Review of Cyndi Lauper: She's So Unusual

Please read Scott Gregory’s pick for Cyndi Lauper: She’s So Unusual before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

  • Worth the hype?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Would we recommend?
3.5

Review of Cyndi Lauper: She's So Unusual

Apparently, not only do girls want to have fun, but they can influence a decade. With close to 60 million albums sold and 16 million of this album alone, there is no denying the influence of Cyndi Lauper. We all had strong feelings about this pop album from 1983 and as we still hear songs today like Time After Time we let you know how this album stood up over time. Sorry it’s a bit long this month but we had lots to say. Enjoy the review of She’s So Unusual.


Our Individual Review Scores
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype? 4
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 3.75
Would I recommend?:3.75
Influenced my tastes: 2.5
Worth the hype?: 3.75
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 3.5
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 2.5
Worth the hype? 4
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 3
Would I recommend?: 3.5
Influenced my tastes: 1.5
Worth the hype? 3

Cyndi Lauper: She's So Unusual


Hey there everybody, Scott G from the Sonic Collective here to introduce our pick for May, 2017. Recently we’ve gone through a number of bands with not only a unique sound, but signature style offstage. They left their stamp on pop culture and helped chart a generation. Read this article and then please listen to my audio above to hear why I selected this album.
This month I really wanted to feature a female artist and continue the unintentional theme of musicians that came onto the scene and threw everything in the air. Tore up the charts and pop culture at the same time.
Everyone will remember Cyndi Lauper for exploding onto the scene in 1984 with the Album She’s So Unusual. Even if the title doesn’t ring a bell, songs like Time after Time, She Bop, and the impossible to get out of your head “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” will certainly be familiar.
Like everyone else, I’ve ran into Cyndi’s songs on the radio, but I’ve never actually sat down and listened to one of her full albums. This first album spent 77 weeks on the Billboard 200, is certified six times platinum, and Slant Magazine ranks it #22 on the Best Albums of the 80s. My sister also thinks she’s pretty cool.
So, join us at the Sonic Collective this month in enjoying Cyndi Lauper’s debut album She’s so Unusual, and tune in at the end of the month to see if your thoughts are the same as ours. See you then.
Hear our review of this album here.
Links:
Album on Wikipedia
Cyndi’s site
Album on iTunes

Review of Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin II

Please read Alain DuPuis’ pick for Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin II before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

  • Worth the hype?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Would we recommend?
5

Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin II

Some may find our reviews obvious and wonder why we do them. Well, it is albums like this that can make it more clear. Our intention isn’t to go back in time and be a music critic, it is rather to go back and listen to a great influential album and see how it stands the test of time. We also want to remind music lovers to take the time to listen to albums in their entirety.
Led Zeppelin II is well worth the time. Listen to our review in this post and join us in celebrating a band that shifted the way rock and roll was perceived. It started with the Blues but this English band took it somewhere new.


Our Individual Review Scores
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 5
Would I recommend?:5
Influenced my tastes: 5
Worth the hype?: 5
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 3.5
Worth the hype? 5
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype? 5
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype? 5

Review of Neil Young: After the Gold Rush

Please read Scott Coates’s pick for Neil Young: After the Gold Rush before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

  • Worth the hype?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Would we recommend?
4

Neil Young: After the Gold Rush

There is one thing that none of us doubted, and that was Neil Young’s massive influence in the world of music. Well wasn’t it strange that none of us had really given Neil his due respect? After all, the members of The Sonic Collective are all Canadian. Maybe it was the fact that he was most influential in the 70s when most of us were toddlers or not born yet, or that he was known more for folk music, which isn’t the usual pick of the group. Or, maybe, it was his high-pitched squeaky voice? Well, we listened for a month, and the results were quite shocking. Maybe not as shocking as Darren revealing he’s a secret fan of a modern pop female vocalist that will make you giggle. Scott’s pick and insights are worth listening to. Enjoy our review!


Our Individual Review Scores
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?:4.5
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype?: 4
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 2.5
Worth the hype? 4
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 3.5
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 2
Worth the hype?3
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 3
Would I recommend?: 3.5
Influenced my tastes: 1.5
Worth the hype? 4

Review of The Clash: The Clash

Please read Darren Scott’s pick for The Clash: The Clash before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

  • Worth the hype?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Would we recommend?
4.1

The Clash: The Clash

Though many people will automatically relate to being a Clash fan, I also imagine like us, they probably have not listened to their first album from beginning to end in a long time, if ever. It was a fun ride to rediscover one of the albums that is considered to be one of the greatest punk albums of all time. It is definitely worth a listen but before you jump in, have a listen to our review to learn about this album as well as hear our ramblings aboout what we thought was great and not so great. Enjoy, we did, except Alain… sheesh Alain. Ha ha ha…


Our Individual Review Scores
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype? 5
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 5
Would I recommend?: 5
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype?: 5
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 3
Worth the hype?4
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 2.5
Would I recommend?: 3
Influenced my tastes: 3.5
Worth the hype? 3

The Clash: The Clash


 
Listen above to hear why I decided to pick The Clash’s debut album. I am really excited to give this influential album the dedicated listening time it deserves. Though not the inventors of punk The Clash took the FU attitude of the music and escalated it and pushed it into a new era of U.K. punk. Enjoy listening and be sure to come back at the beginning of next month to hear our reviews.
Darren Scott
Resources
The Clash (Album) Wikipedia
The Clash Official Site
A Brief History of Punk

Listen to our review of this pick here!

 
 

Review of The Who: Live at Leeds

Please read Scott Gregory’s pick for The Who: Live at Leeds before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

  • Worth the hype?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Would we recommend?
4

The Who: Live at Leeds

To end our round of live albums Scott Gregory picked The Who:Live at Leeds. Though we did indeed rate this album highly we have to say that we had some negative comments. Have a listen to find out what Darren and Alain struggled with some parts and why Scott Gregory loves him some rock opera.


Our Individual Review Scores
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 3.5
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 2
Worth the hype? 4
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype?: 4
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 4.5
Would I recommend?: 4.5
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype?5
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 3.5
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 3
Worth the hype? 4

The Who: Live at Leeds


 
Ladies and Gentleman, this month’s pick is Live at Leeds, by the Who.
Recorded in 1970, it’s the band’s first live album, featuring the entire original lineup of Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon. Arguably one of the best live bands in the world, I know I really love them, I’m comfortable Live at Leeds will hold its own against the already amazing live albums we’ve already covered.
For the review we’ll be using the 2001 deluxe edition, which is the first one that included the entire concert set list. They tweaked the order a bit to put the whole Tommy rock opera together, but on a first listen it doesn’t cause any major problems and it’s well worth it to get the entire concert.
Listen to our review of this album here
Links
Album link on iTunes
Album link on Amazon
Album Wikipedia page
Other Albums Considered This Month
Boogie Down Productions – Live Hardcore Worldwide
U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky

Review of Nirvana: From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah

Please read Alain DuPuis’ pick for Nirvana: From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah before reading and listening to our reviews below.

Quick Summary: 

Nirvana: From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah
  • Worth the hype?
  • Influence us and our tastes?
  • Would we recommend?
4

Summary and Overall Score

Alain’s pick this month took us back to the Grunge era. It turns out we were all already fans of Nirvana though none of us had ever really listened to this album. This album was a compilation of live recordings throughout Nirvana’s short lifespan of 1989 – 1994.
Though we all had some praise and did overall like this album there was some things we agreed were not great parts of this album. Listen to our reviews and then listen to the album yourself to see if you agree. As always, we would love to hear your comments.


Our Individual Review Scores
Darren Scott:
Overall opinion: 4.25
Would I recommend?: 4.5
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype? 4
Scott Coates:
Overall opinion: 3.5
Would I recommend?: 1
Influenced my tastes: 1
Worth the hype?: 1
Scott Gregory:
Overall opinion: 4
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype?4
Alain DuPuis:
Overall opinion: 4.5
Would I recommend?: 4
Influenced my tastes: 4
Worth the hype? 4.5

Nirvana: From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah


 
The album we’re going to be reviewing this month is both live, and a compilation of sorts – a clear violation of the mandate The Sonic Collective set for ourselves when we formed our noble group a couple of years ago. I guess I am just feeling rebellious, and so too were the millions of people who fell in love with Nirvana’s infectious brand of alternative music.  Our pick for the month: From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah.
About Nirvana:
When Nirvana arrived on the Seattle grunge scene in the late 1980s, the airwaves were filled with hair metal and new wave music. This formulaic, radio-friendly music didn’t appeal to a new generation of disenfranchised or just plain bored youth, who started leaning more towards the underground for their music. Nirvana was just one of many unknown indy-bands who were playing small gigs at the time. But the world would forever change after they signed on with a major label (DGC Records) and released their breakout album, Nevermind. It achieved an unexpected and unprecedented amount of success, suddenly vaulting the entire Seattle grunge scene onto the world’s radar. The direct result was the rise of alternative rock to become the new mainstream, and hold steadfast for the better part of a decade.
The band met a tragic end after frontman Kurt Cobain’s untimely death in 1994, but the legacy Nirvana left behind cannot be understated. Hailed as “The voice of a generation” by numerous publications, Nirvana’s breakthrough helped popularize Generation-X, slacker culture, and alternative music, forever changing the musical landscape.
About our pick:
In 1996, the surviving members of Nirvana released From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, a compilation of recordings taken from shows they played across the globe between the years 1989 to 1994.   It received positive critical reception, and is often considered the angsty and energetic antithesis to their most popular live album, MTV Unplugged in New York. The album’s title refers to the Wishkah River in Aberdeen, Washington, where Cobain spent time in his youth.
I’ve long been a fan of Nirvana, and I’m excited to delve into this album. Many of the songs will be familiar to me, but I’m eager to hear the difference a live recording makes. Cobain himself was very critical of how polished and cleaned up their studio albums sounded, so being able to hear the songs as he intended them to be heard is gonna be a real trip.
Enjoy From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah!
Listen to our review of this album here.