YE-(and I cannot stress this enough)-HAW

youtu.be/wwOipTXvNNo

Imagine a very tasty cake, made by a very nice baker. But when the baker went to decorate it, she accidentally grabbed a tube of toothpaste instead of decorative frosting. Mark E Smith is that toothpaste. Not even Colgate, he’s a crest motherfucker. I almost gave this a 3, because the rest of what the band puts in is really tasty, but at the end of the day I don’t want toothpaste in every bite of cake.

You know when you were a kid, and your parents dragged you along to some event? And you sat there, quietly and politely, all the while withering away inside and wishing it was over so you could do literally anything else? I have never heard that feeling captured so impeccably into music as I did here.

Brutal as fuck, and bold as hell. Brings to mind the sound effect for a car engine of a PS2 racing game revving mixed with a barking street dog. In a good way.

Very fun and dancy, just a good time. Pretty ahead of it's time too.

Some good ass blues rock. The double drummers holds up super well live, too. The jams are really where this album soars.

It is quite a feat to have an album this long that somehow doesn't feel bloated. Excellent kickass songs, and even better ballads.

The kind of album that makes me want to dig deeper, I love that. Right now it's a four, but that could easily edge up as I familiarize myself with it.

Punchy and fun, I want to drive to the beach while listening to this album.

More variety than I was expecting, I quite enjoyed it all.

I didn't dislike it, but it felt kinda generic honestly.

I see why this is such a classic. I think I still like Goo better, but this is noisy punky alt rock in rare form

As always with the stones, the hits hit hard, but the deep tracks tend to be very inconsistent.

The A side could be an easy 5, but the back half drags into good but generic motown that brings the record down a bit.

Some good singer-songwriter, with the emphasis on songwriter; Though her versions are great, I prefer a lot of other performances and arrangements, such as Taylor's "You've got a friend".

Some absolute jams here. The ballads aren't as strong as the more hype tracks, but few things I've listened to are as strong as those hype tracks lol

not on spotify, so couldnt listen

A good album. Really, really strong singles, unfortunately muddled by some lackluster deep cuts, but overall a great slice of 80s synth pop

Incredibly well paced and measured; an excellent demonstration of restraint in pop music that is seldom seen. Rad.

Bloated tracklist, but there are some real gems in there too. I see why it's on here even if I don't think its a "great" album. I just wish it was more refined.

Incredible. Timeless. One of the best displays of soul onto wax I've ever heard. The B side is a little weaker than the A side, but still very very nice.

Half of it sounded like credit music for a forgotten 90's sitcom, and the other half felt like a promising demo that was never worked on afterword. It felt like it was almost good a lot of times, but then just fell kind of flat.

Cool transitions between songs and a few highlights, but nothing really drawing me back.

KISS just sounds like an ABBA cover group that decided to become a heavy metal parody act, and does a disservice to both.

The most important hip hop album of the decade, with hard-hitting lyricism, flow beyond compare, and incredible jazz and funk-influenced beats

Incredible songwriting, performance, and message. Not to mention the sad, sad story behind the album that only enhances it. A gem who's influence is plain to see in much of the music of the next decade.

Sounds undeniably consistent, and incredible, but gets kind of one-note despite how fun that note is.

A fun folksy romp, with one of the most criminally underrated Zep songs (Friends). It has a few duds, however, and doesn't hit quite as high of highs as some of their other works.

An absolute swanky jaunt of folk punk. The vocals are unique and distinctive, and the style feels so ahead of its time for the early 80s.

lemme tell you, driving into the sun after a long work week after only getting about 20 cumulative hours of sleep for the past week and mildly going insane... quite a trip. I've never done drugs, but I feel like that was an honorary high. I swear I could see and smell the music.

Just meh. Not bad, but not for me.

Politically charged, yet makes me wanna party. Thats a combo I can get down with.

Couldn't stop smiling the whole way through. Fun, funny, and a worthy sequel to Folsom Prison.

Very, very meh. Not even bad, but I got nothing out of this.

One of the most groundbreaking, infectious, and listenable jazz record of all time.

By the books classic rock. Nice and listenable and predictable.

Fun arty and weird vibes. Definitely an album for a specific time and mindset, but excellent if it is what I am craving that day.

This album grows on me with every listen. Feels like trying to remember music you heard in a dream

Fun bluesy vibes, almost psychadelic at times. Very nice.

So much energy brought live, I just wish the recording was a little clearer. To be expected for a live Motorhead album though.

I feel so voyeuristic listening to this album. I feel like I'm looking at her through a one-way mirror, the lyrics a very personal reflection of her situation and the instrumentation perfectly complementing it. A masterpiece of emotion. And her voice, my god.

Some classic, bog-standard blues rock. I've always felt a little lackluster towards Bad Company to be honest. They just feel so generic.

Not bad, and makes for nice background music, but ultimately feels very same-y throughout, with most songs not feeling like they build up to much

From the get-go one of the greatest hip hop albums I've ever heard. Absolutely blown away.

The album that saw Queen really hit their stride. Excellent songs (Flick of the Wrist especially being an underrated Queen song), but the production can make the project feel a little dated. The foreshadowing of ideas that would be explored later in their catalogue is always fun though!

One of the most chill and relaxed hip hop albums I've heard so far. Very fun and vibey. Ultimately a little dated sounding, but not in a bad way; just missing some of the high-density rhymes and flows of later rappers that really attracts me. Biting and funny lyrics though!

The opening song was great... and nothing else lived up to it (but a few at the end). Wasn't expecting that surprise John Lennon cover though lol.

Some very, very good rock'n'roll. Unfortunately, I'm just never crazy into pre-60s rock, no matter how good it is. All in all a nice and listenable record, but nothing that draws me in significantly.

Funky vibes, but nothing that really grabs me. It's not bad per-se, but it's just kind of... bland. Sounds like a watered down version of On the Corner or Head Hunters.

Did not listen, due to the sexual controversy surrounding the artist. The 1 is a reflection of my distaste with Ryan Adams.

It is dissonant, out of tune, and gritty, and I enjoy it for it. It is a little bit up its own ass, but in an endearing way. I like it. It is definitely something you need to be in the right mood/headspace for though.

Liked this more than I expected. Good structure, great lyrics, and honest presentation. That opening track is a ripper, too.

Just kind of... meh. Had some fun instrumentals, but the vocalist was the bad type of annoying

Very backgroundy, which makes sense as its a soundtrack. I definitely liked it, didn't love it. Kind of makes me want to see the movie

God I fucking love Otis. An excellent, excellent record from an excellent performer, even if much of it is covers. Probably some of the best covers out there, if I'm being honest.

Kinda fun, but so incredibly dated. Not really for me. Also I wasn't expecting multiple songs about a sci-fi sexual fetish, but they may have been the highlight of the album.

Surprisingly fun and listenable, a lot of good stuff but nothing big that wowed me. Waffling between and 3 and a 4 here.

Deliciously tasty and laid back hip hop. Surprised I haven't heard of this one before.

Absolutely gorgeous, so easy to get lost in. Great lyrics as well.

I always expect more out of the dead than I ever seem to get. Just okay at the end of the day.

This was surprisingly delicious. The songs didn't really go anywhere, but they didn't really need to. They just chilled out and did their thing; I like that.

Fuck I am turning into a dad, I appreciate Steely Dan now

Unexpected hit. Bjork's vocals really made the chaos shine. Sounds like a love child between the Cranberries and the B52s.

Fantastic, blew me away. A masterpiece of noisy alt rock.

Very nice, but I feel like I need a little more time to chew on it. It could either end up a major grower, or lose its luster fast for me.

Ah, bland and uninteresting, just how I remember Steely Dan. Solid instrumentals though.

Very nice and good in the background, but only a few tracks really stood out.

Not bad, but not really for me. Feels like the music equivalent of those oscar-winning movies that people like because they feel like they should. Honestly was a bit of a slog.

Vibey but forgettable.

Incubus is kinda like tasty junk food for me. I know its not really that good, but is still enjoy consuming it lol

Excellent vibes, Marley really lives up to the legend

Excellent background music, but not much that drives it into the foreground for me.

Everything I want out of an electronic music album. Literally bopped my head from start to finish.

About as raw as it gets. Really appreciated this piece of punk's history.

Very nice stuff from the boys, consistent theming and excellent sound, but whoever thought that "Take a Load Off Your Feet" should make the final cut needs to be fired lol

What is worse than something that is just bad? Something that almost is good sometimes, and then spoils it with more badness. Almost a 1, but "forgiven" and the really fantastic bass part on the otherwise blegh "you oughta know" saved it

Hit or miss, but the misses were close and the hits were soft. Very middle of the road for me, but overall "nice"

Swanky and stanky. The Picasso of jazz. Rock on Thelonious.

Brutal as fuck, and bold as hell. Brings to mind the sound effect for a car engine of a PS2 racing game revving mixed with a barking street dog. In a good way.

This is how a band does a sound change and comes out on top for it. Excellent pop rock fun.

My first 5 from something I've never heard a lick about beforehand. Very enjoyable psych-influenced indie, with a little polka and ska for good measure.

Noah's favorite album so far. Some damn fine bossa nova.

Super fun stuff. Could have been a 5, but a little bit of bloat just holds it back.

Scrumptious. I have the sudden urge to join a hearty homegrown dinner with butter I churned myself.

Chunky groovy goodness, all great songs, but can get a little much to listen to near the end as a cohesive album

Perry Ferrel always sounds like he is trying to sing while both furiously masturbating and dropping a deuce at the same time, which really brings down what otherwise contains a lot of really great songs

Delightful psychedelic pop. I need to give this a proper listen, I don’t think driving to work on my car speakers does it a justice.

It had some okay songs, but others have done the same thing but better. Not to mention a few problematic lyrics.

Not on Spotify, couldn’t listen

A cool concept, but honestly so much of the album was just annoying, both the whining and the rapping and beats themselves. I like the idea of the album far more than the execution.

A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME A LOVE SUPREME

Damn, what a fun album! Just packed with jams, I bet they would be a blast to see live

The Eagles will always be a standby for a few good jams and the rest of the album being listenable but bland

I 100% understand why this album should be on this list, but man I just did not enjoy it much.

Some incredible recontextualization of songs set to an orchestra, but it doesn't save how weak a lot of Load/Reload songs are. I almost rated it a 4 just on how good this version of Call of Ktulu is though.

Raw, aggressive, and sexy. Love it.

Some very fun artsy and punky glam. And those synths are absolutely going wild!

Absolutely fresh as fuck punk. Love it. Can't believe I haven't heard of these guys before!

A fun psychedelic trip. Some parts of it translate better live-to-album then others, however.

Fun and silly proto-punk, but lacking some substance (that might kinda be the point of the album, though)

Pretty derivative, with the first half especially just being “I can’t believe it’s not Beatles!™”, but still very listenable, and the back half especially had som fun creative ideas.

The heaviest Queen has ever gotten. It’s funny, this album has the opposite problem that a lot of others do. Usually, there are a few standout tracks, but the album fails to give a cohesive experience. This albums works amazingly as a work on its own from start to finish, I just wish there were a few more standalone bangers!

Simultaneously holding hands with seriousness, sexiness, and silliness, which is quite a feat to behold. Very enjoyable modern fusion, but I wish there was a bit more variety of sound here.

Just because it is the most accessible Nirvana album doesn't mean it is the weakest; not by a long shot. A tour de force of bringing the grunge movement into the mainstream purely on it's incredible songwriting and melodies, not to mention the great rhythm section between Grohl and Novoselic

I like the energy and attitude, but the songwriting just isn’t there in most cases. I could see later albums by this band really growing into something cool, but this debut just doesn’t do it for me

I definitely get why it’s popular, but it honestly just doesn’t I much for me.

Pleasant and interesting, but not something a that’s gonna really draw me back anytime soon

Some fun and boppin' classic rock and roll. Gets an extra star for the sheer charisma Buddy Holly puts forward on the mic.

Fun vibes, but it is so 90’s it hurts, and the songs overstay their welcome every time.

It has some (glaring) flaws, such as songs overstaying their welcome and not translating as well live as they would in the studio. But that combination of proto-punk energy and space rock spookiness is so tasty that I can look past it’s shortcomings. An extra star goes to Lemmy’s energy and skill alone.

What a strange collection. It has some of my all-tome favorites from the Doors, as well as some of the most boring stuff they ever wrote. What a conundrum.

Subdued and explosive all at once. It somehow makes me nostalgic for a time that never was. Nobody can do it quite like the B-52s.

One of the modern classics. Kanye at his most self-aware, teetering on the edge of hedonism and trying not to fall into the void. Production is beyond incredible, features are fire, songwriting is incredible. If I had one criticism, its that Chris Rock's little skit goes on a tad long.

I had a visceral reaction to this album, like a child revoking after touching a hot stove for the first time. I was driving faster on my way to work as if I could outrun the music. It feels like robots. It feels like lies. It’s like a nice glassy wrapped package that someone left empty. It has all the heart of the incidental music of a summertime Hallmark movie. Hopefully I won’t cross paths with this album again.

The first song was an absolute BANGER, but the rest of the album bounced between "pretty good" and "pretty boring" unfortunately.

I guess I’m a Bowie fan now! Half existential bops to dance to, half eerie and gorgeous soundscape. Robert Fripp and Brian Eno really bring it together to paint a gorgeous masterpiece for David Bowie to launch himself off of. Beautiful!

Frankie is always pleasant, but he just doesn't seem as comfortable trying to adapt his style to bossa nova and it comes off as a little forced/trend-hoppy. He's smooth as butter, but butter doesn't go on everything.

There is do denying that this is an incredibly fun record. However, this much beastie boys in one sitting can get very grating, very fast. best enjoyed in smaller doses, for me.

Very fun rock record, showing Dave Grohl step out of Kurt’s shadow less than a year after his death and come out with a sound that was his own. Earns its way to 4 stars as Dave Grohl being a one man band for the whole record. I still think some of their later stuff like The Colour and the Shape or Wasting Light has stronger songwriting, however.

The sheer brilliance of Paint it Black brought this up to a 3, and the deeply rapey energy of Under My Thumb pushed it right back down.

The damned continues to cement themselves as my favorite band from the early punk scene. Surprisingly varied, this feels like a transitional album for me. So close to a 5, but a few duds just barely hold it back.

This album is definitely gonna need some more chewing for me. I was kind of taken aback by how much I wasn’t into it at first, given joy divisions legacy. But by the end of the album I was vibing with it. I went back and listened to the earlier tracks and enjoyed them. It will get a 4 for now, subject to change.

Great mix of slamming guitars and pop sensibilities. Maybe not the most original work in the world, but it was a fun ride!

Fun jams and fat beats, but they tend to drag on a little. I wish this was a more concise record.

A pretty groundbreaking combo of punk and blues, it's really cool to hear the origin of this sound.

youtube.com/watch?v=BD5TA0FVNf0

I already knew over half the songs, but hearing it all come together as one unit makes it all the better. Some classic stuff here.

Better than any 69-song long album deserves to be. The duds in it weren't even bad, just kinda boring, and the highs were definitely very high. But still... its just so loooooooooooooooooooong.

This is gonna need some chewing. Some parts of it I absolutely adored, and other parts I could not stand. It’s getting a 3 for now, but that’s more of a stand in. This album deserves to steep for a while.

youtu.be/wwOipTXvNNo

The upbeat songs make me want to dance, and the slower ones have such an old school Disney vibe between the strings and the choir. Really into this. And the cultural importance of the album truly solidified the 5 for me

On one hand, the songwriting here is undeniably stellar, and his voice can absolutely put me in a trance. On the other, so much of the instrumentation and arrangement is just absolutely NOT for me. It really depends on the song to see which one wins out on this album.

A perfectly fine, pleasant album, but for some reason I just never connect as well to Billie Holiday as I do to her contemporaries, like Nina Simone or Ella Fitzgerald. A lot of the songs I’ve heard done by other artists that I prefer, but it was still a perfectly nice listen.

Everything I want out of a garage rock album. Just solid crunchy guitar, bluesy licks, and ridiculously catchy hooks. This is the kind of album I'd have a CD of in the care and just vibe to every time I'm driving.

Ella’s voice is absolutely dessert for the ears, the arrangements are top notch, and you can’t hate on classics from the American Songbook. I had an internal struggle with my desire to rate this a 5. Usually I like albums that are one complete experience; something meant as a one-sitting treat. But this is like a full gallon of premium ice cream. Should I fault it for being larger than it’s pint-sized cousins simply because it won’t fit into one bowl? For this album, I don’t think so. “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” is still a trash song though and I stand by that lol.

Just my kind of vibe. Gives me very big Moody Blues energy with a modern twist. I wanna dive deeper into these guys.

Jam packed with tasty synth-fueled indie jams. Feels like it’s cut from the same cloth as Florence + the Machine, but they used that cloth to make tight jumpsuits instead of flowy dresses. It may be a Friday morning, but this album makes me long for Saturday night.

Very pretty chamber pop with a bit of a country feel to it. Beautiful orchestral arrangements. Feels like it falls somewhere between Neil Young and Neil Diamond. If there isn't a guy named Neil in the band I will be thoroughly disappointed.

YE-(and I cannot stress this enough)-HAW

A super fun psychedelic journey from start to finish. I just wish the production on this thing wasn’t so rough, it really does the album a huge disservice in my opinion.

Fantastic beats from Timbaland, and some bomb features as well. It is unfortunate that I find Missy Elliot herself to be so dreadfully boring. I genuinely do not get her hype someone please explain it to me.

The absolute pinnacle of funk, with a healthy blend of rock and psychedelia. I would give my left leg to be invited to a 1970's George Clinton party, and I don't even like parties.

Ah, Prince. An undeniably excellent songwriter, musician, and performer. And yet he is so hit-or-miss with me. Some songs are absolute bangers, and other honestly feel bothersome. Every Prince album feels like this weird mixed bag, and this one is no exception.

Certainly fun rock, and the singer has some swagger to him. Nothing that is keeping me coming back, however.

What a unique blend. I don't think I've ever heard Indian Classical fused with electronic/breakbeat before. It is not a project I am going to return to a lot, but at the same time it is something I would be eager to hear more of.

The kind of pop that I really don’t vibe with. Some songs are fun in a “sing along road trip” kind of way, but not something I’d listen to on my own time. Gotta say though, All Through the Night was kind of a bop.

What an excellent and groundbreaking piece of work. This is the blueprint for post-punk right here. Very close to a 5 for me, but just a few songs I didn’t bop with as hard as others. Maybe it would be a 5 on a different day; it’s certainly almost there.

Rarely do I even give much thought to lyrics in an album, but this one earns its 5 on the lyrics alone. The beautiful sparse instrumentation and haunting voice Leonard brings are just icing on the cake.

Perfectly fine I guess, but nothing here differentiates them from the other 10000 bands chasing the Beatle's coattails in the late 60's

Super fun riot grrrl stuff. Gets a little samey, but not in a bad way. It wants you align with its vibe, and if you won't do that then fuck you. I like that energy.

Some solid 90’s college rock. There are definitely some amazing gems here, but also a lot of bits that could use a good amount of refinement.

Imagine a very tasty cake, made by a very nice baker. But when the baker went to decorate it, she accidentally grabbed a tube of toothpaste instead of decorative frosting. Mark E Smith is that toothpaste. Not even Colgate, he’s a crest motherfucker. I almost gave this a 3, because the rest of what the band puts in is really tasty, but at the end of the day I don’t want toothpaste in every bite of cake.

Give me a big throwback to Homework/Discovery era Daft Punk, and I am absolutely loving it. I was almost set on giving this album a 5, but wow, the song The Party was so bad it lost the album an entire star for me.

Pleasant enough, but aside from a few tracks that caught my ear there is nothing here that is drawing me back.

Pretty cool and relaxing country music, with some rad harmonies at times.

I’m a little upset by this album. I have very few 1 star albums, and almost this whole work was so dreadfully boring that I thought I’d finally found another super-dud. But then Back to Life just had to go and be a bop, so this album earns its second star.

I’m so upset with myself for never jumping on the Fleet Foxes hype train when I had the chance, because this album as absolutely incredible. Every vocal harmony impeccable, every note perfectly placed. This album feels like looking at a masterfully crafted wood carving. It feels like it takes the best bits of each of the year’s seasons and rolls them into one. Not only is this a 5, but I think it firmly has a place among my favorite records now.

I love me a good concept album, and the A side delivered handily. The B-side was a little more hit-or-miss, but all of it likeable. Ultimately a quite good album, but not the greatest I have heard from either of the duo.

The sound of midnight in the wintertime, being alone without being lonely, a calm darkness with nothing insidious hiding in it. Absolutely marvelous.

Sorry Paul, but you are better when you've got Artie by your side. Not a bad album, but it just felt like something was missing... something tall, with a curly hairdo, perhaps.

A very fun and well written punky/alt rock record, but it really didn’t need to be a whole hour long. Takes away from the energy and sustainability of the record.

Definitely fun, and an improvement on his debut, but not quite enough to earn a full star. If his previous was the lowest of the 3s, this is the highest of them. The songs I liked I absolutely loved, but a lot of the ones I didn’t really got on my nerves.

It started pretty decent, but every subsequent song got better and better, culminating with an amazing live version of Bring it On Home. Close to a 5, but a few "live album-isms" hold it back.

Feels like some elevator music, but an elevator in a weird fever dream that never really ends, but there is a fun dude dancing in the elevator with you so it’s okay.

You know when you were a kid, and your parents dragged you along to some event? And you sat there, quietly and politely, all the while withering away inside and wishing it was over so you could do literally anything else? I have never heard that feeling captured so impeccably into music as I did here.

“Okay, okay, hear me out. What if we took the mediocrity of the Sex Pistols… but made it longer?” - John Lydon, probably

A fun blues-rock romp, and a nice look at some the earliest musings of the genre, but it isn't an album that Ill be coming back to in full very often.

One of the prettiest albums I’ve heard in my time. This is what it looks like when an artist has an artistic vision, and takes the utmost care to craft what was in their mind into something they can share with the world.

The Rolling Stones come back again to knock one firmly in the middle of the park.

A set of smashingly silly songs, the Who once again proves why they deserved to be at the forefront of the 60s British Invasion.

The album grew on me with each song, I liked it quite a bit! Synthy, a little post-rocky at the tail end, it felt like a group that was just making the exact type of music they wanted to make.

I definitely see why this alienated Joni Mitchell fans of the time. It was a little more artsy, a little more jazzy, a little more psychedelic than her other musical endeavors. However, I thought it was an experiment that yeilded a great end product! Maybe not the instant classic that Blue was, but a great album of its own; I want more time to digest it.

One of the first electronic records I ever listened to, so there is some nostalgia here, but it really is just easy listening music for 1999

The type of dreamy indie rock that is right up my alley. Definitely enjoyed this one, and I’m gonna seek out more of their stuff in the future!

Fun at times, but annoying at more times. I read that a lot of the acclaim for the album comes from the lyrics, but I really just don't see it.

Usually Andy Summers is my biggest gripe with the Police, but he really came into his own on this record. Stewart Copeland continues to be monumentally underrated, and Sting brings the same flavor he always does: tasty, but quick to get sick of. As a whole though, I think this is my favorite I’ve heard from the Police.

If someone asked me for the most generic piece of classic rock music I could think of, I now know where to point them to.

Some nice indie singer songwriter stuff, with a little electronic flavor peppered in here and there. I didn’t love it, but I certainly liked it.

An absolutely excellent foray into industrial metal, and the sheer ridiculousness of Jesus Built My Hot Rod easily puts this at a 5 (though a bit of nostalgia is clouding my judgement, if I’m honest)

Fun at times, but annoying at more times than that. It felt like the guitars and vola swere fighting against each other rather than complementing each other.

An absolute masterpiece of progressive rock. Long-winded gorgeous songs with so many moving parts. It's not for everybody, but it is most definitely for me.

Fun rock, and great to drive to. The mix is a little much for me, everything gets a bit muddy. I can feel the influence of this record in much of the rock of the decade to come, but I think I prefer a lot of the bands that were influenced compared to this.

A fantastic blend of traditional Brazillian music into groove and nu metal. Even a little death metal influence in there. I haven't listened to this record in a very long time, I forgot how much I loved it.

The hits are obviously gold here, but the deep cuts honestly don't do a lot for me. Still a pretty nice record though.

I think I liked Unhalfbricking a little more, but this record still felt like a time capsule into a fantastical past, and I loved it.

This didn’t feel like a mediocre album of its era chasing the Beatles hype. No, it felt like a mediocre album from the 80s instead, when everyone was fascinated by bad “world music”. But hey, at least it’s ahead of its time I guess?

Excellent and poignant folk rock. Very close to a 5 here.

This album was an easy 5 for me… right up until “Jailbait”. Yikes, Lemmy, what the fuck were you thinking?

I definitely liked it, but it isn’t my favorite I’ve heard from REM. Fantastic atmosphere though!

Noisy, thoughtful, and full of energy, this album hits a perfect sweet spot for me. The guitars in particular were so damn good. Looks like I have a new band to dive into.

Fun, dark, and gothy, I liked it a lot. Part of me wants to give it a 5, but I think that relates more to the iconography and story of the band rather than the music itself, which sits at a solidly high 4 for me.

Falls somewhere between Oasis and Third Eye Blind. Enjoyable enough, but it’s not something I’ll really return to much, as I think others have done the same sort of sound better.

This album just barely earns a star on the incredible strength of Fire and Rain alone; the rest of the songs were decent to good, but couldn’t live up to that exceptional standard.

No other band can jump from heavy metal to cabaret to prog rock with the effortless grace of Queen, and this album displays that with a beautiful smattering of song variety.

This album gave me extreme enjoyability whiplash. For the first few songs I honestly thought I might be giving it a 1, they just plain annoyed me. But then Never Recover was fun enough to at least solidify a 2. But then Lovefool came, and my deep hatred for that song made me want to drop it down to a 1 again… but then immediately after Losers came on and not only saved it from losing a star, it bumped it all the way to a 3. And then that Black Sabbath cover… I honestly have no idea how to feel about it other than strangely intrigued. With the album ending on a nice but forgettable few songs, I think I’ll have to rate this a very confused 3 in the end.

I guess when this band got together, they were feeling a little... horny ;)

Obviously the big pull here is the opener, but The Sun Always Shines on TV was equally incredible. Unfortunately the rest of the album is just kind-of-okay synth pop.

A swankier and stankier Bowie than I heard on Heroes, but Eno and Fripp’s hand in the matter is sorely missed for me.

This album absolutely gripped me from start to finish. I don’t even really remember my drive to work this morning. This is the kind of music that simultaneously makes me want to create, and dashes my hopes that I will ever make something close to this level of a masterpiece.

A fitting name for this album. The back half was good, but the front half was phenomenal. I love me a nice concept album, and the arrangement was so solid.

I always saw this album as swing’s last hurrah before rock and roll fully took over, and what a hurrah it was. All the players are top notch here. And what a ballsy move to put an atomic explosion on the cover barely a decade after WWII; ballsy, and fitting for the music here. It just edges into a 5 for me.

Very few albums mix clear virtuosic playing and fun silly jams as well as Van Halen does on their debut.

Psych and prog infused grunge; this album was so formative to my musical tastes when I first discovered it back in freshman year of high school. I may not go back to Soundgarden as often as I did back in those days, and there is definitely some valid criticism here (particularly about it being a long and exhausting listen for one sitting) but this album could never be anything but a 5 for me.

The musical equivalent of a snuff film.

While my heart lies with post-Rubber Soul Beatles, this album is probably their best showcase of their early sound. A strong and well done collection right here.

This album is awesome. The songs were long but never got boring. Consistently fun throughout.

I was gonna write something about the big 4, their skill as musicians, laying the groundwork for death metal, blah blah blah... but really, there is only one thing that needs to be said here: *deep breath* FUUCKIIIINNNGGG SLAAAAYYEEEERRRRRRRR!!!!!!

Not really what I expected given what I thought I knew about Zappa and had heard from him before. I figured it would be a lot more avant-garde and experimental. In any case, it was still some pretty great jazz-injected prog rock.

I wish I’d discovered this album outside of this project, as one day is not enough to really rate and digest it. However, I think this is still a pretty clear 5 here; I love this creative and experimental indie.

Cream is always at their best when they lean harder into their psychedelia than leaning into blues. Also, I am convinced Cream is good in spite of Clapton rather than because of him.

This is a hard one to rate, especially with so little time to sit with it. The first half was inconsistent for me, but everything from One Day to the end was fantastic. I think it will just barely earn its fourth star for me, but really this album is done a disservice by trying to take it all in for one sitting/one day. But oh well, time marches on.

I like the sound and overall ideas here, but it really flounders in its execution. I feel like I kept waiting for something bold or adventurous or unexpected, and never quite got it. A very safe record.

This sounds like one of the earliest branches of the evolution of punk into new wave. Love the synths. Pretty dope.

With this album, Bowie really achieved one of the highest accolades he had ever or would ever receive in his life as an artist: having a cover of one of his songs appear in the soundtrack of Shrek 2.

For me, this is the absolute pinnacle of Third Stream, and Mingus’s greatest masterwork.

John Lennon proves he can sound perfectly decent when away from the other mop-tops. This album just barely grabs a fourth star for the sheer pettiness found in the diss track here.

An oft-forgotten jazzy psychedelic country album? Oh yes. Yes PLEASE.

I always forget that Neil Young had a weird garage rock phase in the 90s… honestly, it always felt like the worst of both worlds for me.

Delightfully tight and catchy early punk, this was a very nice treat today.

It is rare to find a band in the late 60's that can tread the same ground that the Beatles explored at the same time without sounding entirely derivative. Bravo.

It’s got some swagger but it loses a lot of steam in the back half. I think it’s a better project as individual songs, but listening as a sum gets a bit to samey. I did quite like it, overall, though. Between a 3 and a 4 here.

This is some of the best rap that I didn’t understand a word of lol. Honestly, if I spoke French, this could possibly be a 5 depending on the lyrics. But man, this guy flows so nice, and the beats are delightful.

This is my first dive into Public Enemy, and holy shit it was good. The flows were amazing, the lyrics fun and poignant. But the real star for me is those beats, probably the best early hip hop type beats I’ve ever heard. Amazing.

Probably the most accessible Sonic Youth album I've heard so far, but that doesn't make the Kim and Thurston duo any less tasty.

The perfect album to put on when I just want to feel like shit.

This album was a strange one. Mostly synth pop, but with a good deal of pop rock and prog rock and even a little disco for good measure. But outside of the title track, it never really came together for me. It is something that feels like it needed a little more refinement of identity.

Elvis Presley? More like Pelvis Presley.

It was good, but not great. And it was definitely a hit-or-miss type of record, with some songs right up my alley and others just so dreadfully boring.

Some pretty nice noise punk. I liked it, but didn’t love it; I feel like I’ve heard the same thing done better before and since.

Well... this easily goes on record for my biggest changed opinion. The first (and last) time I listened to this record in full was over a decade ago, back when I was still in high school. And I hated it. HATED it. I thought it was the most boring, annoying, overrated bit of trash, and that it didn't deserve to it's place among contemporaries like The Damned and The Clash. And over the years, hearing a song or two here or there, my opinion was unchanged. Even getting a PiL record on this project just reinforced my opinion that John Lydon is trash. When I saw this come up for the day, I groaned. I was expecting to give it a 1, have it give me a headache, and life would move on. But something changed. The singing that I thought was grating nonsense now felt passionate and aggressive. The boring and overdone guitar riffs now felt enormous and fiery. The songs were all far catchier and more fun than I used to appreciate. I LOVED it. So, I would like to apologize, Sex Pistols, for years of trashing you. You deserved better.

A good sound that gets a little long-winded and sleepy by the end of it. The first track is literally just All Blues but folk lmao. I can definitely hear a little influence on his son.

The proto-everything album. I certainly enjoyed it, but honestly Nico drags this down by a lot. I like the ripples it caused more than the album's splash itself, but the forward-thinking experimentation is pretty incredible in and of itself.

Not bad, but it felt like the songs were always building toward a payoff that never came. It kept climbing slowly up the ladder to the high dive, building anticipation, getting to the edge... and then turning around and just climbing back down. Musical edging with no satisfying release. I want to enjoy this more than I really do.

My favorite album from (one of) my all-time favorite groups. Dark Side of the Moon may get more glory, and it deserves the praise it gets, but this album is the Pink Floyd at their best for me, especially Richard Wright. The synths on this project are so massive, but so emotional at the same time. This band really just has a way of grabbing a hold of you and whisking you away into whatever world they are crafting in the music. And when you add the inspiration to most of the lyrics and the story of Syd Barret into it all, you get the cherry on top of this sweet, sweet dessert.

A very 90s crowd-pleaser piece of pop rock. This would be great background music for grilling or hanging around a campfire on a summer night. But when listened more intently than that, only about half the songs really hold up for me. It just barely missed out on its fourth star.

I really like her voice and style, it reminds me of a feminine version of the guy from the Eels for some reason. Great songs throughout. I just wish it didn’t get so samey, but that’s the nature of the genre sometimes.

It might be samey. The parts of the songs might not flow super well between each other at times. It is certainly so dated that I feel like my hair is starting to tease itself up in true 80's fashion. But my god if it ain't some of the most fun music out there.

Of the three Steely Dan albums I’ve heard from this project, this one sits as an easy favorite. Fun, thoughtful, exciting musicianship. Too polished, but that’s always my issue with steely Dan. Boddhisattva in particular was an amazing highlight. Fuck, I don’t like how much I like it. I really have transformed into a dad.

It is such good head bobbing stuff. Full of bops, especially the singles. A few duller tracks hold it back (as well as my own pickiness with pop music), but this is a very very fun listen, if anything.

This is like if Coldplay or early Radiohead didn’t have a knack for good songwriting.

Not really my taste for the most part, but a few songs really pull this up for me, particularly Forest Fire.

I needed something this bombastic, cheesy, fun, and "epic" today. It truly pulled the best of hard rock and musical theater together into one ridiculous ride that I will gladly hop on again.

Not what I was expecting from the Kinks. The chamber pop arrangements were pretty fun, and there were definitely some really cool ideas that did flesh out well, but a lot of it also felt a little unfinished in quality, especially when it comes to the musician's performances. Good songs that just needed some work, IMO.

The real OG rock opera. It has that classic Who sound, but unfortunately I think the narrative is muddy to say the least; unfortunate, considering what I was hoping for out of a rock opera. The music itself was pretty consistently fun, however. Even more interesting is knowing how this project almost acted as a vehicle for Townshend to explore his own traumas and spirituality; that honestly is the most interesting part of it all for me.

Dark, edgy, and moody, with great songwriting and even better atmosphere. But for me, the most astonishing part is how ridiculously clean and well produced the album is through and through. It is spotless. The musical equivalent of a black marble statue in a dramatically lit room.

It’s not ELP’s best record, but it is undoubtedly their best album cover.

I forgot just how much I loved Deep Purple (and classic heavy metal in general). Ian Paice continues his legacy as one of the most criminally underrated drummers of all time, but the rest of the band has no problem at all keeping up with him. The organ especially slaps in the back end of the record. Fantastic stuff, through and through.

Some solid conscious soul and funk. I think it falters a little around the middle of the album, but it starts and ends strong enough to make it to four stars for me.

Excellent songwriting, great lyrics, fantastic performances from the musicians. Honestly, the biggest thing holding this back from 5 stars for me is that it can feel very dated in the 80s at times. But damn, it is a rock solid album.

A pretty good album throughout, but the immense highs of the two singles it contains really outshines the rest of it.

It is impressive how Thom Yorke managed to out-depress the entirety of grunge. Honestly, I didn't even like this album much the first time I listened to it. Strange, despite it being a perfect mix of things I like: alternative rock veneer over progressive/artsy songwriting, disaffected lyrics, and dripping with pretentiousness. I came back to it after a few months and it completely clicked for me, and now I think it is an essential album to its core.

AC/DC is like a delicious plain chocolate ice cream. Every bite is going to be basically the same, but you aren't gonna be all that mad about it.

Honestly, I think I just don't care for Britpop. It was... okay.

A classic of prog. Not my favorite from Rush, and not every song on the back half is a hit, but all 3 members are at the top of their game in performances, and the title track is undoubtedly a gem.

That Doobie Brothers cover was an especially fun gem in this already very fun album. Unfortunately, that one set of Swiffer commercials completely ruined the song That Lady for me.

Being given the accolade of "the 47th best album of 1994" really feels about right, for this.

Big fat beats, but the best part of the album is the cover. Crab looks ready to throw down.

It makes me sad that this is honestly so average, considering the highs I know that McCartney can reach both as a solo artist and a band member.

Who knew funk, nihilism, and a dash of yodeling would end up as such a winning combination?

A prog classic, made especially impressive by being nearly a one man show. Just great, and right up my alley.

It sounded like proto-Primus, in a way. I liked it, and thought it was interesting for sure. But I probably won’t be coming back to this project much.

The best live album ever recorded. Bar none.

Never been much of a Jay Z fan, but I think this album had changed that. It is top tier hip hop in every category. Just a monolith of excellence.

Bops from start to finish. What a fun album.

I was wary about this one, going into it. I have discovered I don't care much for Britpop during this project. However, I am a big fan of other work by Albarn, Gorillaz being a particular favorite of mine. Honestly, I liked it a lot! It's not gonna be a new favorite or anything, but it was great hearing him in early spunky years and cool to see an origin of the Britpop sound. I can see why they were basically the face of the genre (along with Oasis).

Not at all what I expected. Knowing the Stooges I figured that there would be some sort of punk edge to it. That art rock/synth pop vibe was completely out of left field; it sounded almost like a Bowie record. It was a cool surprise though! I don’t think it’s the easiest record to listen to, but I definitely liked it.

A classic of cool jazz, and jazz as a greater whole. Dave Brubeck is so precise on the keys that he sounds like a MIDI file, and the rest of the team backs him up superbly, particularly Desmond and Morello on the highlight Take Five.

I've never really listened to salsa before, but holy fuck. Throw me a bag of tortilla chips because this was delicious.

Too many clunkers for a higher rating than a 3, even with Mark Knopfler's top notch guitar and the masterpiece of Sultans of Swing.

Waffling between a 3 and a 4 here. I’m a sucker for that 70’s punk sound, which this delivers in spades, as well as enough variety to spice things up. But the songwriting is pretty inconsistent here. It also lacks a certain “it” factor for me that really pushes contemporaries like the Damned and the Sex Pistols to the top. Overall enjoyable, if flawed.

If Rush, Santana, and MCR adopted a baby together, this is the monster they would raise. I love it. These guys have been on my radar for a while and I see why they are always spoken among the greats of modern prog.

The real heroes here are the sound engineers. This album is ridiculously lush, it’s a joy. Unfortunately, this album still somehow feels less than the sum of its parts. I liked every song. Hell, some I even loved. But together as a single listen it gets very samey, very quick.

All these guys have amazing flows. But unfortunatley it seems like half they time they don't really have much to say. The beats were passable, but not amazing (except for the last song where they actually use whirly tubes in music, that was delightful). Ultimately fun, but not anything pulling me back here.

This blew my expectations away. I only knew Only Happy When It Rains going in, and I don’t care for it. And honestly, the opening track was a snoozer. But goddamn, every other song. Just. Fucking. SLAPPED. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard alt rock blend genres like trip hop and industrial so masterfully into their sound. The songs are catchy, edgy, sexy. It’s a masterpiece of songwriting. Garbage absolutely does NOT live up to their name.

Too much Ice, not enough to drink. Honestly, I appreciate this album more than I like it; it’s a landmark for sure, and songs like Once Upon a Time in the Projects and It’s a Man’s World bump so fucking hard. But Ice Cubes flow get old pretty fast without the rest of NWA to back him up. The mostly unremarkable beats certainly don’t help, either. It has some great stuff, but it is too bloated for his charisma to carry it alone.

Super “throw-on”-able. Short and sweet, catchy and sexy, and full of spunk. This was a big hit for me.

Really great songwriting and lyrics here, particularly on the A side. This guy clearly has a lot of talent. But at the same time, I think it’s better as individual songs; as a full album it gets pretty samey for one sitting.

What a cozy and snug album. I want to curl up with some hot cocoa and watch the rain while this is spinning.

There are some gorgeous songs here. These guys really know how to craft a relaxing and wondrous atmosphere to get lost in. Unfortunately, the line between "relaxing and wondrous" and "just kinda boring:" is a thin one, and it is nearly a coin flip to determine which side any song falls on. It is a nice album, but not consistent enough for me in its execution.

Honestly just... dull. The arrangements were okay, even interesting sometimes. The songwriting was passable. But man, Nico herself just does absolutely nothing for me. She was bearable on that Velvet Underground record, but here she has nothing to support her. Also, apparently she is super duper racist, so I am glad I didn't care for her music lol.

Janis is a tiger shooting firecrackers. What an excellent, punchy, and fiery set of songs.

Honestly… disappointed. The beats were really rough. And worse than that, the production and mixing is so inconsistent. I feel like I couldn’t even hear the rapping over the drums on one song, then the next song turns the vocals so far up they drown everything out. The ONLY redeeming factor here is that Meth here is actually pretty talented. He’s got a good flow and some solid wordplay, even if I don’t really care for his style.

atmorpshere lik e parmesan chees

Generic old-school Eagles style country rock. A few good things here, and nice in the background, but honestly mostly forgettable.

Such an interesting blend of flavors going on here. Nothing quite like it! And that's not even getting into the lyrics. This was a delight.

Literally broke ground for southern hip hop. Bops for days, for weeks, for years.

A lot of glam, a lot of punk, and a whole lot of rock n roll. These guys were way ahead of their time.

I honestly am having difficulty rating this one. I definitely think I enjoyed it, but man, it is not an easy listen. Weird and off-putting and hilarious and full of talent. Zappa do be Zappa.

Definitely some solid thrash here. It doesn't hit quite as high as Roots for me, but it proves that early Sepultura was no slouch at all.

The album's title predated the term "swinging" in the sense of partner-swapping sex by 8 years, inadvertently creating a pun on top of the original pun (whereby swinging could refer to either the genre of swing as well as the original innocent meaning of swinging; i.e., to have a good time).

Mad sexy. I didn’t vibe with every song on here enough for it to get a 5, but the sheer creativity, personality, and honesty on this record is astounding.

Lots of albums take themselves too seriously; this is the first time I’ve heard one not take itself seriously enough. Undeniably fun, don’t get me wrong. But it feels like the musical equivalent of a guy that is easily talented enough to get into the NBA, but instead uses his gifts exclusively to throw suction-cup dildos into increasingly bizarre, high up, and hard to reach places.

Never before has a band name fit the sound they have with such accuracy. And man, what a sound it is. Tom is one of the most creative guitarists out there, and Zach is a monster of a frontman. Absolutely excellent.

I love this sound and this direction for Taylor, but as a whole it still is the typical “love some songs, bored by others” experience I get from a lot of her albums. The aesthetic here is great though, I wish it was a little shorter/more consistent of a project so I would want to come back to it more. But tolerate it is just enough to push it into a 4 for me.

Something about this really just didn't click with me. I think the beats were great, and I found the subject matter important stuff to discuss. I just don't think the MC had the skill or charisma to make what he was rapping about not sound super preachy and condescending. Oh well.

An equal mix of cool inventive style and just kind of bland slog. A very inconsistent listen for me, which made it hard to really engage. Overall I think I lean toward positive; it wasn’t bad, I just didn’t really care for it.

Really cool trip hop. I was going to say it gave me big vibes of Massive Attack, until I read the wikipedia article and saw he was a member lol. Great record!

Just what it says on the label: a healthy mix of soul and rock n roll. Solomon expertly blends the styles; both sides of the coin feel equally represented and endlessly enjoyable.

A pretty cool marriage of new wave and psych rock. I bopped hard to a lot of these tracks, but there are definitely a couple fumbling ones tht significantly decreased my enjoyment.

The musical equivalent of those weird outcast kids in high school that didn't care about your opinion and had more fun than any of their peers.

Surprisingly fun for a group that I had written off as a total one-hit-wonder. Not something I see myself coming back to very often, but it is a fun little album with some real gems in there.

Chill, relaxed, and fun. Such good beats and such good bars. I liked this even better than Low End Theory tbh, even though that is the Tribe album I always hear the most praise for. Loved this one.

Honestly I found most of the record kind of boring, but the last 3 songs really bumped it up to a solid 3, particularly the closer. I see why that blew people’s minds in the mid 70s.

Really love this kind of sound. Great guitar work. Almost a mix between jangly and droning that somehow works? My only issue is that it’s a bit samey, but it’s a minor issue. Just barely holding it back from a 5.

A fun idea with an equally fun execution. Gotta love those classical/rock fusions.

The soulless corpse of a once-great band, forced to dance for our money in a sad attempt at entertainment. Listening to this record while the sun rose felt like a disservice to dawn itself.

Some of it was great, particularly the classic singles, but other stuff just didn’t do much for me. A classic 3 star if I ever heard one.

Such a fun and cheesy romp. I see why this is such a historical album, kicking of hip hops golden age. Great rhymes and lyrics, and even better beats. The only issue I have with it is the fact that it’s a little too samey throughout, in regards to flow in particular. Hats off to Aerosmith for showing up and playing their own sample and joining in on the fun, too. Baller move.

Like a fat man struggling to buckle his seat belt, the first few tracks just couldn’t click for me. But by Criminology we were off on an amazing and thrilling ride, all the way through Ice Cream, at which point it ran out of gas fast. If this was just track 4-15 it might even be in the running for a 5, but the bloat surrounding it drags it down so hard.

Normally I like pretentious shit like this, but this one just felt like… well, pretentious shit. Like a female Thom Yorke without anybody to ground him.

I really liked this. Very intimate and subdued, but that didn't stop it from dragging me along and making me feel like I am walking the cracked pavement streets of LA.

This album has a few issues, particularly in length and pacing. It’s a bit bloated, both in overall length and in a few songs that really could have been edited down a bit. But all that falls by the wayside with just how good of a vibe it puts out. Equal parts passionate and relaxed. I feel like I’ve been snatched away and placed into Common’s living room, and he is making some tea while telling me about some social issues he is passionate about. That is a feeling I can’t help but love.

It’s always a shock loading up some Iron Maiden and not getting Bruce on the mic, but this record holds its own as a debut. The biggest draw is the playing; top notch across the board. Even Paul bring his on style that really feels his own. I see why this really ushered in NWOBHM. The biggest drawbacks here are the production and songwriting. The rawness really makes it sound more thin than aggressive; not fitting for their style IMO. And while the songwriting isn’t bad per se, it doesn’t reach the heights that many of their later masterpieces showcase.

The iconic duo's final album is definitely their best. Classic songs, surprisingly varied and dynamic, and excellent songwriting and performances all around. A real treat.

I’ve listened to, and enjoyed, Ornette Coleman. I’ve listened to, and enjoyed, John Zorn. This sounds exactly like how I’d imagine Ornette Coleman played by John Zorn. This is music for masochists.

This style of country is always such a vibe, and few vibe with it better than Merle.

A solid step up from what was already a fantastic debut. Their sophomore album squeezes out a little more catchiness, fun, and memorability that their first album lacked a smidge. I really enjoyed this, it comes very close to a 5 for me, but a few “good not great” tracks at the beginning of the album hold it back for me.

Definitely has a raw, faux-live energy that is both fun but a little bit grating at the same time. Songs are solid though, and everything has a pretty loose and jammy feel to it. All the players here are great, but compared the Janis they are like candles to a torch, which really holds back the songs where she isn't in the spotlight. Overall a very fun time, and Janis is always a pleasure, and its flaws are many but minor.

There are a good couple of songs here, but the majority are a bit of a snooze. The biggest draw here is definitely Loretta's voice, she has some major pipes. A nice record but nothing too memorable.

Well... this exists.

Now this is how you make a pop album up my alley. Full of bops and bangers, solid variety of sound and approach without sacrificing a clear identity, and just a damn good time.

This is a tough rate. I only really liked about half the songs; the other half I didn't care for. Much of it sounded too much like some boring "easy listening" type of music. But the tracks I liked? I LOVED. The Click Song and Mbebe are definitely going on heavy rotation from now on, and that rendition of House of the Rising Sun was gorgeous. I think it is just enough to push into to a 4th star for me; rare for an album with half I didn't really enjoy.

I wanna get off the boat Mr Wonka

Just a rip roarin good time. I want whatever drugs Louis is having.

I think the stripped-down arrangement really helps Bruce here, and the storytelling is great. But there is just something about the Boss that I can't put my finger on, something I find deeply unengaging. I liked this a bit better than some other stuff of his, but not enough for it to make a significant difference overall.

https://youtu.be/ccvB00h6EnI

Music for a fever dream. I love this. It’s definitely not something to dive into every day, but it is absolutely perfect for when this kind of mood strikes.

Quintessential "indie" rock right here, and there is a particular honest charm here that I really dig throughout most of it.

A lot of people give RHCP hate, and especially this era onward when they got super radio friendly, but I always liked it. Solid songs, if a little overplayed, and a lot of fun. It could maybe slim down a bit, but what album in the late nineties wasn't kinda bloated lol.

I had high hopes for this album, but man... it was such a bore. I honestly had difficulty driving on my commute home because it was putting me to sleep.

This is absolutely not for me. I didn't enjoy a single minute of this, apart from "Church of the Poisoned Mind", which almost came together for me before falling apart, which is even worse than just not coming together at all IMO. The only reason this is 2 stars instead of 1 is that it is definitely a competent album; well played, well written, well produced, and you can tell they are having fun. I just didn't have any fun with them lol.

Fun stuff, especially the back half, but it works better as individual songs rather than a full album. Nothing draws me back enough to listen again start to finish.

Feels like I am floating adrift on an ocean of sonic goodliness. A great way to start my day.

Definitely long-winded, but the Cure here manage to avoid falling into feeling bloated and land squarely into a dreamy, moody hypnosis. I dig it. Great for these rainy days going on.

Some nice but generic 2000s rock. Honestly, it feels more like a promising demo than a complete album. I liked it, but really not a ton draws me back. (Also, Josh Homme always feels like a dollar store Chris Cornell to me lol)

Solid, fun, and creative alt rock, with a bit of a weirdo twist. I think the whole of the album was a little greater than the some of its parts; none of the songs themselves stood out to me significantly, but the album as a whole did. I'm interested to hear some more from them.

Cut from the same cloth as early Taylor Swift, with consistently great songwriting, lyrics, and vocal performance, even if a few tracks weren’t really my taste. A great country pop album. Unfortunately, the fact that Space Cowboy was not, in fact, about cowboys in space, was a major letdown.

Solid, interesting stuff. I like the blend of sounds going on here, and the songs may be a little long but they develop themselves well enough that I don't mind it.

A nice album. Just barely misses out on a 4 from me. It’s definitely got some bops, particularly Into the Mystic and Glad Tidings, but it just doesn’t completely click together for me.

Arguably Metallica's magnum opus. An amazing, inventive, and powerful set of prog-infused thrash metal tracks, full of tasty riffs and fun solos.

Its impressive having an album this long, and this samey, still not feel bloated or tired by the end of it. It feels like a post-punk charcuterie board; lots of little tasty bites to mix and mach and enjoy across a large spread. Not to mention great musician ship, cool lyrics, and just the deep feeling that everybody here is having fun and not taking things too seriously. That makes for a star of an album in my book.

Perfect blend of dancey goodness and artsy weirdness. I saw so much buzz for this album when it came out, and honestly it lives up to the hype. I'm gonna have to check more of these guys' stuff out.

Way more varied and fun than their debut, the only other full project I've heard from them. Not every song is a hit; a few succumb to the grating way their voices dig at me. But for the most part we have some fun lyrics, some absolute banger beats, and just a good time all around.

I love trip hop, and this is the grandaddy of all trip hop albums. Great vocals, even better sampling and sound design, just a masterpiece.

Sometimes when you throw a bunch of genres in a blander and set it on high, something pretty cool comes out. This is one of those times. Not every sip of the psych-dance-gospel-dub smoothie is perfect, but it's never uninteresting.

More focused and fun than their sophomore album, I think this is a cool but inconsistent debut.

In a vaccuum this is a 4 star album; it has solid performances and a fun sound that holds up and doesn't overstay its welcome. However, two major things hold it back: Firstly, it is a Christmas album. I won't get any joy busting this bad boy out in February. Secondly, I don't want any Christmas gifts from such a raging, irredeemable asshole as Phil Spector.

I feel the sudden urge to go buy some eyeliner and black clothes.

SOAD proving from the get go that they are one of the most creative, unique, and fun acts in the metal scene. The politically charged lyrics still hit home today, fortunately or unfortunately, and the sequencing and pacing of the album, is top notch to make seamless transitions between silliness and seriousness. Not my favorite from the group, but an incredible accomplishment in its own right.

I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did considering other Wu Tang projects I've heard, but man, Ghosty just has a way with words that can drag me in to a story. The narrative-based rapping is definitely the strongest draw here, with a strong second going to the excellent production (I mean, come on, DOOM and Dilla? Spoiled!). There are too many skits IMO, and not every song is a banger, but this was definitely a good project.

Moody, groovy, and surprisingly varied. Definitely a solid entry in the trip-hop genre; it's man flaw is that it lacks any real "stand-out" tracks for me.

So dreamy, but never to the point of feeling like it blew itself away; it remained fluid but thick and sweet, like floating in a pool of honey. The songwriting and production echoed a lot of the same notes as Fleet Foxes for me while also calling to mind Phil Spector and his wall of sound, and of course it definitely had the influence from the synth-rock sounds of Disintegration-era Cure. This hit a lot of sweet spots for me. On another note (or perhaps because of these notes), damn would this make some good bonin’ music. I gotta go get my wife.

Some people say this is the best Beatle's album; I place it closer to 3rd or 4th. But, this is the Beatles, so that is still an easy 5 stars.

Neil Young is like horseradish. It can really make a dish if it's used right and played to its strengths, but far too often it's either diluted to being pointless or coming on faaaaaar too strong. But man, when it hits right.... it hits RIGHT.

Iowa is the only other Slipknot album I've heard, so coming into this one surprised me with just how pop-oriented it was. That's not a bad thing, though - the variety and catchiness it adds may not please the pure metalheads, but I think it made for a fun listen.

Super fun, full of soul and swagger, and surprisingly funny and sad at times. A great "throw on at any time" record.

This definitely had some higher highs than Celebrity Skin (namely, Rock Star and Violet), but overall it really just gives me "pretty decent" vibes, with a nod to Love's vocals as a solid driving force.

Watching Paint Dry, the soundtrack. I’d almost respect it, if the Verve had intended to make me feel like my brain folds were being smoothed from boredom. I’m still not entirely convinced they didn’t just put a saltine cracker on a record player and let the needle drop.

I thought I’d enjoy this bland and aimless mess of pretentiousness better if I looked up a translation of the lyrics. That just made things far worse…

A grand, layered, and spiraling next step in the band's sound. It is epic for sure, and an excellent album, but it does make me miss a bit of the fire and homegrown feel I heard in their debut.

I completely understand why someone may not like this album. If that someone is you, I just want to reassure you: It is okay to be wrong.

It’s a shame I found much of the music to either have dated production or a bit lackluster arrangement, because Tracy has such a compelling voice. And, even more than that, the biggest strength of this album is easily the lyrics. She touches on social issues in such relatable, character-driven ways that really make an impact. If you are a lyrics-driven listener this will be amazing, but ultimately lyrics are just something that don’t draw me as much as the music itself does, and that lowers the album a lot for my personal enjoyment. I’m giving it a 3, even if I think the album “objectively” deserves higher.

It’s a game-changer of an album for the fate of hip-hop; really helped bring in a new era. And not to mention it introduced the world to the crazy ego of Kanye lol. It is definitely bloated; not every track is a winner; there are too many skits for my taste; and Kanye is really hit or miss on his bars for me. But even given all that, the strengths of this album, the boldness and openness of his lyrics, the great features, they all pull this album back up. What really secures the fourth star for me is the production: few people ever match Kanye’s ability to flip a sample.

Fresh, Funky, and surprisingly soulful. A few tracks are weaker, but the strong ones are STRONG. And this isn't even mentioning how groundbreaking it was!

I've always loved Sabbath's first 3 records, but for some reason I never got around to the 4th. I can solidly say, it holds up to their standard, and more; I think I like it even better than Masters of Reality. Guess the cocaine really worked!

Such a blend of funky rhythm and experimental nonsense, in a way few other acts can match. Maybe no other acts. I have been wanting to listen to this album for years, and it absolutely didn't disappoint.

What a polarizing album lol. Trve Kvlt metalheads see it as the album where Metallica became irredeemable, mainstream music fans see it as the band being boiled down into their most listenable and polished form, and all manner of opinions fall in the middle (including mine). I see it as an album where Metallica went for a more commercial sound, and did so very successfully both in execution and profit. It might be a bit of a sell out, and it doesn't hit as high of highs as their earlier stuff for me, but there is still some damn good stuff on this one. Load and Reload on the other hand... thank god this came before them lol.

If Billy Corgan had an affair with Britpop, this would be the baby. Well written, well performed, and well produced, but there is a certain special “it factor” that it seems to be missing to really push it to greater heights.

Beautiful songwriting and great lyrics, but the dynamics are really what got me. Stevens is equally powerful whether he be a whispering breeze or a howling gale. In a genre that can often find itself with the dynamics of a snack pack of vanilla pudding, this was quite refreshing.

Listening to this record, it is obvious just how much of a formative moment it was, how influential it was for rock music coming into the 2000s. I love the throwback to garage rock and post-punk sounds, the the live atmosphere in the production makes you feel like you are seeing them at a small club. Not to mention the great presence Casablancas has on the mic, and the fun guitar interplay. Ultimately, I think I like a lot of the stuff that this album broke ground for even more, and the album can get a bit “samey” by the end, but the undeniable influence here puts it squarely into a 5 star rating for me.

A cool mix of jazz and afrobeat. Pretty solid arrangements throughout, and Hugh has a great time on the trumpet. I liked this a lot.

Like a garage band of college dropouts tried to make an album inspired by the generic new-age music playlist they heard in the waiting room of the “discount massage parlor” they frequent.

I love an album with a strong identity, and this has the feeling of coming-of-age in spades. Not only in the lyrics; somehow the music seems to carry it too. Excellent energy, emotion, and solid variety too. This one will be sticking in my mind for a long while.

This is the third Springsteen album I've had, and the third strike he's gotten. I sincerely hope we don't get a fourth.

This one feels like it deserves a deeper dive. Zany, creative, and fun, it feels like a weird mix of very dated mid-70's rock tropes and super fresh, genius ideas. It definitely grew on me as I listened.

Finally, my first full Bob Dylan record! And it was… mixed. The songs that I liked, I absolutely loved. Not Dark Yet may be a contender for my favorite Dylan song now, and Cold Irons Bound is a banger. Most of the back half of the album really did vibe with me. Which is why it’s such a shame I found the first half of the record so unengaging. I know lyrics tend to be the primary focus with this artist, and they were good, but lyrics alone don’t make or break a record for me no matter how good they are. Most of these songs just felt dull, unexciting, and honestly until the back half of the record I was very worried that Dylan was just going to completely flop for me. I think one of the biggest issues was the production: when I think Bob Dylan, I think raw and cutting, and the cloudy filters over his voice surrounding everything really break a big part that attracts me to his sound. Ultimately a big mixed bag, but enough good to make it okay. I hope his other albums stand up stronger overall.

Listening to Led Zeppelin is like visiting an old friend. I may not be listening to them nearly as much as I used to, but man, they still pack a punch for me. While this may not be their best overall record for me (though many disagree with me lol), it packs some of their absolute best songs, like Ramble On and What Is and What Should Never Be. What a nice treat to revisit this.