2025 n 2025: Day 184

The Way It Feels - Heather Nova

Look, it is fine and all, but all very unmemorable and generic. And I kind of understand. But I am also allowed to be disappointed, because I am fairly certain this was one of her crowdfunded albums that has my name in the credits.

Highlights: This Humanness, Girl on the Mountain, Serengeti

6/10

Wayne's World: Music from the Motion Picture - Various Artists

This is only Dream Weaver by Gary Wright. It is a pretty great song. I really should get the full album at some point so I at least have the full Wayne's World Theme to party on with.

8/10

WCW Slam Jam 1 - Various Artists

The greatest wrestling album ever! Big screaming, big synth, ridiculous lyrics about the wrestlers in question - the best being "He's soooo pretty/It's making me upsetty!". Also, Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat is a family man who loves his wife and son. Seriously, that is all his theme goes on and on about. Just what I want in my wrestling themes.

Highlights: Ravishing Rick Rude (Simply Ravishing), Ron Simmons (Don't Step to Ron), Sting (Man Called Sting!), Steiner Brothers (Steinerized)

8/10

We Are Drugs - Third Eye Blind

I have to admit, I have enjoyed revisiting 3EB. In fact, I had almost forgotten about this EP. It is a bit more of an exploration of whatever was popular in 2016, so there are a couple of really terrible attempts at drum and bass or something? But like most 3EB, it is bookended by absolute brilliance.

Highlights: Cop vs. Phone Girl, Weightless, Company of Strangers, Sherri is a Stoner

7.5/10

We Started Nothing - The Ting Tings

The real punk we learned along the way was the poppiest indie grooves...

Highlights: That's Not My Name, Keep Your Head, Shut Up and Let Me Go, Be The One

8/10

We Too Are One - Eurythmics

There is something about this album I find awfully generic - what is it with that happening a lot lately?!? - yet I find this album quite beautiful lyrically. Annie Lennox always has brilliant lyrics. 

Highlights: The King and Queen of America, You Hurt Me (And I Hate You), How Long?, Angel

7/10

We Will Rock You - Queen + Five

Legitimately the most embarrassing moment in Queen's 50 year career.

MINUS FIVE STARS

Weezer - Weezer

Look, Rivers Cuomo is a gross creepo and Weezer are absolute dogshit. But I will be damned if this is not a super fun album. 

Highlights: Holiday, Buddy Holly, In The Garage, My Name is Jonas

8.5/10

Weird Tales of the Ramones - Ramones

I need to get out one day and jam some acoustic Ramones songs for busking one more time before I get too old and too useless. Or maybe being old and useless will make the experience more awesome? One day I will ditch this set and get all the individual albums, but that will probably also be when I am old and useless. The first two discs are just absolute killer, and the third is... actually pretty cool; I have generally had a less than positive impression of the group once Dee Dee left, but when I actually listen to this I change my mind. Ramones were awesome from beginning to end!

Highlights: Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La), Daytime Dilemma (Dangers of Love), Sheena is a Punk Rocker, Rockaway Beach, Don't Come Close, Glad to See You Go, Slug [Demo], I Wanna Be Sedated

8/10

Welcome 2 America - Prince

I am not sure why Prince decided to bury this album, yet still go on tour in support of it. Prince did a lot of things I did not understand. It is all pretty soulful, with a dash of dirty funk.

Highlights: 1000 Light Years From Here, Stand Up and B Strong, One Day We Will All B Free, Welcome 2 America

7/10

Whammy! - The B-52's

This may well be the most new wave silliness of all the new wave I own. Quirky lyrics, repetitive guitar licks, spooky keyboard sounds, Fred being Fred. 

Highlights: Trism, Queen of Las Vegas, Whammy Kiss

6/10

What a Waster - The Libertines

Just a quick couple of trashy punk songs.

Highlights: I Get Along

8/10

What About Now - Bon Jovi

Really, from the first attempt at a guitar solo, it becomes glaringly obvious Richie Sambora was not in the studio for this bland nothingness. His tone and style is unmistakable. As is Jon Bon Jovi's everyman schtick - which really grows old on this.

Highlights: Every Road Leads Home to You - Richie Sambora, every other moment where Sambora graced the recording sessions

5.5/10

What The Sea Wants The Sea Will Have - Sarah Blasko

Somewhat ethereal and always interesting. A little bit more going on here than her debut - possibly a little more adventurous, but still very much moody indie folk pop rock kind of thing?

Highlights: Hammer, Always on This Line, [explain], Planet New Year

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1829

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2025 in 2025: Day 143

Piano Man - Billy Joel

Billy Joel channelling his Beatles influence and meshing it with Americana... does not work for me. And that live version of Captain Jack on My Lives was genuinely better than the studio version.

Highlights: Piano Man, Ain't No Crime, Captain Jack

6/10

PILE - Pile

Everyone's favourite Love Live! graduate with a very... average album. It is not entirely dissimilar to the 女子独身倶楽部 album I listened to yesterday. Look, I am not pretending Pile is some sort of vocal master who could out-sing the likes of Mariah Carey, but she is talented and her voice has something that means she is wasted on music like this. She certainly deserves better.

Highlights: It all kind of sounds the same

6/10

Pinkerton - Weezer

This album was such a bad idea and kind of shows how much of an insufferable pretentious douchenozzle Rivers Cuomo is. He may well be the Ryan Adams of the wannabe grunge kids. A bunch of badly recorded songs with lyrics about sexualising Japanese school girls and how a woman must be a lesbian to not be in love with him. Which is a shame, because the Blue album was fun and there are flashes of goodness in here. Musically. Lyrically it is completely cringe-worthy.

Highlights: Tired of Sex, El Scorcho

5.5/10

The Pinkheart Sessions - Ryan Adams

And speaking of insuffereable pretentious jerks... at least the RHCP mocking is funny? And hilariously ironic that he makes fun of them for having lots of tattoos and he is now the same. That performance on Letterman of Starting to Hurt was really great. Not the first one - the one he did when Letterman was retiring.

Highlights: Starting to Hurt, Mega-Superior Gold, Blue and Shy

5/10

Planet Earth - Prince

Prince let's his guitar rip for a little bit, gets soulful for a little bit, gets his pop on for a little bit, and then inexplicably serves trash for a little bit. This has flashes of his usual greatness, but overall is not the most daring example of Prince's genius.

Highlights: Resolution, Planet Earth, Guitar

6/10

Planet Rock - The Edge of Victory

Hey, look! It's a me! Not actually the full planned album, just some older demos of songs that were planned for the album and a couple that are just here because they rock.

Highlights: Me when I was good!

9/10

Planless Perfection - Hello Sleepwalkers

I do not remember how I described their previous work, but this time at least I hear them as Japanese prog-rock mixed with emo? I really think having both male and female vocalists gives the music a great dynamic.

Highlights: EYES TO THE SKIES, Jamming, 水面, ハーメルンはどのようにして笛を吹くのか

7/10

Platinum Underground - Vanilla Ice

This is weird. Not just because it is Vanilla Ice, but because this should probably be an actual album and is instead a jumble of songs from other albums and only has two songs from this actual album. At least I get to enjoy Ice doing his best Limp Bizkit impersonation. And I forgot that he sampled a bit of Ace. RIP Spaceman!!!

Highlights: Too Cold, Ninja Rap 2

6/10

Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em - MC Hammer

This album is a party, no two ways about it. Sure, Help the Children is a bit of a mood killer and would have been a great collaboration with MJ, but everything else is just telling you to get down and have a great time. And Hammer always has a positive message in his lyrics; teaching you the postitive power of prayer, the perils of committing crimes, and that you cannot touch "this". It is possible that I love this album more now than I did back in 1990.

Highlights: U Can't Touch This, Pray, Dancin' Machine, Here Comes The Hammer, Have You Seen Her?

8.5/10

Please Please Me - The Beatles

The debut album from the greatest rock'n roll band! Sometimes I forget how darn fun their early works are. Then I put on an album like this and just have a good old time.

Highlights: Please Please Me, I Saw Her Standing There, Twist and Shout, 

7/10

PLECTRUMELECTRUM - Prince & 3RDEYEGIRL

Some of this album rocks and some of it is funky. Like most Prince albums. And then a bunch of it just does not really feel like Prince - more Prince adjacent or something. ANOTHERLOVE does feature the most awesome duelling solo between Prince and Donna Grantis.

Highlights: ANOTHERLOVE, WOW, PLECTRUMELECTRUM, FUNKNROLL

7/10

Pneumonia - Whiskeytown

I mean, there are a couple of very good songs on here. Mostly very chilled alt. country offerings. 

Highlights: Jacksonville Skyline, Don't Wanna Know Why, Sit & Listen to the Rain, Mirror Mirror

7/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 1296

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