Album Reviews8/10
Marvin Gaye’s Last Studio Album Trades Protest for Pleasure — 8/10
Marvin Gaye's Midnight Love trades protest for pleasure — a sleek, drum-machine funk record about joy, desire, and dancing, and his final studio album.
CLAY TRIBUNE / THE ARCHIVE
Tag: album review
Album Reviews8/10
Marvin Gaye Sings His Way Through a Patchy 1970 Covers Set — 8/10
Marvin Gaye's 1970 album That's the Way Love Is showcases his vocal genius across 12 tracks, with standout ballads and a few filler cuts. A transitional gem.
Album Reviews7/10
Hello Broadway: Marvin Gaye Trades Soul Singles for Show Tunes
Marvin Gaye's 1964 detour into Broadway standards is a bold, uneven experiment. We review the album's highs and lows, from 'My Way' to 'Hello, Dolly!'
Album Reviews5/10
The Fake Living-Room Singalong That Outsold Its Own Ambitions: How a 1965 Contract-Filler Gave the World “Barbara Ann
The Beach Boys' 1965 throwaway album, Beach Boys' Party!, was meant as filler. But its loose charm and accidental hit 'Barbara Ann' made it a lasting footnote.
Album Reviews7/10
Beach Boys’ Smiley Smile Still Fascinates 59 Years After Smile Fell Apart
Review of the Beach Boys' 1967 album Smiley Smile, a stripped-down, intimate record born from the collapse of the legendary Smile sessions.
Album Reviews7/10
Steve Levine’s Synths Meet Brian Wilson’s Return on a 1985 Comeback That Aims for Pleasant and Hits It
The Beach Boys' 1985 self-titled album is a polished, safe comeback that leans on harmonies and familiarity. A pleasant, risk-free record that re-enters the pop scene without daring.
Album Reviews4/10
Still Cruisin’: One Perfect Single Buried in a Grab Bag of Leftovers
The Beach Boys' 1989 album Still Cruisin' is a nostalgia cash-in with one classic, 'Kokomo,' and a lot of forgettable filler. A mixed bag worth skipping.
Album Reviews7/10
The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album: Sunshine Harmonies Meet the Sleigh Bells
A track-by-track review of The Beach Boys' 1964 Christmas Album, weighing its sun-drenched originals against its serious covers and novelty filler.
Album Reviews4/10
46 Years Later, the Album That Tried to Freeze an Endless Vacation Still Sounds Like It Missed the Wave
A review of the Beach Boys' 1980 album 'Keepin' the Summer Alive' — a polished but hollow nostalgia trip that fails to capture their former vitality.
Album Reviews7/10
Carl Wilson Steers the Band Toward Gospel and Grit on ‘So Tough’ — a Ragged but Rewarding 7/10
The Beach Boys' 1972 transitional album 'Carl and the Passions: So Tough' captures the band in flux, with soulful highs and uneven lows. A 7/10 review.