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 96

Home Tapes - John Lennon

Outtakes and home recordings and demos. The outtakes are very similar to the final released tracks - except God here is just a ripper of an acoustic number. I Found Out has some pretty different vocal layers going on.

Highlights: God [Studio Outtake], Mother [Studio Outtake], Nobody Told Me [Home Recording]

6.5/10

Homework - Daft Punk

I like Daft Punk as much as anyone, but for the most part this album really does sound like the most typical European 90s techno-funk. It did not grab me in 1997 and it does not do much for me now. So maybe I do not like Daft Punk as much as anyone? That kick in Da Funk is all sorts of cowabunga.

Highlights: Da Funk, Rollin' & Scratchin', High Fidelity, Indo Silvery Club, Alive

6.5/10

HONEY - SCANDAL

Fun fact: this album was my introduction to SCANDAL. I saw pictures of Haruna's signature Telecaster and it looked so good I figured I should check out the artist related to it. Now I really want Mami's 'Omochi' Stratocaster. Not to be outdone, Tomomi's bass tone on this album is fire. If they do a third Fender collaboration, I hope they give her an awesome signature bass and then I would complete the lineup!

Highlights: Over, 窓を開けたら, 恋するユニバース, ふたり

8.5/10

Honeymoon - Lana Del Rey

I am going to write this before even making it through the first song: this album is long and boring. I will update at the end if listening to this full album again changes my mind. Nope; an hour later I found one very good song amongst a sea of nothingness.

Highlights: The Blackest Day

5/10

Honky Chateau - Elton John

I am often embarrassed at how much my Elton John collection is lacking. Well, the CD section of it; my vinyl section is pretty solid. Like this album; it is nothing special, but is pretty solid. What is Bernie Taupin's obsession with Americana?!?

Highlights: Susie (Dramas), Rocket Man, Mellow, I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself

7.5/10

Hooray for Boobies - The Bloodhound Gang

This is purely the song Mope, because I generally do not care for this band. But they managed to combine a whole bunch of 80s pop samples and this is the best Metallica have ever sounded.

8/10

Hopes and Fears - Keane

Someone please tell Apple what punk music is - because Keane sure ain't it. It is all fine and dandy, but some of these songs are sure repetitive. 

Highlights: Somewhere Only We Know, Bend and Break, Everybody's Changing, Bedshaped

6.5/10

Hot Fuss - The Killers

This was my album of the year in 2004. I still consider it one of the most awesome debut albums ever. And Jenny Was a Friend of Mine is the most awesome opener. Brandon Flowers had such a great voice on this album - screamed at just right the amount for me - and it just got worse with each subsequent album. But boy oh boy was this a great reminder that they did once live up to their name.

Highlights: Jenny Was a Friend of Mine, Mr. Brightside, Somebody Told Me, All These Things That I've Done, Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll, Believe Me Natalie

9/10

Hot in the Shade - Kiss

I'm running out of nonsense to say, so just read my Kissathon post about this one. I somewhat agree with it today...

Highlights: Hide Your Heart, Forever, Silver Spoon, Little Caesar

7/10

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two - Beastie Boys

I would like to hear the real part two one day, but obviously that will never happen and this will forever stand as the last release the Beastie Boys ever do. At least it was a banger of an album to go out on. Just so much badass rhymes over creative beats and then one old school hardcore punk jam. 

Highlights: Too Many Rappers, Lee Majors Come Again, The Lisa Lisa/Full Force Routine, Ok

8/10

Hot Space - Queen

The anomaly in the Queen discography. The live versions are definitely better, but it is not nearly as bad as some people would have you believe - there is still some charm to some of these songs. And good grooves.

Highlights: Dancer, Under Pressure, Staying Power, Action This Day

7/10

Hotel Paper - Michelle Branch

This is just the single Breathe. I seem to recall there being another big single from this album. I really should check out the whole thing one day.

10/10

Hotter Than Hell - Kiss

This album still sounds as terrible as ever. One day I am going to get the 2014 iTunes version, because it does sound marginally better. My how I wish I had already got that for this listen. Still surprised we did not get a massive super deluxe banana edition of this and first album for the 50th anniversaries.

Highlights: Got to Choose, Parasite, Hotter Than Hell, All the Way, Comin' Home

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 800

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2025 in 2025: Day 50

Dangerous - Michael Jackson

Jam jam here comes the man! Never have truer words been spoken. MJ albums always open with an awesome song, and this may well be the most awesome. The whole first half is New Jack badassery, before it slows down with Heal the World, which feels a lot like 'We Are The World Part II'. I don't care what anyone says - Black or White is peak pop-rock-funk perfection. Damn Slash's guitar solo on Give In To Me is seriously great. I can totally picture some young MJ fans crying when they first heard his spoken word outro for Will You Be There. MJ fans were insane like kids these days have no idea. I cannot hear Gone Too Soon without thinking of Usher singing it at MJ's memorial... Vocals on Dangerous are awesome. Bah gawd this album is awesome.

Highlights: Jam, Black or White, Keep the Faith

9/10

Dare! - The Human League

This is only the hit song Don't You Want Me. Alexis Sayle throwing this in to his Dr. Martin's song on The Young Ones will always be iconic.

8/10

Dark Horse - George Harrison

Hari's On Tour sounds like it is from some sports program or something, like maybe a cricket show? This album gets a bad rap, but I always find it really consistent and super listenable. The wobble-board thing in It Is "He" is hilariously fun. If his voice had not been so destroyed, I think this album would have been quite different.

Highlights: So Sad, Dark Horse, Far East Man

7.5/10

Darkbreaker (Elizabethtown Sessions) - Ryan Adams

A whole bunch of unfinished songs? I was about to say that this version of Everyone Knows is quite good, but then it all fell apart. Two is not bad, either, though the studio version on Easy Tiger is definitely better. I was concerned that during my Ryan Adams marathon 10 years ago I may have bought in to the hype (and my own obsession with this dude) and pretended this 'album' was great, but NOPE! Even then I knew this was trash.

Highlights: Don't Get Sentimental on Me, Elizabeth

4/10

Darkest Days - Stabbing Westward

The kind of industrial metal that makes you want to dye your hair black, paint your fingernails, turn out the lights and do whatever goths do in the dark. I used to listen to this while playing the original Gran Turismo, so not totally dissimilar? This dude's voice was seriously unbeatable until Taka came along. Thing is, amongst the angry dark heavy goth metal are some fantastic hooks. And that coupled with Christopher Hall's awesome screaming has me sitting here enjoying this album immensely. 

Highlights: You Complete Me, Save Yourself, Sometime It Hurts, Desperate Now, Waking Up Beside You

8/10

David Live - David Bowie

My man Bowie had better performances, but this is still a pretty decent live album. The bluesy version of All The Young Dudes is pretty great. Earl Slick sure likes shredding up a storm all over this show.

Highlights: Moonage Daydream, All the Young Dudes, Big Brother, Time

6.5/10

Day and Age - The Killers

This was when I started losing interest in The Killers. They still had a big stack of goodwill with me for their debut album, but this album is definitely a bit of a drop-off point. Well, mostly the last half - the first half is quite fun, though very different to what they had released up to this point. Brandon Flowers is the opposite of Christopher Hall, in that his voice is weaker and just getting more annoying. And the lyrics are getting pretty naff, as well. Again, it is not all terrible, but this is certainly where they stopped living up to their name.

Highlights: Losing Touch, Human, Spaceman, Goodnight Travel Well

6.5/10

A Day at the Races - Queen

Let's end day 50 with my first proper Queen album! It's fun; some years ago I would have told you this was one of the best albums ever, but then in the lead up to listening now I was convinced it was kind of average (for a Queen album - which is still top tier). But listening now and it just owns. Seriously. It has everything: straight up rock classics (Tie Your Mother Down), beautiful ballads (You Take My Breath Away), poptastic fun (You and I), epic dark stuff (White Man), random Japanese (Teo Torriatte) and some of the best songs in the Queen catalogue (Somebody to Love). Is that solo in Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy just the funnest? Drowse is the worst Roger Taylor song, but otherwise this album is Queen at their best.

Highlights: All the songs I already mentioned and everything else too

9/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 392

2025 in 2025: Day 16

Barcelona - Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé

Oh man, this is one of those albums I kind of grew up hearing - but mostly in the background. But it is so engrained in my head that I when I once listened to the re-recorded version with the orchestra, something sounded off. Musically, it is more theatre than pop/rock. And it all totally works - I would see this show. But only in 1988 with Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé in the lead roles. I really need to give the orchestrated version another attempt.

Highlights: Barcelona, How Can I Go On

8/10

Bare Bones - Bryan Adams

One of my genuine favourite pop/rock songwriters performing his hits stripped back - what's not to like? Darn this man's voice is solid on this. Hearing the crowd singalong with Everything I Do reminds me just how massive that song was - and how much it kinda killed Adams' career. It's also funny hearing him sing these heartfelt songs and then throw in some joke line to completely kill the mood. Clearly the man does not take himself so seriously. There are a few songs on here that are not found elsewhere, as well. Smart man, that Bryan Adams. But not that smart, because I miss Keith Scott.

Highlights: You've Been a Friend to Me, All For Love

7/10

Barely Legal - The Hives

Well, this sure is a change of pace. The Hives doing raw fast punk rock. It's a lot of fun. It is only the start of how fun they will get.

Highlights: Closed for the Season

6.5/10

Barracuda - Kinky

This album takes me back to a more peaceful time when one could purchase CDs from ebay for US$1 and get them shipped for only a few dollars and not have to worry about taxes or GST or anything else. Because that is how I managed to get most of my Kinky discography. And my life has been all the better for it. I pity our youth who do not get to experience such joy. Sure, they can access any music in the world thanks to streaming music for free and can probably access more Kinky albums than I own, but I still pity them. Oh yeah, this album. It's great. Probably the most straight electro-funk album they've made? It's groovy.

Highlights: Masacre Sónica, Avión, TachiMariPedónCocongo

7/10

Bat Out of Hell - Meatloaf

This is simply You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth. Fun fact: I have never actually listened to this full album. Or much Meatloaf at all! You would think a highly-acclaimed 'rock opera' would be right up my alley, so I should change that one day...

7/10

Batman - Prince

Think about the future! If you take the Batman thing out of this, it is still an awesome album. Just about perfect, really. And really just encapsulates my progression as a human: when this came out, I hated Prince and I hated this music. Someone go back in time to 1989 and beat LOGMAN with a Batpole. And this album.

Highlights: Electric Chair, Batdance

8.5/10

Batman Theme - Neil Hefti & His Orchestra and Chorus

This is the theme song for the 1966 Batman television series. The greatest Batman television series. And such a wonderful theme. I recorded my own version and then made a video of me in my Batman onesie, rockin' out and defeating Godzilla. Because LOGMAN knows how to spend his free time.

9/10

Battle Born - The Killers

I genuinely liked The Killers. A lot. Their first album was an absolute masterpiece. But please note the past tense used - liked. Somewhere along the road they started thinking they were some sort of modern Bruce Springsteen or Jon Bon Jovi. I'm not saying this album doesn't have a few good songs, but boy does Brandon Flowers need more autotune. And some of this is bland; like, The Way it Was sounds like it is commercial on Spotify or something. Actually, it just hit me - this sounds like modern Ryan Adams with keyboards! It's all a bit of a shame, because amongst this mediocreness are some genuinely good songs. They need to change their name, because nowadays all they are killing is my attention. 

Highlights: Battle Born, Runaways, 
6/10

The Battle of Los Angeles - Rage Against The Machine

This is the kind of energy I need after that. The real difference I'm finding here is these songs seem almost ready for the radio. Almost. I mean, these dudes are still super angry and expressing that through swearing and whatnot, but they have some neat hooks going on and the songs are all in that 3 to 4 minute range. But it is still RATM in the best possible way. 

Highlights: Guerilla Radio, Born of a Broken Man, New Millenium Homes

7/10

Baywatch - Various Artists

If you don't love those opening and end credits songs to Baywatch, then I don't know what to tell you. They bookend this album and in-between we get the worst Beach Boys song I've ever heard, some early-90s R&B, a couple of actors from Baywatch, and plenty of David Hasselhoff. Now excuse me while I go run along the beach...

Highlights: I'm Always Here - Jim Jamison, I Believe - David Hasselhoff, Current of Love - David Hasselhoff

5/10

Be Ambitious - JUDY AND MARY

YUKI and her punk rock roots are always good times. Nothing like 2 weird instrumentals and 3 quick punk rock songs to perfectly do a punk EP. This was the debut from JAM and it is the first of their releases I'll be listening to; their final album starts with W, so will likely be the last of their releases I will listen to! That's how you do it, people.

Highlights: Judy is a Punk Rocker, Make Up One's Mind, Blue Tears

6.5/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 135