2025 in 2025: Day 33

The Captain & The Kid - Elton John

An Englishman singing about how wonderful New York City is always makes me curious. But then, I'm not about to make a song about anywhere in NZ, so probably more likely write a song about the joys of visiting another planet. And Elton John has likely been to New York a few more times than I've been to Jupiter, so I guess I'll allow it. This album is genuinely decent, I just have a lot to criticise (e.g. the trite lyrics, the blatant similarities to other Elton John songs, his's vocals eating an autotune salad), but I'll let him slide today.

Highlights: Just Like Noah's Ark, And the House Fell Down, The Captain & The Kid

6.5

Car Wash - Christina Aguilera & Missy Elliot

This is the kind of Christina I like. Or is it just that I really like Missy Elliot? Because she da bomb. This is not as awesome as the original, but still enjoyable.

7/10

Cardinology - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

This is the album where DRA started singing like he can't sing? I never really noticed it before. Very Neil Young. Somewhat enjoyable album - feels not so pretentious, perhaps?

Highlights: Go Easy, Fix It, Magick, Sink Ships

6.5/10

Cardinology Rarities - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

Not much to say here; these are not that great. Except the weird version of Fix It. That is actually very great!

Highlights: Fix It

4/10

Caribou - Elton John

More Elton John is always welcome. Especially if it involves 70s or 80s Elton John. Bernie Taupin sure likes talking about very American things, doesn't he? Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me is great and all, but George Michael's version is actually better. George Michael's versions of most things were better. Hot take: the bonus tracks are better than anything on the album.

Highlights: The Bitch is Back, Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me, Ticking

7/10 (6/10 without bonus tracks)

Carl Carlton - Carl Carlton

But not really? I mean, it is the artist Carl Carlton, but I don't think both of these songs are from that album. I need to sort out a Carl Carlton collection, because the dude was a disco-funk master. And these will be the best songs I will listen to today.

Highlights: Everlasting Love, She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)

10/10

Carnival of Souls - Kiss

Hahaha what a change of pace. I have discussed this album in detail. It's a bit all over the place, in that Kiss seemed to lose their identity. That doesn't mean it is bad as such, just not your typical Kiss cool-times,

Highlights: Hate, Childhood's End, Jungle, I Confess, I Walk Alone

6.5/10

Carnival, Vol. II: Memoirs of an Immigrant - Wyclef Jean

Wyclef is not someone I would say I think is awesome, but when I listen to this album, I think he is probably better than I would think. I like that he likes to announce whenever he's going to jam a guitar solo - feels very 80s rock of him. Quite an eclectic styling of an album. And Sweetest Girl is one hell of a jam.

Highlights: Riot, Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill), Slow Down, Hollywood Meets Bollywood (Immigration)

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 275

CARNIVAL OF SOULS (1997)

A rare photo from Cher's collaboration with Pearl Jam...

Kiss are back from the future with an album recorded with a lineup that no longer exists!

Make sense? Not my fault Kiss went back to the makeup and awesomeness before they were ready to put this music out to the public.

Anyway, this was the mid-90s, so Kiss were doing their best Soundgarden impersonation. Gene is all angry on Hate and it actually works. Then Paul really turns up the alt. rock vibes with Rain and Master/Slave, which is admittedly based on a really cool riff. It's just the riff doesn't really go anywhere after that... Childhood's End is a cool song. I Will Be There isn't; it is right up there with Paul's sappiest ballads. I'm not sure why he doesn't just make a solo album and put all his cheesy ballads on there instead.

Luckily, Paul shows he can still rock with Jungle, which is a really bad ass tune. So Gene takes that as his cue to ride the suck train with the most plodding, heavy, brain-numbingly boring song possible - In My Head. After that it is just on to generic alt. rock styled songs with mostly decent choruses. And Bruce Kulick says goodbye with his only lead vocal contribution ever, I Walk Alone. This song is all kinds of brilliant and is basically a solo song, because I'm pretty sure he played everything except the drums. Oh wait, Gene and Paul do some backing vocals at the end. And Bruce does some backwards guitar solos. Wowsers!


Highlights:
Jungle, I Walk Alone

Lowlights:
I Will Be There, In My Head, It Never Goes Away



Verdict = 3 Smoking Les Paul Guitars