Journey Complete!
Finisher # to complete the list
465
Albums Rated
3.44
Avg Rating
74
5-Star Albums
43%
Complete
Rating Speed
3.1
Per Week
1060
Days Active
Reviews
395
Written
85%
Review Rate
vs Global
0.21
Avg Diff
3.44
Avg Rating
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How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
20
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Sex | 5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
| Scream, Dracula, Scream | 5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
| Warehouse: Songs And Stories | 5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
| Out of Step | 5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
| Tical | 5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
| Reign In Blood | 5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
| Germfree Adolescents | 5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
| Hypnotised | 5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
| Street Life | 5 | 3.09 | +1.91 |
| I'm Your Man | 5 | 3.1 | +1.9 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ágætis Byrjun | 1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
| Selected Ambient Works 85-92 | 1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
| Talking Timbuktu | 1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
| Modern Kosmology | 1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
| Ambient 1/Music For Airports | 1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
| Emperor Tomato Ketchup | 1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
| Joan Baez | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| Vauxhall And I | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| Kala | 1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
| Music Has The Right To Children | 1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonard Cohen | 4 | 5 | 4.14 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 4.67 | 3.83 |
| Metallica | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| The Clash | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Green Day | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| David Bowie | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Beatles | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and low weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Bloody Valentine | 2 | 1.5 | 2.4 |
| Orbital | 2 | 1.5 | 2.4 |
| Morrissey | 2 | 1.5 | 2.4 |
| Brian Eno | 4 | 2.25 | 2.57 |
5-Star Albums (74)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Neil Young
3/5
There’s better Neil but this is still better than a lot of things
14 likes
Stevie Wonder
5/5
The perfect blend of funk and soul. The beats are incredible and Stevie’s voice is one of a kind.
Fav tracks: “Higher Ground” “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” “Too High”
12 likes
Ramones
5/5
Gabba gabba hey! The perfect Friday record. Poppy, upbeat, positive and catchy as hell. Try not having a giant smile on your face while listening.
12 likes
Steely Dan
3/5
Classic dad rock. Didn’t really stand out as much as I hoped.
7 likes
1-Star Albums (20)
All Ratings
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Taco Tuesday!
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Love it! Janis is a real powerhouse! Interesting to hear some live crowd noises added even though it’s a studio album.
Coldplay
3/5
Not really familiar with much except Yellow and Trouble. Very much a “nap friendly” album. Wouldn’t throw it on a Friday night before the bar but not bad either
Lauryn Hill
5/5
My favourite album so far. Girls got bars!!
Public Enemy
3/5
Way too many yeahhhh boiiii’s but still a cool album. Bring the Noise is a straight banger but honestly the original is probably only my third favourite version.
The Kinks
3/5
Very Beatles-esque but who could blame them!
Tears For Fears
3/5
Dug it! Very moody 80’s vibe
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Patti Smith
2/5
Lyrically this was a wild ride - definitely a bigger fan of her later work.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Some really ominous sounding tracks on this album. I love it! Very different from The Stooges raw punk tunes and different from what his later solo work sounded like too but still unmistakably Iggy
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
Favourite RHCP album.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Very chill vibes. Great harmonies. Not quite on the level of Bridge over troubled water
The Triffids
3/5
Had genuinely never heard of them before. First track was super catchy. Reminded me of a “less sad” Cure
Van Morrison
5/5
Absolutely amazing. Chill but catchy at the same time. Into the Mystic is a true banger but first time hearing the full album front to back
Brian Eno
4/5
Very experimental but more enjoyable than I had been expecting
M.I.A.
1/5
Nope. Not a fan.
Travis
2/5
Oasis- lite. A couple okay songs but overall found it a bit boring for my style.
Alice In Chains
4/5
Great album! So many bangers. Stands out as more metal than grunge
David Bowie
4/5
Some great guitar riffs. Not my most familiar Bowie project but enjoyable nonetheless
Todd Rundgren
2/5
An entertaining listen. Not sure I’ll revisit too often though.
Justice
4/5
Liked this a lot! Usually I find EDM to be repetitive and boring but this had a lot of melody and reminded me more of Daft Punk than anything else.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Elvis is the man! My only knock is Elvis’s vocals are so distinct that you instantly know it’s him as soon as you hear it. On this album, he didn’t vary up his vocal styles enough and towards the end it dragged a little. Definitely excited to check out some of his earlier work with The Attractions now though.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Regardless of his allegations, the music itself was kinda bland. Beautiful People is an absolute jam of course and saved this from being a one star. 1996 was pretty fun too but the rest of the album really blended together. Manson was always more interesting because of the visuals in his videos and concerts. Excluding a handful of singles and some really cool covers his music was always kinda “meh” to me.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Short and sweet. Love CCR.
Sade
3/5
Enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. Nice and funky!
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Easy 5 stars. One of the greatest albums of all time. Secondhand News is incredibly underrated. The Chain has one of the best breakdowns in music history.
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Enjoyed more than expected. I was unfamiliar with her
Saint Etienne
2/5
Van Halen
4/5
Boards of Canada
1/5
I don’t do heroin but I imagine if I did this would be the soundtrack. Too ambient and chill for my likings
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
Enjoyed a lot-wasn’t as “Trippy” as I was expecting. Good vocals. Got some Jefferson Airplane vibes
Frank Ocean
3/5
Some really cool tracks
Ian Dury
4/5
Enjoyed this! Bit of a punk influence. Ended up checking out his Sex Drugs and rock and roll album afterwards too!
Eric Clapton
3/5
Some great blues licks and a nice short listen.
The Smiths
3/5
Enjoyed this more than I wanted to. Good grocery store soundtrack (also I bought steak so clearly the message didn’t work)
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Bob Dylan-Lite but with an even worse singing voice, which I didn’t even think was possible
Iron Maiden
4/5
Up the Irons! Definitely a bigger fan of Bruce’s output with the band but still some great songs on here
ZZ Top
5/5
Love this album. One of the first vinyls I had in high school.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Great stuff. Love some of the beats.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Great album - you can hear the influence in several of the lyrics that have been borrowed or interpolated over the years in music and culture. Tons of important protest songs.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Funky and stylish
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Bigger fan of their earlier stuff when it was more raw/garage sounding. Not as big a fan of the electronic albums. Heads will Roll is still a tune though - same with Zero. Plus you can’t mess with Karen O
The Undertones
4/5
Great early pop punk. Fun and simple
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Nice variety. Enjoyed the second half more. Fun to listen to.
Venom
2/5
Quality wasn’t great. Certainly see the pioneering of the genre but I’d rather listen to Kill Em All
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
Really enjoyed this. Nice variety and every song has a great hook
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
KISS
3/5
Definitely one of the best KISS albums. Fun one to drive to
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Pretty wild. Might have been a day early haha. Not really my style
Elvis Presley
2/5
Not a huge Elvis guy but the first song was fun.
The Offspring
5/5
I’ve always loved this album. One of my favourites and reminded me of how great The Offspring are. I still like them and enjoy the odd song but discount them because they aren’t the same band I grew up with.
Scott Walker
2/5
This was okay
The Monks
2/5
It was okay. Not really anything interesting
John Prine
4/5
Love Mr Prine! This was an awesome listen
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Doubt it repetitive and boring at times. Not my style
Simple Minds
3/5
Some fun hooks but wasn’t my favourite
Aerosmith
4/5
Some really tasty riffs.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Great album!! One of my favourite Zeppelin discs
Boston
5/5
So many bangers. Peace of Mind. Smokin’.....
Frank Zappa
3/5
Not as trippy as I was expecting. Felt more like a jam rock album.
The Temptations
3/5
Fun stuff but Papa Was A Rolling Stone doesn’t need to be 12 minute long
Rocket From The Crypt
5/5
How has it taken me 35 years to become a fan of these guys? Right up my alley!!
Otis Redding
3/5
Great songs
Beck
2/5
Pretty mellow and not really what I was expecting.
Sigur Rós
1/5
I get a slow build but having to wait 20 minutes for anything resembling tempo was just annoying. An exercise in patience and futility.
Kraftwerk
2/5
This was alright. I found it really repetitive in parts
Fats Domino
3/5
Funky. Made me feel classy
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Some of the same issues with the last Costello album. He doesn’t vary his voice a lot. I did like the timechange in Man About Time. Can’t go wrong with the horns in ...And In Every Home either
Sister Sledge
3/5
This was a fun listen
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Big fan! Some filler in between but it creates a really uneasy, uncomfortable feeling. It’s no wonder Reznor went into film scoring.
Bad Company
4/5
Very consistent bad. Paul Rodgers is underrated
Slint
2/5
Some interesting arrangements but felt rather slow to me.
Motörhead
4/5
Loud and in your face. Just the way it should be. My only knock is it never felt like a complete set as it was more a compilation
Miles Davis
3/5
Respect the musicianship but wasn’t in the right mood. Very 70’s cop movie intro feeling
The United States Of America
2/5
Liked the jams. Went a little long sometimes but was an alright listen
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Really enjoyed this despite personal feeling towards Neil haha. Cowgirl In the Sand is a great closer. Underrated amongst Neil songs.
Brian Eno
2/5
Started with a lot of promise and then it got into dreamscape/heroin trip territory
Daft Punk
3/5
Daft Punk make amazing four minute songs that last seven minutes
Billy Joel
5/5
Great album front to back! Big fan
Animal Collective
3/5
Pretty good indie rock album. A couple repetitive songs but enjoyed it overall
The Cardigans
3/5
Unexpected move making Black Sabbath sound happy. Good album.
B.B. King
4/5
Loved this. Blues is great but it’s made even better when it’s live. I could smell the cigarette smoke. BB’s banter was amazing.
Fred Neil
3/5
Ah the 60’s. Where you could write sweet, innocent songs about your unabashed love for cocaine.
Richard Hawley
2/5
More like Richard Yawn-ley... am I right???
The Waterboys
4/5
So good! Had to find out what a “Bang on the Ear” was from my east coast friend - one of my favourites on the album
Elton John
5/5
In my top 20 all time. The sheer quality of tunes in a short period of time that John & Taupin produced is unparalleled. Rivalled only perhaps by the Beatles.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Not quite as good as their first four but still lots to entertain you
Ramones
5/5
Gabba gabba hey! The perfect Friday record. Poppy, upbeat, positive and catchy as hell. Try not having a giant smile on your face while listening.
Korn
4/5
Brought back lots of teen angst memories. Really liked the hip hop collaborations on this album. It kinda loses its lustre towards the end but it opens about as strong as you could expect.
Talking Heads
4/5
Really enjoyed this journey! Wasn’t familiar with much of their work outside of the big singles
Billy Bragg
4/5
Lofi protest folk/punk. Love it!
Buzzcocks
4/5
Great band. Catchy melodies. Pete Shelley was a hell of a singer.
Steve Winwood
3/5
Pretty decent
Sisters Of Mercy
2/5
Not bad. I liked more than I thought
The Roots
5/5
LOVED this. Wasn’t expecting The Roots to have a hardcore punk song. Loved the variety
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Not bad. Liked the early tracks more with a bit of a pop shine. Got a little my morning jacket-y towards the end
Pulp
3/5
Minor Threat is hardcore. This was okay. Love Jarvis Cocker’s voice but wasn’t as much energy here as I’d hoped.
Kate Bush
2/5
Was okay but felt kinda bored
Alice Cooper
4/5
Alice & his band were still trying to find their sound at this point but really hit a sweet spot with the title track and a few others. Their music was always more interesting with visual accompaniment but at the same time, what an exciting journey
Eels
4/5
Liked this! Some good pop throughout and a few trippy songs.
Gary Numan
3/5
Enjoyable listen lots of funky 80’s beats
Roxy Music
3/5
Enjoyable listen
Love
3/5
Better than I expected. Some great tracks.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
Not a jazz guy but I’ll admit I was more productive than usual while listening.
CHIC
3/5
Fun! Lots of songs felt familiar as someone who has listened to lots of Daft Punk over the years.
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
Not a jazz guy. Good musicianship though
Love
3/5
Enjoyed this more than the other Love album this week. Some really cool tracks
Meat Loaf
4/5
Epic! The singles are the best part and have stood the rest of time for a reason. But some other amazing tracks to be found here as well.
Suede
2/5
This was okay. Didn’t stand out too much but I liked a few of the songs
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Jorge Ben Jor
2/5
TV On The Radio
3/5
Pretty decent!
Metallica
5/5
Sorry Jason Newstead but this album is front to back a BANGER
Brian Eno
2/5
I wish I loved anything as much as this list creator loved Brian Eno. At least it was better than the first two.
ZZ Top
4/5
Eliminator will forever be my ZZ album of choice but this is more traditionally blues rock. Great album
Orbital
1/5
This was like being at a rave without drugs. The first track was excruciating. An exercise in futility.
The Specials
4/5
Love it. Funky dancehall and ska that’s aged perfectly
The Human League
4/5
Great 80’s pop. Catchy and fun
The Temptations
3/5
Liked this a lot
Sonic Youth
3/5
Good rock a bit directionless at times.
Blur
4/5
Beetle bum and Song 2 are both classics
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Love me some reggae
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
This was great. The title track especially
Arrested Development
4/5
And now the story of a wealthy rap group who lost everything and the one MC who had no choice but to keep them all together
Loved this
Neil Young
3/5
There’s better Neil but this is still better than a lot of things
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Masterpiece. Bruce is a treasure and must be protected at all costs
Finley Quaye
4/5
I enjoyed this way more than I expected I would. Great beats and fun vibes all around.
Le Tigre
3/5
Mostly here for the NOFX diss track. Not bad
Charles Mingus
2/5
Jazz. Not my style. Rinse. Repeat.
The Who
5/5
Any album that starts with one of the greatest Youth anthems of all time is an easy 4star. That it ends with behind blue eyes earns it the 5
Underworld
1/5
It’s over. Nobody listens to techno.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Great album. Lots of Stones classics
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Awesome! Front to back
I’m ashamed I haven’t listened to this more
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Loved this! Lots of great tracks
The Kinks
3/5
Fun Brit pop
The Go-Go's
5/5
Really enjoyed this. Early stages of pop punk at its best
Jurassic 5
4/5
Great hip hop. Awesome beats and even recognized a few tunes
Billy Bragg
4/5
Fun folk! Cool to hear the collaboration.
MGMT
4/5
So many great tunes. Time to Pretend will forever be a pump up jam
Steely Dan
3/5
Classic dad rock. Didn’t really stand out as much as I hoped.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
2/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Great album!
The Cure
4/5
Okay I’m staring to like The Cure more than when I was younger. Still not my favourite but some good, well-structured songs here
Prince
3/5
Wasn’t my favourite album from The Purple One but I was just happy to be along for the ride
Carpenters
3/5
Very chill. Enjoyed their Help cover.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Classic. Perfect for sitting around the kitchen table
Elis Regina
2/5
Okay.
David Bowie
4/5
Great album. Classic Bowie
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4/5
Great band name. Great sound
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
This was fun. Lots of good Lenny songs even if I didn’t recognize many
Magazine
4/5
Really enjoyed this despite not knowing the band at all
The Replacements
4/5
Enjoyed this! Will be digging in to more of their stuff for sure
Deep Purple
4/5
Required to listen at 11!
The Clash
5/5
Easily among the greatest albums of all time. Easily.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Great stuff! So many classic here. Arguably the best Stones song ever in Gimme Shelter
The xx
3/5
Do like a few of their songs - this album was alright
Fiona Apple
3/5
Enjoyed more than I thought I would
Iron Maiden
4/5
Was a massive Maiden fan in college. Still am.
Cat Stevens
5/5
Honestly loved this. Great album front to back
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
This was alright not my favourite
The Charlatans
2/5
Didn’t really stand out for me
Elliott Smith
2/5
Depressing AF but alright if that’s your bag
Green Day
5/5
Pop punk masterpiece. Everyone knows all the words
The Blue Nile
2/5
Nah. Couldn’t get into it.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Overlooked because of their two classic concept albums but still great.
Simply Red
3/5
Liked more than I thought I would
The Doors
3/5
Some great songs. Some not so great haha
OutKast
3/5
Speakerboxxx would kick the hell out of The Love Below if not for Hey Ya/ Roses. Both albums overstayed their welcome though
Burning Spear
4/5
Enjoyed this. Great reggae!
The Stranglers
4/5
Yesss! Some great tunes here.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
Amazing! Not as big of a fan of their later electro work but this album is right in my wheelhouse
Stereolab
1/5
Way too ambient for me. Maybe two songs I somewhat enjoyed
Sam Cooke
4/5
So much fun!! Some real bangers
Public Enemy
4/5
Better than the last public enemy album. More politically charged and less yeaaaaaa boiiiiiiiii’s
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
So many classics and a few I’d forgotten about
Guns N' Roses
5/5
So many classics and a few forgotten gems
Radiohead
4/5
Pretty chill but sonically just an amazing sound
Television
3/5
Enjoyed. Stones esque
FKA twigs
2/5
This was pretty weird.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Liked a few songs. Some good star power here
Sonic Youth
2/5
I liked their other album we did better
Grateful Dead
3/5
If grateful dead are known for playing 12 hour concerts - this album is what they play at 2 am when everyone is asleep
The Byrds
4/5
Liked this a lot. More Byrds please
Tim Buckley
2/5
This was decent
The Louvin Brothers
1/5
What in the cousin kissing heck is this?
Miles Davis
2/5
Long but not bad
Queen
5/5
Iconic. Some filler in the middle but enough classics to keep it going
John Martyn
2/5
Pretty chill not my favourite
Metallica
5/5
Easily one of my all time favourites. Let’s GO!!!
Nick Drake
3/5
Really enjoyable if a bit mellow.
New Order
3/5
Enjoyed!
Solange
3/5
I enjoyed this. Sounded pretty similar to her older sis but still interesting
Rush
4/5
Love it!
Elliott Smith
3/5
Chill but alright
James Brown
4/5
Godfather of soul for a reason!
Deerhunter
2/5
Almost fell asleep but a few songs were alright
The The
3/5
This was cool
Kate Bush
2/5
Can’t really get into her voice but at least it was upbeat and fun to listen to
4/5
Kick out the jams mother fu———
The Clash
5/5
Really cool album more straight punk rock than their later releases.
Bauhaus
4/5
I might be a Bauhaus fan now! Kind of had them looped in with The Cure but I enjoyed it more than them. I can definitely see where AFI got some of their modern sound.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Used to listen to my dads tapes of Pet Shop Boys as a youth. This was a fun album. It’s A Sin in particular is a BOP!
Eminem
4/5
Prose master! Also the master of the tonal shift as he flips back and forth between comedy and more serious topics.
The Eminem Show and Marshall Mathers LP are more nostalgic for me but this might be one of his best albums.
The Fall
3/5
Band was alright. Hate the genre title though. Post-punk implies punk is dead. Not to me dammit haha
Lambchop
2/5
Had to bail out. No tempo - wasn’t doing it for me
Massive Attack
2/5
Liked the balance in going back and forth between the female and male singer. A bit ambient for my tastes - liked the Doors cover bonus track.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Stevieeeee! Liked this but as much as Songs in the Key of Life
Tom Waits
4/5
Waits is a badass and I could listen to his voice for days
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I was a Melon Collie guy in high school but this is probably closer to my favourite Pumpkins album. It has most of my favourites (Disarm, Today, Cherub) and really enjoyed Silverfuck too
Keith Jarrett
2/5
The story behind this album is incredible. Much respect - I probably won’t listen again but as far as Jazz albums go this was one of the better ones so far.
X-Ray Spex
5/5
Not on Spotify but found it on YouTube. Doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Great female fronted punk with a freaking saxophone! So many good melodies - I’m going 5 stars!!
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I forgot how SHORT this album is. Clocking in at under 40 minutes and that includes a live track. Not to be missed.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
This was pretty good. I wasn’t a fan of some of the vocals but the rest was inoffensive
The Zombies
4/5
This was cool! Lots of psychedelic stuff but honestly reminded me more of late Beatles. Great harmonies.
Pavement
4/5
Oh man this was exciting to discover! I’ve heard the name so much but never really knew what to expect. LOVED so many of the tracks. Will fit in nicely with my Nirvana and Pixies collection.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Front to back this is what heavy metal should sound like. Sabbath were pioneers. From the fast to the heavy and even a slower song like Planet Caravan
T. Rex
4/5
Makes me wonder how big T Rex could have been if not for Marc Bolan’s untimely death
The Adverts
4/5
I’ve really been getting into the origins of my favourite genre lately. Especially the UK stuff. I’ve had Bored Teenagers on my playlist for a while now but wasn’t familiar with their other stuff. Really dug this
Top Tracks: “Bored Teenagers” “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” “New Church”
The Undertones
5/5
Love it! Even moreso than their last album we received. Simple pop punk with dumb (but aware) lyrics. Great fun!
Top Tracks : “Hypnotised” “Whats With Terry?” “There Goes Norman”
Beastie Boys
4/5
Love this album. Still blows my mind that this was their full length debut. From hardcore to incredibly polished hip hop. (You can credit Rick Rubin for that)
Still a great album but there’s definitely some filler that doesn’t do it for me. A common issue with Beasties for me. The bangers outweigh the filler though
Fave tracks: “Girls” “Paul Revere” “No Sleep Til Brooklyn”
Garbage
4/5
I’ve always enjoyed most of the singles I’ve heard from Garbage but this might be my first full album listen. It seems a lot less produced than their second album and DEFINITELY their third album which had some really candy pop singles. Definitely don’t have a problem with that.
Fave tracks: “Queer” “Supervixen” “Stupid Girl”
Rod Stewart
4/5
Used to listen to this record as a kid as my mom had a lot of his albums. Hot Rod doesn’t get the credit he deserves. This album balances nicely his rockier side with his crooner stylings that we saw a lot of in his later career. Really enjoyed the backing vocalists and a lot of the band jams here. Mandolin Wind, in particular features some fantastic instrumentation. Could have done without the Amazing Grace rendition at the end of “That’s All Right”. Not that it was a bad rendering, I just found myself asking why it was there?
Fave tracks: “Maggie May” (Obviously) “Seems Like A Long Time” “Mandolin Wind”
The Saints
2/5
Really wanted to like this and it wasn’t bad. I’m a huge fan of all the old school punk lately and I even gave this a second listen to see if it would grow on me but it just came off generic and like a less fun Ramones. It didn’t really stand out for me
Fave tracks: “(I’m) Misunderstood” “International Robots”
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
This was pretty cool. Really clean and poppy I was getting some Oasis or Sloan vibes. Some fun production on the instrumental album closer - almost sounded like bagpipes a little bit.
Fav tracks: “What You Do To Me” , “Is This Music?”
The Birthday Party
4/5
Not on Spotify - tracked it down on YouTube. At first I was like .... what the hell is this? But as the album charged on I actually got excited wondering what was coming next. It felt like a live record with the amount of “urgency” in the instrumentation. I can tell they would have been fun to see live. I can definitely see more modern bands like Idles drawing a lot of influence from this.
Fav tracks: “Big Jesus Trash Can” “Dead Joe”
PJ Harvey
3/5
Decent
Al Green
3/5
This is what SOUL should feel like. Baby making music right here. Opens strong - kinda fades as it goes but never overstays its welcome
Fav tracks: “Let’s Stay Together” “So You’re Leaving”
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Enjoyed this. Thought I only knew Coconut (such a strange song compared to the rest of the album) but recognized several as the album went on. Without You is beautifully written and sang. Gotta Get Up has that Mr Blue Sky/ A Day In The Life “alarm clock” kinda feeling too it.
Fav Songs: “Without You” “Gotta Get Up”
2Pac
4/5
Nobody comes close to Shakur when it comes to verses and prose. But his hooks need work. The choruses felt almost disposable for the most part. Some of his later stuff (California Love & All About You) had better choruses. But with verses this good, and lyrics this honest you can’t complain
Fave Tracks: “If I Die 2Nite” “Dear Mama”
Liz Phair
3/5
Ahead of her time. Really helped pioneer the feminist rock movement. Liz Phair was always unapologetically crass and sexual in her lyrics when it was still a double standard where men could be crude but women had to be proper in their songs. My only knock is Musically, it takes a few interesting turns but kind of sticks in the same generic realm.
Fave songs: “Fuck and Run” “Help Me Mary”
Fave Tracks:
Beatles
5/5
A masterpiece. Probably my favourite Beatles album! It opens with two of the greatest Beatles songs ever. (Come Together / Something). Here Comes The Sun / I Want You are tucked in the middle keeping the album consistent all the way through. For me though - the highlight is the finale which is essentially a gigantic eight song medley. I’m a huge sucker for this type of storytelling device whether spread out on an album or contained in one song. (The Wall, NOFX’s The Decline) I love a good mid-song switch up and this album has some of the best (blame it on my A.D.D.) The trio of songs at the end are some of the best transitions in rock and roll. And the call back to the first song in the medley is freaking awesome!
Fave Tracks: “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End” “Something” “Oh Darling”
Minor Threat
5/5
The amount of pioneering Minor Threat accomplished in their short time together is amazing. Bigger fan of the first two 7”‘s but this album slaps hard.
Fave Tracks : “Out of Step” “Betray”
Green Day
5/5
This album has been in regular rotation for me since it was released. As much as Dookie was incredibly influential for the pop-punk scene and the band continued to evolve their sound on Insomniac and Nimrod - it wasn’t until American Idiot that they really cemented their legacy as a Hall of Fame band. Haven’t been as big of a fan of anything since but still love the classics. This album tells a story and does so in a way that’s never boring. Would love to see the musical (or a film adaptation) some day.
Fav Tracks: “Jesus of Suburbia” “Letterbomb” “Homecoming”
Beyoncé
4/5
I’ll admit I’ve never been the hugest fan. I respect what she does but the amount of writers and producers who put each song together is crazy to me. I really enjoyed this album more than expected though. Was happy to check it out. Love the production.
FAVE SONGS: “Haunted” “Pretty Hurts” “Drunk In Love”
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
Still not into jazz but I enjoyed her wit and the audience interaction. Really appreciate that it was “off the floor” and they kept the improvisations and mess ups in tact.
Fave songs “September In The Rain” “Honeysuckle Rose”
Orange Juice
2/5
Went in blind here. Read a few of the reviews in advance and got a bit excited with some of The Clash comparisons. The first song really threw me off as it was a bit too “80’s pop” for me. It got a bit more interesting but never really caught on to the level of potential I had been hoping for. Damn.
Fave songs “I can’t help myself”
Soul II Soul
2/5
Didn’t expect to enjoy this - and I was right for the most part. Super not distinguishable from any other early 90’s techno-pop acts. The layout of the album confused the crap out of me as well as it bounced around between different versions of the same songs. The best song on the album is the single - but why they went with a mostly acapella version before the more pop friendly remix later on the album I’ll never understand. That song saved it from being a one star. (Also odd that the acapella version is called “Back to Life” when that lyric wasn’t added until the full version - which ironically then tags on the sub title “However Do You Want Me” which was all over the first version. Hurts my brain.
Favourite track: “Back To Life (However Do You Want Me”
Gang Starr
4/5
Hip hop with a purpose. Lyrically sound - good beats. Fun to listen to. Can definitely hear their influence in a lot of later hip hop. Only a few songs didn’t age as well because of that early 90’s “starter jacket” type feel. (Not that it’s a bad thing - just sounds dated today)
Fave tracks: “Check The Technique” “Step In The Arena”
Ryan Adams
4/5
Really solid album with lots of fun upbeat tracks. A lot of it sounded uncomfortably familiar though. I’m not sure how Prince never sued him for “Touch Feel & Loose” as it’s about as Purple Rain-y as you can get. That’s not a bad thing to sound like one of the sexiest songs of all time.
Fave tracks: “Touch, Feel & Lose” “Gonna Make You Love Me”
MC Solaar
3/5
Not being able to speak French really brought this down a level for me- but the music was very interesting and kept me invested through most of it. Nice jazz and Afrobeat rhythms.
Fave tracks: “Matiere Grasse Contre” (apparently translates as Fat vs Fat “Funky Dreamer”
Doves
4/5
I enjoyed this. The vocals were great and the production was full of some nice little nuggets to sink my teeth into. Some of it fits in very well with a lot of the garage bands in the early 2000’s but I think the vocals make up for it and i enjoyed it more than The Strokes right away. Really liked the acoustic guitar work on “Caught By The River” - almost reminded me of Filter’s Take a Picture a little bit.
Fave tracks: “Words” “Caught By The River” “N.Y.”
Depeche Mode
4/5
Had this CD a few times growing up from the library. Definitely feels like a greatest hits album at times as some of the best Mode songs are here. The quality drops a little outside of the singles but the instrumentation and Martin Gore’s incredible vocals keep it interesting enough
Fave tracks: “Enjoy the Silence” “Personal Jesus” “Policy Of Truth”
Elvis Costello
4/5
Some great power pop here! A bit more upbeat than some of the other Costello we’ve heard so far, although ironically Allison is my favourite song on the album - and has been a staple on my playlist for over a decade. This album kicks off with great energy and “Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes” will put a smile on your face. Hard not to tap your feet to several of the tracks here. LOVE the reggae closer
Fave songs : “Allison” “Watching The Detectives” “(The Angels wanna wear my) Red Shoes”
Germs
4/5
The newest member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - PAT F’N SMEAR!!!!!! Great album with lots of punk rock anthems. Best when kept short and sweet. I liked the 8 minute Shut Down track but it did feel like it took some unnecessary detours
Fave tracks: “Lexicon Devil” “Communist Eyes” “Richie Dagger’s Crime”
Funkadelic
4/5
This was fun and took some unexpected detours. If you came here for funk (and let’s be honest- of course you did) you won’t be disappointed. But the band plays rock just as well - even getting into prog rock territory on Side Two of the album!
Fave tracks: “One Nation Under a Groove” “Lunchmeataphobia (Think! it ain’t illegal yet!)” “Who says a Funk Band Can’t play Rock?”
LL Cool J
2/5
Ladies Love Cool James.... As for me? Not so much. His music has just never done it for me. Mama Said Knock You Out is great and there’s a few other good tracks here. But there’s probably a hundred or so rap records I would listen to before this one
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
This album is way heavier than I remember it being (in parts). XYU almost feels like a Sabbath song. Overall, I feel like Siamese Dream had more of my favourites on it but this album was a solid listen with just a little bit of filler. That’s impressive for a double album
Favourite tracks: “Zero” “Jellybelly” “X.Y.U.” “1979”
The Stooges
3/5
Iconic for the genre I love the most and I’d never diss Iggy but some of the proggy stuff towards the back half of the album brought this down to a 3 for me. Imma go listen to Raw Power instead
Fave tracks: “I wanna be your dog” “1969”
Hugh Masekela
2/5
I found this happier than most of the jazz we’ve worked with so far but still didn’t do it for me
Fave tracks: “The Big Apple” “Part of a Whole”
Mylo
2/5
Yeah, I think rock and roll is safe.
Fave tracks: Drop the Pressure
The Young Gods
3/5
I HATED this....then I loved it. Then I hated it again. Wild trip but I won’t say it wasn’t an enjoyable one. Kind of like French Rammstein in parts.
Fav tracks : “Rue des tempetes” “Longue route”
The The
3/5
This was decent. A bit chill in places I was hoping for more energy.
Fave tracks: “I’ve been waitin for tomorrow” “uncertain Smile”
Oasis
4/5
One of those bands that I dislike but will always scream along to. I find their singles better than the album cuts - possibly nostalgia coming into play. This album isn’t as stacked as Morning Glory but it’s hard to deny Live Forever which is such a positive song.
Fave tracks: “Live Forever” “Cigarettes & Alcohol” “Rock & Roll Star”
Leonard Cohen
5/5
First Cohen album for us and I’m hoping there’s plenty more. Such an iconic and instantly recognizable voice. Cohen was putting out quality material and stellar live shows from the 60’s right up until the year he died. (Most artists go their entire career without putting out something as good as “You Want It Darker” which Cohen did at 82.
Fave Tracks “So long Marianne” “Suzanne” “One of us cannot be wrong”
Culture Club
3/5
Not bad at all. Some cool beats. Found the vocals to be pretty similar in places with not a lot of variety but the instrumentation and effects made up for it.
Fave tracks: Karma Chameleon, Church of the Poision Mind, Stormkeeper
Public Enemy
5/5
Easily the best of the three Public Enemy albums we’ve had so far. Just fantastic scratching - some of the best use of sampling I’ve ever heard. Politically active lyrics and minimal yeaaaaaa boiiiiiiiiii’s (thank god)
Fave tracks: “Welcome To The Terrordome” “Burn Hollywood Burn” “911 is a Joke”
Brian Eno
1/5
There’s a reason I wear headphones in airports. Absolute garbage.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I normally associate Marvin Gaye with soulful, baby-making music, even though his best song is a political anthem about hardship and strife. This album turns that notion on its head with a lot of anger and vitriol towards the ending of a relationship. As far as break up albums go though, it’s unbelievably classy. Horn work is phenomenal and Gaye’s voice is still as comforting as ever even when he’s spitting out his feelings.
Fave tracks: “You can leave but it’s going to cost you” “Sparrow” “Time To Get It Together”
The Kinks
3/5
Prior to listening I was only familiar with “Picture Book” (hmm... Green Day sure made that riff familiar). But as I listened I felt like I knew the songs. Not from hearing them before (maybe in passing) but because of the Beatles-esque familiarity they possessed. If I’m in the vibe for something Beatleesque though I’ll probably throw on Abbey Road
Fave tracks: “Picture Book” “Johnny Thunder” “Do You Remember Walter”
Little Richard
4/5
The energy and passion in this record matches some punk rock albums from later decades. There is a real urgency here and damned if it isn’t all danceable. It’s unmistakably Little Richard at his finest. The production is very 1950’s but tolerable none the less.
Fave tracks: “Long Tall Sally” “Ready Teddy” “Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave”
Queen Latifah
3/5
Always knew she had a hip hop background but had never heard a song before. She has some outstanding rhymes on this album. Some random uncredited (at least on Spotify) guest spots that take over the song that took me out of it a little but overall was impressed!
David Gray
4/5
Co-worker asked if I was okay listening to this album all day. Solid album with lots of great mellow songs. Was especially impressed with the nine minute closer.
Fave tracks: “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” “Babylon”
Nirvana
4/5
I’ve always found Nirvana to be extremely overplayed in the radio world (and this album is guilty of that too). As I get older I appreciate them more though. There are some great songs contained within here.
Fave tracks: “Lake of Fire””Pennyroyal Tea” “Dumb”
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Good new wave with enough punk vibes to keep me interested. Will probably give a second listen at some point
Fave track: “Crocodiles”
Faith No More
5/5
Mike Patton has one of the most unique voices in rock. Faith No More must have really stood out from all the grunge and alternative of the era.
Fave tracks: “From Out of Nowhere” “Epic” “Surprise! You’re Dead!”
AC/DC
4/5
Like most AC/DC albums you’ve got 50% filler and 50% absolute masterpiece of rock history. Highway to Hell is probably their signature song but there are more iconic albums.
Fave tracks: “Highway to Hell” “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)” “Girls Got Rhythm”
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Fun 80’s pop rock vibes. Definitely not how I expected a band with Bjork in it to sound
Favourite track: “Delicious Demon”
The Byrds
4/5
Great album! Lots of variety
Favourite tracks: Hey Joe, Wild Mountain Thyme, Mr. Spaceman
Tracy Chapman
5/5
A really mellow listen but that’s the only negative I can think of. It’s a bit front-loaded but if you’re gonna front load an album it might as well be with two of the greatest songs of the 90’s
Fav tracks: “Fast Car” “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution” “Why?”
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
The quintessential Mamas & Papas album. A very dynamic sounding album for the time.
Fav tracks: “California Dreamin’” “I call your name” “Straight shooter”
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
The newest album on our list so far. Appreciate the artistry but didn’t really do anything for me.
Mudhoney
4/5
Quality feels like it’s recorded right off the floor. I’m a clean sounding kinda guy but this is gritty and I dig it. Loved Rape Me.... I mean Need. (Oof another lifted riff for Cobain & Co.)
Fave tracks: “in n’ out of grace” “need”
The Byrds
4/5
We got this and Fifth Dimension within the same week and it’s interesting to see how their sound shifted in Just a year (Not uncommon with the Beatles). I might give the edge to fifth dimension even though this has more singles because of the originality.. Lots of Beatles esque or Dylan esque vibes here. (Especially Dylan seeing as how half the album are covers) Never a bad thing.
Fave tracks: “mr tambourine man” “the bells of Rhymney” “We’ll Meet Again” “Spanish Harlem Incident”
Sebadoh
3/5
Ah the lo-fi grunge era. This doesn’t pack the pop sensibility of most of what made the Seattle scene so cool , and certainly lacks the punch that Mudhoney and The Melvins had. Still not a terrible listen. Some of the songs are great.
Fav tracks : “Sister”
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Sonically this is an outstanding album with plenty of treats for the listener. Lyrically it’s seedy, gritty and underground. I can only imagine how groundbreaking it was in the late 60’s. I loved the ending / time signature shifting in “all tomorrows parties”
Fave tracks: “Heroin” “Run Run Run” “All Tomorrow’s Parties”
AC/DC
5/5
I remember getting this CD in high school (my second AC/DC CD after Dirty Deeds) likely from Columbian House. It’s a fantastic album and even though AC/DC aren’t in as high rotation anymore for me (nothing personal) it’s still such a cool story than Brian was able to swing in and make the band his own so quickly after Bon Scott’s death. Bon died in February, Brian got the job in March and this was released in July. That’s wild, especially considering there’s hardly a bad song on the album. You Shook Me All Night Long is fantastic because the melody and production helped it become a huge crossover it. It’s near perfect.
Fave tracks: “Shoot to Thrill” “You Shook Me All Night Long” “Given the Dog a Bone” “rock and roll ain’t noise pollution”
Beastie Boys
5/5
This album is all over the place and I love it. They don’t make em like this anymore. Hip hop, beats, punk rock, flute solos, Tibet chants, jazz breaks. And that’s loaded up between some BANGER singles including arguably, the greatest guitar riff of the 90’s
Fav tracks: “Sabotage” “Heart Attack Man” “B-Boys Makin With the Freak Freak” “Tough Guy” “Sure Shot”
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Solid album. Not my favourite Petty album but surely has a lot of great songs that showed he really hit the ground running
Fave tracks: “American Girl” “Breakdown” “Fooled Around (I Don’t Like It)”
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Well of course you have one of the great 80’s tunes that led to one of the raunchiest halloween costumes ive ever seen. But this album is packed with great pop sensibilities and a lot more Celtic influence than I’d been expecting. There’s almost some Queen style harmonies at the start of “Old”
Fav tracks: “Come On Eileen” “Celtic Soul” “Old”
Bob Dylan
4/5
One of the wildest things about this album is it’s only from 1997 and since then “Make You Feel My Love” has been a charted hit for Garth Brooks, Billy Joel and Adele!
Fave tracks : “Love Sick” “Trying to get to heaven” “Make You Feel My Love”
Pantera
4/5
The mighty Pantera! Though I’ll still rock them for workouts they aren’t on my radar like they were in high school and my early-mid 20’s
Fave Tracks : “Fucking Hostile” “Walk” “This Love”
The Incredible String Band
1/5
I’ve yet to describe an album as irritating. But here we go......
Fave tracks: The Michael Jackson song that came up on shuffle at the end of this travesty.
Hole
4/5
Loved this! As much as Courtney Love is a polarizing character you can’t deny their first few albums slapped. Very important contribution to grunge.
Fave tracks: “Doll Parts” “Asking For It” “Jennifer’s Body”
Stevie Wonder
5/5
The perfect blend of funk and soul. The beats are incredible and Stevie’s voice is one of a kind.
Fav tracks: “Higher Ground” “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” “Too High”
Taylor Swift
5/5
Trying to find a reason to not give this 5 stars, and I can’t. Loved what she did with Folklore/Evermore and felt this album was the “safe” one for her but she did the genre better than most others. Every song here is a hit. Even the non radio singles are catchy as hell
Fave tracks: “Blank Space” “Out of the Woods” “Style” “Bad Blood”
Leftfield
3/5
Went in to this with super low expectations. EDM usually bores me (unless I’m plastered) but this was refreshingly interesting - most of the time. Pretty cool they got Johnny Rotten for “Open Up”. Fun beats - I might even listen to this again
Fave tracks: “Release the Pressure” “Space Shanty” “Open Up”
Bob Dylan
5/5
I mean, how can you not love this album. The lyrics are outstanding and there’s enough variety in the music to justify the longer songs and not making this a chore to listen to.
Fave tracks: “Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues” “Rainy Day Woman #12 and 35” “Visions of Johanna”
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
This was a great listen. Way “sludge-ier” than their later work. Oddly Homme played the bass on this album so it was before even Olivieri joined the band. I dug it overall.
Fav tracks: “Regular John” “These Aren’t The Droids You’re Looking For”
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
First of all, the album cover is EPIC as all hell. It doesn’t open very epic though as the first song “Accidents Will Happen” is kind of a throwaway. “senior Service” is a bit more danceable and then you get the epic feel finally on track three with “Oliver’s Army”.
Fave tracks: “Goon Squad” “Green Shirt” “Oliver’s Army”
Eurythmics
3/5
Some great vocal work and interesting instrumentation. “Wrap It Up” is a 3 minute long innuendo (but at least it’s safe innuendo). Nothing quite lives up to the masterpiece of the title track, though.
Fave tracks: “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” “This Is The House” “Love Is A Stranger”
4/5
Prog can often tread the line between excruciating and exciting. Fortunately , this album is far more the latter. Even if it’s not as dynamic as Rush (missing the gigantic feel of Neal Peart’s drumming) - I still enjoyed it.
Fave tracks: “America” “Close To The Edge”
Happy Mondays
2/5
Super generic. Didn’t do it for me as it was pretty basic background Brit pop. The remixes at the end of the deluxe album were excruciating.
Fave track: Step On
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
Probably the most unique thing on this list so far. From the Graceland album. This was really badass but it’s definitely not something I could listen to every day.
Fave tracks: “How Long”
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
Bloody fantastic. Rap with a message. And you can’t help but feel cool cruising around town with it cranked up on the speakers.
Fave tracks: “C.R.E.A.M.” “Shame On A N——a” “Protect Ya Neck”
Barry Adamson
3/5
A movie soundtrack for a movie that doesn’t exist. This was really cool! Not something I would listen to again (unless I got some wicked headphones or something) but a fun experience. The sound was awesome
5/5
Easy five stars. Not even my favourite later Beatles album but sonically, it’s better than the best pretty much anyone can offer.
Fave tracks : “A Day in The Life” “With a Little Help From My Friends” “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” “When I’m Sixty Four”
Jane Weaver
1/5
Didn’t do it for me at all. She has a great voice but often stayed monotone and didn’t vary it much
The Auteurs
4/5
Beatles like vocals with grunge-lite instrumentals. Was hoping some of the hooks would stay with me though.
Fave tracks : “Don’t trust the stars” “Early Years” “American Guitars”
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
I bet I would have enjoyed this more if it wasn’t so distorted. As an audiophile (sometimes), this was a tough listen.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Docking a point cuz Clapton’s a racist POS. But overall this was one of the better blues albums I’ve heard in a while.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
I don’t often do techno but this was far from repetitive and kept it interesting
Bee Gees
2/5
I was excited for this but let down. Some cool harmonies but overall it kinda just droned on. Very mellow. Pre-disco era.
Ride
2/5
Ah, shoegaze. A genre that excites me for about three minutes. Loved the drum work on this album but the vocals seemed to drone on. Lots of repetitive noise and not much in the way or hooks.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
File under “whatever happened to” but If I compare this to yesterdays (“Nowhwere” by Ride), this is sonically pleasing, interesting from song to song and full of hooks.
Fave tracks: “Michael” “This Fire” “Take Me Out”
George Michael
4/5
The White Stripes
4/5
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
The War On Drugs
3/5
Not bad a bit mellow
Robert Wyatt
4/5
This got pretty adventurous. Kind of like a folky/prog sound. Interesting.
Talk Talk
4/5
Dug this a lot. Cool 80’s vibes without being too heavy on the synthesizer & electronic drums.
Aerosmith
4/5
Lou Reed
4/5
A great listen! I need to get into more Lou!
Jane's Addiction
5/5
That intro though. Hype as heck!!
Mike Oldfield
2/5
26 minute song to open it up. At least it’s pleasant sounding haha.
Digital Underground
2/5
Not bad for early 90’s hip hop. Not great either
Duran Duran
3/5
I’ve been hit or miss on their singles over the years. Can’t say I’ve ever front to backed an album of theirs before. It wasn’t packed with bangers but it was okay.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
Way mellower than I had expected. But damn what a voice.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
One of the best to ever do it. His voice is like butter for my eardrums.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Masterpiece. This is the perfect album to test out a brand new pair of speakers.
New Order
3/5
Lots of 80’s mood. Didn’t do a ton for me but I wasn’t bummed by it.
The Black Keys
3/5
I wasn’t huge on this when it came out as I found it very “paint by numbers” but I enjoyed it a bit more this time.
Megadeth
4/5
My least favourite of the big 4 but still love them. This is among their best albums.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Will never say no to Leonard. Another clsssic.
Parliament
4/5
The cover looks like a heavy metal album .... and surprise there was some really rocking tracks here!
Fav tracks : Give Up the Funk
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I ignored this album growing up outside of the singles (at least compared to other Stones albums). Dig it a lot
Fav tracks: Sweet Virginia, Tumbling Dice,
3/5
Decent
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Background noise. Lame. At least it was short.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Stacked! Some of my favourite Leonard tunes here
Fav tracks: "First We Take Manhattan", "Tower of Song" "I'm Your Man"
Mj Cole
2/5
Didn't really do it for me.
Common
4/5
Very intelligent lyrically combined with fun beats.
The Band
4/5
Great album with one of my all time favourite songs (as overplayed as it might be)
Fav Tracks : "The Weight" (what else would it be?)
Tim Buckley
4/5
Feels very ahead of its time. Fantastic folk with lots of electric guitar. His voice is amazing.
Cee Lo Green
1/5
Mehhhhh
Beatles
3/5
One of the first Beatles albums I owned on CD myself - good album but nowhere near on the same level of their other later career releases.
Fave tracks: "Taxman" "Doctor Robert" "Eleanor Rigby"
Willie Nelson
3/5
Very mellow - would have enjoyed more if I had time to sink into the couch with some rolled up Willie.
Fav Tracks: "Georgia On My Mind"
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected I Would
Nirvana
5/5
Call me crazy but this is my 3rd favourite Nirvana record (Incestiside and In Utero, whaddup), possibly due to it being insanely overplayed - but still a very worthy five stars.
Fav Tracks: "Breed" "Territorial Pissings" "On A Plain" " In Bloom"
R.E.M.
3/5
Dig it. Prefer their later stuff but some good material here.
Fav Track : " Radio Free Europe"
Kanye West
5/5
The peak of Kanye's genius. Before he went full spiral. Love this album.
Fav Tracks: "Dark Fantasy" "Runaway" "Power" "All Of the Lights" "Monster"
Funkadelic
4/5
This was fun and short.
Hookworms
2/5
Late night listen. Not bad but not something I'd revisit.
Genesis
3/5
Proggy, pre Phil the Thrill Genesis - sign me up!!
Fav tracks: Land of Confusion, Mama.....oh wait.... where are the standouts? This album kinda blends together - maybe their pop stuff is more my style.
Method Man
5/5
Method had all the best rhymes in the 90's -
Fav Track: Bring the Pain - one of my top rap songs, PERIOD.
James Taylor
5/5
Baby making music.
Fav tracks: " Oh Susanna" " Fire and Rain"
Nick Drake
2/5
Trippy - decent.
The Crusaders
5/5
This is unreal. Perfect background work music. It's jazz but with funk added in and lots of cool hooks too. Never gets boring. Zero knowledge of them before but this one might be going into rotation.
5/5
Wonderwall's annoyance (but I'll still sing along dammit) and the pretentious of the brothers narcissism - this is still packed
Fave Tracks "Don't Look Back in Anger" (Oasis's best song - fight me) "Morning glory"
Frank Sinatra
2/5
This was fun for a listen
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
One the most iconic mood-setting voices. I feel like I’m in a black and white Hollywood movie right now
k.d. lang
3/5
Great voice and lyrics
Favourite Song: Constant Craving
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Spotify broke this day so had to trial Apple Music. Good album though!
Fav Tracks: "Little Wing" "If 6 Was 9"
Prince
4/5
Kinda front-loaded but still an amazing album
Fav Tracks: "Little Red Corvette" "1999"
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Well that Apple Music trial is paying off in spades. Great album
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Modern hip hop king
Fav Track : "Bitch don't kill my vibe"
Goldie
2/5
File under “good for them for essentially inventing drum & bass” but not my jam (unless I’m in a sketchy basement with lasers & strangers of course 😂 )
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
Interesting and weird - if not my style.
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
This.....is..... AMAZING!
It’s like the Stones with a little kiss of punk. Love it so far
Fav Tracks: "High Flyin' Baby" "Teenage Head"
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Eat your heart out, Dave Coulier!
Fav Tracks: "All I Really Want" "You Learn"
Talking Heads
4/5
Same as it ever was - great album start to finish
Joan Baez
1/5
My momma said if I don’t have anything nice to say I shouldn’t say nothing.......sorry mom. Joan is a talented lady no doubt - but This was painful to listen to. Nails on a chalkboard bad.
Can
2/5
This was trippy
Blondie
5/5
There’s pop music and then there’s Blondie pop music.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
Enjoyed this kind of all over the place. Buffalo Gals is so recognizable because of all the samples in hip hop and rock
Fave tracks: “Jive My Baby” “Buffalo Gals”
Cornershop
2/5
Brimful of Asha is fine but the singers voice is very monotone and snoozeworthy
Frank Black
4/5
This was good but not good enough to break up the Pixies for lol
Ash
3/5
This was like a heavier grunge album with a taste of industrial. Not bad.
Morrissey
1/5
Made it through two songs. Pretentious awfulness
T. Rex
5/5
A band that doesn’t get enough credit for influencing so many great bands. Mark Boland had it ALL!
Foo Fighters
4/5
Great album even though they really fleshed out their sound on later albums
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Arcade Fire
2/5
The Young Rascals
4/5
Richard Thompson
3/5
Marty Robbins
4/5
Death In Vegas
2/5
Got old pretty quickly. Not my style
5/5
Circle Jerks
5/5
Aphex Twin
1/5
This is noise.
The Byrds
3/5
Moog Raga was so excruciating to listen to I deducted a Full point.
Sepultura
4/5
1/5
Like in EDM where a pleasant sounding song goes nowhere and you’re sitting there waiting for something interesting to happen.
Except this isn’t pleasant. It’s obnoxious people playing out of tune instruments and messing around with feedback. Which would be awesome if it were a hardcore punk album but the lead singer sounds like he just drank a bottle of NyQuil.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Rammstein & Kraftwerk get drunk and go to Home Depot (Haus Depöt??) to record an album is pretty much the only way I can describe this
Awful
Paul McCartney
4/5
Kind of generic considering his other output but even generic Macca is still pretty boss
Common
5/5
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Was okay in parts. Give me sex pistols any day
King Crimson
4/5
Prince
5/5
k.d. lang
4/5
Slayer
5/5
Nick Drake
3/5
Ahead of his time
Sonic Youth
3/5
Pavement
5/5
Fun Lovin' Criminals
4/5
Neil Young
3/5
Dr. Dre
5/5
Hüsker Dü
5/5
Solid album. Loved it
Gang Of Four
3/5
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Ali Farka Touré
1/5
The Who
4/5
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
The Cult
4/5
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Even for Zappa this is a mess
American Music Club
2/5
Sad-core, indeed. :(((
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Stephen Stills
4/5
fIREHOSE
3/5
John Lennon
4/5
The Prodigy
4/5
Wilco
3/5
Everything But The Girl
3/5
a-ha
4/5
Traffic
4/5
Destiny's Child
3/5
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
Black Sabbath
5/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
2/5
I mean good for them for trying something new? But really difficult to follow
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Madonna
3/5
The Fall
4/5
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Interesting & fun. Liked the Under the Boardwalk cover.
The National
4/5
Not my favourite album of theirs but loved it
Morrissey
2/5
Calexico
4/5
Started out really fun got a bit too mellow for my tastes. Still enjoyed it
Robbie Williams
3/5
Angels is a bop still. Not bad for a pop album
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Small Faces
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
This wasn’t as fun as I expected it to be based on the name. But still good music
The Pretty Things
4/5
Crazy this was like a year after Sgt Peppers and still borrowed so heavily from it. But I love Sgt Peppers so no complaints here.
Okay maybe one - I know it was new exciting technology at the time but talk about abusing the PAN switch
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
The cocaine was good in Hamburg this night. What a ball of energy.
Madonna
3/5
Ozomatli
4/5
JAY Z
4/5
I was Team Nas in this era but this album is still GOAT status.
Norah Jones
4/5
Chill but great
Eagles
5/5
Moby
3/5
Moby introduced EDM to so many Middle aged dudes. This album is actually super great but waivers a bit at the end
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
Way more chill than expected. What a voice though
Thundercat
3/5
More mellow than I expected. Some great collabs
Doves
4/5
Atmospheric and fun!
Antony and the Johnsons
1/5
Was not a fan of the vocals. A little two oversang and the vibrato honestly bugged me. I was getting tiptoe through the tulips vibes. Lol
The Streets
4/5
Waylon Jennings
4/5
This rules. Legit outlaw stuff
Elastica
3/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Beth Orton
2/5
Joan Armatrading
5/5
What a find! Wow!!
The Associates
2/5
Like a more annoying U2 without the hooks.
The Dictators
4/5
4/5
Ain’t no hell like a country girl scorned
Duke Ellington
3/5
Good fun!
OutKast
4/5
Incredible!!!
George Jones
4/5
Orbital
2/5
Pretty repetitive. Might be good in the right mood though
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
This was alright. Some songs were better than others.
SZA
4/5
This was great! Cool vibes all around
The Avalanches
4/5
The Byrds
4/5
Fun album with some great hooks
Michael Kiwanuka
2/5
Interesting. Didn’t dislike it but it was a little boring
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5