354
Albums Rated
3.07
Average Rating
33%
Complete
735 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
36
5-Star Albums
12
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Grand Don't Come For Free | 5 | 2.67 | +2.33 |
| Oedipus Schmoedipus | 5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
| Blood And Chocolate | 5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
| Music For The Jilted Generation | 5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
| Close To You | 5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
| Unhalfbricking | 5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
| Soul Mining | 5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
| Closer | 5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
| Cross | 5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
| First Band On The Moon | 5 | 3.29 | +1.71 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metallica | 1 | 3.79 | -2.79 |
| Paranoid | 2 | 4.2 | -2.2 |
| Songs From A Room | 1 | 3.16 | -2.16 |
| Sister | 1 | 3.02 | -2.02 |
| Hunky Dory | 2 | 4 | -2 |
| Physical Graffiti | 2 | 3.92 | -1.92 |
| Merriweather Post Pavilion | 1 | 2.9 | -1.9 |
| Back In Black | 2 | 3.86 | -1.86 |
| Electric Music For The Mind And Body | 1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
| Let It Bleed | 2 | 3.83 | -1.83 |
5-Star Albums (36)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Metallica
1/5
Saved Prior: Enter Sandman
Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: Through The Never, The God That Failed
Overall Notes: Me before listening to this album: :)
Me after hearing Enter Sandman: :)
Me after the next 4 songs: :||||||||
Me after song 8 seems to finally signal a change in the repetitive song structure: :|||
Me after song 8 finishes as a sub-par song: :||||||||||||
Me after the album finally ended: :|||||||||||||||||
I hated this. I have yet to give a 1 through 80 albums, this album has the incredible Enter Sandman, and I still gave this a 1. Through The Never and The God That Failed had their moments but came nowhere close to saving the immense pain sitting through this album put me through. I remember now why I always thought I hated metal. Shit like this.
13 likes
Arcade Fire
5/5
Saved Prior: Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels), Neighborhood #2 (Laika), Neighborhood #3 (Power Out), Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies)
Not Saved:
10. Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)
Saved:
9. Une Annee Sans Lumiere
8. Crown of Love
7. In the Backseat
6. Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
5. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
4. Haiti
3. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
2. Wake Up
1. Rebellion (Lies)
Overall Notes: A very very difficult album to rank 1-10. I saw these guys in concert (would highly recommend) so I'm pretty familiar with their stuff, and each song on this album brings strong musical elements to the table. Album is super nostalgic yet at the same time forward looking. Great stuff. One thing I'll say is that it's crazy that Wake Up doesn't open up the album, and the tracklist flows a little weird to me. But what do I know? 4.75 rounded up because math.
11 likes
Ian Dury
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: I'm Partial to Your Abracadabra, My Old Man
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Maybe the most british album I have ever heard. If I was an english bloke in the late 70's who felt jilted by the system this would BUMP. Unfortunately, I am not any of those things. Some pretty crash bars all over this thing, and I want to believe he's playing a character but sheesh. I'm glad this exists for people who enjoy it.
9 likes
Meat Loaf
4/5
Saved Prior: Paradise By the Dashboard Light
Off Rip: Bat Out of Hell, You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth, All Revved Up with No Place to Go, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Look. Turn your sophisti-brain off for 46 minutes and 31 seconds and enjoy this album. Is it the most incredible, world-changing music ever? No. Does it need to be to be an eminently enjoyable album? NO. This album is so fun and anyone who hates on it needs to lighten up. 4 stars.
7 likes
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Not Saved:
7. Round & Round
Cutting Edge:
6. Running Dry
5. Cinnamon Girl
Saved:
4. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
3. The Losing End
2. Cowgirl in the Sand
1. Down by the River
Overall Notes: Don't usually listen to much of this country/rock stuff, so didn't expect to like this at all. A 4.5 that I rounded up for because of how much it blew my expectations out of the water. Good vibes and fun instrumentals. I'm excited to hear more from this up and comer 'Neil Young'.
7 likes
1-Star Albums (12)
All Ratings
Depeche Mode
4/5
Saved Prior: World in My Eyes, Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Policy of Truth
Saved Off Rip: Sweetest Perfection
Cutting Edge: Halo, Blue Dress, Clean, Dangerous, Kaleid, Happiest Girl, Sea of Sin
Overall Thoughts: Very good album, sinister/sexual vibes, 4 all-time bangers, ambient songs towards the end bring it down to a 4 star
Cypress Hill
2/5
Songs Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Real Estate
Cutting Edge: Break It Up
Overall Notes: Not really my thing, high pitched delivery jarring at first but you get used to it, preferred the second half to the first
Bad Company
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: sounds like a lot of other guitar driven rock, probably inspired a bunch of the stuff i've already heard. Nothing overly good nor overly bad.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: So Much Things To Say, Three Little Birds, Punky Reggae Party
Cutting Edge: Waiting In Vain
Overall Notes: Not particularly a reggae fan but this was clearly very good, no bad songs, a clean 3.5 stars but had to round down
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Fight Test, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 2, Are You a Hypnotist??
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Very good album, flows really well and puts you in a different world. I can imagine coming back to this and liking even more songs.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Keep Gettin' It On
Cutting Edge: Let's Get It On, Come Get to This, Distant Lover
Overall Notes: Grew on me, need to be in the right mood to listen to it otherwise it really does not hit, not my genre but still pretty good. Definitely should've given Exodus a 4, that puts me in the mood to enjoy reggae while this album needs me to be in the mood for soul.
Beatles
5/5
Saved Prior: None
For all 5 star albums I'm going to be ranking the songs worst to best with tiers after one day of listening.
Not Saved Tier:
14. The Word
13. If I Needed Someone
Cutting Edge:
12. Nowhere Man (wish there was a little bit more going on, will probably grow on me)
11. Girl
10. Run For Your Life (would be higher if the lyrics weren't so sus coming from John Lennon)
Saved Off Rip:
9. In My Life (didn't especially like it at first, already growing on me, could easily rocket up)
8. What Goes On (simple but hits the spot)
7. Drive My Car (again, simple but hits the spot)
6. Wait
5. Think For Yourself
Top 4 are essentially toss-ups, not confident in this order:
4. Michelle
3. I'm Looking Through You
2. Norwegian Wood
1. You Won't See Me
This album is incredible, might be a Beatle stan. I get the Beatles. Nothing sounds quite like them, and goddamn they refuse to miss on this album. Even the two I didn't save are at least 5/10 songs.
The Byrds
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: C.T.A. - 102, Don't Make Waves
Cutting Edge: So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star, My Back Pages, The Girl With No Name, Lady Friend
Overall Notes: I guess I'm a fan of mid-late 60's rock, because even though this was a step down from the Beatles and there were definitely some misses on here this was still an enjoyable listen.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Song of Joy, The Curse of Millhaven
Cutting Edge: O'Malley's Bar
Overall Notes: Was a LOT better the third time compared to the first and second. Great storyteller, but I prefer it when my music does something beyond telling a good story. Similar to Marvin Gaye in that I need to be in the mood to enjoy it.
Duran Duran
5/5
Saved Prior: Hungry Like the Wolf
Not Saved:
9. Lonely in Your Nightmare
Cutting Edge:
8. Save a Prayer
7. New Religion
Off Rip:
6. My Own Way
5. Rio
4. Last Chance on the Stairway
3. The Chauffeur (all of the songs mostly had the same vibe except for this one. didn't expect to like this one as much as I did)
2. Hold Back the Rain
1. Hungry Like the Wolf
Overall Notes: Didn't think I was going to give this album a 5, but looking back I saved all but one song so how could I not. Hit that 80's alt zone dead on. The hooks are absurdly good and took it from a 4 to a 5. Every single song had a really good melodic element to it.
Tito Puente
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Cuando Te Vea (mostly to remember the album exists)
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Super fun listen, never really listened to latin music that seriously before. Sounds a lot like other latin music to me, but that's not a bad thing.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Halfway Home, Family Tree, Love Dog, Shout Me Out
Cutting Edge: Dancing Choose, Golden Age, Lover's Day
Overall Notes: Pretty good. Nothing quite as good as Wolf Like Me or Happy Idiot, but still a good album. Cut the last 4 songs and it's a 4, as it stands it's a 3.5 rounded down. May come back to this one.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: Do It Clean, Pride, Crocodiles, Rescue, Read It In Books, The Pictures on My Wall
Overall Notes: Wasn't a huge Echo fan going into this and the sentiment remains. All sounded more or less the same and wasn't terribly interesting. Maybe their later albums will be better.
Coldplay
4/5
Saved Prior: Yellow, Trouble
Saved Off Rip: Shiver, Spies, Sparks, Everything's Not Lost/Life is For Living
Cutting Edge: Don't Panic
Overall Notes: Between a 4 and a 5, songs 7-9 brought it down to a 4. I can see why they blew up off of this, a beautiful album. Having Yellow and Trouble back to back is greatest hits type stuff.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Saved Prior: Sir Duke, Pastime Paradise
Not Saved:
21. Easy Goin' Evening
20. If It's Magic
19. Love's In Need Of Love Today
18. Ngiculela-Es Una Historia-I Am Singing
17. Black Man (without the outro this would've been saved)
Cutting Edge:
16. Ordinary Pain
15. Summer Soft
14. Have A Talk With God
13. Knocks Me Off My Feet
Saved:
12. Ebony Eyes
11. Joy Inside My Tears
10. All Day Sucker
9. I Wish
8. Contusion
7. Village Ghetto Land
6. Saturn
5. Isn't She Lovely
4. Another Star
3. Pastime Paradise
2. As
1. Sir Duke
Overall Notes: Another album where I didn't think I was going to give it a 5 but after looking back over it I clearly liked it a lot. Even the songs I didn't really like clearly belonged on the album (except the last one) and these songs work on their own and hit even better when placed with one another. That blind mf don't miss!
The Specials
3/5
Saved Prior: A Message To You Rudy
Saved Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: a couple man idk which ones
Overall Notes: not terrible, not amazing, I'll probably end up saving a couple. Similar to marvin gaye i'd say
Blue Cheer
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: Rock Me Baby, Out of Focus
Overall Notes: Yeah this ain't it chief. Not as god awful as it was as background music the first time listening to it but definitely not my thing.
AC/DC
2/5
Saved Prior: Back In Black
Saved Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Was hoping it was gonna be better than past listening experiences but I really just don't vibe with this kind of music. Back In Black the song is crazy good tho and none of these songs are bad. If I was on a roadtrip through Montana I wouldn't skip any of them.
The Clash
5/5
Saved Prior: London Calling, Spanish Bombs, Lost in the Supermarket, Train in Vain
Unsaved Tier:
19. Jimmy Jazz
18. Revolution Rock
17. Four Horsemen
16. Lover's Rock
15. Wrong 'Em Boyo (second Stagger Lee song shoutout nick cave)
Cutting Edge Tier:
14. The Card Cheat
13. The Right Profile
12. Clampdown
11. Brand New Cadillac
10. Death or Glory
Off Rip Tier:
9. I'm Not Down
8. Koka Kola
7. The Guns of Brixton
6. Hateful
5. Rudie Can't Fail
4. Spanish Bombs
3. Lost in the Supermarket
2. London Calling
1. Train in Vain
Overall Notes: An experience and set the stage for a lot of the 80's music I love today. Train in Vain is one of my favorite songs of all time. The 4 songs I had saved prior have a familiarity bias to them, but I'm sure in 5 months that list will be jumbled. Top stuff.
The Replacements
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: I Will Dare
Cutting Edge: Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out, Androgynous, Seen Your Video
Overall Notes: I really did not like this one on first listen, but I saw the appeal on second listen. Would've given it a one for sure after first listen, got bumped up to a 2 after a couple more listens. I do like I Will Dare a lot though.
The Monkees
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: You Just May Be The One, I Can't Get Her Off My Mind, Randy Scouse Git, All Of Your Toys*, The Girl I Knew Somewhere*, A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You* (last three songs were added on for the deluxe rerelease)
Cutting Edge: Shades of Gray
Overall Notes: Another less-good version of the Beatles. Felt more by the numbers than the Byrds did, but it just goes to show the crazy influence those English guys had on popular music.
Barry Adamson
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Under Wraps, The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I wanted to be a hater so bad but it wont me over. An album I never would've listened to if it weren't for this site and though it's not for casual listening, as an album experience it was actually super cool. Differed from Nick Cave in that I didn't get tired of his voice after a while because there was no voice, the narrative is carried through the music, song titles, and my imagination. Sounds super pretentious when I put it that way but this was super cool. Almost gave it a 5 lowkey.
Black Sabbath
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Iron Man
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Oops, all heavy metal! I just don't really like this kind of music. Even Iron Man, a prior casualty of the Cutting Edge, took multiple years of listening to finally get saved. Maybe one day it'll all click for me but that day wasn't today.
Charles Mingus
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Yes that was in fact jazz. Don't know enough about jazz to really understand what makes good jazz and what doesn't. Sounded pretty good to me, but also sounded like good ol' jazz.
The Pogues
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn, Wild Cats of Kilkenny, Sally MacLennane
Cutting Edge: I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day, Billy's Bones
Overall Notes: These Celtic boys rock pretty hard. It feels kind of gimmicky sometimes but it's fun.
Eurythmics
3/5
Saved Prior: Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Saved Off Rip: Love Is A Stranger
Cutting Edge: I've Got An Angel
Overall Notes: A lot more artsy than I was expecting having known Sweet Dreams beforehand. Much better after a couple listens, but nothing especially stood out other than Sweet Dreams, a deserving smash hit.
Pixies
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Cecilia Ann, Velouria, Allison, Ana, Havalina
Cutting Edge: Dig for Fire
Overall Notes: I REALLY did not like this one at first. Luckily it's pretty short so I could listen to it a bunch of times, and it has very much grown on me. A lot more abrasive than I was expecting going in, but once I more or less knew what was going on in the songs they were pretty good. Excited for the other Pixies albums.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
Saved Prior: I Think I Need a New Heart
Saved Off Rip: A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off
Cutting Edge: a couple I have to go back through and pick
Overall Notes: Very very long, didn't really have time to go through and truly listen to all of the songs as I am currently quite busy. An album I will be returning to in the summer when I have more time (hopefully). Placeholder grade of 2.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: This is one of those albums where it inspired a lot of music that ended up being much better. The first couple of tracks were pretty cool how they overlapped and sounded like one long jam session, but not something I'll be returning to.
Arrested Development
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: People Everyday, Mr. Wendal, U, Dawn of the Dreads
Cutting Edge: Tennessee
Overall Notes: A pretty fun listen. Sometimes the sound gets a little too all over the place and the tone gets a little too preachy for me but still a good listening experience. A 3.5, but I'll round to a 4.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Not Saved:
7. Round & Round
Cutting Edge:
6. Running Dry
5. Cinnamon Girl
Saved:
4. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
3. The Losing End
2. Cowgirl in the Sand
1. Down by the River
Overall Notes: Don't usually listen to much of this country/rock stuff, so didn't expect to like this at all. A 4.5 that I rounded up for because of how much it blew my expectations out of the water. Good vibes and fun instrumentals. I'm excited to hear more from this up and comer 'Neil Young'.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: The One You Love, Old Whore's Diet
Cutting Edge: Little Sister
Overall Notes: A pleasant album. Not really sure why it's required listening but glad I listened to it. This is perfect music to put on in the background while you do work.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Saved Prior: Scar Tissue, Otherside, Californication
Saved Off Rip: Parallel Universe
Cutting Edge: Easily
Overall Notes: Other than the three songs I knew already, the other songs kinda sounded the same. I wasn't able to devote full attention to the album so maybe I just wasn't listening close enough, but nothing especially stood out in a positive way. Will probably come back to this one.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Black Sabbath, The Wizard, Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B./Wicked World
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I don't know if this list has broadened my horizons or if this album really is that different from Paranoid, but I MUCH preferred this one. I'll be reappraising my 2 for Paranoid later, but I really liked this album. I don't get why they decided to combine multiple songs together, would've liked it even more if I could listen to just certain parts of the two ~10 minute songs. A 4.5 that I'll round to a 4 because I'm trying to avoid score inflation and I didn't ADORE this album, but damn this was a good album. Cut like 3 minutes off that last song and it's a 5.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Bluebird Wine
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Some good ol'fashioned country. Not a huge fan of slow country and it kinda settles into the background for me, but she has a good voice.
Gang Of Four
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Ether, Damaged Goods, I Found That Essence Rare
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I was hopeful going into this, but it was kinda just noise. All kinda sounded the same, once you've heard the first 4 songs you've heard the whole album. Disappointed.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Like a Rolling Stone, Tombstone Blues
Cutting Edge: Desolation Row
Overall Notes: The songwriting is really good, but holy hell batman I can't take the harmonica. I normally have no strong feelings about the instrument, but for whatever reason it sounds horrible and it single handedly ruins songs on this album (Queen Jane Approximately is the chief example of it). I don't know if it's the mix or my speakers or what it was about it but the screeching in my ear was unbearable. I can't believe that the cool kids once listened to harmonicas and a rambling man.
The Smiths
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours, Death of a Disco Dancer, Girlfriend in a Coma, Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Not as good as prior Smiths material I know, but still good. Will inevitably grow on me because that's just how the Smiths go. Hyped for the other two albums.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Everydays, Expecting to Fly, Hung Upside Down, Sad Memory, Broken Arrow
Cutting Edge: Bluebird, Rock & Roll Woman
Overall Notes: Sounds like one of those bands where they influenced a lot of others, but in retrospective they kinda blend in with the rest. They also don't really sound like a band but rather a collection of songs that people decided to put together under the "Buffalo Springfield" name. The songs are pretty good as a whole, but not very cohesive. The similarities between Mr. Soul and I Can't Get No Satisfaction just make me want to listen to the original than this quasi-cover. 3.5 rounded to a 3 despite the large number of songs saved because I feel like other songs/bands ended up doing this stuff better, including Neil Young himself. Good songs, but not the greatest 'album'.
Blur
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Girls and Boys, End of a Century, Parklife, Badhead, To the End
Cutting Edge: Tracy Jacks
Overall Notes: The first half of the album is really really good, but could've cut a couple of songs to keep up the momentum. Super enjoyable regardless though.
Big Star
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Stroke It Noel, Blue Moon, Till The End Of The Day
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Despite the fact that I didn't save a lot of songs, this was a cool listen. It puts the disintegration of a band and of a man front and center and you can hear that in the music. Is it for casual listening? Absolutely not. This is another album that I'll be returning to over the summer when I can really immerse myself in the world of the album. As it is now, I'll give it a 4 and keep it saved to my albums on Spotify.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: God! Show Me Magic, Hometown Unicorn, For Now and Ever
Cutting Edge: Something 4 the Weekend
Overall Notes: This was alright with headphones, but it was a fun listen on the speaker. Don't entirely get what the big deal about them is, but it was fun.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
4/5
Saved Prior: Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?
Saved Off Rip: Perfect Skin, Speedboat, Rattlesnakes, Forest Fire, Charlotte Street, Four Flights Up
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: No bad songs, but nothing earth-shattering either. Just a nice collection of 80's alt-pop. Close to a 5 due to sheer number of songs saved, but not that many songs I would really call incredible 10/10 songs so it stays a 4.
David Bowie
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: A fine album, I can see why Bowie is such a big deal. Nothing was super catchy for me to latch on to after a couple listens, but a good album nonetheless.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Tubular Bells Pt. 1
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Some really cool parts, some eh parts. That'll happen when the songs are 20+ minutes long. Crazy enough, I liked those better than the shorter songs at the end.
Harry Nilsson
2/5
Saved Prior: Coconut
Saved Off Rip: Gotta Get Up
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I always get this guy mixed up with Andy Kaufmann. No idea why, but I do. In terms of the music, eh. Love "Coconut" tho.
Pink Floyd
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Lucifer Sam, Matilda Mother
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I don't really get what the big deal about this is. I'm sure they get better as they go along but man, did not especially like these songs.
Primal Scream
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Sounded like a less interesting version of Fatboy Slim and "Connected" by the Stereo MC's. Close to a 1 tbh, because even though nothing was objectively bad about the album, nothing was objectively good either. It just existed for OVER AN HOUR. These songs should not be 5+ minutes.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Saved Prior: Immigrant Song
Not Saved:
10. Hats off To (Roy) Harper
Saved:
9. Tangerine
8. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
7. Celebration Day
6. Since I've Been Loving You
5. Friends
4. Out on the Tiles
3. That's the Way
2. Gallows Pole
1. Immigrant Song
Overall Notes: Led Zeppelin clicked for me during this album. I genuinely enjoyed every song on this album except the last one, and all for different reasons. Immigrant Song is what I imagine people who like heavy metal think heavy metal sounds like all the time. If it all sounded like that, I'd be a fan. Apparently this album is a transitionary album for Zep, can't wait to hear more.
The Saints
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Know Your Product, Memories Are Made of This, Private Affair, Run Down, Orstralia, New Centre of the Universe, Untitled
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Surprisingly really liked this one. A 5/5 punk album, unfortunately the downside of that being that punk kinda sounds the same a lot of the time. I had to check my computer multiple times to make sure I hadn't accidentally shuffled the album because some of the riffs sounded the exact same. Still a really good album, but that's why it's not a 5.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Gimme Shelter, Monkey Man, You Can't Always Get What You Want
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Is it blasphemous to call this album meh? I don't really like blues and that's probably why I don't like it all that much. This just wasn't my thing. I really like You Can't Always Get What You Want though, and Gimme Shelter is good if a little overrated.
R.E.M.
4/5
Saved Prior: Radio Free Europe
Saved Off Rip: Laughing, Moral Kiosk, Perfect Circle, Sitting Still, Shaking Through
Cutting Edge: Catapult, We Walk
Overall Notes: My biggest gripe with R.E.M. has always been that they sound like everyone else, and even though I know that they influenced all those other bands that doesn't change the fact that I liked some of those songs better. This album went pretty far in showing me that R.E.M. still have merit. Really really good record, and though they all sounded kinda similar I was tempted to give this album a 5. Gave it a 4 because nothing knocked me off my feet (other than Radio Free Europe which has quickly become my favorite R.E.M. song) but I get R.E.M. now.
The Auteurs
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: How Could I Be Wrong, Idiot Brother, Home Again
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Sophisti-britpop. Kinda reminded me of the slower songs from the Blur album. Bet the indie brits went crazy over this one.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved Off Rip: Forgive Them Father
Cutting Edge: Ex-Factor, To Zion, Doo Wop (That Thing)
Overall Notes: Let me just say that this was really good R&B/rap. Unfortunately, R&B/rap where almost every song is over 5 minutes long is not my thing. There's only so much Fergie-singing-the-National-Anthem-ing I can take before I tune out the lyrics, even if those lyrics are really good. Was close to giving it a three, but I was kinda bored listening to a lot of these songs. I'm sure that if I ever grow to like R&B I'll look back and laugh at what an idiot I was for giving this album a 2, but that's where I am right now.
Sonic Youth
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Schizophrenia, Catholic Block
Cutting Edge: Stereo Sanctity
Overall Notes: This is how I imagine this album was pitched:
-Hey guys I've got a great idea for an album. You play your guitar, you play your drums, I'll vocalize over it. No planning, just playing. I'll just let you know when you should be loud and when you should be quiet.
-Oh so you're shooting for a jazz/improv type thing.
-No. We will be recording our parts in separate rooms. We will be creating noise.
I did not like this. It is so exhausting listening to this kind of music. It drains me like no other. I feel bad putting this on the same level as that fucking Metallica album that I also graded a 1 because I can tell that this was artistically a statement, but I did not have a good time listening to this and I did not gain anything from listening to it. 1.5.
Ian Dury
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: I'm Partial to Your Abracadabra, My Old Man
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Maybe the most british album I have ever heard. If I was an english bloke in the late 70's who felt jilted by the system this would BUMP. Unfortunately, I am not any of those things. Some pretty crash bars all over this thing, and I want to believe he's playing a character but sheesh. I'm glad this exists for people who enjoy it.
Sade
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Hang on to Your Love
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Blech. Not for me.
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Spanish Castle Magic, Wait Until Tomorrow, Castles Made of Sand
Cutting Edge: Bold as Love
Overall Notes: Messy by design. Not the biggest fan of these classic electric guitar driven albums, so this isn't really my thing. Seeing that Little Wing had over 180 million streams shocked me. 2.5 that I'll round down because some of these songs are borderline unlistenable.
Sheryl Crow
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Run Baby Run, Leaving Las Vegas, Solidify, The Na-Na Song, Wha Can I Do For You
Cutting Edge: Strong Enough, Can't Cry Anymore
Overall Notes: Actually liked this one a good bit. Kinda felt like junk food in comparison to the other albums we've been listening to in that it didn't take that much focus to enjoy, but still pretty good.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Talkin' Bout a Revolution, Fast Car, Across the Lines, Mountains O'Things
Cutting Edge: Baby Can I Hold You, Why?
Overall Notes: Didn't think I would like this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. Her voice just sounds super authentic and it sounds like she means everything she sings, even if it was a little preachy at times. Has a timeless sound, wouldn't have been surprised if it was released anytime between the 70s and the 2010s. I'd heard bits of Fast Car before but hadn't realized how amazing that song is.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Missed, Me-Jane
Cutting Edge: Rub 'Til It Bleeds, 50ft Queenie, Yuri-G
Overall Notes: I went back and forth one giving this one a 1 star. On the first listen it was downright unlistenable. I think understand what she's going for and she's doing a damn good job of showing what I understand to be gender-based rage. The problem is that I didn't want to hear it ever again. After forcing myself to listen to it again, however, I could in fact hear melody and how to music complimented the anger and confusion really well. Absolutely a 2 still because even though it does what it does really well, I don't really like what it does. This album isn't really for me though, and I would never say that this is a bad album. Kinda goated tbh. Still a 2 from me tho.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Dress, Sheela-Na-Gig
Cutting Edge: O Stella, Happy and Bleeding
Overall Notes: Less abrasive and angry compared to the other one we listened to. Liked more songs, but didn't really nail an emotion like the other album so will probably be returning to this one less.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Song For Lindy, Santa Cruz, Going Out Of My Head, Everybody Needs A 303, Give The Po' Man A Break, First Down
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I had prior exposure to his bigger hits, but this was fun head-bopping dance music. The repetition hits perfectly and this would be super fun to dance to at a party. Not what I would call essential listening, but a fun listen nonetheless.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: In the Flesh?; An Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1; Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2; Mother; Goodbye Cruel World; Hey You; Nobody Home; In the Flesh; Run Like Hell
Cutting Edge: Is There Anybody Out There?
Overall Notes: It's great. Not much that I can say that hasn't already been said, didn't ADORE it though so it gets a hearty 4. Is There Anybody Out There? fully rips the James Bond riff
4/5
Saved Prior: Poison Arrow
Off Rip: Show Me, Many Happy Returns, The Look of Love - Pt. 1, Date Stamp, All of My Heart, Theme from "Mantrap"
Cutting Edge: Tears Are Not Enough, Valentine's Day
Overall Notes: Nice juicy drama, synths, and drum machines. The cover captures the theatricality of this album perfectly. Big fan. Popcorn music, was close to giving it a 5.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Push It Along (despite the intro/outro), Luck of Lucien, After Hours, Footprints, I Left My Wallet in El Segundo, Pubic Enemy, Can I Kick It?, Mr. Muhammad, Ham 'N' Eggs, Description of a Fool
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: A very good album. I don't think it ever transcends into a classic album, but it's a very good and very consistent album. All of the songs are good and have good vibes, but I couldn't round up this 4.5 to a 5 despite the amount of songs I saved.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Thunder Road, Backstreets, She's the One, Jungleland
Cutting Edge: Born to Run
Overall Notes: While I can't say I fully understand the insane hype for this guy, I will say that this is the best of this type of album that I've ever heard. Was going to give it a 3, but that felt wrong so I'm bumping it up to a 4.
Incubus
4/5
Saved Prior: Drive
Off Rip: Privilege, Nowhere Fast, Consequence
Cutting Edge: The Warmth, Make Yourself, I Miss You
Overall Notes: Actually liked this a lot. Nu-metal, or whatever this is, is a LOT more enjoyable than straight metal. I liked the tinges of hip-hop that were mixed throughout. Lost me towards the end where they got a lot more yell-y, but the first half of the album was really good.
Tom Waits
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Jockey Full of Bourbon, Hang Down Your Head, Time, Rain Dogs
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I appreciate that this album doesn't try to smuggle its weirdness in halfway through and that you know right away what you're getting into. I did not particularly enjoy it, but I did appreciate it.
Faust
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Krautrock, Jennifer, Giggy Smile
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Expected to hate this. Kinda loved it instead. The baseline on "Jennifer" is genuinely one of my favorite things I've ever heard. This album does do the thing where it randomly blasts you with an unlistenable sound for a bit, but I still enjoyed this. Also 1973?????? You could've told me this was a Radiohead side project and I would've believed you.
Carpenters
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Not Saved:
12. Help (Hard to outdo the Beatles)
11. Crescent Noon
10. Baby It's You
Cutting Edge:
9. (They Long To Be) Close To You (Crazy that this was their huge hit. I'm sure it'll grow on me)
Off Rip:
8. Reason To Believe
7. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
6. Another Song
5. Maybe It's You
4. Mr. Guder
3. I Kept On Loving You
2. We've Only Just Begun
1. Love Is Surrender
Overall Notes: This album made me go :). Happy music. Can't wait to take some summer drives to this.
Nina Simone
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Four Women, Either Way I Lose
Cutting Edge: Lilac Wine
Overall Notes: Good music, just not my kind of thing. I'm glad this exists, but it's not meant for me.
Brian Eno
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I get why ambient music exists. I might even go so far as to say I'm glad ambient music exists. But I couldn't tell you for the life of me what makes good ambient music and what makes bad ambient music. A bad ambient song to me is either silence or a musical song. So this middle ground between the two is very hard for me to judge.
Mudhoney
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Good Enough
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Yeesh I do not like this noisy guitar heavy grunge. I've been generous with grades for genres I don't normally listen to and so this 1.5 gets rounded up by the skin of its teeth. If future grunge albums sound like this they will not be so lucky.
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Victoria; Yes Sir, No Sir; Some Mother's Son; Shangri-La; Nothing to Say; Arthur; This Man He Weeps Tonight*; Drivin' (Alternate Mix)*
Cutting Edge: Mr. Churchill Says
*: On the Deluxe Album
Overall Notes: Very very strong 4. Love the lyrics on this album, and each song has at least one good musical/lyrical moment. A lot also had moments that I could've done without, but really enjoyed this album as a whole.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Saved Prior: Superstition
Off Rip: Maybe Your Baby
Cutting Edge: Big Brother
Overall Notes: A little too mellow for my taste, much preferred the more varied Songs in the Key of Life. If someone told me they adored this album I wouldn't think they were crazy, it's just not my thing.
Metallica
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Eye of the Beholder
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Metallica feels like canned metal. There is nothing structurally wrong here, but it doesn't hit at all. It feels soulless. It feels corporate. It feels safe. Elevator metal. Still better than the Black Album.
Madonna
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Drowned World/Substitute For Love, Swim, Ray of Light, Candy Perfume Girl, The Power of Good-Bye
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I really liked this album's vibes. 5 stars? No. But it was a very enjoyable listen despite nothing really happening. A clean 4.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Good Times Bad Times, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Your Time Is Gonna Come
Cutting Edge: Dazed and Confused, How Many More Times
Overall Notes: I preferred the more acoustic LZ III, but this was still pretty good. I didn't like the blues covers very much, so I'm glad they focused on their own material as they grew as a band.
George Michael
2/5
Saved Prior: Freedom! '90
Off Rip: Heal the Pain
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Great voice, one all-time bop, one pretty good song, and a bunch of fine but ultimately forgettable songs.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Saved Prior: Walk This Way
Saved Off Rip: Peter Piper, Is It Live, You Be 'Illin
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Walk This Way is an alltimer, and there were some songs here that I liked, but the rest of the album felt very basic. I understand that this had to come before all the other great rap, but I couldn't really get into this. It's Tricky has to be one of the most overrated songs I've ever heard (it's fine but nothing spectacular), and Dumb Girl is one of the worst early rap songs I've ever heard. Brings it down from a near 3 to a 2.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: First We Take Manhattan, Everybody Knows, I Can't Forget, Tower of Song
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: The missing link between Frank Sinatra and Nick Cave. I can see how people absolutely adore this whack poetry crooner, but it was average (for this list) listening. I get what he's doing with the cheesy 80's stuff highlighting the cheesiness of the lyrics, but that doesn't make it more enjoyable.
George Jones
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: The Grand Tour, Darlin', The Weatherman
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Saw someone call this the country "In The Wee Small Hours". I don't even especially like that album but let's pump the breaks. There are some good songs on here though.
Parliament
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Mothership Connection (Star Child)
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: We want the funk, give up the funk (if it's not live.) Coming to you from my laptop speakers, this is underwhelming. I would adore this live though, when you can really feel the rhythm. An enjoyable 2.5, and since most of my other 2s are albums I didn't like, I'll round this up.
Justice
5/5
Saved Prior: D.A.N.C.E.
Cutting Edge Tier:
12. Waters of Nazareth
Saved Tier:
11. Stress
10. One Minute to Midnight
9. Phantom
8. Newjack
7. Valentine
6. Phantom Pt. II
5. Genesis
4. DVNO
3. D.A.N.C.E.
2. Let There Be Light
1. The Party
Overall Notes:
A remarkably consistent electronic album. The main pitfall of electronic albums for me is that some of the songs drag on for a bit too long, but at 48 minutes for 12 songs this is just about the perfect length for the songs to breath without overstaying their welcome. Only knew D.A.N.C.E. going in, and that is definitely the outlier of the album. It's a lot darker and dirtier than that single, but in the best way possible. Daft Punk have their influence here, but they were also in turn influenced by this mammoth of an album. Incredible stuff.
The White Stripes
5/5
Saved Prior: Seven Nation Army
Not Saved Tier:
14. You've Got Her In Your Pocket
13. Little Acorns
Cutting Edge:
12. Ball and Biscuit
Saved:
11. Well It's True That We Love One Another (don't know why there's a minute of silence at the end of this one, would've been higher)
10. Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine
9. There's No Home For You Here
8. In The Cold, Cold Night
7. I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother's Heart
6. Black Math
5. The Hardest Button To Button
4. Hypnotize (if only it was longer!)
3. The Air Near My Fingers
2. Seven Nation Army
1. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
Overall Notes: I had prior exposure to Seven Nation Army and Hardest Button To Button, so I was expecting this to be an out and out rocker. Was a lot more nuanced and personal than that, and it was better for it. Didn't absolutely adore any of the songs, but this was an incredible album regardless. A low-end five, but 11/14 saved songs speaks for itself.
The Triffids
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Bury Me Deep In Love, Hometown Farewell Kiss, Blinder By The Hour, Save What You Can, Baby I Can Walk You Home*, Region Unknown*, Love The Fever*, Bad News Reminds Me Of You*, Everything You Touch Turns To Time*
Cutting Edge: None
* = bonus track
Overall Notes: Never heard of these guys even though they're in my musical wheelhouse. Reminded me of a more guitar driven Go-Betweens. Like this a fair amount, especially the bonus tracks, all of which I saved. If they were on the original album I would've rounded this up to a 4, but as it stands it's a 3.5 rounded down.
The Youngbloods
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Darkness, Darkness; Smug; Quicksand; Ride the Wind
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: The most inconsequential, random album on this list to date. I can only assume that it was added to give them an easy and uncontroversial album to take off when they have to add new albums when they release an updated version. It's not bad, in fact some of these songs are pretty good. It's just not must-hear.
Ray Charles
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Tell Me You'll Wait for Me
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Similar sentiment that I've had for a lot of the much older albums; good music, important music, but not my thing.
FKA twigs
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Lights On, Two Weeks, Numbers, Give Up, Kicks
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Music for hot girls with bangs, septum piercings, and a bunch of small tattoos on their arms. Might need to look into liking this music more myself so we have more things to talk about lolz. Never wanted to skip a single song, she uses audio panning and, well, sound to create such an engrossing musical landscape. Wish I liked it more than I already did. 4.
Bebel Gilberto
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: August Day Song, So Nice (Summer Song), Bananeira
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Nice voice and beats. Really liked this, will be returning
Saint Etienne
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Girl VII, Spring, Kiss and Make Up
Cutting Edge: Carnt Sleep, People Get Real
Overall Notes: Not at all what I expected based on the album cover and the reputation this album has. Was expecting some kind of twee pop stuff but it was actually some decent dance music instead. Don't understand the polarizing reviews of this album compared to something like Screamadelica getting rave reviews. I know it came after but I liked this one more. The first half was on a strong four trajectory, but it lost steam as it went along. Cut like 3 or 4 songs and it's a 4.
Supertramp
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: School, Bloody Well Right, Hide In Your Shell
Cutting Edge: Crime Of The Century
Overall Notes: The first three songs are really really good, but it loses its steam as it goes on. The definition of a 3.5 star album, but i'll round up to a 4 because the first three songs are incredible.
Neil Young
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Out on the Weekend, A Man Needs a Maid, Heart of Gold, Old Man, There's a World, Alabama
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: When I'm in a relaxed mood this is very good music. When I'm not this is horribly boring music. Not as sonically interesting as the album with Crazy Horse was, and thus I greatly preferred that album (gave it a 5). This is worse than that album, but it's still pretty good. 3.5 that I'm going to round down because I have to be in the mood for this specific kind of laid-back-but-not-too-laid-back rock.
R.E.M.
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Try Not To Breathe, Man On The Moon, Find The River
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Not nearly as fun as their earlier music, felt more somber. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's just boring. Also was frequently in one ear out the other. 2.5 rounded down. SMD Everybody Hurts.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Alameda, Cupids Trick, 2:45 AM, Say Yes
Cutting Edge: Speed Trials, Between the Bars
Overall Notes: I'm not singer-songwriter depressed, I'm more twitchy guitar/drums depressed.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Sweet Virginia, Sweet Black Angel, Let It Loose, Soul Survivor
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: They do a lot of messing around on this, some of it works for me and some of it just feels unnecessary to have put on the record (deluxe versions were made for this kind of album). I bet the performances for this album KILLED live. Had this been trimmed by about 15 minutes it would've been close to a 4. It seems like this is a favorite of Rolling Stones fans so I'll hide behind my usual "blues/country isn't usually my genre" excuse when I give this a low 3.
Megadeth
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Wake Up Dead, The Conjuring, Peace Sells, Devils Island, My Last Words
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I considered myself a metal-hater, but it seems I have a soft spot for thrash. Probably stems from my time listening to the Madden '10 soundtrack every weekend as a kid, but I liked this. Do I get metal? No. But I get thrash. Wouldn't want anyone to know that I listen to this when I'm driving down the street, but it's great in doses.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Badlands, Candy's Room, Racing in the Street, The Promised Land
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Completely inoffensive rock. I understand he's a storyteller and he's an American icon but did we really need 4+ of his albums?
Supergrass
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Tonight, It's Not Me, Cheapskate
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Not a good sign of my enjoyment of the type of music a band is shooting for when the 3 songs I save aren't in the top half of most streamed on the album. Just came off a little too brash and noisy, and I gave this album a LOT of attempts to grow on me. A 2 feels harsh, but a 3 feels generous. A true 2.5 that I'm going to round down because score inflation.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Are You Happy?, Only Dreaming Now
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Sure. Fine. Bob Dylan esque vocals. Whatever. 2.5 rounded down cus it's ok.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Saved Prior: Big Poppa
Off Rip: Things Done Changed, Gimme the Loot, Machine Gun Funk, Ready to Die, Everyday Struggle, Who Shot Ya?*
Cutting Edge: None
*Bonus track
Overall Notes: Yeah this completely lives up to the hype. Biggie gets braggadocious, sexual, vulnerable, and menacing and sells every single one. King him. 4.5 rounded down.
Small Faces
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, Afterglow, Rollin' Over
Cutting Edge: Rene
Overall Notes: Gets a little too kooky for its own good for the second half, but the first half is good unpredictable psychedelic rock (especially Afterglow). The second half is not terribly listenable though because of the gobbledygook voiceovers so idk how this could be one of the best british albums of all time. Bumass brits.
Violent Femmes
5/5
Saved Prior: Blister In The Sun, Kiss Off, Gone Daddy Gone
Not Saved:
12. Gimme The Car
11. Good Feeling
Cutting Edge:
10. To The Kill
Saved:
9. Confessions
8. Promise
7. Add It Up
6. Ugly
5. Please Do Not Go
4. Prove My Love
3. Blister In The Sun
2. Gone Daddy Gone
1. Kiss Off
Overall Notes: Angsty, immature, chaotic in all the best possible ways. Filled with catchy guitar hook after catchy guitar hook and the instrumentation and voice compliment each other perfectly. Big fan.
The Smiths
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: The Headmaster Ritual, Rusholme Ruffians, I Want the One I Can't Have, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, Nowhere Fast
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I love the Smiths, but I don't know if I've found a Smiths album that I adore yet. They all have really good songs, but also songs that I would rather skip. Just as with Strangeways the first half was much better than the second half. Nevertheless, a 4 of an album (Strangeways was also probably a 4 too but I can't change my old ratings). Excited for The Queen Is Dead which is supposedly their masterpiece.
DJ Shadow
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt, What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt. 4, Stem / Long Stem, Mutual Slump
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Lots of cool musical ideas on this album, and a deceptively large amount of the songs were saved seeing as a third of the songs were interludes. 3.5 that I'm going to round down because that felt right in my soul, though the quality of the beats was definitely 4 worthy.
Sebadoh
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Soul And Fire, Two Years Two Days, Emma Get Wild, Homemade
Cutting Edge: Cliche, Forced Love, Bouquet For A Siren
Overall Notes: This album had little bits that were really good, whether that be the lyrics, guitar, or melody, but could never keep the momentum going for more than a song or two, let alone the full album. Felt like they took the DIY aesthetics of the Violent Femmes and took it too far. I'm sure there are tons of people who love this, but I'm not one of them.
Fever Ray
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Concrete Walls
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Sounded like I was attending an Icelandic tribal ceremony 100 years in the future. Cool music, but not for casual listening.
Santana
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen, Mother's Daughter
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Eh, this is clearly a bunch of talented dudes but idk it didn't really hit. I can't really put into words why I didn't really like it, but it just faded into the background for me. 2.5 that I'll round up.
The Kinks
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: David Watts, Waterloo Sunset
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: There was so much hype on the internet for this album for some reason. I didn't see it. The amount of times I saw "How do I even talk about Waterloo Sunset; it's a perfect song"...??? Yeah it's great but come on. I'm sure I'm missing something with this album, but I listened at least 3 times and my opinion didn't really change from the first to the third. Meh.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Golgotha
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Nice relaxing world music. Every song more or less sounded to the same, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I like getting these world music albums on this list.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Tuesday's Gone, Gimme Three Steps, Simple Man, Things Goin' On
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Good authentic southern rock. Crazy that this was their first album and they basically defined the genre so effortlessly. Not crazy about Free Bird, but overall a great country rock record. Not my favorite genre so it gets a 3, but a strong 3 for sure.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Saved Prior: The Killing Moon
Off Rip: Silver, Nocturnal Me, Crystal Days, The Yo Yo Man, Seven Seas, My Kingdom, Ocean Rain
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: One of those albums where I like damn near every song on the album, but nothing floors me. I love the mellow atmosphere of this album and the production was much better than the other Echo album in here. The Killing Moon is one of my favorite songs ever too, but there wasn't enough here to push this into 5 territory. Just a thoroughly good, sometimes great album.
Serge Gainsbourg
4/5
Sauvegarder Avant: Rien
Dès Le Début: Melody, Ballade De Melody Nelson, Valse de Melody, Ah Melody, L'hôtel particulier, En Melody, Cargo culte (c'est à dire tout l'album)
Presque Sauvegarder: Rien
Notes Générales: As someone who speaks French, I figure my two-cents is valid here. In terms of the "Lolita" part of the wikipedia page, that's really not a big part of the narrative and the whole narrative is clearly not meant to be taken seriously as the guy meets her after hitting her with his Rolls Royce as he's driving on the sidewalk. The music is the most important part, and once you let Gainsbourg's mic-swallowing exist in the atmosphere of the tracks it's not so jarring. Would've been a 5 if it was longer, I just wish it had more time to develop some of those songs. But I guess that's the point of the album, it's a short fling from car crash to plane crash. 4.5 that gets rounded to a 4 for length.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: 49 Bye-Byes, Teach Your Children
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: People adore this? Hated this on first listen, extreme overdose of meh on second listen. Simply was not interesting to me. Sorry.
The Divine Comedy
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: In Pursuit of Happiness, Everybody Knows (Except You), Someone, If I Were You (I'd Be Through With Me), I'm All You Need
Cutting Edge: If...
Overall Notes: Some nice chamber pop. I can see people seeing this as pretentious, but I like it like that. The orchestral moments are beautiful and the lyrics aren't too self-serious. A 4.5 rounded to a 4 because it wasn't anything earth-shatteringly good (and again I'm trying to avoid score inflation), but I really really enjoyed this album. This is like a better version of that Rufus Wainwright album and will probably replace it for when I'm in the mood for some chamber pop.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: No Bones, Pond Song
Cutting Edge: Yeah We Know
Overall Notes: Call me basic, call me a noob, call me uncultured. I simply prefer my indie rock when it isn't trying to overwhelm me with noise.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Shake Your Rump, Johnny Ryall, Egg Man, Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun, Shadrach, B-Boy Bouillabaisse: A Year And A Day, B-Boy Bouillabaisse: Hello Brooklyn, B-Boy Bouillabaisse: Dropping Names
Cutting Edge: Car Thief
Overall Notes: Pretty good. More of a technical marvel with all the sampling than a musical marvel, but still enjoyed a fair amount of tracks. Low 4.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Religion I
Cutting Edge: Public Image
Overall Notes: I don't get post punk. This sounds horrible. It's telling that the one song I saved is a spoken word version of another song on the album. I wanted to like this because I like "Rise" from one of their later albums (after they had already "sold out"), but this was a miserable listening experience. Musically important and the music matches with the rage and anger they're expressing, but this is still miserable. Upon relistenings there were redeeming qualities to the song "Public Image". Still a 1.
Paul Simon
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Mother and Child Reunion, Hobo's Blues
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Versatile but never really gets all the way there for me. 2.5 rounded down.
Kate Bush
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Sat In Your Lap, Pull Out The Pin
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: She's a singular voice in pop that's for sure. This is a sonically rich album brimming with little musical flourishes, oddities, and textures, but they often don't all combine into songs that I personally like. I bet Björk LOVES this.
Leftfield
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Afro Left, Inspection (Check One), Open Up
Cutting Edge: Space Shanty, Storm 3000
Overall Notes: Super influential electronic that gives off Fatboy Slim vibes but with the world music meter turned up. It's fine, but nothing earth shattering for me personally.
Green Day
4/5
Saved Prior: American Idiot, Boulevard of Broken Dreams*, Wake Me up When September Ends
Off Rip: Holiday*, Are We the Waiting / St. Jimmy, Give Me Novacaine / She's a Rebel
Cutting Edge: None
*: I prefer the songs split up, so I had them saved off a greatest hits compilation at different times
Overall Notes: I can't believe this album is as good as it is. IDK if I really follow the plot of the punk rock opera, but these songs all bop despite their hefty running times for punk songs.
ABBA
4/5
Saved Prior: Dancing Queen; Money, Money, Money
Off Rip: My Love, My Life; Dum Dum Diddle; That's Me; Tiger
Cutting Edge: Knowing Me, Knowing You
Overall Notes: I truly do not understand why people hate ABBA. You have to be so angry at people being happy. The lyrical depth of this album caught me off guard, was expecting vapid songs and these songs were not that. That's Me might be my favorite ABBA song by a country mile. ABBA know who they are and they do it so damn well. Went into this thinking ABBA were the quintessential Greatest Hits over Albums band, but this worked as an album very well. 4.5 to a 4 because it was just about what I expected and didn't really surprise me musically, but that doesn't mean this album didn't go crazy.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Help Me, Car on a Hill, Just Like This Train, Twisted
Cutting Edge: Raised on Robbery
Overall Notes: "A folk singer with a poet's heart" yeah that checks out. This is how you turn poetry into actual songs that do things, Leonard Cohen take notes. 3.5 rounded down (barely)
Metallica
1/5
Saved Prior: Enter Sandman
Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: Through The Never, The God That Failed
Overall Notes: Me before listening to this album: :)
Me after hearing Enter Sandman: :)
Me after the next 4 songs: :||||||||
Me after song 8 seems to finally signal a change in the repetitive song structure: :|||
Me after song 8 finishes as a sub-par song: :||||||||||||
Me after the album finally ended: :|||||||||||||||||
I hated this. I have yet to give a 1 through 80 albums, this album has the incredible Enter Sandman, and I still gave this a 1. Through The Never and The God That Failed had their moments but came nowhere close to saving the immense pain sitting through this album put me through. I remember now why I always thought I hated metal. Shit like this.
Taylor Swift
4/5
Saved Prior: None (?)
Off Rip: Welcome To New York, Blank Space, Style, Out Of The Woods, I Wish You Would, How You Get The Girl
Cutting Edge: Wildest Dreams
Overall Notes: My sisters used to listen to this album all the time, so I know the majority of these songs. Shocked I didn't have any of them saved before this because what a first 4 songs. Such a good pop album, the literal blueprint for at least half of the past 7 years worth of pop albums. Not as big a fan of the slower songs on this album and Bad Blood is a whiff for me, but a great album nonetheless. Glad she got some respect and made the list. 4.
D'Angelo
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Brown Sugar; Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine; Shit, Damn, Motherfucker; Lady
Cutting Edge: Cruisin'
Overall Notes: Smooth as butter. Didn't really think soul was my genre, but I've heavily fucked with the soul albums I've gotten thus far on this thing. Vibes on vibes on vibes.
Laibach
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Leben heißt Leben, F.I.A.T., Trans-national
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I see the vision. I don't always like the vision, but I see it.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: April Skies
Cutting Edge: Happy When It Rains
Overall Notes: Fairly one-note. I know their song Head On and that song is better than the entirety of this album. I can see how this would've influenced grunge and stuff but this album was just aight.
Eric Clapton
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Motherless Children, I Shot The Sheriff, Steady Rollin' Man, Mainline Florida
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Prior to this album I only really knew Clapton as one of the greatest guitarists of all time but hadn't consciously listened to any of his music. To my surprise, these songs weren't entirely reliant on his guitar playing the way Jimi Hendrix's album was that I had gotten previously but were a lot more varied in the ways they presented the guitar. His playing didn't seem too out of this world to me, but I don't play the guitar so maybe I'm missing something. As for the album itself, very laid back, not especially my cup of iced tea but decent. Strong 2.
Beth Orton
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Central Reservation - The Then Again Version
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: This is alternate reality Tracy Chapman, down to the biggest song being Adjective + "Car", except it's boring
Carole King
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: I Feel the Earth Move, It's Too Late, Home Again, Beautiful, Tapestry
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: A very homey album from one of the most important people in pop music history, I can see how this sold a bajillion copies.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Saved Prior: Paradise By the Dashboard Light
Off Rip: Bat Out of Hell, You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth, All Revved Up with No Place to Go, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Look. Turn your sophisti-brain off for 46 minutes and 31 seconds and enjoy this album. Is it the most incredible, world-changing music ever? No. Does it need to be to be an eminently enjoyable album? NO. This album is so fun and anyone who hates on it needs to lighten up. 4 stars.
The Sonics
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: The Witch, Psycho, Money
Cutting Edge: Do You Love Me, Strychnine
Overall Notes: One of those albums with a low profile but incredible influence. Crazy that this was released the same year My Girl by the Temptations went number 1. Proto-grunge and proto-punk for sure, super simple chords and stuff but the energy sells it.
Otis Redding
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Ole Man Trouble, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Not a very big R&B fan, but his voice is incredibly expressive and he makes these songs his own. I had to look up whether the Rolling Stones actually wrote Satisfaction cus it sounds so natural coming from him.
Elton John
2/5
Saved Prior: Tiny Dancer
Off Rip: Madman Across The Water
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: All of Elton John's music that I've experienced so far has a certain theatricality to it that I don't know if i'm a particularly big fan of, but when it works it WORKS. Tiny Dancer is incredible, and I liked Madman Across The Water as well, but the others felt like knockoff versions of Tiny Dancer.
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: She's obviously very talented. I hate to use the phrase "I'm too young to really enjoy this", but I'm too young to really enjoy this. Wouldn't turn this off, but wouldn't ask someone to turn it on either.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Oxygene Pt. 2
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Very hard for me to grade these ambient and ambient-adjacent albums. How do you grade something that intentionally fades into the background. Probably blew mfs minds in 1976 but today it sounds like something you would hear in a carnival imitation of Space Mountain.
Mike Ladd
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: 5000 Miles West of the Future
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Kind of a harsh 2, there was the concepts of a plan for a sick album here but it didn't stick the landing for me. Shocked this man hasn't featured on a Gorillaz track.
The Cure
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Play for Today, A Forest, M, At Night, Seventeen Seconds
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Really dark soundscapes. I personally would've liked a couple more hooks (especially since I know the Cure is capable of it), but that's clearly not what this album is shooting for. In terms of quality this is at least a 4, but it's not really for me. Does the job of creating a foreboding and uneasy atmosphere though, so I'll give it a 3.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Dead, Drunk And Naked; Guitar Man Upstairs; Angels And Fuselage
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Not going to convert a sceptic of the genre, but that's not what this album is looking to do. Nuanced celebration of southern rock's sizable impact. 3, not for any lack of quality (the lyrics are really well done) I'm just not the biggest fan of the genre and 90+ minutes is a lot.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Avalanche; Famous Blue Raincoat; Sing Another Song, Boys
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: At the end of the 4th song, he talk/sings "That's all I got to say". Oh how I wish that was true. And I liked this album more than most of his stuff.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Coles Corner, Just Like the Rain, The Ocean, Born Under A Bad Sign, I Sleep Alone
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Britpop and Easy Listening had a decently enjoyable child
Fleet Foxes
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Not Saved:
11. Heard Them Stirring
10. Tiger Mountain Peasant Song
Cutting Edge:
9. Meadowlarks
Off Rip:
8. Oliver James
7. He Doesn't Know Why
6. Blue Ridge Mountains
5. Your Protector
4. White Winter Hymnal
3. Sun It Rises
2. Quiet Houses
1. Ragged Wood
Overall Notes: Did not expect to like this at all. Folk is one of my least favorite genres, it all sounds so terribly plain to me. But this was impeccable. Lush sounds, wonderful harmonies, nice little lyrical bits. An easy 5, especially considering the genre this is coming from. This is medieval music for the 21st century, and I'm here for it.
Simple Minds
2/5
Saved Prior: Promised You A Miracle
Off Rip: Someone Somewhere (In Summertime)
Cutting Edge: Big Sleep
Overall Notes: Blended into the background most of the time. Not what I expected since Promised You A Miracle is such an odd song. Fine, but wouldn't be anywhere close to my first pick if you asked me to play an 80's synth album (shoutout OMD).
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
2/5
Saved Prior: Teach Your Children (kinda. I saved a version on the CSN deluxe version that I like a lot more without realizing that it came from this album. Talk about Deja Vu)
Off Rip: 4 + 20, Country Girl, Everybody I Love You
Cutting Edge: Carry On
Overall Notes: Catastrophically, Superbly, Normal. Y? I couldn't tell you. (CSNY?? Get it???) These guys have to be one of the most overrated acts of all time. Were they the first people to think of harmonizing while playing guitars? I genuinely do not understand their insane critical and commercial success. Maybe I'm failing to grasp how wide reaching their influence is, because they sound so NORMAL looking back at them. These guys are the boomer band to end all boomer bands. Not that it's terribly bad, it just is.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Love Sick, Make You Feel My Love, Can't Wait
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Well that was just about what I expected, I've been here for almost an hour I can't wait to start this last song so I can rate this two point five st-oh god is that SIXTEEN MINUTES I SEE PLEASE MAKE IT STOP i've had more than eNOUGH
Oasis
2/5
Saved Prior: Shakermaker
Off Rip: Live Forever, Slide Away, Married With Children
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Good lord every song sounded the same, and not in a good way. Constant loud guitars and whichever Gallagher brother sings' accent. Was so close to giving this album a 1, but Slide Away and Married With Children saved it at the 11th hour so it's a 1.5 rounded up to a 2. After one album from each, Blur are blowing Oasis out of the water in the battle of Britpop.
The Pogues
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: If I Should Fall From Grace With God, Metropolis, Thousands Are Sailing, Fiesta, The Broad Majestic Shannon
Cutting Edge: Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/The Galway Races
Overall Notes: This was probably a better and more varied album than the other Pogues album on here (Rum Sodomy and the Lash) but I preferred the punkier punchier sound of the older one. That being said, I'm still going to round this 3.5 up to a 4. Also The Pogues scoring an "All I Want For Christmas Is You" level smash Christmas hit with a full f-slur in the lyrics is hilarious.
Richard Thompson
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: When I Get To The Border, I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Don't really like folk, particularly English folk, but this was fine enough. Definitely loses steam over the second half but hey that means it started well. Speaking of steam, I really really like the album art, would look sick on a record display case where I didn't really ever have to listen to the music itself.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Something for the Weekend, Becoming More Like Alfie, In & Out of Paris & London, The Frog Princess
Cutting Edge: Middle-Class Heroes, Songs of Love
Overall Notes: Very surprised to see multiple albums from these guys, especially since this album was overall similar to their other album in here without the orchestral flourishes. Good songs, but I liked the other album better. They fit in two from these guys but couldn't get one They Might Be Giants album????
Travis
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Writing To Reach You
Cutting Edge: Driftwood
Overall Notes: This is what Coldplay would sound like if they wrote exclusively wrote songs for mid-2000s 58% Rotten Tomatoes scoring rom-coms. It's mid Keane. "Something Only We Know" and "Everything's Changing" are better versions of anything and everything on this album.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Come All Ye, Medley: The Lark In The Morning, Tam Lin
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: If I heard this for the first time at a Medieval Ages themed section of an amusement park I would be bobbing my head and milling rocking on every block. That being said, these songs wear out their welcome pretty quickly seeing as they use the same vocal inflections and melodies over and over. It's fine. The songs I like are at an average of high 3 stars, but the rest are easy skips so I'll give this a high two.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Blue Skies, On the Sunny Side of the Street
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: There was nothing wrong with this album. Soothing country versions of classic songs. Not for me.
Haircut 100
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Love Plus One, Lemon Firebrigade, Milk Film
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Probably the most shocked I've been to see an album on this list. I've heard of Love Plus One before from all the 80's one hit wonder lists I've read, but never actually listened to it until now. New wave with congos and saxophones. Never amazing, but pretty good. Don't fully understand what this is doing here but it's good stuff. I don't know if I'd go as far as to say artsy Duran Duran, but I liked it.
Barry Adamson
5/5
Saved Prior: None
*Since this is meant to ape a soundtrack it's more difficult than usual to rank these songs because some of the songs that work best as soundscapes are the less enjoyable ones to listen to on their own, so I'm just going to rank by how much I enjoyed listening to them.*
Not Saved:
13. Dirty Barry
12. It's Business As Usual
11. State Of Contraction
Saved:
10. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Pelvis
9. The Big Bamboozle
8. The Vibes Ain't Nothin' But The Vibes
7. Set The Controls Again
6. In A Moment Of Clarity
5. Achieved In The Valley In The [Spotify sic] Dolls
4. Vermillion Kisses
3. Miles
2. Something Wicked This Way Comes
1. The Sweetest Embrace
Overall Notes: I'm sure I'm not the first to say that I don't think we needed two "soundtrack to an imaginary film" albums from this guy. Nevertheless I really enjoy these things, especially now that he decided to add words to some of the songs. They're fun, sue me!
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Saved Prior: You Oughta Know, Head Over Feet
Off Rip: All I Really Want, You Learn, Wake Up
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Great breakup album that has found me when I was not going through a breakup. I LOVE You Oughta Know regardless though the emotion is so crystallized. Don't normally like this kind of alt-rock but this was very good. 3.5 rounded up because there were no out and out clunkers.
Peter Tosh
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: WHY MUST I CRY, Ketchy Shuby, Brand New Second Hand
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Fine reggae. I regret only giving Exodus a 3 more and more every day.
Lou Reed
3/5
Saved Prior: Walk On the Wild Side
Off Rip: Andy's Chest, Perfect Day, Satellite of Love
Cutting Edge: Goodnight Ladies
Overall Notes: About what I expected knowing Walk On the Wild Side. Songs I liked, songs I didn't, wide-reaching influence.
Muddy Waters
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Mannish Boy, Crosseyed Cat
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I'm sorry I just do not like the recorded blues. Live? Fuck me up. But something just doesn't translate when it's recorded. I apologize.
Muddy Waters
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: I've Got My Mojo Working
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Running out of ways to say I just don't mess with the recorded blues like that. It's fine.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Mad Cyril
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Jumbled and overlapped beats and rhythms. No thanks. 1.5
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: The Fun Lovin' Criminal, Passive / Aggressive, Bombin' the L, We Have All the Time in the World
Cutting Edge: Crime and Punishment
Overall Notes: Fun funky laid back rap. Kind of scratches the same itch as People's Instinctive Travels but more rock leaning.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Traveling Man, My Blue Tears, Here I Am, A Better Place To Live
Cutting Edge: Coat of Many Colors, Early Morning Breeze
Overall Notes: Good old fashioned country music. 3.5 rounded to a 3 because it's nothing I haven't heard before. Still enjoyable though. Extra points for not having any problematic themes or lyrics.
Gary Numan
3/5
Saved Prior: Cars
Off Rip: Airlane, Metal, Films, Random*
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Pretty good early obtuse synth music. The Basement Jaxx flip of M.E. is iconic, and the beat to Cars is so good he uses it twice on the album. In general the album has cool ideas that he takes and uses, but nothing transcendent comes of these cool new ideas that others will master. Don't want to know what kind of parties they were throwing back in the late 70's-early 80's where this could've been thrown on aux though.
Dennis Wilson
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: River Song, Time, Pacific Ocean Blues
Cutting Edge: You and I
Overall Notes: This guy probably had a legitimate all-time album in him, too bad he had a little run-in with one of the worst people ever to grace the Earth. River Song, Pacific Ocean Blues, and the second half of Time are great at least.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Master Song
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Sometimes I feel stupid for not liking Leonard Cohen cus he's so beloved and acclaimed. Then I'll put on one of his albums and remember that music is subjective and his 'music' is subjectively a two pack of ass. Good lyrics do not a good album make. At least there's some life to this one.
The Who
4/5
Saved Prior: Baba O'Riley
Off Rip: Bargain, The Song Is Over, Getting In Tune, Behind Blue Eyes
Cutting Edge: My Wife
Overall Notes: This is a masterpiece. Not usually a massive fan of mainstream rock, but this for sure earned its reputation as one of the greatest albums of all time. Baba O'Riley is one of the best album openers of all time, and though I didn't really get the hype for the closer Won't Get Fooled Again I respect the hell out of this album.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Ha Ha I'm Drowning, Sleeping Gas, Treason, Went Crazy, Brave Boys Keep Their Promises, Books (much better version of the Echo & the Bunnymen song on Crocodiles), Thief of Baghdad, When I Dream, Reward
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: A surprisingly great pop album from a band called "The Teardrop Explodes". If it weren't for some obtuse lyrics I would've assumed this was some kind of early, experimental Duran Duran. Didn't push all the way to 5 star territory, but still good/great music.
Primal Scream
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Medication
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: If you play Primal Scream for me and you're under the age of 40 I'm looking you dead in the eyes as I disembowel myself in front of you, forever changing your musical bond with this shite band and the trajectory of your aux life
The Jam
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Billy Hunt, It's Too Bad, Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
Cutting Edge: To Be Someone (Didn't We Have A Nice Time)
Overall Notes: Kink-y punk rock, though that seems to be by design seeing as there's the David Watts cover on this thing (I prefer the original Kinks version). Higher floor but lower ceiling than some of those Kinks albums have. This one gets a low 3.
fIREHOSE
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Riddle Of The Eighties, In My Mind, Liberty For Our Friend, If'n
Cutting Edge: Time With You
Overall Notes: With that name, that album cover, and that title (which took me wayyyyy too long to realize was just "from ohio"), I was fully bracing myself for another self-important post-punk shitshow. Imagine my surprise when the first two songs are fun little guitar ditties. Not a classic by any means and I'm very surprised it's on this list (no song has over 150k plays on Spotify as of the writing of this review) but it was a fun low stakes album with short songs that don't overstay their welcome. If we're grading how much it surpassed my expectations, 5 stars easily. Unfortunately, objectively this album is a 3 for pretty good.
John Lennon
4/5
Saved Prior: Imagine
Off Rip: Crippled Inside, How Do You Sleep?, How?, Oh Yoko!
Cutting Edge: Jealous Guy
Overall Notes: "Wow John, thank you for solving society. Now come back to bed and eat this PUSSY."
- Yoko Ono after hearing this album for the first time
Eels
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Susan's House, Your Lucky Day in Hell
Cutting Edge: Flower, Guest List
Overall Notes: Very mellow indie rock. Some of the lyrics are fun and cute, others are just odd. Not really my thing.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Most Anything You Want, Flowers and Beads
Cutting Edge: My Mirage
Overall Notes: I understand that this album is primarily on here for the title track, but I actually preferred the first three songs as full songs. 17 minutes is a lot, especially for a fairly minimalist composition (drum solo was super cool though by far my favorite part, it's just a bummer you have to listen to a 17 minute song to hear it so it goes unsaved). Honestly a higher grade than I was anticipating giving it, was a pretty good listen.
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Stay With Me
Cutting Edge:
Overall Notes: I read that Faces were considered a really good live band, but the only place I really felt their energy was Stay With Me (which I really liked). Outside of that song, the rest of the album kinda dragged on for me. More power to you if you liked this though.
Wire
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Three Girl Rhumba, Surgeon's Girl
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: This is somehow super basic yet super erudite I don't know quite how to explain it. I appreciate that they were in and out before it hit 40 minutes though. I don't even know if you can call these songs man it's just riff riff riff. I wave the pink flag on this one. Good on Elastica for yoinking the riff to Three Girl Rhumba and making an actual song out of it, more bands should do that with these short ass 'songs'. 2.5 rounded down.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Saved Prior: Love Goes On!, Streets of Your Town, Was There Anything I Could Do?
Off Rip: Clouds
Cutting Edge: I'm All Right
Overall Notes: Shoutout Matt for putting me on to this album a couple years ago. That being said, the three singles are the only songs of note. Not quite sure why this album is on here, can think of a dozen 80's albums that would've been better inclusions.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Bemsha Swing
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I'll give Thelonious this much: he does have a distinctive sound. Title track sounds super complex, I bet music theory nerds go googoogaga over the minor-minor-Aflat-Zmajor nonsense going on. I will stick to saying that yup, this is jazz.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Saved Prior: Do I even need to say none for this one.
Off Rip: San Francisco Bay Blues, The Boll Weevil, Salty Dog
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Cool that he has so many songs in his repertoire, like a modern day Homer. Not a huge folk guy, so it's more cool in theory than in practice. Also features the most subdued song about cocaine I have ever heard. Plus the Spotify version of this album for whatever reason has a Sarah Vaughan version of Dink's Song instead of the Jack version? Her version can't be found anywhere else?? It just exists under his name on this album???
Tears For Fears
5/5
Saved Prior: Shout, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Head Over Heels
Not Saved:
8. I Believe
7. Listen (wouldn't listen to it on its own, but nonetheless works well as a bookend to this album)
Saved:
6. Mothers Talk
5. Broken
4. The Working Hour (other 3 songs have familiarity bias, but this song has the potential to jump them. This is a beautiful song)
3. Shout
2. Head Over Heels / Broken (odd choice to tack on Broken to the end of this song, would've just preferred it exist on its own to avoid the musical whiplash. Probably would've been number 1 if not for that)
1. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (not that this song isn't deserving of #1. Nutty song.)
Overall Notes: Up there with the most artistic yet commercially viable new wave albums of all time. Straight up beautiful album. Must hear for SURE.
Kate Bush
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: The Sensual World, The Fog, Heads We're Dancing
Cutting Edge: This Woman's Work
Overall Notes: Some cool songwriting but it didn't really click for me as a full project. I'm afraid that I'm a simple man who wants some kind of hook. 2.5 rounded down but I'm still excited to hear more from her later in the list.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Saved Prior: You Make Me Feel So Young, I've Got You Under My Skin
Off Rip: It Happened In Monterey, You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me, Love Is Here To Stay
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Ol' Frankie does it like nobody else. He's by far my favorite singer from the era (no racist). He just puts me in a different state of mind. With regards to this album, it mostly hits the same beats over and over. 3.5 that I'll round down to a 3. The big two hits from this album are can't miss all-timers though.
Ray Charles
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Bye Bye Love; Born to Lose; Hey, Good Lookin'
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Certainly one of the greatest albums of all time from an importance and quality standpoint. Subjectively I thought it was pretty good.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Saved Prior: Wouldn't It Be Nice
Not Saved:
13. Sloop John B
12. Pet Sounds
Cutting Edge:
11. Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
Off Rip:
10. Let's Go Away For Awhile
9. I Know There's An Answer
8. I Just Wasn't Made For These Times
7. Caroline, No (annoying that he had to tag on the Pet Sounds and train to this one)
6. Here Today
5. That's Not Me
4. I'm Waiting For The Day
3. You Still Believe In Me
2. God Only Knows
1. Wouldn't It Be Nice
Overall Notes: It took me a little bit to get used to the fact that these were old fashioned pop songs without hooks, but when I did holy moly did this album click. It sounds like Phil Spector if he had joy in his heart. It sounds like if the Carpenters had a collab album with the Beatles (I love the Carpenters this is a compliment). What a lovely little album.
Kanye West
4/5
Saved Prior: Black Skinhead, New Slaves, Blood On The Leaves, Bound 2
Off Rip: On Sight, Hold My Liquor, Guilt Trip, Send It Up
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: This album is very good. I saved 8/10, but tbh these songs are so abrasive that I can't really give it a 5. I understand that that's the point but that doesn't mean I have to like it. 4.5 rounded down.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Piku, Setting Sun, Lost In The K-Hole
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Didn't really get it at first but the beats won me over on the second relisten. I like that their music feels organic even though it's all electronic and samples. It was a tad long, but they do so much genre melding that there is something for everyone on this album if you're willing to submit to the beats.
Kid Rock
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Please Donald Trump, please save me Donald Trump. Please save me Donald Trump, please, I'm asking you. Please save me. Please get Kid Rock away from me. In dear God's name stop these people from making music. (except All Summer Long he ate that one up ngl)
Kanye West
4/5
Saved Prior: POWER, All Of The Lights, Monster, Runaway
Off Rip: Dark Fantasy, Hell Of A Life, Lost In The World
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Lots of great songs on this album (particularly Runaway POWER and Dark Fantasy) and the theme is really strong and ties the album together well. That being said, there's just something about this album that just keeps it from 5 status. I think it might be Kanye's sometimes lackluster rapping or maybe I don't like some of the hooks, but I can't quite put my finger on it. 4.(ialsodidntreallylikekanyespartondevilinanewdresstothepointwhereididntsavethesong.wouldvebeensavedifitwasjustthebeatandrickross.sorryiknowpeoplereallylikethatsong)
OutKast
4/5
Saved Prior: The Way You Move, Hey Ya!, Roses
Off Rip: Unhappy, Bowtie, The Rooster, Bust, Church, Tomb of the Boom, Knowing, Spread, Reset, God (Interlude), She Lives in My Lap, Dracula's Wedding
Cutting Edge: She's Alive
Overall Notes: Cut like 20 minutes from this and it's an easy 5. It's a little bloated (particularly on André 3000's side) and I don't think it would've been that hard to trim the fat here to get it at least under 2 hours. That being said, there are a plethora of great songs on here and if that extra 20 minutes is the price I have to pay to get songs like Roses, Hey Ya!, Unhappy, and She Lives in My Life then I'll gladly pay it
Queen
3/5
Saved Prior: Bohemian Rhapsody
Off Rip: Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...), '39, Sweet Lady, Seaside Rendezvous
Cutting Edge: Love Of My Life
Overall Notes: I know very few people who don't know Bohemian Rhapsody, and I know even fewer people who don't like Bohemian Rhapsody. The variety of this album surprised me, and it was a lot more campy than I expected. Crazy that Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon, Death on Two Legs, You're My Best Friend, Love Of My Life and Bohemian Rhapsody are all on the same album and it doesn't completely not work. That being said, I didn't really like some of these songs, so it goes down as a 3.5 rounded down.
Aerosmith
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: F.I.N.E., Dulcimer Stomp/ The Other Side, What It Takes
Cutting Edge: My Girl
Overall Notes: Horny as expected with some clunker lines, but also genuinely good rock. I enjoyed my time listening to this about as much as I could enjoy an album with two pickup trucks fuckin on the cover.
Jeff Beck
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Shapes of Things, Greensleeves, Beck's Bolero
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Not a big blues rock fan, but this guy is an incredibly talented guitarist. My favorite part of every song was his guitar, as evidenced by me saving both instrumentals (Beck's Bolero is especially awesome). May he rest in peace, glad he was recognized for his talent while he was alive.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Mary's Place, You're Missing
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: There is no conceivable reason that an overlong Springsteen album recorded in a year starting with a 2 should be here. I simply couldn't care less that this was released after 9/11, that's an explanation not an excuse. Verrrrrry close to dropping a 1 for wasting a space on the list but I guess it's nice that they saved themselves some albums to remove for when they update and add the new Magdalena Bay.
Eagles
2/5
Saved Prior: Hotel California
Off Rip: New Kid In Town
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Didn't really like this. Hotel California the song is incredible though.
Sex Pistols
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Holidays in the Sun, No Feelings
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Iconic album, iconic sound, infectious energy. You basically get what this album is about from any song you put on and it doesn't really stray from the recipe, but that recipe is pretty fuckin strong. A 3.5 that I'm going to round up cus I was never not at least mildly enjoying myself listening to this. Can't imagine how crazy this would've been to see live.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Rendez-Vu, U Can't Stop Me, Red Alert, Bingo Bango
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Good house music. Loved the layers and little sounds that were almost like Easter eggs scattered around the songs. Really rewards multiple listenings. That being said, it's still house music, and comes with all the negatives of that genre. 3.5 rounded down, but still a great example of this kind of music.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: International Feel; Tic Tic Tic, It Wears Off; Rock & Roll Pussy; Flamingo; Zen Archer; Just Another Onionhead / Da Da Dali; Le Feel Internacionale; Is It My Name?
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: This album breaks my grading system by design. I very much enjoyed the listening experience even if I saved less than half of the individual tracks. 19 songs that flow together for just under an hour because the vast majority of them are little sub-2 minute sonic experiments. Fun and fancy free. Definitely an improvement over Something / Anything even if the highs are higher on that previous album.
Shack
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Streets of Kenny, Daniella
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I was going to give this two stars and say the greatest sin this album commits is having been put on this list but then they go "Lend some dough-re-mi-fa-so what are you gonna do tonight" oh shut up eat this 1.
Fred Neil
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Ba-di-da
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Fred Neil by Fred Neil has not made a Fred Neil (the music) fan of me, but after reading up on his wiki I am now a Fred Neil (the man) fan.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Plástico, Buscando Guayaba
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Takes me back to the elite Mexican restaurant El Puerto in Charlottesville, or as we so affectionately called it, El Poopy's
Beatles
3/5
Saved Prior: Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, Blackbird, Birthday
Off Rip: Back in the USSR, Dear Prudence, The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Martha My Dear, Rocky Raccoon, Helter Skelter
Cutting Edge: I'm So Tired, Piggies
Overall Notes: There is a 5 star album in here. There's just soooooo much that doesn't need to be here, particularly in the second half of the album, that the album suffers as a whole. To be fair, if any band had ever earned the right to make this album it's the Beatles, and I'm glad that people really like this. But this feels so much more like a collection of outtakes than a cohesive album. That's not a comment on the quality of the songs, as some of these songs are some of my favorite Beatles songs (notably Martha My Dear), but rather that there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to this album. 3.5 that I'm going to round down because good lord is the second disc tedious to get through.
Nas
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Life's a Bitch, Memory Lane, It Ain't Hard To Tell
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Well deserved classic status, enjoyed myself more than the amount of songs saved would indicate.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Ramble Tamble, Travelin' Band, Ooby Dooby, Loookin' Out My Back Door, Who'll Stop The Rain, I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Something for every kind of rock fan on this one, almost gave it a 5. I see the vision with these guys now.
Roxy Music
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Re-Make/Re-Model, Ladytron, If There Is Something, Would You Believe?, Sea Breezes
Cutting Edge: 2HB
Overall Notes: Glam Bowie for nerds, Pink Floyd for the gays. Sounds like bits and pieces of lots of things yet as a whole is like nothing I've ever heard. Despite the number of songs I saved I wouldn't say that I especially liked it so much as I spent the full 45 minutes marveling at it. 3.5 rounded down.
Khaled
4/5
Saved Prior: El Harba Wine
Off Rip: Aalach Tloumouni, Trigue Lycee, Ya Aachkou, Melha, El Bab, El Aadyene
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Knew this guy from a feature he had on a french musical CD I used to listen to as a kid (shoutout Émilie Jolie man so inspirational) and by some insane coincidence I got El Harba Wine on a Discover Weekly as a result. Haven't been able to listen to the rest of the album until recently as it wasn't on Spotify but goddamn this is fun. Almost snuck into 5 territory but doesn't quite justify the length.
Soft Cell
3/5
Saved Prior: Tainted Love (also saved the Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go medley, but that's the deluxe version of the album)
Off Rip: Secret Life, Say Hello Wave Goodbye
Cutting Edge: Frustration
Overall Notes: Opens well and closes well, but loses itself in the middle. 3.5 stars rounded down. ADORE Tainted Love though, one of my favorite songs of all time. Band is basically a worse version of Depeche Mode in my eyes.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Saved Prior: Spellbound
Off Rip: Monitor, Sin In My Heart
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes:
It's embarrassing when I have to admit that an album that means a lot to a lot of musicians I greatly admire did not click for me. In order to protect my musical ego I'll therefore say that idk what's wrong with THEM this is meh.
Jamiroquai
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: When You Gonna Learn?, Didgin' Out
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Dancing, walking, rearranging 70s funk
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved:
9. Junkie Chase - Instrumental
8. Freddie's Dead
7. Superfly
6. Eddie You Should Know Better
5. Give Me Your Love (Love Song)
4. No Thing On Me (Cocaine Song)
3. Pusherman
2. Think - Instrumental
1. Little Child Runnin' Wild
Overall Notes: Every couple of months some tweet along the lines of "Phil Collins didn't have to go THIS hard on the Tarzan soundtrack" will go viral which pisses me off twofold. For one, yes he did it's a Disney movie of course he had to go hard. For two, why the fuck should I have to see that recycled tweet when people could be shouting out this masterpiece of funk and soul. Curtis Mayfield god bless you and thank you for going THIS HARD.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip Tier:
2. Mr. Follow Follow
1. Zombie
Overall Notes: This was really really good. Brave politics and boomin' beats. 25 minutes of vital music.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Blue Suede Shoes, I'm Counting on You, Just Because
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Old-timey rock and roll/blues/country. Nothing crazy but still fun and surprisingly varied sound throughout. I guess that's what happens when you don't write your own songs.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Bring the Pain, Gossip Folks, Work It, Play That Beat
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I respect the purpose and execution of this album, I just wish I liked the outcome more. 2.5 rounded up.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Marlene On The Wall, Knight Moves
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: These songs threaten to be good sometimes, but unfortunately it's all empty threats. Meh.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Confetti, Rudderless, Bit Part, Alison's Starting to Happen, Hannah & Gabi, Kitchen
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I cannot for the life of me come up with one single reason why this album is here. Negligible cultural impact, negligible musical impact, negligible chart success. It's fine music, nothing really to complain about musically and I can see how critics would eat this up I guess. Dozens of albums get this amount of critical acclaim every year and yet this one gets on here. I would accuse them of bribing their way in but they didn't sell enough fucking units to do that. It blows my mind that this inconsequential good-mood grunge gets a spot on this list. I understand that this is a pretty harsh review for something I'm about to give 3 stars (it is a good album and I do genuinely like this genre of music) but this still feels like a wasted spot.
Green Day
3/5
Saved Prior: When I Come Around
Off Rip: Having a Blast, Longview, Welcome to Paradise, Basket Case, She, Sassafras Roots, Coming Clean
Cutting Edge: Burnout
Overall Notes: Punk, even great punk like this, always has a strong element of diminishing returns for me. Even on a sub-40 minute bomb, I get tired of the same core musical elements over and over. I know that it's the same thing for basically any genre, but I feel this especially strongly with punk. All that to say that I like this album, but I don't love it. 3.5 rounded down.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Luv N' Haight, Family Affair
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Probably the least fun I've had listening to a funk album, and that's not a diss.
Jethro Tull
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Mother Goose
Cutting Edge: Locomotive Breath, Wind-Up
Overall Notes: "Come traveler, let me spin ye tales of days long gone as ye rest ye weary legs" ass album. I understand what they're doing with Aqualung the song. Wasn't bad. Wasn't especially good either.
Boston
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: More Than a Feeling, Peace of Mind, Foreplay / Long Time
Cutting Edge: Let Me Take You Home Tonight
Overall Notes: I was skeptical going in because I'm not usually a fan of this kind of stadium rock/hard rock/classic rock music, but this was fun. Great hooks, not too busy. Started to blend together a little over the second half of the album, but those first few songs single-handedly won me over. Especially loved the Long Time portion. Clean 4.
The Streets
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Unsaved:
11. What Is He Thinking?
10. Such a Twat
9. It Was Supposed to Be so Easy
Saved:
8. Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
7. Get Out of My House
6. Blinded by the Lights
5. Not Addicted
4. Dry Your Eyes
3. Empty Cans
2. Could Well Be In
1. Fit but You Know It
Overall Notes: Slowthai if he was a pothead instead of a crackhead. So much personality and witty (and sometimes even sneakily emotionally impactful) writing all over this thing, I love it. The complete lack of hooks is a little annoying but I got used to it. Incredible concept album. If you give it a chance this is one of my favorite albums yet, but I can understand how the way he raps would be a dealbreaker to some.
Pavement
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Summer Babe - Winter Version, Trigger Cut/Wounded-Kite At :17, Zürich Is Stained, Loretta’s Scars
Cutting Edge: In The Mouth A Desert
Overall Notes:
The album cover really nails how this sounds; there’s a simple beauty in a lot of these songs that is often completely overwhelmed by wanton chaos.
David Bowie
2/5
Saved Prior: Changes
Off Rip: Oh! You Pretty Things, Queen Bitch
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: It has become increasingly clear with every Bowie album I'm exposed to that I'm a normie Bowie listener who does not particularly care for the deeper album cuts. There are good songs in here that I would listen to independently but as a full album experience I'll pass.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
Saved Prior: Welcome To The Jungle, Sweet Child O' Mine
Unsaved:
12. Anything Goes
11. You're Crazy (a lot of reviews mentioned that the version on G N' R Lies is better. They would be right.)
10. Rocket Queen
Cutting Edge:
9. Out Ta Get Me
Saved:
8. My Michelle
7. It's So Easy
6. Paradise City
5. Think About You
4. Nightrain
3. Sweet Child O' Mine
2. Mr. Brownstone
1. Welcome To The Jungle (maybe the greatest album opener of all time in my book. Baba O'Riley and this one)
Overall Notes: A shot of pure adrenaline. Out and out classic. Side A of this album may be the greatest side of classic rock ever.
T. Rex
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Not Saved:
11. Girl
10. Lean Woman Blues
9. Bang A Gong (Get It On) (The Power Station cover is much better I'll say it)
Off Rip:
8. The Motivator
7. Planet Queen
6. Jeepster
5. Cosmic Dancer
4. Life's a Gas
3. Mambo Sun
2. Rip Off
1. Monolith
Also saved off the deluxe reissue: Raw Ramp, Hot Love, King of the Mountain Cometh
Overall Notes:
GodDAMN I've been sleeping on this. I love the eclectic musical accompaniments and guitar licks. Something about a black album cover with that yellow glow does music Justice.
Frank Ocean
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Sweet Life, Lost, Pink Matter, Forrest Gump
Cutting Edge: Pyramids
Overall Notes: I get why this got really good reviews and why it resonates with people. I am not one of those people. Definitely deserves to be on this list as it is clearly artistically accomplished, but it's a fairly weak 3 for me.
The B-52's
4/5
Saved Prior: Rock Lobster
Off Rip: Planet Claire, 52 Girls, 6060-842, Downtown
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: The word "kitsch" is used all over this band's wiki, and it's the perfect description of their music. Underrated hook writers, they're spiritual predecessors of the hyper-pop of today imo. Love Rock Lobster, a truly insane song that somehow works.
Air
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Highschool Lover, Afternoon Sister, Empty House, Dead Bodies, Suicide Underground
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: ?? Don't see what all the hubbub is about. Good but standard light atmospheric soundtrack music that closes strong. I'm sure it's better when you've seen the movie, but I don't remember this being Letterboxd. Should've been the Daft Punk Tron Legacy soundtrack imo
Arcade Fire
5/5
Saved Prior: Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels), Neighborhood #2 (Laika), Neighborhood #3 (Power Out), Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies)
Not Saved:
10. Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)
Saved:
9. Une Annee Sans Lumiere
8. Crown of Love
7. In the Backseat
6. Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
5. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
4. Haiti
3. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
2. Wake Up
1. Rebellion (Lies)
Overall Notes: A very very difficult album to rank 1-10. I saw these guys in concert (would highly recommend) so I'm pretty familiar with their stuff, and each song on this album brings strong musical elements to the table. Album is super nostalgic yet at the same time forward looking. Great stuff. One thing I'll say is that it's crazy that Wake Up doesn't open up the album, and the tracklist flows a little weird to me. But what do I know? 4.75 rounded up because math.
Mj Cole
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Introduction, Tired Games, Crazy Love, You're Mine, Hold On To Me
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: This website's user base is always incredibly dismissive of electronic music which I attribute to the daily nature of this generator making it so people on workdays can't just bob around and vibe to an album. These songs kinda need to be experienced in an environment completely separate from the workplace (hence all the drugs that fly around at raves). All that to say that even if this wasn't my favorite electronica album I don't think this is the 20th worst album in this entire generator as the masses have deemed it at the time of the writing of this review. Giving it a 3 for agenda pushing purposes even though if I'm being entirely honest it's probably more of a 2 (again, UK Garage isn't especially my thing).
Pink Floyd
5/5
Saved Prior: None (been saving this one)
Not Saved:
10. Speak to Me (but it's not getting skipped truzz)
Off Rip:
9. Any Colour You Like
8. Eclipse
7. On the Run
6. Money
5. Time
4. Breathe (In the Air)
3. Brain Damage
2. The Great Gig in the Sky
1. Us and Them
Overall Notes: Another album that makes my insistence on ranking my 5 stars look silly because it's near impossible to separate these tracks. Masterpiece. Listened sober on my computer at my desk, listened on my earbuds while walking home, listened on a jukebox drunk at a bar, listened on vinyl high while watching the Wizard of Oz. Cinema every time.
Jimmy Smith
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Another day, another jazz album that must be going over my head. Will not be coming Back I fear.
The Smiths
4/5
Saved Prior: Bigmouth Strikes Again; There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Off Rip: The Queen Is Dead; Frankly, Mr. Shankly; I Know It's Over; Cemetry Gates; Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Yeah this was probably my favorite Smiths album, but it didn't get all the way to 5 territory. Good lyrics, great guitar work, melodies are hit or miss but much more hit than miss this album. There Is a Light That Never Goes Out and Bigmouth Strikes Again are two of my favorite Smiths songs ever. Good stuff
Morrissey
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Now My Heart Is Full; Spring-Heeled Jim; Hold on to Your Friends; The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get; Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning; Speedway
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Oh how I wanted to hate and I still think that Johnny Marr would've greatly improved this but mannnn his voice sounds really good on this. Worst person you know went solo and made a pretty good album. Might have to go back and reassess my 3 and two 4s to the three Smiths albums because it slots in at 4th behind them but not by as much as I had expected (and hoped lolz).
N.W.A.
3/5
Saved Prior: Straight Outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police, Express Yourself
Off Rip: Gangsta Gangsta
Cutting Edge: Dopeman
Overall Notes: 4 great songs, 1 decent one and then a bunch of misogyny. "I ain't the one, the one to get played like a poo butt" I mean are you serious.
Billy Bragg
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Walt Whitman's Niece, California Stars, Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key, I Guess I Planted, One By One, Hesitating Beauty
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Cool story behind the making of this album, and this album is a well executed application of Guthrie's lyrics to the modern day without losing Woody's identity along the way. I don't typically care for this style of music but it nails what it's going for so well that I'm going with a 3.5 rounded up to a 4.
Nico
4/5
Saved Prior: These Days
Off Rip: The Fairest of Seasons, Little Sister, Chelsea Girls, Somewhere There's A Feather
Cutting Edge: I'll Keep It With Mine
Overall Notes: I feel bad for Nico, this is clearly not the album she wanted to make and it ended up being the defining release of her career. Doubly unfortunate is that I think it works decently well because it's not the album she wanted. Her whole ice queen vibe is ever-present, but the rotating cast of great song-writers and the sparse symphonic instruments that are often at odds with her vocals keep the album interesting. It's not perfect but it's unique and downright beautiful when it works.
The Cars
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Just What I Needed, Don't Cha Stop, Bye Bye Love
Cutting Edge: My Best Friend's Girl
Overall Notes: I knew a little about the Cars (ie just Shake It Up) but I'd heard that they were one of the most underrated New Wave bands by the mainstream, despite the fact that I wasn't a huge fan. Sure enough, this was not very good on first listen, mostly because of what I feel to be fairly laidback vocals. However, repeat listens uncovered sublime little bits of guitar, base, and drums that elevated the album from a 2 to a 3. Don't think I'm in Touch with Your World got away though, that track is HORRID.
The Temptations
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On, Run Charlie Run, Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Seems to be one of those albums that is included on this list for one specific track (Papa Was A Rollin' Stone). Good song, two songs that precede it are good too (insane chorus on Run Charlie Run), rest of the album is completely forgettable. 2.5 that I'll round up because Papa is already a third of the album's runtime.
Radiohead
5/5
Saved Prior: High and Dry
Not Saved:
12. Bullet Proof ... I Wish I Was
11. My Iron Lung
Cutting Edge:
10. Bones
9. Fake Plastic Trees
8. Sulk
Off Rip:
7. Just
6. The Bends
5. Black Star
4. Street Spirit (Fade Out)
3. (Nice Dream)
2. High and Dry
1. Planet Telex
Overall Notes: I hate to give this album a 5 considering how pretentious the Radiohead fandom is, but I really liked this album. Plugs the gap between alt-grunge and art-rock, guitar licks and quaint little melodies abound. A low five, but I take solace in knowing that most Radiohead fans consider this one of their lesser albums. Hope I don't look back on this review as a Radiohead stan and rue its writing.
B.B. King
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: It's My Own Fault; How Blue Can You Get?; You Upset Me Baby; Worry, Worry
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: By far my favorite blues album thus far, in large part due to how much fun everyone seems to be having both on stage and in the audience.
Ute Lemper
2/5
Saved Prior: :|
Off Rip: The Case Continues, Passionate Flight
Cutting Edge: Streets of Berlin, Split
Overall Notes: Honestly wanted to hate this but I'm a sucker for overly-dramatic Bond themes and this is close enough that it scratches that itch. That being said, DON'T THINK I DIDN'T NOTICE THE DIVINE COMEDY IN THE CREDITS OF EVERY SONG DID THEY WRITE THIS LIST WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN THIS GENERATOR THREE FUCKING TIMES
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Lively Up Yourself, No Woman No Cry, Them Belly Full (But We Hungry), Bend Down Low, Talkin' Blues
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Only giving Exodus a 3 might be my coldest take ever. If only I hadn't gotten it as my 4th album on the generator. That album is a stone cold 5. This one was not as good (still great), but will get a better grade because I goofed.
X-Ray Spex
2/5
Saved Prior: Germfree Adolescents
Off Rip: I Can't Do Anything
Cutting Edge: Warrior in Woolworths
Overall Notes: Thought I recognized the name "X-Ray Spex" when it came up on this week's Discover Weekly and sure enough. Cheeky punk rock with a sax. It's fine. Strong 2.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Candy Says, What Goes On
Cutting Edge: After Hours
Overall Notes: A surprisingly tender and intimate album. Love the way the guitars sound on this thing. You cannot convince me that Murder Mystery is a good song.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Buffalo Stance, Kisses On The Wind, Inna City Mamma
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: This is what plays when a documentary flashes back to 1989 and needs to set the vibes
Queen
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Brighton Rock, Flick Of The Wrist, Lily Of The Valley, Now I'm Here, Stone Cold Crazy, Misfire, Bring Back That Leroy Brown, In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited
Cutting Edge: Tenement Funster
Overall Notes: Good stuff. Diverse, extra, fun rock. Wish I could've seen this era of Queen live, must've been absolutely electric. I will say that Killer Queen wasn't that good?
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Beyond Belief, Tears Before Bedtime, The Long Honeymoon, Man Out Of Time, ...And In Every Home, The Loved Ones, Human Hands, Kid About It, Little Savage, You Little Fool
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: This list has prevailed against all my previous prejudices and turned me into an Elvis Costello fan. Madman puts the hook as the outro of Beyond Belief and it somehow works. Cut a few off the back end of this and it gets to 5 territory. On his other album I rounded the 4.5 up, this time I'm going to round down. Still a big fan.
Doves
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Pounding, Caught By The River
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Coldplay and Keane ate these guys' lunches and I can't say I'm mad at that. That's what you get for taking a few too many pages out of the Oasis playbook.
The Kinks
3/5
Saved Prior: Picture Book
Off Rip: The Village Green Preservation Society, Do You Remember Walter?, Sitting by the Riverside, Village Green, Starstruck
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Love these brits and their little character pieces. Some work really well, others less so. Fun all around. I can see Damon Albarn listening to this and taking all of the queues. 3.5 rounded down (just barely)
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Respect, Drown In My Own Tears, I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: You're gonna look me dead in the face, Rolling Stone, and tell me this is the 13th greatest album of all time? OF ALL TIME????
The Only Ones
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: The Whole Of The Law; Another Girl, Another Planet; No Peace For The Wicked; Peter And The Pets*; As My Wife Says*
Cutting Edge: None
*deluxe track
Overall Notes: I fear The Only Ones did not remain the only ones doing this kind of nasally noodling. The Violent Femmes took this vibe, went acoustic and hooky with it, and kind of blow this out of the water. Not bad by any means if you have the stomach for this kind of vocal delivery but I can't help but think of this as a lesser version of the Femmes' debut (even if these guys did beat them to the punch by 5 years). Sorry England but chalk another one up for the good ol US of A.
The Sabres Of Paradise
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Bubble and Silde, Wilmot, Tow Truck
Cutting Edge: Cutting Edge
Overall Notes: I understand that people on this website seem not to click with these beat-driven, electronic instrumental albums (particularly when they're over an hour) but this was really good? I was expecting it to be awful sampling and haphazard bass but instead I'm hearing well engineered atmospheric techno. My only gripe is that it's over an hour long but even that I didn't feel too much. Give this one a chance, throw it on while you're doing something else if you have to. It's worth it.
Joy Division
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Not Saved:
9. Colony
Off Rip:
8. Twenty Four Hours
7. Passover
6. Atrocity Exhibition
5. A Means To An End
4. The Eternal
3. Decades
2. Heart and Soul
1. Isolation
Overall Notes: I go into this album as a big New Order fan who has heard a lot about Joy Division's place in rock history without feeling too compelled to check their stuff out beyond "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (adore) and "Distortion" (adore) because of my general distaste for post-punk. I read some global reviews that seem to be mostly split between people really getting it and people being bored out of their minds. After listening, I can see both sides but I side firmly with the former. There were still the discordant elements of post-punk that I typically abhor, but something about the way it mixes with Ian Curtis' lyrics and voice works for me. It's hard to put into words why this album worked so well for me where other similar albums failed. Maybe it's the mythos of Joy Division, maybe I'm more inclined to like this because of my love for New Order, maybe, regrettably, it's the tragedy of Ian Curtis' suicide that sells it. Whatever it is, I'm so so so glad I finally gave this album a go.
Country Joe & The Fish
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Super Bird, Porpoise Mouth
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I appreciate the influence this had on the genre, but if you are under the age of 65 and/or not a psych rock junkie there is no reason for you to sit through this album. Just listen to the bands who did it better later.
Al Green
5/5
Saved Prior: Let's Stay Together
Saved:
9. Old Time Lovin'
8. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
7. It Ain't No Fun to Me
6. What Is This Feeling
5. Judy
4. La-La for You
3. I've Never Found a Girl
2. So You're Leaving
1. Let's Stay Together
Overall Notes: So so good. Groove is immaculate. LOVED this.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Deee-Lite Theme, Good Beat, Smile On
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Pretty fun, especially when they get freaky with it. Low three.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: I Couldn't Believe It Was True, Red Headed Stranger, Down Yonder
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Sorry folks but I am just not on the Willie train. It's fine, he deserves to be on the list and everything but gonna have to agree with the record company bigwigs who thought it was too boring.
Mercury Rev
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Holes, Tonite It Shows
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Great story behind the album and I'm happy for them and all but the vocals man...
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2; If You Were There; You Walk Your Way; Summer Breeze, Pts. 1 & 2; The Highways Of My Life
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Another fooooooooooour premiere. (don't tell anyone but I prefer the single versions of the two big hits lolz)
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Gloria's Step (Take 2), My Man's Gone Now, Solar
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Hell yeah. Interplay between the trio is top stuff. Also cool that the bonus tracks, which amount to different takes of songs already on the album, are placed right next to the ones selected for the original album so you can hear the differences.
The Doors
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Peace Frog, Land Ho!, The Spy, Queen of the Highway, Indian Summer
Cutting Edge: Ship of Fools
Overall Notes: MUCH prefer Side 2, which seems to be a hot take. Sometimes the psych blues just ain't rocking and the organ just rubs you the wrong way.
Cream
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: World of Pain, Blue Condition, Tales Of Brave Ulysses
Cutting Edge: Sunshine Of Your Love
Overall Notes: ....ok? Struggling to see what the big deal is here.
Lorde
3/5
Saved Prior: Green Light
Off Rip: The Louvre, Liability, Writer In The Dark
Cutting Edge: Supercut
Overall Notes: I distinctly remember when this album was released and how rapturous the reviews were. I also remembered Liability (found it boring), Green Light (loved it), Homemade Dynamite (did not like it), and Perfect Places (also did not like it) getting radio play on Alt Nation. It was not enough for me to want to check this album out then. While my music taste has matured since then, I still found most of this album eh. You can see the influence she had on massive modern pop stars like Billie Eilish, but I much prefer her debut album Pure Heroine on a song by song basis, even if this is a more complete album experience. Weak 3.
The Mamas & The Papas
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Not Saved:
12. Hey Girl
11. Got A Feelin'
10. I Call Your Name
Saved Off Rip:
9. Spanish Harlem
8. You Baby
7. Do You Wanna Dance
6. Somebody Groovy
5. The "In" Crowd
4. Straight Shooter
3. Monday, Monday
2. California Dreamin'
1. Go Where You Wanna Go
Overall Notes: Awful band name, immaculate compositions. Not one out and out clunker on the album, inject these harmonies into my bloodstream.
Kelela
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Waitin, Take Me Apart, LMK, Truth Or Dare, Onanon
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Took me an embarrassingly long time for me to realize these were songs about sex and desire but once that clicked I saw the vision #whowantme
Prince
3/5
Saved Prior: When Doves Cry
Off Rip: Let's Go Crazy, Darling Nikki, I Would Die 4 U
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Other than the songs I saved (and I LOVE When Doves Cry) I didn't really care for this. *ducks and dodges tomatoes flying in from all directions* That being said it wasn't bad and Prince sells this as well as he can. Was split between a high 3 and low 4 and went with the 3. *yanked off stage by a cane*
The Temptations
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Runaway Child, Running Wild
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Another Temptations album where, at least for me, the main draw is the 9+ minute epic. Unfortunately this one and the album surrounding it are both weaker than Papa Was A Rollin' Stone and All Directions respectively. That one got a 3, this one gets a 2.
Cee Lo Green
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: The Art of Noise, Living Again, I'll Be Around, The One, All Day Love Affair, Scrap Metal, Glockapella, When We Were Friends, Sometimes, Let's Stay Together, Die Trying
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes:
Did not expect this to be as good as it was, Cee-Lo is the He's an XBox and I'm more Atari guy to me. If this list has taught me one thing it's that I'm a soul lover, and this wasn't the best example of it but it's great fun and almost snuck into 5 territory. 4.5 rounded down cus it didn't have 5 vibes but oooooooh I got close.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Commotion, Tombstone Shadow, Bad Moon Rising, Cross-Tie Walker, Broken Spoke Shuffle*
Cutting Edge: None
*Deluxe Album
Overall Notes: Classic rock with a country twist. Pretty good. Nothing earth-shatteringly incredible nor terrible.
Randy Newman
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear, Old Man
Cutting Edge: Sail Away
Overall Notes: Billy Joel if he was in the process of OD'ing on a cocktail of barbiturates at a jazz club
Minor Threat
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Betray, Think Again, Sob Story, Cashing In
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Under 25 minutes :') I would kiss them on the mouth but I feel like they would beat me to death with empty bottles of non-alcoholic beer. I keep waiting for these punk albums to stop being so good but they just keep kicking ass.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Saved Prior: None (I have a live version of Tusk saved)
Off Rip: The Ledge, Sara, What Makes You Think You're the One, Storms, That's All for Everyone, I Know I'm Not Wrong, Tusk
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Overindulgent but I don't blame em, how are you supposed to follow up Rumours. No offense but if you cut all of Christie McVie's songs this might sneak into 4 territory because Lindsey is in his freak BAG (pun intended) on here. Songwriter scores: McVie 0/6, Buckingham 6/9, Nicks 2/5
The Strokes
5/5
Saved Prior: The Modern Age, Someday, Last Nite, Hard To Explain
Saved:
11. Trying Your Luck
*New York City Cops*
10. When It Started
9. Take It Or Leave It
8. Someday
7. Soma
6. The Modern Age
5. Is This It
4. Alone Together
3. Barely Legal
2. Last Nite
1. Hard To Explain
Overall Notes: This album was so hard to rank, it is SO. GOOD. The sound of this album is iconic, from the washed out vocals to the guitar to the bass to the drums, everything is perfect. So glad I finally checked this album out after a decent amount of exposure to the Strokes, top 10 favorite albums of all time.
James Taylor
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Sweet Baby James, Suite for 20 G
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: If you played me a 5 second clip from any one of these songs I'm not sure that I could reliably tell you which one it was from and I listened to this about 5 times.
The Stooges
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Down on the Street, Loose, Dirt
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Dirty nasty grimy chaotic sleazy punk. It is one of the major miracles of music that Iggy Pop has lived as long as he has. First listen of this was on a road trip to the beach and it was one of the worst decisions I've ever made, I wanted to launch myself through the windshield for the majority of side 2. LA Blues sounds like someone opened a gateway to Hell. 3.5 rounded up just barely.
Don McLean
2/5
Saved Prior: American Pie
Off Rip: Vincent, Empty Chairs
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Went into this expecting it to only be here for the title track (which bangs). He seems to take a while to rev up the interesting music engine when he writes a song (two longest songs were clearly two of the better songs). Thank goodness the rest of the songs were short too cus they were snoozefests. 2 stars.
Röyksopp
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: So Easy, Eple, In Space, Poor Leno, A Higher Place, Remind Me
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Portishead that you can play at the hang out without attracting the freaks
Animal Collective
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: My Girls, Also Frightened
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: This album gave me a headache, and I'm not talking about the cover art. Constantly squelching and booping and layering vocals and it doesn't feel like it'll ever end. I feel bad giving it a 1 because at least they tried to do something innovative and influential (and by all accounts it worked) but it made me angry having to sit through it.
Talking Heads
3/5
Saved Prior: Once in a Lifetime
Off Rip: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), Crosseyed and Painless
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Sounds cool but only in spurts. Some of those spurts are song length, most aren't. Dare I say overrated?
Gang Starr
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Lovesick, Take A Rest
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: It's gotta be the best feeling to perpetually rap about how much better you are than every other rapper in the game and then have everyone say "yup this is one of the best albums of all time". Levels.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Born on the Bayou, Penthouse Pauper
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Don't really have anything to say about this, it's fine country swamp rock. Graveyard Train might just be the longest song ever. 2.5 rounded down.
The Kinks
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Party Line, House in the Country, Little Miss Queen of Darkness, You're Looking Fine, Sunny Afternoon
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes:
Fun to hear the switch from their dirty rock and roll roots to the more sophistipop. I still haven't really found a Kinks album that I love front to back unfortunately (Arthur has come the closest), but each has its moments and putting their songs on shuffle is always a good time. Ray Davies what a lad.
Garbage
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Supervixen, Queer, Vow
Cutting Edge: Stupid Girl
Overall Notes: Sick, slick sonic atmospheres and a distinctive vocal timbre. Once you've heard a couple songs you've kind of heard the whole thing, so it goes down as a 3.5 rounded down. Still pretty good.
The Human League
4/5
Saved Prior: Love Action (I Believe In Love), Don't You Want Me
Off Rip: The Things That Dreams Are Made Of, Open Your Heart, The Sound Of The Crowd, Do Or Die, I Am The Law, Seconds
Cutting Edge: Darkness
Overall Notes: Despite the large quantity of songs saved (all but 1 were at least on my Cutting Edge playlist) and Don't You Want Me being one of my favorite songs of all time, this album was simply above average. It's good and most of the songs have multiple good elements to them, but they rarely come together to form a truly transcendently great song (Don't You Want Me being the only exception good lord is that song good). I liked it better than the Eurythmics album for sure, but nothing close to Depeche Mode. Lots of good songs, a couple very good songs, one incredible one.
Anthrax
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Among The Living, Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.), A Skeleton In The Closet
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Loved the drums and guitars immediately, but took me a while to warm up to the vocals and lyrics. Never got all the way there, but still rips. So far I've graded 1 album from 3 of the Big 4 of Thrash and I've got 1. Megadeth 2. Anthrax 3. Metallica
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Saved Prior: Time After Time
Off Rip: When You Were Mine, She Bop, All Through the Night, Witness
Cutting Edge: I'll Kiss You
Overall Notes: 80's music gets shit for being ludicrous but the music that survives is some of the best pop music out there. Time After Time always makes me want to cry for some reason (positive connotation). If I was a bigger fan of Girls Just Want To Have Fun (it's fun at bars but wouldn't listen to it by myself) this would've been pushed into the low-5 zone.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Saved Prior: Whole Lotta Love, Thank You
Off Rip: Living Loving Maid (She's Just A Woman), Ramble On
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Still a little more blues for my buck than I typically ask for, but it's still pretty good and an improvement on I. III remains my favorite, but II slots into IInd of the III Led Zeppelin records I've listened to thus far. On to IV. Hail Caesar.
Massive Attack
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Protection, Sly
Cutting Edge: Euro Child
Overall Notes: "Naw this shis reeul mewshick!!!"- the British people who heard Massive Attack put laid back hip-hop beats underneath soul/R&B tracks. British mfs will not survive the rapture.
(this is a bit. the music isn't actually bad but it's kinda boring and I don't see what the hype is about. it reminded me of fever ray but less sonically unique. yes I understand they came 15 years earlier and were probably one of the first to do this kind of music. doesn't make it nothing but mildly interesting background music.)
The Yardbirds
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Lost Women, Over Under Sideways Down, I Can't Make Your Way, Jeff's Boogie, He's Always There
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Feels like a bunch of dudes messing around in a studio, which leads to some decent fun when you're lead by Jeff Beck (for the record I liked this more than his solo album on here)
Various Artists
3/5
Saved Prior: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Off Rip: Sleigh Ride, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Circling back to this one now that it's mid-December. Wall of Sound is definitely an apt description of this style of recording and music. Iconic. Weird dude Phil Spector, but highly influential and I gotta give him props for that. For me personally, I'll take Baby Please Come Home from this album and go.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Saved Prior: Hallelujah, Forget Her*
Off Rip: Grace, Last Goodbye, Dream Brother
Cutting Edge: So Real
Overall Notes: It borders on a violation of the Geneva Conventions that Forget Her was left off the initial album.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Cutting Edge:
11. Home Is Anywhere You Hang Your Head
Off Rip:
10. Poor Napoleon
9. Crimes of Paris
8. Battered Old Bird
7. Uncomplicated
6. Tokyo Storm Warning
5. Honey, Are You Straight or Are You Blind?
4. Next Time Round
3. Blue Chair
2. I Hope You're Happy Now
1. I Want You
Off Rip: Uncomplicated, I Hope You're Happy Now, Tokyo Storm Warning, I Want You, Blue Chair, Battered Old Bird, Crimes of Paris,
Cutting Edge:
Overall Notes: I've been skeptical of Mr. Elvis Costello for a while. I've liked some of his songs (chiefly Alison, Veronica, and Pump It Up), but his status as one of the greatest songwriters ever seemed kind of silly. I get it now. I didn't adore all of these songs, but his voice shines through every single one of these tracks. They're all simultaneously catchy yet resentful. The album jumps between genres but not so forcefully that he loses his voice in the process. I like the somewhat simple production of the album as well. Low 5.
Jane Weaver
2/5
Saved Prior: is that a serious question
Off Rip: H>A>K, Did You See Butterflies?, I Wish
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Cool soundscapes, eh lyrics, eh vocals, why is this a must listen, 2.
Talking Heads
2/5
Saved Prior: Psycho Killer, Pulled Up
Off Rip: Uh-Oh, Loves Comes to Town
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Eh. I like the hits, but their obtuse rhythms and David Byrne's oscillations between weird inflections and simple melodies either hits or misses, and they mostly missed for me on this album. Truly cannot believe they did not fit a They Might Be Giants album on this list.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Immigrés / Bitim Rew
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I love the world music inclusions on this list, even if they don't usually end up being my favorite albums. Didn't adore this, but still a cool listening experience.
Buena Vista Social Club
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Candela
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: A good soundtrack to a lazy day somewhere south of the border. Unfortunately I am listening to it in a state of mental anguish in my solo apartment and I wasn't transported to a beach so much as wishing I was there. Maybe it caught me on a wrong day. Gonna go listen to Morrissey or some shit that meets me where I'm at right now.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Saved Prior: Man in the Mirror, Smooth Criminal
Off Rip: Liberian Girl, Just Good Friends
Cutting Edge: Leave Me Alone
Overall Notes: Felt like a worse Thriller. Also I need to speak my truth: I prefer the Alien Ant Farm version and I won't be apologizing for it.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Saved Prior: Paint It, Black
Off Rip: Under My Thumb, I Am Waiting
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Gotta be one of the most misogynistic rock albums I've ever heard from a mainstream artist. These guys do not like women as people. This isn't really why I didn't like the album [it's mostly borderline boring (TO ME) guitar work and quasi-sung lyrics that I can see influenced a lot of later artists], it just surprised me. Not a huge Rolling Stones guy myself, much prefer the Beatles. Am I...fruity??
Portishead
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Mysterons, Sour Times, It Could Be Sweet, Wandering Star, Numb
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Sexy, mysterious, opaque, slippery, entrancing, dangerous. There's a reason everyone calls this spy music. Would've been a 5 if I could remember how the songs went when they weren't playing, but I can already tell this album is going to have immense replay value. 4.5 (just) rounded down.
Os Mutantes
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: A Minha Menina, Baby, Bat Macumba, Le Premier Bonheur Du Jour
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I'm much more tolerant of freaky sound effects and compositions when you write a guitar riff as gnarly as the one on A Minha Menina and boy oh boy does this album push that tolerance to the limits. It still comes out on my good side but there was a 5 in here I think. A Minha Menina almost singlehandedly brings this into 4 territory but I'm giving it the classic 3.5 rounded down.
Cypress Hill
2/5
*I already got this album before I joined the current group, so this review reflects my updated feelings. Therefore "Saved Prior" is songs I saved from when I first got the album*
Saved Prior: Break It Up, Real Estate
Off Rip: The Phuncky Feel One
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: My feelings on this album have not changed, not really for me and the vocals are still a little grating to listen to. Gave it a two the first time, and that two stands.
The White Stripes
4/5
Saved Prior: Hotel Yorba, Fell In Love With a Girl, We're Going to Be Friends
Off Rip: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground, I'm Finding It Harder To Be a Gentleman, The Union Forever
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Back to basics baby. Saw Jack White live in a tiny concert hall (shoutout The Atlantis in DC) and yes he really is That Guy. Meg kills it on here too. I prefer the complexities of Elephant but this still goes down as a 3.5 rounded up.
Leonard Cohen
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes, The Partisan
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Nothing more than a wannabe Bob Dylan on this album. I don't care if the lyrics are beautiful, there has to be at least something musically accomplished to merit putting them on a musical best-of list, and this album is missing it. Songwriter's hall of fame, sure. But we did not NEED to hear yet another album from this guy just because he writes nice poetry. Just print me a booklet of his lyrics and be on your way. 1.5 that I'm gonna round down to make a point about this kind of music. Am I overreacting? Probably. But I am banging my head against the wall listening to these kind of albums over and over again spread about this list and this was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Saved Prior: I Saw the Light
Off Rip: It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference, Wolfman Jack, It Takes Two to Tango (This Is for the Girls), Breathless - Instrumental, Couldn't I Just Tell You, Little Red Lights, Dust in the Wind, Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Too long. Probably a 4 if the filler is cut but the filler to me is probably why some people love this because it's like half the album. Album bats a varied 9 for 25 so it just sneaks into 3 territory but he really should've killed his darlings.
Led Zeppelin
2/5
Saved Prior: Kashmir
Off Rip: Custard Pie, In The Light
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Most of the songs are too long and don't hold my attention. You will never hear me utter a bad word about Kashmir though. Strong 2.
Rod Stewart
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Tomorrow Is A Long Time
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: 40+ minutes for 8 folk rock songs sure Seems Like A Long Time to me
Culture Club
4/5
Saved Prior: Karma Chameleon, Church Of The Poison Mind
Off Rip: It's A Miracle, Miss Me Blind, Mister Man, Stormkeeper
Cutting Edge: Black Money
Overall Notes: Pretty, inoffensive 80's pop. Boy George has a really nice voice, but I also really like the instrumental backing on this. Nothing to rock you to your core, but if you're looking for pop you could do much much worse than this. 3.75 that I'll round up.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Saved Prior: None* [I have a live version of a medley containing It Never Entered My Mind saved which I like better ('The Girl That Got Away/It Never Entered My Mind' off his 'World on a String' live album). Check it out, it's better than any song on this album tbh.]
Off Rip: In The Wee Small Hours Of Hours The Morning, Mood Indigo, I'll Never Be The Same
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I appreciate that he made arguably the first sad boy hours album. I also count myself as a Sinatra fan. I can also also admit to myself that this album is eh. It feels a bit static, which makes sense on a conceptual level given the themes of the album but doesn't make it a terribly enjoyable listen.
The Who
4/5
Saved Prior: My Generation
Off Rip: Out In The Street, I Don't Mind, La-La-La Lies, It's Not True, A Legal Matter
Cutting Edge: The Good's Gone
Overall Notes: Very good, I like the spunk of these shorter early rock songs. Crazy that My Generation (the song) is over 50 years old and hasn't aged a bit, love that song. Also special shoutout to I Don't Mind, which I might like just as much. Not as strong of a 4 as Who's Next, but still a 4.
John Lee Hooker
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: The Healer
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I understand that this man is a legend, and he's clearly very confident in his craft on this album. I just don't like blues. Only song I liked was kinda carried by the guests, Santana and the Santana Band.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Dirty, Dirty Feeling
Cutting Edge: Fever
Overall Notes: Not as fun as the Elvis Presley album. Just aight.
Merle Haggard
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: I'm A Lonesome Fugitive, Drink Up And Be Somebody, My Rough And Rowdy Ways, Mixed Up Mess Of A Heart
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Love the little guitar flourishes he mixes in. Classic country music fare, but seems like he kinda wrote the book so I'll round up.
The Avalanches
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Since I Left You, Stay Another Season, Flight Tonight, Tonight May Have To Last Me All My Life, Frontier Psychiatrist
Cutting Edge: Radio
Overall Notes: It may be cliche, but this is truly an experience of an album. The way in which these snippets of audio odds and ends weave in and out of the composition is a true musical marvel. The unique ebb and flow of this album is unlike anything I've ever heard before, it's like it puts you in its own little world, completely foreign yet familiar at the same time. I will say, some of the songs don't really get all the way there for me, but when it works it WORKS. Since I Left You and Frontier Psychiatrist being prime examples, the former beautifully familiar and the second absurdly foreign. I love both, especially when paired with their music videos. High 4.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Faster; Cold War; Oh, Maker; Wondaland; BaBopByeYa
Cutting Edge: Mushrooms & Roses
Overall Notes: The first half is super funky and groovy while the second half is musical theater-er and jazzier. Don't think I'll be returning to it too often because I'm more of an individual songs guy and this album demands you to enjoy the full hour+ experience, but I'm not mad because it's an enjoyable one. (also saw her live and it's an Event)
Ray Price
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Introduction and Theme, Night Life, Bright Lights and Blonde Haired Women
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Country version of Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours, love the intro and title track, the rest is some real sad boy hours stuff. Not as varied as I would've liked but still decent.
Iggy Pop
5/5
Saved Prior: Lust For Life
Not Saved:
9. Turn Blue (works in the context of the album but won't be listening to it as a standalone track)
Off Rip:
8. Tonight
7. Fall In Love With Me
6. Success (LOVE the call and response part)
5. Neighborhood Threat
4. The Passenger
3. Sixteen
2. Some Weird Sin
1. Lust For Life
Overall Notes:
Balances Bowie's art-rock inclinations with Iggy's rougher edges to awesome effect. Feels raw yet somehow smooth and, well, Pop-py. Hell yeah.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Saved Prior: Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
Not Saved:
9. The Girl Is Mine
Saved:
8. The Lady in My Life
7. Baby Be Mine
6. Human Nature
5. Beat It
4. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
3. Thriller
2. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
1. Billie Jean
Overall Notes: No wonder this guy was a SUPERstar. He OWNS this album. Beats are so fun, performance is immaculate, I can't help but move to every song except the Paul McCartney duet, which was a little off-putting. Easy 5.
Dirty Projectors
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: Two Doves
Overall Notes: Well I don't like this first song but maybe it'll sound less disjointed as it goes.... update dear god it has gotten worse they've got to be trolling hipsters you will pay for your Useful Chamber crimes
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Jus' a Rascal
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: I don't skip songs on the first listen for this list but this was the hardest test of that rule yet. Lyrics and the performances are decent but good LORD is the production horrifically abrasive and shotgun blasts (given the album's origin a better phrase would be shanks) almost any enjoyment I would've had.
Kanye West
4/5
Saved Prior: All Falls Down, Jesus Walks, Slow Jamz
Off Rip: Spaceship, Never Let Me Down, The New Workout Plan, Through The Wire, Family Business
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: It's honestly weird listening to this seeing what has become of him. That being said, there are some great songs on here with the iconic Kanye production style (Spaceship is so good, astoundingly underrated) but not everything goes all the way to excellent (special shoutout to that preachy ass feature by J. Ivy on Never Let Me Down, free skip the second he starts his bullshit). Much has been made of the skits, but they didn't bother me as much as they seem to bother others people. Good album, but he would definitely go on to make better. And worse.
Nick Drake
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Time Has Told Me, Day Is Done, ' Cello Song, Man In A Shed, Saturday Sun
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Don't typically care for these more introspective singer songwriter albums but this was soft and lovely. Didn't really feel the melancholy that people associate so much with him on this album but maybe that's a retrospective thing that I'll understand after hearing more of his stuff. On to Pink Moon.
Bad Company
2/5
*I already got this album before I joined the current group, so this review reflects my updated feelings.*
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Ready for Love
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Just as average as the first time I heard it. Don't get in the slightest what the big deal about this album is. Ready for Love was good, but turns out that was the only one not written by the band during these sessions, which checks out cus I didn't really enjoy the rest of these songs. M-I-D.
Orange Juice
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Rip It Up, Mud in Your Eye, I Can't Help Myself, Louise Louise
Cutting Edge: Turn Away, Flesh of My Flesh
Overall Notes: Fun little new wave album. Reminds me of Haircut 100 or a poppier Talking Heads.
Jefferson Airplane
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: She Has Funny Cars, Somebody to Love
Cutting Edge: Today, Embryonic Journey
Overall Notes: THIS inspired the summer of the STD??
Pretenders
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Tattooed Love Boys, The Wait, Stop Your Sobbing, Kid, Brass in Pocket, Mystery Achievement
Cutting Edge: Precious
Overall Notes: This was the embodiment of cool. Chrissie Hynde kills this on vocals. I only had exposure to Brass in Pocket before listening to this album and didn't get the hype, but some of the rhythms in these songs are sooooo cool I fully get it now. Cut the two 5:30+ minute songs without hooks and it's a 5. As it stands, 4.5 rounded down.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Apache, Last Bongo in Belgium, In A Gadda Da Vida, Bongo Rock
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Look, this is an instrumental album by the "Incredible Bongo Band" entitled "Bongo Rock". This is not high art, nor should it be. This is fun. I dare you to not feel the groove at least a couple times on this album. If you're listening on Spotify only the first 8 songs were on the original release, so it doesn't even overstay its welcome. Let the bongos play. Low 4.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Saved Prior: None
Saved: Whole Album
Overall Notes: This is really really good. This is transcendently good jazz. Beautiful.
Radiohead
3/5
Saved Prior: Everything In Its Right Place, How To Disappear Completely
Off Rip: The National Anthem
Cutting Edge: Kid A, Motion Picture Soundtrack
Overall Notes: Sorry folks but I'd take Creep over any of these songs! Also I like the Bends better! What're you gonna do, ambiance me to death?
Louis Prima
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody; (Nothing's Too Good) For My Baby; Oh, Marie; (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Fun bouncy music. Cool that while everyone at the time was trying to homogenize themselves to fit into stereotypical White American culture, he normalized publicly embracing his roots. Simple fun.
a-ha
3/5
Saved Prior: Take on Me, The Sun Always Shines on T.V.
Off Rip: Living a Boy's Adventure Tale, And You Tell Me
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Take on Me is one of the greatest songs of all time because of how crazy his voice is on that chorus, but the album reaches nothing close to that high again and fades into run of the mill romantic synth pop. But man oh man is Take on Me incredible.
Robbie Williams
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Killing Me
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: This is what I imagine Blur trying to do an adult contemporary album would sound like. So not for me it's crazy. 1.5 that I'll round up cus I think this is a target audience issue.
Goldfrapp
2/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Cologne Cerrone Houdini, Caravan Girl, Monster Love
Cutting Edge: A&E
Overall Notes: Was bored but then the last 4 songs kick in, my favorites of which are two of the least streamed tracks on the album. Target audience missed, one man's pleasant is another man's unremarkable.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: You Ain't The Problem, Rolling, I've Been Dazed, Piano Joint (This Kind Of Love)
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Somewhat surprising choice for this list, but the music speaks for itself. Just saw him at All Things Go, cool to have one of the artists on this list still in their bags. He was incredible and this album is a great listen.
TLC
2/5
Saved Prior: Waterfalls
Off Rip: Intro-lude, Creep, Kick Your Game, Diggin' On You
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: "I don't remember it being this horny" is an absurd and unserious thing to say about an album with MULTIPLE phone sex interludes and a song called "Red Light Special". 2.5 rounded down cus it's too long for its own good, but when it hits the spot it hits the spot (pause). Kick Your Game is up there with the most underrated songs I've gotten from this generator how in the world was this not a smash hit.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Saved Prior: Stairway to Heaven
Off Rip: When the Levee Breaks
Cutting Edge: Rock and Roll
Overall Notes: ? Not only do I not think this is a top 5 album of all time (as it currently sits on this site), I think it's barely a top 5 self titled Led Zeppelin album. Nothing is bad - it's still Zep after all - but I struggle to see what the big deal is outside of Stairway and Levee (which are both gargantuan tunes). LZIII is one of my favorites from this generator so the mediocrity of this album is shocking to me. Again, this is by Led Zeppelin standards, this would be a crowning achievement for most other bands.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Saved Prior: Never Going Back Again, The Chain, Silver Springs*
Not Saved:
11. Oh Daddy
Off Rip:
10. I Don't Want To Know
9. Gold Dust Woman
8. Songbird
7. Go Your Own Way
6. Don't Stop
*Silver Springs
5. Never Going Back Again
4. You Make Loving Fun
3. Dreams
2. Second Hand News
1. The Chain
*Deluxe Album
Overall Notes:
A million baddies are never wrong, Second Hand News bonkers underrated
King Crimson
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: 21st Century Schizoid Man, I Talk To The Wind, Epitaph, The Court Of The Crimson King
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Was expecting it to be a lot less accessible due to its reputation as a cliche audiophile pick. When they remember that they're recording an album it's awesome, if Moonchild was like 5 minutes shorter this would probably be a 5.
Fairport Convention
5/5
Saved Prior: Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
Not Saved:
8. Million Dollar Bash
Off Rip:
7. Percy's Song
6. Cajun Woman
5. Autopsy
4. Si tu dois partir
3. Genesis Hall
2. A Sailor's Life
1. Who Knows Where The Time Goes?
Overall Notes: Didn't realize I was listening to a 5 until I looked back and saw I had saved all but one of the non-bonus tracks. It seems that with these folk rock albums I either really vibe with them or they bore me to death. This was on the vibe side. Low 5
The Cardigans
5/5
Saved Prior: Your New Cuckoo, Been It, Never Recover, Step On Me, Lovefool, Iron Man, Choke
Not Saved:
11. Losers
Saved:
10. Great Divide
9. Happy Meal II
8. Been It
7. Step On Me
6. Heartbreaker
5. Iron Man
4. Choke
3. Never Recover
2. Your New Cuckoo
1. Lovefool
Overall Notes: I love these Swedes so much. They had the juice to make Lovefool, possibly the most perfect pop song of all time, but stayed true to their inner indie freak and recorded whatever they wanted to make. If that included a lounge Black Sabbath cover that kinda fucks then so be it. If The Cardigans have no fans I am dead.
The The
5/5
Saved Prior: This Is the Day, Uncertain Smile
Not Saved:
8. Soul Mining
Off Rip:
7. I've Been Waitin' For Tomorrow (All My Life)
6. The Twilight Hour
5. Perfect*
4. The Sinking Feeling
3. Giant
2. Uncertain Smile
1. This Is the Day
*Not on the original UK release
Overall Notes:
Knew This Is the Day and Uncertain Smile going in and was not expecting the lyrics to be as depressed as they are. This Is the Day pops even more within the context of the album, definitely one of the more important songs to me in my life. Tons of grooves which are given the space to breathe, album was almost clubby. 4.5 rounded up.
Blondie
5/5
Saved Prior: One Way Or Another, Heart of Glass
Not Saved:
12. I Know But I Don't Know
Off Rip:
11. Will Anything Happen
10. Fade Away And Radiate
9. Hanging On The Telephone
8. 11:59
7. Just Go Away
6. Picture This
5. Sunday Girl
4. Heart Of Glass
3. Pretty Baby
2. One Way Or Another
1. I'm Gonna Love You Too (The Clash definitely heard this one before writing Rudie Can't Fail)
Overall Notes: hahahahahahahhaahahahh it's so good Hanging On The Telephone isn't even in the top half of the better songs on this album and I really really like that song. Let's just say I 100% would've followed the Blondie Instagram account.
Funkadelic
2/5
Saved Prior: Can You Get To That
Off Rip: Super Stupid
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: If he made this today Wars Of Armageddon would've had a Vine boom
Machito
4/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Wild Jungle, Congo Mulence, Kenya, Holiday, Cannonology, Conversation, Tin Tin Deo, Minor Rama
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Now THIS is an Incredible Bongo Band.
The Prodigy
5/5
Saved Prior: Voodoo People
Not Saved:
13. The Heat (The Energy)
12. One Love - Edit
11. Speedway (Theme from Fastlane)
10. Intro (works really well as a, well, intro for the album though)
Off Rip:
9. Claustrophobic Sting
8. Skylined
7. Poison
6. No Good (Start the Dance)
5. Break & Enter
4. 3 Kilos
3. Voodoo People
2. Their Law
1. Full Throttle
Overall Notes:
When I was 16 I went on my first solo abroad trip to meet my extended German family. I stayed with my great aunt who had a 27 year old son who would hang out with me on the weekends when he wasn't teaching. Really cool guy but I was 16 and didn't really know how to socialize with someone that much older than me so I was pretty quiet most of the time. One day he took me into Hannover to show me the skatepark he used to fuck up as a kid and asked me what kind of music I listened to. When I said a little bit of everything, he said "Have you ever heard of The Prodigy?". My dad had "Breathe" on his road trip CD but I hadn't listened to anything outside of it. He told me "That's awesome I didn't know the kids still listened to The Prodigy. Ready to have your mind blown?" and he turned up the speakers in his beat up VW van to the max and B L A S T E D their stuff. Flying down the Autobahn, music so loud I couldn't do anything but laugh and headbob. One of my most formative music memories right there. In terms of this album, I know it's going to get slaughtered by the people not getting this on the right day but please please PLEASE crank this shit if you get the chance. 4.5 rounded up.
Steely Dan
4/5
Saved Prior: Peg
Off Rip: Black Cow, Aja, Deacon Blues, Home At Last
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Some of the best hanging out music in the game, I was listening to Deacon Blues while laying under the beach stars and my life changed. 4.5 rounded down
Pere Ubu
1/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: On The Surface, Dub Housing, Blow Daddy-O
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: A lot of these post punk albums are like an abusive relationship; in the moment you're looking for anything to cling to to justify all the time you've committed to it, and there are highlights that make it almost worth it and make you think they weren't so bad. It almost normalizes the strife it puts you through, punishing you for wanting to love it. But when you step back and really examine your experience you realize you were miserable 80% of the time and it was really really awful for you.
3/5
Saved Prior: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Off Rip: Jocko Homo, Come Back Jonee, Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin'), Shrivel-Up
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: These white boys were too quirked up for me. Low 3.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: Stormy Monday, Whipping Post
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Really hard to capture the magic of live music on record. Glad it's here so I could experience it 50 years after the fact, but ultimately succumbs to You Just Had To Be There-itis.
Yes
2/5
Saved Prior: Roundabout
Off Rip: None
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Really wish Roundabout had just continued for the entire album instead of the tomfoolery we got
Dire Straits
2/5
Saved Prior: Sultans of Swing
Off Rip: Setting Me Up, In The Gallery
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Sounds like a good acoustic bar band but is terribly overrated. Don't even like Sultans of Swing that much
The Undertones
3/5
Saved Prior: None
Off Rip: More Songs About Chocolate and Girls, There Goes Norman, Hypnotised, Wednesday Week, What's with Terry
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Pop punk progenitors, surprised I've never heard of them before. A juvenile good time, will be checking out more of their stuff for sure.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Saved Prior: Birthday
Off Rip: Traitor, Motorcrash, Blue Eyed Pop, Deus, F***ing In Rhythm & Sorrow, Cat (Icelandic)*
Cutting Edge: None
*: deluxe album
Overall Notes: Absolutely zero indication that Björk would become an international phenomenon, that being said she does things with her voice that I don't think I've heard on any other serious release. With a lot of these post-punk albums it almost feels like they make good songs in spite of themselves because a couple of the songs on here are near unlistenable but then others are great fun. 3.5 rounded down.
The Psychedelic Furs
2/5
Saved Prior: Pretty in Pink
Off Rip: She Is Mine
Cutting Edge: None
Overall Notes: Mostly just 10 variations on the same song. Pretty in Pink is the best of those variations, but even that is my least favorite of their hits. Cleansed my palette with the quintuple queue of Heartbreak Beat, Heaven, Love My Way, The Ghost in You, and their 2020 single You'll Be Mine which are all better than anything on this album.