338
Albums Rated
2.61
Average Rating
31%
Complete
751 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1990
Favorite Decade
Blues
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
19
5-Star Albums
48
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Coral
The Coral
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
The Stooges
The Stooges
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
|
5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
|
The Specials
The Specials
|
5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
|
The College Dropout
Kanye West
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
|
5 | 3.4 | +1.6 |
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
5 | 3.41 | +1.59 |
|
Play
Moby
|
5 | 3.46 | +1.54 |
|
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
5 | 3.5 | +1.5 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
|
1 | 3.64 | -2.64 |
|
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
|
1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
|
Zombie
Fela Kuti
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
Parachutes
Coldplay
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
|
2 | 4.42 | -2.42 |
|
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kanye West | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 5 | 4.2 |
| The Doors | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The Jesus And Mary Chain | 2 | 1 |
| Cocteau Twins | 2 | 1 |
| Frank Sinatra | 2 | 1.5 |
| Neil Young | 2 | 1.5 |
| Bob Dylan | 2 | 1.5 |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 1.5 |
| Joni Mitchell | 2 | 1.5 |
| David Bowie | 4 | 2 |
| Elvis Presley | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Black Sabbath | 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (19)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Mike Oldfield · 39 likes
1/5
I had an ex who considered this the pinnacle of musical achievement. He turned out to be about as tedious as this album is. I get why it's on the list, it was sort of groundbreaking in its day. I just never got it, it rouses nothing in me. I hear a bunch of boring musical wankery, and just want to yawn and push it aside.
Green Day · 34 likes
2/5
It's so dripping in American. I like Longview quite a bit, but it really is the only track that doesn't make me want to slap faces and ask people what the fuck they think they're doing. That this stuff gets called punk is practically a war crime, should be punished accordingly, and included in the Geneva convention. It's pop, not pop punk, not punk, just pop, and not even great pop. Someone tell the authorities.
The Doors · 32 likes
5/5
Every song on this album is of the highest quality, not a bad one among them. Every song on this album is recognisable and still sounds great over 40 years later. This is what is meant by 'iconic', everyone knows these songs, they perfectly pinpoint a time in musical history. Apparently I really like The Doors.
Lauryn Hill · 27 likes
3/5
This album was everywhere when it was released, the hype was crazy. It was hailed as this ground breaking thing, the best of the best, it won all the awards. It's decent enough, a fairly pleasant listen, but I never did understand why all the over the top praise for it. It's fine.
Charles Mingus · 22 likes
1/5
I can't. I feel like there's some 'emperor's new clothes' thing going on with jazz like this. Like, don't they see he's wearing nothing?! I keep waiting for that eureka moment when I might understand it a little, but it has yet to come. The noise almost hurts my brain, it's overbearing, dissonant, disturbing. Maybe that's the point. I don't get it.
1-Star Albums (48)
All Ratings
Elliott Smith
2/5
I never did get the Elliott Smith thing. This album is very samey throughout.
Talking Heads
3/5
Lots of really interesting sounds that sound like no other music. Very engaging, and there's that one really good tune, 'Listening Wind' that I haven't heard before. An enjoyable listen all round.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Venus in Furs has long been a favourite. It might even make my all-time top ten tunes, I get chills from it every time. There are some other good songs on this album, but Nico's voice drives me a bit nuts. Even the songs I don't like so much work well in the context of the entire album though.
Highlights:
The Black Angel's Death Song
Venus in Furs
Frank Sinatra
2/5
It's Sinatra. It feels like it's always been there, somewhere in the background, like I know even the songs I've never heard. This gets very samey very quickly, but it's fine in the background, doing its thing.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
I neither enjoyed nor didn't enjoy this. It was just sort of there, doing it's thing, not really garnering much attention from me. I know these songs, they do nothing for me.
Donovan
4/5
I really enjoyed this album. I was only aware of the title song before. This is definitely the first success story of this project for me, I would have never purposely sought out this album myself. When the album finished I immediately restarted it.
Highlights include:
Sunshine Superman
Three Kingfishers
Bert's Blues
Burning Spear
2/5
I didn't enjoy this, I found it quite bland. Initially I was pleased to hear some reggae had made it onto the list. It soon became clear this album wasn't my thing though. Lyrically some of the songs are interesting, with the protest themes throughout, but musically it all sounds very alike and does nothing interesting.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
1/5
Nope, not for me. Very tedious.
Boston
2/5
It's Boston. It all sounded very much like Boston, in a very Boston kind of way.
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
The Stone Roses
3/5
That was quite a pleasant surprise. I was dreading listening to this, I have never been a fan and always wondered why so many seem to think The Stone Roses are amazing. I've had people try to convert me in the past, to no avail. This time round I rather enjoyed the listen. I probably wouldn't choose to put it on, but I am no longer cringing at the mere mention of the band. It was quite enjoyable.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Surprisingly enjoyable. I remember back when this was released thinking that the singles were kinda bland. It all works much better as a full album though, and there are lots of fun jazz samples.
Highlights include:
Show Business
What?
Sister Sledge
3/5
This is a great listen, very nostalgic, fantastic production values, lots of familiar songs that are well known for good reason. I liked it.
JAY Z
3/5
Halfway through this album I got to thinking maybe I don't like hip hop at all, maybe I just like the fancy production these guys do. I mean, I really love that fancy production. But then Eminem appeared and changed my mind back again. Musically I love this album, but it says something that my favourite track is the one with someone else primarily on it.
Peter Frampton
2/5
The guitar is impressive on this album. It's no use having great guitar if the songs are kind of boring though.
Barry Adamson
4/5
My initial reaction to this was 'why haven't I ever heard of this?' closely followed by 'what the hell am I listening to?' The longer it went on, the more I enjoyed it. This album is like nothing I've ever heard. 'A soundtrack to a movie that doesn't exist' as one article put it. It's probably no coincidence that upon further exploration I discovered this guy used to be in the Bad Seeds, who I love.
I'm not sure I understand this album. It's definitely something you could only listen to as a complete album, it would make no sense at all to pick out individual tracks. It's more like an hour-long soundscape than music. I'm not sure why, but I think I love it.
TV On The Radio
4/5
This is precisely why I embarked on listening to random albums. Somehow I had never even heard of this band. This album is fantastic, so many different styles covered and all done so well. I feel like I've found treasure.
Highlights:
Dancing Choose
Red Dress
DLZ
Beastie Boys
4/5
Not my favourite Beastie Boys album, but they get a 4 for nostalgia and my teenage crush on Ad Rock. This is a fun listen, they're such fun to listen to you don't really notice how damn good they were.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
This reminds me of Dad, it's his era, I think he liked these guys. Because of that it's dripping in nostalgia and difficult to be objective about. It's a nice listen though, comforting, familiar, reassuring.
Leftfield
3/5
This is much better now than it was in 1995 when every DJ was obsessed with how cool Leftfield were. It's pretty pleasant background music, I quite enjoyed it going on around me but never really got involved.
Manu Chao
2/5
This is a pleasant listen, it sounds friendly, welcoming, happy. I don't hate it, I don't love it, it's okay.
Steve Winwood
1/5
I struggled to get through this. It's so bland I fear I may have slipped into a coma. I have always claimed I can find good in any album though so... well, it's only seven tracks long. And another thing, 'chances' does not rhyme with 'answered'!
The Doors
4/5
This is right up my alley. Love it! I haven't really heard much of this album before, so it's like getting new Doors material. It's actually not that Doors'ey, they're very simple songs, bluesy stuff. Yes, love it.
Neil Young
2/5
I've never really been a fan of Young, his voice isn's for me. I sort of switched off while this was playing and it didn't capture my attention at all. I kept trying to focus on it, yet kept drifting away. It's unoffensive enough, but it's not really doing anything interesting.
The Police
3/5
If only it wasn't Sting. I really like a lot of the music on this album, theres some really good stuff. But then Sting opens his mouth and it's like listening to fingernails on chalkboards. I'venever been able to handle his voice, it really scrapes on my nerves. Such a shame because I could easily love some of these songs were the music accompanied by someone less Sting.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
It's unfortunate that the only song I had heard from this band, the title track, doesn't really sound like any of the other tracks. The other tracks are all better, or maybe I'm just sick of that one song. Either way, the rest of this album was a nice listen. It's very much of the 70s. It's a lot funkier than I would have guessed. I enjoyed it.
4/5
I wish I could listen to a Beatles album anew, without being aware of them and their legacy. Their music has been with me since before I was me, Mum was a big fan. I can't imagine how mindblowing this album must have been when it was released in '67, it's so unlike anything else. There's still nothing quite like it. I prefer other Beatles albums, but this is still fantastic.
Louis Prima
3/5
This album is full of smiles and toe-tapping, it's all so very happy. I can happily listen to this stuff for hours. It runs along in the background like a friend who's just around to cheer you up and remind you to take a break for a smile every now and then. It's very nice.
Metallica
4/5
The first of this project that I own and already love. Not all of these songs work with the orchestra, but it is mostly successful. This album will always score highly with me merely for No Leaf Clover which is just majestic. Love it so much. Listening to this is making me nostalgically melancholy which is exactly what I need right now.
Dwight Yoakam
1/5
I really don't like that twangy voiced country stuff. For me to like nything country it has to be pretty spectacular. I can't get through this, it's hurting my soul.
Meat Loaf
2/5
It's all very epic and Meatloafy. It's fun enough, I did put off listening to it though. I've heard it a bunch before, and it's all just too over the top, and we've all heard it a billion times before. It belongs on the list just becuase of what it is, but it doesn't do much for me.
The Pharcyde
2/5
This was a fun listen, though after a while you do get the impression that it's all trying a bit too hard, like forced fun.
Can
1/5
Sometimes 'experimental' goes too far, and music just becomes a series of unrelated sounds thrown together as has happened here. This is not for me.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
This album was everywhere when it was released, the hype was crazy. It was hailed as this ground breaking thing, the best of the best, it won all the awards. It's decent enough, a fairly pleasant listen, but I never did understand why all the over the top praise for it. It's fine.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
I really rather enjoyed this. There are plenty of good songs and the album has been put together really well, each song in exactly the spot it needed to be. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A fun listen.
Kanye West
5/5
I really want to kate Kanye, I always have, and yet hes so fucking good at this stuff. I can hate him and love what he makes, right? This is almost perfect hip hop, as are all his albums, annoyingly. Just lovely stuff, beautifully produced, interesting, varied, entertaining, innovative, fun, it has it all. I'll just pretend it's not Kanye.
Kate Bush
2/5
Rating this as a 2 is a bit of a breakthrough. Growing up I hated Kate Bush so much just the mere mention of her name would elicit groans from me. This album isn't horrible, surprisingly. It's not really my kind of thing, but it's listenable and there are some really interesting things happening in the music and arrangements. I don't hate it.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Pretentious prog rock bullshit. Do not like.
Radiohead
4/5
I have known, owned and loved this album since its release. I haven't listened to it in ages, it's still lovely, before Radiohead went past my threshold. It almost deserves the 5 rating for Street Spirit alone, what a tune that is.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
1/5
I expected this to be better and score higher, but in reality this album pretty much made me angry. It should be better, it has all the ingredients to be better, yet it is really boring, almost all the songs sound the same, and that same isn't an enjoyable song to begin with. It should probably score 2, but I'm angry at it, so 1 it is.
The Doors
5/5
Every song on this album is of the highest quality, not a bad one among them. Every song on this album is recognisable and still sounds great over 40 years later. This is what is meant by 'iconic', everyone knows these songs, they perfectly pinpoint a time in musical history. Apparently I really like The Doors.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
5/5
I was brought up on this stuff, Dad was a huge Buddy Holly fan. These songs are ingrained in my soul, I knew them all before I even knew what music was. They've always been there, and I love them like family members. It's all so damn cheerful as well, how can you not love it! I wish there were more than 25 minutes of this.
Japan
3/5
It's really hard to believe this was released in 1979. When I think of Japan I think of the 80s, and this is full of their typical electronica, but it doesn't sound at all out of date, even today. I don't love it, nor hate it, but I can see that it's very impressive for its time.
Arcade Fire
2/5
Had I been born 15 years later I might have been into these guys a lot more, although they give me definite Smashing Pumpkins vibes, and I was never keen on those guys. The vocalist has quite an annoying voice, which is directly responsible for me thinking the best song on the album by far is the final track that he doesn't sing.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
All of their songs have this underlying melancholia, and I do love some melancholy. Quite a lovely listen, nice and relaxing, familiar sounding, safe and comfortable.
Television
2/5
I got distracted by new Cave halfway through this, and never made it back to finish. It's boring, didn't like it, it did nothing for me. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, it's just not my thing.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
This sounds like both cartoon music, and the music played at a hollywood awards ceremony when a winner walks to the stage. I like the slower calmer tracks, but the more up tempo ones really make me want to tap dance. I can't tap dance so I don't why that particular thing, I'd like to slide along a sparkly lit up floor in my tap shoes.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I'm surprised to see this on the list. There's nothing wrong wih it, but it isn't what I would consider a significant album. I wonder if I'll come across their superior earlier stuff later on this journey. It's an okay album, not great, not horrible, and honestly it's nice to see them on the list.
The White Stripes
5/5
I love The White Stripes, I'm happy to see this on the list. This is the least good of their albums and it still kicks the ass of almost anything else. Their music is so simple, yet so different, and they always sound like they're having so much fun. I could listen to them all day and have done so many times. Fun stuff, love it lots.
Cyndi Lauper
2/5
A whole album of Lauper is far too much Lauper. There's some decent pop going on here, most of which has already been played to death on radio stations over the decades. I don't mind hearing a bit of Lauper now and again, but not this much, not like this, I'm drowning in Lauper.
The Specials
5/5
I was listening to The Specials a day or so ago, they make me happy. I'm listening now with a giant grin on my face. As soon as I saw that chequered album cover appear on the page my grin began, and hasn't left since. I'm a kid again, with all the music that goes with that. I love it, these guys can really do no wrong in my eyes. Lovely stuff!
Supergrass
3/5
I've given this a strangely low rating, although even a 3 is surprisingly good for me. I've never loved Supergrass however, individually every song on this album kicks ass. A whole album of them isn't that pleasing though. I'd be happy if any of these tracks appeared on the radio, but not all of them at once.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
It's okay, comfortable, expected, not their best stuff, but listenable. Nothing spectacular, nothing terrible.
David Bowie
1/5
Terrible, awful, I do not like David Bowie, as previously discussed here. Not for me.
David Crosby
2/5
This was inoffensive enough, It sat in the background mkaing the world a little softer as it played. Nothing stoof out here though, it's just sound that it better than no sound. Sometimes sound is worse than no sound, so it has that going for it at least.
DJ Shadow
3/5
This was a nice listen, very relaxing. It gets a bit much after a while, but overall it' a decent album, smooth tunes, chilled vibe.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
It's impossible to listen to this without at least tapping a foot, shaking your head, dancing a little. That Bo Diddley rhythm is irresistible. I'm not one for solos usually, but the first 'side' of this album is pretty great. I didn't even realise it was live until I read the Wiki page. The B side loses its way a bit though.
Ananda Shankar
1/5
Nice idea that sort of works on a couple of songs, but a whole album of these covers is just too much. You end up hating the semi-good stuff because it just keeps coming, more and more and more of the same trick. It's all very unnecessary.
John Cale
2/5
It's fine. There's the odd moment here and there where it's bordering on good, but overall, it's fine, it's listenable, not horrible, not fabulous.
Grizzly Bear
1/5
This is horrible. Aside from the nasty voice, I can't really even figure out why it's so bad, but the overall effect just makes me screw my face up in annoyance. Droney, boring, it goes nowhere, nasty.
AC/DC
2/5
I don't like AC/DC at all. I'm pretty sure it's that voice, it grates on my nerves nd drives me mad. Without that nails on a blackboard singing I might quite enjoy this band.
David Bowie
2/5
Not as terrible as I find most Bowie to be. This might be because there isn't much of his vocal happening throughout this album. I'm very biased against that voice, no matter how many chances I give it, it pains me to hear him. There's some nice musical fiddling about going on here though.
The Avalanches
2/5
This goes on too long and is really quite boring. Frontier Psychiatrist is a great tune, always was, but here it gets drowned by the sameyness going on all around it. This album mainly just made me want to listen to the songs it has sampled.
Bert Jansch
4/5
This is so lovely. It's really understated, just a guy enjoying his guitar and a few songs. There are errors throughout, dud notes, something a bit off key, but that makes it better. It's like using something that's been handmade rather than manufactured. A log cabin in among a bunch of condos. Really relaxing, I like lots.
The Doors
4/5
The Doors are right up my alley. I am starting to find it a bit strange that some of my favourites in this project are as old as I am. I feel very at home with these guys, it's no effort. Sometimes I say a thing is 'not for me', this is the entire opposite, this is for me, made for people like me to enjoy. I so would have been a Doors obsessed fangirl.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Again I'm pleasantly surprised. I generally can't take much of the Stones as Jagger's voice gets annoying real fast. However, Sympathy For The Devil has always given me chills, and the rest of this album is very much like that first track. Obviously, nothing stands out like Sympathy does though.
Sigur Rós
1/5
I fell asleep. Tedious stuff that goes nowhere. I get what they're trying to do, it is not for me.
Johnny Cash
3/5
This is a delight, there are so many smiles and laughs and everyone is having a great time, enjoying the moment. It's very uplifting.
Van Morrison
3/5
This album suffers from the same thing many do for me, it's too much of the same thing. Maybe it's an issue with me. I like Van Morrison, Moondance is among my most favourite songs, and there are great songs on here. It's just too much Van Morrison in one go though.
Bob Dylan
1/5
It's Dylan, so it's shit. He writes great songs, I just wish he didn't insist on singing them himself. I deserve a fucking medal for getting through this whole thing.
Ute Lemper
3/5
I would never have heard this without this project, I maynever hear it again, but it was a nice listen while it was here. There are a couple of wonderful songs, and a couple of almost unbearable ones. Those couple of wonderful ones are so wonderful they make up for the rest. The woman has a killer voice too.
The Replacements
2/5
I think these guys wanted to be British and about 8 years earlier. There are two decent songs here, Androgynous and Black Diamond. The rest of it is really quite annoying though, hence the low score. I couldn't wait for it to finish.
The Sonics
4/5
This makes me want to dance. It rocks. A really fun album. I did think it was older than it is, I estimated about 1958-9. Most of the album is covers, but that was sort of the done thing back in the day. Fun album, it doesn't need to be analysed too much, just smile and enjoy.
Erykah Badu
2/5
I think I've been conditioned to fall asleep when Badu comes on, a flatmate used to play it to relax at nap times. Ir doesn't really go anywhere or do anything, it's just there making random noise like a ticking clock.
Stan Getz
2/5
I'm not sure if I'm relaxing on a beach, drink in hand, on a dusky evening, or if I'm travelling up in a 33 minute long elevator ride. It's pleasant enough background music, but it is definitely for the background.
Eric Clapton
3/5
That's all very middle of the road. It's not horrible, it's not great, it's just enough. I do't have much more to say about it.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
A surprisingly nice listen. I am not a lover of country, at all, I find most of it quite torturous. However, this is relaxing and pleasant. It sounds amiable, comfortable, like I've always known it and it's a friend.
Funkadelic
5/5
Wow! I'm blown away. This album was released a month before I was, and it kicks some serious ass. It's unmistakenly a funk album but it rocks out way more than most rock and metal albums ever did. I knew nothing of this album, had heard none of it, and now I'm a bit in love. Fantastic stuff, and that title track... oh my.
Beatles
5/5
It's The Beatles, it's woven into the essence of my being, it's always been there because Mum loved Lennon. Even when I hear songs I don't think I know it turns out I suddenly know all the lyrics, like it's part of some collective memory we all have now. It's the ultimate pop record, but above all else, it makes me smile like a fool.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
I quite like all of these songs, they're fun and make me smile. However, an entire album of this is practically torture. These songs aren't meant to be listened to an hour at a time, but would be much better to be dipped into occasionally for a single track here and there. My brain hurts a bit after doing the entire thing at once.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
After all the ups and downs of complying to the list, along comes Nick Cave to make me feel at home again. I love him, I love this album, though he has many that are superior to this. Beautiful album, full of little works of art. It's like being held by an old friend.
Funkadelic
4/5
Funky and fun and impossible to resist dancing to. Maggot Brain came earlier in this project and this isn't as awesome as that album, but is still a great listen. These guys, despite being the epitome of the 70s, never sound dated, and give everything they have on every track.
Bobby Womack
2/5
Obviously Womack's voice is gorgeous, but all the songs on this album are very basic. If someone said to imagine a 1970s soul album, this is what your mind would conjure up. Nothing is surprising or innovative, interesting or exciting. It's all pleasant enough, but it's background sound.
Femi Kuti
2/5
It's nice to hear something different, though this doesn't really go anywhere or do anything interesting. It's listenable and happily sits in the background without catching my attention too much.
Charles Mingus
1/5
I can't. I feel like there's some 'emperor's new clothes' thing going on with jazz like this. Like, don't they see he's wearing nothing?! I keep waiting for that eureka moment when I might understand it a little, but it has yet to come. The noise almost hurts my brain, it's overbearing, dissonant, disturbing. Maybe that's the point. I don't get it.
Minor Threat
2/5
9 songs, 21 mins. They come in, trash the place, then leave before you get a chance to form an opinion. Maybe that was the whole idea of punk, 'quick get it done before anyone realises!' It's all basic punk, enjoyable for a little bit. They had a great band name, but I never understood why they're considered better than lots of other punk.
Miles Davis
1/5
I am not cool. I don't understand this, let alone enjoy it at all. I think it's hereditary, I heard my Mum this week say the same thing, she doesn't get it either. I don't know if it's meant to be impressive technically, or in an abstract art kind of way, or is it just avoiding the norm. I could probably learn to get it, but that sounds painful.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
This was a nice listen, there's a lot of different kinds of song going on that keep the interest up, though it did start flagging here and there. It was easy to listen to, required no thought, and was quite relaxing.
Fred Neil
1/5
Very strange album is a very normal type way. This guy's voice does not belong with this music, and vice versa. Everything sounds all out of place, nothing belongs. He sounds like he should be crooning old classics with Sinatra, yet here is with all the Indian influenced music. I didnt enjoy the discomfort.
Paul Simon
2/5
This is pleasant enough. Simon writes wonderful lyrics, which I tend to enjoy more than the music itself. Every now and then a great line pops out and stops me getting bored. I likely wouldn't choose to ever listen to this, but it's inoffensive enough. I'd quite like the coat he wears on the cover, so fluffy.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Cee-Lo can do better than this, I've heard it. There's a couple of decent tracks on here, but it mostly feels self-indulgent and repetitive. I'm rather disappointed, I expected more.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
I wonder if I'd like this without knowing what comes after it, because they get so very much better in subsequent albums. There's so much promise here, they just weren't quite there yet but you can hear it coming over the horizon. They already had such a distinctive sound. The potential is an interesting listen.
B.B. King
4/5
I wonder if the people screaming in the crowd knew they were witnessing something special. I hope they had a sense of occasion and weren't so drunk they remember little. This is legendary, BB King cannot be faulted because he set the standard himself. His voice gives me chills. Nothing here is perfect and that in itself is just perfect. It's gritty, raw, honest, covered in smoke and whiskey, and just wonderful.
Tom Waits
2/5
This isn't music, it's a series of comedy anecdotes. I love the guy's voice though, who doesn't? I'd be happy with him reading me anything. 'I mean, she's been married so many times... she's got rice-marks all over her face.' was a particular highlight.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
This surprised me. It 's reminiscent of 90s hip hop, and that's probably why I enjoyed it. It sounds like dozens of other albums, but that doesn't make it a bad listen. It's weirdly semi-nostalgic. I get why this guy is lauded so highly though I'm not sure I'll ever revisit Lamar without good cause.
The Saints
3/5
This doesn't sound like the 70s, but more like the early/mid 2000s indie rock phase. Bands like the The White Stripes or The Strokes spring to mind. I hadn't even heard of this band before, I don't know how they fell by the wayside and aren't more popular and talked about. I like lots.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
This list has definitely made me a Velvet Underground fan. I love this stuff. Nothing really sounds like them, even in the decades since, everything they do is interesting because it's unique. If nothing else good comes from the 1001 albums, opening my eyes to these guys will be worth the time spent. I feel so at home with this music.
Blur
3/5
Fun nostalgia-filled album that is very much of its time. Blur make me smile, they always sound like they're enjoying themselves. It's never a chore to throw some Blur on, singalong, and enjoy the anthems. Nice happy stuff.
Megadeth
2/5
I would like Megadeth at least twice as much if it weren't for Mustaine's voice which just makes me want to punch him. Musically this is great, in fact it seems a little less annoying than it was at time of release, I wonder if the remaster turned down the vocal tracks in the mix. Seriously, you know some people have a face you want to punch, he has a voice that does the same thing.
Depeche Mode
2/5
I wanted to like this more, I thought I would. It gets a bit samey over the whole album, though there are a couple of good tracks. I like Depeche Mode, I'm glad they exist, getting through a whole album like this is a little like hard work though. They're so very mood altering, draping everything in a dystopian melancholia that isn't that welcome right now.
Haircut 100
2/5
In a list of bands I wouldn't have expected to find on the list, Haircut 100 might be right at the top. How are they here? It's actually a quite pleasant album, airy and light, full of smiles and nostalgia. Not a terrible listen, nice background noise, but really, how are they here?
Pink Floyd
2/5
It's difficult to properly listen to something we've all heard a billion times before. We've all been told this is one of the greatest albums so many times, yet I don't think I like it that much to be honest. My brother loves this album. I can take it or leave it. I mean, it's okay, inoffensive enough, but I never understood why it gets so much praise heaped upon it. Maybe familiarity has bred comtempt here.
Sabu
1/5
It was interesting and different and it's nice to see things like this on the list. Unfortunately it took only about two tracks before it started to give me a headache. I made it through the whole thing, just out of curiosity, but my brain didn't like it at all.
Gang Of Four
3/5
It took me a while to settle into this album, but I'm happy I stuck with it. Once I got used to the under-production then I could enjoy the songs, and some of them are pretty catchy little numbers. Eventually I ended up humming along, toe tapping, and being a little disappointed when it ended. This album is a nice bridge between the harsh 70s punk and what came along after.
Ray Price
2/5
I've never been welcomed to an album quite so politely. This album seems very much from the past, I imagine it did even in '63 when you consider what other music was around with it back then. It's a harmless listen, it fills the background nicely and I find myself humming along to songs I've never heard before. It's pleasant.
Santana
4/5
The problem I always have with Santana is that the instrumentals always sound like they were designed to have a lyric, it's just been removed, or the track has remained unfinished. The vocal tracks are awesome though, and obviously the guitar is stunning throughout. This is a really good album to stick on while you're doing other things.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Elton John
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The songs I'm less familiar with were the ones I liked most, which I think shows that my dislike of Elton John is more down to him being overplayed for decades than for the actual content. When forced to listen properly to the more popular tunes on this album even those fare well under my totally biased spotlight. Though, if I never hear Candle In The Wind again, it'll be too soon. It should be banned.
The Byrds
2/5
I like how this sounds, I just don't need it to sound like that for an entire album. It is very samey throughout, which results in you disliking everything you liked on hearing the first tunes. If I were rating just one songfrom this album, it would likely score 3, but the overwhelming repetition drives that down a notch to 2. Less of this would have been a nicer 60s pop experience.
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
Digital Underground
1/5
If I dislike something I can usually understand why other people might like, or why it could be considered a significant album. This though, I have no idea why it's on the list. It's so sleazy, with lyrics about masturbatory fantasies and the degradation of women. Really horrible. Despite there being abums from the 50s on the list, this feels far more out of date than anything I've heard so far. It feels grimy and sticky, so nasty.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Not really my usual thing, I really enjoyed this though. It doesn't sound anywhere near as old as it is, the production values are great, it's all so crisp and clear. There are super funky beats throughout, and despite not understanding a word of the lyrics, I find myself humming along because some of these songs are obscenely catchy. A very nice surprise to find.
2/5
People who love the music I love adore Harvey, and think I should also. I do not love Harvey. It's another case of the voice grating on me, I'm afraid. I'm so influenced by that when enjoying music, and her voice really turns me off. It's a shame really because musically this could be pretty great.
The Lemonheads
2/5
Soulless jangly indie pop. I feel this sort of stuff, hugely popular at the time, was a backlash against grunge. Grunge was covered in emotion, and it seems someone decided that was too much so they'd strip all emotions out of music entirely. This is the music we ended up with. It feels flimsy, like it's made of slightly damp paper.
2/5
So 80s I spontaneously grew blue eyeshadow and thick black eyeliner as I listened. I was never keen on ABC even in the 80s, I always considered them a poor man's Spandau Ballet. Listening to this album now, decades later, does nothing to change my mind. It's 80s, it's fun to sit and think wow this is so 80s, but that's about it.
Buzzcocks
3/5
70s punk is known for being angry and anarchic, but I have always found Buzzcocks to be so full of joy. This is ridiculously uplifting, they sound as though they are having so much fun and that is always infectious. This album is relentless, it doesn't stop for breath all the way through, and it leaves me with a big smile on my face. Good stuff.
CHIC
2/5
Chic are great. This is another album that gets repetitive quickly though. It's all very Chic, all the way through, with no surprises . I didn't dislike it, I didn't really need to sit and listen to the whole thing though. Good Times is an obvious highlight here, the other tracks not quite living up to that opening track promise.
T. Rex
3/5
I really enjoy T. Rex. The songs are uplifting, fun to sing along with and have a nice atmosphere. However, I am discovering that listening to a whole album of it is a little excruciating. A song here and there on the radio is great, a couple of songs in succession is also great. This though, I was impatient for it to end so I could go and listen to something that didn't sound exactly like all of T.Rex songs.
Nick Drake
2/5
A friend has been trying to get me into Nick Drake for as long as I can remember because he's obsessed with him. I've tried so hard and it just doesn't happen. It should, everything about him is right up my alley, but it just doesn't work. It's the voice, it's far too monotone, he drones on. It's a shame, those who like him really adore him, like some kind of religion. I do not attend the church of Nick Drake.
The Pretty Things
3/5
This is very Beatles-esque, but they do it very well. I assume in the late 60s there were probably a bunch of bands with a similar sound. This is supposedly the first rock opera album, and that aspect of the album works really well, there's a nice progression throughout. I don't understand how I haven't heard this before, there are some great tunes here, and lots of unique and new sounds. I really enjoyed this.
Mike Oldfield
1/5
I had an ex who considered this the pinnacle of musical achievement. He turned out to be about as tedious as this album is. I get why it's on the list, it was sort of groundbreaking in its day. I just never got it, it rouses nothing in me. I hear a bunch of boring musical wankery, and just want to yawn and push it aside.
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
I love her voice. I don't love the songs. They all sound very old timey/broadway type showtunes. Ella is much better than this album ever lets her be.
Cocteau Twins
1/5
This is such a mess. Musically, vocally, and production-wise this band sound like they could do so much better but they somehow landed on this atrocity. There's no other way to describe it than a mess, it confuses my ears. Someone dropped all the elements of a decent album, and lost the instructions on how to put it back together, so we end up with all this disjointed dissonant nastiness.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Cohen is so very good at the melancholy thing, and I love it. On later albums he gets even better, as his voice ages he grows into it more and it's just beautiful. This album is a lovely listen, full of stories. I enjoyed it lots. I thin it only misses out on being a 5 because I know he gets even better.
Love
2/5
This is very 60s psychedelia. I might have liked it more, there are some interesting sounds and melodies going on, but it became repetitive and seemed to never stop. I only checked the running length afterwards, it tells me this album was 36 minutes long. I claim this is a barefaced untruth! I think it must have transported me into some alternate passage of time because I swear this was at least 90 minutes of time I spent wishing it was over.
T. Rex
4/5
Released three weeks after I was, this album is feeling its age as much as I am these days. It sounds dated, it is very seventies with no mistaking. I've always been a fan, my older sister's fault. An entire album of this might be going too far though, I could have done with a couple of tracks less. Still, a good listen.
Ride
1/5
Awful jangly indie with zero substance to it. It's the equivalent of a limp handshake from a slightly moist hand. Nasty.
The The
1/5
This is pretty tedious. I imagine it must have found its way onto the list through the compiler's personal nostalgia. Someone forgot to tell this band they were just a below average 80s band. Utterly disposable.
Mudhoney
3/5
This is so quintessentially grunge I could practically feel my clothes turning plaid as I listened. I was very into the whole grunge thing at the time, and hearing this now is both nostalgic and yet also feels rather cliched. Once you put aside that it isn't a parody, it came before the cliche, then it's all quite enjoyable.
System Of A Down
5/5
I love SOAD passionately. They came along just as I started thinking I'd never fall in love with a band again the way I had in the early 90s. I debated giving this album its 5 score, because some of the SOAD tracks I like the least are on this album. But then amongst the gold you find Spiders, which is worth more than a 5 all on its own, it's just so beautiful. These guys have such an original unique sound and I adore it all.
Steely Dan
2/5
There isn't much to dislike about this album, but similarly there isn't much to like either. It's difficult to have any opinion at all. Nothing much happens, good or bad. The averageness of it begins to hurt about halfway through. By then I would have been happy to hear something I disliked, just to get away from all the bland.
Green Day
2/5
It's so dripping in American. I like Longview quite a bit, but it really is the only track that doesn't make me want to slap faces and ask people what the fuck they think they're doing. That this stuff gets called punk is practically a war crime, should be punished accordingly, and included in the Geneva convention. It's pop, not pop punk, not punk, just pop, and not even great pop. Someone tell the authorities.
Jeru The Damaja
1/5
I liked absolutely nothing about this album, for which I must congratulate the contributors. I can usually find some redeeming feature. A song here or there will perk my interest. But this has none of that. Quite a feat.
Tom Waits
3/5
I'd give it more but it makes me want to cough the whole way through. Great songs, great lyrics, great atmosphere. Waits' voice is just a tad too much for me though.
Roxy Music
3/5
I enjoyed that far more than I anticipated. Something about Ferry always creeped me out. My sister was a fan when I was a kid, every time I heard his voice or saw him on TV I'd cringe, there seemed something wrong about him. Musically this band are great though, that dampens the cringing down enough to somewhat enjoy the stuff.
Fairport Convention
3/5
This is really relaxing. It mostly faded into the background as a soothing presence, but occasionally that beautiful voice broke through and poked at my senses. This album is a really nice listen, it feels comfortable, like spending time with the type of friend where silences aren't awkward. Just sit and enjoy, no effort.
Tim Buckley
3/5
There are a couple of really good tracks on this, but listening to a whole album of the nasally voice makes it become really grating. I particularly enjoyed Pleasant Street, when he really belts it out his voice is considerbly more enjoyable.
The Stooges
5/5
Well this is just awesome. There's not a bad track on here. I like to think I would have been all over this had I been a teen in 1969, but the truth is teen me had nasty taste. 1969 must have been really shocked by this album, it still sounds relevant today. Lovely stuff.
Kanye West
5/5
Oh Kanye, you're so problematic and yet so fuckin great at this music stuff. This album is fantastic from start to finish. I remember the first time I heard Jesus Walks, it stopped me in my tracks and grabbed all my attention. I forget how good Kanye was before he lost any sense of reality. It's so easy to see him as a bit of a joke now, but this album is easily one of the best hip hop albums ever recorded. Just so damn good.
Anita Baker
2/5
Bland. I mean, clearly the woman can sing, but really it goes nowhere, does nothing exciting that we haven't all heard a billion times before. Even in 1986 when this was released it was tedious and overdone. I gave it a 2 to be a bit polite.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Not as traumatic as I anticipated, I'm not a fan. This is Elvis all laid back and chilled out, there's not much of the over the top histrionics that his performances often contain. I really quite enjoyed the first half of the album, but then things started to get a bit samey.
ZZ Top
3/5
I toe-tapped all the way through this, it's impossible not to. Although ZZ Top basically play different versions of the same song throughout their entire career, it's a very good song to repeat. Incredibly catchy, full of 80s nostalgia, music that puts a smile on your face.
John Lennon
4/5
I really tried to listen to this objectively but Mum has always been a Lennon fan. His voice is so familiar, so comfortable. And, you know, she'd kill me if I rated him low, somehow she'd find out, Mum's do that. I can't be objective at all, I love it, even the not so great stuff.
The Coral
5/5
I had heard one song from this, and always liked it. Turns out the rest of the album is even better. I love this! It's an easy listen, fun, melodic, and rocks out. I wasn't expecting this to be so good. A very nice surprise.
The Icarus Line
2/5
If Jane's Addiction's less cool little brother had a child with a cousin of Oasis, this is what it'd sound like. It's almost good, which is why it's so annoying that it isn't good. It wants to sound like the things I listened to in the 90s. Thosse things from the 90s still sound better.
Violent Femmes
4/5
This is awesome! In no way does this sound like 1983, it's more like early 90s grungey sounding, which is totally my thing. I love this. I didn't even know Gone Daddy Gone was a Violent Femmes cover, I should have known this stuff. I'm not sure how this band got past me, not anymore, this is a most pleasant surprise.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
1/5
Oh look, it's the band Stone Roses always wanted to be. I enjoy neither of them. It all seems a bit aimless, going nowhere, just plodding along with not much life in it.
The Pogues
4/5
I enjoyed this far more than I thought I would. This is very emotional musically, sometimes uplifting and full of joy and life, and other times full of woe and sadness. I feel I should have got into The Pogues many years ago but something always stopped me diving right in. I think I might be ready to take the leap now.
Ian Dury
4/5
I didn't stop smiling throughout this entire album. It's wonderfully quirky, musically gorgeous, and tells a whole bunch of stories. The mainstream media always painted Dury as a novelty act, this album puts that idea to bed almost immediately. Great stuff.
Fiona Apple
2/5
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this album. It's nice, she has a beautiful voice and her own style. I have nothing bad to say about it. It just doesn't move me, at all. It's nice, and nothing more.
Cocteau Twins
1/5
Sometimes you have to accept that something is just not for you. People who like Cocteau Twins really like them, almost religiously. I am not one of those people. I don't get it, any of it. Nothing stands out as particularly good or bad. It's just there, like traffic noise in the background.
Culture Club
3/5
This is better than I remember it being in the 80s. Perhaps I'm clouded by nostalgia. There is some really good pop here, lots of variety, lots of things that at the time were quite experimental. An enjoyable listen.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I have a strange relationshp with the Stones. I dislike a lot of their stuff, then occasionally there's one track that's so great you can forgive the rest of it. None of those tracks are on this album, unfortunately. Jagger's voice becomes annoying quickly, I think I'd like the band more with a different voice.
Talking Heads
4/5
Late breaking news: Talking Heads are awesome! I've always been aware of them, and some songs that were great, but had no idea what was lurking on their albums was better than any of the singles released. All interesting tracks, none sound remotely like they're over 40. I'm very late to this party, but I'm really enjoying Talking Heads.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
This is difficult to score. The great tracks are legendaril awesome, but there's a lot of mediocre filling the space between them. This would have been a much better album if there was less of it.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
It's CCR. Have you ever heard any CCR song? If so then you know this album already, it's exactly as you imagine it to be. I'm not saying all the songs sound the same but... well, yes I am. It's a pretty good song though.
George Michael
4/5
I remember the excitement I felt waiting for this album to be released. All of us Wham fans were a little nervous in case he'd veered off somewhere we didn't like. I was not disappointed, quite the opposite in fact, I loved it immediately. I still love it. George's voice on One More Try still makes me crumble every time I hear it. It's extraordinary. This album is very much part of my youth.
Beth Orton
2/5
Sometimes you just have to accept that not everything is for you. This is not for me. I got through it without turning it off, it wasn't offensive at all, it's just bland. And not for me.
James Brown
2/5
I get the feeling that Brown wrote the totally over the top intro himself, he always seemed to be his own biggest fan. I like the music he comes with, but his rambling on is really annoying.
The Cars
2/5
I was transported back to the 80s, where I starred in a movie, sitting through Saturday detention, stealing the Ferrari belonging to my friend's Dad, or being forbidden to dance within city limits, and this was my soundtrack. A pleasant enough listen, but nothing very interesting.
Living Colour
2/5
There's nothing terrible here, but also nothing that pricks my ears up. I'm not really sure why it's even on the list to be honest, it's pretty much like 90% of rock bands sounded at the time. Nothing earth shatteringly new.
Soundgarden
5/5
My favourite band, my favourite voice, I can't score this anything but top marks. I'd double it if I could. I saw Soundgarden a few times, including once a few days after this album release, a VIP show in London. It's still one of the best days of my life. The first track they played was Let Me Drown and I was in a state of awe from the first note. This is all perfect, everything about it. I am very biased, but music doesn't come much better.
The Pogues
2/5
It's everything you expect of The Pogues. I like it, it's deliciously Irish, it's all very samey though. I'd be quite happy to hear a couple of these songs at a time. An entire album just goes on too much though. If I were rating individual songs they'd probably mostly score higher thn the two I'm giving the album.
Beastie Boys
4/5
For a teen girl in England Beastie Boys were just mindblowing. This album still holds up today, it doesn't sound at all dated. There is such innovation running through every track. Wonderful.
Fela Kuti
1/5
I can't, it's making my anxiety race along with the music.
The Adverts
1/5
I can't figure out why this is even on the list. It's instantly ignorable and forgettable, nothing interesting at all, not even in a bad way really. It's just nothing.
The Prodigy
5/5
I bought this on the day of release and loved it immediately. This album easily makes its way into my personal all time top ten, and is unlike any of the other nine. I still get chills listening to this today, it puts me into something of a daze like I'm hypnotised. There are very few albums that can take me out of my mind and make me lost amid the sounds. This does it effortlessly, no matter how many thousands of times I've listened.
3/5
Good songs, played well, by an obviously very talented artist. It does nothing for me, I never fell into the Bowie fandom as so many did. There's no real reason for it, he just isn't for me.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
I don't know what happened to Franz Ferdinand after this album, it's like they became a totally different, and much less interesting, band. There are some great catchy songs on this album, many of which used to set the dancefloor alight in rock clubs. They had their own unique sound, tons of enthusiasm, and this album is the result of that positivity. But then, after this... it's a shame really.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Listening to this album feels like I'm intruding on the musicians' private time. I don't think they're playing this for us to hear, I think they're playing it for themselves to enjoy playing. This isn't always a bad thing, I love to hear people enjoying their craft, but this album does leave me a bit cold because of it.
Pulp
4/5
I always sort of liked Pulp, they were a fun pop band. I didn't appreciate quite how good they were though, until listening to this now. What a great album! There's so much to like here, fun tunes, great production, interestingn lyrics, all kinds of moods. I really rather love it!
Van Halen
3/5
I hadn't realised how many Van Halen moments that I was aware of all came from this album. It packed full of classic rock songs and samples. This was a much more enjoyable listen that I had anticipated.
Thelonious Monk
1/5
No, 1001 Albums, I won't let you do this to me, I refuse! Someone took some instruments, threw them into a washing machine, and set it to spin. They then took the result, threw it out of a tenth floor window, where it landed on some musicians and recording equipment. This is the result. I lasted ten minutes, much longer than I thought I could, or should have. This disorganises my thoughts and it hurts. It is not for me. Just no!
Madonna
3/5
The title track of this album is an almost perfect slice of late 80s pop. Unfortunately it is miles above anything else on the album. It's a decent listen but I'm not sure it would have been nearly so well thought of without that one track.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I dislike Dylan, immensely. I always have. His voice assaults my soul. I love many Dylan songs when they're performed by someone, anyone, else. The man should never have been allowed near a mic, and somebody really should be held accountable for that.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
I can usually find something enjoyable, interesting, or at the very least noteworthy about any album. I'm struggling with this one. It has all the elements I would generally quite like, but here I found it all very boring. I'm sure at the time of its release it was quite a new sound and therefore less tedious.
Beatles
4/5
I mean, what is there to say except it's The Beatles' White Album. While My Guitar Gently Weeps has been among my most loved songs since the first time I heard it as a child. It still provokes emotion now, it's so beautiful. I didn't give this the full 5 because being forced to sing Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da in infant school has left scars. Not so much the singing but listening to 30 other seven year olds reguarly ruin it leaves lasting marks on a person.
Wilco
3/5
Harmless, not very interesting, but harmless and a pleasant enough listen. Not something I'd choose to hear again, but I enjoyed the short journey we had together.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
Not really my kind of thing. I couldn't get to grips with it at all. At points I thought I was almost enjoying it, and then some vocal twang or another jolted me back out of it.
The Slits
3/5
I'm not entirely sure if I like this or not. I like lots of stuff from the same era/genre but The Slits have never really appealed to me. I did enjoy this listen though, and am glad to have heard it. The album has a great carefree feel to it, and I always love to hear a band enjoying themselves as they appear to be doing here. Favourite tracks include Ping Ping Affair, and of course the very quirky cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
It's a fair listen, nothing bad, but then nothing hugely great either. It disappeared into the world a bit about halfway through.
Moby Grape
2/5
There isn't muich to comment on here. It's a 60s rock album. It doesn't offend, but then it isn't setting my world alight either. It's fine.
Gillian Welch
2/5
Country really isn't my thing, though this album was considerably less grating than a lot of country is. I enjoyed the melancholic atmosphere more than any of the songs, and I think this helped me make it through the whole thing.
Deerhunter
1/5
I don't like this at all. Now it's finished I couldn't even tell you what the difference between one song and another is. The lasting impression this leaves me with is 'why?'. Not for me.
Supergrass
3/5
Good album, nothing earth shattering but a decent listen, I enjoyed it.
The Byrds
2/5
Just about as 60s as you can get. It gets very samey very quickly, by halfway through I was willing it to end. It's not that it's bad, it's just repetitive and really loses its way quite early on.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I should have always liked Sonic Youth, they are right in the middle of everything I really enjoy. I never really got it though. Listening to this I suddenly understood why people keep telling me I'll love them. Maybe it's the timing but something clicked on this listen and I loved some of the tracks. There were others that were just too distorted for me, but overall I'm happy I finally 'get' the Sonic Youth thing.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Not nearly as traumatic as I thought it would be. I'm usually totally adverse to Iron Maiden, they're too shrieky for me, both vocally and musically. This is a decent album though, and barely a shriek to be found.
Scott Walker
2/5
Metallica
4/5
Great album. I still recall the first time I heard One and it gave me chills. It still gives me chills now, on every listen. It's just terrible and beautiful. This album is before Hetfield starting adding extraneous 'ahh's on the end of every line. I almost miss it, weirdly. But yes, great album from what was a great band.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
I enjoyed some of the music, there were lots of sound combinations I haven't really heard before. However, the vocal style ruins it for me, it became annoying very quickly. I found myself telling the vocalist to shut up so I could listen to the cool musical effects without them interrupting.
Screaming Trees
4/5
I don't know why I wasn't already a fan of this. I should have been. It's slap bang in the middle of my wheelhouse, right time, right sound, just like all my favourite bands. Anyway, I love it, and have wasted the past 26 years knowing nothing of it. This will be remedied asap.
Billie Holiday
2/5
I thought I liked Billie Holiday more than this. It's okay, and it does feel like I'm listening to something important, something that should be heard. Her voice is really strange though. I think the problem might be the songs on this album, they're all very light and I like her when she's all intense and emotional.
Elvis Costello
1/5
I can't. I just can't with that voice. All that uppy downy on every syllable thing he does makes me want to hurt not just him but anyone I can get hold of. It's an instant rage maker. I get that he's very popular, but no, you can't make me listen to this, no amount of persuasion will work. Ick, I heard half a song, I want to scrub myself clean.
Traffic
2/5
This all pretty much faded into the background and just sat there doing its thing without me. I kept trying to pay attention but ended up drifting away and ignoring it every time. It's entirely inoffensive, like a pleasant wallpaper.
LL Cool J
3/5
This was so edgy when it came out. Now it sounds like hip hop with training wheels on. It's so innocent, it's cute. The production still sounds great, and the title track still kicks ass.
Kraftwerk
2/5
This is a strange beast. Obviously it was innovative upon its release, and even today it still sounds like a science experiment. It is quite monotonous though. I was expecting to enjoy this much more than I did. I'm glad I've listened, it feels like something that should be heard, like a lesson in the evolution of music, but isn't really something I'd choose to hear again.
The Go-Go's
4/5
This album surprised me. The Go-Go's were never really a thing here in the UK until they all went solo. Consequently I've just had the chance to listen to brand new (to me) prime 80s pop gold. I really enjoyed the whole vibe. There are some great songs to be found here (though Our Lips... will always be Terry Hall's). I sort of feel like I found a rogue present that got lost under the Christmas tree 40 years ago.
The Kinks
4/5
The Kinks are always a fun listen, their music is full of smiles and I love them.
The Mars Volta
2/5
This is another of those albums I would like considerably more if there was a different vocalist. There's just something about the tone of this guy's voice that grates on me. The music is actually pretty good, and definitely something I could enjoy.
Aerosmith
3/5
Well, it's Aerosmith, you know exactly what you're going to get. When my brain thinks of default rock band, this is the sound it hears. It's comfortable and reassuring, and long may it last.
Janelle Monáe
2/5
Not sure what to make of this. There are some great tracks, and some terrible tracks. It's as though she's tried to fit every genre in one album, an homage to every influence. You can pick the similarities to Bowie or Outkast tracks, they're so faithful to their influencers. In the end a lot of it sounds messy, like it needs trimming of some of the sounds going on. More selective production maybe. It's so close to being great.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I liked this more than I remember liking this band. There are some really nice melodies and songs here, and it's all full of a dark atmosphere. I think my mood has become more Echo & The Bunnymen as I've aged, I was in the wrong mood when it first came out.
Os Mutantes
2/5
I'll probably never listen to this again, but I did enjoy this little journey. This is nice chilled music. At times it doesn't sound nearly as old as it is, but then on other tracks there is no mistaking that 60s vibe. A pleasant album all round.
Wild Beasts
1/5
That was really hard work. The voice hurts my ears, my brain, and my sense of decency. It's awful! Musically the album isn't horrible, but damn that voice is all over the place, off key, out of tune, trying to be all unique and just ending up as a big pile of nastiness. Someone should be locked up for making me listen to this!
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Again with this band, I love the music so much, but the vocal hurts my brain. It leaves me frustrated about how good it could be, but isn't.
Joni Mitchell
1/5
I found this interminably boring. I know people love Mitchell for all sorts of reasons, I have no idea what any of those reasons could possibly be. This is not for me, it's too beige.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
Nope. Absolutely not.
Billy Bragg
2/5
Much more upbeat than I had expected, this is quite a fun album. I likely won't ever listen again but I'm glad I know of its existence.
Talking Heads
3/5
If you planted this album, cared for and watered it for about 15 years, it'd turn into an REM album. It's obvious where those guys got their influence. This isn't as good as some Talking Heads work, but still a good listen. It's interesting to see the evolution of the band's sound.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Such a frustrating album. I really like the music, very much so, but the vocals make me want to stab pencils into my eardrums for some blessed relief from the agony of hearing that voice. I've never heard anything so polarising. If this was an instrumental I'd have doubled its score.
Tangerine Dream
1/5
Sadly, I can't choose zero.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Eh, it's Elvis, it is what it is.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
I'm at least 10% cooler for having heard this.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
This turned out better than I expected it to be. There is a lot of quite interesting stuff going on musically. It rocks more than I thought the band were capable. I am big on voices though, if a voice isn't right then I find it difficult to enjoy the music at all. This guy's voice is really quite irritating. A shame, it could have been so much better.
Aphex Twin
2/5
It wasn't a horrible listen, but it's likely I'll never listen to it again. In fairness, sitting indoors on a rainy Thursday afternoon, paying bills and doing paperwork, is probably not the ideal listener setting for this album. That this is a compilation of unrelated works is evident as there is no coherent theme or mood running throughout, which leaves it all feeling a bit empty.
Pentangle
2/5
At first I hated it for the voices. Then I quite liked it for some of the music. Eventually I became completely indifferent to it.
Pixies
4/5
I had no idea I was a Pixies fan until embarking on this project. It's been a pleasant discovery. I was always aware of them and enjoyed ther more popular songs I had heard, but had enever delved deeper into album tracks. I'm not sure why. I'm glad it's being thrust upon me now.
Fever Ray
3/5
I'm not sure if I liked this or not. It's an interesting album, I find the whole thing intriguing really. It has an 80s gothy feeling to it, but doesn't sound dated or out of its time. I'll be looking further into this band. It was an enjoyable interesting listen.
ZZ Top
3/5
I had no idea ZZ Top were so religious. How did they go from Jesus band to party band so fast? The music here is almost perfect rock, it's like the template for rocking. I'm not so keen on the voices though. This is my failing rather than theirs, I'm fussy about voices. Regardless, this is a fun listen.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Well that was quite a pleasant surprise. This isn't really the kind of thing I'd usually listen to, and will likely never listen again, but I enjoyed the journey. This is what this project is all about for me, finding things I'd never have heard otherwise, totally different to my usual preferences. This album is full of nice simple love songs, nothing over the top, nothing trying too hard. I don't really understand how an album three years old even gets onto the list, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
There's some quite standard 60s fare throughout, with a sprinkling of psychedelia on top. It mostly disappeared into the background with the occasionally prod getting attention, not always for positive reasons. They sound like they're more interested in having fun than making anything particularly good, which is a worthwhile ambition, and I hope it entertained the makers more than it entertained me.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
This is awful. I want to give it less than 1. It has a lot in common with things I adore, however, there's enough wrong to make it terrible. The 'singing' is the worst thing of all, it's barely even a voice, just some whiney sound in the background. The production is all off, the music is a mess. The worst I've had to listen to so far.
Tortoise
2/5
It faded into the background like beige emulsion on a wall, it might as well not have been there at all. Not for me.
Dolly Parton
3/5
I'm not meant to like this, it has so many things that instantly turn me off. However, I smiled my way through the whole thing. It's like someone reading particularly tuneful stories to me, and there's plenty of subtle humour hidden in the lyrics to keep me entertained. A pleasant surprise from one of the albums I've been dreading having to listen to.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
It's fine, drones on a bit and made me really want to curl up and take a nap. I mean, that's not entirely a bad thing, I like naps.
Air
3/5
Sitting on a sandy beach after a night spent clubbing, not sure whether it's tomorrow yet or still yesterday, a breeze cooling your skin as you watch the sun rise with the single-serving soulmate you met hours ago is the perfect time to listen to this album. It's lovely, gentle, and warm, but doesn't work nearly as well on a rainy autumn evening in England. It needs the right setting to be properly enjoyed. I'd re-listen more often if I had a beach.
Neil Young
1/5
I did not like this at all. Young's voice is just too much for me. I can handle him for one track here and there, but a whole album of that whine is beyond my capabilities.
Beatles
3/5
This is like watching a toddler learn to walk. You know eventually they'll be sprinting but they're still finding their feet. It's incredibly cute. Already you can hear hints of how great these guys become, and Lennon's voice always makes me happy. A fun listen to some favourites.
Nirvana
5/5
The final track is worth the top mark on its own, it's stunning. This album reignited my appreciation for Nirvana when it waned a little following my Nevermind obsession period. The Unplugged sessions were such a great idea and produced some amazing musical moments. This is always a great listen, it can't really be faulted.
Ice Cube
3/5
One of my favourite things about the entire hip hop genre is tracking down the samples used. It's a whole 'nother way to discover new music. This album will keep me going for weeks. This is a decent album, typical of the era, and very danceable. My toes havevn't stopped tapping throughout.
Jamiroquai
2/5
I thought I liked Jamiroquai more than it seems I actually do. It gets very repetitive quite quickly. I remember them having a couple of stand out hits, none of which are on this album. I feel rather disappointed.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
It's not that I ever forget Aretha has a killer voice, but somehow it still always manages to leave me stunned at just how awesome it is. Honestly it doesn't really matter how good or bad the songs are here, she gives a vocal masterclass that can stop you in your tracks and demands attention. I quite like most of the songs too, as a bonus. This is like drinking fine wine or gazing upon a Da Vinci.
Parliament
2/5
This sounds like some great musicians had too much time on their hands so just noodled around in a studio for a while. It doesn't really do much or go anywhere, there isn't much variety. I know this band is full of awesome, but none of it is on show here.
The Crusaders
2/5
I quite like the title track, but nothing else on this album has any interest for me. It's quite non-descript disco era jazz. It's 1979, you're at a family wedding, the buffet gets unveiled, and everyone shuffles along filling their paper plates with finger food. This is the music the DJ plays quietly under the murmurs of munching guests. It's completely inoffensive, the musical version of beige. For such a short album it really goes on, and on, and on, repetitively, on and on. Lovevly production and mixing though.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
This was mostly tedious. There are a couple of okay songs, but a whole lot of filler. I remember OMD being considered as cutting edge with the use of electronics, but even back in the day they were a pretty tedious band. Even the title of the album smacks of pretentiousness. Save for two, maybe three, tracks I did not find this enjoyable.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
I used to really like Pet Shop Boys. In fact, I still do, but this album is far from their best. They peaked early in their career and this album seems as though they're trying to replicate what had come before. I mean, it's still unmistakably Pet Shop Boys, but the spark isn't there anymore. Nothing on this album made an impression at all, it all just floated by, inoffensively enough, but with praactically zero engagement from me.
The Stranglers
4/5
I thought I knew The Stranglers, I did not. I mean, I knew the popular songs, I had no idea this album was crammed full of great songs I had never heard though. I really like this. It's hard to believe this album is over 40 years old, some of the guitars sound like they could have been recorded yesterday. Fantastic stuff.
Kate Bush
3/5
I used to think Kate Bush wasn't for me, it was music for grown ups. I must be a real grown up now because I rather enjoyed this. Bush's voice still hits some tones that really put me on edge, so I could never be considered a fan, but I love the music throughout this album. It's all really quite beautiful.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Totally rifftastic from the opening bars. I don't need to explain this stuff, it's Zeppelin.
Happy Mondays
1/5
I deserve a rating of 5 myself for listening to this for as long as I did. I made it halfway through before my brain screamed that it was no longer bearable. I cannot stand Ryder's voice. Whoever originally let him get in front of a mic and make sound should be slapped about the face. Whoever told him it sounded good and he should definitely be a frontman should also be slapped about the face. The man sounds like he's in pain. My ears have been assaulted.
Tori Amos
3/5
This was a nice surprise that I didn't expect to like at all. There are some great songs here, and there is no arguing that Amos has a spectacular voice, that she uses in so many differing ways throughout the album. Very enjoyable.
Pixies
3/5
I very much enjoy the music throughout this album, I'm not a huge fan of the vocal tones though. Musically it's right up my alley. It doesn't sound at all dated, on its release it was pretty much ahead of its time, leaving the grunge movement in its wake. No track stood out above the others for me, but the general feel of the album is great.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
This is all very pleasant, and so soothing I fell asleep multiple times while it was playing. I wasn't even tired, but the slow, drawn out melodies and the smooth vocal acts like an hour long lullaby. Each song melts into the next with little variation, there are no highlights nor any lowlights.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
This is such great 'get up and go' music. Between this and The Prodigy it's no wonder I got so much done in the late 90s. It still has the same effect today, until you get to those last few more vocal songs, where it sort of loses its way. My house hasn't looked this clean and tidy in weeks.
Throwing Muses
2/5
I quite like some of the music here, it's reminiscent of the early 90s grunge I'm fond of. I don't like the vocal sound at all though. This isn't a direct insult to the singer, it's probably more of a 'me' thing. I'm not a fan of female vocalists at all, and in this case her voice doesn't seem to coalesce with the music at all.
The White Stripes
4/5
I'm happy to report I still love this as much as I did when it was released. I enjoy the simplicity of the sound, the catchiness of the songs, the sing-a-long-ability of the whole thing. It puts me in a good mood, the effect almost everything Jack White has done has on me. It would score five but I know some of their other albums are even better.
John Coltrane
1/5
Absolutely not for me. I can understand it's highly thought of in the big scheme of things, but it's really not designed for me. I only made it through the whole thing by turning it down low and pretending it was background movie soundtrack to my day.
Le Tigre
3/5
No other album on this list has changed my opinion so quickly. In the opening 30 seconds I thought I wouldn't like this at all, mainly because of the vocal. But as it went on it's really grown on me. I almost gave it a 4, but it gets a bit samey after a while. Someone here knows how to write a catchy beat, it forced my toes to tap and my head to nod along. It doesn't feel like an album, but more of a collection of individual songs, all of which are really fun. There's not enough fun music around anymore.
David Bowie
2/5
Nope. I never got the whole Bowie thing. I find most of his stuff dreary and droning. I quite literally fell asleep trying to listen to this. There are some interesting song ideas here, I guess, but then Bowie drones all over them. I still don't get the Bowie thing.
Rush
2/5
I did not enjoy the song structures. I did not enjoy the lyrics. And above all, I very much did not enjoy the vocal. I knew going in that I have an aversion to this guy's voice, I find it really grating. The parts of this album I disliked the least were the bits where he moved away from the mic. There's some entertaining guitar here and there, which is why it didn't score 1, but even that wears out its welcome by going too far. I will never willingly listen to this again.
Arcade Fire
2/5
It's fine. It's okay. I keep thinking it sounds like a bunch of older stuff, but I can't quite put my finger on who it is they're trying to sound like. Maybe it's everyone, they want to be all previous popular bands so are throwing everything at it in the hope something sticks. I get why some would really like this, but it sounds like a cheap copy of a copy of a copy.
Elton John
2/5
I was never a big fan of Elton John, and it's the more uptempo of his songs that I prefer. There are no uptempo tracks on this album. There's some beautiful piano throughout, of course, but this whole thing mostly faded into the background for me.
Solange
1/5
There's nothing to rate here. There are no highs, no lows, just flatlining through the whole thing. No emotion, no excitement, she's trying so hard to be soulful but it's empty from start to finish. It's bargain bin Lauryn Hill, AI concocted Sade, heartless, soulless, pointless.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
There's nothing new or interesting here. The production is nice. Does anyone get anything out of those little conversational skits that appear on 90% of hip hop albums? They really break up the enjoyment of the musical experience for me, they're jarring. I'd be happy to never hear another talky skit again. I found this whole thing quite tedious.
Travis
3/5
I've always wondered why Travis weren't bigger than they were. They're much better than some of the other bands from that period and that similar sound (I'm looking at you, Coldplay). This is a nice album, it feels coherent throughout, with very hummable tunes and a lovely relaxing vocal. An enjoyable, if pretty uneventful, listen.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
I love Rufus Wainwright. However, I do not love this album. It's all a bit too much. Too show-tuney, too melodramatic, too drawn out, too theatrical, too self-indulgent, too Wainwrighty. I wanted to like it more but, alas, the longer it went on the more it grew tiresome. I'll go listen to his good stuff instead, he does a killer version of Hallelujah that I insist is the best version anyone did.
Metallica
2/5
My least favourite of the good Metallica albums. I can't put my finger on what's wrong here. It's almost as though it has all the right ingredients to be really good, but there's no spark to bring it all together and make it great. I mean, there's nothing actually 'wrong', but it lacks some kind of build quality in comparison to some of their better albums.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
There are only a couple of really good songs on this album, the wonderful production and Gaye's beautiful voice are the highlights here. What a voice! It's so smooth, like being enveloped by warm liquid. The musical arrangements throughout give his voice room to shine, to breathe. Nothing is overpowering, everything here works in perfect harmony, the music compliments the voice and vice versa, with enough space left for the listener to snuggle in and enjoy.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
This album swings wildly between great songs and tedious overblown guitar solos. Without the tracks that go nowhere it might have scored a 4, the good songs are really good.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
A nice surprise. I generally find Springsteen really cringeworthy and just too American. This is a nice album though, understated, thoughtful, calming, nothing I would generally associate with him. It made for a pleasant evening.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I'm not a fan of Mitchell's voice, which is pretty much all that this album is. I like the simplicity of the music, but that's about it. This is not for me.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Not a lot happening here, I expected more Dexy's from Dexy's but aside from the voice this sounded like a thousand other bands. It mostly passed by without making much of an impression. It's fine for background music that invokes the occasional toe tap.
Van Morrison
3/5
Most of the mark I gave this is for the title track, which has long been a favourite of mine and which I think is among a very small number of perfect songs. This is a pleasant album to listen to, it feels full of light and makes for smiles. And now I will go back and put the song Moondance on repeat and sing my lungs out for a while.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
This made me really sleepy, not necessarily in a bad way, it's all very soothing. I think Hooker's voice was created at the beginning of time with the universe, it's one of those things that has always been among the fabric of the world. So soothing, I need naps.
Hugh Masekela
1/5
I couldn't finish the thing. I lasted a couple of tracks before realising this just isn't for me at all. I am not a fan of music that has no discernible melody or rhythm, it puts me on edge and makes me anxious.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
That was a pleasant surprise. This is why this album project is so appealing to me, I get to hear things I never would otherwise. Despite having no idea what these guys are singing about this still manages to be really catchy, toe-tapping stuff. I enjoyed the music from the very first minute, and can hear the emotions in the later songs. This album is an interesting journey.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
This was never for me. There's some fun melodies, and good production, but I struggle to find much else here. It's not saying anything interesting, and it's not saying it in an entertaining way either. It's self indulgent, like a lot of this style rap is. I'll take this opportunity to repeat a firmly held belief that talky skits in albums add nothing and are just annoyances to get past. Also, I have a bigger TV than Biggie was bragging about in '94, which did make me chuckle that it took me so long to catch up.
a-ha
2/5
I'm not sure why this album is even on here. The 80s had much better fare to offer. Having said that I've always maintained that 'The Sun Always Shines on TV' is one ofthe best songs ever recorded. It hit me at exactly the right time in life, and it still puts a grin on my face today. Great song, hidden in the middle of a quite tedious album.
Miles Davis
2/5
Not as unlistenable as Miles Davis albums I've previously encountered in this 1001. It felt like a soundtrack to a noir detective TV show from the 70s. I felt I should be driving round some rain soaked nighttime streets, chain smoking, giving a running monologue to the rearviewmirror.
Ice Cube
3/5
Half an hour of this album is great, an hour is too much of a similar thing repeatedly. It's funky as hell, almost impossible not to bop along with, and really quite rousing. But yeah, there's too much of it.
Prince
2/5
There are a couple of stand out tracks here, but as I have found with most of Prince's stuff over the years, it all goes on a bit, much of it aimlessly. I often get the feeling that he had a ton of great ideas but was never quite sure what to do with most of them, resulting in confused albums like this.
Baaba Maal
2/5
Not really my thing, but interesting nonetheless. There are some nice rhythms, and it definitely makes me want to move. This is so far removed from what I'm used to that I can't really find a way into it.
Pixies
4/5
Great album, great band. I really should have paid more attention to them in the 90s when I was falling in love with many similar bands, but they didn't get as much exposure here in the UK. I like this album lots, it feels comfortable, like slipping on a favourite pair of boots.
Roxy Music
2/5
I'd like Roxy Music more if Ferry had a voice transplant. I've learned through this project that I'm really fussy about voices, and this is one that really grates on me. Roxy have a song here and there that works, when they go all eerie because Ferry's voice suits eerie, but doesn't suit much else. I found this hard work to get though.
The Clash
3/5
This makes me terribly nostalgic. I remember hearing this album, and others like it, through the walls from my brother's room, and similar sounds when hanging around while his band practiced. I was a tiny little thing hanging around with a bunch of scary looking punks. So, I'm biased as this puts me in an automatic good mood. It isn't The Clash's best, but is still full of all the stuff that makes them great.
Queen Latifah
2/5
I remember liking this a lot more when it came out. I guess hip hop has moved on a long way since then and this sounds quite dated now.
CHIC
4/5
Disco really had the best production values. This is so crisp and smooth, it's beautiful. A classic album from a classic band. It's right up there with the best albums to test your new music set up with, and will also make you dance like a fool.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Goes on a bit, doesn't it? Aside from the opening title track this all sinks into the background. I wouldn't be surprised to hear this as phone hold music, or playing through tinny supermarket speakers. It did have me shuffling around the place a little in what some might interpret as a dance. It made me go and listen to the much better, real versions of many of the songs.
Terence Trent D'Arby
4/5
A criminally underrated slice of solid gold 80s pop. This guy was always peddled as a bargain bin Prince, which did him no favours at all, it's an unfair comparison. I may be influenced by a strong dose of nostalgia but this was a really fun listen, maybe better than I recall my horrible quality cassette album being in the 80s. The improvement in sound quality is really working for all things 80s, as evidenced throughout this whole album. Great stuff.
Eels
4/5
With my first listen I wasn't sure of this and was going to give it a 3. I liked it, but it feels like an album you need to live with for a while. On my second listen I bumped its score up to 4. It's definitely a grower. I think if I lived with it a while longer it might even reach the heady heights of a 5. I don't know why I wasn't already friends with this album, it somehow passed me by despite totally being my kind of thing. I hope we become better acquainted in the near future.
Coldplay
1/5
Not even good enough to be called bad music. It's anti-music. I have nothing but disdain for this band, how fucking dare they do this to music. So bland it almost hurts, but hurting would be far too interesting to be associated with this drivel. Now where's my reward for listening to this tripe, surely I get a medal or something?
The Temptations
4/5
Worth the grade for Papa Was A Rolling Stone alone, I adore that track. Lots of greatness happening on this album, but it doesn't feel cohesive like an album, it's many individual points of sunshine. So smooth.
Cheap Trick
1/5
I don't enjoy live albums. The whole point of live shows is to enjoy being there, it's not the same listening to below-par production and people screaming at home. Old live albums are even worse, the production is so messy the noise overwhelms me. My ears have been assaulted, it's causing anxiety. I couldn't finish it.
Ash
2/5
The hype that surrounded these guys when they appeared was ridiculous. I mean, they're okay-ish, nothing spectacular, but the british music press thought they were the second coming or something. Such a big deal was made over them being really young when they got a record deal. I remember the hype more than the music.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Actually not as traumatic an experience as I thought it might be. I don't cope well with Jagger's voice. One or two songs at a time is about my limit, but this wasn't horrendous. It's a lot more folksy than I imagined it would be, and musically it's right up my alley. There are so many great bands I wish I could switch a different singer into, these are one such band.
The xx
1/5
The only reason this is on the list is so that listeners can appreciate all the other, much less tedious, albums on the list. I can't imagine any other reason it's here. It's entirely unremarkable. It's not even noteworthy enough to be called bad. There's nothing here. No soul, no depth, no feeling, no entertainment, nothing objectionable. I want to poke it with a stick to see if there's any life in there. It's completely beige. I think my ears have fallen into a coma.
George Jones
1/5
This mostly disappeared into the background noise of the world and I forgot it was there entirely. It's not for me, too twangy by far.
Sarah Vaughan
1/5
I don't like this at all. I've never liked the rambling kind of jazz that just hints at a tune without ever actually pinning one down. As for the scatting on the final track, nope, not for me.
Frank Sinatra
1/5
This quickly faded into the background, to the point where I took a little while to realise it had actually finished. I suppose this is what people call 'easy listening', so easy you don't even notice you're listening at all.
Shuggie Otis
2/5
This is very relaxing and soothing. I felt like I was stoned by the end of it. If you were hoping to be productive at all today then I'd advise you not to listen to his album.
Tom Waits
3/5
There are parts of this album that I'd score 5, and some that would be 1, which leaves me with a 3 in the end. There is some true beauty here, and some jarring dissonance. I think the dissonance makes the beauty all the more intense. What I love here I love deeply. And you never know when you might need a bagpipe break until one comes along.
ABBA
3/5
It annoys me when people say Abba were shit. They weren't. You can say you don't like them, they're not for you, that's fine, but these guys were incredibly good at what they do. The production on all their music is second to none. I would have given this album a 4 but for the abomination that is Dancing Queen. I really think it's one of their most inferior tracks and yet it's the one they're most known for, it's all wrong. I never need to hear that particular tune again.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I really enjoyed this, annoyingly. Back when this was new the world was drowning in these guys. Despite having great catchy songs we all got so sick of hearing them everywhere that it fostered annoyance and dislike. Now, with time passed since then, it appears I like them again. This stuff is so catchy and cheery sounding, it's impossible to not tap a foot or give in to some air drumming. I wonder how popular they are outside of the UK because they sound so deliciously British I figure they might encounter issues with it elsewhere.
Iron Maiden
2/5
Too shrieky, too fiddly, too much. I should like Maiden, people think I'll like Maiden, I do not like Maiden. I'm sure it's all very technically impressive but it leaves me cold, does not stir a thing within me. I remember the title track of this charting among all the 80s synth pop, going straight in at number 1, and wondering wtf was happening to the world.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Most of that mark of 2 is for the great backing singing. This was quite dull.
Supertramp
3/5
Nothing really stands out as amazing on this album, but all in all it's a pleasant listening experience, good music, good vocals, great production. I enjoyed it.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
The issue here is that Superstition is such a ridiculously good track that it makes all the others surrounding it feel a bit mediocre in comparison. It's a good album, full of good tracks, Stevie Wonder is always a joy to listen to, but that one track is such a stand out it's all I can think about afterwards, I barely remember the rest.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
These guys are very good at what they do, though it's not really my thing. The jangly upbeat music contrasts with the grim lyrics about everyday life and its troubles. I enjoyed the listen, and even added one track to my playlists (Expectations). I preferred the TV show.
Solomon Burke
4/5
A thoroughly enjoyable listen. I'm a little annoyed that I haven't stumbled across it before, to be honest. I knew only the opening track, and what an opening track it is. His voice gives me genuine chills in places on this album. Just beautiful.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
This woman has an amazing knack of making every single song go on just a bit longer than it should. Every track outstays its welcome, to the point I figure she must be doing it on purpose. It's all quite inoffensive, but really quite dull.
Röyksopp
3/5
I struggled to listen to this whole album, not because it's bad, but because it kept making me fall asleep. It was really good sleep too, I'll be using this again in the future for guaranteed slumber. It's all very dreamy and floaty. I was surprised at how much of it I recognised. Highly recommended for insomniacs.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
I never liked female voices, and my 90s were all about grunge stuff mostly. However, I loved this album, hugely! It's fantastic. It's so out of my usual likes it always surprises anyone I confess to. You Oughta Know is one of the all time greatest pop songs, without question. I still love the album now, I haven't heard it in a while, this was a welcome reunion.
Orange Juice
2/5
This is very 80s and therefore dripping in nostalgia, especially the title track. The rest of the album followes a very similar vibe.
The Libertines
1/5
People are calling this punk? Are they listening to a different album to me? This is jangly indie pop shite, at best. I try to find something good in most albums, but I can't be bothered to try with this. This is terrible, and Doherty is an odious little smackhead whose vocal stylings are fucking insufferable. Not only should this not be on the list, its mere existence should be a criminal act. Awful people, awful band, awful album.
KISS
2/5
I feel I should probably be listening to this in an American muscle car, cruising along a highway with the windows down and the music up, not sitting wrapped in blankets on a freezing afternoon in England. I'm sure the setting would make a difference in the rating. This isn't horrible, it's just Kiss, everything you expect from Kiss, in a very Kiss kinda way.
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
I imagine Hendrix sounded amazing when he arrived on the scene, unlike anything else. Now though, so many people have done so much better. He's obviously a legend and all, can't dispute that, but I struggle to listen to him for too long without finding it annoying. A couple of tracks here are fine, a whole album is too much for me.
Buck Owens
3/5
Absolutely not the kind of thing I'd choose to listen to, I'd sneer at the thought. Having said that, this album was really fun. Despite the tales of woe he's singing about the music is uplifting and cheery and had me toe-tapping along the whole way through. I'm surprised at both the album and my reaction to it.
UB40
4/5
This album gives me the weirdest kind of nostalgia. It does a great job of evoking just how fucking bleak Britain was in the early 80s, but I was a kid at the time so as well as the bleakness I remember all the good kid stuff to go with it, riding bikes, climbing trees, etc. One of my older brothers was a big UB40 fan, so this echoes around my memory loudly. It does make me wonder where all the good protest music is for today.
Jack White
4/5
To me Jack White can do very little wrong, I think he's wonderfully talented and creative and I love everything he does. Having said that, this isn't one of his better offerings but is still a really entertaining listen with enough of White's little quirks to be easily relistenable, and just as enjoyable on repeat listens.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
This is very much of its time. I have a sudden urge to festoon my hair with flowers, wear smock dresses, and dance with strangers in fields. Or fall asleep, it's all quite relaxing.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Manson could never decide whether he wanted to be Trent Reznor or Rob Zombie. He's a poor pastiche of something but he doesn't come close to either of those. This gained an extra point for some catchy drumming here and there but I can't see this as anything but a novelty act. A housemate once brought a goth girl home, they went into his room and she played Beautiful People on repeat for two hours then went home. It was very amusing. This album leaves me as dissatisfied as he was that night.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
I really wanted to like this more than I do. They were a fun band when I was a kid, and I really like a lot of the musical elements. This all somehow falls a bit flat though, a bit tedious to plough through. Sorry Dexys, we'll always have the 80s.
Beatles
5/5
Can you imagine it's 1969, you buy this, get it home, put it on the record player and are immediately greeted by Come Together? It must have been mind-blowing. There are at least three different bands on this record, and I love at least two of them. I Want You (She's So Heavy} has been a favourite for years, it's so deliciously sinister sounding. We had a teacher when I was about 8 who'd play guitar and have us all singing Octopus's Garden, among other songs. This album just exists in the very fabric of the world. I don't know why I'm still typing, there's nothing I can say here that hasn't already been said a million times about this. It's Abbey Road, that's all you need to say.
LTJ Bukem
1/5
There is no point to this album existing, it fulfils nothing but to go on, and on, and on, and on. Just a whole bunch of self indulgent repetitive beats that should probably be background music somewhere you'd like people to suffer.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
2/5
I like a lot of CCR stuff, none of it seemed to be on this album. This seemed just too much CCR, it was overrun with high levels of CCR-ness. Someone turned up the CCR to 11. It's an overbaked cake, a hat on a hat, CCR squared. Even the voice was too much for me. Too CCR, too American, too much.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
I can only imagine this is included on the list due to the author's drug fuelled nostalgia. This is fucking awful. I can find zero redeeming qualities. Set it on fire, then take the ashes, encase them in concrete and bury them deep underground so that nobody will ever have the misfortune of being subjected to this shower of shite ever again.
k.d. lang
2/5
A very sleepy plodding along album. There are no stand outs here, nor is anything particularly offensive. It's very tedious.
Bee Gees
2/5
This turned out better than the first track would indicate, that song is atrocious. It's interesting to see how these guys started out, and the album goes on to be quite pleasant in the end.
Black Sabbath
2/5
I know I'm meant to like this more than I do, it has all the things I usually love about music. I have to say though, this album is actually quite dull. Sure it has some fantastic riffery going on, but aside from that the songs aren't great. I really had to resist rating this higher just out of habit because, ya know, it's Sabbath! There are much better Sabbath albums.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
I'm really overly familiar with this record and have played it to death many times. Before listening again here, for the first time in a long time, I thought it'd be a solid 4. But nah, fuck that, it's a 5 all day long, it's such a fun album I'm not even going to attempt to be objective. I've been singing and dancing like a fool through the whole thing. Some music just gives joy.
Brian Eno
2/5
I have no idea if I liked that or not, it all sort of washed past me leaving very little impact. There are a couple of catchy tunes that may have taken up residence in my head and I'll find myself humming them weeks from now and wondering what the hell I'm humming. Mostly though it came, it went, I barely noticed it passsing by.
Peter Tosh
2/5
I'm really not feeling this. It isn't doing anything objectionable, but then it isn't making much of an impression at all.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
This album is a lot better than it was in '88 when Donna, a neighbour/friend, was blasting it out dozens of times a day for weeks, accompanied by her terrible singing. I grew to shudder whenever I heard the opening bars of Fast Car. I was dreading putting this on, but I really rather enjoyed it this time around.
Black Sabbath
5/5
This is flawless. It's just the right length, leaving you wanting more. Every song has it's own identity and is memorable. Every sound is perfectly produced and balanced with the others so it all works in harmony, nothing overwhelms anything else. Sabbath know when to be quiet among the loudness. It doesn't have to be everything all at once, this is all very measured to have the most impact consistently throughout. It's a genuine masterpiece of artistic expression, and should be compulsory listening for all.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
I knew nothing of this guy. I started the album and figured I'd endure the whole thing. Somehow along the way it drew me in, captured my attention and messed with my emotions. There's a delicious melancholy to the whole thing, and some tracks are just devastating. I love me some melancholy. This album is a success of this project, I'll be exploring more.
Joy Division
3/5
You can really hear the influence these guys had on a bunch of other bands later on. I've always been reluctant to give Joy Division a try, mainly because their fans are usually totally insufferable and offputting. This was a good listen though.
Tricky
4/5
Nice timing, I've been on a big Massive Attack trip lately and this is very much from that family. This is smooth and sultry and sexy as fuck. You sort of know what you're going to get with Tricky and this gives exactly that. Lovely stuff.
I can see why this would have been massively important to anyone who happened to be at that perfect age when it was released. It's a fun album, good music, and I can hear the influence it's had throughout. It got a bit samey after a bit, but was still enjoyable.
Moby
5/5
This album loses so much when out of context, as evidenced by some of the reviews here. It wasn't over-commercialised on it's release, it started the trend. Even if this isn't your kind of music surely you can appreciate that the guy was ridiculously good at what he was doing, and hugely influential. He knew all the right moves to make, he curated great samples and used them to great effect, over and over again. I was never a massive Moby fan but this is sort of like running into an old friend and having fun catching up with them. Some of it is genuinely beautiful, and yeah, the guy was well ahead of the pack.
Donald Fagen
1/5
This is so bad. Seriously, so very bad. It's one redeeming feature was that I found myself laughing at how bad it was through most of the second half. Surely someone has been paid a large sum to put this on the list and get it played by unsuspecting fools like me. There is so much good 80s crap that could have been here that would have been much more fun. So bad. Oh, and can someone put in a welfare check on Ruby, I'm worried for her safety.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
What seems to be a talented rapper let down by really poor quality content.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
When Cohen is good he's really great. This album, however, doesn't have so much of that. Sometimes he gets more caught up in the stories than the music, there are many such stories here. It all flew by quite quickly. I know he does better, I hope those albums are here too.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
I always thought I liked Snoop, but listening to this for the first time in ages I've come to realise it's actually Dre that I enjoy. The production on this is lovely, but Snoop himself sort of leaves me cold.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
Of course it's a five, this stuff was mindblowing for us in the mid 80s. It sounded like nothing else had ever sounded. I'm trying to sensibly rate it without my opinion drowning in nostalgia but it's pretty much impossible. It's a great album, it still sounds great, it's tons of fun and I've very much enjoyed my afternoon with it.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I enjoyed this, in a completely non-overwhelming way. It's good. I mean, it's everything you expect from Stevie Wonder, so there are no surprises.
Small Faces
2/5
This all got a bit strange and lost me along the way.
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
Such a frustrating album. It's almost good but, and this is a massive but, the godawful production makes it practically unlistenable. Someone made a decision of 'Let's turn the guitar up to be louder than anything else, but at the same time make it sound tinny and fucking nasty so that at points only dogs can hear it.' and it's horrendous. I'm cringing and wincing because some of it is genuinely hurting my senses. With a better overall sound I think I'd really like it, but nope, it's hurting me.