2025 in 2025: Day 17

Be Here Now - Oasis

There was a time when I hated Oasis. When this album was released was probably the peak of that time. Then a couple of years later, I decided this album was the reason I was now a big fan of Oasis. The opening two tracks are pretty much perfect album openers. Magic Pie is also great, but goes on about 3 minutes too long. I absolutely adore the harmonies and melodic lead guitar in Stand By Me. The Johnny Depp thing confuses me; teenagers at the time thought it was cool to find out he was playing guitar on Fade In-Out (this was before he turned into... whatever he is now), yet they didn't advertise it or anything. I used to love Don't Go Away, but now I find the horns a bit cheesy. The last few songs are big messes of noise and too long, but oh hell, they're still great. You know, I came back to this album today expecting to be a bit negative towards it (it sounds like it was mixed by me - and I am not a professional mixer), but I'll be damned if I don't still think it is the best Oasis album. My only regret is I don't have a guitar with me to jam along to this whole thing.

Highlights: D'You Know What I Mean?, My Big Mouth, Stand By Me, I Hope I Think I Know

8/10

Be Not Nobody - Vanessa Carlton

As you might expect, this is simply A Thousand Miles. I have no idea why I have this song; it's okay, but I'm not a fan and I probably never listen to it. And I could not name you another Vanessa Carlton song.

6/10

Be Yourself Tonight - Eurythmics

Now this is a band and an album! This album is such a perfect fusion of soul, funk, pop/rock, 80s new wave, and 80s British whiteness (I have no other way of describing it right now). I also love their minimalist approach to some songs, like Conditioned Soul. Normally I'm against the bonus tracks thing, but I actually really enjoy the alternate version of Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves. I really should at least split out the cover songs and make an album of those!

Highlights: Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves, It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back),

8/10

Beast Is The B2ST - Beast

Another one of those random K-Pop songs I ended up with - this is just Bad Girl. Which kind of ties in with Bad Girl II from the other day? Either way, this song is actually slammin' and I need to hear more Beast.

8/10

The Beatles - The Beatles

Oh here we go! The greatest mix of awesomeness and sheer awfulness. The album, of course, starts with three awesome songs and then a song I usually despise, but today it isn't annoying me so much. Maybe because I haven't listened to it in forever? Nope - iTunes says I listened to it 18 months ago. That feels like much too soon. I do actually love The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill, though, and it goes so seamlessly in to While My Guitar Gently Weeps it is brilliant. And that song is the greatest work of Eric Clapton's long and boring career. Then Lennon does his own version of Bohemian Rhapsody - except he manages to cram 3 different songs in less than 3 minutes. I'm So Tired is such a great bluesy rock'n roll song. Blackbird is, in my opinion, a most atypical McCartney song. Except it is actually good. Between Beyoncé and every white dude with an acoustic guitar, I'm pretty sick of hearing it, to be honest. Yeah, I don't want to listen to Beyoncé. Shiiizzz, I ain't afraid of you mofos! "You were in a car crash and you lost your hair" has to be one of the greatest song lyrics of all time, right? The second LP/half kicks of with another rockin' McCartney song. And then more Lennon songs mocking the Maharishi. That trip to India really did inspire him to write awesome stuff. Long, Long, Long is one of those songs that you don't think about, but when you listen to it, it is actually great. Revolution is a fantastic song - no matter the version. And there sure are many versions! I'm glad there is only one version of Honey Pie. Okay, I've written enough. Number 9, number 9 number 9, good night.

Highlights: Dear Prudence, Glass Onion, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Yer Blues, Helter Skelter

7/10

Beatles For Sale - The Beatles

Oh, more of The Beatles? Don't mind if I do... Anyone else get triggered by No Reply and get Vow by Garbage stuck in their head? Overall, I'm actually a fan of this album; it features a fairly fed-up John Lennon starting to write a bit more caustically, McCartney belting out classic rock'n roll numbers like Kansas City, Ringo kicking butt on Honey Don't, and Harrison summing things up with Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby. The Beatles are one of the only bands I will let cover Buddy Holly without being overly critical - plus they do a great job of Words of Love. Look, this isn't the strongest album they released, and they clearly rushed things (which is why they had to record all these rock'n roll songs from their setlist), but I'll be damned if isn't a fun way to spend half an hour.

Highlights: No Reply, Rock And Roll Music, Honey Don't, Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby

8/10

The Beautiful Experience - Prince

In case you don't know, this is an EP by Prince that is just remixes of The Most Beautiful Girl in the World. I had no idea this was released like 18 months before The Gold Experience finally saw the light of day. What a world we lived in. One of Prince's most perfect pop ballads. The remixes are very different to that. Some a big more sexified, if you will. The Mustang Mix is especially cool, because Prince re-recorded all the vocals NOT in falsetto.

Highlights: Staxowax, Mustang Mix, The Most Beautiful Girl in the World [Single Version]

7/10

Beautiful Girls (Soundtrack) - Various Artists

This is purely The Afghan Whigs' take on Can't Get Enough of Your Love. I really dig the way they build it and he goes for it vocally by the end. Legendary song and a cool cover

6/10

A Beautiful Life - Mumsdollar

Would you believe this is a Christian pop-punk band from New Zealand? And that I have their CD in my collection? Well, believe it. And if not for the Christian lyrical themes, I would give this album a 10/10, because musically it just cranks. So all you pop-punk bands out there; more music like this, please. Just study some Bad Religion so you can write meaningful lyrics to go with it. And copy this bass tone, because BY PRIME it is badass. LOGMAN would give you 20/10 if you can do all that.

Highlights: Into the Night

6/10

The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum - L7

Bahahaha more punk, but about as far removed from that last album as punk gets. Four angry women that aren't trying to tell you to accept Jesus into your heart and make some dirty rock'n roll.

Highlights: Drama, I Need, The Masses are Asses

6/10

Beef or Chicken? - PASSPO☆

I have written more than enough today and I have already written about this album. It's still gawddam amazing and makes life worth living. I may even like it now more than I did then.

Highlights: Literally the whole album

10/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 146

2025 in 2025: Day 12

B-Sides - Bump of Chicken
I swear, Bump of Chicken are on a mission to make the most ludicrous b-sides on the planet. Then they decided to change things up and used a really great song as a b-side... And then went back to just being ridiculous. Including a song that is made up of hilariously budget midi sound about their love of... squid. And a song about enjoying festivals in Japan. Curses to Sailing Day being on an album that starts with Y!
Highlights: アルエ
4/10

B-Sides - Oasis

This is a collection of all the b-sides that didn't make the cut for The Masterplan. Which is... a lot of them. Except this only goes to 2005. I say "only", as to imply this 3 hour compilation is not enough? I couldn't bothered organising a tracklist for so many songs, so it is just chronological. Which is a fun way to track the de-evolution of Liam Gallagher's voice. Is there a studio version of I Will Believe out there? I know it sounds like a lot of other Oasis songs, like Step Out, but isn't that what Oasis do? Just make a bunch of songs that sound like their other songs? And that's why we like them! I feel like I want to hear a version of D'yer Wanna Be a Spaceman that has Liam on vocals. I'm not one to diss Noel's lead guitar playing, usually - I actually enjoy the simplicity and how fun his solos usually are to play - but his lead work on this live version of Bring It On Down is downright laughable. Whatever may well be the greatest Oasis song, or at least one of them. The quality of the b-sides drops off a bit around Be Here Now. There are a couple of good tracks during the Standing on the Shoulder of Giants period, but after that it all gets pretty same-samey. Even for Oasis. Also, Noel seems to sing the majority of these - I didn't do any sort of record-keeping on it, but I feel like that was the case. I'm missing a few from the end of the band. Maybe I'll get them one day? And maybe one day I'll actually organise these better; maybe just label each period like Definitely Maybe B-Sides or something? Or I'll just forget all about it...
Highlights: Whatever, Step Out, Carry Us All, Full On, Eyeball Tickler

6/10

B-Sides & Rarities - Deftones

This is mostly covers and acoustic-reworkings of songs from White Pony. I mean... I listened to it?
Highlights: Sinatra
5/10

B-Sides & Rarities - Whiskeytown
My feelings towards this guy have not and will not change. This fake southern drawl makes him even more insufferable. If it were possible to give 0 stars to a song, I would give it to Busted. Now all that said... there might be a few gems in here. Lots of song titles about rain; I Hope it Rains, It's Gonna Rain, The Rain Won't Help You. And then one called Set Your Fires; how am I supposed to do that if there is all this rain?
Highlights: Silver Wings, Houses on the Hill, It's Gonna Rain

5.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 101