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Wed Jan 13 2021
Kid A
Radiohead
I remember where I was on October 2nd, 2000 at midnight: buying this album in a record store on Massachusetts St. in Lawrence. Then back to my room mate Andrew's room to listen to the album 2 times in a row in total silence. My favorite track off this and perhaps my favorite Radiohead track of all time is The National Anthem. When that kicks in it's fucking go time.
5
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Thu Jan 14 2021
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
I don't think I had actually listened to a Motorhead album before, they're so fun and so intense. I think I understand why people like to talk about Lemmy now.
4
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Fri Jan 15 2021
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
Had not listened to the whole album before. Obviously the title track is a great song, but perhaps the album relies too much on that vibe, most clearly evidenced by the song "Keep Gettin' It On".
3
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Sat Jan 16 2021
Entertainment
Gang Of Four
I like these guys. Had not listened to them in a long time, so excited to see them on the list. Really appreciate the tight hooky guitar riffs and basslines.
4
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Sun Jan 17 2021
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
The songs are so friendly and approachable, then the lyrics bite at you. Really classic sounding, doesn't necessarily sound like an "80's album" which I tend to appreciate.
4
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Mon Jan 18 2021
Sunshine Superman
Donovan
Really enjoyed part of this, other parts seemed like faux-mysticism, maybe trying too hard or something. Surprised to recognize some songs, most notably "Season of the Witch." Definitely some songs on here I will keep coming back to, the album as a whole dragged on a bit for me.
3
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Tue Jan 19 2021
Dance Mania
Tito Puente
Fun album... not particularly grabbing for me though.
3
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Wed Jan 20 2021
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
Ty Segall led me to T. Rex a while back and they quickly became one of my faves. I think this album is a gem.
5
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Thu Jan 21 2021
Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
These are fun songs, but I generally find live albums kind of lame and this is no exception. By the end I was thoroughly bored of it. Feels more like a "fan favorite" for hardcore Thin Lizzy fans than a true classic to me.
2
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Fri Jan 22 2021
Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
Never heard this before! First struck me as a precursor to Thievery Corporation. I was a little put off by the ridiculous canned drums and twerpy basslines, but I think the music got better as the album went on, and it also just grew on me.
3
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Sat Jan 23 2021
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
Hard not to love Harry Nilsson, he is so playful and earnest. Quite a few good songs here and I think they hold together pretty well as an album too.
4
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Sun Jan 24 2021
Copper Blue
Sugar
Reminds me of some similar sounding bands that I have never been able to get into, like Pearl Jam, and the Holdsteady. Wondering if their significance has something to do with the rise of grunge in the early 90's. I liked a couple of the songs toward the end of the album which pushed it to 3 stars for me instead of 2.
3
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Mon Jan 25 2021
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
Could not get past the vocal delivery, so whiney and melodramatic. Also found the instrumentation rather irritating. Had to struggle through this one a bit.
2
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Tue Jan 26 2021
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
Admittedly I am not a huge Prince fan but I certainly appreciate him, and I feel like this album exemplifies what is so endearing about him.
4
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Wed Jan 27 2021
Smash
The Offspring
Surprised a little bit by these songs - many of them seem more "serious" straight-ahead punk, as opposed to most of their radio songs which seem more like joke songs. I definitely enjoyed it. Not sure it belongs with the greats though. The hidden track reminded me of the old days, listening to 6 minutes of silence to hear some weird little ditty.
3
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Thu Jan 28 2021
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
I appreciate some Tracy Chapman songs but overall bored by the album.
3
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Fri Jan 29 2021
Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
Kind of liking this! I did not know they were the ones who did "The Killing Moon" but I really like that song. I like the unstable, on-the-edge feel they have going on in some of the songs. Solid!
4
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Sat Jan 30 2021
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
This album is a doozie! Overall I appreciate the minimal/maximal approach they take, ebbing in and out of quiet understatement and overblown soundscapes. At a few moments some of the sexual aggression felt disturbing. Some excellent songs here though including some classics (Hurt, Closer), and a very good album.
4
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Sun Jan 31 2021
Berlin
Lou Reed
Not terribly excited by this album. I imagine there will be other Lou Reed albums on the list that I will enjoy more. The tracks that most caught my attention were "The Kids" and "Sad Song."
3
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Mon Feb 01 2021
The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
Was not aware of this band so wasn't sure what to expect, but very pleasantly surprised.
4
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Tue Feb 02 2021
American Idiot
Green Day
I definitely bought this album on the day it came out - I was 16. I was riding in the back seat of my friend's car listening to "Holiday" - we had it cranked and he was driving too fast trying to take a turn off 18th Ave - into the ditch we went! A fond memory. I get why some people don't like Green Day but they were such a big part of my formative years and I come back to their music often enough. I think this is their best album. "Jesus of Suburbia" is epic, I love that song. Rounding up to a 5.
5
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Wed Feb 03 2021
Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
Anything I heard between ages 16-24 probably has an advantage over the others due to subconscious bias - this album included. With that caveat, I think this album is a stunner. It also is immortalized by her untimely death, and makes the songs that much more potent. And what a voice! Really love the instrumentation on the album too.
5
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Thu Feb 04 2021
Leftism
Leftfield
This was ok, didn't much for me. A bit turned off by the house music aspects of it.
2
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Fri Feb 05 2021
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
I want to like this band, but I find myself irritated by what feels like thick layers of irony. I enjoyed some songs but mostly felt annoyed throughout.
2
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Sat Feb 06 2021
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
Liking this more than the Thin Lizzy live album anyway. I have to say I do enjoy listening to this band, their sound is exciting and so consistently rock n roll. With two albums on the list though I kind of wish it was not a live album that included many of the songs on the other album. I enjoyed the Motorhead song, I think it's gutsy when bands write their own theme song, but I think this one works.
3
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Sun Feb 07 2021
Graceland
Paul Simon
I had heard things about this album but had not listened to it. I actually thought it was older, like 60's. Can definitely hear the 80's in it though. It was a good listen, I liked a number of the songs. At times it felt disgustingly pleasant, a bit too much. I liked "Graceland" the most probably.
3
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Mon Feb 08 2021
Palo Congo
Sabu
Really feeling this album. I like how you can hear all the distinct parts so clearly. The percussion feels like it's right there. Loved the guitar on "Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso."
4
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Tue Feb 09 2021
Blur
Blur
I like this album, and I went through a "Blur phase" in probably late high school/ early college. I don't love all the songs on this album but some of them I really do, like "Beetlebum" "Song 2" "Killer for Your Love" and perhaps "Look Inside America" & "Strange News from Another Star." "Essex Dogs" too, I forgot about that song. This, as with all Blur albums, struggles as a whole for me. I prefer Damon Albarn's other projects more - Gorillaz, The Good The Bad and the Queen, and his solo stuff.
3
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Wed Feb 10 2021
The Specials
The Specials
I have tried to get into ska in the past to no avail, and this album is not changing my mind. I find it kind of exhausting. I did find myself a little bit charmed by a couple of the songs, but those moments were rare.
2
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Thu Feb 11 2021
Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
Nina Simone has such an expressive voice and tells stories to powerfully. I was expecting a lot from this album, and was expecting more than I got somehow. But after listening to the album a couple times I realized that part of what makes these songs special is their depth - I could probably listen 100 times and still have something to learn from them.
4
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Fri Feb 12 2021
Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
I appreciate this album and the Beach Boys - they were a big part of my childhood listening. Where this one falls down some for me is in the dweeby, simplistic, overly emotional lyrics in many of the songs. But I can't deny the iconic sounds and the cultural weight that Pet Sounds carries.
4
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Sat Feb 13 2021
Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
This is a kind of hippies-taking-themselves-to-seriously brand of music that doesn't appeal to me. I was reading about them and their nickname was "The British Jefferson Airplane" - that kind of sums it up for me.
2
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Sun Feb 14 2021
Dog Man Star
Suede
Not at all familiar with this band, but liking them a couple songs in. Yeah, definitely liking this. "Black or Blue" and "Still Life" stuck out on first listen. They have the emotional thing going on that some 80's bands have, but it seems darker and more unhinged. Finding the sound intriguing, and unique.
4
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Mon Feb 15 2021
Moving Pictures
Rush
I knew the song Tom Sawyer but didn't know it was Rush. I appreciate the instrumentation but don't especially enjoy it. Not keen on the vocals, but found myself enjoying some of the jammy parts.
3
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Tue Feb 16 2021
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
Solid album. Definitely hear why we often discuss TH as a reference point for our music. The end of "Mind" made me think of Open Door Policy. The repetition and winky-ness of the songs is very RCE. Not sure I had listened to this album before. Most familiar with "Heaven." Liked it even more upon second listen. They're like demented party jams.
4
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Wed Feb 17 2021
E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
This album sounds fresh, as if it could have been released yesterday. The themes and anxiety feel contemporary still, even apt for the current moment.
4
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Thu Feb 18 2021
Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
Very funky. I was interested in hearing more from this band - my first exposure to them was when my sister downloaded one of their songs when I was in middle school. I found their sound exciting. I asked her about it yesterday and she said she probably heard it in the movie Center Stage, which I never saw but is apparently about dancers. On this listen, for some reason I couldn't shake the perception that the singer was emulating Stevie Wonder, and that bothered me. A reference point that occurred to me, but didn't bother me, was KC and the Sunshine Band - another band I heard for the first time in middle school. Waffling between 3 and 4 on this one.
3
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Fri Feb 19 2021
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
I appreciate this album in a conceptual way, but if I'm honest with myself I don't get that much out of the experience w of listening to it. I think it's a pleasant listen, and kind of funny, but the idea of it holds more weight for me than the execution.
3
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Sat Feb 20 2021
The Visitors
ABBA
After listening to this album my feelings about ABBA remain neutral.
3
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Sun Feb 21 2021
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
I really enjoyed the first track and was hopeful, but recognized that it could go either way depending on what happened next. It had a potent mix of funky-as-hell, kind-of-cheesy, and that Kool and the Gang summertime vibe. I was disappointed that the subsequent tracks descended into the 90's idea of baby-making music. Kind of went gradually downhill throughout the album for me.
2
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Mon Feb 22 2021
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
This album is very special to me - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground was one of the first songs I learned on guitar. Little Room is one of my favorite songs ever, not just of the White Stripes. Tons of gems here Hotel Yorba, Fell in Love With a Girl, We're Going to Be Friends. There are a few songs I don't love here but I think it's a fantastic album that still sounds great 20 years in.
5
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Tue Feb 23 2021
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
Solid album, still relevant, still sounds fresh.
4
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Wed Feb 24 2021
Before And After Science
Brian Eno
Not familiar with Brian Eno's catalogue, as I presume you both are, and it started out funkier than I expected, more accessible that I thought it would be. Like the drums in "No One Recieving." "Backwater" sounds like the goofier side of the Beatles, like something Paul would write and make Ringo sing. "Kings Lead Hat" was a dead ringer for the Talking Heads, and I was not surprised to find out that it was intentional. "Julie With" and "Through Hollow Lands" and "Spider and I" as more along the lines of what I expected the album to be like. It was not a cohesive album, jumped around. After hearing this I wonder if that willingness to go all over the map musically is what made him a good producer. I liked the album, did not love it.
3
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Thu Feb 25 2021
Odessa
Bee Gees
I have enjoyed the Bee Gees from time to time but largely I think of them as a band who has kind of a schtick for overly emotional songs and occasional disco party jams (Stayin Alive). This album felt slightly more sophisticated than my caricature at times, but at other times lived up to it. Some serious Beatles vibes at times. I get that it was in the air back then, but wow, dead ringer at certain moments. I kept finding myself thinking 'this is a kick ass song' and then the lyrics would all but ruin it for me.
3
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Fri Feb 26 2021
Viva Hate
Morrissey
I have listened to the Smith's some but don't know a ton about Morrissey (other than what I have heard from Jon) so I am coming to this more or less with fresh ears. I liked "Everyday is Like Sunday", so smooth and 80's in a good way. Like the spooky guitar work on "Late Night, Maudlin Street". I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would.
4
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Sat Feb 27 2021
On The Beach
Neil Young
Neil Young is one of the greats that I wished I enjoyed more. A couple excellent songs, but most of them just floated by in the background for me.
3
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Sun Feb 28 2021
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
Very strong start with "Don't Stop." Some work themes on this album, very RCE. Ended strong too, I liked that disco song. Overall a fun album, little to complain about.
4
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Mon Mar 01 2021
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Very excited by the intro. Yeah, really liking this. I can hear how influenced Ty Segall is by Black Sabbath in these songs. Each of these songs are just instantly likable. I don't love the vocals but they aren't unbearable and there are so many redeeming qualities to the music. I was of course aware of Black Sabbath but had never listened to a whole album. I think I'm a new fan. Wow, Wicked World almost sounds like a jazz tune at times. Yeah this album kicks ass. Love the way the songs mesh together. Liked it even better on the second listen, and was better able to appreciate the expressiveness and vulnerability in Ozzy's vocal delivery.
5
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Tue Mar 02 2021
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
The Talking Heads do a thing and they do it well. I enjoyed many of these songs though none of them really knocked my socks off. Between a 3 and 4, will round up.
4
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Wed Mar 03 2021
Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
I didn't know much if anything about Steve Winwood and I decided to read about him before listening to the album. Kind of got my hopes up - child prodigy, playing in bands at 8, record deal at 14, played with Clapton, Hendrix, Muddy Waters, B.B. King... but all that lead up led to a big disappointment. The music is so soft rock, pale R&B, made for daytime radio. I kind of wanted to punch him during "Second-Hand Woman." His voice reminds me of - sorry for this Jon - Phil Collins, in a bad way. I did not like this album.
2
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Thu Mar 04 2021
Being There
Wilco
I came to Wilco later on in their career, and although I enjoy certain songs in their earlier catalogue, I struggle with the lethargic mood of much of it. It brings me down, I find it depressing and exhausting. "Sunken Treasure" is a good example of that. I like "Outtasite". Some really soft and beautiful songs too, like "The Lonely 1." They can get really heavy too (in a good way) like on "Misunderstood" which I think is a solid opening track. Overall a good album but not one I will likely come back to.
3
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Fri Mar 05 2021
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
I was a little nervous when he started up with straight up Bob Marley, but it turned around immediately and I ended up liking the album. "Paranoia Blues" stuck out. Also "Everything Put Together Falls Apart" and "Run That Body Down" on second listen. Yeah I like this.
4
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Sat Mar 06 2021
The Wall
Pink Floyd
What a lovely, epic album. I listened to "Dark Side of the Moon" album a lot in high school but I don't know that I had listened to The Wall all the way through - more than happy to have a reason to. Can hear why it is so legendary. Goofy how it gets all play/musical at the end.
4
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Sun Mar 07 2021
Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine
Cee Lo Green
I know CeeLo mainly from Gnarls Barkley, not familiar with much from him earlier than that. I was expecting to like this more than I did. I liked a few of the songs but most of them I just found uninteresting. It was fun to see all the guest artists he had on the album though.
3
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Mon Mar 08 2021
Picture Book
Simply Red
Had a hard time making sense of this one, especially after the first track was super 80's synthy and then the second track was jazz/big band. Overall I didn't like the album that much but it did make me curious about them. Loved their Talking Heads "Heaven" cover, it made me appreciate the lyrics in a way that I hadn't in the TH version.
3
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Tue Mar 09 2021
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
Liking the straight-ahead indie punk thing they do. "The Sprawl" made me think of Parquet Courts, esp that talk-singy thing at the beginning. Started to get long and repetitive about halfway through. Getting worn down by the consistently dire vibe. Really starting to hate it toward the end - if it ended 5 songs ago I might have rated higher.
3
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Wed Mar 10 2021
New Forms
Roni Size
Liking this a song in - sample based? Sounds like it could be contemporary. Defies genre a bit, which I appreciate. 2hrs 20 minutes? Good Lord. Meant for hookah bars and Amsterdam coffee shops with that kind of length. Halfway through getting a better sense of the "genre." This is what 2am feels like when you're trying to rally but you know you're too damn tired. The first two tracks were great, the other 21 left me wanting.
2
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Thu Mar 11 2021
If I Could Only Remember My Name
David Crosby
I thought this was a very good album. Fun picking out Neil Young's voice singing harmony. I liked the simplicity of the acoustic guitar and almost tinny recording quality in some places. Was reading about him, did not realize he was in The Byrds, and interesting to hear about him hanging with Buffalo Springfield, sitting in for Neil Young at least once. Seems like there was a lot of intermingling between bands that resulted in a lot of music.
4
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Fri Mar 12 2021
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
I have never been a big Elton John fan but it's impossible to deny the cultural force of songs like "Tiny Dancer," and I enjoyed hearing it in the album context. Some good oddballs here, like "Razor Face" - never heard it but it is a fun jam. "Rotten Peaches" sounds like a parody, like they took some words and put them in an "Elton John" style. I don't know... doesn't excite me but on par for Elton John.
3
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Sat Mar 13 2021
Younger Than Yesterday
The Byrds
These songs are ok but I'm not that into it, sounds like children's music to me.
3
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Sun Mar 14 2021
Dirty
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth can be so consistently gloom-and-doom, it's hard for me to stomach for long periods of time, and this album did not provide much relief track to track. I was not compelled to listen to any of the bonus tracks, I was ready to move on.
2
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Mon Mar 15 2021
Vivid
Living Colour
Not bad but not that into it. I thought "Funny Vibes" was a disaster of a song until I looked them up and found out they are a group of all black men, then the lyrics made more sense. Got Huey Lewis and the News vibes at certain points, but Living Colour is more hardcore. The moments when they fused hip hop in were somewhat intreguing. Overall didn't do much for me, was tired of it by the end of the album.
2
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Tue Mar 16 2021
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
Oh baby the album starts with that lick they used for Gettin Jiggy Wit It, now I know where it comes from! Of course "We Are Family" is a classic but I did not know who the artist was. This is really eye opening for me. Some of the songs and themes are just way too feel good earnest to even be enjoyable. Glad I heard this but probably won't seek it out in the future.
3
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Wed Mar 17 2021
This Is Hardcore
Pulp
I looked into this band after we listened to Blur - they were in the Britpop "big four." I listened to Freaks (1987) at that time, and really liked some of it. This album not sticking out as much, I am underwhelmed. Hearing similarities to Blur in some of the instrumentation occasionally. Not really into the album.
2
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Thu Mar 18 2021
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
I like Elliott Smith's voice, so unique and mysterious. I like the slow songs as well as the harder jams, I appreciate that he can navigate both. I thought this was a solid album with good songwriting and stayed interesting throughout.
4
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Fri Mar 19 2021
Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
I think it's a decent album, and I said this about the last Wilco album too, but despite being a Wilco fan this album doesn't get me particularly excited. I like some Billy Bragg too (thanks to Jon) but this album is just ok to my ear. Rounding up to 3 stars.
3
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Sat Mar 20 2021
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
I can hear in this album why some people appreciate this band so much. I don't have much history with them, other than being familiar with the hits. I like the driving beat that permeates many of the songs, it makes me feel like I'm on a journey, looking out the window of the Amtrak at the mountains or something. I also like that they become unhinged (for them) at certain moments, and showcase some messiness alongside the otherwise unobjectionable prettiness. The mix of vocalists works for me too because there is not one that I object to. All in all, a good album that I would listen to again.
3
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Sun Mar 21 2021
Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
There were moments of this that I found compelling - the end of I've Lost the Reason, for example, when the distorted vocals kick in. Overall I found it dull. I liked the last couple songs. My mind could be changed about this album, but not a great first listen for me.
2
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Mon Mar 22 2021
Connected
Stereo MC's
Found this repetitive and boring for the most part. I liked a couple songs, namely "Step It Up" and "Chicken Shake" but I was more than ready for the album to end.
2
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Tue Mar 23 2021
American Pie
Don McLean
Woe is the album that opens with a song as epic and legendary as American Pie. What do you follow it with? It's like they weren't even trying - mostly slow ballads that felt pale after the AP roller coaster. "Winterwood" caught my attention somewhat, and "Everybody Loves Me, Baby was fun but sounded like an attempt at AP part 2.
3
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Wed Mar 24 2021
White Light
Gene Clark
I know nothing about Gene Clark, going in cold. Loving the first song, such a warm groove. Halfway through, nothing has lived up to that first tune but generally liking it. Getting really sick of the harmonica, I feel this album could do without it or less of it. The bass is really plunky sounding, kind of getting on my nerves too - like I want to hear a stand up bass instead. Omg the Stand by Me cover is rough, we are going downhill. Overall not very impressed. Probably a 2.5, rounding down.
2
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Thu Mar 25 2021
Dare!
The Human League
This band is funny in a Kraftwerk and Devo sort of way. Hard not to like it, it's weird and friendly. Oh, I actually know "Don't You Want Me", that was a surprise. I like that song. This was a good listen.
4
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Fri Mar 26 2021
Another Green World
Brian Eno
This is more along the lines of what I previously thought Brian Eno did - weird sprawling mostly instrumental stuff. Some of the songs I enjoyed ("In Dark Trees" especially - something about that echoey horn sound that gives me the shivers I'm a good way) but overall I thought it was just so so.
3
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Sat Mar 27 2021
Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
I appreciate the unique sound and experimental pop, though I don't particularly enjoy most of it. If I heard this without context and had to guess when this music was from I would have probably guessed much later than 1985, a testament to its progressive sounds and the influence it has had on other musicians.
3
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Sun Mar 28 2021
Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
The album did get long and sprawly and it wasn't all pure gold but I can't deny the sheer skill and vision that Jimi had, and the whole band plays very well together. Cool to hear some classics in album context, like "Crosstown Traffic" and "All Along the Watchtower."
4
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Mon Mar 29 2021
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
I really enjoyed this and would listen to it again. TV on the Radio is a band I had occasionally heard a song or two from, and liked, but had never really sought out. I may be on the verge of fandom after this.
4
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Tue Mar 30 2021
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
I think what I learned listening to this is that I thought I liked Led Zeppelin more than I do. Apparently I more like to hear some of their epic jams every once in a while. Listening to all this as a double album I really got bored before I was even halfway through. Some exciting moments here and there.
3
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Wed Mar 31 2021
The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
Solid Americana, exactly what I expect from The Boss.
3
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Thu Apr 01 2021
Exit Planet Dust
The Chemical Brothers
Idk these all sound like 90s pump up jams. "Chico's Groove" was really the only one that caught my ear.
2
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Fri Apr 02 2021
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
Album starts with a bang with "Lust for Life." Can it live up? Ooo, The Passenger, such a great song too. "Success" is great too. There's a playfulness and positivity to this music that I really appreciate. Good album!
4
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Sat Apr 03 2021
B-52's
The B-52's
I like how goofy this band is, and I like their surf rock sound. My dad used to play them for us kids sometimes. LOVE "Rock Lobster." I don't think they needed to include the cover of "Downtown", that track weakened a pretty good album.
4
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Sun Apr 04 2021
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
Mixed feelings about this one. I really like 'Tainted Love' and maybe a couple other songs. I also like the musical aesthetic, how it treads this ground between dweeby and sophisticated. Struggled with some of the sadistic themes and lyrics. I was excited by the song 'Memorabilia' but then it went on about a minute and a half too long.
3
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Mon Apr 05 2021
Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
Snoozefest. Thin musically. Glad when over.
2
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Tue Apr 06 2021
Parklife
Blur
This is a contender for my favorite Blur album. The song "Parklife" was a favorite of my brother and me when I was in high school. The overtly British stuff is charming, like "Bank Holiday" and "London Loves." Several great songs on here and I think it covers a fair amount of ground while staying cohesive as an album throughout.
5
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Wed Apr 07 2021
Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
What a beautiful album. It's like a sea of friendly existential dread. Knew of this band but had not listened to them much if at all. Looking forward to exploring them more, and if this album is any indication I will be a new fan.
4
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Thu Apr 08 2021
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
Funny how Frank's weird personality comes through even in instrumentals. Not surprised to read that Captain Beefheart was involved with this one. Could hear the Beefheart influence on Tom Waits especially in "Willie the Pimp." I enjoyed this album, but I do wonder given FZ's vast discography whether this deserved to be on the list. Still, 3.5 rounded to 4 for me.
4
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Fri Apr 09 2021
A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
Wow, kind of stunned by this. How have I never heard of this guy? Hearing Lemon Twigs in this, and Jack White. If this came out now it would still sound edgy. Getting really yacht rock with the Medley. Second half of the album sounds more dated but I still like it overall.
4
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Sat Apr 10 2021
Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
I have listened to a fair bit of Rufus Wainwright and this was consistent with what I think when I think of him. His voice is beautiful, the songs are thoughtfully constructed and embellished with strings. In the end though, the music is just so brooding that it brings the whole experience down for me.
3
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Sun Apr 11 2021
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
I always liked Lovefool since I heard it on KROC in the 90's, but man this whole album was a knockout! Not a song I didn't enjoy. Love their warm, unpredictable chord changes. I really like Nina's voice and the band is stellar. Thought I was hearing Black Sabbath influence in one of the earlier songs but figured I was imagining it - then they did that incredible Iron Man cover. Risky move but I thought they pulled it off, reimagining it in their own distinctive style. Didn't realize they were from Sweden. 5 stars!
5
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Mon Apr 12 2021
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
I like listening to the Pogues from time to time, and I thought this album was pretty solid. However I don't relate that much to the music and rarely go out of my way for it.
3
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Tue Apr 13 2021
Sheet Music
10cc
Some of these songs are idiotic I the best way, "Worst Band..." "Hotel". Some excellent guitar sounds. It sounds like they are having fun. I enjoyed it, and it made me curious to listen to more from these guys. From Wikipedia, sounds like they were really in stride for about 5 albums in the 70's.
4
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Wed Apr 14 2021
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
These songs are so stupid and I hate his voice. This is the pinnacle of annoying 80's rock. The only thing saving this from 1 star is that some of these songs might be tolerable with a different singer.
2
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Thu Apr 15 2021
16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
Found this largely underwhelming.
2
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Fri Apr 16 2021
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
Pleasantly surprised to see something so recent on here. Good album, a bit long and rambly for me though and I like some of his other albums more. King Kunta is a hell of a song.
4
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Sat Apr 17 2021
Signing Off
UB40
Had not heard of this band but I think I liked them by the end. Where it got weird for me is when the onligitory 80's synths combined with the soulful reggae grooves.
3
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Sun Apr 18 2021
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
I have not been a Bob Dylan fan but I have slowly warmed to him over the years. This album certainly pushes me toward fandom. It is easy to hear all the influence he has had on subsequent musicians listening to these songs. The lyrics are so interesting, and make me want to listen again. I was driving down to Rochester to get my vaccine for part of the album, and it's the perfect soundtrack for driving through the vast landscape.
4
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Mon Apr 19 2021
Third/Sister Lovers
Big Star
This mag be unfair but these songs sound like they are trying to be deep and profound but it sounds insincere or inauthentic to me. Was surprised to find out they are American, they sounded super British to me. Given the timeframe they were ahead of their time in terms of the Britpop and Altrock stuff that became super prevalent in the 90's. Reading that this album was shelved due to its lack of commercial appeal and released years later makes me a little more sympathetic knowing they were underdogs.
3
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Tue Apr 20 2021
The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
Idk... finding this mildly amusing but I don't think I like it.
2
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Wed Apr 21 2021
Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
This was a good listen, pleasing sounds and more of them were familiar than I expected.
3
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Thu Apr 22 2021
Music From Big Pink
The Band
The Band is ok, they don't excite me very much. I enjoyed "Caledonia Mission." "The Weight" is iconic but I have heard it so many times and I don't like getting it stuck in my head.
3
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Fri Apr 23 2021
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
Obviously this album is hella long - no album should be 3 hours long - but I can't help but admire it despite that - even because of it. The humor, humanness of the songs is addictive. It wasn't completely exhausting, because it felt more like hanging out with friends. The spare musicality, and the variety of instruments used, different vocalists, all help the cause.
4
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Sat Apr 24 2021
Fragile
Yes
Hot and cold throughout - I liked some of the more experimental moments, and some of the moments of head bobbing grooves. On the other hand there was quite a bit of that late 60s / early 70s idealism that can sound overly twerpy.
3
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Sun Apr 25 2021
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
I found this to be a pleasant listen, despite the excessive run time. Took me a few sittings to get through it. Nothing mind blowing for me.
3
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Mon Apr 26 2021
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
A great album, love the driving grunge, lyrics with vulnerability and aggression. Had listened only to their more recent album from 2019, which was also very good. Coincidentally I was recently listening to a This American Life episode from 1997 in which they featured "Words and Guitar," which made me like that song even more. I did not learn until after that there is no bass, which I was impressed with because they have achieved a full sound without it.
4
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Tue Apr 27 2021
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
Oh man I forgot how much I loved The Rockafeller Skank when it came out. Really feelin it still. OH SHIT I never heard that last 2 minutes, that wasn't on the radio! I am remembering that my mom did not let me get this cd because of the parental advisory, which I understand now after hearing "In Heaven." Some of these songs are kind of stupid, but they are all fun. I really liked "Praise You" back in the day as well.
4
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Wed Apr 28 2021
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Great album, with some monster songs in terms of cultural presence, not the least of which "Take Five." I haven't said this about an album yet, but I actually wished it was longer. The band sounds great and it felt like they were just warming up.
4
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Thu Apr 29 2021
The Score
Fugees
Love this, excellent songs and kept my interest throughout. The three of them have a nice dynamic that keeps the songs moving. Lots of great samples. My only complaint is the bonus tracks, not needed.
5
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Fri Apr 30 2021
Red Dirt Girl
Emmylou Harris
Most of this was unobjectionable but not particularly captivating. Really disliked that song with Dave Matthews. Not super familiar with her work but I have to believe that in her vast catalogue there are better albums.
3
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Sat May 01 2021
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
Never have really loved Simon & Garfunkel. Can appreciate their hits every once in a while. "Baby Driver" was the most enjoyable track for me this time around, for whatever reason.
3
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Sun May 02 2021
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
Very enjoyable, some classic songs on here. Maybe only one dud toward the end of the album.
4
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Mon May 03 2021
You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
Coincidentally these guys just released a new album this week that I listened to. I liked this one more - it was a bit more raw. Some good moments, some smart lyrics, some tasty guitar licks, but overall a slog for me. It's a fairly consistent onslaught of a sound I don't appreciate that much.
3
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Tue May 04 2021
Pornography
The Cure
I respect the devastatingly emotional cavern they have created, but I don't particularly enjoy it.
3
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Wed May 05 2021
Blackstar
David Bowie
Fantastic album. Bowie was experimenting and keeping his sound fresh and relevant to the very end.
5
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Thu May 06 2021
Low-Life
New Order
Was not expecting to recognize a song right of the bat - I think I actually know "Love Vigilantes" not from this original version but from the Iron & Wine cover. Found my head bobbing to "This Time of Night." Overall it was somewhat forgettable, one I likely won't come back to. But I liked it more than I thought I would.
3
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Fri May 07 2021
Groovin'
The Young Rascals
I thought this was a fun listen - has some of that doe eyed earnestness of some of the music of 60's. Dipping their toes into phychadelic rock, which I could have used more of.
3
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Sat May 08 2021
Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
An excellent album and important transition in his career as he started collaborating with and being influenced by his wife Kathleen. She introduced him to Captain Beefheart who became a major influence, and you can hear that in this album. He started developing more voices and characters that continue to show up in later albums. I am reminded why I like his music so much listening to the first couple tracks - he creates such vivid scenes, you can imagine the loneliness, seediness and darkness of the places he inhabits. Sweet to hear a song about Kathleen (Johnsburg, Illinois). I think there are a number of masterpieces on the album - 16 Shells, Frank's Wild Years included. Other standouts for me are Swordfishtrombone, Down Down Down, and Gin Soaked Boy. Ultimately I find Rain Dogs to be a better album - certainly my favorite of the 80's trilogy and probably of all his albums - but for me it still deserves 5 stars.
5
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Sun May 09 2021
Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
Her voice is so unique, beautiful, expressive, haunting, warm, rich, textured - a real force, and showcased so well by these songs and the orchestral backdrop.
4
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Mon May 10 2021
1977
Ash
Had not heard of this band and after listening I am surprised they are not better known. A shimmering example of 90's grunge. Could hear bits and pieces that sounded like other bands - Weezer, Blur, Oasis, Black Sabbath, The Beatles - and anyone else hearing "Strangers in the Night" in "Lost in You"? Yet they still have their own unique sound.
4
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Tue May 11 2021
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
First few times I heard Q-Tip was randomly on the radio, and each time I would be like WHO IS THIS?? It was not like anything else I had heard. Something about the combination of his unique voice and the jazz and funkiness of the samples keep his sound really tight and fresh, and is showcased well on this album.
4
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Wed May 12 2021
Pretenders
Pretenders
I liked this more than I thought I would, liked the bright chippy guitar sounds and the vocals. Wasn't expecting to recognize any songs, but knew "Brass in Pocket," though I don't really like that song.
3
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Thu May 13 2021
Ray Of Light
Madonna
Very nostalgic hearing the song "Ray of Light" again, brought me back. Overall kind of a snoozer.
3
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Fri May 14 2021
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
What a scorcher!
4
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Sat May 15 2021
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
He paints a picture of a womanizing sleazeball. Found his voice rather annoying. I did enjoy the instrumentation and liveliness of the songs.
2
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Sun May 16 2021
Kenza
Khaled
Thought this was a fun album and nice change of pace from the other albums we have heard so far. Unfortunately with this album not being on Spotify I listened on YouTube and it became a major distraction - the ads, a playlist with the tracks out of order, and skipping audio (at first I thought this was my wifi but upon further investigation it seemed to be the source files). In any case I enjoyed the singing, including the duets, and the music was lively and exciting. Would listen again if I find another way to listen and enjoy it more.
3
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Mon May 17 2021
Solid Air
John Martyn
Thought it was ok, classic sounding. Could tell he was being experimental but it sounded tame, at least by today's standards. Definitely heard the Nick Drake influence at times. Underwhelming for me overall.
3
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Tue May 18 2021
The Sensual World
Kate Bush
I want to like Kate Bush more than I do, and I have tried to get into her music in the past. It just doesn't stick to me, like I can't relate or something. I do appreciate the uniqueness of the music here though, the experimental nature of the vocals and instrumentation.
3
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Wed May 19 2021
Roots
Sepultura
Some of the heavy metal guitar riffs are tasty but the screaming vocals are just a non starter for me - I don't relate to that aggressive intensity and it's not pleasing to my ear.
2
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Thu May 20 2021
461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
I was disappointed by this. He's such an incredible guitarist but it is not showcased much. The one I recognized most was I Shot The Sherriff, but it's a pretty straight cover and The Wailers did it better.
2
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Fri May 21 2021
Tommy
The Who
Interesting to know this is a concept album. Some good songs here and there, but I am having the same experience I have had previously with The Who, which is to say I just can't really get into them.
3
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Sat May 22 2021
Nixon
Lambchop
Maybe a bit boring for me, but I appreciate the humanity of the music - you can really hear a person in it. By chance, Lambchop happened to drop an album on the day I listened to this - 5/21/21, and the sound and feel are largely the same, except for his more recent embrace of auto tune.
3
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Sun May 23 2021
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
A good live album in what sounds like a fairly intimate setting with an engaged audience. Not TW's best songwriting, but the album sets a nice nighthawk mood with the jazz and the iconic gravelly voice. My favorites are "Eggs and Sausage" "Better Off Without a Wife" and "Warm Beer Cold Women" because I feel they best capture what this album is about. "Nobody" is a gem too, and "Big Joe Phantom 309" is enjoyable when I'm in the right mood for it.
4
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Mon May 24 2021
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
Love the sound of that santoor. Hard to know what to think about this in the context of the other albums, it is so different. I enjoyed it, and may come back to it.
4
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Tue May 25 2021
Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
It's easy to understand, listening to this, how they became influential in a short amount of time. Their sound is exciting, electric, captivating. My only previous exposure to this was RATM's cover of Kick Out the Jams, but I think I might be a new fan.
4
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Wed May 26 2021
Scott 4
Scott Walker
Oh yeah, strong start. Like a Tom Jones 007 feel. I like the spaghetti western sound of "The Old Man's Back Again". The only one I didn't like was "Boy Child". There's something about the way he sings that makes it difficult for me to take it totally serious, but I found it a fun and enjoyable listen.
4
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Thu May 27 2021
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
I was hearing a lot of texture in the songs, lots of layers to listen to. I like the heavy rock n roll, and simultaneous sophistication he brings to it. I haven't listened to many Bowie records front to back, really enjoying it.
4
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Fri May 28 2021
Heroes
David Bowie
Since we just listened to Aladdin Sane, I find myself comparing the two albums, which is a random touchpoint, but in any case I liked AS better. This one was just not as compelling. The ambient tracks toward the end were interesting, but didn't feel cohesive with the rest of the album.
3
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Sat May 29 2021
Wild Wood
Paul Weller
Got too "blue eyed soul" for me, but parts of it I liked. Impossible not to appreciate his guitar playing. Not sure what it means, if anything, but hearing strong similarities between this and Audioslave. For evidence, listen to "Sunflower" and "Dandelion" by Audioslave back to back. The similarities between the guitar playing and singing styles is striking.
3
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Sun May 30 2021
Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
Solid reggae sound throughout, happy to have heard this.
4
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Mon May 31 2021
Goo
Sonic Youth
I did not enjoy this. It was a barage of unending dreary angst. Sure maybe that's the point, but it's not for me.
2
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Tue Jun 01 2021
Your Arsenal
Morrissey
Idk... not that into the music and he keeps singing about things that make me think he's an asshole.
2
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Wed Jun 02 2021
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
Pleasantly surprised by this, I thought there were some really good jams. Favorites are probably "Whole Lotta Love" "Lemon Song" and "Moby Dick". And "Ramble On." Hard to decide on favorites here, mark of a good album.
4
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Thu Jun 03 2021
Van Halen
Van Halen
Not objectionable, but I don't love the showy guitar glam rock they do so well.
3
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Fri Jun 04 2021
The Nightfly
Donald Fagen
A well crafted album with lots of Donald Fagan charms, with his dry, witty, intelligent lyrics and expressive voice. Some nostalgic value for me too - this album slowly became a family favorite starting sometime in my teenage years.
5
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Sat Jun 05 2021
Let It Be
The Replacements
Wish I liked this more, them being from Minneapolis and all, but I just don't find their music very interesting or exciting, in general or on this album.
3
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Sun Jun 06 2021
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
I respect the heartfelt emotion and honesty but this is not something I would choose to listen to on my own.
3
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Mon Jun 07 2021
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
I've listened to this album before but it had been a while, and I expected to like it more than I did. There something opaque about the Talking Heads, like you can tell there's a joke there but it's also serious, and what exactly is the joke? I continue to find myself impressed by the technical abilities of the band that sometimes get overshadowed by the strangeness and by David Byrne's singing style. For that reason I especially appreciated the instrumental "unfinished outtakes."
4
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Tue Jun 08 2021
Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
I listened to this twice and both times when I got to the end I was like, what even happened? It was pretty blah for me, which disappointed me because I usually like Waylon Jennings quite a bit, or at least I thought I did...
2
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Wed Jun 09 2021
Dookie
Green Day
A solid Green Day album. There are some songs I don't care for on here but by and large good stuff. Longview is one of my favorite songs of theirs.
4
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Thu Jun 10 2021
Fisherman's Blues
The Waterboys
I found this... quaint? Idk, I didn't really enjoy it much.
2
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Fri Jun 11 2021
Elastica
Elastica
Wow! They were not on my radar but I liked this quite a bit. I was hearing Blur in it, so interesting to find out that Justine Frischmann (lead singer) dated Damon Albarn for several years in the 90's. Found this very easy to listen to, makes me want to listen to their other stuff too.
4
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Sat Jun 12 2021
Infected
The The
Kind of goofy, moments of glory. I didn't love it but I sensed a depth to what felt like an art project.
3
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Sun Jun 13 2021
All Mod Cons
The Jam
I thought this was good, I would listen to it again, but not particularly mind blowing or anything.
3
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Mon Jun 14 2021
New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
I did not find this very interesting.
2
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Tue Jun 15 2021
Be
Common
I thought this was excellent, I would like to come back to this one.
5
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Wed Jun 16 2021
Spiderland
Slint
Props for finding a song and sticking to it, but unfortunately I got sick of it pretty fast and just wanted it to end about 20 minutes before it did. Makes me think of Pavement, I wonder if they were influencing each other.
2
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Thu Jun 17 2021
Different Class
Pulp
I'm learning that Pulp is pretty hot and miss with me. Mostly misses here. I liked "Something Changed", felt that it brought together their unique cocktail of cynicism & earnestness nicely.
2
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Fri Jun 18 2021
Doolittle
Pixies
Pleasantly surprised - a lot heavier (in sound and lyrical content), more substantial, and more interesting than my perception of the Pixies, which was formed by hearing "Where Is My Mind" over and over again in various contexts over many years.
4
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Sat Jun 19 2021
Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
These songs are so bold and fearless, so exciting! I love this!
5
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Sun Jun 20 2021
Purple Rain
Prince
I approached this album with some preconcieved notions, even some trepidation, being an MN native and resident but not a huge Prince fan. I realized very quickly though that I had never listened to this album as a whole, and I really thought it was exceptional. The songs are well written, they hold together well, and his raw talent is showcased throughout, both his musicianship and his vocals. Purple Rain as the album finale is just epic.
5
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Mon Jun 21 2021
Parallel Lines
Blondie
Damn, these guitar sounds sound fresh. Love her expressive vocals. "11:59" sounded like a deleted scene from Grease. Largely really liked this - more than enough to make me want to listen to more Blondie. That alternate version of Heart of Glass (Once I Had Love) was freaking dope.
4
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Tue Jun 22 2021
Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
A lovely album. I can't put my finger on what is so unique about them, but they just seem to have a way of composing and writing that is unexpected, unusual, and appealing to me.
4
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Wed Jun 23 2021
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
In a strange coincidence, before I knew this was the album today I was talking with my Dad about the very first albums he bought - one of them was this one! The songs are creative and interesting. Sometimes I find them impactful, other times I get a bit lost. Much of her craft seems to depend on the lyrics and if I'm not able to follow them I lose interest a little bit. That said, I think there is a lot to unpack here that can't be gleaned from a single listen, and I look forward to coming back to it.
4
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Thu Jun 24 2021
Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
This is fun and unexpected. How many times is Paul Weller going to show up on this list?? And quite differently each time. The album really goes downhill for me though as it fractures into different genres - was hoping it would stay in that strange clowny jazz realm they started in.
3
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Fri Jun 25 2021
Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
This is so freaking classic and so freaking good. I'll take more where that came from.
5
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Sat Jun 26 2021
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
I thought this was good... Bowie's softer side. Not in love with it. If I am painfully honest, That 70's Show kind of ruined "Changes" for me, because they would often use it for melodrama.
3
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Sun Jun 27 2021
Fear and Whiskey
Mekons
This could either grow on me or become very annoying - not sure which yet.
3
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Mon Jun 28 2021
A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
Can't say I loved it, but it seemed unique, and I liked the deadpan moodiness of it, an entanglement of cynicism and beauty. Enough to pique my interest anyway.
3
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Tue Jun 29 2021
Funeral
Arcade Fire
I didn't care for Arcade Fire until I heard The Suburbs. This album does about the same for me as it did when I first heard it, which is to say, not much. I find it a bit exhausting.
2
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Wed Jun 30 2021
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
I enjoy the Beastie Boys every once in a while and in small doses, but listening to each of these songs one after another made me focus on how silly and stupid their schtick is. The sampling is spot on though.
2
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Thu Jul 01 2021
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
I thought it was nice, very earnest, so much so that at times I wanted to throw up in my mouth. The highlight for me was "Everybody's Talkin" and the lowlight was "Song with No Words."
3
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Fri Jul 02 2021
You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
I was starting to think I just don't like Morrissey, but I did enjoy this album. He's a crank but he has some good points. This may sound like a dig, but my favorite part of the album was the last minute of the last song, "You Know I Couldn't Last," when that cool bass line kicks in and they rock out to the finish line - I could listen to that on repeat for a while.
4
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Sat Jul 03 2021
Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
The scary thing is a lot of this could have been written yesterday, almost 30 years later. I enjoyed the intensity and clarity of purpose.
4
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Sun Jul 04 2021
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
They surprised me a little in a good way - more experimentation than I am used to thinking of them. For example I was NOT expecting for that synth to drop in Save the Life of My Child. Of course Mrs Robinson is an absolute classic. The end seemed abrupt, the way the last words of the album were "at the zoo..."
3
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Mon Jul 05 2021
Rings Around The World
Super Furry Animals
This was new to me, and I really enjoyed it. I like when bands can navigate little experiments and moments of genre bending as seamlessly as they do. They really caught my attention at "[A] Touch Sensitive" and perhaps my favorite was "Juxtapozed with U."
4
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Tue Jul 06 2021
Happy Sad
Tim Buckley
I liked the jazziness of this record, I still just don't like his voice unfortunately.
3
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Wed Jul 07 2021
C'est Chic
CHIC
Some of this I liked, the funkier moments. Ultimately too disco for me, and some songs were too long and repetitive.
3
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Thu Jul 08 2021
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
I respect Oasis and I REALLY like some of their songs, but they produce a wall of impenetrable sound that has always been unappealing to me. That's what most of this album is like for me, but I do have a soft spot for "Supersonic." I also liked "Bring it on Down," don't really know that song well, same with "Cigarettes and Alcohol." I appreciate "Married with Children" as a song and as an anomaly on this album.
3
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Fri Jul 09 2021
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
I like a couple of these songs but the album itself has never really grabbed me. Some of their albums are solid, for me this is not one of them.
3
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Sat Jul 10 2021
Abraxas
Santana
I appreciate the skillful and soulful guitar work, the songs themselves don't do much for me.
3
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Sun Jul 11 2021
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
I first heard this a long time ago after getting it from the Rochester Public Library - I was trying to learn more about Miles Davis at the time, and I wasn't ready for how vast and varied his catalog is. Maybe a decade later, I appreciate this album more.
4
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Mon Jul 12 2021
In The Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra
A classic no doubt, though I like Frank's swinging stuff more, this was pretty downtempo.
3
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Tue Jul 13 2021
All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
Between 'Beautiful Day' and 'Elevation,' this quickly turns into a greatest hits of songs I hated as a teenager. I don't hate them anymore, but I don't like them either. Most of these songs make me cringe a little.
2
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Wed Jul 14 2021
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
I have always found this band exhausting, so I was dismayed to find that it's 90 minutes of music. I did find the monologues quite compelling, which surprised me, usually that kind of thing doesn't work. But, more than ready for the album to be over by the end.
3
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Thu Jul 15 2021
Le Tigre
Le Tigre
I found this fun, I liked that it's somewhat loose but also packs a punch.
3
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Fri Jul 16 2021
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
What a legendary album. I just love his interactions with the inmates, it makes the music even more powerful. I don't remember hearing the announcements and chit chat at the end, I like that they didn't cut that off.
5
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Sat Jul 17 2021
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
I don't really like the Smashing Pumpkins outside of a few songs, but I found this tolerable albiet boring.
2
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Sun Jul 18 2021
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
These are fun songs. This is a nice way to listen to Rod Stewart, because although I like him, I tire of his voice but with Ronnie Wood alternating on lead vocals throughout the album, it creates a nice balance.
4
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Mon Jul 19 2021
Darklands
The Jesus And Mary Chain
Was not aware of this band. Thought it was ok. Their guitar sounds made me think if the Raveonettes, the way they almost sound uplifting if they weren't soaked in reverb as if playing from a dark empty dungeon.
3
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Tue Jul 20 2021
Close To The Edge
Yes
Didn't really enjoy this. It was like an excitable fever dream that you wake up from sweating and annoyed.
2
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Wed Jul 21 2021
Manassas
Stephen Stills
"Johnny's Garden" caught my attention, the rest sounding really blah to me. Lost points for album being too long, lost points for lame album cover.
2
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Thu Jul 22 2021
Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
I could see myself getting into this to some extent, but something about it feels, I don't know... empty?
3
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Fri Jul 23 2021
Tago Mago
Can
Really like the funkiness of much of this album. Seems to meet into Halloween music later on. The story of this band and album is more interesting than the actual listening experience for me.
3
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Sat Jul 24 2021
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
This sounds very stupid to me but it's also fun, and not a bad thing to listen to if you just feel like turning your brain off. No, I will not be listening to all the live tracks.
3
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Sun Jul 25 2021
Jack Takes the Floor
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
I thought this was ok... definitely could hear the influence it might have had on other singer songwriters of subsequent era. Nothing mind blowing.
3
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Mon Jul 26 2021
xx
The xx
Really promising opening sounds in terms of establishing a sound and a mood that I felt I could soak up for the duration of an album. Unfortunately, it plateaued after that, and sank into a wallowing sadness that I found less interesting.
3
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Tue Jul 27 2021
Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
A clear classic, though REM is not really my jam.
3
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Wed Jul 28 2021
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
I have often relied on Bill Evan's music to relax. This album exemplifies what I like about his stuff - skillful yet low key, moody. The glasses clinking and occasional voices coming through really set the mood, you can imagine the setting.
4
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Thu Jul 29 2021
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
I liked this, it's strange and goofy in all the right ways. I like the richness of his voice, it reminds me of Robert Pollard. A couple duds on the album but overall strong, and turned me on to a band I didn't know anything about before.
4
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Fri Jul 30 2021
The Coral
The Coral
Really liking their sound. Some special songs here, "Dreaming of You," "Waiting for the Heartaches." Really strong album. It seems like they are super talented, they know who they are as a band, and they are just having fun with it.
4
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Sat Jul 31 2021
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Nice to hear, what a voice! Lots of good songs. Some of the content of his songs haven't aged very well but these are pretty good for the most part.
4
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Sun Aug 01 2021
Urban Hymns
The Verve
Bittersweet Symphony has always seemed ubiquitous to me. Nice to hear some of their other songs, I am liking this quite a bit.
4
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Mon Aug 02 2021
Document
R.E.M.
I appreciate many of these songs but REM never gets me too excited.
3
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Tue Aug 03 2021
Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement
Generally I respect what Pavement does, I thought this album was pretty good, though I do get exhausted of the "singing" after a few songs - better in small doses.
3
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Wed Aug 04 2021
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
I have a soft spot for Jurassic 5 as I really enjoyed them when I was in high school. "What's Golden" was one of their songs that I listened to a lot. Some of their stuff sounds a little silly to me now, but their hooks and samples are undeniably catchy, and the varied voices of the rappers helps keep it interesting. I remember "Thin Line" now too.
4
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Thu Aug 05 2021
Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
Some really nice sounds, ultimately a bit too pretty for me but I do appreciate that this band and album helped shape rock n roll.
3
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Fri Aug 06 2021
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
Epicly funky from the first second. This is a goddam masterpiece. Love the jazz fusion, love the balance of experimentation and improvisation against catchiness and hooks.
5
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Sat Aug 07 2021
Disintegration
The Cure
There's nothing wrong with this but I do not vibe with it.
2
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Sun Aug 08 2021
Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
Ute is new to me. Such a powerful voice, and I loved the orchestration. They kind of feel like Bond tunes, with how dark and grand many of them are. Pleased to hear a couple Tom Waits tunes on the album.
4
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Mon Aug 09 2021
Eagles
Eagles
There were moments when they sounded pretty good, but overall finding this bland, which is generally my reaction to The Eagles.
2
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Tue Aug 10 2021
Blue
Joni Mitchell
I thought this was a great album with lots of good songs and lots of descriptive lyrics. One I would come back to.
4
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Wed Aug 11 2021
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
Really admirable the way he storefronts his voice throughout the album. There's no hiding from your lyrics in this context, and the lyrics hold up. The electric guitar really holds its own too.
4
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Thu Aug 12 2021
Pearl
Janis Joplin
Hard to deny that this is good, but I just don't like JJ's music much. Part of it is her voice, and part of it is that it's the quintessential, I don't know, music to do cocaine to? Interested in seeing some live performance footage, I feel like I would appreciate her more that way.
3
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Fri Aug 13 2021
Destroyer
KISS
Finding it difficult to dislike this, as stupid as it can be at times. Meets the definition of irrisistable rock n roll.
4
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Sat Aug 14 2021
Homework
Daft Punk
Most of these songs feel like unresolved experiments as opposed to releasable material. How these songs garnered mainstream attention is baffling to me. Even the songs I recognize like "Da Funk" and "Around the World" get too repetitive and annoying as whole songs to me. I suppose they work well in a club or live setting though and it sounds like they did a lot of promotion beforehand.
2
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Sun Aug 15 2021
Teen Dream
Beach House
Good stuff, I can get into this. Have listened in the past but never has stuck to me. Interesting to read about this album and how it struck a chord with people and caught on in a big way.
4
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Mon Aug 16 2021
Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
Really tasty beats, good songs. Feel like it doesn't quite capture the quintessential Missy Elliot we would hear later on.
4
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Tue Aug 17 2021
Mott
Mott The Hoople
Love this! Glad Bowie encouraged them not to break up.
4
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Wed Aug 18 2021
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Fantastic album, love it! Shocking how small of a discography she has given the huge impact she has had on the world of music.
5
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Thu Aug 19 2021
Modern Life Is Rubbish
Blur
I listened to this very seldom in my Blur phase, and now I understand why I didn't remember it. The songs are bland. I feel they developed some of the ideas present here more effectively in later albums.
2
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Fri Aug 20 2021
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
Before listening I wondered why this was on the list - Dylan's 30th studio album, well beyond his "prime." But I really appreciated the songwriting and heard greatness in it. Classic Dylan storytelling, and notewotlethy as a return to form after a long dry spell. You can hear him grappling with his age, and he sounds so old. Remarkable to realize that he is still releasing vital material now, more than 20 years after this album was released.
5
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Sat Aug 21 2021
Bongo Rock
Incredible Bongo Band
Thought this was really fun to listen to. Recognized more than I thought I would.
4
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Sun Aug 22 2021
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
Absolute trail blazers - great stuff. Hip hop has come a long way and so my one knock is that this does sound a little basic 35 years later. No denying its importance and impact though.
4
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Mon Aug 23 2021
World Clique
Deee-Lite
A few of these I liked, mostly not my thing though. I sure they worked well in a 90's club. The first half of the album was boring to me. The first song that caught my attention was "What is Love." "Groove is in the Heart" has nostolgic value for me, but also I feel like it's genuinely a standout song. I also liked "Who Was That" and "Build the Bridge."
3
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Tue Aug 24 2021
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
I liked roughly half the songs on this album. Felt like I enjoyed every other or so. They do the blues really well. I know they were pioneering Brisish psychadelic rock but their songs in thay realm don't grab me much. My favorite moment on the album is during The Nazz Are Blue when during the guitar solo (at 1:25) Jeff Beck umexpectedly holds a note and it turns into this monstrous feedback siren sound.
4
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Wed Aug 25 2021
Too Rye Ay
Dexys Midnight Runners
Good fun energy. Come on Eileen is an obvious classic. All sounds a bit dorky to me though.
3
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Thu Aug 26 2021
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
Sounds of its time but still resonates today. Every once in a while I hear California Dreamin' used in a show or movie and it always hits super hard. Their harmonies are really powerful. Excellent album.
5
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Fri Aug 27 2021
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
I think this is a pretty good album; has some nostalgic value for me because I was listening to some of these songs in high school. Still really like "Big Poppa" and a few others. Not sure that the album is aging super well overall though.
3
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Sat Aug 28 2021
Country Life
Roxy Music
I have heard people talk about Roxy Music with great esteem, but I'm not sure I get it.
3
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Sun Aug 29 2021
School's Out
Alice Cooper
This rock n roll sound he has going really appeals to me - the dirty guitar driven hooky sound. The subject matter is adolescent and overtly strange, which is a bit eye rolly but also fun.
3
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Mon Aug 30 2021
Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
This is a good album, and I frequently come back to many of these songs, especially "Heartattack and Vine" "Downtown" "Mr Siegal" and "Ruby's Arms." As an album it's a little too divided between rippers and sweetness, and perhaps not his peak in terms of songwriting. "Jersey Girl" and "On the Nickel" are wonderful songs too but I don't crave listening to them like I do some of the other songs on this album, or some of the other albums in his discography.
4
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Tue Aug 31 2021
The Poet
Bobby Womack
Such a breeziness to these songs, you can almost smell the ocean air.
4
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Wed Sep 01 2021
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
Strong album, I love their laid back style.
4
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Thu Sep 02 2021
Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
Really started appreciating this during "To Face the Truth." There's an earnest cheesiness to this that is appealing to me.
4
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Fri Sep 03 2021
The Contino Sessions
Death In Vegas
Strong start with "Dirge." Thought I was going to kike "Aisha" knowing Iggy Pop was on it, but I did not like it. Overall very hit and miss.
2
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Sat Sep 04 2021
Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
I liked the samples and the upbeat vibe, their willingness to just be loose and have fun. Disliked the basic themes, and the mysogeny, transphobia, homophobia, etc. Probably won't come back to this much.
2
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Sun Sep 05 2021
Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu's reputation precedes her but I haden't listened to any of her albums. I was disappointed, I found that the songs were not holding my attention, but were fading into the background. Not too crazy about her voice either. Could grow on me.
2
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Mon Sep 06 2021
Pink Flag
Wire
Really enjoyed this, liked the short songs and the dirty guitars. My favorite tracks were "Pink Flag" and "Strange." Interested to hear more of this band now.
4
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Tue Sep 07 2021
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
Nothing to complain about here - solid Basie album.
4
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Wed Sep 08 2021
Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
I thought this was good, punchy - it got old pretty fast for me though. Coincidentally I had just listened to a newly released album in 2021 right before this one that was strikingly similar - I think it was The Long and Short of It by quickly, quickly. Not sure if that means much, but it was intriuging to stumble upon that 21 year time warp.
3
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Thu Sep 09 2021
Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
Somewhat liked it but also kind of bored by it. New band to me. Makes sense that they toured with R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins - bands I feel similarly ambivalent about.
3
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Fri Sep 10 2021
Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
Vaguely familiar with this band. Did not like the album at first, but it grew on me and I kind of liked it by the end. There is a charm within the dourness.
3
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Sat Sep 11 2021
Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
I like the album cover and name, very architectural. I enjoyed the album. A bit hippie-ish for my taste, but certainly palettable.
3
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Sun Sep 12 2021
Heavy Weather
Weather Report
I know Birdland and like that song but most of the others I find boring and kind of dweeby.
3
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Mon Sep 13 2021
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
I liked Roadrunner and Astral Plane, but that was where the album peaked for me. Not much variation in themes, and the guy seems like an ass. Pablo Picasso was super dumb.
3
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Tue Sep 14 2021
Young Americans
David Bowie
This is quite an album. It showcases songs that have become absolute cultural icons - Young American, Fame - and others I am not as familiar with but are very good. Did not realize John Lennon was on this album, and I was not familiar with the Across the Universe cover.
5
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Wed Sep 15 2021
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
When I was younger I really didn't like Bruce Springsteen's music, but I think it has gotten through to me slowly over time, and these songs hit me pretty good now. Some heavy hitters here really - 10th Ave Freeze Out, Born to Run, Jungleland... The saxophone solos are one of the things that would have turned me off in the past, now I find them quaint.
4
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Thu Sep 16 2021
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
These songs are fun, I used to like the song El Paso more, but as I have listened to it more closely, the story is really simple and kind of stupid. A good album for what it is, a collection of westerns.
3
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Fri Sep 17 2021
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
Nice, quite calming and introspective. I prefer Nick Drake is small doses though, just find that I wallow in it after a while.
3
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Sat Sep 18 2021
Modern Kosmology
Jane Weaver
I enjoyed this, seems interesting and unique. Surprised it is so new. How objectively can we look at something 4 years old in the context of the last half century of music?
4
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Sun Sep 19 2021
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
I find this extremely calming and beautiful. Wonderful that a group like this achieved international success.
5
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Mon Sep 20 2021
The Healer
John Lee Hooker
I like this and appreciate it for the soulful blues that is is, but it doesn't excite me particularly.
3
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Tue Sep 21 2021
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
Fantastic album, lots of great songs. In the opening track you canhear them struggling with pan effects, is it genuinely disorienting with headphones on. Great lyrics and Hendrix guitar playing.
5
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Wed Sep 22 2021
Paris 1919
John Cale
Not a big fan of this. It sounds like a demented children's album.
2
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Thu Sep 23 2021
Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
This one surprised me. I was expecting not to like it based on the band name, album cover, year released, and opening sounds on the first track. But it quickly grew on me and I really liked it by the end. It's sharp, the sounds are pleasing, some of the lyrics are funny.
4
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Fri Sep 24 2021
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
A fun listen, I especially like the classic samples. Although I know they were blazing a trail, I can't help but hear Lonely Island. I know L.I. sounds like the Beastie Boys but sometimes it sounds like the other way around, and hearing it that way accentuates the ridiculous juvenile content of the lyrics, making it harder for me to take seriously.
3
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Sat Sep 25 2021
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
A great display of skill, but far too long. This feels like an album for fans only. Whipping Post made me uncomfortable.
3
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Sun Sep 26 2021
No Other
Gene Clark
A timeless sound, and lyrics that resonate.
4
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Mon Sep 27 2021
Tapestry
Carole King
This is a nice album, I like her voice and she is a great songwriter. Fun to hear her version of You've Got a Friend, I am mostly just familiar with James Taylor's version.
4
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Tue Sep 28 2021
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
I like their clear, strong sound. The repetition in sound and themes got boring by the end though.
3
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Wed Sep 29 2021
Sister
Sonic Youth
This album exemplifies Sonic Youth's barrage of nervous, negative energy, and I don’t like it. There were moments that I liked, but those moments were fewer than I hoped.
2
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Thu Sep 30 2021
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
This is so intense, I cannot concentrate. I respect this but I don't enjoy it. Does make me want to explore his music more though.
3
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Fri Oct 01 2021
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
Hard to find an album with a more monstrous reputation than this one. There are songs that I find more interesting and ones I find less interesting, but not a bad song on the album.
5
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Sat Oct 02 2021
This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Timeless spirit of rock n roll in its early days. Legendary.
5
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Sun Oct 03 2021
Follow The Leader
Korn
When I was a teenager I listened to a little bit of Korn and found it scary. Now, it sounds, not as scary, and maybe better than I thought it would sound. But I don't need to listen to Korn every day to say the least.
3
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Mon Oct 04 2021
Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
These are good songs and I think they are holding up well. Love the idea of this album being a song by song reply to Exile on Main Street. The stripped down sound is perfect. Didn't connect until this listen that "Shatter" is often used as background music for This American Life.
5
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Tue Oct 05 2021
Disraeli Gears
Cream
I was ready to give this 5 stars after the first three songs, but as the album went on a few of them let me down. What a classic, defining sound though!
4
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Wed Oct 06 2021
Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Elvis Costello is typically hit and miss with me, but this album was mostly hit. Pleasantly surprised. I do like his version of Peace Love and Understanding.
4
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Thu Oct 07 2021
John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
I liked this, especially the first couple songs, but as a whole I found it underwhelming. As an aside, Steve Winwood sounds eerily like Nina Simone at times.
3
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Fri Oct 08 2021
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
What a breath of fresh air, finding this really calming and lifting. Reading about her, she had quite a life.
4
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Sat Oct 09 2021
Close To You
Carpenters
Good stuff, they have a special place in my heart because my mom was a fan when I was young and would play them sometimes.
4
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Sun Oct 10 2021
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
I think this album has been built up in my head and I was expecting more from it. A couple songs that knock me out, but by in large I didn't find the album that enjoyable.
3
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Mon Oct 11 2021
The Stranger
Billy Joel
In general Billy Joel's whole vibe kind of rubs me the wrong way, the kind of serious showiness he exudes. But in spite of myself I must admit that I really enjoyed listening to this.
4
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Tue Oct 12 2021
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
Was not aware of this before but it sure has the sound of a classic. Loved it.
5
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Wed Oct 13 2021
The Predator
Ice Cube
Great album. Some classics, and very strong all the way through. Uncomfortably topical for being almost 30 years old.
5
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Thu Oct 14 2021
Rejoicing In The Hands
Devendra Banhart
This is alright, generally there are a couple songs per album that I really like by Devendra, and the rest are a bit boring. This one perhaps slightly better than that. At times it feels like he's saying strange things just to be strange which irritates me. Could be convinced that this album is better, but middle of the road for me.
3
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Fri Oct 15 2021
Screamadelica
Primal Scream
Plays like a weird dance mix with various artists, like one you found in a cereal box in the 90's. Sounded empty to me.
2
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Sat Oct 16 2021
Me Against The World
2Pac
2pac is so ubiquitous but listening to this makes me realize how little I know his music. "Lord Knows" really caught my attention and I was fully invested from that point on. As an aside, he and Pop Smoke sound eerily similar.
4
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Sun Oct 17 2021
Scum
Napalm Death
Points for consistency. I feel like they both created grindcore and brought it to its logical conclusion. This is so fucking annoying to listen to by the end.
2
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Mon Oct 18 2021
São Paulo Confessions
Suba
Really intriguing sound, I enjoyed all of these songs. Tragic that he died so young.
4
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Tue Oct 19 2021
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
I think they have a great sound, still sounds good 50+ years later. I appreciate their political content. Catchy and poignant tunes.
4
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Wed Oct 20 2021
Odelay
Beck
This was a favorite of mine in high school and still holds up well. If anything I appreciate it more now. He is a master of seamlessly integrating disparate noises, sounds, screams, etc into songs in a way that feels effortless, and somehow correct.
5
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Thu Oct 21 2021
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
This is hitting me just right. His voice is so sincere, so calming with tinges of melancholy, but a great sense of beauty and hope.
5
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Fri Oct 22 2021
Face to Face
The Kinks
I enjoyed this, they're not my fave but good sometimes.
3
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Sat Oct 23 2021
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
Good stuff, real classics. Did get long, didn't need the bonus tracks.
3
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Sun Oct 24 2021
Brothers
The Black Keys
This is a near perfect album for me, and my favorite of the Black Keys albums. Not a single bad song here. I remember hearing Dan's falsetto for the first time on Everlasting light and just being amazed at what I was hearing.
5
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Mon Oct 25 2021
Triangle
The Beau Brummels
I quite enjoyed this. Hearing their influence on Ty Segall, not sure if that is real or imagined on my part. Love the variety of instruments, the spirit of experimentation.
4
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Tue Oct 26 2021
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
I enjoyed this! Rod seems to put a lot of heart into his singing. I used to not like his voice, but it has grown on me and I do like it now.
4
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Wed Oct 27 2021
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
I consider myself a fan, but I must not be a true fan because I have to admit I started at Songs for the Deaf and never looked backward in their discography. This sounds fantastic. Weird to think that Josh Homme was only like, 25 when he made this. The QOTSA sound was already fully formed.
5
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Thu Oct 28 2021
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
I really like this, it has hat crisp post punk sound with a sinister edge.
4
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Fri Oct 29 2021
Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
Liking this more than I thought I would. Cathartic to hear this kind of demented anger. This is another 90's album that I found scary when I first heard it as a young teen, and now it sounds kind of good and kind of stupid. But this beats Korn.
3
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Sat Oct 30 2021
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
"I am Trying to Break Your Heart" is one of my favorite songs. There are a few songs I really don't like on this album, but a number of really great songs too. Not a masterpiece as an album, but an album with some masterpieces.
4
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Sun Oct 31 2021
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
If this album were a pastrie I would say it wasn't worth the calories. Some of the songs are kinda cool, but then they just go on and on without much variation, and the album overall was the same way. Not for me.
2
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Mon Nov 01 2021
Transformer
Lou Reed
Nothing I didn't like on this album, and some all time greats, namely "Perfect Day" and "Walk on the Wild Side."
5
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Tue Nov 02 2021
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
It seemed like good quality and I should like it but it just didn't speak to me at best, and annoyed me at worst.
2
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Wed Nov 03 2021
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
Great listen. Lenny Kravitz is another that I came to later in his career and never went back to explore his earlier stuff. Clearly very talented, an explosive debut.
4
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Thu Nov 04 2021
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
I want to like Devo more than I do, I just have trouble getting into them.
3
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Fri Nov 05 2021
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
I don't really enjoy this but I respect where she is coming from. Very 80's sound.
3
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Sat Nov 06 2021
The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
I found this charming overall. Was familiar with "Cars." Many of the songs sounded super similar to each other, which became a problem in combination with the album length.
3
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Sun Nov 07 2021
Bossanova
Pixies
Did not expect to hear that western theme at the beginning, or whatever that was. Overall, hard for me to get into this band, not much of this was holding my attention.
3
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Mon Nov 08 2021
LP1
FKA twigs
I like this stuff, I think it's interesting. Doesn't feel masterful yet, I think her best work it yet to come.
4
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Tue Nov 09 2021
Debut
Björk
Love it when an album opens up with an absolute ripper. Still sounds fresh, quite a feat (except for some of those club beats maybe). Beautiful, powerful, creative songs an excellent album.
5
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Wed Nov 10 2021
Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
More ballady and polished than I expected. Didn't really speak to me.
3
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Thu Nov 11 2021
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
Really satisfying sound, I am a sucker for country western when it's done well.
4
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Fri Nov 12 2021
Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
I like the general vibe, the basslines are tasty. I like the concept album format. The songs that veered into psychedelia were my favorite, in particular "The Journey."
4
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Sat Nov 13 2021
In Utero
Nirvana
The sound of this album is great, and holds up over time. Easy to hear why they kind of took over the world. On the other hand, there are 4 or 5 songs on this album that I really like, but all the others wear me down and are exhausting to get through.
4
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Sun Nov 14 2021
John Prine
John Prine
His lyrics and storytelling are so well crafted, a pleasure to listen to. He takes us on a ride.
4
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Mon Nov 15 2021
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
Better than I thought it would be. I always found "Blister in the Sun" annoying, but some of the other songs were good. Still, I don't really enjoy this band much.
3
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Tue Nov 16 2021
Rubber Soul
Beatles
A very good album, one I come back to frequently.
4
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Wed Nov 17 2021
Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
Remind me of Crowded House. Kind of blah, a good song here and there.
2
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Thu Nov 18 2021
A Seat at the Table
Solange
This album is so generous and heartfelt, I love it.
5
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Fri Nov 19 2021
Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys
Am I glad I listened to this? I suppose. Did I enjoy it? Maybe. Will I come back to it? Doubtful.
3
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Sat Nov 20 2021
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
Love that 12 string sound, and the songs are so earnest and soulful. Iconic.
5
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Sun Nov 21 2021
Broken English
Marianne Faithfull
Her voice is unique and strange. The songs are intense. I appreciate it. The Working Class Hero cover was ambitious, but I think she pulled it off.
4
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Mon Nov 22 2021
Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
Of it's time in the best way, that great late 60's political idealism mixed with psychedelia. Had never heard any of this before, but I may be a new fan.
4
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Tue Nov 23 2021
Tidal
Fiona Apple
Starts out with a bang with that killer rhythm in Sleep To Dream. Criminal is an impressive song that will continue to age impeccably. Unfortunately the album slows down in the second half for me, but still a remarkable debut.
4
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Wed Nov 24 2021
The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
"Waiting for a Superman" is very catchy, gets into my head. Weirdly, the "Mokran mix" is preferable to the original. "The Gash" has a great big sound, this is the side of Flaming Lips that I like the best. There are a lot of songs on this album that make me focus on how pitchy Wayne Coyne is. I do respect what they are doing though. Crazy that they were a band for 13 years before they struck gold with this album. Waffling between 3 and 4 stars.
4
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Thu Nov 25 2021
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Pretty consistently good. Killer Queen is a hell of a song. Noticing for the first time how similar Ratatat's guitar sound is similar to some of Brian May's sounds.
4
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Fri Nov 26 2021
Sincere
Mj Cole
Could this have any less variety track to track?
2
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Sat Nov 27 2021
A Night At The Opera
Queen
I was surprised to find that many of these songs didn't hold my attention. Obviously some classics here, "You're My Best Friend" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." Easy to hear why the songs that Freddy's not lead on have receded over time.
4
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Sun Nov 28 2021
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Really solid, legendary album. Had not previously heard the story about the assassination attempt on his life just before he recorded this. Makes the songs even more powerful in that context.
5
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Mon Nov 29 2021
Garbage
Garbage
Pretty darn solid, still sounds fresh to me.
4
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Tue Nov 30 2021
Queen II
Queen
A good album. You can hear elements that will become more resolved in later albums. This one doesn't approach the following albums in terms of greatness but it is still very quality, very Queen.
3
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Wed Dec 01 2021
Sea Change
Beck
I think this is a bold change of pace for Beck, and I like the album. I don't love it, as there are a handful of weaker songs but it stands out in his discography as an outlier.
4
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Thu Dec 02 2021
Ramones
Ramones
What's not to love? Scorching guitars, short songs, fast tempos, good album length, creation of a mf'n genre - it's perfect!
5
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Fri Dec 03 2021
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Sounds like wankery to me. I can tolerate it but I don't love it, or even like it that much.
3
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Sat Dec 04 2021
Dirt
Alice In Chains
Expected to not like it but actually liked it. Reminded me of some bands I liked in the early 2000's, like Fuel.
3
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Sun Dec 05 2021
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
To be honest I was getting sick of this album, then Psycho Killer came on and I was like, O shit yea, the Pulled Up came on and OH HELL YES what a song!
4
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Mon Dec 06 2021
Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Loretta Lynn
Wow these songs are so powerful because of her honesty, emotion, storytelling, and voice. The band is great too. Makes me want to listen to the rest of her discography as well.
5
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Tue Dec 07 2021
Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
I like that something this unusual achieved such mainstream success. I enjoy thinking about 19 year old Mike recording this weird masterpiece not knowing it would soon give him international fame. There were parts I didn't like but by and large really enjoyed this musical adventure.
4
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Wed Dec 08 2021
Back In Black
AC/DC
Small doses. They're fun, but... small doses.
3
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Thu Dec 09 2021
It's A Shame About Ray
The Lemonheads
Finding this rather exhausting. This is what Wilco would sound like if Wilco sucked. Thought Mrs. Robinson might make me like them more but that one annoyed me too.
1
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Fri Dec 10 2021
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
Listening to this makes me feel like I'm in the hands of an expert I can trust. So good!
4
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Sat Dec 11 2021
The Man Who
Travis
Surprised I hadn't heard this before, it sounds like something I would like, and I do like it. Reminds me if bands I was listening to in the mid 00's - Guster, Keane, Radiohead (The Bends specifically). At times it got too sappy for me, at other moments the grooves were just euphoric. Interested in learning more about these fellas.
4
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Sun Dec 12 2021
Medúlla
Björk
She really commands a unique space of her own, I admire and respect that.
4
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Mon Dec 13 2021
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
What a solid album. My dad would put this record on sometimes, and Do It Again & Dirty Work must have been his favorites because I don't remember the others as well. Amazing that this is their debut album, I think the songs exemplify what is so great about them - depth of songwriting paired with top notch musicianship.
5
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Tue Dec 14 2021
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
Another rock sold album from SD. A handful of legendary classics. Love it when they veer into jazz like they do on a few tracks.
5
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Wed Dec 15 2021
Central Reservation
Beth Orton
Seemed promising, but got less interesting to me as it went on.
3
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Thu Dec 16 2021
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
I bought this album as a teenager and was actually very disappointed. I had heard 1979 on the radio and was hoping for more of that - but there is a significant range of sounds and styles on the record and none of the others contained the magic I felt from that song. I appreciate the album more now, decades later. That line in Bullet With Butterfly Wings is one for the ages, "despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage." The emotional range on the album is impressive, as is the genre shifting from one song to the next. I still don't love it but I respect it.
4
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Fri Dec 17 2021
Grace
Jeff Buckley
Of course Hallelujah is epic, and the definitive version of the song. I like the songs that skew toward that heartfelt mysticism, as opposed to the songs that skew toward throwaway 90's alt rock.
3
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Sat Dec 18 2021
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
So good - this sound is not getting old for me. The coexistence of the aggressive yet precise guitar work alongside vulnerable, inward looking lyrics are a perfect match.
5
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Sun Dec 19 2021
Mask
Bauhaus
Utterly charming. Just the right amount of strange.
4
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Mon Dec 20 2021
Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
Damn what a trailblazer. Watched her Buffalo Stance performance she did on Top of the Pops while pregnant, what a badass.
5
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Tue Dec 21 2021
Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Obviously legends and trend setters, influential giants. What struck me was how simple and spare everything is, some of the tracks were just a straightforward beat and rapping over the top. I found it refreshing.
4
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Wed Dec 22 2021
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
What an absolute gem. His voice has the power of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding. The songs are irrisistable.
5
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Thu Dec 23 2021
Legalize It
Peter Tosh
Good tunes, reggae up there with the greats.
4
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Fri Dec 24 2021
The United States Of America
The United States Of America
Some 60's psychedelia sounds top cheesy for me, but I like how this band does it. Too bad they only stuck around for 1 album. The experiments were promising. Worth investigating further.
5
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Sat Dec 25 2021
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
Ok fine I'm a Bob Dylan fan, can't fight it anymore. Hearing Subterranean Homesick Blues conjures images of him with an electric guitar shocking America. Solid all the way through.
5
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Sun Dec 26 2021
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
Not sure I quite get why this is on the list. Influential I suppose. It's good... it's a Christmas album.
3
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Mon Dec 27 2021
The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
I like this a lot, the grooves are really addicting and they work well with the Iggy Pop style vocal delivery. Unfortunately got sick of it about halfway through, wanted to hear some real singing. Was ready to give this 5 stars after the first couple songs but I got slowly worn down by the end.
3
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Tue Dec 28 2021
The Blueprint
JAY Z
Great stuff, I don't know his discography that well but he sounds at the top of his game here. I like that this was, in part, a response to being dissed by a bunch of other rappers. I think we know who got the last laugh.
5
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Wed Dec 29 2021
Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
I listened to this earlier this year and I didn't dislike it as much this time, but that's as far as I'm willing to go at this point.
3
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Thu Dec 30 2021
Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
So talented and soulful. There are so many weaker copies of SW out there, it's refreshing to hear the real thing.
5
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Fri Dec 31 2021
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
Compelling range, and several great songs - Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, When the Levee Breaks. They avoid the trap that they seem to fall into on other albums, of just rocking out in a way that sounds cool but doesn't go very deep. Their best album?
5
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Sat Jan 01 2022
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Great songs, and high ratio of head bobbers. I forgot that "How I Could Just Kill a Man" was their song, since I heard the RATM version first. Not sure which one I like better. The beats are just insanely catchy.
4
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Sun Jan 02 2022
The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
They have a unique sound, I will give them that. It is just a bit blah as a whole though. Intrigued, but not yet impressed. Interested in their larger discography as it sounds like they made some significant shifts in their sound between albums.
3
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Mon Jan 03 2022
High Violet
The National
I get why some people like this band. I have always wanted to like them, but it's just so melodramatic and it's too much after two or three songs.
3
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Tue Jan 04 2022
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Just listened to "Bringing It All Back Home" so I can't help but compare them, and although this is a good album it doesn't measure up. Obviously "Blowin in the Wind" is an undeniable classic and a powerful, timeless song. The album slows down immediately after that and becomes hit and miss throughout - just had trouble staying engaged with it because of its rambliness.
3
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Wed Jan 05 2022
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
I find this album rather irritating, in a listening to R.E.M. kind of way.
2
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Thu Jan 06 2022
Group Sex
Circle Jerks
Waffled between loving and hating this basically on a minute to minute basis throughout the album. The lyrics are so dumb but the concise punch-you-in-the-face punk sound is very appealing.
3
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Fri Jan 07 2022
Frampton Comes Alive
Peter Frampton
This being a live album biases me against it, but it has some good qualities. I think the quieter, more spare songs help give the album some relief, and you can hear in those songs the crowd's respect. The talk box stuff is fun. The Jumping Jack Flash cover is bad. The guitar work is pleasing, very skillful in the more uptempo songs. Mixed bag.
3
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Sat Jan 08 2022
Vespertine
Björk
It amazes me how she creates this mystical world where she reigns supreme.
5
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Sun Jan 09 2022
evermore
Taylor Swift
I am skeptical that we have the perspective to determine the greats just a year later, but if anyone deserves the distinction it's T Swift. She has really made herself into a legend at a young age and continues to prove it. This album showcases her ability to do indie just as effectively as she navigates country or pop. The collaborations with Haim and Bon Iver are excellent surprises. "Cowboy like me" has permanently wormed it's way into my brain since I heard it. "No body no crime" is a hell of a well crafted song. The album drags toward the end, I think they could have cut some songs (like "coney island" "happiness" "long story short" and "marjorie"). But ultimately, the album showcases Taylor's exceptional and consistent songwriting ability and staying power.
5
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Mon Jan 10 2022
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
This album was a constant companion freshman year of college. It helped ease my angst especially with my shyness and awkwardness around cute girls. I could not get enough of "Fight Test" and "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell." Lots of other great songs here, "Yoshimi" (obviously), "Are You a Hypnotist", " Do You Realize"... This album is really a gem.
5
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Tue Jan 11 2022
Done By The Forces Of Nature
Jungle Brothers
Sounds both of its era as well as ahead of it's time in some ways. Surprised I had not heard this one before.
4
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Wed Jan 12 2022
Beyond Skin
Nitin Sawhney
A remarkable work of art with something to say and many layers to appreciate. Was new to me.
5
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Thu Jan 13 2022
Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby
Terence Trent D'Arby
Really didn't grab me.
2
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Fri Jan 14 2022
Gris Gris
Dr. John
A while back I spent a lot of time trying to get a copy of this on vinyl because I had heard it was a great album. I finally got it and really enjoyed it, though something about it feels disjointed or incomplete. I really like the seedy mysticism that Dr John does so well here. Really feels different than much of the popular music of its day.
4
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Sat Jan 15 2022
3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
Was a fun listen, but didn't really capture my attention.
2
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Sun Jan 16 2022
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Album really jerks a person around, going from "Ramble Tamble's" unpredictable wankery to getting hit over the head with "Before You Accuse Me" then back to fun but contentless "Traveling Band" & "Oobie Doobie", then to the classic "Lookin Out My Back Door"... Given how productive they were in a few short years, makes me wonder if they weren't just letting things come out and not thinking about them too much - the hits came naturally alongside the misses. Many of these songs have become monstrous on the American consciousness and are inseparable from the era - can you listen to a song like "Run Through The Jungle" for example without scenes of the Vietnam war playing in your head?
4
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Mon Jan 17 2022
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
When it started with a live song, I expected not to like it, but I really got hooked in quickly after that. He seems so wise, and the music has a transcendent quality to it. I like how the album transitions from acoustic to electric.
4
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Tue Jan 18 2022
The Slider
T. Rex
Yeah, great jams all the way through.
5
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Wed Jan 19 2022
Thriller
Michael Jackson
Really, does it get much better than this?
5
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Thu Jan 20 2022
New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
I like the cheekiness of the lyrics and delivery style. Not blown away but interested to hear more.
3
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Fri Jan 21 2022
2112
Rush
Putting this in the "I respect it but I don't enjoy it" category. The story of this album is interesting, that they were struggling financially from waning ticket sales, and their label almost dropped them, but they decided to stay the course and continue to go in their own non-traditionally-commercial direction. Even with that knowledge though, I found listening to this album tedious.
3
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Sat Jan 22 2022
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
He is so thoughtful, and continues to get better. Voice smooth as butter. A soft exterior with a razor sharp edge, sucks you in and then hits you with some truth.
5
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Sun Jan 23 2022
Something Else By The Kinks
The Kinks
Can really hear the DNA of rock n roll in this. One of the rare Beatles contemporaries who, despite being in the same space, sound different and unique. The first time I heard Act Nice and Gentle was as a Black Keys cover, and it took me a while to even figure out that it was a cover, but it goes to show how much they have influenced subsequent generations. Excellent album.
5
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Mon Jan 24 2022
Dummy
Portishead
They seem to occupy their own genre, how do they do it?
4
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Tue Jan 25 2022
Harvest
Neil Young
Some classics here, but the album as a whole does not grab me.
3
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Wed Jan 26 2022
Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
Almost wrote this one off, not sure why it was even on the list. Reading about it, it was apparently critically acclaimed, nominated for a Mercury and such. Finding out that he wrote most of the songs made me warm up to it, at first I thought it was some guy singing standards. The fact that I thought they were standards is a testament to his writing ability I suppose. Gave it a couple listens, in the end coming down in the middle.
3
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Thu Jan 27 2022
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
Enjoyed it, something different in this context of 1001. Didn't love it.
3
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Fri Jan 28 2022
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
Chuck D is always on point, I enjoyed this album. Falls down a bit the 100th time Flavor Flav says "yea boy!" That is to say it could have been shorter.
4
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Sat Jan 29 2022
Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
Not that into it. This kind of earnest sameness blends into the background for me.
2
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Sun Jan 30 2022
Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
Really enjoyed this, lots of excellent grooves.
4
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Mon Jan 31 2022
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
Could see this being fun at a party maybe, but I found it annoying and too repetitive. I did recognize and enjoy "Frontier Psychologist" but that was my only respite. More than ready to be through with this by the end.
2
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Tue Feb 01 2022
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
Irresistable tunes.
4
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Wed Feb 02 2022
Reign In Blood
Slayer
Almost comical. Seems a lot longer than it is because it is so monotonously aggressive.
2
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Thu Feb 03 2022
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
Was hooked when I heard "Human." Remind me of Portishead in their slow, deliberate, seriousness. Makes a person pay attention and groove along.
4
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Fri Feb 04 2022
Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Thought this was great, Talking Heads vibes.
4
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Sat Feb 05 2022
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
This one takes me back to high school, I had it on repeat for a minute there. I always preferred The Love Below to Speakerboxxx, and that's still the case, but there were some songs I appreciated this time that I didn't appreciate at the time - Bowtie sticks out in that regard. It is definitely an indulgent double album - did they need to include their version of My Favorite Things? No, but I am glad they did. There's some fat they could have cut, but very few duds. It makes me happy that the hits that took over the world - especially Hey Ya - emerged from this much larger showcase of excellent songs.
5
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Sun Feb 06 2022
Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
Made me feel like I was on the beach despite it being a frigid winter day. The quality was inconsistent, definitely some good ones and some not so good ones. Felt jerked around by the Sousa style march (Parade) and the lyrics in that one were bad. The child singing in You Didn't Have to Be So Nice was charming in a way, but also maybe a bad choice for the song. "Stay" was one of my favorites.
4
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Mon Feb 07 2022
The College Dropout
Kanye West
His infinite arrogance makes me want to hate him but his music and lyrics, I must admit, are fantastic.
4
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Tue Feb 08 2022
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
It was good, but I expected to enjoy it more based solely on the fact that in general I like the Temprations. Not convinced that this so called psychedelic soul suits them so well.
3
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Wed Feb 09 2022
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
A real masterpiece. She doesn't release albums often but when she does they hit hard. My favorite is probably "Fetch the Bolt Cutters" but no duds on this one. The lyrics are raw and honest, the instrumentation is spare and rich. This album was built to last.
5
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Thu Feb 10 2022
Phrenology
The Roots
Some good stuff here. I like the Roots but find that their albums as a whole tend to be too long and inconsistent. This would be a better album if they had cut it down to 35-40 minutes and cut some of the weaker tracks.
3
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Fri Feb 11 2022
GREY Area
Little Simz
A real badass, great beats, really cooks all the way through.
4
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Sat Feb 12 2022
Murmur
R.E.M.
Not displeasing but not exciting either. Typical REM.
3
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Sun Feb 13 2022
Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
Sometimes when I listen to Kraftwerk they sound to silly for me, and the album started that way, but they really had me in a trance by the end. The friendliest most seductive robots.
4
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Mon Feb 14 2022
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Heck of a debut.
4
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Tue Feb 15 2022
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
A gorgeous album, though I would rank Parachutes higher. The pristineness of the music is a strength of their music but also is a bit distracting, like I want to hear some dissonance every once in a while.
4
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Wed Feb 16 2022
Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
I appreciate the earnestness and clarity of the music, but the 80's derpiness distracts me. I could see myself really liking it if I was in just the right head space when I heard it.
3
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Thu Feb 17 2022
Bummed
Happy Mondays
Good moments here and there, overall the energy of it was a bit much for me. "Ecstasy fueled" is not something I necessarily seek out in the music I choose to listen to.
3
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Fri Feb 18 2022
Dust
Screaming Trees
Really charmed by this. There are occasional quiet moments that keep it from being just thrashing guitars the whole time - and those moments help us hear and appreciate the thrashing guitars. Interesting to know that Josh Homme toured with them for a couple years. You can really hear how it may have influenced him - I especially hear it in Mark Lanegan's singing style. And I'm sure the influence went both ways since Lanehan joined QOTSA.
4
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Sat Feb 19 2022
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
This is exciting and unique, it's easy to understand why she's a star. It has pop hooks but it doesn't feel formulaic.
4
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Sun Feb 20 2022
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
I can got down with this. Not their absolute best album in my opinion but definitely emblematic of their distinctive sound. Their music is like a cold dark cave, but from which you can look out and see the stars.
4
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Mon Feb 21 2022
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
This album flew by, I actually wish it was longer. It was fun to hear the audience's participation, and even more fun to hear how tight the live band is. It sounds legendary.
5
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Tue Feb 22 2022
Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
I remembered more of these songs that I thought I would. I had been thinking of them as one hit wonders with Electric Feel but that is really not the case. They really have a great sound.
4
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Wed Feb 23 2022
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
A few duds but overall pretty darn good including some real scorchers. "Key to the Highway" is my favorite, they play it on Jazz88's Bridge to the Blues show about once a month and it always knocks my socks off.
4
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Thu Feb 24 2022
Elvis Is Back
Elvis Presley
A very good album that captures Elvis's vitality and greatness. My only complaint is some of the songs just don't go anywhere.
4
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Fri Feb 25 2022
There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
Fantastically funky grooves. Does get a little ramble over the duration of the album.
4
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Sat Feb 26 2022
...And Justice For All
Metallica
Not familiar with this one, more familiar with Master of Puppets because that's what some of my older friends were listening to when I was in middle school. I have trouble taking this music seriously, it's mainly the vocal delivery and the extravagant guitar solos.
3
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Sun Feb 27 2022
The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
I am an Arctic Monkeys fan but somehow missed this project. They say supergroup, though I must confess the only one I'm familiar with is Alex Turner. This is enough to inspire me to look up the others though. It's like Arctic Monkeys with an orchestra. At times it sounds like a Bond soundtrack, especially "In My Room."
4
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Mon Feb 28 2022
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
It's just too damn whiney. It's mostly the singing but the instrumentation contributes as well.
2
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Tue Mar 01 2022
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
Really like his voice, the richness of the music. Can't shake the similarity to Father John Misty, that first Honeybear song put it in my head. Irony lurks around every corner.
4
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Wed Mar 02 2022
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
I don't claim to be intimately familiar with his discography, but this seems like a master work. His poetry is so unique, and his voice is so dark and rich, the mood meets the words so well. A powerful listen.
5
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Thu Mar 03 2022
The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
Good and enjoyable? Certainly. Ingrained in my memory since childhood? Oh yes. One of the all time greatest albums? My modern ears can't hear it, I'll have to take their word for it. Certainly influential though, and apparently an early example of a concept album.
4
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Fri Mar 04 2022
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Eurythmics
Mildly dark, strange, almost goofy. Hitting me just right today.
4
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Sat Mar 05 2022
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Solid, but not super exciting. Can appreciate the skillfulness of the guitar licks.
3
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Sun Mar 06 2022
Life's Too Good
The Sugarcubes
Really enjoyed this. Bjork is such a force here. Birthday is a real showpiece, just stunning.
5
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Mon Mar 07 2022
Chelsea Girl
Nico
Have not listened to much of her solo stuff. What stands out is her haunting voice, it adds a mystical quality to the music. Unfortunately the same voice that charms me, grates on me before the end of the album.
4
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Tue Mar 08 2022
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
So energetic and vital, really lifted my spirits. More like this please.
5
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Wed Mar 09 2022
Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
This psychedelic rock has not aged well. The last song, The Toonerville Trolley, left a particularly bad taste in my mouth.
2
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Thu Mar 10 2022
Rid Of Me
PJ Harvey
Good stuff, I feel like this was pretty hardcore for the early 90's.
4
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Fri Mar 11 2022
Ingenue
k.d. lang
Nothing bad about this, but it is somewhat boring.
3
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Sat Mar 12 2022
I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
Haunting, beautiful, but despite that I had some trouble getting into it. Could see it growing on me. Or not.
3
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Sun Mar 13 2022
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
I listened to this one a lot in high school. Seems like there's a lot of urban legend around it, like the whole Wizard of Oz thing. It has never quite lived up to he hype for me, but I do enjoy it. My favorites are the instrumentals "Great Gig" and "Any Colour."
4
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Mon Mar 14 2022
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
Took me 3 tries to get through this and it's not even a long album. I find it painful to listen to. It's so whiney.
2
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Tue Mar 15 2022
Stankonia
OutKast
They really have something unique and special. Not as good as Speakerboxx/The Live Below but close and still top notch.
5
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Wed Mar 16 2022
Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
Listening to this is like getting stuck in a fever dream - which makes sense knowing that it was created in the wake of an injury that left him paraplegic. The experience of listening to it was not enjoyable for me.
3
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Thu Mar 17 2022
Make Yourself
Incubus
One of my go-to's in high school. Re-listening now, I remember there are a handful of songs I don't like as much, but overall it still holds up for me. "Make Yourself" really hit me pretty hard this time around.
4
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Fri Mar 18 2022
Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
Hooked me, lost me, hooked me, lost me. Overall charmed by it. Block Rockin Beats was one of my faves as a teen listening to Jock Jams in my room and tossing a football to myself as I made diving catches onto my bed. Never listened to this whole album before, but glad to have now.
4
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Sat Mar 19 2022
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I love that the songs feel almost put of control. Karen O's vocals really contribute to that feeling. I can understand why this would be great live.
4
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Sun Mar 20 2022
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
I admit I was not expecting to like this but I enjoyed it quite a bit and recognized more than I thought I would. I didn't look at the year immediately, and thought it was from maybe 2006. Was shocked to see it was from 15 years prior.
4
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Mon Mar 21 2022
Take Me Apart
Kelela
I want to like this but it's just not pulling me in. Maybe it will grow on me.
2
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Tue Mar 22 2022
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
Really like this, I enjoy the way country influence creeps in. Mick Jagger's singing is sometimes really distracting, but the majority of the time it works. I was driving along the Mississippi listening to this, and it was perfect for the drive and the scenery.
4
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Wed Mar 23 2022
Celebrity Skin
Hole
This is a ripper. If all the songs were like "Celebrity Skin" and "Reasons to be Beautiful" it would be a 5 hands down. Some of the songs drag for me, and I was sick of the album before it ended, unfortunately.
4
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Thu Mar 24 2022
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
I like Pavement for short bursts, I can't listen to Stephen Malkmus for sustained periods of time. I like the punk rockiness of the we're dissonant and don't care what you think, but it's also just the thing that gets on my nerves. Certainly appreciate that this has influences many bands that I like more than them.
3
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Fri Mar 25 2022
Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
I just love this band, they have such a friendly sound that's so iconic and instantly recognizable. One of a handful of bands that I first heard by randomly pulling their CD at the library, then felt like I discovered a secret that no one else knew. At least my friends had not heard them at the time. I don't know their discography well enough to know how this stacks up, but it's certainly on par with the stuff I've heard, and seeing as this is likely their only album on the list, it's a solid 5-star for me.
5
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Sat Mar 26 2022
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
The only song I new from this - Firestarter - was on Jock Rock 2000, which I listened to many times as a teen. What's so tiresome about this album is that every song is basically that same song in a slightly different form. Rounding up to 3 stars instead of down to 2, solely because of nostalgia.
3
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Sun Mar 27 2022
Moon Safari
Air
What a breath of fresh air. It's easy to understand how this kind of thing could take over the world. I remember first hearing Air during the worst hangover I had in my life - new year's day after a night of too many different types of alcohol - beer, whiskey, wine, champagne, gin... I was debilitated, couldn't go out, couldn't move, and my friend put them on and it provided a nice cool atmosphere to make me feel, at least temporarily, a little less miserable. That memory aside, I found this album irresistible.
5
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Mon Mar 28 2022
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
Ug. The cleverness - if you can call it that - and overt bravado of Neil Hannon turns me off.
2
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Tue Mar 29 2022
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
I was peripherally aware of this band but had never listened to them. More butt-rocky than I thought it would be.
2
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Wed Mar 30 2022
Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
A good album, and I got the sense from listening to it that there's a lot to unpack and uncover. I have to admit it's hard to hear a white guy say the n word so many times in a song. Of course 50 years changes us, so benefit of the doubt. I first heard about "Rednecks" on Malcolm Gladwell's podcast, he does a good job explaining and analyzing the song (the episode of Revisionist History is called "Good Old Boys"). Besides getting a little hung up on that, I think there are some great songs here and an interesting concept for an album, the Johnny Cutler everyman southerner idea.
4
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Thu Mar 31 2022
Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
Forgive me music gods, I previously thought Dusty was a man, just from hearing the name here and there. Glad I heard this, these songs hit like a breezy summer Sunday morning.
4
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Fri Apr 01 2022
Hunting High And Low
a-ha
Having grown up in the 90's, there's something about this particular brand of 80's music that just sounds silly to me, like a joke. "Take on Me" might as well be the flagship song for that. I'd like to think that I'm shaking that preconception, but listening to this album tells me that I haven't yet.
2
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Sat Apr 02 2022
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
Throw it in the butt rock pile next to Jane's Addiction.
2
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Sun Apr 03 2022
Bad Company
Bad Company
I recognized more of these than I expected to. "Can't Get Enough" is catchy, so is "Rock Steady" but there's a - I don't know - brainlessness to the music that grates on me. If it was on in the background I wouldn't mind but listening closely to it get irritating.
2
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Mon Apr 04 2022
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi's talent is staggering, I'm taken aback every time I listen. This album is stacked with excellent songs. "Manic Depression" and "Hey Joe" are a couple of my all time favorites.
5
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Tue Apr 05 2022
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
Strong start with "Who's that Lady" but the rest of the album was, dare I say, boring. Could see it hitting me different in another mood or context. The "Summer Breeze" cover was deeply inferior to the original and should have been left on the cutting room floor.
3
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Wed Apr 06 2022
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
This album has a sound and a swagger that is rare and special. "Monsters" in particular is an amazing song.
5
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Thu Apr 07 2022
Snivilisation
Orbital
Um, not my thing.
2
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Fri Apr 08 2022
Brutal Youth
Elvis Costello
I like some of these songs. I want to like him more than I do, because he seems smart and funny and charming, but there seems to be an irony there that's not letting me in. Or he's just much smarter than me and I don't get it. I particularly liked "This is Hell" and am hearing what I interpret as a Beatles, or similar influence, in the use of background vocals which I find amusing.
4
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Sat Apr 09 2022
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
I was expecting something from this album that was not delivered. A bit underwhelming. He must have better albums that this, right?
3
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Sun Apr 10 2022
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
Yeah yeah yeah, you can play really fast and stuff. I remember hearing this in middle school and being kind of scared of it. 20 years later, it just sounds silly and annoying and I want it to stop.
2
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Mon Apr 11 2022
Out of Step
Minor Threat
Yeah... I can hear the influence this had on certain punk bands I was into for a short time in high school. So I can appreciate it, but mostly I find it irritating.
3
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Tue Apr 12 2022
Closer
Joy Division
I thought I knew this band, but now I realize I did not. They have, for lack of a better word, a minimalism, that I really admire. I like how the drums are often really prominent in the mix, and there's a lot of space that makes me focus on the words, and what's happening in each individual part of the music. New fan?
4
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Wed Apr 13 2022
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
The music is great, the samples are great. Just take out the vocals and I'm all in.
3
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Thu Apr 14 2022
Shalimar
Rahul Dev Burman
I'll take a lot more where that came from. What a bright spot! It seems to have an optimism that might have been more common a decade earlier, combined with that wonderful Indian sound that brings me right back to Jaipur.
5
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Fri Apr 15 2022
Repeater
Fugazi
It reminds me of stuff I listened to in the early 00's that must have been influenced by this (bands like Fuel), but this is better. Can also hear how a band like say, Tool, might have heard this and been influenced. I really feel like they nailed down a sound that would be hard to improve upon by subsequent bands that might be using it as a precedent. Maybe this is a 4-star album for me, but as I'm revisiting it I'm liking it better, so I'll bump it up to a 5 just for fun.
5
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Sat Apr 16 2022
Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
I like his other albums more, but I mean, come on, basically everything he recorded is legendary.
4
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Sun Apr 17 2022
Hypnotised
The Undertones
It's weird how much the lead singer sounds like Michael Stipe from REM... I wish I could put that aside but it's hard to. I can appreciate that this might have had a major influence because there is a LOT of stuff that came after it that sounds like it. In spite of that, I just don't like it.
3
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Mon Apr 18 2022
Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart
These are nice friendly songs. Rod has a great rock voice.
4
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Tue Apr 19 2022
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
At times soothing, at times exciting, but more "blah" than I prefer. The songs "Waterfall" and "Shoot You Down" really caught my attention.
4
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Wed Apr 20 2022
Like Water For Chocolate
Common
I more recently started listening to Common, with his 2021 release and really enjoyed it. Silly me, I didn't realize how long he had been around. Some fantastic grooves, great collaborations.
4
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Thu Apr 21 2022
L'Eau Rouge
The Young Gods
Am I listening to a rock opera? What is going on here?
3
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Fri Apr 22 2022
The Cars
The Cars
For a while this was one of the few vinyl albums my housemate and I owned, and it would get a lot of spins. Plays like a greatest hits album, and brightens the mood instantly. Love the sound of this album.
5
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Sat Apr 23 2022
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
The idealism of the late 60's in a somewhat exhausting package.
3
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Sun Apr 24 2022
Very
Pet Shop Boys
Coming at ya!! I know this is from the 90's but it's as 80's as anything I've ever heard. Too dramatic for me.
3
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Mon Apr 25 2022
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
I appreciate many of these songs for the classics they are but in the end, with all due respect, I just don't enjoy Sir Elton John very much - at least I don't choose to listen to him, if someone else put's it on it's fine. 76 minutes of that.
3
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Tue Apr 26 2022
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
Not often a claim like this can be actually backed up, but this seems to do so. A really solid album from someone who seems to have defined and redefined jazz over and over for others to follow behind him.
5
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Wed Apr 27 2022
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
When I was growing up I thought of Tom Petty as an old guy that got played on the classic rock stations with sleepy tunes like "Free Fallin" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance." But I'll be damned if these aren't bangers. My mind has been slowly changing about him over the years, and this album solidifies my fandom - I feel like I finally "get it." My favorite is probably "American Girl," that song is addicting.
5
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Thu Apr 28 2022
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
Ok... it's Alice Cooper. Quaint spectacle, nothing more.
3
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Fri Apr 29 2022
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
They still sound edgy somehow, which is quite a feat half a century later. "Born on the Bayou" is ELECTRIC. It does get too jammy at times, but then they'll come back with a ripper. Real vitality and soul on this album.
5
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Sat Apr 30 2022
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
I have a soft spot for Norah Jones, and "Don't Know Why" is one of my favorite songs of hers. But she's borderline soft rock, and I just can't take it in large batches.
4
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Sun May 01 2022
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
I've never had a stomach for the Foo Fighters, it's like rock music but with too much polish. This album, however, I like more than the later stuff I'm more familiar with - it's a little scrappier and I like it for that.
4
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Mon May 02 2022
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
An unexpected change of pace - new to me. I could get into this. Loved the opening track, lost some steam by the end.
4
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Tue May 03 2022
Kenya
Machito
More please!
5
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Wed May 04 2022
Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
Very intense. Too intense, calm down. I like the songs where there are hooks that differentiate from the barrage.
3
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Thu May 05 2022
Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
Based on almost nothing other than the name, I wasn't expecting to like this but I liked it a lot. It's somehow at once lofi and sophisticated, laid back and sharp edged.
5
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Fri May 06 2022
Headquarters
The Monkees
I sometimes think of the Monkees as an inferior version of The Beatles, which probably isn't fair, but I couldn't stop thinking about it as I listened to this album.
3
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Sat May 07 2022
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
I find this so exhausting.
2
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Sun May 08 2022
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
The Flying Burrito Brothers
I love how they thread the needle between rock and country.
4
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Mon May 09 2022
Raw Power
The Stooges
Raw Power is right, holy shit. A diesel engine. I know this is an intense thing to say, but this sound is so damn good, it's almost like, how can anyone hope to top it?
5
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Tue May 10 2022
Drunk
Thundercat
It's good, it's somehow too understated and I think he's gotten better since this album. Love listening to the basslines. I feel like there are a lot of little jokes and intricacies in this album that I haven't fully grasped yet.
4
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Wed May 11 2022
Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
Come ON! Try to top it, what is sexier than this?
5
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Thu May 12 2022
Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
Damn, I knew her, kind of, but it hasn't really hit me until now how breathtaking her voice is. She really communicates a depth of emotion. I'm tempted to complain that she didn't write most of these songs, but in a way it's interesting that she does write some, yet chooses to record others' music. It's like admitting, there are songwriters as good or better than me, so why not sing their songs instead? And the one she wrote (Boulder to Birmingham) is a stunner.
5
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Fri May 13 2022
Locust Abortion Technician
Butthole Surfers
I thought I was going to hate this more than I did. I wasn't starting with much preconception, other than knowing their name, but I did end up liking the sharp edge on the music which sounds like a precursor to a lot of stuff I like now (like Ty Segall, for example and any number of contemporary west coast "grunge" bands). There were moments that I hated, but the vast majority I was impressed with, especially for it being as early as 1987.
4
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Sat May 14 2022
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
Such a vital energy in these songs. At times I get a little bored, but there's no denying Sly's influence. Sometimes I feel that they paved the way for things that wouldn't have been possible without them, but that I like a lot more than them. I appreciate the social commentary in the songs. I appreciate the songs more than I enjoy them, if that makes sense.
4
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Sun May 15 2022
Songs From A Room
Leonard Cohen
Such a poet. Something careful and precise about his music. Coincidentally I just heard "Bird on a Wire" on the radio and it filled me with hope and calm. His influence is obviously wide ranging but it made me think specifically of Walter Martin (listen to "Bird on a Wire" back to back with "Old as Hell" and I think you'll hear what I mean, if nothing else in the way he's singing).
4
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Mon May 16 2022
Eliminator
ZZ Top
There's something irresistible about ZZ Top, and this album exemplifies that special something.
5
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Tue May 17 2022
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
It's just another Rolling Stones album.
3
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Wed May 18 2022
Crazysexycool
TLC
Top notch 90's ear candy. Yum!
5
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Thu May 19 2022
Melodrama
Lorde
Was really into Lorde in the initial excitement when first emerging, like she was helping set a new direction for pop music. Not as sure now, it somehow feels dated already.
4
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Fri May 20 2022
Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
Too jammy, but props for keeping the energy high.
3
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Sat May 21 2022
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
I often feel awkward rating albums by bands like the Rolling Stones, because while I acknowledge their towering legend and inescapable influence, sometimes I just personally find them a bit underwhelming.
3
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Sun May 22 2022
Lazer Guided Melodies
Spiritualized
New to me, and I'm impressed. It's catchy but at the same time has an ethereal quality to it, and a repetitiveness that is at times is almost trance inducing. I'll be back.
4
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Mon May 23 2022
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
I forgot how much I listened to this in high school, I hadn't thought about these songs in a while but they came right back to me. I like the first half a lot, it gets hit or miss partway through. I think there are several songs that sound like b-sides and could have made way for a shorter, tighter album. I gravitate toward the funkier songs like "If You Have to Ask," "Funky Monks," "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," "Apache Rose Peacock." You can almost break the songs up into groups, there are a handful of more acoustic-based songs, chief of which for me is "Breaking the Girl," a really excellent song. There are some massive hits on this album, especially "Under the Bridge" which kind of lives on a stratosphere of its own. "Suck My Kiss" is great, "Give It Away" is great. I heard that story about Anthony Kiedis writing "Give It Away" after his girlfriend gave him a jacket of hers that he thought was cool back in high school, and it stuck with me. "Sir Psycho Sexy" is ridiculous but it's super funky, really memorable and musically it's a great listen. In summary, this is a really good album but the extra fat keeps it from being a 5 star album for me.
4
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Tue May 24 2022
Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black
Public Enemy
Listening to Public Enemy is disturbingly relevant to our current moment 30 years later.
4
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Wed May 25 2022
I See A Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
There's a kind of naked wallowing to this that I don't relate to. Maybe I'm just not that emotionally evolved.
3
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Thu May 26 2022
Treasure
Cocteau Twins
Would like to dig into this group more, new to me but I like what I hear.
4
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Fri May 27 2022
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
I like this, it feels different from anything I'm used to. Gave it a couple listens and I think I'm into it.
4
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Sat May 28 2022
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
Good clever songs, and Dolly's voice is of course unique and great. Hard not to like it... but hard to get super excited about for me.
4
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Sun May 29 2022
Skylarking
XTC
Not unpleasant, but forgettable.
3
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Mon May 30 2022
Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
Apparently the similarity to The Flaming Lips I was hearing was no coincidence, since Donahue was a former member. I want to like this because the music seems deep and meaningful, but the wandering vocal delivery and doofy orchestration are irritating.
3
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Tue May 31 2022
Frank
Amy Winehouse
Her Back to Black album seems to get all the attention, and in fact I don't think I had listened to this one - but damn it cooks!
4
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Wed Jun 01 2022
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
Such an alluring, legendary sound. Ridiculous album title.
4
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Thu Jun 02 2022
Actually
Pet Shop Boys
Not really my cup of tea - as in, I don't really enjoy listening to it. But I respect the wrapping of themes like critiques of Thatcherism and privatization, etc.
3
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Fri Jun 03 2022
Fever Ray
Fever Ray
I like it, but it doesn't excite me.
3
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Sat Jun 04 2022
Nevermind
Nirvana
An important landmark in the annals of rock history. Lots of variety on this record, with songs like "Polly" and "Something in the Way" providing counterpoints to the heavier, grungier songs.
5
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Sun Jun 05 2022
Come Find Yourself
Fun Lovin' Criminals
Super fun record and interesting blending of genres. A little on the silly side at times, but I enjoyed it.
4
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Mon Jun 06 2022
Pictures At An Exhibition
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
What an interesting concept, to adapt a Russian composer's suite to a rock context. The pipe organ really adds something dramatic and unexpected.
4
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Tue Jun 07 2022
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
Insane to think that at this point Stevie Wonder was 11 years into his recording career, but only 23 years old. This album is an amazing work from an amazing artist, what else can I say?
5
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Wed Jun 08 2022
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
It's hard to hold the knowledge that this band is from Iowa in my head when I listen to this frightening cacophony.
3
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Thu Jun 09 2022
Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
I enjoyed it, but I'm left wondering, with only so much West African music on this list, why this artist, why this album? Seems like he has albums that were more successful, this one doesn't even have a Wikipedia page - what the heck? So, why not Firin' in Fouta? Those questions aside, I enjoyed listening to it.
3
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Fri Jun 10 2022
Pelican West
Haircut 100
Can really hear how this band must have influenced others of the time and that came after them. The rhythm guitar is immaculate. Great new wave sound.
4
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Sat Jun 11 2022
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
Their sound is so freaking delicious. Love the concept thread format.
5
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Sun Jun 12 2022
Superfuzz Bigmuff
Mudhoney
Large, dirty guitar sounds. The relentless in-your-face fuzziness strikes me as ahead of its time.
4
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Mon Jun 13 2022
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Love this! Makes me think of Stereolab.
4
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Tue Jun 14 2022
Abbey Road
Beatles
I mean, come on.
5
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Wed Jun 15 2022
Orbital 2
Orbital
I would enjoy this at the right time and place. Like at a hookah bar, or a rave. Unfortunately I listened on a beautiful sunny drive on Highway 61 and it just didn't fit.
2
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Thu Jun 16 2022
OK Computer
Radiohead
Unquestionably iconic, important, influential album. Hadn't really listened to it in a while, and it just washed over me in all its anxious beauty.
5
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Fri Jun 17 2022
Kala
M.I.A.
My perception has been that Paper Planes was the mega hit. Reading about this album it seems like there were others and that she's been more musically active since then than I thought. I don't think I had ever listened to the album, but I did recognize some of the other songs. This may prompt a deeper dive into her discography.
3
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Sat Jun 18 2022
Ragged Glory
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
I know he's a legend, so it's a little embarrassing to admit that I've never really enjoyed his music much, and I'm afraid this album didn't change my mind.
3
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Sun Jun 19 2022
Maxinquaye
Tricky
Compelling album - I like the dark atmospheres and subject matter contrasted with the lightness of Topley-Bird's vocals.
4
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Mon Jun 20 2022
Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
Some interesting sounds, I don't love the vocals and they kind of ruin some of the songs for me. It's hard to figure out what kind of music this is, which I imagine is part of the point.
3
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Tue Jun 21 2022
Hot Fuss
The Killers
I find the Killers fatiguing. They fatigued me when I first listened to them when this came out in high school, and they still fatigue me 18 years later. They just zap my energy.
I will say, Mr. Brightside is the one bright spot on the album. They really nailed a particular emotion, and it resonates. I was at a karaoke bar in Minneapolis this weekend, and someone sang that song - the whole bar sang along, which was really a blessing since the guy was tone deaf. But the song still resonated, and we could all feel the energy.
I watched a Song Exploder episode on one of their songs recently - I like that show, but this episode was boring, it lacked content, and I blame The Killers. The song was not from this album, but it doesn't matter that much because all their stuff sounds kind of the same. It added to my dislike of them, hearing how they could barely articulate where the lyrics came from, or what the song was about. The most compelling moment was when they said the guitar riff sounds like "the desert" - they are from Las Vegas. But the song sounded more like Las Vegas itself - a grotesque manifestation of capitalism, an illusion of prosperity and vitality, a thin veil concealing a vast emptiness. That's how this album makes me feel, and not in a good way.
2
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Wed Jun 22 2022
Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
Hard not to like it. I don't think it will make it into my regular rotation however.
3
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Thu Jun 23 2022
Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
Nice to hear some salsa to break it up from time to time. Irresistible.
4
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Fri Jun 24 2022
I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
He really makes the 80's synth thing work for him. His voice is so commanding, it demands that you take it seriously regardless what he's saying or what's happening around it.
4
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Sat Jun 25 2022
Seventh Tree
Goldfrapp
Nice and dreamy, whimsical. Makes me curious about this band, which I've been aware of but have not listened to much.
4
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Sun Jun 26 2022
Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
Fantastic, masterful guitar playing, recording in a way that's crisp and clean. A breath of fresh air.
4
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Mon Jun 27 2022
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
Lots of hits here - way more than I thought. This album holds up well. Her voice is so unique and communicates so much emotion. The band is just classic 90's. You Oughta Know still hits like a sledgehammer.
5
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Tue Jun 28 2022
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
I'm really glad I listened to this. I haven't listened to much Wings, and silly as it might sound to some, I didn't realize that's who did "Band on the Run" or "Let Me Roll It" - the songs were just ubiquitous on classic rock radio, and I never stopped to think about who it was. I may not have appreciated the songs when I heard them on LAZER 101.5 when I was 20 and painting houses with College Pro, but I do appreciate them now. All kinds of interesting twists and turns, great musicianship, compelling songs.
4
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Wed Jun 29 2022
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
Some super grooves. Occasionally too much repetition in the vocals.
3
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Thu Jun 30 2022
At Budokan
Cheap Trick
I liked this more than I thought I would - which is not saying much because I expected to hate it. I don't like the band, I don't like live albums. But the songs were exciting and the audience added too the ambiance in a way that added to the excitement, rather than simply be distracting.
3
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Fri Jul 01 2022
Future Days
Can
I like when they bring the funk. Very jammy (I know that's what they do, is jam), in a way that doesn't always hold my attention. Moments of brilliance here and there.
4
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Sat Jul 02 2022
L.A. Woman
The Doors
A distinct sound that conjures images of poolside parties, lines of coke, etc. An exceptional icon.
4
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Sun Jul 03 2022
The Scream
Siouxsie And The Banshees
Good, but tiresome.
3
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Mon Jul 04 2022
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
Don't need a live album of this. Smoke on the Water speaks for itself - probably the first song anyone learns on guitar, if not Iron Man.
3
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Tue Jul 05 2022
Amnesiac
Radiohead
Gets overshadowed by Kid A I suppose, but perhaps just as good. Love this album. The songs hang together despite being very different from one another. They each take you to a different wonderful and mysterious place.
5
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Wed Jul 06 2022
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
Very funky. The lyrics and themes are cringeworthy at times. But I'll be damned if you can't listen to this and not bob your head along.
3
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Thu Jul 07 2022
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Just stunning. Was not on my radar. It's like Tracy Chapman but a decade prior. Massive voice. All the marks of a real classic.
5
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Fri Jul 08 2022
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
Charming to the last! In concept it seems like this would come off as a more scathing critique of modern life, but the melodies are so alluring, bright and catchy. It's like the robots have realized the true meaning of happiness.
5
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Sat Jul 09 2022
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
Really warm and fun, they set up a groove and it just keeps coming.
4
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Sun Jul 10 2022
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
This is great, a perfect balance of pop appeal, sophisticated composition, and avant-garde experiments. Some nostalgic value for me too, as my Dad had some Chicago records that he would play sometimes when I was a kid.
5
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Mon Jul 11 2022
Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
Big, commanding synth sounds. It makes me feel cold and empty, in a bad way. This will go in the "I don't like it but I respect it" category.
3
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Tue Jul 12 2022
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
Super smooth, super groovy. Love the bold choice of just 4 long songs. Because none of them are duds, you can just get in the zone and ride the hot buttery wave.
5
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Wed Jul 13 2022
Vauxhall And I
Morrissey
First thoughts: how many fucking times is this guy on this fucking list?? Throughout the album, there were moments I enjoyed, but they were far outweighed by the world that we're forced to inhabit. Even though it's a relatively short album, I found it to be a slog.
2
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Thu Jul 14 2022
The Rise & Fall
Madness
What a delightful display of Britishness. Got that great bank holiday feel, like Blur's Parklife, and some tantalizing carnivalesque moments.
4
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Fri Jul 15 2022
Aja
Steely Dan
Really solid Steely Dan, really sounds like what I think of when I hear their name. Not sure that there's anything here that helps this climb above other albums of theirs, but a great listen, will take it anytime. Love hearing Michael McDonald on "Peg", it always surprises me in a good way.
4
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Sat Jul 16 2022
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
A distinctive sound, easy to hear their influence on other subsequent bands. If I dig deep and am honest with myself, I don't really enjoy listening to them.
3
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Sun Jul 17 2022
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Animal Collective
Nice dense, complex sounds with some pop attitude in the vocals. I like it, I don't love it.
3
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Mon Jul 18 2022
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
Respect how this album really goes for it - and how Meat Loaf really goes for it, in general. It's unfortunately the kind of thing that's been diluted because my general exposure to it was probably in supermarkets, echoing through the dairy isle dodging other customers with the shopping cart. But I did enjoy the listen.
3
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Tue Jul 19 2022
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
Although in general, live albums are inferior, this one has some great energy, and it's fun to hear how B.B. King feeds off the audience and vice versa - and how his sounds must have been formed through live performances like this.
4
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Wed Jul 20 2022
90
808 State
Sure... I don't really go in for acid house, and I don't have a lot to say about this. There were moments I enjoyed, I would not listen to this unprompted.
3
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Thu Jul 21 2022
Junkyard
The Birthday Party
They know what they're about and I respect that.
3
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Fri Jul 22 2022
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
Groovy, love her voice. Could live in some of these songs.
4
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Sat Jul 23 2022
The Undertones
The Undertones
Impressed with how fully formed their sound is, both as a punk band as early as 1979, and as a debut album. Delicious face smashers.
4
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Sun Jul 24 2022
Damaged
Black Flag
Respect it for its commitment to an energy and sound, but it quickly wears me down and I want to change the station.
3
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Mon Jul 25 2022
Post Orgasmic Chill
Skunk Anansie
Wow this brings me back to high school. Hard to evaluate it objectively. I think it sounds of its era, late 90's, with a sharp edge.
3
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Tue Jul 26 2022
Diamond Life
Sade
This album deserves 5 stars almost solely for Smooth Operator, fucking dynamite. And the smooth jams just keep on coming. Fantastic voice, and everything works together well, they found a sweet spot with this one, that despite sounding somewhat 80's transcends the decade because it's borrowing from other eras and the quality is high.
5
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Wed Jul 27 2022
1999
Prince
Great listen, some really classic stuff here. An iconic Prince album. The thing that knocks it down for me is, I don't know, I just can't quite fully get on the Prince train - I wouldn't listen to this just because I wanted to. Certainly enjoyed it though.
4
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Thu Jul 28 2022
This Nation’s Saving Grace
The Fall
Interesting sounds, full of surprises, lots of charisma in the vocals. I don't know this band terribly well, but more familiar with some of these songs than I expected.
3
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Fri Jul 29 2022
Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche
Koffi Olomide
Enjoying it, having a difficult time understanding the context of why it's on the list.
3
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Sat Jul 30 2022
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
This was very popular when I was in middle school, and I was very much into it. That being said, I thought I would hate hearing it again. However, I'm surprised to say I was impressed. The powerful emotions of these songs give them a timelessness, despite some of the sounds (turntable scratching) that date it. The same things that make it easy to knock also make it impactful. I know I just dissed turntable scratching, but "Cure for the Itch" is still a fucking great listen.
5
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Sun Jul 31 2022
British Steel
Judas Priest
They really balance between dark and silly. So much so that when the sing something like "United" I just don't trust it. Fun music to turn your brain off to.
3
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Mon Aug 01 2022
Elephant
The White Stripes
A very good album, one I've spent a lot of time with, particularly in high school. I've always felt it's a little too long, overstays its welcome just slightly. Ball and Biscuit it one of my all-time faves.
4
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Tue Aug 02 2022
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
Some of the songs I like - "You Said Something" and "This Is Love" in particular - but most of them are kind of blah for me.
3
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Wed Aug 03 2022
Woodface
Crowded House
I want to like this band but they are just so vanilla. Make me want to stand around in a cheap suit and snap my fingers.
2
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Thu Aug 04 2022
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
Legendary, exciting to listen to.
4
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Fri Aug 05 2022
Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
I like the structure of this and how themes are explored and wrestled with throughout. Catchy stuff too.
4
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Sat Aug 06 2022
The La's
The La's
"There She Goes" really elevates this album, but the rest is pretty good too. Hearing most of it for the first time. Really like the lead singer's voice.
4
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Sun Aug 07 2022
The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
Very unusual and unhinged, I suppose that's what some people find charming about it. It's like an album someone would do if they were brave enough to release the bad takes. It's unclear whether he's doing it on purpose or whether he's not well.
3
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Mon Aug 08 2022
Rocks
Aerosmith
It's fun or whatever, not really my thing tho.
3
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Tue Aug 09 2022
Under Construction
Missy Elliott
Super hard hitting, all the collabs are awesome to hear. She's the real deal.
5
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Wed Aug 10 2022
Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
New to me, still kind of processing it. It's good, it's also fiercely obnoxious.
3
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Thu Aug 11 2022
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
I like the directness of this style, the space between the instruments, and how it's smart and angry. Do I need 75 minutes of it? No.
4
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Fri Aug 12 2022
Walking Wounded
Everything But The Girl
Intriguing, it's introspective and clubby at the same time. Makes me feel uneasy.
3
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Sat Aug 13 2022
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Obviously a super famous album, but I'm not sure I had ever listened to it start to finish. Shimmering, spectacular, lives up to the hype big time.
5
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Sun Aug 14 2022
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
Wow, this is remarkable, how had I never heard of this before? Such tight harmonies.
4
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Mon Aug 15 2022
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
So warm and inviting, and then it just twists your ear around, what a genius, what a pioneer. I'll take more where that came from.
5
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Tue Aug 16 2022
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
Stevie is such a freak - fantastic.
5
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Wed Aug 17 2022
Either Or
Elliott Smith
Such a mysterious voice, great songwriter. Between the Bars gives me the chills every time.
4
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Thu Aug 18 2022
The Real Thing
Faith No More
Don't need it.
2
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Fri Aug 19 2022
Like A Prayer
Madonna
Some of these songs are great, some just feel like they're trying to claw for the pop charts.
3
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Sat Aug 20 2022
Revolver
Beatles
Lots of fantastic songs. Doesn't play as well as some of their other albums, but that's a high bar. I often go out of my way to hear "Taxman" and "Doctor Robert."
4
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Sun Aug 21 2022
Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Holy shit talk about under-rated. On the front end of a cultural revolution, start of a prolific career.
4
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Mon Aug 22 2022
One World
John Martyn
Some nice sounds here and there but mostly suffered through this one.
2
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Tue Aug 23 2022
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
Very soulful, definitely recognizing some things here that have been sampled and I never knew where they came from until now. That electric piano is really doing it for me.
4
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Wed Aug 24 2022
Is This It
The Strokes
A great album, they have such an iconic sound, and this album is holding up well to my ear.
5
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Thu Aug 25 2022
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Super intense, I almost can't handle his particular brand of intensity, especially 2 hrs worth.
3
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Fri Aug 26 2022
Virgin Suicides
Air
Air implies a promise, one they keep - that they will take you away to unique sonic landscapes. Sometimes frightening, sometimes pristine, disturbing, or epic. But no matter what, always interesting.
5
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Sat Aug 27 2022
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
So soft and smooth, it's really a feat to make 2 elements - guitar and voice - hold so much weight. Nice quiet listen.
4
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Sun Aug 28 2022
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
He sure knows how to smack a person upside the face with not much more than a whisper. Powerful lyrics, powerful presence, unusual twists and turns in the lyrics.
4
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Mon Aug 29 2022
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
It's good, but I always feel like they're trying to be clever and I'm skeptical.
3
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Tue Aug 30 2022
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Some good blues, I like Clapton's playing, but for some reason it wore thin quickly, and started to feel really self indulgent. And then it just kept going.
3
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Wed Aug 31 2022
Machine Head
Deep Purple
I had disregarded this band as just another hair band or something, but newfound respect listening to this. It feels like they believe what they're doing in a way that some bands in this genre can lack. Some great grooves. And what can you say about Smoke on the Water, hard to get more iconic that that.
4
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Thu Sep 01 2022
Chris
Christine and the Queens
Some serious in your face music. I had hear the hits but not the album. I think I'm a new fan. The beats, the singing, the synths, they all hit really freakin hard.
4
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Fri Sep 02 2022
Go Girl Crazy
The Dictators
I'm disappointed that this album had such an important role as a precurser to American punk rock because I found these songs so annoying.
2
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Sat Sep 03 2022
1984
Van Halen
Undeniably talented, but it feels like many of these songs were written simply as vehicles for shredding guitar lines and not much more.
3
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Sun Sep 04 2022
Aqualung
Jethro Tull
It was good? It was good, it just... didn't speak to me.
3
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Mon Sep 05 2022
Bad
Michael Jackson
I was expecting this to be 5 stars. It is not. First two songs, fantastic. Next two, horrible. And the rest is mostly blah.
3
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Tue Sep 06 2022
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
This is a near perfect album for me. They haven't released anything before or since that I have liked but this one really gives me the feels. You can feel the city hollowing out, sucked in by the vacuousness of the suburbs. I was surprised it is an hour long because it has always felt fairly concise - a mark of exceptionally well crafted songs with something to say.
5
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Wed Sep 07 2022
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
Kinda hated this. It went from cliche lyrics and thin production to indulgent superjam. The way he sings really bugs me, it's like the original Creed voice or something.
2
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Thu Sep 08 2022
All Directions
The Temptations
Great songs, seems like they're genuinely exploring and pushing themselves. "Papa Was a Rollin Stone" sounded great - despite having heard it many times, I appreciated it anew.
4
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Fri Sep 09 2022
With The Beatles
Beatles
FUCK this is good. No wonder they took the world by storm. It's just one banger after the next. Of course, their later stuff is more sophisticated but this has a lightness, energy, and magic that doesn't come around every day.
5
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Sat Sep 10 2022
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
From the first 3 seconds, this album just hooks me in. I appreciate this album more every time I listen to it. It does drag a bit (specifically when it gets to "All My Friends", and then again in the last couple songs) but makes up for it with so many great jams, at times just mesmerizing. Faves are "North American Scum" and "Watch the Tapes."
4
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Sun Sep 11 2022
Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
Some really nice tracks and great overall vibe. It is too bad he is not more of a household name, but I am glad he is for me now.
4
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Mon Sep 12 2022
The Next Day
David Bowie
A good album, certainly not his best, but enjoyable. Remarkable for being his first album in a decade.
4
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Tue Sep 13 2022
Live!
Fela Kuti
Now this will keep you warm on a cold day! Which it is, very cold today, below zero. I wonder how Tony Allen felt about Ginger Baker treading on his territory. Loved listening to this. Not very familiar with Fela's discography so I am not sure how this sits with the others but the music is undeniably vital, so grooving, I could listen to it all day!
5
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Wed Sep 14 2022
Timeless
Goldie
Not my thing, especially not 2 fucking hours of endless loops of stoned club beats. Give me a break.
2
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Thu Sep 15 2022
Protection
Massive Attack
Nice grooves, I enjoyed it. But something about it feels deeply impersonal and it preventing me from really getting into it.
3
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Fri Sep 16 2022
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
This is a desert island album for me. I have listened to it many many times and will continue to do so. It's THE quintessential jazz album. Can it even be topped?
5
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Sat Sep 17 2022
Violator
Depeche Mode
I used to hate this stuff. Now I appreciate it some but it kind of brings me down.
3
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Sun Sep 18 2022
The New Tango
Astor Piazzolla
I do not understand why this is on the list but I love listening to it.
4
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Mon Sep 19 2022
My Generation
The Who
I often think of the silly popular songs by The Who like "Pinball Wizard" and "Squeeze Box" but the stuff here is much better - great guitar sounds, great vocals, tight band, ripping songs. A great listen.
4
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Tue Sep 20 2022
Blue Lines
Massive Attack
I like many of these songs for about half of the song and then they get boring and repetitive and don't go anywhere.
3
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Wed Sep 21 2022
Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
A little surprised I hadn't heard this given that it falls sonically close to my taste. If I had heard it when it came out it probably would have been too intense. There are parts I like, the Stooges influence is clear, but I just don't know if there's much here other than face smashing aggression.
3
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Thu Sep 22 2022
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
Spent a lot of time listening to this getting pumped up for soccer games in high school. Love this band, love Tom Morello's guitar playing. Faves are Bullet in the Head, Know Your Enemy, Fistful of Steel. The album drags a bit, exceeds the magic 45 minute mark, and by the end it's kind of like... ok guys I get it. But they really keep the intensity up throughout, and I respect that. I think Battle of Los Angeles edges this one out for their best album. Probably a 4 star album, but I am rounding up for nostalgic value.
5
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Fri Sep 23 2022
The Sounds Of India
Ravi Shankar
Interesting that he was interested in evangelizing Hindustani classical music. I wonder if he would be so well known if not for George Harrison, but clearly his interest in spreading the music to the west was already in place before the Beatles. I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would, but I did enjoy it. Fun to hear his explanations of the music, but it does take away from this feeling like a real "album" as opposed to an instruction manual.
4
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Sat Sep 24 2022
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
It's undeniably fun, I'll give them that. But it's surface level fun that rather bores me.
3
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Sun Sep 25 2022
A Northern Soul
The Verve
A good listen, I like how they commit to a sound, the ballady contemplative aggression, sprawly guitar soundscapes. At times their vocals get pitchy in a distracting way, particularly some of the falsetto moments. But the albums seems to foreshadow the indie guitar stuff that would become so popular in the early 2000's. In fact, I just listened to an album today, from 2022 (Waiting to Spill by The Backseat Lovers), that I wondered whether it would exist without bands like The Verve helping define and popularize that sound.
4
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Mon Sep 26 2022
Second Toughest In The Infants
Underworld
I don't really go in for this dancey electronic house stuff, but I found this tolerable, even enjoyable at times. However, 70+ minutes of it is way too much, count me out.
3
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Tue Sep 27 2022
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
A pleasant listen, very much hear Ali Farka Toure in it. Wish I understood the language, seems like they have quite a story to tell being forced out of their homes during civil conflict.
4
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Wed Sep 28 2022
Faith
George Michael
Soothing music, though slightly ridiculous at times. "I want your sex" - seems like the least imaginative way to be provocative. Faith is a great song though. In all, I was bored by the end of the album.
3
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Thu Sep 29 2022
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
Liked this more than I thought, though I thought I might hate it. There's enough variation and bounce in the songs to keep you guessing a bit.
3
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Fri Sep 30 2022
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
Quite a sound, really exciting to listen to. I wish there were fewer covers on it though, that would have brought it to the next level to me. Some of these songs have been covered so many times they're really played out - like "Money" - do you really have to cover a song that the Beatles AND The Rolling Stones had already covered? Even so I admit, they did a pretty good job.
4
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Sat Oct 01 2022
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
Enjoyed the listen. Amusing that they were labelled the hippies of rap.
4
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Sun Oct 02 2022
Calenture
The Triffids
Struggled through this one.
3
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Mon Oct 03 2022
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
I haven't listened to this band a ton, but when I do they always surprise me. I'm always expecting something more raucous, but there's an intricacy and depth to the music that's very compelling. Feels like there's a world behind the songs, a marker of great art.
4
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Tue Oct 04 2022
Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
Still sounds fresh 50 years on. Many of these songs have an unexpected build, sounds like it is going to be a tame folk song then it slaps you to attention halfway through. Love it when his voice switches to the upper octave, it is so exciting and brings the song into a new gear. If you haven't heard the Song Exploder episode where he talks about Father and Son, I highly recommend it.
5
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Wed Oct 05 2022
Wild Gift
X
This is amazing! Had never heard it before, but instant fan. It's so believable, it's so straight ahead in some ways but with a punk soul and elements of many other genres. Sounds so fresh and original.
5
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Thu Oct 06 2022
Tellin’ Stories
The Charlatans
Such striking similarities to Oasis, which I suppose is Oasis's fault because they came after, and became more successful with a similar sound. I could better hear the differences between the two bands by the end but only sort of. I'll say, I at least I enjoyed it enough that I'm interested to hear their other work.
3
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Fri Oct 07 2022
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
These songs just rip, I cannot believe this is their ONLY studio album!! For a band that has had such an influence it seems impossible. It's easy to hear why they've had such an influence, the songs are catchy and they hit so damn hard.
5
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Sat Oct 08 2022
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I don't always like Nick Cave, but overall I liked this album. I'm starting to understand him in relation to someone like Leonard Cohen - strange turns of phrase describing a twisted world view, but one that has love underneath it. The songs sound thoughtful and well crafted. A couple of them annoyed me but overall, solid.
4
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Sun Oct 09 2022
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
I was skeptical at first, but into it by the end of the album. Enjoyed the lushness of the production and the soulful vocals. Makes me think of Bloc Party.
4
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Mon Oct 10 2022
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
Wow! This is opening new channels in my brain. I want my art to be as free as this music makes me feel. There's all these things coming in and out - there's a dirty guitar, then a sweeping synth, a "doo bee doo" pop vocal, samples of a dinner party, switching genres on a dime, all while somehow creating a cohesive set of songs. A remarkable creation, I'm hungry for more where that came from.
5
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Tue Oct 11 2022
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
The "Hurt" cover still really gets me. A great example of Cash's later career. I was listening to Rick Rubin talk about how he approached these albums with Cash, and he talked about how Johnny Cash is a very funny and lighthearted in person, but they were trying to get back to the myth of the mysterious "man in black" because that's what people really responded to in the past. Seems like they did it.
4
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Wed Oct 12 2022
The Holy Bible
Manic Street Preachers
I found this pretty exhausting, but on the other hand I liked it more than I thought I would.
3
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Thu Oct 13 2022
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
Really fun, very smooth and likable. A definitive and influential use of the Hammond B-3, easy to understand why it became a standard with people like Jimmy Smith doing this kind of work on it.
5
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Fri Oct 14 2022
Water From An Ancient Well
Abdullah Ibrahim
Nice album, I enjoyed it. However, I'm having trouble figuring out why it's on the list - if you read the Wikipedia you would think that its greatest accomplishment is being on the 1001 list itself. Ibrahim has clearly had a long and productive career, and is still going, which is exciting for all of us. If nothing else, it's a new one on my radar to dig into.
4
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Sat Oct 15 2022
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
These songs are so intense, this is what I imagine a cocaine high to feel like. Janis really brings the heat on the vocals, and some of the guitar solos are just scorching. Honestly, I have a hard time getting into this but I respect it nonetheless.
3
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Sun Oct 16 2022
Low
David Bowie
I love the ride this album takes me on. It's like we're gliding through space on a ship that is adding and shedding components all the time - a synth here, a vocal there. It's surprising and wonderful.
4
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Mon Oct 17 2022
The Band
The Band
They have this thing going where the music is imperfect but that somehow makes it perfect. There's a humanity to it. I was listening to Jack White, Neil Young, and Rick Rubin talking on Broken Record, and Jack was saying that he loves the band's vocals because they're often reaching for notes, even ones that they can't quite hit, and that makes it compelling. You can definitely hear what he's talking about. At times the lyrics are a bit cringe worthy. Overall, really enjoyed it.
4
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Tue Oct 18 2022
Hejira
Joni Mitchell
Intriguing that this was written amidst a period of lots of travel. The songs feel like that - some of them seem to be stuck in a state of waiting, thinking, the way you might feel if you were stuck at an airport or on a long train ride. It seems to make sense that this album didn't initially perform as well as her previous works, but became one of her most beloved. It's like a journal that you can keep reading and discovering new things each time.
4
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Wed Oct 19 2022
White Ladder
David Gray
This was a trip listening to again for the first time in at least 20 years. "Babylon" was a big hit on the radio, I guess around the time I was in middle school. I associate it with a time when I was having a crisis about whether God exists - I was raised going to church, and had just heard the theory of evolution explained. Since this song has biblical references, a lot of that angst and emotion was poured into listening to the song. There's something really lonely about the album, a longing, and the synth they're using just sucks the soul out of the songs to the point where I'm left craving more richness - therefore planting that feeling of longing in me. It works perfectly. The last song, "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" hit me just right for some reason.
4
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Thu Oct 20 2022
Synchronicity
The Police
I'm slowly appreciating this band more and more. I used to just think of them as the band who did "Every Breath You Take" and "Roxanne" - both songs I was initially ambivalent to, but the more I listen the more I think they have something real to say. When I first heard "Every Breath You Take" on the radio when I was a kid, I thought it was boring. Later, I thought it was creepy. Now that I realize that it's a critical song about something rather dark and serious, yet it's dressed up like a gentle love song - I think it's brilliant. It's not the only good song on the album though, in fact far from it.
4
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Fri Oct 21 2022
Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
I thought this was going to be aggressive and annoying based on the band name and the cover art. Instead it inspired apathy.
2
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Sat Oct 22 2022
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
They know how to groove and bring the funk - I was expecting more from this though, ended up feeling underwhelmed.
3
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Sun Oct 23 2022
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Admittedly not a huge Neil Young fan, but this album seems like a really concise distillation of his whole thing. I love the long, dirty guitar jams.
4
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Mon Oct 24 2022
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
They really nailed this one. These are the kinds of songs I really associate with the Stones, especially "Sympathy for the Devil." The one that really stood out on this listen was "Street Fighting Man," it's a unique sound, a rich sound, and the arrangement is pleasantly surprising.
4
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Tue Oct 25 2022
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
It's really remarkable listening to the debut album knowing how Elvis's influence would shake the world, and how it continues to do so. My only knock here is that they really did a thing, and stuck to the thing so closely - but they did it so well that's hardly a complaint.
4
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Wed Oct 26 2022
Pump
Aerosmith
They put on a good party.
3
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Thu Oct 27 2022
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
What a gem - this makes me feel like I'm there in the club - you can hear the audience, Sam's interacting with them, the guitar's slightly out of tune... makes a person want to be there! And god, his voice is so amazing, so vibrant and present and powerful. Love it!
5
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Fri Oct 28 2022
Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
Hearing this for the first time, I'm surprised this guy is not more of a household name. He's like a modern sounding Bob Marley, but even more accessible to a mass audience. I found these songs to be great listens, really grooving.
4
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Sat Oct 29 2022
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
I understand the impact and acclaim this album have achieved, but the detached roboticism of the delivery doesn't connect with me.
2
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Sun Oct 30 2022
Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
This music is so smooth, it's like landing on a soft pillow. "Fire and Rain" is a very moving song, I've heard it many times and it still hits me when I hear it.
4
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Mon Oct 31 2022
Slipknot
Slipknot
Wow, this album doesn't let you escape. Every once in a while I dip my toe into Slipknot - a couple of these sounded familiar, and I think I was enjoying it for a couple tracks. I get why people are impressed by this. As the album wore on though I just started thinking, does the world need this? Does this music just encourage a kind of toxic disposition that ends up hurting people? Or is it cathartic? I'm not sure. But the feeling I had most while listening to this, was scared.
4
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Tue Nov 01 2022
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Pink Floyd
Hell of a debut album. When it first came out I wonder what it was like to hear this and wonder where they would go next. We would not be disappointed.
4
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Wed Nov 02 2022
Fire Of Love
The Gun Club
Liked it, didn't love it, appreciate it as an album that helped shape some new sounds. I particularly enjoyed the moments when little rockabilly licks would seep in.
3
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Thu Nov 03 2022
Moss Side Story
Barry Adamson
What a unique story for this album, that it's a soundtrack to a film that doesn't exist. Smart of him to manifest his career this way, create a proof of concept for exactly what he wanted to do. I wonder how this made it into the larger public consciousness.
3
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Fri Nov 04 2022
Da Capo
Love
These songs are so rambly, I'm having trouble caring about them. This thesis - or lack thereof - seems appropriately summarized by the 18 minute noodly jam a the end. Who needs it?
2
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Sat Nov 05 2022
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
What an album, I thought it was gripping the whole time. Each of the jams is really tight despite the repetition and the adventurousness. I was charmed by "Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!" - they're saying so explicitly, we're playing dance, funk, and rock music all at the same time, what are you going to do about it?? And they're doing it so well there's no way to argue with them. A great album by a great band.
5
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Sun Nov 06 2022
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
The very thing that drew me to Tom Waits in the first place is what makes some of his albums suffer a little bit - the fact that each song is so different, he's doing so many experiments and dabbling in so many genres. I don't come back to this one as much as some of the others because it's not as cohesive, and it drags, especially in the middle. Despite that, some of my favorites of his are on this album. It would actually be much faster for me to list the songs that aren't my favorites, but I won't do that. If I had to narrow to my top 3 favorites, I would say "Dirt In The Ground," "Jesus Gonna Be Here" and of course "I Don't Wanna Grow Up." And "The Earth Died Screaming" "Such a Scream" "All Stripped Down" "In The Colosseum" "Goin Out West" "Murder in the Red Barn" and "That Feel." There, I've named almost every song on the album.
4
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Mon Nov 07 2022
Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
Kind of impressed by this, especially the fact that this sound existed in the mid-80's. It instantly made me think of The Raveonettes, who wouldn't form for another 15+ years. Unfortunately, I find it exhausting, but I enjoyed the first half of the album before my ears wore out.
4
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Tue Nov 08 2022
Beautiful Freak
Eels
I've heard it said that the first song of the first album of a band is their "thesis" - if this is true, "Novocane for the Soul" is one hell of a thesis. As with most of their stuff, many of these songs fall flat for me but the ones that are great are really freaking great - wish there were more of them.
4
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Wed Nov 09 2022
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube
Ice Cube has a unique way of seeming friendly through the tough talk. Enjoyed parts, but it was too long and I have a little trouble with the violence and misogyny.
3
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Thu Nov 10 2022
A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
I don't have time for this winky-ass shit post of an album. Mercifully short, though it seemed long.
2
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Fri Nov 11 2022
The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
I found this really charming. It seems to have a depth that goes beyond the surprising little gems of songs. It was really making my imagination run wild, I was getting a lot of imagery popping into my mind, that seemed to be coming mainly from the sonic textures. Will be back for more.
4
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Sat Nov 12 2022
Forever Changes
Love
Something about their thing just bothers me, I feel them trying to be clever and I get annoyed and it takes me out of the music. Interesting hearing "Live and Let Live" after getting used to Ty Segall's version. It's a pretty faithful cover as it turns out. I can even hear how Ty may have been influenced by the guitar playing, the style is very similar.
3
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Sun Nov 13 2022
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Very difficult to get through this, I hated almost every minute of it. The concept is grotesque, and the repetition of it is like getting bludgeoned. I also hear the influence of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits in a ways that makes me embarrassed for him.
1
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Mon Nov 14 2022
Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
This album kind of washed over me, nothing positive or negative, I just didn't connect with it.
3
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Tue Nov 15 2022
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I like this for its bouncy energy. There are a few songs that I recognized in a 'oh yeah I've heard it on the radio' kind of way.
3
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Wed Nov 16 2022
We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
Takes real vision and courage to make an album that sounds like this. It seems a bit cynical, which I'm less interested in, but the freedom with which this album bounces from one motif to another, yet stays cohesive and keeps a thread throughout is remarkable.
4
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Thu Nov 17 2022
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
This is a wonderful album, and it has just gotten better over the years. It reminds me of taking the Amtrak to Holden village with my sister - we wanted to listen to something that felt like going west, and it was just the ticket. The fact that it's a debut album is amazing, the package is fully formed and very mature.
5
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Fri Nov 18 2022
New York Dolls
New York Dolls
Damn this really rocks, and what an influence it had - I knew of this band but hadn't given them a proper listen. Very impressed.
4
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Sat Nov 19 2022
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
Something about their style, despite being so ethereal, is also structured, and keeps many of these very long songs from feeling long. You can almost see the volcanoes and black sand beaches of Iceland.
4
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Sun Nov 20 2022
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
This album feels really good. The cuica roots it in that quintessential Brazilian sound along side the blues and funk. Cool that it marked a shift for him to electric guitar.
4
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Mon Nov 21 2022
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
It's a good album... I got into them briefly when I was in middle school... but I have a hard time getting into it now. It's fine but I wouldn't choose to listen to this.
3
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Tue Nov 22 2022
London Calling
The Clash
So unhinged, yet simultaneously smart and sharp. I love the story of their rehearsals, how they disciplined themselves to rehearse in the afternoon, play soccer, go to the pub, and then rehearse again. Sounds like a kind of utopia I would like to live in for a while.
4
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Wed Nov 23 2022
Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
He's just so sincere, and so quintessentially American, so masculine. It's not hard to believe that this is one of the best selling albums of all time. Delivered by anyone else, these songs might seem like a joke. But not coming from The Boss.
5
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Thu Nov 24 2022
Dub Housing
Pere Ubu
Sounds way ahead of its time, the genre bending, the punchiness, the whole thing.
4
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Fri Nov 25 2022
Real Life
Magazine
Having listened to Dub Housing by Pere Ubu right before this, there must have been something happening in music in 1978. The new wave thing they are doing sounds so breathtaking. It's just catchy enough to let you in, and then slaps you on the face and you like it, dammit.
4
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Sat Nov 26 2022
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
There's no question that this album is powerful, and the fact that he played at a prison, and the interaction with the audience of prisoners is beyond remarkable. HOWEVER, Johnny Cash released 97 albums in his career, 3 of which are on this list. Did 2 of the 3 need to be live albums from prisons?
4
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Sun Nov 27 2022
Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers
I enjoyed it, it's catchy and fun, but it also sounds like the roving antics of adolescents. Which they were not, they were like 28 when this was released. Seems like something that could grow on me though. I don't know.
3
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Mon Nov 28 2022
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
Yeah, yeah, he's a legend, but if I'm honest with myself, I'm bored. On the other hand it's cool to hear that he had creative control over the album, and chose to make it this stripped down - mad respect for that. But... I'm still bored.
3
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Tue Nov 29 2022
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
Yes, I enjoyed it. Yes, it's a high quality release. Does it pull its weight against Born to Run, Born in the USA, and Nebraska? Not sure it does - maybe this one drops off the list.
4
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Wed Nov 30 2022
Remedy
Basement Jaxx
I remember Red Alert playing on KROC in Rochester when I was about 12, and because of that, I thought I would cringe listening to this album. However, it grooves pretty damn hard. I was tired of it by the end, but the first half really had me going.
4
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Thu Dec 01 2022
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
I love how she just goes out on a limb here. Love the inhabiting of various personas, the experimentation. This album was a ride.
4
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Fri Dec 02 2022
More Specials
The Specials
A good example of eclectic influences and differing goals of band members combining to make something unique. It would be a stretch to say I enjoyed it, however - I'm a little averse to ska.
3
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Sat Dec 03 2022
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
They are so smooth. It's like the could say anything, no matter how rude or grotesque, and it would glide by because it's so sugary. Great writing, and a very special sound.
4
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Sun Dec 04 2022
Shaft
Isaac Hayes
The theme song is such an icon. The album is worth it for that. There are some other good songs too, but also some that just sound like filler - due in part I'm sure to this being a movie soundtrack. A more concise album would have been even more enjoyable.
4
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Mon Dec 05 2022
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
Extremely unique, especially in the context of this list. From the first notes played, it's obvious this is someone with command of the piano, and a clear idea about what they're saying with it. Despite the long tracks, I found this engaging, even mesmerizing, the whole way through.
5
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Tue Dec 06 2022
Boston
Boston
These songs sound good - I like listening to them, the production is crisp, the music is played well. I just can't shake the feeling that they're a cash-grab type band, meaning they're writing songs because they want hits and nothing else. "Rock & Roll Band" is the clearest example - a song about being a rock band, getting huge, signing to a label. Seems like something a rock n roller would write about if they didn't have anything real write about.
3
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Wed Dec 07 2022
The Joshua Tree
U2
Maybe I'm just not meant to be a U2 fan. I've tried this album many times, and it mostly just makes me feel like I'm dying inside.
2
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Thu Dec 08 2022
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
This album was a sleeper for me, but I like it more and more every time I listen. It's a perfect blend of what they were doing on OK Computer and the left turn they made with Kid A. There's not a bad song on this album.
5
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Fri Dec 09 2022
Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
My reception of this album is suffering from the fact that this is the third of theirs that we've listened to. It's fine, but it's not as good as the other 2, and did we really need 3 albums from this band?
2
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Sat Dec 10 2022
The Last Broadcast
Doves
This album wore me down. I put up my "this sounds like Oasis and I don't like it" armor, but as the album when on, I just thought some of these songs were jaw droppingly beautiful.
4
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Sun Dec 11 2022
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
I knew way more of these songs than I thought I would, and I can't believe they came from his debut album. This continues to sound fresh. Love his style.
5
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Mon Dec 12 2022
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
Some transcendent songs - "Pale Blue Eyes," "I'm Beginning to See The Light." Also some songs that are frankly unremarkable. This gets a boost because of its legendary influence.
4
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Tue Dec 13 2022
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
His best album in my opinion, which I don't say lightly as a superfan. It sounds like he was so in-stride. In some ways it's a great distillation of his career, because he uses so many styles, dabbles in different genres, uses various voices and characters. Lots of great songs, not a dud on the album. I could go on and on, if I could give this one an extra star I would. My favorites on the album are probably the first and the last song, "Singapore" and "Anywhere I Lay My Head."
5
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Wed Dec 14 2022
Microshift
Hookworms
I went on a fruitless search to find a reason for this to be on the list. In addition to finding that this album's only distinction may be the very fact that it's on this list, I instead I found that they disbanded the same year this album was released following allegations of sexual assault against the lead singer. I thought the album sounded fine, but I'll take Janelle Monae's Dirty Computer instead, thank you.
2
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Thu Dec 15 2022
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
"Let's Stay Together" is a hell of an opening song - unfortunately it kind of peaks there. The other songs are pretty solid but don't really reach the height of the first track.
4
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Fri Dec 16 2022
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
Great songwriting, obviously her unique and unmistakable voice adds significant personality. Was over it by the end of it though - I think a combination of her voice and how straight-ahead country it is.
3
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Sat Dec 17 2022
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
I get the impression that they're putting on a front, and the front is a persona of the kind of person that you want to punch in the face. Looking past that, the songs are catchy and I understand why they got radio play.
3
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Sun Dec 18 2022
m b v
My Bloody Valentine
I expected to hate this but I think I love it. I love the dense sound bed created by the guitars, together with the unrelenting beat. The mysterious, reverby vocals and the surf guitar licks are the perfect icing on top.
5
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Mon Dec 19 2022
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
Hard to lose after opening with "Respect" and with all her soulfulness and that explosive voice. Side note, I did not realized that Otis Redding wrote Respect!
4
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Tue Dec 20 2022
The Who Sell Out
The Who
The opening 30 seconds is killer, I wish more of the album was like that (the talk box + horns dynamic). Overall really impressed though, they can really bring the heat.
4
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Wed Dec 21 2022
Scott 2
Scott Walker
The schtick wears out pretty quick. Could see enjoying it in the right context, but a whole album is just too syrupy and in-your-face.
2
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Thu Dec 22 2022
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
A soundscape to get lost in, very enjoyable.
4
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Fri Dec 23 2022
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
Enjoyed hearing "We Got the Beat" in its album context. Fits right in with the other new-wave stuff of the early 80's that I like so much. Props to an all female rock band taking over the charts.
4
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Sat Dec 24 2022
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
Very good, very iconic. It's not really my thing, it's so showy and not very deep. I didn't realize this was their debut, it makes me more impressed - I mean, Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City AND Sweet Child O' Mine on their debut album?? Amazing.
4
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Sun Dec 25 2022
Truth And Soul
Fishbone
Some people really get into this ska stuff, I'm not one of them.
2
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Mon Dec 26 2022
Mothership Connection
Parliament
This is Parliament in top-form, fantastic. Interesting that it was one of TWO albums they released in 1975 (this one is far superior).
5
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Tue Dec 27 2022
Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
Outside of "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and "Any Major Dude" I'm least convinced of this album's place on the list, of the four Steely Dan albums on it. But I suppose those songs almost make it worth it.
3
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Wed Dec 28 2022
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon
Yes, I know this is an influential, some say one of the greatest hip hop albums. But I was just bored the whole time.
2
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Thu Dec 29 2022
Peggy Suicide
Julian Cope
This one really wore me out. Maybe take out all the half-assed instrumental interludes and there's something cohesive and listenable. Then again, those interludes were a welcome break from the tiresome vocal delivery.
2
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Fri Dec 30 2022
Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
The album is a fucking trip. It encourages me to be freer with my own creativity, because there are things on here that just seem like silly-ass outtakes - then the next song slaps you in the face with the ripping guitars and forceful vocals. It defies category and stands out.
5
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Sat Dec 31 2022
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
These songs are charming, and fun to listen to the two together. The best ones are the ones where they both sing. Take 'Baubles' off and it's a much better album.
4
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Sun Jan 01 2023
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
Despite being a long album, it is exceptional. Kendrick never wastes our time, he's present, and everything he says seems important, seems worth saying. Confessional, true lyrics, and things that only he can say because they're so personal and particular to his experience, yet speak to something larger. Only a track or two that I wasn't into. I love how he has so many voices, taking on characters and throwing us off balance song-to-song, even within songs.
5
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Mon Jan 02 2023
Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
Cool to hear this, being something that has had such influence in the formation of hip-hop. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of its influence, is that it now sounds a little bit like a parody since it was copied so much (the break-beat DJ thing). I was familiar with Rage's cover of 'Renegades,' and enjoyed hearing the original, which is VERY different.
3
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Tue Jan 03 2023
The Yes Album
Yes
I find their sound rather addictive. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would considering 9-minute songs are the norm here. 'All Good People' is like two songs in one, it just switches halfway through. The first half is fine, the second half is great. I may come back to this.
4
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Wed Jan 04 2023
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
Not an unpleasant listen, but overall a bit of a dirge. Seems like an album that might get better with time, or if you listen to it with the Blue Ridge mountains in the background. A surprisingly rural, country sound coming from someone from LA.
3
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Thu Jan 05 2023
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
Sprinkled with classics. Captures the magic of the Beatles. Noting it's one of three of their albums where there are no George Harrison written songs, as well as no covers.
4
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Fri Jan 06 2023
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
A good listen, very Led Zeppelin. Not their best songs but I appreciated listening to their debut front to back, quite sure I've never done that before.
3
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Sat Jan 07 2023
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
I really like this band, I think they're smart, they stand for something, and they have a very unique and recognizable style. They really keep the album moving, and interesting with their stops and changes, that are always very tight. I would have rather seen Toxicity on the list, but this album is good too.
4
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Sun Jan 08 2023
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
Pleasant, quirky, doesn't really get my blood moving. This band has always basically gone in one ear and out the other.
3
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Mon Jan 09 2023
Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
I always forget that Neil Young was part of this band, and am surprised to hear his voice. I wish I liked this more, because I like "For What It's Worth" so much (which is not on this album). I like the band too, I think their heart is in the right place, but it just doesn't shine through here as much as I want it to.
3
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Tue Jan 10 2023
Hotel California
Eagles
I hadn't heard the song "Hotel California" in a while, and it's one that gets a lot of play at your local hardware store - but it kind of blew me away this time. Good lyrics, great sound. That punchy bassline is a hook for me. Unfortunately, it's the first track and the album peaks there, the rest is just kind of boring.
3
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Wed Jan 11 2023
Pyromania
Def Leppard
Gosh... maybe I would like this if I heard it when I was 13. But I didn't so I don't.
2
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Thu Jan 12 2023
Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
This was a slow burner, but I really grew on me. Reading about how personal is was - about his divorce - made me appreciate it even more. Feels like spending time with Marvin's inner thoughts.
4
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Fri Jan 13 2023
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
Fun to listen to, feels very British and accessible while still being prog rock. Didn't really command my full attention though, due to the rambliness in places.
3
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Sat Jan 14 2023
Arrival
ABBA
They're the kind of band that sounds like they're actively trying to make pop hits, which is unappetizing. This listen of "Dancing Queen," I really liked it and was noticing how commanding the drum groove is - it really defines the song. Many of the other songs I kind of disliked. Interestingly, the other night, in 2023, ABBA was nominated for a Grammy for Album of the Year - so points for staying power I guess.
2
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Sun Jan 15 2023
Survivor
Destiny's Child
Really brings me back to middle school. I'm enjoying how wholesome the themes are, how unwavering in their conviction. Respect. The cheesy orchestral synth sounds don't hold up in my opinion, but beyond that I thought it held up pretty well.
4
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Mon Jan 16 2023
Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
Hard to listen to the gratuitous violence that defines many of these songs, but the radio hits still sound pretty good, which surprised me. The samples and the groove in 'P.I.M.P.' is absolutely irresistible. I found myself admiring the beats in lots of these songs.
3
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Tue Jan 17 2023
Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
This band is new to me, really liked it though, good catchy face smashing punk. But why the hell would a compilation album be on the list??
3
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Wed Jan 18 2023
Achtung Baby
U2
I'm just not meant to be a U2 fan. The Edge's playing and Bono's singing just make me feel empty, in a bad way.
2
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Thu Jan 19 2023
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
Hard to listen to this in light of his latest antisemitic hate speech, etc etc etc. In fact it colors it a bit, except for the fact that we've always know that he's an asshole. It's disappointing to know all that, when he's clearly such a talented producer and rapper, and in his best, most vulnerable moments the music is transcendent.
3
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Fri Jan 20 2023
Strange Cargo III
William Orbit
I liked it more than most house music, but mostly I was just waiting for it to end. I genuinely enjoyed "Harry Flowers," that song has a great vibe.
2
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Sat Jan 21 2023
The Doors
The Doors
"Break on Through" and "Light My Fire" are excellent. They have such a recognizable sound, and really paint a picture of a certain LA stereotype. Some of these songs are trash (looking at you, "Alabama Song"), and overall a mixed bag. In the end, it's an iconic debut from an iconic band.
3
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Sun Jan 22 2023
Gold
Ryan Adams
Some nice songs here. He seems prolific, and like someone who doesn't overthink things, and that free-ness with the music comes through. Sounds like it comes easy to him. Many of the songs sound like they're going to be really boring, and then some lyric or hook hits, and I'm like, damn that works so well. It seems like I say this about most double albums, but true here as well: too long. There are enough throw-away tunes here that it could have been whittled down.
3
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Mon Jan 23 2023
Goodbye And Hello
Tim Buckley
Liking this more than the other Tim Buckley albums I've heard. There are some things that bug me about it, like there's so much going on in the production, where it seems like the power of the message could have been clearer with a simpler setup, and the extra "stuff" distracts from it.
3
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Tue Jan 24 2023
Moondance
Van Morrison
A very good album. "Moondance" and "Crazy Love" are some of my all time favorites and the other songs - which I don't know as well - fit right in.
4
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Wed Jan 25 2023
american dream
LCD Soundsystem
A good album, not my favorite of theirs, but some solid songs. Also some songs that could have been cut in order to make a more concise album. I was tired of it well before the end.
4
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Thu Jan 26 2023
Bright Flight
Silver Jews
It was fine... feels like someone's pet project that they forced onto the list. Forgettable.
2
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Fri Jan 27 2023
OK
Talvin Singh
Intriguing mix of influences.
4
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Sat Jan 28 2023
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
Some good British punk. Good as any punk coming out in that era, to my ear.
4
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Sun Jan 29 2023
Live Through This
Hole
Fantastic album, punches you in the face, comforts you, then punches you again. Rocks really hard. Courtney Love's voice is so present, great lyrics, very enjoyable. Will listen again.
5
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Mon Jan 30 2023
Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches
Happy Mondays
Suffered through this one. Maybe more here than I give it credit for, but I just hear the pitchy off-rhythm attitude of the singer and grate my teeth.
2
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Tue Jan 31 2023
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
I thought it was good, I like the sound, the organ is quite a choice... why is it on the list though, I mean, how many Arcade Fire albums could possibly be on this list?
3
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Wed Feb 01 2023
Opus Dei
Laibach
I didn't mind this at first but later on there were some songs that I hated - HATED!! I could not bear to listen to them - it started with "Herz-Felde" and continued through the end. I've never felt so tortured listening to a song. Supposedly they claim not to be fascists, but try not to imagine a Nazi rally listing to this bullshit.
1
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Thu Feb 02 2023
Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
This really won me over as the album wore on. These tracks are so commanding, they're so different from each other. Yet another album that was conceived as a soundtrack to an imaginary film, interesting.
4
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Fri Feb 03 2023
Rio
Duran Duran
I haven't listened to much of this band, other than the hits... I find them naggy and annoying.
3
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Sat Feb 04 2023
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
This is one of those special albums that defines jazz. Like, you could play it for an alien, tell them "this is jazz" and they would get it, and they would be hooked. It's challenging, but it's also warm and infectious.
5
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Sun Feb 05 2023
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
I just love this album. I listen to it when I want something soothing, when I'm feeling a little sad. After I first listened to it I finally felt like I "got" Bruce Springsteen, and was able to listen to his other records in a new light. Favorites: Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, State Trooper, Reason to Believe.
5
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Mon Feb 06 2023
Fun House
The Stooges
Does anyone rock harder than The Stooges? I don't think so. I would like to know how something this explosive was born in Ann Arbor Michigan.
5
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Tue Feb 07 2023
In Rainbows
Radiohead
I remember being disappointed when this came out - it was so different from what I was expecting, though I'm sure I could not have articulated what exactly I was expecting. Of course, in the moment I didn't realize that that's basically what Radiohead has always done - reinvent themselves, surprise us, and after a few listens we realize how incredible the music is. This album was no different, and it's hard for me to remember what exactly I was disappointed about. A remarkable group of songs, starting with a four-track run of songs that I consider each to be Radiohead classics (15 Step, Bodysnatchers, Nude, Weird Fishes). The innovative "pay what you want" release is a nice side note. It's not their best album but it's better than most bands best album.
5
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Wed Feb 08 2023
Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
Solid punk record, with their own distinctive sound. Has saxophone always been a part of punk music or am I just noticing it now?
4
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Thu Feb 09 2023
La Revancha Del Tango
Gotan Project
This album grooves so hard. Really sultry, will make you melt.
4
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Fri Feb 10 2023
Haunted Dancehall
The Sabres Of Paradise
Some excellent grooves here, I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Its spareness means it works as background music, but has intricacies that makes it worthy of close headphone listening too. "Duke of Earlsfield" was the song that hooked me.
4
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Sat Feb 11 2023
Truth
Jeff Beck
Pretty solid album - Jeff Beck's guitar work obviously has a lot of personality, but I think Rod Stewart's singing is really the star of the show - which makes it seem funny that he's part of the "backing band."
4
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Sun Feb 12 2023
Night Life
Ray Price
Really solid country, I love the low-down bar stories, and the lonely guitars. I'm glad the "introduction" trend did not catch on, it feels like a weird commercial where he's required to rep the label and promise the fans that he'll promise cranking out hits. Though there is something funny and charming about it. Favorites are "Night LIfe" and "Sittin' and Thinkin'". Some of these songs are just ridiculously similar to each other, which makes the album wear out prematurely.
4
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Mon Feb 13 2023
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
Falls into the "I want to like it but I just don't" category. I enjoy some of the dirty hard rock moments, but I don't really like their "pop" moments and the vocals start grating on me after a song or two. I remember when some of these songs were on the radio and I felt the same way then.
3
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Tue Feb 14 2023
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
Fantastic album, I'm finding it hard to think about things to say about it, because this one runs really deep for me. "Casimir Pulaski Day" was one of the first songs I learned on guitar back in the day. Some just devastating songs that will make you cry, in particular "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." and "Casimir Pulaski Day." I mean, several masterpieces: "Come On! Feel the Illinoise", "Jacksonville", "Chicago." Is there some fluff on here? Does it get to long? Of course it's 77 minutes! But it's more than worth that time spent and it deserves its place in the canon.
5
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Wed Feb 15 2023
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
I enjoyed it - for me it doesn't really stand out from the other punk of its day.
3
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Thu Feb 16 2023
Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
Hats off. This is off the wall and I love it so much. They're like a goofy ass version of the Beatles - like, all the magic and shimmer of the Beatles but you're hanging out with them and they're just fucking around. Or are they totally serious? The line isn't clear and it's fantastic.
5
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Fri Feb 17 2023
Fred Neil
Fred Neil
Wow, what a sleeper. Had never heard of this but props for writing "Everybody's Talkin'" and recording a version that I imagine very few people have heard. In his voice, you can hear an affectation that would re-emerge in an unfortunate manner in the 00's in bands such as Creed. However, he does it so sincerely that I must forgive it. I'm taken with the simplicity of the production, with just a few instruments, nothing more than necessary. If you want a trip, listen to Randy Travis and then come back to this - remarkably similar.
4
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Sat Feb 18 2023
1989
Taylor Swift
Taylor proving again and again and again that she's one of the best songwriters in the business. So many massive hits here, and they're great songs. I must admit that Ryan Adams's cover album converted me. I listened to it, and thought these songs are so good, to be fair I should go back to the original and honestly evaluate which one is better. I went song by song, and in the end, Taylor won. If I had to pick a few favorites I would say "Style" "Wildest Dreams" and "I Know Places."
5
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Sun Feb 19 2023
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
Hmmm... I was expecting to find this exhausting, but maybe I'm turning, slowly, into a Tears for Fears fan. I appreciate how emotive the vocals are, and the instrumentation is layered and rich. Some of the songs are too intense - or too "80's" for me - but this album is chock-full of hits, some of which I really like - "Head Over Heels" to be specific. I guess I've heard it in enough movies and shows that I like that it's finally worn me down. I'm not quite "fan" status but I can tell I'm getting close.
4
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Mon Feb 20 2023
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
Fantastic, a great vibe, some of these songs will be in rotation for me in the future. Interesting to read how it came to fruition through a last-minute mishap when Ry Cooder was in Cuba to record something else. The album drags at the end, a little too long - that's my only complaint.
4
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Tue Feb 21 2023
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
The acoustic format really highlights Kurt Cobain's voice, which is so expressive and textured. Initially I was unconvinced that this album, which is really outside of their core discography, should have a place on the list. But when I think about it as a way to hear where the band might have gone had Kurt remained with us, it becomes much more potent.
4
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Wed Feb 22 2023
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
It's ok... I'm not hearing the bottled lightning that this supposedly is. Kind of dragged on.
3
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Thu Feb 23 2023
All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
Wow this is a lot of George Harrison. Evidence of how pent up he must have been in the Beatles, going off and releasing 2 hrs of music. Of course he is a legend, a fantastic guitarist, but I don't get excited about many of these songs. I hate to say it but they are kind of pop rock snoozers. Some of my favorites were actually the Apple Jams. Could be a much tighter, and therefore more interesting, album.
3
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Fri Feb 24 2023
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
Kind of expecting more from this the way it starts with "Immigrant Song". The rest is boring in comparison.
3
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Sat Feb 25 2023
21
Adele
Struck by how mature her voice and perspective is at 21. Spectacular, and deserving of its place as best selling album of the 21st century. In the end, not really my kind of music, but mad respect.
4
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Sun Feb 26 2023
Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
Incredible flow in the rapping, and some unusual, complex beats make this a really good listen despite not understanding a lick of French.
4
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Mon Feb 27 2023
Fishscale
Ghostface Killah
I find him really likable, and I enjoyed some of the features. Broadly, I didn't really connect with it. The skits feel unnecessary. A long album to listen to, especially considering I wasn't that into it in the first place.
3
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Tue Feb 28 2023
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Something about these guys is distractingly passive. It seems like there's some great content being wrapped up in unnecessarily docile clothing.
3
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Wed Mar 01 2023
I Should Coco
Supergrass
Didn't recognize the band, and was surprised to find that I knew "Alright." Lots of spunk and vitality, I like the dynamics and tempo changes within the songs. I don't like all of these songs but most of then are at least tolerable. Really enjoyed "Time", nice groove. Kinda hate the cover art. An excellent debut, makes me wonder what came next.
4
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Thu Mar 02 2023
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
Some of the best 90's alt rock with those shimmering, layered guitar sounds that almost cross over into country, but are also rock, also pop all at once. The first four songs are spectacular, then the album slows down a bit until "All I Wanna Do" steals the show. I remember hearing it on the radio and having no idea what the words were when she said "Santa Monica Boulevard." I suppose it clicked when I finally made a trip to LA.
4
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Fri Mar 03 2023
Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
Something really powerful and confident in the strangeness of this music. Despite having heard her name many times this is my first time giving her a serious listen. I like what I'm hearing.
4
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Sat Mar 04 2023
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
I have listened to this album here and there over the years - I think my roommate had this record - and my perception of it has changed a lot. It used to be that I liked "Alison" the best and ignored most of the rest. But now some of the other songs sound way better, like "Working Week", "Blame it on Cain" and "Red Shoes." Must be a good sign if the songs are getting better with age and more listens.
4
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Sun Mar 05 2023
Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
Some very friendly and catchy bloops and bleeps. The French Kraftwerk.
4
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Mon Mar 06 2023
Who's Next
The Who
Good, but falls short of the unrealistic expectations set by the opening track, which is not called Teenaged Wasteland but might as well be. The closer "Won't Get Fooled Again" is solid too, which makes this a nice looking sandwich with disappointing insides. I liked "Behnind Blue Eyes" too, but it doesn't fit well with the other songs.
3
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Tue Mar 07 2023
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
It's pretty good, I can see why it caught on, and their debut album is certainly an important moment in rock history. The fact that all but one are covers makes the album less interesting, and the one original is a sleeper. I like the bold move of not including the band name on the cover, but it would have been even better if they didn't put the label name there either (if I'm honest that almost ruins the effect).
3
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Wed Mar 08 2023
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Not as good as some of his other stuff. I like the grooves, but the organ kind of ruins it for me, it's this silly presence that messes up what could otherwise be a heavy hitting rock thing.
3
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Thu Mar 09 2023
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
Infectious tunes, great voice!
4
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Fri Mar 10 2023
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
I listened to the extended version, which was a mistake because it really wore me out by the end, and some of those fucked up little skits really helped wear out the welcome. Some good stuff here for sure though. I don't know, I always love hearing Wu-Tang here and there, small doses for me I guess.
3
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Sat Mar 11 2023
Rust In Peace
Megadeth
Not worth the time.
2
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Sun Mar 12 2023
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
Is there any music more soothing than this? I think not.
5
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Mon Mar 13 2023
Teenage Head
Flamin' Groovies
What annoys me is it seems like they're just saying to themselves 'ok, this track let's do Velvet Underground. Now let's do Rolling Stones, now Elvis' whatever. I bet this would be a fun live band at a party though.
3
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Tue Mar 14 2023
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
Deep Purple continues to impress me.
5
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Wed Mar 15 2023
Sound Affects
The Jam
Their sound is kind of messy, but very British, and very much their own sound. The Taxman bassline rip off is annoying.
3
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Thu Mar 16 2023
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
I liked the first song "You Ain't Goin Nowhere," but it all kind of fell apart after that. Their take on country is awkward, it's hard to know whether they're being serious. The fact that Gram Parsons talked them into a country album, then had left the band by the time it was finished, is telling. It wasn't horrible, but given that the only song I really liked was a cover of a Bob Dylan song, I can't rate this highly.
2
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Fri Mar 17 2023
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
Just more evidence that she's one of the greatest of all time.
5
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Sat Mar 18 2023
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
A great showcase of her amazing voice and charisma. My only knock is that these songs have been done a million times. But I suppose that's in part due to these recordings.
4
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Sun Mar 19 2023
Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
A couple of great songs and a bunch of mediocre songs... the great ones are "To Be Young" and "Amy".
3
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Mon Mar 20 2023
Illmatic
Nas
I can't believe I haven't heard this album before, it is amazing. Some of the beats get a little repetitive but it doesn't matter because the rapping is so good, and so are the grooves.
5
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Tue Mar 21 2023
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
Some of the bands of this era, and in this genre, blend together for me but the Kinks seem to be do something unique that makes them stand out - even if I can't put my finger on what that is exactly. I liked most of these songs, and my favorites were "Victoria" and "Shangri-La".
4
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Wed Mar 22 2023
Histoire De Melody Nelson
Serge Gainsbourg
Wow - I don't know what he's saying but it feels like a very sexy intimate view into something I shouldn't be allowed to see.
4
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Thu Mar 23 2023
Nick Of Time
Bonnie Raitt
She has such a smooth and relatable voice, which saves what is otherwise an awkward mix of 80's syth pop and mainstream country.
4
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Fri Mar 24 2023
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
Classic, enduring album - a true great.
5
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Sat Mar 25 2023
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
It's good, and obviously Muddy Waters is incredibly important and influential. This album falls down for me first because it's a live album, and second because some of the lyrics really make me cringe.
3
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Sun Mar 26 2023
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
Some of these songs are borderline unlistenable (looking at you "Black Money"). I can appreciate this as a funny, silly thing that exists, but I don't respect it. Glad when it was over.
2
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Mon Mar 27 2023
Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
Damn, this is intense. I can take a song or two, and I appreciate the commitment to a sound, but damn - hard to take almost an hour of it (more than an hour with the bonus tracks, which I didn't realize were bonus tracks right away). Not totally convinced this belongs on the list, as the second and final album from a band that disbanded shortly after, and who has ever heard of them?
2
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Tue Mar 28 2023
The Stooges
The Stooges
The more I listen to The Stooges the more they become my new favorite band.
5
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Wed Mar 29 2023
Sail Away
Randy Newman
He seems to have a knack for writing songs with layers - there's a pleasing, mellow surface and a perplexing, sometimes dark underbelly. Listened a couple times through, very enjoyable.
4
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Thu Mar 30 2023
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
They really are the real deal - complex, surprising music but also catchy, fun and lively. I wish every band was so spectacular!
5
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Fri Mar 31 2023
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
Snoop is so likable. Lots of good songs here.
4
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Sat Apr 01 2023
Play
Moby
I expected to know a few of this, I did not expect to recognize almost all of them - a testament to how much of a force he was around this time. These songs are hard to dislike - a lot of the vocal samples sound really thin and contrived in their new context, which bugs me, but I can look past it and just enjoy the music most of the time.
4
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Sun Apr 02 2023
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
This was an intense listen. I heard some of these songs when it came out, I was in middle school and it seemed like everyone was listening to it. The whole album is like an unfiltered look into the dark part's of a person's subconscious mind, and for that I both admire it and am deeply disturbed by it. "Stan" in particular still gets me, it's such a sad and scary tale. The whole album was surprisingly emotional to listen to, he's being so honest about his thoughts and experiences, even if it's veiled by exaggeration and various personas. I didn't realize that Dre produced many of these songs, but it makes sense, and explains how great the beats are.
4
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Mon Apr 03 2023
Clandestino
Manu Chao
I like the travelogue concept - but I'm having a hard time getting into this, it is so disjointed and never really comes together for me.
2
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Tue Apr 04 2023
The Idiot
Iggy Pop
Enjoyable, but not as compelling as the Stooges records that came before it, or the Iggy records that came after it. Remarkable as his comeback, and as his first collaboration with Bowie. I recently listened to his interview on Broken Record podcast, and Rick Ruben asked him about his introduction to Bowie. He described the music as not his cup of tea (it was probably Hunky Dory that he first listened to), but realizing the talent and imagination of Bowie's music was special. That tells me that Bowie was likely pulling Iggy in a direction that he may not naturally go. Fascinating though, to read about their paths intertwining - both recovering from drug addiction at the time - and how much they influenced each other, with Bowie continuing to explore the songs and the sounds that are on this record.
4
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Wed Apr 05 2023
Street Life
The Crusaders
I HATE the first song and I love the rest of the album. Ok maybe that's too strong. I can stand the first two or three minutes of it, but seriously, why start an album with an 11 MINUTE jam track?? Irritating. Anyway, the instrumental tracks have a great groove to them that sits somewhere between funk and smooth jazz. Windows down heat of summer cruise music. Take out or shorten the first track and I am fully on board. Especially enjoyed "Rodeo Drive" with that bouncy bassline and catchy ass melody the saxophone sings.
4
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Thu Apr 06 2023
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
This was the Curtis Mayfield album that I was expecting and hoping to see on this list. Fantastic funky soul, with a message prominently featured alongside the tasty guitars and bouncy congas. I have never seen the movie, but I love that the soundtrack out-grossed it, and certainly seems to have outlasted it in terms of its relevance too. "Pusherman" "Freddy's Dead" and "Superfly" I could all listen to on repeat. There is a sappiness in some of the other tracks that drags the album down slightly (most overtly in "Think"), but overall a real gem.
4
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Fri Apr 07 2023
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Some amount of nostalgia listening to this - I think my dad must have had an album of theirs. But my overarching feeling about all of this is that they're just trying to hard to be awesome and clever. The lead singer's vocal style is the inescapable emblem of that attitude. I want to like it because of the skill and musicianship but I can't get past that other stuff.
2
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Sat Apr 08 2023
Eternally Yours
The Saints
Hard to put my finger exactly what I don't like about this, but I find it exhausting and the horns don't help.
2
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Sun Apr 09 2023
Cut
The Slits
The unpolishedness of the album is perhaps its defining characteristic. I was amazed by the fact that they were supporting The Clash on tour years before releasing this debut album - I looked up some live footage of them and it answered all my questions about how they might have pulled that off. The charisma, and lack of self consciousness of those performances, luckily is captured reasonably well in the album as well.
4
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Mon Apr 10 2023
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
I'm normally not super into Neil Young, but I really enjoyed this one. Has to do in part with how full and rich the band sounds. There's an edge and forcefulness to the songs that I'm responding to. Sounds like he was not in a great place emotionally when he was writing and recording this, which is perhaps contributing to that.
4
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Tue Apr 11 2023
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
Never been a huge fan but I do appreciate these songs more as I listen to them again and again through the years. Liam's voice in itself is a magnificent instrument. I bought this album in high school and was disappointed with it, and I'm not fully into this as a whole album, but I do find some tracks really amazing on their own - in particular "Wonderwall" (even despite having heard it hundreds of times), and "Champagne Supernova."
4
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Wed Apr 12 2023
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
I don't have a history with this album but these songs are fantastic. The beats and samples are great, and I really like Q-tip's voice, both the sound of his voice, and the way that he's chill, vulnerable, self deprecating, and still delivers a message.
4
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Thu Apr 13 2023
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Did not know what this band was about, but recognized "Genius of Love." Did not know that they were a side project from Talking Heads, but it is easy to hear after being pointed out. I don't LOVE their sound but I appreciate their weirdness. Many of the songs are too repetitive and long for me. I could see myself growing to like this band more in time.
3
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Fri Apr 14 2023
Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
I wish I could way I enjoyed this but mostly it made me realize that I'm sick of listening to bands with singers that can't sing (there are SO MANY!!) - or maybe he can but chooses to do so badly? I am not that big on the Pixies in the first place so the frontman's solo project is just one more step removed.
2
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Sat Apr 15 2023
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
I enjoyed it, though it is a bit eclectic in a way that feels random. He sounds so much like Phil Collins at times, I suppose that's no coincidence given their time in Genesis together.
3
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Sun Apr 16 2023
Penthouse And Pavement
Heaven 17
For some reason, seeing the cover made me think I would not like this - I think the ridiculousness of it was too tantalizing of a promise to be true - but luckily I was wrong, I loved it! The only thing I recognized was Fascist Groove Thang (I think from the LCD Soundsystem cover), but I liked most of these. I appreciate the political commentary, and the spare yet imaginative arrangements. The basslines in the first half of the album are so distinctive that I was shocked to find out that the bass player was not a part of the band - he was just some kid that happened to be at the local theater that one of the band members worked at when they were looking for a bass player. Really amazing story, well told here: https://www.songfacts.com/facts/heaven-17/we-dont-need-this-fascist-groove-thang
5
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Mon Apr 17 2023
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Ug, for all I try I just can't get into this. To me it feels like 'look at me, I'm being zany!'
2
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Tue Apr 18 2023
Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
I didn't hate it, and kind of appreciated the overblown cinematic sounds, in the vein of U2 or Oasis. Will not be a part of my regular rotation but I suppose I am glad I listened to it before I die.
3
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Wed Apr 19 2023
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
I really understand the Brian Eno quote when I listen to this (even though the album sold only only 30,000 copies in its first five years, "everyone who bought one of those 30,000 copies started a band!"). The music is loose and cool, very exciting, and perhaps because it is unpolished it makes you think "I could do that!" Of course, you probably can't do that, the band captures a magic that is elusive and only they could capture in the way that they did. But what is more amazing and powerful than something that makes others want to create something too?
5
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Thu Apr 20 2023
Station To Station
David Bowie
Really enjoyed this, listened to it a few times through. Especially enjoyed "Golden Years" and "Stay", but the whole thing has a nice flow, and I like the cleanliness of six longer songs as opposed to 10 or 12 shorter songs - at least it worked here, that is by no means a fool-proof formula. One of my takeaways from the 1001 albums adventure is that I want to spend more time with Bowie's catalog, so I can properly contextualize each album within his larger output. But what I can say right now is I like this more than I've liked some of his others, and until further research is conducted, it's currently among my favorites of his.
5
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Fri Apr 21 2023
Konnichiwa
Skepta
Had not heard of this but apparently it did well... I enjoyed some of it but had trouble taking it seriously.
3
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Sat Apr 22 2023
Parachutes
Coldplay
I don't consider myself a Coldplay fan but I am definitely a fan of this album. I got into it in high school I think, a few years after it came out. Yellow got overplayed on the radio after its release, and perhaps because of that I still don't enjoy that song, but if you take that one out all the others are solid. The first four songs are an amazing emotional journey - I used to listen to just those four when I wanted to get in the zone.
4
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Sun Apr 23 2023
Devil Without A Cause
Kid Rock
When I was a tweenager I was really into 3 of these songs. They were "Bawitaba" "Cowboy" and "Only God Knows Why." I am fairly certain I listened to the whole album at the time too, but was uninterested in all of the other tracks - that is still true, and the sheer length of this album makes it all the more excruciating. Honestly I can hear how the first two songs I mentioned influenced my taste in those formative years. The riffs in Bawitaba still sound pretty good to me, but the lyrics are trash, and as this sound repeats over the course of the album it sounds like a pale imitation of Rage Against the Machine, without the innovative guitar work and actual purpose. What I still like about Cowboy (when I ignore the lyrics) is that it truly does combine country, rap and rock in a way that is convincing and enjoyable. The changes in the song make it a fun musical journey. In the end, "Only God Knows Why" is the one that I can most enjoy still. The use of autotune is actually pretty interesting, and the more introspective lyrics are a welcome respite after the continuous flogging in all the other tracks. "Black Chick / White Guy" is almost unbearable, as if it's one last attempt to test your patience if by some miracle you haven't yet given up. In summary, a terrible album with a few songs that I have memories with but no longer hold up.
2
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Mon Apr 24 2023
Metallica
Metallica
I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would. In fact I some of the songs are kind of catchy. What I don't like is that it's like chugging a can of testosterone, the vocals, the guitars, the drums, everything is just so aggressive. I first heard this, probably when I was 12, and I didn't like it, I thought it was frightening. I am no longer scared by it, and I like it slightly more than I did back then, but I will not be putting this on voluntarily.
3
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Tue Apr 25 2023
Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Very moody, mysterious. Interesting that they were inspired by religion, and exploring why people need it. I wouldn't have heard that but I can hear it now. There is a lot of space in the songs, like an organ echoing through a church. But instead of an organ it's synthesizers. I enjoyed it, would listen again.
4
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Wed Apr 26 2023
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
I like hearing the experimentation, it keeps this from being merely hippie folk. I like it more than most of the other Byrds albums I've heard. The early use of the Moog is noteworthy.
3
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Thu Apr 27 2023
Space Ritual
Hawkwind
Very jammy, and with the straight ahead nature of it, it's very listenable. Plus the live recording is so high quality that it doesn't even sound live, which is great. It doesn't sound cosmic enough to lift me off into outer space like "space rock" implies, but I can hear how it would be powerful in a live context, and the psychedelic interludes are a nice contrast to the classic rock.
3
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Fri Apr 28 2023
Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
I enjoyed hearing "Relax" in its album context. Beyond that, the music mostly just made me feel anxious.
3
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Sat Apr 29 2023
Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
Quite delightful. The opening track "I Saw the Light" set a great tone. I appreciated the track where he talks about the "game" he made up in the studio, then plays examples of audio hiss, etc. - nice way to keep it light, even though I can't help but think it was filler to fill out a double album - which is, of course, the primary problem with this album. The problem is twofold - it's gets too long to listen to in a sitting, and it means that songs that shouldn't be included are included. But I really did enjoy it despite that last point, and am slowly becoming a Todd Rundgren fan.
4
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Sun Apr 30 2023
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
Very strong start with "21st Century Schizoid Man". I'm enjoying the variety of instrumentation - the orchestral elements, the mellotron, the clarinet, alongside the traditional rock setup. The album does lose some momentum as we come down from the first track. Cool that this was a prog rock poineer. I like it more than a lot of the prog I've heard. Ends strong with The Court of the Crimson King, though the promise of the first track was never fully realized through the course of the album.
4
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Mon May 01 2023
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
Dre's productions are amazing, he really created some impressive sounds, quintessential G-funk. Snoop Dogg's contributions really elevate the album, and in large part define it. It's too long - clearly violating the 40-minute rule which has become a reliable marker almost 900 albums into this journey. Trim some of the fat and this album would be even better.
4
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Tue May 02 2023
So
Peter Gabriel
I'm slowly coming around to this sound - which I think of as the "Phil Collins" sound, though it might be more accurately characterized as the other way around. It's always sounded like muzak to me, like something my mom might have put on while she was cleaning... but it's starting to sound more like an old friend now. I gave it a few listens - favorites are probably "Sledgehammer" "This is the Picture (Excellent Birds)" and "In Your Eyes."
4
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Wed May 03 2023
S&M
Metallica
There is something amazing about the very idea that a metal band would collaborate with an orchestra, and their execution of it is remarkable. I'll be honest, I'm not that into Metallica but what they achieved here with the San Francisco Symphony & Michael Kamen is special.
4
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Thu May 04 2023
Arise
Sepultura
Just had to kind of get through this one - it was like getting flicked in the face every time the bass drum hit - it's just not really my speed. It's easy to appreciate the skill of the musicians but I did not enjoy the feelings the music gave me.
2
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Fri May 05 2023
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
The fact that this was recorded in a mere two days does not forgive - and in fact explains - its rambliness, noodlings, and lack of resolution. It's as if a very talented student waited until the last minute to write their paper, then just word vomited and turned it in - passable, but hardly great. It sounds like a session that could have resulted in a couple good songs for a future album and ditch the rest.
2
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Sat May 06 2023
The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
Super funky, good flow - really enjoyed this one. Noting that this debut seems to be accepted as his best album.
4
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Sun May 07 2023
Black Monk Time
The Monks
People are saying some significant things about this album - first punk album, beginning of krautrock, pioneering avant garde music - wow! I guess I can hear that if I stretch but as a listening experience the first thing that sticks out is the lead vocalist's shrill voice that goes the same for me as hearing someone rub their fingers on a balloon - it gives me the chills. I do enjoy their unhinged style and there are lots more interesting "facts" about this band - that they were American GI's stationed in Germany, that they were critical of the Vietnam war, that one of their instruments was a six string banjo. I wish I could hear the music at it was recieved then, because it comes off to these contemporary ears - almost 60 years later - as a goofy novelty act rather than the hard hitting innovator that the critical acclaim suggests.
3
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Mon May 08 2023
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
I am a fan, and listened to this when it came out. My complaint is now what it was then, which is they have a tendency to produce some real knockout, top notch songs, and then a handful of mediocre songs, which makes it difficult to appreciate them fully in the context of a full album. I think "A Certain Romance" is my favorite.
4
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Tue May 09 2023
Smile
Brian Wilson
A very pretty Beach Boysy album, and interesting to hear an isolated version of his influence on the Beach Boys. What a wild thing, to revisit and finish an album so many years later. I do question its place on the list a little bit for that reason, but it certainly turned out well.
3
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Wed May 10 2023
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
Can't say I understand why this is on the list, but I am glad I listened to it. The arrangements and instrumentation are challenging, yet I found my head bobbing along to most of them. Feels like a scary campfire story in musical form.
4
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Thu May 11 2023
Live At The Witch Trials
The Fall
The don't give a fuck attitude is somewhat appealing but is overshadowed by the annoying repetition, dissonance, and things out of key. Mercifully short, which helped. I was listening with Margaret, and she said "too noisy, two stars, move on." I am rounding up to 3.
3
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Fri May 12 2023
S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
Thoroughly enjoyed, and appreciate the common thread / storyline. I like the experimentation and the psychedelia of it too. Big cred for being the first rock opera, even if Tommy ended up being released first. Side note, as a huge Ty Segall fan I was hearing extreme similarities between the first two tracks and some of Ty's music. Apparently not a coincidence, as he has cited this as one of his favorite albums.
4
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Sat May 13 2023
Technique
New Order
This feels like kids goofing around with synthesizers taken to its logical conclusion on the billboard charts.
3
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Sun May 14 2023
The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
I like this the more I listen to it. It's very sweet sounding, and I like this folk / country line she is riding.
4
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Mon May 15 2023
...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
The definition of bubblegum pop. Some real jams here, but way too much fluff.
3
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Tue May 16 2023
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
What a voice, what a legend. Amazing that he wrote Respect, considering everyone associates it with Aretha.
4
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Wed May 17 2023
Whatever
Aimee Mann
Well crafted songs. No complaints, but not striking lightning in me either. I do like her voice.
3
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Thu May 18 2023
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
This album grew on my as I listened through a couple times. The combo of the samples with David Byrne's punchy guitar works well. The eclectic samples, combined from many different places, make the sounds fresh and unique.
4
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Fri May 19 2023
Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Solid!
4
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Sat May 20 2023
Nowhere
Ride
What a miserable dirge. And making it even worse, it's way too long.
2
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Sun May 21 2023
Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
It is hard for me to understand why this became one of their great albums. I hear a couple good songs, a bunch of decent songs, and a couple ridiculous should have been b-sides. Landlocked would have been a superior album title, I wish they would have stayed with it. I don't recognize any of these which tells me they did not become a part of the collective consciousness the way many of their other songs on other albums have. Despite all this, I understand its place on the list since it apparently did so well. But I still don't understand why.
3
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Mon May 22 2023
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
I'm a fan of King of Leon - yes, even their Sex on Fire era, as overblown as it was, but nothing they've done since really compares to their first couple albums (this one and Youth & Young Manhood). Raw, tight, gripping rock n roll. Caleb's unique voice and delivery helps set the band apart and define their sound. The album drags in a couple places but overall a great listen.
4
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Tue May 23 2023
Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
The kind of glam rock that I have trouble getting into. Sounds like they were not hugely successful, but were influential to some other glam bands who I also don't like listening to.
2
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Wed May 24 2023
Duck Stab/Buster & Glen
The Residents
I'm not sure "enjoyed" is the right word, but I appreciated hearing this. It sounds like people allowing themselves to be the strangest version of themselves, and I find that inspiring. Interesting reading about their long and storied history, avanti garden approach and anonymity. I am amazed that they are still active as a band in 2023.
4
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Thu May 25 2023
Among The Living
Anthrax
Listening to this just feels like wasting time, I am not on this thrash metal wavelength at all. The songs are more meaningful than they sound like they would be, the socially conscious themes and such. And there's a lot of technical skill, particularly in the speed of the playing. But as they say, just because you can doesn't mean you should. Did not enjoy.
2
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Fri May 26 2023
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
I am inspired by the looseness of the band generally and this album specifically. It doesn't feel over thought or over worked, the short songs feel like brief little journal entries. Feels like a feat to achieve 28 actual songs in 41 minutes. I also like the sound of Robert Pollard's voice, it sounds silky or something.
4
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Sat May 27 2023
Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
Some great grooves. Interesting to find out he was behind the Ocean's trilogy soundtracks - I've always liked that music but did not know who was behind it. "Don't Die Just Yet" was particularly good.
4
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Sun May 28 2023
Grievous Angel
Gram Parsons
These songs are smooth and frictionless, it's hard to find anything wrong with them - does that mean they're perfect, or does it mean they're boring? The only real moment of confusion for me was the random live track. Ok, I'm reading now that the live track was fake, with canned applause, which actually makes it even more confusing. Overall though, really solid songs and performances.
4
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Mon May 29 2023
Public Image: First Issue
Public Image Ltd.
This is heavy, I like it. There's a catharsis in the driving anger towards certain aspects of society. I'm connecting with it.
4
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Tue May 30 2023
Cross
Justice
They have a knack for ear worms. Impressive debut. I don't listen to that much dance music but I think part of the appeal of this is that it easily crosses over into pop & rock realms.
4
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Wed May 31 2023
Trio
Dolly Parton
3 legendary singers - beautiful harmonies, a soulful collaboration. I am not overwhelmed by this album but I am certainly charmed by it.
4
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Thu Jun 01 2023
Permission to Land
The Darkness
I am impressed that it is a debut album, because the sound is so developed and consistent. I know "Thing Called Love" but not any of the others so I was surprised to hear that there were 5 singles. In the end, I don't really like this, it has that glam goofiness and showoffiness that turns me off. But I can't deny the skill on display here, particularly from the lead singer.
3
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Fri Jun 02 2023
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
One of those bands whose sound has always seemed omnipresent, yet I'm sure I've never listened to an entire album. It's a good, tight sound, but it doesn't particularly excite me.
3
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Sat Jun 03 2023
Kimono My House
Sparks
It's fun and kinda catchy, and at the same time irritating and gimmicky. Likely not something I will choose to listen to, but it fits a mood that I could get down with sometimes.
3
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Sun Jun 04 2023
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Genesis
Way too long, but to their credit it seems that they never run out of things to say in 90 minutes. Some really compelling tracks here and there that would be more impactful, in my opinion, in the context of a more condensed 40 minute album.
3
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Mon Jun 05 2023
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
Perfectly good Doors sound - nothing particularly amazing here in my opinion.
3
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Tue Jun 06 2023
Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales