3.8 - Sounds like flipping through AM radio in a dream. A really enjoyable listen that I’ll probably need to return to fully appreciate.

2.4 + Had a burned copy of this in 2002 when I was going through a tough breakup. Initially some of these songs hit well but after about a week the goopy sincerity and simplistic song structures and lyrics began to grate. This is a Paulo Coelho-esque, universalist, "we're-all-in-this-together" soundtrack, where the songs paint a very basic emotional landscape - vaguely sad, vaguely longing, vaguely hopeful - such that anyone can fill in the broad strokes with their own flourishes and colors. It's lowest common denominator music aimed at drawing a broad swath of listeners, likely those with less discerning musical palates who seek affirmation in music and eschew any challenge. I imagine it also helps if your English language skills are still developing - Chris Martin's voice labors deliberately through stanzas of simple words, enunciating every "F", "C" and "S." Here's another album that makes me question the premise behind this exercise - is this really an album to hear before I die??

2.8 - If you’re 14 and hate your stepdad, this may be the album for you. Amazing drums, though.

4.7 - Have loved Cosmic Warrior since I first heard it and love this one maybe even more. Wonderful glam rock, which I love, without the more do-woppy elements of CW that I don't prefer. On initial listen, I'm hearing no weak moments. Just an upbeat, fun and stylish record from beginning to end. Lush orchestrations, shimmery guitar, solid fills and solos, sexy sneering attitude.

Dense with atmosphere - jagged guitar loops, foreboding synth drones, vocal echoes, distorted field/media recordings. Lyrics express paranoia and dread - "I must fight this sickness." Initially what strikes me most is the drum sound. Sparse, driving, machine-like, repetitive, urgent. In this regard, it seems to borrow from Joy Division. This album is not a feel-good crowd pleaser and I'm instantly in love.

Non-stop party album that blends authenticity of street life with goofs on smoking weed, ragging on homies and other characters in the hood. Flowing rhymes, sharp wit, fun beats, hilarious lyrics ("Ya Mama"). A refreshing counterpoint to the gangsta rap of the early 90s.

What to say that hasn't been expressed a billion times?

I'm completely blown away by this album - it's so full of surprises. It starts as a Cold War inspired atmospheric exercise, a la "Spacelab" by Kraftwerk or "Warszawa" by David Bowie. Heavy on rich synth sounds of the era. It moves seamlessly to industrial instrumentals that masterfully layer noise and disparate sounds. Throughout they throw in bouncy pop songs that carry that Soviet synth sound, overlaid with vocals with loads of reverb and echo. Given that this album came out in 1981, it feels like a "granddaddy" reference for so many bands, and albums that would follow. Hell, it sounds futuristic to this day. One of the best albums in recent memory! (And this is one I listened to probably 30 albums into this exploration).

Hard hitting samples, crisp MC delivery, strong lyricism, balance between consciousness and gangster, Brooklyn sound, album cover shows WTC in flames (in 1994!). This one hits hard. Love! Ain't the Devil Happy Da Bichez

3.5 - Interesting as a window into Dylan's evolution as an artist with a singular voice. Besides "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Don't Think Twice...", Dylan sounds like a parrot - a young mind eagerly absorbing a broad array of influences and regurgitating them, sometimes reimagining and reworking certain elements.

Dense with atmosphere - jagged guitar loops, foreboding synth drones, vocal echoes, distorted field/media recordings. Lyrics express paranoia and dread - "I must fight this sickness." Initially what strikes me most is the drum sound. Sparse, driving, machine-like, repetitive, urgent. In this regard, it seems to borrow from Joy Division. This album is not a feel-good crowd pleaser and I'm instantly in love.

I mean, the album starts with "Do It Again" and "Dirty Work." Those two songs alone make this one a heavy-hitter. "Reelin' in the Years" anchors the middle - also another Classic Rock radio mainstay. Overall, this album displays tight songcraft, meticulous studio production, crisp orchestration, and some impressive guitar work at certain parts. A band with a deep bag of tricks. One ding from me would be that it definitely sounds like 70s stadium rock, but it's probably among the best I've heard of that genre/era.

Wonderful collab between Iggy Pop and David Bowie. Borrowing from some of the best artistic elements of the day to create a sum greater than its parts. Drum sounds borrowed from Joy Division, punk vocals and sensibilities through Iggy, Cold War imagery in the lyrics. This record is simultaneously structured and loose, wild and buttoned up, analog and digital. The sounds jump of the record. Incredibly vital.

Though it's not instantly a favorite, I can understand Kate Bush's lasting influence on experimental pop. Brave and assured, if sometimes cheekier and campier than I prefer personally. I do love the muted bass and some of the synthesized sounds, which often seem well ahead of their time. This is an album and artist that will probably reward repeated listens.

Was listening to this fairly regularly from 04-07. The songs sparkle just as much now as they did then. Great storytelling, wonderful slinky and spare guitar work. Everything on this album works and feels lived in while feeling just slightly rough. It's like visiting an old friend.

Hadn’t listened to this in a few years. Starts off hard, first two tracks are amazing. Ice Cube’s delivery on point. I found myself getting a little burnt out after that. Hip hop sound has come so far in terms of production, quality of samples and skill of MCing. Not denying the influence of this record. I just didn’t find it exciting like I once did.

Not for me.

Soulful garage rock. Infectious grooves over a bed of rock-solid bass and drums with some interesting and sparse overlays (synth, guitar flourishes, etc). Nice vocalizations. A good listen from start to finish, few if any weak moments. Didn't blow my mind but it's an album I can come back to.

This album showcases all of what I love about Spiritualized and Spacemen 3 - the droney, hazy, extended musings, usually built around one major chord. Very pleasant both as background and also as a focused listen on headphones. I think I prefer this album to "Ladies and Gentlemen..." which sounds a little more dated at times.

Beautiful as an instrumental album. Great as background. The first track "Djed" is 21 minute opus that goes in several different directions.

Fast and hard charging. Unlike lots of other punk outfits, these guys can actually play. Nice synth additions. Vocals come through clear.

Dark, moody, understated. Lovingly arranged, wonderful restrain. Just enough negative space to allow songs to breathe. This album has outsized influence on 90s downbeat sound. If there's one criticism it's that incorporating the scratching record sounds definitely dates the record.

Sensual, feminine, soothing, pretty. Mariah's luscious vocals are on full display. Gorgeous production. Songs mostly address bedroom tenderness, reminiscences, relationships. Overall, this one wraps like a soft embrace. Doesn't speak to me personally but I can appreciate an album well realized.

Transcendant.

Cynical, snearing with a healthy dose of vulnerability. This one shows Blur probably in their full turn-of-the-century paranoia and misanthropy ("Advert"), mixed with a dose of sensitivity ("Blue Jeans"). Plenty of interesting chord progressions, and the characteristic twists and turns that make Blur messy, good fun. Perhaps not the same towering hits here like in albums like Parklife. Still, a wonderfully solid addition to their catalog, with consistent hooks throughout.

Melodic midtempo British/Manchester rock with notable balance of experimental and straightforward. A testament to tight songcraft done by what feels like a fairly standard four- or five-piece rock outfit. Many of the Stone Roses biggest hits are here - "I Wanna Be Adored", "Waterfall", "Bye Bye Badman."

Some of my favorite Billy Joel songs on this on. Still, it’s Billy Joel.

My first Tom Waits album. Unmistakable gravelly voice. Lyrics evoke the poetry of Bukowski, set in strip joints, cheap bars and dirtbag motels. Clanky percussion and nightmarish organ sounds. Waits is cynical and worldweary. Dry and bitter delivery set over spare acoustic instrumentation with some elements of smoky lounge jazz.

Was surprised to see this album on the list - I suppose some of the 1001 will end up fairly forgettable. This album marked the point where I definitively stepped off the U2 fan train, after enduring the underwhelming "Pop." To me, this album feels more like a vehicle to fuel the stadium-filling U2 tour machine, and less a labor of artistic expression. Most of the songs lean on earnestness and overblown anthematic choruses - the kind that can keep an arena of fans on its feet. Lyrically, this album contains more than a few dud moments (see "Elevation", atrocious word in "Kite"). In the rare occasions I need a U2 fix, I'm reaching for Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, or maybe even Zooropa, which certainly contain an excess of pop anthems but are balanced with more atmosphere, more experimentation, more fun risks that made U2 exciting to me in the first place.

What's the point of re-listening right now? I already know this one's a goat.

I like the imagery in the lyrics - they read like poems. I also like Nick Cave's voice that's unique. The arrangements are super spare and the recordings sounds live, mostly acoustic and unfiltered. After listening to this album, I understand Nick Cave's mystique but I'm feeling unexcited and a little confused. Perhaps with more understanding of his other albums, I'll have more context to judge.

A pleasant cross-section of 1960s sounds and influences: psychedelic lyrics, folk instrumentation, light roadhouse asides, muted Dylanesque freakouts, British invasion flavors, brief tinkering with sitars and Indian melodies. All added sparingly and tastefully to enhance the songs that are well conceived. It feels like pastiche but somehow it works.

3.6 + The blend of genres, the communal feel, and the sheer funk - you can't deny the ambition and scope of vision here. Purely as a listening experience, though, it can get tiring to wade through some of the extended jam sessions. For me, it sometimes sounds too crowded. I'm a bigger fan of "Maggot Brain" as a more coherent record, though it's not as accomplished as a funk record or amalgam of genres.

I can appreciate the virtuosity and polish of this band and the level of craft within this album - "Shinin' Star", "Reasons" and other tracks have clearly endured. It simply doesn't suit my taste. I associate this sound with wedding music - not necessarily a bad thing, just not what I find exciting personally.

Big, commercial Boomer rock. I finally listened to this album all the way through, and I never have to again. Still, can't knock it too hard - it's got "I'm on Fire" and "Dancin' in the Dark."

3.3 - I suppose context is everything - whereas I've found other Miles Davis albums groundbreaking, to my ears this sounds like laid back big band jazz. Certainly "cool" and pleasant but I'm not feeling that sense of awe and excitement that I'm probably supposed to.

Solid guitar riffs throughout, Steve Tyler's voice rings in its full glory. Strong as far as blues-based 70s hard rock goes. "Sweet Emotions" is still a banger. Some good deeper cuts in this one - all around a good groove from start to finish.

Monster hooks, monster riffs, monster drum fills - the excess of the 80s are in full effect here. Whereas I tend to ding albums for sounding dated, somehow I enjoyed this album much more than expected - it's so over-the-top 1987. There's even a catch-all political track that encapsulates all of the "foreign threat" fears of the era - terrorism, civil unrest, Cold War, complete with a cameo from Ronald Reagan himself. A perfectly realized time capsule.

Beautiful, soulful, timeless. Redding himself has some amazing writing credits on this album - "Ole Man Trouble", "Respect"... The rest of the tracks are rearranged and sung with that grit and conviction.

I enjoyed this one as I've enjoyed Amerikkka's Most Wanted and other Ice Cube albums. He's not one to pull any punches - lyrics hit their target with razor sharp precision. Samples are well chosen if a little repetitive at times. Solid hard-charging vibe from start to finish. Aggressive misogyny and homophobia make this one perhaps more a product of its era and less aligned with my current tastes.

Consistently unexpected song structures and proficient instrumentation redeem this record that would otherwise come off as a campy, kiddy halloween affair, similar to Alice Cooper's stage act at its most worn out. Plenty of great tongue-in-cheek moments to boot ("Grande Finale", "Alma Mater"). There's lots to like here even if it is sometimes insufferably whacky in a 70s "freak-out" sort of way. This is the type of record you'd hear spinning at an independently owned novelty shop.

Forgettable 80s adult contemporary. “Holding back the years” is an amazing standout (though a cover) but that’s about it.

Some strong extended jam sessions, especially "Sex Machine" which clocks in around 10 minutes. Plenty of surprising guitar and organ sounds and Sly sounds great with the Vocoder. Not quite the hits or fire power of There's a Riot...

Cultural appropriation aside, this album is a tremendous feat in bringing together different influences - notably, African - to create a completely singular sound. Consummate production, especially in the bass and rhythm tracks.

A surprisingly contemporary genre-defying oeuvre from 1976 that blends elements of chamber orchestral music, psych-rock and others. Reminds me of The Books.

Definitely interesting and one of a kind as a concept album. I enjoy the conversational, Seinfeld-esque "about nothing" style. I appreciate getting into this guy's life. The instrumentals are spare and usually underwhelming. The delivery is kind of awkward. It requires a close listen to appreciate.

Chock full of 80s tropes, done stylishly. The emotional backdrop of this album interests me - the overall tone is earnest but cool, which allows songs to explore nuanced adult feelings. Some of the synthesized tones, especially the overused vocal backgrounds, sound rather cheap and dated. The songwriting is proficient, the voice and studio production are clear.

Oh, the trials and tribulations of being a grrrrl! This album gives voice to a young, angsty PJ Harvey, creating a playground for grungy guitars, howling vocals, and urgent drums. Hadn't listened to this album in full since I can't remember when - always gravitate to its strongest tracks, "Plants And Rags" and "Dress", which are exceptional and have been on heavy rotation since 2000. Harvey draws from some of the best grunge elements of the era, tempering chaos, raw emotion, with grounded songwriting. This is a terrific preview for "Rid of Me" and "To Bring You My Love", which both expand and mature her sound.

A never ending parade of synthetic intensity, like a bottomless Monster energy drink. If you're looking for music to smoke crystal and gyrate all night until 9am in a sweaty European basement rave to, this album is for you. Just a ham-fisted splooge of blips and bloops, uninspired samples, repetitive beats that mostly go nowhere. Fine if you're in a trance or need something high energy bumping in the background - decent as a workout soundtrack, certainly does not warrant a close listen.

A typical collection of Bob Marley songs: romantic, political, party oriented. The production on some of these is a little low-key - the songs are strong but the production sparkle isn't always on par with Legend.

4.3 - Just listened to Marshall Mathers EP and I can understand why critics find that one slightly more compelling - it's more challenging, brazen and raw than Slim Shady. I just happen to enjoy listening to this album more. The amazing rhymes are here, the incredible flow, and Eminem sounds less jaded, more bouncy and just funnier.

A quick scan of Wikipedia, along with this album, reconfirms my suspicion that I should be spending more time with the Byrds. It's amazing to me how they've managed to apply their chameleon spirit, boosting off their folk rock and psychedelic successes, to fully immerse in country. This album incorporates everything I love about the genre - the relatable storytelling, the hopeful longing, the simple and solid acoustic instrumentation - while retaining that sunny California Byrds sound. I don't know whether this album is considered by purists as part of the country canon but it will certainly be one that I return to again and again.

I can understand why Grateful Dead is known less for their studio albums - the mix on some of these tracks is a letdown. Percussion parts too forward, guitars buried in the background where they can barely be detected. The vocal harmonies are rough at parts - phrases not ending crisply, not nailing certain parts, etc. Admittedly, these same warts likely add to the overall human charm. Despite my gripes, this is an amazingly strong collection of songs - just a happy listen from start to finish.

Cohen's quiet intensity, expressed forcefully through his poetic lyrics, clear baritone, simple flamenco-esque fingerpicking guitar, spare production. Beautiful.

Sounds like the soundtrack to a film of an epic journey - longing, triumphant, poignant, hopeful, sometimes plodding, earnest. Love the subtle incorporation of guitar feedback, so often overdone. Orchestral arrangements are supple and gorgeous. A wonderfully immersive album. My one criticism is that the emotional tone rarely deviates, and for a relatively lengthy album (71 mins), it's a little heavy for a single session of close-ish listening, some moments of levity would help.

In my second tier of favorite Bowie albums. Starts off strong with Station to Station and Golden Years. A few flabby krautrocky moments in the middle, notably TVC15. Ends with some impressive vocal performances in the last couple of tracks. The lore around this album probably overhypes it.

Every music magazine and Sunday afternoon VH1 documentary tried incessantly to convince me of the significance of this album. Taken within the context of 1977, I can see how this might've once felt groundbreaking but by now this entire sound has been wholly swallowed up and digested - there's very little here that to me sounds new or exciting. Certainly it seems like a strong example of early punk - songs convey an appropriately cynical POV, songs hit hard and rapid fire. And the vocals and guitar lines are exceptionally clear - plenty of muscle in the recordings. It's an enjoyable enough listen but I'll be only too happy to re-shelf this one back into the "canon", never to be picked up again.

4.4 - It feels fitting that this album features the band's likenesses carved into Mt. Rushmore. This image though ostentatious, in retrospect feels appropriate given how uncannily Deep Purple seemed to underpin and even portend what was to come in rock, both good and bad. In this album, we hear elements of prog, glam, early metal, free jazz, as well as butt rock, intertwined artfully. It's a sound that so many bands have tried mightily to channel, though lacking the same abundance of virtuosity. Here's a band honed to a razor's edge - the guitar riffs shred impeccably, the arrangements executed with technical polish to almost imbue them with a sense of spontaneity. There's considerable majesty and drama in these tracks - taken out of context, some will find it too audacious. I think much of that criticism may lie in our shared understanding of rock 'n' roll excess, as parodied by Spinal Tap. Taken by itself though, this album is a beacon that well deserves a place in the classic rock canon.

3.8 - Straightforward songwriting, poetic imagery, simple but effective guitar work. Standout tracks: "Cinnamon Girl", "Round and Round (It Won't Be Long)." This feels unrushed and the songs somehow feel fresh, emotionally.

3.6 - Quirky, zippy, lots of variety, brimming with ideas, lots of fun.

2.7 - Wanted to like this but the recording even after a remaster sounds grimy. No real standout tracks. To me there isn’t that much to distinguish this as a psychedelic record.

3.2 - Aside from the towering “Sweet Dreams”, this is some fairly forgettable 80s synth pop. Lennox’s voice is a powerhouse. Songs are constructed around a groove and tend to get repetitive.

3.2 - A strong collection of 90s pop rock. No surprises.

3.5 - Hesitated for 2 months to give this a listen. Good as far as live recordings go - some killer extended guitar solos - but not likely something I'll be excited to listen to unless it's playing on late night classic rock radio, or maybe at some dive bar.

4.3 - More introspective and measured than other Led Zeppelin I've listened to. Also, at 90 minutes, it's among their most expansive. One of my favorite Zepp songs is on here, "Kashmir." The middle of the record is a snoozer, with "In the Light", "Bron-Yr-Aur" and "Down by the Seaside", which are meandering proggy explorations. The last quarter features some rootsy acoustic blues, which showcase the band's incredible range and versatility.

3.7 - Starts with an audibly nervous announcer informing the audience that tonight's performance will be recorded and that everyone should relax, which sets a fun on-edge tone to the evening. By the end of the second track, the singer has fallen off her chair and laughingly improvises a line, "I've fouled up this one really well..." She comes back with intense ferocity on the next track "Just One of Those Things." Vaughan's voice is a marvel. She improvises all the lyrics on "How High the Moon", with some solid scatting thrown in, which rounds out a frenetic, sometimes off-kilter, but assured performance.

3.2 - Solid elements of speed metal, maybe mashed through an Atari filter. Definitely corny at parts, esp. "Charlotte the Harlot." Shredding guitars throughout, which overall make this a righteous affair.

3.1 + This one finds PJ Harvey with a sleeker sound, wearing an on-trend early aughts outfit on the cover and with guest appearances by Thom Yorke at his prime. I remember listening to this in 2000 and seeing her perform in Paris. The concert was blander than expected, and listening to this album again I can see why I found that show disappointing. What's all but absent here is the raw power, the angst and anger, the sexual ferocity. The album's look and sound are like a TJ Maxx version of PJ Harvey.

4.7 - Have loved Cosmic Warrior since I first heard it and love this one maybe even more. Wonderful glam rock, which I love, without the more do-woppy elements of CW that I don't prefer. On initial listen, I'm hearing no weak moments. Just an upbeat, fun and stylish record from beginning to end. Lush orchestrations, shimmery guitar, solid fills and solos, sexy sneering attitude.

3.5 - Draws from different strains of world music - Bollywood, Western inspired rock/pop, funk - while melding Arab influences. Funky, sophisticated. Cheesy at some points ("Imagine" cover) but I enjoyed listening.

3.5 - A fun concept - soundtrack to an imaginary film. Tracks seem to narrate a noir detective story in a seemingly chronological order such that I can almost see the film unfold in my mind. Best to know the song titles as you listen because they give a sense for the "scene." This was a fun listen. Highly cinematic, interest sounds and loops, cool reverb effects.

4.2 + Some beautiful songwriting with surprising quirks throughout. Strong 60s pop.

3.8 + Rollicking good fun. Some longer tracks here. "Stuck Outside of Mobile..." is excusable, even at 7:04. "Sad-Eyed Lady" at 11:19 takes some fortitude.

4.4 - Sophisticated R&B jams, smooth vocals with radiant falsetto, lush instrumentation. A vibe good enough to warrant an immediate repeat listen.

3.8 - Solid early rock 'n' roll, in the vein of Fats Domino. Little Richard is predictably fabulous with his soulful, gravelly delivery. Rock solid backing band with rhythm guitar, small horns section. Drums and bass way back in the mix holding it down. Fun and classic.

2.4 + Had a burned copy of this in 2002 when I was going through a tough breakup. Initially some of these songs hit well but after about a week the goopy sincerity and simplistic song structures and lyrics began to grate. This is a Paulo Coelho-esque, universalist, "we're-all-in-this-together" soundtrack, where the songs paint a very basic emotional landscape - vaguely sad, vaguely longing, vaguely hopeful - such that anyone can fill in the broad strokes with their own flourishes and colors. It's lowest common denominator music aimed at drawing a broad swath of listeners, likely those with less discerning musical palates who seek affirmation in music and eschew any challenge. I imagine it also helps if your English language skills are still developing - Chris Martin's voice labors deliberately through stanzas of simple words, enunciating every "F", "C" and "S." Here's another album that makes me question the premise behind this exercise - is this really an album to hear before I die??

4.6 + This was on heavy rotation on my iPod nano for several years, particularly at the gym. Such a tight backing band without too much extra by way of frills and effects. The bass line in “Is this It” is amazing. Vocals delivered with snearing affect mixed with general malaise. Love this one from start to finish.

4.7 + “L.A Woman” alone makes this a classic. Throw in “Love Her Madly”, “Riders on the Storm” and “Hyacinth House”...damn.

3.5 - Love the vibe and the sound. Long live Fats.

4.7 + The breadth of experiments with sound and the depth of playfulness, is what made this album an instant favorite, and which rewards frequent returns.

3.2 - Vaporous and sunny house pop, with lots of 90s tropes - crackly record sound, house drum tracks, light female vocals. Think of a souvenir shop in a European beach town, or sitting by the pool on Fire Island.

4.0 - Can’t believe I slept on this one for so long - it’s magnificent! The beats from start to finish are impeccable. The way they blend musical samples from so many sources and make it sounds that seamless? Incredible. I love the stories here. The rhymes and the flow are unique - I love that knucklehead scoundrel MC sound they got going. These songs transport you into their world briefly.

3.0 - Solid album of breakbeats. Enjoyable enough as high energy background music. Overall, it sounds frozen in 90s UK.

3.9 - the lyrics on this record read more like an issue of the Economist than a rap album. Songs deal with a very broad swath of hot button “controversial” issues of the era - immigration, environment, homophobia, television, consumer culture, fame obsession, fundies, white supremacy...these issues are still very much ones that plague us today (with the exception of television). In terms of sonics, there’s much to admire. Vocals are put way way out in front of the mix and the lyrics punch through crystalline clear. MC delivery is smooth and even. Much preachier, much headier, much more left leaning politically, more forward-thinking especially in its condemnation of homophobia, not especially violent or menacing in a physical manner, less gangsta, more well read, drawing in historical perspectives. At the same time, there are lots of dilentattish moments where he gets a little lost in his own head. Also the production/beats on some of these songs is often tinny and basic. For all its strengths and warts, I can say it sounds unlike any other hip hop album I’ve heard.

3.6 - Pleasant, easy listening in a good way. Pretty acoustic arrangements. A cozy album to put on on a lazy Sunday morning or rainy afternoon.

4.2 + TVOTR sounded like a band that was able for a brief period to harness their collective talent in full and stretch it to almost to its breaking point. The creative energy and ambition in this record burst forth at every turn. The rhythms, the sounds, the lyrics, the vocals. It’s undeniable.

3.6 + Soothing and soulful acoustic folk.

3.6 - Some solid tracks on this: "Eight Miles High", "Why", "Hey Joe." Sounds like fairly typical hippy guitar rock of this era with some psychedelic elements shining through especially in some of the extended guitar solos.

4.7 + Immediately I'm hooked from the grimy guitars and that first shriek on "Needles...". So many strange images and sounds crammed into these 42 minutes. Just listen to the layers of sound in "Baby's on Fire" - the drum track alone warrants a deep dive. There's the analog synth sound in the middle "Cindy Tells Me" that I can only describe as a cicada flying by my head. It's heady, amphetamine-fuled fun.

3.3 - Is this British dudes ripping off electrified American blues music and amping up the lead guitar? Hey, I know this sound! Some masterful playing on here; however, if you duck into any dive bar in the French Quarter in New Orleans on a Wednesday night, you can hear this music played live while you drink a $3 Budweiser.

4.2 + love that storytelling classic country music. Dolly Parton is an amazing songwriter and this is one of her best.

3.0 - A killer backing band with explosive drums and great guitar work. Non-chord based and almost absent of melody, which actually helps create some expansive soundscapes. But, sweet Lord do I find that lead singer grating! He sings with joyless, grunty disgust and the lyrics just make him seem like a dumb douchebag. Some of the writing seems lazy, leaning on unneeded swearing, which comes off as pretentious. The only standouts are "Curse Me", which has a female vocalist. Absolute gem. And the last instrumental track (again without the lead vocalist) is great.

3.3 - Classic old school hip hop sound. Sunny, poppy, "conscious." Some corny rhymes here and there, but overall there's plenty to like.

3.0 - Admittedly, I struggled to keep an open mind with this one. I'm not a huge fan of that 70s cock rock sound and I generally don't prefer live albums. And why are Irish lads singing “Cowboy Song” and about motorcycle gangs? The album captures a band that's clearly honed their stage act and mastered their sound, but it’s a sound that I don’t love.

3.5 - When an artist is given free reign to produce whatever he wants, without his former bandmates there to break his balls, does it enhance or detract from the final product? In the case of "Band on the Run", absent of John Lennon and his former co-creators, I'd say Paul's product leans too heavily on playful jokiness and I end up missing an emotional connection with these songs. Clearly, Paul's beautiful and unparalleled ear for melody is here. What's also here is some of his hokier and more childish instincts - writing about cartoonish characters (think Rocky Raccoon, Bungalow Bill, etc) and composing music that to me comes off as kids music. Like Raffi on an extreme sugar high. All of it is good but it's hard for me to take songs like "Jet" and "Bluebird" too seriously. Does this guy ever have a bad day, or is he just constantly farting rainbows?

4.0 + This album probably isn't a crowd pleaser - definitely rough in parts ("If It's In You") but there are also so many catchy tunes here! Also, the bedroom recording vibe feels vital to me, especially for the era when so many bands were obsessively layering on the studio lacquer.

4.0 - CCR all day, everyday! (Except their cover of “Heard it Through the Grapevine”)

4.4 - Never having given this album a close listen, I’d thought it was overrated like some of Dylan’s output. But now that I’ve had a chance to actually listen, I see that I was wrong - this album lives up to the hype. The schism between the acoustic portion of this concert compared to the electric one sounds jarring to me as a casual listener and I can only imagine how dramatic that schism felt to the concert goers who were expecting a solemn folk affair. Aside from the lore, Bob Dylan truly shines here. I love the songs. I love the vibe. It’s rare that I find a Dylan album I enjoy from start to finish - he often throws in wrenches to challenge the listener. In this case, by going electric, Dylan propelled this concert to a different stratosphere.

3.7 - Fun, macabre, theatrical. Unlike some of the other hard rock acts of the era, Alice Cooper doesn't take himself too seriously, which I appreciate. He also draws from different genres to create an album that's dense with ideas and lots of surprises.

4.2 - Shimmery pop rock that fits snugly into the late-80s indie era and also signals musical acts to come. Michael Stipe's vocals are throaty, muscular and clear. The album starts strong with "Finest Worksong", coming a peak in the middle with "It's the End..." and "The One I Love."

4.2 - Epic. Speakerboxxx comes on hard and nasty. Bottom heavy sludgy beats. Notable cameos from Killer Mike and Jay Z. The Love Below starts off highly introspective and takes a much different and very interesting turn, exploring the concept of finding one's own true love. It's an epic journey, an undeniably varied and dense of body of work and the sheer volume of music here boggles the mind. Small aside - it's rare that I think the skits make a hip hop album. In this case, the skits provide the glue within the narrative, which makes listening this as an album that much more rewarding.

4.1 - Love how comfortably these tracks reside between genres, refusing to be boxed into any one. Vibes all around!

3.8 - A collection of deceptively upbeat and sing-songy tracks that mostly strike a consistent sunny tone, with the exception of "The Murder Mystery." Underlying the simple chord structures are a meticulous blend of carefully chosen sounds with a keen attention to texture. Listen to the arpeggiated guitar line on "Pale Blue Eyes" and how it interplays with a single tambourine that hits on the 2/4 beats. Tsh...tsh...tsh...

3.8 + Love some Depeche Mode, and some of their best output is here (e.g. "Never Let Me Down Again", "Little 15"). There are also some strange asides ("Pimpf", "I Want You Now", "Agent Orange") where the band experiments with an expanded soundscape. Given the simplicity in the compositions, the almost brute force in the synthesized parts, tracks work best when they're focused around a composed song with standard structure (Verse-Chorus-Verse...). The experimental tracks sometimes sound ham-fisted and pretentious.

4.7 + Love.

3.3 - Probably a good example of early instrumental ambient scifi synth. Some solid and timeless sounds - probably impressive for 1976 but nothing special in 2021.

3.6 - Fun, bouncy blues rock with some synth elements to modernize the sound for 1983. Some of their biggest hits are here - "Sharp Dressed Man", "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Legs." Also some throwaway tracks, notably "TV Dinners", which sounds like it was written by a 9 year old.

5.0 + One of my top 10 of all time.

3.6 - A glimpse into America, fresh off McCarthy and towards the end of Jim Crow. Sanitized and sweet rock n roll. Wholesome and painfully white but brimming with a soulful innocence. The singing and vocal harmonies really set this off. It’s a pleasant listen that I could come back to again.

3.1 - Just a quick aside to consider this album within the context of Willie’s career: This was his 22nd studio album, by this point he’d been recording for 22 years, he was 45 years old at the time of its release, and now in 2021 he’s 87 years old. I say all this because recording an album of pop standards is a move artists often make in the twilight of their careers. In the case of Willie Nelson, was this album a stopgap to appease his record company, and to give himself just a little respite from the grind of writing and touring? The album is fine. His voice sounds sweet and clear as ever. The arrangements do justice to the original recordings while accentuating Willie’s strengths. It’s obviously more than a little boring. It’s an album you put on when your grandparents are visiting. It also makes me mourn the musical wasteland of 1978 if this is an example of some of the strongest output for that year.

3.7 - Another hip hop album I wish I'd listened to earlier - Missy's a godmother to so many current rappers. Her monologues interspersed give us a chance to better know her POV and to empathize. Some real bangers on here. Also a couple of duds. Above all, Missy comes off as honest, sometimes brutally so.

4.0 - slick production, clever lyrics, some bangers. All around a solid pop album. I’d underestimated Taylor Swift. There’s substance here.

4.3 + lots of fun twists and turns throughout. Boisterous.

3.9 - a pleasant blend of psychedelic and Country-western elements with hippie pop rock. Songs well crafted with pleasant harmonies, condensed to flow creating a cohesive listen with a few interesting experiments with guitar delay and some synth. The Byrds have some outsized real estate on this list (7 albums?) but so far what I’ve listened to has been interesting.

3.5 + Sunny and cozy jams from Cuban music veterans. The album has a nice live feel. Perfect for roadtrips or anytime you want something easy bopping in the background. I acknowledge the quality of this album but if I'm being honest, I found myself unexcited to revisit it. Besides \"Chan Chan\", the songs no longer move me.

4.2 - Starts with "America is Not the World" that finds Morrissey dishing out the kind of on-the-nose anti-US critiques that you might hear in a European youth hostel. Much of the rest of the record contains similar conversational political observations ("Irish Blood, English Heart", "Come Back to Camden). Characteristically, he's managed to seemingly set pages of his personal journal to beautiful melody, delivering them with his signature brooding vocals. I'd written off Morrissey as a solo performer, finding his politics unpalatable and his wordy song titles unapproachable. I'm pleasantly surprised.

4.2 - So many great songs, so much soul. \"Long Black Limousine\", \"In the Ghetto\", \"Don't Cry Daddy.\" It's a testament to Elvis's talent as a singer that these songs don't come off as sappy to my jaded ear. The lyrics and musical arrangements sound like something from a soap opera but he sings them with such conviction. I actually feel emotional listening to \"Mama Liked the Roses\" - I don't know many singers that could pull that off.

3.8 + Look, I just find Led Zeppelin exhausting. Whenever I hear them I think of my douchey college roommate expounding on how they were “revolutionary.” So, fine, yes this album is terrific - it’s 10 solid tracks with killer drums, piercing vocals and searing guitar. Braun-Yaur Stomp rocks my nuts off. My problem though is that it’s a dialed up sound. It’s like owning a Lamborghini. If all you need is to run out for milk and eggs, driving a supercar can feel like a chore. Same with Led Zeppelin. Sometimes I don’t want music to sound so maxed out. So my college roommate can suck it.

3.8 - smash hits on this - “Girls Just Wanna...” and “Time After Time.” Some other minor hits, notably “All Through the Night” that also has a killer synth solo. The sound on this really holds up 40 years later.

3.8 + Solid 80s synth pop mixed with some interesting experiments like “I Am the Law.” Kraftwerk fingerprints all over but with enough pop to set it apart. “Don’t You Want Me” is a radio favorite, too. “Love Action” limps along towards the end. The track ordering is a little whacky - I can’t think of many albums where the smash hit appears last.

3.3 - the image of the flopping fish from the “Epic” music video was seared into my 12 year old memory and it’s a song I’ve loved since. Finally having listening to this album, I’m not surprised that the supporting album to that single is a little thin on substance. Don’t get me wrong, the band and lead vocalist are oozing with skill and talent. When everything comes together, they sound like a more synth-driven metal rap rock version of early RHCP. But there are a few misfires with “Underwater Love” and “The Morning After” that sound especially sophomoric, as well as a forgettable “War Pigs” cover.

4.3 + Just thumping with soul and mellow funk. An amazing album that’s equally at home bumping in the background as it is on a pair of cans.

4.8 + Beatles in the pocket, pushing the envelope on pop sound with the discipline to not descend into self-indulgence.

4.7 + hits you like an ice pick to the temple or oozes on like a bucket of swamp sludge.

3.4 - It's got that turn-of-the-millenium earnest, bedroom-recorded, DIY vibe to it. Given the timing of its release, this album was probably ahead of the Brooklyn-centric zeitgeist of that same sound. At this point, I've listened to my fill of all the Beta Bands, the Grizzly Bears, the Bon Ivers out there. Not mad that I had a chance to hear this one but I probably won't be revisiting it anytime soon.

3.3 - It's like the musical equivalent of drinking a shot of Fireball - less challenging and more pleasant than I would expect. Apparently Slipknot falls into the "nu metal" category, which places it in some unsavory company, mostly bands I associate with that Hot Topic store at the mall. As far as metal goes, this to me sounds pretty poppy, and positively radio friendly - the vocals are crystal clear and melodic, there are few time signature changes, the guitar lines are relatively easy to follow. I wasn't listening too closely to the lyrics but it sounds like they're edgy enough. All in all, this sounds like an album suited for a teenage market, and I can understand why the kids like it.

5.0 - Loved his tropicalia exploration and this one is equally awesome. Classy, warm, sophisticated.

4.4 - A beautifully flowing collection that plumbs some emotional depths to examine even ugly feelings like hatred, jealousy and envy. More approachable than "The Queen is Dead", attaining some highs but without quite the transcendence. I'll definitely be coming back to this one.

3.3 - Pretty and pleasant with a couple standout tracks. In particular, "A Sailor's Life" is a meandering story with some nice extended jams at 11:16. "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" is a Jefferson Airplane-esque folk tune for the ages. Still, this band is just a smidge deeper into the rabbit hole of 60s psychedelic-folk than I care to venture.

3.7 - Better than I expected! Immersive. Even the instrumentals felt vital to the whole.

3.6 - Took a minute to get accustomed to the thrashy sound. By the 2nd track I was hooked. Screeeeeammming guitar! Towards the end of the album, I’d lost my stamina and was starting to get a headache.

3.2 - Bon Jovi's magnum opus. A high octane hit parade that crams in all the excesses of 80s rock. Richie Sambora slays. This record’s three blockbuster hits continue to dominate radio airwaves, and they're on constant blast at any given stadium, sports bar or dive.

3.5 - Sounds like sipping ice tea on the porch on a summer day listening to grandpa in his rocker reminiscing and pontificating. Some understated guitar work. “No other” is definitely a standout - I love the bottom-heavy sound.

4.7 - Everything I love about Boston. The fucking attitude. The speed. The intelligence, craft and skill. Everything you want packed into 37 minutes, kid!

4.3 - Raw and restrained. A tight, heavy sound with melodic guitar lines and Ozzy’s towering voice. Loads of swagger by a band that already felt comfortable exploiting silence to draw out the power in their arrangements.

3.6 - Transcendent guitar and impeccable speed metal playing. Not sure about the sci-fi lyrics and some of the “tough guy” vocals that sometimes sound goofy. This was my first listen so it might click more after a couple more whirls.

3.6 - I never learned how to connect with math rock on an emotional level. Definitely not sure what these songs are about - it’s likely a lot deeper and smarter than my measly mins can comprehend. Still, I can appreciate the musicianship on this album and enjoy it on an intellectual level.

4.2 + Some beautiful and quirky songwriting with lush orchestral arrangements. It resides in its own corner of popular music, as if the writer had never once listened to the radio and decided to write this album. I’ve come back to this one a lot over the years.

4.0 + Amazing guitar work, full of memorable riffs. Love the songs and the New York attitude. “Marquee Moon” in the middle flags the momentum for me.

2.8 - Ponderous, plodding and overdone. A classic case of virtuosity with no taste. The strings add a maximalist, over-the-top element to songs that already lack subtlety. God, and this album is so fucking long!

3.8 - a solid entry in the androgynous David Bowie-inspired post punk catalog. Slinky and muscular guitar work, sneering vocals.

3.7 - All the good elements of 80s metal with almost none of the annoying ones. Terrific guitar work, interesting song themes (alien invasion, fighting against authoritarian govt of the future, etc).

3.4 - Twangy. Classic country meets pop songwriting. Amazing electric guitar solos, pretty slide guitar fills, sweet vocal harmonies. Buck Owens sings with that clear country twang. Not so rich with storytelling, more about conveying a feeling within a 2-3 minute pop song format.

3.9 + A gentle and catchy collection of songs that explore romantic complications and such. Pretty novel in its sound and songs have some unexpected chord structures and sometimes take different directions in satisfying ways.

2.7 - Fun and cheeky but not special enough to warrant more than the single listen.

3.3 - Music for a lazy sunny Saturday afternoon. You’ve just finished mowing the lawn and you’re lounging in your favorite patio chair. You crack the first beer of the day from your icy cooler, and you fire up the radio that’s set to NPR. This music is spinning - it’s not your first choice - but at the moment you’re feeling fine so you think “screw it” and let it play. You kick up your feet, close your eyes to the sun and think about that handjob the missus promised you later.

3.3 - An unusual sound, combining baritone vocals, gothic choir, electronic percussion, synthesizer and some guitar. A mix between Depeche Mode and “Scary Monsters”, and forward thinking enough to seem to also usher in the sound for both. Dark and atmospheric, often pretentious. “The Corrosion is a standout.

2.2 - A mixed bag - some interesting surprises, some atrocious. It started off with some Irish type ditties but with profuse swearing and grunty, confrontational vocals. Think soccer hooligans. Along the way, there are some interesting instrumental tracks that blend disparate influences, particularly from American easy listening and Broadway. Some of the more traditional Irish/Welsh folk songs sound vital and upbeat.

4.4 - Surprised I hadn’t heard this before. It’s in my Broadcast, Stereolab wheelhouse. Beautiful vocals, interesting bleeps and bloops, and use of noise. An album to enjoy from beginning to end.

4.0 - “Without You” is an indication of the quality of songs on this album. Every song is well composed, many take interesting risks or even seem built on a risk, the synthesized organ sounds come through as confident and bassy as early Elton John. Vocals are sharp and I’d put him up against Mariah on “Without You”, he just crushes on that track.

3.4 - An exceptionally literate sound, one that draws from and pays homage to tons of influences. I hear nods to 60s rock (Beach Boys, Beatles) to glam (Bowie, TRex) to post punk. “Insanely Jealous of You” is one of the best songs about jealousy I’ve ever heard. Still, I think it’s overall good but not great.

3.5 - Is this what Brexit sounds like? Here's a supremely talented band and singer who manage to screw it up because Morrissey can't stop moaning about problems that only the most provincial of Brits would care about.

4.0 - Solid British invasion blues-based rock 'n' roll from the 60s. Spectacular drum sound, soulful vocals, interesting guitar and piano fills.

4.2 - Jonathan Richman manages to sound simultaneously too cool to care and utterly vulnerable with his chatty lyrics and endearing, slacker-y vocals. Extra points for putting suburban Massachusetts on the rock map! Standout tracks include “Roadrunner” and “I’m Straight.”

3.5 - Simple, heartfelt songs that unfold unhurriedly. Lots of Young’s characteristic guitar work - notes sustained with tremolo and loads of gain. Great for an extended road trip. Comforting as a home cooked meal, fills your soul though it may be a little bland.

5.0 + As close to perfect as any album gets.

4.5 + Comes on ferocious with blown out guitars and vocals that fling you in front of a stack of beaten up amps, thrashing around at some dank LA juke. This record captures the manic energy and the menacing immediacy of what I imagine Iggy Pop's live performance must've been like.

2.8 - Disappointing. On one hand, Gilberto retains some of the dreamy, sunny, breathy elements that I loved when she collaborated with Stan Getz. Mostly though this record is saccharine and sounds like a record that an expensive hairdresser in Bismarck, ND would've played for his poncy middle aged clientele, just to add a hint of "hip" to his shop. Astrud Gilberto has always been “easy listening” but here she’s jumped the shark, eschewing subtlety, favoring a campy “swinging” bop. It’s sad that over the next few decades, an army of American studio hacks took this sound, chopped it up into segments, put those segments on an assembly line, glued the pieces together, packed the sound up and commodified it into a dull facsimile of the original Brazilian samba/tropicalia sound. Now you hear echoes of that sound in parking garages, elevators and bargain warehouse retailers everywhere.

4.1 - Here's that legendary Sonic Youth sound I feel like I've been missing. "Daydream Nation" and "Dirty" seem to find the band with some of its edges polished down. Here Sonic Youth is fully immersed in its fascination with feedback, strange guitar tunings, unusual chords progressions and riffs. Some cringe moments like the political musings on "Kool Thing" and when she keeps singing "PU!" on "My Friend Goo." To me, these add to the overall charm of an energetic record that sounds like a reference piece.

4.4 - The epitome of short and sweet. A well-conceived New York timepiece, with tender attention to detail. Some luscious tracks, notably "America", "Old Friends", "At the Zoo." There's also the eponymous "Mrs. Robinson." Terrific as a concept album and just a wonderfully positive listen.

5.0 + Just the fact that so many bands heard this album and immediately decided to try and make a similar one of their own “in response”, is telling.

4.3 + Haunting, majestic, uplifting - like watching the sun rise over a mountain, gradually spreading light over the rocky crags and dissipating the frigid mist.

2.7 - Really nothing special. It's got a straightforward, commercial hard rock sound. Vocals never grabbed me. Uninteresting guitar parts - just a generic high gain drone with the same patterns: power chord-power chord-riff. Songs don't land anywhere emotionally. I'd hear this at a head shop and not give it a second thought. Chuck this album and listen to Superunknown instead.

3.3 - A dim entry in a long parade of Brits parroting American blues that's somewhat redeemed by a few fun psychedelic explorations. Middling as an album - it lacks cohesion and suffers from mediocre mixing and sound production.

3.8 - Right in my 90s music periphery growing up. I've always loved the radio hits, "Queer", "Only Happy...", "Stupid Girl." The album lies at the cross-section of many genres of that moment - electronic, grunge, breakbeat, trip hop. Shirley Manson cuts a convincing frontman both in terms of vocals and appearance. But really Butch Vig as producer/drummer is the MVP here, synthesizing a sound that's slick, durable and diverse enough to remain current 25 years later.

1.6 - The type of bullshit Jeremy and Super Hans from "Peep Show" were into. "This is a Bad" by Goldie might as well be called "This is Outrageous" by Jeremy Osbourne. At best, some (2? 3?) of the tracks might work as background music for an outdated hotel lobby. The rest are junk. What a complete and utter SLOG. Shitty fucking album cover, too

3.2 - After “Take On Me” it’s forgettable 80s electro pop. There are good power ballads but nothing worth a second listen.

3.7 - sumptuous but a little same same throughout

2.2 - Cringey white soul of the late 70s/early 80s.

3.6 - Self-indulgent at times, especially during the spoken word track “The Gift” which drags on too long. Interesting early examples of guitar feedback that work well especially on the last couple of tracks that at times sound like noise rock and metal. One of those records that probably serves as a touchstone for many musicians and genres.

3.3 - from a music history perspective I’m sure there are intellectual reasons to appreciate this album. I hear antecedents or math rock and a Midwestern sound. And there are lots of ideas in these 43 tracks. It’s just not for me.

3.7 - Pseudo-intellectual singer-songwriter coffeehouse done well. Inflected with Paul Simon influences. Some beautiful moments in the middle, some duds towards the end. Overall, a pretty and introspective album that defied my expectations.

3.6 - Some awesome guitar and organ jams on here. Prog rock meets cock rock. “Highway Star” is a highlight.

4.3 - “I’m so boored of the USA!!” Fuck yea.

3.4 - Middle of the road British alt rock of the mid/late 90s.

4.7 + One of several great AF albums but arguably their masterpiece. Set around themes of suburban life, isolation and rebirth. A satisfying arc of songs that grabs you from the beginning and leads you on a journey. So many standout tracks.

3.4 + I fell in love with this album when I first heard it but like many others was crestfallen to learn that all of the crowd sounds are canned and were added after the fact. Hearing that news felt as disappointing as when I learned Santa Claus isn't real. Still, a great live album highlighting Cash as an energetic performer and amazing live singer.

3.3 - I worried initially that this would be another uniquely British album selection on this Euro- and British-centric list. And in this case, my suspicions turned out to be true. While there are some great moments that transcend 1995, especially in the beginning ("Afro Left"), it overall sounds like what you might hear at some tired airport bar.

3.5 - Vignettes that survey English life at the turn of the century, the anxieties, romances, jealousies, struggles… Mixed with a dose of tenderness and plenty of irony. These are thoughtfully constructed songs in the vein of “Parklife”, “The Great Escape” and “Common People.” Unlike those albums, this one feels more squarely rooted to its time and place, lacking a more universal appeal.

4.7 - Yes! This is finally a psychedelic sound that redeems the genre for me, after having choked down so many other buttoned-up commercial examples that crowd this list. Wonderful and incredibly forward-thinking use of noise, electronics and field recordings, all of which add so much dimension. I'd argue the use of secondary sonics rivals contemporary bands like Stereolab and Broadcast. Truly a "garden of earthly delights" that belongs in the psychedelic pantheon alongside "Os Mutantes", "Sgt Pepper" and just a handful of others.

5.0 + I've listened to this album many times over the years. My first listen left me utterly confused. However, being a huge fan of Bowie's more pop-oriented music, I hung in and with subsequent listens that confusion turned to distaste, to understanding, and finally to absolute reverence. My journey to love this album in turn has made me appreciate experimental music and the artists that successfully struggle to present truly original sounds to my ears. I'm grateful for this album, for the supernova forces behind Bowie and Eno that briefly collided, as well as for my being able to finally appreciate the fruits of that collision.

4.0 - Enjoyed this! Honest American songwriting, blues and country inflected. Straightforward instrumentation with a live studio recording feel. Some pleasant storytelling, shoutouts to Louisiana. Nice driving record and a crowd pleaser.

4.2 - Alright, alright, alright, alright! A swinging, bopping blend of big brass jazz and rock-n-roll. Stylish, energetic and fun. Not a stale doo-wop record, this one really pops.

3.7 - An MC with unparalleled rhyming and flow. And an artist who’s clearly working through some stuff. “Stan” marks an amazing high as its narrative unfolds like a thriller. Honest and raw in his lampooning of some of the music industry’s more toxic elements, and he doesn’t throw punches when calling out certain executives in particular. In the end though I found all the self-pity, homophobia, and mommy/Kim issues exhausting. For me while I can appreciate his consummate skill as an MC, Eminem remains an artist to enjoy in small doses.

3.8 - I appreciate this more than lots of other punk records that fixate on punk style (wearing cool clothes, looking tough on the street, being part of the club circuit). These tracks explore more of the punk ethos and mindset - rejecting consumerism, rejecting social norms and expectations. As a band, these guys sound more cohesive than some of the fuckboys that crowd the genre.

4.4 + The album that proves that Devo isn't just an oddball sideshow act. It's raucous, manic and catchy from jump, full of jagged edges and jangly surprises. The sound is a blend of Talking Heads and Kraftwerk, with the sneering irony of punk rock. \"Mongoloid\" is an absolute banger. A good album to play when you're over-caffeinated and needing to crank out some annoying tasks.

4.0 - Easy listening that all heterosexual white men can agree on.

3.8 + So many thoughts and feelings surrounding Sinéad O'Connor. When she first busted onto my radar in 1989, I was utterly fascinated by her beautiful baby face and her rebellious spirit. It seems banal to comment on her bald head but at the time there were absolutely ZERO other female entertainers who had the balls to sport that look. Her baldness made her the butt of countless cheap jokes on American television. Regardless, her two hit videos were on heavy rotation on MTV. \"Nothing Compares...\" is a lush, gorgeous, expansive arrangement that gives Sinéad's voice the backdrop to flutter and soar. The single tear she sheds in the video, with the tight camera shot on her angelic face - for ten year old me, it felt sublime. \"Emperor's New Clothes\" still reads as her mission statement that in retrospect serves as a general narrative to her life as an artists and public figure: \"Whatever it may bring, I will live by own policies, I will sleep with a clear conscience, I will sleep in peace.\" That uncompromising stance has come up again and again - the tearing of the pope's picture on SNL, her born-again Christian phase, coming out as gay, converting to Islam... - she's made choices that have cast her negatively in the limelight but she's stood by what she believes often risking her own image and mental health. Sometimes I wish she were better able to play nice. But surely she'd end up another throwaway whatever-happened-to artist - more so than she is currently. Now, putting aside her status as pop music's Contrarian, we're left with her music. Unfortunately, for me, the quality and luster in these tracks remains inconsistent and sometimes lacking. Setting aside \"Nothing Compares...\", which she made her own heartbreak song for the ages, we're left with songs that might be generously described as \"quirky\" and \"unique.\" Frankly, the arrangements on some of these songs is confusing (\"I Am Stretched On Your Grave\") and the lyrics are sometimes cringe-y in their directness (\"Black Boys on Mopeds\" and \"Three Babies\"). To be sure, there are some solid moments (\"You Cause as Much Sorrow\", \"Jump in the River\"). I've tried over the years to LOVE this album, which is probably her best, because I've often loved Sinead O'Connor's brave, authentic, rebellious persona. But try as I might, I still only like it.

4.0 - Sounds like the soundtrack to a 1981 cop comedy, maybe starring Dustin Hoffman and Danny Glover. They have to solve a murder case involving Colombian drug dealers. A wealthy heiress is the love interest. She’s modestly hot in a big-haired 80s way. There’s one sex scene where she’s wearing ridiculous lingerie and we see her tits for half a second. There’s a car chase, a couple explosions, one drunken evening that makes the main character question his choices, finally he cracks the case, the bad guys go to jail, he says goodbye to his partner and the girl. The last scene shows him moving back out West, giving up the cop grind, to work as a ranch hand.

4.2 + Bought this box set when it first came out and it sat like a brick in my bedroom, and various college dorms. Before this weekend, I may have listened to it all the way through maybe once, if that. On initial listen, the songs felt dashed off, the arrangements sketchy, the vocal performances distracting. Knowing what to expect, I was able to give a more objective listen this time around and I'm left awed by the quality and quantity here. To be sure, there are a handful of annoying old-time ditties as well as a few beat-off tracks ("Love is Like Jazz", "Washington, DC"). But there's a light and casual feel to the album overall that lends humanity to the endeavor and I was consistently charmed throughout. Most of the songs I like best avoid satirizing love song clichés, and instead blend melody with interesting soundscapes. Each song presents interesting ideas, and examines genuine emotions and love song tropes. Despite its warts, it's hard to deny how much Stephin Merritt put into this project and I'd say overall it's extremely successful. I'm glad I finally invested the time, and hope to return someday.

3.7 - Reminds me of all things hipster: selvedge denim, striking facial hair, work aprons, tattoos of octopi, industrial lighting, growlers of IPA. Soothing, tender, well crafted. You remember the voice and the vibe but the songs are forgettable.

3.4 - This came out about a year after Cobain's death. I liked a few tracks I listened to then, and I like it well enough now. Foo Fighters is OK in my book. Dave Grohl seems like a cool dude. It's a neutral-positive for me.

3.5 - Simple, soulful songs that feel emotionally genuine.

3.7 + A fun, light-hearted blend of new wave, surf, disco and punk digested for a pop audience. Out of context, it's a little dull and suffers from filler tracks. But Debbie Harry remains a template for pop starlet and she brings the vocals to back the look. \"Heart of Glass\" by itself could carry this record, it's a forever favorite of mine, but there are a number of other highlights - \"Fade Away and Radiate\", \"Sunday Girl.\" Definitely overrated as an album but good nonetheless.

4.1 + I was an early teen when these guys hit the scene. At the time, I was a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan. I had a buddy who was a Pavement fan. Somehow we always argued about which band was better - the two fanbases felt diametrically opposed, and some vague beef between them further drove a wedge. The fact that Pavement called out SP specifically in "Range Life" feels like a petty dick move. To me the rift feels like the cool kids (Pavement) ragging on the spastic drama kids (SP). The cool kids are all about not trying too hard, while the drama kids suffer, often pretentiously and publicly, for their art. On hindsight, both camps seem insufferable. Setting all of this "who's-in-who's-out" nonsense aside, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain is a cool (again with that word) and composed with interesting guitar textures, poetic lyrics and slack vocals. I understand and appreciate their venerated status in 90s indie rock.

3.3 - Confusing. Vocally, It sounds like an album better suited for Jim Morrison. Unlike on “Forever Changes”, here Lee’s voice sounds strained and guttural. Lyrically, it’s stereotypically psychedelic. I like the jazz exploration on “Revelation” though it’s 19 minutes of a 36 minute album. And is that Chewbacca grunting in the middle of the track??? “She Comes in Colors” is pretty. I love the incorporation of the jazz flute.

2.6 - The sort of anonymous 90s rock that would've appeared on the soundtrack for a high school coming-of-age comedy. Very thin on vocals with flabby shoegaze-type guitars. A couple of pretty tracks ("Oh Yeah", "Gone the Dream") but overall forgettable and inessential.

5.0 + The Pitchfork review sums up the awesomeness of this album better than I ever could. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/6656-kid-a/

5.0 + In my top 10.

4.1 + Starts with two mega-hits that endure on pop radio - "1999", "Little Red Corvette." Both bangers. The middle is a quirky blend of synthesized funk with some extended jams that include interesting monologues, often chock-full of sex talk. "Lady Cab Driver" is a curious one - he's listing various injustices that anger him while pounding that pussy. The album kind of ends with a whimper. Some highs, some lows, some confusing parts. It's colorful and varied and funky and alive.

5.0 + Foists me back in Brooklyn. I’m rummaging through a mental flea market of strange and oblique cultural references. I’m surrounded by cartoonishly menacing characters but I’m drunk and zonked and clowning with my boys and we’re wilding and we’re one with the whole scene. This album is a non-stop troll party. Too many jokes, stunts and memes to appreciate with one listen. As it happens, this was my fifth full listen and I’m only just starting to make headway. Incredible.

4.7 + Love this record almost as much as “Donuts” by JDilla, another legendary DJ (RIP). Sophisticated, evocative.

4.1 + Been a few years and this one still holds up. Lauren Hill sounds incredible, both as a rapper and a singer. Supreme talent. Wish they left out the skits, especially the one in the Chinese restaurant.

3.4 - I like it well enough, I guess? Sort of sounds like "Unbelievable" by EMF. It's got that British rave MDMA vibe to it. I like the guitar effects and other backing tracks. I'm sure the lyrics are interesting, maybe, if I could understand the vocals? I'm probably not taking the right drugs? I'd say I need to probably give it more time but I don't know that I want to.

3.5 - It's definitely better than other examples of nu metal I've listened to recently, like Slipknot. I like the dynamism, especially in the vocals. Serj Tankian sounds like some unhinged court jester - his performance is exceptional. I also appreciate the near eastern influences. I'm too old to relate to the rage and angst, and some of the politics, so probably the opportunity for me to love this sound has passed. It's a fun listen that I don't see myself returning to.

3.3 - Sneering post-punk with noisy-busy guitar, punk vocals, minimal production. But synthesizer sounds exceptionally weak. More tongue-in-cheek than pretentious. A cool enough vibe without any standout tracks.

4.1 - It's got that 125th and Lenox vibe - I'd hear these jams pumping from the street vendors selling bean pies, ginger juice, bootleg recordings of Malcolm X and tapestries adorned with the likeness of Haile Selassie. Uplifting, funky conscious rap that manages to not descend into the preachy and political. I appreciate the tribute to the "Black Woman", nice to hear a shout out to the sistuhs. These are non-stop bops underpinned by hard beats from the old school, and cool samples from jazz, African, R&B, funk. Really, what's not to like?

4.4 - Gorgeous. Cozy like wrapping up in a soft blanket on a rainy Saturday afternoon, maybe with a cup of tea and a smoke. This album epitomizes the Danish concept of hygge.

4.0 + This album wins because it’s honest. Liz Phair can’t sing or really play guitar. All she can be is herself and that’s what I hear on this record.

4.0 - Well, I’ll be damned! What a pretty album this is. Ballads of longing, regret and reminiscence, sung in a rich baritone, inflected with old rockabilly/country crooning à la Cash and Orbison.

5.0 + unmatched for its loose swagger. This recording sounds like a rollicking weekend bender and I wish I could jump in and join.

3.8 - Elvis Costello pushes his vocal performance here. I've always respected him as a rock singer but "I Want You" is completely next level. The rawness and vulnerability of the emotions comes through in his vocal performance. Incredible. Similarly with "Battered Old Bird." The rest is tightly crafted pop-rock that showcases Elvis Costello's flare for dynamics in chord structure, tempo and volume. There are enough surprises to keep the ear engaged, though I'd struggle to remember most of the tracks besides the couple.

3.9 - I found this album tough to rate. I listened to it 3 times this week and I'm still not quite confident in my assessment. Of its 10 tracks, I think the first 7 feel the most polished and coherent. Taken by themselves, these tracks are amazingly accomplished. "Bluebird" sounds more like a mini-symphony in 3 movements, clocking in under 5 minutes. "Mr. Soul" shows great swagger and hard rock sensibilities. "Expecting to Fly" is cinematic and ethereal with swells of string and brass, set off by Neil Young's breathy tenor. The acoustic solo breakdown in the middle of "Bluebird" rocks hard. Along the way, they cram in so many subtle flourishes, and interesting sounds. The album ends on a lull. "Good Time Boy" is an exercise in white soul that falls flat. "Rock & Roll Woman" is all cliché. "Broken Arrow" contains great promise as another opus of several movements but doesn't quite come together. What I also miss is a true standout hit to help anchor me.

4.0 - This is as good a place as any to listen to infectiously energetic mamba, played and recorded impeccably. This sounds like your drive home in the wee hours of Sunday morning when the party's over and all the bars are closed and you've got NPR cranked. Especially love the marimba solo on \"Hong Kong Mambo.\"

4.2 + I've revisited this record several times over the years, and have consistently left confused. There's hardly a music critic that doesn't fawn over it. Several things are immediately apparent and good: (a) the blown out guitars give a dry brightness, providing a fuzzy texture that swallows up most other contrasts in the middle, it makes me feel like standing in a desert at high noon with the sun illuminating everything in hot white with no shadow, (b) the songs themselves are simple, happy and poppy, almost 1950s bubblegum, which I suppose explains partly how they're able to keep the sound from going completely off-kilter, (c) it's impossible not to hear this album's fingerprints on "Loveless" and other shoegaze albums that would follow. Within the context of 1985, this album probably felt like a juggernaut and 35 years later it still sounds so fresh. For me, I feel like JAMC lean too heavily on the fuzzy, trebly, squealing guitar sound, and at turns I find it unpalatable. Songs like "In a Hole" hurt my ears. Still, I get why critically this album's a stunner and in small doses there is so much that speaks to me personally. It's a record that I currently admire more than love.

4.0 + It's impossible to hear those first synth strains on "Europa Endlos" and not feel a swell in my chest! It makes me nostalgic for that optimistic vision of a united Europe that was going to advance humanity towards greater prosperity, peace and peace. Having listened to the English and German versions, I prefer the latter. “Schaufensterpuppen” sounds cooler than “Showroom Puppets.” Kraftwerk’s efficient and minimal production is on display, though sometimes the repetition of song elements feels “endless endless.”

4.0 - It’s got a boppy Go-Go’s vibe that’s been put through the DIY-bedroom recording blender. Add a dash of pink chainsaw to the mix. Fun!

4.6 - Theres a hushed reverence throughout and it’s uplifting, calming, soulful.

3.3 + Back during the Napster days, I downloaded like 3 tracks off this album and didn’t bother to listen to the rest until I found the CD a few years later in some cut-up bin. It’s overlong like so many albums of this peak CD era. The interplay between Frusciante and Flea is exceptional but Kiedis often tanks the sound with his pseudo-intellectual musings and psycho-sexual babble (“Yama daba girl from Alabama…”). To give credit where it’s due, “Under the Bridge”, “Breaking the Girl” have remained among my favorite songs of the 1990s - they are both cinematic and build to dramatic crescendos. “Give it Away” is funky AF. Those would’ve been the songs in my original mp3 stash and 25 years later I stick by that assessment.

3.8 - Sounds like flipping through AM radio in a dream. A really enjoyable listen that I’ll probably need to return to fully appreciate.

3.8 - Solid classic rock record with heavy guitar licks. Rod Stewart sounds convincing on lead - this was probably before he started making questionable career choices.

3.4 - Pretty, understated, often sappy. “Praying for Time” is an underrated gem. The album version of “Freedom - 90” is overlong - much prefer the radio edit - but the song is still a jam. “Waiting for that Day” and “Heal the Pain” are gorgeous. Doesn’t quite jell as an album but still a good listen.

4.0 + Nostalgic like Saturday morning cartoons with the same outlandish caricatures (maladjusted mama’s boy, deranged terrorist, lazy stoner, hapless lunatic). The ultimate ode to teenage angst of the 1990s.

2.8 - Dollar Tree version of a Philip Glass movie soundtrack (e.g Koyaanisqatsi). Uninteresting electronics, linear arrangements, thin textures. I really didn’t get much off this.

3.7 - A post-punk record with softer, less austere instrumentation and more pop-oriented focus. As an album it feels composed, coherent but I'm missing a sense of atmosphere and drama.

3.7 - Impressive as a live recording. The sound mix and quality of performances make it sound like a proper studio album. Lead guitar parts come through powerfully with screaming distortion that gives a paranoid edge to some of the arrangements, especially on "Hey Hey..." Despite the myriad strengths, I think this album is better for diehard fans. Admittedly, I'm not familiar with most of the songs here, and some of them I didn't like on first listen (e.g. "Welfare Mothers", "Sedan Delivery"). Maybe this was one of the SEVEN Neil Young albums that could've been left off this list??

4.4 + I was waiting to be seated at a noodle counter in the Lower East Side one mild January afternoon when the news came through of David Bowie's passing. I had just listened to this album, his last communication with planet Earth. It's hard to decouple that moment when I listen to this album today but to me I can hear a sparkling star summoning all his remaining creative energy to eek out one last beautiful record. Placed within the context of his death, he confronts the end standing on his two feet. There's not an ounce of defeat. This record ranks among his best. What a testament to a rock 'n' roll life fully realized. RIP.

4.3 - Unabashedly kitschy, drawing on a Jon Waters-esque trash-pop aesthetic complete with beehive hairdos, hawaiian shirts and all manner of cultural detritus from late-50s/early-60s. I remember loving this retro look and sound as a kid when I first became aware of it through Pee Wee's Playhouse. Unadulterated cheeky fun with slapping rhythms to keep the hot buns bouncing.

3.8 - Solid southern rock. I hear an exceptionally tight backing band that sounds like they've been honed from years of hard gigging. No breakthroughs in sound but notable as a revivalist, roots-based rock. While I don't share in the gushing love for this band that I've heard over the years, I certainly understand the appeal.

3.7 - A fusion of genres that feels airy and unforced. Sunny California folk country that sounds like a blend of the Doors, Byrds and Van Morrison. Some excellent electric piano work on here as well.

3.8 - Given all the acclaim surrounding this album I was expecting so much more. I enjoy some of the slapdash swagger that's underpinned with sumptuous orchestral arrangements. At times it sounds like the band is about to implode and can only move forward with the support of backing studio players. It's like they hired a string ensemble at great expense and the players arrived to the studio on time with their instruments tuned and their parts well-rehearsed, but the the band itself was visibly absent. Several hours later the band finally shuffles in, still clearly loaded from an all night bender, smelling ripe and needing a shave. They announce that they're ready to start recording and proceed to noodle through the first verse before nodding off into the chorus. Their cover of "Femme Fatale" is particularly confusing - it sounds like a mike check? "Holocaust" is like something from a high school talent show written and sung by that one girl who cuts herself. To its credit, there's a roiling, unsettled atmosphere the likes of which I've heard on no other record. I certainly cannot write it off but having listened to it twice today just to torture myself to write these words on what I think I just heard, I don't foresee returning soon.

4.5 - I feel like I'm enjoying Sunday brunch at a medium upscale restaurant on a sunny day, waiting in relaxed anticipation of that first cocktail. This record starts with peppy big band tracks and then gradually mellows into tender ballads. Ray Charles' voice sounds like gravelly honey.

5.0 + For its production, songwriting, vocals, instrumentation and message of love and acceptance, this album lives on a higher plane than almost any other piece of music. I've listened to this album countless times, and it still inspires awe. He wrote and performed everything on here, and what's more, this album closes the greatest consecutive run of albums released by arguably any music act ever. Such sublime highs at every corner. For me, this might be my one desert island record.

4.7 - Vignettes of New York life from the perspective of the burnouts, vagabonds and losers sung by Waits' gravelly voice over the clangy, moaning and squeaky acoustic instruments. A wonderfully broad swath of genres that envelope a grimy and expansive soundscape. It channels the dirtbag spirit of Bukowski with the unflinching eye of Steinbeck, performed in the trashcan of Oscar the Grouch.

4.3 - They've clearly earned their reputation for being amazing musicians - Bad Brains is head and shoulders above peer bands. The fact that Black Flag and other lesser bands get more accolades to me stinks of racism. Great to hear black rockers that put Washington, DC on the map.

4.2 - I love this record both for its contributions to a conscious hip hop sound, as well as for its sonic explorations of noise, ambience and jazz. At times I hear the precursors for artists like Flying Lotus, especially in track like "Something in the Way..." and "Water." Other tracks ground this record with strong MC'ing and creative beats - "Pussy Galore", "Complexity", Break You Off"... Add neo soul into the mix and you get something sprawling and ambitious that digests and reinterprets sounds of the early-aughts.

4.0 - I can see why this album is divisive. Side B (the "Black" side) goes into some cringe-y prog rock territory that, if I'm in the right mood, I actually find fun and interesting. It's highly dynamic though the pace is often frantic and the tone screechy, especially on "The Fairy Feller's..." Side A showcases Queen's more subtle and subdued instincts though there are anthemic spikes of bombastic glam to keep things interesting. "White Queen", "Some Day One Day", "The Loser in The End" is a pretty sequence of songs. In the end, I appreciate the artistic risks Queen has taken. For me, this album adds depth and color to their catalog and helps justify their vaunted status beyond a few greatest hits.

1.9 - Ugly as an anal wart. That album cover perfectly represents the bile within. Ever wonder what it would sound like to take INXS but have it fronted by George Thorogood, and inflect it all with a heavy dose of Broadway jazz? Fuck I hated this.

4.4 + I can pretty much sing this one all the way through. Still holds up after 30 years.

4.0 - As much as I dislike the word, I'd best describe this record as "groovy." It's got a cool, laid back blues sound that's uncluttered and allows Jeff Beck's killer guitar and Rod Stewart's soulful vocals to shine. Though I finished listening to it in the late morning, I found myself thinking back on this record several times throughout the day and into the evening.

5.0 - Yes, finally! Here's a Sonic Youth album that lives up to their hype! This truly feels like a milestone record that lays the foundation for so much of the music I enjoyed in my teenage years. They've balanced grungy experimentation with structured rock songwriting beautifully.

0.8 - The soundtrack to Trump's American Idiocracy - angry, dim, "deplorable." Busting with swagger and confidence backed with the intellectual heft of a book of word searches. The only positive thing I can say about this utter dreck is that at least "Only God Knows Why" shows one rare moment of humanity, though even this song is bloated and sounds ham-fisted with its auto-tuned vocals. The rest is just trash rap rhymes, reminiscent of the weakest old school hip hop but without any of the joy.

3.8 - Definitely defied my expectations - I was feeling a little burnt out on music from 1968. At 17 tracks, this album is long but doesn't drag. Most songs feel composed but there's enough slack to give a sense of spontaneity. This one's stronger as a unified piece than as a vehicle to deliver hits, which probably explains why it came to be wholly unfamiliar. Worth a second listen down the road.

4.1 - A luscious bedroom soundtrack strictly for grown folks, underpinned by sophisticated orchestration and Marvin Gaye's rich bari-tenor. Smooth and snag-free. My only knock is that "Keep Gettin' It On" sits lamely in the middle of the album as an unnecessary reprise of the title track.

4.6 + Listening to this album is like randomly bumping into an old flame. You remember how intensely you once felt even though those feelings have mellowed over time. You're left wondering why you were estranged. This album feels so wrapped up in a time and place. It's the full realization of the Animal Collective sound that should've influenced music to come but somehow didn't. What a great record, though. Beautiful songs that punch with strong emotion reinforced by walls of electronic sound that somehow sounds so human and organic.

3.1 - I saw the album cover and was totally expecting world music with some chanting (groan). Instead I got easy jazz. Now I'm not sure which I would've preferred. It's definitely sweet and soulful. It sounds like the Saturday Night Live band if they kept jamming on that final farewell song while the audience files out, leaving them to play to an empty studio.

3.4 - The debut of a towering female vocalist that shows her humbler beginnings covering some top-40 hits of the era. Clearly she's got vocal chops - what an amazing instrument. Here she's made clever song choices and the arrangements are tasteful. She's also starting to hone her fascinating persona, which is a compelling mix of empowered woman, sophisticated lady, fun-loving plaything, jilted lover and obliging mistress.

3.5 - This one shows the Beatles' humbler beginnings as a house band that had dialed in the 2.5 minute pop rock format. A couple classics, a couple duds, some unremarkable covers.

5.0 - It's uncanny how this album manages to present these songs, these compositions of considerable intricacy, in a way that sounds spacious and casual. As if Nick Drake and his ensemble are invited friends playing in your living room. Just a few highlights: "River Man", "'Cello Song", "Man in a Shed" (which reminds me of Shrek).

4.4 - At turns this record reminds me of Electric Light Orchestra, ABBA and the Beatles. The songs are exceptionally well orchestrated and express emotional vulnerability through the lyrics and vocals. There are a couple missteps. "Dearest" sounds like a B-side from "Phantom of the Opera" and "Israel" though pretty comes off as dated propaganda. The distinctive Bee Gees vibrato is here with a vengeance, and I'm sure many will take exception with the vocals. Given the shadow "Saturday Night Fever" casts on all that is Bee Gees, I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this. I'm also surprised at its tepid critical reception and that it's mostly forgotten by time.

4.1 - Took me more than a week and several listens to form an opinion on this. It's not a sound I prefer immediately but I quickly recognized that there's something special here. I really love some of these songs. Above all, "Androgynous" is just such a testament to tolerance and empathy - for 1986, it feels decades ahead of its time. "Answering Machine" captures the moody insecurity when we allow technology to separate us. There are also some fun bops - "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out."

2.7 - Electro-lounge algorithm filler.

3.5 - Some cool polyrhythmic, call-and-response folk songs. A nice palate cleanser from all the post-punk, British electronica and Neil Young.

3.3 - It's 2009 and I'm sitting at my cubicle with my earbuds in. Pandora's spinning another MGMT track, just for me. I look around. I see my mug. Then my screen. I gaze up at the beige ceiling tiles...Everything's FINE. Everything WILL be fine. Everything feels PERFECTLY FINE... I am feeling perfectly fine...

1.8 - I cringe because I would’ve pretended to like this garbage in grad school to ingratiate myself with my intellectual classmates. It would’ve been playing at some potluck dinner where I and half the guests brought store-bought tabouli. This is music to very deeply contemplate, doing your best to deny the voice within screaming at you to shut it off. Because deep down you know this music sucks. The fusion of genres is an utter mess. And it tries so hard to be a concept album but what’s the actual concept? Nuclear annihilation? Xenophobia? The Indian diaspora? The only reason this album gets a pass is because it appeals to peoples’ need to appear smart and worldly. We choke it down and smile politely like we do with our store-bought tabouli.

4.0 - I've always respected the complete White Stripes aesthetic backed by a unique sound that's modern, direct and stripped to its essence. Meg White thrashes with primitive simplicity and Jack White's voice and guitar duel with squeals, roars and bellows. There are counterpoints to the giddy chaos like "We're Going to Be Friends" that offer sweet levity. Of all their "great" albums, this one may be slightly weaker but there are enough bangers to propel the enterprise forward. In my opinion, their follow-up “Elephant" boosts them to higher highs.

4.0 - Someday I’ll make the good choice to tour the English countryside. One evening I’ll duck into an ancient pub. The local barflies will eye me suspiciously as I order my pint. I’ll walk to the jukebox, attempting to appear unconcerned, and see this album. I’ll remember vaguely having listened to it way back in 2021 but won’t remember any specific track, so I’ll choose one at random. At that moment, a drunk hunched over the bar will suddenly break into a clear, steady tenor. Another bloke will join in, then another and another and soon the whole bar will be singing along full-throatedly. By song’s end, I’ll get a few smiling pats on the back and one geezer might even stand me my second pint.

5.0 - To me, this is the definitive Bob Marley album, more so than "Legend." Most of my favorite songs of his best songs are here. Such an awesome record that I can easily play on repeat.

4.2 + I appreciate the warts on this album now that I'm older. When I was 14, I was disappointed that this didn't sound like "Nevermind 2.0." Steve Albini captures a more live, organic feel, and there's more dynamism in the guitars. Compared to "Nevermind", there are higher highs ("All Apologies", "Heart-Shaped Box"). But there are also lower lows, which almost tank the second half ("Tourette's", "Radio-Friendly Unit Shifter"). Some of the same themes around anatomy and disease are here with some darker kinks ("eat your cancer", basically all of "Milk It", "umbilical noose"...). It's a messier, nastier, less poppy and more interesting record than "Nevermind." My only knock is with those two aforementioned tracks - they kind of stink.

3.4 - Elvis is probably at his most polished and professional. He hasn't yet gone to seed from barbituates, B-film cameos and fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. To me it sounds like a Michael Bublé album - just a bit dull.

4.0 + A very different direction for Beck after coming off some freaky pan-genre explorations via "Odelay" and "Midnite Vultures" (also terrific records). Here's Beck's breakup album that draws inspiration from the American songbook with soft inflections of other genres, all modernized with subtle studio flourishes to keep sparkle in the background. It's mostly downtempo with uncomplicated chord structures, with the exception of "Paper Tiger" which is just awesome. Some will find this album a little staid and even boring. At times, the breakup aspect of this album feels a little on-the-nose. Still, it maintains a morose atmosphere that I find quite pretty.

4.1 - OK, I officially eat crow. I'd unfairly written off Queen as poncy cock-rock twats. To be sure, there's some of that in full effect here. But, this album comes well before they descended into the realm of "Bicycle Ride" and "Fat Bottomed Girls" (shudder). These songs are undeniably fun, risk-taking and energetic - it's really hard to deny what they're putting out. As an album, it's an incredibly coherent piece, each song interweaving with the next, with reprises at different points. It's also got "Killer Queen", which is a favorite.

5.0 + "Oh, mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head..."

5.0 - If “In A Silent Way" sounds like the onset of sweet slumber, "Bitches' Brew" is your feverish nightmare. I hear many similarities between the two records - the echoey trumpet, the interplay between electric organ and guitar, the approach to composition involving the stitching together of recordings from different sessions. Whereas BB rejoices in chaotic explosions and jagged textures, "In A Silent Way" floats in a gentle and hushed dreamscape.

4.2 - "Lonesome Suzie" exhibits some of the strange alchemy on this record - the unique blend of different genres (country, rock, soul...), the ambitious vocal performances by non-singers who manage to carry some complex melodies while conveying raw emotion, the free and easy instrumentals by seasoned studio professionals. For me, what really sets this album apart and makes it worth revisiting, are the lyrics. There seem to be loads of biblical references that mostly float well above my head.

3.5 - Sort of sounds like someone had to pay off some gambling debts. I’m not mad at it but I do prefer Astrid Gilberto on these tunes.

4.4 + An honest and raw survey of love and sex from the perspective of a young female of color. SZA unbares herself emotionally, and at times it sounds like she's almost ugly-crying while handing me her phone so I can read a text from bae. Despite the rawness of emotion, the songs themselves are sophisticated with interesting chord structures and arrangements. Also, SZA's voice is just delicious. Highlights: "Supermodel", "The Weekend", "20 Something."

3.8 - I loved Trainspotting as a teen so it’s hard not to get pumped for the title track. And there’s the Passenger, too. Aside from those…I don’t know, I guess I was expecting more from Bowie and Iggy. It’s a little tame compared to those early Stooges records. Iggy ‘s kicked off his fishnet stockings for a pair of fitted khakis.

4.5 + Simply the sexiest glam rock there is. So many bops on this record that have held up - my three year old and I can agree on that point. And "Cosmic Dancer" is just such a strange and haunting track that always seems to stop me in my tracks.

3.4 - I was 17 when this came out so this album had every opportunity to make an impact but I never really connected with it. Still, it’s good as high energy background music maybe for a spinning class or if I’m video editing.

2.8 - I just hear a group of awkward suburban dads who decided to relive their glory days gigging in bands - listen closely and you can hear the gurgling beer bellies and flapping double chins.

3.8 - Having lived in Boston for much of my life, it’s hard for me to rate this one. WZLX has played the hell out of these songs. “More Than A Feeling” remains a perennial classic.

3.8 - Others have commented on this album’s youthfulness and that’s exactly what I’m hearing. Youthful in a good way, not in an annoying way, like the Shaggs.

3.7 - Fun and funky but I'm not getting the touted "watershed" in "psychedelic soul." "Runaway Child, Running Wild" is the closest to a mind-bending surrealist track, and I love the "momma momma" breakdown. Otherwise, to me it sounds like standard Motown.

3.3 - Overly crowded with guitar showboating. Undeniably there are some jams here. The problem for me is the jams are too long and I get burnt out on 12-bar blues by the end. Also, I’ve never understood the fascination with “Layla” - the piano outro is boring and, again, it’s crowded with guitar noodling. Obviously Clapton is a skilled guitarist but to me he lacks subtlety, at best he’s able to hammer and bend on the strings.

4.4 + The title track remains the closest example of a perfect rock song, with a vocal performance that's transcendent. There's also an Eno-driven stretch of instrumental songs during the second half that's on par with some of the greatest moments of "Low." If I'm being honest, I like but don't love a couple of the other tracks (e.g. "Sons of the Silent Age") but they certainly don't detract from the overall flow.

4.1 - High camp! Two gay British men surveying nightlife at the outset of the AIDS epidemic, with an unflinching eye towards its seedier side. It's a self-aware parody of pop music but done convincingly well. They're in the music scene but also clearly over it and above it. Standout tracks: "Sex Demon", "Tainted Love" (of course) and "Seedy Films."

2.8 - If you’re 14 and hate your stepdad, this may be the album for you. Amazing drums, though.

4.0 + More interesting as a concept than as a collection of songs to love, this album's more of a "thinker." Still, it's thoughtful and well-crafted, striking the right tone without too much sentiment or intellectualizing. I prefer the raw sexuality of early PJ Harvey but I'm glad it's not bland like some other recent records.

3.7 - Peak 80s adult contemporary. Reminds me of high end stereo equipment of that era. I could imagine a fancier showroom having this in the CD player to show off audio performance. It also would’ve been playing in my friend’s divorced dad’s car stereo - a nice convertible coupe with bucket leather seats, maybe a car phone.

3.8 - Wow, I never would've guessed I'd enjoy listening to this live album of 70s arena rock given "I Want You To Want Me" is its most significant track! Seriously, these guys slayed, as evidenced by the screaming adulations (undulations?) of their Japanese fans. It's not anything mind bending but it does rock hard.

3.1 - I can appreciate its musical complexity and technical prowess but I just don't enjoy this record. I gave it two spins. By most accounts it's a triumph - I've read critical reviews that say this sound is as \"ageless as intelligence.\" Then consider me part of the unwashed masses - I'm not a fan. That jazz-rock combo sounds sterile and smarmy as muzak.

4.4 + France’s pervie uncle can swing. The epitome of cool and composed. First came upon this via Beck’s “Paper Tiger.”

3.7 - High brow this album ain't! It's the type of music you'll hear at Hooters while devouring a basket of wings. It's got “Panama" and some predictably scorching guitar solos.

3.6 - It has its brilliant moments but they seem keener on showing off how cool and in-the-know they are. Definitely impressive how woven into the fabric of modern rock they are but I’m left cold.

3.4 - interesting as a concept but I had a hard time hearing it over the sound of my yawns.

5.0 + What a gift - one of the few records that realizes a fully psychedelic vision, in true technicolor fluorescence. Jimi is a science fiction superhero flying in swirls of brilliant pink, neon green and magenta.

2.8 - Sadly, the backstory, compelling as it is, doesn’t do enough to redeem this record for me. It has an ugly and misanthropic worldview that burns like a chemical fire. Too bad because I really liked the first song “Yes” but that feeling soured quickly.

5.0 + Right up there among RS's greatest albums. Every song is good - from deep cuts like "Moonlight Mile" and "I Got the Blues" to arguably their best ever songs like "Wild Horses."

4.1 + Pulp's flair for dynamics and theatrics are here. "Common People" remains an amazing allegory for the struggles of British class struggle that's catchy and bursting with life. There are also several tracks colored by Cocker's penchant for the Smutty (with a capital "S"). "Monday Morning" reads like a tract from "Tropic of Cancer." In fact, at some point I'll want to give the lyrics more than a cursory skim. There's a literary aspect here that I have yet to fully appreciate.

3.7 - More tuneful than psychedelic, this album's a fun blend of musical theater, pop, rock, white soul, with light inflections of psychedelia. It's definitely better than the record cover suggests - once you get past the awful band name, the silly hit track title, the knock-off Beatles hair and the momma's boy outfits, there's actually a lot to like. Standouts: "Onie", "Sold to the Highest Bidder" and a surprising cover of "About a Quarter to Nine."

5.0 + An amazing touchstone from 1957 that was years ahead of its time. Hard bop at its finest. Warm and wonderfully off-kilter at every turn.

4.0 - Came to this one excited because I love Village Green Preservation Society. Great concept developed in the first 8 songs, which are lyrically amazing, catchy, bouncy and well produced. The Kinks come on facetious in a charming British way - there's a Monty Python feel here, reflected also with the album art. Standouts include: really, all of side A into "Shangri-LA" on the reverse side. After that, I felt an unexpected drop-off in quality. I don't know if I was burnt out or if the songs got worse, maybe both. In any case, the last 15 minutes are a bit of a letdown. All in all, I still like it a lot.

5.0 - Fucking SHIT, why am I JUST discovering this album? It's a non-stop party with the most stylish flair courtesy of the early 1980s, back when British gay culture was probably peaking (on that count, only time will tell). And, just WOW, the radio samples are INCREDIBLE. Even if this album is baldfaced English cultural appropriation, I give Malcom McLaren a huge pass for rearranging so many elements and creating a BULLWHIP of a record!

3.9 - Considering where Chicago ended up in the 80s, it was a surprise to hear where they began. 1968 finds Chicago fusing funk, jazz, rock and R&B, in a similar vein as Sly and the Family Stone and Funkadelic. It's a big and bold sound buttressed by horns and an expanded rhythm section. The studio mastery and high value production that characterizes Chicago's output is on full display. What distinguishes this record for me are the artistic risks, some successful, others not. The protest recordings on "Someday" are poignant and ground the album in its time and place. Conversely, there are some boring extended jams ("Liberation"). My biggest knock is with "Free Form Guitar" which sounds like it's trying to be the "Maggot Brain" of guitar feedback - just a silly, cacophonous jerkoff.

2.9 - There's obviously something special here that I'm not getting. Maybe I'm missing the cultural context, maybe I'm not taking the right drugs, maybe I need to be dancing at some sweaty rave. But I'm just not moved by any of this. At best, I feel it's good background music that might help with studying or coding.

3.6 - White doo-wop pop with nice vocal harmonies and zippy 2.5 minute songs. Buddy Holly’s voice is surprisingly rich tinged with edgy emotion. One surprise is the reverb on the verse in “It’s Too Late” that adds a pretty shadow to the lyric. Some of the guitar solos kind of rip, too. Overall, it’s hokey as expected but it’s good bubblegum.

2.8 - Not much here to elevate Kiss as more than a novelty stadium act. Good on them for creating a brand with mass appeal but to me, it all just smacks of Spinal Tap.

3.4 - I suppose one of the purposes of this listening exercise is to expand my musical horizons. In this case, here's an album I would never think to pick up on my own. I've listened to hardcore punk only in dribs and drabs, mostly struggling to find meaning through the droning guitars and indecipherable growls. I'm left more or less in the same place with Germs but I did find myself attracted by the nihilistic disgust that's grunting and spewing from Darby Crash over some jagged and screechy guitars. It's not music that I connect with personally but I can understand how an angry kid might find solace here. As a side note, it blows my mind that Pat Smear has managed to consistently play in highly influential bands.

3.7 + Not their most accomplished record but certainly distinguished for the time in its sound experimentation and studio mastery. For 1967, they were already well ahead of the pack in exploring psychedelia. “Interestellar Overdrive” drags the middle of the record for me. The second half has some whacky, Syd Barret-y songs with his signature slapdash vocals.

4.1 - Apparently this album stands as a milestone in metal, and that esteem is well deserved. The guitar is undeniably awesome and the rhythms are crazy advanced without sounding pedantic.

2.8 - Thriller was the first album I ever purchased when I was 5 and I remember staying up to watch MJ perform on "Solid Gold." So I was surprised at how viscerally I disliked this album. The tough guy personna on "Bad" sounds phony - MJ was an obviously broken man and his campy biker jacket is no longer fooling me. "Liberian Girl" sounds pious in a "have-pity-for-the-poors" kind of way. Same with "Man in the Mirror." He laments about seeing "kids in the street with not enough to eat" as if he actually observed poverty from anywhere besides his limousine window. "Dirty Diana" paints MJ as the victim of a gold-digging groupie. What could possibly make the most famous pop star in history feel like a victim in that situation? I'm not going to write off all of this record, though. "The Way You Make Me Feel" is still a jam, even though we all know MJ wasn't aroused by anyone with "high heels on." And Stevie Wonder sounds awesome on "Just Good Friends." In the end, this album doesn't pass my sniff test and I'm only too happy to forget about it.

3.7 - Listening to this record takes me back to the 80s when my mom used to watch afternoon soap operas as I would play with my Legos. I hear songs like "Cassandra" and I see her dabbing at her misty eyes. As expected, the sound is glossy, showing impeccable studio mastery. Also as expected, these songs are a little darker than earlier ABBA, expressing regret and longing, lacking the bushy-tailed glamor from their peak. It's too teary-eyed for me but I enjoyed the one listen.

4.4 - Bryan Ferry’s vibrato, cushy bass lines, jangly extended saxophone solos, songs that descend into colorful chaos…and Brian Eno pulls it all together with his studio wizardry.

3.4 - If this album were a beer, it'd be a Carlsberg or something similarly inoffensive. Straightforward love songs expressing regret and longing, strummed on acoustic guitar with mostly 1-5-7-4 chord structures (from what I can tell), sung in a clear baritone, with minimal studio magic. The songs are written thoughtfully and recorded crisply.

4.0 - This album is a great companion for when I'm feeling down. There's a morose vibe that's tinged with some hopeful light that helps buoy my spirit. In particular, I love "Speed Trials", "Ballad of Big Nothing", "Pictures of Me", and "Rose Parade." I love the grunge-like hooks tempered with the somber acoustic guitar anchor and the subtle fills that keep songs sounding tuneful and interesting.

3.5 - One of those soulful voices that seems to emanate deep down to his toes. He’s able to unleash that voice on “Cry to Me.”

5.0 + This record burns scorching hot. The lyrics on “Tombstone Blues” and “Ballad of a Thin Man” read like a surrealist masterpiece.

4.0 - Some gems swirling in the mud here. First, the mud: the guitar sound in songs like "St. Vitus Dance" sounds like a high school kid messing around with gain levels on his amp. But then almost each song suddenly morphs into something different, which makes for an awesomely dynamic experience with killer guitar riffs and solos throughout. And rising up from this swirling mud are a few gems, starting with "Wheels of Confusion" that finds Ozzy riffing melodiously above a droning chord, up and down the scale. "Changes" is a crystalline masterpiece with impressive mellotron violins and Ozzy's singular voice buzzing forward. "Laguna Sunrise" is a gorgeous instrumental and the album ends with an epic sweep with "Under the Sun..."

3.4 - Having been underwhelmed by other one-hit wonders appearing on this list (e.g. A-Ha), I came to this expecting mediocrity but actually ended up sort of enjoying this record. I hear elements of gypsy jazz, ska and Irish folk, which somewhat justifies its place for me since "Come on Eileen" has long ago worn out its welcome.

4.3 - Perhaps it's a testament to the gripping power of "Psychocandy" but my first instinct when listening to this album for the first time is to understand it within the context of "Psychocandy." In actuality, to me this album is way more pleasant and approachable. Songs like "April Skies" are just pop delights. "Fall" has just hints of that fuzzy guitar sound that they'd blow out so completely on "Psychocandy." There's an expansive, shimmery and atmospheric sound - wish I had listened to this album before attempting to understand "Psychocandy." Though my path here feels somewhat circuitous, I'm really happy I finally got to this great record.

3.7 - A tasteful selection of folk songs, arranged simply and sung with an undeniably gorgeous voice.

5.0 + Love Biggie. RIP, King.

5.0 - A true beast of an album, this one plays like a greatest hits compilation. Somehow the songs remain fresh for me (with the exception of "You Shook Me...") despite being mainstays on rock radio.

2.7 - After enjoying Screamdelica, I was expecting to like this but the beats sound dated, the vocals flat and the arrangements excessively noisy.

4.0 - Subtly fuses Afrobeat and jazz, leaning much more heavily on the latter. A warm and inviting sound that showcases skilled electric piano, trumpet and drums. Standouts: "Part of a Whole", "Blues for Huey", "Maesha" and "Ingoo Pow-Pow."

4.2 - I'm not big on prog rock but I loved listening to this album. It's got some of Rush's most recognizable hits like \"Tom Sawyer\" and some extended jams like \"The Camera Eye.\"

4.4 - I was initially turned off by the vocals that struggle to keep in tune with a rather complex melody on "Sea Song." Aptly named, that song floats on a sea of sound that seems to envelope and immerse you in a strange and delightful soundscape reminiscent of "Kid A." In fact, so many sounds seem to directly inform "Kid A" that Thom Yorke could well be accused of ripping it off. There's the riot of woodwinds on "Little Red Riding..." that's reminiscent of "National Anthem" and then there's "Alifib" whose garbled vocals bring to mind "Everything In Its Right Place." Wow, as I'm writing all this, my esteem for this record just keeps rising. Then there are the moments of spoken word, especially on the final track, that add so much atmosphere. And let's not forget the backstory! Yeah, this one's a trip. I'll come back to this.

4.5 + Another intensely dynamic record from Eno. It starts off with pop songs whose rhythms seem to bounce against the skin of each track's bubble ("No One Receiving", "Backwater", "King's Lead Hat"). Some of Eno's more experimental instincts and quirks are still here but he's dialed them down just a little. Towards the middle, he explores more lush and unctuous territory creating soundscapes of seemingly disparate sonic textures, most notably on "Here He Comes." The record then glides into ambient terrain that previews what will define the next phase of his career.

3.8 - As an early punk rock record, this one's got more of the "fuck you" attitude and less of the self-righteous punk posing compared to a lot of its contemporaries. I appreciate the minimal instrumentation - organ, guitar and bass, all anchored by what sounds like a tiny drum kit. It sounds urgent in a slapdash kind of way. I also appreciate the anti-war lyrics that are made that much more confrontational because you can actually hear what they're saying - another reason I like this record better than most other “true” punk records made by the pretentious gatekeepers of that silly genre.

4.1 - I shit on punk rock a lot (justifiably) but to its credit, that genre helped usher in chic, sophisticated New Wave records like this. Lots of terrific songwriting, from the perennial “Brass in Pocket” to deeper cuts like “Up the Neck” and “Tattoed Love Boys.” Chrissie Hynde sounds amazing, striking that balance of tough and vulnerable.

4.1 + A black man who wears multi-colored dreads, plays 6-string bass and sings in a thin falsetto about space travel, cats and video games, is going to confuse some folks. But Thundercat's technical prowess allows his playful spirit to bend and transcend genres at will, creating a colorfully goofy soundscape that's a slice of internet pop culture.

3.7 - Deadly serious, unapologetically macho. Old school R&B beats that give Tupac a canvas to describe the pressures of gangsta life. Some moments of levity with "Can U Get Away" and "Old School."

3.6 - Femi continues Fela's legacy. In fact, to me the two sound identical: staccato rhythm guitar, strong dance percussion, big brass, political lyrics.

3.3 - High energy performance of what I think is mostly rock ‘n’ roll covers of the day. Interesting as a timepiece and solid as a recording but nothing mind-blowing.

3.7 + A fun palate cleanser. Cash sounds loose and intimate, cracking jokes with the audience often at the expense of the prison administration. June Carter sounds sassy on "Jackson." Apparently the crowd noises were added in post-production (Folsom prison required silence of the inmates), which was a huge letdown when I first learned of it. But now I think the crowd sounds are so vital to the record that I can no longer imagine it without the audience as a central performer.

2.8 - The first track “Street Life” sounds cool but the rest is glorified Muzak.

4.6 - It's funny how high school clicks have had such an impact on my musical diet even to this day. I should've listened to this album decades ago but it was a staple of the freaks and goths - groups I was too scared to associate with. I've always loved "Closer" - so much intricacy in the arrangement, and the razor edge in the lyrics appeals to a real sense of lust. Listening to the entire album, I hear Trent Reznor as a perfectionist who's painstakingly dialed in every sound, every moment to maximize impact. No detail is left examined and reexamined. But somehow it ends up sounding crisp, dynamic and dark.

4.0 + My go-to Christmas album!

2.9 - A classic case of an amazing talent that desperately needs an editor. There are moments of deep introspection where Amos confronts past traumas (“Silent All These Years”). But there are too many moments where it’s unclear what she’s going on about (“Leather”). And “China” is probably the worst song I heard this past year. Points deducted for overuse of vocal fry. Overall, the rawness of emotion sometimes works but mostly ends up feeling self-indulgent.

3.4 - Another good (not great) album from B&S but not much to distinguish this from “If You’re Feeling Sinister” aside from a few goofy sonic experiments like on “Electronic Renaissance.” Hope this one’s the last from them.

5.0 - Incredible. I feel like I'm strapped to a gurney, being transported to the mental ward of a massive spaceship.

3.6 - I appreciate the songcraft but still, I’m not a huge fan of The Who. It’s good manly classic rock but maybe too steeped in the canon for me to find exciting.

3.7 - Sitar music has a way of putting me in a trance. I suppose that’s the point. I felt my mind drifting to a pleasant place. The subtle fusions with rock and Moog are gravy.

4.0 + A spirited performance that flows loosely, guided along by Patti Smith's poetic musings.

3.4 - The songs rock but I find the vocals shriek-y, like I'm being yelled at by my girlfriend for 35 minutes straight.

3.6 - Here's a studio veteran that had a hand in some of the greatest popular music ever recorded. So as might be expected, towards the end of his recording career, he's got a supremely deep bag of studio tricks, he's got access to the finest equipment, and a vast network of sound magicians he can tap at will. But, what might be lacking are new ideas along with the energy to explore new emotional territory. I'm hearing loads of subtle beauty in the studio craft. Each song seems like a masterclass in paring sounds, but there's a yawning melancholy that seems to pervade this record despite its considerable sheen.

4.0 - It's hard to judge Elvis based on his own musical merits because he wrote none of these songs. Certainly, he's a soulful crooner and he does justice to most of these songs, with the exception of "Tutti Frutti" and "I Got a Woman" that sound weak compared to their originals. Still, I think it's a great record and a fun spin.

3.6 - The Robert Crumb album art would be the only reason I’d buy this LP. Still, Janis Joplin’s singular rock voice is loud and proud and I do love “Piece of any Heart.” Thankfully there’s more than just 12-bar white blues. “Oh, Sweet Mary” is a dark freak out with some bellowing guitars. Less successful is “Flower in the Sun” that tests Joplin’s limits and makes her sound shrill and slightly out-of-tune. It’s a fine example of San Francisco psychedelic culture, underpinned by LSD, but it feels rooted to its time and place.

5.0 - Damn near flawless. Aretha is queen diva without needing to constantly rub it in your face. She sounds both earthy and ethereal and, goddamn, does she sing with soul. The arrangements and composition are professional but they’ve got swing with just enough negative space so the songs can breathe. Technically, this record sounds razor sharp.

3.6 - This one reminds me of the summer I spent in Houston and a Saturday night we went out for two-step line dancing. Turns out it’s actually kind of fun. And despite the Texas twang, I actually like this record. The songs are crafted honestly and the instruments sound crisp without studio quackery.

3.3 - Meh-donna. Obviously this one’s got her smash hits, “Like a Prayer”, “Express Yourself” and “Cherish”, so my main question coming into this was whether the album works as a whole. To say nothing about its commercial success, as an album I’d say it’s “good enough.” At least there aren’t any gratuitous remixes or covers. The deeper cuts sometimes work but mostly don’t. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Prince on “Love Song” - a nice midtempo jam. “Promise to Try”, “Dear Jessie” and “Oh Father” are real stinkers - saccharine and utterly forgettable.

5.0 + It's hard to pinpoint why this album makes me feel like soaking in a hot bath. There's some kind of strange alchemy between the shimmery guitar and vocals that's mesmerizing. It's a gentle swirl of arpeggiated synth lines, thumping bass and soothing vocal wisps. At times, my mind gets lost in the background sounds and I'm put in a smiling trance.

2.4 - Norwegian kids got psyched about some Warrant and Slaughter music videos and decided to emulate the sound and look. They read every music magazine interview, dutifully practiced their instruments, got rock haircuts, learned to curse like Americans. They almost perfectly emulate the sound of the LA hard rock scene but they’re definitely trying too hard. Too much gratuitous swearing (“Don’t Say Motherfucker, Motherfucker”) and some strange moments where I wonder if lyrics got lost in translation (“Rock Against Ass”). A few screaming guitar solos can’t redeem the endeavor since the record sounds like it was mixed by a chimp. Extra points deducted for terrible band name. Derivative and pointless.

5.0 + Incredible. This one's arguably the most radio friendly of Hendrix's three great albums. Some of his explosive studio theatrics are evident on \"Third Stone From the Sun\" that sounds like soundtrack to a pulp sci-fi novel. But, really, these are well-crafted pop songs with exceptional guitar work, probably the best committed to record. So many radio mainstays here: \"Purple Haze\", \"Manic Depression\", “Hey Joe\" and \"Fire\" to name just a few.

3.7 - Part of the garage rock resurgence of the early '00s along with the White Stripes, the Black Keys and others, but leaning heavier towards punk. This is a speedy, snarly record with amped up guitars and drums and plenty of pop hooks.

4.0 - Lush dreamscapes that are dark and jagged, like waking up in a fever and looking out your window onto an icy winter night.

4.1 + I remember liking lots of the joints off this record back in 2006, especially "Kilo." Sadly, it quickly fell off my radar and I think the skits are to blame. With the exception of "Barbershop" that turns into a fire track, the skits add so much bloat to an otherwise amazing record. At the outset, it's intimidating to look at these 24 track that clock in at over an hour. Overlooking all that, all the actual songs on here are bangers. First, I love Ghostface's writing, his ecstatic storytelling on "Shakey Dog" and the way he adds strange details to his descriptions on "Big Girl." Second, there are recognizable samples to create some insane beats. Third, the collabs: Raekwon, Wu-Tang, BIG, etc.

4.0 + I don't often reach for it but I do know this to be a truly great record. So many amazing songs on here - aside from the big hits, I also love "Lost in the Supermarket" and "Koka Kola."

5.0 - Damn, this record destroys any ambivalence I had about Paul Simon. Yes, the way he parrots and reinterprets various folk genres into his music can come off as inauthentic cultural appropriation. But, as I’ve said about “Graceland”, this criticism is easily overlooked given the quality of the songs. He draws from deeply personal experiences within the backdrop of New York so they end up feeling genuine emotionally. Standout: “Paranoia Blues.”

3.6 + Good but kind of a slog. It’s definitely ballsy for Marvin Gaye to have themed an album around his divorce - don’t know of other artists who’ve done that. The same sumptuous arrangements and buttery vocals are here. Songs like “Anger” give a window into his complex emotional state. Despite these strengths, this record is too far deep into his discography for my taste.

3.8 - A nice Britpop album from the genre's heyday. This sounds like a cousin to "The Bends" - perhaps less hooky, less ethereally beautiful and with fewer slap-your-face rockers. Still, I like the dreamy soundscapes on the more downtempo tracks like "She's Not Dead", "Pantomime Horse", "Sleeping Pills."

5.0 + With stewardship from Steve Albini, this album fully realizes PJ Harvey's explosive potential. Her vocals punch like a fist as she expounds on sexual frustration and deviance, bending genders with violent abandon. The recordings feel raw, like they can come undone at any moment, from the dramatic interplay of soft-loud-soft on the title track, to the jagged string ensemble on "Man-Size Sextet." This album simultaneously defines and typifies an early-90s alternative/grunge sound with more balls than almost all albums of that or any other era. Truly a highlight in an incredible string of albums from her early career.

3.6 - It's good as far as boomer butt-rock goes - I actually write that as a compliment recognizing butt-rock as a distinct sub-genre. It's ZZ Top way back before any synths were introduced. Theirs is an elegant but beefy guitar sound with razor sharp riffs and blues guitar solos that scream and moan. I love the stripped down feel, mostly showcasing only 3 instruments. The minimalism helps the instrumentation sound modern, unlike other 1970s rock that can suffer from too many overlays and loops that muddy rather than augment. As for my criticims: a) the song themes sound very dated, they reference "honky-tonks" and the New Orleans/Chicago blues channel, b) "Sheik" makes them sound ignorant of other cultures, in an average-white-man-of-the-1970s kind of way. Like, it's awkward that the first verse references "Mozambique", "Congo", "Mexico" and "burrito." Conclusion: I'd be syched to see it in the jukebox and might even pick a song off it, but I don't foresee listening to it in full that often.

4.3 - Damn, no wonder people love Lemmy!!! This album feels so rock-solid. Leather jackets and pants, motorcycles, and sluts. Loud, energetic, positive, in charge, getting laid.

3.6 - I remember NME or some British music magazine fawning over this record with bold superlatives, claiming it as the "best British rock" or the "best rock period" or some such. The few songs swirling around failed to grab me and that's how I felt after listening to this album. I bet these guys put on a spectacular live show and I can imagine a packed venue filled with attractive people dancing joyously. I just never connected with this prince of the hooligans persona complaining about nightlife and how girls can be a drag.

2.5 - If this album was a sexual encounter, it’d be a third date and in the middle of dinner she says she’d rather be friends. I’m reminded of live acoustic music you might hear at a winery. It’s contemplative, downtempo. Your mind wanders to boring places as you listen. How does this tiny vineyard town support a music scene? How many musicians make their living playing these winery venues? Why is this dude on the guitar wearing so much turquoise jewelry?

3.6 - A lot gets said about hair metal bands being utterly decimated by Nirvana and the advent of grunge music. I think high energy adult contemporary bands of the 1980s, like Crowded House, that managed to hang on into the early 90s suffered from this "changing of the guard." Consider other similar bands: INXS, Tears For Fears, Simply Red, Simple Minds. Around 1990-1992, most/all of them were arguably past their hit-making primes but still releasing chart-worthy singles. "Woodface" feels distinctly like an album of that era, released just before the American grunge zeitgeist that would expunge these adult contemporary bands from my personal radar and make them culturally irrelevant. Sure, Crowded House went on to release other reasonably successful records but none would have any impact on me, an American teenager at the time. Now having that era in the rearview, it's easier to evaluate this relic on its own musical terms, and I actually like it. The songs are catchy and arranged really nicely. But as I'm listening, I'm reminded of that scene from "Titanic" in which the string ensemble plays in proud defiance as the ship sinks irretrievably into the black Atlantic.

4.7 + What a delight revisiting this album that was a mainstay of my early 20s. It centers around an epic battle between a Dragonball-esque superhero (Yoshimi) and a villainous robot army, set against an interstellar Japanimé backdrop. By the middle of the album good has prevailed over evil and the hero is seemingly pondering her place in the universe and the nature of existence. At least that's my take. This album has the most vastly cinematic and philosophical sweep of any other record of recent memory. So many terrific tracks here: "Fight Test", "Yoshimi Battles...Pt. 1", "In the Morning of the Magicians", "Do You Realize??" My only nitpick is with "One More Robot" - such a terrific song made worse with too much noise and blip-blurp-gurgles.

4.0 - Hadn't heard this Marley album before and initially anticipated muddy recordings like on "Catch A Fire" but thank goodness that's not the case with "Natty Dread." The tracks sound crisp and accentuate Marley's songwriting. I love the heavy vocal reverb, a Marley signature. This album's got a relaxed, lived-in feel that few other artists can achieve at Marley's level. A terrific record to tame an anxious spirit and to keep the calm, happy vibes flowing.

2.1 - An old man ranting in his sleep over royalty-free industrial rock music.

3.3 - A commercial breakthrough for hip hop - "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Around the Way Girl" were on constant blast, even in my white town. LL Cool J cultivated just enough of a bad boy image to appeal to the youth without scaring our parents. Artistically, this album sounds stale. Songs revolve around two themes: "I'm a great MC and a cool guy (PS: you're neither of those things)" and "I have sex."

5.0 + Sleek and ferocious with smooth jazz samples and non-stop bars. Arguably the pinnacle of New York hip hop, and any hip hop ever.

2.8 - I actually sort of like what these guys are laying down - the guitar riffs are nasty, the vocals are angry and intense in a "fuck-the-world" kind of way, and their sonic palate is broader than other nu metal bands I've heard. I could see blasting some of these songs if I'm having a bad day. But the anger turns hateful, homophobic and misogynistic, which makes the vibe feel anti-social.

4.6 - It starts off inauspiciously - just a couple of shaggy guitars, one in the foreground and one way in the back, a little playful organ and some tambourine. That goes on for about 12 minutes, trance-like. Not unpleasant but not impressive. "The Sad Skinhead" sounds like a Beatles-Zappa jam written and played spontaneously in someone's dressing room between sets. From there, the album launches into a swirly stratosphere. "Jennifer" has this bouncy bass-line that somehow grounds and elevates the entire arrangement before the song turns into a calm ocean of smeared colors. "Giggy Smile" is another extended jam with lots of staccato, which ends abruptly breaking the fifth wall as you hear the musicians conversing in German. "Lauft..." descends into some crazy machine-like click-clacks midway through before turning into an ambient Moog drone. "It's a Bit of a Pain" channels Brian Eno, taking a pretty acoustic ballad and blitzing it with electronic gurgles and guitar squeals.

4.0 - I love that by the end Muddy Waters turned a polite crowd into converts. Awesome.

5.0 + Maybe (?) my favorite record in LZ's incredible discography. This one's got almost everything: super-charged blues rock ("The Lemon Song"), balls-to-the-wall bangers ("Whole Lotta Love"), crazy mid-song breakdowns ("What is And What..."). Also "Ramble On" (still not sure how Bonham gets that tappy-tappy sound on the verse!?!). Not a dull moment.

3.0 - I'm not enough of a hip hop-head to appreciate this album's obvious impact on DJing, breakbeats, etc. Apparently this album started as a soundtrack project for a 70s B-Film, and that's exactly the vibe I'm getting. Car chases, foxy women, afros, flared pants, etc. It's solid background music but I'm not feeling anything beyond nostalgia for Saturday afternoon TV movies.

4.1 + Colorful and varied. There's a quirky dance number with lots of instrumental layers ("One Two Cha Cha Cha"), a pretty love ballad ("Hum Bewafa Hargiz Na Thay") and some lush, cinematic instrumentals that tie in different musical influences (e.g. flamenco, Indian folk, big band jazz, funk...).

4.0 + The Yeah Yeah Yeahs blazed in on a wave of media buzz back in the early aughts so it’s strange to think that they now seem relegated to a mere footnote within that Brooklyn-DIY-indie scene. On hindsight, Karen O's stage persona always smacked of performance art, overly ironic with little heartfelt emotion to draw in the listener (note two exceptions: “Maps” and “Modern Romance”). That said, I do adore Nick Zinner’s guitar sound, a rainbow colored chainsaw.

3.3 - Bland and pretentious. An entitled baby boomer with a hugely inflated sense of self-righteousness. Besides “Imagine”, the song structures sound lazy and the lyrics simplistic (e.g. “My love will turn you on” and “All I want is the truth/Just give me some truth.”)

4.4 + One of Prince's four or five great records. For me, this one's notable for deeper cuts like "It", "Starfish And Coffee", "Forever In My Life."

4.5 - It seems like every one of his records post-Pet Sounds comes with a litany of caveats and disclaimers about the record's originality and authenticity. I'm going to assume I'm listening to a finished record as the artist intended it to be released because I can't be bothered to dive into Brian Wilson's messy backstory. So all that aside, I loved this record! I hear the labor of a tortured artists trying to create something multi-layered and inspired. The flow on this record is top-notch - it leads me on a pleasant journey both between songs but also within songs that often unfold into separate sections. There's so much playfulness, some good and some goofy. On the good side are tracks like "Old Master Painter / You Are My Sunshine" that incorporates an old spiritual into the mix. On the goofy side there's "Cabin Essence" that has some weird vocal back-up ("doing doing...").

4.2 + I love the way this band takes a few sonic elements and allow them to gradually evolve and expand over the course of a track and even across an entire album. It creates such a cohesive album experience.

4.0 - I could be wrong but to me these guys seem underrated. I liked this record. The flows were on point, the rhymes were interesting, and overall it was a pleasant, uplifting listen. Some cool beats, too, especially the last track "Acetate Prophets."

5.0 - Came to this with low expectations and they were immediately shattered. I've come to respect Steve Albini's exalted status as a producer. Now I'm in awe of him as a complete artist. The interplay of brutal drum machine, growly bass and clear vocals situated defiantly in the foreground - these elements make this album feel timeless. And the guitar sounds! Dry, gnarly, industrial. "Kerosene" is an obvious standout - so bleak! How do they conjure a screeching pterodactyl on "Passing Complexion"?? This album sounds nothing like what I know about 1985.

4.5 - It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this record an artistic triumph. Cave’s voice is a deep croon that’s equally capable of frothing with rage, brooding with regret and choking with desperation. What an unmatched voice. Some songs unfold as poetic eulogies (“Where the Wild Roses Grow”) and others like dramatizations of grizzly crime scenes (“O’Malley’s Bar”). The instrumental backing adds subtle depth and amazing atmosphere. In particular, “O’Malley’s Bar” feels like you’re actually listening to the killer in the act. Great contributions by PJ Harvey and others to boot!

3.6 - These Massachusetts boys were playing near home so I decided to check them out knowing next to nothing about their catalog, except that they were connected to the 90s grunge zeitgeist that I grew up on. But they were unexpectedly cerebral, utilizing non-standard guitar tunings, math-rocky time signatures and strange chord progressions. Towards the end of their set, I had a mild panic attack and had to exit the venue in a hurry because I just couldn't make sense of the music and it was putting me on edge. I'd say this album displays many similar characteristics as I experienced that evening. For me this album is hit-or-miss. On one hand, I love heartfelt ballads like "Soul and Fire", "Homemade" and "Think (Let Tomorrow Bee). But these sweet moments are spiked with cacophony, like on "Fantastic Disaster" and "Elixir Is Zog." I've read that this is a breakup album, and I think the decision to incorporate equal doses of attraction and repulsion, feels true.

3.4 + “Do you remember the 1960s? It was a decade we learned to party (Woodstock footage), to stand up and be counted (protest footage) and to love (footage of hippies walking arm-in-arm). But most of all, the 1960s gave us the most amazing music! In honor of that incredible decade, Time Life Warner Classics has created “Liege & Lief.” For $19.95, this collection of timeless and beautiful songs can be yours on two CDs or two cassette tapes for a limited time only. This collection is not sold in stores and won’t be around for long, so act now! Operators are standing by.”

4.1 + What an amazing drum sound - just listen to how it kicks in at the beginning of "Where is My Mind?" Also, the guitars sound incredible especially on "Something Against You" - gnarly, overwrought. I love that they included some of the studio banter towards the end of the album, like on "Oh My Golly!" I can see why this album was a huge influence in 1988 and so many artists would flock to the great Steve Albini to achieve a similar sound of loose and explosive swagger.

3.6 - Extended jams. Good for zoning out.

5.0 + It's incredible to hear the hardest working band arguably at their prime. They honed their stage performance to a non-stop onslaught of scream-inducing licks, shrieks and moans, MC'ed by arguably the greatest frontman in history. I'd say their schtick sounds too polished but then I hear James Browns' vocals on "Love Someone" - the way he digs to the bottom of his soul to convey that feeling of heartbreak, that's not a sound that can be manufactured.

3.4 - Aggressively generic. Squarely “acceptable” as “rock” made by “rockers.” Also I hadn’t listened to Navarro after his collab with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on “One Hot Minute” and was expecting more from his guitar work. But it was just standard pentatonic scales with predictable string bends - pretty boring. Not a terrible record, it just sounds like filler music you might hear at a concert as the main act is getting ready to take stage.

4.0 - All the hits off this record still grab me with their intricate guitar work, soaring vocals, surprising harmonies and hooks. I like some of the deeper cuts that I wasn’t as familiar with, especially “Dam That River.” A couple of the late-middle tracks, “Dirt” and “God Smack”, seem to keep pounding in themes of drugs and despair, and I find myself lulled by too much of the same. But “Angry Chair” and “Would?” round out the album perfectly.

3.8 + Hard to not compare this (or any shoegazer rock for that matter) to "Loveless." It's got the whirly, swirly, buzzsaw guitars, which envelope the vocals in an undulating soup of colors and sounds. Somehow it doesn't punch with the same emotional clarity. Standout: "Cupid Come."

4.0 - How is this guy still so under the radar? He's great - he's got the experimental sonics of Harry Nilsson, sardonic affect of Father John Misty and the heartfelt piano balladry of Elton John. Wonderful dry humor throughout. Standouts: "Sigourney Weaver", "JC Hates Faggots", "Silver Platter Club."

2.9 - A mixed bag. The extended guitar solo on "Private Dancer" makes that song extra sensuous. "I Can't Stand the Rain" is a quirky arrangement with cool synthesized effects to capture the sound of rain. On the other hand, the covers add some unimpressive filler to the mix: Tina Turner bashes "Let's Stay Together" with her vocal mallet and "1984" is just bizarre. I can overlook the lame cover of "Help!" since it didn't appear on the original release. Man, and that synthesized harmonica solo on "What's Love Got To Do With It" ruins the whole song for me. Tina Turner is clearly a vocal powerhouse and sexual diva but she made a bunch of tacky decisions here.

4.1 + A funky and sophisticated soundtrack that far outshines the film. Some wonderfully lush string arrangements, politically and socially conscious lyrics, and Curtis Mayfield's unmistakable falsetto. Lots of bangers, too: "Pusherman", "No Thing on Me", "Little Child Runnin' Wild"....

4.2 + A mature and almost methodical exploration of the black experience that still feels deeply introspective and personal. I love the hushed beauty on tracks like "Rise" and "Don't Touch My Hair." There are some remarkable collaborations here, notably with Lil Wayne and Sampha. Solange sounds in full command, and punches with emotional clarity and intellectual heft.

3.5 - The genre designation “quiet storm” perfectly evokes the vibe on this album. The sound is very dated but it’s comforting. I’m reminded of being a kid, holding my dad’s hand as our family spends a leisurely afternoon strolling around at the high-end mall in our neighboring town. It feels safe, warm and worry-free. I probably won’t return to this particular album but I enjoyed the memories it brought back.

3.7 - I love Leonard Cohen but I feel less strongly about this album. For me, the slack vocals and persistent fingerpicking work so supremely well when Cohen unbares some bone-deep pain, as on “Famous Blue Raincoat” or “So Long, Maryanne.” To be sure, there’s poetry and intimacy here, and some sense of longing. But the emotions don’t seem to cut so deep, making the entire affair feel kind of sleepy.

4.1 - I was expecting a bubblegum teeny record but I couldn't have been more wrong. This is full-on grownfolks music, i.e. people be fucking to this. I like the big hits, "Creep" and "Waterfalls" - terrific production on both songs. "Red Light Special", maybe my favorite track on the album, is sexy AF, especially with the bridge that leads to a guitar solo. I even like their cover of "If I Was Your Girlfriend", though not as much as Prince's original. And as far as skits go, "Sexy-Interlude" is actually pretty hilarious.

3.6 - What I imagine the British Airways first class lounge might sound like. Sleek with just a little “urban” edge. Typical 90s house sonics - R&B-style backing vocals, “educated-sounding” rap, vinyl record scratches and pops.

5.0 - Cool and breezy as a June morning on the beach. Incomparable jazz organ. I could listen to this whenever, wherever.

3.4 + This was around when I fell out as a Bjork fan. This one’s dense and only rewards the closest of listens. Overly complex lyrics that feel like they were lifted raw from some teenager’s poetry journal. Rather than edit herself, Bjork elects to build songs around the complexity - a worthy challenge for a musician but less so for the listener. Still, there are moments of striking beauty: “Harm of Will”, “Frosti” and “Undo.” Overall, it feels foggy and I can see why I dreaded revisiting this album.

2.6 - Please God, anything but Everything But The Girl.

3.9 - Compared to other UK dance-rock acts of the era (e.g. Depeche Mode), it seems that New Order didn't get as much exposure across the pond. It's a shame because this is a powerful pop sound melding so many great sounds. I love the bass sound, hollow and plodding. Also great are the interplay of acoustic and electric guitar, along with electronic rhythm elements. Bernard Sumner's vocals sound slack and cool, with an almost conversational cadence and tone. It works best ("Love Less", "Round & Round") when they're able to corral all of these elements into a focused and layered sound. But a couple of tracks ("Mr Disco", "Vanishing Point") struggle under the weight of all these elements. From what I can gather, "Technique" marks the tail-end of a string of great New Order records. I definitely look forward to exploring their catalog further.

4.0 - I'm not normally a fan of big band jazz but this album really swings. I especially love the arrangement on "Whirly Bird" that has some complex brass backing, coupled with amazing solos on the piano and saxophone.

4.7 - Wow, I had very low expectations for this (yet another nu metal album?!) but I actually think it's amazingly innovative. Somehow the fusion of indigenous Brazilian beats and instruments, corny and misguided as it may look on paper, actually comes together and provides for some amazing moments. I especially love the instrumentals "Jasco" and "Itsari" that act as a sort of intermission in the middle of the record. Unlike other nu metal records I've listened to, this one is almost absent of the "I-hate-my-stepdad-and-want-to-kill-everything" vibe. Instead, Sepultura takes on headier topics such as civic disobedience ("Ambush" and "Dictatorshit") and ecological decline ("Endangered Species"). The record ends on a high with "Canyon Jam", a drum circle that sounds like it was recorded in the middle of the Amazon under the moonlight.

4.3 - Look past the silly band name and questionable album name, and you've got a fantastic shoegaze record that takes you on a sprawling, mult-faceted journey. Walls of fuzzy guitar underpinned with strings (e.g. "Leaves and Sand"). Interspersed throughout are nods to different genres (reggae, Beach Boy style psychedelia, 90s Britpop).

4.4 - Another Doors album I slept on because it contained only some of their slightly lesser hits ("Waiting..." and "Roadhouse Blues"). But this is a great record. What this album doesn't have is some of their meandering explorations (e.g. "The End", "L.A. Woman"), instead showcasing tight song structures mostly under 4 minutes. I love the way the freaky "Peace Frog" flows quietly into the gorgeous "Blue Sunday." The mix of songs shows restraint and balance - there are blues-tinged rockers and pretty ballads.

4.0 - Any of these songs would’ve been absolutely PERFECT as filler for a mix CD you gave to your crush back in ’93. It’s actually a solid record - very in the middle of a lot of different sounds from that era. "Jupiter And Teardrop" is a terrific archetypal 90s acoustic/electric love ballad. I like the way "Stars N' Stripes" trails off moodily at the end. "Dixie Drug Store" tells a fun story - very rom-comesque. "America Snoring" and "Grace" showcase some generic political coffeehouse musings. Lots of heart, lots of charm.

5.0 + Blue-eyed soul doesn’t sound like it could be cool but every song on here is awesome. Yet another genre bending triumph in David Bowie’s catalog and one of his best.

3.6 - The one word I’d use to describe this record would be “effective.” The instrumentation is spare. The guitar is punchy with non-stop riffs, sometimes dissonant and jagged. The vocals and lyrics are clear and the songs provide social and political commentary that’s easily discernible. This record would be spinning at an independent record store and I’d think to myself, “this sounds cool, I should ask the clerk what it is.” But then I’d forget to.

4.0 - Some pretty and familiar songs on here - "Teach Your Children" and "Our House." Beautiful arrangements throughout. A sunny day, hassle-free listen, good for a barbecue or by the pool.

3.7 - Not as rich and satisfying as other Paul Simon albums. "Scarborough Fair" is a quiet beauty filled with hushed intensity, a masterpiece. There are other moments of beautiful poetry and melody - "Patterns", "Homeward Bound", "For Emily...". Mixed in are a few misses. The gentleness of "The Dangling Conversation" becomes cloying to my ears. "A Simple Desultory Philippic" is an homage to Bob Dylan that's too fawning. "7 O'click News/Silent Night" doesn't land with the same impact as I imagine they thought it might.

3.3 - Sometimes unlistenable, often downright joyful. It sounds like a rock opera about forest elves who have developed advanced technology. The synthesizer sonics are lame, except around 8:00 on “The Cinema Show.” Genesis ejaculates signature changes and they wank through epically meandering chord structures. There are some laughably bad stretches of ungainly noodling, stepping up and down from one key to another. All that makes for some ghastly melody lines. The lyrics and subject matter, so much as I’ve been listening for them (which I mostly haven’t cared to), seem utterly preposterous. And, unfortunately this is another British album that features Monty Python sounding skits, which seems to be a regrettable trend among Brits of this era. BUT, this album does reward at some stretches. There’s an amazing guitar solo around 5:30 on “Fifth of Fifth.” The vocals are excellent. Peter Gabriel sounds incredible on “More Fool Me.” Glad I gave this a listen.

3.8 - Some good songs on here (“Take Me To the River”, “Warning Sign”) but if I’m being honest I’d say Brian Eno played an overly heavy-handed influence on the sound. To me it’s very similar to Devo’s “Are We Not Men…” that Eno produced at right around the same time. Still, it’s got lots of energy and fun dance-y beats throughout.

4.1 - Another solid "slice-of-life" British record done in the vein of dance-pop with strong political and social commentary. There are also plenty of nods to "the gay experience." "Shopping" describes British power brokering to the highest bidder, no matter the trade-offs. "What Have I Done..." and "Rent" describe sugar daddy romantic arrangements. "It's A Sin" describes homophobia and not adhering to social mores.

5.0 - High energy, sophisticated afro-cuban jazz. Perfect for entertaining or when you need fun background music. The brass section is especially bright and the rhythms are rich.

4.7 - First, "Everybody Hurts" is a perfectly realized pop song with an impeccable structure, measured instrumental arrangement, universally relatable message and transcendent vocal performance. Second, the more "secondary" hits (if they can be called that) are also incredible. From "Man on the Moon" with Stipe's breathy vocals and the slide guitar pre-chorus, to "Drive" with its dark lyrical repetition, to "Nightswimming" with its gorgeous piano composition. Third, the overall album flow is so artful and balanced, striking the right notes at (almost) every turn. Up until now I've remained a reluctant R.E.M fan, having endured "Losing My Religion" played on merciless repeat in '89. Definitively, this album breaks that reluctance. With the exception of "Ignoreland" that somewhat sours the middle with some generic political bellyaching, this is an exceptional record.

3.6 + Yes, it’s deservedly considered a “stone cold classic.” Snoop Dogg has one of the greatest introductions to the mainstream rap game ever (“bow wow wow yippee yo yippee yea”). The rhymes flow, the songs flow and there some undeniable cultural touchstones at every turn. I love the Parliament/Funkadelic samples. And to an extent, I can excuse some misogyny in hip hop (though it feels like I’m reinforcing a double standard). But songs like “Bitches Ain’t Shit” simply take that misogyny way too far for my taste. I’m not denying the importance of this record, but the woman-hate makes it hard for me to really enjoy.

2.8 - Tourist towns across America have the one shop that sells “ethnic” shit: Tibetan rugs, brass Buddha figurines, handwoven hacky sacks, incense cones, crystals… And this is the type of approachable “ethnic” music they have playing.

3.5 - It’s got that swinging 60s “groovy, baby” vibe. Austin Powers probably shaves his balls to this music. Comes with a predictable dose of pedophilia (see “Little Girl in the 4th Row”).

2.7 - How can Adele be so talented and yet so boring? This record is totally devoid of any risks, and presents no distinct point-of-view. She's a young woman who's lived with heartbreak, has had a chance to process her pain privately and is ready to move forward with her life. Wow, Adele, so profound, and yet so relatable - it’s like she’s one of us! And I hate that she's consistently chosen to share only the most tiresome parts of her love-life. We see her always at the “crossroads”, saying goodbye with sincere regret but looking ahead to what's next. Has she never experienced the fun of being in love? The giddiness of meeting someone, the anticipation of being intimate? And why has she chosen to sanitize her pain? It's all very vague. Where are the tears that left smears of mascara on her face? What about the hours spent jealously stalking a lover on Facebook? I'm sure critics have praised this as a "mature" record (*wretch*). As expected, Adele's voice is luscious - she's truly blessed. But why use that exceptional voice to convey only the most unexceptional, "everywoman" feelings? By the end I find all the operatic belting and "you-got-this-girl" sentiments nauseating.

4.7 - So far this is the only Eric Clapton project I've heard that I wouldn't consider completely overrated. In fact, the intersection of blues, psychedelic and early heavy metal is truly special. "Strange Brew" starts us off with a perfect sample of all the colors within this record's palette - there's fuzzy squealing guitar, evocative lyrics and 12-bar blues. "Sunshine of Your Love" a rock mainstay invokes early elements of heavy metal. "Tales of Brave Ulysses", arguably the record's psychedelic apex, starts side B bringing together all of these elements. "We're Going Wrong" reminds us that in addition to being a world class guitarist, Clapton also has some impressive vocal chops. I also love the drumming on that song. "Mother's Lament" closes out the record with a dark little nursery melody.

3.6 + Many of the regrettable 1970s music tropes are represented on this record: long prog-rocky intros, liberal use of disco string fills, falsetto Bee-Gees-style vocal harmonies, synthesized boogie-woogie blues... Sometimes the excess works, sometimes it doesn't. Much of the success of each song depends on the quality of the underlying song itself. If you strip all of the "studio magic" and unbare each song - just an instrument and single voice - what do you get? I'd guess that songs like "Mr. Blue Sky" and "Big Wheels" still sound amazing, and songs like "It's Over" and "Sweet Talkin' Woman" would show themselves to be the turds they are. This album is long and relentless. It gives me a headache to listen to start-to-finish. Still, I like it for a few brilliant songs. And I admire their dogged determination in trying to make me feel happy - all that effort sounds tiresome to my ears but I can't hate them for trying.

5.0 + Wonderful. So much power in Aretha's voice and she tempers it so masterfully with that spark of joy and love. This is a record that showcases all of her talents. Despite being featured in a litany of tampon advertisements, "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" still sounds beautiful as ever. "People Get Ready" feels timely as ever. I even like the alternate version of "Chain of Fools" with the extended guitar intro.

5.0 - Another near-perfect gem from S&G. It starts with the title track, performed almost as a simple lullaby and sung tenderly with naked conviction. Other evergreen favorites include "Cecilia" and "The Boxer." One surprising standout for me is "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright", a tribute to the late architect - so endearingly light-hearted quirky.

3.6 - I liked it but I clearly don't have as much of a raging boner for Neil Young as Robert Dimery does. Of the five Neil Young albums I've already reviewed so far, this one falls somewhere in the middle. It's got a compelling backstory and some great rough guitar work. But the vocals are pretty shaky. I appreciate the "fresh take" sound, more so on a cerebral level, but it's not necessarily something I'd listen to closely, maybe more as mellow background rock music.

3.6 + Despite some moments of brilliance, this record mostly feels like a hodgepodge. Bowie can be a questionable lyricist, and songs like "Drive-In Saturday" epitomize his penchant for mealy-mouthed asides. I always found the opening track "Watch that Man" annoying because the vocals are so low in the mix. "Let's Spend the Night Together" is a throwaway cover. And I never really connected with "The Jean Genie" even though it is one of his bigger glam hits. Still, Mike Garson sounds incredible on piano, particularly on "Aladdin Sane." And "Lady Grinning Soul" is one of the strongest closers for any Bowie album.

2.9 - This album is smooth as an all-inclusive vacation but about as exciting. Terrific production and musicianship but I can't get into disco. "Can't Stand To Love You" is the one jam I might come back to.

3.4 - At times I like the thumping bass and some of the dramatic arrangements. The opening tracks have some good energy. But it starts to limp along with "All Of My Heart." And while "4 Ever 2 Gether" incorporates some interesting synthesized sounds, it's too cabaret for my taste. "Theme from 'Mantrap'" clinches the musical theater vibe, and I'm only too happy to see the curtain drop.

4.3 - Rock solid, uncluttered, soulful - a testament to the durability of no-nonsense American rock. So many classics on here: "Travelin' Band", "Lookin' Out My Back Door", "Run Through The Jungle", "Up Around the Bend." My only knock is with "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" which, though inoffensive, doesn't hold a candle to Marvin Gaye's original, and falters with an extended jam section. "Long As I Can See The Light" is a new discovery that deserves many future listens.

4.4 - This album captures that 70s soul/funk vibe perfectly. The band sounds impeccable with Jon Kay at the helm. It's impossible to not hear the Stevie Wonder parallels although this album eschews some Stevie's emotional depth, maintaining a non-stop party tempo throughout.

2.6 - This record reminds me of a pack of bourbon flavored gummy bears I was once gifted. I like bourbon on its own and gummy bears on their own as well. Merging the two, though it might seem like a good idea, proved underwhelming. Similarly, this album is an underwhelming combo of Irish/Scottish folk and adult contemporary rock. Listening to it seems utterly pointless to me. The only place I could ever imagine hearing this would be at an Irish pub or a St. Paddy’s day parade or an Irish pride event or some other Irish-themed venue. “Sweet Thing” is one cool track - the fiddle actually works on this and doesn’t feel like a distraction as it does for much of the rest.

4.4 + A delightful country-western record with stories of cowboys and outlaws, set against a sunny desert backdrop. Robbins sings with a clear, bright tenor, supported with barbershop-style backing vocals and guitar. There are also subtle tinges of mariachi. Highlights include "Big Iron", "El Paso", and "Cool Water."

2.8 - "Unique" and "different" don't necessarily mean "good." Not that this record is irredeemably offensive - there are at least some interesting elements. But overall I just find it strange, and a waste of my time. Perhaps the most judicious thing would be to say I simply don't like it and move on. But since I took the time to give it a spin I'll name a few gripes. First, it's got a treble-heavy mix that just sounds weak and wispy. Second, I just couldn't get past David MacCombs' voice. It's actually a powerful baritone but I'm constantly distracted by the effete way he pronounces "s" sounds. Third, the songs explore some strange and pretentious subjects like spirituality and the afterlife. Resulting songs like "Holy Water" and "Jerdacuttup Man" are utterly ridiculous. Listening to this record, I'm somehow reminded of bad dinner theater.

4.6 - Part of an incredible run of albums around '67-72. Two songs have justifiably become part of the rock canon ("Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get..."). I actually prefer "Country Honk" to "Honky Tonk Women." Jagger's unbridled enthusiasm is often magnetic but can sometimes end up sounding goofy. I hear that goofiness on "Love in Vain" and "Let it Bleed" - the weaker tracks on the album -though they are fine blues recordings. "Midnight Rambler" meanders into an interesting extended breakdown in the middle. "Monkey Man" is another deeper cut worth revisiting - some gorgeous piano arpeggiation that melds with some terrific guitar work. Overall, very full and satisfying.

2.9 - "Is Anthony Kiedis going to ruin this song, too?" That's the question that came up again and again listening to this record. I'm baffled as to why they keep him around. The interplay between Flea's bass and Frusciante's guitar is stellar as ever, especially on tracks like "Parallel Universe." And as with other RHCP records I've listened to, I do actually like a couple songs: "Scar Tissue" and "Porcelain." But on other tracks like "Around the World" and "Get on Top", Kiedis is like a shit-flinging gorilla. Probably the worst offense is "Purple Stain", in which he describes fingering a woman on her period (WTF?!). The backing band is the only thing buttressing Kiedis from tumbling head-first into the gutter.

3.7 - I enjoy this record as a tourist beholding an unfamiliar curiosity. "Golly, these locals sure have some strange customs! I didn't know the human voice was even capable of producing such sounds, no siree!" On a side note, I played "You Suffer" (the "song" that's famously 1.316 seconds long) for my 2 year old and 4 year old, and they were literally ROFL.

4.3 - What an exciting discovery! I never knew "The Soft Bulletin" has a sister album. The parallels between the two records is undeniable. I heard it from the beginning not knowing much about "Deserter's Songs." David Fridmann's discography is vast and impressive. The flow of this album is amazing, from gently orchestrated pop songs to instrumentals featuring theramin. It's dense with atmosphere and explores a vast emotional landscape.

4.0 - At his best, Kanye is able to channel his enormous ego to stoke some incredible artistic output (e.g. the unmatchable "MBDTF"). Sadly, that same ego can also be his downfall, as evidenced again and again in recent years. Both sides of his ego are apparent here, though this record has considerably more hits than misses. "I'll Fly Away" is a spiritual hymn that flows beautifully into "Spaceship." "The New Workout Plan" is witty and fun. "Get Em High" is an arena-ready banger. The collabs are pretty remarkable, from Common to Talib Kweli to Jay-Z...However, the record isn't without its warts. The "School Spirit" skits are pretty lame and on "Last Call", Kanye fully indulges his ego by sharing his backstory. To be honest, I enjoyed the 13 minutes of storytelling where he recounts all the struggles to break out as a rap star. But, really, who wants to listen to any of that more than once? And at 76 minutes, why not just release that last track as a B-side? All in all, he's poured so much into this record and it's mostly great.

4.4 - This is a rare prog rock record I really enjoyed and could see myself revisiting. Similar to other records in the genre, there's loads of production but despite the bombast, Supertramp exhibits something that eludes many other prog rock acts: restraint. Movements within songs feel cohesive to the whole. Relative to other prog rock records, instrument layers aren't crammed on top of one another. Rather, they are arranged strategically to accentuate melodies against a relatively spare background. I use the word "relative" frequently here because, again, there's still plenty of prog rock excess. Still, the record comes together nicely as a continuous 45 minute listen.

3.3 - Unremarkable besides “Novocaine for the Soul.”

3.5 + I gave this record a couple listens back in 2005 while living in Chicago. Common seems like the guy who's friends with everyone - tall, handsome, easy-going, always smiling. He's got powerful friends like Kanye who genuinely want him to succeed. There are some nice tracks on this record, and his vibe is generally positive. I especially love the samples on "They Say" and the fact that it features Ahmad Jamal, another Chicago legend. Overall, though, nothing really grabs me - Common's flow is middling and his worldview lacks a certain edge.

4.2 + It's rare that a top-10 music list doesn't include "Abbey Road" but it's not even my favorite Beatles record. First, "Come Together" is probably the most tired song on classic rock radio. And any cool factor that song may have once had was thoroughly sucked out by Aerosmith with their atrocious cover. Second, people praise this album's cohesion but to me it sounds like a potpourri with few unifying themes or concepts. Going from "Something" to "Maxwell's..." to "Oh! Darling" to "Octopus's Garden" - it feels like they strung together some leftovers from other recording sessions. Third, "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" really drags down the end of side A - it's such a ponderous and pointless slog. Fourth, I dislike "Golden Slumber", both the song and McCartney's grunty vocal performance. Still, there's plenty that I do love on here. "Maxwell's..." is among the best of their cartoonish ditties. "Oh! Darling" is an extravagantly soulful ballad that McCartney actually does manage to nail vocally. "Here Comes the Sun" is an evergreen classic that brightens any graduation or wedding ceremony. The trippy "Because" has some incredible synthesized orchestration and choral harmonies. And the "Medley" is a carousel of colors and images.

4.3 + This might be my favorite Elliot Smith record and it's funny to me how underrated it is critically. Clearly Smith's pigeonholed into this persona of a depressive heroine addict living at the margins, à la "Needle in the Hay." And to be sure, he helped cultivate that image. But beyond the "honesty" and "intimacy" of his music, he was consistently a terrific songwriter, capable of penning pretty pop songs with catchy hooks. This record may not have the grime of "Either/Or" but the evolution towards a poppier sound makes this record just as worthwhile. Songs like "Everything Reminds Me of Her" and "Somebody That I Used to Know" are among my favorites of his.

5.0 + Ragas for gringos - love it!

4.0 - This record was another staple among the cool kids at my elementary school, which made it suspect in my eyes. But like it or not, GNR has been a mainstay in the soundtrack of my life. Wherever people are having fun, "Paradise City", "Sweet Child o' Mine" and "Welcome to the Jungle" are bound to be playing. As I finally give this album a fair listen, I actually think they've pulled off something heroic. They've wrested control of rock 'n' roll from the terrible and tired rock acts that were crowding the radio. I was expecting to hear big synthesizer fills, multi-layered vocal harmonics and typical cocaine-driven studio overproduction. Instead I hear a sound that is raw and stripped down. Axl Rose commands with a single, powerful voice. Slash comes through with blues-inspired licks, unfettered by studio fuckery. This is sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll set against the Sunset Strip. Pretty damn classic.

3.7 - Good thrash metal from 1987. Highlights: “I am the Law” and “One World.”

3.7 - It's good but it's derivative - Courtney Love made herself a chick version of Kurt Cobain. Mostly, I appreciate her swagger - she sings with such a loose but ferocious intensity. And "Violet" remains a standout in the grunge rock canon. But somehow I can't shake the feeling that she's a scenester who wanted to be famous at any cost, and for a brief moment was able to channel that ambition to place herself and her voice in the right place at the right time.

4.0 - This is a surprisingly tidy record with some excellent guitar work. There aren't any standout tracks but it all flows together surprisingly well. I hear elements of reggae via Clash, Talking Heads, REM, and a solid dose of the Minutemen. And Mike Watt sounds incredible on bass! Plus, it's obscure and midwest-American, so citing it as a favorite record will give you instant credibility amongst hipsters.

5.0 - Another masterpiece, this time drawing cues from the American songbook. There are blues dirges like “Jesus Gonna Be Here” and vaudeville-style ballads like “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up.” Themes of sin, life, death and redemption. This one demands repeated listens and I’ll be happy to oblige.

2.5 - Insipid rock that occupied a general “alternative” gray area in the early 90s, back when that designation was just starting to take hold. These guys were in and out of my radar, along with outfits like Matthew Sweet and Teenage Fanclub, never resonating. The loud guitars hold as much interest as a buzzing refrigerator. The vocals and lyrics are similarly uninspired. If I’m going to bother listening to shoegaze-inflected pop rock, I’ll choose “Chrome” by Catherine Wheel anytime over this.

3.9 - Another Queen album that's completely over-the-top. Mostly the maximalist approach works but it can also be quite annoying. "You're My Best Friend" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" are obvious classics, and still sound amazing despite Queen's recent resurgence in pop culture. I also like a few of the deeper cuts. "The Prophet's Song" is an opus of several movements with an interesting a cappella breakdown in the middle. "Love of My Life" is a lushly orchestrated ballad. But "Death On Two Legs" hits like whiplash and I don't enjoy it as an album opener. "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon" is similarly campy and theatrical.

3.3 - A very typical mid-90s mid-tempo guitar rock album that sounds like an amalgam of Cracker, Spacehog, The Verve, Kula Shaker and a plethora of the era's other b-tier bands.

5.0 + My musical ground zero - the band and the record that ushered me full-force into rock music as a teen. I listened to this album more than any other, and can sing it all the way through. So many amazing moments here - from the guitar solo in "Cherub Rock", to the contemplative end of "Hummer", to the drumming on "Geek USA", to the trippy middle of "Silverfuck", to the gorgeous homage to shoegazer rock with "Mayonaise"...Confronting past demons head-on, believing in a better tomorrow and swirling with psychedelic color.

4.3 - Having suffered through the ska/swing resurgence of the late-90s, I had a PTSD-like reaction when I saw this early ska album pop up. Bands like "Cherry Poppin Daddies" and "Reel Big Fish" did a serious disservice to the Specials' legacy. Or, perhaps the Specials did themselves a disservice in later albums? In any case, I love this debut album! It's a blend of ska and reggae, with punk sensibilities that keep the arrangements lean and loose. The songs' messages vary from political to complaining about nightlife. "Doesn't Make It Alright" rails against race-based violence, while "Monkey Man" ridicules nightclub bouncers.

3.6 - Downtempo white gospel delivered with a smoldering baritone. Songs in a minor key, with simple chord structures, punctuated by a choir to reinforce a lyrical line. Words that seem to be lifted from the Bible. The consistency of this aesthetic through the course of this album’s 72 minutes gives it a gravitas though a few songs in, it definitely sounds same-y. By the end, the performance borders on schtick. I waiver a lot on my feelings towards Nick Cave sometimes thinking he’s brilliant but often feeling like he’s severely overrated as an icon of chic artistry. For me, this record is one that falls more in that latter description.

3.4 - Aside from "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon", this one's underwhelming. Particularly egregious is "Indian Summer" that sounds like he researched Native American culture in the encyclopedia and strung together the main points.

3.8 - Lots of soaring, operatic vocals and some strong 90s grunge-tinged guitars. Highlights (as expected): "Last Goodbye", "Hallelujah."

3.5 - "Our Lips Are Sealed" is one of those rare songs I'll always listen to until the end when it comes on the radio. This album also has "We Got The Beat", which, as far as 80s pop songs go, ain't half bad. The strength of the Go-Go's lies squarely in their ability to write catchy hook-laden earworms - their sound is decidedly minimal and their song structures relatively simple. While there are a couple of other catchy tracks (e.g. "Skidmarks On My Heart"), much of the rest is pleasant but forgettable.

3.6 - The Atari equivalent of rap. It’s obviously crude - the beats and rhymes are simplistic considering how far hip hop has evolved. But there’s an elegance in the craft and I’m struck by how well the sound holds up. I just want to pop this cassette into a boom box and carry it around on my shoulder. I also hear the beginnings of so many different strains in hip hop that would eventually blossom through other artists, like the call and response style perfected by the Beastie Boys. Similar to an Atari game, on some rare occasions it feels good to revisit an art form in its near-infancy.

4.3 - One of the strongest examples I've heard to date of good storytelling in country music. Another proof point that dismissing the genre as a whole is completely ignorant. Just listen to the the way the narrative unfolds on "The Grand Tour", revealing the detail that his wife left him and took with her their baby, is utterly devastating. Similarly, "She Told Me So" takes an unexpected twist when the singer is describing a lover who worships him but soon it becomes clear that actually he's under her spell.

3.6 - Despite some sophomoric political posturing (e.g. "Open Letter (To a Landlord)"), this is an aptly named album with lots of colorful guitar work. Obvious standout: "Cult of Personality."

3.7 - Overall, this album is a strong sample of its milieu, encapsulating the sound of Brooklyn indie rock around 2010. Pretty songs that unfold with interesting drama.

3.7 - When I was studying abroad in Paris in 2000, this fusion of jazz and rap was still very much in vogue at the jazz venues, which is probably a testament to the influence and staying power of this album. It sounds like "The Low End Theory" with a softer and more funk-forward feel. Standouts: "Quartier Nord", "Ragga Jam."

4.5 + We were in peak-covid when this album dropped. I'd double-mask for the grocery store and immediately sanitize every bag and container with Clorox wipes when I came home. I'd even mask up to go jogging outside. There were strange drunken Zoom calls scheduled late into the night with people randomly strewn within the farthest reaches of my social orbit. It was a weird and unsettling time. My media diet also changed. I was reading less, watching fewer new shows on television. Old standbys like the Sopranos were a comfort. Then, this album dropped and Pitchfork gave it the exceedingly rare "10" rating. It felt like a beacon during a gray and foggy time. I remember really liking it when I first gave it a spin, and upon return, I like it even more. The first four tracks alone are a riot of emotion, tenderness, vulnerability, humor, with splatters of strange percussion. The middle mellows and curdles emotionally with "Rack of His" and "Ladies." Apple's self-exploration teeters between laceration and affirmation, leaning more towards the latter. The fact that she created this brilliant mess mostly at home, quarantining before quarantining was our collective reality, makes this album feel especially poignant.

5.0 - Incredible. The first few tracks sound like Fela Kuti through a neon filter with instrumental solos that sound wildly futuristic even by today's standards. "One in a Lifetime" is a masterpiece of songwriting, imagery and sound production. The tone and tempo mellow for the second half, ending with a Joy Division-esque dirge with "The Overload." This is a nuanced, heady, kinetic and bafflingly awesome listen.

3.2 - A sweet country sound, bordering on saccharine. Also extremely feminine. Listening to this record makes me picture a group of middle-aged white women sitting out on camping chairs, sipping white wine, getting a little rowdy, getting a little sad.

5.0 - The first cassette album I ever owned back when I was just 4. And 40 years later it still sparkles. Like everyone else on the planet, I've heard "Billie Jean" countless times and still think it's a banger. Same with "Beat It", especially Van Halen's guitar solo. "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" sounds like something cooked up by Fela Kuti and it's non-stop bops. "P.Y.T" is another stone-cold jam. My only criticism is with "The Girl is Mine" - Paul McCartney stinks up the vibe and I just don't believe that the two of them would ever argue over a girl.

3.5 - I'm sitting in my jammies, putzing around before bed and this record is right now a terrific companion. I'd also enjoy hearing this in the background at a used bookstore with a curled up cat dozing in a sunny corner. Standouts: "Mule Skinner Blues", "Cocaine."

5.0 + Stunning, front to back. Also an awkward testament to our parents’ once very vivid and tumultuous sex lives.

3.8 - This album's perched somewhere after Britpop of the mid-90s and just before the advent of more wacked out bands like the Gorillaz. Like Britpop, these songs build to durable, sing-songy choruses and there are harsher noise elements thrown in. I hear bits of Spiritualized, Blur and Flaming Lips, as well as older influences like ELO and the Beach Boys (esp on "Receptacle for the Respectable"). At 53 minutes, it definitely feels overlong. The first five songs propel the record to amazing heights where much of the second half feels a little flabby.

4.6 - A supreme road trip album. Ideally consumed in its entirety in one sitting. Each song fits together like a puzzle piece to build a narrative arc that involves a misfit who won’t conform to an authoritarian regime, gets addicted to drugs and whores which leaves him feeling lonely and ultimately drives him insane. In the last quarter of the album we follow him from institutionalization, to crime, to recrimination. And he’s ultimately executed. Heavy! Lots of amazing and familiar songs along the way (“Comfortably Numb”, “Run Like Hell”, “Young Lust”, “Hey You”).

3.3 + A lot of fuss has been kicked up about these guys and I dutifully gave them their due. I read Henry Rollins’ memoir “Get in the Van” and listened to their records. To me, it’s another case of a band’s backstory being more compelling than their actual output. Not that this record is bad. I appreciate the DIY aesthetic and the guitar work is on point. But as a personality, Rollins is pretentious and abrasive and defaults to a holier-than-thou mindset. All this would be fine if he had the vocal chops to back up the attitude. Though he grunts clearly and enunciates his words to make his meaning understood, I find the message two-dimensional (see “TV Party”). While I like their story, their work ethic and their branding, Black Flag’s music is overrated.