Rate songs on albums.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Today's a particularly Prince-y day.

Prince - Sign O' the Times

 

Sign o' the Times: 10

Play in the Sunshine: 5

Housequake: 7

The Ballad of Dorothy Parker: 8

It: 6

Starfish & Coffee: 7

Slow Love: 7

Hot Thing: 7

Forever In My Life: 8

 

U Got The Look: 7

If I Was Your Girlfriend: 9

Strange Relationship: 9

I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man: 10

The Cross: 7

Gonna Be A Beautiful Night: 7

Adore: 7

 

For such a sprawler of an album, it's incredibly consistent. Prince shuffles pop, rock, ballads, and pop rock ballads all over this thing, and tempers it with one of his first - and best - totally out-there tracks, "If I Was Your Girlfriend," on which he digitally alters his voice, takes on a woman's persona, and...well, it's weird. And great. That song, "Strange Relationship," and "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" form a triptych on lust and relationships that always blows me away. I Could Never..." might be my favorite song of his, ever.

 

Prince - Dirty Mind (which has the best album cover ever, incidentally)

 

Dirty Mind: 7

When You Were Mine: 10

Do It All Night: 6

Gotta Broken Heart Again: 7

Uptown: 7

Head: 8

Sister: 8

Partyup: 7

 

"When You Were Mine" is above the rest, but the "Head"/"Sister" double-team is a less-famous gem. The album is a great pop experience: it's 30 minutes long, has 8 great songs, and is the sort of disc you can listen to daily.

[B. Brian Brunzell 0]

For such a sprawler of an album, it's incredibly consistent. Prince shuffles pop, rock, ballads, and pop rock ballads all over this thing, and tempers it with one of his first - and best - totally out-there tracks, "If I Was Your Girlfriend," on which he digitally alters his voice, takes on a woman's persona, and...well, it's weird. And great. That song, "Strange Relationship," and "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" form a triptych on lust and relationships that always blows me away. I Could Never..." might be my favorite song of his, ever.

"If I Was Your Girlfriend" is just amazing. Weird, but amazing. He REALLY gets into the female part towards the end when he talks about "swallowing it all down."

 

And of course, "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" is Prince at his absolute best. The song is flawless, no faults at all. ANYWHERE. The drums, vocals, lyrics, keys, guitars--they all fit so perfectly. Best. Prince song. EVER.

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

Imma get in on this.

 

 

The Package -- 8

Weak And Powerless -- 7

The Noose -- 10

Blue -- 8

Vanishing -- 6

A Stranger -- 9

The Outsider -- 10

Crimes -- n/a

The Nurse Who Loved Me -- 7 (a lot of people love this song and might disagree with me, but I don't particularly find it to be that spectacular)

Pet -- 9

Lullaby -- 7

Gravity -- 10

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Edwin's crazy; "Play in the Sunshine" is way better than the title track.

 

And I was gonna rate Echo and the Bunnymen's Crocodiles—because Superstar inadvertantly reminded me—but this comp is all screwy and it lost my post.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

You're crazier. "Play in the Sunshine" isn't bad, but it's totally an album track in the sense that it's not nearly as good without the total contrast of the title track that leads into it. In the scheme of the album, I actually like it very much, but no other song that Prince has done has the same spare paranoia of the title track. And it was still a hit single! "Sign" stands out and I love it.

 

Damn, I've left you with "craziest."

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

You fruity bastard. The title track is good, of course, but the "message" hinders it a little bit. Anyway,

 

Hüsker Dü - Flip Your Wig (1985)

 

Flip Your Wig - 8

Every Everything - 7

Makes No Sense At All - 9

Hate Paper Doll - 7

Green Eyes - 8

Divide and Conquer - 10

Games - 8

Find Me - 7

The Baby Song - 1 (this is a real "What the fuck was Hart thinking with this and why did Mould agree to let it appear on the album?" sort of moment)

Flexible Flyer - 7

Private Plane - 7

Keep Hanging On - 7

The Wit and the Wisdom - 8

Don't Know Yet - 7

 

More consistent than New Day Rising (with one obv. exception), but I prefer that album more, anyway. It's the thinner production Spot gave to that record as compared to the fuller sound the self-produced FYW employed, I think. Oh, and I'll get around to Zen Arcade one of these days.

[Henry Spencer 0]

 

Sunday Morning: 8

I'm Waiting For The Man: 7

Femme Fatale: 5

Venus In Furs: 10

Run Run Run: 6

All Tomorrow's Parties: 9

Heroin: 10

There She Goes Again: 8

I'll Be Your Mirror: 9

The Black Angel's Death Song: 7

Europeon Son: 8

 

 

White Light/White Heat: 9

The Gift: 10

Lady Godiva's Operation: 8

Here She Comes Now: 6

I Heard Her Call My Name: 9

Sister Ray: 10

 

 

Candy Says: 7

What Goes On: 8

Some Kinda Love: 9

Pale Blue Eyes: 8

Jesus: 3

Beginning To See The Light: 5

I'm Set Free: 5

That's The Story Of My Life: 4

The Murder Mystery: 7

After Hours: 10

 

 

Who Loves The Sun: 9

Sweet Jane: 10

Rock N' Roll: 9

Cool It Down: 8

New Age: 10

Head Held High: 7

Lonesome Cowboy Bill: 4

I Found A Reason: 5

Train Round The Bend: 5

Oh, Sweet Nothin': 9

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

 

White Light/White Heat: 8

The Gift: 8

Lady Godiva's Operation: 3

Here She Comes Now: 9

I Heard Her Call My Name: 9

Sister Ray: 10

 

 

Candy Says: 10

What Goes On: 8

Some Kinda Love: 8

Pale Blue Eyes: 9

Jesus: 7

Beginning To See The Light: 8

I'm Set Free: 8

That's The Story Of My Life: 7

The Murder Mystery: 6

After Hours: 8

 

 

Who Loves The Sun: 8

Sweet Jane: 10

Rock N' Roll: 7

Cool It Down: 7

New Age: 10

Head Held High: 7

Lonesome Cowboy Bill: 4

I Found A Reason: 9

Train Round The Bend: 6

Oh, Sweet Nothin': 10

I already did the first album, so...

 

Furthermore, Coat is on crack. The third album is the second best VU.

[Kinetic 0]

I personally think, in response to Edwin's Prince reviews, that "Dirty Mind" the song deserves at least an 8 or 9. I also think that "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" from Loaded deserves a negative rating for being about the dumbest goddamn song you can possibly imagine a once-great band recording.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

And of course, "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" is Prince at his absolute best. The song is flawless, no faults at all. ANYWHERE. The drums, vocals, lyrics, keys, guitars--they all fit so perfectly. Best. Prince song. EVER.

I just listened to this again. That he did every single piece of that song by himself is nigh-incomprehensible to me. If I could give one song I've rated an 11, I think that would be it.

[godthedog 0]

work was incredibly boring tonight, so i ended up doing like twenty of these on my scratch paper to pass the time. i'm doing these song titles from memory, so i may get some wrong (especially the dylan ones).

 

velvet underground - self-titled

 

candy says - 9

what goes on - 7

some kinda love - 7.5

pale blue eyes - 3.5

jesus - 8

beginning to see the light - 6.5

i'm set free - 6.5

that's the story of my life - 5.5

the murder mystery - 6

after hours - 9

 

that's a balls-out great album right there.

 

billy joel - '52nd street'

 

big shot - 6.5

honesty - 7

my life - 6

zanzibar - 7

stiletto - 8.5

rosalinda's eyes - 7.5

half a mile away - 7

until the night - 7.5

52nd street - 7.5

 

not that great on paper, but the consistency and the variety are bitchin. one of the few records i listened to all the time as a kid and still get a legitimate kick out of today.

 

velvet underground - 'white light/white heat'

 

white light/white heat - 8.5

the gift - 5

lady godiva's operation - 4

here she comes now - 8

i heard her call my name - 8.5

sister ray - 8

 

they took the most chances on this one, and not coincidentally had the most misfires. "the gift" is great the first time, but doesn't hold up to repeated listenings very well. "godiva" just does nothing for me. the rest is way solid.

 

bob dylan - 'blonde on blonde'

 

rainy day women #12 and 35 - 7

pledging my time - 7

visions of johanna - 7

one of us must know (sooner or later) - 8

i want you - 7

stuck inside of mobile with the memphis blues again - 7

leopard-skin pillbox hat - 7.5

just like a woman - 5

most likely you'll go your way and i'll go mine - 5.5

temporary like achilles - 6.5

absolutely sweet marie - 8.5

4th time around - 9

obviously five believers - 9

sad-eyed lady of the lowlands - 10

 

i bolded the last 4 tracks because damned if it isn't something like the greatest album-ending hot streak ever. awesome, awesome stuff.

 

and coat needs to do 'the pod'. i would, but i can't remember the whole track listing offhand and i don't want to look it up.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Tom Waits

 

Mule Variations (1999)

 

Big in Japan - 3

Lowside of the Road - 6

Hold On - 9

Get Behind the Mule - 7

House Where Nobody Lives - 8

Cold Water - 7

Pony - 5

What's He Building? - 7

Black Market Baby - 5

Eyeball Kid - 7

Picture in a Frame - 7

Georgia Lee - 6

Filipino Box Spring Hog - 7

Take It with Me - 8

Come On Up to the House - 9

 

Alice (2002)

 

Alice - 8

Everything You Can Think - 7

Flower's Grave - 8

No One Knows I'm Gone - 5

Kommienezuspadt - 7

Poor Edward - 6

Table Top Joe - 7

Lost in the Harbour - 6

We're All Mad Here - 7

Watch Her Disappear - 7

Reeperbahn - 8

I'm Still Here - 9

Fish & Bird - 6

Barcarolle - 7

Fawn - 7

[ArkhamGlobe 0]

Another one of my favourite albums:

 

 

So You Want to Be a Rock & Roll Star - 9

Have You Seen Her Face - 10

CTA 102 - 8

Renaissance Fair - 7

Time Between - 9

Everybody's Been Burned - 10

Thoughts and Words - 10

Mind Gardens - 5

My Back Pages - 8

The Girl With No Name - 9

Why - 9

 

 

Kleiner Krieger - 8

King Minos - 8

Morgengruß - 7

Würfelspiel - 7

Gutes Land - 8

Einsjäger & Siebenjäger - 10

 

 

Mr Wilson - 7

Taking It All Away - 6

Dirty-Ass Rock 'N' Roll - 10

Darling I Need You - 9

Rollaroll - 7

Heartbreak Hotel - 7

Ski Patrol - 8

I'm Not the Loving Kind - 7

Guts - 10

The Jeweller - 8

[1234-5678 0]

 

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part One) 8

Welcome To The Machine 8

Have A Cigar 10

Wish You Were Here 10

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part Two) 8

[Henry Spencer 0]

Big in Japan - 3

 

I disagree. I have a soft spot for this song, probably because it was the first Waits track I ever heard.

[Hank Kingsley 0]

 

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part One) 8

Welcome To The Machine 8

Have A Cigar 10

Wish You Were Here 10

Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part Two) 8

You bastard, I was just going to do that.

 

Although I'd use the same ratings, anyway (except I'd probably give Part One a 9).

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Big in Japan - 3

 

I disagree. I have a soft spot for this song, probably because it was the first Waits track I ever heard.

I was being generous.

[Henry Spencer 0]

I'ts probably one of his lyrically weaker songs.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Actually, I wasn't being generous. Song sucks, for sure.

[Henry Spencer 0]

 

December 4th: 9

What More Can I Say?: 7

Encore: 5

Change Clothes: 4

Dirt off Your Shoulder: 7

Threat: 6

Moment of Clarity: 4

99 Problems: 9

Public Service Announcement: 6

Justify My Thug: 7

Lucifer: 7

Allure: 5

My First Song: 10

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Switch "Change Clothes" with "Justify My Thug." (I grimace from even typing the title.)

 

How come did no one else like "Change Clothes." Good song.

[Henry Spencer 0]

It's not an actively bad song, it's just boring as hell. There's not a single noteworthy facet of the entire song.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

My one 10 on The Black Album would be "December 4th." "99 Problems" is awful close, too.

[Mecha Mummy 0]

The Beatles - Abbey Road

 

 

Come Together - 10

Something - 8

Maxwell's Silver Hammer - 4

Oh! Darling - 6

Octopus's Garden - 6

I Want You (She's So Heavy) - 7

Here Comes the Sun - 9

Because - 6

You Never Give Me Your Money - 10

Sun King - 7

Mean Mr. Mustard - 7

Polythene Pam - 6

She Came in Through the Bathroom Window - 8

Golden Slumbers - 7

Carry that Weight - 7

The End - 9

Her Majesty - 5

 

The White Stripes - Elephant

 

 

Seven Nation Army - 7

Black Math - 8

There's No Home For You Here - 6

I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself - 6

In the Cold, Cold Night - 5

I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother's Heart - 5

You've Got Her in Your Pocket - 9

Ball and Biscuit - 8

The Hardest Button to Button - 4

Little Acorns - 4

Hypnotize - 7

The Air Near My Fingers - 10

Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine - 7

Well It's True That We Love One Another - 5

[SamoaRowe 0]

Ben Folds Five- "Whatever and Ever Amen"

 

One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces- 7

Fair- 9

Brick- 10

Song for The Dumped- 8

Selfless, Cold, and Composed- 7

Kate- 8

Smoke- 7

Cigarette-7

Steven's Last Night in Town- 8

Battle of Who Could Care Less- 8

Missing the War- 9

Evaporated- 9

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Switch "Change Clothes" with "Justify My Thug." (I grimace from even typing the title.)

 

How come did no one else like "Change Clothes." Good song.

Change clothes is easily one of the worst tracks on the album. "Coat" has it almost correct with possibly Dirt off your Shoulder a notch or two higher.

[Mecha Mummy 0]

Cowboy Bebop - Blue

 

 

Blue - 9

Words That We Couldn't Say - 5

Autumn in Ganymede - 7

Mushroom Hunting - 6

Go Go Cactus Man - 8

Chicken Bone - 7

The Real Man - 7

N.Y. Rush - 7

Adieu - 9

Call Me Call Me - 8

Ave Maria - 8

Stella By Moor - 6

Flying Teapot - 10

Wo Qui Non Coin - 6

Road to the West - 9

Farewell Blues - 7

 

The Pillows - Penalty Life

 

 

Dead Stock Paradise - 6

Lonesome Diamond - 8

Freebie Honey - 7

Terminal Heaven's Rock - 7

The Sun That Will Not Rise - 4

Phantom Pain - 7

I Know You - 8

Moon Marguerite - 9

Super Trampoline School Kid - 7

Mole Town Prisoner - 5

The Scar Whispers, Nobody is in Paradise - 6

Boku wa Kakera (Hidden Track) - 9

[5_moves_of_doom 0]

Oh, and I'll get around to Zen Arcade one of these days.

Please do. That was always my favorite... though I simply have a thing for double-albums, so I'm totally biased. But still. It's Godliness, and stuff, so rate it.

 

 

 

Oh, and for me, putting the VU albums in order has always been impossible. The first 3 have constantly alternated as far as my favorite one goes (though most of the time I like the first one the best simply due to "Heroin,") but oddly enough, Loaded has never been my least favorite at any given point. It's always solidly in the 2nd or 3rd place spot. So that's... wacky, and stuff.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I now like 4 tracks off of VU and Nico. The rest can pretty much fuck off, after a couple more listens. Does this make me the only person who is almost totally bored by this record?

 

At least, the four songs I like, I like a whole lot.

 

Heroin

Venus In Furs

The Black Angel's Death Song

Run Run Run

 

The rest of it, I was waiting desperately for something to HAPPEN, and it didn't. They sounded more preoccupied with looking/sounding cool as opposed to good. The vocals on All Tomorrow's Parties, Femme Fatale, and I'll Be Your Mirror made me laugh, and I don't think they were supposed to do that. I don't regret getting this, though, because "Heroin" is fucking awesome.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Today, I put on Zen Arcade with every intent of rating each song, but I stopped at "Hare Krsna." I was trying to view that particular track outside of the context of the album; I realized it just wouldn't score very high outside of the album, but, within the record itself it works perfectly. And for that reason, more so than with the aforementioned Spiderland and Pink Flag, I just cannot rate this album on a song-by-song basis. Everything about it—from the blistering hardcore to the fuzzy, catchy pop tunes to the experimental tape loops—is absolutely essential to the Zen Arcade experience.

 

For what it's worth, the songs that would rate a 10 are "Never Talking to You Again," "Pink Turns to Blue," "Whatever" and "Turn On the News." Three of those Hart tunes, yeah, but I generally prefer Mould.