245
Albums Rated
2.99
Average Rating
22%
Complete
844 albums remaining
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2010s
Favorite Decade
Singer-songwriter
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Top Origin
Wordsmith
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16
5-Star Albums
9
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Colour Of Spring | 5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
| I'm Your Man | 5 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
| Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) | 5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
| Low-Life | 5 | 3.3 | +1.7 |
| You Want It Darker | 5 | 3.34 | +1.66 |
| Songs Of Leonard Cohen | 5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
| The Band | 5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
| Darkness on the Edge of Town | 5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
| Strangeways, Here We Come | 5 | 3.44 | +1.56 |
| Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere | 5 | 3.55 | +1.45 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheer Heart Attack | 1 | 3.65 | -2.65 |
| Paul's Boutique | 1 | 3.47 | -2.47 |
| Live Through This | 1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
| The Seldom Seen Kid | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| System Of A Down | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| Rubber Soul | 2 | 4.13 | -2.13 |
| The Hissing Of Summer Lawns | 1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
| Out of Step | 1 | 2.92 | -1.92 |
| A Hard Day's Night | 2 | 3.9 | -1.9 |
| Dookie | 2 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 4.6 |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Emerson, Lake & Palmer | 2 | 1.5 |
| Beastie Boys | 2 | 1.5 |
| Deep Purple | 3 | 2 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Joni Mitchell | 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (16)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Beatles
2/5
This does nothing to dispel my belief that The Beatles are one of the most over rated bands ever. Sound like a slightly updated version of the Everly brothers. I think their position in pop culture buys them a lot of good will.
30 likes
Finley Quaye
2/5
Feel like I should be sat drinking lattes and reading the guardian in a penthouse flat in Chorlton on a Sunday morning in the 90's.
21 likes
Talk Talk
5/5
The true artist chooses from the seemingly infinite possibilities of notation, rhythm and instrumentation to create a song so infused with the spirit and intention of its purpose that the lyrics couldn't possibly be anything else. That's alchemy.
14 likes
Simply Red
4/5
Mick Hucknall has an amazing voice. Their best songs sounds like he's vocally grappling with the music; all snarls, growls and whips. This album contains a lot of Simply Red's best songs, like U2 I'm not sure why this band is seen as 'uncool' but I guess that's someone else's loss.
11 likes
Bob Dylan
5/5
This is peak 60’s Dylan. The actual album is split down the middle between electric and acoustic songs, reflecting the fissure that was taking place in western culture (culminating in the ‘Judas’ moment one year later). The whole album is an expression of Dylan’s out with the old and in with the new sensibility (that’s what upset the folk community so much who sought solace in the past traditions) I listened to a radio 4 play at weekend where Richard Curtis and other media types re-enacted the night where they were supposed to meet Dylan at a restaurant in London only for him to stand them up. It was awful, and I learnt that there is nothing more annoying than some middle aged and middle class bores regurgitating well known Dylan myths to prove their fandom. So I’ll spare you the essay but this is top 5 Dylan for me. P. S. Van Morrison's Them do a beautiful cover of 'it's all over now baby blue' that is worth checking out if you're interested.
9 likes
1-Star Albums (9)
All Ratings
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
The first half sets out its postmodern aspirations particularly in shopping, rent and hit music, where the joke is on the listener. The second half moves into more sincere territory with the powerful 'it's a sin', the atmospheric 'it couldn't happen here' (Co written by ennio morricone), and perhaps my favourite track on first listen: 'I want to take up'. 'Kings cross' is a noice evocative finishing track. Brilliant album and one I will revisit.
Michael Jackson
5/5
It was nice to take a break from my self imposed Michael ban and revisit this old friend. Some thoughts...
Bad- I always used to pretend I was the bookish nerd version of Michael as seen at the start of the Scorsese directed music video whenever I returned home from University on the train.
The songs are so strange and unlike anything else in pop, Michael seemed to mainline into American culture for a decade and his albums of the eighties are the highly polished exponents of this.
Liberian girl-this is perhaps the strangest of the album and I remember the music video being of the same ilk; Steve Spielberg slowly spinning around in his directors chair with a facial expression that conveyed his general confusion as to what emotion he needed to be portraying, as Macauley Culkin fucked about on the lighting rigging and Eddie Murphy pretended to be a pharaoh. I notice this in quite a lot of MJ movie style music videos; a tentativeness to everyone's actions as if the purpose of the script is not quite scratching the surface of the emotion that is awakened when they listen to the music. I may have misremembered this music video so please ignore all this if that's the case.
Smooth Criminal is probably my favourite track although Dirty Diana is a close 2nd.
The extra tracks on this 25th anniversary version are nice (I'm so blue being my favourite) but easy to see why they didn't make the cut.
Billie Holiday
2/5
I always see Billie Holiday on people's lists as one of the best singers of all time but I don't hear it (obviously only based on this album) she sounds nice enough but the songs are boring and not her own.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Sounds like Mad Men waiting room muzak. Not my bag.
Cream
3/5
Listened a few times and it gets better and better. Will continue to revisit
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Sometimes an artist is so fully flooded with inspiration that everything they touch turns to gold. Bob had it with Blonde on Blonde, Van with Astral Weeks, the Boss has it here.
LL Cool J
3/5
A couple of stand out tracks buried amongst a lot of tracks where I struggled to connect with or even process the lyrics. The Power of God is a great song though and just about pulls up the album up to 3 stars.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Sounds like the end of American beauty / good will hunting or any other late 90's existential movie.
Elbow
1/5
Such a 'try hard' album, almost like Garvey is doing a parody of the pretentious singer songwriter but the sad thing is that he's genuine.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Easy to admire, difficult to love.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
I like my jazz that comes with a strong northern Irish accent, this wasn't that.
Fugees
4/5
Sick album. No jokey or throwaway lyrics just serious rap delivered by three distinct but unified voices (apart from the Chinese skit) . There are some bona-fide hit records on this but my favourite is probably the closing 'manifest/outro', 6 minutes of raw and frustrated expression.
Elton John
4/5
Elton John's voice is sometimes too big and overpowers some of his songs which makes him quite exhausting to listen to (Tiny Dancer is a good example of this here) but there is no doubting his talent and this album is on the whole brilliant. Probably my favourite 'new' album that I've heard since the start of this project. Can't believe I've never heard 'Levon' before, it's a pure classic. 'Indian Sunset' also boasts enough native American cultural appropriation to make even Texas State blush.
Sepultura
2/5
Love the giger esque fantasy style album cover and the actual music isn't as bad as I feared. That's not to say I enjoyed it, the 'singing' adds absolutely nothing for me but some of the extended instrumentals are reminiscent of classic attitude era wrestling themes
The Doors
3/5
Obviously synonymous with Apocalypse Now due to 'the end' but the whole album shares that same sound of annilhation thanks to Morrison's wild vocals and the whirling arrangements of various electric instruments.
Beck
3/5
Starts nicely enough but doesn't go anywhere. Spending one day and one listen on it maybe unfair though
Barry Adamson
4/5
Interesting album; some nice Primal Scream esque grooves and abstract storytelling. Favourite song is 'The Sweetest Embrace' sung by Nick Cave.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
The opening track sounds like something playing in the little China section of Epcot. I obviously loved it.
I had to Google what year Paul Simon's Graceland came out after hearing 'Double Dutch' (1986, 3 years after this) because this definitely sounds like an influence. 'Soweto' is my favourite track which again mixes that world music sound with a driving guitar riff.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
'Leaving Las Vegas' is a great tune but for the most part I could not relate to the emotion Crow was trying to convey. Cool album cover though.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
The worst type of indie music, all drums and attitude but with very little soul.
Madonna
3/5
Really enjoyed the 'fuzzy' sound of the album, it sounded more like a U2 album at times.
k.d. lang
3/5
The more uptempo numbers are the better ones e.g Miss Chatelaine and Constant Craving. I quite enjoyed the album overall.
Deep Purple
2/5
Child in time is an epic but the rest of the album is fairly non descript with guitars overpowering the lyrics. Not my cup of tea.
Anita Baker
3/5
Interesting album cover, makes you wonder what instruction the photographer gave during the shoot. Lovely album.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Sounds like an English Alanis morrisette mixed with Nirvana. Not really my bag upon first listen but can understand the appeal.
10cc
3/5
Musically impressive, particularly 'The Wall Street Shuffle' and 'The Sacro Iliac'. The lyrics don't convey any sincerity about anything though, if they improved this they could have been Stockport's answer to The Eagles.
Rod Stewart
3/5
A nice arrangement of Dylan's Only a Hobo is the standout alongside Country Comforts. Hopefully there are other Rod albums in this as his has better albums.
Minor Threat
1/5
Pretty interesting story behind the album, it doesn't make listening to it any better though.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
Didn't really get this, is it prog Rock versions of a certain composer's (Mussorgsky?) work. I didn't enjoy anyway.
ZZ Top
3/5
Nice music to slug whiskeys to. Could do with some slower numbers though.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Lots of great songs I already knew but refreshingly lots of great songs I didn't. Favourite track: summer is over
Ride
4/5
Pretty mint album, you can definitely hear echoes of The Stone Roses which I was not expecting. 'In a different place' deserves to be amongst the pantheon of indie classics. Not sure if that's the case as I have certainly never heard of this band.
Kate Bush
3/5
Bush grates on me after a long spell listening to her, that being said there were some standouts here with the Celtic infused 'night of the swallow' being the best.
Queen
1/5
I guess the purpose of the album and by extension the band itself is to provide aural and operatic pop rock experiences. Unfortunately this ain't my thing and found little to no enjoyment here.
Rush
3/5
The Witch Hunt and Vital Signs closed out the album in some style. I preferred the more synth focused tracks with some of the others drowning in drum solos.
4/5
David Bowie
3/5
Fails to fully hit the mark but some nice numbers nonetheless
Method Man
2/5
I think you need an ear for rap music and I just don't possess it. I struggle to latch onto the lyrics which made this album much of a mystery to me. Easy to admire, difficult to love.
Meat Loaf
2/5
I have similiar feelings to Meat Loaf as I do Queen, although Meat Loaf's voice is less annoying than Mercury's. Too many of the songs go on for too long with the sole purpose of building to one last crescendo where Loaf can impart one more of his sub retarded idioms e.g 'two out of three ain't bad', 'you took the words right out of my mouth, it must have been when I was kissing you'.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
The album picks up from where Born to Run left off with the rousing 'Badlands', but listen closer and you will notice that Bruce's lyrics crackle with biblical imagery and religious fervour, this is repeated throughout on the likes of 'Adam raised a Cain' , 'Promised Land' and 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' . Has the Boss found God? Where Dylan was just entering his Fire and Brimstone phase with Slow Train Coming, which acts as a rallying cry for pious action in the material world (and turned off a large proportion of his Liberal base), Springsteen's spiritual focus is an introspective and personal crusade for self actualisation; the song becomes the sacrament, and what magnificent songs. It was also around this time when Van Morrison accused Springsteen (amongst others) of ripping him off and you can certainly hear his influence in the slower piano led numbers like 'Racing in the Street' and 'Something in the Night' which are meditative, hypnotic and transcendent. I told you he had found God.
4/5
Brilliant album. 'I still haven't found what I'm looking for' is such a powerhouse vocal performance from Bono and I love the sound of the overall album, credit for this must be given to producer Daniel Lanois (he also produced Dylan's 1997 masterpiece Time out of Mind which shares the same swampy 'wall of sound' style production)
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
Evocative synth instrumentals in the vein of Vangelis. I enjoyed.
David Bowie
3/5
A more mainstream and poppy sound than what I was expecting. The last couple of numbers are more experimental but I enjoyed it all.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Talk Talk
5/5
The true artist chooses from the seemingly infinite possibilities of notation, rhythm and instrumentation to create a song so infused with the spirit and intention of its purpose that the lyrics couldn't possibly be anything else. That's alchemy.
Sebadoh
2/5
Some of the American angst type songs were half decent but still too whiny for my taste. The heavier ones were a din.
Guided By Voices
3/5
Sounds like a jam session where an indie band run through snippets of their repertoire but it's actually their full album. Some of the lo-fi indie tracks are appealing (learnt that term from pete's review yesterday) and I enjoyed the album on the whole. I think the format of the album is interesting and is saying something about mass consumerism and the ever depreciating attention span. If they thought that was bad in 1995 then they should get a load of... Sorry, what was I talking about?
Janis Joplin
3/5
It was July '72 and I was 10 years old, me and my kid sister were spending the summer at our aunt's house upstate New York. I just remember trees, fields and long evenings spent on the front porch swing, singing along to Janis Joplin while the smell of huckleberry hot cakes filled the air.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Excellent musicianship with some nice numbers. Gets a bit samey after a while though.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
Sounds like something Mac G would have on repeat. That ain't necessarily a diss.
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
More authentic than fun loving criminals, less fun.
3/5
Think this could be a grower, certainly enjoyed it first time round and feel like there are layers to be discovered.
Brian Eno
4/5
The title track is one of those tracks, like The Smiths' 'please please let me get what I want', that is really short but you wish could go on forever. It used to be the BBC Arena title song and I always associate it with the Van Morrison documentary 'One Irish Rover' which was shown on that platform, I even used to think it was a Van Morrison instrumental but since found it was Eno's. Interestingly Eno influenced the man's early 80's albums like Beautiful Vision and Inarticulate Speech of the Heart. Anyway this album is great and does a real good job of invoking a melancholy mood.
Hole
1/5
Some of the songs sounded like Phoebe from Friends, some of them were just shouting. Dire
The Rolling Stones
5/5
A perfect exemplification of all the elements that make The Rolling Stones one of the greatest bands in popular music. So deep rooted in blues and Country music but with a twist that still sounds modern and distinctive.
Deep Purple
2/5
Can appreciate the craft but it igniting zero emotional response.
Coldplay
2/5
Hard to get over my Coldplay prejudice for this one but maybe I'm prejudiced for a reason. Martin's voice whilst distinctive was also a precursor to a string of whiny self important singer songwriters of the early noughties (Martin himself has hilariously played up to this stereotype on a number of occasions) and there is now something ploddingly middle class and middle aged about this type of music.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
I love 'all along the watchtower' (Dylan prefers Hendrix's version than his own, I'm undecided) and it's obvious that Hendrix is a virtuoso but I still found it overall a little boring.
David Bowie
4/5
Heard quite a bit of Bowie on this project so far and enjoyed them all. This is the first one however that I have loved. Lyrically interesting and emotionally affecting as he stares down death in his idiosyncratic way.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Cool grooves, particularly Keep on Movin', I do feel however that something is lost in the move from the 'club' to the living room.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Fantastic album with a Van Morrison reference in 'Black Boys on mopeds'. O'connor has often spoke about how the man is her favourite artist and they have appeared on Letterman together in the mid 90's (Van was drunk).
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Each of the extended songs take a while to get going, almost like Hayes is engaging in musical foreplay, but when the beat hits and the horns start a'blowing... swoooon.
Hole
3/5
Immeasurably better than the other Hole album we had, they are a lot more melodic and less shout.
Beach House
3/5
A nice listen but not quite my tempo.
D'Angelo
2/5
Sounds like a Space Jam OST b-side album, admittedly with more mother fuckers and bitches. Decent album to ball to but nothing more.
Frank Black
2/5
The Verve
3/5
Just establishing their sonic style, a warm up to their future masterpiece, Urban Hymns.
Kate Bush
4/5
Bush finally clicks. A sumptuous record (or should I say sensual) where the artist is able to convey an emotional range above and beyond the mere mortal. Best track: This Woman's Work.
Taylor Swift
2/5
Nothing unpleasant or offensive about it but nothing poetic or profound either. I don't understand the appeal.
Yes
2/5
There are moments of brilliance but the songs are too packed full and overly long to fully appreciate them. Like a ray of sunshine on a piss wet through day.
Mudhoney
2/5
Too heavy for my liking
The Kinks
3/5
Can understand how the transgressive lyrics and electric rock n roll sound would have been a bombshell in 1960's England but the songs don't have too much staying power.
Deep Purple
2/5
4 hours of deep purple, oh joy.
The Stranglers
2/5
Prefer their more melodic numbers, this one was a bit too punky for my liking.
Finley Quaye
2/5
Feel like I should be sat drinking lattes and reading the guardian in a penthouse flat in Chorlton on a Sunday morning in the 90's.
Bob Dylan
5/5
This is peak 60’s Dylan. The actual album is split down the middle between electric and acoustic songs, reflecting the fissure that was taking place in western culture (culminating in the ‘Judas’ moment one year later). The whole album is an expression of Dylan’s out with the old and in with the new sensibility (that’s what upset the folk community so much who sought solace in the past traditions) I listened to a radio 4 play at weekend where Richard Curtis and other media types re-enacted the night where they were supposed to meet Dylan at a restaurant in London only for him to stand them up. It was awful, and I learnt that there is nothing more annoying than some middle aged and middle class bores regurgitating well known Dylan myths to prove their fandom. So I’ll spare you the essay but this is top 5 Dylan for me. P. S. Van Morrison's Them do a beautiful cover of 'it's all over now baby blue' that is worth checking out if you're interested.
5/5
How strange that this project has delivered two perfect Dylan companion albums on the week of his 80th birthday, you could almost put it down to a higher power (namely, the reddit co-ordinator who manages this shit)
From the infamous free trade hall gig on the 1966 UK leg of Dylan's World tour; this album is as much a historical document as the magna carta or Shakespeare's manuscripts. The first half is just Dylan with his acoustic guitar but he isn't singing protest songs, these are his new numbers from the Holy trinity of albums: bringing it all back home, highway 61 revisited and blonde on blonde. The fact that he transforms some of these electric rock n roll songs back into an acoustic form makes a mockery of the whole "judas" debate and what shines through most pertinently is the words. This is Dylan at his most bard like, the elegiac mood that he creates is so powerful and profound that to be honest I too would have been a little disappointed to see him emerge in the 2nd half with his rock n roll backing band, the hawks (later to become The Band). What follows though are some of the greatest and most pioneering rock n roll songs of all time. Scorsese's No Direction Home is a brilliant documentary that summarises this time so well as Marty understands that it was a moment of unparalled cultural significance within the 20th century. Happy birthday Bob.
Robbie Williams
3/5
Cool britpop sound with some nice songs and a fair bit of filler. 'Angels' is the standout, when that second verse hits you can understand why it became such a popular song.
Some real nice numbers that stick in your head.
Coldplay
2/5
Nothing doing
Joni Mitchell
1/5
I've said before that those magic moments of synthesis between voice, music and word are probably the best explanation of my own personal music taste (examples from this project so far are Talk Talk's masterful colour of spring, Springsteen's extended numbers from Darkness on the Edge of Town and most surprisingly some of the shoegaze stuff from Ride) Well, this album is the antithesis of all that. The songs are so loose and disparate with Mitchell attempting to bridge the gap by singing a version of a melody. This style has unfortunately paved the way for a whole genre of jazz singers to follow suit.
It's not like I even dislike Joni Mitchell, I'm fairly familiar with her more commercial compositions from the early 70's and very much enjoy the album 'Blue' , but she has in recent years come out with an anti Dylan agenda accusing him of misogyny and plagiarism despite performing regularly with him over the years. (search YouTube for her backstage duet of 'Coyote' with Dylan at a Rolling Thunder gig, sublime)
Simply Red
4/5
Mick Hucknall has an amazing voice. Their best songs sounds like he's vocally grappling with the music; all snarls, growls and whips. This album contains a lot of Simply Red's best songs, like U2 I'm not sure why this band is seen as 'uncool' but I guess that's someone else's loss.
The Smiths
5/5
Every song is great and about half of them are perfect. The Smiths can never be 'cancelled'.
The Cure
5/5
So atmospheric, that guitar effect which they so heavily use is like an electric harp from heaven.
The Who
3/5
Easy listening enough but not much that triggered any spike in emotion. I didn't think Baba O Riley was by The Who, sounds like a 1980's American anthem.
Beastie Boys
2/5
Nothing engaging or endearing whatsoever
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Decent sound with 'garden of eden' being the standout
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Lacking any production value whatsoever and with little regard to singing in tune, this was the ultimate 'fuck the system' album of the time, doesn't make it any good though.
3/5
Some brilliant pop songs with poetic lyrics and a distinctive sound. A bit exhausting though with every song going like the clappers and that Duran Duran / spandau ballet 80's singing style gets a bit annoying.
Green Day
2/5
I've always said Green Day were shit but never truly listened to them properly to back up my argument. Now I have.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
We've had quite a few 'flower power' records so far and whilst there are some interesting highlights on each of them, they do get a bit lost in surreal and self indulgent LSD expressions. I thought with a title like 'surrealistic pillow' this would be the same but for the most part each song is tightly structured with interesting (and grounded) lyrics. 'comin back to me' is hauntingly beautiful.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Beautiful harmonies but 'to show their [musicianship] is their whole endeavour' Best song: Wooden Ships
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
I've very much been in the right lane so far this week with Jefferson Airplane and CS&N so my heart sank when I saw this come up. To my pleasure it's a very interesting album which provides social commentary on a number of late 80's /early 90's issues which seem just as relevant today.
The B-52's
2/5
Decent enough listen but no emotional trigger points
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Can an album be too well loved? No doubt that the songs are fantastic but when I listen to them I can just hear echoes of guitar enthusiasts singing along with every riff and that spoils it for me.
Nirvana
3/5
Too heavy for my liking but I can appreciate the craft. Surprised by how many of these I knew despite never actively listening to a Nirvana album. Must be from various ChindoPedigree bashes over the years.
Chicago
2/5
Bluesy with hints of jazz and soul. This should have been something that I enjoyed but I found very little to latch onto with a weak lead vocal and uninspiring lyrics.
Supergrass
3/5
Part brit pop, part indie rock with smatterings of grunge laced throughout. Not particularly cohesive as an album but some decent songs on it nevertheless : 'She's so loose', 'sofa of my lethargy' and 'time to go' being the pick of the bunch.
Brian Eno
3/5
An interesting and engaging listen but doesn't quite have the same meditative appeal as some of Eno's more esoteric records.
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Happy that Pete implored me to listen again after my initial review on Saturday. It's certainly a grower that capably invokes a melancholic feeling.
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
I like the inner city sound of the record but couldn't relate to the lyrics.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Awesome album. Such a distinctive sound both musically and vocally. Dancing in the moonlight is the best song amongst many great songs. It kind of reminded me of a Van song, who was idolised by Phil Lynott and whose bandmates in Them, later joined Thin Lizzy.
Little Richard
4/5
Little Richard was a seminal artist for both Bob Dylan and Van Morrison in their early years. The influence can be heard in Bob's very early and very late recordings (he kind of did his own thing in between, you might have heard about it) but the impact on Van is perhaps more obvious. Little Richard and the other early rock n roll singers (predominantly Black artists with rhythm and blues backgrounds) expanded the remit of expression within popular music. The vocal performance was no longer solely the domain of lyrics and recitation but of scat singing, repetition, hollers, shouts, doo wops and sha la la's. In a nutshell, the voice became an instrument. This album is a wonderful exponent of this ground shift within the thing we call pop music.
R.E.M.
3/5
I love some R.E.M songs but I perhaps don't rate them as high as others. I haven't worked out why yet. This album is the same with some absolute classics amongst more mundane numbers.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Lyrical wizardry and a strong vocal performance just fall short of making the whole thing blend. 'Morning Glory' is a lovely number.
Primal Scream
4/5
Wonderful infusion of classic Stones esque rock n roll and elements of house, dance and indie music.
Korn
2/5
It's real poison which I guess will resonate with some people but it's music to make the spirit ill. 'got the life' is a tune though.
The Blue Nile
4/5
Some arresting melodies and lyrical flourishes made this a fascinating listen and I expect it will grow in my estimation on future listens.
Gang Starr
2/5
No connection whatsoever.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
A great album full of classic hits. Easy listening in the best way.
Beth Orton
4/5
Beth Orton once described Van's Astral Weeks as album 'that has been willed into being' which I thought was a lovely turn of phrase. She draws upon a similiar poetic sensibility to deliver this fantastic album (Sweetest Decline is a song straight out of the Van playbook)
Alice Cooper
3/5
'Schools out' might be the hit record but 'Blue Turk' is the piece de resistance on this enjoyable album.
The Everly Brothers
2/5
I like the album cover, you can tell he's on a promise, whilst his brother looks on grinning. The pair of them are seemingly obsessed with girls. If you want to find the source of the objectification of women within the 20th century, you would do well to start here.
TV On The Radio
2/5
A bit too Prince lite at times but some of the more indie focused numbers are interesting listens. "Stork and Owl" is great.
Nina Simone
4/5
Wonderful lyrics and a supreme singer. An authentic voice expressing the social frustrations of black America whilst remaining bound with the personal.
Saint Etienne
3/5
The cover of Neil Young's 'Only Love can break your heart' is a brilliant fusion of classic 60's folk rock and 90's acid house. The rest of the album doesn't quite hit the same heights but is still an enjoyable listen.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Not a fan of fusion music in general, why does Eastern sitar music need to blend with western rock n roll when it doesn't want to?
Björk
3/5
Sounds like a MTV version of Kate Bush. I quite enjoyed.
Beatles
2/5
This does nothing to dispel my belief that The Beatles are one of the most over rated bands ever. Sound like a slightly updated version of the Everly brothers. I think their position in pop culture buys them a lot of good will.
System Of A Down
1/5
Not my Wavelength at all. Really struggled to connect with any of it.
Ramones
3/5
Gets a bit samey after a while. I prefer the Ramones as a greatest hits band.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
We've had an Emerson, Lake and Palmer record before on this project. I didn't like that, I don't like this.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Obviously styled as a dostoevsky esque rock opus, right down to the wretched character that haunts the album sleeve. Interesting in parts but I didn't stay engaged.
The Sonics
2/5
A functional if uninspiring 60's garage band delivering a stream of standard covers and a few originals. What set these types of bands apart from the crowd was their ability to write better songs than the standards e.g.The Rolling Stones and Them. The originals here don't do much.
Yes
2/5
Just another boring prog Rock album
The Prodigy
3/5
Some great tunes on here, Breathe, Firestarter and Smack my bitch up to name a few. Not exactly my scene though.
Roxy Music
4/5
Sick album. Ferry is a genius. Great lyrics and a musical tour de force. I think this will only grow in my estimation.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Santa Cruz is the best song but the whole album is pretty tender.
Eagles
4/5
Very hard to decide the rating here. No doubting that there are some 5 star tracks (wasted time, new kid in town, pretty maids) but for some reason the album doesnt blend into a 5 star experience for me and I'm not sure why.
OutKast
2/5
Such a long and painful album to listen to. Miss Jackson is still good though
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Dizzying album with no clear genre established. Can hear elements of Queen and early synth.
Tears For Fears
4/5
Some real classics on this. A general theme of the album is the oppression of the working man so it felt satisfying listening to this when I should have had my head in spreadsheets. Sounds similiar to Talk Talk's Colour of Spring (just not as good)
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Hard to describe the feeling Cohen invokes but it's easy to say that his music transcends the boundaries of typical North American / UK popular music and harkens back to a type of European folk sensibility. As anyone who has watched the 'Marianne and Leonard' documentary will know, Cohen travelled extensively in southern Europe (before living in a Buddhist monastery in Asia for the best part of a decade) and to my mind he somehow manages to capture this essence in his poetry and music.
The Temptations
3/5
'Runaway child, running wild' is an interesting song. It centres around a headstrong kid that wants to run away but when he realises what the street is really like he's desperate to get home again but can't make it. The song closes with a haunting repeated plea of 'momma'. It reminded me of the Van Morrison song 'Beside you', where 'little jimmy' s gone' and Dylan's 'Visions of Johanna' where 'little boy lost, takes himself so seriously'. All three songs come from 1968, and the image of the lost child seems to be a common trope (based purely on these three songs but I could research the shit out of it if you push me). It was only a few years after the Moors murders but I doubt these had the required cultural impact in America as they did in England (though I'm sure there were equivalent travesties) but with increased forms of news media and means of communication along with increased urbanisation, perhaps there was more of a collective awareness / fear of the archetype of the lost child. Or perhaps the lost child was just the most aappropriate symbol for the turmoil of the social and political context of 1968 (assassinations of Marton Luther King, Robert Kennedy, Vietnam protests etc.)
I always thought the temptations were a bit throwaway and by the book but there are some delicious numbers on this album.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Lots of bluesy filler which unfortunately dilutes the overall quality of the album which is a damn shame as there are enough great tracks here to make it an absolute classic. The best tracks are invariably the ones where they more overtly breakaway from standard rhythm and blues. Favourite track: the atmospheric 'Let it Loose' or the soaring 'Shine a Light'
Brian Eno
3/5
Not as ethereal as other Eno albums but still some good tunes, 'Julie with' being the pick of the bunch.
Spiritualized
4/5
The title track is so good, I went on YouTube where some fella had put together a one hour loop of it. There are a few more long and explorative numbers on this album which I enjoyed so I will certainly be playing this more.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
Parts funny, parts zany, definitely a product of its time but hard not to get swept up in the atmosphere of it.
The Pogues
4/5
Raw folk poetry of the highest order.
The Stooges
2/5
Decent enough but nothing to write home about.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Real smooth and soulful pop music.
The Police
2/5
Couldn't get into the groove. My fault not theirs.
1/5
What a fucking din
Steve Winwood
2/5
Couldn't get past the mechanical sound of it which diluted the heart of the record.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Rad album. Boasting two Dylan covers (percy's song from Bringing it all back home time and Million Dollar Bash from the unreleased Basement tapes with the Band) but the piece de resistance is the classic 'who knows where the time goes'
Cat Stevens
3/5
Used to love this album after watching Harold and Maude. Doesn't really hold up years later, every song sounds too much like a Bank commercial (this ain't the fault of Yusuf, its just that his unique pop poet style has been appropriated for commercial gain)
Def Leppard
3/5
Got that sweet 80's rock sound but it couldn't hook me in.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
Brought to mind Bakhtin's theory of the grotesque body where social power is reclaimed through engagement with bodily functions. Case in point 'a visit to the gynecologist'
Steely Dan
3/5
Groovy and distinctive sound with some nice numbers throughout. Just missing the wow factor.
Soundgarden
2/5
Couldn't get a handle
Louis Prima
3/5
Van has covered Prima's 'bueno sera' in concert before and he is one of the names that he often reels off in his frequent nods towards his musical heritage. Its easy to see a prototype of Van's style here as Prima expertly uses his voice to drive the melody.
Violent Femmes
2/5
Too nihilistic and punky for my liking.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Every song sounds like a variation of the 5 star opener 'just like honey' and that's fine by me.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Hated all the jazz albums so far but this one has a nice melodic focus and for some reason gave a warm Christmas glow (must be in some holiday pictures)
Pixies
3/5
Enjoyable listen without ever reaching across the emotional aisle of the mind.
Digital Underground
2/5
Like an hour of listening to Fresh Prince, tiresome.
New Order
5/5
New Order's everyday and simple lyrics sometimes come in for criticism (because some people just can't accept when something is perfect). Yes they sing about often mundane and banal subject matter but it is transformed through the unbelievable music into a form of escape and transcendence.
Blur
4/5
'End of the century' has always been one of those songs that I have enjoyed when heard on the radio or in the background but never properly listened to. It's a classic. Very enjoyable album.
Franz Ferdinand
2/5
Didn't like it then, dont like it now.
Eric Clapton
3/5
Metallica
3/5
The complexity of the composition is astounding, I don't know enough about the band to understand who the genius is, but it's clear that their music is akin to classical music in its form if not its aesthetic. I personally couldn't find a way in, as my own proclivity for synthesis between word and music was not fulfilled and left me wondering if it would have been a better album if it was instrumental (I'm sure that's sacrilege for Metallica fans, so that's why I've said it )
Beastie Boys
1/5
Sooo boring. 'I'm just chilling like Bob dylan' is a line I may add to my repertoire though.
Al Green
3/5
Sweet sounding record.
Bon Jovi
2/5
Some good rock n roll songs on here but he ain't fit to lick the boss' boots.
George Michael
2/5
Couldn't get a handle on it
Can
2/5
I wonder if the Happy Mondays were inspired by this? The album sounds like an early prototype for Shaun Ryder's lyrics and vocal delivery. There is even a song called 'Hallluhwah'. Anyway, not quite my bag.
Grateful Dead
3/5
My only experience of 'the dead' was through their collaboration with Dylan at the end of the 80's. Listening to this I can see why they were a good match as there are echoes of The Band and The Wilbury's in this, but nothing truly lands unfortunately.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Easy to hear the influence on Dylan's early records. Bob invited him to take part in his Rolling Thunder Revue tour in the mid 70's and he's pretty hilarious whenever he's on camera (in the Scorsese documentary)
Neil Young
4/5
Neil is in fire and fury mode (the album cover itself is covertly apocalyptic) drawing his ire towards the ecology, lynyrd skynyrd and society in genreal. It's crazy that even in 1974 this feels like a mid career record for him similiar to Dylan's Blood on the Tracks and Van's Beedon Fleece) but it just goes to show how prolific these guys were during that period.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Never really connected with these guys despite their obvious talent and sweet sound.
The The
3/5
Musically excellent but a bit too showy and bombastic to truly love.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Good album, had a nice Christmas feel in parts despite not ostensibly being about Christmas
Donovan
4/5
Pitched as an English Dylan when he emerged on the scene. There is a great scene in Don't Look Back where Dylan sings love minus zero and Donovan looks on wistfully. This album is pretty rad on its own merit though
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Can't get on board with old blue eyes, definitely a product of its time.
David Bowie
3/5
I've listened to a fair few Bowie albums as part of this project and have enjoyed them all but never really loved one (blackstar is probably the best so far). This one is no d
Madness
3/5
Gives me too many flashbacks of middle aged men jogging around the dance floor at family do's.
The Band
5/5
Dylan established the style of songs described by Greil Marcus as 'weird old america' on his John Wesley Harding album and Basement Tapes, but The Band pushed it to a whole new level with their first few albums. I find it staggering that this album exists, its magic.
Paul Simon
2/5
I've seen Paul Simon mentioned in the same breath as Dylan. Do me a fucking flavour.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Does what it say on the tin which is no mean feat. I prefer the more synth type numbers from his later career though.
Talking Heads
2/5
Couldn't get into it, psycho killers is a tune though
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Mint album, can't tell a word they're saying but still manages to tap into a universal spirit. Cluba de esquina no. 2 is a track of pure human yearning and trem de doido sounds like crazy horse. Mmm
Moby Grape
2/5
I thought it was going to be a moby album when I saw the name but alas this is just another inoffensive rock record from the sixties
The Cardigans
3/5
Pretty slick with nice kicks and licks
Michael Jackson
4/5
Not as good as the more idiosyncratic Thriller, Bad and Dangerous, the shackles of motown and disco are yet to be thrown off but still one hell of debut with some absolute classics.
Kraftwerk
4/5
So influential, sounds like a score for a science fiction picture.
Air
3/5
Establishes a hypnotic quality which I dare say would be amplified if I knew the movie. I might check it out.
Steely Dan
4/5
Loads of great tracks on this. Dirty work will forever remind me of Tony Soprano singing along in his car.
Charles Mingus
3/5
Invoked an Untouchables type vibe, slick.
The Pogues
3/5
Wildly swings between earnest folk songs and punk anarchy. I prefer a smoother ride.
Joy Division
3/5
Some absolute classics on here but a lot of moody filler which doesn't really do it for me.
Drive-By Truckers
4/5
A love letter to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Southern living. It does them justice and 'three great alabama icons' is a classic.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Some lovely melodies and lyrics but I find Cave's voice a little too 'showy' to fully lose myself. Will revisit
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Love the sound of the overall album culminating of course in the epic Layla.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Lovely album that evokes a time and place that I have never experienced but undoubtedly yearn for.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Easy to understand the appeal as the musicality is on point and there are a few great songs that piqued my interest (the Rover being my favourite) but it doesn't really form a full cohesive experience for me.
Beatles
2/5
Don't understand the appeal, perfectly passable songs but nothing life changing ('Girl' is my favourite but a lot are quite dreary and don't say much) Maybe I need a pop music historian to tell me why they are so good. Compare it to Dylan's Highway 61 released in the same year and they are in different stratosphere.
Dire Straits
4/5
One heck of a fun album until the final closing track which seems to come from a higher plane. Remarkable
The Stooges
2/5
Boring
Dolly Parton
4/5
Parton manages to invoke each short song with so much emotion and drama. A master storyteller
The Byrds
3/5
The Dylan numbers are the highlights here which is also my summary of The Byrds entire career.
Ice Cube
2/5
Very much of its time.
The Only Ones
3/5
A great opening track left me gagging for more sax but alas it did not come. Enjoyable record nonetheless
Pretenders
3/5
Some nice tracks and a unique sound.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
Captures a zeitgeist I guess but do I like it? Who cares? I've heard it a thousand times and I'll most likely hear it a thousand times more.
KISS
2/5
How can something so loud be so bland?
The Go-Betweens
4/5
Real neat, like a folky version of the Smiths.
Adele
2/5
A couple of nice tracks, but on the whole, the subject matter of most of the songs just bores me to tears and I don't like her cockney twang
Paul Simon
2/5
It seems harsh giving this renowned classic two stars but I honestly recoil when I listen to it. Diamonds and Al are good songs though.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Not listened to this album for 15 years but it still had me engrossed, or at least it would have if I didn't have to listen to it on YouTube after Joni took her stuff off Spotify in the Joe rogan row.
a-ha
3/5
The sun always shines on TV is a great song but the rest is pretty dated 80's pop rock
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Only Leonard (and Bob) could make an album so current without referencing modern events in the slightest. Draws upon archetypes and metaphor to perfectly critique the human condition and the role of society. Cohen's last album and maybe his best.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
Background music at best for me
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Some rad songs, the best of which sound like a hybrid between Neil Young and New Order.
Miles Davis
3/5
Van has never referenced Miles Davies as an influence (they were more contemporaries anyway) but the similarities between the opening of 'in a silent way' and Van's 'haunts of ancient peace' are marked. I'm not accusing Van of plagiarism by any means as Van was able to build upon this beautiful ambient sound and craft one of his greatest recordings whereas Miles' jazzy leanings in the middle of his song are less interesting to me.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
15 years prior to Graceland came this. Pretty tiresome
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Lovely ambient sound to this album. You could imagine some of the songs cropping up in Lost in Translation
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Last week I said 'you want it darker' was perhaps Cohen's best album but I had obviously forgotten about this masterpiece. Cohen's razor sharp lyricism is matched with a rocking synth based sound. Every song is a classic.
Santana
3/5
The second half of 'incident at neshabur' sounds like the soulful instrumental tracks that Van creates. They appeared in concert together once with Dylan and Bono. What a concert that would have been.
Neil Young
4/5
Old shakey moves away from his crisp harvest sound to a more punky style. I prefer his more melodious stuff but this still rocks.
Wilco
2/5
Bland muzak
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Love the crazy horse sound. Young at his best
James Taylor
4/5
Used to love this album but sounds a bit soft these days.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Similar to Songs of Love and Hate. Not quite peak Cohen
Nas
2/5
Does nothing for me
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Neat mixture of music, poetry and politics. Enjoyable
Ray Price
2/5
Pretty boring
The Temptations
3/5
Easy listening, lots of covers
Gene Clark
3/5
Nice numbers in the vein of Neil Young
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Meh, not as good as other gaye albums
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Fun stuff, could imagine cruising to a main street diner with this bopping from my chevy.
Pixies
4/5
Nice record with bits that sound like new order, Neil Young and the Smiths
Taylor Swift
3/5
Much better than the last Taylor Swift album we had. The music is lovely and the lyrics are nice, if not a little girlie.
CHIC
2/5
Can't stand Chic for some reason. It's not like it's offensive to the ears. Maybe it's the fact that everything is so overtly trying to be a disco anthem (which again, is their remit) Just not for me.
Guns N' Roses
2/5
Couldn't get onboard, no room to think. Did enjoy the track 'Think about you' though.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I usually turn away from rap music pretty quickly. The few that do manage to engage me need to have either interesting lyrics (and not the same old gangsta tropes) or a sick beat. Fortunately this had both
Fiona Apple
2/5
Pretty lousy, not my bag
Bob Dylan
5/5
Arguably the definitive album where Dylan establishes himself as the master poet, the fact that he accompanies it with the raddest rock n roll sound ever heard only propels this album to unchartered heights.
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
Generic 90's hip hop
Gary Numan
2/5
Eno lite
Soft Cell
4/5
Real cool sound which brings even well know covers alive. Say hello, wave goodbye is one of my favourite songs of all time (the David gray version)
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Pretty groovy but the only memorable record was the cure cover.
Alice In Chains
2/5
Very dreary, couldn't find an access point at all
Joy Division
4/5
Creates such an evocative atmosphere
Dr. John
3/5
Love the doc's new Orleans rag tag sound
The War On Drugs
4/5
Love this band and album, they're sound is both ethereal and immediate.