Jan 14 2021
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Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
4
Jan 15 2021
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Different Class
Pulp
thought i wouldn't care for it...turns out i do
4
Jan 18 2021
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Tapestry
Carole King
did not care for it, but that's a turning point of a record
3
Jan 19 2021
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Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
5
Jan 20 2021
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Blackstar
David Bowie
3
Jan 21 2021
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Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
i just don't like van morrison, no matter how hard i try. he just sounds like his tongue is five sizes too big half the time.
2
Jan 22 2021
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Rip It Up
Orange Juice
SO MUCH 80s
4
Jan 25 2021
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Aja
Steely Dan
i just really don't like steely dan. the drummer on this album (apparently bernard purdie) was excellent, but i just hate everything else about them.
1
Jan 26 2021
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London Calling
The Clash
hells yeah
5
Jan 27 2021
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Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
3
Jan 28 2021
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Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
i'm confused as to how the mid-90s produced such a mid-80s album. i am not a fan, but there's huge talent here.
3
Jan 29 2021
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Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
that was fantastic - and well ahead of its time. dreamy and ethereal - i loved it
5
Feb 01 2021
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Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
disco progrock is the best progrock?
2
Feb 02 2021
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Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3
Feb 03 2021
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Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
HELL yeah, man. holy shit, this was so good.
5
Feb 04 2021
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Gold
Ryan Adams
dear lord, i hated that.
1
Feb 05 2021
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Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
nice to see a not-super-huge-hit record from them on here.
3
Feb 08 2021
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xx
The xx
3
Feb 09 2021
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Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
i don't love cat stevens, but that was pretty good.
4
Feb 10 2021
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Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
yeah, it was fine.
3
Feb 11 2021
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Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
2
Feb 12 2021
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Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
3
Feb 15 2021
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You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
3
Feb 16 2021
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Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
pretty cool. OEM 1969 trippiness meets folksy jangly fun
3
Feb 17 2021
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Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
i could - and would - hate on robert plant's voice until the cows freeze over...but damn, man...bonham.
4
Feb 18 2021
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Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
interesting. not entirely my style, but interesting.
3
Feb 19 2021
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Young Americans
David Bowie
loved his cover of across the universe.
4
Feb 22 2021
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Hunky Dory
David Bowie
will always love life on mars
4
Feb 23 2021
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Paul Simon
Paul Simon
that was great - i didn't realize so many good songs were all on one album
4
Feb 24 2021
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Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
nice, but kind of forgettable in the end.
3
Feb 25 2021
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Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
man, that was amazing. super cool, especially for 1968
5
Feb 26 2021
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Risque
CHIC
smoooooove bass on this album, man
4
Mar 03 2021
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Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
hoooooly shit. mind blowing all around.
5
Mar 04 2021
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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
classic. silent night in particular was amazing
5
Mar 05 2021
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Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
surprisingly awesome
4
Mar 08 2021
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Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
unbelievably strong start, but it kinda lost me in the second half. i still loved this album, though.
5
Mar 09 2021
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At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
damn, he's good. i still have only so much time for the blues, but that was a good album.
4
Mar 10 2021
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Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
damn, son.
4
Mar 11 2021
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Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
some surprisingly smooove stuff on there
4
Mar 12 2021
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Out of Step
Minor Threat
i have been waiting so long for this album to come up in the rotation. fuck yes.
5
Mar 15 2021
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Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
it's just as bad as i remember it being. fuck, i hate axl rose.
2
Mar 16 2021
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The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
that must've been amazing to hear in 1963. pretty awesome now.
4
Mar 17 2021
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Picture Book
Simply Red
ugh. i wanted to like that, i really did. but i didn't.
2
Mar 18 2021
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Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
dear lord am i glad that's over.
2
Mar 19 2021
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Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
super smooth, and what a picture of its time. i don't love it, but it's a great view into what things must've been like for the squares in 1967.
4
Mar 22 2021
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Dance Mania
Tito Puente
hell yeah, man - that was just fantastic, and another super encapsulation of what that scene feels like it would've felt like...if you know what i mean.
5
Mar 23 2021
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Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
4
Mar 24 2021
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Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
ehhhhh...i mean...i dunno, i like the bass. not my style, but it's, you know, fine.
3
Mar 25 2021
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Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
oh yeah...THAT song. (on a rope) i didn't like it then, and i don't like it now.
2
Mar 26 2021
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Superunknown
Soundgarden
yeah, i mean...i was there for the 90s. this is about how grunge sounded back then. nothing special about it, though, is the thing. just...there.
3
Mar 28 2021
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AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube
always liked cube, plus chuck d and flav are an awesome surprise - wasn't expecting to see them here
4
Mar 29 2021
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Pretenders
Pretenders
definitely an example of the time - and one of those albums i feel like i should've liked more than i did. it was...you know, fine. but apart from Lovers of Today, nothing really jumped out at me
3
Mar 30 2021
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Teenage Head
Flamin' Groovies
i love their refusal to jump on the bandwagon of the times, and instead just rip up some awesome bluesy rock & roll. fantastic album
4
Mar 31 2021
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Horses
Patti Smith
holy crap, can i give this 7 stars? so, so good, and what a great storyteller she is on top of the music
5
Apr 01 2021
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Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
i absolutely love the ethereal dreaminess of the whole thing.
5
Apr 02 2021
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Master Of Puppets
Metallica
i've been eyeing this one, too. fantastic album, and it takes me straight back to the days of bmx bikes and climbing cliffs and hanging out in sketchy attics with sketchy people. damage inc is an awesome way to cap off any album there is, too.
5
Apr 03 2021
View Album
Heroes
David Bowie
can i just say how happy i am that there are SO many bowie albums on this list? i will always love the title track - and don't tell anyone, but i may love the cover by oasis even more. i know, i'm not real proud of that, either.
5
Apr 04 2021
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Copper Blue
Sugar
bob's cool and all, but i liked him much better with grant and greg. this album shows his melodic self, but i miss the raw passion and grit from the husker du days.
4
Apr 05 2021
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If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
i will always love the pogues, especially in their earlier days. there's hardly a poet out there who measures up to shane, and i hope the music always hits me right in the heart. i still love rum, sodomy & the lash more than this one, but they're both 7-star albums in my book.
5
Apr 06 2021
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461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
well, he's the man with the guitar. that was a great album, and what control and WHAT A SOUND on that thing. it's not an ultra favorite, but he's great.
4
Apr 08 2021
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Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
she's got a fantastic voice, but her music in general just kinda leaves me a little cold.
3
Apr 09 2021
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I Should Coco
Supergrass
i was surprised at how much i enjoyed this one. it was a nice blend of things i like: dreamy guitars, fuzzy guitars, punk-rock guitars...all kindsa good stuff. noe more album i likely wouldn't have given a second look without this list.
4
Apr 10 2021
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Clandestino
Manu Chao
this was great - like hearing nicola cruz for the first time, only with more languages!
4
Apr 11 2021
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Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
it's not as lush or layered as exit planet dust, and i still don't like block rockin', but there were more tracks i did end up liking than i'd expected to find.
4
Apr 12 2021
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Hotel California
Eagles
the title track's legendary status is deserved. the rest of the album just feels like exposed chest hair, wide collars, gold chains, and feathered hair. like a bunch of other albums in this list, it just screams of its time. for me, in this case, it's not something i love.
3
Apr 14 2021
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First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
oh, THAT's the cardigans. yeah, got it. i do love her voice, and the giant hit of theirs was actually ok to hear again - i guess it's been long enough. they're better than i'd expected
4
Apr 15 2021
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Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
under my thumb is fantastic, and always will be...but i just don't love the stones. i think it's mick. he's just always felt kinda sleazy to me, ever since i was a kid. i'd probably like them better if i'd been older when i first heard them.
3
Apr 16 2021
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Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
this started out strong, but then just kinda...dragged on a little. which is weird, because it's only 36 minutes. it was very go-go, and super cool over all, but not my favorite thing.
3
Apr 17 2021
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This Is Hardcore
Pulp
i'm going to have to look up the meaning of the titl, because by my current understanding, there is no definition of hardcore that this actually is. that said, it was fun enough to hang out with, for sure.
3
Apr 18 2021
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The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
sometimes reminds me of roxy music, but it doesn't really come close to that level of musical genius. it's fine, just a little repetitive, i guess, for my tastes.
3
Apr 19 2021
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Parachutes
Coldplay
i'm slightly surprised at not actively wanting to die having listened to this whole thing. i still don't like them much, but this is was more or less ok.
3
Apr 20 2021
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Exit Planet Dust
The Chemical Brothers
oh man, have i been waiting for this one. this was my first introduction to them, in the fall of 1995. i was super-leet, working in a computer lab, shuttling around my newton and an internal hard drive in the pocket of my mechanic's jacket. i'd remove the drive from a computer in the lab & install mine, write my papers or whatever, then put it all back together and go back home. and read the collected sherlock holmes on the bus back & forth on my newton. this is another 7-star album for me.
5
Apr 21 2021
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Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
good ol' j. mascis. i hadn't realized lou barlow and he started out together - neet!
4
Apr 22 2021
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Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
an absolute classic.
4
Apr 23 2021
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The Last Broadcast
Doves
i started out pretty interested in this, thinking hey, here's something i've completely missed! i ended up pretty uninterested, thinking hmm, this feels more & more like coldplay...
3
Apr 24 2021
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
hell yeah, man. another great snapshot of its time - plus It Ain't No Fun to Me is a fantastic track, and a perfect way to close out this album.
4
Apr 25 2021
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Manassas
Stephen Stills
loved The Treasure - that was a nice surprise, for sure. another great snapshot of its time
3
Apr 26 2021
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American Idiot
Green Day
i definitely had a phase where i liked their early stuff - fun, melodic punky stuff. at some point, i realized they'd really only written one song (i'm in love, and she doesn't know i exist), and that kinda did me in. this album was sort of a watered-down version of all of that. melodic enough, but ultimately pretty boring. plus i've come to think billie joe's a bit of a tool
3
Apr 27 2021
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Dummy
Portishead
i wanted to like this. i wanted enough time to have passed since 1995 when i was hearing that damn song all the time. i wanted to find something here beyond what there was. i was disappointed on all fronts.
2
Apr 28 2021
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Pictures At An Exhibition
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
i mean, sure. why not.
3
Apr 29 2021
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Definitely Maybe
Oasis
oh god, why
2
Apr 30 2021
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White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
love me some lou reed
4
May 01 2021
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Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
i'd never heard of mr jimmy or this album before - i'm super glad it's on this list, though. what a fantastic album. smooth & hoppin', all at once!
5
May 02 2021
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Nixon
Lambchop
me at the beginning: oh, this is interesting
me 3 tracks in: this fuckin' guy
i did like the final track, though - butcher boy. that was alright
2
May 03 2021
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Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
i can't hear them now without seeing peaky blinders in my mind. this is not a bad thing. i also never really realized how much his voice sounds like richard thompson's.
4
May 04 2021
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James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
that was one intense performance - he just never stopped that whole way through. amazing, and an awesome album as well.
5
May 05 2021
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American Beauty
Grateful Dead
i've never loooooved the dead. i appreciate them as well as i can, and i definitely have fond memories with people who did loooooooove the dead, but it's never been for me. that said, this was a great album, and i will always always love ripple.
5
May 06 2021
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Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
holy cow...this was another snapshot of its time, and it's honestly from an era i didn't love...but i do love this album. the music was great, of course, but also just hearing the friendship among these folks in between takes - that was fantastic.
5
May 07 2021
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american dream
LCD Soundsystem
track one is strongly reminiscent of The Big Pink, who i love. track 2 is much more talking heads...who i also love. at one point, i swear heard devo in there somewhere. first track was definitely a winner, as was the last (which was amazing!), but overall i really appreciated the diversity of sound on this one.
5
May 08 2021
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Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
yeah, that's a great album. i remember sitting in my friend dan's living room in like 7th grade with a tape recorder, repeatedly recording and speeding up the slowed-down bit at the beginning of Third Stone until we could understand it. i was surprised at how much i liked both Love Or Confusion and May This Be Love
4
May 13 2021
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Red Dirt Girl
Emmylou Harris
i've been waiting for this one to come around...had it on fairly heavy rotation back around '03 or so, then hadn't given it much thought. it's just as good now as it was then - like emmylou herself, this album doesn't seem to age. it's not that it ages well, it's that it just doesn't get any older with time. love it.
5
May 14 2021
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Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
another snapshot of its time. i'm not sure i really liked it, or that i ever really cared for janet - but boy, did her producers work hard on this one! overall, not for me, but her talent is easy to spot.
3
May 15 2021
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Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
super cool, and kind of interestingly timeless. it certainly doesn't feel like anything i'd think of from an album from 1964. i really like that - and this is gonna sound maybe kinda pretentious, but here goes - it sounds like he's playing on old strings. like, on a lot of albums you can just about smell the new nickel, but these just sound like whatever he had on - no super tinny highs, not ultra-clean or anything, just a great warm sound.
4
May 16 2021
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Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
so, it turns out i like grime a lot more than i thought i would. pretty nice.
4
May 17 2021
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Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
that was just awesome. what a voice, and what a view into its time.
4
May 21 2021
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Dookie
Green Day
man, i just don't know...i still think he's a bit of a tool. and while this album is closer to what i used to like about them, it's just...not.
3
May 22 2021
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Bad
Michael Jackson
i'm still not sure i really care for michael. this was ok, but it ultimately just leaves me cold.
3
May 23 2021
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Street Life
The Crusaders
i don't think i'd ever heard of them before this, but i thought this album was pretty ok. spotify, as it does, kept playing when i was over, and the first track was Look Beyond The Hill, from The 2nd Crusade - and that was AWESOME.
3
May 24 2021
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I Against I
Bad Brains
this is a classic album that i'm betting gets low scores globally. but i fucking love it - they were unlike anything else happening at the time, and holy shit, were they something. i got to see them at the channel in boston, back in the early 90s!
5
May 25 2021
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Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
nice to hear dolly in what i take to be her prime - she's still going strong, but 'merican culture in 1970 was primed and ready for her music. it's not really my thing, but she does sing like a bird
4
Jun 02 2021
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Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
i already knew this, but i really just don't care for todd rundgren.
2
Jun 03 2021
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Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
i knew this album at the time, though not that well. i remembered loving some tracks, but didn't know others at all. on the whole, i loved this one, especially This Corrosion, which just burns
5
Jun 04 2021
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Electric Warrior
T. Rex
well, that was some t. rex for sure. i have the opposite of a soft spot in my heard for Get It On, because i hated the Power Station cover, and it was all over V66 back in the day, and i could not escape it. but man, they were something, huh?
4
Jun 05 2021
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Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
i'm loving hearing how these early stereo albums discovered how to work with 2 channels. i'm not a huge fan overall, but the jack casady's bass work on this album is terriffic.
4
Jun 06 2021
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Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
well, i didn't like the other album on the list, but this one struck me quite differently.
4
Jun 07 2021
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Either Or
Elliott Smith
i remember when he died, and a lot of people were really broken up about it, but i didn't know anything about him, so i felt bad for not feeling bad. i get that he had some massive talent, but this one just kinda left me cold.
3
Jun 08 2021
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Bossanova
Pixies
this came after i'd stopped listening to them, though i was aware of it at the time. i still liked it, especially the last track (havalina) - that was a nice surprise
4
Jun 09 2021
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The Sensual World
Kate Bush
this was a nice change. once again, not a huuuge fan of her work, but the title track in particular was really surprising. i liked it, but i was also ready for it to be over when it ended.
3
Jun 10 2021
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The Holy Bible
Manic Street Preachers
this one gets a big 'meh' from me.
2
Jun 11 2021
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The Visitors
ABBA
kinda feel like the less said about this one, the better.
2
Jun 12 2021
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Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
i like PJ, but this one kinda missed me. the first track that made me turn and look to see what it was...was the first one that played after the album was finished.
3
Jun 13 2021
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The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
well, this isn't fair, because jonathan richman is a bit of a hometown hero, and the state's favorite song appears on this album twice...but yeah, i liked it. strongly reminiscent, unsurprisingly, of the velvet underground, but still its own thing.
4
Jun 14 2021
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Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
i'm just a sucker for dreamy, ethereal guitars and vocals to match. this was great.
5
Jun 15 2021
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Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
yeah, that's about what i remember - takes me back, for sure. less baggage about the hangers-on now than i had back then, which is nice.
4
Jun 16 2021
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The Coral
The Coral
fun at first, but this one really dropped off. it just got kinda boring.
2
Jun 17 2021
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Eagles
Eagles
well, it's over, and that's a plus. three hits everyone of a certain age has heard a million times over, plus a bunch of filler that just kinda sits there. not for me, but someone must love this album.
2
Jun 18 2021
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Graceland
Paul Simon
hard to be objective about this one, since i've always loved it. i loved his up-yours by working with a black group from south africa during apartheit; i loved the music in general, and i honestly loved the swahili in particular. i spent the better part of a week reading along with the lyrics until i knew the intro Diamonds by heart.
5
Jun 19 2021
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Moondance
Van Morrison
i oscillate between thinking he's annoying and really respecting his music. this one is pretty solidly respectable.
4
Jun 20 2021
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Guitar Town
Steve Earle
well, it certainly doesn't sound like anything i remember from 1985. i really like how out-of-time it is, in fact.
4
Jun 21 2021
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1999
Prince
i thought for a long time that i didn't like prince. i'm pretty sure this album was the reason.
3
Jun 22 2021
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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
well, that was a bit of a slog. nothing on this entire album really grabbed my attention, which is a bit of a surprise, considering i generally liked their earlier work.
2
Jun 24 2021
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The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
glad i finally sat through this, and it's funny to think of the uproar when it came out.
3
Jun 25 2021
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Eli And The Thirteenth Confession
Laura Nyro
i'm glad i survived that. i do not believe i would have enjoyed that particular part of 1968. i doubt i would've felt the need to be shouted at in that way.
2
Jun 26 2021
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Tical
Method Man
cool. i like the idea more than the reality. i do remember liking wu-tang, but this didn't do it for me nearly as much as i'd hoped.
2
Jun 27 2021
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Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
omg, SOOO 1985. that was not a particularly good year for music, as i recall. not a favorite.
3
Jun 28 2021
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Marquee Moon
Television
was never really into them back in the day, though i knew they were around. one track stood out, the rest were interesting enough, but didn't really grab me.
3
Jun 29 2021
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Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
oh, right (bloody well right!)...THAT album. nice to hear the rest of it beyond just that one single.
3
Jun 30 2021
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The Renaissance
Q-Tip
i like his style in general, but didn't love this album.
3
Jul 01 2021
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Snivilisation
Orbital
i liked this a lot more now than i did back in like '96 when i first heard it. it's held up very well.
4
Jul 03 2021
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Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
this was not on my radar, despite my admiration for the cure. it was great to hear, and honestly, it was great to have an excuse to listen to something besides disintegration by them, that kinda being my go-to
4
Jul 04 2021
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S&M
Metallica
sure. why not. was this groundbreaking in 1999? i'm not sure. the juxtaposition wasn't actually all that interesting, which is too bad, because this should have been a mind-blowing album.
3
Jul 05 2021
View Album
Hms Fable
Shack
this one was kinda sadly forgettable. i was psyched because i'd never heard of them, and they were from liverpool, which just seems like a good thing...Streets of Kenny was great, but nothing else really stood out here to me.
3
Jul 06 2021
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Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
nick is amazing. it's weird that we kind of almost forgot about him, and then he reappeared and now people know his work again.
4
Jul 07 2021
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Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
peace love and understanding! oliver's army! and...honestly, not much else really leapt out at me, which is weird.
3
Jul 08 2021
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A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
it wasn't mediocre, but it wasn't my favorite. i'd never heard of them, and was apprehensive - but ultimately, i enjoyed this one.
4
Jul 09 2021
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Nevermind
Nirvana
it's impossible for me to be objective about this album. it was the one that changed everything, yes - but also, everything was going to change no matter what, and this was kinda just the one that happened to be there at the right time. i did learn to play this entire album back in the day, but i also got intolerably tired of hearing it.
4
Jul 10 2021
View Album
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
this one missed me. a couple of tracks were definitely worth another listen, but i kinda always felt like this particular slice of ny hip hop was just not for me. a whole lot of showboating, but the flow just wasn't there. maybe it was just how it was at the time, but in the end, i didn't love this one.
2
Jul 12 2021
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Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
and, for whatever reason, i liked this one way more than Ready To Die, which was yesterday's pick. just felt right
4
Jul 13 2021
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The Dreaming
Kate Bush
i'm sure she's a perfectly lovely human being, but dear lord do i hate kate bush's music. i've just never ever liked it, and this album in particular was just hard to get through.
2
Jul 14 2021
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Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
boy, he really MEANT IT when he sang, huh? i love how crazy this sounds now - i wonder if it did then, too.
4
Jul 15 2021
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Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
i keep hoping he'll cover dead skunk. that would be hilarious. i've always loved the art teacher - it's so raw, which is such a contrast to the rest of this album.
4
Jul 16 2021
View Album
The Stranger
Billy Joel
boy, that guy sure can whistle. i really don't care for his music, though i'm sure he is also a very nice person. this MAY help me to learn the difference between him and elton john. the fact that i have never really been able to tell is something i am neither proud nor ashamed of.
3
Jul 17 2021
View Album
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
it's unfortunate that the music he made solo came at a time in music history where music overall was so unpleasant. i wanted to like this, but i just don't. never liked the title track, never REALLY cared for jet...and everything else wasn't bad, it just wasn't for me.
3
Jul 20 2021
View Album
Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
this was wholly unexpected - i'd never heard the name before, and while i immediately liked the album name, that was all i knew. i really love this album - i love the prodigious reverb, i love the weird repetitions, i love the vocal style...i'm genuinely surprised and delighted
4
Jul 21 2021
View Album
Spiderland
Slint
i remember playing this on my radio show back in about 1993 or so. it was a request. i didn't care for it then, and i don't care for it now. like, go take some vitamin c or something, guys. fuck's sake.
2
Jul 22 2021
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Aqualung
Jethro Tull
i thought this would take me right back - it didn't, but i was kind of ok with that, too. ian anderson is an interesting songwriter, for sure.
3
Jul 23 2021
View Album
OK Computer
Radiohead
this was my first time hearing this entire album - in fact, it may've been my first time hearing any of the tracks from it at all. i do enjoy just how different they are from everything else going on around them.
3
Jul 24 2021
View Album
A Night At The Opera
Queen
man, i was really hoping God Save the Queen was going to be a Sex Pistols cover. i do realize that would've required a time machine, but honestly, i think it would've been worth the effort.
3
Jul 25 2021
View Album
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
i don't believe there's much to be said here. it's johnny fucking cash at folsom fucking prison, with june fucking carter. to whom, if my chronology isn't way off, he was not yet married - so we witnessed it all, very raw, and very real. i also particularly loved that they didn't cut out the warden's(?) announcements, and what i believe was them slapping johnny in cuffs at the end.
5
Jul 26 2021
View Album
...And Justice For All
Metallica
i knew this one, but not as well as others. i like it less than master of puppets, for whatever that's worth.
4
Jul 27 2021
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More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
what an awesome look at their early days. i've always loved covers, and take me to the river is no exception. (al green!)
4
Jul 28 2021
View Album
Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
yeah, that was kinda fucking awesome. i have kinda mixed feelings about them overall, but that must've been one hell of a live show. also, huey freakin' lewis on harmonica! that's a fun surprise
5
Jul 29 2021
View Album
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
so, of course i knew OF sabbath - but i really never listened to them. i'd somehow heard Changes before, but that was it - except for supernaut, which is a) easily my favorite on this album, and b) humorously, the least-played track, according to spotify.
anyway, this one was so good, i went back and listened to it again, just to be sure. and yeah, it held up. amazing.
5
Jul 30 2021
View Album
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
that was a lot of fun. this is another band i knew of, but whose music i never really crossed paths with, somehow. it was a great look at early-mid eighties punkity-rock
4
Jul 31 2021
View Album
The Only Ones
The Only Ones
that was interesting, for sure. i'd never heard of them, and my immediate reaction was to think the violent femmes had released a VERY early album. i liked it overall, although it kind of wore on as it went.
3
Aug 01 2021
View Album
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
too short by half! i mean, it's bb king, live, in 1965. i could've listened to a LOT more of that. i mean...damn
5
Aug 02 2021
View Album
Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
i particularly loved The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch, which is almost the least-played track on this album, according to spotify. i thought it was one of the best, along with Here Come The Warm Jets, and Baby's On Fire. TL;DR: enough is cool.
5
Aug 03 2021
View Album
In It For The Money
Supergrass
yeah, that was alright. missed them at the time, and like with I Should Coco, i don't think i would've given this one much of a shot - but i enjoyed it overall, for sure.
3
Aug 04 2021
View Album
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
another i'd never heard of, and would totally have missed - but holy cow, does this album RIP. there's a lot to love here, but i especially liked the panning of the drums at the very end of the last track. it was the best kind of unnecessary.
5
Aug 05 2021
View Album
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
wait, hang on. i like an outkast album? which way is up?? but srsly...yeah, this is was really good. he's got a far better flow than i'd expected from his one massive hit. super tight, and not being utterly misogynistic is a plus, too.
4
Aug 06 2021
View Album
Bad Company
Bad Company
honestly, that was just boring. i'm sure in its time, it was fine, but...it just conjures visions of budweiser in pull-tab cans, and a bunch of stupid people standing around thinking they're deep.
it's possible i'm projecting a little here.
2
Aug 07 2021
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Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
yeah, this was fine. i didn't much care for her music back then, and i really don't now, although i absolutely love her unwillingness (at least on this album, i've never met her or anything) to take absolutely no shit whatsoever.
3
Aug 08 2021
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Dog Man Star
Suede
genuinely enjoyed this - such a nice change for 1994. glad to have encountered it
4
Aug 09 2021
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Blur
Blur
fuck, do i hate that song. though, weirdly, the rest of the album is actually pretty good. never thought i'd say that about blur, but here we are.
3
Aug 10 2021
View Album
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
dear god, do i not like them. well, i think it's anthony i don't like - flea is, of course, incredible, as is chad. but jesus, this was hard to get through.
2
Aug 11 2021
View Album
Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
i have such mixed feelings about this one. she was such a mess that it really put me off at the time...but that voice, and that sound, and her uncompromising writing...it's hard to be objective, is what i'm saying. but yeah, i like this quite a lot in the end, even though i don't think i care for the picture i have of her in my mind.
4
Aug 12 2021
View Album
Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
this was surprisingly good. i especially liked the last track (Feb 4 '99), which was an interesting and powerful departure from the rest of the album, but still totally fit.
4
Aug 13 2021
View Album
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
i groaned inwardly when i saw this come up. i can deal with freedom, but christ, that's about all. incredible voice, though.
2
Aug 14 2021
View Album
The Cars
The Cars
this feels like it would've been a revelation in 1978 - i didn't realize it'd been out for that long. even the less well-known tracks here were strong. plus, you know, hometown heroes!
4
Aug 15 2021
View Album
Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
had never heard this album - and i may well have heard of these guys, but gotten them mixed up with saigon kick, which would most certainly have tainted my view of them. good to have that cleared up. this was fun - and super cool that these guys are finns, to boot.
3
Aug 16 2021
View Album
Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson
well, that was all over the place. double album, styles galore...weird. i'm not sure what else to feel about this one, other than that it seemed like it could've been maybe 4 different albums, but homeboy only had a deal for one or something.
3
Aug 17 2021
View Album
Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
i was surprised the first time i heard them and realized i really really liked them. i hadn't thought i would, but here we are. this album is no exception - i really enjoyed it, especially the droning, washing guitar. huge soft spot for richard thomson after vincent black lightning.
5
Aug 18 2021
View Album
Palo Congo
Sabu
holy crap, fucking amazing. super swinging' and stuff. i love the sweet syncopated rhythms, and the panning of, say, a guitar all the way to the right - which usually annoys me - is more fun than anything here.
5
Aug 19 2021
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Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
this is another album that's very difficult to be even remotely objective about. it came into my life at a time that should be impossible to be nostalgic about, but somehow this album makes it not only possible, but inevitable. also, knowing the bookend tracks are all about syd really gives the whole thing weight. plus, the title track - every guitarist learns that opening at some point, i'm sure. this album is of its time, but timeless.
5
Aug 20 2021
View Album
Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
sometimes it's lush and dreamy, sometimes it's blippy...sometimes it's melodic, sometimes it's grindy. i should like this more than i do, based on that alone. but i just didn't, not all that much. Star and Long Life are cool tracks, though.
3
Aug 21 2021
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Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches
Happy Mondays
didn't like them then, don't like them now. Dennis and Lois was a cool track. the rest can go jump in a lake.
2
Aug 22 2021
View Album
Remedy
Basement Jaxx
i think 1999 was just a pretty tough year for music in general. someone uploaded something by them to my (super totally rad, btw) free mp3 server back then, and i almost deleted it as soon as i heard it. this album, and the passing of 20+ years, has not changed that assessment.
2
Aug 24 2021
View Album
Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
some things i love: the bass - great tone, and man, can that guy rip. the liverpool/merseyside stuff - totally a personal thing, but liverpool is definitely special in my world, so hearing that accent was awesome. the rest of the album was a great snapshot of pop music in 1984, for sure. also, the contemporaneous cover of Born To Run! never heard it before, but it totally rocks.
4
Aug 25 2021
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New Forms
Roni Size
i feel like this one suffers from the general musical malaise of the late 90s...but it's still interesting, in its way. it holds on hard to the old jungle beats - from back when that term wasn't as problematic as it is now - which i enjoy, since it's such an insect-in-amber thing. but overall, it's just not for me. didn't like it then, don't really care about it now.
3
Aug 26 2021
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En-Tact
The Shamen
i've tried so hard to like these guys. they have one track that's an absolute standout for me (destination eschaton - all-time favorite, no question), but no matter where i look, i only find that track is just unlike most of their work. this album was fine, don't get me wrong - and a huge statement for 1990, for sure - but it really wasn't what i love about them.
3
Aug 27 2021
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Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
...it was better when trent reznor did it back in the late 80s. except the stuff that sounded like kyuss, which was better when kyuss did it. still, it did kind of grow on me by the end, but i was also not sorry to see the end of this one. hard to say whether this was genuinely boring, or if i'm just bitter because it was the next generation's fun instead of my own.
2
Aug 28 2021
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O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
this was great, even if i got a little tired of it by the end. the amount of cultural change t represented, and helped bring about, is hard to comprehend - but it was real, and that legacy is important. i got to see him w/bodycount in 1992 or so, and although i didn't care much one way or the other back then, i'm glad i got to be there for it.
4
Aug 29 2021
View Album
Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
this was a lot of fun. i definitely have a weird soft spot for african rhythms, which this of course lit right up. overall, quite enjoyable.
4
Aug 30 2021
View Album
Ten
Pearl Jam
i'm sure i would've liked this more at the time if it hadn't been for the fan club. not wanting to be associated with assholes kept me from giving this much of a chance back then - i'd never listened to the whole thing, for example - although i knew about half the tracks. which is kind of amazing, really: that's a lot of tracks getting a lot of airplay for one album. eddie's voice is as awesome as i remember, and i still love the floating guitar and fuzzy bass. but christ, for all that, just the memory of a thousand shitheads wearing pearl jam shirts and backwards baseball caps, man...dickheads, (almost) all of 'em.
4
Aug 31 2021
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Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
seems like if i liked them, i'd REALLY like this. as it happens, though, i would appear not to like them very much at all. i managed to dodge them in the 90s, and i come away from this album feeling like i didn't miss out on much. that said, the bassist is awesome; their recapturing of the late-70s daytime tv vibe is impressive, though it makes my skin crawl a bit; parts of this album remind me very much of stevie wonder, which is impressive...but overall, it just misses me. it's SO produced, so sterile in the end.
2
Sep 01 2021
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A Date With The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
well, once again, i was not there then, but this feels to me like the squeaky-clean idea i have of the early 60s. it was fun, and definitely cool to see where nazareth got their one big hit from. always fun to find a new cover, especially when, like here, i didn't know it was a cover in the first place.
3
Sep 02 2021
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The Bends
Radiohead
this was fun. i've never really been into them, but not for any particular reason. i first heard high and dry as a cover by jamie cullum (which is amazing, btw), so it was cool to hear the original in context. also, hearing my iron lung made me desperately wish that they'd cover the killing moon by echo & the bunnymen. the intro is sooo similar, and it just screams to me that their cover would be incredible.
4
Sep 03 2021
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Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
this one's easier to be objective about, since i'd never heard of him at all, despite pretty clearly remembering being alive when it was released. it was an interesting mix of tracks i did not care for one bit, and a couple i found really nice. great voice, and of course the one standout track for me was the one that got the least play on that album (according to spotify) - which tells me i probably don't really like his overall style that much. but I Sleep Alone was a great one, just sayin'.
3
Sep 04 2021
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Wild Gift
X
well, this is another one that was over too soon. i knew about X, of course, being a punkity-rock kid back in the day - but they were a little before my time, and i didn't really come to them until later. i love the aggressive attack on the guitar, the almost brutal uncaring in exene's voice...just great punk rock.
4
Sep 05 2021
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A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
this is another one i've been looking forward to coming up in the rotation. i know My Favorite Things very well, but this one hardly at all - until now! because, helpfully, the entire thing is here twice, and some of it 3x. so that's cool - i appreciate the efficiency story there.
the complexity of this whole album is just mind-blowing. simple beats building to ridiculous rhythms, and coltrane's sax just climbing the walls...except when he hauls back hard on that line and manages to restrain it - but you know that thing just wants to wail for all it's worth, and when it does, there's nothing like it.
5
Sep 06 2021
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Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
i dunno what to say about this one. i love the adverts, and have since i got my copy of burning ambitions, and heard gary gilmore's eyes for the first time. sooo...having it appear twice on this album was awesome, and the whole thing made me happy.
5
Sep 07 2021
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Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
well, shit - that was fantastic. i had a friend in college who was french, and for his final recording project, he produced a track of him rapping in french - and it was amazing! the tape was stuck in my friend's car, so every time we'd go anywhere, all we'd hear was georges screaming away.
so this album of course reminds me of that, which is fantastic - but obviously it also stands on its own. the flow is so tight, you'd think he couldn't get any faster and harder after about the third track...but then raga jam comes up, and you fall over. super happy i got to hear this.
5
Sep 08 2021
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Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
jesus, for its time, this must have been huge. my closest approach to this music so far has been through early beatles' records, so hearing it direct has been awesome.
his commentary on whole lotta shakin' becomes a little uncomfortable considering he was married to his cousin when this was recorded - although i suppose she was legal by then. sigh.
anyway, i still honestly don't think i like him much, but as i say, it feels like, in the late 50s and early 60s, the way he played that piano must have been a revelation.
4
Sep 09 2021
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Like A Prayer
Madonna
well, this happened. i wasn't particularly looking forward to it, honestly, and i guess i'm glad it's done with. her music occupies a complicated place for me - on the one hand, i was born to kinda hate it. on the other hand, in the late 90s, that became a lot harder to do all of a sudden. i assumed at the time that i'd been hit on the head and just didn't remember it.
anyway, in the late 80s, the music was a lot less my speed - though Oh Father is an interesting preview of what was to come later on. that interesting chord progression in the chorus is fun, and the sheer power of her voice really comes through there in a way it doesn't on, say, the title track.
(by the way, i strongly recommend looking up the cover by Bigod 20 of Like a Prayer - it's just do deliciously unexpected.)
3
Sep 10 2021
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Parklife
Blur
this was more fun than their self-titled album...which was also surprisingly not-bad - you know, apart from That One Song. there were a few times i was surprisingly reminded of some of the early punk rockers & new wavers (title track kinda reminds me of madness; Bank Holiday basically screams oi oi oi; and Jubilee sounds a lot like Bingo Master's Breakout, by The Fall). i also genuinely liked the closing track's mishmash of goofy british seaside kitsch with a beatles nod pasted in there for good measure.
4
Sep 11 2021
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Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
i have an old friend who's really into these guys. we are more different than i'd thought.
i mean, overall, this was, you know, fine. Everyday People will always be catchy, so there's that. and i didn't realize until just now that body count was covering these guys - i remember seeing them do Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey at the first lotsalosers back in '91, and although i only ever heard it that one time (until i got to the body count album in this list), it stayed with me all this time. thing is, that was ice-t, not these guys.
this album feels ahead of its time, based on what i know of music from 1969 - the thing is, i don't really love that funky disco thing that happened in the 70s, sooo...yeah. this one really isn't for me.
2
Sep 12 2021
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Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
i really wanted to like this. i'd never heard of them, and was psyched for something new and interesting coming from the comparatively-recent past. that feeling lasted approximately halfway into the first track. by the last third, i found myself wondering when the last time was that i'd been actively angry at an album. i thought i'd found some relief at one point, but when i looked up, i saw that, in fact, this album had ended, and spotify had moved on to its suggested plays.
in short, i did not like this. which is a shame, because i generally love spacey, reverb-ridden guitars, and i genuinely loved the beginning of the first track...but then homeboy's singing started, and that was kind of the end of it for me.
2
Sep 13 2021
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I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
well, i was predisposed to liking this purely because buck shows up in that creedence song. pretty sure i'd heard SOMEthing by him before, but i couldn't tell you what. it was largely what i would've expected...EXCEPT i had absolutely no idea that my favorite johnny rivers song was his (memphis), or that the beatles covered act naturally - i thought that was theirs from the start. so that was a super cool discovery.
4
Sep 14 2021
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Odelay
Beck
never really cared for him then, don't REALLY care for him now. ramshackle was cool enough, but overall...kinda just meh for me.
2
Sep 15 2021
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Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
well, this was a surprise, for sure. when i was a kid, i was definitely a beatles guy, rather than a stones guy. i - at the ripe old age of like 7 - had decided mick was just kinda sleazy - and that stayed with me for a loooong time. anyway, that impression helped me to never really love their music.
but there are definitely songs of theirs i do love, and i've found some new ones for that list on this album. moonlight mile, bitch, and you gotta move - all tracks i'd never heard, even though brown sugar had been played into oblivion (and did little to change my picture of mick). once again, the tracks that i love get the least play on the album, which makes me think i'm probably not a huge fan of their overall sound.
but speaking of sound, holy shit keith richards, man. it's not just that he can play that thing, the sound he gets out of it is amazing. i'm re-committing myself to leaving a better world behind when i go, for him and willie nelson to inherit.
4
Sep 16 2021
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Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
that was one hell of a way to bust onto the scene. i knew of these guys back in the day, and had heard (and liked) some, but not a ton, of their stuff. it was great to be able to just flow through this one.
i really liked this one, despite having basically zero legit connection to hip hop and the surrounding culture.
4
Sep 17 2021
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A Northern Soul
The Verve
well, i am definitely a sucker for dreamy guitars, as i believe i've mentioned in other reviews. this album delivers those in heaps, which i super appreciate. closing track is easily my favorite, though i found i liked a surprising number of others on this album.
i of course only knew of them through their massive late-90s hit, which i did actually love, but please don't tell anyone that. i ended up feeling like this album gave me permission to love that track, and probably a lot more by them.
i think the real takeaway here is that i'm a fan of northern england in general. that seems to be a running theme.
4
Sep 18 2021
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The College Dropout
Kanye West
well, i'm glad this one's over. full disclosure: i've never cared for kanye. i'm sure this was super influential in its time, but christ is this guy a jackass. i suspect he's always been a jackass, and we're just seeing more of it now.
i did love, just about a year after this album came out, when he went off-book during the fundraiser for katrina. his callout was spot-on, even if his delivery was kinda...dumb. but then just a few years later he hops up on stage to talk about how amazing beyonce is, and says god told him to do it..and then whatever happened after that.
i did like school spirit. that was fun. but of course, it was a bit of a departure from the rest of the album. sigh.
2
Sep 19 2021
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69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
this one took a really long time to get through...in part because i was busy, in part because it was long (as suggested by the name), and in part because i wasn't sooooper motivated to keep coming back to it.
overall, this wasn't bad. his vocal range is impressive, and what he does with it is fun. and i definitely appreciate the idea of doing this as an art piece...but, man, was it a lot to get through for something i didn't absolutely love.
3
Sep 20 2021
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Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
hell of a voice, and a ton of energy. must've been a hell of a thing to witness back in his time. hard to get past the caricature we i have of him in my mind.
3
Sep 21 2021
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Arrival
ABBA
this one's another meh-it's-fine album for me. i did rather like when the A*Teens covered the shit out of abba in the late 90s; that felt like a bit of an improvement, to be honest.
3
Sep 22 2021
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Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
they're always good fun. plus, you know, soft spot for liverpool. humorously enough, of the maybe four humans i know in liverpool, one's cousin dated les pattinson back in the day. also, down by the liverpool docks, there's an echo & the bunnymen superlambanana, which is awesome in every way.
anyway, i like this album plenty. great sound for 1980, and definitely a taste of what was coming from them.
4
Sep 23 2021
View Album
Fire Of Love
The Gun Club
this was cool, but sadly forgettable. i listened maybe an hour ago, and haven't heard anything else since...and i couldn't tell you one thing or use about this album. that's too bad, because i have a vague recollection of liking something about it, but i have no idea now what it might've been.
3
Sep 24 2021
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Figure 8
Elliott Smith
i never really cared for his music one way or another - i'd never heard anything by him before he died, and while i'm definitely sorry he's gone, his music just doesn't do much for me. maybe one day that'll change, but for now, this just wasn't that interesting to me.
3
Sep 25 2021
View Album
Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
maybe i've just been having an off day. week. whatever. it just seems like i haven't come across anything that's really grabbed me lately. this album, apart from the closing track, is really no exception - i remember the time (roughly) when it came out, and i don't miss it.
that last track, though...that was actually really awesome.
3
Sep 26 2021
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Shadowland
k.d. lang
i'd forgotten how sweet and how powerful her voice is. this was a joy to hear, even thought i don't really love the music - it was a definite throwback to a time that's pretty much lost, when country music could be lonely and soulful, and not just cheap beer and cheap flags.
4
Sep 27 2021
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Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
zep was kinda overplayed by the time i came to hear them on my own. by the time i was working in kitchens, i was getting tired of them...and by the time i was done working in kitchens, i was pretty much done with them. (and aerosmith, for that matter, but that's another review.)
that said...man, as a debut - as your first time hearing of these new kids from engerland, the opening seconds of the opening track of their first album (which was also their first single) really set the stage. there's that hard attack of page's guitar, jones' intertwining bassline, plant's vocals, whose style really never wavered, and of course bonham's stumbling over the kick drum's pedals that make you think you must've heard wrong...only you haven't, and that's really how he can play those things, and who IS this guy?
i'm sure i've mentioned elsewhere i don't love them - overplayed, as i say, and the fan club by the late 80s was made up of...well, let's just say we were mutually exclusive. but this album, while i still don't love it, really says a lot about where they were going later on. plus, you know, bonham. jeezus, that guy.
4
Sep 28 2021
View Album
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
they're great guitarists, and they get incredible sound from them. i've liked a lot of their stuff, and whipping post is on that list, for sure. and seriously, that gentle fuzz on the guitars is just soothing to hear.
but this album just missed me. i quite liked stormy monday, and sure, it's fun to hear them rock out on the last 2 tracks, but overall, this just didn't grab me - which is a shame, because i always kinda thought if i just sat down and gave them a serious listen, i'd really love these guys. maybe it'll happen on another album.
3
Sep 29 2021
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Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
this was a great one. i knew his music a bit from back in the day (i used to close every edition of my radio show with I Don't Want To Grow Up - fun!), but this was an album i'd completely missed until today.
jersey girl was an obvious standout, but i also really liked a few of the other less-played tracks. it's nice having an album that has a cohesive sound, but that doesn't all sound like the same song 14 times in a row.
plus, you know, that raw, desperate sound he's got - and which, as near as i can make out, has never changed. he's somehow never found his salvation over all these years, but he's also never slipped from the edge.
4
Sep 30 2021
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Done By The Forces Of Nature
Jungle Brothers
this started off strong, but got a little...boring as we went along. i did quite like needs on a string, and the closing track was fun - but the rest of it kinda just blurred into a mass of (ahead-of-its-time) 90s hip hop.
but that closing track...it sent me off looking for the sample they used (the coasters' shoppin' for clothes), because i'd heard it before, in the incredible track by barry adamson called hip no therapy. you should go check it out. totally worth hearing.
3
Oct 01 2021
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Dare!
The Human League
as with so many other albums on this list, this one was a distinct moment in time. it happens that this was a moment i was there for, and remember pretty well. i didn't know what any of it meant at the time, but i was very happy to hear disco's influence fading, and to see whatever new wave was going to bring. it felt, in the best possible way, like living in the future - and a future that was full of possibility and all that stuff, even if it knew it was a weird future.
that said, love action was a nice surprise. i'm sure i've heard it any number of times, but this was the first time i really paid attention. seconds was a good surprise, too. and naturally, the big hit is always cool to hear.
4
Oct 02 2021
View Album
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
album name checks out. it promises both rock and soul, and that is exactly what it delivers - there's some great old-school rock & roll, and there are some tracks just dripping with the man's naked soul.
given what was about to happen in american music at the time it was released, with the british invasion just starting to get properly underway, this album must've felt like a holdover from a time whose time was passing. i'm glad it managed to hang on, though, because it's a great view into the maturing of bluesy rock, and the beginnings of proper soul, all in one.
4
Oct 03 2021
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Technique
New Order
this was fun. interesting to hear them holding on to the 80s sound as the 90s so rapidly approached.
1989 was, as i recall, a tough year for pop music. things were about to change, but hadn't yet...and in that time of waiting, almost everything just sounded kinda tired and bored. this album doesn't suffer from that nearly so much as others of the same age, but you can just hear the need for something - anything - to break loose.
4
Oct 04 2021
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Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
this must've been hard to understand in 1985. i love it. the howling proto-guitar-wash running underneath everything, the kinda holdover-from-punk-rock tone they have, all mixed with the super calm, almost dead vocals, make for a fantastic soup of noise and love. it's like if daniel ash went to sing with lou reed, and i love it.
5
Oct 05 2021
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Metallica
Metallica
i remember when this album came out - it was this huge thing, The Black Album. i just kinda didn't care much, and i'm not sure i care much more now. in fairness, i have always loved enter sandman, but honestly, that's because of the bosstones' cover of it.
i do continue to appreciate lars' precision when playing slow, and james' voice and guitar sound are great, etc. but really, as metallica albums go, i could take this one or leave it, which makes me a little sad.
3
Oct 06 2021
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Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
man...i just don't know about this one. i never actually cared for clapton all that much, is the thing. i do still love the ending of layla, but that's in part because it's NOTHING LIKE the rest of clapton's work.
which, to me, has always kind of sounded like a white man ripping off the black bluesmen of the south - and that's unfortunate, because his talent is undeniable. i just...don't like him. and honestly, as of pandemic times, it's a lot harder to like him as a human than it ever has been.
i guess maybe he actually did sell his soul to rock & roll.
3
Oct 07 2021
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Machine Head
Deep Purple
i'm just gonna say it. i almost hated this. not quite, but it was close. and it's not JUST because i've heard smoke on the water as much as anyone else has - i just don't give a fuck about this kinda proto-wank-metal. sorry?
2
Oct 08 2021
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Hard Again
Muddy Waters
i couldn't tell you why, but i enjoyed this one more than the other muddy waters album on this list.
in case this escapes anyone's notice...damn, he's good.
5
Oct 09 2021
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Remain In Light
Talking Heads
well, like all good art, this makes me think. and by the end of this album, i'm thinking about music's long tradition of borrowing rhythms and flavors from other traditions, and it makes me wonder...in our current heightened state of cultural sensitivity, what would happen if a skinny white dude tried to bring traditional african beats and tone into his music. what if he worked with the spiritual heirs of fela kuti, would that be better? and if it was ok today...how far ahead do we have to look to see that tradition of borrowing as some kind of uncool appropriation?
because this album - and in fairness, like, all of rock, benefits greatly from the legacy of africa and africa's often-unwilling footprint on The West...where we count europe - or at least england - as being somehow meaningfully west of africa.
anyway, i like to think this album could be made today - especially by someone with david byrne's cultural gravitas. but what if it was some unknown nyc art-rocker? if it's not problematic now, does that borrowing become a problem in the future? i really hope not, because art in general needs that cross-pollination, or it withers. i hope we can get this figured out.
4
Oct 10 2021
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Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
i never know what to say about billie. her voice is incredible, and it annoys me. her vocal melodies are intriguing, and i get bored with them after a while.
one thing i'm definitely sure about: i do not like that orchestral thing happening on this album. i'm sure there was a time when it was just the thing, but to me, those flutes just sound like they're supposed to be bluebirds in an overly-sweetened cartoon. the strings are supposed to be a velvety backdrop, but they just end up feeling, to my ear, like they're filling time until the brass comes back from break. it all just feels too over the top.
that said, this is billie freakin' holiday. we don't say bad things about billy freakin' holiday. there's never been a voice like hers since. even if it bothers me after a while.
4
Oct 11 2021
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Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
i'll always love his voice, but this album kinda just left me feeling like i'd heard it a hundred times, when i'm pretty sure i'd never heard it before. it wasn't boring, it was just...there.
3
Oct 12 2021
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Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
this was fun, and a really welcome change. also, those guys can PLAY. i appreciate the legacy, but i definitely feel like i'm missing something not having seen the movie.
4
Oct 13 2021
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Soul Mining
The The
well, that was...i dunno, fine? i remember back in the late 80s, i had a boss who really liked them, in particular that johnny marr was on whatever album he was listening to. but that wasn't to happen for years yet.
anyway, i liked this. it ended up just being kinda a background soundtrack while i worked, but for that it was just fine.
4
Oct 14 2021
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Future Days
Can
huge surprise here. i'd never heard of them, and yet they were reborn in the late 90s in the form of Air.
i've found myself saying this a lot, but i really enjoyed that final track - i guess that was a thing, to throw out some truly ridiculous stuff right at the close of the album. never really thought about it, but now that i am, of course it was a thing. anyway, it's a fun one, and i'm still having trouble believing this album came from 1973. we really did just recycle a lot of the stuff from our collective youth, i suppose, in the 90s...we brought back disco in the form of techno, the vw beetle in the form of the vw beetle...and the influence of the light, airy feel of this album persists across the feathered hair of the 80s, all the way into the 'retro' instagram filters of the moment.
it's like they found a wormhole, and somehow lived on both sides of it at once.
4
Oct 15 2021
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Dust
Screaming Trees
i enjoyed this a lot more than i'd expected to. i'm pretty sure that if i'd had any interest in straight-up rock & roll back in '96, i would've loved this album then. as it happens, i did not, and as a result, i heard it for the first time only today.
i feel like i should have something deep to say about this, but i just don't. it was fun, in a way i was unable to appreciate at the time, but i quite enjoyed hearing it now. Look At You was a fun surprise in a fun overall landscape. good times!
4
Oct 16 2021
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There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
well, this wasn't a riot at all. it wasn't funny OR violent...it was just super 70s funky.
only...i still didn't like it. i don't know what else to say, besides that i don't seem to like them very much in general.
2
Oct 17 2021
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New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
i must be having a bad day or something, because i thought i was gonna like this, and i just didn't care. it was another album that faded into the background, and i only really noticed when it was over and the style changed as whatever next track came up.
2
Oct 18 2021
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Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
christ, do i hate neil young. it's probably nothing personal - i mean, i don't know the guy, but if i did, maybe it would be personal - but gah...that voice has grated on me since i was a kid.
guitar sounds great, wish he wouldn't sing.
the 87-part harmony thing is also cool and all, but damn does it get old.
i'm definitely having a bad day. ordinarily, i'm sure i'd hate this less. i'm sure it's important in the history of music and all, but i just can't get past how little i like hearing the sounds it makes in my ears.
i also do not like joni mitchell, and i do not like the song she wrote about wishing she was at woodstock.
1
Oct 19 2021
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Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
pure, smooth, and beautiful. real soul. i'd heard some, but not all, of this album before this, and i'm glad i got to sit through the whole thing.
4
Oct 20 2021
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A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
i'm not sure the beatles would ever get less than 5 stars from me. anything i could say about them would doubtless be redundant, so i'll just remain thankful they found each other, and grateful for the music they've left us.
5
Oct 21 2021
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Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
jesus, how fuckin' gone was this guy? (i looked him up after i wrote that...pretty fuckin' gone, i guess.)
this was a rhythmically interesting album, which at times bordered on rhythmically challenging. and melodically challenging. but it ultimately won me over simply because it seemed so genuine, and not just the stoned ramblings of some egotist.
4
Oct 22 2021
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Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
this was more fun than i'd expected. i wasn't familiar at all, and i was honestly expecting some kinda lame pop-bubblegum whatever, but that's not what this album is.
4
Nov 04 2021
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Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
damn, man...why do the awesome ones have to be so short? i'm not sure i've ever heard a monk album i didn't come to love. this one didn't take long - the guy was gone, but holy crap could he play.
5
Nov 05 2021
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Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
i never really cared for prince while he was alive. there's still something about his music that puts me off, but christ, his talent is undeniable, innit?
4
Nov 06 2021
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Transformer
Lou Reed
i've always liked you reed, but i've never really been super familiar with his work, apart from the big stuff. i think i may've liked VU better than his solo stuff, but...well, this was still pretty cool
4
Nov 07 2021
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Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
the name is as apt as i've ever seen.
there's a lot to love on this album, and i love all of it. i only hope aretha's legacy is as big as her passion.
4
Nov 08 2021
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Highway to Hell
AC/DC
honestly, i was never a huge fan of AC/DC, but i get the appeal. by my recollection of 1979, this would've fit right in. feels like a solid representation of the time, like a lot of other albums on this list.
3
Nov 09 2021
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The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
fuck yeah, man. i don't think i've ever sat down and listened to this whole album all the way through. obviously i'd heard the big tracks, but definitely not some of the others.
it's hard to overstate the admiration i have for the man's talent. he truly never got old, even when he was making music i didn't much care for.
5
Nov 10 2021
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Repeater
Fugazi
i made a mistake. i went and looked at some of the other reviews before i started writing my own. my original review probably wouldn't have said much, because it's impossible for me to be objective about this album.
but you know what, i was there for this - i saw it happen first-hand, and having read a bunch of people complaining that they sound like bands that came along after they did...kinda feels like i owe it to some random someone to put this out there.
this was one of many projects ian was involved with, and is a direct descendent of minor threat. ian invented straightedge. he refused to platy shows that cost more than $5 to get into, because he wanted everyone to be able to go to shows. (i have a theory about how this ended up working out as a win for venues. knowing they were gonna get slaughtered at the door, they loaded the bill as much as they could, with the idea of making back their losses on future shows with opening acts, whose names were now much better-known.) anyway, ian was a big deal, is what i'm saying - though he was not (and probably still isn't) super comfortable with the idea of being a big deal.
fugazi broke a bunch of rules musically, but they followed a bunch of others. they went into all kinds of improv live (as noted, i was there - at the channel in boston with 1200 other people sweating in leather and stomping in boots and reveling in the heat), and hell, the drummer (brendan canty) had a bell - like, kind of a big one - that he'd use in place of a cymbal sometimes.
but at the same time, they were a reflection of their time, so a lot of the lyrics are angry screaming. sorry, that's just how it was. i like it, but i'm a product of that time, too. songs can feel a little repetitive - but that really really works when you're on your skateboard across town for 45 minutes to get to your girlfriend's house. and it works when you're in the pit and just swimming in the sea of humanity that was one of their shows.
in short, this isn't an album that was meant to be on in the background while you write code - it's for going out and doing something in the world with. hit the ramp, hit the parking lot behind the grocery store and work on your power slides, climb a rock...whatever - just do a physical thing, and this album will feel more at home in your ears. if i'm wrong, i'll buy you a coke.
5
Nov 11 2021
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La Revancha Del Tango
Gotan Project
i'm sure this is interesting to someone. i did not find it to be terribly compelling, but i think that's just a matter of personal taste.
3
Nov 12 2021
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Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
this was, y'know, fine. i liked him better as a pixie, but honestly, i didn't even like him that much then either. interesting for its time, in that there wasn't much that sounded like this - but it still, more or less fails to inspire overall
2
Nov 13 2021
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Homework
Daft Punk
plenty of fun. i was never really into them - i don't dislike them, just never really managed to care much either way.
in terms of beep-beep-zip-zip albums from 1997...if you made me choose, i'd go with vegas, by the crystal method, over this one any day. for comparison: https://open.spotify.com/album/1PJxfEx1v3rdvmd4mBwPDt
3
Nov 14 2021
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Document
R.E.M.
i remember this being a huge deal when it was current. and yet again, at the time, i just couldn't bring myself to care about it. michael's voice - while rich in character - has always just kind of grated on me after a while. back then, it was a less nuanced discussion: rem was not punk rock, and therefore of no interest.
anyway, listening now, i still feel like i'm supposed to like this - supposed to find some genius buried in the lyrics, some hidden swing in peter's guitar, or in bill & mike's rhythm - but it just feels flat to me. it's just kinda late-80's rock & roll, which is fine, but it doesn't move the earth under me. everything being Right. On. The. Beat, track after track, just makes it feel so...white.
that said, i've always liked worksong, and king of birds has a vibe i really enjoy - so that's been a nice surprise.
3
Nov 15 2021
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Smokers Delight
Nightmares On Wax
the standout track for me was bless my soul - as for the rest of this album, i honestly found it pretty unremarkable. like, it ended and i didn't notice for maybe 4 tracks that we'd moved on to other artists.
i also went back just now and re-listened to bless my soul, and feel like standout may be too strong a word.
probably, i am not high enough to enjoy this properly. that said, if i were looking for an album to properly enjoy while thoroughly baked, i would have to get through a *lot* of others before i came to this one.
2
Nov 16 2021
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Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
so, here's the thing. i just can't really stand neil young. his voice has annoyed me since the first time i heard it, and while he can play the guitar, and he definitely gets a great sound out of it, that's just not enough to get me past how f'ing annoying his voice is, and how frankly boring i find this album.
i wish i could like him - or maybe i feel like i should - but i just...don't, and i probably never will.
2
Nov 17 2021
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Ray Of Light
Madonna
i have always secretly loved the title track. don't tell anyone. i remember thinking when this album came out that it was cool seeing her move with the times - she'd been an 80s pop icon, then shifted in the early 90s, and then here she was again in the late 90s working in all that new-fangled techno stuff.
it's also always funny to me how The Olds remember her from the early days & see how she pushed boundaries & conversations about women and their collective place/role in culture...but The Youngs tend to see her as kind of a washed-up tart.
i really don't love her music, but it's very much worth understanding the degree to which she changed the conversation back in the day.
3
Nov 18 2021
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Joan Baez
Joan Baez
good lord, do i hate joan baez.
that said, i've always loved wildwood flower, though i generally prefer mike ness' version - or maybe anyone's - over joan's. see: https://open.spotify.com/track/7gMx2U4OEJsgvYbsSRVjvh
and donna donna has a kind of a weird place in my heart because of a long-ago relationship with a woman who sang it kind of a lot. i'd never heard it before or since, so it was nice to finally know what the hell it was.
apart from that, and i know it's not her fault...i just hate this album, i hate everything i've ever heard by her, and i more or less can't stand her in general. i mean, i assume she's a very nice person, so i guess i should really say i can't stand her voice, her music, or her annoyingly soulful guitar.
in the interest of gender-fairness, if you were to look over my other reviews, you'd see me hating just about anyone whose music sounds like hers. just wanted to say that part out loud.
2
Nov 30 2021
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The Nightfly
Donald Fagen
well, i made it. 38:52 of the whitest music i ever thought i'd hear. so white it mocks you. it never deviates from the beat, it never swings, it's somehow always on the 1 and 3, even when it's on the 2 and 4 - i don't know how this music manages that, honestly.
i get that it's technically fantastic, but where is its soul? i don't necessarily mean soul like soul music, just...like there's no THERE there, it's just diminished ninths and super clean cymbal hits. i imagine this album is a studio engineer's dream, but lordy, i wasn't sure i was gonna make it through this one.
#neveragain #whitestkidsuknow #survivor
2
Dec 01 2021
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Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
just a fantastic album. early punk rockers, here in the thick of it. love song will always be a classic, of course, but liar is a nice surprise tucked in there.
if you like this and want more like it, i recommend Burning Ambitions, an awesome compilation from the early days of punkity-rock.
part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFN4ygMH0rw
part 2: xhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytvAZYbz1QM
5
Dec 02 2021
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Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
today was a huge deal when it came out, and it's a pretty good song, as is disarm; mayonnaise is the winner off this one for me, though.
as a personal disclaimer, i am now and have always been a huge sucker for dreamy vocals and crunchy-washy guitars...which is, of course, their whole sound.
that said...i've always kinda thought billy was just a bit of a tool, which makes it harder to really love their music.
...but this is still pretty durn good.
4
Dec 03 2021
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New Wave
The Auteurs
yet another album i feel i should've enjoyed more than i actually did. i wish i had something to say about it. at one point, a song came on that got my attention; it was by some other artist, because this album had finished and spotify just grabbed whatever and played it, and that's how i knew it was over.
on the other hand, the harmonies can be unexpectedly delicate, the guitar work is surprisingly compelling, and i honestly love homeboy's voice. it's just...somehow, despite all that, this one just kinda missed me. i'm giving it 4 because i feel like the problem this time around was me.
4
Dec 04 2021
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Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
i will preface this by stating that, from a young age, i never really cared for the stones. i was a beatles kid all the way - they were just _nice_, y'know? whereas mick & co just kinda seemed kinda more seedy, which i didn't so much care for back then. couple decades later, i feel like i've heard everything they have to say on various job sites, and i don't ever need to hear them again.
but then somewhere in between, i heard a couple of covers of their work, and i thought i should try harder to appreciate them. i had...some success, but not a ton. i don't think i'll ever be their biggest fan, is what i'm saying.
all that on board, here's the thing: shelter is a classic for a reason; can't always get? same. let it bleed - amazing. and to have done it all in '69? huge. the love i don't have for them isn't their fault, is what i'm saying - i just happened to have been born in a place & time where they were just kinda...there.
4
Dec 05 2021
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The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
two tracks in: this is hilarious! were they *trying* to be funny, or did it just happen?
four tracks in: nnooo....i don't think they were joking...
eight tracks in: christ, how was there enough acid in the world back then to let them write this??
end of the album: jeebus, glad that's over.
i assume, for the right audience, this was some kind of mind-blowing experience - for me, it just felt like listening to a caricature. i suspect this is one of those times when, not having been there for it, i just can't understand it in the context of its time.
3
Dec 06 2021
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Kenza
Khaled
this is a pleasant surprise. i saw the name and for a minute thought i was going to have to subject myself to dj khaled - so immediately relieved when that wasn't true. AND i also like a lot of what i'm hearing, so...bonus for me.
i have a thing for covers - always have - so i was psyched to see imagine here. then it started, and i was no longer psyched. i very much like the arabic spin on the song. i do not like the schmaltzy strings - they can go die in a fire. so that was a let-down, but whatevs. the rest of the album is a lot more fun.
overall, as i say, a nice surprise.
3
Dec 07 2021
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Low
David Bowie
his music has always kinda either grabbed me or missed me entirely; no in-between. but even the stuff i don't care for is amazing, even if it's not to my taste. this album is great, though, from start to finish.
4
Dec 08 2021
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L'Eau Rouge
The Young Gods
well, THAT was fun...late-80s french industrial? yes please! easy comparisons: nitzer ebb & front 242.
overall just a lot of fun.
4
Dec 09 2021
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Morrison Hotel
The Doors
i just hate the doors. always have, probably always will. i feel like i should like them, but i don't. i'm sure this album is just fine if you like jim morrison's whining.
2
Dec 10 2021
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A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
my one and only fun fact relating to this album: one day back in the early 00's, out of nowhere rod stewart followed me on twitter. i have no idea why, but when i checked a good while later, he was still following.
apart from that, the only experience i have with rod stewart is distinctly not liking his music. so this has been fun.
on the other hand, i have a thing for covers - and i have always loved the song memphis, which i knew via johnny rivers (see: https://open.spotify.com/track/5QqdnAVnNCfWp9CZ3pi5a0). the original is, of course, also fantastic: https://open.spotify.com/track/3UYtylPa55RqHS1YDGZoLs
and...ok, fine, the guitar tone on that's all you need is pretty damn nice. i am a sucker that growly slide thing, and homey rips it up on that track
but i still don't like rod stewart, dammit.
3
Dec 11 2021
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Stardust
Willie Nelson
i like covers in general. i do not like that saccharine sweet smarmy thing that happened in the 70s. i have no real opinion on willie's music.
but...i also have a super soft spot for jimmy druante - and even though september song isn't his, he's how i came to know it. and willie's version is pretty alright, gotta say.
but...i also kinda hate what he did with moonlight in vermont. so there's that.
3
Jul 10 2024
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American Idiot
Green Day
the best part about this album was when NOFX came on after it'd finished.
there was a time when i really liked these guys, but between their change in overall tone and it appearing more and more that billie joe is a dink, it's really hard for me to enjoy them like i used to.
i don't want to be that guy, but i really did enjoy their older stuff more, even if they essentially wrote the same song over & over. see also: https://open.spotify.com/album/5xlutZ0sYfJQjVIBOkkeW8
3
Jul 11 2024
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Eagles
Eagles
well, this takes me back. not necessarily in a great way, just in the sense that i remember how i felt when i first heard this album. that's a good reminder of how subjective the experience of music really is, in that it can be so so hard to divorce our feelings about the music from the overarching, under-rumbling tones around us - they all stick to each other and sometimes you just have to come back years - or maybe years and years and years - later to see what was magic and what was just...there.
either way, the bending harmonies in 'train leaves here' are cool. see also: amos lee's 'night train' where he does the same thing, and also right at the end of the song - https://open.spotify.com/track/2XzS4vuHyjZ3jBhn1slvU4
anyway, this one kinda misses me overall. first 2 tracks are, you know, fine. the girl my lord in a flatbed ford line has been randomly popping into my head for decades now, and it's definitely worth the time, but...man, i dunno. the rest of this album just loses my interest and never regains it. glenn frey's voice - very much a product of its time - just lacks the character of vocalists i really enjoy, and while don henley was how i learned sometimes drummers also sing while they play - which is def cool - that's about where my overall interest in any of them ends. in fact, this album was so boring, i didn't even notice joe walsh playing on it.
(...that's a joke.)
2
Jul 12 2024
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Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
this is another album i was aware of in its time, but never really gave the time of day to, probably for dumb reasons. there's a lot here that later groups would've benefitted from - her crazy sexy voice, her refusal to back down lyrically - enough that i'm surprised i don't remember this album being a pivotal moment.
in terms of my own tastes, the tracks i found myself liking best were the ones more atypical of her overall sound - but they wouldn't have made the album if they weren't worth it, so maybe there's more like those out there in her catalog. i'll have to give it a better listen.
3
Jul 15 2024
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Synchronicity
The Police
ugh. ok, fine, sting is an amazing musician with incredible talent. fine, stewart copeland too.
i'm still never gonna love the police, heretical as that statement may be. the big hits on this album do stand up fairly well, which is great...but i still don't care for them.
3
Jul 16 2024
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Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
another member of the 27 club, and still we can't get the kardashians in a helicopter.
she had an amazing voice, and definitely channeled some old-school stuff that really worked for her - etta james & otis redding spring to mind. her style isn't really for me, but i definitely see why people loved her.
3
Jul 17 2024
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Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
apparently, this came up in my rotation previously. here's my review from back then:
so, of course i knew OF sabbath - but i really never listened to them. i'd somehow heard Changes before, but that was it - except for supernaut, which is a) easily my favorite on this album, and b) humorously, the least-played track, according to spotify.
anyway, this one was so good, i went back and listened to it again, just to be sure. and yeah, it held up. amazing.
5
Jul 18 2024
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Station To Station
David Bowie
i just don't know what to say about bowie. he was incredibly talented, and never ever once stopped being unutterably cool. this is a fantastic album. 'nuff said.
5
Jul 19 2024
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Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
welp, marvin is awesome. i don't love this album, but that's on me this time. like with the dead and zep, my capacity to appreciate his music vastly overshadows my capacity to actually enjoy listening to it.
4
Jul 22 2024
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The Bends
Radiohead
i must need to listen to a *lot* more by these guys, because i don't understand why people say they're such geniuses. i assume they are, i just don't get it.
i particularly like high and dry & iron lung off this album; humorously enough, i first knew high and dry from jamie cullum's cover of it - see: https://open.spotify.com/track/4fOwKPYZUkIlFOzDNlp3RL
anyway, this was, you know, fine.
4
Jul 23 2024
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Different Class
Pulp
common people has always been a favorite - it's one of those songs that feels like it must be a cover, in that it feels like it's just always been around. but it hasn't, and it's not even from the 80s, though it definitely has that new wave/post punk sneer feel to it.
i also love the way they channel bowie on live bed show.
4
Jul 24 2024
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Permission to Land
The Darkness
i want to love this purely for how insane it is, because i understand the joke, and i get it - and honestly, in a bunch of places it's pretty damn good musically...but i just can't. i also really can't watch the office, and for the same reason: i get that it's a joke, but it still makes me super uncomfortable, cringing that much.
3
Jul 25 2024
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Debut
Björk
i knew her a little from later work, and a little from her time with the sugarcubes, but this is my first proper introduction.
i was surprised at big time sensuality - that sound definitely existed in 1993, but it wasn't at all what i would've expected, based on the rest of the album. it was a fun change of pace.
her voice is, of course, super interesting, and the fact her accent comes through so strong only adds to that.
3
Jul 26 2024
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Scum
Napalm Death
yeah, that was fun. i never really listened to them properly back then, though i was for sure aware of them. i probably wouldn't have cared for them much then, and i really don't care one way or the other now.
i do appreciate just how far outside the 1987 mold they are here. props to that.
4
Jul 29 2024
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Moon Safari
Air
i distinctly remember when this album came out; someone uploaded a track or two from it to my hotline mp3 server, and it was a revelation. i eventually tracked it down & bought the whole thing, and i'm glad i did. that opening bassline on track 1 just sets the tone for the whole album: downtempo groove, laid back - carefree but not careless. delicious.
5
Jul 30 2024
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Doolittle
Pixies
i loved this album back in the day - or at least, parts of it - and i still love those parts now. here comes your man, their least-pixies song ever, is an ongoing favorite. i love frank's shouting, much better with the band than on his own; kim's bass, joey's jangly guitar (what up late-80s western ma!), and dave's tight drums...it's a great combo. musically, about 50% of the tracks on this one leave me more or less flat - but the OTHER 50%....man, that's somethin'
4
Aug 09 2024
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Duck Stab/Buster & Glen
The Residents
i love this for more than its pure weirdness, but that's the overriding factor - it's just so out there, but it manages to be out there without being exhausting, which is a FEAT. i mean, it's easy to be weird, right? but a lot harder to be weird and not boring - and they definitely manage it with this album.
4
Aug 13 2024
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Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
the man is smooooooove. i'm not sure what else i can say about this album - it's just smooth from start to finish. it's not entirely to my taste, but i definitely appreciate the style. i don't mean only the style of music, i mean the inherent *style* present here. it's something you either have or don't; it can't be faked, can't be taught, certainly can't be bought. and man, does he have it.
4
Aug 14 2024
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Gold
Ryan Adams
if i may quote, in its entirety, my previous review of this album:
dear lord, i hated that.
that is all.
1
Aug 15 2024
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Immigrés
Youssou N'Dour
i became aware of youssou n'dour in the mid-90s, when he worked with peter gabriel on secret world - thought he was incredible, but never managed to go looking for more. i'm glad this album is on the list, because it turns out i really do enjoy his work.
4
Aug 20 2024
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Madman Across The Water
Elton John
confession time: i have always, always gotten elton john and billy joel crossed up in my head. in my defense: they've both got J names, they both play pianos, they both make music that's kinda just been part of the atmosphere...i know, it's lame, but here we are.
anyway, this album being on this list places me in grave danger of learning to tell them apart, is what i'm saying, and i'm not sure i'm super happy about that.
update: overall, i give this a solid meh
2