Did I just listen to something? Perhaps I'm getting old, but I couldn't engage with this at all. It was just background incidental muzak to me. The musical equivalent of a stock photo.

A perfect little package of 3-minute acoustic guitar pop gems. Great song writing, beautifully recorded, sequenced and presented. Has Father and Son on it - objectively an all-time great song.

Lovely relaxed vocals but the lyrics are too sickly sweet for my tastes and a bit repetitive. Superstition is amazing. Stevie Wonder's real name is Stevland Morris. 3/5

I was ambivalent towards this until track 5, which is 17.5 minutes of clattering. It gave me a headache. Track 6 sounds like a 7 year old child randomly hitting a toy drum, bashing a piano and trying to explain the rules of Mallet's Mallet. For those reasons, I mostly hate this.

I was relived that this didn't include racist or anti-vax conspiracy theory themes, despite Eric Clapton's involvement. I don't know if we should separate the art from the artist, but for the purpose of this exercise I will try. Bluesy and psychedelic garage rock. It seems the Beatles weren't the only band doing interesting things in 1967. However, the interesting bits are relatively sparse here and there are several weak tracks, some of which are really quite annoying. The performance and musicianship maybe also disguises fairly nothingy song writing. Overall, about half of the album was enjoyable and it is easy to hear how this would have been influential. Sunshine of your Love the stand out track. 2/5.

Quite liked about half of this, although largely fairly forgettable. A few songs bored me a bit. Might benefit from a deeper understanding of the band/context. Not really what I expected from TVU. Much more folky (almost country?) than I imagined. Quite like the sad/relaxed vibe to some of the songs. REALLY like After Hours - probably the only song I'd return to. Faves: After Hours Pale Blue Eyes Least faves: Jesus I'm Set Free Track-by-track: 1) Candy Says - Striking lyrical start. Chilled. Sad. Like it. 2) What Goes On - more upbeat. Jangley! Like it a lot. Good organ. 3) Some Kinda Love - yee ha - country. Less keen. 4) Pale bule eyes - pleasant. Relaxing. Not sure its supposed to be. Sad vibe. Like it. 5) Jesus - bit dull 6) Beginning to See the Light - like the harmonies bits. Bit Bob Dylan otherwise. Meh. 7) I'm Set Free - nah, not keen on this. Dull and also a bit irritating. Folky at the end. 8) That's the Story of My Life - Jaunty. Fun. Nice little interlude after a bit of a drudge. 9) The Murder Mystery - System of a Down! Organ! Weird vocals. Some spooky and some talking. A bit odd. Don't mind it, but doubt I'll listen again. Liking it less the longer it goes on (which is long). 10) After Hours - Nice. What does this remind me of? Mr Rodgers? Really like the happy tune and sad lyrics. Soudns like Mouldy Peaches. Which is a good thing. Maybe my fave on the album (sorry Lou).

Enjoyed listening to this. Captures the live energy. Cool to think this is a pioneer of a sound that is now so familiar. +Faves:-Baby Please Don't Go-I've Got My Mojo Working. +Least fave:-Goodbye Newport Blues.

Pure velvet vocals make me go mmmmmmmmmmm. Instrumentation not all that interesting - seems like every track just fades out, often much too early and quite suddenly, which can lead to a feeling unfulfillment. Overall a very pleasant listen, and could have been great, but with the songs cut off in their prime it almost feels like a sampler for the real album. A shame. +Faves:-Son of a Preacher Man-Don't Forgret About Me

Saxy! Basically fine, but I lost interest fairly quickly.

A real struggle to get through. Headache-inducing and painful to listen to (not in a good way). Faves-Forgive Them Father slightly less grating than some of the others. Actually, second half of the album may be a little less irritating. Still absolutely hated it, overall.

Looking forward to this having read it's produced by Dave Fridmann. A couple of absolute bangers and I like the Lennon/Flaming Lips/Tame Impalaesque style of a lot of the rest, although song writing maybe not up to the level of those others. Generally I enjoyed it. Favourite album of this Odyssey so far.

Pleasant, functional, American rock'n'roll album. Not massively interesting, but enjoyable.

Excellent album. Shout - great opening track. Also, straight into the chorus. Statement of intent. Maintains quality throughout. Shows it is better to have fewer good tracks than to include filler.

Never heard of Laura Nyro, but 2.5 tracks in I think this is GREAT! What a voice! Excellent record. Catchy, toe tapping, range of styles. Really nice songs that her voice elevates.

Basically fine, but not very interesting. Is it honky tonk? It sounds honky tonk. What is honky tonk? Not massively keen. Terrible band name.

Confrontational and catchy.

A really enjoyable listen. Could be accused of being cheesy, but I like the 80s TV theme vibe.

The highs are high, surprisingly melodic, accessible and catchy but after an hours worth descends to being quite dirge at points. Just wanted it to end after track 9, although 'snuff' was a nice surprise and a welcome break. Chop out tracks 8-10 and you have an excellent album. Generally this is better in small doses. Singy bits > shouty bits.

A little bit country. A lot punk. Didn't grab me.

Very 90's rap. Boring and irritating.

I think I would like this a lot, but I just can't get passed Dylan's voice sounding like he's straining to squeeze out a difficult poo. I am sure it would reward repeated listens, reading lyrics etc. but I don't have the motivation to get stuck into it.

He's got a good voice, but not my style of music. Quite liked 'Pyramids' and am pleased to see a song about Forrest Gump, but overall I didn't really enjoy this album.

Brazilian Beatles. A very enjoyable energy. Glad I've heard it, but doubt I will revisit.

Fun album. Enjoyed listening to it. Youthful energy. Some really great songs. A bit of filler. May benefit from previous familiarity.

Not unpleasant to listen to. Quite intricate. Didn't really speak to me.

Not very interesting. Not very motowny. Kind if boring.

What the heck was that? Somewhat self-indulgent. I think I'd have been quite bored sitting through it. Don't get it at all.

This is brilliant. Chock full of great pop songs and insightful social commentary. Of its time, but stands the test of time. Does exactly what it set out to do. A genuinely perfect album.

This album is bonkers. Starts and finishes with 10 minute jams, which make up two thirds of the album time. I didn't really care for these. The 15 mins of the the middle 5 tracks is much better, particularly 'You and your folks, me and my folks' which is very Black Sabbath-esque. Just when you think it can't get weirder, the last track has cuckoo clocks, mooing cows, monkey noises & hissing cats. Overall, maybe too weird to return to, but definitely not boring!

Very pleasant, professional and well made. Good opening 6 tracks, Yellow and Trouble are classics, but tails off a bit in second half. Enjoyable overall, but the generic/unspecific lyrics and song titles makes it all feel a bit superficial.

Sounds like a not awful Red Hot Chili Peppers. Quite liked it.

I was ambivalent towards this until track 5, which is 17.5 minutes of clattering. It gave me a headache. Track 6 sounds like a 7 year old child randomly hitting a toy drum, bashing a piano and trying to explain the rules of Mallet's Mallet. For those reasons, I mostly hate this.

Better than on the studio album.

Generally enjoyable in an easy-to-listen-to-country way. Had high hopes after the opening track, 'Guitar Town', and enjoyed 'Someday', but generally pretty standard other than those, especially the end of the album. Overall, would be a 'bang average' 3/6 tents in the (superior) Roskilde scoring system.

Exactly what I expected, but I also enjoyed it more than I expected. Maybe I'm more receptive to The Boss since seeing Blinded by the Light. Good film.

Quite nice and pleasant. Enjoy the french language singing. A bit like Saint Etienne. Doesn't sound particularly exciting or innovative today. Enjoyable overall.

Really enjoyed this. I like the contrast between the two discs. Much more accessible than I would have thought. I like the story telling in the songs. A previously un-listened to album and artist that I am sure I will be returning to.

Did I just listen to something? Perhaps I'm getting old, but I couldn't engage with this at all. It was just background incidental muzak to me. The musical equivalent of a stock photo.

Good songs, but front loaded and maybe a little samey.

Overall found this a bit down, whingey and wallowing for my tastes. Even the loud parts seem a bit miserable. I quite like a sad song, but the vibe of this album just isn't my thing. Really surprised how much I struggled with it given the classics on there.

Not particularly interesting, except for the German bit.

A really good and melodic 1970s punk album. Further elevated by horns and harmonica making this pretty great.

Kind of ok, but a bit samey and not much that is memorable. Style over songwriting substance? Stupid Girl is a banger though.

High energy, bouncy and catchy. Can hear why Steven Spielberg wanted to make them into the new Monkees. Is it a 3 or a 4? Probably a 3. A bit one time.

A much more melodic and enjoyable listen than I'd expected. Point off for track 8, general misogyny and for trying to rhyme 'air' with 'player'.

I didn't expect to like this but really enjoyed it. Such a fun album! The strong musical theatre vibes were a surprise. It reminds me of a marginally heavier Jesus Christ Superstar (which is very much a good thing).

1,000,000% better than their previous album on the list, Tago Mago, so have inflated the score proportionally to a very generous 2/5. Tago Mago was grating and annoying, this is just dull. 'Moonshake' is at least an actual song.

This is fine. I like Neil Young, and consequently enjoyed his songs most (maybe as I knew them before hand). Generally, found this pleasant, but maybe a bit too polished and perfect. Lacks a little bit of edge/emotion.

He's got a nice voice and stuff, but I found this pretty boring.

Pretty dull really. Should be a 2.5. Plumping for a very generous 3 mainly on thee grounds of the singles on the album. The rest not so good.

Really enjoyed this. Catchy songs with lovely harmonies. Has a really nice energy.

Quite pleasant background music. Reminds me of Tim Snell.

Breezy, fun and quite innovative. What's not to like?!

This is fine. Quite old school. Brass. Yeah, fine really.

Alright-ish. Pleasant enough, but I always feel that this style of music needs to be REALLY catchy to be in any way memorable to me. This album is lacking the 'Boogie Wonderland' or 'September' banger that is needed to make it stand out.

A good pop album. Maybe a little too self indulgent. Could have done with a few lighter moments.

A classy album. More varied than I'd imagined. Not massively my style of music, but held my attention and really enjoyed listening to it.

This started reasonably well, was ok in the middle and awful by the end. The four tracks from 'The Gnome' onwards have to be a joke, surely?!

Nick Cave meets Neil Young, with hints of David Gray, Johnny Cash, Eels, and St Paul & the Broken Bones, which (let's face it) is a pretty spectacular review. I didn't expect much from this seemingly little known 1960s folk album, but it turns out to be brilliant. A deep, soulful voice singing mournful querying lyrics with engaging, natural melody over evocative music is great. Does what it does perfectly. A massively unexpected 5/5.

An album of two halves. The first half is like the Clash, but missing whatever it is that makes the Clash so vital. Side 2 is something different. Gentler, more melodic, not trying to have 'attitude' and much, much better. Side 1 = 2/5, Side 2 = 4/5.

For an 18th album to be a 1 hr 45 min, 21 track, double + album, and be regarded as Wonder's masterpiece and an all time classic illustrates his genius. Personally preferred disc 1 to the more experimental disc 2 and b-side-esque 7", so can't give it 5*s. Love the ambition and first half of the record, but in my view less would have been more.

Childish lyrics, tuneless shouted vocals, unsubtle instrumentation. If a comedy sketch show was to make a parody of a punk album, it would sound like this. One novelty song on an album can be fun, 15 is just tiresome.

Quite nice. Much mellower and less noodling than I would have expected. Fine, but not massively memorable.

Objectively, nice. Subjectively, a total snooze-fest. Was literally yawning at points.

Enjoyable background listening. Could have lived without the 16 minute drum solo.

More 90s rap. Seems fine. Not exciting.

Good album. Really liked it at the start, but got a bit samey by the end. Ubiquitous 'reminds me of Kate Bush' comment.

80s pop. Seemed fine. Didn't grab me. A bit low tempo and one-paced.

Really, really enjoyed this album. I was slightly familiar with Richard Hawley from Rewind the Film, but his own work is new to me. Will definitely be checking out more of it. A high 4.

Great for what it is, but of its time. Would still be brilliant in a jazz club, but on Spotify in a home office situation it doesn't really connect.

I've always liked the jangly pop version of the Cure, but this is the first time I've engaged with their darker side on record. It's obviously a harder work than PopCure, but it appears that it would reward the effort. I quite liked it.

Extremely self indulgent. Comes across to me as being calculated to the point of boredom. It is also excessively long (are debut double albums ever a good idea?). The longer it went on the more I just wanted it to be over, which isn't a good sign. A special mention also for "free from guitar" which made me grit my teeth and grimace 'finger nails on chalkboard' style. It would be a 2, but that knocks it down to a 1.

Rhythmic and aggressive (that's how I like my post-punk pioneers). Not keen on the singing, but the music is fine. The Helter Skelter cover is a bit of an abomination.

A perfect little package of 3-minute acoustic guitar pop gems. Great song writing, beautifully recorded, sequenced and presented. Has Father and Son on it - objectively an all-time great song.

Generally acceptable 90s indie rock. Very of its era. Very potty mouthed. Too long.

A pleasant enough listen, but didn't really grab me.

I'm not sure why, but I expected to hate this. I actually quite enjoyed it, but wouldn't listen again.

Never heard of Cheap Trick before and have no idea what they sound like on a studio record, but this live album has great energy and seems to really capture the performance. A very engaging and enjoyable listen despite not knowing any of the songs. I do like the catchy rock songs, but am not really motivated to seek out the studio versions. I usually find live albums fall a bit flat, but I couldn't fault this recording or performance at all.

Although largely 48 mins of gr ner na na barp barp, there is enough melody and other stuff going on to sustain attention and make this more enjoyable and interesting than I usually find dance music. Nice variety in the album whilst still sounding a cohesive piece. Liked the classical-played-on-organs-to-8-bit style. Also enjoyed the elevating break offered by the two vocal led tracks sequenced together at tracks 8 & 9. Would stick it on in the unlikely event of hosting an all night rave.

Sets it's stall out in the first 20 seconds: "Downtown My darling dime store thief In the War of Independence Rock 'n' roll rang sweet as victory" Lyrically very striking, musiclly interesting. Liked it a lot. Feels like it would have more to give on repeat listens. 4/5

After the first track I thought I would enjoy this, however, the off-key vocals and discordant music did not make for a pleasant listen.

Catchy punk pop. Bouncy and fun. What's not to like?

Not keen on this. It did not sound very nice going into my ears. It did not sound very nice at all.

Second Undertones album generated in 3 days. Not as fun or bouncy as the last one. Only 38 minutes long, but still managed to bore me a bit.

I like the Cure. I like this. Rides the middle ground between the two sides of the Band. Prefer it to the 'Pornography' album, also on this list. First half a 4, second half a 3.

You bring me sleep. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

My only familiarity with this style of African music is from the Lion King. Overall a very evocative and quite beautiful - she has a great voice. The three English language songs feel very out of place and detract from it, but otherwise a very enjoyable listen.

Very early nouties. Basically fine but not particularly interesting.

Wow! This is amazing. Not a style of music I'd usually seek out, but I really enjoyed it and may well revisit. Incredibly, powerful, melodic, rhythmic and soulful. Not a weak track on the album. It's difficult to imagine how R&B music (or any music for that matter) could be better than this. Objectively and subjectively this can't be anything other than a 5.

Apparently this is an album made up of left over bits from other recording sessions, and it sounds like it. Generally it's quite nice, but a bit lacking in cohesion and some of the tracks sound a bit unfinished. I'm also not overly keen on her voice. Sure its objectively great, just not to my taste.

Reasonable background music. Strong last two songs, otherwise, not particularly great.

Tainted Love is a banger, the rest not up to that standard, although Sex Dwarf stands out lyrically and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye is a good album closer. It's all quite urgent sounding and jarring in places. Bit of a punk vibe. Definitely not a relaxing listen. I'm glad to have heard it, but doubt I'd listen again.

The vibe is strong in this album, and I like that vibe. Dark and brooding. Add some hits into the mix and you have a very good record.

I enjoyed side 1 as, despite it being a 26 minute song in 5 movements, it was accessible and a pleasant listen. Perhaps helped that it was a well known cover ('Who do yo love?'). It was also well performed - I didn't realise it was a live version until the applause at the end. Side 2 is somehow even more self indulgent. 4 songs this time. 2 are ok covers (although Henry from Neighbours still has the definitive version of 'Mona') and the other 2 just sound like dull jams with nothing going on to keep my interest. My snap judgement: QMS maybe good at noodling on a guitar, but are not blessed with much in the way of creativity or songwriting talent.

Pretty tradish folk music. Quite nice overall. Relaxing if not exciting. A couple of more interesting tracks ('Cajun Woman' & 'Si tu dois partir') and a nicely done traditional track ('A Sailors Life') just about elevate this to a generous 3.

I think with Queen you need to focus on the hits. Not overly keen on this.

Started well, but the wetness was a bit overwhelming by the end. Very low energy, in a way that sounds more like they couldn't be bothered rather than being nice and chilled. Think it might be the whiney vocals.

Instant, confident, happy, funky in places. Not pushing any boundaries, but an enjoyable listen.

Basically 40 mins of the Hartbeat gallery music, which isn't an entirely bad thing. Oxygene Pt. 4 is the 'magician on TV doing something mystical or a spy being spooky' music. Exactly what I imagined a JMJ album would be.

Aerosmith. Seemed fine in the first whiz through.

Blues rock songs sung increadibly soulfully with a great and unique voice. 'Me and Bobby McGee' seemed a bit out of place, having all the usual country music tropes. Seems a shame that this was her biggest hit when everything else was on here is very different and much better. Overall a really good album.

A lot of saxophone. Nice enough, but descended slightly into elevator music. A bit one paced.

Was quite enjoying this at the start. The synth elements make it stylistically more interesting than it would otherwise be. However, it's far too long. By track 9 I just wanted it to finish. If it was more concise and compact it might even be a 4, but as it stands too great a proportion is dirge to get above a 2.

A pleasant enough listen. Couldn't make out much in the way of lyrics, but understand that may be deliberate. Acceptable background music, but not much more than that. Got a bit of a Lightning Seeds vibe in places.

This is my Metallica. Accessible without compromising heaviness. Great album. Can't believe it was made in 1988; only 2 years after Master of Puppets, which sounds very dated by comparison.

Really liked this. It grabbed me in the first 15 seconds and didn't let go. Every track is catchy, melodic and fun. Apparently it is 'new-wave'. I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I would describe this as danceable, exuberant pop music played on guitars, with a bit of a punk edge. If this is what new-wave is, then I like new-wave. 4.5/5.

I must have been one of the few people that didn't buy this album in 1999/2000. At the time I didn't think I'd be keen on it. As it transpires, I was right, although I didn't mind it. Some of the singles are almost classics and most of the other tracks were better than I expected. However, it just doesn't interest me or click with me for some reason. A competent, pleasant, commercially very successful album with some stand out moments, but overall pretty forgettable. 3/5.

I'm not a fan of Nirvana and really wanted to not like this. However, I enjoyed it a lot more than any of their studio recorded music that I've listened to. I was somehow less gloomy and less dirgy. 3/5.

Really liked this. Heavier and more consistently good than White Blood Cells, which is also on this list. Seven Nation Army an absolute classic - must be song of the decade for the 2000s given the presence of the riff in popular culture and the public consciousness.

Another 80s band I'd never heard of, but enjoyed. Nice 80s indie pop. A very pleasant and enjoyable listen. 3.5/5.

I remember Evan Dando being a running joke during the last days of the weekly printed music press. I've no idea why and know nothing more about the Lemonheads. This album was ok. Not pushing any boundaries and not a great deal of variety, but enbenjoyable enough guitar pop rock album.

I hoped I might like like this as I didn't mind the Nirvana Unplugged album and 'In Utero' is often compared to 'The Holy Bible'. However, it is nothing like either of those and is back to Nirvana's usual humourless, tuneless dirge.

A classic and socially significant album with some huge bangers. Its context makes it greater than the music objectively is. The bangers are spread across the album, which works well as a pick-me-up just as things are starting to get a bit samey. This would be a 3 if it wasn't so culturally significant.

Experimental music can be very very good or can miss the mark completely. This is the former. Reminiscent in places of a Zaireeka-era Flaming Lips and a more polished Deerhoof, which is very much my jam. I'd never heard of Dirty Projectors before, but enjoyed this enough to want to check out more of their back catalogue. If it is as good as this, I will be in for a treat, but suspect 'hit and miss' may go with the genre... 4/5.

Before this, the only Elastica song I knew was that one from Trigger Happy TV (which turns out to be 'Connection', track 3 of this album). I expected this to be generic 90s Britpop fodder, but it is much better than that. Heavier than expected and nice riffs, rhythm and melodies. The album whips through 15 tracks in 38 minutes, which (apart from a lull at track 8, 'Indian Song', which could have been dropped) keeps the interest and the energy up and doesn't allow time to get bored. 'Connection' and 'S.O.F.T' my highlights, but there is plenty of good stuff on here. I like this a lot and slightly regret missing it at the time, but doubt I'll be motivated to revisit now. 4/5.

Irish folk with an urgent and chaotic punk energy but also some tender moments. Really like the social commentary through story telling and evocative imagery in the songs. Dirty Old Town in particular is whistfully wonderful.

Traditional Indian music. Not like any album I've listened to before. Difficult to analyse given how alien it is to me culturally, but a pleasant and relaxed listen. The version on Spotify has different (translated?) song titles and number & length of tracks to the version released in 1967 (as listed on Wikipedia), so not certain I've listened as it was originally meant to be heard. The final track on the Spoitfy version, 'Glacial Waters', has an something of 'Ring of Fire' about it. Is that a thing (Water vs Fire)? Probably not, but I've written it now. 2.5/5.

I occasionally quite enjoy Country music, but think I need to be in the mood for it. I was very much not in the mood when I listened to this. It annoyed me. The subject matter seems very insular and mundane. Having said that, for what it is, this seems fine. Loretta Lynn has a nice enough voice and the album has a good variety of pace. Also on the plus side, I really enjoyed its brevity. The longest song is 2:53, and it gets through all 12 tracks in 28 mins. Many other albums would benefit from this conciseness. 2/5

I really like Black Sabbath, but have generally stuck to 'greatest hits' stuff to this point. This album was softer and more varied than imagined. Some departures from the classic Black Sabbath sound are more successful than others. Overall, about half of the stuff on here is great (Wheels of Confusion, Tomorrows Dream, Changes, Supertnaught, Snowblind), but some of is a bit pointless (FX, Laguna Sunrise), and the rest is forgettable (Cornucopia, St. Vitus' Day, Under the Sun / Every Day Comes and Goes). I really want to give it a 4, but on that balance of the above, it has to be s a 3/5.

Nothing. This is literally nothing. 90s godawful chill out R&B. The worst kind of music every imagined?

I'm not really sure what to make of this. I'm assuming it was an artistic endeavour. To create his vision and for it to be an unlikely and huge commercial success is quite something, especially at the age of 19. I quite enjoyed side one, and didn't even mind the cheesy introducing of instruments at the end. Side two was much harder work though. The Blue Peter theme at the end is just bizarre. Just going with my gut on score: 2/5.

A pleasant album that jangles and chugs along nicely. Pop rock with blues, funk and jazz elements and a soulful voice. Doesn't seem particularly cutting edge, but a very pleasant and an enjoyable listen. No weak tracks but nothing that stands out. 3/5.

Like nothing I've heard before (only Electro-Shock Blues by Eels comes close, which I'd guess this influenced). A dark and demonic quality created by it being rhythm and percussion led, which is evocative of ungulate creatures. The latter parts of the album has more instrumentation with actual notes, which seems to imply a journey - I'm imagining someone arriving in hell and growing to accept their lot over time. I like this a lot. Dark but not depressing. Unique, evocative, interesting. 4.5/5

Fuzzy jangly indie rock. The Stone Roses doused in feedback. Released in 1985 but sounds like it was straight out of the 90s. If I'd have listened in 1985 it may have grabbed me more, but given similar things came after, it doesn't seem as interesting or original as I'm sure it would have done at the time. Having said that, I quite liked it.

I always thought of Isaac Hayes as an actor and singer, so was surprised to learn he composed, recorded and produced this. Impressive. Everyone knows the theme tune, which is a movie classic, and the 19 minute 'Do Your Thing' is ace. Otherwise, this is a good and distinctive movie soundtrack but there is too much of the score element for it to stand up as an album in its own right. It's obviously no Chocolate Salty Balls, but judging as an OST it gets a 4/5. Without the movie context it would be a 2, so overall I'll give it a 3.

This album has Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side on it, both of which are stone cold classics. The former is a particular favourite (thanks BBC). Otherwise, this album is fine, but nowhere near that standard. I like Lou Reed's voice and can hear the Bowie influence in the production. 3/5

It's inevitable that I will compare this with Janice Joplin's solo work. It is less bluesy and more soft rocky than that, and consequently seems not to bring out such outstanding vocals. The most most Blues track on here, Piece of My Heart, stands above everything else, which is basically fine. 3/5.

80s hair metal. An expansive sound with massive choruses combined with synth elements. An easy and enjoyable listen, and very 80s. A bit samey though and difficult to remember any particular song, possibly a result of the slick production, within which the actual songs get a bit lost. 3.5/5

A more country Johnny Cash. Rather than being an imitation, Merle Haggard sang from experience, having been serving a 15 year sentence in San Quentin when Cash played there. Haggard may be the more authentic jailbird, but somehow his songs sound less so and lack some of the Cash grit, poetry, emotion, and magic. Maybe it's unfair to consider this through the prism of Johnny Cash, but it's impossible not to. 3/5.

I'd only heard 'Ass Cobra' before. I prefer this. It's a bit less comedic, shouty and screamy and a bit more tunefull. First half is fun rock and more melodic than the punkier second half. Opener, 'the Age of Pamparious' even has an acoustic guitar and is my fave on here. Pretty good, but not worthy of an erection. 3/5

Lovely relaxed vocals but the lyrics are too sickly sweet for my tastes and a bit repetitive. Superstition is amazing. Stevie Wonder's real name is Stevland Morris. 3/5

This is a fun album and it seems Dizzee doesn't take himself too seriously.

The highs on this are very high. Life on Mars, Changes, Oh! You Pretty Things, Queen Bitch. The rest is decent but not that memorable. 4/5

Sounds like a cross between Primal Scream (even though Bobby Gillespie had left by this point), Dinosaur Junior, New Order and the Stone Roses. It has an overall gloomy vibe but on occasions builds to more euphoric moments. I would prefer more of these. Quite a few of the songs seem to be about, or are evocative of, bad weather. An acceptable album but not one I will revisit. 3/5.

An all-time classic I'd never listened to before. It lived up to it's billing - a beautiful, tender and melancholic record, and quite far removed from the Beach Boy's west coast pop (which is also great). Both sides start and finish with classics and the songs in between help this album to read very much of a consistent piece. A pretty much perfect record. 5/5.

I've never been a fan of RHCP. They are also the worst 'big' live act I've ever seen (Roskilde 2007 - boring and awful). I therefore expected to hate this, and increasingly did. At first I thought it was a bit more listenable than other efforts of theirs and the first few tracks at least had me tapping my toe. It quickly wore thin though. The longer I listened, the lower the score got. And it's a long album. Noone needs 17 tracks of this. 1.5/5. A special shout out to 'Give it Away', which may be the worst song ever recorded?

This sounds like someone has mashed together the Flaming Lips, Neil Young, Super Furry Animals, the Polyphonic Spree and the chorus of a musical. What comes out is unlike anything ever, and quite brilliant. Big, orchestral, great melodies, with unusual and interesting lyrics. All complimented and contested with Sufjan Stevens' quiet, breathy vocals. A triumph of song writing and recording. 5/5.

Got the sense that 10cc we're trying to do lots of different things here, but none of them are interesting. The lyrics are also bad. I took against this album from the opening line: "Do the Wall Street Shuffle, Hear the money rustle". Jesus. 1.5/5.

I wouldn't have thought a song titled 'Mandela' would be so jaunty, given the situation in South Africa in 1985, when this was released. That aside, I enjoyed this album. Really accessible and listenable jazz. Nice to listen to in a bar or over dinner.

Like a less woeful Nirvana. Nothing particularly exciting, but pretty catchy and bouncy in places. Quite liked the poppy bits, disliked the dirgey grungy bits. 2.5/5.

A mix of styles, tempos and vibes, but still a cohesive piece. No idea about the lyrical content, but each song still manages to communicate a feeling, making it an engaging and enjoyable listen. 3.5/5.

A Beatles album without any of their notable singles on it. Going into this, I know it is highly regarded, but am otherwise unsure of what to expect. Side 1 of the album flew by. Very consistent. Very nice harmonies. Good songs. No weak tracks, but nothing massively stands out either, except Drive My Car which is catchy but a bit of a novelty track. Side 2 is a bit more mellow, gentle and downbeat. Still quite good, but doesn't sound massively interesting or innovative in 2021. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I suspect it is regarded more for its influence rather than as a stand alone piece. Judging it without that context, based solely on how much I enjoyed it, I'm maybe a little underwhelmed. 3/5.

This is my first dalliance in space rock. I didn't expect it to be quite so literal. Their interpretation of space is quite sci-fi, robotic, and distopian except for on "Electronic No 1" where they even seem to have gone to the moon and recorded Clangers. I guess a lot of the tracks get into nice chugging grooves, but there is little to distinguish them from one-another. Overall it's all just a bit weird and impenetrable.

I was relived that this didn't include racist or anti-vax conspiracy theory themes, despite Eric Clapton's involvement. I don't know if we should separate the art from the artist, but for the purpose of this exercise I will try. Bluesy and psychedelic garage rock. It seems the Beatles weren't the only band doing interesting things in 1967. However, the interesting bits are relatively sparse here and there are several weak tracks, some of which are really quite annoying. The performance and musicianship maybe also disguises fairly nothingy song writing. Overall, about half of the album was enjoyable and it is easy to hear how this would have been influential. Sunshine of your Love the stand out track. 2/5.

Great opening 5 seconds - a big synth swoosh with huge drumming. The next 5 seconds are an 80s sci-fi We Will Rock You. Really sets the album up, and it keeps the energy up throughout. However, by the end it had become a little bit samey and lost me somewhat. Generally an enjoyable listen overall, with some of cool moments. 2.5/5.

My flat mate in the first year of uni LOVED Ryan Adams. Like Tom, Ryan Adams sounds old before his time on this album, which is very mature, pleasant and extremely inoffensive. These are great qualities in a random flat mate, but, although enjoyable enough, does not create a particularly engaging listening experience.

I loved Oasis when I was in my teens and early 20s. This was never my favourite album of theirs though, and my general perception is that their music hasn't aged well, so I was interested to revisit this, with fairly low expectations. Listening afresh this album holds up a lot better than I was expecting. Noel certainly knows how to find (or borrow) a catchy melody and Liam's voice was amazing in this era. It could do without Hey Now or the two short unnamed (Swamp Song) tracks, but overall I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would in 2021. If anything it has gone up in my estimation since I last listened to it a decade+ ago. I suspect that may not be the case with some other Oasis albums, but this does stand the test of time and remains a genuine classic.

I don't mind 80s synth-pop, but this is a bit too downbeat for my tastes. 2/5.

I'm not musical enough to recognise experimental time signatures. To me, this sounds like a cool, fun, chilled jazz album, which is the kind of jazz I enjoy. Recorded in 1959, but sounds timeless. It seems like the group achieved exactly what they set out to do. I can't fault it. 4/5.

Nice collection of 2-3 minute 1960s guitar pop songs. Social commentary and story telling of everyday life. Some odd sound effects and bit of a medieval vibe in some places. I've never dug beyond The Kinks' famous singles, but it seems their back catalogue has depth. 4/5

Pleasant and tradish country music. It sounds like it could have been recorded at any time between 1950 and yesterday. I suppose that makes it timeless. For what it is, I can't criticise it. 3.5/5.

It seems Dexeys are more than one hit wonders. This album has depth to it. Catchy songs throughout, in their signature style. Well sequenced with a run of quieter songs at the end before the release Come on Eileen hoedown. The only thing that lets it down is that the singer's voice gets a bit grating after a while. Overall, really, really good though. 4/5.

Apparently this is the first rock opera and tells the story of a person (S.F. Sorrow) from birth to death. This sounds an interesting concept, but not one I would have noticed had I not read it on wikipedia. I'm sure it would emerge on repeated listens with and/or with closer attention, but I didn't enjoy the music enough to be motivated to do that. Basically this is an just-about-ok 1960s/70s psychedelic rock album. It starts in a fairly accessible way (I like the opening track, 'S.F. Sorrow is born') but becomes harder work later on. I didn't hate it, but didn't really like it much either. 2/5.

This album raises the age old question: is trip hop chilled, or is it just boring? Based on this, the answer is 'mostly boring'. The majority of this album passed me by. It's not entirely without its moments though. 'Hell is Round the Corner' and 'Brand New the Retro' caught my attention and were enjoyable. The rest was pretty zzzzzzz and too irritating to be relaxing.

I like Blur, but this was just 'ok'. It reinforces my impression that they are a great 'singles' band, but not so great in terms of albums. Lets wait and see if 'Parklife' changes my mind... 2.5/5

Country music. Not unique in any way, but quite pleasant and I like his voice. Vocally this reminds me of Bob Dylan, which is odd, as I find Dylan's voice really puts me off his music.

Brooding, moody, pop music. Liked it. 80 pop without the cheesy synth sound. 3/5 (Might have been 4 if I'd paid more attention).

A breezy hip hop album. The instrumentation has a strong jazz influence which is pleasant, relaxed and elevates it above the norm for a genre I'm not usually keen on. Light and humerous lyrics. This still has that 90s rap vocal rhythm which gives it a dated feel. 3/5

It's hard to work out exactly why I don't like this. There are so many possibilities. It could be that the clinical production sucks any life out of it. It could be the focus on musical wankery (yes, we get it, you can play your instruments well - no need to labour the point). It could be that it seems too controlled and contrived for the vocal screams to be spontaneous and 'for real'. Having written all that down I've worked out what my big issue with this is - it's completely devoid of emotion. Maybe a musical person would appreciate this on a technical level, but from my point of view, the main purpose of music is to inspire some sort of emotional response, and this just leaves me cold. 2/5

An up tempo rock album that sounds distinctively Aerosmith. Thought I'd hate it after the first track, but it improved after that and, despite predictable vocal melodies, it's fine, if a little samey and uninteresting. For some reason it evokes a feeling of being chased through a city in a film, including sneaking a bit and looking back around a corner at the pursuer before running again. Basically it's TV chase music. 2.5/5

Sounds like Paul Weller. Functional and competant. Very 90s. Not exciting or interesting in any way. 2/5.

A gentler kind of prog rock. Not too much about space-aliens, which is a relief. Although the genre isn't really for me, I preferred this to previous prog rock offerings. A strong and mostly enjoyable start and finish, but it gets a bit lost in the middle and I'm not keen on the sudden and seemingly random changes within songs. Why not just make them separate tracks as they don't seem particularly connected. The live acoustic noodle as track 2 is also bit out of place and interrupts the flow. 2.5/5

An enjoyable listen. The original compositions were better than the Rolling Stones and Doors covers, which had a bit of an Indian restaurant vibe. Interesting that this was the first fusion of Indian and western rock music, which makes the former more accessible, but has been repeated many times since, so doesn't seem as ground-breaking as it perhaps once was.

Following my recent Deep Purple boredom, I wasn't looking forward to another 1970s riff-heavy rock album. I enjoyed this though. It's long, but more varied than I expected, particularly on sides 2 & 3. The quieter, gentler tracks were the stand out moments to me. Down by the Seaside I particularly enjoyed and was a nice change of pace, and a more pleasant vocal style to listen to than the full-on rasping elsewhere. The heavier tracks are good too, and retain energy and emotion as well as incredible musicianship. Maybe the ability to insert energy and emotion into a performance is the difference between an artist and a musician? 3.5/5

My last review of CCR (Green River) was: "Pleasant, functional, American rock'n'roll album. Not massively interesting, but enjoyable." Exactly the same applies here. This is a bit more varied and I enjoyed it more, but no more than a competent 3/5, as for Green River.

Dirge is the only word for this. I could just about detect a tune in some of the early tracks, but from track 5 onwards it was just noise. I somehow managed to resist the almost overwhelming urge to turn it off before the end, but found myself getting more and more angry and irritated as a result. My face was an increasingly tightly screwed scowl for at least the last 25 minutes. Awful. 1/5.

I enjoyed this. It's MOR soft rock, but lyrically engaging and has a nice feeling about it. It sounds like someone singing from the heart. A bit of a country vibe in places. 3.5/5

Very smooth and easy to listen to. I almost wrote that this is easy listening music, but to me that has connotations of being somewhat devoid of artistic interest and merit, which is very much not the case here. Nice melodies and pleasant instrumentation. Enjoyable. 3/5.

I quite like The Clash, but hadn't previously listened to this, their debut album, in full. A punk album from start to finish, rather than their more genre bending later albums, such as London's Calling. I think I prefer it when they are mixing things up more. The US version, released two years later in 1979 sounds like a more accessible and interesting track listing, but that isn't subject to this review. In smaller doses this is good, but a full album is a bit much for me, even if only 35 mins long. 2.5/5.

The best U2 album by some distance. It contains elements of all the band's eras from their guitar effects-driven sound of the 80s, through to arty electronic and industrial influence of 90s, and 00s anthemic stadium rock. The main focus, however, is their emerging 90s style (Actung Baby to Pop), which is my favourite U2 era. A fair few stone cold classics on here: One, Even Better, End of the World, Wild Horses, The Fly, Mysterious Ways, Ultra Violet. 4/5.

I was excited to see this generated for me, as I know it's considered to be Joni Mitchell's masterpiece, and I really liked the Hissing of Summer Lawns. However, it failed to grab me, and even after a second listen has left me a little underwhelmed. Compared to 'Hissing' it is less interesting, varied or striking both musically and lyrically. It is a nice and pleasant album, and the vocal is great, but it all seemed a bit samey and not overly interesting, so didn't live up to my high expectations.

Not a big country fan, but there is something about this which is somehow joyous. It just sounds like someone who is happy, which makes it difficult not to like. 3.5/5.

An album of two halves. About half fairly standard MOR, whilst the other half is more experimental and varied. It makes it more interesting, but interrupts the flow. Might have been better as two separate albums? Overall, its pretty average. I didn't massively enjoy it. 2.5/5

A classic blues album from a pioneer of the sound, with a great blues voice. An excellent example of what it is, and an enjoyable listen. 3.5/5

The sexiest album so far. The iconic opening guitar lick sets the tone and it remains smooth and sensual throughout. Side 1 is consistent and top quality. Track 4, 'Keep Gettin' It On' being a reprise of track 1 'Let's Get It On' works well and holds side 1 together as even more of a consistent and single piece. A perfect 5/5 for Side 1. Side 2 is good, but the tracks are a bit more varied from each other and don't flow quite as well as in the first half. I usually like variety, but when the quality is as high and the style is as smooth and consistent as it is on Side 1, you just want more. Side 2 is 3.5/5. Overall, a brilliant album, which just misses full marks due to a slight dip in the quality and flow of side 2. 4.5/5

Apparently this album is a "scathing attack on Nigerian soldiers using the zombie metaphor to describe the methods of the Nigerian military" and its release resulted in the military attacking Fela Kuti's home and studio, beating Kuti and killing his mother in the process. . The album is comprises only two tracks. Both are powerful and funky with politically charged lyrics. The metaphor is clear once the context is known, and both tracks appear to be questioning soldiers following orders like the titular zombies and Mr Follow Follows. Away from the heavy context, considered just as a piece of music, this is an enjoyable and fun listen. With the context this is powerful and engaging. 4/5.

Blur are a great singles band, and this album has some absolute bangers: Girls and Boys, Parklife, End of a Century. Beyond that, the singles To the End, This Is a Low and the album track Badhead are lovely chilled songs. However, the majority of the rest was a quite irritating. A fair bit includes what I can only describe as circus music. This is pretty weird and a bit off-putting. I'd never noticed it on To the End before, but that song gets away with it where others don't. Overall, about 1/3 of this 16 track album is pretty great, but the rest is generally annoying. As such, I can't justify more than a 3/5, and it's only that high as the singles are so good. With Blur, I think I'll continue to stick to the greatest hits (the 2000 Best Of would be a bona fide 5/5).

I used to own this album, but sold it as I rarely listened beyond track 3 and Mexicola. It's interesting to revisit it 20 years later, and now that QOTSA are a big festival headlining band. As it turns out, I still really enjoy the first three tracks (Regular John, Avon and If Only), and although I'm still not keen on Walkin' on the Sidewalks (track 4), the rest of the album is a really enjoyable listen. It gets into a groove and chugs along nicely. I guess this is at a point somewhere between Desert Sessions and the later, more mainstream, QOTSA albums. This is more subtle than the next two QOTSA albums, Rater R and Songs for the Deaf, but stands up with them in terms of quality and is very much a single and consistent piece. 3.5/5.

Apparently this is an important album in that it fuses blues with harder rock, and therefore laid the groundwork for heavy metal. For that I am grateful. However, as a listening experience for the musical layman such as myself, I couldn't find much of interest. Just seemed like fairly boring rock n roll and overly ernest blues sung with an irritating raspy vocal. 2/5

I guess this was fine, but didn't grab me as being very interesting. Mr Pop's voice isn't really to my taste either. 2.5/5

I like this. It's a bit weird, but not too weird, which is just the right amount of weird. There lots of interesting instrumentation and sounds going on here, which pique the interest individually and also combine well to become integral components of each track. A really nice vibe to this album, and some really nice harmonies. Elements remind me of the Flaming Lips, Mull Historical Society, the Byrds and Coldplay. 3.5/5.

This is pretty weird. Impressively weird for 1968. Like the previous album by Grizzly Bear, it stays just the right side of weird to be more fun an interesting than it is annoying. 2.5/5.

Well this is surprising and rather lovely. The Bee Gees as serious artists, delivering mature and emotive pop music with a melancholic vibe. Like their more well known work, this is characterised by really nice melodies and harmonies, but with just a little less chart-friendly pure pop polish and more mature sounding instrumentation in the form of horns and strings. Really like this. 4/5

Nice soundtrack. 3.5/5.

I went into this expecting to dislike it, but as it turned out, I rather enjoyed it. It's heavy, but it's tuneful. 3.5/5.

I've seen Motorhead a couple of times, and they've been good, but only on big stages at festivals in the middle of the afternoon. This makes me wish I'd seen them indoors at one of their own shows. Great live performances. High energy, tight playing, and a great crowd reaction, all brilliantly captured on this recording. Couldn't really want more from a live album. The performance is so good that I can't tell if the opening track, Ace of Spades, is the recording that everybody knows, or if this performance is note perfect to the studio version. 4/5

The album cover is godawful and the title is total cringe (that apostrophe - urgh!), but the music is rather nice, cheerful and jangly. This album isn't going to win any awards for originality, but it's catchy and pleasant to listen to. 3/5.

Apparently this is 'post-rock'. It's is one for the musos I think. The intricacies of what it is doing musically goes over my head somewhat. A pleasant enough instrumental album though. 2.5/5.

Another overall disappointing album from Blur. But it does have Song 2 (and to a lesser extent, Beetlebum and On Your Own) on it. Like the other Blur records on this list, beyond the singles it is pretty forgettable. 2.5/5 (a bonus 0.5 for Song 2).

I wouldn't say this is bad, but I also wouldn't say it's good, interesting, engaging, or that there is any chance I will ever listen to it again. It's just a bit slow, gloomy, whiney, and dull. 2/5.

Musically this is quite interesting and fun. The vocal just ruins it though. Screechy and awful and renders some songs unlistenable. I'd like to understand why the band didn't just go out and find someone who could sing, but, frankly, I can't be bothered to look it up. 1.5/5.

An interesting concept: 43 tracks (on the version on Spotify), mostly between 1 and 2 minutes long. In some places, it seemed like these sort of combined to form longer songs (sort of), or song families linked by a theme. Whilst the format may be interesting insofar as it's unusual, it is not very enjoyable to listen to. Perhaps there is a reason this format hasn't been repeated by others (to my knowledge)? Or maybe the format is fine, but the music and vocals aren't great? I think it is a bit of both. The songs aren’t very good, but you might be able to get away with some of them individually as the 'novelty short song' on a normal album. However, 43 is far too many and really prevents it gaining any flow as each track is over before it gets the chance to establish itself in your consciousness. This album was therefore really hard to get into and ended up being quite a slog to get through. At the point I got really fed up of it, there were still 35 or so tracks left. I still made it to the end though - think I deserve a medal. 1.5/5.

Simply amazing. Possibly not quite as powerful as Soul Lady, but still brilliant. I'm blown away once again. 5/5.

By far the most enjoyable Pink Floyd album that this list has generated for me so far. So much better without "that psychedelic noodling stuff" (as Dave Gilmour described it). I had to read about the concept of the album in order to understand it. Each side reflects a journey through a human life, covering themes including greed, death and insanity. It also followed Syd Barret's breakdown and exit from the band. That context makes a big contribution to my understanding and enjoyment of the music. Overall, it is a pleasant listen and interesting idea which is well executed. However, musically it is a bit too polished for my tastes, which to me somehow detracts from its emotiveness. 3.5/5.

I'm not sure how it's taken me almost a quarter of a century to listen to this, but I certainly won't be leaving it 23 years before its next spin. A brilliant album from start to finish. A really nice, vibe that hits the perfect spot between fun and relaxing. Some bangers that I was already familiar with, interspersed with chilled out tracks, giving this album a great flow and feel. Effortlessly cool and catchy without being cheesy. Instantly love it.

Heavy, industrial, catchy, fun. A surprisingly accessible album (up to the last few tracks), given the genre. BIG and EPIC. I liked it a lot. 4/5.

This album starts and ends brilliantly. Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes and Won't Get Fooled Again are classics and still sound fresh in 2021, particularly the former. In the middle it is less memorable though, and seemed like fairly average rock. 3.5/5.

There's a lot going on here, much of which is a little strange. The regency music of Little Sister is perhaps the most unusual amongst a lot of different styles. Musical theatre vocals, asian instrumentation, orchestral and choral elements run throughout and hold the album together. Overall, an interesting album, which is tender, epic and funny in places. The more I listened, the more I liked it. 4/5.

I think Isaac Hayes might be a genius. The meat of this was great, but the build up to get there was quite slow (4 tracks, 45 mins). With familiarity from repeated listens, I expect the appreciation and enjoyment of this would grow, but based on one listen it's a 3/5.

This is the sort of jazz I would enjoy in a club or restaurant. 3.5/5

This was released at the peak of Missy Elliott's popularity. Half the tracks feature big-name collaborators (Jay-Z, Beyonce, Method Man, TLC) and it's produced by Timberland. It's commercial, accessible and an easy listen for the genre. I'm not sure Pussycat has the feminist credentials that Missy thinks, and I could have done without being reminded that "this is another Missy Elliott exclusive" at the start of EVERY track. Missy sounds good though and neither her voice nor the instrumentation grate on me like many other hip hop albums have. I therefore do not feel the need to "kill it with a skillet". 3/5.

Jangly indie pop with often amusing lyrics telling tales of everyday life from the perspective of various characters. Reminiscent of the Smiths, but with less bite both lyrically and musically. A pleasant and interesting listen. 3.5/5.

Some heavy and cool riffs, but the overly clean production robs this album of any emotion for me. The vocals also seem weirdly disconnected from the music, like someone doing an impression of a metal singer over a karaoke backing track. 2/5.

Pretty boring and a bit whingey, but not terrible. 2/5.

There's an awful lot of prog rock on this list. It would take a lot of effort and concentration to have a chance of enjoying it, and even then it might turn out to be rubbish, so I don't think I can really be bothered. This album seemed better than most in the genre and was enjoyable in places, particularly the last of the 3(!) tracks which had some nice harmonies, guitar and turned into a cool jam at the end (it also a Tudor thing going on about 1/3 of the way through). However, it still didn't grab me or inspire any interest to dig into the album, band or genre further. 2/5.

In football terms: the musical equivalent of James Milner. Competent, dependable and workmanlike, but not very creative, innovative or all that interesting. The album is fine and generally enjoyable, but the fact that out of all of language they chose to call their group 'The Band' probably says all you need to know about the levels of imagination that are apparent here. 2.5/5.

Really enjoyed this. Catchy songs, interesting lyrics and a connecting theme. Apparently this was recorded as a companion to a TV play that never got made, about a carpet fitter based on Ray Davies brother-in-law. Glad the album didn't get buried along with the TV show. 4/5.

A lovely, lovely, quiet, gentle, evocative, sad album.

A pioneering artist, and nice early rock-'n'-roll record, but only the well known songs (That'll be the Day, and Oh Boy!) and a couple of others stood out. 3/5.

MOR soft rock. Meh. 2/5.

This is more enjoyable and interesting than the Steely Dan album the list generated for me yesterday (Can't Buy a Thrill). Nice melodies, harmonies, a more varied pace. I liked the Duke Ellington cover (East St-Louis Toodle-Oo). Still basically MOR soft rock though. 2.5/5.

I've never taken recreational drugs, but based on this album it sounds like it would be fun. It's the sound of a man having a lovely time making weird music, seemingly doing whatever he felt like from one moment to the next. The result is enjoyable chaos. 3.5/5.

This exceeded my expectations. Bluesy and melodic. Apparently The Stones' 'Rubber Soul'. Preferred it to that. Maybe I'll settle the age-old debate through this process. So far: Stones 1-0 Beatles. 3.5/5.

This is an epic - in the sense that it is really long. Plenty of bangers are included, but can get a bit lost in the length of the album. It does take the listener of an engaging and enjoyable journey, though. That this is a rock opera is very apparent. The ebb and flow, big choruses, and narrative of musical theatre are clear, so the length gets a pass in this case and it is judged as something different (more?) than just an album of songs. 3.5/5 (for the bangers, narrative journey and a bonus half point for ambition).

This sounds like something that Feathers McGraw from Wallace and Gromit would enjoy. And that Chicken/Penguin has great taste. A really catchy and enjoyable instrumental R&B/soul record, with a distinctive Hammond organ sound front and centre. It would perfectly soundtrack various daily tasks like doing the washing up, spreading toast or walking through a town or city. I'm glad they didn't try to put vocals on it, as any words matching the unashamedly joyous, and cool vibe would probably be really cheesy and ruin it. It's a perfect example of what it is and still sounds fresh almost 60 years after it was recorded. 5/5.

Jump is a banger. The rest is 80s hair metal (although apparently it's not technically hair metal). A fun listen, but the quality tails off in the second half. 3/5.

Brilliant drumming. Surprisingly accessible. 3/5.

The Velvet Underground's eponymous album (without Nico) was the first record that generated for me on this odyssey. I found that one to be a bit boring, but that could not be further from the case with this. Everything about this is cool, including the iconic album cover. The music is varied with interesting and unusual elements throughout. However, it remains very much of a piece, with a consistent lo-fi and arty vibe which ties together the range of styles. I personally prefer the more mellow moments, but each track from 1-9 contributes to its brilliance. However, the final two tracks are basically just noise, which is a shame. The first nine tracks of this are a 5 star record. Half a point has to come off for the final two, but in practice I'll just pretend they don't exist. 4.5/5.

This is like a not very good amalgamation of much of the 'alternative' music that was popular in the mid-late 2000s. Bloc Party + The Strokes + The Killers + Hot Chip - any original and interesting elements = this. When dance-rock is done well it can be epic (e.g. EXRMNTR), but this is, like a lot of the similar 2006-2009ish output, just sounds dated and generic now. 1.5/5.

He may be a grumpy old codger these days, but I love Neil Young's voice. For that reason, I prefer the solo acoustic Side A (where Young's voice really stands out) to the full band Crazy Horse electric Side B. The symmetry of My My, Hey, Hey and Hey, Hey, My, My bookending the album is cool. Whilst I do really like this, I wonder whether it would have been even better as two separate albums. 4/5 for Side A, 3/5 for Side B = 3.5/5 overall.

Very nice, smooth, lovely melodies and beautiful singing, but doesn't really get me in the feels.

Having found ATCQ's next album, Low End Theory, to be extremely dull and dated, I was surprised to actually quite like this. Fun, catchy and laid back hip hop with a good balance of instrumentation and samples from a range of genres. Can/do I kick/like it? Yes you/I can/do. 3/5.

I was always aware of this being considered a classic and remember it as an ever-present in the 'buy one get one half-price' section of Our Price in the late 90s. For some reason I never took the plunge and forked out, which may have been an error, as it lives up to its billing. Rich, textured, and lush. Intriguing lyrics which make you want to delve deeper, sung with Michael Stipe's distinctive voice which suits the music perfectly. A quality album with an exceptionally strong first half and brilliant final three tracks. Just a slight dip at tracks 7, 8 and 9 mean this just misses out on full marks. P.S. I am one of the 99% of people who always thought it was "Calling Jamaica". I still can't hear it as "Call me when you try to wake her up". Surely all those syllables aren't actually sung? 4.5/5

I have a few issues with this. Firstly, you have to get past the voice, which must be an acquired taste. Secondly, the lack of melody makes this album hard work to listen to. If there is genius in there somewhere, it's buried so deeply as to be inaccessible. The album sounds quite raw. It presents as if it was recorded quickly and before the songs had been fully worked-up. I assume that is the style Dylan was going for, but to me it just sounds like a collection of demos which need finishing and finessing. Overall, a boring and displeasing listen. 1.5/5.

Swedish super-producer pop. It's fine, but I couldn't find anything distinctive about it. I'd never listened to Taylor Swift before, but was expecting better based on reputation. I'm not sure if the generic production style hides some good song writing, or serves to disguise a lack of quality songs. 2/5

This lives up to its title. Typical dark, broody synths, but also melodic and poppy. More catchy and less heavy on the vibe compared to Violater, which this album preceded and is also on this list. I'm coming to the conclusion that Depeche Mode are pretty great. 4/5.

There is some really good, and quite varied, stuff on here, although the vocal doesn't always fit. On Bone Machine, Waits' gravelly, discordant voice perfectly matched the hellish, doomey tone of the album. On here, it only works on a handful of songs, leaving the rest quite hard work. The album is certainly not without merit, and a range of styles is often to be admired, but in Waits' case, he might be best keeping it dark. 2/5.

This is probably the most year 2000 album I've ever heard. Even the cover screams 'millenium'. I found a lot of this very annoying. When it wasn't very annoying it was very generic. In paces it managed to be both very annoying and very generic (what is with that clipped sounding female dance vocal that was everywhere in the 2000s). 1/5.

A marginally less annoying rip-off of the Anfield Rap. Needs more Grobbelaar. 1.5/5

Timeless fast tempo, screaming rock'n'roll. Never gets old. 3.5/5

Let's be honest, the Happy Mondays were fun as a novelty circus, but not particularly good. Maybe this would sound amazing if I were to chug down a load of ecstasy, but that's not something I'm ever going to find out. 2.5/5

I was expecting boring standard 90s indie. I got interesting and excellent 90s indie with a lot of cool things going on. A really nice vibe and just the right balance of consistency and variety to hold it together whilst also keeping it interesting. I instantly really like it. A very unexpected 5/5.

This exceeded my expectations. I had always heard that the Doors are one of the most overrated bands of all time. However, I quite enjoyed this. Maybe still overrated, but perfectly decent. 3.5/5.

Ronseal. Soulful rock'n' roll. Enjoyable enough, not super interesting. 2.5/5.

This is a much more interesting album than I would have given credit for. A punk rock opera at the dawning of the culture war, which really captures the mood of the time. Long songs split into more than one movement. It's still Green Day, so mostly pretty basic, but it's Green Day being arty, which I never knew was a thing they did. 3.5/5.

What on earth is this? Medieval, folk, gallic, psychedelia. Very sparse sounding. No oomph. Too weird for me. 1/5.

Exactly how I would expect a T Rex album to sound. Distinctively them, basically fine, but pretty samey. 2.5/5.

A poppy, accessible and musically upbeat take on traditional Irish folk. The album incorporates a lot of other styles, but all somehow within an Celtic folk rock framework, which holds it together. A couple of ubiquitous classics - Fairytail of New York and Fiesta. A fun album, but with depth. A triumph. 4.5/5

A bit like Black Sabbath with added woodwind. Impressive musicianship, but the songs don't grab me. Some questionable themes, but it was the 1970s. 2/5.

This has a high production value and King Me Softly with His Song is a classic. The rest is alright for what it is, but Hip Hop just isn't my thing. The between-song skits about ordering take-away food etc. are annoying. 2/5.

The most classic of classic rock. Unlikely to win awards for innovation, but enjoyable for what it is - a fun, melodic, bombastic slab of cranked-up guitar bigness. 3.5/5.

There's not a lot on this album to grab the attention. It sounds quite dated and wears thin quite quickly, so doesn't even function well as background music. 1.5/5.

Ok 60s pop, but lacking any catchy songs or big hits. They should have stuck with the external song writers and session musicians. 2/5.

Socially and politically charged lyrics over varied and interesting music. A serious and often heavy album, in terms of content. Easy to see why this is critically acclaimed. 'The Blacker The Berry' and 'i' the standout tracks. 2.5/5.

Tiny Dancer plus seven other songs that follow a similar pattern: delicate piano builds to big orchestral sections, then drops back down, and repeat. It may lack variety but it's a winning formula; and when the melodies are this good it's very difficult not to like. 4/5.

Instantly forgettable country music. 2/5.

Less polished, and much easier to connect with than any Pink Floyd music I've heard to date. 3/5.

My heart sank when I saw I had to spend 71 minutes of my life listening to Kid Rock. I'll try to listen with an open mind though, it could be good. UPDATE: Nope. It's dogsh*t. 1/5.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is with a wall of sound for all to hear. A collection of popular Christmas songs, all performed and recorded in a consistent fun, joyful, upbeat, style. A lot of these have become the go-to versions, and the one original composition on the album, Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)) by Darlene Love, is an underrated Christmas classic. Thanks for generating this on Christmas Eve (surely not a coincidence at odds of approx. 1 in 260?). This will become essential Christmas listening and couldn't fail to put even the bah-humbuggiest of Scrooges in the festive mood. 4/5

You can feel the energy in the room in this recording, particularly during 'San Quentin'. Glad they included Cash addressing the audience between songs, but the heavy editing down of the setlist (to fit vinyl) and bleeping of profanities detracts somewhat. 3.5/5

Pleasant pop rock. The quintessential Englishness is a bit twee and wears a bit thin by the second half. 3/5

This is very Fun-D.M.C. Massive beats, catchy, and the first rock/rap crossovers. Easy to see why this is considered the first classic hip-hop album and how it brought the genre to a new audience. 4/5.

It seems like hip-hop moved on a long way between 1990 & 1994. This sounds a lot more modern then the early 90s albums on this list. I don't know enough about it too understand if Method Man/Wu Tang pioneered this change. This still didn't really can me though.

A much more accessible Bob Dylan album. The things that put me off previous albums aren't present here: the vocal is clearer and less strained, the production seems finished, and melodies are present. All this enables the lyrical craft to be revealed and makes for a very interesting and enjoyable liseten. Plugging in was a good idea. 4/5

I wasn't expecting innovation, but didn't think it would be this uninteresting. Fortunately, doing the hoovering provided a welcome distraction from the repetitive task of listening to this album. 2/5.

I was surprised to see Queen Latifah released her first album in the 80s. Not my favourite genre, but I didn't mind this. Liked the prominent brass in the backing tracks. 2/5.

Hardcore punk pioneers. Musically very accomplished (for the genre), and interesting that the vocals for 'Sacred Love' were recorded down the phone from prison. However, it didn't really grab me. I generally like my hardcore punk to be a bit more light hearted and fun. 2/5.

A pleasant collection of songs. Didn't realise this was the band that Neil Young started in. Not up to the standard of his later work, but hints at what's to come. 3/5.

It seems there is more to the B-52's than 'Loveshack', a questionable apostrophe, talk-singing, and the Flintstones. This is a high-energy, hook-laden, post-punk/new wave album which picks you up and demands attention and movement. Like the cover art, the album has a quirky cartoony vibe, but avoids slipping into novelty territory by virtue of its ferocity. Imagine this would have sounded ground-breaking in 1979 and remains fresh, fun and catchy today. 4/5.

The title sums this album up perfectly. Competent music, but for a collection of love songs it feels cold and perfunctory. Perhaps Clapton would have been better suited to a collection of assorted hate songs? 2/5

This is the third Tom Waits album that has been generated for me. The first one felt striking, different, and interesting, but is having 5 on this list really necessary? This may be the best of the three so far, but the law of diminishing returns means it struggles to hold the interest as well as the first one did. 3/5.

Distinctively Kate Bush. Unique, restful and spacey, but not really my cup of tea, except for the album closer, 'This Woman's Work', which is ace. 2/5

Not my favourite genre, and I'll never listen to this album again, but I didn't mind this. Musically quite gentle and melodic in places. 2.5/5.

It's catcy and amusing in places, but extremely juvenile and cringey. In 2021 some of the lyrics are very questionable. Guilty Conscience - ooshk. 2/5. Special shout out for Eminem at Reading Festival 2001 being the most cringe worthy set I've ever seen. No, I'm not 'amped' (whatever that means), and I don't really care if you pop that pill or not.

It's easier to enjoy the Beastie Boys when all they're fighting for is the simple right to party, rather than for Tibetan freedom. Whilst the latter may be a worthy objective, the former is much more achievable. In fact, they nailed it here, on their debut LP. It may not be very sophisticated, but this is a big, fun, bombastic party in album form. 3.5/5.

This album comes in both French and English versions. Although I didn't really engage with the lyrical content, the English version was still more enjoyable. It doesn't sound like a translation that has been shoehorned in. I'd be interested to know if the meanings of the songs are the same in both languages. Both versions are listenable and pleasant electropop. 3/5.

Ronseal. Ambient techno. Pleasant background music. Not something that demands attention, but a good album to review documents to and certainly a success under its own terms. Green Calx is a bit Pigeon Street. 3.5/5.

I have this album on CD, but have never given it much of a listen beyond Richard III and Sun Hits the Sky. It seems I've been missing out all these years as it's a rather good collection of varied songs and much more complex and mature than their debut. It may have benefited from the brass and other non-guitar instrumentation being brought out more in production. 3.5/5.

A compilation of tracks from previous albums and EPs released with the intention of catapulting the Hives to commercial success. It worked (for a time), thanks to the Hives being stylish, having a sound that fitted the 2001 garage rock zeitgeist, and Howlin' Pelle Almqvist being a charismatic front-man. The album is fun, high energy and hurtles along at a pace of knots. 'Hate To Say I Told You So' is a banger, but beyond that there is little in the song writing to suggest that the Hives could be sustained as anything more than an entertaining late afternoon festival act. 2.5/5.

Dark, brooding, unrelenting, excellent. A very engaging, if not enjoyable, listen. I'm much less familiar with Joy Division than I am with New Order, but the ingredients of the latter are clear here, despite the very different tone. An album I expect to revisit. 4.5/5

I didn't realise the descent of Morrissey into Dad-rock and questionable (to put it mildly) views started as far back as 1992. I liked it more when I thought of Mozza as a hilariously self-absorbed but ultimately harmless character. 2.5/5

A very professional live performance by a tight band. Easy background music, but 19 and 23 minute long songs may get a bit boring if I'm not distracted by other things. 2.5/5.