Queen: an Album Review

As a kid, I grew up listening to Queen’s music. It was my parents who influenced me to appreciate their songs and eventually love some of their tracks. I can still remember the time when I listen to their songs on the radio, specially the song “Bohemian Rhapsody”, it gives me chills. Listening to Freddy Mercury’s singing gave me Goosebumps. It’s amazing listening to a man who sounded much more like a woman. What amazes me more is that he sounded so incredible! Queen has become an inspiration to young rock bands and even aspirants in the rock industry. They are considered the pioneer in the 70’s. I became to love this band even more when I found out that they made the song Under Pressure. It was one of my favorite songs of all time which was revived by The Used and My Chemical Romance. Just with Under Pressure alone, the band for sure sold millions!

Another thing that I love about these guys is their sense of style. They are very unique. They are not afraid to take risk. What surprises me is that their uniqueness work in every way that we could ever imagine.  The use of a variety of music, with a variety of genres, makes them truly brilliant. They have not only brought something new to music, they have changed music and made it supremely good. 

Without a doubt, Queen couldn’t make it that far without their front man, Freddie Mercury. Freddie's amazing vocals, gifted stage presence, and  elite projection contributed a lot to the success of Queen. Freddie managed to not only communicate with his music, but he made you believe what he sang. He was a passionate songwriter and he wrote songs that balanced several genres by a string. Although Freddie is now deceased, his legend remains.

   

Album Review (A Night at the Opera)

The album started with the first track which is “Death by Two Legs”. This was the perfect first track of an album. The lyrics of the song seems like it is intended on the person you hate. What I love about this track is that it has an outstanding musicality from the classical sound of a piano to pure guitar fury. This song pretty much shows what heavy rock is all about. “Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon” on the other hand is a super fun song. It’s piano based with a guitar solo. It’s a song that you can sing along with. “You’re my Bestfriend” is a song that touched my heart. You may say that the lyrics may sound cheesy but it totally works! Freddie gave the song power and beauty which made it sound outstanding. One of my favorite tracks in this album is “Love of my Life”. Every words in the lyrics stings our heart perfectly. It’s truly one of  Queen’s masterpiece. I know, everybody will agree if  I put “Bohemian Rhapsody” on the top of the list. The first verse is absolutely stunningly beautiful. Freddie's voice, the lyrics, and the piano all come together to form one of the most amazing products of Queen. Aside from it’s musicality, I would like to give props to the music video which is super cool. No wonder people at this day and age still know this song.

Although Queen possesses good tracks in this album, we can still find some low points on some tracks.  “I’m In Love with my Car” is an average track from the album. I don’t see anything special  with the lyrics and the music. “Sweet Lady” is a track that is far from good. It possesses a heavy metal vibe which didn’t sound good like the other songs. It is a track that you can just skip listening to. On the lighter note, “God Save the Queen” is a guitar oriented song. It was a good closing to the album.

Overall, I think A Night at the Opera, promotes good tracks that are worth listening to. Most of the songs stand up well on their own. This album defines Queen as an artist that every musicians should look up to. 

TLC: An Album Review

On the time when Britney was about to make it on the music industry and the Spice Girls are about go their own ways, I had this thing for TLC. When my classmates used to scream for their favorite boy bands, I was at home, sitting on the sofa, listening to their tracks. This trio is already famous when I discovered them while watching MTV. When I heard their song “Waterfalls” way back in 1997, I knew all along it was good  music. With the soulful sound and fantastic lyrics, who wouldn’t get hook listening to them? This trio is like the perfect blend. Without one of them, they wouldn’t produce music as good as they have. Listening to them makes you feel really relax. The songs of TLC are most likely to be played while you’re on the car during a traffic jam or even when you wake up late in the morning, waiting for the breakfast to be served.

For me, the best track from this group is “Unpretty”. I had this thing for girl power and every time I heard songs promoting feminism, I know I had to include it on my favorite tracks of all time. TLC incorporated a very nice story on their songs which make it unexceptional among other songs. Way back in the 90’s RnB is one of the most famous genre which really help TLC making it big since their tracks are mostly RnB songs. Along came year 2000 and TLC is still standing strong. I know some of us are familiar with their song entitled “No Scrubs”. The music video is so year 2000. Incorporating the lyrics with this upbeat feel plus the wonderful rap by Lisa “left-eye Lopez” made this song the flavor of the month. Actually, it became my favorite for a couple of months.

In the present, I haven’t heard a lot from TLC. Ever since Lisa was killed in a car accident, the group haven’t continue their singing career, Late this year, the two members  decided to go on tour in Japan and they will perform their hits. Hopefully, they will continue doing good music just  like before. I can say that they are way better than some sexy girl groups of our generation.

Album Review (FANMAIL)

All of the albums of TLC are good in their own ways. If I were to pick an album for me to give a review, ill choose “Fan Mail” Since it was the album that I really love, might as well show my appreciation through this film review. Probably my favorite tracks in the album are “Unpretty” and “Dear Lie”. Both have good lyrics and melody. Unpretty promotes feminism and boosting self esteem in many ways. Aside from that, it has that RnB feel that makes the track soothing to the ears. Dear Lie, on the other hand in is somewhat similar to Unpretty. We can say that the lyrics may sound “bitter” in a sense but its something you can slow dance with. As I take a closer look, I noticed that these two tracks are similar to “Waterfalls” which as also a big hit form the trio.


 Aside from these two tracks, I also enjoy listening to “Don’t Pull Put on Me Just Yet” and “Im good at Being Bad”. These two are very similar since they both have sexy lyrics or can I say explicit?  "Come On Down" is a refreshing track with interesting country vibes. The song is an entertaining listen with some really smooth deliveries. It's not the best song but it is enjoyable and definitely delivers over many tracks on the album. Although I enjoyed this album so much, Fanmail also have this down lows.


 "Shout" is an entertaining up-tempo song that really runs about quickly. The song has some decent vocals and is an alright listen. Still, nothing incredible. Another track that failed to hit it big is “Automatic.” It is an enjoyable song that starts pretty good and loses  it’s steam in the repetitive and boring second half. Despite this, it's still not a bad song. Another good example of a failed track is “Love Sick”. It is a track full of wasted  potential. The lyrics on the song are really tight but there is no real energy in the vocals. With all of these down lows, I can say that this is still an album worth listening. Fanmail is a mixed bag with some really great songs and some major let downs. Overall, it's a pretty good effort with some songs that are definitely not worth missing. After all, this album landed TLC in major nominations and awards.

Justin Timberlake: An Album Review (2006)

Timberlake has achieved excellence by combining pop music, dance and spectacle. And with a show of this calibre, there is little room for spontaneity. He’s like the been there, done that type of artist. Regardless of the issues that comes along his way, he’s still an icon to the youth and a heartthrob that any girls would like to date. I’ve chosen to give him a review since I’ve watched him grow as an artist during those boy band days up to the solo act that he is in the present. I would like to give props to him because he evolved from being an artist to a big time producer. Seeing him do all of this in a small span of time makes me love him more. I know Justin will surprise us in the coming years. I’m excited to see the goodies that this versatile man can offer.

Album Review: Future Sex Love Sounds

 On "Futuresex/LoveSounds", Timberlake leaves `NSYNC so far behind that its hard to view him as the same person. Much of this is most likely to Timbaland's credit, who produced almost every track on this fine record. This album had one of two directions to go from "Justified,"  either an attempt at the same thing, or a grandiose, hubristic, self-promoting, self-aggrandizing beast of a record. And to everyone's benefit , Timberlake chose the latter.

    
 The first track is a good, heavy-hitting track to start the album off with. Easily danceable, definitely sensual, this showcases Timberlake's new sound, his new persona. It's fresh, it's rich and you'll want to dance right along with it. “SexyBack”  Allowed the public a sneak peek at the sensuality that Timberlake had newly embraced and let run through all of the tracks on this album. The third track is much more like the first track so there’s nothing special about it. On “Lovestoned”, Timberlake starts off with yet another strong, danceable track and leads into one of the many over-a-minute-long interludes he uses on this album. The beat of the song “Chop me up” is amazing. The Three Six Mafia raps are put together very well and this is easily one of the most solid tracks on the album. 

     
On the other hand, I find “Damn Girl” as my least favorite song in the album. It doesn't have the same flow and it doesn't feel like it's put together as tightly. “All over again” is another for gettable track along the same lines as "Damn Girl". This is another ballad on the album but not very solid.

    
 Overall, I think the album did pretty well. This pretty much shows how Justin evolve as a musician. I can still remember how the songs in this album crank my playlist. A must listen for the music enthusiast.