This was a nice start to the user-submitted albums! Mostly folk-oriented but with forays into jazz, pop, spoken word, some synths... and it all works together to create a singular dark emotive mood throughout rather than feel disjointed. Beautiful voice too! Thanks for the reco!
This seems like an album you end up dissecting and loving for the lyrical concept and themes - so take my review with a grain of salt as I don't always pay much attention to lyrics unless I'm grabbed by the music first and foremost. In this case, I wasn't. Maybe I'll give it a few more tries but this sounds like an indie rock/emo band I would have had on my iPod Classic but never listened to and eventually forgotten about when that iPod eventually died. Still happy to have been introduced to it, but not my cup of tea!
Really enjoyed this one! And a good addition to the list as well because looking back, post-rock is a genre almost completely ignored in this book, besides maybe one or two albums. This particular album was definitely on the more experimental end, with long, almost fully instrumental tracks full of ambient/drone-ish sections, spoken word, and even silence. But it always kept me engaged and interested. Nice pick!
Solid 3 star indie rock album - had heard a few of these songs before, including the album closer. Overall it doesn't hook me in a way that I'll seek it out in the future, but if its already playing, I won't turn it off. I was curious if anyone was going to submit a bonus album from a band already covered by the list - guess I have my answer!
Nice pick! Scandanavians really do know how to write good music - this one has the feel of early 2000s garage rock akin to Franz Ferdinand/The Hives/etc but jumps around a bit more, adding in influences from various different genres and styles. Probably a 3.5 for me but I'll round up.
Wait... This wasn't on here already? WTF? We get 400 post-punk albums that all sound the same but skip out on one of the defining albums of the 2000s?
Two days in a row of users submitting albums that were clearly glaring omissions on the part of the list-makers. This was a landmark indie rock album... what the heck? I know they can't include EVERY important album, but the weighting of certain genres over others is definitely.... off. Questionable decisions were made.
I appreciate that this contributor presumably saw the Zappa album and both Mothers of Invention albums on the list and determined these were not the correct choices. And after listening through this one, I may have to agree with the contributor! This one much more expertly straddles the line between accessibility (ish), grooviness, and being totally fucking bonkers. And it flows super well from start to finish. Better IMO than the other three choices from the original list makers.
As a huge Sufjan Stevens fan, I've listened to "A Beginner's Mind" although I don't return to it as often as his other solo works. Hearing Angelo's solo stuff really makes it obvious why he's on Sufjan's label - the similarities are obvious and many. I enjoyed the album but did feel like I might not return to it in lieu of just listening to Sufjan instead.
This was pretty good! From the name and photo I was expecting some repetitive electronica. There was a tad bit of that but much more varied than I was expecting, with R&B, Soul, Hip Hop, World, etc. all playing a part. I think the guest musicians/singers really made this album - not sure if I would like it as much without the contributions.
Solid enjoyable funk album - not sure I would add it to my list of essential albums as it is pretty standard fare for funk rock. The wiki page mentions they were praised for their groundbreaking mix of hip hop and live funk - so perhaps they were important/revolutionary, although it seems to me like RHCP and a few others were already doing this in the mid 80's. Solid 3/5 though.
Nice throwback - I definitely had this album growing up, also heard a bunch of these tracks on rotation on our local alt rock radio station. I'll probably throw a few of these back into my own playlists. Probably higher than a 3 but not quite 4 material.
Interesting blend of 90's alternative rock (maybe with some Britpop influence) and the music of the 60's, most notably pulling direct influence from the Beach Boys/Beatles/Harry Nillson style power pop. Some songs also feel like they could be Beck songs as well. So not super original and they wear their influences on their sleeves. BUT, that being said, they do it really well. It's fun and playful, and they keep the music interesting. So in the end, I'll round this up to 4 stars.
It took me a few times initially to get into this album when I first heard it. It's unlike anything else - an experimental hip-hop album made up of short songs with super abstract lyrics and no hooks. Somehow it all works! I don't even know how or why it works, but it does. It's not yet in my top hip-hop albums of all time, but maybe one day - for now its a solid 4 stars. Glad to see someone added it!
Pretty solid new wave album, and nice to see some additional Australian representation - although I think maybe more special for Aussies who have a history with it. From the outside looking in, its fairly similar to the other New Wave representation on the list.
Louis Armstrong is obviously one of the GOATs, and you can't deny how incredible he was or how influential either. That being said... it isn't really in the spirit of this project, which excludes compilations and soundtracks. Which is why the oldest albums on the original list are from the 50's - you know, when the modern concept of album originated with the birth of the LP. This is a collection of tracks from the 20's and 30's compiled in 2000, nearly 30 years after Louie's death. I think I'm leaving a 3 here, as I can't in good conscience rate Louie as a 1 or 2, but I'm going to be a pretentious, pedantic asshole and not give this a 4 or 5 out of spite. Should be a DQ.
This was great! Indie-folk that would have fit right in during the 2000's revival. Beautiful songs and voice, introspective lyrics, and a runtime that doesn't overstay its welcome. Might need to add this to my collection. Nice recommendation!
I've been recommended Ty Segall before but never listened. Honestly a little disappointed. Expected noise rock but kinda just got a blend of garage rock/noise that didn't work for me. I'll be optimistic and give it a 3. But just felt like he either could've leaned more heavily into the experimentation or just given us a banging garage rock album. This just felt like something mediocre in between.
Bunch of dudes having a fun time writing (mostly) silly songs. Obviously won't go in the pantheon of music as high art but it was quite enjoyable. Some songs were slightly more on the cringey side but I still had a blast listening.
I laughed when I saw the other review say they would have gone with "Grey Race" instead. Why? Because I saw this album get generated and my first thought was "Bad Religion - awesome! Although I would have gone with The Process of Belief..." It was definitely a miss to not include BR on the original 1001 albums list, and the fact that they've been churning out albums of consistent quality for FOUR DECADES now means everyone is going to have their own favorites. I need to go back and give another listen to quite a few that I have never checked out. This one is def a solid 4 stars.
Interesting choice - I would have for sure gone with either "Camp" or "Awaken My Love" as this to me is definitely his weakest album. Its still fun to listen to, and is this kind of "beautiful chaos" of styles. Certainly a statement as well. But its a little too much, a little too chaotic. In trying to recreate the internet in album format, it does a good job - because the internet is chaos. But it makes for a disjointed listening experience. Still a 3/5 but his other albums are probably 4 stars for me.
I was disappointed in this one. Was expecting maybe some salsa, Latin pop, music to dance/get down to. Was not expecting elevator jazz. 1hr15min of elevator jazz. And only a handful of the guest musicians (Tito Puente & India) have any connection to Puerto Rico at all. Nope, not for me!
Not many French-speaking acts on the original list - so it was nice to see not only an additional Francophone act but a Quebecker as well. I enjoyed the music - definitely fits right in with other 2000's indie-alternative acts, with a mix of folk, alternative, and electronica. I may give this another listen at some point so its worth at least 3 stars.
Another good recommendation from the users - this was a good idea. Having individuals pick ONE album vs. having one individual pick 1001 albums is definitely making for a more varied, interesting pot. This one gave me huge "Drive" vibes - especially when I got to the last track and realized it WAS used in Drive. As is the case with a lot of electronic albums, it's too long. Tick of the clock is a good song but doesn't earn its 15 minute runtime. Same with a few others - with the songs being repetitive by nature of the music, they could have been trimmed down a bit. Otherwise, this would have been a four-star album! Music is fun, but the (lack of) editing brought it down to a 3.
Dark Swedish folk - this shit is right up my alley. A few of the songs were a little rockier/electronic that slightly ruined the vibe but I thought like 80% of the album was just superb. Trad swedish folk is the tits.
I do like me some Gothic Metal, and I knew these guys were big in that scene but never listened to them. After giving this album a shot, it's definitely a mixed bag - some great heavy riffs, awesome moody feel, but it's way overlong, some of it feels cringey, like it's trying just a little too hard to be edgy, and the vocals are miss more than hit. As the album wore on, what slowly could have been a 4 star affair drifted to a 3, and then a 2.
Damn... this one started out super strong - the first two tracks are incredible and I'll probably download the album just for those. The rest of the album is also good but doesn't quite live up to the potential of how it kicks off and some of the tracks veer into Lumineers/Edward Sharpe territory with the the whoops and claps. This brings the album down to three stars. But when they stick to Americana stuff its fantastic though!
Well, I definitely recognized a large majority of this album. INXS has always struck me as being perfectly adequate rockers - and its no wonder they were super popular. But I never seek them out, they just feel like kinda standard 80's fare, none of their hits really scratch any itches for me.
This album flew by so quickly that I had to go back and remind myself what I had listened to. My stance on Sparks remains essentially unchanged even though they transitioned here from glam rock to a sorta synth-pop sound: they are big, dumb and fun but not essential.
Peak John Mayer is easily his John Mayer Trio album, which I'll put on any day of the week. This is probably his best studio album though. He's an incredible guitarist - I just wish he'd go full blues rock more often instead of pumping out pop rock albums. I mean, more power to him... I just don't dig it as much. This is a 3/5 for me, Try! is maybe a 4 or 5.
I made fun of DMB once - but had some friends who grinded me down until I eventually learned the errors of my ways. Now I'm a huge fan. This is up there with his best, for sure, although it depends on personal preference (or day of the week for me).
Honestly never really liked this group - maybe its because they came on late to the folk revival of the late aughts but gained huge popularity doing what seemed pretty derivative of the bands that had started the movement. Or maybe its because they way overdid the clapping/shouting "hey" thing to the point of it becoming meme-ish. Dunno but yeah I'd say this is pretty mid.
Damn... A bonus King Crimson album I never knew about? Nice! Without Fripp it's definitely more jazzy/folksy and less rock than KC but it still tickled my earworms and I might just need to add it to my collection.
Someone honestly listened to the 1001 albums full list, and decided what was missing was some more "post-punk." For fucks sake, this genre is done and covered, and this album did nothing to add anything to the genre or cover any new ground.
Not a bad album by any means but it sounds pretty much like a stock 70's hard rock album - seems like they are trying to be halfway in between a more classic hard rock sound and then a little more glammy/over the top sound. I think its fine, but not list-worthy.
Fun album! Mexican rock with heavy ska elements. Somewhere in the"let's round up to a 4" range. Would listen again/add to a few playlists
Man this LP has a lot of their biggest hits, and really showcases their energy. I feel like one of the strongest elements of EW&F is just that infectious passion and energy, that just makes you want to get up and dance. Anyone who says "Disco sucks" might need to give these guys another listen.
Looks like the universal acclaim for this one is for the lyricism, which a quick perusal of a few lyrics tells me is certainly top tier. I didn't have time to fully read through/analyze but I'll fully take everyone's word that it is amazing poetry. However... that's not how I listen to music. I want to be amazed by the music first, and then delve into lyrics later. This music does nothing for me. It is pretty run of the mill post-punk, with a singer who seems bored / has absolutely no sense of tune. Glad people like this and I'll raise my review to a 3 after reading through some of the lyrics, but otherwise its a pass for me.
Yeah... as many other reviewers have mentioned, this is just a glaring omission from the original list. No matter what Weezer has become now, the blue album was a landmark in alternative rock, and one of the greatest albums of the 90s. And insanely influential. It's unbelievable that this one was skipped.
Definitely a bit more country than I thought Jimmy Buffett was in my head. I didn't dislike it and it definitely transported me to Florida for 3/4 of an hour, but I was expecting it to be a little more of a "tropical" feel than it was.
I love the user that submitted this. No regrets, just throws unsuspecting listeners into a 2+ hour live Phish album. No one should have their introduction to Phish be this way - you are supposed to just ease folks in with a song or two when you're a bit stoned. You have to build people up before the 30-minute Tweezer. That being said, I was introduced the right way and have had previous experience, and so I'll go ahead and give this a 4 - once you are accustomed, it is a pretty great live album with lots of great performances and jams.
Some nice hard rock from Spain - really enjoyed the music here - it felt inventive yet catchy. I may bookmark this album so I can use it to improve my Spanish.
Well this was my album. Obviously a 5 star album for me. Debated long between this or several PT albums but ultimately I thought this was his most cohesive and beautiful album, and on the more accessible side. I do love my wonky prog bits but this manages to create a stunning experience while reining it in quite a bit. Absolutely perfect.
Heard the artist's name mentioned a whole lot (I mean he's apparently one of the most popular artists of the era), but never heard anything apart from some singles here and there. Was never really entranced with anything to a GREAT extent, although I do think Blinding Lights is a banger. However I'm not sure it works as a whole album. Its kind of a neat novelty but overall just seems like this kinda derivative dream pop/synth pop mashup with everything in a high falsetto that never changes. Probably higher than a 2 in reality but not enough for a 3.
Pretty solid 90s alt rock. I laughed at the other user who wrote "Seems like the sort of thing that would've been on the list." Because that seems fairly true... Decent album but not super unique or original.
This is most assuredly not my thing. In fact I kinda detest it and question whether it's even music. This is like... TikTok music. Music as a meme. Terrible.
Still not totally sold on King Gizzard, but this album was definitely solid. A high energy romp that just keeps the momentum going from start to finish. The trade-off here is that all the songs sound maybe a little too similar, so it lacks any real big moments and you find it hard to differentiate between tracks. However, still a solid 3/5 and intrigues me to listen to more.
Middle school me loved this album. I still do but I wonder how much is nostalgia. The lyrics are obviously quite immature and haven't aged well. On the other hand this was the most important and influential pop punk album and secondly, there's Travis who immediately elevated the band. This is somewhere between a 3 and 4 but I'll round up with my rose colored glasses on.
FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE. But for real, this is probably a 4-star album for me. Their debut and AM are definitely their 5 star albums. The lounge-y sound on this one just takes me out of it a little bit. It's just a bit too slow and lacks the energy of my favorite Arctic Monkeys releases. But still an excellent release with an interest concept.
Nice - I won't say no to more krautrock. While this is probably not on the level of say, Kraftwerk or Tangerine Dream, but it's still pretty interesting. 3/5 for me but still very solid.
Some fairly straightforward British psychedelic rock from the 60's. It's fine and fun but not sure I'd call it a stand out of the genre or anything when we've heard a bunch of similar music on the list already. Plus I think they may have overdone the sitar just a tad here.
Oh man sorry dude but I went through that period of time where my parents only let me listen to Christian Rock and I'd rather not go back there. Meant to Live is a decent jam but the rest of the album was virtually indistinguishable from the myriad other Christian Rock bands from that era.
This was a fun addition and a good correction from the original list which had some reggae classics but no dub. Never heard of this one in particular but he seems influential on the genre and I'm sold.
I mean, this was a seminal release that spawned countless imitators and whole genres of progressive metal around this sound. While Lateralus might be my personal favorite, this is a close second, and they are both 5/5 records.
Oof - I apologize to the submitter but yeah, the album cover immediately said "2000's Pussycat Dolls imitator" and while this was an earlier S Club 7 solo spin-off, the actual music was pretty much exactly what I expected and left my scratching my head as to why this was deemed essential.
I do have this one in my collection already and its a great slab of modern psychedelic rock. "The Less I Know The Better" is just a fantastic hit with a killer bassline but the whole album manages to keep the same vibe and energy and feels very cohesive. I forget about this band a lot but I shouldn't.
Blink's attempt at a more "mature" album, which does succeed to a certain extent. I was initially super disappointed by this album since it just wasn't as much fun as their earlier immature pop-punk affairs. I probably like it better in retrospect but its still not their best, despite a few standout tracks.
Interesting add to the list. Feels a bit like "prog rock lite" with a somewhat similar tone but not as many of the conventions that would define the genre. Was a bit unexpected as well since the only song I knew from them was "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which is fantastic but a different vibe entirely. I think a 3/5 is suitable for this one.
Definitely not my thing but that's okay - its electronic club music but it isn't repetitive to the point of exhaustion, it sticks to a respectable 45 minutes, and is a much tighter blend of hip hop, pop and EDM so its a bit more varied. The lyrical topics also look like they elevate this music quite a bit and I can certainly understand the critical acclaim. For me, the album is a 3/5 because the style is just not something I dig, but I can understand a higher critical ranking.
Damn, I literally put "For Emma" on last night and was thinking about how Bon Iver was a mysterious omission from the list. If I was making my own list I might put all of his first three albums on here. This is his weirdest of three but might just be a crazy masterpiece. Not for everybody for sure but a 5/5 for me.
Not a bad dream pop sound - it's definitely too long at 70 minutes though so the slow, dreamy sound overstays its welcome just a tad. But definitely in the same lane as say, Beach House or Air, if it maybe doesn't quite hit those heights. Solid 3/5 though.
Definitely an odd duck - krautrock with heavy prog rock overtones and a good dose of psychedelia and avant-garde. While this sounds like I'm just reciting the genres on the wikipedia page, you actually can really hear all these elements in the final product - at times its proggy improv, at time its Kraftwerk-ian, and at times its just bizarre and "artsy." Don't know if this goes into the "listen again and add to my collection" territory but its worth at least a 3/5.
Another obvious misstep on the original list to skip over this 90's classic. Like all three of their albums, its a little bloated with some filler (I could probably easily pick 15 minutes to cut) but the rest is so brim-full of ubiquitous classics that its a bit excusable (at least half of this album would likely be recognized by anyone who listened to rock radio in the 90's). I'll add this to my 5 star list, although its probably a 4.5.
Nice interesting choice! RIP, I love Jóhansson's score work - Sicario and Arrival in particular his score just adds so much to. While classical music seems kind of out of scope of the 1001 albums project, which is more centered on popular music, its definitely a refreshing change of pace and maybe should have been highlighted more. This album in particular is an intriguing classical/electronic blend that makes great background music.
Never listened to this despite listening to the follow-up Welcome To Mali plenty of times. And Manu Chao is a featured artist? How did that skip me by? This is solid African blues. Real good stuff.
Interesting choice I guess? Not sure why I needed to listen to it before dying. I know it's tongue in cheek 80's pastiche, but I couldn't shake that it just sounded exactly like later era Killers. Welp, lo and behold, Brandon Flowers shows up as a guest singer... and it turns out Cameron helped co-write songs on Wonderful Wonderful and Imploding the Mirage as well. Don't really think the songwriting here stands up to either of those albums though, and I honestly was not a fan of the character either - I get it, I just don't think the joke is that funny.
Man... so many albums to pick instead of Hazards. In particular, Picaresque and The Crane Wife. Both 5/5 albums that received universal acclaim. Hazards was considered a disappointment to many after those two, myself included. I don't hate it but its clearly not their best.
This was the album where I actually gave up on The Avett Brothers - I really liked their first few albums, and especially Mignonette and Emotionalism still get some play from me these days. But nothing hooked me with this album, and the album overall just felt like something was missing. Not sure if its just the production or what, but it just didn't resonate and I eventually deleted it from my collection. Listening again now it is maybe not as bad as I remember, but its still probably around a 2.5 or 3 for me.
I started the album wondering what CW Teen drama show this album was the soundtrack for. While I ended up liking it slightly more than I initially suspected, I don't think it was enough to push the rating above a 2. Just not enough interesting there
Not bad, but if I wanted to listen to Springsteen I would just listen to Springsteen? Not sure what else new this brings to the Heartland Rock table.
I liked this one a lot - very mellow electronic r&b sound that feels very unique. Might listen to this one again when the vibe strikes.
Definitely an odd one. I really liked the songwriting and composition, it was proggy/avant-garde feeling unique with folk instrumentation. However I wasn't a fan of the execution as much - I get that it is supposed to sound messy and stripped down, but just would have preferred the songs if they were a bit more polished and ummm... on key. That said, still a 3/5. But would have been a 4/5 if performed by a different band.
Enjoyed this one! Felt like the soundtrack to a Tim Burton movie. Feels like I should add a track or two to my "Halloween" playlist. Screaming Jay Hawkins meets Tom Waits meets psychobilly. Good stuff.
Immediately got King Gizzard vibes from this one and doing a brief search on Reddit I am definitely not the only one hah. They came first so sounds like they were probably an inspiration for KGATLW. Psych rock that is crazy proficient, releasing album after album after album, and dabbling in many different genres. I find both this and KG adequate and fun to listen to, but nothing particularly special that makes me want to seek it out.
Taking clear inspiration from the Sufjan Stevens/Bon Iver school of stripped down indie-folk, this is a (very) short album that somehow actually feels too long as it doesn't really do anything interesting with its 23 minutes. It just feels like a short coffee shop set. Somehow when Sufjan Stevens writes a chill album, there is still an energy about it that feels unique and keeps my attention rapt. This follows more in the xx line of alternative music where it just makes me want to take a nap.
Yeah this was a mistake not to include on the original list. I was an MCR fan already before this album came out and it still took me by surprise. They really went all out to create their magnum opus rock opera. And while I've generally grown out of many of the bands in the emo/post-hardcore genre, MCR (and this album in particular) have stood the test of time so far for me, 16 years later. So this is a perfect rating for me.
Feels like maybe a "you had to be there" type of album. If you were Dutch in the 90's, these guys may have been a local favorite and I respect that and it was probably a fun time. However, in retrospect, and looking at the greatest albums of all time, it doesn't really feel like something that belongs, just a fun funk album but nothing iconic/fundamental about it.
Glad someone decided to shine some extra light on this underexposed artist LMAO. While I agree he has many albums that should be in consideration for this list, its just a little funny to me that someone decided to add one more bonus album after he already has five of his best records on the main list. That being said, of course its excellent... its the Boss. At his absolute prime. Great live album.
I enjoyed this. Definitely not 1001 list material as it's just a bunch of dudes recreating 80s hard rock/glam, but I enjoy that kind of big dumb music. But not revolutionary or noteworthy in any way, really.
I liked this a lot. Name sounds familiar so not sure if I ran into him before in my "indie rock" heydey. But great folk songs that would have got many a 2000s/2010s playlist.
Well this took me back. Grew up with this post-hardcore scene and loved Alexisonfire - they are one of the few bands from that scene that I still follow today. This is probably their best as well, and still holds up IMO. 4/5
Can we stop adding nu-metal to the list and making the overall metal ratings lower than they already are please? Sorry guys, but Korn is boring. The "heavy" riffs are all the same from song to song, album to album. Sure they make some funny squeaky guitar noises during the verses and sure, the lyricism is an expression of a tortured childhood. But overall... nah can't do it anymore.
Despite being a big prog fan, I never really checked out Marillion. They definitely come from the Genesis school of prog, and I even swore it was Peter Gabriel singing a few times. It's definitely right up my alley though. I may give this album a few more listens and check out some of their other releases as well.
Nice artist to add to the list! I attempted to get more into them at a certain point and gave up - with 23 albums it was just too much to wade through. Surprised the user went with this album though, and not some of their more famous 90's material. Either way, its a decent album, but TMBG for me is a band better experienced with a Greatest Hits compilation.
Didn't mind this much but felt like it jumped around between styles too much and didn't have its own identity. Really liked the sound and direction some songs took but didn't think the overall product was cohesive.
Decent indie rock but not super memorable - if a song popped up on a playlist I wouldn't turn it off but I'd probably forget about it five minutes later.
Same as the last album - thought it was decent but with all the great 2000's alternative rock, I'm not sure it really stands out? Still a 3/5 but probably will fade out of my memory.
I applaud the submitter of this one. Way to go weird and uncomfortable! Don't regret listening. However.... was not a fan. Felt like weird for the sake of weird rather than an artistic statement or fun listen.
Not quite Pink Floyd level but an interesting addition to prog history nonetheless. Too bad Waters is a huge wanker at this point.
This was not bad, liked it quite a bit! I don't think we're quite in 4 star territory here as it seems like pretty standard British alt rock fare that has been done better, but it was pretty solid.
I don't know much about hyperpop but it seems to me like its a genre that specifically a lot of Trans folks have jumped on/pioneered - maybe because its something disruptive that deconstructs a lot of pop/rock tropes and specifically tries to alienate other listeners in a way that they have felt alienated their whole lives? Or maybe I'm reading into it too much. Either way, I guess I can respect that and be happy for the people who love this music... while still having no desire to listen to it myself in any capacity? It is 100% music that is not made for me and I struggle to not turn it off after 30 seconds. So its a one star from me dawg, but a one star in perhaps the most respectful way you can give something one star.
A great debut album right in the peak of the 2000's UK garage/dance-punk craze. They never managed to replicate what made this album so good and every subsequent album has left me disappointed. But they'll always have this album, which knocked it out of the park and is definitely a standout of the 2000's.
This really is a very good album - as one review said, it is "pure Funkadelic cosplay" but that is not really a bad thing in my opinion. Might be much more firmly in the homage territory and not as original as some of Donald Glover's other work, but its arguably better than some of those albums and seemed to make more of an impact when released as well.
Yeah this is for sure a 5/5. Maybe my favorite Sufjan album and one of the most melancholy pieces of music ever. Brilliant.
The dad-dest of dad rock. Not that that's a bad thing! Seger didn't really have the same lasting legacy as the trio of Springsteen-Petty-Mellencamp, but probably would still make the Mt Rushmore of heartland rock. I enjoyed it a fairly good. Probably a 3.5 but rounding up
Primus sucks.
Pretty solid Blues album - not sure it stands out in the sea of solid Blues albums out there but I enjoyed it.
"The Stroke" and "Lonely is the Night" are for sure classics. The other singles are pretty decent too. Not sure if the rest of the album lives up to those though and seems pretty standard 80's AOR.
Nice... glad to see some more Spanish rock on here. Might need to listen a few more times and practice my Spanish in the process. Nice variety of tracks and sounds.
The B-52's for sure are a weird band to rate. They have such a distinct style that is instantly recognizable, but at the cost of the music sounding incredibly monotonous. So if you hear one song from them in a playlist, its great! If you listen to multiple songs in a row, its just a chore.
While the post-punk genre tag makes me wince when I see it, I thought this one was pretty decent. Will it stand out afterwards? Will I remember anything about how it sounded? Probably not.
Was always a big fan of Plans but never gave this one a fair shot. Glad to listen to it again now. Doesn't have the hits of Plans, but might actually be a better album? Not sure but it's definitely going back in my library.
Meh, felt like it was trying too hard to be clever and more often than not came off as cringe-inducing instead. His monotone voice got old quickly too. That style works when used sparingly, not all the time. Barbarians was a cool song though.
Now I guess I've heard albums from both eras of this band. Probably still won't crack my list of favorite prog bands but I did find this one quite good. Good mix of upbeat songs and ballads. Can see how they influenced a lot of bands I like.
Something about this rubbed me the wrong way. Couldn't quite place it - it does feel a bit forced at times, trying to be clever and not quite succeeding, it ends up coming off as irritating rather than witty.
Thought this was a pretty solid rap album. Production was very good... still has what is now probably considered "old school" R&B-sample-driven beats. Wasn't paying attention to lyricism so can't comment there but his flow sounded good as well.
I liked the music, mostly, although sometimes the eclectic genre mix was more miss than hit. The vocals? Good lord... I wanted to turn every song off as soon as the singing started.
Patti LaBelle definitely deserved a spot on the original list so this is for sure correcting an oversight. Obviously Lady Marmalade is a big highlight, but the rest of the album is a super solid dose of funk/r&b/soul from a great diva.
Pretty catchy indie album - I swear I recognized some of the songs but it could be that the tunes just caught my ear pretty quickly. Probably wouldn't enter my listening rotation though.
Probably would need a few more listens to properly rate this. Madlib's production is on point as always. The record was definitely a bit too long and wore me out a bit, and there were probably a little TOO many guest stars, so it felt a little crowded. So its a 3/5 for now but on subsequent listens I feel like I probably would rate this higher.
I can see how this would sound quite revolutionary in 1991. Unfortunately my 2024 brain can't quite get into it. For my own taste, some music ages like fine wine and never grows old, and other music is notable for its influence but doesn't stand up any longer. I feel like this album falls into the latter category, for me. 3/5 but probably not replaying.
I applaud this uploader for going all out on their selection. I went back and forth with my pick for awhile and landed on going with something a little more accessible, which apparently was a sticking point with listeners, with half thinking it was too vanilla of a choice. Maybe I should have gone all in on one of my favorite metal albums instead, but here we are. In this album's case, this is definitely on the "extreme chaos" side of experimental metal, which can be a lot of fun for sure, but you have to be in the mood for it. I'm also not sure if Igorrr is doing anything especially original, or just taking things other have done and pushing them to their extreme. But its still quite an enjoyable ride.
This was really well done Springsteen. A little full of itself? Sure. Bloated? Yes. Derivative? Yes. But I still wouldn't give it a bad rating, just maybe an average one.
I haven't quite cracked "Only God Was Above Us" yet but all four of their other albums are fantastic LPs in my regard. They may be this weird combo of preppy but hipster, but they don't pretend to be anything else, and even if you think they are too clever by half, they consistently write catchy bops to go along with their lyrics, so its always entertaining. Good addition to the list!
I've seen the name Lee "Scratch" Perry thrown on so much records over the years. Obviously a legendary producer, but never realized the Upsetters was his band. I hadn't heard this album before but it's definitely a super solid classic reggae album. Maybe not on the same level as some of his production work, but would listen again.
I think I've listened to Snarky Puppy before but don't remember. Very tight jazz fusion, and great for putting on while working. Nothing revolutionary but obviously a very talented group playing together very well.
Japanese representation on this list is very low, so glad to see a submission of some J-Pop to try and remedy that. That being said, this one was definitely a little hard to get through. Has a VERY distinctive "2000's Pop" sound that is kind of grating on the ear at the current point in time. Maybe it will eventually feel nostalgic but I'm not there yet. Also just didn't feel like there was much variation in the tracks.
Does sound fairly similar to Elvis Costello, but not sure it quite has the same energy and catchiness.
Always loved this album although I tend to listen to the reWhipped version - still a great album but it really has a heavily dated 60's feel - sounds like background music for a 60's sitcom or movie. Which is fine but the remix lets the iconic melodies shine with a little bit more of a modern polish, even though that's the type of thing I would normally detest. Regardless, I'd still give the original album 4 stars.
This one was fun. I listened to the 1987 remaster/remix with Orson Welles narration, which was a neat addition to the album. I'll need to go back and listen to the original as well. For the most part, it doesn't really "feel" Poe-inspired, you would expect the music to be a little more spooky and sinister. But still a solid album. I'd probably rate this a 3.5 but I'll round up.
Actually glad someone added this as I've heard her mentioned but I'd never checked her out. Definitely a pretty representative slab of 80's Pop, almost stereotypically so. But I still enjoyed it plenty.
Very fun New Wave album, and had no clue Danny Elfman was involved (and that this was how he got his start) until reading the wiki later. But the songs are varied and interesting while still sounding cohesive. And the title song from Weird Science was a surprise at the end.
Definitely can feel the Dan Auerbach influence on this record. Folksy/bluesy Americana with some soul mixed in, but very old-school sounding. It's recommendations like this that I love this project for
All the R.E.M. comparisons are pretty spot-on - this does seem like REM's cousin from the north, from the vocal stylings to the alt rock riffs and melodies. Didn't get too deep into the lyricism but from face value they seemed a bit more elevated as well. I think this merits a 4/5 - really enjoyed it!
This one really didn't resonate with me much. Not sure quite what it was but it just rubbed me the wrong one. Sometimes I would get into the groove of a song and then a random lyric would completely pull me out and interrupt my enjoyment. Or sometimes the music itself wasn't working. Not entirely sure - I probably should give it the benefit of the doubt and listen again at another time, but for now its a 2 for me.
Great underground hip-hop album with Doom's signature lyricism and sample game on-point
Love me some Chet Baker. Was surprised the selector went with an earlier instrumental album though - while he is a great trumpeter, his most iconic albums feature his playing AND his signature vocals. Still a 4 star album, but some others, such as Chet Baker Sings, would be higher.
Guess a second album from this band was necessary to add, just in case we didn't get the idea from this first one? Pretty similar vibes, just taking heartland rock and making it moody and atmospheric. Enjoyed it but didn't love it.
Big 90s indie folk artist who was indeed neglected from the original list - good call to add this one.
Damn, was already going to give this a high score because of the excellent musicianship, but reading his story - a Prince of Mali cast out for being albino and ending up with perhaps greater fame for his music - makes it an even crazier and noteworthy addition.
I didn't dislike this as much as I feared looking at the cover. It's 90's electronica from the UK, sure, but much more hip-hop/DJ-focused, which is loads better than the drum n bass and other excessively electronic genres. Probably 2.5 but I'll round up.
New Wave seems to be pretty hit or miss on here but this was a pleasant surprise! Super catchy and a lot of memorable tracks even though I wasn't familiar beforehand. Will have to save and listen again.
Definitely recognized "Stars" and maybe some others. Maybe goes in the "underrated gems of the 90's" pile but probably not a "greatest albums ever" list
This album (especially Blower's Daughter) is a favorite of the wife. I do quite enjoy it as well. It is peak indie-folk, and was pretty early-on in the 2000's acoustic/folk "revival" of sorts. i.e. the big "music for scrubs/garden state/the oc/greys anatomy" years. I do miss that era a bit. And this is a great example.
That was certainly a unique and interesting listen. Loved the addition of an aboriginal musician to the list, and the way traditional aboriginal music was fused with orchestral overlays was also fascinating. If anything, a little variation might have helped. Sometimes it felt like the orchestra tones were just copied+pasted from one track to the next. Or killing the orchestra just for a few tracks here and there to hear the more traditional songs without it. Or some other variation to break the album up. Otherwise it gets a little bit droney for the hour plus runtime. Otherwise it would have been a 4 star+ album.
I literally just read a "review" from John Green praising this band, and I knew I had to give it a try at some point. Lo and behold, a few weeks later, here we are. I did really love the music... simple but expressive tunes with great lyricism. The lo-fi recording does not work for me for this type of music - for me you really have to have a solid reason and specific sound you are going for to make lo-fi work. This doesn't really fit the bill and I do not personally think it would lose an ounce of charm recorded on proper equipment.
Wasn't too pumped from the description but ended up liking this a whole lot... Not a huge fan of electronica but I love ambient music and this scratched that itch well. I'll come back for sure
Wasn't hugely enamored with this one. Didn't think it was bad but seemed reminiscent of other artists and didn't feel super unique or mind blowing. Couldn't help thinking of other albums I'd rather listen to instead. Not necessarily bad though.
Definitely a weird one! Experimental, avant garde... Reminded me a bit of the Richard Dawson someone else recommended. Might not revisit but like the weird choice.
Damn, I'd forgotten about this album. I know I had listened to it a bunch of times when I was really into the emo-screamo-punk scene in middle/high school. This was an album that I knew was fundamental to the scene, but it never quite stuck with me, and eventually dropped out of my rotation. Sad to say I think my feelings are unchanged - might be more influential than it is "fun to listen to" for me. Also definitely drags on as the songs all feel very similar-sounding. Probably a 2.5 for me but I'll round up.
Not really sure where to put this. I might need to spin several more times to get a better read on it - 80 minutes at first go is just too much to take in. Varied enough that it felt shorter than some of the monotonous 45 minute albums though. Gut reaction is that this a solid 3.5... rounding up to 4.
Feels like a fun curiosity more than anything - I might not end up listening again but it was clearly a passionate effort. Very theatrical. Fun to hear this guy outside The Witcher.
Love me some Mogwai. It's great background music, which I mean in the best possible way. Post-rock at its finest
The backstory and apparently the influence of this album on modern pop music perhaps intrigued me more than the album itself. Seeing when it was originally leaked makes sense after hearing it - definitely feels about five years ahead of it's time for being recorded in 2007-13, so it clearly influenced the frenetic modern pop a ton (especially hyperpop). It's obviously not a finished product and the hyperactivity is a bit much, but it's pretty solid.
This album sounded VERY familiar to me. I either heard it a bunch growing up, which is a big possibility, or pop melodies are just sorta universal/similar to other stuff. I'll give this a high ranking though. It was fun, catchy, and loads better than most country.
This was a huge band in the indie rock scene of the early 00's. I still play this and their earlier albums from time to time. Surprised at the negative global reviews but maybe it doesn't hit the same if you weren't there at the time. I'll offset those with a perfect rating for these Canadian hipsters.
I've heard some of Khruangbin's stuff before, but not this album. It is definitely an enjoyable listen. They are obviously super talented. I feel like you have to be in the right mood to just let the music wash over you... I could probably listen to this ten times and still not remember a single riff or melody. So its good... but maybe not an all-timer.
This album was my jam back in high school. Was definitely one step in the chain of listening to heavier music. Went from emo/punk to screamo/post-hardcore to metalcore before graduating to the much better styles of extreme metal. So I have to leave this with at least a three since it was important in my development and musical journey, but its hard to listen to it now without cringing a bit. Metalcore just hasn't aged well... and these guys in particular were very one-note, from the repetitive guitar chugs to the attempts at harsh vocals. I probably should have submitted a metal album...
Dupe album - just re-pasting my original review so it doesn't look like I'm missing a review hah: Not bad, but if I wanted to listen to Springsteen I would just listen to Springsteen? Not sure what else new this brings to the Heartland Rock table.
Nice! I would have gone with Everything Went Numb or Catch 22's Keasbey Nights, but this one slaps too. One of the few ska-punk bands I still play from time to time now.
This wasn't on here? Damn, that seems like an oversight. Great breakthrough album that still holds up today
Pretty good post-hardcore album. Although seems weird to have a 2016 album on here that clearly follows all the beats of the 2000's post-hardcore scene, just about ten years later? Not sure there is anything new or original on here that isn't derived from about 30 bands that came before? Still worth a 3/5 though...
I remember this album... I think I rented it from the library back when I was in middle/high school and didn't "get it" then so it just kinda disappeared from my radar. I can't say its really my bag now either - it sits somewhere between the elevated alternative rock of R.E.M. and the sort of "rather silly" vibe of, say, They Might Be Giants. But just sorta lands in the "try-hard hipster quirky" area for me. I'll give it three stars and maybe a second chance another time.
Interesting listen - couldn't devote myself to following the plotlines/lyrically but the music was fun and some great guest vocalists. It may work better with the visuals so I might have to check out the actual musical at some point. Still good for a 4/5.
Eh, I tend to like stuff that gets categorized as "dream pop" but this didn't do anything for me. Just felt like "slow indie rock" rather than having that ethereal dreamy vibe. Just a 3 from me