Journey Complete!
Finisher #350 to complete the list
View User Albums Summary1090
Albums Rated
3.17
Average Rating
100%
Complete
Thriller
Michael Jackson
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Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Reggae
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
133
5-Star Albums
64
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
|
5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
|
Street Signs
Ozomatli
|
5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
|
Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
|
Come Find Yourself
Fun Lovin' Criminals
|
5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
|
Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
|
Eli And The Thirteenth Confession
Laura Nyro
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
I Against I
Bad Brains
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Sheet Music
10cc
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
Like Water For Chocolate
Common
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kid A
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
|
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
|
1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
|
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
|
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
|
2 | 4.3 | -2.3 |
|
Entertainment
Gang Of Four
|
1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
|
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
|
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
|
1 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 5 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 4.75 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 5 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.29 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 4.67 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.67 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.67 |
| Dusty Springfield | 2 | 5 |
| Eminem | 2 | 5 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
| Adele | 2 | 5 |
| Green Day | 2 | 5 |
| The Police | 2 | 5 |
| Steely Dan | 4 | 4.25 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.33 |
| Blur | 3 | 4.33 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.33 |
| Paul Simon | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Youth | 5 | 1.6 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 3 | 1.33 |
| Dinosaur Jr. | 2 | 1 |
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1 |
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 1 |
| The Byrds | 5 | 2 |
| Pavement | 2 | 1.5 |
| Sepultura | 2 | 1.5 |
| Joy Division | 2 | 1.5 |
| Ali Farka Touré | 2 | 1.5 |
| Baaba Maal | 2 | 1.5 |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Beta Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Cure | 3 | 2 |
| Roxy Music | 3 | 2 |
| The Fall | 3 | 2 |
| PJ Harvey | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Lou Reed | 5, 1 |
| TV On The Radio | 5, 1 |
| Primal Scream | 5, 2 |
| Madonna | 2, 5, 2 |
| Kate Bush | 2, 5, 2 |
5-Star Albums (133)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Pink Floyd
3/5
I’m sure it’s very important and intellectual but here’s a “Concept” for an album: write some songs that I actually want to listen to.
71 likes
Charles Mingus
1/5
Mingus? Dingus more like. This made my day worse.
45 likes
Shack
1/5
Jesus, 1999.
Were people still doing this in ‘99?
Blur were forming The Gorilaz, Radiohead had moved on to Kid A, Kasabian were starting out… and Shack were making this.
It’s fine I guess, it’s like a very good pub band but I can’t see any reason for it to be on this list.
I got quite angry that this is included.
42 likes
Christina Aguilera
4/5
I somehow feel a bit sorry for her here, maybe she’s a victim of her own success?
As a teen pop superstar phenomena I’ve never really taken her seriously.
She’s devastatingly attractive, has a massive voice, she is writing all her own stuff and working with brilliant producers.
But it is still a bit too pop for me.
I get the feeling this album will catch some hate on here, but if you can get past the perfect pop packaging she’s a very talented artist and there are some good tunes on here.
20 likes
Taylor Swift
4/5
Haters gunna hate hate hate.
Great pop album, there’s a couple of brilliant singles on here.
One star wankers stay mad.
18 likes
1-Star Albums (64)
All Ratings
Duran Duran
3/5
Funkier than expected
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Not as great as discovery
The Waterboys
2/5
Zero space in my life for sea shanties, cheers anyway
The Doors
3/5
Meh, never really got the doors
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Great and all but gets a bit samey for me.
The Band
4/5
Better than Dylan
Van Morrison
4/5
Did get a chance to fully listen
Bob Dylan
3/5
Yeah, that Adele tune is good
Metallica
3/5
Too hard for me
Pulp
4/5
Iconic, yet annoying
Thin Lizzy
3/5
At first I was thinking I don’t want an hour+ live 70s rock album.
Then I was thinking actually this kind of shreds and is super tight.
Then I got a bit bored because it’s an hour+ live 70s rock album.
Then I read that it’s a combination of different gifs and studio overdubs, which really detracts from how “tight” I thought it was.
Aaah 3 stars even though I didn’t finish it.
The Avalanches
3/5
Much messier than I remember
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Bit dated
Dusty Springfield
5/5
Yeh, great
Public Enemy
4/5
It’s no nation of millions
Fugees
5/5
Iconic tunes in there
Arcade Fire
2/5
Whingy and annoying. No passion pit or vampire weekend
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Fine, very Bowie/Stones
The Lemonheads
4/5
Good solid Indie/rock/pop album
The Cure
2/5
I like the pop stuff but had to turn this off, too drab and moody
Meat Loaf
3/5
Pretty epic but queen we’re doing rock opera much better
Eminem
5/5
A horrific masterpiece. His rhymes are simpler but maybe less offensive than MM LP. When taken as a cartoon or a work of fiction it good fun.
Elton John
4/5
It takes me a while to get in to EJ songs. I should listen more.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Need to listen again. A bit bellyesque. Some sloppy time signatures in there though
Steely Dan
4/5
Ok, no can’t buy a thrill
Kraftwerk
3/5
I’m sure it very influential and all but to sit and listen to... meh
Underworld
3/5
A few interesting moments but too techno for me.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Classic
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Good, not as psychedelic as I was expecting. More Beatles/mamas&papas/Simon and Garfunkel folk 60s vibes.
ABBA
4/5
I never give ABBA enough credit and dismissed them because they are so popular. But they are popular for a reason.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Suede
3/5
Better than expected but I do find his voice annoying
Big Star
3/5
Interesting background but the music didn’t stand out to me, Especially for late 70’s
3/5
I just done like his voice (or the sound of harmonicas).
Fats Domino
3/5
Ok but kinda boring compared to rock and roll
The Monkees
3/5
Standard stuff
Cornershop
3/5
Some nice moments but also some sloppy ass scratching
Bee Gees
3/5
Wanted to like this but god, Barry’s vibrato is annoying
Dusty Springfield
5/5
Good stuff
Jeff Buckley
4/5
More going on here than I was expecting
Roxy Music
2/5
Some interesting production from ENO but man is Brian Ferry’s voice annoying
Alice In Chains
2/5
Muddy, moody and boring gunge.
Bad Company
4/5
Good, solid, earnest, old fashioned dad rock.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Enough already
Tracy Chapman
5/5
Amazing, heartbreaking album. Interesting to read some reviews that seem to dismiss her experience though.
The Young Gods
2/5
Ugh, not for me thanks.
Beatles
4/5
Some great moments but all a little fractured. Past their peak.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Very impressive and a few good tunes in there but 3 hours becomes a bit of a chore
The Pharcyde
4/5
A good album. Labcabin is so much better for me so have to give a 4
Femi Kuti
3/5
Seemed ok.
Unfortunately got talked over and eventually turned down to an inaudible level
David Gray
5/5
Super nice. Interesting to read that it was self released but flopped and it only made it big through a rerelease 2 years later
David Bowie
5/5
Side 1 is so good. Probably timeless songs. It does fall off on side 2 but still best Bowie album.
The Human League
3/5
I came in wanting to like this but no, I was right the first time - human league are annoying. Interesting to hear the craftwerk influences though. Don’t you want me is a tune
John Cale
3/5
Fine to have in the background
The Doors
3/5
Some funky instrumentals but I still find the vocals annoying. Was going to give a 4 after half listening but a 3 on rehearing it.
The Slits
3/5
Better than expected.
Dubby and post punk. Didn’t know it was an all girl group. Still, not what I’d listen to by choice though
Dire Straits
5/5
Great guitar but much more jazzy and soulful than I was expecting.
Pearl Jam
3/5
A couple of memorable stand out tracks but still a bit to Seattle for me.
The Clash
3/5
Aah, you know what? Over rated. Made me want to punch someone (Liz). A couple of good tunes on there.
The Jam
3/5
Better things to come.
Method Man
4/5
Very mature album for 94 and a couple of bangers on there but a bit sweary for me
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Bit self indulgent at 1 hour long. Seemed to run out of ideas and resort to odd cover versions in the second half
3/5
Not my thing but better than expected
Sister Sledge
5/5
Some big tunes on here
The Smiths
4/5
Good stuff. I enjoyed this much more than expected
Tricky
4/5
Seminal trip hop album but a bit dull at times
Deerhunter
3/5
Nice enough background shoe gaze
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
I don’t know why I’ve never listened to this before. Awesome stuff
The xx
3/5
I never got all the hype about this, thought it might make sense this time. Nope, still boring, they even sound bored of their own songs
Madonna
2/5
Was ready to like this but couldn’t. Too busy being cool and contemporary instead of writing banging pop tunes
Rush
3/5
Self indulgent prog rock but they are very good musicians
Miles Davis
3/5
A bit jazzy for me. I appreciate the skill but just don’t find it super pleasant to listen to
10cc
5/5
Great fun, super inventive
Eminem
5/5
A lot of anger here. And a lot of homophobia. Good at rhyming though.
Pavement
1/5
I feel like these lads might have the ability to write some decent tunes but they’ve gone out of their way to make some very unpleasant sounds.
What’s the need?
Beatles
4/5
First steps towards greatness but not quite there yet. Better to come soon so I’ll save my ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ For their more mature albums
The La's
4/5
A solid early indie album. Good for 1990, I can hear lots of bands took influence from this later in the decade
Beastie Boys
4/5
Awesome phat old school production but the lyrical content and structure seems very basic and dated now
John Grant
4/5
A nice surprise. ReListened to this one. Lots of interesting influences.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I’ve never been a big Joni fan. While this album didn’t change my mind in that, I did enjoy it more than I was expecting to.
The Byrds
2/5
Meh, a few decent moments in there but very messy and often unpleasant. An ugly cross between Simon and Garfunkel and the Beatles
Rod Stewart
2/5
What does Rod Stewart do?
He’s not writing songs or playing instruments so it’s all about his look and his tone? Hard Pass
Brian Eno
3/5
Tried a couple of times but just slipped into the background.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
I can imagine if I was a moody 90s teen living in Seattle (or Chicago) this would really appeal to me. But I’m not, and it doesn’t.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Much more fun than I was expecting 🙂
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
Humm, I was listening to this kind of stuff in 99 and never heard of this. Better things going on on MoWax and Ninja Tune. Feel like another box ticking exercise to get the world music quota up
CHIC
4/5
Some iconic moments in here. More jazzy and soulful than I was expecting. A little too much filler to get 5 stars though.
The Temptations
4/5
Some great, dark, a psychedelic soul. Shame had to listen on YouTube on my phone.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Phenomenal mix of funk, soul, disco and pop from the greatest performer of all time.
Dire Straits
4/5
Really accomplished for a debut album. Great skill and style on show but no stand out tracks for me other than sultans of swing
N.W.A.
4/5
A powerful and important album but maybe a few too many swears for me. Production was funkier than I remember. Not a fan of Easy-E’s voice but Dre and Ice Cube are dope.
Van Morrison
4/5
Nice. This is what I was expecting when I got astral weeks a while ago but was disappointed. I’ll try to listen to more Van.
System Of A Down
2/5
Lots of interesting things going on with time signatures and I think it might have a good sense of humour to it but TOO SHOUTY FOR ME
Muddy Waters
2/5
Super generic blues. I think his dog ran away to one point. Not my bag
Donald Fagen
5/5
Brilliant, love this album. Better without Becker IMO. Such a cool retro/futuristic vibe to it
Ute Lemper
2/5
In no mood for this radio 2, Elaine Page crap today. More international box ticking?
George Michael
3/5
After my first half listen this review was going to be pretty hash, but a second spin I warmed to it a little. I had to listen to the wham version of Freedom to get that it wasn’t just a cover of his own song. Still not a fan but an easy enough listen.
Ice T
4/5
Really good. Very dense lyrically and 72mins is a lot of work. Never listened much as dismissed as west coast gangster bull shit but Ice T has a lot to say, on par with public enemy.
Nas
4/5
Yeeeh.
Listen 4 times to this one to try to understand the hype. Sure the rhyme structure is interesting, his flow is nice and the production from prem is tight. For me, I think it lacks any killer hooks and maybe that is the reason I’ve never really got into Nas.
Bebel Gilberto
4/5
This happened to fall on a sunny summer day, sat in the garden, so suited the mood beautifully.
The Cure
2/5
I still want to like the cure, but the reality of actually listening to them makes me bored and depressed.
Michael Jackson
4/5
King of pop takes a miss step on this one. Some killer songs for sure but the middle of the album is undeniably filler.
Weather Report
4/5
Awesome accessible start but quickly gets a bit jazzy for me. 4 stars are mostly in the strength of Birdland.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Have a couple of listens. More to it than a one hit wonder. His voice sounds like a fun version of the cure. Interesting back story with all of the line up changes and affected image the main dude seems a bit of a control freak. And Dexy is a drug? Cool.
Massive Attack
5/5
Stone cold classic.
Good to read the wiki and understand how pivotal it is. Tbh, can get a little pedestrian at times, but that’s the vibe I guess
Spiritualized
3/5
Maybe 15 years ago I would have been interested in hearing this at 05:00 on a Sunday morning but right now it’s not the album for me.
Air
3/5
Never that fussed about Air.
Pleasant enough background music.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Never a massive fan of The Boss even if he’s in his prime. A couple of songs sounded reasonably rousing while a couple seems pretty basic and childish. Right down the middle of the road for a 3
Jethro Tull
3/5
Tricky one. First impression is that I hate this folky prog rock nonsense. No time at all for pipe smoking mustachio twiddling warlock rock. But then there’s the odd blistering guitar that Hendrix would have been happy with or beat box flute that Jurassic 5 should be sampling. This gets everything from a 1 to a 5 so I guess we’ll have to go down the middle for a 3.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I keep trying but I can’t stand his voice (or harmonicas)
Lou Reed
5/5
Mixed feelings about this one. Full of massive tunes but I’ve always found the lyrics to be a bit childish or sort of half though out. Don’t think I can give less than 5 stars though.
Tom Waits
3/5
Discordant pirate jazz. Need to listen again probably but I found myself not hating it as much as I expected
The Pogues
4/5
Good fun. Makes me want to drink and dance
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
More fun than I was expecting, a bit of ska in there. I didn’t realise they did On a Rope.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Not normally in to the blues but I enjoyed this. Didn’t know they wrote Proud Mary.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
5/5
Very cool. Great fusion of hiphop, blues and rock. The lead singles still sound awesome but some of the other tracks let it down a little, the chorus’s get a bit formulaic.
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
This started off as a four based on the year and how influential I could tell it was on the grunge scene that was about to emerge. But the more I listened the lower the score got, god is this unpleasant on the ears.
Blur
5/5
This album was my world 25 years ago. Mixed feelings now, some parts are overwhelmingly cringy but there moments of true quality. 5 stars just for my 15 year old past self.
Beth Orton
3/5
Pleasant enough.
Bit like Dido or Emma Rugg. Not what I’m really into at the moment.
The Cure
2/5
Much like the best “cure” for Christianity is to actually read the bible, listening to 3 Cure albums has dispelled my belief that I like this band. I like 4 songs and the rest of their work can go suck a bag of dicks.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Tempted to give a 5 but I’m the end I did find getting to the end of the album a bit of a drag. Interesting to read that it was Frusciante’s return (from skag) that have the band the more mellow and melodic edge. Did not know it was their 7th album and I would have guessed earlier than 99. The biggest surprise though? Kiedis and Mel C! 😮
Röyksopp
5/5
Awesome, loads of memories around this one. First saw the video to Remind Me early in the morning at Rachel’s flat down in London. Sparks was part of my chill out AV set for Shinobi at Welly. And the album as a whole takes me back to Jodie’s house down Morpeth st. The album stands up well, maybe tails off a little at the end?
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
A few nice melodic moments but overall to distorted and messy for my taste.
The Undertones
3/5
Standard stuff. Maybe if I was a teenager in 1980 this would be exciting for me, but I’m not so it ain’t.
Rush
2/5
Too progressive for me thanks! Nothing stands out as a track I can remember and there doesn’t seem to be any sense of fun to it at all.
AC/DC
5/5
Awesome Rock and Roll. Simple but killer riffs with a good sense of fun. Interesting to read that this was the break through album following the death of their previous lead singer through MisAdventure.
George Michael
2/5
While the title track is undeniably dope, nothing else on here really held my attention. Sleazy style over content.
The Doors
4/5
Enjoyed this more than their latter albums. Turns out Ray Manzerak was the main talent in the band, I’d assumed Morrison had written the big tunes but new respect for the organist.
Sparks
2/5
Ugh, how quirky.
If 10cc are Monty Python, these guys are Noel Fielding. Their one trick got old very fast.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Would like to listen again, seemed like a cool idea but 90mims was just a bit too long for today.
Funkadelic
4/5
I guess I’m supposed to love this. I really like funk and this is one for the most famous, seminal fuck albums of all time. I kind of liked it but it honestly just doesn’t grab me.
The Style Council
4/5
Lots going on here. While I admire the ambition and it does include some belters, it feels a little disjointed and maybe too eclectic to earn 5 stars.
OutKast
5/5
This really is 2 albums. I love speakerboxxx. One of my all time favourite hip hop albums. I find the love below a bit more challenging though. I think I have to give 5 stars for the strength of side A and the absolute banging singles from side B.
Megadeth
3/5
Didn’t give it the attention I should have but seemed more interesting than I was expecting
3/5
Killing Joke
1/5
Ugh industrial post punk is not for me. I feel like if some one asked me to make an album this weekend, I could could probably bash this out easy enough but I wouldn’t be happy with the results.
Miles Davis
3/5
Pleasant enough, didn’t make me angry or anxious which can sometimes happen with jazz.
The Verve
2/5
Never really got the hype around this one.
The one famous song is only good because of the sample. I do like “The Drugs Don’t Work” and I guess Lucky Man by extension, as basically it’s the same song. I feel like Ocean Colour Scene did this kind of thing MUCH BETTER a year previously.
Simply Red
4/5
Another one that works much better for me without the visual.
Anyone who reads this: you must now sing the lyrics to Money’s too tight to mention to the tune of Let’s get ready to rumble by PJ and Duncan. Ta
Fred Neil
4/5
Lots of interesting styles going on here. Hard to pin down to just “folk”. Country and blues in there and eastern vibes on the last track. And of course Everybody’s Talkin’ is a great tune.
Thundercat
4/5
Nice to have this come up, wanted to listen to ThunderCat for a while. Generally a cool vibe, but got a bit samey, needed the collaborations to differentiate the tracks.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Decent enough.
Probably got some good songs on there if listened to a few times through. But there’s plenty of Crosby Stills Nash and Young on here so doubt I’ll listen to this one again.
Sonic Youth
2/5
“Noise rock” using “unorthodox guitar tunings” yeah, there’s probably a reason people use “orthodox guitar tunings” : it doesn’t sound like unpleasant noise.
Muddy Waters
2/5
Blues just isn’t my bag.
Chicago
3/5
Who knew Chicago used to have a horn section!?!?
Me, coz it keeps coming up this year. Still interesting to hear how much they changed from 60s to 80s and while I like the idea on paper it turned into a bit of a chore by the end of the album.
Orbital
2/5
Not where I’m at right now. If I was a little bit older I can imagine this being important to me but without being on that scene it’s not doing much for me.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
Very good golden age hip hop. I never really gave them much time before but should listen more.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Impressive that wrote, recorded, played and produced everything single handed. Funkier than I expected. But on a second listen, a lot of the lyrics are super religious, which is kinda lame.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Tried maybe 3 times but just nothing on here gripped me. I was looking forward to it as I like previous singles but this was a bit underwhelming.
Leftfield
4/5
Cool mix of house, techno, dub and triphop. Maybe too much techno for me to love though.
Ice Cube
4/5
Not heard this one before.
Good album: funky samples, tight beats, dense lyrics, decent rhyme flow, important message.
Not super relevant to me as a white, middle aged, British guy in 2021 though
Orange Juice
3/5
Decent.
My eyes rolled when I read “post punk” but there’s plenty of stuff going on here. Not to be confused with Oran juice Jones. First hit to use a 303?
Yes
2/5
Ugh progrock.
I’m sure your polyrhythms are very intricate and intelligent but could you not just write a chorus I can sing along to?
Supergrass
5/5
Good fun. Nice mix of punk, Indie and 60s hippy. Did I have Man Sized Rooster in tape 25 years ago..?
Charles Mingus
1/5
Mingus? Dingus more like. This made my day worse.
Pulp
3/5
Nothing on here standing out at all, even on a second listening. Inoffensive enough though
The Stranglers
4/5
Yeah, all the attitude of punk but a bit going on musically. Gives a real snap shot of grimy late 70s London living.
Iron Maiden
5/5
I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this particularly but it was awesome. Was considering 5 stars but the last track tipped it over the edge. Used on Jamie Thomas’ section on Toy Machine - Welcome to Hell. 🤘😝
Coldplay
3/5
There’s a time and a place for this kind of stuff, I’m not entirely convinced it’s on the main stage, on a Saturday night, of the world’s biggest festivals.
Right now the middle with 3 stars
Beastie Boys
4/5
A classic with some stone cold bangers. I am going 4 stars though for the over used distorted mics and one too many bongo tracks.
Digital Underground
3/5
Ok but pretty simplistic rhymes and often drawn of songs.
Gary Numan
3/5
Kind of cool but got a bit ‘one trick’ pretty quickly. Fun to hear the ‘Where’s your head at’ sample.
R.E.M.
3/5
Didn’t know they were doing this back in ‘83.
Never been a super fan but nice enough in the background
The Byrds
2/5
I was never a fan of the jingle jangle guitar of the title track. I was trying to ignore the beta-cuck energy of be friends with you to give a safe 3 stars. But finishing with we’ll meet again push me from passive annoyance to activate disdain.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
I’m not a fan of Jazz but there’s enough to cling on to on the first side to make this enjoyable.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
I think that 15 year old me might have liked this 25 years ago, similar to The Charlatans or maybe Ash. Not where I’m at right now but I’ll give it a 3 from the person I used to be.
4/5
I like the Kinks, I feel like I’d have enjoyed this more if I’d paid more attention but it was perfectly pleasant to have in the background
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Undeniably revolutionary. Such blistering talent. Sometimes a bit noisy for my taste but who am I to argue.
Aerosmith
4/5
More fun and funky than I was expecting. Sounds late 80s so well ahead of it’s time
Roxy Music
1/5
Maybe it’s a style over substance thing, but I’ve never understood the appeal of Roxy Music. Compared to their peers: I like Hunky Dory, I like Transformer, I like 10cc but this just sounds like unpleasant noise to me.
Judas Priest
3/5
Not what I’m in to but seemed pretty good for what it was. 🤘😶
Faith No More
3/5
Seemed like a interesting mix of genres but not what I’m in the mood for today so only really half listened
Van Halen
4/5
Serious rock but fun…. Socks?
🤘😎
Gang Of Four
1/5
If this project has solidified one thing: I hate post punk. All the droning, talentless monotony without the enthusiasm or energy.
B.B. King
3/5
Good for blues good for a live album but still not really doing it for me.
Little Richard
5/5
Such awesome energy.
A few albums can get me to sing along but this is the 1st to make me scream!
Nightmares On Wax
4/5
Kind a a theoretical 4.
This is exactly the kind of stuff I was into 20 years ago, I bores me a little now and I’ve not got time for the full 70mins, but still a place in my heart for triphop.
Primal Scream
5/5
A great mix of indie and dance production from Weatherall and Gillespie. I don’t love this quite as much as some of my friends did back in the day, but it still has a strong sense of nostalgia for me. And it does want me to get real messy on a cocktail of drugs, cigarettes, alcohol and staying up way too late.
The Stooges
3/5
Tricky, while I recognise how influential and ahead of it’s time this is, I also found it pretty unpleasant to listen to.
The Young Rascals
4/5
Enjoyed this, not heard of them before but like a boy band version of Dusty Springfield
Lauryn Hill
4/5
I was never a big fan of this when it came out. Maybe lacking a big killer hook/hit for me. But a solid album throughout.
Queen
4/5
Very inventive stuff but bigger songs coming from them soon
Black Sabbath
4/5
Much closer to getting top marks than I expected. Busy boys to follow up with another album the same year as their debut. A couple of massive tracks on there and interesting jazzy stuff as well.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Nice,I recognise the lead single and lots of the influences. Might come back and listen again in the future.
Nirvana
5/5
(╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
One of the best albums of all time.
I don’t even like gunge music but this is undeniably fucking brilliant.
Got it on the 30 year anniversary of its release.
The Dictators
3/5
What happens if the beach boys are involved with a head on collision with the beastie boys? Fun but not particularly enjoyable.
Minor Threat
2/5
Apparently super influential and a turning point in musical history. Don’t really see that myself. At 20mins at least it did not out stay it’s welcome
Fugazi
2/5
Not for me thanks.
The odd melodic moment and occasional hints of funk in the bass but generally too angsty shouty for my taste
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
I think I’d probably give the vinyl of this 5 stars but what’s on Spotify is a bit of a mess.
Talking Heads
4/5
Another one that I’m more of a fan of on paper than reality. Some interesting hybrids of DIY disco and electro but did grab my attention as much as I was hoping.
Julian Cope
3/5
An interesting mix. Hard to pin down to a genre, definitely 80s meets 90s with a lot of influences and styles. Nothing I’ll revisit though
Sepultura
1/5
lol no, I’m not listening to that for an hour.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Like an incomprehensible Kate Bush, not in a bad way, just not really what I’m looking for in my life right now. Listened twice, couldn’t tell you how any of it went.
Prince
4/5
I’m not the biggest fan in the world. I think maybe I want funk to be dance music, where as this is definitely funky but kinda sit down funk? Maybe because he seems like a bit of a wanker? Dunno, but I like it but don’t love it.
John Prine
5/5
I never thought I consider giving a country album 5 stars. Maybe it’s the content I usually dislike as much as the delivery? This unpatriotic antiwar album works for me.
Cream
4/5
Like it but don’t love it.
Good but not great.
Can be spoken of in the same conversation as The Beatles and Hendrix but not quite up to that standard
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
5/5
Excellent, political, trueschool hiphop. Taking a lot of inspiration from PE but much cleaner production.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Aside from the 2 lead singles it’s all a big droning and monotonous. Nearly tempted to push it to a 4 on the strength of Enjoy the Silence.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Maybe it’s not Jazz that I find stressful it’s shrill trumpets. As a simple trio I found this enjoyable.
Neil Young
2/5
Sorry, but I just don’t need another Neil Young album in my life right now
New York Dolls
2/5
I get that this is pushing things forward in 1974. A steppingstone between Glam and Punk. Just didn’t enjoy listening to it.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
OhMyGod
I don’t like post punk.
Enough already.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
I wanted to like this but Christ, they included some unpleasant noise in there.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Enjoyed this more than expected, I was putting if off but the it didn’t bore me like blues has a tendency to do.
The Specials
5/5
Awesome mix of styles to create something unique. Crazy that Costello produced this between Armed Forces and Get Happy in 79. Fun to discover that little snippet of Bohemian Like You in Little Bitch. Will definitely listen again.
Kate Bush
2/5
Meh, I tried to make the most of this and do some hovering and cruise in for an easy 3, but nar, I just don’t get Kate Bush. Quirky cat wailing.
Ravi Shankar
1/5
I get that it’s totally subjective and probably due to cultural bias but this made me super anxious to the point to nausea.
I tried to get through it on 5% volume but 50mins was too much for me to handle.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Take that outlaw!
Not what I would listen to by choice but I enjoyed this.
Glad it included El Paso which I recognise after its excellent use in Breaking Bad.
R.E.M.
5/5
I’d never describe myself as an R.E.M fan but this album is undeniable. Classic track after classic track, I don’t really see how anyone could give this less than 5
The Replacements
3/5
For post punk, at least it didn’t piss me off. Seems a bit like a cross between too many things. Halfway between The Clash and Nirvana, T-Rex meets Guns ‘n’ Roses. Maybe doesn’t have a load of personality of its own
The Who
3/5
Ooof, this was a little darker than I was expecting.
I guess you can’t drag out pinball wizardry for a full 75mins but that didn’t prepare me for the torture of for poor inert Tommy to be his uncle’s fuckmeat.
Musically it’s not doing much for me, I thought The Who were supposed to Rock, this is all jangly folk acoustic guitars. A bit forced and lame.
Fun fact: how does Tommy play such a mean pinball?
Answer: he’s not blind at all, it’s psychosomatic so his eyes are perfectly fine.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
We have clearly established that I don’t like post punk. This was better than most but I’m really bored of this genre now.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Just because this Dimery character was unfortunate enough to be born in the early-mid sixties, means I have to listen to a fucking post punk album at least once a week.
Discordant cat wailing.
The instrumentation was decent though.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
A couple of big tunes on here. More enjoyable than I was expecting, but I wasn’t expecting much.
Joy Division
2/5
How many Seminal Post Punk albums can there be?
God these guys are over rated, I did find the instrumentals growing on me in the second half so one star would maybe be a little harsh.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Dark indeed.
Quite cool if viewed as poetry set to music. I might listen again on my death bed with a whiskey in hand.
Did hold my attention until the end though, even on a second listen.
The Cardigans
3/5
Pretty cool distorted indie pop. Not enough to make me want to listen again but apparently more than just a two hit wonder.
Slint
2/5
Oh, cheer up lads.
The B-52's
4/5
Certainly unique and original. Weird surf guitar mixed with haunted organ and lots of shouting. I didn’t know they were doing this a full 10 years before Love Shack. It did get a bit ‘one trick’ to keep my interest for a full album though.
Jane Weaver
4/5
This is a nice find.
The kind of stuff I used to listen to all the time. I’d probably make the effort to go see her live if playing locally.
Joan Baez
3/5
I enjoy this at first and would have likes to give it 4 stars. It outstayed its welcome though And started to wear on my patience. Still had some nice finger picking but after 45mins I was glad when it finished.
Syd Barrett
2/5
Discordant ramblings of a drug-addled brain. Maybe I’m being too closed minded but I think I’d need some serious chemical assistance to expand my mind far enough to see the appeal of this one.
T. Rex
3/5
I never saw the appeal of T.Rex but I didn’t mind this.
Some decent guitar and maybe his voice isn’t as whiny as and over effected as later songs?
Interesting to read that they were doing folk songs a couple of years previously.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I can see the appeal a bit more now. Poetic, melancholy folk. Still not a fan though.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I really don’t like his voice but I did enjoy elements of this. I used to say he’s a better poet than a singer, but the lyrics are often rambling nonsense. Tried a couple of times but couldn’t make it through the double album.
Kanye West
3/5
Ah, disappointing.
I find Kanye the most entertaining when he’s producing garbage and telling me it the greatest music ever made.
This was reasonably good.
Not genius, but reasonably good.
At least it’s not Chipmunk Crap or vocodered to hell.
This guy is a joke to me, I would love to tell him that.
🤡🤡🤡
Death In Vegas
2/5
Like a cross between Primal Scream and Kasabian but without anything to stand out, sing along to or remember.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
A truly unique take.
Interesting to hear a more poppy side of Björk.
Radiohead
2/5
What is all the fuss about?
Very little on here stands out, even half of the singles are forgettable to me.
Abrasive lullaby’s for the depressed.
Too soporific to be exciting, too shrill to be relaxing.
I had to go listen to The Bends to remind myself that Radiohead can write great songs.
Fuck it, 2 stars.
Paul Simon
4/5
Paul Simon is one of my favourite song writers of all time but I wouldn’t say this is a stand out album.
A couple of brilliant songs on there and cool to hear him playing with reggae and blues influences.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
TBH, this does kinda make me want to shoot up a high school.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
I get that it’s a completely facile take on a talented woman’s career, but I just wanted her to break into Feeling Good or My Baby Just Cares for me.
Sounded like Nina Simone but without the stand out tracks.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
Is this a joke?
Absolute shite, a real chore to get to the end.
Shuggie Otis
5/5
Excellent.
Finally an album I’ve not heard before that I really enjoyed listening to.
Sounds like Shuggie could have been one of the greats but shied away from success after this release.
Very impressive to write and perform that album at 21.
Common
4/5
Nice to see Common on here.
He’s got great tone, flow and lyrical content.
Did not know this was produced by Kanye?
Nice beats, still not a fan of the chipmunks thought.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
I like this, I think a lot of this stuff is very context based.
Listening to this on a grey day in Hull it’s hard to go higher than 4 stars.
Air
4/5
I was never super bother about this when it came out, because of the simple, repetitive vocal hooks.
But relistening now I’d discounted a lot of really nice production. I recognised a lot more of the instrumentals than I would have expected.
Peter Frampton
3/5
Seems like some decent, solid dad-rock but over an hour for a live album was too much for me.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I didn’t hate this - and I really do dislike Bob Dylan.
I used to say that maybe he’s a better poet than a performer, but now listen to his lyrics, it actually seems like a lot of his stuff is arbitrary, rambling nonsense.
Still, I found this album less unpleasant than most of his work.
Kanye West
4/5
I never understood all the hype around Kanye.
While I did enjoy this album second time of listening I still think it’s over rated.
Fun fact though: he wrote and mumbled Through The Wire after falling asleep at the wheel of his car, but still manages to frame himself as the victim.
The guy is a joke, but I get that he was a reasonable talented joke at this stage of his career.
Prince
3/5
I want to like Prince.
But listen to a full album is a bore and a chore.
This would maybe have made 4 stars if he could wrap up a tune in 3 and 1/2 minutes, but everything drags out to 7mins and blends into each other - and I lose interest.
Protracted and self-indulgent.
Radiohead
5/5
I’m not sure I like Radiohead but I love The Bends.
Their next best songs (Creep, No Surprises) just sounds like tracks that could be off this album. Everything else I find boring or stressful.
But this album really his the mark for me, perfect mix of grunge/BritPop/electro.
The Kinks
4/5
Very quirky and unique.
Lovely British storytelling songs. Lots of interesting instrumental stuff going on.
I’m not giving full marks though, as I’d say there’s only one Great song on here.
Sade
3/5
This is probably the most dated thing I’ve heard on here. In a good way.
It makes me want to meet glamorous women in hotel bars and drink cocktails.
Her voice is surprisingly rough though, I assumed it would be silky smooth, but she strains when she extends her range. Oddly felt like a Karaoke version of Steely Dan.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie is one of the greatest of all time.
I Wish I’d have got this album over the weekend to really do it justice and listen to every song properly - some dark moments in there - families eating dog food to survive.
Even the double album with the bonus 7” doesn’t out stay it’s welcome. I’m probably going to listen to this again today.
Elbow
4/5
Absolutely love One Day Like This but the rest of the album isn’t quite enough to push it to full marks.
Portishead
3/5
Very cinematic but something I will revisit.
Maybe Dummy and Glorybox were of their time.
This sounds a bit clunky to me.
k.d. lang
3/5
I like her tone and style but nothing grabs my attention.
Right on the cusp of a 3 and a 4, just between ‘fine’ and ‘enjoyable’.
Various Artists
4/5
I was going to give this 5 stars for the serendipity of getting it on Christmas Eve, but when I saw my wife had the same album I had to rate it honestly.
It’s got some classics on it and I will listen again, but not for a good 11 months, thanks.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Love The Beach Boys.
This might not be their most mature or developed offering but it sure puts me in a good mood.
Nico
2/5
Ooh, I do not like Nico’s tone.
The worst aspect of Velvet Underground without much to redeem it.
Pink Floyd
3/5
I’m sure it’s very important and intellectual but here’s a “Concept” for an album: write some songs that I actually want to listen to.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
A lot of talent to write, play, record, produce, release this at 19.
Not very “listenable” though.
I did enjoy the unexpected Klingon remix of The Joker.
R.E.M.
4/5
A good solid 4.
Strong instrumentals and I suspect there’s some clever lyrics going on if I put a bit more effort in.
But apart from the awesome energy of End Of The World there’s no thing very exciting or out standing.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Meh, I’d rather listen to Donna Summer - or even Robbie Williams actually.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
🤯 Take that squares! 🤯
This flew very close to a one star, but there was enough to enjoy between the zany nonsense to save it.
Still not an enjoyable experience for me though.
The Soft Boys
4/5
Odd one for 1980.
Could have been released in 68 or 92, but this is right down the middle.
Better than average though, so I’ll sneak it a cheeky 4.
The Byrds
2/5
Ugh The Byrds.
Feels like this album is being pulled in a few different directions, but not all of them bad.
At best there are tracks that sound like what The Beatles were doing two years ago.
The worst parts are horrible though, the experimental psychedelic technique is sound amateurish and cack-handed.
Iron Maiden
4/5
I really like this, but I don’t think I love it.
Skilful without showing off.
Progressive but not pretentious.
Intricate yet still accessible.
Hard as fuck but not like offensively aggressive.
I just can’t remember what any of the songs go like?
TV On The Radio
5/5
Nice one, a good find.
Lots going on with horns, strings, ballads and dance tracks.
Will defo listen again.
Dr. John
4/5
I was ready to love this but it’s all a bit messy and weird.
Cool to read that he ran away from the law in New Orleans, bringing those swampy influences with him but not as funky as I was expecting.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Right down the middle.
Not annoying, not outstanding.
3 stars all the way.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Excellent work, awesome energy and snarling, snarky attitude.
I do prefer his 80s stuff, more complex and developed but it was cool to listen to this as a ‘basic’ 4 piece- the organ adding that extra dimension.
While I enjoyed everything on here, they do get kind of similar, but I still listened twice in the day and didn’t lose interest for a second.
Iggy Pop
2/5
Not seeing the appeal of this one.
All the charm of punk with non of the energy.
I was tempted to slip it a cheeky 3 after a couple of decent songs on the second half, but the last track is deeply unpleasant.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Very close to full marks.
Really nice clean sound, simple riffs but interesting structure and instrumentation.
Maybe a couple too many covers to put in in the upper echelon.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
OK, I maybe get the idea now.
If I was born in the late 50s in New Jersey and had just bought my first car and was going to take my best girl to the prom, this would all be very rousing.
But I don’t drive, I’m from Northern England, I don’t have a porch or a screen door so a lot of this ‘poetry’ comes off as a bit silly to me.
Still got a couple of very good songs on there though.
The War On Drugs
4/5
All very pleasant.
I didn’t have a full hour to listen through, but I don’t think I’ll have missed much.
I’ll try and come back to this one.
Adele
5/5
Very powerful and talented.
Closer to a 4 than I expected though.
I had to listen twice to get hit by the melancholy nostalgia that runs through the album. Make me ache for a simpler time.
Frank Zappa
2/5
I found myself enjoying the first two tracks but the second side quickly descended into unpleasant chaos. Sounded like someone had picked up a saxophone for the very first time.
Santana
5/5
Brilliant fusion of jazz rock funk soul latin music.
1970 as well, i didn’t know how early this was.
I could listen to this all day and not get bored or annoyed.
The Kinks
4/5
All very quaint, quirky and pleasant but nothing outstanding.
I think it might be the production is a little muddy, maybe lacking a George Martin figure to punch it to a 5?
Neil Young
3/5
I feel like there’s a lot of Neil Young on this list?
I was pleasantly surprised by this one though - more bluesy and funk influences than I expected.
Brian Eno
2/5
The odd interesting groove but on balance there’s more annoying nonsense on here than good music.
The Beach Boys
4/5
A more mature and melancholy Beach Boys.
It’s maybe not completely fair, but I can’t help comparing this to Holland - which they released 2 years later.
Similar vibes but nothing on this one stands out as particularly fun or memorable.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
So much Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on here!
I did enjoy this one though.
Lots of variety: horns, organ, woodwind as well as the folky guitar rock I was expecting.
Better that The Byrds for sure.
Elastica
4/5
This holds up surprisingly well.
15 songs fly by in under 40mins and I recognise more of them than I’d expect.
Neneh Cherry
4/5
Swedish punk? Who knew?
Very talented with a cool mix of rapping and singing, she’s tackling some big issues but also showing a good sense of humour. I didn’t know she was so involved with Massive Attack and the Wild Bunch.
A little bit drawn out and dated for top marks though.
Miles Davis
2/5
*Checks my phone after 40mins: “Yup, still on track 2”.
Bit of an ordeal this one, it picked up in the second half (or maybe I just turned the volume down) but I feel like I deserve some kind of reward for getting to the end.
4/5
I used to love Blur - literally had the T-shirt of this one.
15 year olds are funny though, sounds like a very different album 25 years later. Very morose and often a bit boring. Still some great tracks on there but Damon’s tone sounds as cringeworthy to me now as the idea of writing the names of your favourite band on your bag in TippEx
Sex Pistols
2/5
For an album that is so iconic, angry, energetic, seminal and revolutionary- the music is pretty damn boring.
Steve Earle
2/5
Oooh that’s county alright.
And I really don’t like country.
I feel like there’s a possibility that this is a seminal album that might have set the mould for things to come. Don’t really care though, as it’s such a shitty mould.
I did however, find my thumbs being inexorably drawn to the belt loops of my blue Levi jeans, so there maybe something powerful in this boring dross.
Gillian Welch
2/5
I fell asleep
Elliott Smith
4/5
I came in to this expecting it to just be acoustic, whispered suicidal song but was pleasantly surprise by the energy and variety of the first few tracks.
It did end up settling down to a rather somber tone in the second half but certainly gave more than I was expecting.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Super smooth and mellow vibe.
A bit protracted to get full marks though.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Aaaaaah Shit!
Imagine it’s 1991 and you’re 18. Going to see an unheard of new band in a shitty, sweaty underground club.
Moshing the fuck out to this.
It makes all these other albums seem so weak and pointless.
This is what music can be about and it’s powerful as fuck.
John Lennon
4/5
You’ve got to love the opening title track and Jealous Guy is also beautiful in its simplicity. But two great tracks don’t make for a five star album, a couple of nice moments throughout but the rest slipped into the background a little.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
Yeah, decent.
Like a cross between Kraftwerk and The Cure but actually more listenable.
Not really what I’m into but certainly ahead of it’s time for 81.
Eurythmics
4/5
The title track is so strong, it makes it hard for the rest of the album to live up to that massive legacy.
I was a little disappointed with the first half but it picked up on the flip side.
But just to say it again - the song Sweet Dreams is one of the best songs ever made.
Solomon Burke
4/5
I love soul but I was a little underwhelmed on first listen.
I guess I prefer the dance tracks to the slow jams and I didn’t recognise anything on here.
I enjoyed it more the second time around and do appreciate that he was an important step in creating the genre.
His wiki is worth a read!
Elvis Presley
2/5
Wow this is over-rated.
Such an iconic debut album but the music just can not stand up to the legacy.
Well, maybe the music does but the delivery is where it falls down.
This guy is the definition of Style over Content and without the visual it just sounds second rate to me.
I had to go listen to Little Richard and Ray Charles to set things right after this finished.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
Putting aside the incest and the peodophilia and the cultural appropriation this has some good tunes on it and is delivered with bags of energy.
1964 though? Wasn’t this all kicking off 8 years ago?
Music and energy alone it would be 5 stars but his background, the date and the fact the only wrote a couple of the tracks knock it down.
Little Simz
4/5
Some decent smooth and jazzy production and a reasonably interesting flow.
She’s got a fair amount to say with some interesting introspection.
Just not a massive fan of her tone and the whole thing was a bit down tempo for me.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
I was a bit worried when I heard the opening bars using a time signature that made zero sense to my ears, that I was in for a long 40mins.
But this turned into a pretty fun mixture of of East meets West and absolutely everything in between.
No chance I’ll come back and listen again though.
Sonic Youth
1/5
It’s very rare that I don’t get to the end of an album but I had to turn this off after around 30mins when I saw I wasn’t even half way through.
Mostly pretty generic garbage/garage punk but then breaking into complete nonsensical twatery.
Deeply unpleasant.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
A bit gungey for me.
Come on guys, it’s 98, contemporize.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Some rather simple, rambling songs, nothing I will revisit.
The Smiths
2/5
I wanted to give this a 3, on the logic that the cool instrumentals balance out the excruciating vocals.
And I was happy with that, but I realised on the last track that the rest of the lads are at least complicit in letting Morrissey get all preachy about me enjoying a bacon sarnie.
So 2 stars it is.
Motörhead
4/5
More compelling than I expected, really driving rhythm and blistering guitar riffs.
Let’s turn a blind eye to the lyrics of Jailbait while also fully appreciating the lyrical genius of Ace of Spades - a random collection of gambling related clichés
Nirvana
5/5
I assumed this would be an easy 5.
I love Nevermind but don’t think I’ve ever listened to this album all the way through, I came out a little underwhelmed.
It is brilliant, I enjoyed it, great tracks, awesome delivery but I just can’t escape the feeling that I’d rather hear them rocking the fuck out than sat down strumming out a folky one.
Maybe I’m holding this album to too high a standard, because I’m mostly comparing it to one of the best albums of all time, rather than judging it purely on its own merits.
So 9/10 I guess, still 5 stars but not a Nevermind 5 starts.
Kate Bush
5/5
Very pleasantly surprised by this one.
I’ve had a Kate Bush album previously and it really got on my tits, I think I gave it a 2.
This album really works for me today though, epic 80s production and I found her peculiar vocals charming rather than maddening.
I’d probably give 4 on balance but to make up for how mean I was about her last time let’s push it to a 5.
2Pac
3/5
2Pac: Murder, murder, murder. Kill, kill, kill.
2Pac *Gets killed
2Pac fans: 🙀
Dizzee Rascal
4/5
Ooooooi
Some massive tracks on here.
He’s got his own style and is doing his thing but I was never too into grime.
Fix up still sounds huge and I’ll always turn that up as loud as I can go.
Raekwon
3/5
Chop this in half an it’s a easy 4 stars, but it couldn’t hold my interest for over an hour.
I like RZA’s production but it gets repetitive after a while and even ghostface’s Gousto can’t elevate any tracks to really stand out .
I really like Wu Tang but this feels a bit boring and bloated.
Beck
4/5
I’m not going through a break up right now, but keeping this one in reserve if that does come up…
Nice to get it over a weekend so had the chance to listen a few times.
I’m not sure what it reminds me of Pink Floyd/ Neil Young but I doubt I’d guess it was Beck, glad he’s got the freedom to release what he’s feeling though.
The Beach Boys
5/5
It’s tricky, because I can’t go to a Pre-Pet Sounds time and appreciate how important this album is.
I love it, and I love the Beach Boys but I generally come away from listening to the full album slightly underwhelmed.
In my opinion, there’s 4 or 5 great songs, but an equal amount of forgettable songs, which is kind of lame considering Wilson set out to make the first all killer no filler record.
It’s an easy 5 stars, one of the best of all time, but it’s not quite as breathtakingly spectacular as the hype would lead us to believe.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Funky. Jazzy.
Seems like there’s a lot of this Kuti fella on here but this is a good one, someone should probably sample those drums.
Grateful Dead
4/5
There’s no lack of late 60s early 70s folk-rock-americana on this list, but this is a particularly pleasant example.
Why do I know Ripple so well? As soon as it started, I was humming along but I’ve not heard this album and apparently it’s not in a film…
Maybe it’s just an all time classic but it’s now my favourite song I didn’t know I knew.
Mudhoney
2/5
Not for me.
The rhythm section seems like something I could get along with but the distorted guitar and morose vocals both stress me out and bring me down.
Aerosmith
3/5
Pretty standard cock-rock.
Good fun I guess, not taking itself too seriously but other than Love in an Elevator not much to sing into your hair bush about.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Love Blister in the Sun.
I feel like there’s probably some other pretty decent tunes on here that I like if I was as familiar as I was with that opening track.
I wouldn’t have picked Folk-Punk as one of my favourite genres, but I like the dirty DIY sound of this.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin? What is this, some kind of super group?
Odd that I’ve not listened to them before.
All pretty cool and I’d like to slip it a 5 but nothing that stands out as a massive tune.
The Divine Comedy
5/5
Cinematic, epic and really unique.
Lovely orchestration and enchanting vocal tone.
Very impressive for a live album, an unexpected 5.
Happy Mondays
4/5
I’m sure it was fun at the time but all seems a bit messy and shouty now.
A bit more going on musically than I was expecting though.
The Band
4/5
There’s no lack of late 60s - early 70s folk rock on here.
This one seems like a particularly good example though, with a wide range of styles and influences: blues, rock and roll, honkytonk, even some yodelling in there. The funk pushed it to a 4 for me.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Paul Simon is one of the all time greats and he really shines on this album.
Beautiful poetic lyrics, wonderful acoustic guitar licks and picks with a nice mixture of experimentation - moog/horns/strings.
It feels as accomplished as the best Beatles’ albums but pretty much all written by one genius.
Elton John
4/5
A couple of great songs on here but too drawn out for top marks.
I would have liked to have got this over a weekend to give it a really good listen but it feels like something I have to “give a chance” or put in effort to “get” it doesn’t just grab me as being amazing in its own right, as with a lot of Elton John stuff.
Just not a big fan I guess.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
That’s a stone cold groove but anything with 10 mins of chatting shit over a single bass note is always going to struggle to get full marks from me.
Green Day
5/5
I’m reluctant to use the terms “Masterpiece” and “Pop Punk” in the same paragraph but here we are.
This Pop Punk album falls just short of being a Masterpiece for me because of a slightly drawn out second half, call it a day on When September Ends and it would have even more punch.
Still a great work.
I’m no fan of the original wave of punk, but this has all the energy and snarling sarcasm but has something to say to me, even across the other side of the Atlantic and nearly 20 years on, it still feels super relevant.
Great mix of thumping punk energy and acoustic strummings, clever use of themes and motifs running throughout, just trim 12mins off and it would be even more brilliant.
Daft Punk
2/5
Wow, this is boring as fuck.
I was expecting to give a ‘controversial’ 4 as all my friends seem to love Daft Punk but I’m not so sure.
I had to skip a few outros to make it to the end.
A couple of cool songs but as an album this was a real chore.
Screaming Trees
4/5
Pleasantly surprised.
More musical than muddy: maybe grunge is the wrong classification?
Better a 3 and a 4 but we’ll round this one up as I was expecting a much more miserable ride.
David Bowie
3/5
I’m not a massive Bowie fan even when he’s at his best, so this just seemed “fine” to me.
Slipknot
2/5
Thankfully, there’s a song and an album called All Hope Is Gone so i feel like i did try to listen to this in full but Alexa scuppered my efforts by just playing the single.
2 starts for the talent but nothing I want to listen to.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
That sure is The Blues.
It’s good for me to finally figure out who John Mayall is - heard the name a lot, interesting to put Clapton into a bit more context and cool to see John McVie on bass.
Not what I’m in to but a perfectly pleasant listen.
Portishead
5/5
Brilliant album.
Hauntingly atmospheric and truly unique.
Easy five stars but….
….I couldn’t really tell you what any of the songs go like.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Do I have to have a Backdoor Man?
If I could opt out of that, that would be preferable for me.
Killer riffs but I generally find Led Zep a bit stressful.
Ice Cube
4/5
Cube’s got rhymes for days, with nice production from bomb squad - classic samples but less messy than Public Enemy stuff.
His delivery is good but having Chuck D feature on there makes him sound a little tame by comparison.
The flow is pretty basic, but hey it’s 1990.
Decent album but not an all time classic for me.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Cool album.
Probably deserves more recognition than just the whole Rod Steward thing, decent disco funk grooves throughout.
The Who
3/5
Never got The Who.
While the first and last tracks are pretty iconic it still doesn’t do much for me.
Even when they are pioneering weird synths, screaming vocals, blistering guitars, honky tonking pianos - it just hits me as middle of the road dad rock. And I normally like middle of the road dad rock! But this just bores me.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Very cool.
I don’t hate jazz, I hate shrill & stressful trumpets, but the sax on this is smooth and mellow and lovely.
It’s both accessible and challenging with the recognisable hooks but crazy time signatures.
Good stuff.
Eels
4/5
Really strong start, I thought we might be on track for an unexpected 5 stars after hearing jazz, rock and trip hop in the first 2 songs.
While the rest of the album was perfectly enjoyable, it seemed to settle into pretty standard fare, 4 star stuff.
I will try and revisit this one though.
Queen
5/5
Brilliantly original, quirky and inventive.
I love how they are doing their own weird ass thing.
It remind me a couple of times of McCartney with the very silly and British “show tunes”.
But then mix in the epic, soaring opera and blistering hard rock guitar solos.
With 2 classic singles and album tracks full of interest, has to be 5 stars.
Maxwell
3/5
Some smooth grooves in there but that’s way too jiggy for me.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
SweeeEeet wonderful ‘poo,
Your face is fluffy and your heart is true.
OooOoooh-often you smell,
This odour follows me whenever I go.
I don’t belieeeEeve in a standard spaniel,
I prefer me a cockapoo.
I’m not a faaaaAaaan of your purebred poodles,
I want a mixture between the two.
Yooou’re so fluffy and fun,
You’re just a cocky cockapoo.
(Repeat and fade)
Like/follow/subscribe for more puppy based remixes.
Also: best album of all time, but I think you guys have covered that side of things.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
I really like early Arctic Monkeys stuff, not so keen on their later stuff.
This sounds like Arctic Monkeys later stuff, to me.
It seemed like a very long 35mins.
New Order
3/5
A decent mix of synths and songs but generally “good” or “fine” and never “great”.
The whole album I was waiting for something to kick into True Faith or even Inbetween Days but it never quite delivered.
I did get some sunny, last day of school vibs but not enough to elevate above 3 stars.
Small Faces
3/5
The more quaint and quirky British tracks I’m getting on here the less appealing I’m finding it.
Some great music on here, in parts but knocked back down by the silly little spoken word stuff and messy use of faze and effects.
Metallica
3/5
I guess I can see how this is important and super exciting for some people but it does very little for me.
No sense of fun or even really anger, it’s all very skilful and complicated but I just had to trudge through it to get to the next one.
1/5
Oh wow, I’ve heard of MC5 and the phrase Kick out the Jams through a local night, but had no idea what kind of music it was, so I was interested to hear how this actually goes.
Unfortunately, it was talentless, god awful noise. Maybe ahead of it’s time but not an enjoyable experience at all.
How disappointing.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
A wonderful surprise.
Never heard of this one but will come back again in the future.
Covering so many styles and genres I even won’t bother to listen it all here.
It does make me think that a lot of my ratings are based on expectations.
This is getting 5 stars partly because I was not coming in with a high standard to meet. Some of the world’s most iconic albums have received a low marks because they didn’t live up to the legend that preceded them.
Not sure if that’s totally fair or not…?
Sigur Rós
3/5
Very atmospheric and if I was listen while watching the aurora borealis gently drifting over scandinavian fjords this could easily be 5 stars. But as I’m listening while walking my dog around the streets of Yorkshire, I quickly lost interest.
Roni Size
4/5
I used to love drum and bass but never really saw the point in Dance Music that you don’t dance to.
This album bridges the gap somewhat with more hip hop influenced vocals, jazzy double bass and skittery live drums. I mostly enjoyed the half time triphop stuff like Watching Windows.
It didn’t get nearly as much acclaim but Roni Size and DJ Die worked together again a few years later on Breakbeat Era, which I think really nails this style of more “listenable” D&B.
John Martyn
2/5
Slipped into the background but the bits I did notice seemed dull and dreary.
Sonic Youth
1/5
Ugh, horrible noise.
Would probably scrape 2 stars if they didn’t have such a famous name and I expected much better.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Great but maybe not as fantastic as I’ve been lead to believe.
I had this one over the weekend, must have listened 5 times and grew to appreciate it more and more each time.
There are some stand out tracks but it’s seems to finish just as it’s getting going.
They really nail the genre, the production is spot on and she writes some very poetic lyrics.
I think the over hype might come from her wild personality, which the British press couldn’t get enough of.
They love to put people on a pedestal but love it even more when they inevitably fall off.
But still, a brilliant album and I’m glad I finally got round to listening to it properly.
Coldplay
3/5
A Rush of Blood to the Cock.
By Ballplay.
Feeling pretty ambivalent about this one.
It’s full of soporific anthems and the most rousing dross you could hope to hear.
The songs are beautiful in their sparse composition and excruciating in their childish simplicity.
The lyrics are poetic cliché.
I woke up singing these forgettable earworms.
Clocks is a brilliant song, but I do kind of wish they would all fuck off and die.
Tricky one - could go 1 star, could go 5. Call it a 3 I guess.
Elliott Smith
3/5
I’ve had an Elliott Smith album before on here and it exceeded my expectations, much more dynamic than I was expecting.
This one didn’t.
I’m not a big fan of his whispery tone and had to make a bit of an effort to listen all the way through.
Nice enough but a bit too angsty for me.
Tori Amos
4/5
A strong 4.
I’m not normally a big fan of the quirky, warbling female vocal + piano/acoustic guitar but she really nails it.
On the cusp of a 5 but I couldn’t find a stand out banger on there so had to listen to Cornflake Girl after it finished to round things off.
Still a great debut.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
On first listen, I was going to put this down as a disappointing 4 stars but It finishes so strongly though that I listened again the next day with different expectations.
Maybe I was wanting a solid hour of Cross Town Traffic or Watchtower but that’s not what Jimi wanted and who am I to argue?
So yes, a little bloated and rambling at times to my ears but for every 5 mins of blistering genius of Voodoo Child maybe you need a 15min jam of Voodoo Chile?
Pink Floyd
3/5
For a universally acclaimed work of musical genius this sure is boring.
I had to make the effort to put aside 45mins to listen on headphones to see any appeal.
Once I really focused in, I started to enjoy the soundscapes - particularly the bass and saxophone and I’m sure the production was pioneering for the time.
Another album that can’t quite live up to it’s iconic reputation for me though.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Never really saw the appeal of Kendrick and this hasn’t changed my mind.
I guess it’s kind of cool that he’s have a mental breakdown for our benefit?
I usually rate hip hop on these criteria:
Flow - kind of interesting but not amazing.
Production - hit and miss, some funky licks but too jazzy for me, pretty messy at times.
The major highlight being that Isley Bros reworking.
Content - again, hit and miss. Too many N bombs for me to be comfortable with, shut up about God for a minute and i won’t think your an idiot and also: Boo Boo?
Tone - can’t stand his nasal pitch, really off putting for me.
He’s doing some interesting stuff and is brutally honest with his mental state but I just can’t get past the delivery.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
A quality mix of punk, funk, hard rock, general silliness and heartfelt angst.
Not as appealing to me in the second half when it lost energy and focused in on dead loved ones.
Still much more than I was expecting, hard to pin down to a time or a genre, I’m glad this list brought it to my attention.
Kid Rock
4/5
Haters gunna hate I guess, but ya’ll need to lighten up a bit.
Sure, he’s nowhere near as good at rapping as Eminem, nowhere near as good at rocking out as Rage Against the Machine and nowhere near as good at…. line dancing as Billy Ray Cyrus? (I know nothing about country), but he is mashing up genres like he doesn’t give a fuck and I found the results are enjoyable.
He didn’t really make it over to the UK at the time so I’m judging just on the tracks presented here. I reckon a lot of the 1 stars are from Americans who are judging this on the “full package”.
I’m sure his personality is completely vile, but thankfully I’ve not really been exposed to that so can go purely off the music, which I think is good fun.
How can you not love that Second Hand News sample?
The Monks
1/5
Ahead of it’s time? sure, but god damn is it unpleasant to listen to.
I reckon I spent half the time physically grimacing.
😣
Don McLean
4/5
A very nice poetic and acoustic blend.
The title track is obviously super iconic and Vincent is a beautiful song.
I feel like maybe if I was more familiar with the rest of the album it could reach five stars but nothing else is leaping out to grab my attention.
Pixies
4/5
I was ready to love this based off the singles but it’s too punk for me.
I like a lot of the elements- thumping bass; surf guitar; interesting backing vocals; but the over all impression is shrill, shrieky and a bit angsty.
If I was born in a different place at a different time I can imagine I’d love it.
The Blue Nile
4/5
A cool and atmospheric blend of synths, funk and orchestral sounds.
Didn’t keep my attention though and slide into the background after a few tracks.
Goldfrapp
4/5
Cool vibes but less engaging energy than I was hoping for.
Closer to Joni Mitchell than Bjork.
Nice enough but could have done with an electro banger or two to make me sit up and take notice.
The Adverts
2/5
Yeah, that’s punk.
Nothing too severe or unpleasant but I was very happy to turn it off before they started playing through bonus tracks.
2/5
Not doing anything for me.
Seems pretty out of date, punky grunge in 2000?
I had it over the weekend end, listened once on the Friday and had no desire to listen again.
Neil Young
3/5
Over rated for me.
I just don’t really like his tone and I don’t think the orchestral stuff is necessary.
Knocked another star off for whoever decided to pull the album from Spotify.
DJ Shadow
5/5
This album was so pivotal for me.
It was instrumental in moving away from indie in the mid 90s to trip hop and turntablism in the late 90s.
I don’t think any other record will ever have that much of an influence on my musical tastes and cause such a seismic shift in on of the major passions in my life.
Listen back now, it is kind of boring at times but I can’t really go anything other than 5 stars.
Sleater-Kinney
2/5
Not much for me to enjoy here, I couldn’t really get past the bleating vocals.
Sounded a lot like Patti Smith to me but 20 years late, what’s the point?
The Youngbloods
5/5
This was a very nice surprise.
I was expecting more boring Neil Young folk rock nonsense but instead I got:
Blues, folk, jazz, country, soul, rock, funk, ragtime, psychedelic, 60s silliness.
Will defo listen again.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
“Sloppy” and “Amateur”
Are perfectly fine adjectives to describe certain forms of artistic expression but not what I look for in Albums to Hear Before I Die.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
How do you follow the best album of all time? Disappointment.
After capturing lightning in a bottle on Rumours the only way is down.
It feels a lot like The White Album to Sgt. Pepper: a bit disjointed and unfiltered.
A collection of ideas for tracks that never really got focused into a cohesive album.
A few nice moments but nothing to elevate beyond middle of the road.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
“I’m tired”
“I’m hungry”
“My back hurts”
“This GRAND piano isn’t as big as what I wanted”
Oh suck it up jazz wanker, play Rocket Man or something.
He did hit some decent notes though.
Arrested Development
5/5
This was one of my first albums, I made my dad buy it on tape and listened to it in his car 30 years ago.
I had pretty good taste as an 11 year old, coz this is a great album.
It has some of the best live instrumental music I’ve heard in hip hop, Speech’s flow/tone/delivery are all very nice but the content is what makes this stand out.
I’m tempted to breakdown each song’s messages and meaning here, but it would turn into quite an essay.
Simply to say that even De La Soul aren’t rapping about their childcare issues, the positive aspects of a homeless life style or saying preachers dying is the only solution.
The production does get a little muddy at times and it can feel a bit crusty towards the end, but it’s a really unique piece of work and I wish there was more hip hop like this.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Never been a huge fan of Janis Joplin but the Full Tilt Boogie Band are pretty cool.
This was much funkier than I was expecting.
Richard Hawley
3/5
What’s going on?
A country Christmas album… from Sheffield?
You’re being weird Richard.
Stop being so weird.
Nothing offensive but nothing I’ll revisit.
Stan Getz
4/5
I kind of want to give this a five but while it’s very “cool” “smooth” and “mellow” it never really hit “brilliant” “outstanding” or “awesome”.
Soundgarden
2/5
It’s not doing it for me.
All sounds technically adept but just a bit miserable for me. Lacking in any sense of fun.
Could have scraped it’s way to 3 stars but it just kept going til I had to turn it off.
Ramones
2/5
Started strong but got boring pretty quickly.
I just don’t like punk.
Common
5/5
Great album, I’m surprised I didn’t listen to this when it was out 20 years ago, it was exactly the kind of thing I was into.
Awesome production, nice tone and flow but I was surprised by the amounts of niggers, hoes, gats and fags included: not quite as conscious I was expecting.
a-ha
4/5
The opening track is a pop masterpiece but the only way is down from there.
The Sun Always Shines On TV being the only other track that made any kind of impact on me.
I guess I’m going 4 stars on the strength of the Take On Me.
My favourite Norwegian band - apparently.
Björk
5/5
What an impressive debut!
Really unique and individual take on things.
Beautiful tone and delivery with zany yet poetic lyrics.
The production has aged really well, orchestral trip hop with techno and trance beats throughout.
I know Björk reasonably well but would not have listened through to this with being promoted. Very glad it came up.
Madonna
5/5
Some pretty perfect pop songs on here.
Iconic and anthemic.
Loses a bit of momentum towards the end so I was considering 4 stars but the singles are so strong I’ve got to give it full marks.
Robbie Williams
3/5
Guy Chambers wrote a few great pop songs for this and I do like Robbie’s cheeky chappie, bad boy persona.
The whole thing smacks a little bit of a desperation for authenticity and breaking away from his boy band baggage. It comes off as too manufactured for me.
But hey, it’s a pop album - a decent pop album.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
I was an ignorant 1 star wanker about Elvis myself once.
Since I’ve hit 40 I’ve learned to embrace his snide, sneering, whinging cynicism.
Y’all need to grow up.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
Revolutionary but a bit boring.
Futuristic but very dated.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Can not stand this guy’s whining nasal tone.
Thankfully he’s dialled back the harmonica on this one, couple of vaguely pleasant tracks.
William Orbit
3/5
Time and a place for this kind of thing.
20 years ago - 04:00 in the morning surething. Not so relevant to me now.
T. Rex
2/5
God I hate this guy’s voice.
The instrumentals save it from bottom marks.
Travis
3/5
There are some “nice” songs on here. Just a full album of this pace and tone gets pretty miserable.
Interesting to see it’s preColdplay, they maybe get extra credit for that.
What’s frustrating though, is that last hidden track: almost telling us what we could have won. If the rest of the album had just a few more moments of interest and energy it could be something I could really get behind.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
A bit squelchy and weird for my liking.
Do you Realise is beautiful but does really elevate everything else above middle marks.
Garbage
4/5
Lots of familiar songs on here.
And interesting blend of grunge and trip hop but all in all a bit muddy and miserable for my taste, I did enjoy it more than I was expecting though.
Joan Armatrading
5/5
Good stuff!
This is new to me.
Excellent mix of funk, soul, blues, folk…
Somewhere Tracy Chapman and Sly and the Family Stone.
I’ll definitely listen to this again.
Cat Stevens
5/5
It’s very hard for me to hear Wild World or Father and Son and not sign along. Even hard to keep my voice for cracking at some point when you’re hit by the heart breaking emotion. Some beautiful songs on here.
Steve Winwood
4/5
I should buy a boat.
Linkin Park
3/5
A respectably cool blend of rapping singing and shouting but way too emo for me.
Miles Davis
3/5
I really disliked my last Miles Davis album but found this much more mellow and enjoyable.
Still not what I’m into but a much smoother ride than Bitches Brew.
David Bowie
4/5
At first I wasn’t super pumped to listen to drum and bass made by a 69 year old with liver cancer, but this wasn’t half bad.
Nice nadsat tune, I’ll try and listen to this album again.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Seems like I underestimated Dexys because of the Monster smash they had after this album, I had them pegged as a novelty pop act.
I’m really glad I listened to this debut to actually put the band into real context.
They were a legit soul/punk project with vision and purpose.
Northern Soul Rebels, but they also had the ability to pen a massive pop crossover which overshadowed their authentic* beginnings.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Come on guys we need more world music, all you’re giving me is fucking post punk.
How about that Jah Wobble?
Awesome, what is he Jamaican or…?
Says here he’s from Stepney.
Ah, he’s black though, yeah?
Nar, mates with the Sex Pistols.
Oh ffs, does he make reggae though?
Yeeeeh, kind of dubby-post punk.
Oh whatever, stick it in.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Oh yeah, here’s an album I can really twiddle my handkerchief to!
Doves
5/5
I wonder what ever happened to SubSub, the guys who did Ain’t No Love (Ain’t No Use)…
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Yeah, that’s a stone cold vibe but apart from the title tracks it’s all very incidental.
Norah Jones
4/5
Very lovely and soothing but super middle of the road.
I could maybe stretch to 5 stars if she had a couple more of her original compositions on there.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
Now I’m not a fan of punk but this is something I can actually get behind.
While it’s angry and still kind of ugly it does have a sense of fun that I’ve not heard from other first wave punk bands.
The original pressing doesn’t out stay it’s welcome and I was even pleased to heard Police Truck on the extended version (as the whole thing did make me want to listen to Tony Hawk songs)
ZZ Top
4/5
I only knew these guys as a novelty facial-hair / eyewear band but it makes sense they started out a bit more legit.
Good chunkin’ blues with a touch of country and funk in the mix too.
I’d say good but not great though.
The National
2/5
How terribly dull.
Some nice drumming and it did pick up a little in the second half.
Roxy Music
3/5
I’ve had 2 Roxy Music albums already and I really disliked them. This offering seemed much more palatable.
I think maybe Brian Ferry has tempered his vocals a little or maybe I was in a better mode because last time it really grated on me.
Better without Eno, who would have funk it?
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Yeah, I like this, it’s good…
But do I like it half as much as if it were feat. Paul Simon?
Pretty much.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Oh how very silly!
There is no reason I should have to listen to this before I die.
John Coltrane
2/5
I’m no expert but sounds to me like a lot of these are the wrong notes.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Oh man, this is a jam!
By that I mean it sound a bit underdeveloped and/or unrehearsed.
I want to love this but it’s just a touch too messy and shouty for me to give it 5 stars.
ZZ Top
3/5
Mah.
I never really got ZZ Top, but I had one of their early albums just last week and realised they did start out kind of legit in the 70s.
They’ve refined that now and condensed it down to a simpler, more pop oriented sound.
I was leaning towards a 4 but when the album finished, I got Radar Love by Golden Earring as a suggestion.
It immediacy felt more driving, funky, energetic and focused.
ZZ Top are just super average.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
This seemed OK but not worth listening on YouTube.
Going 2 stars, leave it on Spotify, wanker.
The Divine Comedy
4/5
I like this.
Quirky, kitsch and unique.
I do however prefer “Something 4 the Weekend” by Super Furry Animals. Welsh band, also released in the summer of ‘96, so my first response was disappointment.
But still, once I readjusted to what this is actually about, I could get into it.
A lot of work went into this, big compositions, poetic but humorous lyrics. Granted though, if not in the mood his tone could be pretty annoying.
Spiritualized
2/5
Just sounds like a really shit version of Screamadelica to me.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Jimi is one of the greatest of all time.
But considering they only had three albums, this feels a little lacking in 💥Killer Hits💥.
It’s not an issue of the quality of the tracks though, it’s the fact I’ve not listened to this album enough and am not familiar with all of the intricacies.
In need to listen to most Hendrix.
Fishbone
5/5
Wow there’s loads going on here and I really like most of it.
I’m already recommending it to people, I can’t understand why this has less than 3 stars?
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Well that worked out well, I was probably going to listen to this today anyway.
Y’all one star wankers need to grow up.
Billy Bragg
3/5
I had Elvis Costello yesterday, so I’m kind of done for cynical, middle aged, poetic singer song writers for this week.
Not a big fan of his tone but he’s got a fair amount to say for himself, rather depressingly just a relevant today as it was in the mid eighties.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Well this seem very pleasant, interesting musically, intricate things going on with the time signatures and I have zero desire to get to the end of the album.
Maybe just a bit wet?
Three stars I guess?
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
I was ready to like this but came away disappointed.
The instrumentals are pretty good but the vocals got a little annoying and repetitive.
Take Me Out is a great song, the rest of the album just couldn’t live up to the strength of that.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I can see it now but I’m just not the right demographic for this.
If I lived a few hundred miles to the west I’m sure I’d be thumping my chest and saluting my flag but it just doesn’t quite hit me in the heartland.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
I know nothing about salsa but I guess I quite like salsa.
This is obviously a good example of salsa, so it’s nice to have a goto salsa album if I’m ever in the mood for salsa.
💃 salsa 💃
Elvis Presley
2/5
Yeah I just don’t get Elvis.
Maybe he was super charming or something but without the context and the visual it seems like pub signer covers songs.
The Ghetto almost push it up to mediocrity but not quite.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
It feels a little sacrilegious to not give Paul Simon full marks but this is a little too folky for me.
A couple of brilliant songs on here but it almost feels like he’s trying to be a poetic genius where as at his best it comes across as less contrived.
If not for his later work, I’m sure this would be 5 stars, so not really a fair metric…
Willie Nelson
2/5
Ugh, how dreadfully pleasant.
Apparently these songs are all pop classics but I’m only familiar with Unchained Melody. I thought that was a pretty powerful song but he’s stripped it of any emotion, energy, vocal range or passion.
The more I listen/think about it the lower my score gets.
If this Outlaw County I hate to think what shit the In-laws are doing.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
I quite like this, very cinematic, feels like the sound track to a thriller.
I only got half way through on day one though and I don’t really have much desire to revisit it to finish it off.
Pink Floyd
2/5
Ugh, hippies.
I’m no fan of 70s Pink Floyd but I didn’t make it to the end of this.
Ministry
3/5
Not my thing but a decent sense of fun and weirdness kept me listening to the end.
I’m no expert on the genre but it feels pretty advanced for the early 90, probably had an influence on things to come.
Depeche Mode
2/5
Dull droning dross.
What a waste of a weekend.
David Bowie
3/5
Seems like pretty stand Bowie to me.
Impressive considering his age/stage in his career but not massively appealing if you’re not a big fan.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
I do love All The Young Dudes and this feels like there might be potential to have songs of a similar calibre.
But I reckon it was very much Bowie who captured lightning in a bottle on that one.
A fair amount of this is annoying and messy but I’ll be lenient and we’ll go middle marks.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I enjoyed this.
Heard the name - obz, but not actually heard the music before.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, I guess something along these lines, Tom Waits/Leonard Cohen etc. and it’s not miles off.
Sinister yet a sense of fun that kept me entertained to the end.
Living Colour
5/5
This is an unexpected 5.
Feat. Public Enemy, Mick Jagger, funk bass and occasional socialist undertones.
I had Living Colour as UK synth pop in my mind but was way off the mark.
A real cool fusion of stuff going on that I’ll have to revisit.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
I’m a fan.
Dark and brooding but somehow euphoric uplifting and catchy.
I’m glad this project made me listen to this, I wouldn’t have done without being encouraged.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie is one of the most talented people in the world.
He is a genius at writing and performing music.
To create this entire masterpiece at 23 incredible.
I’m in awe of how good Stevie Wonder is.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
How dull.
It seems to move in the same circles as things I would like and the sound is reasonably ‘clean’ (last album by them was a real mess) but it’s all a bit miserable.
The Smiths auto played after this finished and felt much more fresh and uplifting - which is really saying something.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Smooth and sleazy.
Nice in the background.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
All very ‘nice’.
Pleasant arrangements and vocals but I won’t listen again.
Crowded House
4/5
While this does contain some pretty perfect soft-pop-rock singles, the whole thing lands somewhere between soppy Beatles and Simply Red - which isn’t the best place to be.
The Black Keys
4/5
I like it. Contemporary blues.
Brave of them to record the whole thing through a rizla stretched over a comb!
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
Not a big fan.
I did bother getting to the end as not on Spotify, who do you think you are, Prince?
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
I was leaning toward 5 stars here, as this is very ‘listenable’ dance music.
Much more interesting and breakbeat than what I was expecting.
Lost a little momentum towards the end though, so dialling it back to a high 4.
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Great debut album that explodes with energy and attitude.
I would have loved it if i was a few years younger.
I’d kind of lost interest in indie/guitar band music during this period but this still stood out at the time.
The themes do get a bit samey towards the end: pubs/bouncers/coppers/clubs but it’s still an easy 5 stars for me.
The Strokes
2/5
Is That It?
How disappointing.
Maybe too iconic to live up to the hype.
I know it’s cool not to care but they sound bored of their own songs.
I don’t like Iggy Pop, I don’t like this.
(Last Nite is a great tune though).
Talking Heads
4/5
Bit of an odd one, I was kind of expecting to be disappointed but was surprised how much I enjoyed it.
It’s very cool to like Talking Heads and when I’ve listened to albums in the past been a little underwhelmed.
This was a quirky, perky, punky, funky, reggae party.
It got a little too quirky at times to the point of getting on my tits but all in all good fun.
Not quite as cool as the hype might lead you to believe but a decent 4.
Talking Heads
3/5
Odd, I had their first album yesterday.
I gave it a 4 as I was expecting it to live up to the hype. There’s no sense of surprise for me here though, a bit too quirky and over rated for me.
Black Sabbath
3/5
I guess there’s more to Black Sabbath than I’d give them credit for. Unexpectedly diverse.
I do feel like when they sound “different” it’s a pretty straight “homage” to someone else - that sounds like Hendrix, this sounds like Led Zep, that sounds like late Beatles.
OK but not what I’m in to.
New Order
3/5
This does little for me.
Probably an important step between… boring 80s postpunk and boring 80s dance but that doesn’t interest me much.
Is he out of tune half the time?
Eagles
4/5
Here’s another iconic album that’s kind of hard to judge on it’s own merits because of the massive legacy that surrounds it.
The first side can almost live up to the hype, in my opinion. A really strong start but it does lose momentum on the flip side.
I like the anti-corporate American vibes of the closing track but the rest had little impact on me.
Haters gunna hate and I think hating Eagles is what the cool kids are about, but screw them, I’m going to dig through my top draw for my capo and lock in on to 7th fret like I don’t give a fuck.
Tina Turner
1/5
I really disliked this.
She’s not writing songs or playing a note on here so what am I judging on? The songs selection, her delivery, the visual?
It’s mostly covers, so we’re got writing credits of Al Green, Lennon-McCartney, Bowie, Knopfler… you’d expect some decent tracks?
Her tone? aaaaah.
Reading her Wiki just now and early label boss described it (as a good thing) like “screaming dirt”. I think I can agree with that.
And her image…
It falls for me somewhere between drunken aunty at a wedding disco and 3rd rate drag act.
Maybe because she’s so iconic she is actually the genesis of these things but either way, it’s mutton dressed in leopard print and I am not a fan.
It’s like the Rod Stewart of people - hard pass.
Laura Nyro
5/5
Awesome, totally new to me but very glad I listened.
Somewhere between Nina Simone and Carol King with a Phil Spector vibe.
Blending soul, jazz, blues into lovely accessible pop.
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
Ugh, is this out of time and out of tune?
Horrible noise.
The Gun Club
2/5
I’m no fan of Post Punk but this is an interesting take.
Blues and kind of surf rock.
I’m not a fan but it wasn’t unpleasant.
Carole King
5/5
I do understand that this is all subjective and there’s no “right” or “wrong” options here… but…
How is anyone not giving this 5 stars?
It’s just a beautiful album.
Timeless, across genres, who doesn’t love this?
Eagles
4/5
Come on guys, grow up and get your own opinions rather than just quoting cult films.
Two great singles and decent filler tracks, a solid debut album.
The dude should not be a role model for you…
Bobby Womack
4/5
Yeah, funky 80s disco soul.
Would have liked more funky disco and less ballads, only half the album so Spotify but I think I’ve got the idea.
Morrissey
3/5
I’m usefully surprised by how much I enjoy Morrissey/ The Smiths when they come up.
Yes, I do still hate his voice and his persona but the songs are alright.
Some interesting production on here, sounds like NIN, G&R and various other stuff I wouldn’t have expected.
Still not a fan though.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
How dreadfully dreary.
A little like Paul Simon on barbiturates.
I was almost tempted to turn it off half way through but the introduction to Diamonds in the Mine caught my attention. Something a little more upbeat, almost enjoyable? … then he started “singing”
Beck
4/5
I was ready to love this but it’s a bit messy for full marks.
Sounds like the worst of The Beastie Boys. Some fun samples and classic cuts but a little shouty for me and a fair amount of nonsense.
It’s cool that he’s doing his thing though.
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
I love true school hip hop but I was never really a biggy fan of Notorious B.I.G
He is good though.
Lovely laidback flow and interesting rhyme structures.
Nice beats.
I dunno, maybe a bit too R&B for me, while also out there shooting homies?
I just done rate him as one of the all time greats.
I’d have liked this over a weekend to dig into the rhymes.
4 or 5… let’s give him a break, he is pretty dead and phat, I go full marks.
Joy Division
1/5
Boring, droning, morose dross.
I could scrap to 2 stars if it wasn’t so iconic. Knocked down to 1 start by the Primark T-shirts.
Suicide
1/5
What is this edgy Elvis / Joy Division shit?
1/3 of this album is that 10mins teardrop track…
Here’s Frankie by Sister Sledge:
https://youtu.be/1Tl-c_puzbM
Lightning Bolt
1/5
I just wasn’t aware how many ‘artists’ are out there making horrible noise, passing it off as music and receiving critical acclaim.
Guess I can thank this list for bringing that to my attention…
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
He’s so good.
They’re a great band.
I only really know the obvious ‘hits’ but everything I hear is pretty great. I’m glad this project made me listen to another full album.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Nice perky pop.
A couple of great singles on here.
I do find it interesting that this was released just 4 months after Madonna’s debut album though…
Paul Simon
5/5
Oh wow, I really needed this one today!
This has solidified Paul Simon as my favourite musician and Graceland as my favourite album of all time.
In my own crappy little way I’m having my own crappy little crisis - trouble with the wife, creative projects falling apart, low self worth etc. All standard middle age, white male bull shit.
I’ve always loved the music on this album, but the story behind Paul Simon at this time of his life is the inspiration I need.
To reinvent himself at 45 and produce this euphoric masterpiece is exactly what I need to hear right now.
Fuck any talk of cultural appropriation, if you think the reason this album was made was anything other than the love of music and embracing of other cultures then I reckon that’s just your own cynical projection.
I’m going to pick myself up and move on to my next challenge with this blasting in my ears.
❤️
Aimee Mann
3/5
Reasonable nice.
It just kind of feels like the music an ex girlfriend would make. You want to be supportive and it’s cool she’s doing stuff but it all sounds a little bit average…
Slayer
3/5
BLOODburylifesmellyourDEATHasitburnsdeepinsideofyouAbacinateeyesthatBLEEDpraying fortheendofyourwideawakeNIGHTMAREwingsofPAINreachoutforyouhisfaceofDEATHstaringdownyourBLOOD’srunningcoldInjectingcellsDYINGeyesfeedingontheSCREAMS
Then yeah, it does that for half an hour or so.
Lighten up lads.
The Isley Brothers
5/5
Really good, funking soulful dancefloor ballads.
Elevated by the additional of little brother Ernie providing screaming guitar licks on the 2 phenomenal singles.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
I like this, it is great.
Top quality from start to finish, lovely production and important message.
I’ve just never been a fan of Curtis Mayfield, his tone doesn’t do it for me.
Glad I listened though.
The Pogues
5/5
Fun, snarky, upbeat and cynical. Heartbreaking euphoric anthems.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
What a fucking mess.
Sounds like they’re smacked out on heroin or something?
A very catchy and icon mess though (first side is anyway).
Despite the underdeveloped backing tracks and “Whose line is it Anyway”-esque rhythm schemes i was grudgingly going to give this a 5. The last 10mins became a real chore though.
Tangerine Dream
2/5
This would be fine as a sound track or music bed but I found it very boring as an album.
I honestly didn’t notice when it finished.
Probably important and ground breaking but not much fun to listen to.
Pink Floyd
2/5
Yeh, more self-indulgent noodling from the kings of pedestrian prog rock.
Maybe, if it was 1975, and I was 20, and it was midnight, and I was stoned looking at my lava lamp, this could work for me. But as is it holds little interest or appeal.
Some funky moments, some decent poetic lyrics but all very overhyped and I’m left very underwhelmed.
Elvis Presley
3/5
This is fine.
Elvis without any visual is distinctly average for me.
Ride
2/5
All very indistinct.
The sounds all seem to blur into each other and non of the tracks are able to stand out from the Wall Of Noise.
Interesting to hear the influence on some of my favourite bands from around that time - early Blur and The Charlatans. My sister was into Ride but they never made much of an impact on me.
The art work made more an impression on me than the music.
Laibach
2/5
Odd mix of industrial krautrock and 80s synth silliness.
Not unpleasant but certainly nothing I will revisit.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Nice grooves but seems a little bit slack.
Like, I can play Jolene but the finger picking is a tricky rhythm, I reckon my dodgy version is still tighter than this?
Once I noticed, everything seems a bit sloppy.
Good grooves though.
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
Nice but dull.
Pleasant and pedestrian.
Soothing yet forgettable.
The one track that stands out seems like a “homage” (ripoff) of Golden Brown.
I was cruising down the middle for a 3 but reading the wiki and seeing 8 people created for supplying Handclaps (3 of those contributed nothing else to the album) has pushed me to a 2.
Seems like epitome of celebrating mediocrity.
Michael Jackson
5/5
This album is just phenomenal.
It’s like, every song is perfect, then somehow the next song is even better, then the next song is somehow even better again?
I honestly want to go back and remark some of my other rating because they don’t deserve to have the same 5 stars as this masterpiece.
What genre is it? pop/rock/disco/80/soul/funk?
It is the best album, ever.
Steely Dan
4/5
Crisp and clean almost to the point of being laboratory sterile.
Jazzy yacht rock.
It’s so tight it almost sound 80s quantized.
I do like it, I don’t love it.
Germs
2/5
Not my thing at all but they seem pretty talented for punks.
“I in the sky
You make me feel like I can fly
So high“
This from “The Greatest Band in the World”.
I don’t really get the fuss - positive or negative - around U2, half decent songs and annoying personalities. All very average but over hyped and over publicised.
5/5
Best band of all time? ✅
Best band’s best album? ✅
Best album of all time? ❌
It’s great. It’s innovative - revolutionary in fact. It’s fun, it’s heartbreaking. It’s top 10 for sure, but I think I maybe came into this whole thing expecting Sgt. Pepper to take number 1. And there are a few albums on here that our shine it for me.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
I never liked the Manic Street Preachers and I was really into indie around this time.
Listening now, the instrumentals are actually pretty good, the use of strings and brass is nice, subtle and pretentious or anything.
I think it’s the vocals that rubbed me the wrong way. Just shouting the title of the song with a slightly different infection does not make a chorus. It’s all very faux poetry, seems deep and meaningful but as far as I can tell it’s actually silly nonsense.
Better that I expected but I’m still not a fan.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Oh dear, I think my Alexa might need servicing, it seems to be playing out of tune?
4/5
It’s good, a couple of great songs on there but a step down from Hunky Dory as far as I can tell.
I would probably give it 5 stars if I wasn’t expecting much more. Top 100 but nowhere near the top 10 for me.
Hole
4/5
My wife’s favourite band, I usually have to leave the room…
I found this surprisingly palatable, it’s a strong start! powerhouse riffs, catchy chorus, nicely crafted pop/mosh music.
I do find her tone like finger nails down a chalkboard though, she’s usually just dancing around the ‘correct’ notes, drifting in and out of tune.
This album has not converted me, but it did surprise me. Didn’t expect I’d be able to get up to half marks but on the strength of the singles I can happily give this a 4.
Supergrass
3/5
This is fine and good.
Nice production a couple of catchy hooks but do we really need a more developed and mature Supergrass?
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
I’d love to be able to give Earth, Wind & Fire full marks but this album is not quite there for me.
Really strong start but it needs another outstanding song on the second side to push it over the edge.
Still a great funky pre-disco soul album though.
🌍 🌬 🔥
Paul Simon
4/5
Paul Simon is maybe the Greatest Of All Time but he’s not on top form here.
Some bumping 80s bass and the odd bit of pretty poetry but generally the metaphors seem to miss the mark. Cars, trains, numbers and allergies not all great analogies or allegories.
Glad I listened though and can’t go lower than 4 with this guy.
Prince
3/5
I’m missing something here.
It’s fine, probably good, but I can not hear what all the fuss is about.
I’d maybe give it a 4 but I’m knocking down to a 3 for everyone who wrote “It’s Prince - what can I say”
Say something mate, coz I need a clue back here.
Neu!
2/5
I get that it’s ahead of it’s time but ambient proto-post-punk just isn’t anything I want to listen to.
Gang Starr
4/5
Gang Starr - one of best yet.
But maybe not yet fully developed at this stage.
Similar vein to Eric B & Rakim and Boogie Down Productions, a quality duo with classic samples and awareness in the lyrics.
The album just got a bit macaroni cheese for me:
I like Macaroni, I like cheese but after 50mins of nothing but macaroni and cheese I need something else in the mix to spice things up.
Eric Clapton
3/5
For ‘God’ this is very average.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Something about this rubbed me the wrong way.
There are elements I enjoy but it just became a bit of a chore to get to the end.
Maybe an interesting experimental blend but it didn’t work for me.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Try as I might, none of her songs ever seem to make any impression on me.
Not unpleasant though.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
This is just brilliant.
The epitome of Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll.
I’m really not into this kind is stuff but how can you not love this album? It fun and serious. Hard but tender tender as fuck.
It’s got my new favourite song about heroin addiction on it too. Yowsa!
Radiohead
2/5
How very forgettable.
Don’t get the fuss about these guys, I love The Bends but find pretty much everything else they’ve done boring and whiny.
2 stars for the let down from the hype.
Parliament
4/5
I love funk but this just doesn’t do it for me.
I want to be able to give it a 5 but it just doesn’t do it for me.
Maybe it’s a bit unfocused, seems like a cool jam but never really develops into a proper track?
I can hear how influential it is, but I just can’t love it. It’s a prime example of the recommended tracks that auto play on Spotify after the album finishes being much better than what I was supposed to be listening to.
Missy Elliott
3/5
“This the kinda beat that go ra-ta-ta
Ra-ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta-ta-ta
Sex me so good I say, blah-blah-blah
Work it! I need a glass of water”
Yeah I’m not convinced.
The first half was promising with decent feat. and some solid hip hop vibes but the B side got way too RnB for me.
Her rhymes and rhythms are very basic.
The main thing I enjoyed was her complete disregard for my opinions on the matter - fair play to that.
The Cramps
1/5
Garage Trash, about right.
I feel like I could multi-track this together in the shed over a long weekend.
You know when your dog is barking, and your wife is in your ear about some thing inane, and your toddler has broken your good glasses so your wearing a pair too small and they pinch the bridge of your nose, and you go to see what your album of the day is…
I’d probably give this a 2 for the poor adherence to rhythmic conventions but we’ll knock another star off for the logo being on Primark T-Shirts.
Louis Prima
4/5
Took a couple of tracks for me to get into this but once I settled into it I really enjoyed it.
As stated by other, it really is great fun, after around 500 albums it think this is the first one that made me lol out loud.
Tell you what though, if he ever invites you round for meatballs DO NOT eat more than your allocated amount coz this guy can really hold a grudge.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Not keen on this.
It was more country - blues than I was prepared for.
I don’t like slide guitar or harmonica.
I expected much more.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
Nothing here grabbing my attention.
All very sparse, kind of feels like half a track most of the time.
Ryan Adams
3/5
There’s a fair about to like here.
I didn’t think I’d be a fan but it’s not a as Country Rock as I was worried it might be.
He jumps around styles and genres - a few nice down tempo ballads and a couple of pretty funky track with Chuc-Ka guitar and wailing organs.
It all sounds a bit familiar: This is Rolling Stones or Primal Scream, elements of Jack Johnson here, David Gray there, if I was more familiar with heartland YankRock I suspect I’d recognise even more.
I’m not sure if he is lifting a lot of ideas from others or maybe just making “obvious choices” when writing songs?
I don’t think I can go higher than a 3 as I didn’t make it past the hour mark.
Fair play, he’s wrote a lot of decent tracks there, but didn’t pull me in enough to get all the way to the end.
The Temptations
4/5
It’s good, but it doesn’t feel like a full album to me.
Opening with a live track and then literally 1/3 of this album is the lead single.
Motown really milking it.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Nice enough, certainly not too shrill or stressful.
Cool grooves for sure but it didn’t really capture my attention, I almost put a podcast on half way through without thinking what I was doing.
The Jam
4/5
I want to be able to give this 5 stars but I’m just not quite there.
The idea of a cross between Revolver and Off The Wall sounds like something I could really get behind.
I do like The Jam and particularly late Jam.
That’s Entertainment is one of the best ballads about British banality ever and I do love the bass line for Start!
The rest of the album wouldn’t have had to have done much to get top marks from me, but…
Sorry Paul but I’d rather listen to The Police or Elvis Costello I reckon.
Radiohead
1/5
I just don’t get it.
I love The Bends but this is annoying and forgettable.
Would probably go 2 stars but knocking it down to 1 for the iconic status.
Ray Price
3/5
This was nice/fine/pleasant.
I enjoy listening for 30mins and will never listen again.
Dr. Dre
2/5
I like old school hip hop but I’m not really in to gangster rap.
I think I’d probably have given this 3 stars but will knock 1 off for not allowing it on Spotify.
The The
4/5
Very pleasantly surprised by this one.
1983 - postpunk is not normally anything I can enjoy but this has a lot going on.
Poetic pop with electro synth sounds. A couple of tracks sound like they could have been 10 years later.
Just need to know how to say the The name now.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
This crept painful close to minimum scores for me.
They have done a couple of songs that I do really like but I found much of this excruciating.
The twee and kitsch delivery just rubbed me the wrong way, over the Christmas weekend as well.
Feel like they are maybe purposely straining notes to sound like Nico and/or Moldy Peaches.
The final track - Dream of Horses completely pissed me off.
There is enough pleasantness on here to lift it off the 1 star list though.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Quite enjoyed this.
Often Led Zep stresses me out - loud, shouty, headache inducing.
Sure, the odd fat lick but also often boring and kind of directionless.
Did mind this one though, still not a fan but not unpleasant.
Justice
5/5
Fat as fuck French funk from da future.
Blur
4/5
Back in like, ‘95 I would have identified as the world’s biggest Blur fan, but by ‘97 - after The Great Escape and getting a flat and some decks, I lost all interest in Indie and was all about trying to mix Trip Hop.
Shame, it seems like this might have been one of Blur’s best albums but I was busy elsewhere at the time.
His voice kind of goes through me now though, so can’t go higher that a 4 without the emotional weight attached to their earlier stuff.
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
Never heard of these guys before so had no preconceptions.
Not the kind of thing I’m into but this seems really solid - interesting rhythms and liking the amount of swears in there.
Will try and listen to some more of their stuff.
Metallica
3/5
“Oh wow, how terribly cultured and mature of the them”
🥱
-
“Alright, that was actually tight as fuck and truly epic”
🤘😝
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
I expected I’d love this, but it feels a bit messy to me.
Not saying it’s out of time or they’re playing the wrong notes or anything but… all a bit muddy and directionless.
Terence Trent D'Arby
4/5
I LOVE Michael Jackson.
I LOVE Stevie Wonder.
I DON’T MIND Prince.
I’m not that bothered about 80s power-pop-soul.
This album has some decent tracks on it but it’s not anywhere near as good as it thinks it is.
The Damned
4/5
Probably my favourite punk album.
I don’t like punk at all but this has the energy but comes with humour and musical talent as well.
Sabu
2/5
It’s not doing it for me, all very messy and shouty.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Lots going on here.
Some of it brilliant, all of it interesting and none of it bad.
Rock, folk, blues, disco, prog.
It does feel a little bit like he’s searching for his genre as a solo artist.
A few tracks remind me of other big hits, but a little bit of research shows me they were all made after this came out.
I was on the fence for a 4 or a 5 but Solsbury Hill really resonates with me right now.
I had this album over a weekend and listened maybe 5-6 times and could happily listen again to find more going on. So full marks it is.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
More like a collection of sonic textures than an album of songs. - That’s me being kind.
My wife texted me from the next room:
“Omg that “music” is making me want to kill myself”
Not bad enough for me to give 1 star but I was hoping for more.
Manu Chao
2/5
Disappointed with this.
I remember the CD doing the rounds back in the day so was expecting to recognise a bunch of this. But only Bingo Bongo was familiar and that was not as good as I remembered. Along with a few other tracks, it felt a bit sparse and I was waiting for something else (drum and bass remix?) to kick in.
Other tracks I found the nasal tone really painful.
Astrud Gilberto
4/5
Pleasant
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Wow, so this one really devises opinion apparently.
I was expecting to be team love it, and while I do love the funky white boi rock-rap vibes these no need for this to be over an hour long.
There are skills on show and some “classic” track here but it got repetitive and formulaic.
Boston
4/5
Oh yeah, that is some archetypal Dad Rock.
The opening riff to the opening song is so brilliant, it kind of has to go down hill from there, but it does keep pretty good throughout.
Closer to a 5 than to a 3.
MGMT
5/5
Jesus 2007.
16 years ago?
Really?
I loved the 3 singles on here but remember being disappointed with the rest of the album.
To be fair, I love those 3 singles so much that the rest just had to not suck to get five stars and it’s done enough for that.
16 years, fuck…
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Not sure about this one.
I know the name but didn’t really know what to expect, it wasn’t this though.
I like the production, bluesy, funky, electronic - didn’t expect any of those things.
Just not a fan of her tone, somewhere between Tina Turner, Cortney Love with a sprinkle of Dolly Parton at times!
She wrote half the tracks?
Could be a 4 for the over all vibes, could be a 2 for her tone and the covers so we’ll have to split the difference and go with a 3
ABBA
5/5
I’m so glad I managed to give up the idea of only liking “cool” music and allowed myself to enjoy ABBA.
Pretty much the perfect pop package. Production, visual, lyrics, vocal - I can’t think of another pop act that does everything ‘in house’ so well.
Worth noting that this is the first time they used that genius palindrome ambigram logo.
And here’s their best album, jammed with hits. Has to be 5 stars.
Deee-Lite
2/5
What a disappointment.
I love the lead single from this album and was kind of expecting to hear some similar (but slightly inferior) tracks and cruise in for an easy 4.
But no.
“Funky” piano house. I hate it.
“I just wanna hear a good beat” - are they being ironic here?
Such potential.
I hope this hasn’t sullied my enjoyment for one of my favourite dance floor, cross genre hits.
James Brown
3/5
He’s great, I’m sure this would have been a wonderful show to witness but…
It’s a bit early in his career so doesn’t include the biggest hits and I’m just not that into live albums.
Def Leppard
3/5
Probably an important step between dad rock in the late 70s to cock rock in the mid 80s.
But I like dad rock and think cock rock is a bit silly , so this is not really much of an evolution to me.
Not unpleasant though.
The Sabres Of Paradise
4/5
Yeah it’s slow and boring but that’s the point.
I think I had Wilmot on 10” single. Good times.
Shack
1/5
Jesus, 1999.
Were people still doing this in ‘99?
Blur were forming The Gorilaz, Radiohead had moved on to Kid A, Kasabian were starting out… and Shack were making this.
It’s fine I guess, it’s like a very good pub band but I can’t see any reason for it to be on this list.
I got quite angry that this is included.
Ash
3/5
I remember getting a free tape with NME that have a version of Petrol on it and becoming a fan of Ash from that one song.
Not sure if I had the EP: Trailer or not, but I know I was very excited to buy this album when it come out.
And just like I felt 26 years ago when I listened then, I found this a disappointing experience.
A couple of good singles and some punky energy mixed with the grungy sounds but I don’t recognise any of the album tracks at all.
If think if they took a tip from some of the punk inspirations and kept the songs down to 3 mins I should maintain a 4 star rating but the noisy music and slightly out of tune vocals can’t keep me interested for more than 35mins.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
A solid 4.
Quality country/blues, doesn’t get repetitions but is a bit simple at times.
Listened multiple times over a weekend without getting bored, a couple of tracks started to stick in my mind.
George Harrison
3/5
I guess George deserve a little bit of freedom but this just seems rambling and unfocused - like the worst parts of the White Album.
I think Paul and John were doing important work keeping him reined in.
No reason for this album to go over 100mins (other than self-indulgence).
Heaven 17
3/5
I started off pleasantly surprised by this but my attention soon waned and I lost interest before the end.
Seems to be reasonably ahead of the curve for electro-synth-pop but it’s not a curve I’m super excited to be involved in.
Interesting to read that they are a splinter group from The Human League, very similar Sheffield sounds.
Kraftwerk
4/5
- REVOLUTIONARY!
- ICONIC!
- PIONEERING!
- SEMINAL!
- A BIT BORING!
Sounds like it was more fun to make than it is to listen to.
I’m sure it opened the doors for other electronica to follow but it’s not great on the ears.
I found the flute at the end refreshing.
Burning Spear
3/5
This is all fine.
I think it might be time that I’m not really that bothered about Reggae, I just really like Bob Marley. 😮
The Offspring
3/5
First listen this probably started out as a 4 but as I tried to get to the end of the album I lost interest and everything started blending into one track.
Loads of energy and a fair amount of invention and skill but just not the genre for me.
The Crusaders
4/5
Yes, it’s like being on hold in an elevator, but it’s a pretty mellow, cool elevator.
I think maybe the title track leads us to think the album is going to go one way, but it settles down into something else. I was in the mood for that something else so it worked for me.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
There’s most likely a 5 star album in here somewhere but 2 hours is a long time.
I don’t mind that he sounds like a frog with a sinus infection or that the true moshers claim they are inauthentic rich kids.
I like the blend of tender ballads and dirty grunge, I’ve just not really got the time to listen to 1h20mins of it right now.
Gil Scott-Heron
2/5
Oh just put it on Spotify please.
After revisiting this on YouTube I can conclude it’s not worth the hassle.
Generally annoying, pretty jazzy, slightly stressful, occasionally funky, mostly boring.
Mudhoney
3/5
Tricky one, could honestly be 1 star or 5 stars.
It ugly, aggressive protogrunge. Pioneering, interesting muddy and messy. To the point - yet protracted, fun yet stressful.
Dunno man, 3 I guess?
Radiohead
2/5
Ugh, everything post The Bends is whiny, miserably, boring pap.
Most over rated band ever?
The Who
2/5
I’m not a fan of live albums, I never liked The Who. Not particularly excited to see this one come up.
I found out the original release was 37mins so that certainly help me make it to the end.
I guess it’s pretty Led Zepesque, so that’s probably where the appeal lies. Personally, I’m just not a fan of this post 60s bluesy guitar rock.
George Jones
2/5
Oh yeh that’s country, I don’t really like country.
Pleasant enough if not pretty pedestrian. A couple more upbeat tracks could maybe have pushed it to a 3.
Stereo MC's
4/5
Somewhere between Happy Mondays and East 17, with a sprinkle of The Brand New Heavies. But obviously doing their own thing though.
Nottingham, who knew?
‘92 - a simpler time when you could get away with this naff whiteboy rapping.
A couple of really good singles on there and a lot of decent albums tracks, could benefit from dropping a bit of filler though, get it down to 40mins.
Christine and the Queens
4/5
Yes, I think I’m a fan.
Punchy contemporary euro pop.
Solid production.
The multilingual release is a nice idea.
Personal pronouns aside all very good.
CHIC
4/5
A strong start (obviously) but there just aren’t enough ideas on here to make a full album.
All of the songs get repetitive and boring after a couple of minutes.
Massive bass line from the opener keeps it a 4 stars though.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Still a bit shouty and stressful but starting to grow on me.
Even when they are doing acoustic folk i find my face screws up.
A few mellower tracks in amongst there though.
Pixies
2/5
Ugh, horrible noise.
Saved from 1 star by Where is my Mind and the cover art.
Jurassic 5
5/5
Quality.
This is what Hip Hop has the potential to be.
Funky breaks cut up but matched with slick production.
Amazing flow from a diverse set of rappers.
Intelligent lyrical content with a (generally) positive message.
It could be trimmed down a little, second half falls off a bit.
Still one of the best Hip Hop albums of all time though.
Gene Clark
4/5
I’ve become a bit of an expert on North American acoustic folk rock from 1971 recently. Not by any desire or design, it’s just I’ve signed up to this 101 North American acoustic folk rock from 1971 albums to hear before you die thingy.
To be fair though, this is a particularly decent example.
It reminds me of a lot of songs and ideas that came soon after this, including but not limited to: Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eagles, John Prine. And also brings to mind Paul Simon and Cat Stevens who I already enjoyed.
More enjoyable to me than all the Crosby/Stills/Nash/Young that have been flooding my ears recently.
Radiohead
3/5
I didn’t mind this one.
Certainly wouldn’t describe it as phenomenal, genius or a masterpiece but I listened a few times and it didn’t get on my tits at all.
Deep Purple
4/5
Very cool.
Much more going on than I was expecting. Fun and funky and ahead of it’s time.
The Mars Volta
1/5
Oh god.
This is way more stressful than I need today.
It’s probably “good” but I had to turn it off- no way would I last an hour of this.
Saint Etienne
3/5
This is fine.
I like early 90s UK trip hop, dubby, jazzy, breaky stuff.
This is a decent example but nothing beyond the opening track stands out.
Guided By Voices
3/5
Humm, interesting one.
It’s been a 2 and a 4 for me.
I really like the 28 songs in 41mins and enjoyed the silly 60s Kinks-y qualities.
But
I wish they would have asked and I could have given them another £10 to maybe buy a better mic?
Sure is LoFi.
Gene Clark
3/5
I had another Gene Clark album just last week and was pleasantly surprised.
This one did not exceed my expectations at all though.
It’s ok.
Beatles
4/5
1 - Back in the USSR
2 - Dear Prudence
3 - Ob-la-de, Ob-la-da
4 - While my Guitar Gently Weeps
5 - Happiness is a Warm Gun
6 - Martha my Dear
7 - I’m so Tired
8 - Blackbird
9 - Piggies
10 - I will
11 - Yer Blues
12 - Everybody’s Got Something to Hide
13 - Helter Skelter
14 - Revolution 1
15 - Good Night
Chopped it in half and there’s still a few filler tracks.
Can’t go lower than a 4 though for the great one on there.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
These guys are great, such a vibe to this even on a snowy day in Yorkshire.
Looks like this is kind of the Break Through album, I’ll save my 5 stars for some of their later work which are more jammed full of recognisable hits.
JAY Z
2/5
You have got to admire his confidence, if I looked and sounded like this guy I wouldn’t leave the house.
“I'm the all time heavy weight champion of flowers
I'm leading the league in at least six statistical categories right now
Best flow, Most consistent, Realest stories
Most charisma, I set the most trends
And my interviews are hotter
Holla”
I tend to judge my hip hop on different criteria though:
Flow - normally boring but when he does try to do something interesting it often sounds awkward or forced.
Tone - ugh, I hate his attempts flat singing.
Content - standard wannabe gangster shit.
Production - all the ingredients are the there but it just sounds sterile to me.
I remember friends liking this when it came out but I just don’t see the appeal at all.
Korn
2/5
I can’t really relate to all these emotions
King Crimson
4/5
Prog rock that actually feels progressive. I liked it more that I was expecting to.
De La Soul
5/5
Golden age.
It’s a real shame that quantised and sterilised modern production will never allow this kind of hiphop to be made again.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This is a great example of late 60s/early 70s British bluesy-rock.
There’s a lot of late 60s/early 70s British bluesy-rock on this list.
I’m not a huge fan of late 60s/early 70s British bluesy-rock though.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Yeah, I like this, maybe if I’d grown up with my parents blasting it in the car (like The Beatles or Beach Boys) I might love it.
But I was never much of a Stones fan…. It’s just not as good as Pet Sounds or Revolver is it?
Hot Chip
4/5
They’re good Hot Chip, I should listen to them more.
OutKast
4/5
I really like this, but it’s a bit Pimps and Hoes for my taste.
Production is great, delivery is usually on point and a lot of the content is an interesting take on things.
I just can’t help comparing it to Speakerboxxx/Love Below which I much prefer.
Or things going on with Quanum Projects or J5 at a similar time.
3/5
That’s some epic whining.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
I’m no fan of post punk but this hits all the right notes.
It sits somewhere nicely between The Cure and The Smith with the positive elements of both but none of annoyances.
Brian Wilson
3/5
The back story is maybe a bit better than the end product.
Paul Weller
5/5
He’s got a really interesting career trajectory Paul Weller.
From his Punky teens and early 20s.
His “pretentious” late 20s (I do still like the Style Council btw).
Now we find his more mellow and “mature” mid-30s stuff and it works for me.
He’s a great song writer and I like his tone. Good mix of acoustic tracks and upbeat blue-eyed-soul.
Stuck between a 4 and a 5 but let’s stick this one in the top marks club.
Duke Ellington
2/5
Great swing to this but I can’t stand the tone of those trumpets: shrill and stressful.
Couldn’t make it all the way through.
Alice Cooper
5/5
Lots of cool stuff going on here. Very pioneering and influential for 73.
First listen was a 3, second listen a 4 and found the time to bump it up to 5 with a 3rd spin.
I bet the visual was pretty intense back then too.
The Police
5/5
Lovely punky pop reggae.
Of course covering topics like depression, isolation, prostitution, suicide.
I don’t think we’ll ever get a band like The Police ever again.
Circle Jerks
2/5
Too hardcore for me.
Liked the length though.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Nice.
Rides the line between being weird and interesting without being too much hard work. Mellow but still challenging.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Baby, when I think about you, think about Whoooooopee!
Baby, can’t live without you, and your Whooooopee!
FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ WHOOPEE!
FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ WHOOPEE!
Feel like makin’ whoopee tooooo yooooou.
The Roots
4/5
The best band in Hip Hop.
I really like ?uestLove and the idea of a full, tight and talented hiphop band.
Black thought is great too.
Quality tone, flow and content.
On paper this should be an easy 5, not sure what it is but it doesn’t quite hit for me.
Maybe I need to listen to The Roots more.
Merle Haggard
2/5
Still not a fan of country, this did not change my mind.
I almost fell asleep.
Venom
2/5
Who knew that devil worship, human sacrifice and necromancy could be so boring?
The Yardbirds
4/5
More going on than I was expecting.
Not just bluey 60s rock.
Still doesn’t really have the songs to back up the legacy for me though.
Billy Joel
4/5
Ok sure.
I was never really sure where to place Billy Joel.
I guess this helps me answer that question: good middle of the road pop/rock.
Billie Holiday
2/5
It’s not doing much for me.
I’m not a fan of her tone and as she didn’t write any of these songs I don’t really know what else I can judge it on?
It’s not unpleasant so we’ll go with a 2
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
That’s right, these do seem like the ramblings of a mad man. Not in a particularly bad way, for the first half at least, it’s reasonably palatable.
The second half does seem to lose a bit of focus and I think if I listened to much more of the bonus material, I’d maybe consider reaching for the old fire axe.
Django Django
2/5
Aimless electronic noodling.
It felt like a 3 for a long time but the “harmonies” soon got old and they never quite found a decent chorus.
Massive Attack
3/5
Yeah, Massive Attack are kind of a cooler idea than they are to listen to.
Maybe I’m just not smoking as much these days but it’s all a little boring to me now.
4/5
Glad I got this over the weekend.
Lots to take in and appreciate.
Reckon I might have given this 2 stars if I had this on a weekday.
I still think it protracted and self-indulgent but it’s also clever and even very funky at times.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I am no fan of Bob but maybe I can palate his earlier stuff.
I do love the opening track and the rest seemed less harsh on the ears to what I’m used to.
A lot of rambling nonsense in there though and it is a bit long.
Much closer to a 4 than I’d have expected.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Pretty cool.
Generally enjoyable, creeped towards a 4 once or twice but by the end I was happy to move on.
Johnny Cash
4/5
I’m no fan of live album but this makes sense.
Really tailored for the audience, you can feel the energy in the room.
Damn this guy was prolific, 100 albums in his life time? Maybe milking things a little.
Donovan
3/5
I like this, it’s interesting.
Lots of styles and influences but I don’t love it and it became a bit of a challenge to get to the end.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Tricky one.
I like the general groove but the tone of a trumpet can put me on edge.
The Stooges
3/5
Strong start but quickly got ugly and messy.
Definitely pioneering but maybe dial the drugs back a notch?
Arcade Fire
5/5
Beautifully crafted indie pop. Elements of electro/punk/folk/rock.
The more I listen the higher the mark got.
I’m going to try and find some time to dig in to the rest of their work.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
wow, that's what I call 80s
Haircut 100
4/5
Oh wow, didn’t realise these lads made funk?
A little bit soulless maybe, but funky all the same.
And this was pretty much all they did?
3.5 I think but I’ll round up.
KISS
2/5
Disappointingly soft.
Beatles
5/5
One of the all time greats.
Hard for me to really grasp how revolutionary this might have been 55 years ago.
With these top tier albums I’m sometimes tempted to poke holes or point out the imperfections- I’m not a fan of Doctor Robert- but my 2 year old son has no regard for The Beatles at all but he loves Yellow Submarine, it’s all subjective I guess?
Adam & The Ants
2/5
This is very silly, but not in any kind of charming way.
The rhythm section is decent but it turned into a pretty long and annoying 40mins.
Television
3/5
I can respect this but I don’t like it.
Musically talented, intricate and interesting. I just really don’t like his tone.
It’s a 4 and a 2 so unfortunately have to go right down the middle.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Great lead single but the rest of the album isn’t up to much.
That Stevie love song is weird.
I’m very tempted to mark higher for the legacy and general pioneering influence, but on the song’s presented here I can’t really go higher than a 3
Tom Waits
4/5
Great bluesy instrumentals and the tone - while harsh and abrasive - feels more relatable than it used to. Maybe I’m getting old and cynical.
N.E.R.D
4/5
Remember back in the early 2000s when everything sounded like The Neptunes or NERD or Pharrell?
I really didn’t like that homogeneous and generic times in pop. A lot of it sounds really sleazy to me.
Well turns out these lads were capable of much more and have some very jazzy ideas.
I guess if pop stars keep turning up at your studio, offering thousands of dollars for the next sleazy, generic hit, who can blame them for grabbing the cash?
Johnny Cash
3/5
I had San Quentin a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it.
This time the novelty has worn off a little and I found the joking about battery and murder a bit distasteful.
The Prodigy
4/5
I want to give this 5 stars and say it’s the best dance album of all time…
But
A lot of the songs do sound very similar so at an hour long, it got pretty boring at times.
Still some absolute bangers on here but you shouldn’t have to skip the second half of tunes on a 5 star album.
Napalm Death
2/5
Definitely not what I would normally listen to.
I was in a bit of an odd mood, so I guess this kind of worked for me.
Glad to see it was only 30mins though - any longer and it might have started to grate.
Janet Jackson
3/5
I kind of like the Princesque clunky swing of the production.
I’ve no problem with her pointing out the inequities of the world - sounds like she did a lot of charity work to back it up.
But over all, like it don’t love it. I’m not sure I did the full hour, even over the course of a weekend.
Blondie
5/5
Such a great album.
I’ve had a couple on here where I just can’t understand how people aren’t giving 5s.
I mean maybe it loses a tiny bit of momentum in the middle, but the 5 killer singles must be worth at least a 4?
It just a perfect mix of punk/pop/rock/. Love it.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Lots to like on here but I just can’t love it.
It’s great that Native Tongue were taking this alternative route from what moved towards gangster rap.
The production is funky, playful yet pretty tight for 1990.
Q-Tip is undoubtedly incredibly talented I’m just not a fan of his tone and his flow gets a little samey, Fife doesn’t bring much contrast.
Just can’t make it to a 5 for me.
Scritti Politti
2/5
Started off with a bit of potential but quickly became just a background annoyance.
David Bowie
2/5
Oh wow, and I thought the first side was boring and uninspired… then the B side kicks in…
This guy’s music just can’t live up to the legendary status for me.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Paul’s one of the all time greats and this is a good offering from him.
I like how he switches things about midtrack.
A few songs aren’t super memorable but it’s a good album and a fun listen.
Love
2/5
I feel like this might have all the elements to be a 5 star album in there somewhere:
There’s some whirling organ in there, funky flute, protopunk yet jazzy vibes.
Ooh but the delivery really isn’t doing it for me, I’m not usually one to use the word as an insult but damn this shit is gay at times.
Interesting to read that She Comes in Colours came before She’s Like a Rainbow though. Seems like one had a pretty heavy influence over the other, but I would have guessed it was the other way around.
Side one could almost make it to half marks but the 20min shouty jam on the B-side is not my bag at all.
Harry Nilsson
5/5
Sweet Birthday Baby!
I got into this album after listening to the opening track over and over again through Russian Doll and then discovered the rest of the album was full of killer tracks too.
Maybe a bit of a generous 5 but as it’s on pretty regular rotation in my house seems only fair.
Traffic
4/5
This one took me by surprise.
The first half was on course for 5 stars, with the jazzy organ and flute combo. I think I knew Steve Winwood was in Traffic but didn’t quite track his trajectory. I like his 80s yacht rock, and this is just as tight but much more real and organic.
It lost the momentum for me on the second side and settled down to more of the standard ‘71 folk shit that this list is flooded with.
Still a solid 4 stars though.
3/5
Nice enough.
I’m not a big fan of country but this was fine.
The White Stripes
3/5
It’s a great start to an album.
Maybe the best opening riff of them all?
But can the rest of the album maintain that simplistic genius of those first 16 notes?
No, not for me.
I like the striped back, 8 track ethos but it’s a bit sparse for me. Didn’t really maintain my attention to the end.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Nice enough in the background.
Missy Elliott
2/5
I dunno. Just not doing it for me.
It’s ahead of the time for ‘97 for sure, but it’s non of the elements of hip hop I enjoy.
Despite her assertions - she’s just not very good at wrapping, I don’t like the jiggy RnB vibes and I find the production sterile and boring.
Unfortunately, this might have helped set the mould for more bland uninspired hip hop to come.
Tito Puente
4/5
I know the accusations were spurious and I’m not sure if he was ever even charged with anything, but the incident in ‘95 the attempted murder of a local businessman has kind of tarnished his reputation for me.
Still made some good tunes before he was embroiled in that drama.
D'Angelo
2/5
Oooph, this is way too jiggy for me.
Even with the “jazzy” instruments and the “smooth” vocals it somehow still ends up soulless.
Khaled
2/5
I dunno man, maybe it’s cultural bias or straight up xenophobia but I find his guttural tone so harsh and ugly.
I don’t mind a lot of the production, I enjoyed C’est la Nuit and I think Imagine works.
But the meat of this 2 hour album is unpleasant for me.
Adele
5/5
Brilliant start, beautiful end, can the rest of the album maintain the standard to get top marks?
Yes, just about.
It lulls a little in the middle but still some quality tunes in there.
She is a national treasure and one of the best artist of the 21st century.
Morrissey
2/5
I can usually separate the man from the music but Morrissey sounds like such an insufferable twat I can’t get past it.
Always surprised by how decent the tunes are though.
Yes
3/5
The last Yes album I had climbed from a 2 to a 4 over a weekend of listening.
I probably really like this one too, if I had the time to put the effort in - jazzy, funky, folky - but should you have to “put the effort in”?
Silver Jews
1/5
Hate is a strong word but this is almost getting there, man.
I’m not a fan of Lou Reed at the best of times so right off the bat this Poundshop Velvet Underground is rubbing me the wrong way.
The music is nice enough but his tone and faux poetic lyrics sound pretentious as fuck.
Thankfully they ran out of “ideas” quickly and had the decency to piss off in just over half and hour.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I like Peter Gabriel and I guess I have generally positive feelings about gated reverb on drums but I was disappointed by this one.
I gave PG1:Car 5 stars a couple of months ago and was looking forward to hearing more from him.
But I found this offering a bit dull and droning, no Salisbury Hill or Sledgehammer to elevate it past middle marks.
XTC
4/5
This one took me by surprise, I think I had these lads pegged as annoying 80s synth pop but they are closer to 10cc than ABC.
Loving how blasphemous the last track is, loads of interesting production going on. The vocals irk me a little though, maybe I need a few more listens to become a proper fan.
4/5
I wasn’t pleased when I saw a psych album from 1970, as we’ve had plenty of those already but this is a good one.
Weird enough to be interesting but still tight with focus and direction.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
It’s a great Dance Album.
But Dance Albums aren’t great to listen to…
It’s era defining in its own way - I was just getting into mixing around this time so I’m surprised we didn’t have a copy of this kicking around.
I guess I never could really dance to this kind of stuff, so what’s the what’s the point in dance music you can’t dance to? Maybe?
I’d love to find out how he made this using 3.5’ floppy disks though!
Aphex Twin
2/5
I wonder if any songs didn’t make the cut because they were too engaging?
I’ve never been a huge fan of Aphex Twin, although a lot of my “smart” friends seem to love him. Either boring or unpleasantly aggressive.
I officially don’t get it.
Lou Reed
1/5
I really dislike this, it’s a 1 or a 2. The question is do I hate it or not?
Like the smell of petrol, I keep coming back from more. I had it over a weekend so had plenty of opportunity to listen.
It’s got all the annoyances of Transformer or Banana but non of the stand out tracks.
The music sounds less amateur though with Jack Bruce and Steve Winwood in the squad.
I like Lou’s tone, he’s got a soothingly smooth singing voice.
But the lyrics and rhyme schemes are just so bad, it’s like my toddler is making it up as he goes.
I hate it.
But I kind of love to hate it.
Pentangle
3/5
More to enjoy here than I was expecting.
Yes, it’s very ‘rural’ folk but the guitar work is pretty funky- almost sounds like slap bass?
Nothing I will revisit though.
Klaxons
4/5
I’d like to love this but I’m not quite there.
A couple of great singles but non of the other album tracks really grabbed me.
Of that time but just not as catchy as MGMT- interesting to read that this album came out first though.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
What an absolute ugly mess.
This is not good music, I do not enjoy listening to this.
Randy Newman
4/5
Bit of a funny one, kind of smooth and easy but with something to say.
Didn’t expect so many N bombs getting dropped here.
It made me tap my toes and smile a few times along the way.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
I was tempted to give it a 3 - I’ve never liked Pet Shop Boys but I didn’t mind listening to this.
But then realising that the “stand out single” is a cover? Knock it down to a 2, I’m just not a fan.
The Stooges
2/5
First go I thought this was just a shouty ugly mess.
I relistened and found there are some occasional funky grooves buried away in there but they get over shadowed by the horrid ugly mess.
Destiny's Child
4/5
Obviously iconic and era defining, but I’m still not sure about the message.
I remember mocking the idea of boasting about “buying my own shoes” back in the day.
Listening now the slut shaming of Nasty Gurl caught my attention.
Some weird disconnects and/or hypocrisy in play here.
X-Ray Spex
2/5
I was starting to warm to this, it does have an infectious energy I guess.
But when I listen a little more closely to the individual elements, is just so simple.
At least one track has all of the instruments and the vocals just the same 6 note riff over and over.
These people are not talented song writers.
The Fall
3/5
I’m not a fan of punk and I’m certainly not a fan of PostPunk but this kind of makes sense. A more cynical and considered side of punk.
I think I don’t really understand the genre, all the attitude but none of the energy? What is the point?
But yeah, this works.
Still don’t really like it but at least I get it.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
I feel like if we’re just going to make up random do-do for our lyrics it really wouldn’t be that hard to make it rhyme?
I don’t think Kool Keith is a very good rapper.
I do like some of the production - Bear Witness still stands out, but the skits are pure garbage.
Also, pretty rapey.
TLC
2/5
This is decent mid nineties R&B.
I don’t really like mid nineties R&B.
I listened to 40mins on the way to work and back and had no real desire to hear the remaining 20.
Björk
4/5
Björk is great and this seems like a fine album.
Nothing standing out to grab my attention like her earlier stuff but still a pleasant listen.
Tom Waits
4/5
I wanna drink whiskey and smoke cigarettes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
5/5
Intriguing.
I’m not a massive fan of his tone but everything thing else is working for me.
I feel like this definitely deserves further listening so I’m giving a soft 5 to keep it in from getting lost amongst the other 4s
Lucinda Williams
3/5
I came in with low expectations of enjoying this but it held more appeal than I assumed it would.
90s female county?
Oh yeah Sheryl Crow, that kind of thing…
There are some good tunes in here and the cynical curled lip works for me but there’s a repetitive formula to the choruses that’s keeping this down to middle marks.
k.d. lang
2/5
I don’t know what I was expecting from K.D Lang but it wasn’t that.
I thought she was grunge or something.
But a debut album of covers?
Whatever the genre is lame.
Lambchop
2/5
Oh my gosh and golly that’s pedestrian!
Horrifically soporific.
Neil Young
4/5
I appreciate that it puts me on the wrong side of history but… Sweet Home Alabama is a much better song than Southern Man, right?
There are some beautiful moments on this album but it’s also pretty whiny and nasal.
Also, Spotify.
Scissor Sisters
5/5
Great fun.
Completely gay in the very best way.
Kate Bush
2/5
Despite how quirky, unique, iconic and influential she maybe be, I find the music pretty boring.
At some point this album went from background indifference to active annoyance, so 2 stars it is.
Gotan Project
3/5
This was ok.
I would probably have been interested in this if was released a few years earlier when I was into DJing “cool music” at “cool bars”.
Not very exciting to me in 2023 though.
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
Decent.
Feels a bit like a better take on the Stones’ Sticky Fingers, but I’m no expert.
Mike Ladd
2/5
Just found this a bit boring.
Jazzy but dull.
Started skipping tracks to make it to the end.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Epic, poetic and very boring.
Was this just the same song for an hour?
Van Morrison
4/5
Ooh, double live album?
Seems like a recipe for disaster to me, especially with how disappointed I’ve been with previous Van Morrison albums on here.
But wait, Jazzy, Funky, Soulful.
Well recorded, tightly performed and with extra spirit and life.
A little shorter (trim the covers) and that’s a 5.
Soft Cell
2/5
Disappointing.
Tainted Love is such a tune, but the rest of the album seems to be standard early 80s Yorkshire electro.
Interesting to learn that they did the original of Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.
Patti Smith
2/5
No, I never got Patti Smith.
I just don’t like her tone, the content just seems like a rambling stream of consciousness.
Not for me thanks.
🍣
David Ackles
2/5
It’s not “found it’s audience” with me.
Weird, affected show tunes.
The White Stripes
2/5
Too simple.
There’s a good reason bands don’t have less than 3 members.
I guess I like the DIY punk ethos but the songs are too sparse.
There is some good song writing buried away in there to just about save it from the 1 star club.
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
I was really not in the mood for another 60s psych album but it ended up enjoyable enough.
A bit sloppy at times but occasionally funky as well.
I’m just not on enough psychotropic drugs for this right now.
Blue Cheer
2/5
I was reading recently about Jimi Hendrix’s studio antics.
Full of party people and revelry but a meticulous perfectionist to get the take he wanted.
Feels like Blue Cheers had the party part nailed but not quite the same dedication to ensuring the quality of output.
GZA
5/5
While Wu Tang Clan are one of my favourite hiphop “groups” and Liquid Swords is one of the best solo albums, this is on the fence between a 4 and a 5 for me.
I guess I just can’t relate to all of this content anymore.
Flows are good, production is nice…
I’ll give it a 5 for old time’s sake.
Jeru The Damaja
4/5
Some great noises coming out of NYC back in nineteen ninety three.
The Shamen
2/5
Boss Drum is already on here, right?
Yeah, it’s kind of ridiculous that The Shamen have two albums on here.
Not an awful album but does not deserve to be on this list.
Pantera
3/5
I used to hate this kind of thing.
Now I can appreciate the skill but it’s still not what I’d listen to by choice.
Could honestly be a 2 or a 4, depending if I’m feeling like judging objectively or subjectively.
Let’s split the diff
Nick Drake
2/5
Not much going on for me here.
Maybe the lyrics are beautifully poetic or something, but after a cursory listen (or two) if felt a little basic.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Time and a place for everything I guess.
If I was wanting to extract state secrets from foreign nationals with loose regard for international human rights: this is a real winner!
Listen in the background while I cook my tea? Not so appropriate.
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Riding the line between a 3 and a 4.
It’s just all a bit too epic and cinematic for me, ChiTown/post Kanye production I guess.
The lyrics and flow are cool, always loved Kick Push (as a skater).
And I feel the core concept is a bit daft - like, there’s bad food and and Liquor is pretty great some times?
TV On The Radio
1/5
Ugh, horrible discordant noodling nonsense.
Extra disappointing because I enjoyed Dear Science.
Do they really deserve 2 albums on this list?
PJ Harvey
2/5
Powerful, primal, raw and visceral.
And really not that enjoyable or pleasant on the ears.
Christina Aguilera
4/5
I somehow feel a bit sorry for her here, maybe she’s a victim of her own success?
As a teen pop superstar phenomena I’ve never really taken her seriously.
She’s devastatingly attractive, has a massive voice, she is writing all her own stuff and working with brilliant producers.
But it is still a bit too pop for me.
I get the feeling this album will catch some hate on here, but if you can get past the perfect pop packaging she’s a very talented artist and there are some good tunes on here.
The Associates
2/5
Gothic synth-pop.
Cure-sure Club?
Not something I want in my life right now, thanks.
Barry Adamson
4/5
Interesting one.
Jazzy, harrowing, boring, funky, weird, annoying.
Skipped through a few but generally enjoyable.
Pere Ubu
1/5
I was hoping to pass this off a amateurish and give it 2 starts, but no, it’s fucking annoying.
The Undertones
3/5
Decent punk.
Teenage Kicks is a classic, another couple of standout tracks, a little bit of organ and the odd funky bass solo.
It does get very samey though and the singer’s vibrato gets annoying.
Steely Dan
5/5
I don’t think I’m a Steely Dan Fan, but this album is great.
I remember being bored by Katy Lied and Pretzel Logic as a child, I enjoyed The Nightfly - not sure I was aware of the connection back then.
Their debut seems to have hit the perfect note for me between interesting and catchy. Maybe as they moved on they got more intricate and less “poppy”.
Whatever happened, this one is full of brilliant songs that I could listen to all day.
Goldie
2/5
Award for the most ironic name goes to: Goldie.
It’s not Timeless at all but in fact extremely dated.
But it’s also pretty iconic.
I think it’s a bit of a disservice to have it on a list like this, next to The Undertones one day and Elton John the next.
This is dance music and it’s not really designed to listen to as an album (I don’t think so anyway).
Is it an important album? Yes.
Is it a pioneering album? Yes.
Do I want to listen to it all? No.
Maybe one isolated track, in the mix, while on drugs, in a sweaty club, but not for 2 hours in the kitchen while I cook tea.
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
Not at all excited to see another UK album from 1981 but there’s actually a lot to like here.
Building on the foundations, this is a kind of post-punk I can get behind.
Curled lip attitude but with a bit of skill and craft going into it.
I can hear a lot of other artists taking influence from these guys including: The Cult, Billy Bragg, The Libertines, Ride, Green Day and I’m sure many more.
The Byrds
2/5
Do not need another Byrds album on here.
Madness
3/5
What happened to you Madness?
You used to be fun.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
Are supergroups always disappointing?
This starts off sounding like they are already bored of their own music.
It picks up a little towards the end but too little too late.
Nina Simone
4/5
Very talented and powerful but I just don’t love her tone of voice, which holds this back to 4 stars.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Nice idea I guess, and the music is alright.
Some nice - if not already well established - ideas in there.
I think I’d probably go a mark higher if they tracks were half as long, wrapped up in 2mins and moved along. Simple folk ditties don’t need dragging out over 5 minutes.
I do get the feeling that Billy might be a bit of an insufferable, proto-woke hypocrite though. If you go so far to the left, can you actually end up doing a full loop and end up at the far right?
“I will not tolerate intolerance”
Dirty Projectors
1/5
I was looking good for setting off to work on time.
I don’t normally make a sandwich but today I was taking a packed lunch.
Cheese, ham and pesto.
I buttered the bread and opened the cheese - a pack of pre-grated mozzarella.
We only bought it at the weekend and opened it a couple of days ago but parts of it have turned blue and fluffy.
So I’m sifting through this bag of cheese, trying to find the parts worth keeping and isolate the rancid parts that are trying to make me ill.
Is this what my life has come to in 2023?
I make my sandwich, but now I’m running late so have to rush to work.
I put my ear phones in to listen to my album of the day…
Nirvana
3/5
Oooh these guys peaked.
Nevermind is just so fucking good the only way was down.
Yeah, it’s grungy, and punky and messy - which really isn’t my thing but also half the tracks on here are just pretty forgettable.
Elis Regina
3/5
Nice, jazzy and funky in the background if a little forgettable
The Cult
2/5
Seems like very standard ‘87 cock-rock to me.
I assumed The Cult were more interesting than this?
Culture Club
3/5
Far more tolerable than I was expecting. Even pretty enjoyable at times.
Karma Chameleon is a certified banger.
I wish they would be a little bit more explicit in their lyrics though, how exactly do you destroy a baby?
The Triffids
3/5
I don’t hate this nearly as much as you guys.
Just feels like a second rate INXS.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Sounds like she’s a few felines short of a cattery.
Shrill and stressful - not for me.
The Birthday Party
1/5
I think part of me respects that they’re just doing what they want to do, but it sure ain’t pleasant on the ear holes.
The White Stripes
2/5
There’s probably enough ideas on here to make a decent EP, but not enough to warrant a full album.
Like their other 2 records on here, it’s all a bit sparse for me.
No way should they have 3 albums on this list.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Not really in the mood for hippy dippy fairy folk today but this was … fine.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
I’d be interested to know the “music” to “stupid ass noise” ratio of this one.
At 30mins, even the small amount of “music” on here isn’t any good.
There’s a lot of weird, unpleasant shit on this list.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I must be missing something here.
Songs seem forgettable, the random pitch changes are annoying, I guess the lyrics are kinda poetic but nothing special.
I’m off to listen to Tapestry on Spotify.
Simple Minds
3/5
Seems like decent synth pop.
Honestly just didn’t make much of an impression on me, nothing offended, nothing stood out.
Can
5/5
Very unexpected 5.
I would not predict give full marks to avant-garde, kraut-rock but here we are.
Jazzy, ambient, weird but accessible.
Sounds like a lot of the Ninja Tune stuff or Beastie Boy tracks I was listening to 25 years later.
R.E.M.
3/5
As soon as this started I was like: “Good, R.E.M, they’re decent aren’t they? Sounds like an easy 4”.
And it just couldn’t quite live up to this modest expectation. By the end I was bored and everything felt a little “down” somehow.
I’d like to like them but I’m just not a fan.
Os Mutantes
3/5
I’m not normally a fidelity snob, but pretty sure this was recorded by sellotaping some grease proof paper over a bucket.
Cool vibe but a bit hash on the ears.
Genesis
4/5
Quintessential 70s prog silliness.
I wasn’t looking forward to playing this but I enjoyed it more than Pink Floyd/ Yes etc.
Maybe doesn’t take itself that seriously so ends up closer to The Kinks than King Crimson?
Brian Eno
2/5
Boring.
I know boring is a super boring descriptive term to use but there’s just not a lot going on here.
I’d cruise down the middle with a three if I could find anything to differentiate between the tracks but it sounds like the same idea spread out across the album.
It’s inoffensive, I’ll give it that.
Faust
4/5
I guess I completely misunderstood Krautrock. I was imagining leather jackets and shouting but I was way off.
Funky, jazzy, experimental electro.
It doesn’t always “land” with me, but at least there’s always something interesting going on.
Stan Getz
4/5
Very smooth.
Very mellow.
Maybe just a tiny bit boring.
I just wish that there was any time in my life right now (a middle aged, farther in Yorkshire) where listening to this was appropriate to what I was doing.
It’s not really walking to work in the rain or doing the washing up style music.
Taylor Swift
4/5
Haters gunna hate hate hate.
Great pop album, there’s a couple of brilliant singles on here.
One star wankers stay mad.
Fiona Apple
4/5
I like it but can’t love it.
She’s very talented.
Not sure what genre this is but the mix of grunge/triphop/blues is very cool. I like her tone.
Something just not quite doing it for me to push it to full marks though.
Sheryl Crow
4/5
More going on than I was expecting.
I had her chalked as country pop but this jumping about genres. It feels mature but with a good sense of fun.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
🥱
I don’t think I got to the end of this, it got really samey really quickly.
Bauhaus
3/5
I’ve not had an industrial post punk album from 1981 for a few weeks actually!
Didn’t mind this: moody, gothic, experimental but the fact remains.
I don’t like post punk.
G. Love & Special Sauce
4/5
Oh wow, why have I never heard of this before?
First song it’s on for an easy 5 stars.
Laid back jazzy white boy hiphop.
But it got old real quick, very little variation throughout the album drags it down to a 4.
Super interesting to hear that this predated Beck and Fun Loving Criminals by a good few years through
The Only Ones
4/5
The most painful 4 I’ll ever give.
I love the music here: (jazzy punk?)
But his tone does really does hurt my ears.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Not what I was expecting, i thought these guys were simple, shouty, guitar based punk.
But no, more 2009, 6 Music, electro, ballad pop.
It’s good but not great, I like it but I don’t love it.
The United States Of America
3/5
Wow, this is a whacked out hippy mess, but kind of in a good way.
Seems a shame to give it a 3, because it’s far from average.
But a lot of this is cool experimental psychedelia and a lot is ridiculous silly noise.
I guess it’s reasonable to expect a bit of overlap with those 2 things.
Mj Cole
2/5
What kind of egomaniac thinks that there’s enough good material here for a 71 minute album?
There’s a decent half hour, maybe.
Somewhere in there there’s a Motown/Marvin Gaye idea, and it kind of works. I quite enjoyed the little bit of MCing when I came up, but there is so much filler on here.
And how would you dance to this?
Maybe I not taking enough cocaine to really get into it?
Kanye West
1/5
I just love the idea of God going to a French ass restaurant and getting all pissy because his pastries are delayed.
This guy is so out of touch with reality.
Are you really going to sample Strange Fruit to brag about your watches and car?
What an egotistical twat.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I really enjoyed The Suburbs by these guys recently, but this didn’t make much of an impression on me.
Decent, but no outstanding tracks for me.
The Verve
2/5
Big yawn.
It’s OK indie but it does it need to be an hour long and do we really need two albums from these lads on this list?
Stephen Stills
3/5
1/50 I reckon.
Give or take, there’s 20 CSNY albums on here. So for every 49 albums you’re going to get a Byrds album, or something similar. I think that’s too many.
This one had a lot of good moments- wah wah guitars and funky organs- but didn’t really seem to have any direction. Pick a genre and and trim it down to 40mins.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I never knew Jeff Buckley’s dad was black.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
I love Elvis Costello.
He’s maybe my favourite.
I’m listening to him a lot at the moment.
I know this is one of his biggest albums, and it’s super important in his trajectory… but I just don’t love this album.
The military/political lyrics rub me the wrong way and his simpering whine is extra obnoxious at times.
A few of the track sounds very similar.
I’m on the fence for a 4 or a 5.
It does have 4 outstanding tracks on it, oh no wait, what’s so funny is an American addition.
It pains me to do it but it’s getting a 4
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
This seems like a pretty average country album.
I don’t really like country.
Love
4/5
Here’s another icon album that I’ve not heard all the way through before doing this project.
But I get the appeal of this one (I’ve found most of the other “classics” on here couldn’t live up to their reputation.)
I think if I became more familiar with this I could really get into it. On a first listen it’s an easy four.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Oh, it’s like a boring Madonna or a slightly lame Cranberries.
I like that cover version she did.
Grizzly Bear
4/5
I liked this.
Nothing exciting or outstanding but nice in the background, I’d like to listen to more.
Ghostface Killah
5/5
Ghostface might be my favourite rapper of all time.
Also great to see Americans embracing the metric system.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
The epitome of post punk.
All of the talent and charm of punk with non of the energy or excitement.
Dolly Parton
4/5
I don’t really like grunge - but Kurt Cobain was a genius.
I’m not really a big fan of reggae - but Bob Marley wrote amazing songs.
Country is one of my least favourite genres - but you’ve got to respect (if not love) Dolly.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Interesting to find out that most of their “hits” that I know and hate came after their main talent disappeared into a pit of his own depression and angst.
Turns out the original line up was dark as fuck and pretty legit.
Unfortunately, the sound reminds me too much of their later Faux-poetic shite. But at least now I’m aware their earlier work was authentic.
Youssou N'Dour
2/5
Nice enough vibe but I don’t really enjoy his tone.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
3 great tracks on here - (so good I though it might be late Beatles/early Wings) and a bit of experimental mess. Nothing so whacked out it that ruined the album though.
A solid 4. My most enjoyable Velvet Underground experience so far.
Tom Waits
2/5
Nar, fuck that noise.
Hole
2/5
Shouty and stressful.
I really don’t like her tone.
The Prodigy
5/5
Ah man, I used to dance…
Iggy Pop
4/5
It’s 77 and Iggy has already transcended punk.
It’s got the attitude and energy but feels well composed and deftly performed.
I’m not really a fan of “punk” but this feels like something more.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
First couple of tracks I was worried that this was going to be pleasant but pedestrian forgettable folk.
But then Marlene On The Wall really jumped out, grabbed my attention and gave me high hopes for the rest of the album… and then… settled back into pleasant pedestrian forgettable folk.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
I thought i was enjoying this, with the mix of genres and skilled jamming.
Then I tried actually listening to it, and then i became pretty boring and self indulgent.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
I was excited to hear this after scanning through a few reviews: something a bit fresh and contemporary. But, then listening it never really grabbed me. All good but nothing outstanding.
John Martyn
4/5
I really like this.
Big mix up of genres and styles.
Funky Folk, great instrumentation and I’ve not got any big issues with his tone.
I’m not quite sure it’s a full 5 stars though - I like it for folk but it’s no Stevie Wonder…
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
Too much Honky not enough Tonk.
Maybe trim it down a bit lads? The songs don’t do much and all sound pretty similar, not sure you’ve got 2 hours of material here.
The Who
2/5
I’ve never really got The Who.
Decent concept here, but not great songs and it all feels very messy.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
However much I listen, I can’t seem to bring myself to give a shit about Joni Mitchell.
The Streets
2/5
I should be the perfect demographic for this: white boy, into hip hop, taking pills, pulling girls, drinking beers, early 20s when this came out.
So theoretically it should speak to me…
And while it is a cool concept, and I did listen a few times… GOSH, the delivery is annoying.
Big Star
4/5
The timeline where The Beatles went to Rehab rather than Rishikesh in 68.
But do we want more Helps or do we want more Revolvers?
The Killers
4/5
I’ve previously been quoted as saying “Mr Brightside is the greatest song of all time” and I do think that can be true is specific situations: getting ready to go out, wedding dance floors, long car journeys etc.
But as an album, on a grey Wednesday morning on the way to work, I was just not in the mood for this.
808 State
2/5
The thing about, Revolver (for example) is it doesn’t matter what year it is or what drugs you’re on, there’s just good music on there.
Yeah, they were on acid, yeah it was ground breaking for the time but I can listen to it today and simply enjoy the songs.
I feel like without the context of the year and the drugs, 90 by 808 State isn’t very engaging to me.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Even Jimi Hendrix can’t elevate this beyond a ‘Meh’.
Started off with potential as I recognised and enjoyed the gospel banger Love The One You’re With, but it steadily declined into disappointment from there.
I’m really sick of the CSNY axis of boring now.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
I don’t like Rocky Horror, I don’t like glam rock, I don’t particularly like this.
Minutemen
4/5
Jazz Punk is a cool idea.
I didn’t make it through 45 tracks but I like what I heard.
Solange
2/5
I was kind of on board with this for 20mins or so but it really doesn’t do much or go anywhere.
All a bit muted, sparse and whispered. Not very exciting at all.
Ali Farka Touré
1/5
I just don’t like many of these noises.
Never liked harmonics, the guitar is very “twangy” and I find his nasally vocals unpleasant.
Turned this off half way through.
1/5
Yes this is unpleasant garbage but for some reason I was compelled to listen all the way through.
So dark, so edgy, so shit.
50 Cent
1/5
This is so shit.
A real nail in the coffin of hip hop.
Tone - monotone, he sounds bored of himself, but then… occasional out of tune singing!
Flow - generic and uninspired.
Production - lazy and repetitive.
Lyrics - complete gangster garbage.
I hate that this was so popular.
MC Solaar
5/5
Oh this is dope!
1991? This is really good.
Flow - lots of lyrical gymnastics going on, switching up styles almost every track.
Tone - very cool, French accent works for me.
Production - so clean for ‘91. Jazzy loops, top quality scratching, great variation between tracks.
Lyrical content - hard to tell, but it feels pretty positive.
The level of skill on this compared to 50cent yesterday is almost incomparable, hiphop is a funny old genre.
Anita Baker
2/5
Big yawn.
If this is adult contemporary then give me something juvenile and retro because this crap sparks no interest in me whatsoever.
(Anita Ward did Ring my Bell - now that’s a tune.)
Dennis Wilson
4/5
I love The Beach Boys but how do they evolve and can they stay relevant in the late 70s?
Didn’t Surfs Up kind of wrap this all up?
Yeh, this is still a good listen, enough talent and interesting experimental stuff to deserve a spot on this list.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
I’m not as into soul as I used to be, but she is one of the all time greats and this is a brilliant album.
The Pretty Things
2/5
This seems ok, but I was just not in the mood for a 60 psychedelic concept album yesterday.
Beach House
4/5
Yes, dreamy and ethereal.
Worked for me on a rainy Tuesday walk to work.
Green Day
5/5
Great fun, simpler times.
I want to be 14 again and really into skateboarding.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Bob Marley is one of the all time greats and this is one of their best albums.
That second side is just so good.
Everything is so easy to like.
Otis Redding
4/5
I assumed I’d love this but it doesn’t quite hit as well as I was expecting.
I generally prefer the Sam Cooke originals and Respect sure has a different vibe to it when delivered by a dude.
Still great but not the slam dunk 5 I thought it would be.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
A very pleasant surprise.
I didn’t have high hopes, I know the name and guess I had some preconceptions about what they would sound like, but it’s pretty bad-ass.
Somewhere between Guns and Roses and Nirvana. Like a fun and clean type of grunge? A little bit Chilli Peppers funky at times.
Fuck it 5 stars
The Stone Roses
5/5
Love this album.
All the elements are just so strong.
Amazing rhythm section driving these tracks.
John Squire is all over the place. Hendrix at times floaty shoegaze at times.
Sure, Ian Brown can’t sing but he may well be a genius (Waterfall/Don’t Stop is maybe cleverest combo ever).
I guess listening now, it does drop off a little in the middle, but that’s possible just because the start and end are so damn good.
In my top 5 of all time.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
This album is pretty standard fare ‘67 hippy pop. Somewhere between The Monkees and The Beatles.
The most interesting thing is my evolving understanding of what a Paul Revere is.
I think I first formed an opinion from the Beastie Boys track where Mic D does the sheriff’s daughter with a wiffleball bat. Paul Revere is a horse in this song? And it’s in the Wild West? Dunno.
Maybe I always knew he was some sort of historical figure.
At some point I became aware that there was a band called Paul Revere & The Riders.
Yesterday morning i found out that there were a 60s boy band somewhere between The Monkees and The Beatles.
I also read the Wiki page for the historical figure. It turns out he was a whiny little grass.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Very cool vibes (especially for teens in ‘63) but it does get a little samey after 20mins or so.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
In the Garden of Eden - 1968
Sunshine of your Love - 1967
At least I get The Simpsons reference now
The KLF
4/5
I got this on Christmas Day so didn’t really get to the time to listen properly.
There’s obviously a lot more going on than a ‘normal’ early 90s dance album but I can’t really comment from what I heard.
Will try and listen properly and read up on all the weird mythology that they invent around this album when I get some spare time.
The Fall
2/5
I think I previously gave a The Fall album a favourable rating because it “wasn’t too bad for a post punk album”.
I just don’t like post punk and can’t be arsed to give another 45mins of my life to it today.
Van Halen
4/5
Serious fun.
I do love a lot about this but it’s maybe just not got the killer tracks to push it to a 5.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
It’s very nice and the story behind the recording is cool but… it’s a bit dull isn’t it?
Wire
3/5
I’m sure this is very influential and pioneering as some kind of proto-post-punk but I’m not really into punk or post punk so don’t really care all that much.
Not unpleasant.
Buzzcocks
3/5
Yeah, sure.
4 lads from Bolton in their 20s, making in tunes in 1978.
I get the idea.
Jacques Brel
3/5
Feels like I maybe losing a bit in translation here.
Apparently the physical show of this performance was quite the spectacle and obviously I don’t understand all of the lyrics. But either way, it’s not capturing my attention.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Oh 60s psych.
I thought I didn’t mind this on headphones while walking, then listened again on Alexa and I think she might have been playing 2 songs at once but I’m not sure.
It’s pretty bad that I couldn’t tell though.
Nick Drake
3/5
I read some reviews and wiki pages before listening and decided I was going to be a fan.
But unfortunately, the music had very little impact on me. All very forgettable.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
1971 you are wild.
This got to number 3 in the albums charts? What a time!
Makes me want to start a punk band (I don’t like punk, but I kind of enjoyed this).
Rod Stewart
2/5
Top Shagger.
I’ve never liked Rod but I guess this album helped me understand the appeal a little. It does kind of rock out in a shitty early 70s way.
I think a lot of his fame rests on his tone and his persona (he helped write less than half the tracks on here) and I just don’t like either.
But this is peak Rod Stewart and I found it tolerable edging towards enjoyable at times.
LL Cool J
4/5
Very cool James. I like it a lot but don’t quite love it.
Nice old school production from Marly Marl. Clean simple and funky.
Smooth tone with good gusto.
Fun, braggadocios lyrics.
Interesting flow for 90.
Just a little bit silly and jiggy for a full 5 stars.
Public Enemy
5/5
Chuck D is just so good on this.
He’s got so much to say and he says it in such a cool way.
I like Flava Flav as contrast and comic relief.
The production is a bit more problematic though. I’ve had an argument about how messy PE beats are before- compared to say Prince Paul, Eric B, E-Z Rock etc. But Ruff Rugged Raw tracks do kind of make sense with the urgency of the lyrics.
A little bit more filler than I remember (I guess I used to just skip over the boring instrumental loop tracks) but still one of the most important recordings of all time.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Well this is a funny one…
His signature tone and poetry are there as ever but what about the production?
Is it a bit of a joke? I’m really not sure but it works for me. The silly cheese of the 80s synth somehow elevates the gravity of his gravely voice and the two extremes meet happily in the middle to approach something like catchy “pop” songs.
Gram Parsons
2/5
I’ve never liked country music.
This is a good example of why.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Other than establishing themselves on the scene as The Bad Boy Beatles, there’s not much of note here really. A bunch of blues covers doesn’t impress a me much.
Drive Like Jehu
1/5
Sometimes it’s nice to get an easy and obvious 1 star album.
This is often out of time and I’m not convinced these lads could play in time even if they really wanted to, I don’t think they are very talented musicians.
This is horrible, nothing to redeem this shit. And an hour long? It’s a slam-dunk one star!
Soul II Soul
2/5
This is very dull.
Back to Life is such a major bop, it feels almost out of place or a weird fluke compared to the rest of this lame and forgettable album.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Nothing to get exited about here.
I think I’m officially “not a big fan” of The Rolling Stones.
John Lennon
2/5
Looks like I really am Team Paul.
These tracks mostly feel underdeveloped and too sparse to me, like there might be a decent seed in there but it needs elevating and padding out with more ideas.
I was never a fan of that bluesy fuzz that John brought to the later Beatles albums, he really digs into that style on here.
Thankfully, Yoko was working on her own album in tandem to this one, so we don’t t have to contend with any overspill of that.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
I was almost swayed towards a 4 purely on the strength of that loop from Genius of Love, but no, the rest of this album is a bit too weird and meandering for me.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Yeah, this is OK.
I don’t love it, I don’t hate it.
It’s fine.
I was never really into liquid drum and bass and don’t like the tone of a sitar, but I didn’t mind this in the background.
It didn’t piss me off, I won’t listen again.
Ryan Adams
2/5
A few years ago, my mum was very excited because she’d got tickets to see the guitarist from queen perform locally.
Imagine her shock and dismay (and my amusement) when he opened the show with Summer Of 69!
2 stars
The Everly Brothers
3/5
It’s a head nodding, toe tapping good time but it just made me want to listen to Little Richard and Chuck Berry.
Far from unpleasant but all a bit white washed, diluted and milquetoast compared to real Rock and Roll.
Sugar
2/5
Ugh, like the bastard love child of REM and Nirvana.
But they are related, so there the wrong number of chromosomes and teeth.
Joanna Newsom
1/5
Not a pleasant listening experience for me.
Her tone goes right through me - and it’s not helped by my phones tiny tinny speaker as listening on YouTube.
Couldn’t finish this one.
Suede
2/5
I was a floppy haired indie kid in the UK in the 90s but I never liked Suede.
You’d think I’d at least recognise some of the choruses of the singles?
No, that’s how forgettable these songs are.
The Sonics
1/5
Guys, if it’s showing as red, you need to turn your instruments down or move back from the mic.
I don’t understand why the fuck anyone would choose to listen to this.
You could be listening to The Beach Boys or The Beatles or Chuck Berry or Rufus Thomas or literally anyone who didn’t record their album using a paint tin suspended from a light fitting.
The Who
4/5
I never really got The Who but this album kind of makes sense to me.
Like a Venn diagram with Beatles/Kinks/Stones has something approaching The Who in the middle.
I still don’t like their later stuff but I can understand where they’re coming from now.
Dion
4/5
Very nice timeless vibes to this.
I was tempted to give it 5 stars because I would like to listen again, but it is definitely “pleasant” rather than “brilliant”.
Taylor Swift
2/5
Ok, I know you’re an authentic musician and you’ve every right to write and record whatever you want.
But…
I’m here for your pop anthems, karaoke classics, car tape sing-a-longs and wedding dance floor favourites. I don’t give a shit about your hour of considered folk ballads.
Sorry Taylor.
Fela Kuti
4/5
While Johnny Rotten is claiming to be an antichrist living in a facsist regime here we have Fela Kuti actually standing up to a horrifically corrupt government and paying a huge price.
The music is jazzy and funky but the attitude is punk as fuck.
Machito
3/5
A nice vibe.
I really like the rhythm section and the horns aren’t too shrill or stressful on my ears.
The Coral
3/5
I’ve always loved Dreaming of You and I like a couple of their later singles.
I didn’t expect the rest of this album to be quite this weird. I respect that they are doing their own unique thing, I just don’t particularly like it.
The The
2/5
One good thing about this list is sometimes it does dispel some of my preconceptions.
I had the The pegged as standard punk: something like The Fall or The Damned. I was wrong about that, seems like they were closer to INXS (without the hooks) or even moving towards Nine Inch Nails.
I don’t care much for the music, but at least now I know about the music I don’t much care about.
Al Green
4/5
A solid 4.
One amazing single and the rest of the album sure is very nice.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
No, 80s country pop is definitely not my bop.
I was kind of hoping to hate this enough to give it a 1, but it’s fine. Inoffensive enough to cruise in for a sickly 2.
UB40
4/5
Nice vibes, cool ethos but very protracted.
Did they ever write a good hook of their own?
Moby Grape
3/5
I was not in the mood for another 60s psych album today.
Thankfully, this was a decent bluesy/folk thing closers to Credence than Jefferson Airplane .
Fine and good.
Dwight Yoakam
1/5
Don’t know him but I don’t like him.
Far too country for me.
Kind of enjoyed the Mexican elements but his tone is so annoying we can add this to the one star club.
Alice Cooper
4/5
A lot more going on here than I’d have expected.
It’s theatrical, glam, intricate and fun.
My head wants to give it a 5 but for some reason my heart can only go up to a 4. I should listen to more Alice Cooper though.
Pavement
2/5
I used to really like UK indie but it seems like all of the US 90s alt rock I hear is very muddy and messy.
It’s almost like they are hiding the fact they can’t write a decent song behind layers and layers of distortion and fuzz…
Spacemen 3
3/5
Time and a place I guess.
If I was tripping balls back when I was 19 this would probably be very engaging for me. As is, not so much.
Sounds like the lame bits of Screamadelica.
CHVRCHES
4/5
Cool vibes.
I like the 80s bubblegum pop energy.
Hope to find time to listen to more.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
“This is an album for musicians, I can tell.” - the fact that this is a popular review annoys me almost as much as this lazy pile of ugly shite of an album.
This is not good music and these are not very talented musicians.
Willie Nelson
4/5
A nice little album about fine southern folks, having affairs and killing each other (as far as I can tell).
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
A couple of massive songs on here but I feel like I’m the wrong side of the Atlantic to live this album.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
An odd one.
I was thinking it’s a bit like The Velvet Underground or The Doors, with a bit of Ziggy and Iggy in the mix, but, all this stuff was happening in the late 60s early 70s, why would this be “good” for 1976?
Then read up to find out it was recorded in 72 and released later. Fair enough.
But does that make it very out of date? Yeah, maybe?
Do I like the songs (should probably be a more important question)?
Kind of, although I did find the spelling of Girlfriend and the repetition of Picasso/Asshole pretty annoying.
So vaguely annoying music, 4 years past its peers, have to go low I think. 2 stars.
Brian Eno
3/5
Surprisingly funky.
Way closer to Talking Heads than Music for Airports.
It lost a little momentum towards the end and I lost a little interest.
He’s not really a singer, is he? But fair play to laying it down and putting it out.
Interesting, but not really all that enjoyable for me.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
Did he fall?
Or did they push?
Jazz-folk-foodeli
Fook rite off.
Talking Heads
3/5
I always want to love Talking Heads and am always disappointed.
So sloppy and messy.
Not much on here apart from Once in a Lifetime.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Very pleasant.
I’m not a jazz guy, but this list has helped me establish why: shrill and stressful trumpets put me on edge.
But this is smooth and easy.
Skittery drums, warm double bass, with lovely flute and sax providing the high lines.
I’d be tempted by a 5, so that I have a record to listen again but the production is pretty noisy and it’s not exactly pushing things forward in ‘84.
The Auteurs
2/5
Yeah, starts off similar to Suede - I never really liked Suede.
Picks up a little pace and interest on the home stretch but too little too late.
Maybe it was slightly ahead of its time but it generally a bit forgettable.
Lorde
4/5
Good album, but this list is crazy to include this one but not Pure Heroine.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
It is kind of hard to rate these 90s UK dance albums. Am I holding them to the same standard as a “real” album?
I think they’re designed for turntables and dance floors, not for headphones or Alexa while cooking your tea.
So I was thinking of an easy 3, mostly on the strength of Red Alert, which I’ve always really liked.
But there’s no way I’d dance to anything else on here, and there is very little variation or innovation on the deeper cuts.
2 feels harsh, but here we are.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Odd that this is just credited to the guitar player?
Like, why not give the band a name?
Sure the guitar is strong with this one, but I can’t help but hear a lot of Rod Stewart…
I never expected I’d be able to compare Rod Stewart to Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin but yeh, I can see how this album is in a similar vein.
But it’s nowhere near Jimi and I don’t really like LedZep so I’m not going to be able to go over 3 stars.
Sorry Jeff, I’ve kinda ignored your guitar work here.
Magazine
3/5
A surprising one.
I did not have high hopes when I saw the cover, the year and the genre.
The art work is ugly so I was expecting the music to be equally unskilled and unpleasant.
But no, they’ve got chops and it kind of drifts around the genres: punk/prog/goth/grunge.
First listen I was considering a 5, mainly as a way of book marking it to revisit latter, but no, it’s not that amazing.
But then I realised, I don’t really like punk or prog or goth or grunge and while this is much better than I was anticipating, it’s still not anything I’d want to listen to by choice.
An interesting discovery though.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
Such an amazing album.
It marked a real turning point for me, when I went from a long haired indie/hippy kid to a skateboarding, baggy jeaned wigga.
There may have been a time that I could recite this full album (or at least our version of what we thought the lyrics were).
The vinyl track ordering is different to the version on Spotify though. God was that record quiet…
Easy 5 stars.
Morrissey
3/5
It’s odd, with the other 800 albums I’ve reviewed, I don’t think the personality of the musicians has much of a bearing on my score, but for some reason with this guy the two things are inexorably linked.
The tunes are OK, Morrissey has some very strong options I don’t always agree with.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Fine, but nothing standing out to me on here.
I had this over the weekend so had ample opportunity to listen. I’d already played it twice and was about to listen to it a third time but just could not be arse with it again. Not a good sign.
Def Leppard
2/5
It’s not doing it for me.
Overly produced and polished with no real fun or soul or balls.
Calexico
4/5
This is cool, a solid 4 stars.
Exactly the kind of thing I’d hoped for when starting this project, new and interesting music. Not just a deep dive into some of the esoteric favourites of a bunch of boomers.
There must be more albums like this out there, weird mixtures of genres, original approaches to production. Not another Byrds album.
Sorry Calexico but this review is just slagging off the boring and repetitive choices on this list.
Le Tigre
1/5
I dislike this, I don’t think there is very much talent on here at all.
Bad singing, very simple drum programming, super basic guitar playing - they are not good musicians, but… it is kind of catchy.
Question is, do I hate it enough to give it a one?
Yes! It’s awful and I hate it.
M.I.A.
3/5
I remember being so disappointed with this when it came out. Paper Planes was such a massive bop, nothing else on here could come close.
But with a bit of distance, I can enjoy the rest of the tunes without those sky high expectations.
Still nothing great, but a decent album after all.
Boards of Canada
4/5
I would have loved this 25 years ago, exactly the kind of boring/cool music I was into.
Now it’s fine - pleasant in the background.
I’ll give it 4 stars for the guy I used to be.
Sepultura
2/5
Not my thing at all but I can recognise the skill.
James Taylor
4/5
Nice enough.
I was hoping this might be something a bit special (Tapestry MK II) but for me it’s good not great.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Predictable, repetitive but pretty groundbreaking I guess.
Sonic Youth
2/5
I didn’t hate this, but I still don’t find much appeal in Sonic Youth.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Meh, I’ve never really cared for country.
A bunch of cover songs, twangy banjo, whining fiddle and bleating vocals. Just not for me.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Elvis Costello is great, he’s legit one of my favourite artists, but to include six albums on this list is ridiculous.
I’ll listen to this one properly another time.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
I never realised that this was a one man show. It’s really not my thing but Trent might be a genius.
It’s really unique and it’s completely brutal.
I’m tempted to go 5 stars but a little too much of unpleasantness for me to be honest. Oh fuck it, he’s done a really good job here - full marks.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Hull!
I’m from Hull and I kind of get why you’d end up making something like this…
I didn’t hate it as much as I was expecting, but it’s still pretty unlistenable.
Sonic Youth
2/5
How many fucking Sonic Youth albums do we need in here?
(5, apparently).
Not as unpleasant as their earlier stuff.
Baaba Maal
2/5
Funky at times, cringy synth at times but alway annoying, bleating vocals.
It’s odd that this guys has as many albums on here as Madonna.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
Lots to like on here.
He seems like a bit of a cock, ripped off a lot of stuff and didn’t give any credit to anyone.
The end result is quite cool though.
Animal Collective
2/5
Hey Animal Collective, let me clear up something that seems to have confused you…
Examples of material things:
• Walls
• Adobe Slats
Example of non material things:
• Social Status
Hope that helps.
I feel like there’s maybe 20 minutes worth of ideas on here, then a lot of loops and echo. I fluctuated between bored and annoyed.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Some well crafted sophisto-synth-pop on here.
I really can’t tell if it takes itself seriously or not though.
Is it done with a good sense of fun or are they a bunch of pretentious wankers?
Does it matter?
I’m going a high 3.
Kings of Leon
4/5
I was hoping for a massive modern classic but it disappointed a little.
It’s does have some big tunes on there but is all got pretty one note quite quickly.
I don’t think I can go less than 4 stars with those singles though.
Johnny Cash
2/5
I’m not feeling this at all.
Old Johnny seems to have taken some beautiful song that featured the whole gamut of human emotion from joy, sorrow, regret, hope, fear, love, sacrifice, remorse and euphoria and replaced them all with:
Tired.
Major sense of the emperor’s new clothes here.
Bee Gees
2/5
Oh dear.
The first side is mediocre wannabe Beatles but it’s 5 years late to the party.
Side two is a real shit show.
Just put Saturday Night Fever on the list.
🤷♂️ 🕺🏻 🤷♂️
The Residents
1/5
Ah you know what?
Sometimes , I just want to listen to some actual music, that I actually like.
Fuck you 1001 albums and fuck you The Residents, I can’t be arses with this bullshit today.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Nice smooth vibes for 20mins or so but there’s no way this can hold my attention for almost an hour.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Third album by Tim that I’ve had on here…
At the start of this album I was intrigued by the jazzy folk ideas but by the end the jazz just felt a little meandering, aimless and slack.
Tom Waits
4/5
Much more enjoyable than I was expecting.
Still very gnarly at times but I could get into the clunky thudding groove of this one.
Ian Dury
4/5
Lots of weirdness going on here, but I’m on board with it.
I will try and listen more.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Ok boomer, I will grant you, this one is decent.
I’ve been underwhelmed by all the other Stones albums on this list but this one is my favourite.
Throwing Muses
5/5
1986? Very cool Throwing Muses.
A super interesting mix of punk and protogrunge here. Mixing things like Suzy and the Banshees, Kate Bush, B52s and to create something unique that feels half way between the 70s and 90s in the best possible way.
I really like Belly who Tanya would go on to form years later.
Stuck between a 4 and a 5, as I like the idea but none of the actual songs have really stuck with me. I’ll go 5 stars and try and find time to listen to more in the future.
Coldcut
4/5
Lots to like on here but unfortunately a fair bit of messy noise too.
Needs a second pass with to edit it down to a tight 35mins to bump it to full marks.
Britney Spears
3/5
I don’t really like this album but it is very ‘listenable’.
The first track is undeniably great.
But it’s Max Martin who’s to blame for that monster. Then I feel like I’ve maybe been Stockholm syndromed into Britney.
Listening now, without the visual (very questionable btw) and the media hype, I think I hate her voice. Warbling and pseudo-soulfull, horrifically overly emotive. The formulaic ad-libs the same in every track. What is the genre here? Pop I guess, but the album tracks flail around seemingly without direction or vision.
It’s the last track that made me realise that I don’t actually like her. With the same instrumental as a song I’m already familiar with, the only distinguishing feature is her voice. And I hate it.
But, then why did I listen 3 times over the weekend…
Stereolab
2/5
A couple of decent grooves in there but very repetitive and protracted.
Incubus
3/5
A lot of hate for this one on here?
I’m down the middle, I remember a few people recommending this to me back in the day and I never really saw the appeal. I can now kind of appreciate that it’s covering a few bases and doing it pretty well…but I think the fact remains, it’s just too emo for me.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Looks like this is my 5th and final Leonard Cohen album of this project.
This could well be the last time I listen to a Leonard Cohen album “by choice” ever again.
I found this sparse and unengaging.
🥱🥱🫥🫥🫥
Beyoncé
2/5
Not really feeling this one, no major bops grabbing my attention.
It mostly felt awkward and weird (maybe I am getting old) but I don’t see what’s so empowering about being on your knees with your mascara running down your face.
I don’t wanna get into manplaining a feminist icon but honestly, the “message” here seems all over the fucking shop to me.
Ozomatli
5/5
Ah that’s a shame.
I loved the debut album by these guys. Awesome mix of Latino funk and positive Hip Hop.
I think I first saw them on The O-zone with Jayne Middlemiss and Jamie Theakston… there’s an esoteric UK throw back you weren’t expecting to see today.
I can see why this one isn’t rated highly on here, the one track on Spotify does not do it justice and listening on YouTube feels like a real chore these days.
I would recommend digging through some of their stuff though. I loved these guys back in the day.
5 stars, partially for the nostalgia.
Bert Jansch
2/5
I was trying to find ways to give this a favourable review but…
He is very good at playing the guitar, but it’s not got much else going on for me.
I’m not a fan of his tone and the guitar playing gets painfully twanggy at times.
At the end I thought at least Anji was a song I recognised and maybe justified this album making the list, but no, it’s a cover.
I’d just rather listen to something else thanks.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
I really like this for 3mins - makes me want to pop and lock. But for more than 5mins at a time it gets really boring and repetitive. But it’s a dance album! I normally hold dance albums to a different standard, yeah they are too long, so the DJ can mix out of the extended outro.
But for some reason I want to judge this by my normal standards and rate it low. I guess I never really liked Miami Bass anyway? Rambling reviews ends up down the middle with a 3.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Very nice.
I’m not a fan of country but this does it very well. Lovely smooth soothing tone and clear, simple instrumentals.
Easy 4.
The Libertines
4/5
I saw the picture and immediately heard the opening cacophony in my head.
Heroin chic in music form. Lazy, cool and dirty.
I didn’t know this was actually their second album and they had done a couple of decent hits before this.
I do love the first track but the rest of the album started to wear me down a little. Probably because it really makes me want to get totally shit faced but in reality I’ve got to do the washing up and make my kids packed lunch for tomorrow.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
2/5
I do not like this.
Good to put Janis into a bit of context (I didn’t know she was in a band before the solo stuff) but this has only cemented that I don’t enjoy her singing.
Everything is too fuzzy and raw.
I don’t get how ‘sounding like you were recorded live, when you have all the advantages of being in a studio’ is a good thing? - Just a poor use of a studio, surely.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
This album is OK, there’s some decent song writing here.
BUT
This is my third Pet Shop Boys album on here and that seems fucking ridiculous to me. There’s no way these lads deserve three albums on this list.
Some decent songs but dated production and annoying vocals might land on 3 stars but I’m knocking it down because of you and your dodgy choices Robert.
Pixies
3/5
This is alright.
Don’t love it, don’t hate it.
A little bit weird, sometimes annoying, kind of catchy, sort of forgettable.
Right down the middle.
Grateful Dead
4/5
I’m not sure what the fuss is about with this one - either way.
Feels like a good jam with quality players, self-indulgently noodling away.
I would not give up my life to follow these guys are California, nor do I despise it enough for 1 start of hate.
I just about land on the positive side, as I feel like there’s more to get into than I could take in with just one listen.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Really nice soulful funk.
I considered a 5 for a little while, because the instrumentals are so lovely but I’m afraid I’ve never really liked Curtis’ voice.
Very glad I listened though and realised there’s more to this guy than Superfly.
Foo Fighters
4/5
I’ve never been a big fan of Foo Fighters but big respect to Dave for doing this just a year after his band mate killed himself.
A solid 4 stars.
I never knew that this first album was a solo thing and the band came after.
BUT
This list is fucking ridiculous at times, how is the second album not on here? As I say, not a huge fan but colour/shape has much better songs on it than this album.
3 Pet Shop Boys albums, 1 Foo Fighers…
I think this list might be a big biased.
2/5
Keep it in the 80s lads.
Pleasant enough middle aged Beatles wannabes.
Not really worth digging about YouTube for a definitely not deserving of a place on the list.
The Zutons
4/5
Head nodding, toe tappingly pleasant.
I recognise a lots of these track, I think I might have had the CD 20 years ago.
Nothing amazing but an interesting take on 2000 indie.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie was 22 when he wrote and recorded this.
Please do take the time to look at the personnel section of the wiki, because it’s crazy how much he plays on this album.
The sound of that Hohner Clavinet is just so funky.
I was a little worried that I’d be disappointed after reading a few reviews, and yes, there are possibility a couple of “soft” songs, Stevie Wonder’s genius still absolutely shines through.
He’s one of the most talented artists of all time.
Frank Black
3/5
This is fine, I guess.
Decent 90s American alt rock.
Interesting enough, switching it up, jumping around genres.
But.
We’re had 3 Pixies albums already, does this guy really deserve another hour of my time?
It’s a 3 star album for me but I’m leaning towards a 2 because of the list selection.
Justin Timberlake
4/5
Some great pop tunes on here!
Yes, it’s a little too long and a few too many ballads. But there are 3 or 4 absolutely banging singles.
Cool production - a little before The Neptunes homogenised the charts a couple of years later.
Sure it’s a Michael Jackson rip off but it’s done well and adds a “modern” spin to it.
It’s just good pop.
Hookworms
2/5
You know what?
I lived in Leeds 2013 - 2020, was vaguely involved in the alt electro scene… and I’ve never fucking heard of Hookworms!
It’s probably a 3 star album, but I feel like people were doing kind of thing 5 years earlier. For the books selection, the people’s backstory and being a bit behind the curve I’m knocking it dow to a 2.
Supertramp
4/5
A nice surprise.
I know a little bit of Supertramp but have never listened to an earlier album.
Seemed like some talented musicians having fun.
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
I made the effort and listened on YouTube, it’s not as bad as it easily could have been, but there’s no way I’d listen to this by choice.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
This is the kind of country I could happily live without. Really annoying twang to it.
Another album with Gram Parsons, formerly of The Byrds, I reckon the compilers of this list need to widen their horizons a bit.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I see a lot of over reactions on the reviews here!
Apparently I’m the only person who thinks this is “ok”.
Yes, an interesting side step from his previous catalogue. Yes, sparse and a bit boring. Yes, harrowing subject matter. Yes, some issues with the recording.
I tried a few times over the weekend and it never really grabbed me, but I didn’t find it unpleasant or annoying.
I probably do have a bit more appreciation for Bruce after this but doubt I’ll ever revisit this album.
Down the middle - 3 stars.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Maybe more interesting than I remembered but a little bit too aggressive and stressful for me to enjoy.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2/5
I never really got the appeal of Tom P, obviously reasonably popular and moved in some well respected circles.
I thought if I got the chance to listen to an album or two I might understand a bit better… but no, this just seems like very average and unadventurous dad rock.
I still don’t get the fuss.
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
lol I’m not listening to all of that
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Eww, no, gross.
Fairport Convention
3/5
This seems like a really nice example of 60s British folk.
I don’t really care for 60s British folk.
Moby
4/5
This album is such a huge cultural phenomenon that I’m almost surprised that the list compilers haven’t removed it in one of the later editions *
But what does genuinely surprise me is how forgettable the second half is.
I think it would be fun to play the B side first and ask people to guess what album they are listening to.
Some beautiful music on here - for sure, but even some of the “hits” are a little dated, repetitive and formulaic.
It’s almost a 5 for me but not quite there.
*because they are idiots and the list kinda sucks.
The Beta Band
1/5
I found this pretty annoying.
Sounds like a few mates dicking around with a 4 track recorder, unfortunately none of them are able to write a half decent chorus.
“Mason later said the album was, "us doing what we promised to do and making something completely incredible, that didn't sound like anything else. Nothing else that's ever come after it has ever sounded like it.””
Pompous cocks as well, apparently.
I might have to give it one star because of that wiki quote, you know?
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Nice summertime vibes.
Strange contrast when you read what an awful human he is.
4 for the music, have to go minus 1 for the beatings and abuse though.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
I suppose I was pleasantly surprised by this. It probably lands closer to Beatles than to Beefheart, which was a relief.
I did smile a few times but the joke wore thin pretty quickly.
Still all a bit too weird for me to really enjoy but there are some decent bits of music hidden amongst the all that “invention”.
Frank Ocean
2/5
I had this over a weekend and really tried to get into it.
I think there’s definitely the potential for a 4 or 5 star album in here somewhere - the production gets much more interesting after 25mins or so. But generally I found it a bit boring and formulaic. I don’t like the low end hiphop or the jiggy singing high bits.
Could scrape up to a 3 if I was feeling generous, I’m not though.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Oh, I’m a bit disappointed with this.
I always assumed I was an Amy Winehouse fan but this album is doing very little for me. I thought I’d recognise at least a couple of the singles but no.
I don’t really like her crackley vocals and the production is OK.
I expected more.
The Byrds
2/5
Oh my god,
Fuck The Byrds already.
I will grant you that this album is very different to their previous once, and apparently heralded a new era of annoying country rock. So yeah, maybe this one should be included on the list.
Influential maybe, but I still do not like their music.
2/5
I don’t like this.
I’m not a fan of punk but some good things were spawned from it I guess.
This is not one of them.
I’d just much rather listen to Blondie or The Jam or Talking Heads or The Police or The B52s or Elvis Costello than listen to this.
Shouty, messy and juvenile.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
This is so good.
It’s a real shame that there’ll never be hiphop like this ever again. Rugged and raw but such urgency while keeping a great sense of fun.
Love it.
Madonna
2/5
Oh dear, very cringy.
Giving off big “cool auntie” energy - “hey kids, I’m 42 but I still make dance music and take mandy”.
The odd bit of good song writing (mostly Don’t Tell Me) just about saves this from the one star club.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Tricky one, I do love the Beasties but I’ve never really spent much time with the this album, I probably should, it’s very dense.
I want to give it a 5 but there just aren’t any amazing tracks on here for me.
I think if I had it over a weekend it would be an easier decision but I’ve not got the time to really get into it today.
Let’s give it the benefit of the doubt and make sure I find the time to listen properly when this silly list is behind me.
The xx
2/5
Put this on then almost immediately forgot the was music playing.
I only noticed the tunes again when it started auto playing related tracks at the end.
No way these guys need two albums on this list.
Slipknot
4/5
I found this much more listenable than I was expecting.
I used to really dislike this kind of overly aggressive music but somehow it holds slightly more appeal to me now.
I expect it would get tiring very quickly, but as they flip up the styles, the shouty shouty isn’t too overwhelming.
Went from a 2 to a 3, then overnight and as I type this up I’m leaning toward a 4. It’s certainly not middle of the road.
Anthrax
4/5
Apparently I’m into thrash metal nowadays
The Boo Radleys
3/5
I think there is probably a 4 star album in here, with the pleasant proto-Brit-pop, but I could do without the “I am the Walrus” experimentation and trim down 20mins.
Tortoise
3/5
I feel like I want to give this a positive mark but in reality it never quite made it beyond the background.
3/5
E P I C
By the numbers.
The first three tracks are monsters but very similar and formulaic monsters. The rest of the album is… fine.
Pretty lame for the best album by the world’s biggest band.
Buck Owens
3/5
Some pleasant and simple little country ditties.
Didn’t out stay it’s welcome or get upon my titties.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Oh great, so we can do compilations now?
I’ll look forward to hearing Saturday Night Fever, Legend and Pulp Fiction sound track in the near future!
But yeah, if we’re going to bend the rules, let’s not bother doing it for ‘meh’ entries.
I found this OK. Nice enough in the background while doing the kitchen.
It seems the tracks on the wiki are quite different to the one that are linked to Spotify on here, so people might be judging the wrong songs.
Skittery jungle beats and liquid future jazz. It’s… OK
Motörhead
2/5
This is OK. Probably give it 3 if it was just this album on the list.
But…
The Ace of Spade the album is also included on here, a studio album released less than one year previous to this one.
Why include both?
The list is straight up Kooky Dooks.
David Bowie
3/5
This is not doing much to disprove my theory that Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust are his only good albums.
Nanci Griffith
4/5
Here’s a nice surprise.
This is not my genre at all, but good song writing is good song writing.
Björk
3/5
Cool concept but maybe better on paper than in practice.
The singles work well but a lot of the album was too weird for me.
The Darkness
4/5
This is great fun and I’d like to give it a 5, I think the joke wears a little thin towards the end and I was ready for something else.
BTW, this is no longer on the revised list.
Nick Drake
4/5
I want to like this more than I actually like it.
Nice tone, great guitar work, just not very memorable songs.
Orbital
2/5
Although it may have been reasonably relevant in its day, 30 years later, this isn’t very exciting at all.
75mins seems like a long time.
Oasis
4/5
I had the 12” of Cigarettes and Alcohol as a teen, and I symbolically destroyed it to show my disdain for Oasis.
Who’s laughing now lads?
Bill Callahan
3/5
Very mellow, poetic and a little boring.
After 30 minutes I was willing it to do something a little different to keep me engaged, and it did, and it was a bit cringy.
Maybe if I was in the mood for this I could really like it, but I’m not in that place right now, so it’s getting middle marks.
Devendra Banhart
1/5
Hate this.
Hate this.
Hate this.
I had a little dig on YouTube to watch a few interviews or music videos to really get my hate boner throbbing, but disappointing nothing else seems as upset as this. He’s just a bit of an arty California wanker.
But the tone he affects on this album goes right through me, and that’s what I’m marking today.
Easy 1 star.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Never heard of this guy.
Very weird but pretty cool.
Certainly ‘interesting’.
So quirky I’d assume he’s British.
Somewhere between Queen and 10cc (but earlier than both) with a bit of Zappa in there.
Good in small doses I reckon.
Fever Ray
2/5
Are you Jimmy Ray?
No, not as fun.
Are you Sugar Ray?
No, not as catchy.
Are you Fever Ray?
Yes I am, and my production is quite nice but the vocals are annoying as fuck, annoying as fuuuuu-uuuuck.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
No thanks.
We’ve enough of this type of thing on here already.
The Thrills
3/5
That’s a bit disappointing.
I really like the single Big Sur but nothing else on here seems to live up to that standard.
I do really like Big Sur though.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
4/5
I was ready to hate this but warmed to it quickly.
A bit like Beck or The Beastie Boys but even more messy.
The Black Crowes
2/5
Ugh, made me want to drink lite beer, wear a sleeveless denim jacket and hit over sized pool balls unnecessarily hard.
I was going to give it a second chance but decided to listen to Counting Crows instead.
The Clash
2/5
I was never that fussed about The Clash.
Sure, not as shite as The Sex Pistols but no way near as talented or interesting as The Jam, The Police or Elvis Costello.
Deep Purple
4/5
This is an interesting one.
Could be a 5, could be a 1.
Is it an enjoyable album, with talented artists, having fun and playing good songs?
Absolutely!
Does it deserve a place on this list?
Does it fuck!
So redundant considering their other inclusions on the list.
But they are pioneering and in my opinion much more palatable than their peers.
Dunno? I guess… 4 stars?
Ms. Dynamite
4/5
3 amazing singles on here but the rest of the album can’t maintain that high standard.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
1/5
I’d much rather listen to Henry Ramsay than this self-indulgent noodly shite.
Tears For Fears
5/5
Wow, i severely underestimated these lads. Really legit song writing on here, I’ll try and dig into the rest of their work.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I’m sure this was super fresh back in ‘84 but it does sound pretty basic and repetitive 40 years later.
Better things to come.
David Holmes
4/5
I slept on this guy back in the day.
This was exactly the type of record I was looking for when I thought I was a “cool triphop DJ”
Yeah, sure, it’s a bit dull now but 4 stars for how I would have felt about it 25 years ago.
Pretenders
4/5
A very pleasant surprise.
I too had paid little attention to these guys, as I was never super keen on their singles. But there’s a lot more going on than I gave them credit for.
Can easily be compared to their peers such as Blondie or The Police.
Much more punk than pop, I would not have guessed half their line up would die of drug overdoses a few years later (I say that like it’s a good thing).
Will try and find the time to listen to more.
Beatles
5/5
The birth of The Beatles!
A real turning point: drugs and studio over screams and mop tops.
Not their best album but one of the most important.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
I used to like a few of these track in the mix back in the day. But to listen to this as an album in 2024 it’s boring and annoying.
A poor choice to include on this list.
Funkadelic
3/5
A bit of an odd one.
I really like the middle section, but it’s bookended by two, ten minute tracks, that take up 2/3 of the album.
The first one is a noodling Hendrixesque guitar solo, the last track is a bit of a sloppy jam.
The middle part is great funk but there’s just not an album’s worth of music here.
3 stars I guess, coz it’s really good but also pretty lame.
Turbonegro
3/5
I quite enjoyed this.
Good in short bursts, probably best for as long as it takes to skateboard down a 32bit airport.
I like the European take on things sometimes, they seem to come at things from a different angle and don’t play by the normal UK/US rules.
But not what I’d listen to by choice and I don’t think I’ll ever listen to these guys again.
The Zombies
5/5
Great album!
Maybe the one thing on this list that can be realistic compared to The Beatles.
A couple of absolute bops, a solid middle section, and one of the darkest tunes ever made.
I holds some nice memories of when I first got married and bought our first house together. I told my wife this was my album of the day and she rolled her eyes and groaned, which made a a little sad.
Metallica
2/5
I’m sure a lot of people who take their music very seriously would disagree, but I don’t think we need this on the list.
Master of Puppies, Black Album and that classical thing give us enough representation of these lads.
It feels bad giving this a 2, as they are very good at what they do but it brings me absolutely no fun or joy I’m afraid.
I think I might have list lethargy.
Baaba Maal
1/5
I tried with this, but i just hate his voice.
Nasal bleating just isn’t pleasant to me. After maybe 2/3 I realised I didn’t have to subject myself to it and put Graceland on instead.
I could maybe go 2 stars for the guitar guy, but fuck it, welcome to the 1 star club.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie Wonder is one of the best of all time.
I’m not really familiar with this album so I’m glad this list encouraged me to listen.
It might not be as amazing as some of his other work around this time, but I can’t give anything Stevie made in the 70s less than a 5.
The music is pretty good but Rod Stewart is such a sleazy merchant.
Tbf though, the other guy makes him sound like a good singer!
Ok list, you did make me reassess my thoughts on Rod Stewart, still hate him but his early stuff was at least semi-legit.
U2
3/5
While I’m certainly not a U2 fan, this is … ok.
With a few years under the bridge and away from the hype and their personalities, this is … alright.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
The headline here is I really don’t enjoy this guy’s tone.
I usually rate hiphop albums on flow, production, content and tone but the other three criteria don’t get much of a look in here coz I just can’t get past his nasal qualities.
The production and flow just about drag it up to a two.
Giant Sand
2/5
Sounds like a failed pitch to get on a Tarantino soundtrack.
For all of its quirky individuality, everything seems borrowed.
Too much chore, not enough enchantments.
Erykah Badu
3/5
Disappointed with this one.
I really recognise the cover and love what I’ve heard (mostly “on & on”) so had very high expectations.
It didn’t deliver at all, no discernible bops and I found her tone pretty unpleasant.
Still, I’d rather listen to this than more CSN&Y or whatever.
White Denim
5/5
Now this is what I signed up for!
All of the weird technical intricacies of Yes but with almost Beatleque abilities to write a tune.
Jazzy, proggy, psychedelic dad rock for the 21st century.
Almost makes this generator worth while.
Holger Czukay
2/5
At first I found this was pretty quirky and fun but by the second pass it became abrasive and annoying.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
I guess I underestimated Everything but the Girl.
I’m from Hull and was 15 when this came out and I was painfully into indie. I probably wrote them off as a local novelty.
They are decent though, can easily be compared with Massive Attack or Representz, with the skittery drums and jazzy bass. I think I’d have really liked them if everything was shifted by 2 years or so.
But unfortunately it ultimately falls under the category of “dance music you can’t dance to” so in the end it’s got to get a 3.
(And there’s no way they should have 2 albums on here).
Peter Gabriel
4/5
A little disappointing.
Sledgehammer is such an awesome track, I was hoping for more monster bops but the rest of the album can’t live up to that standard.
Still a good listen but closer to a 3 than a 5.
Also becoming pretty apparent who Dimery’s favourite member of Genesis is.
Japan
3/5
Sure, this is pretty ahead of its time but I’m not super interested in the time it was ahead of.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Pretty standard late 90s indie.
I guess it’s kind of interesting to note that this was happening both side of the Atlantic.
But not that interesting.
Hawkwind
1/5
Ugh, this is really just not very good.
It sounds like a parody (which I guess could give it point for being influential?)
I think they might have hit a grove about 30mins in, but way too little too late.
I have zero interest in getting to the end of this live, 2 hour, prog rock, space jam.
The Smiths
3/5
I know it’s ignorant to say “all this dance music sounds the same” but I don’t think Morrisey has a very interesting career trajectory.
For the 7 albums on here, does really all that much change from Meat is Murder in ‘84 to You are the Quarry in ‘04?
At least Elvis Costello is evolving and reinventing himself. Every year his sound has developed, so the next album has a different sound.
You know who else has a really interesting evolution?
Sting, but the Police have two albums on here and no solo albums.
Today I listened to Nothing Like The Sun from 1987 and really enjoyed it.
You suck Dimery.
(My views on The Smiths have already been expressed multiple times elsewhere).
Kings of Leon
3/5
Kings of Leon had 3 albums on this list at one point, now they have none.
That kind of says it all, it was fine at the time, but turns out they made no real impact and don’t really have much legacy.
2/5
A first I thought this was a pretty cool vibe and the kind of thing I could enjoy. Trip hop beats, jazzy bass etc.
It got boring quickly though - I lost Wi-Fi at one point and I’ve no idea how long it had stopped playing for before I noticed.
The rapping could have saved it and kept things interesting but too little too late.
5/5
Nice album. Great funk band.
Eric Burdon probably feels a little hard done by to not make the list but you know who else is not on here at all?
Lionel Richie or Commodores.
3 Pet Shop Boys albums though.
List is crazy.
SAULT
2/5
Fun fact: SAULT are actually a bunch of white guys!
If only they put as much effort into the music as they did the message.
Steely Dan
4/5
It’s all great music, but I just don’t love Steely Dan.
I don’t know, I can listen to it all day but non of these songs stand out as hits.
Maybe I’m not a big fan of Donald Fagen’s voice?
Whatever it is, it has to stay a four I’m afraid.
Mekons
2/5
Not for me.
I can almost handle the poor man’s Pogues but with the shitty 80s drum machine and trippy war chat I’m no fan at all.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
I had Something 4 the Weekend on 7” back when this was out and have always really liked that song.
The rest of the album is just a little bit too weird and messy for me, but there are some other cool ideas, for sure.
Aerosmith
3/5
I think I’d decided that Aerosmith were some kind of “hidden gem” that I was yet to discover, after having one of their later albums on the list and making an edit for work using Dream On.
Like “between this beautiful bit of classic rock and this monster hip/hop/rock crossover they must have made some great music”.
But no, this is pretty generic dad rock and nothing at all to get excited about. Shame.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I love Paul Simon, one of the greatest to ever do it.
This album has some awesome songs on it, has to be a 5.
But I don’t think it’s their best, a couple of songs towards the end feel a little bit filler to me.
Sisters Of Mercy
2/5
Meh. I’ve not really got any strong opinions on this. Maybe it needs the visual to fully land.
Some of the song are too long.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Bookended very nicely but goes a bit wonky and weird in the middle.
The Police
5/5
It’s all subjective, right?
Personally, I love The Police and Sting’s 80’s stuff but I’ve never been a fan of Morrissey or The Smiths.
I’m going to waste my time counting the Morrissey albums on this list, but it’s a lot. This list is very biased and I don’t agree with a lot of the subjective choices Dimery makes.
Synchronicity is a weird album, it’s really back heavy and 3 of the big tracks on the second side feel very samey to me.
It’s probably a 4 star album but I just can’t stand to give 4 stars to 50% of the inclusions of one of my favourite artists out there.
So 5 stars, and also more Sting please.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
George was wrong, sitars suck.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
This is fine.
It reminds me of a lot of things that I don’t mind .
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
It’s just really good blues rock.
Everything good about ZZtop or Kings of Leon, even The Stones or LedZep.
I’m not normally a fan of Country/Blues but these lads have nailed it.
2/5
I just love the dichotomy of Fred telling me he’s going to kick my pussy ass, but delivering these obviously empty threats sounding the most whiny little bitch to ever touch a mic.
How the fuck this shit hit the zeitgeist and become incredibly popular is a real mystery.
It’s funny.
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
I like the guitar sound, can’t stand the vocal tone. Seemed like a very long hour.
Ali Farka Touré is on the list twice.
Blondie once.
Annie Lennox once.
This list is mental.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Only half an album on Spotify and it doesn’t seem worth the effort to dig out the rest.
Seems very simple and basic.
Timeless - not in a particularly good way, just like it’s mashed together with things from different periods.
Cheap Trick
1/5
I feel a bit bad giving this a 1, because it’s not horrifically bad.
It’s very standard 70s rock, which deserves a solid 2 stars and it’s a live album, so I’m docking it another star.
Maybe “my favourite” 1 star album, but it definitely doesn’t deserve to be on the list.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Oooph, I think I’m my last review of these guys I said I underestimated them, well here’s why!
Damn that’s pedestrian.
Electro-lounge-jazz, (that actually sounds quite appealing though).
It’s just like Sade or Simply Red.
The second half actually started to grow on me a little as I knew what I was in for but it’s still a disappointing, middle of the road, 2 stars.
Red Snapper
2/5
You failed to achieve your aim, Red Snapper.
I think had this 20 years ago and it was disappointing then.
Very sloppy samples and dance music there’s no way you could dance to. A long hour.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
Very one note, one trick.
I was never hugely fond of that particular trick anyway, but I feel like I could maybe have given Born To Die a positive score, but not this.
Got dull real fast and stayed there.
M.I.A.
2/5
Humm 2 or a 3…
I don’t like her voice, I’m not a big fan of the beats but I did find they put a bounce or a swagger in my step.
Boring, child like flow.
Interesting content I guess.
Love Paper Planes but I’ll never listen to this album again, I don’t think it deserves a spot on the list.
Overall I think there’s more negative up there than neutral.
Genesis
4/5
Interesting one, there’s a lot going on here.
I’m not a fan of Prog, but I found this very “listenable”.
I’d have liked to have had this album over a weekend to try and get inside the story and the songs.
It’s got all the weird self-indulgent noddling or Yes or Floyd but I think these boys have the ability to write a a tune as well.
I’m intrigued enough to give it a 4.
Cypress Hill
5/5
Great album.
I had this back in the day but maybe never appreciated how ‘advanced’ it was for 91.
Solid, funky production.
Reasonably interesting flows for the time.
Nice contrast with the nasal tone of B-real and the phat baritone of Sen Dog.
I’m just glad these guy smoke a lot, because if the weed wasn’t mellowing them out a bit, imagine how aggressive they’d be on coke or booze?
Maybe of the coolest things about Cypress Hill is how self referential they are. I love how they sample themselves and lay the foundations for future tracks.
Ray Charles
1/5
Dimery you dumb shit.
Of all the bad choices you’ve made putting this list together, could this be the most asinine?
In the same month that this was released, Ray Charles also released What I’d Say, and which of those two albums did you choose to include?
This album is a collection of covers, that could easily be mistaken for any 50s crooner, there’s just nothing special or unique about it. Ray’s voice is good and there’s occasional a tinkle of piano under all the horns.
What I’d Say is original compositions showing his style, skill and personality in full force.
I get that a lot of this stuff is personal preference, but this one feels like Dimery simply doesn’t know what the fuck he is talking about.
Queen Latifah
4/5
I guess I slept on the queen, this is really good.
Nice production, interesting flow, pleasant tone, positive lyrics.
It’s just missing a killer hit that sticks in my head to push it to top marks.
David Crosby
2/5
There is nothing special about this
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Muddy and ugly.
Maybe the reason for all the distortion is there is to hid the fact the songs aren’t very good?
The Fall
1/5
I could almost give this 2 for the lads playing the music in the background, but fuck me the vocals are just too annoying.
It started to feel torturous after 2.30 into every song - I knew what was coming next and the anticipation became almost as painful as the delivery.
Hopefully that’s my 3rd and final Fall album done.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
There sure is a lot of Nick Cave on this list.
Looks like I’ve got mixed feelings, but this one didn’t really grab me. Too aggressive and shouty.
He’s an odd one, I guess.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Some classic simple ditties about beating fat chicks to death.
Nothing I would listen to by choice.
Wilco
2/5
Oh man, I used to love Wilco.
Alway conveniently situated in a town centre or local shopping district, I’ve lost count of the number of times they’ve got me out of a pickle with a reasonably priced plug extension or a roll of Gaffa tape.
Maybe this was the beginning of the end?
It is an odd choice to branch into middle of the road, soft guitar rock.
It doesn’t seem to fit the brand to me at all.
I don’t really see why it would be “widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 2000s”.
It seems pretty dull to me.
Come back and return to your origins as a discount general retail store.
I miss you.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
I don’t love Rufus but gotta say this is pretty unique and powerful.
I can see how his voice could easily annoy, but it works for me.
I’d like to find the time to find out more.
Talk Talk
2/5
I was on board for giving this a down the middle, inoffensive 3, standard 80s new wave/synthpop/whatever.
Half way through I said fuck it, I’m bore of this and listened to Rage Against the Machine instead.
This album was just not very interesting to me.
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
This is pretty gross.
The instrumentals are cool but the subject matter and the delivery are just so sleazy.
He was married to a girl half his age when he wrote this in his 40s, so it is semi biographical. Gross.
David Bowie
2/5
It’s alright.
8 or 9 Bowie albums on here, this is one of the ones I’d get rid of.
I’d rather just listen to Sly and the Family Stone.
Primal Scream
2/5
Nothing to hold my interest.
Back in the day, I had a friend who worked in a record shop who was really into Primal Scream, so I’ve already given this multiple chances and nothing sticks with me.
Weirdly, my 4 year old, who loves turning my music off, said he really likes this?
Peter Tosh
3/5
Fair play to him, it’s very listenable, but he’s no Bob Marley.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Iconic but apparently very forgettable.
I didn’t recognise either of the two lead singles then quickly lost interest.
Too jiggy for me.
Antony and the Johnsons
1/5
There’s really not much going on with the instrumentals here - one song almost tricked me in to thinking it could be soul, so this album kind of lives or dies on how I feel about the vocals…
Which I fucking hate.
⭐️
Kelela
4/5
I like this, I’m intrigued.
Smooth but glitchy R&B.
I doubt I’d ever get up to 5 stars but I would like to spend a little more time finding out.
U2
4/5
I guess U2 were a half decent rock band before they started to believe their own hype and became “the biggest band in the world”.
Liz Phair
5/5
Really pleasantly surprised by this one.
I’m normally not a fan of 90s grungy guitar girls but this is really interesting while still being very pleasant on the ears.
I’m completely on the fence between a 4 and 5 but will lean towards the high end, so that I can remember to revisit this again in the future.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I want to love this, I just don’t.
I remember getting the CD back in the day and being disappointed - I hope hoping for some pub/club bangers I guess.
When I first started listening yesterday, I rolled my eyes at that impatience youth, thinking all the beauty and subtly of this album was lost on me.
But no, I was right the first time.
Yeah, sure, there is tragic beauty on here, but it’s basically the same beautiful track three times and a bit of filler. More of an EP really.
Apt for our times, but it has to be a four I’m afraid.
Finley Quaye
4/5
Some of y’all weren’t teenagers in the UK in the late 90s and it shows.
I feel like if this album had opened with the undeniable Sunday Shining we’d have a more favourable score on here.
That’s the basic story of this album, everyone love Sunday Shining and the quite likes Even After All and Your Love Gets Sweeter Everyday and then we kind of tolerated the rest of the album.
Back in ‘97 we didn’t have Wikipedia to dig into the background of this guy, we just took it on face value that he was black or mixed race or something and was making sweet reggae music. It didn’t matter then that he was actually from Muirhouse but apparently it does now?
Wilco
2/5
Some decent stuff on here but they do like to drag it out.
This is epitomised by the last track, which finally seems like they have landed on a memorable hook, but then has two false endings and takes 3 minutes to finally wrap itself up.
A harsh 2, with a bit of brevity it probably could have scraped a generous four.
Joe Ely
2/5
What the shit is going on here lads?
That’s like a moog synth pretending to be an accordion or something?
Weird.
And then it settles down to standard boring country.
Not my thing.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Wow that is a lot of bluesy guitar to sit through to get to Layla.
I did find it interesting trying to pick out the different guitar parts and it’s not unpleasant on the ears. But it does get a bit much.
Björk
3/5
I certainly respect Bjork, I’m glad she’s still doing her thing, but honestly - I could live with anything post Post.
There might be some songs on here that with repeated listens I could grow to … like, but I mostly just found this stressful.
Doves
3/5
There doesn’t seem to be much of interest happening here.
I’ve seen a few bands go from indie to dance / guitars to synths but I don’t think I can name any other examples of people going the other way. - That’s maybe the most interesting thing about this entry.
It’s fine though, inoffensive.
fIREHOSE
3/5
Fine - nothing I’m interested in.
The Bees
4/5
I liked this.
Fun and eclectic.
Mercury Rev
3/5
I was ok giving this an average and unoriginal 3, for sounding a lot like the flaming lips and abbey road. Then the last track actively pissed me off and I was leaning towards a 2…
Ah, the whole thing was pleasant enough though, and I don’t know enough about the flaming lips to really know who was being ripped off.
So a 3 is fair.
Skepta
4/5
So listen, I love real hip hop and have never cared for grime but this is alright.
I enjoyed the fact he’s respectful to his mum and chats about getting tucked in at bedtime.
The low point of the album was definitely the US guest rapper A$AP Floppy or some punk. It reminded me how bad enunciation has become for some and I appreciate the clarity of Skapta all the more.
He’s got a cool enough tone, but grime beats don’t do it for me.
All in all I’m landing in the positive side.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Brilliant album.
I just love the bitter rage of You Oughta Know and coupled with All I Really Want, it’s one of the best opening to an album, ever.
It did ride a little closer to a 4 than I was expecting though. At nearly an hour long, it lost a bit of power in the middle and the irony of completely missing the meaning of irony in Ironic is no longer funny to me, it just seems straight up stupid - like, do 10mins worth of research before releasing that?
But it’s an absolute banger and still an easy 5.
King Crimson
2/5
Not in the mood for self-indulgent noodley nonsense so this didn’t do very much for me, yeah?
Soft Machine
1/5
Ugh wanky wizard jazz.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
I was ready to come out blasting the big 4s and 5s but thankfully this album isn’t all that.
Back to Basics surprised me and i gave it a 4, so if this was as good as I was expecting it might be, she lands a spot in my top rated artists, and that’s simply not true.
Too long, too many boring ballads.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
I love old school hip hop and apparently this is one of the all time classics …
But it’s never done much for me.
Snoop’s got nice tone and flow I guess. But the content is pretty gross and I never really cared for P-Funk so G-Funk production is not my thing. A couple of decent hooks on there, but I reckon they are mostly recycled George Clinton anyway.
Down the middle 3 stars I guess.
Public Enemy
3/5
Yeah these lads peaked with nation of millions.
Chuck D is still 5 stars but without any big singles on this album the production is just too messy for me to enjoy.
Fiona Apple
2/5
More irritating than interesting, unfortunately.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
There’s a lot going on here, Todd.
Could be a 2, could be a 4.
I think I was in the same quandary last time I got this guy.
I’d really like the chance to get this one over a weekend and figure out if I like it or not. He’s very talented and driven but do actually want to listen to any of his songs?
A bit, it’s a 3 I guess.
Jamiroquai
4/5
I really like this, always have.
Back in the day I think my “legit” friends would sneer at Jamiroquai but I never saw the problem. It might be the funkiest thing that’s been made since the 70s?
Interesting to read that growing up, Jay Kay was a grubby street urchin and not a trust fund crusty - that could have gone either way.
I don’t think I love it though, a little bit too much filler, rambling skatty lyrics and the singles are all pretty similar.
Big Black
2/5
Ugh, I’ve no interest in this shouty shit.
Morrissey
2/5
There is an awful lot of Morrissey on this list.
I occasionally try to come round to the way of thinking that he can write some good songs and his voice maybe isn’t the most annoying thing in pop… but then… there’s soon a reminder. This time it was the chorus of We Hate It When… “It’s really laughable: ha ha ha ha”.
This guy is not the talented poet people keep telling me he is.
The album title for example, is a delicious triple entente: tribalism, weapons and arse. I just… don’t think that’s all that clever?
Probably a 3 star album but rating it 2 coz this guy is so over represented on this list.
Slade
2/5
This really annoyed me.
How the fuck have we gone from Tutti Frutti to this in 17 years?
This is not rock and roll.
It's so straight down the middle, while acting like it's all crazy and quirky and look at our silly hats.
Ugh Glam.
Brian Eno
2/5
I’ve not got much of an opinion on this one.
There’s a lot of Eno on here and I generally find him a bit underwhelming. This album is no different. Meh
The Vines
2/5
This is OK.
I think I like a couple of songs by these guys, maybe they’ll be on here.
All fine… nothing very memorable.
What are those songs I like?
Hate to Say I Told You So and Tick Tick Boom, not on here though, not much of interest on this album.
Oh.
It’s The Hives that I don’t mind.
Who the fuck are The Vines?
Why the fuck are they on this list?
The Specials
3/5
I like ska.
I like The Specials.
Or at least I liked The Specials first album. It seems those lads peaked with their debut release then quickly dropped off. Still a cool vibe but I don’t think we need More Specials on the list.
Mylo
4/5
I really liked this.
It is hard to judge “dance” albums because they tend to be inherently a bit boring to just sit and listen to.
But I thought this was funky and fun.
More trip hop and big bear than I expected. A couple of great singles.
The Kinks
2/5
I like The Kinks but there doesn’t seem to be much noteworthy about this album.
They’ve got four albums on the list, I think we could easily lose this one.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Ok, 3 albums by these guys is wild.
They’re pretty much one hit wonders and they’ve already used up all their lightning in a bottle at this point.
It’s no surprise they didn’t release a single off here, the only memorable track is Werwolves of London.
A truly ridiculous inclusion to the list.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Yeah, I’m not loving this.
He not got a very pleasant tone, has he? Flow’s alright, lyrical content is reasonably positive. I find the production pretty bland, and none of the hooks are hooking me. Feels like a long hour.
Elvis Costello
5/5
Great album.
Yes, he’s is very well represented on this list, but we’re not taking his debut off.
My mum listened to a lot of Elvis when I was growing up (I fucking hated him for years) and I wonder if it plays a small part in making me the cynical bastard I am today?
The fact this album is rather short and a few songs are pretty similar did make me consider four stars for a while. I think the addition of Watching the Detectives pushes it to Five because it shows how talented and varied has the potential to be.
Beatles
3/5
It’s weird, because The Beatles obviously ended up being really good, but the first 4 albums are kind of meh to me.
6 covers and 8 originals on this one.
I dunno man, I’m glad they did all this stuff in order to become they band they ended up, but without all of the Mania that surrounded them at this time, the music isn’t very exciting to me now.
Dagmar Krause
3/5
This seems quite powerful and intense and a bit like hard work.
Wild Beasts
3/5
I was ready to hate this but it’s pretty listenable.
I actually lived in LS6 around this time and I’ve never heard of these lads. There’s no way this should be on the list.
It was fine though.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
1/5
The music has a nice swing to it at times but I just can’t stand the vocal tone.
No way I’m I doing 90mins of this.
5/5
Yeah, it is one of the most iconic albums of all time, but fuck me those lyrics are dodgy.
Even as a teen I saw right through that faux poetic nonsense.
Some massive tracks on here though.
A grumpy and grudging five.
SZA
3/5
This was fine.
Listened once over weekend, didn’t turn it off, won’t listen again.
The Cars
4/5
This is good, I quite liked this.
I’m not seeing the reason for the 5 stars at all though.
Maybe in the right place at the right time I could make it a bigger deal, but I can’t get excited about this.
Gorillaz
4/5
A much cooler idea on paper than it is an album to listen to.
Lots of interesting ideas going on but could definitely use another run past quality control.
The List is once again proven to be mental in the fucking head though, this was the only album included from Gorillaz but it has since been removed.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
It’s a dance album, I’m not in a club, I’m not on drugs.
It’s a decent dance album but I didn’t make it to the end.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Apparently this album “displays women's strength …talking about femininity and sexual empowerment”
Jazmine Sullivan:
“I'ma take all I can get
That money keeps the pussy wet,
They don't wanna see me drip like a faucet
I can be a freak, throw it back, let you toss it”
This garbage made me lose IQ points.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I gave this a really good go over the weekend, but they are just to heavy and stressful for me to really enjoy.
Jack White
3/5
This is ok.
Maybe a 4 star album but we’ve already got 2-3 White Stripes on here, I don’t think we need more.
He’s talented and there is a fair amount of variety on here but it still all feels very ‘one trick’ to me.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
I had Led Zeppelin IV the other day.
It stressed me out because it was too intense and there’s too much weird shit going on.
Here we have the polar opposite.
Straight down the middle, simple blues rock. I got a little bored because it’s got no balls and there’s not enough weird shit going on.
There must be a happy medium?
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Men reading fashion magazines -
Straight men!
Oh, what a world.
Little did 2004 know, the world would become even wilder and more outrageous in the years to come.
Scott Walker
3/5
I’m not sure if this is a novelty record, but the joke wore thin after a while and I chose to listen to Dusty Springfield instead.
Q-Tip
3/5
You know what? I don’t like Q-Tip’s voice.
I thought that I’d slept a bit on TCQ but I have given them a decent chance and his tone just annoys me.
Sure, decent flow, nice lyrics, smooth production, a few catchy hooks but he’s too high pitched and nasal for me to enjoy.
Traffic
4/5
A likeable album.
My interest waned towards the second half, but when I was paying attention it seemed top quality yet good fun.
Nice flute and organ going on but no real standout tracks.
AC/DC
4/5
Really straight forward rock.
Very listenable, very likeable.
A simple and obvious 4 stars.
Meat Puppets
2/5
Oh yeah, it’s those songs I don’t really like from MTV unplugged.
This has an interesting DIY, punk, garage-band feel to it, with the weird bluegrass and country influences.
But it’s not that enjoyable for me to listen to.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
“Yeeeeeh, this kind of stuff might have worked for you in 1990 but if you want me to release this now, you’re going to have to come back with a chorus or two.”
NOT record label bosses in 2013, apparently.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
No, I don’t want to listen to over an hour of bickering boys in their late 20, making middle of the road “punk” music in 1987.
Black Flag
2/5
It’s too angry for me.
I’ve never liked Henry Rollings personality and suspected I wouldn’t like his music.
I guess this list has helped me confirm the fact I don’t like his music.
Cool.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
This project has made me warm towards Led Zeppelin to some degree.
I really wasn’t a fan at the start of this list, but I can see the appeal in a certain time and place now.
But end of the day, I’d rather listen to Long Train Running than Trampled Under Foot or Wake Up than Kashmir.
Beck
4/5
A good return to form from Beck.
I like that sloppy, DIY feel.
Talented guy, fun album.
Black Sabbath
4/5
I like this, but don’t really see it as all that revolutionary.
Is it that far from Led Zeppelin or Cream or Jimi Hendrix?
They’re just being much more overt about the demonic stuff as far as I can tell.
About that demonic stuff: why were people searching high and low to make out that bands were into devil worship? “If you play it backward it kind of sounds like…”
These lads put it front and centre - clear as midnight. No mystery about that at all.
I’ve recently had a couple of Led Zep albums and a CCR and asked for a happy medium between the two. This does sort of hit a nice middle ground between the dark heavy stress of LZ and the clear and predictable chunks of CCR.
Maybe Sabbath’s second album is their masterpiece and this was just kicking the doors open for that?
Scott Walker
1/5
Ah, nothing personal Scott but HOW THE FUCK have you got two albums on this list?
Sorry Smokey Robinson, Lional Richie and Diana Ross: there’s no room for you but this guy gets on twice?
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I just don’t like post-punk.
I feel like these guys are probably a decent band, just stuck in a dreary genre.
American Music Club
1/5
This might be the biggest load of nothing yet.
Of course this album isn’t on Spotify, it’s true home is a 99p bucket in Home Bargains, next to The Best of Tina Turner and Drive Time Vol 4.
It’s probably not a one star album but there is no fucking way it should be on this list.
Sebadoh
2/5
I definitely don’t like this: it’s pretty unpleasant throughout, but it is interesting and unpredictable.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
This was very nice.
Nothing really just out of the background to grab my attention but it was a pleasant listen.
The Beta Band
2/5
Beta is damn right.
This whole thing is crying out for someone to have the confidence to lay down a killer guitarist riff or actually commit to singing a chorus, rather than whispering whatever half-arsed shit they settled on.
Listen, if my stoner, bedsit mates made this album I’d be very proud of them. I’d treasure the limited edition CD after only half listening to it once because it’s Boring as Fuck.
The Saints
3/5
“A dumb thing done well is still a dumb thing”
This is pretty good for punk.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
This is cool.
Funky and jazzy and weird.
I don’t love the vocals though and the horns can get a little shrill on my ears.
Nice easy 4 stars.
1/5
Yeah, this is horrible noise.
Bon Jovi
4/5
I usually walking to work and back.
20 mins there, 20mins to get home.
For the first half of this I was so on board. Great fun. Karaoke killer.
Stop the snobbery, embrace the absurd!
Second half I’m back to being a grumpy middle age music snob.
I think the strength of the singles can carry it through to four stars though.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
Oh fuck off Robert Wyatt.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
I’ve never liked country and I probably never will. This album is not an exception.
The Charlatans
3/5
I used to love The Charlatans - one of my Big Four. Tipex’d on my backpack and everything.
If we had one of the first 3 albums to review, it’s definitely a 4 or a 5.
Now I really can’t tell if I grew up or The Charlatans got a bit shit, but I just can’t love this album.
I feel like they use to be weird and funky and cool but then this album sounds like they got homogenised into some sort of standardised, post Brit pop slurry.
But then maybe they we’re always pretty dull and I just went from being 14 and living at home to being 16 and living in a flat and getting a set of decks.
Maybe a bit of both?
I loved The Charlatans when I was 14.
Bad Brains
5/5
An awesome surprise.
Never heard of these lads and from the cover art and wiki summary I didn’t have high expectations.
But it’s really fun and hard and funky and a bit cheesy.
I don’t give out many 5 stars to albums I’ve never heard of before but this one can join that elusive club.
Richard Thompson
2/5
Very forgettable folk
The Icarus Line
2/5
Ok, we are all in agreement that this is shitty noise. I’ve probably not got a lot to add to that conversation, so I’ll take a different tack, and let’s talk about that Wikipedia entry.
What this, written by there biggest fan, who, while learning there second language: English, was also a bit distracted, at the time?
Further cementing the idea that only a dickhead would care about this album.
Carpenters
2/5
I had to load up the Bristol Stool Chart to correctly assess this one.
6/7
Fluffy pieces with ragged edges,
a mushy stool.
This is some soft arsed shit.
Ray Charles
3/5
I like this, it’s amazing that he managed to get on Country Radio in The South in 1962.
But I just don’t love the music.
I expected more swing and soul but it sounds a lot like a crooner to me.
A slightly disappointed 3.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Ugh, this is weird.
*checks phone after 17mims
“Yes, still track 1”
Can
3/5
I want to mark this positive but god damn does it need trimming down.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Never really loved Happy Mondays.
Does Shawn Ryder have the worst singing voice in pop?
Pills and Bellyaches deserves a place on the list but not x2.
This one didn’t really hold my interest at all.
Queen
3/5
All the weirdness of Queen but before they figured out how to write a killer hook.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Yeah I hate this.
All the charm of Punk but non of the passion.
I feel a little sorry for the rhythm section because a few of the bass lines have some decent groove to them… but then the vocals come back in and remind me it’s an unequivocal 1 star.
Goldfrapp
2/5
Very cinematic.
Very atmospheric.
A bit boring.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
It all feels a bit discordant and messy.
It’s giving me low level anxiety on a good day, so I’d hate to think how it would make me feel if I was on acid.
Happy to abandon this one after the original 35mins, no way am I sticking around for the 2 disc expanded edition.
Randy Newman
4/5
I can’t say I love his voice but this album definitely kept me engaged over a weekend.
Are Americans allowed to be this sarcastic?
Deep Purple
4/5
Yes, this rocks.
I probably I prefer this to its peers, but I’m not all that interested in the whole “which British rock band started heavy metal in the early 70’s” conversation which is apparently so important to a lot of people.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Ugh.
I didn’t mind the music but the vocals got annoying really quickly.
FKA twigs
3/5
It would be such an epic troll if after 38 minutes of glitchy beats and whispery vocals, the beat finally dropped and we ended on some warpping dubstep or thumping drum and bass.
But no, it never really drops or kicks in or goes anywhere. Pleasant enough on the journey though I guess.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
No way is she on here 3 times.
Paul McCartney
4/5
A pleasant collection of half developed ideas.
It quite neatly demonstrates why Paul is my favourite Beatle and why he really needs other people to bounce ideas off.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
Real mixed feelings on this one for me.
You know when you first see the album art you get that unconscious reaction: half of me was “oh nice!” but a big part of me thought, “Ugh, will I have to listen to this on YouTube?”
Thankfully it is on Spotify, but it’s another example enjoyment tinged with annoyance.
I love a couple of these tracks - Teach your Children and Helpless can reduce me to tears if I’m in a particular headspace, but a lot of the other songs still fail to make any impression on me.
I recognise that this is a SuperGroup and a super album, but my main problem with this list is the amount of off shoots from this project that got included on the list.
It’s 5 star, but it’s a weird 5 stars.
I wish I’d have got this one over a weekend.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Yeah, sure, folk.
It’s nice enough actually but I’m pretty sure the generator has already recommended I listen to a 1969 album by these folks…
Megadeth
4/5
I wasn’t particularly looking forward to listening to this when I saw the album art but fuck me this fucking shreds!
The Hives
2/5
For the first three and a half minutes I was ready to compare this to Song 2 or Last Nite or A-Punk or whatever other 00s jump up punky pop garage guitar banger, but my enthusiasm waned pretty rapidly.
They’ve not got many tricks up their sleeve besides the catchy opening track. Probably 3 stars if this was an actual album, but how the fuck is this what we make an exception for to allow a compilation?
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
When I first started thinking about putting a number rating on this I thought:
“Well, a lot of it isn’t that weird and unpleasant so I can give it a three (obviously some of it is a bit weird and unpleasant)”
But then what if the bits that are “normal” and “pleasant”?
They’re not actually all that good, they’re just surprising like standard music. So if the lows are low and the highs are only OK, I think we have to go with a two.
David Bowie
2/5
More boring Bowie.
I know it’s chalk vs cheese but he’s a comparison for you:
Low is the eleventh studio album by the English musician David Bowie, released on 14 January 1977 through RCA Records… with his friend Iggy Pop to rid themselves of their drug addictions.
Rumours is the eleventh studio album by the British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on 4 February 1977, by Warner Bros. The band members dealt with breakups and struggled with heavy drug use.
Maybe huffing copious amounts of cocaine is beneficial to the creative process?
Dunno, either way, why would I want chalk on toast?