My User Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
All the Pretty Little Horses Current 93	5	2.41	+2.59
Pop GAS	5	2.52	+2.48
Choirs Of The Eye Kayo Dot	5	2.61	+2.39
Weighing Souls With Sand The Angelic Process	5	2.64	+2.36
Latin Mass Os Mundi	5	2.72	+2.28
Discosis Bran Van 3000	5	2.76	+2.24
Symbolic Death	5	2.77	+2.23
Norther Ex-Easter Island Head	5	2.77	+2.23
Goat The Jesus Lizard	5	2.79	+2.21
Boys And Girls in America The Hold Steady	5	2.93	+2.07

Album	You	Global	Diff
Korn Korn	1	2.61	-1.61
Save Rock And Roll Fall Out Boy	1	2.57	-1.57

Sparks

4/5

Yeah, I can get on with driving-synth Sparks. Haven't heard this album before, I don't think. It doesn't have any absolute earworms, as some Sparks albums do, but it doesn't have any grating tracks either. Quite enjoyed the Peter Cook promo spots that were included as bonus tracks of the edition I listened to, too, though I wouldn't want to hear them every time. Fave tracks - "Tryouts for the Human Race" is a great kick off. "My Other Voice" is nice atmospheric interlude, and the title track is great too!

Homogenic

Björk

5/5

Probably my fave Björk album from those that I was already familiar with. Fave tracks - well, "All Is Full of Love" is an absolute all-timer. Love the more-ambient album mix, but the video mix is great too, and it, along with the Chris Cunningham video, are deservedly considered capital A Art. On these play throughs, "Pluto" really stood out for me, too. I wasn't as in to it back in the day, but I really enjoy the crunchiness now!

Misplaced Childhood

Marillion

3/5

Huh. I could have sworn there was a Marillion album on the main list? Looking at my records, it seems I gave their album "Fugazi" a couple of spins in 2021, apparently for non-list reasons. 🤷 This is competent enough prog, I guess. I enjoy the flow of the tracks into each other. Doesn't quite click for me overall - I think I need more psychedelic touches. Fish's voice and delivery doesn't quite do it for me, either. If I'd encountered this album back when I was first getting into prog, I expect I'd have quite a bit of fondness for it. Fave track - "Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)" has a fun energy!

Not Animal

Margot & The Nuclear So And So's

4/5

Hmmm, this could be the reference specimen for a certain flavor of indie rock. Definitely some Radiohead worship in the mix, maybe some Grandaddy, etc. There are lots of albums that do this exact thing that I have strong affection for - if I'd heard this album when first exploring this genre, I imagine this would be one of them too, so I can't really fault it for not breaking any new ground. Fave track - "Hello Vagina", despite the cringe name - I dug the cicada-like feedback drone.

Piñata

Freddie Gibbs

3/5

Eh, braggadocio rap - not really my thing. The production was plenty swish, and the flows competent enough, but the subject matter rarely kept my interest. Fave track - "Shitsville", let's say.

Thunder And Consolation

New Model Army

5/5

Oh yeah, this was great! I've had a "best of" compilation of theirs in my library for ages, obtained when absorbing a friend's music collection in the early 00s, but I don't think I've actually listened to it, just heard the odd track on shuffle here and there over the years. It's pretty far from the post-punk template - more alt rock, with some gothy bits. Very much my jam. If the original list had had sane limits on how many times an artist can appear on it and gone for breadth rather than depth, this should definitely have been on there... Fave tracks - "I Love the World" is a great opener, and I'm surprised at myself for liking a song with that sentiment, heh. 😏 I dig "The Charge" and "The Mermaid Song" for injecting some folkiness. "Archway Towers" and "125 MPH" are bangers.

Re

Café Tacvba

5/5

Ah, very cool - the music nerds of bluesky recommended this to me recently, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. Initially I was thinking, though I was enjoying it, my lack of Spanish would keep it getting a 5, but it just kept on spitting out unexpected and charming inventions, and by the end of my first listen it had really won me over. I've picked out some fave tracks on the second listen, but I feel like they could change with each listen. Just imagine if Dimery, having learned there was interest in another edition of his book, had spent even a couple of days' effort on broadening the scope and talked to some people knowledgeable about music in other languages? It would be such a more interesting list! Fave tracks - "El Borrego" for the industrial metal, "24 Horas" for the indie pop, "El Fin de la Infancia" for the oompa-oompa brass, "El Baile Y El Salón" for the balladry.

Choirs Of The Eye

Kayo Dot

5/5

Yes! YES! I've been lucky enough to see them live and it was awesome. You probably need to be in the right state of mind to be receptive to this - it's a special occasion listen, rather than an every day listen, for me, but when it hits the spot... <Antonio_Banderas_leans_away_from_laptop.gif> Fave tracks - doesn't make sense to talk about separate tracks with this one. Really dig the clarinet(?) bit from "The Manifold Curiosity" and the strings bit from "Wayfarer", but I will generally plump for taking the whole album in one go!

Singles

Future Islands

4/5

Haven't heard of these folks before! The initial 1001 list has gone a long way towards rehabilitating me towards new wave and synthpop, so my initial reaction was favorable. (Also, lol, they reject being called synthpop, instead insisting they're "post-wave". C'mon guys, you're a self-hating synthpop band. 😆 ) On my first play through, I started to get a bit tired of their schtick towards the end of the album. That didn't happen on the second play through, though - I guess the singer takes a moment to adjust to. Fave tracks - "Spirit" - like the quirkiness of this one! "A Song for Our Grandfathers" is a groove.

Harbor Lights

Bruce Hornsby

3/5

Hmmm, this didn't really land for me. Not chill enough for chilling out, not energetic enough for getting pumped up, not atmospheric enough for creating a mood. The vocals remind me a little of Sting and Bruce suffers in that comparison, I'm afraid. Still, it didn't actually grate (although "Talk of the Town" was a little cringe) - I certainly don't resent being introduced to it! Ni fu ni fa, to use a phrase I've picked up from these reviews. Fave track - "Pastures of Plenty", let's say.

Deltron 3030

5/5

Automatic 5 from me! I thought it sounded a bit janky to begin with, but that turned out to be because I still had the original 128kbps mp3 copy from back in the day, heh. I have a huge soft spot for scifi hip-hop, both because I'm a nerd generally, and because Dr Octagon's "Octagonecolygyst" was the first album that made hip-hop click for me. (Another Dan the Automator effort!) Del the Funky Homosapien is way smoother in the flow department than Kool Keith. His vocabulary choices light up the pleasure centers in my brain even before all the sci-fi and comic book references. Fave tracks - "3030", "Upgrade (A Baymar College Course)", and "Memory Loss", let's say.

All the Pretty Little Horses

Current 93

5/5

Had a moment of confusion with this one, as I recognized the album art, but couldn't find it in my library - turns out I have a collected "The Inmost Light" version that has the accompanying EPs tacked on to the beginning and end of the album. That's what I'm gonna review, and I think given the number of live double albums (not to mention a 4CD best of) on the user list, that's probably what should have been picked in the first place. I don't blame the picker for not doing that, though, heh - David Tibet can be a tough pill to swallow. I've listened to a couple of other Current 93 albums in the past, and they've never quite clicked for me. By chance, this one REALLY clicked - I happened to put it on near the end of my work day, just as dusk was gathering, and watching darkness spread across a cloudy sky was exactly the accompaniment this album called for. I've actually spaced out my listening so that I could hear all of it under similar conditions! Absolutely love the intro EP "Where the Long Shadows Fall (Beforetheinmostlight)" - hypnotic and mournful, it really sets the tone for everything that comes after. I definitely wouldn't have appreciated the album as much without that coming before hand. The album itself has its ups and downs. (I enjoyed another reviewer's mention of a "Nick Cave jump scare", heh.) And then the final EP closes the loop. It might not be the most repeatable experience, but I've really valued these dusk listenings - great stuff. Fave tracks - "The Bloodbells Chime" and "The Frolic" from the main album, plus the 2 EPs....

Set Yourself On Fire

Stars

4/5

Allow me to be the one millionth person to make a Death Cab for Cutie comparison, because that's the first thing that sprang to mind when first listening to track one. Another couple of tracks in and I'm thinking there's a generous helping of The Postal Service in the mix, too. If I'd encountered this in the 00s I'm sure I'd have a lot of nostalgia for it. Fave track - "He Lied About Death" - woulda liked them to get a bit far out on more tracks like this!

Tomorrow Belongs To Me

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

4/5

Nice - think I like this more than "Next" - it's weirder and a bit more proggy. The first three tracks are all super sleazy which I'd normally hold against an album, but Alex Harvey is such a weirdo I found them all engaging. Fave tracks - "The Tale of the Giant Stone Eater" and "Shake That Thing"

BABYMETAL

3/5

Hmmm, no, not for me. I lived in Japan for 4 years so I've had quite enough kawaii for one lifetime. I haven't listened to much BABYMETAL before, but I've given a couple of BAND-MAID albums a spin. BAND-MAID is a bit less kawaii, I think. I'm on board with the metal aspect, and I don't have any problem with them not being "trve metal" or what have you - a couple of tracks of this stuff at a time I find really quite entertaining, but it sure starts to wear thin by the end of a whole album. I'm gonna give this just one listen and 3 stars. I think if I give it another listen tomorrow it's very likely to annoy me down to 2 stars. Fave track "Onedari Daisakusen" Onegai! Onegai!

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Various Artists

3/5

Some of the tracks are really fun in isolation, others don't work so well outside the context of the film. Things like the deliberately flat backing singers don't quite work. I certainly don't begrudge this album getting added to the user list, and it's definitely made me want to rewatch the movie! I'd probably go 3.5 if that were an option. Fave tracks - "Science Fiction/Double Feature", "Sweet Transvestite", and of course "Time Warp" is a bop...

California

Mr. Bungle

4/5

Heh, I went through a Mr. Bungle phase in the early oughts, but haven't really revisited them since. Yup, it's good stuff! I'm often a fan of weirdness for weirdness' sake, and this has plenty of weirdness while (mostly) still staying on this side of the listenability line... Fave tracks - "Sweet Charity" is a great kick off, "Pink Cigarette" is a (mostly) safe harbor half way across the sea of madness, but my absolute fave is closer "Goodbye Sober Day" - love that it's using what sounds like Balinese Kecak vocals!

WORRY

Jeff Rosenstock

5/5

Hell yeah, this really hit the spot! This is what punk/indie rock/power pop is all about! Joyous! I have a couple of his later albums queued up to check out, but hadn't gotten around to them so far. I was enjoying this alright on my first listen, and then "Rainbow" -> "Planet Luxury" really caught my attention - did that song just jump from ska to hardcore? No, it's two different songs? Well, still! I really appreciate that a whole chunk of the back half of the album blends the songs together like that. Finished my second listen and immediately resolved to have a third before submitting a review. I see other reviewers mention Weezer and Elvis Costello and I can definitely hear both of those in there, yeah. I get the same feeling from this that I get from John Frusciante's "Shadows Collide With People" - not because it sounds similar - it doesn't at all, but because it sounds like someone that's good at what they do cutting the hell loose and having a blast while doing it. Fave tracks - "Wave Goodnight To Me", "I Did Something Weird Last Night", and "Hellllhoooole". I reckon further listens, which I will definitely be making happen, will let me pick out more...

People Watching

Sam Fender

3/5

I know my mom is a fan of Sam Fender and I've listened to one of his earlier albums at her recommendation. Ah, the title track has Andrew Scott in the video, right? Yeah, I think she sent me a youtube link to it. I remember telling her that if she liked that, she should listen to The War on Drugs, and I see now they did the production, so yay, nerd points for me! 🤓 Hmmmm... it doesn't really do anything after the first track, does it? All seems a bit one note... and it's kinda irking me that that note is bland Americana, Sam Fender is as British as I am, and it's TWENTY FRICKIN TWENTY FIVE and America is going full fash. Writing a love letter to an imaginary America filtered through Springsteen just seems kinda... weak. Well, it's inoffensive enough - I wouldn't object to it being put on while I'm in the room. Fave tracks - as well as the title track, "TV Dinner" was like the only other track that demanded (and rewarded) some attention.

Eye

Robyn Hitchcock

3/5

This didn't quite click for me - definitely prefer The Soft Boys. Some of the songs were just a touch too twee. I'm often fine with vocalists that are a bit off when it adds to the effect, but a couple of times here I wished he'd brought in someone else to sing that could do the songs justice. Some great lyrics in places though, and some spots of beauty. Fave tracks - "Queen Elvis" - loved the lyric: "Everybody gets what they deserve, Time is round and space is curved" Also, "Transparent Lover" and "Aquarium".

Blue Is The Colour

The Beautiful South

4/5

Hah, instant eyebrow raise a short way in to "Don't Marry Her" - this is NOT the version I remember getting all that radio play! 😆 Is "Rotterdam (or Anywhere)" gonna turn out to be a song about smuggling heroin or something!? This is generally fairly charming but there is NO WAY "Liar's Bar" should be the longest track on the album. He sounds more like Papa Lazarou than Tom Waits, this should have been skit length. Overall, yeah, enjoyed giving this album a couple of spins. Fave tracks - As well as the singles, let's say "Foundations"...

People

The Burning Hell

4/5

Really enjoyed this! It's like four parts Smog to one part Flight of the Conchords. On first listen I was thinking it's a 5, but on my second listen I get the impression that I maybe wouldn't want to hear these songs _too_ many times in close succession as they might start to grate, so maybe it's more of a 4.5. Fave tracks - "Amateur Rappers" is the standout by far - great tune! Also liked "Barbarians" and "Industrialists"...

Katamari Damacy

Various Artists

4/5

By sheer fluke, this is a soundtrack to a video game I've actually played! 🎉 Never owned a handheld system, did some PC gaming in the late 90s, and the only console I ever had was a PS1, so the odds weren't great. Then last year I decided to get an Xbox, and one of the first games I got was the Katamari remaster, as I'd heard of it and it always sounded so bonkers. Played it a fair amount, but also have done a lot of sampling of other games to see what I've been missing out on. I should go back and complete it! The music was definitely a highlight while playing the game, and contributed to the overall bonkersness, so I'm happy enough to revisit the soundtrack. Fave tracks because I like em in the game - "Katamari Nah-Nah", "Fugue #7777", "LONELY ROLLING STAR", "Que Sera Sera" ...and some fave tracks I don't recognize from the game, but were pretty awesome electronica - "WANDA WANDA", "Angel Gifts".

Geography

Tom Misch

2/5

I've listened to this album once before apparently. On my first play through now, I rather disliked it, but I'm recovering from some ill health, so I thought maybe I was just in an unreceptive mood. Gave it a few days and then a second listen, and I'm afraid my reaction hasn't significantly improved. Another reviewer described this as "smooth, polished, and safe to the point of sterility" and I think that's where I'm at with it. I dunno, maybe if I was hearing this in the summer on a sun-drenched patio I'd like it more? Mostly, it's inoffensive, but there are some tracks that actively aggravate. The "Isn't She Lovely" cover breaking off after only 1.5 mins felt like a blessed relief. "Man Like You" made my lip curl. Fave track - eh, "Water Baby" maybe?

John Coltrane And Johnny Hartman

John Coltrane

5/5

The name Johnny Hartman didn't mean anything to me, and I was unaware that Coltrane had ever done any vocal jazz, so I was very surprised when the voice came in - and what a voice! 😻 Those vocal tones and the restrained accompaniment provide the aural equivalent of that cinematic trick where a character lies down and closes their eyes and then smoothly descends downwards into the floor, or lifts up through the ceiling. Transportive! I'd certainly be in favor of bumping one of the Sinatra solo albums off the main list and swapping this in, instead. Fave tracks - eh, let's say "My One and Only Love", but this is an album experience.

Clarity

Jimmy Eat World

4/5

I haven't listened to much emo - to my ear this sounds kinda like early Biffy Clyro, and a little internet searching tells me some early Biffy Clyro songs are described as emo, so I guess that makes sense! Yeah, I like this - tremendously earnest alt rock with emphasis on the melodies. Fave track - does it make me an asshole to say "Goodbye Sky Harbor"? 😆 It got a bit post-rocky there, which is more my usual turf...

From The Lions Mouth

The Sound

4/5

I've given this album a few plays over the last decade - it's a nice example of icy goth-adjacent post-punk from the era, I dig it. Checking my stats makes me realize I haven't listened to "Jeopardy" that much, and I see a lot of reviewers mentioning it, so I should fix that. Fave tracks - "Winning" is the main one - that keyboard line! "Skeletons" and "New Dark Age" are also great.

Stretch 2

Arca

4/5

I definitely welcome the prompt to explore Arca's earlier stuff. I've played her self-titled a few times, and given one or two of the "KiCK" series a try. I listened to both "Stretch 1" and "Stretch 2" because I'm Like That. Ah, way more hip-hoppy than her later stuff! As with later Arca, it's definitely in my zone of proximal development - some tracks I can get on with nicely, and some are just too challenging to "enjoy" enjoy. Certainly worth a listen! Fave tracks - "Self Defense", "2 Blunted", "Manners"

Relatives in Descent

Protomartyr

4/5

I've given this album a couple of spins before - it's interesting to hear some post-punk revival that takes their vocal cues from The Fall - particularly on "Here is the Thing". I see a lot of people criticizing the muddiness, but I dig it - it's a vibe. Fave tracks - "A Private Understanding" - it sounds like it's about to break into the "Bob's Burgers" theme tune at points which always makes me crack a smile. "The Chuckler" and "Corpses in Regalia" are also cool...

Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera

4/5

Yeah, enjoyed this! The intro made me think it was gonna be as weird as the Monks, and it didn't quite live up to that expectation, but still, a bit of protopunk mixed into the psychedelia is welcome. Fave tracks - "I Was Cool" was great - another reviewer mentioned that this was a cover, so I'll need to check out the Oscar Brown Jr version. Also enjoyed "Dream Starts" and "Now She's Gone".

Recipe for Hate

Bad Religion

4/5

I've seen Bad Religion live, possibly more than once, at festivals - haven't ever played em at home though. I never went through a punk rock exploration phase so only know the bands I came into passive contact with. These folks are less cartoonish than Offspring and Green Day - maybe a bit po-faced compared to NOFX. It's good stuff, though - I think this has prompted me to check out more of their discography. I see a lot of reviews mentioning all the albums that came out around this one, so it looks like I can't go too far wrong! Fave tracks - "American Jesus", "Modern Day Catastrophists"

Goat

The Jesus Lizard

5/5

Huh, there wasn't any Jesus Lizard on the original list? I coulda sworn there was - I might be mixing them up with Dinosaur Jr? 🤷 I definitely have a blind spot when it comes to this type of noise rock, so it's good to get it filled in. I've listened to one or two other Jesus Lizard albums before, but not this one. Yeah, this is sick! That Albini production really hits the spot! Still sounds dangerous and fresh. Fave track - uh, let's say "Seasick"? I'm looking forwards to more listens to pick more!

Carrie & Lowell

Sufjan Stevens

5/5

Mmmmm, I do like this kind of dreamy mellow folky stuff. I've given this album a couple of spins in the past, and it's nice to spend some more time with it. Fave tracks - "All of Me Wants All of You" is lovely. "Fourth of July" - I'm a sucker for any song with some variant of "We're all gonna die" as the main refrain. 😆

Souvlaki

Slowdive

5/5

An easy 5 from me. I wasn't into shoegaze when this came out - I was all metal, all the time - so I didn't get into this until at least 2 decades later. Now I am middle aged and listen to WAY more dream pop than metal - teenaged me would be horrified! Love the wonky atmosphere of this album. Fave tracks - "Souvlaki Space Station" is awesome. "Dagger" is also a fave - I came across an ethereal cover of it by The Hope Blister in the very late 90s, which I loved, and was very surprised when I came across the original on this album!

Inside

Bo Burnham

2/5

Ugh, this was a chore to get through. Maybe it would have landed better in 2021? And almost certainly it works better with the visuals that it's apparently taken from? And god damn, it should've been half the length! Almost all of the humor elicits a half-smirk at best, though I guess I didn't catch anything that outright pissed me off. I dunno, I was thinking of scoring it 3 in the first part, then it dropped to 2 when I looked at the playlist and saw I was only barely half way through, and then it. kept. dragging. on. and. on. I don't find it as viscerally repulsive as Kid Rock or Limp Bizkit, so I guess I'll spare it a 1, but this is 1.5 at most. I am absolutely not going to give it a second listen. Fave track - Ehhhhhhh, let's say "Welcome to the Internet".

Puzzle

Biffy Clyro

5/5

I really dig Biffy Clyro - well, their earlier stuff at least, their more recent albums haven't grabbed me as hard. I'd have probably picked "Blackened Sky" if it were me, but "Puzzle" is a perfectly acceptable choice! Melodic, earnest, and enough proggy flourishes to reward attention. Fave tracks - "Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies", "Who's Got a Match". "9/15ths", and "Machines".

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Vince Guaraldi Trio

5/5

My fave Christmas album, for sure - listen to it most years! It gets me in the seasonal mood without aggravating me with played-to-death songs. Fave tracks - "Linus and Lucy" and "Christmas Time Is Here"

Stupid Dream

Porcupine Tree

4/5

I haven't really listened to much Porcupine Tree before - this album was nowhere near as proggy as I'd been lead to believe? I dunno, maybe in the context of their larger discography this is an outlier towards more accessibility, but on the whole this just felt like run of the mill slightly poppy alt rock. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, I quite enjoyed it. 🤷 I see they have another album on the user list, maybe that one brings the prog. Fave tracks - "Don't Hate Me" - reminds me of The Blue Nile, which is a positive. "Tinto Brass" felt a big proggy, I guess.

Symbolic

Death

5/5

Good lawd, I woulda been ALL OVER this in '95 if I'd had the chance. Sadly those were the bad old days of insufficient funds for speculative purchases, and very poor access to metal-centric media, or even the metal community at large. I'm not a huge fan of 100% growled vocals so haven't explored death metal all that much in the intervening years, my impression being that that's a staple of the genre. These vocals are clean enough that I'm super into it. Reminds me of early Paradise Lost in places, and as they were pioneering death doom a few years before this, that makes sense. I'd probably rate this 4.5 now, but I reckon further listens would push this up to a 5. I'll round up, as I want to be in the "Those people can fuck off" camp, not the "I can fuck off" camp. 😆 Fave tracks - "Empty Words", "Crystal Mountain"

The Monitor

Titus Andronicus

5/5

Hell yeah, I loved this! Like a more raucous, slightly slurred Hold Steady. Folky, garage rocky, and a concept album to boot. I want to jump into a third listen immediately after finishing my second, but I have a glut of albums to catch up on after xmas, so I'll revisit it at some future time, but yeah, very happy to have been introduced to this album! Fave tracks - "A Pot In Which To Piss" and "The Battle of Hampton Roads" for now, but I'm sure more listens will produce more faves....

HEY WHAT

Low

5/5

I absolutely ADORE Low - saw them live a few times. Was utterly heartbroken when Mimi parker passed away. I would happily see one (or more) of their earlier albums added to the list in addition to this one, as it would be good to get something more representative of their slowcore-founding origins. I have no quibble with this album being added, as they really had evolved into something weird and new. The list has far too many artists with multiple albums present despite them doing the exact same thing. Fave tracks - "More" -> "The Price You Pay (It Must Be Wearing Off" is a hell of a one two album closer! Really, though, this is a whole album deal for me. I want to hear everything in context...

Dogrel

Fontaines D.C.

4/5

Yeah, good stuff. Love the accent and vocal delivery. Great post-punk revival stuff, or crank wave, or whatever we're calling this. Fave tracks - "Hurricane Laughter" and "The Lotts"

Silent Alarm

Bloc Party

4/5

Yep, super solid stuff! Think I was living with someone who was really into this when it came out, so absorbed a bunch of it via osmosis. Also, gave it a spin independently last year. Fave tracks - "Positive Tension", "So Here We Are" and "Luno"

Que c'est triste Venise

Charles Aznavour

4/5

Yeah, I liked this. Started off thinking it would be perfectly accompanied with chain-smoked cigarettes and caustically strong coffee, but it got livelier as it went on! I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot, not speaking French, but I can definitely see myself putting this on again for the mood. Fave tracks - "Le jour se lève" for the rattly percussion. "Chaque fois que j'aime" for the fun scansion!

Pop

GAS

5/5

Scoring this a 5 to bring the average up - ambient heads represent! ✊ I've listened to a fair amount of GAS, including this album, and I definitely dig it. I've seen other reviewers refer to the latter half as being dark ambient but it doesn't seem that dark to me? I guess that kind of perception is all relative- if you listen to something like Lustmord then GAS stays light and breezy throughout! 😆 Fave tracks - Let's say track 1 for the pure ambient end of things, and track 7 for the dub techno end of things, but really it doesn't make sense to talk about individual tracks on this one.

Weighing Souls With Sand

The Angelic Process

5/5

Definitely my kind of thing! I apparently checked out one of their earlier albums once, but didn't revisit it, so very much appreciate this pick putting them more firmly on my radar. lol, the low ranking review describing this as "minimalist crap for pretentious dickheads" was written by someone that scored Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock as 5s in the original list, so pretty fucking comfortable disregarding _that_ opinion! 😆 Fave tracks - "The Promise of Snakes" and "Sleepwritten" let's say, but it's not really about the individual tracks on this one, is it? It's about the TECTONIC WALL OF EGO-OBLITERATING NOISE

Korn

1/5

Should this have been the one Korn album on the list, if the list needed to have one Korn album? Yes. Does that justify adding it to the user list? No. No it does not. I was thinking of scoring it a 2, as it is slightly better than, and came before, a lot of the nu metal badness that was to follow, but then "Shoots & Ladders" with its shouted "Knick knack paddywack give the dog a bone" bit gets a -1 all on its own. Fave track - Eh, "Blind" let's say. Got increasingly cringed-out as it went on, so the first track was the least cringe.

Revolution

Q65

4/5

Definitely holds its own against UK and US bands of the era - I would have assumed they were from one of those countries. Has the same problem that a lot of albums from this time have - some of the tracks just sound like rote blues appropriation. Prefer their more psychedelic efforts! Overall glad to have been introduced to it - would happily see one of the UK or US bands doing the same thing to lose an album on the main list and have this in its place. I couldn't find any lyrics for "Just Who's In Sight" online - I thought they were singing about "herring women" to start with, which was confusing. Pretty sure it's "harem women" now though. Fave tracks - "I Got Nightmares", and "Bring It On Home" for the "Bolero" interlude!

Funeral Dress

Wussy

4/5

Yeah, this is great stuff - surprising to see it came out in 2005 as it's very 90s coded. I recognize "Yellow Cotton Dress" but I couldn't find any reference to it appearing in a soundtrack, which is where it feels like I heard it. 🤔 Fave tracks - "Airborne", and the aforementioned "Yellow Cotton Dress"

Forced Witness

Alex Cameron

2/5

I see a lot of reviews mention that he's playing a character and I guess I just, fundamentally..... don't get it? 🤷 Like, at all? The music is kinda mid, fine, but the lyrics are just fucking awful. Really, really grating - especially in the back half of the album. The joke is that he writes lyrics like an edge lord? The joke is that he isn't actually an edge lord, but I still have to listen to lyrics that sound like they were written by an edge lord? Through gritted teeth, I gave this a second listen, and I just don't.... get it. Am I just humorless? Is the "comedy" not actually the point? In which case, what is? Eh, I can't properly tell whether my confusion about what I'm not seeing is the same as outright dislike, so I guess I'll spare it a 1, but ugh. 1.5. 😒 Fave track - "True Lies", I guess. Everything that came after that was eyerolling territory.

Paid In Full

Eric B. & Rakim

4/5

Very solid - has aged much more gracefully than other stuff from 87. The flows might be on the basic side, but it's not grating to listen to. Similarly, the beats might be simplistic, but the production is crisp. And good lawd this album has been sampled a shit load! I tried to run down where I'd heard the "make 'em clap to this" lyric and that song has been sampled 268 times, according to whosampled.com, and I spotted 3 or 4 songs that were contenders before I gave up. Fave tracks - "My Melody", "Paid in Full", and "Eric B. Is President".

Carolina Confessions

The Marcus King Band

3/5

The first track started out very strong - loved the guitar! As the album went on, though, everything seemed to blend together. It's all competently done, enough - more than competently! But there's a certain something lacking. Fave track - "Confessions"

King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown

King Tubby

5/5

Awesome stuff, and thank you, picker, for correcting one of Dimery's more egregious list failures! I've listened to a bunch of dub from this era, but not this specific album, so thanks for the intro. When I lived in Birmingham I was lucky enough to be exposed to lots of dub and roots reggae - it's an immense sound! I'd probably rate this album as a 4, but gonna give a bonus point for overall significance. Fave tracks - "Stop Them Jah" and the title track, but I could put the whole thing on repeat and not tire of it for quite a few play throughs!

Fear Inoculum

TOOL

4/5

Eh, probably my least favorite Tool album, although that's chiefly just because it came out way after my main Tool phase. It's not bad or anything, but it doesn't really break much new ground. I see a lot of people moaning about there being 4 Tool albums in the user list, and that does seem fair. Up until very recently it was hard (impossible?) to see the user list until _after_ you'd made your selection, which may have contributed to this? The site maintainer has made a lot of UI updates recently so I think it's a lot easier to get to the user list now... ...which almost certainly means a Tool fan will finish the main list in the near future, see Undertow is missing, and add it accordingly. 😆 Fave track - "Chocolate Chip Trip" - it's short and snappy and it's doing something a bit different! "7empest" was good, too.

Excitable Boy

Warren Zevon

4/5

Oof, I saw another review that just says "Poundland nick cave" and that does kinda skewer this album. 😆 "Nighttime In The Switching Yard" would be the only exception, as it's "Poundland talking heads". 😏 Which is not to say I didn't enjoy this album quite a lot - "nick cave" could become the proprietary eponym for this kind of narrative-heavy slightly folky rock, and I'd definitely check out the store brands! Fave tracks - "Werewolves of London" is the big obvious highlight. "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" and "Lawyers, Guns and Money" were also highlights!

Are You Shpongled?

Shpongle

4/5

Uh, I guess yes, yes I am! I probably wouldn't have liked this in 98, but just a few years later I reckon I could have got on board. I was quite into Banco de Gaia in the early oughts, and this is only a notch or two more trancey. Fave track - "Divine Moments of Truth" for the throat singing - if there had been more of that, it woulda been an easy 5!

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

The 1975

3/5

I have apparently listened to two other albums by these folks, one time each. Don't have particularly distinct memories of them. This started off alright, I suppose - a bit generic, but high energy and inoffensive enough. My media bubble is strong enough that I'm never subjected to this stuff involuntarily - I imagine if I heard this stuff repeatedly on the radio or the like, it'd start winding me up pretty quickly. As the album went on, there started to be more and more slower tracks, and I really didn't care for those. By the time I got to the lip curling "I Couldn't Be More In Love" I'd pretty much soured on the album. Pretty sure if I gave this another spin tomorrow it'd drop to a 2, so I'm gonna score this 3 and walk away. Fave track - "Give Yourself a Try", I think...

Human Racing

Nik Kershaw

3/5

Even 4 or 5 years ago I woulda scored this pretty harshly, I reckon. Just goes to show how much working through the original list has thawed some of my derision towards 80s sounds. This is still a bit poppy for my tastes, but it's no longer nails on chalkboard territory. Fave tracks - "Wouldn't It Be Good" and "I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" are pretty iconic, I suppose. Quite enjoyed the rhythmic vocal weirdness on "Shame On You" (though the mock-African version of that on "Drum Talk" was pretty cringe)

Y Ahora Qué?

Reincidentes

4/5

Yeah, a really fun listen! Punk with extra flourishes. From what I read, the band seem pretty right on, too. My lack of Spanish prevents me from fully engaging with it, but definitely pleased to have been introduced to 'em! Fave tracks - "¡Ay! Dolores", "Un Pueblo", "Pikolín"

I Am

Earth, Wind & Fire

4/5

Nice - I enjoyed this more than "That's The Way Of The World" as it had fewer ballads. Fewer ballads that grated, anyway. Fave tracks - "Boogie Wonderland" is the one I knew going in, and it's pretty iconic. I also dug "Rock That", and "Dirty (Junior's Juke)", which I see now is a bonus track...

Fashion Nugget

CAKE

5/5

Yep, bit of a classic, this one. Got a lot of plays in the houses where I lived in the late 90s and early 00s. Checking my records, I haven't given it a full play through since 2008, so this should be a good exercise in nostalgia. As expected - yeah, enjoyed that. My affections fall now much as they fell then. Fave tracks - "Frank Sinatra", "The Distance" and "Friend is a Four Letter Word" were always my faves back in the day, with an honorable mention to "I Will Survive". On this play through, I really liked the stumbling shambolic "Open Book", too.

Boys And Girls in America

The Hold Steady

5/5

I notice this album appears twice in the user list, and I think that's a fine tribute to Robert Dimery's ramshackle execution of the original list. 😆 I have a lot of nostalgia for this album, being introduced to it by my now ex wife, when we first met. Seen The Hold Steady live a couple of times, and enjoy their schtick, with this album probably remaining my fave. Fave tracks - "Party Pit" for when it switches gears at the end. "You Can Make Him Like You" is probably my fave track of theirs from any album. I also dig the three track closing run of "Citrus" -> "Chillout Tent" -> "Southtown Girls"

Time's Up

Living Colour

4/5

Yeah, liked this more than "Vivid" - had a bit more variety to the sound. If I'd had easy access to all the world's music back when I first got into Faith No More, I imagine I'd have got into these folks too... Fave tracks - "Love Rears Its Ugly Head", "Elvis Is Dead", "Type", and "Solace of You"

Modal Soul

Nujabes

4/5

Yup, very pleasant lofi beats to chill to. 🎧☕️📖 Fave tracks - "Luv (sic.) Pt. 3" and "The Sign" for tracks with vocals, "Horizon" for a track without.

Version 2.0

Garbage

4/5

I didn't mind revisiting this. I said I'd give their first album 4.5 if that were an option, and this is more solidly a 4. Fave tracks - I think I dug the more melancholy ones on this play through, so "Medication" and "The Trick Is To Keep Breathing".

Take It From The Man

The Brian Jonestown Massacre

5/5

Yeah, I have a lot of fondness for BJM in general and this album in particular. Think this is gonna prompt me to revisit their other albums from 96! I saw another user mention that "Dig!" had been reissued! Excellent, I'm gonna have to chase that down too. Saw it in the cinema while I was at uni and definitely fancy a rewatch... Fave tracks - "Straight Up and Down" and "B.S.A." for those "Sympathy for the Devil" woooo-woooos!

The Universe Smiles Upon You

Khruangbin

5/5

Pure. Liquid. Aural. Delight. Fave tracks - "Two Fish and an Elephant", "Little Joe & Mary", "White Gloves", "August Twelve". Really it's a whole-album affair, though...

Alopecia

WHY?

3/5

I think I listened to their albums and some EPs released before this one a fair bit, but not sure I've ever given this one a proper spin before. Gave it two play throughs. Not sure what I think, to be honest. I like the lyrical flow a lot, but some of the lyrical content not so much. I'll give the "Rubber Traits" EP and "Elephant Eyelash" another spin to see if it's me that's changed, or if "Alopecia" really does hit different. Ah yeah, "Rubber Traits" was probably my fave track of theirs back in the day. Hmmm, yeah, prefer their earlier stuff more. This is like a 3.5, which I'll round down. Fave tracks - "These Few Presidents", "Song of a Sad Assassin", and "Exegesis".

Racine carrée

Stromae

4/5

I've listened to one of his other albums, but not this one. Yeah, it's a good time! More poppy than I'd usually listen to, but poppy in an inventive way - always seemed to be something that grabbed my interest, even with the language barrier. Fave tracks - "Batard" and "Carmen", let's say, but it would probably take more listens to properly decide....

GLOW ON

Turnstile

5/5

This kicks ass. I've played it a few times since it came out, and it was a pleasure to revisit - definitely welcome on the list! I should listen to their new one - haven't gotten to it yet! Fave tracks - "Blackout", "Underwater Boi", "Wild Wrld". Could probably pick out more with another listen, no problem....

Discosis

Bran Van 3000

5/5

Huge amount of affection for this album. I probably woulda gone with "Glee", but I see the picker went with this one to be a bit more accessible, which is fair enough. (In my head "Glee" is totally accessible so I picked it when it was my turn to host an in person record club I used to attend, and the first track is like 5+ mins of sound collage, heh.) Fave tracks - "More Shopping", "Speed" and "Senegal" on this play through, but I could probably pick 3 new faves every time...

Cor-Crane Secret

Polvo

4/5

Yeah, nice - I appreciate this pick for filling in some of my music history. I've listened to one or two other Polvo albums one time each and have generally meant to come back and check them out more thoroughly, so this was welcome. I should listen to a few more of their albums, too! Fave tracks - "Bend or Break", "Channel Changer" and "Duped"

Home Sweet Home

Kano

4/5

I've listened to "Made in the Manor" before, but not this one. Initial impressions very positive - the electro is bangin'. Glad I listened to this on speakers with decent bass! Hmmm, "Nite Nite" is kind cringe, but everything up that point slapped. Album is a bit top heavy, I reckon, as the back half fell off a bit. Fave tracks - "Home Sweet Home", "Ghetto Kid", "Reload It", and gotta include "I Don't Know Why" for the Sabbath...

Ants From Up There

Black Country, New Road

5/5

Huh, I think I have some other band conflated with these folks in my head, because I thought I'd given all their stuff at least a couple of spins, but lastfm assures me that's not actually the case, except for "For the First Time"... 🤔 Anyway, yeah, I dig it. Overwrought proggy chamber-folky post-punk. Good stuff! I guess I should queue up their later albums without this singer, then, but he's definitely a lot of the appeal for me. Fave tracks - "Concorde", "The Place Where He Inserted the Blade" and "Basketball Shoes" Woulda happily seen "Intro" expanded out to a ~7 min epic, too...

Sparkle In The Finish

The Ike Reilly Assassination

4/5

Yeah, this was a pleasant enough listen - very much of its time. A slightly more rocking Eels, maybe. Does it belong on a list of albums you need to hear before you die? No, probably not, but do I resent it being added to the user list? No, not at all, I had a good time. It's a solid example of a certain niche, and if it was the first such example I became familiar with, I suspect I'd have a lot of affection for it. Fave tracks - "I Don't Want What You Got (Going On)" and "It's Alright to Die"

The Decline

NOFX

5/5

Hell yeah! I see a lot of quibbling about picking an EP rather than an album, and I guess I share a little of that sentiment, but the solution was pretty straight forwards - I listened to "White Trash, Two Heebs & a Bean" and "Punk in Drublic" as well as the EP and thoroughly scratched my NOFX itch. I'd much rather people picked an EP than, say, a 3.5 hour long anthology that's more "pretty much the entire discography" than "best of", like some pendejos I could side eye. 😒 Plus, you know, with the States going full fash at the moment, the relevance of this pick can't really be argued with. Fave track - heh. I guess I need to pick my fave part for this one. I liked the "One more pill to kill the pain" interlude bit at around the 12 min mark!

Autobiografia

Duncan Dhu

3/5

Heh, the copy I found has a 3rd disc of demos and B sides, so the whole thing came in at 2.5 hours. Once I removed that third disc, 1 hour 20 mins doesn't seem nearly as bad. Only slightly more than will fit on one CD, in fact. Eh, not speaking Spanish, I guess I'm missing out on some of the charm? Musically, it seems fairly middle of the road. Ni fu ni fa, indeed. Fave tracks - eh, I dunno, "El Día que fue" and "Música ratonera" let's say, as I happened to look across at the track names during those ones. They're pretty much picked at random though.

Romance

Fontaines D.C.

4/5

I hadn't gotten around to checking this album out yet, so this was a welcome prompt from the user list. Hmmm, it's good - I think I have a slight preference for their more straightforwardly post-punk stuff, but I don't begrudge them stadiuming their sound up some. Fave tracks - "Romance" is a spooky intro, "Starburster" is a declaration of their new sound, and "Death Kink" is a call back to their old sound... Oh, and "Sundowner" for a lil shoegaze in the mix, too...

Quebec

Ween

5/5

Damn yeah - I should really spend more time with Ween, I never regret it! I love albums that shift genre and Ween are the GOAT in that regard. You have to pay pretty close attention to the lyrics to determine that any given song isn't a straight-up in-earnest example of the genre they've taken on. Chameleons! Fave tracks - the dreamy psych folk of "Among His Tribe", the weirdness of "So Many People In The Neighborhood", the psych pop of "Tried and True". Ooh, "Captain" is their "Planet Caravan", right? Lush! And every one of the pauses in "The Fucked Jam" gets me every time! 😆

METAL FORTH

BABYMETAL

3/5

There definitely doesn't need to be a second BABYMETAL album on this list. 😒 This is less gratingly kawaii than the other album, but more nu metally, or electro-metally, or whatever, which I also find grating, so kinda a wash. I guess I don't absolutely hate listening to this once as the collabs add some interest, but I don't want to revisit it any time soon. Fave tracks - "Kon! Kon!" and "Metali!!" let's say.

Erratic Cinematic

Gerry Cinnamon

4/5

This guy wasn't on my radar at all, so I appreciate this pick making the introduction! I like the sound of his gigs turning into big sing alongs - that sounds pretty joyful! Fave tracks - "What Have You Done", "Erratic Cinematic" and "War TV"

The Feeding of the 5000

Crass

4/5

Ok, wow, opener "Asylum" managed to shock me. Not bad! Most black metal bands would sell their souls to come across as half that blasphemous, right!? Kinda a shame the rest of the album isn't avant-garde musique concrete throughout, but this crust punk has a certain zest. Certainly a worthy addition to the list! I'd probably go 4.5 on this if it were an option... Fave tracks - "Asylum", obvs, "They've Got A Bomb", "Banned From the Roxy", "Women" and "What A Shame"

Wildflowers

Tom Petty

4/5

I've listened to plenty of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, but not this solo album, so this is a welcome introduction. Yep, likable in all the same ways the Heartbreakers stuff is! Fave tracks - "You Don't Know How It Feels", "It's Good To Be King", "Crawling Back To You"

Rip It Off

Times New Viking

4/5

Scuzzy fuzzy fun. I've listened to a couple of their other albums - may have even seen them live back in the day! You do have to be in the mood for it, admittedly. Lot of outraged 1 star reviews from people who weren't, I see, heh. Fave tracks - "DROP-OUT", let's say, and "Times New Viking vs. Yo La Tengo", though that last one is more for the track name than anything else. 😆

Control

Pedro The Lion

4/5

Pedro the Lion is a band I always meant to check out, but never got around to, so I welcome the list prompting me to listen to this album. Ah, it's David Bazan! I've listened to a bunch of his solo stuff - I expect that's why I meant to check out this band... Yep, I dig it - morose, almost slowcore-adjacent indie rock. Fave tracks - "Indian Summer", "Second Best", and "Priests and Paramedics"

Gemstones

Adam Green

3/5

Hmmm, this sounds a bit polished to be anti-folk? Or maybe I've got a bit of a misconception about that genre? Eh, I didn't particularly like this, but it didn't actively piss me off. I think the lyrics woulda worked better if the sound was rawer? Fave tracks - "Over the Sunrise", and let's add "Choke on a Cock" too, for clowning on dubya.

American Football

4/5

I have been meaning to check these folks out, so I appreciate them appearing on the user list. I've listened to some of the other projects the band members are involved with, I think. This is midwest emo, right? A genre I haven't explored much. Yeah, ok, I certainly dig the music. Has a mathy post-rocky flavor - reminds me of The Six Parts Seven with added vocals. The vocals themselves are fine, I guess? Slacker indie vibes. Definitely need to give this more spins. Fave tracks - uh, let's say "Honestly?" and "I'll See You When We're Both Not So Emotional" for now, with more listens likely to provide an update...

10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

4/5

Pretty cool! Went from skepticism to enthusiasm pretty quickly. While I'd prefer to have more original seminal blues albums added to the list, we only get one pick each, so I understand the impulse to add this album get a selection of venerable featured artists instead. Fave tracks - "Potato Patch", "U-Haul" and "Spoonful"

Mad Dogs & Englishmen

Joe Cocker

3/5

I haven't really listened to Joe Cocker before - didn't have a clear idea about what his deal was. Huh, ok, he mostly sings other people's songs? Well, its competently enough done, he has a great voice, and everything's improved when you slap a gospel backing choir on it, so it was a fun listen, but I guess this is filed with the earliest Beatles and Stones albums for me - I'd much rather hear some original material. Fave tracks - "Space Captain" let's say, and "With a Little Help From My Friends"

Diamond Jubilee

Cindy Lee

5/5

Unnnnngh, this is glorious! Sounds like Khruangbin spent too much time watching David Lynch stuff and not enough time sleeping. I evidently have this album confused with something else because I coulda sworn I'd listened to it due to it being on a bunch of year end lists for 2024, but that wasn't the case, and it wasn't the alt country I thought it was. 🤷 Very very happy to be introduced to this - thanks picker! 🫡 Fave tracks - "Diamond Jubilee", "Olive Drab", "I Have My Doubts", "Stone Faces", "Dracula", "To Heal This Wounded Heart", "Don't Tell Me I'm Wrong", "24/7 Heaven"

Angel Dust

Faith No More

5/5

Auto 5 - I have a lotta nostalgia for this album. Definitely woulda put this on the original list over "The Real Thing". Fave tracks - pretty much all of them, but "Smaller and Smaller" and "Be Aggressive" on this play through! 🤘

Sunbather

Deafheaven

4/5

Splendid stuff - I prefer blackgaze to neat black metal, so this is very much in my wheelhouse, although I hadn't checked out this specific album before, funnily enough, so thanks for the intro, picker! 🤘 Fave tracks - Uh, let's say "Vertigo", but this is more of an album album.

O Monstro Precisa De Amigos

Ornatos Violeta

4/5

Yeah, this was a fun listen - reminded me a little of Muse, or early Radiohead. Good to see some Portugal Portuguese on the list! I'd assumed Brazil when I saw the track names. Fave tracks - "Tanque", "Ouvi Dizer" and "O.M.E.M."

August And Everything After

Counting Crows

5/5

Wow, I have way more affection and nostalgia for this album than I was expecting! When I first got a CD player of my own, aged about 13, 14, I had near zero disposable income, but obviously wanted to get my hands on as many CDs as possible as quickly as possible. I bought a music magazine that had a compilation CD on the front ("Q", I think) - mainly for the Soundgarden and Primal Scream tracks on it - but it also had "Round Here" on it, and that quickly became a bit of a fave, even though it wasn't as metal as I'd like. I was mostly non-plussed at everything else on the disc. I think I picked up the whole album when I got to uni, based on that track. It wasn't a firm fave at the time, but re-listening now, so many of these tracks are triggering the "oh yeah, this is a good one too!" reflex! Fave tracks - "Round Here" for the introduction, "Mr Jones" for karaoke singing purposes, "Anna Begins" and "Time and Time Again" for revealing my surprise affection!

Live in San Francisco

Thee Oh Sees

4/5

Ooh yeah, this is rockin'! I've dipped into their work here and there (including some of the name variations) but they're so dang prolific it's kinda overwhelming. Hadn't encountered this album before. It's got that psych garage rock feel I was expecting, but it's extra driving - it's almost bordering on space rock, and I wholeheartedly approve! I'd go 4.5 on this. Maybe more listens would drive it up to a proper 5.... Fave tracks - "The Dream" & "Sticky Hulks" this play through...

Okonokos

My Morning Jacket

4/5

Hmmm, a bit obnoxious to pick a live double album. 😒 The version I picked up had a third disc of acoustic stuff, too, though I won't hold that against the picker, heh. Fortunately, the music's pretty good, on the whole. I should probably spend more time with their studio albums. Fave tracks - "It Beats 4 U", "Lay Low", "Dondante" almost sounded like doom jazz, I liked that a lot, and it leading into "Run Thru" worked very well.

Yellow & Green

Baroness

4/5

Yeah, these folks are pretty rockin'. Seen em live a couple of times! 🤘 Fave tracks - "Take My Bones Away", "Cocainium", "The Line Between"

Prelude to Ecstasy

The Last Dinner Party

5/5

These folks are totally new to me. Initially I thought maybe the tone was a bit strained, a bit overblown, but then I realized it was Queen-style bombast, and everything clicked into place. Yeah, this is awesome! Fave tracks - I really dig the cinematic intro "Prelude to Ecstasy" and the interlude "Gjuha". "The Feminine Urge" is where they won me over, and "Sinner" is tremendous! "Portrait of a Dead Girl" and "Nothing Matters" both slap.

Don't Throw Stones

THE SPORTS

4/5

Never heard of these chaps. Yeah, not too bad - somewhere between classic rock and new wave depending on the song. Fave tracks - "Who Listens to the Radio" and "So Obvious"

Diamonds & Gasoline

Turnpike Troubadours

3/5

New act to me. Pop country isn't really my thing, but this isn't too objectionable. Plenty of fiddle and slide guitar, which I appreciate. If it was more folky or more outlaw, it would be more towards my tastes. Fave tracks - "7 and 7" sounded very Counting Crows to my ear - quite enjoyed it. "Whole Damn Town" and "Long Hot Summer Days" were alright too.

Don't Say No

Billy Squier

4/5

Ok, dug this way more than I was expecting! My copy was mistagged as being from 1987 but once I realized it was actually from 1981 the sound becomes a lot more impressive - I imagine it was very influential on a lot of peoples' sounds. Nice fusion of hard rock with new wave. Fave tracks - "In the Dark", "Lonely Is The Night", "Don't Say No"

Flower Boy

Tyler, The Creator

4/5

I've checked out some of his other albums, but not this one, so cheers, picker, for the introduction! Yeah, good stuff - interesting flows and fun production. Bet he winces at the Elon stuff now though, eh? 😆 Fave tracks - "Foreword", "Who Dat Boy", "I Ain't Got Time!"

Ænima

TOOL

5/5

How is this tagged "Nu Metal"!? (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ Anyway, this is an automatic 5 from me. This got released at just the right time and it absolutely blew me away. Remains a fave to this day, and it's my fave TOOL album for sure. Fave tracks - I mean, basically every track over 2.5 mins long is freaking awesome. And the shorter tracks are fine as atmospheric interstials, it's just no point mentioning them in isolation.

Ram

Paul McCartney

4/5

Definitely liked this more than his first solo album! Fave tracks "Monkberry Moon Delight" for the Beefheart impression. "Oh Woman, Oh Why" too

Latin Mass

Os Mundi

5/5

Hah hah, excellent, thank you for the introduction, picker! I did a bit of a self guided tour of the krautrock scene a while back, and while I've listened to a couple of Os Mundi tracks on compilations, hadn't listened to a whole album before. I very much like the schtick! No-one seems to have given this a 5 yet, so I'm gonna round up the 4.5 that I'd have given this and be the first. ✌️ Fave tracks - "Ouverture", "Kyrie" and "Agnus Dei" 🙏

Rose Mountain

Screaming Females

4/5

Yeah, this slaps! Punky, at times sludgy alt-rock. Not quite a 5 for me, but I'd go 4.5 if that were an option... Fave tracks - "Empty Head", "Burning Car", "Rose Mountain", "Criminal Image"

In Between Dreams

Jack Johnson

3/5

Hmmmm, I feel like I know this album, but I didn't have a copy of it. I have no scrobbles of this guy, and I started scrobbling in mid 2008, so my familiarity with this album is all from people playing it at me against my will. It's inoffensive enough, but every song sounds like it's aiming to be used in the final wrap up montage of an episode of House MD or Stargate Universe. It didn't quite actively piss me off with it's one noteness, but it came close. I wouldn't want to give this more listens any time soon. Fave track - eh, let's say "Constellations" 🤷

Norther

Ex-Easter Island Head

5/5

Very much my jam. Was familiar with this album, but happy to spend more time with it! Fave tracks - "Easter" for the gamelan sound, "Magnetic Language" for the chopped and looped vocal fragments.

Alive 2007

Daft Punk

4/5

Yeah, good stuff - a much more interesting listen than "Homework". Fave tracks - "Around the World / Harder Better Faster Stronger", "Prime Time of Your Life / Brainwasher / Rollin' and Scratchin' / Alive" and "Da Funk / Daftendirekt"

McDonald and Giles

Ian McDonald

4/5

Yeah, a fun listen! Proggy bits, and Beatles-esque bits, without going full Beatles twee, which I appreciate. Fave tracks - "Tommorow's People - The Children of Today", and the "Birdman" suite!

TEKKNO

Electric Callboy

2/5

That's a no from me dawg. 👎 I'm all for experimentally jamming genres together, but eurodance and, what, pop metalcore, make for an exceptionally dull experiment. You get the idea of what each track's about in the first few seconds and then it just does that for the rest of the track. No surprises, no challenges. Meh. I guess it didn't quite revolt me as much as most nu metal so I'll spare it a 1. Fave track - eh..... "Mindreader" maybe? 😒

Gordon

Barenaked Ladies

4/5

I have quite a lot of nostalgia for BNL, but not for this album. I remember hearing "If I had $1,000,000" on the radio before I started paying active attention to music, and I liked it. After I'd been through my only-metal phase and started to broaden out my tastes, nerd rock was a natural direction to go in, and "Stunt" had just been released, putting them back in to the spotlight. The UK edition of "Born on a Pirate Ship" had "If I had $1,000,000" included as a bonus track, I guess, so I bought that and didn't go looking for any further earlier BNL. (Additionally, this was the bad old days when obtaining an album meant blowing an appreciable fraction of your disposable income on it - glad those days are over!) I did apparently give "Gordon" a spin once in 2011, but it obviously doesn't have the same place in my heart as "Born on a Pirate Ship". Still, it has a lot of the same charm! Fave tracks - "Brian Wilson", "Wrap Your Arms Around Me", "The King of Bedside Manor", "If I had $1,000,000" of course, and "Crazy".

Life Goes On

Carla Bley

4/5

Yeah, this is pretty lovely! Is this the first ECM entry on either list? Does seem like a neglected genre! Creates soothing background ambience, or rewards active listening, either way. Fave track - eh, "The Beautiful Telephone" suite, let's say. ☎️

Loss Of Life

MGMT

4/5

This was a pleasant enough listen - didn't have any tracks I recognized on this one, and the overall tone is a bit less poppy and energetic than "Oracular Spectacular". Fave tracks - "Mother Nature", "Bubblegum Dog" and the closer "Loss of Life" had kinda Grandaddy vibes...

Hand. Cannot. Erase.

Steven Wilson

4/5

Yeah, good stuff - prog in the Pink Floyd vein, nicely cinematic, with an affecting theme. Not quite a 5 for me - maybe with more listens? Let's say 4.5 for now. Fave tracks - "Hand Cannot Erase", "Routine", "Home Invasion" and "Ancestral"

Music

311

3/5

Hmmm, this briefly got my nu metal hackles up, but once I spotted it was from 93 I recontextualized it as rap rock - one year after RATM's self titled, one year before Senser's "Stacked Up". I have a lot of nostalgia for those other albums so it's not too fair to make a direct comparison - I guess had I encountered "Music" in the mid to late 90s I might regard it in a similar standing? On the other hand, all the "huh huh, weed" stuff isn't nearly as compelling as the righteous fury of those other bands, so it probably wouldn't have landed quite as well with me... 🤔 I see quite a few reviewers talking about some of their other albums being a better representation of where they went, so maybe I'll check them out at some point. Fave tracks - "Freak Out", "Do You Right"

El Circo

Maldita Vecindad Y Los Hijos Del 5to. Patio

4/5

Awww yeah, what fun! Their take on ska is plenty lively, and I appreciate all the non-ska thrown into the mix. Fave tracks - "Pachuco" for that screamin' opener, "Pata de Perro" for the calypso, and "Querida" for the full on ska!

Metallic K.O.

The Stooges

3/5

Eh, I can kinda see the logic in adding this to the list, poor sound quality be damned, like Dylan's "Live 1966" recording. Like the Dylan album, it suffers a lot from not capturing enough of the crowd noise, so you don't really get the full context that's the main reason for its notability, and you have to do some imagining to fill things in. 😒 Fave tracks - "Louie Louie" from the 74 show, "Gimme Danger" from the 73 show...

Chuck

Sum 41

4/5

Huh, ok, liked this way more than I expected to. I was only really familiar with the singles from "All Killer No Filler", and, more recently, I've given that album like one spin. I definitely appreciate how much metal is in the mix here! Also quite enjoy the songs that are clearly riffing on specific bands (with the possible exception of the Oasis one) - Linkin Park, NIN, and especially "The Bitter End" - my new fave Metallica track. 😆 Presumably some of the other songs are riffing on punk bands I'm not familiar enough with to recognize? Anyway, 4.5 I reckon - might climb to a 5 with more plays. Fave tracks - "We're All To Blame", "The Bitter End", "88", "Subject to Change"

Witness

Modern Life Is War

4/5

Completely new to me, and yeah, this slaps! Hardcore's not really one of my main genres but I like dipping my toes in occasionally, and this sure hit the spot! Fave tracks - "The Outsiders (aka Hell is for Heroes, Pt. I)", "D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S."

Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum

Tally Hall

3/5

Hmmmm, this feels Barenaked Ladies-adjacent, so should be my kinda thing in theory, but somehow it doesn't quite land. I dunno, it's got that glee club manic energy where there's lots of harmonies and flourishes, but it all comes across as a bit sterile. They feel more like skits than songs.🤷 "Two Wuv" was pretty cringe, and had me googling how old the Olsen twins (and the band) were in 2005. 🤨 Fave tracks - "Taken For A Ride" and "Ruler of Everything"

Slapstick

4/5

Hmmm, ska punk - I prefer the tracks that are more punk over the tracks that are more ska, I guess. Probably a 3.5, but I like this a lot more than Tally Hall which I just reviewed, so I'll round up... Fave tracks - "There's a Metal Head in the Parking Lot" (mainly for the title, heh), "Crooked", "Broken Down", "Alternative Radio"

Blink-182

blink-182

3/5

As with Sum 41's "Chuck", that the user list recently gave me, I think I'm most familiar with the singles from the album before this one. Ah, I recognize "I Miss You", but none of the other singles, so that's probably from karaoke... 🤔 Also, as with the Sum 41 album, this is the band moving away from their pop punk roots a little, right? Sum 41 injected a bunch of metal, which suits my proclivities - blink-182 seem to have gone more alt rock. Huh - with a Robert Smith collab, to boot! Fave tracks - "I Miss You" is a pretty good ballad, I guess. "Go" is fun. "All of This" is a nice Robert Smith track - doesn't feel very blink-182.

The Lion's Roar

First Aid Kit

4/5

I've given quite a few of their albums multiple spins and I'm only just learning today that they're Swedish! 😆 Lovely voices, of course, and a very pleasant listen. Perhaps just a bit too one note to hit a 5. Fave tracks - "In The Hearts of Men", "To A Poet", and the title track!

A Complicated Woman

Self Esteem

3/5

This is my introduction to Self Esteem - what a weird artifact! Sounds like kinda generic pop, except for the lyrics, that sound like they'd alienate quite a few listeners? I generally dig the lyrics and the message, but at the end of the day it sounds like a straight up pop album, and that's just not my bag, unfortunately. Fave tracks - "I Do and I Don't Care" is a captivating opener, "In Plain Sight" and "Lies" make a fun one-two,

Get Rich Or Die Ryan

Spose

3/5

Hmmm, this is pretty obnoxiously long, and the guy's flows are a little on the clunky side, though I do tend to agree with his message. Probably a 4 worn down to a 3 via attrition... Fave tracks - "Self Destruct" made me think the whole thing was gonna be WHY?-adjacent - sad that turned out not to be the case. And, let's say "Hotline" from the second disc...

Breakfast In America

Supertramp

4/5

Yep, a fun listen! I gave it a spin when the other Supertramp album came up on the main list. Fave tracks - "The Logical Song" is maybe the only one I recognized first time around. "Goodbye Stranger" is a bop! "Child of Vision" is a great closer...

The Ideal Crash

dEUS

4/5

Very decent alt rock, yeah - thank you, picker, for making this introduction to me! I'll check out some of their other albums... Fave tracks - "Sister Dew", "Everybody's Weird"

The Animal Years

Josh Ritter

3/5

This doesn't quite click with me and I can't put my finger on why. I like plenty of acts with a very similar sound. Some of his melodic choices put my hackles up somehow - perhaps he subconsciously reminds me of an act I dislike?🤷 Dunno - gave it two spins on different days, plus listened to a bonus disc of related tracks, and had the same reaction both times, so I don't think it's a mood thing. Fave tracks - "Girl in the Water" is probably the strongest. I go back and forwards about whether I like "Thin Blue Flame" or just dig the "Hamlet" reference in the lyrics a lot...

One Time for All Time

65daysofstatic

5/5

Yep, nice to see the original list's dearth of post-rock being corrected on the user list! 🫡 I love these guys - saw them live playing at the Jodrell Bank radio telescope site with imagery projected up onto the dishes, which was pretty awesome! I might have selected the albums immediately before and after this one, but that's a minor quibble, it's all good stuff. Fave tracks - "Await Rescue", "Radio Protector"

Save Rock And Roll

Fall Out Boy

1/5

Oof, no, this is not for me. Happy to see another review describe this as "incidental music from an episode of Lucifer" because that was my immediate impression from the first couple of tracks. And ugh, it's excruciatingly one note. Driving me from indifference to irritation to contempt as the songs keep doing the exact same thing over and over again. Oh, there's rapping in track 6 but that doesn't do much to alleviate the pain. I don't know whether I'm just in a particularly unreceptive mood today or what, but this went from a 3 down to a 2, and finally a 1, which I very rarely give out. 😠 Fave track - ehhhhhhhh, let's say "Save Rock & Roll" as Elton injects a tiny slice of something different into the mix.

LUX

ROSALÍA

5/5

Genuinely pretty jaw dropping stuff - an absolutely amazing voice, used with remarkable skill. My lack of understanding of most of the lyrics didn't hinder my enjoyment at all. Love the bounce around between various genres, sometimes within the same song. Even the straight up pop tracks felt palatable. Definitely gonna hunt down the physical release version with the extra tracks... Fave tracks - "Divinize", "La Rumba Del Perdón"

Z

My Morning Jacket

4/5

Yup, good stuff - I had "Okonokos" not too long ago, which maybe somewhat steals some of its thunder. "Into the Woods" has a distinctly Grandaddy vibe, which made me realize "The Sophtware Slump" hasn't made it to either list yet - seems like an oversight! Fave track - "Dondante", though I think I like the version on "Okonos" slightly more...

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

Bright Eyes

4/5

Huh - I have these folks confused with someone else (Frightened Rabbit?) as I was expecting them to be Scottish. Ah, this first track seems very familiar, though I don't appear to have listened to it before. A little research tells me it was used rather effectively in an episode of "The Walking Dead". Oh Carl. Yup, nice sadboi folk, I dig it. Fave tracks - "At The Bottom Of Everything", "Lua", "Land Locked Blues"

Once

Nightwish

4/5

Definitely a fun listen! Power/Symphonic metal isn't my usual thing - I've given a couple of other Nightwish albums one spin a piece, but this album was completely new to me. To quote and editorialize another review: "Every song is like the soundtrack of a boss battle from an RPG" (complimentary) Also glad to see a different reviewer pointed out that the original list did already have a Finnish act on it - Hanoi Rocks! My first serious girlfriend was Finnish and she managed to instill some secondhand Finnish pride in me, it seems. 😆 Fave tracks - "Planet Hell", "Dead Gardens"

Vs.

Pearl Jam

4/5

I have more nostalgia for "Ten" so this doesn't land quite as hard for me. It's solid, though. Fave tracks - "Dissident", "Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town"

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