539
Albums Rated
3.42
Average Rating
49%
Complete
550 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
93
5-Star Albums
15
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
|
5 | 2.28 | +2.72 |
|
Slipknot
Slipknot
|
5 | 2.67 | +2.33 |
|
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
|
5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
|
Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
|
5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
|
Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
Apocalypse Dudes
Turbonegro
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
|
Kala
M.I.A.
|
5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
|
Reign In Blood
Slayer
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
|
5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Grace
Jeff Buckley
|
1 | 3.72 | -2.72 |
|
Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
|
1 | 3.22 | -2.22 |
|
Soul Mining
The The
|
1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
|
Screamadelica
Primal Scream
|
1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
|
Dare!
The Human League
|
1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
|
Smokers Delight
Nightmares On Wax
|
1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
|
Picture Book
Simply Red
|
1 | 2.88 | -1.88 |
|
Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
|
1 | 2.83 | -1.83 |
|
One World
John Martyn
|
1 | 2.82 | -1.82 |
|
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
|
1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.75 |
| Deep Purple | 3 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 4.67 |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Band | 2 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 5 |
| Rush | 2 | 5 |
| Kanye West | 2 | 5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 2 | 5 |
| ZZ Top | 2 | 5 |
| Johnny Cash | 2 | 5 |
| Metallica | 2 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 4 | 4.25 |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beatles | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 2 | 1.5 |
| The The | 2 | 1.5 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Tom Waits | 5, 4, 2 |
5-Star Albums (93)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Robbie Williams
1/5
Sounds like the debut album from your mom’s favorite American Idol Finalist.
62 likes
Black Sabbath
5/5
Easiest 5 stars I've ever given. Before even listening I know - but this is one of the first albums I became attached to as a kid. Every track is perfect. Other bands paved the way, but Sabbath actively invented heavy metal. I think it could also be argued the song "Electric Funeral" alone also spawned an entire sub-genre of 'sludge' bands and eventually made the term 'Sabbath Clone' its own descriptor as bands tried to re-create it.
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I've always loved the bass in this album, and obviously Iommi and Ozzy do great guitar/vocals - but on this listen, it was the first time I realized how truly incredible the drums are! Bill Ward always felt like a Sabbath afterthought to me, but listening more intently to the drums throughout, especially on the back half of the album, it's clear he's just as important a part of Sabbath's success. Perfect from top to bottom.
36 likes
Suicide
1/5
Album cover was cooler than any of the music. Tried to respect the experimentation aspect considering this was the 70's, but still not a fan.
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I Would've given it a 2 but 'girl' and especially 'frankie teardrop' felt like something you would play on loop to drive someone mad. Certainly started to...
36 likes
Meat Loaf
5/5
Easy five stars. This album is operatic, cheesy, over the top, wonderful. I knew meatloaf but had never really taken the time to go through this record. It feels like a proto-power metal album, even including a song that could have been a hit if not for a weird spoken word opening minute. This is my shit, embrace the kitsch and lean in.
31 likes
John Grant
5/5
Haiku tuesday:
Prepared for weird crap;
but novel, modern folk songs;
Long live Denmark's Queen
27 likes
1-Star Albums (15)
All Ratings
Genesis
4/5
Really enjoyed this one - interesting to see early prog prog which I don't often listen to. Clearly see the influence on more modern prog I do like.
Blending track by track of old medieval sounds, with synthesizers of the 70s made for real interesting sound. I specifically found myself finding this album sounding a lot like the risk of rain soundtrack at times.
Interesting to learn about the americanization of england themes, but did not follow lyrics as closely as music.
Love
3/5
loved the start of this album, interest tapered near the end. Sounds like a lot of psych rock, but enjoyable! I'm curious if my lack of interest near the end is due to the fact that this style was so influential and I have been exposed to many imitations and tropes that reduce the value of the original in my brain?
interesting range of styles and instrumentation found within, and cool to see an interracial band find success in the 60's in the genre.
Cream
3/5
Very interesting old blues record - shows the evolution clearly of British rockers taking blues and making it something else. Several very good songs, the rest was solid, but forgettable.
Fun facts about them being the first supergroup though! Wild
Violent Femmes
3/5
Album sounds very ahead of it’s time - I’m shocked it’s from ‘83. The instrumentation and lyrics feel very 90’s sadness. A clear inspiration for some of those bands and emo groups.
The lyrics specifically don’t seem to have aged well. I’m guessing it was an early example of male sadness and rage this way, but listening almost 40 years later, the emotional manipulation, entitlement, and degradation of women who don’t like the singer feel outdated and cringeworthy. Early sadbois
David Bowie
4/5
really enjoyed this - never been a bowie listener, but this is great. The style really changes song to song, but it all feels very BOWIE. I especially loves life on mars. Joyful, weird, fun.
Saint Etienne
2/5
Not much of a dance fan, but There were times when I heard the food stuff here. Loved the opening track, rest was forgettable, but I also fully recognize listening on a Sunday morning is not even close to the intended venue. I was in the shower eyes closed listening to ‘stoned to say the least’ and could definitely feel the club trance that may happen if you were grooving and on drugs listening to this. I’m sure it’s much better in those contexts.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
The piano and sax throughout were a dang treat. Feels like old americana, joyful, sad, honest. He’s the boss for a reason!
Boards of Canada
3/5
still not super into electronic music but this felt different to me. Where the St etienne album had one or two songs that grabbed me and the rest felt dull - this album didn't have any standouts, but overall gelled with me better. I certainly appreciate the 'IDM' aspect more and while i'm not a huge fan of this, I definitely see how it could have influenced or paved the way for different forms of electronic music that might be more my speed.
On a second listen I vibed on it a bit more - it's definitely a sort of 'early electronic music to relax and work to' sort of thing hahaha. Feels similar to the way I listen to modern instrumental prog - throw an album on in the background while focusing on work.
Slipknot
4/5
This is the first CD I ever bought with my own money - I remember biking to Best Buy with Justin Wirsbinski. It's wild going back to this record on the day Trump leaves office and taking more time to notice the themes railing against American politics and the disguising of politics as religion at the end of the Bush administration than I did when I first bought it. I’d give this a 4.5 but I can’t justify a full 5. If I did it’d just be nostalgia
The album is way more interesting considered against slipknots early stuff. It’s solidifies their transition from nu metal to something more mainstream. It is commercial metal but its well-executed, An entryway for a lot of people into the genre that is accessible without losing intensity.
Suicide
1/5
Album cover was cooler than any of the music. Tried to respect the experimentation aspect considering this was the 70's, but still not a fan.
||
I Would've given it a 2 but 'girl' and especially 'frankie teardrop' felt like something you would play on loop to drive someone mad. Certainly started to...
The Boo Radleys
5/5
Delightful hourlong trip into a washed-out summer memory. The light blend of synths and woodwinds/horns with a more traditional rock band kit was fun! Modern 'indierock' imitations or evolutions of this style have bothered me, but listening to this, I see why so many people have tried!
Probably a 4 or 4.5 in reality, but rounding up because it is the first album I know I would not have given a chance without the 1001 list, and I truly feel glad to have been exposed to it.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Enjoyed the vibes, but wasn't able to focus much on lyrics or songwriting. I expected velvet underground to be weirder, but I got a kick out of it!
Rocket From The Crypt
5/5
Fun fact: these guys wrote a song for yo Gabba gabba. I knew a few songs from this album in advance - on a rope, dropout, and used. Listening to the whole thing, those songs are still the standouts, but the whole album has an energy that I love - specifically how the rhythm section drives it and is bolstered by the horns throughout. Bass clef represent! I love how the horns blend into the background at times, but add richness to the low tones. I’m probably being a star too generous, but I gotta respect when an album makes me move around and gets me amped!
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Never knew "gotta get up" or (lime in the) coconut were by this guy. Album was pretty average aside from those hits. Album title was funny though.
Patti Smith
4/5
I haven't really connected with Patti Smith, I think mostly because I don't know a lot of her story - I know that and her poetry have been a big thing for others [cough cough, Emily]. That said, I see why this is an album you need to listen to! I especially liked 'Free Money'.
I couldn't take the time I wanted to more deeply focus on lyrics so I have to recognize that. But on a top level they felt powerful and I really got a kick out of the music - which felt of its era, yet transcending it. You also have to recognize the influence she had on musicians of her time and generations of punks afterwards deserves some serious respect. Adding this to a rotation so I can keep listening and thinking!
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
My favorite part of this album was when Spotify played a Replacements song in the queue after it was over and I didn't notice it was a different artist for 30 seconds.
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Nothing was awful about this album, but nothing felt special. I spent more time digging into lyrics and story behind it, and still didn't spark excitement. Meh.
Joy Division
4/5
If you asked me yesterday about joy division, I woulda guessed they were a late 90's hipster darling still making music. Turns out, That is WILDLY not the case haha!
|| This album is forcing me to more critically consider how I designate ratings. On a personal level I give this album a 3.5. But in terms of influence, creativity, and "need to hear before you die" it's an obvious 5+. I cannot deny how important this album is to such a wide swath of music being created today.
|| I'm curious to talk more about how each of our thought processes around ratings evolve as we continue listening - what criteria and feelings do we use to inform our decisions?
Arrested Development
3/5
I'm not familiar enough with the distinctions between genres of 80's and 90's hip hop to know how much of a departure this sound was, but I can say I really enjoyed it and would love to learn more about this from somone more versed in the hip hop scene and its history. || Three tracks (People Everyday, Mr. Wendell, and Give a Man to Fish) really stuck out. The rest was good, but likely not something I'd put on out of choice. Love the light beats and instrumentation ||
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I really like folksy Neil Young. All around felt like a solid album, but the jams in songs like Down by the River and Cowgirl in the Sand were the standouts for me!
Robbie Williams
1/5
Sounds like the debut album from your mom’s favorite American Idol Finalist.
3/5
Nothing really stood out, but in general found some good vibes. Just not my scene. Felt very much like Proto Arctic-Monkeys, which makes sense. Not something I'd put on again by choice, but I respect the influence Blur, and Damon Albarn in particular has had especially with projects like Gorillaz after Blur.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Pretty cool album! laughably I did not realize 'heads will roll' was by this band and was caught way off guard. The album is an interesting mix of Rock/Dance , would love a party where stuff like this was the dancing vibe. A few tracks like 'dull life' and 'runaway' were the standouts for me. All in all, a cool album I would never be mad to hear come on, but would rarely select - classic 3.5
|| An Aside: The first few notes of 'Dragon Queen' made me think they were about to play KoRn's "Falling Away From Me" and caught me by surprise every time it came on. Listen to it - eerily similar, for real!
The Police
3/5
sting is a horny creepy weirdo and damn can you tell. Even putting aside 'mother' which sting didn't write but 'was a big fan of'. || I think the first half of the album sounds like slightly better than average rock, and the second half is clearly sting beginning to leave the police and write pretty good pop music as a solo artist. I can't stomach giving it a 4, but 3 feels too low. Oh well.
Frank Black
3/5
I had a review for this at one point but it got eaten up and deleted. Overall, just wasn't my vibe. A few good tunes, but nothing too special. My favorite part was the album cover and title, which made me expect some different sounds.
The Band
5/5
I've never been familiar with The Band but this really got me. Obviously 'The Weight' is a classic, but 'Tears of Rage' 'To Kingdom Come' and 'I Shall be Released' were also favorites for me. The whole album has an amazing feel, and it's wild to realize it was all recorded in just two weeks.
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What really struck me with this album was the forging of rock, soul, and sorrowful old country western into an Americana Alloy. Its beautiful American wanderlust. I love it.
Aerosmith
4/5
I was expecting to dislike this a lot more than I did. I have some premeditated distaste for Aerosmith, as cheesy bad rock. But I think that must come from distillations of late success band, Steven Tyler being weird, etc. this album rocked hard I loved the clear bluesy licks and rhythms. Still not a fave, but a clear step towards hard rock of the later 70s and 80s that I am more fond of. Way to prove me wrong, Aerosmith!
3/5
Felt overall like very average indie pop rock. I listened to it three times and never disliked a song, but had trouble connecting with anything.
The Who
4/5
A fantastic live recording! Really captures the band's musicianship and synchronicity. Loved the long jams and changes to recorded versions - really added life, and makes me long for live shows again :/
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I gave this album three listens, trying to give it the benefit of the doubt. But every listen, the only part that caught my attention was when he started talking about how he wished his lover was a horse or a dog. Okay buddy.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Didn’t expect to, but really got a kick out of this album! The beats were great, I found myself moving along to it in the kitchen - and the jabs at the privatization of the UK and Thatcherism were like a little cherry on top. Enjoyed meaning behind a genre often focused on partying - at least from what I know as a mostly outsider to electronic and dance.
David Bowie
3/5
I’ll be honest, I was expecting this to be better. It was very commercial rock, still Bowie and still well done. But didn’t feel as fun or creative as hunky dory in my opinion. Enjoyable romp, cool to read about the influence of American Touring on Bowie, but not my favorite. 3.5, rounding down because I had high expectations.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I really like Pink Floyd but don’t know much about the early Syd Barrett days. I found myself liking his campy weird tunes like Bike and Gnome more than the others. I feel like this is. 3.5 and I’m torn between rounding down because I didn’t love the music or rounding up because of the weirdness and influence and allowing for more progressive music styles! Fuck it, have a four because I’m biased!
U2
2/5
I came into U2 incredibly biased. I grew up with dad telling me they were cheesy and bad, and in the era when Bono was self righteous with weird purple glasses. I know lots of people like U2, but I’ve never met someone who says they’re a fan? On first listen I hated this album. It wasn’t bad, just so excessively mediocre and blending in to the background. On a second listen I heard a few solid tracks like white horses and One, but still wasn’t sold. Apparently this was a shift for U2, maybe I’d like early stuff better. This soft rock just doesn’t cut it for me. 2.5, rounding down cuz I feel I give too many 3s and am just feelin feisty
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Album good, voice better. Aretha is a legend. Too tired to write more!
Beatles
5/5
All my Beatles knowledge came from various compilations over the years, so I never really knew which songs came from what albums. I should've guessed from the way people spoke on the album, but I was surprised by how so many of the Beatles bangers were on this one. || I thought about finding a way to justify less than a 5 because sometimes I'm sick of the Beatles always getting heaped praise, but like, this Album is still gold all the way through, and was astronomical in size, scope, and influence. || Not sure if the remastered mix makes it more clear, or if I never noticed before, but I loved the bass throughout, and little adjustments in the background like synthesizers and other embellishments I never noticed before! Really amplified songs, without making it too crowded.
The Roots
4/5
Really enjoyed this one! The rhythm and groove especially. I didn’t pick up much on lyrics but loved the vibe and the drive this record had throughout. Definitely something I’ll be playing again.
Khaled
4/5
I really got a kick out of this album, but on my first listen I really struggled with a lack of cultural context. Happy to see more worldly music, but it took me some time to find out more about Khaled. It clearly felt like it had western pop and jazz influences, and I loved listening to it! || I eventually found a write up on Khaled and that really helped me. Learning about the history of Rai music, and persecution in Algeria.
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I don't think I'll find myself picking this up a lot, but I do really dig the sound, and would always be happy if some songs came up on shuffle. I think this is a 3 or 3.5 musically for me, but going to rate it a 4 because I love a musician who fights against unjust systems and gets to the heart of the people!!
Sonic Youth
4/5
Wasn’t struck by the start of this album, but the back half really stood out! I think this suffers from a bit of ‘I’ve heard so many bands try to imitate this sound that hearing this now feels watered down’? Trying to combat that, I really like the shifting vibes and and vocalists and definitely want to give this album more time and more rotations!
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Early on I was interested in this album, but as it went on it started to feel a little more like a stereotype of '90's hip hop. My guess is that's probably because of how quintessential this is, but I can't be sure. Thought it was interesting there were so many songs disrespecting women, but also an entire song condemning date rape culture (which also inlcuded casual sex jokes?) quite a mix! I think there are clearly songs I'd like to listen to again, but not an album I'd want to spin all the way through.
Meat Loaf
5/5
Easy five stars. This album is operatic, cheesy, over the top, wonderful. I knew meatloaf but had never really taken the time to go through this record. It feels like a proto-power metal album, even including a song that could have been a hit if not for a weird spoken word opening minute. This is my shit, embrace the kitsch and lean in.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Micheal Jackson has just an otherworldly vocal talent. Half of this album is 8/5 stars and those are the songs you know. The other half is a solid 3/5. It’s just fun delicious pop. I’d probably say 4.5/5 but I’ll round up!
Beastie Boys
4/5
Better rock-rap than most new metal ever was. || Loved listening for the samples! When the levee breaks by Led Zeppelin and (I think) sweet leaf by Black Sabbath on the first track. definitely caught some recognizable riffs on girls and other tracks, but couldn’t name em all.
||
Fun facts I learned looking this up: this was the first rap album to chart! || Kerry King of Slayer played the riff and solo in No Sleep Til Brooklyn, they met because Rick Rubin was producing Slayers album at the same time! || they also were planning to record a Beatles cover but ran into legal trouble with Micheal Jackson - funny this came on our list right after thriller!
Chicago
2/5
struggled with this one. I kind of figured Chicago would be bad, given that after living there for 8 years, you never heard anyone really talk about the band, even in a city that is obsessed with itself. The sound felt like old school big band 'modernized' for the seventies. I like other Jam music so I kept trying to give this another chance, but it just never got there.
Laura Nyro
2/5
I think this is another case of the poetry of lyrics being lost on me, based on the way the album was written up. She clearly has a great voice, and the instrumentation of strings is interesting, but overall this album didn't seem to catch me. I'm going to rate a 2.5 for now, with an understanding that a more thorough listen may be necessary later.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Got a kick out of this one - a groovy album navigating various genres and standing out as an early predecessor to more modern R&B styles. Put it on good speakers and vibe out!
The Rolling Stones
3/5
All my stones knowledge comes from greatest hits. Frankly I always thought they were overrated. This album was solid! Paint it black and under my thumb are two favorites. Aside from those two, the only new songs I really liked were stupid girl and I am Waiting. The rest of the album did a great job showing the stones blues roots, and I got a kick out of the slide guitar, but nothing else struck me the same way. This feels like a 3.5 that I’m struggling to round up or down on.
Mercury Rev
4/5
Wasn’t expecting much, and didn’t get much from the early album. But the second half really turned it up! Loved the way it moved between genres. Excited to play this again
Jimmy Smith
3/5
I was expecting something totally different based on the cool cover. Very groovy old sax music and freestyling. Messy Bessy and it's guitar noodling was my favorite, I think I just prefer guitar freestyling to sax. I respect the musicianship and would love listening to this in the background with friends and cocktails, but don't see myself looking for it again anytime soon.
Steely Dan
4/5
Steely Dan is cool and I love 'em. Don't often choose to put 'em on, but am always delighted when I hear 'em. This album was a very chill listen and the end of a stressful day and will definitely be going into my rotation. I also like the face of the guy in the bottom right corner.
Pere Ubu
2/5
First half of this didn't catch me. It felt like a lot of post-punk, experimental and awkward or jarring to listen to. I got excited about it around "I will wait" and found some fun sounds in there. Other songs like "(Pa) ubu dance party" and "Codex" got me excited with interesting intros, my excitement faded everytime they got into the meet of a tune. Codex especially was a bummer, because the intro riff feels like a perfect noodle to build a dark metal song around.
Gene Clark
4/5
I really got a kick out of this - fun old folk rock imo! Guitar sounds were great. Would love to hear a band at a rural dive bar cover these tunes. First half was especially good, second half faded into the background, but was delightful musically. It would get a 3 or 3.5 if I'm being objective, but it is a 4 because I'm not.
Deep Purple
5/5
When I was younger, I would read or hear a lot of people saying "Deep Purple was a huge influence on early heavy metal" and think PFFFFTTTT! What? Nah, Black Sabbath did it all, as I was only familiar with Deep Purple's bigger hits at that time. I still think Sabbath is obviously the most influential, but realize I was too quick to dismiss the work of others in the pre-metal scene. This album is THICK with sound. A driving rhythm section, big distortion, and versatile organ usage make for a sound modern stoner rock constantly seeks to emulate. This is a Jam. Probably a 4.5, but I'm rounding up as an apology for my previous disrespect to these metal pioneers.
The Clash
4/5
Easy to see the influence this had on the entire genre afterward! Hugely influential and sounds pretty cool. Not my favorite clash stuff but I respect the energy and enjoyed the album! I feel I should rate higher because of the influence, but after listening, it still just feels like a 4!
Manu Chao
2/5
Really respect the work that went into this - for a person to write an album in NINETEEN NINETY EIGHT using basically only a laptop is impressive. So is his ability to sing and write in so many languages. That said, the album still didn’t hit me. I’m glad to hear this album, but it didn’t resonate. Gotta give it 2 (2.5?) stars.
The Replacements
4/5
The first few tracks didn't grab me, but I eventually got there. I feel like I gotta throw some love to the Replacements becuase they're a minnesota band that the scene loves, but I've never been too familiar with em. The back half of this album is where it really shines to me - especially obviously Androgynous, plus Black Diamond and Unsatisfied. Also really loved the long jam for 2/3 of Seen Your Video. You can really hear the energy of these punks even as they're writing more sincere songs using not just aggression. ||
A great album with a few duds from a cool band that made an impact on the scene and music as a whole. Feels like a textbook 4, so that's what it's getting from me.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
It's so fuckin' cool to see sci-fi and concept album tropes applied to a pop album like this! The orchestral intro and varied interludes throughout plus the extended outro song just let you know you are not in for just pop and bookends it all well! Outside of the theatricality of it, I loved the mixing and blending of genres throughout. Faster, Cold War, and Oh, Maker were favorites. It's still a feel-good pop record! Just with some wild afrofuturism in its bloodstream! This might be a 4 in reality, but I'm a sucker for theatricality and want to celebrate concept albums and sci fi stories like this finding success!
Bee Gees
4/5
I thought the The Bee Gees were Disco, but this sounds like the poor man's Beatles and I swear I don't mean that as an insult.
Television
2/5
I was just bored
Beck
3/5
Pretty solid throughout, just not something I always vibe with. "Guess I'm doing fine" and "Lost Cause" were standouts to me. Beck's voice sounded way different here than I was used to, and I liked the folk rock and western vibes at times. Better than a 3 for me, but I can't call this one a 4.
Green Day
5/5
Punk Opera about the disillusionment of growing up in suburbia? Easy 5 stars. I listened to this album so hard the summer it came out that I spent the next 3 years hating on it. Once I went back and realized I had just overplayed it for myself, it went back into a moderated heavy rotation.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
This would be a 2 for me, but Band on the Run carries the rest of the album on its back across the third star. If I wanted lovey-dovey Paul McCartney, I'd just listen to his Beatles tracks.
Minutemen
3/5
I knew of singer/bassist Mike Watt from one of his solo albums, but didn't realize this was his band. LOVE the heavy bass and funky punk bits. Music that I would love to see this live more than listen to the recordings. If you cut this album in half, you'd have a 4 or 5 star album. But with all the chaff, it's a 3.
The Smiths
4/5
I came in heavily biased because so many cool bands, (and bands that think they're cool) cite the smiths as an influence and I sort of rolled my eyes at the hipster cred of it. I'll be honest though, I really dug the album! I've heard so many mediocre attempts to create a sound like this from bands that came after, but this all really worked for me. Not something I'd seek often, but delighted to listen through now and again, and have as a treat. Morrissey seems like an insufferable prick though.
Don McLean
4/5
I LOVED the title track and played it over and over when I was young, but had never listened to the rest and was surprised by how good the folk-rock was!
||
The Anti-Vietnam sentiment is clear throughout. The tone and sarcasm in 'everybody loves me baby' is DELICIOUS. Also loved The Grave and the lament for Van Gogh on Vincent
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Album clearly is important, but even though it is much deeper than the title track, there still were still some forgettable songs in the middle.
Traffic
3/5
the intros were so long that I thought this was going to be an instrumental album at first...and actually found myself disappointed it wasn't? Interesting musical flourishes (i loved the flute) and a wonderful interpretation of old british folk music aren't enough to make this album anything more than a nice three.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
The singer's gutteral vocals in certain songs would be really at home in early back metal or crust punk bands like Venom or Deviated Instinct...but sadly, they are over this boring music. Devoting an entire track to your very edgy anti-christianity spoken word poem (religion I) and following it up with literally the exact same poem set over a repetitive jam (religion II) is awful, and public image should feel bad about it.
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Parts that were listenable when I dove into work and tried not to pay attention. I'm giving this a 2 because a 2 is more forgettable than a 1. I don't want to have to think about this trash again.
Roxy Music
3/5
started off really poorly and I was ready to rate low, but it picked up! Again, not really a fan and don't intend to listen again, but its interesting to see early experimentation into artpop and artrock. Glad they did this for future bands, but still not an album for me.
M.I.A.
5/5
I can't get over that she used the Iron Maiden signature font for the "Fight On" text. I love it. For the actual album - it's a banger! The influence of Bollywood and South Asian and African culture on the album is clear both musically and lyrically, blending really well into the mainstream dance music.
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I love that this album was able to be made extensively with Logic. Feels like an early success story proving you can make professional music with just a computer and good software (even though obviously they didn't JUST used Logic here. But extensively!)
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Lyrically its awesome to have the themes addressing world poverty, immigration, and capitalism. Feels even more relevant today, MIA was ahead of the curve! Also obviously paper planes still whips ass. I think the music might be a 4 for me, but I want to throw full 5 at it because of all the radical outside factors that went into creation and themes!
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I really struggle with Perry Farrell's voice. I love hearing it on one song, but I don't really vibe with it for a whole album. That said, I still dig the bass and guitar work throughout.
The division of side A and side B dealing with Perry's mother's death is interesting, and a project worth listening to, but not something I'd find myself coming back to much. This one's just a 3.5 for me.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
It's a great album through and through, for Frank Sinatra's sound. I just have to admit that I really only like him in smaller doses than this. half an album's worth is fun, an entire album of these crooners blends together for me.
Steve Winwood
4/5
wow that opening synth riff is STRONG. Sets a rad 80's tone right away. Obvious he and Phil Collins worked together from that track alone, and the rest of the album only solidifies that bond. It is disappointing that it trails off into mediocrity at the end. Looking at the Side A and B divisions, I'd give side A a 5 for fun synthy pop, and side B a 2.5. The whole thing gets a 4 because of what it almost was, but I'm left feeling disappointed.
Elvis Costello
3/5
SIGNIFICANTLY better than blood and chocolate. JESUS. Listening to this, I actually understand why people like Elvis Costello. Feels like classic summer cruising music for high school. Not something I want to listen to frequently, but could feel awesome in a summer barbecue playlist or similar. 3.5 for me, but I'm gonna round down.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Better than expected and better than the last sonic youth album. Some of the spoken word over music was good, some meh. But I liked the sound and vibe all around!
The Who
4/5
It is the who.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Enjoyed it at the start, hits like wishin and hopin got me back in at the end, but overall nothing that really stuck out to me. three.
5/5
Way better than expected. I think this album is a victim of its own success. It's such good music that songs like wonderwall, champagne supernova and don't look back in anger are essentially punchlines. The deeper cuts were more enjoyable than expected! I think this a really strong 4.5 and if I was being more critical about my 5s, I wouldn't give it one...but I'll let it squeak by this time.
Nirvana
5/5
I've never given Nirvana the credit other people do. I think it was just a metal kid's resentment towards grunge? Maybe it was thinking Dave Grohl made better music in Foo Fighters? But this album rules! || It might also be because I have a higher base stressed-out level these days, but the raw tones and attitude in the all of the tracks just seems to resonate and feel comforting. || Never knew it was recorded in Goodhue County, literally one over from where I grew up in Dakota County! doesn't mean much, but neat! ||
Yes
4/5
I really like a lot of prog rock and prog metal, and I know yes is a big part of that, but I've never been able to really get into them in the past. This album was better than expected, but the song I recognized 'all good people' was definitely the low point IMO. There were good instrumentals throughout and i found myself enjoying a lot of it, but feeling embarrassed by other cheesy pieces. It's a 3.5 that I will begrudgingly rank up to a 4 because I gotta back up prog as a genre.
Supergrass
3/5
Some interesting songs. Some.
T. Rex
3/5
Fun to Jam, recognized some songs I didn't realize were T. Rex. Feels cool as hell, but only a few rise above better than average after two listens. It's a 3.5 I'm gonna need to round down.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Parts of it sounded like Prince. Parts sounded more grungy. Very cool vibe and guitar playing, but at the same time, nothing really WOWed me. Great job Lenny, here's a 3.5!
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Fine. It just sounds like standard 90's altrock pop from some brits with greasy hair.
2/5
I couldn't get through it. There's one or two pop songs worth putting in a party playlist but its exhausting and sounds the same. Not even fun bass can make me enjoy it.
The Who
3/5
The Who are very good, and the sell out bit is funny and I liked the commitment to it, but honestly this album just doesn't hit as hard as some of their other stuff. I can see for miles is the only stand out track. The rest would be 'good' for many other bands, but there's such a better catalog to choose from with The Who, I'd rather listen to that.
Pantera
5/5
Essential album in the evolution of Thrash metal as it grew out of its 80's infancy and continued to spread in the 90's. Anselmo's vocal style over groovy grind riffs are also clear inspiration for Nu-Metal bands that sprang up in the late 90's/early 00's. It's a shame Dimebag was murdered by a whacko, and Phil Anselmo has turned into a real piece of human garbage since the band's dissolution. Big stain on the reputation of a hugely influential band.
Bad Company
4/5
Good, solid hard rock. I See it paving the way for heavier stuff! Song 'bad company' stands out more than everything else. Also I love that this is a supergroup where this band stands out more than any of the earlier bands. I guess Free was big? whatever.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Groove is in the heart slaps. Everything else is solid, but seems like typical 90's hip-hop to the ears of this listener who, granted, is not well-versed in the genre.
Dolly Parton
4/5
I fully admit I didn't know much about Dolly Parton until she became a recent resurgent media darling, but I truly love her attitude and care. It's so clear in what she sings about and how she lives.
I hated country when I was young. But the older I get the more I realize I really just dislike a lot of pop country. I'm a sucker for American folk, western, and certain types of country music. This album has a few songs that definitely fit that bill. I think I'd cut it in half and turn it into an EP for regular listening, but very good overall. Great voice, full of emotion, love a heavy bass in the mix.
Randy Newman
4/5
Hearing Randy Newman say the N word is just way too weird. I truly only know him from Disney work, so it's interesting to hear how that's really HIS sound that Disney 100% just latched on to for toy story and monsters inc hahah. His voice, The piano, the brass, carnival-y instruments at times, all of it! It's catchy folk stuff. I like it!
Alice In Chains
4/5
Maybe it's because I was frustrated today but damn I've always thought alice in chains was overrated, but really enjoyed the tracks of this album that weren't always on the radio when I was growing up. Hits still were exhausting, but the stuff in between was way better than I ever would have expected!
The Black Keys
3/5
It has it's moments but just never grips me. Probably because it was overplayed. But like, If I want good bluesy rock there's a lot of stuff I'll pick before this. 2.5 that i'll round up.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
sounded sweet and sad at first, but blended together. Liked a lot of the little background touches, but honestly didn't do much for me.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Easiest 5 stars I've ever given. Before even listening I know - but this is one of the first albums I became attached to as a kid. Every track is perfect. Other bands paved the way, but Sabbath actively invented heavy metal. I think it could also be argued the song "Electric Funeral" alone also spawned an entire sub-genre of 'sludge' bands and eventually made the term 'Sabbath Clone' its own descriptor as bands tried to re-create it.
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I've always loved the bass in this album, and obviously Iommi and Ozzy do great guitar/vocals - but on this listen, it was the first time I realized how truly incredible the drums are! Bill Ward always felt like a Sabbath afterthought to me, but listening more intently to the drums throughout, especially on the back half of the album, it's clear he's just as important a part of Sabbath's success. Perfect from top to bottom.
The Temptations
4/5
Really enjoyed it!
Janis Joplin
4/5
Never listened to much Joplin, and was shocked that she really only put out two albums based her huge cultural influence! Better throughout than I expected, and definitely full of bluesy 60's hippie style...even for coming out early 70s
Turbonegro
5/5
I think I had one turbonegro song on a Kerrang sampler one time - "No! I'm Alpha Male!" Thought it was weird, but cool! Honestly feel the same about this album. Feels like a cool Rocky-punk that clearly has some of than scandinavian metal influence in its darkness at times. Maybe a 4 or 4.5 in actuality, but I'm happy to have something new for my rotation - five stars!
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Name felt weird coming from a Norwegian group, and I'm still not 100% sold on it, even with stated anti-racist beliefs and looking to call out racism in Nroway and Scandinavia. Maybe if they decide to change it they could go back to their other original name idea "Nazipenis"
Frank Zappa
3/5
Really liked this album at the start! Fun weird jazzy prog from an earlier time. Started to lose me at the end as it blended together...an evergreen valid criticism of most jazz and/or prog.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Got a kick out of this - I forgot how wild Elvis' careers shifted over the decades. A real Icarus. Doesn't have all the hits, but I think it captures his essence well and shows you what you need from him.
Public Enemy
4/5
Public Enemy is rad. Love the metal community crossover with Anthrax they ended up doing for Bring The Noise, and sampling Slayer was sick. Feels quintessentially late 80's hip hop. Love the big beats and big respect they make sure to give the DJ. Chuck D is cool as hell, Flavor Flav is...well, Flavor flav.
Kate Bush
2/5
Forgettable will-o-wisp pop.
Rush
5/5
didn't listen to much rush when I was young, but definitely had bursts of interest. Discovered how much I loved their style and influence as i got older and revisted. The first half of this album is all bangers. The second half is more experimental, but it feels real Rush and real cool! Just the deeper cuts. Love this album, Love geddy Lee, love these weird Canadians.
Syd Barrett
3/5
Weird and fun - just like Syd! Not exactly my favorite but I respect the artistry, and how his unique way of thinking and writing sounded outside of Pink Floyd. Almost a 4, but I can't quite justify it, so we're sitting at 3.
Tim Buckley
2/5
honestly, the most interesting part of this album was hearing it defined as his 'sexfunk' period. Music became forgettable quickly. A musician getting really horny and into drugs after becoming famous aint that novel.
Paul Simon
4/5
Clearly a great musician and an interesting pop sound. Really catchy songs. Not all of it is my vibe, but I can respect it. On one hand I think it's rad how Simon brought sounds of African musicians into his music and featured them in front of a wider audience, but at the same time, seeing him use their sound while recording in South Africa during aparthied and just throw his hands up and say effectively 'uhhh i don't know how to write protest songs' and making note of how black musicians would get anxious in late night recording sessions, and not doing much is dissappointing, especially given that he knew enough to try to hide his recording in south africa due to other cultural boycotts...
Happy Mondays
2/5
I read the first line of the wiki page and already felt exhausted about listening to another english alt band. Tried to give it an honest shot, but found myself skipping to the next song about 3/4 through every track. I'd love to hear what someone loves about this album cuz it just isn't there for me. Lazyitis was the best track, and only partially because I knew it was the last one.
Mariah Carey
4/5
This is earlier Mariah than I was familiar with growing up, but it's great! Her voice is incredible, and I think it does a great job blurring the lines of pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Felt good throughout. Feels like a 3.5 but I'll round up because I found myself grooving!
Neil Young
3/5
This is a sad Neil :( Its good though. 3.5
The Specials
3/5
definitely different ska than I'm used to but I dug it! A few standouts, and nothing that rubbed me wrong. Neat!
Foo Fighters
5/5
Really got a kick out of this! When I was younger i actually liked the Foo Fighters a lot more than Nirvana. Love Grohl and his sound. So cool that this was essentially a solo project he re-labeled so it wouldn't just get big off post-nirvana name recognition.
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Listened to a lot of other Foo, but never much of this album - lots of deep cuts with a heavy, distorted grunge that I can get behind. Good work, Dave.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Last time we got the beastie boys I accidentally reviewed this album instead of ill Communication...Here's that review:
Better rock-rap than most nu metal ever was. || Loved listening for the samples! When the levee breaks by Led Zeppelin and (I think) sweet leaf by Black Sabbath on the first track. definitely caught some recognizable riffs on girls and other tracks, but couldn’t name em all.
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Fun facts I learned looking this up: this was the first rap album to chart! || Kerry King of Slayer played the riff and solo in No Sleep Til Brooklyn, they met because Rick Rubin was producing Slayers album at the same time! || they also were planning to record a Beatles cover but ran into legal trouble with Michael Jackson - funny this came on our list right after thriller!
The Stone Roses
4/5
honestly better than I expected. Softy sadboi rock, but done well! I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the album, and everything after was a slow decline, but never felt awful. Probably won't throw it into a rotation but will have more appreciation if it comes up on it's own. Really hard to pick between 3 and 4 for this one. I'll round up for the hell of it.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Sounds like the Boss! I liked the last springsteen we heard more, and while great, still gotta leave it with a 3.5.
Nirvana
5/5
Really cool to have a live album that became so ubiquitous and got serious airplay! I feel if you mention 'unplugged', you're talking about this album...or have to seriously clarify. Love that Nirvana pushed against the hitfactory MTV wanted and was able to make something unique and profound. I'd probably give this a 4 if it was only the music, as some of the tracks aren't my favorite, but the covers, story, guests (this is what intro'd me to the Meat Puppets, rad!) and legacy gotta bump it up to a five for me!
Gotan Project
3/5
Early on the album surprised me and found a delightful european cafe and background instrumental groove that I really enjoyed while working. I was lening 4, but later on it became repetitive and I have to cut down to 3.
D'Angelo
2/5
Fine early R&B, I bet it was influential for the genre and fans, but just didn't do much for me.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
STRONG start and a real groove throughout. I've been into Nu Funk more this year and its beyond obvious how much those folks are trying to be modern EWF. Just cool cool cool all the way. probably a 4.5 but I'm rounding up ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
DJ Shadow
4/5
Was not excited to see a 90’s hip hop album today, but the full instrumental beat making and sampling was rad! Real good stuff and glad to have come across it!
Coldplay
3/5
honestly, better than I thought. I get why Coldplay got big, they just became so insufferable later on. Feels like a solid 3.5 but I gotta round down as payback for how annoying this band and their fans were during highschool years.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
A review for Haiku Tuesday:
Early Psych Rock, Huh?
Some fun weird tracks are in here.
Still doesn't nail it.
The Birthday Party
2/5
One word Wednesday: Nah
Billy Bragg
5/5
The first third really took me by surprise. Amazing folk! I guess I should've expected it from Guthrie? I guess I was more eye-rolling at Wilco. But damn, great. Started to taper off as it went on, but ended strong on The Unwelcome Guest. The less than stellar second half of this almost made me give a 4, but I think the concept, execution, and incredible strength of the songs that DO hit keep it a 5 for me.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
Generic 60's pop rock. I love/hate how often they committed to the Paul Revere/minutemen costumes in performances and other promos tho.
James Brown
5/5
Emoji Monday: 🎵🤴🏿🕺🏿🎷🗣🎺😎🎶
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Haiku Tuesday:
Rock Experiments ||
You know, most experiments... ||
They fail, like this one.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
One word Wednesday: BORING
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
Started off strong and I was thinking "easy 4!" but the back half sagged and brought it down to a 3.5. I'll still give it a 4 overall, but its just squeaking by.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
It wasn't unlistenable like some post-punk, but it is still a hard 38 minutes to get through musically.
Kanye West
5/5
This was peak Kanye before he started his downward spiral. Killer hooks, samples, features. Feels like the best of this era of mainstream rap. Loved it when it came out, and it's still amazing the whole way through.
OutKast
5/5
Haiku Tuesday:
Outkast and Big Boi
A duo for the ages
play this one more time!
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Very cool 70's vibes, feels like this must've been what set the tone for this to be riffed off so much. Love the theme, the rest is good, but still a movie soundtrack. Bumping up to a 4 for the influence.
Joy Division
3/5
Not as good as the last Joy Division album we had. Sounds like they're trying to be the velvet underground. I'm sure its great for those who want this, not my scene.
The Monks
2/5
When I read pitchfork rated this 'the 127th greatest album of the 60's' I knew I was in for some bullshit.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Emoji Monday: 🌶🍃💆🍃
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Haiku Tuesday:
Depression; Success
Give attention to his pain
Let's profit, baby
Spiritualized
3/5
I think this project has made me more critical of obviously British accent singing. There's SO much. There were some cool sounds here, but the whole thing didn't stick with me too much. Electricity sounded like some old-school rock and loved the harmonica use. Felt real out of place on this album, however...Wait nevermind, the whole back half of the album became a journey through styles. It actually made me like it more? Not enough for a four, but a more respectful 3.5 in my eyes instead of a meh 3.
Steve Earle
2/5
Steve Earle, this album cover and it's name look like a fake album from a movie hahah. || I was hopeful for an interesting country album, I've been looking for more Country music to enjoy that isn't god-awful stadium country. Unfortunately this looks to be an 80's precursor that style...
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Leonard Cohen is so cool, but I think I like his older, more gravelly voice more.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Waiting room music for the insufferable.
2Pac
4/5
Groovier than expected. Emoji Monday: 🤴🏿
Solomon Burke
4/5
Really dug this! Blended in places, but clearly was a bedrock for more R&B moving forward.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
exhausting altrock blues experimentation.
Pavement
3/5
weirdly, the first thing that comes to mind is Izzy Stradlin and the Juju Hounds? I was afraid this would be a post-punk atrocity, but ended up being a solid jam. I can't justify a four because it's not something I'd seek out, but feels like a strong 3.5 because of the general groove.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
meh
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
second half was better, there was definitely some cool stuff in here, but I couldn't find myself latching on to anything.
Os Mutantes
4/5
one word Wednesday: Weird.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I've loved the Bob Marley I knew, but that was essentially just Legend, and a few other select tracks. This was a fun feel-good album that would go perfect on the background of a summer BBQ. A few hits to up the energy, and a lot of tunes that will fade into the background and keep the mood light. No Woman, No Cry was interesting - I don't think I'd ever heard the original recoridng? Sounds wat different, and I understand why the live version has become the standard....it's better.
Massive Attack
3/5
Started off so strong and I was ready for a great album...fizzled out into mediocrity disappointingly fast.
Morrissey
3/5
some of it sounded great. better than I thought. Still impossible to shake the bad taste because of Morrissery's asshattery.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Fun country-western. Omaha was a standout!
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I liked old Neil Young, but this in particular feels so unique! Love the garage-rock passion and vibe. Doesn't quite hit a 5, but a strong 4.5 in my eyes.
Sade
2/5
Cool sound to start the album, then it felt like Sade used that one cool sound and worked it to death, not trying anything else.
Fugees
4/5
Real good 90's hip hop r&b. No woman no cry is a fun cover, ready or not and killing me softly the other standouts. Rest of the album holds it up well!
Elvis Presley
3/5
Better than the last Elvis album we listened to. Fun at times, we should mix him in with other playlists. Exhausting for a whole album.
3/5
weird and interesting especially for the time. Respect what it led to creatively, but aside from a few songs, not for me.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
meh
Tim Buckley
2/5
this one didn't hit me.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
THIS IS THE LEONARD COHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR! Incredible. This guy is f***in' cool!
The Flaming Lips
4/5
IDK what it is, but the Flaming Lips have my number. I'd only ever heard Yoshima vs the pink robots before seeing them live and I loved that. This isn't quite as good, but a trippy weird vibe that just hits me perfectly. I think its because it has similar tendencies to the prog metal I like but with a chill vibe suitable for morning coffee.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I get it, the velvet underground changed the game and was super influential. I'm thankful for that, but it still doesn't hit me as much more than a novelty. Not something I'd want to listen to most of the time. I feel I'm being generous with the 3 only because I know I've given objectively worse albums a 3 too.
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
Fine bossanova - not my scene.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Really cool underground rap from early 2000's. A few standouts, but a lot of just solid material from the era that blends together.
The Undertones
4/5
Better light punk than expected - fun album
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Jimi's cool, and this is a classic. Listening to the whole thing, I get a little exhausted, but All Along the Watchtower is a legendary piece to end on, I have tons of respect for how this album helped move psych rock and eventually metal forward. probably a 4 musically for me, but giving full 5 for the influence!
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Cool weird folk! I feel like I'd pick up the standout songs like a sight to behold for playlists and leave the rest behind.
Mudhoney
3/5
This is early and a huge part of making grunge a thing and I respect that innovation, but it still does not rise above the mediocrity that plagues most (not all!) grunge music.
Randy Newman
3/5
Like Randy Newman.
I don't love Randy Newman.
Nice voice and good vibes.
Eels
2/5
90's sadboi
Elvis Presley
4/5
probably a 3.5 for me musically, but definitely deserves to be on this list and bumping up for cultural significance.
John Grant
5/5
Haiku tuesday:
Prepared for weird crap;
but novel, modern folk songs;
Long live Denmark's Queen
Faith No More
5/5
One word wednesday: Epic!
Magazine
2/5
boring mediocre post-punk
The xx
3/5
Better than expected fun indie pop! Was going to give a four, but the end mellowed out TOO much and blended.
Sugar
4/5
didn't expect much, but this was actually a pretty fun alternative album! Shoulda known from a former Hüsker Dü dude.
Deep Purple
5/5
Deep Purple's records are incredible, and this live album really showcases their ability to both play their stuff with precision, and take the liberties that make a liv show exciting and unique. Ian Gillian and Ritche Blackmore <3
Buzzcocks
2/5
I honestly just don't like a lot of old british punk music? A few standouts in the genre, but none of them on this album.
Faust
3/5
Cool to hear a genre spawned out of the culture of West Germany before the reunification. It's definitely not my thing, but I respect it.
Kate Bush
2/5
Album was mediocre across the board except for Waking the Witch, which was very weird compared to everything else and the only song that really caught my attention aside from A Deal with God.
Suede
3/5
feels like a 90's alt evolution of earlier indie darling music. It's not bad, but doesn't hit me at all.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Made me want a milkshake.
Deerhunter
3/5
Good indie twinkles, but just made me want to listen to The Dear Hunter instead.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Fine fuzzy rock.
Depeche Mode
5/5
better than I thought - probably a 4.5 but I'm rounding up for the surprise. Very cool early electronic.industrial stuff!
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Never connected with Jane's Addiction's style, but I respect the ability to bring some weirdness to the mainstream scene! Mountain Song does a lot of heavy lifting bringing this 3-star up to a 4.
Stephen Stills
3/5
fine, liked him better when he met up with Crosby and Nash.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
very different than last furry animas album...but I don't feel either should be on this list.
Bon Jovi
4/5
I don't like Bon Jovi's 80's stadium rock but I understand why it should be included on this list. A 3 that I will begrudgingly give a 4 because I've just been sick of listening to bad british indie fuzz.
Fela Kuti
5/5
First two songs definitely the standouts, but this whole album is a jam. Remember dad playing this, horns and drums killer and the limited vocals all hit hard.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Enjoyable soft folky-rock. These three boys all up each others game
Kraftwerk
3/5
FAHN FAHN FAHN ON DA AUTOBAHN -neat early electronic track. everything after was fine.
ZZ Top
5/5
great album for southern rock noodling. Knew lot of ZZ top but only actually recognized a few from this one. Love how an album can be so unabashedly horny, and still devote a song to tv dinners.
Buck Owens
3/5
this is the kind of old country music I actually can enjoy. Really liked the sad country ballads at the start, but a whole album of them (even only 35 minutes) still felt long. These tunes need to be interspersed with some other stuff.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Not as great as thriller, but another killer album from Micheal Jackson. I'd say you could get away with only one of his albums, but taking this one off with so much other garbage on the list would be an insult.
Eminem
4/5
Wild album, only a few really standout tracks, but the overall explicit content and themes clearly set Eminem up for what he'd become. Pretty nasty stuff obviously meant to ruffle feathers. Definitely deserves to be on the list.
TV On The Radio
2/5
just because it's more palatable than most post-punk doesn't mean it's any good.
David Gray
3/5
Good background folk with some electronic twinges. Doesn't feel super special or groundbreaking.
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
This was cooler and more raw than I expected. I thought of the Afghan Whigs as an overrated indie darling band, but there's some solid stuff here.
Muddy Waters
5/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
incredible offering. Huge way to start an album.
Eminem
5/5
I said the Slim Shady LP deserved to be on the list, but honestly, I feel like this record accomplishes the same thing but better. Like the second season of a show that was good to start, but really found it's groove. Same rage and shock value, but better music.
Beatles
3/5
A few good songs but they hadn't hit their stride. If you got this many albums on the list, ya gotta swing harder. Sorry bowl-cut-boys.
Talking Heads
2/5
interesting, experimenting, but not my style. Only got through about half and it couldn't keep my interest. 2.5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Maybe this is blasphemy, but this gave me some poor-man's Spingsteen vibes? Just with a lot less Jersey. This Costello album explains why he should be on the list and has good vibes. Still strongly believe blood and chocolate needs to be removed from the list for excessive mediocrity.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
only recognized Time Out, but the whole album was great. I don't enjoy all Jazz, but this really speaks to the best of what older jazz groups can do!
Paul Simon
2/5
repetitive and boring. Nothing gained by listening to this that you wouldn't be exposed to by only listening to Graceland by Paul Simon.
Korn
4/5
I had a thoughtful review written about this album and how while we may not like it, we have to reckon with the fact that Korn and bands like them made it onto mainstream radio in this era, but it all got deleted and i'm crestfallen. || Its easy to dunk on, but this sound changed rock and metal. Thank god it has continued to change and we're past it though.
The Yardbirds
4/5
Respect all the musicality of the Yardbirds, and this feels like a 3.5 for me, but I have to go four because I gave that to Korn yesterday and it'd feel gross.
Machito
4/5
Fun jazz to listen through, but didn't excite me as much as Take Five.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Better than the last album of hers we listened to for sure.
Boston
4/5
great example of cheesy power rock! Album starts very strong with the first three tracks, but slowly degrades as it goes on... || I'll be generous and round up to a 4.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Another band I discounted because of hipster love, and even though it is exactly the indiefolk stuff I expected, it I was glad to listen. Reminded me a lot of Local Natives! 3.5 that I'll round up on.
Queen Latifah
3/5
Dang I only really knew Queen Latifah as an Actress. I knew she started in music, but never really listened to it. This is some solid stuff!
Coldplay
4/5
Feels weird liking Coldplay so much after despising them in HS. I think that's the cost of listening to their later, overplayed successes. These initial albums make me understand why they got so big. I like this more than parachutes. Feels more than a 4, but not a five. I'll say 4+ and Coldplay can be thankful for that.
The Prodigy
3/5
not much an industrial electronic fan, but this was easier listening than expected. Feels good for the list, even if it's not my stuff. Cover made me think of rave crabs.
The The
2/5
It's better then most post-punk, but it still can't rise above a 2 for me.
The Doors
5/5
This is why people like the doors.
The Kinks
3/5
was fine
Blondie
4/5
Fun pop-rock! Still feels good 40+ years later! Several hits I knew but didn't totally realize were Blondie before.
Aerosmith
4/5
Not a huge fan of Aerosmith and their brand of classic rock, but this album is a great example of it. Very listenable and list worthy.
Elis Regina
3/5
A few really interesting tracks on here - the opening son and Sai Dessa and Outro Cais, but there's a lot of fluff too. Was fun to listen to but probably won't go back outside of a few standout tracks. A strong 3.5 but not quite a 4 in my eyes.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Cool collabs and woman-led hip hop but just didn't connect with me.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
vibes
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
started off cool and strong, devolved into beats and trance I couldn't get into. Probably would've been better listened-to in small chunks.
Van Halen
5/5
Knew a lot of Van Halen singles, but never knew this album specifically all the way through. Helluva debut! A lot of the tunes I was less familiar with actually were favorites. The guitar and drumwork on 'I'm the one' in particular was awesome. Noticed more great bass throughout than I expected! I'm not a huge fan of all of Van Halen's stuff and where they ended up in cheesy Stadium rock, but this is huge for the development of metal, and Eddie is an INCREDIBLE guitarist. Album feels fun and definitely worthy of a 5.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
front to back bangers that paved the way for more to come. Easy 5.
John Martyn
1/5
Elevator music for perverts.
Sisters Of Mercy
2/5
I do not advocate for bullying. But sometimes you can understand a bully's motive.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Hard to fully appreciate without understanding the language, but clearly full of emotion and an enjoyable listen.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
I think this album really represents something unique - a special piece of music you should hear before you die because of it's interesting story, not just because of it being an influential album. Would love to see more good, but novel recordings included in this list that have fun stories like this one. You could probably get rid of some repetitive beatles and bowie albums to fit in interesting things like this instead. ||
Moaning throughout was hilarious, and the music is great. but itis the story, the ridiculous circumstances of the performance and improv, and novelty of it all that bumps this up from a 3.5 to a 5 in my eyes.
Bee Gees
3/5
sad beegees less fun. Not awful.
The Cure
3/5
better than i expected from the cure but still the cure
Peter Frampton
3/5
3.5
David Bowie
3/5
my least favorite offering from Bowie so far. Fine, but not my style and doesn't feel as interesting as other pieces. Maybe its just a taste thing, clearly it seems like it was a departure and exploring new ideas.
Yes
4/5
Not big yes fan, but good tracks in here and they paved the way for future proggos so I feel comfortable with a 4 here
Miles Davis
3/5
Not my kind of Jazz. Cool to see late stage experimentation and growth from miles davis tho. Album title and artwork are sick as hell though.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
With a breastfeeding tiger on the cover I expected something more interesting.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
Pretty good ambient electronic music. Very specific situations where I would enjoy this, but its perfect in those specific instances. Feels like a 3 musically, but I'll give a 4 for usefulness in focus-up music.
Aphex Twin
2/5
This is more stressful ambient music. Could be fine in small doses, or useful in sci fi game or movie soundtracks, but a hell-nah from me otherwise.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Another perfect Sabbath album. Sound is more upbeat and poppy than previous efforts, but still 100% Sabbath. I guess lots and lots of cocaine compared to booze will change the sound a bit. A rare instance where a band's sonic evolution changes from the original sound while keeping up the quality and not stagnating.
Simply Red
1/5
insufferable. I couldn't get through 3 songs. Feels like the worst of 80's tropes.
Slayer
5/5
Classic album in the evolution of Thrash and metal as a whole. You can feel Rick Rubin's hands all over this album, funneling the band's aggression into the work, without negating or nullifying the emotion. I understand why it is not for a large portion of the population, but it's critical listening for modern metal. And honestly, even people who know nothing about Slayer know about Raining Blood and "SLAAAAAAYERRRRRR" jokes, so clearly there's been a huge impact. Outside of RIB's obvious power, Angel of Death, Jesus Saves, Piece by Piece, and Reborn are standouts. But it's worth listening to the whole thing. || Shoutout to Ms. Anker's 9th grade English class where I was allowed to play "Angel of Death" as a 'media piece' for my speech about torture...yeah, I was an edgelord, yes I am embarrassed hahahah.
System Of A Down
4/5
I want to give all metal albums a five, but have to be reasonable. I like very specific SOAD songs, and respect what they did for alt and nu metal, but this isn't a 5 album. A 4.5 sure, but not 5. || Mostly I'm impressed with their willingness to bring attention to issues that we are STILL grappling with today, 21 years later (Church sex abuse, armenian genocide denial, endless war). It's bummer how relevant this still is, but mad respect for them being so unapologetic.
Eagles
4/5
Doesn't sound revolutionary, but probably because they were so influential. Beautiful folky rock. Solid easy-listening 4.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Aretha is incredible. I was in a bad mood and cheated her out of a perfect score from the group when I only gave a 4 on the last album. It can't make up for it, but this is a 5 for sure. wall-to-wall winners on this one.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Another Elvis Costello album proving he has too many albums on this list. One was worthy, the rest are mediocre.
Butthole Surfers
4/5
weirder than I thought - liked bits of it, but some was a bit too experimental to be enjoyable. Like what they're aiming for here though so I'll round this 3.5 up to a 4. Tbh feels like a mid-late 90's album more than late 80's
Mike Ladd
3/5
unfortunately I think a lot of hip-hop suffers in my ratings because i don't pay as close attention to lyrics, especially when I'm listening to these 1001 albums at times.
This had cool moments, but never gripped me. Likely due to not hearing lyrics as closely, but hey, that's me.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Top tier pop album! Hits back to front. Glad to finally get it from this list. Knew most of these songs, but never listened to them in album order. Amazing together.
Duran Duran
3/5
80's pop, hits stand out but still meh. 3.5
PJ Harvey
3/5
Best PJ Harvey yet, I'm just still salty about how gd much she's on here while so much else is left out.
The Cramps
4/5
old punk, a little rockabilly for me but not bad!
Little Simz
4/5
2019 is shockinglu recent. A part of me feels albums should take more time to digest before making this, but i'm trying to shake that off. This feels really different and is clearly worth putting on the list. Strong 4.5 for me - really impressed with how concise the album is while still being a powerhouse.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Oh the humanity! || Five stars, huge for Rock and Roll and metal. So clear seeing British musicians take American Blues and twist/build off it. The blues had a baby and the baby is incredible stuff like this.
Missy Elliott
4/5
A pretty great album! Hearing a woman in hip-hop take control of sexuality and other topics dominated by men of the era, and the talking directly to the audience vigniettes within songs seem like the most notable takeaways of the album and trends of the era. 3.5 rounding up!
Pink Floyd
5/5
one of the few I kept relistening to all day. A perfect album.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Not all of my favorite Cash tunes, but some real greats, and the story and legacy of playing for prisoners at prisons and just how cool this and Cash is brings a 4 of an album up to a 5.
Johnny Cash
5/5
What are the odds our group would get this album the day after we listened to Cash Live at Folsom Prison!? I'm trying not to let the fact we just heard Cash live from a prison affect my rating. It feels strange to have two live albums from Cash here, but I think they represent different things. Live at Folsom helped revitalize his career, and Live at San Quentin feels like a continuation of that success as his fame grew - British TV filming him, Cash still actin' gruff and wanting to perform for locked up men. Also where his famous middle finger photo was from! ||
I'd say both Cash live albums deserve to be on this list, as strange as it seems, because of how different they are! This one in particular is great to hear the crowdwork chat and some of the other acts.
The Pharcyde
4/5
pretty good alt-rap, especially considering how heavy gangsta was at the time. 3.5 rounnding up for me.
The Zombies
4/5
sounds like more somber, better, british beach boys! I only knew the last track before listening, but I really liked the whole album! 4.5
The Beach Boys
3/5
more interesting content than i expected from the beach boys, clearly they realized they needed a deeper sound for this later album. 3.5 but rounding down as it feels like a band doing a well-executed catch-up (which still deserves praise!), rather than something groundbreaking.
Röyksopp
3/5
LOL - the electonic beep boop music that was overused in so many advertisements of the era. Good for these guys for gettin' paid!
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
Really good folk - gotta be if Johnny Cash will cover ya late career. Started very strong, finished less so. Squeaks into a 4.
Various Artists
4/5
Classic Christmas. Better than some of the really lame xmas oldies songs, but not so stylized to be distracting, or bothersome to folks who like it tradition.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Groovy bluesy legendary. These swamp rockers are from California lol.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Great Album. Back to Black gets a lot of the love, as it should, but this isn't one to sleep on.
The B-52's
2/5
Rock Lobster is fun i guess, but even that is novelty and gets annoying. There's a reason I don't know any of the rest of this.
The Stranglers
3/5
meh - I just can't get into most early british punk.
Deep Purple
5/5
It’s not metal but it’s damn close! Legendary and amazing album
Stan Getz
4/5
Way better than expected. Great for keeping on in the home during chores, keeps ya moving. 4.5
Ravi Shankar
4/5
Really interesting to hear the teaching aspect and theory presenting Indian musical stylings to western audiences alongside the music itself. I like the sound of a lot of Indian music and instrumentation, so glad to have gotten this little bit of insight I would not have had otherwise.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Solid three all around. Good, but not great.
Lightning Bolt
5/5
This album was shown to me in 2014 by the weirdest, nicest guy I ever knew in College. Shoutout to you, Pat! A challenging listen at times, but the bass grooves are sick and really get me into a rythym. More accessible than a lot of noise rock haha. It probably should be a four, but I'm rounding up for positive memories and my bias for cool bass.
Blur
3/5
Don't bother having two blur albums on this list. Keep this one, and cut the other.
The Pogues
3/5
Folk punk is neat but gets old fast. These boys drank so Dropkick Murphys could get shittered. I'd say a 3.5 but gotta round down.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Its not bad, but it really just shows how superior American Folk Music is.
Beth Orton
3/5
Started strong, got boring. A classic 3.
Prince
5/5
Powerful dance tunes, sick guitar. I can't get over how he wrote 1999 in 1982 as a future party, but my entire life I've understood it as a 'travel back in time' to party vibe, lol. a few low points but killer overall. Probably a 4.5, but I've gotta round up for Minnesota love.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Fela rules. Interesting collab, would be curious to see the movie about Ginger Baker doing this.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
The art rock schtick wears thin very quickly.
||
Whining about Picasso being an asshole but still getting girls, and some other lyrics felt very 'nice guy' incel. Even if Picasso was as famous a jerk as he was a painter haha. 2 stars.
Aerosmith
3/5
I like to tease and roll my eyes at Aerosmith because I think the band and a lot of their hits have been overplayed and overrated, but damn the hard blues rock groove to open the album was killer! Truly unfortunate they let that energy die with Uncle Salty right after. I am still sick of Walk This Way, but it's groove is undeniable.
||
The lyrics are wildly, unabashedly horny throughout (esp big 10 inch record lol) which tracks with the era but is also more unsettling now considering some of Stephen Tyler's more salacious and predatory history (look up Julia Holcomb).
||
A few real good stand out songs and riffs make up for some filler. 3.5. I would round up to 4, but I already rated another Aerosmith album (Pump) a 5, and I don't think this album adds anything to the list that Pump doesn't.
Weather Report
2/5
Sounds like the extended versions of classic sitcom scores on repeat for most of an hour.
Miles Davis
2/5
Im sure it's good Jazz but it didn't connect with me.
Van Halen
4/5
Eddie Van Halen's incredible guitar work saves this album from being just another 80's glam rock release. Some real good hits, and some what I would normally call 'filler' that is lifted up by amazing Guitar solos and marching drum beats. 4.5.
OutKast
3/5
Such a long and huge double album. I've always been more into Andre 3000, and The Love Below is definitely the better half of this in my opinion. The singles are obviously great, and the deeper cuts on Love Below still got me good, but I'm just not as big a fan of Speakerboxxx. Southern Hip Hop just isn't my jam. This would be a 4.5 for me if you cut it down to one album. Best tracks from both. But it's just a 3.
Funkadelic
4/5
Pretty cool old funk album. Probably would've been a 3 or 3.5 for me, but the final groove on Maggot Brain to end the album was so sick it pushes this one over the line to a 4 for me! front and back cover artwork also whip ass.
The Temptations
3/5
Papa was a rollin stone cover was the standout, everything else fine.
Thundercat
5/5
It's sexy, it's groovy, it's Nu Funk. Thundercat has style and skills on bass. Crazy to think he's making this after coming out of suicidal tendancies. Love it.
Santana
3/5
Really great guitar playing, but that doesn't mean it's super standout album all the way through. Enjoyed it, but feels a 3.5. I didn't realize Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va were both covers. Way to make 'em popular, Santana!
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
started cool, interesting how often it's sampled, but drug on.
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
So many now cliche rap phrases come from this album - influential! Not a fan of all of it, but love the big singles and respect the big work Wu Tang has done. They're for the children!
Germs
3/5
Interesting to see this listed as the first hardcore punk album ever! Glad to have listened. In terms of actual music, it felt slightly better than most early punk albums. I'd say a 3.5 at the beginning...shrinking to a 3 with some of the later tracks, but back to a strong 3.5 when considering the influence and what hardcore grew into!
Nightmares On Wax
1/5
The best song was Pipes Honour, because it was a good groove. But even than felt like background music that deserved to be sampled or built upon. The whole album feels like something you should take as a base and create on top of. A 1 star in my eyes not for being bad, but for not being what it could be.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I only really knew Leonard Cohen's older, gravely voice before listening to this. Very interesting to hear him as a younger man, but with the same talent as a songwriter and lyricist.
Otis Redding
5/5
A great album of covers - Otis Redding just has such a phenomenal voice. Incredible
Jethro Tull
4/5
I actually really love the mix of 70's rock and sort of old-english folkyness that the band brings here. Was expecting to just enjoy the hits and the novelty of the flute, but I'd say it's all good stuff. A strong 4.5!
Pavement
3/5
Heard glimpses of emo, and that was the best part. The rest was meh. Feeling generous with a 3.
Beastie Boys
2/5
Fine beastie boys. Probably a 3 in actuality to me, but this doesn't feel super different from the other 2 Beastie Boys albums on this list already? That might be my genre-ignorance showing, but it's how I feel. Rating a low 2.5 purely because I feel like this sound is already featured on the list through the two other beastie boys albums.
AC/DC
5/5
Ya gotta give a 5. ACDC is easy to tease now, but Bon Scott era ruled, and being able to come back after his death swinging with your best album of all time is legendary.
Billy Joel
4/5
interesting to listen to more than just his hits. Real good stuff here, billy.
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Swedish? Hell yeah! Pretty solid album. Buffalo Stance obviously the best track, everything else sounds cool but not groundbreaking from my perspective. Glad I listened and discovered though! Strong 3.5
The United States Of America
4/5
Better than expected. Cool 60's psych grooves and I love the retro sci-fi flair and early prog experimentation!
2/5
interesting Serbian and Brazilian, instrumentals were better, could be half as long, maybe less.
The Strokes
4/5
Such a cool guitar and bass tone.
Jeff Buckley
1/5
Hallelujah is a good cover, everything else is subpar soft ballads. Maybe worth a two, but I ain't feelin it
The Black Crowes
4/5
Real cool - sound like an old classic old southern rock group. I would say while being modern, but this is also classic now too at over 30 years old hahaha. Great vibe and attitude, killer album.
The Crusaders
2/5
started out okay, but got repetitive and less interesting over the course of an album. I like tastes of Jazz, not a full album. That's me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
I actually really like a lot of modern "murder-folk" like Amigo The Devil, Tejon Street Corner Thieves, and the Bridge City Sinners. This feels like an interesting exploration of Grisly ballads long before that recent explosion in popularity.
||
Only a few songs really stuck out to me. Feels like a 3.5, but I'll round up.
John Coltrane
3/5
better Jazz than the other recent albums
Nirvana
5/5
the hits have been overplayed, but still rock. the deep cuts are what keeps Nirvana cool. Easy 5
Alanis Morissette
3/5
Feels cheesy now, but honestly a great grungy pop 90's albums! Even the non-hits are great. Fun listen.
The The
1/5
boring and sad.
Mj Cole
1/5
Dance and electric that is NOT for me. Usually I can ignore this stuff or put it on in the background and somewhat enjoy, but something hit me weird with this and it put me on edge. Nope.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
fine, didn't hit me hard like rumours.
Lou Reed
3/5
Better than I expected, 'Men of Good Fortune' and 'The Kids' and 'The Bed' stuck out. Still feels like a 3.5 to me. I am glad I listened and respect the influence, but just not a 4 in terms of my music taste.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Honestly? Better than the last Kraftwerk album and much better than expected. Reminded me a lot of modern video game music, specifically Risk of Rain (which has an AMAZING soundtrack you should definitely look up). At less than 40 minutes, it does not overstay its welcome. 4 stars!
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Fine 70's hippie folk. Pleasant listening, wouldn't mind if it came on again, but wouldn't likely search for it.
Mekons
4/5
great mix of punky vibes and country sounds. Interesting lyrical exploration which tracks for cold war and unfortunately can remain pretty relevant.
Metallica
5/5
The album that solidified Thrash as a force in Metal music. Wall to wall bangers. Aggressive, heavy, anti-war. Every time I listen to this I think what Metallica would've been if Cliff Burton hadn't died in a bus accident.
||
Favorite tracks: Orion and Damage Inc. Bass on Orion in particular goes hard.
Massive Attack
3/5
I really liked the first track and was disappointed when the rest wasn't all in that vein. It wasn't until near the end with Heat Miser that I became interested again. It's gonna be a 3 for me here.
||
The best tracks could be part of a killer soundtrack to a sci fi video game, the worst sound like diddles of electronic synth fiddling.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Better music than what I associate Sheryl Crow with, but you can definitely see how she'll morph further into cheesy 'heartland rock' type stuff. It's a 3.5 for me, maybe even 3.75 but I can't quite bring myself to give a 4.
Public Enemy
4/5
Solid rap from the era. Feels like a 3.5 to me, but rounding up because of the direct confrontation of white supremacy and leaning into the way media of the time talked about and tried to belittle issues they brought up
Lucinda Williams
3/5
Some good folk country vibes, I can handle this more than the rock/stadium country. Still felt a bit long and not exactly for me. 3.5 round down.
Neil Young
4/5
Really good music. I never listened to much Neil when I was Young, but now I'm just a sucker for his stuff. This album in particular feels more melancholy.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Really great album throughout. I was only exposed to the 'Legend' greatest hits for awhile, so it's awesome to hear some of those songs in the context of a full album, combined with some of the tracks I didn't know that surrounded them. Chill beats and sounds with some heavier (and hot and heavier) lyrical content. Killer!
The Who
4/5
Great Rock Opera! I'm sure 4 is probably low given the influence of this classic, but listening through it is awesome, just not a feeling a full 5.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
UK electro-synth-pop. Some solid tunes amidst the chaff and I'm sure important for the genre, but didn't hit it for me. The cover this website pulls up is way better than what spotify has.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I don't know if it was just because it was the easiest Led Zeppelin CD for me to access as a kid, but this has always been my favorite album from the band. Easy five blending rock, folk, blues, and early prog vibes. Love this!
Pink Floyd
5/5
5 stars
Willie Nelson
4/5
Good.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I'm not really into much rap but I REALLY love Kendrick's voice and lyrics. Wicked good record.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
meh glam rock. Must've been a bummer to listen to the radio in the 80's. Can respect that they became an influence for later Glam bands that were better in my opinion.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
solid music of the genre, but a genre I only want to listen to 1-2 songs from.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Didn't realize it was a double album! Smashing Pumpkins does a great job of going for ethereal slow stuff to abrasive hard grungy punk without having it feel weird. I thought this album would be okay Liked this a lot more than I expected! 4.5 for sure!
Le Tigre
5/5
started listening and was like 'damn this sounds like good Riot Grrl shit!' I wonder if that's mentioned? Then google it and see it's literally Kathleen Hanna and I'd just forgotten. A lot of really great tracks, and the genre and style push it up to a 5. 100% listworthy and a band/movement worth looking more into even if you're not always a fan of the sound.
Tears For Fears
3/5
Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World were good. The rest was fine 80's synth. Nothing too special.
Def Leppard
2/5
I've never been able to think of Def Leppard as anything other than a joke, this album is a big reason why. Look at that cover, this band looks metal! Wait, what? It's just a bunch of pop songs? Okay. Well, congrats on your immense wealth and popularity!
Carole King
3/5
solid folky songwriting of the era, nothing in particular really hit me though.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
just not for me. Son of a Preacher Man can't rescue the rest of this for me.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
fun live album, good job Jerry.
John Cale
3/5
A few interesting baroque pop songs, the rest was forgettable.
The Avalanches
2/5
electronic didn't catch me
Aimee Mann
2/5
Should've known it'd be mediocre when there were multiple comparisons to Elvis Costello on the Wikipedia page.
Dire Straits
4/5
I really like the vibe of dire straits and a lot of this was great, but even so sometimes this fades into the background. Brothers in Arms is a BANGIN closer.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
Really good 60's brits covering and expanding on American blues. Mayall has a good voice, but Clapton's guitar is doing a lot of the heavy lifting to get this album to a 4.5.
R.E.M.
2/5
R.E.M. is one of those bands I hear about all the time but have never listened to, and I see why. This whole album sounds like the hits they'd play on the indie rock public radio station of the era. Some is worth listening to, but on the whole it feels like inoffensive alt music. || Spotify following this album up with The Police immediately after only confirmed my thoughts.
Metallica
5/5
I love this album and love Metallica so it's an easy five - orchestral is fun, and this era of Metallica where they changed tuning to better fit James' voice makes things sound a lot better. I wonder if other Band & Orchestral pair ups would be a better fit for this list? But I ain't complaining. || Loved learning that this was originally an idea Cliff Burton had, RIP.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Better than expected. 3.5 for me musically, but begrudgingly rounding up for the influence.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
didn't know many of these tunes so I didn't expect much, but this is way cooler than most Rolling Stones I do know...fully bluesy cool without too much pop or cheese. 4.5 for me, but can't round up
Miles Davis
4/5
Better than expected, definitely liked second track more. This is the amount of Jazz I want to listen to, and then take a break.
The Kinks
3/5
british rock mixed with old timey english folk in a way that did not spark joy
Beatles
5/5
It's tough because this is no Abbey Road, but one band having a monumental album shouldn't negatively impact their not-best-album-that-is-still-miles-above-most-music. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is the best Beatles song and lots of other great stuff here too.
Orbital
2/5
Techno is just not my jam. It's hard for me to even evaluate because it just doesn't speak to me here. I want to rate not applicable lol, but I guess I've gotta give a 2. Not BAD like a 1 would be, but a forgettable 2.
JAY Z
4/5
Jay-Z's has always just been too cool. Strong 4.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
2-3 Standout songs go beyond 5 stars and lift the slightly less good (but still groovin) tracks up from a 4. I'd say 4.5 but roundin' up.
Sigur Rós
4/5
I really enjoyed this for about 40 minutes. Felt slightly too long, but I could see how it'd fit better when listening in a more relaxing situation. I guess I like post-rock much more than post-punk lol.
Ministry
3/5
want to give it a 4 because metal, but only a few songs are worth listening to.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Most people wouldn't be able to adequately follow up an album like Thriller. But Michael Jackson could.
Adele
3/5
her voice is incredible and its wild how popular this became. Lots of praise for specialty production but not in a way that I can super recognize....humbling lol.
Neil Young
5/5
I like Neil Young but I also feel like 3 (at least) albums on this list may be a lot. Some interesting developments, but still. But if you were going to put one on the list, it should be this one.
Jacques Brel
4/5
Doesn't really sound like a live album until the audience claps at the end of each track - great mixing! Very fun French music of the era. Not my thing, but can't argue it's not great. Probably would've gotten more sick of it if it was longer than 30minutes hahah.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This was going to be a 5-star before I listened again, but it was a real treat go back into this album with purpose and desire to look into it more deeply.
Ride
3/5
Man, I liked some other shoegaze albums and thought I'd dig this too after reading it was a quintessential album to the genre, but it's a real whiff for me. Not bad, just much less than expected. || It helped me solidify the opinion that shoegaze is just a lamer, British version of early American emo.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
started strong and the star meter slowly drained as it went on...
The Specials
4/5
much better than expected. Not huge into Ska, but this rules and paved the way for all the good (and the many bad) ska revival bands to come. 4 Musically, 4.5+ influentially.
Parliament
3/5
wanted to like this more than I did. Give up the Funk is the banger it's always been, but the rest didn't hit me incredibly hard. That said, still pretty cool to see a pioneering example of Afrofuturism in the 70's in comparison to where the genre across media is today (and specifically compared to The Archandroid album which is also on this list from 35 years later).
Heaven 17
2/5
No fascist groove thing is catchy and fun, leaning into the title. But even with that and after it just really isn't my thing.
Elastica
3/5
boring brit grungy post punk. Better than a lot of post punk, but just really not for me. 2.5 and the 3 feels generous.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
I still think Neil Young projects may be over represented, but this definitely feels worthy, interesting live new material, change in his style, rockin and rad. Five stars easy.
The Jam
2/5
Forgettable British music.
MGMT
4/5
better and more here than I remember when it came out. The album that popularized this type of indie rock for late 00's and early 10's
John Lennon
4/5
Honestly, not as good as I was expecting. Still solid jams. Probably a 3.5 but I'll round up mostly because I know I've given something a 4 that was less influential or good than this along the way.
Black Flag
4/5
Not usually a fan of older punk, and hardcore is hit or miss, but this goes hard and I get why people become such big fans of the genre. 4.5 for me but can't push it to a 5.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
pretty good electronica - it's not my genre but I bumpin' along. Feels like a 3.5. I was thinking of rounding up, but the end tapered off so I gotta stick with 3 for 3.5
Tricky
3/5
A few really cool tracks, but the rest of it fades into the background. A 3 because of the standouts.
Alice Cooper
4/5
strong 3.5 will round up. Other Alice songs off other albums are more fun.
Hookworms
2/5
meh hip indie rock.
The Verve
3/5
I started listening to this and thought 'ohhh this song' and 'just a knock-off Oasis'. And to be clear, I still stand by those thoughts...but a few tracks like 'One Day' and 'The Drugs Don't Work' gave me more respect for the album. Feels better than a 3, but not enough for a 4.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Are you KIDDING me? Elvis Costello has too many albums on this list and it is beginning to border on criminal. The best song was the cover.
Pulp
2/5
mediocre brit pop rock.
Tito Puente
3/5
fine old school dance music, and I'm sure it was influential, but it isn't a style I'm super into. The Xylophone on Hong Kong Mambo was particularly cool to me.
The Soft Boys
3/5
This starts strong: weird album cover, from the 80's, band name The Soft Boys, first track 'I wanna destroy you' ....damn I'm hoping for good stuff. Was sorely disappointed. Better than usual post punk ish, but not by much. Rounding up to a 3 (GENEROUSLY) because of band name and album cover.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
better than expected. good female vocals and makes me understand some potential redeeming qualities in noise rock. clearly influential.
David Bowie
2/5
It is fine, and it is a great example of a quality end-of-career or comeback album, and maybe the book provides more context that's helpful. But overall I don't think this needs to be in here given David Bowie's strong showing with a huge number of other albums represented on the list. Rating is 3.5 or 3 for music, but 2 for over-representation.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
I recognize this can be good, but didn't hit me. A little too soft folky. Some fun guitar in places, I liked it in Tall in The Saddle.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Feels pretty 80's new wave - 3.5 for respect for hollywood punk, but not really my thing. Glad I listened to something I likely would not have though.
Taylor Swift
5/5
Not my favorite Taylor album, but this is still full of good hits and quality cuts that don't get radio play. This feels like a 4 or 4.5 musically for me, and I didn't want to over rate it...but the songs I wasn't familiar with were so good, and that plus the importance of this shift in her sound and how she was percieved gives me enough reason to bring it to a 5.
||
This album specifically makes me wish you would get certain connected albums in order...or at least within a semi-close timeframe so that listeners could better compare the evolution in an artist's sound. That would make me much more willing to get excited about some of the artists that have frequently appearances (looking at you bowie and costello).
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
The background synth sounds and guitars are much cooler than the lead vocals and forward sounds.
Sam Cooke
4/5
wasn't super excited for it, but I loved the energy he brought to the crowd. Great music, great live energy, well captured live album.
Moby
4/5
surprised at how catchy this was, and interesting to learn how overpoweringly it was featured in movies and commercials. Intersting to see that as a way to achieve success for the genre. Probably a 3+ musically, round up to a 4 for story and influence, then slightly down again for the length...but not enough to take away a 4. Well done mr Moby.
Beatles
3/5
least interesting of the Beatles albums so far. Would be a 4 for anyone else, but when the rest of your stuff is so stellar, I expect more. 3.
Pretenders
2/5
I got the replacements and the pretenders confused and was incredibly disappointed. This was fine.
The Human League
1/5
This is the kind of electronic music that people hear, and then they decide they don't like electronic music and write off the genre.
Donovan
2/5
forgettable early psychedelia
Sister Sledge
5/5
incredible R&B. The bass, sweepy guitars and strings alone make this a 5. everything else is gravy. End of the album isn't as strong, but not enough to drag this down a star.
Willie Nelson
3/5
interesting to see such a successful album of only covers. Definitely thought some of these were Willie's. A few standouts, the rest feels mostly novelty. Great arrangements and worth the list for the story of it's creation and success I'd say.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
middle of the road alt rock. I guess it should get some credit for having a clear mid-90s sound in the late 80's and likely contributing to the development of said sound.
Tortoise
2/5
I see how the post-rock stuff done here could influence modern prog metal stuff I like....but this still doesn't do it for me. Weird, but not interesting to me.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Classic. Killer R&B and soul with an intensely personal story in it's music and it's creation.
3/5
Better than expected for U2. First half of the album was begrudginly good, the second half dragged a bit, but I understand why people enjoy so much. 3.5.
Destiny's Child
4/5
Iconic.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Way cooler than the last Dinosuar Jr we saw. Feels cool alt rock / punk with some nice growls. I can dig it.
The Only Ones
2/5
forgettable, but better than a lot of 2s I've rated, so I guess it's a 2.5 for being pleasantly forgettable.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Really fun! Would be even better if I was sippin' a Cuba Libre on the beach. 4.5!
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
I only really knew Lauper as a tv personality, and didn't realize she wrote 'girls just wanna have fun' and 'Time After Time'. Pretty solid 80's pop, gives me more respect for the unusual woman I saw on reality TV growing up.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Feels slow and old school these days, but clear how early it was and what it led to. I expected it to be more rap through and through, but the interludes of more R&B stuff did a lot to help break this up and keep it interesting to me. 3.4 rounding up.
Slipknot
5/5
undeniably important album. You can love Slipknot or hate Slipknot or just be over their whole schtick, but they helped bring Nu-Metal to the mainstream. Huge percussion, bottled anger, cool sound, best thing to come out of Iowa. Slipknot was and remains a gateway band into other types of heavy music, and for that all metalheads should thank them, whether or not you enjoy it. For me, This album will always be a nostalgia hit.
||
I think this album is more important to the list than 'All Hope is Gone' by far. but I won't criticize Slipknot having 2 albums when so many others have 5+ that feel unnecessary.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Way better than expected, good acousti-grunge stuff from the era.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This album is the namesake of my favorite cocktail. Give it a try and thank me later.
||
https://www.liquor.com/recipes/beggars-banquet
The Byrds
4/5
if not for his distinct voice missing from these tracks, you could've convinced me this was Tom Petty. Apparently the byrds influenced the Beatles, and the 'Laurel Canyon sound' which is sick. Gives me more respect for the music as a whole knowing what came from it.
Spiritualized
2/5
Forgettable Psych Synth Rock.
Sparks
2/5
Was kind of hoping this would be a cool early J-rock band, but I should've known it was just a band using Japanese imagery given it was 1974. Music itself was forgettable, fine. 2.5.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Acceptable Psych Rock of the era. There are pretty fun moments, but Psych rock just isn't often great for me. Weird, considering how much it helped spwan some of my favorite genres today.
Queen
5/5
Wild that I've enjyoed Queen most of my life and knew ZERO of these songs. No major pop hits, but all awesome rock with fantasy themes, layered vocals, and Brian May's incredible guitar tone. Easy 5.
Marty Robbins
3/5
Started strong and faded. Glad this is being preserved, but I was excited for old western ballads, and left a tad disappointed.
The Undertones
2/5
Ehh
Bad Brains
4/5
Bad Brains is too cool - hardcore, metal, funk? This is probably not my favorite album, but lots of respect for the band's innovations. 3.5 and rounding up.
Killing Joke
2/5
The Wait is a good song, the rest is bad.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
A very good album that is bookended by two of the greatest songs of the era. Probably a 4.5 but those bookends push it over the top for me.
Rod Stewart
4/5
way better rock than I was expecting. Cool classic sound.
George Jones
3/5
Pretty good old western country, I'm actually very into this type of old country in small doses. a 3.5
Travis
3/5
Better than expected turn of the millennium soft rock. 3.5
Supertramp
4/5
Like Rush's weirder English cousin.
Steely Dan
5/5
Warm grooves to make ya feel cool.
AC/DC
4/5
Good grooves, 4 great tracks (title, Touch Too Much, Shot Down in Flames, If You Want Blood) but the rest is just solid. 4 Stars, but still gotta love the Bon Scott era of the band.
The Sonics
3/5
fine.
Nick Drake
2/5
2.5 is probably a little too critical but this just really didn't connect with me. American Folk > English Folk every time.
Scott Walker
2/5
At least he wasn't the governor of Wisconsin. Maybe it'd be better if he was...
CHIC
3/5
Much like the entire genre of Disco, it felt fun at first with fun basslines, riffs, and hooks...and then wore out the fun through repetition.
The Pogues
3/5
You could tell me this was Flogging Molly and I wouldn't know the difference. Props to the Irish for culturally dominating with their music and bringing traditional folk into mainstream. Very good overall, just gets reptitive for a full album. 3.5 but not quite a 4 for me.
Beach House
3/5
I remember this sound, and other bands did it better than these guys.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Incredible album across the board. Special shoutout to John Paul Jones though, who deserves just as much credit as Plant, Bonham, and Page often get.
Portishead
3/5
Cooler atmospheric electronic than I was expecting. Probably a 2.5/3 musically (a few standout tracks like Sour Times, Wandering Star, and Roads) but feels like a 3.5 because of the interesting style and influence. Definitely something I wouldn't have found without the list.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
First we take manhattan, everybody knows standouts. Rest is interesting and a solid modernization, but not much else would make his greatest hits
ZZ Top
5/5
Lotta good southern rock here.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
Wee woo this was just some buddy holly. Wee woo I don’t wanna hear no more.
Big Black
2/5
Interesting at times, grating at most.
Ozomatli
3/5
Some hot tracks, but middling other places.
4/5
more importantly culturally than it is great musically in my opinion. Much like the audience, I also prefer Dylan's folk stuff, but the rock isn't bad.
Ray Charles
4/5
Very good crooning and R&B, but a little long. Very cool to see him take western music and reimagine it like this, especially during the civil rights movement. 3 musically, but a 4.5 culturally.
Christine and the Queens
4/5
Way more fun as a pop album than I was expecting. Real cool sound, and listening in French and English was great. Didn't think I'd listen to both in full, but I did.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Finally a an interesting british indie album that actually deserves to be on the list. Rad sound capturing young nightlife attitudes and good grooves.
The Pretty Things
4/5
Pretty cool 60's rock, very interesting to hear an early concept album and also realize no one believes The Who denying it was an influence hahaha. 3 musically, 4.5/5 culturally
Echo And The Bunnymen
1/5
Everyone has one annoying friend who would spend an hour explaining why this album isn't bad and is actually foundational to an even worse genre of music.
George Michael
2/5
Not George Micheal's Best.
The Lemonheads
2/5
middling 90's alt rock with a good cover of Mrs. Robinson.
The Monkees
3/5
Solid 60's rock - cool to see an old TV band get creative freedom to write their own music and actually do well with it. 3.5
King Crimson
5/5
Did not realize King Crimson was this old! This album rules and was incredibly foundational for so much incredible prog music that came afterwards. Even if you don't like or haven't heard this, you know someone influenced by it, and likely even recognize the cover art!
||
I will acknowledge some unnecessary and potentially off-putting sections and interludes of sound between songs, but not apologize for them.
The Smiths
3/5
I hate to admit it, but this wasn't bad. Good work, The Smiths. 3.5.
Paul Simon
4/5
he's light, he's not cool, but he's a great songwriter.
The Young Gods
3/5
Not the start I was expecting, but picked up a bit by track 2. Harder to get into the themes without speaking French, but digging the industrial sound...as the album dragged on, my attention waned. Was thinking 4 for a bit...but we're down to a 3.5.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Better than average 80's singer songwriter I guess. Another 3.5 for me though.
Culture Club
2/5
Karma Chameleon is good, but the rest is soft bad 80's pop. Nah, dude.
The National
3/5
not my vibe - but better than I expected. 3.5
Depeche Mode
4/5
Iexpected Personal Jesus to be the only real standout here, but Waiting for the Night and Enjoy the Silence also really grabbed me. The rest was solid!
Madonna
5/5
Very fun late 80's pop! You can definitely hear Prince's influence. Expected to get a little sick of it, but every song was really fun! 4.5 and rounding up!
Jane Weaver
4/5
There's some fun modern electronic bleep bloops. Not always my jam, but awesome when in the right mood and I like the way this was done.
||
Unfortunate that there's not more info on Wiki about the specifics of this album and it's more about the artist.
Digital Underground
3/5
There's something here. The wild plot and creativity can't be denied, but a lot of this just doesn't hit for me. Its a 2.5 and rounding up.
Primal Scream
1/5
The best thing I can say is boring and indulgent.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Pretty cool, way less punk than I expected from Iggy Pop. Only just realized how big a difference his solo music vs stooges music could be. You definitely hear Bowie's influence on it. 3.5 but rounding down.
Finley Quaye
1/5
It's really, truly, awful.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Wild and creative - I think it'd be a 5 star if it was half as long. Sounded like better beatles at the start, then went off the walls in cool ways, just a lot to listen to at once. The story of it's creation and impact on solo producers definitely keeps it listworthy!
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
A very very good singles, but a lot of fluff. Simon & Garfunkel feel like one of those bands where a greatest hits will get you what you need instead of their albums. Maybe I'm just ignorant about it tho. 3.5
Herbie Hancock
2/5
Not the Jazz for me.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
One of the popular reviews on this site for this album says "After listening to the album I ate at a McDonalds, read a Ronald Reagan biography and punch a commie in the dick. MERICA!" and I love that so many people and politicians can not quite piece the album's themes together and still enjoy it. A great vignette of American stories. Also highly recommend Dessa's cover of 'I'm Goin' Down'
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I don't have anything more unique to say, but I really appreciated this quote from the wiki by Marty Karas: "a quintessential pop album that was also a perfect distillation of the anger and bitterness seething beneath the surface of Reagan-era America."
Slint
4/5
Cool slow heavy Alt stuff. Too long/slow at times, but with some of the music I like, that's the pot calling the kettle black. Very glad to have listened! 3.5
Tom Waits
5/5
Everyone deserves to hear Tom Waits' cigarettes and sandpaper voice sing them this gutter opera.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Three great tracks extended into a full album. This honestly feels like droning black metal if you took out most of the darkness/distortion, and that I must respect. I want to be very clear this feels better than a 3.5, but even so a 4 just doesn't feel quite right.
James Taylor
4/5
Much better than expected, and more variety too. A classic!
Judas Priest
5/5
Easy 5, but thankful to listen again. I'm very familiar with Judas Priest, but not this album as a whole. Groovy, poppy, heavy metal! There's some 3 star songs, but a lot more 5+ stars.
Merle Haggard
3/5
I like some of this old country, but small doses. This one is good but blends together.
Anita Baker
3/5
great vocals, the backing tracks all feel too cheesy 80's love to me.
Elton John
5/5
Crowded House
3/5
fine
Al Green
3/5
Not my style, but very fun to listen to - 3.5
Pentangle
3/5
I had high hopes with the opening guitar licks, but then the vocals came in, once again proving American folk's superiority to British folk. There were a few cool tracks like House Carpenter, but not a full album worth. Those tracks keep this album above water with a 3 star.
Tom Waits
4/5
I actually like the sound of this better than the last Tom Waits album I listened to, but it doesn't evoke the same visceral reaction. Fantastic, 4.5.
Adam & The Ants
1/5
This was horrendous. Feed Adam to The Ants.
N.W.A.
5/5
Required listening to have an understanding of the Genre, heralded the huge shift towards Gangsta Rap and still slaps 34 years later, even if some of the exact language is dated/cringe now, the raw energy is there and showcases the attitude and lifestyle growing up in Compton at the time.
||
Nothing is as strong as the opening two tracks, but I still gotta give 5 stars.
50 Cent
5/5
Defining sound of the era. Nothing 50 put out after this could hold a candle, but this has always been enough. 4.5
Raekwon
2/5
I want to like this, but it's just not doing a lot for me. long intros and skits don't help, but I understand it was part of the deal. 'Guillotine (Swordz)' was tight though.
Dr. Octagon
5/5
This is cool stuff - I had no familiarity with it, but it is clearly a foundation for future alt rap that I started to enjoy in college. I've been super generous with 5s recently, but DGAF
Living Colour
3/5
Cult of Personality is great, the rest is better than average. Living Colour is rad because of their guitars, early funky metal sound and succeeding as an all black metal band - glad to have listened again.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Much better than expected. Like an earlier british Sufjan Stephens. 4 for music, 4.5 for being pleasently surprised by the sound of something I never would have heard otherwise.
Beatles
4/5
ya know, it's the beatles.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
disappointing this album came up the day after halloween for me hahah, ||
Very cool how long and winding the first track is, and how far away it gets from the spooky Exorcist theme melody it starts with.
Beyoncé
3/5
I like Beyonce, this isn't my favorite.
The Byrds
2/5
meh
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Didn't spark much for me.
SAULT
3/5
like the message more than the music
David Crosby
3/5
Good 70's groove
Frank Ocean
4/5
I've heard people talk about this album constantly since it came out, but somehow never got around to a real listen...except I realized when listening how many songs I knew thru the aether came from this album. Killer 'modern' R&B and a standout album of the decade. 4.5
Justice
5/5
I don't normally like dance, but this s*** f'in slaps
Eagles
4/5
Good listen, the hits are hits and the rest is pretty solid.
MC Solaar
2/5
it's french rap. sounds like 90's rap...in french.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Good pumpkins hits, filler too. 3.5
Hawkwind
4/5
I only ever knew Hawkwind as the band Lemmy was in before Motorhead, forgetting they were an influential Space Rock group in their own right!
||
Cool riffs and sounds at times, and I'm very glad to have listened and for it's influence on later bands like The Sword, but it's not groundbreaking for me and as expected a little indulgent at times. Very solid four, but I could be persuaded to add or take away half a star depending on the argument.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
fine. Feels too new to really appreciate on the list? Maybe that's my issue to sort out.
The White Stripes
4/5
Seven Nation Army a classic, everything else feels like a guy having fun jamming on the blues and having fun. Great, but not the most exciting to me. Rounding up to a 4.
Radiohead
4/5
I get why people like Radiohead
Guided By Voices
3/5
better than average 90's emotions and grunge
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Acceptable lo-fi electronic.
Tom Waits
2/5
I like Tom Waits and even I think 3 albums on this list is too many for him. I'd for sure pick the other two over this one.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Lovin Gaye's R&B romance. Drags at times, but good in doses. Still worth a 4!
Rush
5/5
Come on man, it's Rush! Progressive Canadian Kings! 100% deserves to be on this list. Everyone should at least listen to the overture.
Kanye West
5/5
dang, an album back from when Kanye shared solid music instead of crazy ideas and hate. Tracks speaking to the pressure and expectations of everyone going to college and the black experience really encapsulates a lot of this early 2000's.
Brian Eno
1/5
Two insufferable guys making insufferable music.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
A few tracks worth remembering, and then a lot of generic 90's sound.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
This would be awesome if I was listening to it at a jazz club with a beverage. But in my home it doesn't feel the same. Interesting to hear the different takes.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
solid, pretty new for the list.
The Gun Club
3/5
pretty cool early example of brit punk adopting american blues into the sound. Respect for what it is, but not me. Cover of Preaching the Blues is the best track.
TLC
2/5
I know this was huge, but really doesn't do much for me. Waterfalls is fine, the rest is forgettable to someone not super into the genre.
The Auteurs
2/5
forgettable british alt rock.
Miles Davis
3/5
he's a great player and this is good background music.
Prince
3/5
Not my favorite Prince, but still Prince.
Ian Dury
1/5
This sounds like a musical comedian made an entire album poking fun at brits thru impersonation. Awful.
David Bowie
4/5
Better than expected and shows a clear growth from some of his early stuff and actually interesting for a late-in-life release. I still think Bowie has WAY too many albums on this list, but I see potential value in keeping this one, if we could agree to remove some others. 3.5+
De La Soul
2/5
Fun, too long and the less than stellar parts take away from the joy of the true bops.
Eric Clapton
3/5
Eh, bluesy and chill. Would be fun if you had some time on the beach and this was under your conversation Bob Marley's version of 'sheriff' is much better.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Don't even have to listen before giving it a 5, but I still will.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Fun funky soul. Glad to have listened, but usually something I want to listen to just a bit of, not a full album. 3.5
Love
3/5
Music felt pretty par for the course of this era. Story behind some of it is more interesting but eh
Bob Dylan
5/5
Bob Dylan isn't my favorite, but his folky stuff like this is the best. Gotta love a Minnesota boy too. Personally I'd rate it a 4, but I feel the cultural impact of Dylan is so strong that I'll bump this up to 5 because of the necessity of listening to this album.
Gary Numan
2/5
interesting to hear the influences on some future music, but this doesn't do much. It's a 2 because it isn't actively dreadful.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
5/5
I was intrigued by the strange name and cover, and the wiki info and initial sound very much lived up to the strange expectations. This is the type of album I love seeing on this list: strange novelties and oddities. Music is only solid, but I have to give a full five for exemplifying what I want to see out of this list. Would love to stumble upon this at a used record store.
Kate Bush
2/5
Meh art rock.
Dire Straits
4/5
Cool vibes all the way down.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I get that an older musician having a successful return can be cool, but like...there's way better Bruce than this.
The Cars
3/5
First three tracks are great rock tunes. After that it becomes more generic but is generally solid. You're all I've got tonight stands out too.
Neu!
3/5
The last Krautrock album was solid, this one not so much. Not bad, I could see listening cases, but overall not for me. I guess I'm glad to have become aware of the genre.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Acceptable alt rock. Interesting to see the use of a drum machine because their old drummer left to form a different influential band.
John Lee Hooker
4/5
Cool blues
David Bowie
2/5
Middling bowie - cull the number of albums he has on this list to his best stuff and remove the crap to make room for more artists.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
A few good folky songs and a lot of fluff.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
A few interesting tracks, but not great.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
A few songs would be good under the right movie soundtrack, but I'm not looking to listen to bossa nova like this. Maybe it's cuz i'm not on the beach?
William Orbit
2/5
Does not seem especially interesting. Not a fan of older electronic like this.
Bob Dylan
5/5
This is good Dylan.
Hüsker Dü
4/5
Even the members of Husker Du agree - would've been better as a single album. But overall love the vibe and the MN boys making good music. 4 star
Incubus
4/5
I knew pardon me and Drive, but the rest of this album is filled with mostly great stuff too. Encapsulates the era and genre well. 4.5
The Band
5/5
Fantastic album. I love the band. Some new versions of 'drove old dixie down' have been made by modern artists that keep the spirit, but remove any confederate sympathizing (even if the original is clearly just a story...the lyracist was Canadian)