Vinyl Verdict

On this special epsiode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam ask their sisters to pick an album from their collection. Bell's sister Ashley picks Bill Withers' "Just As I Am", released in 1971. The album was critically well received upon release and was home to the hit single "Ain't No Sunshine", which won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Adam's sister Karen picks twenty one pilots' "Vessel", released in 2013. The album received mostly positive reviews upon release and is considered one of the duo's strongest work. Lastly, Jamie's sister Steph picks Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours", released in 1977. The album received rave reviews upon release and has been named one of the greatest albums of all time.

As is par for the course for topic episodes, the albums could not be more different! Will all three picks be a winner? Come along and find out!

On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Adam's next pick, King Crimson's "Red". Released in 1974, it was their seventh studio album, and the last King Crimson album until the group was re-formed by bandleader Robert Fripp in 1981. The album has been cited as an important work in both progressive rock and heavy metal, influencing a multitude of other artists, such as Kurt Cobain. But what will the boys think of the album? Will they describe it as "One More Red Nightmare" or will it influence them as well? Come along and find out!

On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Jamie's next pick, Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run". Released in 1973, it was his fifth album since leaving The Beatles in 1970, and his third album with his new group, Wings. To date, it is his most successful post-Beatles album in terms of sales and critical rating. Recorded partially in Lagos, Nigeria with final overdubs recorded in London, the album won Best Engineered Non-Classical Album at the 17th Grammy Awards in 1974. But what will the boys think of the album? Will this be a rare quorum or will they have "No Words"? Come along and find out!

On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Bell's next pick, Pezz's "Watoosh!". Released in 1999, it is the only album from Pezz, because as it turns out, there was another band called Pezz already. The band later changed their name to Billy Talent and is now one of Canada's most successful artists. "Watoosh!" is reminiscent of a number of albums we have covered previously because it is a little bit of what you might hear on a Tony Hawk soundtrack. But what will the boys think of the album? Will it have them "Absorbed" or will it all fall apart after the "Recap"? Come along and find out!

On the special episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam are joined by guest Jonathan Horst. Our former colleague at the office, Jonathan brought with him Jack J's second album, "Blue Desert", released in November 2024. A mix of musical sounds that are reminiscent of a number of genres popular between the mid 80s and the mid 90s, the album is skilful at sounded upbeat while having somewhat downbeat lyrics. This album also features some great saxophone, which is a podcast favourite. Come along as the boys chat with our friend Jonathan and find out whether they are "Wrong Again" or just "Born Without a Smile".

On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Adam's next pick, Kendrick Lamar's"To Pimp a Butterfly". Released in 2015, it was his third studio album. Upon release, the album received rave reviews, with many critics lauding its production, the social relevance of the lyrics, and the use of many styles of music. At the 2016 Grammy Awards, it received 7 nominations, including Album of the Year, it won for Best Rap Album. But will the boys find this to be their best rap album? Will it make the top spot on their lists or will they find it to be just "Alright"? Come along and find out!

On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Jamie's next pick, Green Day's "Dookie". Released in 1994, it is way up there on the list of the best selling albums of all time. Their major label debut, it came out of the gate strong and was amplified by an absolutely unhinged appearance at Woodstock '94. Critics have said this album marks a turning point in the 90's, moving music away from the grunge sound from the early part, to a more pop-punk sound in the later half. We've already covered four albums that came out in 1994, Live's "Throwing Copper", Weezer's "Blue Album", The Offspring's "Smash" and Nas' "Illmatic", but what will the boys think of this one? Will they be "Having a Blast"? Come along and find out!

On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Bell's next pick, Coldplay's "Parachutes". Their debut album, it was released in the distant future of the year 2000. The runaway success of the album was propelled by two of the singles, Trouble and Yellow. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album at the 2002 ceremony, and has gone on to sell upwards of 13 million copies. But is the album a brilliant first release from a band, or a boring one? What is a Coldplay? Join the boys as they delve into these questions and more!

On this special episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam dive into the topic of greatest hits, best ofs and other compilations! Bell brings blink-182's "Greatest Hits", their first such compilation, released in 2005. A fun, often goofy release from the masters of pop-punk, it came out two years after their fifth album. Adam's pick, Engelbert Humperdinck's "20 Great Hits", released in 1977, raises two questions. Firstly, what constitutes a "great hit"? Second, what is a "middle of the road balladeer"? The boys grapple with both questions. Finally, Jamie's pick, Patsy Cline's "Patsy Cline's Greatest Hits", is a brief exploration of Patsy Cline's unfortunately short music career. Will this episode be our greatest hit? Come along and find out!

On this episode of Vinyl Verdict, Bell, Jamie and Adam listen to Adam's next pick, Bjork's "Homogenic". Released in 1997, it was subject to widespread critical acclaim. Many critics lauded the production, lyrics and general vibe of the album as being excellent. The album spawned five singles, two of which were nominated for Grammy Awards for their music videos. The album itself was nominated for Album of the Year, but lost to Radiohead's "Ok Computer". Rolling Stone calls "Homogenic" the #202 album of all time, but what will the boys think? Will they call it "Immature", or will they say "All is Full of Love"? Come along and find out!