View Album
Wed Jan 13 2021
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
I never did get the Elliott Smith thing. This album is very samey throughout.
2
View Album
Thu Jan 14 2021
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
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.
3
View Album
Fri Jan 15 2021
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
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
4
View Album
Sat Jan 16 2021
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
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.
2
View Album
Sun Jan 17 2021
Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
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.
2
View Album
Mon Jan 18 2021
Sunshine Superman
Donovan
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
4
View Album
Tue Jan 19 2021
Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
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.
2
View Album
Wed Jan 20 2021
Darklands
The Jesus And Mary Chain
Nope, not for me. Very tedious.
1
View Album
Thu Jan 21 2021
Boston
Boston
It's Boston. It all sounded very much like Boston, in a very Boston kind of way.
2
View Album
Fri Jan 22 2021
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
2
View Album
Sat Jan 23 2021
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
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.
3
View Album
Sun Jan 24 2021
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
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?
3
View Album
Mon Jan 25 2021
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
This is a great listen, very nostalgic, fantastic production values, lots of familiar songs that are well known for good reason. I liked it.
3
View Album
Tue Jan 26 2021
The Blueprint
JAY Z
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.
3
View Album
Wed Jan 27 2021
Frampton Comes Alive
Peter Frampton
The guitar is impressive on this album. It's no use having great guitar if the songs are kind of boring though.
2
View Album
Thu Jan 28 2021
Moss Side Story
Barry Adamson
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.
4
View Album
Fri Jan 29 2021
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
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
4
View Album
Sat Jan 30 2021
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
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.
4
View Album
Sun Jan 31 2021
A Date With The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
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.
3
View Album
Mon Feb 01 2021
Leftism
Leftfield
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.
3
View Album
Tue Feb 02 2021
Clandestino
Manu Chao
This is a pleasant listen, it sounds friendly, welcoming, happy. I don't hate it, I don't love it, it's okay.
2
View Album
Wed Feb 03 2021
Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
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'!
1
View Album
Thu Feb 04 2021
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
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.
4
View Album
Fri Feb 05 2021
On The Beach
Neil Young
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.
2
View Album
Sat Feb 06 2021
Synchronicity
The Police
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.
3
View Album
Sun Feb 07 2021
All The Young Dudes
Mott The Hoople
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.
2
View Album
Mon Feb 08 2021
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
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.
4
View Album
Tue Feb 09 2021
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
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.
3
View Album
Wed Feb 10 2021
S&M
Metallica
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.
4
View Album
Thu Feb 11 2021
Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
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.
1
View Album
Fri Feb 12 2021
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
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.
2
View Album
Sat Feb 13 2021
Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
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.
2
View Album
Sun Feb 14 2021
Future Days
Can
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.
1
View Album
Mon Feb 15 2021
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
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.
3
View Album
Tue Feb 16 2021
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
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.
4
View Album
Wed Feb 17 2021
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
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.
5
View Album
Thu Feb 18 2021
The Sensual World
Kate Bush
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.
2
View Album
Fri Feb 19 2021
Pictures At An Exhibition
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Pretentious prog rock bullshit. Do not like.
1
View Album
Sat Feb 20 2021
The Bends
Radiohead
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.
4
View Album
Sun Feb 21 2021
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
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.
1
View Album
Mon Feb 22 2021
The Doors
The Doors
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.
5
View Album
Tue Feb 23 2021
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
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.
5
View Album
Wed Feb 24 2021
Quiet Life
Japan
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.
3
View Album
Thu Feb 25 2021
Funeral
Arcade Fire
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.
2
View Album
Fri Feb 26 2021
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
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.
3
View Album
Sat Feb 27 2021
Marquee Moon
Television
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.
2
View Album
Sun Feb 28 2021
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
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.
3
View Album
Mon Mar 01 2021
Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
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.
3
View Album
Tue Mar 02 2021
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
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.
5
View Album
Wed Mar 03 2021
She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
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.
2
View Album
Thu Mar 04 2021
The Specials
The Specials
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!
5
View Album
Fri Mar 05 2021
In It For The Money
Supergrass
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.
3
View Album
Sat Mar 06 2021
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
It's okay, comfortable, expected, not their best stuff, but listenable. Nothing spectacular, nothing terrible.
3
View Album
Sun Mar 07 2021
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
Terrible, awful, I do not like David Bowie, as previously discussed here. Not for me.
1
View Album
Mon Mar 08 2021
If I Could Only Remember My Name
David Crosby
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.
2
View Album
Tue Mar 09 2021
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
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.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 10 2021
Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
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.
3
View Album
Thu Mar 11 2021
Ananda Shankar
Ananda Shankar
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.
1
View Album
Fri Mar 12 2021
Paris 1919
John Cale
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.
2
View Album
Sat Mar 13 2021
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
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.
1
View Album
Sun Mar 14 2021
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
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.
2
View Album
Tue Mar 16 2021
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
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.
2
View Album
Wed Mar 17 2021
Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
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.
4
View Album
Thu Mar 18 2021
L.A. Woman
The Doors
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.
4
View Album
Fri Mar 19 2021
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
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.
3
View Album
Sat Mar 20 2021
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
I fell asleep. Tedious stuff that goes nowhere. I get what they're trying to do, it is not for me.
1
View Album
Sun Mar 21 2021
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
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.
3
View Album
Mon Mar 22 2021
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
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.
3
View Album
Tue Mar 23 2021
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
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.
1
View Album
Wed Mar 24 2021
Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
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.
3
View Album
Thu Mar 25 2021
Let It Be
The Replacements
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.
2
View Album
Fri Mar 26 2021
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
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.
4
View Album
Sat Mar 27 2021
Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
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.
2
View Album
Mon Mar 29 2021
461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
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.
3
View Album
Tue Mar 30 2021
Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
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.
3
View Album
Wed Mar 31 2021
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
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.
5
View Album
Thu Apr 01 2021
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
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.
5
View Album
Fri Apr 02 2021
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
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.
2
View Album
Sat Apr 03 2021
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
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.
4
View Album
Sun Apr 04 2021
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
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.
4
View Album
Mon Apr 05 2021
The Poet
Bobby Womack
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.
2
View Album
Tue Apr 06 2021
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
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.
2
View Album
Wed Apr 07 2021
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
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
View Album
Thu Apr 08 2021
Out of Step
Minor Threat
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.
2
View Album
Fri Apr 09 2021
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
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.
1
View Album
Sun Apr 11 2021
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
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.
3
View Album
Mon Apr 12 2021
Fred Neil
Fred Neil
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.
1
View Album
Wed Apr 14 2021
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
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.
2
View Album
Thu Apr 15 2021
Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine
Cee Lo Green
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.
2
View Album
Fri Apr 16 2021
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
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.
3
View Album
Sat Apr 17 2021
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
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.
4
View Album
Sun Apr 18 2021
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
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.
2
View Album
Tue Apr 20 2021
Eternally Yours
The Saints
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.
3
View Album
Wed Apr 21 2021
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
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.
4
View Album
Thu Apr 22 2021
Parklife
Blur
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.
3
View Album
Fri Apr 23 2021
Rust In Peace
Megadeth
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.
2
View Album
Sat Apr 24 2021
Violator
Depeche Mode
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.
2
View Album
Sun Apr 25 2021
Pelican West
Haircut 100
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?
2
View Album
Mon Apr 26 2021
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
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.
2
View Album
Tue Apr 27 2021
Palo Congo
Sabu
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.
1
View Album
Wed Apr 28 2021
Entertainment
Gang Of Four
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.
3
View Album
Thu Apr 29 2021
Night Life
Ray Price
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.
2
View Album
Fri Apr 30 2021
Abraxas
Santana
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.
4
View Album
Sat May 01 2021
Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3
View Album
Sun May 02 2021
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
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.
3
View Album
Mon May 03 2021
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
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.
2
View Album
Tue May 04 2021
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
4
View Album
Wed May 05 2021
Sex Packets
Digital Underground
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.
1
View Album
Thu May 06 2021
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
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.
3
View Album
Fri May 07 2021
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
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.
2
View Album
Sat May 08 2021
It's A Shame About Ray
The Lemonheads
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
View Album
Sun May 09 2021
The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
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.
2
View Album
Mon May 10 2021
Another Music In A Different Kitchen
Buzzcocks
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.
3
View Album
Tue May 11 2021
Risque
CHIC
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.
2
View Album
Wed May 12 2021
The Slider
T. Rex
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.
3
View Album
Thu May 13 2021
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
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.
2
View Album
Fri May 14 2021
S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
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.
3
View Album
Sat May 15 2021
Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
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.
1
View Album
Sun May 16 2021
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
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.
2
View Album
Mon May 17 2021
Treasure
Cocteau Twins
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.
1
View Album
Tue May 18 2021
Songs From A Room
Leonard Cohen
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.
4
View Album
Wed May 19 2021
Da Capo
Love
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.
2
View Album
Thu May 20 2021
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
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.
4
View Album
Fri May 21 2021
Nowhere
Ride
Awful jangly indie with zero substance to it. It's the equivalent of a limp handshake from a slightly moist hand. Nasty.
1
View Album
Sat May 22 2021
Infected
The The
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.
1
View Album
Sun May 23 2021
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
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.
3
View Album
Mon May 24 2021
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
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.
5
View Album
Tue May 25 2021
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
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.
2
View Album
Wed May 26 2021
Dookie
Green Day
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.
2
View Album
Thu May 27 2021
The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
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.
1
View Album
Fri May 28 2021
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
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.
3
View Album
Sat May 29 2021
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
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.
3
View Album
Sun May 30 2021
Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
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.
3
View Album
Mon May 31 2021
Goodbye And Hello
Tim Buckley
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.
3
View Album
Tue Jun 01 2021
The Stooges
The Stooges
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.
5
View Album
Thu Jun 03 2021
The College Dropout
Kanye West
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.
5
View Album
Fri Jun 04 2021
Rapture
Anita Baker
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.
2
View Album
Sat Jun 12 2021
Imagine
John Lennon
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.
4
View Album
Sun Jun 13 2021
The Coral
The Coral
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.
5
View Album
Mon Jun 14 2021
Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
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.
2
View Album
Tue Jun 15 2021
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
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.
4
View Album
Wed Aug 18 2021
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
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.
4
View Album
Fri Aug 20 2021
New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
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.
4
View Album
Sat Aug 21 2021
Tidal
Fiona Apple
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.
2
View Album
Mon Aug 23 2021
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
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.
3
View Album
Wed Aug 25 2021
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
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.
2
View Album
Thu Aug 26 2021
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
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.
4
View Album
Fri Aug 27 2021
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
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.
3
View Album
Sat Aug 28 2021
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
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.
3
View Album
Thu Sep 02 2021
Faith
George Michael
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.
4
View Album
Fri Sep 03 2021
Central Reservation
Beth Orton
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.
2
View Album
Sun Sep 05 2021
The Cars
The Cars
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.
2
View Album
Mon Sep 06 2021
Vivid
Living Colour
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.
2
View Album
Thu Mar 24 2022
Superunknown
Soundgarden
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.
5
View Album
Fri Mar 25 2022
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
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.
2
View Album
Sat Mar 26 2022
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
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.
4
View Album
Sun Mar 27 2022
Zombie
Fela Kuti
I can't, it's making my anxiety race along with the music.
1
View Album
Mon Mar 28 2022
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
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.
1
View Album
Tue Mar 29 2022
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
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.
5
View Album
Wed Mar 30 2022
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
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.
3
View Album
Thu Mar 31 2022
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
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.
3
View Album
Fri Apr 01 2022
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
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.
2
View Album
Sat Apr 02 2022
Different Class
Pulp
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!
4
View Album
Sun Apr 03 2022
Van Halen
Van Halen
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.
3
View Album
Mon Apr 04 2022
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
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!
1
View Album
Tue Apr 05 2022
Like A Prayer
Madonna
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.
3
View Album
Wed Apr 06 2022
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
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.
2
View Album
Thu Apr 07 2022
Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
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.
2
View Album
Fri Apr 08 2022
The White Album
Beatles
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.
4
View Album
Sat Apr 09 2022
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
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.
3
View Album
Sun Apr 10 2022
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
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.
2
View Album
Mon Apr 11 2022
Cut
The Slits
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.
3
View Album
Tue Apr 12 2022
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
It's a fair listen, nothing bad, but then nothing hugely great either. It disappeared into the world a bit about halfway through.
3
View Album
Wed Apr 13 2022
Moby Grape
Moby Grape
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.
2
View Album
Thu Apr 14 2022
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
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.
2
View Album
Fri Apr 15 2022
Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
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.
1
View Album
Sat Apr 16 2022
I Should Coco
Supergrass
Good album, nothing earth shattering but a decent listen, I enjoyed it.
3
View Album
Sun Apr 17 2022
Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
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.
2
View Album
Mon Apr 18 2022
Sister
Sonic Youth
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.
3
View Album
Tue Apr 19 2022
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
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.
3
View Album
Wed Apr 20 2022
Scott 4
Scott Walker
2
View Album
Thu Apr 21 2022
...And Justice For All
Metallica
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.
4
View Album
Fri Apr 22 2022
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
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.
2
View Album
Sat Apr 23 2022
Dust
Screaming Trees
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.
4
View Album
Sun Apr 24 2022
Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
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.
2
View Album
Mon Apr 25 2022
Brutal Youth
Elvis Costello
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.
1
View Album
Tue Apr 26 2022
John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
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.
2
View Album
Wed Apr 27 2022
Mama Said Knock You Out
LL Cool J
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.
3
View Album
Thu Apr 28 2022
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
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.
2
View Album
Fri Apr 29 2022
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
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.
4
View Album
Tue May 03 2022
Face to Face
The Kinks
The Kinks are always a fun listen, their music is full of smiles and I love them.
4
View Album
Wed May 04 2022
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
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.
2
View Album
Thu May 05 2022
Pump
Aerosmith
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.
3
View Album
Fri May 06 2022
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
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.
2
View Album
Sat May 07 2022
Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
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.
3
View Album
Sun May 08 2022
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
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.
2
View Album
Mon May 09 2022
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
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!
1
View Album
Sun May 22 2022
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
Nope. Absolutely not.
1
View Album
Mon May 23 2022
Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
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.
2
View Album
Wed May 25 2022
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
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.
3
View Album
Thu May 26 2022
Dub Housing
Pere Ubu
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.
2
View Album
Fri May 27 2022
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
Sadly, I can't choose zero.
1
View Album
Mon May 30 2022
Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
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.
2
View Album
Fri Jun 10 2022
Basket of Light
Pentangle
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.
2
View Album
Sun Jun 12 2022
Fever Ray
Fever Ray
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.
3
View Album
Sat Jun 25 2022
Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
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.
3
View Album
Wed Jun 29 2022
Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
It faded into the background like beige emulsion on a wall, it might as well not have been there at all. Not for me.
2
View Album
Thu Jan 12 2023
With The Beatles
Beatles
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.
3