work ever. Then Lennon gets his prog going - I do kinda miss how much this song completely distorted on the old master. And I failed at picking the ending again - couldn't tell if that was the ending or if my headphones had cut out. And taking a bunch of half-finished songs and making that medley may well be one McCartney's finest moments. OK, yes, now I understand; if not for Maxwell and his silver hammer of silly, this would be the most perfect album in the history of history.
Highlights: George Harrison's lead guitar work, The awesome ending to She's So Heavy, The Medley
9.999/10

Ace Frehley - Ace Frehley
Ace's first solo album! I don't have much to add to my initial review, except that Anton Fig is an underappreciated drummer.
Highlights: Ace being Ace.
10/10

Acoustic EP - Charlton Hill
Well, here is something I haven't listened to in a VERY long time! I met Charlton Hill and his guitarist in probably my first week living in Melbourne, so thought I should do the supportive thing and buy his album - and this was a bonus disc that came with it. I'm pretty sure they're all just acoustic versions of songs on the album. I wonder what those dudes are doing now...
Highlights: Not a lot...
5/10

Acoustic Hits - The Cure
The acoustic version of The Cure's greatest hits. Man, I was having so much fun until all this acoustic stuff kicked in - too early in the morning for so much chilling out! Admittedly, I have not actually listened to this CD all that much. Turns out, this is kind of fun, too. I'm not crazy-tied to some of their random 80s singles, so hearing them in this fashion is at least interesting to me. And by the time In Between Days comes on, I'm thinking this may be a totally good vibe; no keyboard brass on Why Can't I Be You, fun acoustic percussion on everything, zero electronic noise on Wrong Number. It's The Cure's hit singles - there is nothing bad going on here.
Highlights: The use of Xylophone.
7.5/10

Active Duty - MC Hammer
It's Hammer! And he's bringing his crew of bad singers with super patriotic pro-USA, pro-war, SUPER pro-church lyrics . Watch out, terrorists!  Hammer's coming to getcha! USA! USA! On the whole, the album has great beats and the flow is tight; it's just the lyrics are mostly stupid. And it did not need to be 80 minutes long. Fun fact; one afternoon I was listening to this album (by choice, even) and decided to tweet MC Hammer to let him know. He replied with a fist bump. That was a great moment in life and I will give the album a pass for that reason.
Highlights: Hammer telling terrorists they gonna get some.
5/10

Actor - 緑黄色社会
Bah gawd this intro is phenomenal! There was no way the rest of the album could live up to it - and it does not. The thing about 緑黄色社会, is that their initial independent releases were so fantastic, they quickly became one of those bands that I just immediately buy anything from. Then they signed with a major label and with each subsequent release, their work just got less interesting. And this, their third album and second major label album, captures that completely. It isn't bad - I'm not sure they're capable of creating bad - but everything just sounds the same and provides me with no real emotional connection. And so this was the album where I tapped out. But hey, their popularity has only increased so hopefully they're making bank now. Good for them.
Highlights: Actor (Opening Track - not the whole album. Or even someone that goes by that for their occupation. Except maybe Tom Cruise. That would be a highlight, for sure!)
6/10

Ænima - Tool
Wow. Talk about a blast from the past... Tool were my favourite band in 1996/97 and this was probably one of those 'day one' albums for me. No doubt my friends and I listened to it a lot in 1997. And now, if not for this marathon, I would probably never choose to put on a Tool song under any circumstances. In fact, I just checked and not only do all my Tool tracks have 0 plays, they have 3 skips. All that said, listening to this does kinda make me want to pick up a guitar and jam along a little. Because Eulogy features a whole bunch of great riffs. Hooker With a Penis is more fun than I remember. But even 16 year-old LOGMAN had no interest in a bunch of transitions that range from windscreen wipers to a baby screaming and thunder. The German recipe still slaps, though.
Highlights: Stinkfist, Eulogy, The big meaty ending to Forty-Six & 2.
5/10

Albums Listened to So Far: 8