2025 in 2025: Day 160

The Scandalous Sex Suite - Prince

Remixes of Scandalous from the Batman soundtrack. One has a big extended guitar solo, one has Kim Basinger talking like Prince is trying to mack on her.

Highlights: That big guitar solo?

6.5/10

Scary Monsters - David Bowie

80s Bowie is just a lot of fun with his oddity. And funky basslines. 

Highlights: Ashes to Ashes, Fashion, Kingdom Come, Teenage Wildlife

7/10

Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters

Is this gayest album of 2004? Turning Pink Floyd into a club dance song would certainly suggest that. The whole thing just constantly switches between Elton John doing 70s pop and late 90s club remixes. 

Highlights: Music is the Victim, Take Your Mama Out, Filthy/Gorgeous, Laura

6.5/10

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Various Artists

Super hipster indie rock all the way, but some of it is pretty good. Especially the songs performed by the bands in the movie. I would totally go to a Sex Bob-omb concert.

Highlights: We Are Sex-Bob-omb - Sex Bob-omb, Black Sheep - Metric, Teenage Dream - T-Rex, Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl - Broken Social Scene

6.5/10

Scoundrel Days - a-ha

More of the usual from these dudes, somewhat darker? It was the mid-90s, so everyone was on that kick, but it is still kind of a mature pop thing.

Highlights: Cry Wolf, Manhattan Skyline, Scoundrel Days, The Swing of Things

7/10

Scream & Shout [Single] - will.i.am

It says Britney Spears is here, but is that her doing the British speaking voice? Repetitive trash. Which could apply to almost every song by will.i.am or Britney Spears.

4/10

Sea Change - Beck

This was the album that got me interested in Beck; it is more acoustic and introspective than anything else he had released to that point, and that was the sort of thing I saw myself doing. There are some good songs, but some of it is a bit... uninteresting. All very chill. Particularly compared to his other work.

Highlights: Sunday Sun, Lost Cause, Lonesome Tears

6/10

Second Sighting - Frehley's Comet

Nothing as catchy as the debut Frehley's Comet album, but still pretty decent Ace Frehley rock album. His style never changes. And that was a good thing. RIP Ace!!!

Highlights: Insane, It's Over Now, Loser in a Fight, Juvenile Delinquent

7/10

Secret - Ayumi Hamasaki

Big beats. Big strings. Big rock guitars. Big hooks. Big ballads. Big feels. Big anthems. If I ever met an Ayu fan that did not love this album, I would be big skeptical of them. 

Highlights: Startin', Born to Be..., kiss o' kill, BLUE BIRD, Beautiful Fighters

9/10

Secret Samadhi - Live

This was Live trying to be a bit darker and edgier and just ending up being noisier and messier. And half these songs genuinely sound the same. Some really lame lyrics and even lamer guitar solos.

Highlights: Graze, Lakini's Juice, Gas Hed Goes West

6/10

SEE YOU - BiSH

Ah I missed BiSH! BiSH is OVER episode something seven? For every great month, there was a really average month. This was one of the latter.

Highlights: I am wasting my time with this marathon when I could be listening to better BiSH

6/10

Seeker Lover Keeper - Seeker Lover Keeper

Three of Australia's top indie folk women unite to make a super group of indie folk women and the result is... amazing lyrics and killer harmonies. I would say it is possibly a little underwhelming, but honestly it is pretty much what it says it is on the box. And I will always have all the heart emojis for Sarah Blasko.

Highlights: Even Though I'm a Woman, Light All My Lights, Bridges Burned, We Will Know What It Is

7/10

Send Away the Tigers - Manic Street Preachers

The most consistent rock album by the Manics. It is just straight up Summer rock, like they have been listening to ELLEGARDEN all Summer like me! Except Summer is only just beginning. And replace actual Summer lyrics with a communist manifesto.

Highlights: Your Love Alone is Not Enough, Indian Summer, The Second Great Depression, Rendition, Autumnsong

9/10

Seventeen Seconds - The Cure

Well, this sure is a change of pace. The REAL first album by The Cure. Lots of dark space and atmosphere and clean guitars.

Highlights: A Forest, Seventeen Seconds, Play For Today

7/10

SEX AND LOVE - Enrique Iglesias

Enrique and every guest artist he could find! And Pitbull just hanging around as usual. Some of this is just by the numbers, but some of it is a full on PARTY! And the ballads are pretty much all perfection.

Highlights: Bailando, There Goes My Baby, El Perdedor, Physical, Heart Attack

7/10

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles

I gave a detailed review of this album waaaay back in the day! And I still maintain it is overrated.

Highlights: A Day in the Life, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, With a Little Help from My Friends, Sgt, Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1485

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2025 in 2025: Day 101

In It For The Money - Supergrass

The album that actually got me interested in Supergrass. It kind of trails off towards the end, but it is otherwise some strong rocking numbers. I appreciate the way these guys can just play really tasty stuff and then completely let loose and unleash mayhem.

Highlights: Going Out, In It For the Money, Tonight, Sun Hits the Sky

7/10

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 - Jay-Z

How can Diddy sing so off the actual key and just keep this in the track? Early Hove is fine and all, just a bit gross for me at times. 

Highlights: The City is Mine, Streets is Watching, Friend or Foe '98, You Must Love Me

7/10

in my mind - The Tomboys

The usual low-budget punk rock'n roll from Kobe's favourite daughters. This one feels especially budget, thanks to the terrible guitar solos and awful singing on だいだい. Good times!

Highlights: GO MERRY GO!, 幸せであふれるように, シャララ

6.5/10

The In Sound From Way Out - Beastie Boys

This is basically a compilation of their instrumental jams on Check Your Head and Ill Communication, but with a couple of new tracks.

Highlights: Son of Neckbone, In 3's, Bobo on the Corner, Lighten Up

8/10

In the Garden - Eurythmics

So very unlike where Eurythmics headed after this; much more in the new-romantic post-punk vein, but less interesting. Not terrible, but there is nothing that holds any real emotional weight or grabs the listener the way their later releases do. This is another group's discography where I need to separate the bonus tracks to their own album and keep the original albums as they were.

Highlights: Belinda, Your Time Will Come, Le Sinestre

6.5/10

In the Name of Love [EP] - CL

CL is a goddess amongst us mere mortals. If this were an album, I would have given it album of the year honours for 2019. 

Highlights: +DONE161201+, +ONE AND ONLY180228+, +I QUIT180327+, +PARADOX171115+

9/10

In The Zone - Britney Spears

There is something about Britney trying to be all sexy that I just find absolutely hilarious. Also, her singing is all sorts of terrible it makes me laugh when her fans online start all sorts of nonsense about she can sing like Christina Aguilera or whatnot. Anyways, the production on this album is a bit dated and the songs do not hold up well.

Highlights: Toxic, (I Got That) Boom Boom, The Hook Up, Everytime

6/10

Incesticide - Nirvana

I do not know if I have listened to this album since I was 16. I used to get confused by the tracklisting on side two all the time. Or maybe that was Bleach - that was missing a song that was listed. Fun fact: the first song I ever performed like in any capacity was from this album! I loved Nirvana. Kids are stupid.

Highlights: Aneurysm, Dive, Been a Son, Big Long Now

7/10

Indigo Nights - Prince

Live CD that came with the book. I think it was cobbled together from all his after-show performances. Because Prince was a madman. I, personally, find this to be super funky and an all-round great time. I read a lot of Prince fans online were super unhappy with this release, but Shizzzz I ain't afraid of you mofos! On the one!

Highlights: Alphabet St, Indigo Nights, Baby Love, 3121

8/10

Infinity - Journey

When Journey rock, they can really rock. Possibly the most enjoyable radio-rock band of the 70s and 80s that I did not listen to in the 70s or 80s.

Highlights: Wheel in the Sky, Lights, Feeling That Way, Anytime

7/10

Infinity on High - Fall Out Boy

Jay-Z with the most random and pointless cameo - he doesn't even rap, just does the musical equivalent of waving hello. I actually thought the censored version of This Ain't a Scene, It's An Arms Race was more interesting, thanks to the way it was censored.

Highlights: The Take Over The Break's Over, Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?, The (After) Life of the Party, G.I.N.A.S.F.S.

7.5/10

The Information - Beck

BECK: Congratulations, friend.

BENDER: Why, 'cause I can make annoying noises?

BECK: Exactly. I use those all the time in my music.

Highlights: Think I'm in Love, Nausea, Inside Out

6/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 850

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2025 in 2025: Day 24

Blackout - Britney Spears

It's Britney, bitch! This album is enjoyable, but also completely laughable. It is very clear that Ms. Spears was involved in the writing purpose - and I do not mean that as a compliment. The lyrics are generally just completely ridiculously terrible. However, some of the production is banging. Some. And her vocals are more processed than ever, so it sounds like a fembot from Austin Powers is "singing". Again, I'm taking liberties using that word, because even with all the manipulation, these vocals are still equal to a talent quest for 12 year-olds and are invoking a lot of snickers. And not the chocolate bar (where's my sponsorship, yo!). The whole thing has serious 'moody teenager' vibes and I have to keep stopping myself from scoring the songs higher because they're mostly making me smile - just because they're so stupidly bad. And holy smokes this sample of Eurythmics is about the worst song of the bunch. The funniest part here is that this isn't even her worst album! I'm pretty sure everything she released after this gets worse and worse.

Highlights: Gimme More, Break the Ice

4/10

BLACKPINK Essentials - BLACKPINK

Now this is some proper pop music. Every BLACKPINK track released before The Album, I believe. And it is all FIRE. 

Highlights: Forever Young, As If It's Your Last, BOOMBAYAH, PLAYING WITH FIRE

8/10

Blak and Blu - Gary Clark, Jr.

This appears to be the song Ain't Messin 'Round. Honestly, I have never listened to this before. I don't know how it ended up in my iTunes. I have not even heard of this song or singer before. It's... good. Big horns and upbeat vibes. 

7/10

Blank Label 7" - Blank Label (Ryan Adams)

JLW is a massive Ramones ripoff. Also, this is trash.

Highlights: Only 7 minutes

2/10

BLAST! - ももいろクローバーZ

Someone really needs to clue me up on whether their group name is written in Hiragana like that, or if the English Momoiro Clover Z is the correct choice. I'll continue to call them MCZ for simplicity. Anyways, this is a very fun EP from a very inconsistent idol group. Idol is shit, but MCZ have their moments - mostly this EP.

Highlights: BLAST!, 何時だって挑戦者

8/10

Bleach - Nirvana

When I was 13, Nirvana were the stuff. Because I was edgy, this was my favourite Nirvana album - it was their most budget indie grunge record they recorded for cheap in a matter of days. I'm not saying anyone who says this is their favourite Nirvana album is also as much of an edgelord as 13 year-old LOGMAN, but this is definitely not their best album and I am now old and mature enough to admit I liked the idea of this album more than the album itself. Also, cool album cover? All this is not to say the album is bad; About a Girl is infinitely better here than that Unplugged version (thank Prime I don't have that album), and Negative Creep is like a gift that keeps on giving. And no Dave Grohl is like double awesome points!

Highlights: Blew, School, Negative Creep, Downer

6.5/10

Bleed American - Jimmy Eat World

What a dumb name for an album - I should delete it just for that title alone. But this is just the one song, The Middle, of course. Do Jimmy Eat World have any other songs? Are they titled stupidly like this album is? At least this is a great pop punk song that every home should have.

8/10

Bleed Like Me - Garbage

The first half of this album is awesome. Back in '05, I would play these first four songs all the time. Well, mostly tracks 2 to 4. It's an impressive way to peak early, that's for sure. The rest of the album still has some decent songs, but they get overshadowed by how awesome those first four are. 

Highlights: Run Baby Run, Right Between The Eyes, Why Do You Love Me

7.5/10

blink-182 - blink-182

So we just going to stick with my old emo songs from '05, huh? This is blink-182's best album, and I won't be taking any arguments otherwise. Dark, serious, interesting - just a genuinely strong album that often makes me mistakenly believe I am more of a blink-182 fan than I really am. I dig them, because I love pop punk. But usually their songs are immature silliness about sex stuff that I have no interest in. This album has none of that. And an appearance from Robert Smith! Great album.

Highlights: Feeling This, Obvious, Stockholm Syndrome, Asthenia

8/10

BLISTER ON MY FOOT - INKYMAP

This is INKYMAP's fist album. It's a bit more rough and hard rockin' than ASTEROID. There's nothing bad, but nothing that really stands out as much as with their later works (ASTEROID onwards). But a great start.

Highlights: Rainy Day, New World, Saturation, Drunken Driver

7/10

Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix - Michael Jackson

If this was simply an EP of the new songs, this would be a really solid MJ release. Really solid. The music and production on Ghosts is epic. My only criticism would be that Is It Scary is MJ's worst vocal performance ever recorded. Then there are the remixes; Scream, Money and 2 Bad are all super funky goodtimes, but the others are just your standard club-beat dance remixes. The one for You Are Not Alone (Classic Club Mix) is actually pretty decent - probably because that is a boring R. Kelly song that could only be improved upon with a remix. And Tony Moran's HIStory Lesson certainly does go big. Look, it's MJ. You're going to have a good time.

Highlights: Blood on the Dance Floor, Morphine, Superfly Sister, Ghosts, Scream Louder, 2 Bad (Refugee Camp Mix)

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 205