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Thu May 06 2021
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Mellow and soulful. She has a lovely voice and the songs are all well crafted.
Any song from here I would happily enjoy in isolation if it appeared on a playlist or the radio but I found the album as a whole just washed over me, leaving little impression and feeling like background music.
3
View Album
Fri May 07 2021
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
A fantastic performance and great songs. It brings home why he's regarded as such a legend.
Still, for me, it was lacking anything to really hook me in. Just 10 minutes after listening for the 2nd time I've already forgotten about most of it, and I'm feeling no urge to listen to it again.
3
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Mon May 10 2021
The Nightfly
Donald Fagen
On first listen - music to be heard in elevators and whilst on hold.
After listening again I am beginning to see the appeal. Still, it's too smooth and overproduced for me.
3
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Tue May 11 2021
Dookie
Green Day
What a blast from the past - an album I absolutely loved when I was a kid.
Frenetic, tight, and well-produced pop-punk. It has some great songs but it's also a bit one-dimensional. Maybe also I've just heard it too many times. I wish I could love it as much as I did 25 years ago.
3
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Wed May 12 2021
Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
A beautiful, amazing album.
The musicianship is excellent, particularly Denny's voice, and the songs are varied and interesting, even if there is still an overreliance on Dylan covers.
4
View Album
Thu May 13 2021
1989
Taylor Swift
Some amazing music and production. Every song is beautifully crafted and just drags you in. I do wish that some of the songs took a few more risks and had more room to breathe - not every songs needs to be a 4 minute single.
What spoils it for me is that it feels like the soundtrack to a high school drama. Which it probably has been used for multiple times. Lyrically it really paints a picture, but a picture of a shallow self absorbed person going through a breakup with no shred of intropection beyond 'I like bad boys lol'
4
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Fri May 14 2021
Elastica
Elastica
Another album that I loved as a kid. Thankfully I think it has held up quite well and I could still really enjoy it.
If you wanted to stick a pin on indie brit rock/pop, then would be the album. Great variety on the songs, some thoughtful, maturre lyrics and virtually no filler
4
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Mon May 17 2021
Dog Man Star
Suede
A great, ambitious album. The guitar work is intricate, the songs are beautiful and diverse and full of pathos (don't ask me to explain).
I can't give it 5 stars due to Still Life being fairly dull.
4
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Tue May 18 2021
Stardust
Willie Nelson
What a boring album.
If you had asked me about Willie Nelson, all I knew would have been about his persona as a chilled, weed-smoking grandpa. So I was hoping for maybe some interesting psychedelic country, but this is just smaltzy overproduced cover version.
This kind if shit is why people say they hate country
1
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Wed May 19 2021
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
What a voice!
Some classic songs performed with gusto.
3
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Thu May 20 2021
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
Only 29 minutes long, so might as well be an EP.
Still it felt like there was too much filler. The first half is a concept 'suite' and is mostly twee folksy numbers.
The second half is a collection of short folk pop, ending with Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter and At the Zoo, all of which are amazing. Good enough to bring my rating up to 3 star, just.
3
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Fri May 21 2021
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
Another great album, raucous, energetic and rich, with full steam song like The tile track and Fiesta mixed with really moments over beauty and the classic ballad fo Fairytale of New york.
4
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Mon May 24 2021
Celebrity Skin
Hole
Ripping opener title track, then downhill from there. Often mediocre and dreary.
I remember quite liking 'Live through this', their debut, but in this they see, to have swapped energy and personality for production values. The lyrics are still pointed and bitter but a lot of the music, especially in the middle parts, is just bland.
2
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Tue May 25 2021
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
Not the kind of thing I usually listen to, and I had never heard anything by them before.
Indie alt stuff. On the one hand I did really enjoy it and find it interesting, but on the other, I can't really recall any songs. Definitely one I will come back to though.
4
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Wed May 26 2021
Live Through This
Hole
I've only done 2 weeks into this 1001 album list and I've had 2 Hole albums. That's definitely 1 more Hole album than should be on a 'Best albums ever' type list and make me lose some respect for the author...
Thankfully, this is their one really good album, mixing bitter emotions and lyric with some great songwriting and production that manages to walk the line between raw energy and polish.
5
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Thu May 27 2021
Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
Pretty art pop/rock. A bit meandering and it often feels like random harmonies and notes for the sake of it.
3
View Album
Fri May 28 2021
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
Overlong, self indulgent and often just very boring.
Has some nice dreamy melodic moments but I struggle to force myself to listen to it all the way through.
2
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Mon May 31 2021
Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
Very cool and chilled. Great lyrics, great beats.
That said, like a lot of hip hop I find it's in one ear, out the other, but that's just me. I don' think I really pay enough attention to it.
3
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Tue Jun 01 2021
The Visitors
ABBA
'Abba are a huge band with loads of great songs, I have to put one of their albums on this list. And it can't just be a greatest hits'
So you get this, which I'm guessing is the least mediocre Abba album, and it's pretty meh, feeling more like the soundtrack to a bad musical than an album.
1
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Fri Jun 04 2021
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
If you'd have asked me even 10 years ago I would have given this an enthusiastic 5 and gushed about it being an enormously influential classic of the genre, which is still is.
I'm not in the same place, so I don't enjoy them as much now, but it's still a great album
5
View Album
Mon Jun 07 2021
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
Such a great album, running the full range from swagger to introspection.
5
View Album
Tue Jun 08 2021
Let It Be
The Replacements
I loved this when I was a teenager. It's still fun but definitely less interesting.
Jangly indie punk with some nice songs writing and shouty singing.
3
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Wed Jun 09 2021
Pump
Aerosmith
The best thing about grunge was that it put the final nail into the coffin of hair metal shit like this.
A few good tracks - mostly the singles but lots of filler and the lyrics are cringing - even when they try to be deep like in Janies got a gun.
2
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Thu Jun 10 2021
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
Beautiful, melancholic songs.
Very nice but too completely lacking in energy for me.
3
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Fri Jun 11 2021
Remedy
Basement Jaxx
Boring dance music. You probably have to be on drugs to get it.
1
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Mon Jun 14 2021
Rip It Up
Orange Juice
Boring background music.
The tracks seem to just meander along with no energy.
1
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Tue Jun 15 2021
Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
Great voice, well produced but I just found myself bored and willing it to be over.
2
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Wed Jun 16 2021
Low
David Bowie
An amazing album. I just love the way he moves from his expected (great) pop songs into instrument soundscapes.
5
View Album
Thu Jun 17 2021
Among The Living
Anthrax
Fucking metal.
Great rhythms and riff. It's just powers through, every track with driving energy.
My only complaint (and why I'm not giving it 5 stars) is that it does lack variety.
4
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Fri Jun 18 2021
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Beautifully performed standards. I can appreciate them, even if they sound a bit old and tired to my ears.
The kind of thing I would put on if my parents were coming round and I wanted background music.
2
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Mon Jun 21 2021
Play
Moby
An album that passed me by when it was first released, apart from the oversaturation of the singles, but I really enjoyed it.
the singles are very good and I also appreciate the blissed-out instrumentals towards the end, whilst my younger self would have certainly disregarded them.
4
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Tue Jun 22 2021
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
Yeah I can really get into their early stuff. Some nice tracks - Paint it Black is a classic. But so much of it just sounds really twee - it makes me think of the Spinal Tap 60s spoof stuff.
2
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Wed Jun 23 2021
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
Is it over yet?
Twee going nowhere folk music. The kind of thing people who don't like folk imagine what folk is. Worse than every Fairport Convention album, even the ones before they were folk or after Denny and Thompson left.
1
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Thu Jun 24 2021
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
I just find this really boring. His voice is smooth but so monotone and emotionless.
1
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Fri Jun 25 2021
Raw Power
The Stooges
Great attitude and some great tracks. I don't like the production though - it's just a bit weak for me.
3
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Mon Jun 28 2021
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
Cool, some nice grooves, not the kind of thing I would listen to a lot.
3
View Album
Tue Jun 29 2021
Wild Gift
X
The longest 32 minute album I've ever heard.
Mediocre punk/indie pop lacking in tunes or interesting songs.
I like the dueting of the two singers and that's what saves it from 1 star.
1
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Wed Jun 30 2021
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
Lovely voice and interesting songs.
I much prefer the non-English tracks in the first half but also I can't see myself listening to it again. Probably good for a name check to boost my multi-cultural credentials.
3
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Thu Jul 01 2021
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
Another of the great late 60s/ early 70s Stones albums.
Maybe not as great as Sticky Fingers or Exiles but still amazing, with one of the best opener/closer combos ever.
5
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Fri Jul 02 2021
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Smooth synth-pop but with enough edge to keep it interesting.
4
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Mon Jul 05 2021
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
African style jazzy world music.
Quite enjoyable but I doubt I will listen to it again.
Another great artist for name checking.
3
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Tue Jul 06 2021
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
An exciting, energetic album. I would kind of describe it as guitar disco rock.
Some amazing standout tracks, that almost make the rest of the album feel like filler, even though most of the other songs are ok in their own right.
4
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Wed Jul 07 2021
Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
I guess it's ok. Psychedelic country. Very of it's time.
2
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Thu Jul 08 2021
Bad Company
Bad Company
The definition of 'Meat and 2 Potatoes' rock. Very competent, some good songs, nothing particularly interesting.
3
View Album
Fri Jul 09 2021
Rings Around The World
Super Furry Animals
Melodic indie. Some nice tunes and stand out singles, but most of it sounds the same.
2
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Mon Jul 12 2021
The Scream
Siouxsie And The Banshees
Raw and edgy goth post-punk.
I much prefer her voice on later albums - she does a monotone drone a bit much but it's still really cool and interesting.
4
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Tue Jul 13 2021
Modern Life Is Rubbish
Blur
Some nice songs but very generic indie. Nothing particularly interesting.
3
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Wed Jul 14 2021
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
Ok lounge BG music with some nice jazzy songs.
3
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Thu Jul 15 2021
New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
Richly textured beautifully crafted songs making for a complete, cohesive album.
5
View Album
Fri Jul 16 2021
Live!
Fela Kuti
4 decent world music jazz jams and a 16 minute long drum solo. 1 star just for that self-indulgent mush.
1
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Mon Jul 19 2021
Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
Beautiful, lush orchestral indie with a good variety of songs and sounds.
4
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Tue Jul 20 2021
Purple Rain
Prince
One of those albums I feel like I'm supposed to appreciate, but I just can't get into it. Most of it just feels so 80s pop.
When Doves Cry is an amazing track though, as is the title track.
3
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Wed Jul 21 2021
Scott 2
Scott Walker
God this sounds so dated.
It's weird, the lyrics are actually quite clever pointed, but music is so dull it just stops me from being interested.
1
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Thu Jul 22 2021
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
A collection of great songs, with only a few places where it sags.
4
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Mon Jul 26 2021
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
Very listenable, some nice songs, instantly forgettable.
3
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Tue Jul 27 2021
Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
Smooth but fairly bland.
2
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Wed Jul 28 2021
Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
A few great songs and I like their sound, but in the end not enough variety - by the end the songs just sound the same.
3
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Thu Jul 29 2021
I Against I
Bad Brains
Fairly generic punk by numbers. Nothing too interesting.
2
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Fri Jul 30 2021
Headquarters
The Monkees
If someone made a Spinal Tap/Mighty Wind 60s band album this is exactly what it would sound like.
2
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Mon Aug 02 2021
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
Some great classic rock tracks, but that said, it sounds a bit dated now and the production is a little weak.
3
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Tue Aug 03 2021
Back In Black
AC/DC
Yeah, a classic rock album. Great riffs and songs, amazing musicians, lyrics that have not aged well.
4
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Wed Aug 04 2021
The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
Nice, if uninteresting twiddling indie acoustic.
The kind of music made to appear in car and mobile phones commercials.
2
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Thu Aug 05 2021
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Great classic rock with a country flavour. The non-famous tracks held up really well to the classics.
4
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Fri Aug 06 2021
Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
Acoustic voice and guitar folk. It's fairly well done with some amazing guitar playing.
Sadly I just find his voice quite dull and there's nothing to really grab me.
3
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Mon Aug 09 2021
The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
An album of songs that sounds like Cars, but are mostly not as good.
Each song I can take in isolation, but I just can't take a whole album of this.
3
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Tue Aug 10 2021
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
Easy listening jazz noodling. I'm sure if you like that kind of thing it's very good, but it just reminds me of being on hold.
2
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Thu Aug 12 2021
Thriller
Michael Jackson
Great 80s pop. Some songs I absolutely love, but also quite a few that do nothing for me.
4
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Mon Aug 16 2021
Eagles
Eagles
Well crafted easy listening country. Unmemorable.
3
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Tue Aug 17 2021
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
Lyrically, it feels so real and full of insights and intelligence, like I'm getting a peek inside Kendrick's life and head.
Musically it's just so dense and rich, throwing samples, beats, and riffs at you. Idea after idea.
It's not the kind of album I could listen to again and again as I find it too overwhelming, but I do feel I could find something new in it every time.
5
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Wed Aug 18 2021
Drunk
Thundercat
Thrown to me immeidately after To Pimp a Butterfly, and it just feels weak in comparison. Some great grooves and track but overall lacks intensity and personality in comparison.
Feels almost like he's trying to hard to be avant grade and quirky.
3
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Thu Aug 19 2021
Red Dirt Girl
Emmylou Harris
Lovely country. Very nice, if a little cliche.
3
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Fri Aug 20 2021
Devil Without A Cause
Kid Rock
Nu metal? Or just Rap with rock backdrop?
Eitehr way, a few fun tracks, but it got tired pretty quickly. And Only God Knows Why is awful auto tuned drivel
2
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Mon Aug 23 2021
xx
The xx
Atmospheric, intense and minimalistic indie.
I like the duet songs the most, but I also wish there was a bit more intensity on display.
4
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Tue Aug 24 2021
Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson
Agreeable, well producer singer songwriter pop with hints of the beach boys.
3
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Wed Aug 25 2021
Moving Pictures
Rush
Just a great album. Not particularly prog, lots of tight, accessible rock songs.
5
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Thu Aug 26 2021
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
Fantastic funk with psychedelic prog rock leanings.
4
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Tue Sep 07 2021
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
Do I really need to write a review on how amazing this album is?
5
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Wed Sep 08 2021
Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
Meh, I guess it's ok at neutral music to work by, but not very interesting for me.
2
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Thu Sep 09 2021
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
Jangly melodic indie punk.
I used to love this album, but I haven't listened to it in years and I was just disappointed and a bit bored this time round. It still has quite a few amazing tracks, but so many just sound the same.
3
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Fri Sep 10 2021
New Forms
Roni Size
Ok, drum&bass isn't my thing. It's ok and fine as background music. Actually surprised me that there are some good, interesting tracks in there. But TWO HOURS LONG.
Seriously.
2
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Tue Sep 14 2021
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
Smooth, soulful, but honest I found I actually enjoyed the instrumental tracks the most.
3
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Wed Sep 15 2021
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
Great voice, good songs
I guess my problem is that they all sound like standards, and like I've heard them 100 times before, even when I haven't.
3
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Thu Sep 16 2021
Abraxas
Santana
Really interesting combination of 70s classic rock and more world music latin vibe.
Great guitarwork and drumming throughout.
4
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Fri Sep 17 2021
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
So interesting low country/psychedlic rock but I just found it too meandering.
2
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Mon Sep 20 2021
American Pie
Don McLean
Before listening:
- Name one Don McLean song that isn't American Pie.
- ...
After listening:
- Vincent!
- Now name two.
- ...
But seriously, it's not bad but just a bit bland apart from the title track.
2
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Tue Sep 21 2021
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
An albums that's too famous to look at objectively. I really wonder how I would feel about it coming in cold instead of it being one of the most famous and highly rated albums ever.
That said, it's ok. It has a fair few really good songs, but also a lot of songs that to me anyway just feel like filler.
3
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Wed Sep 22 2021
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
Fun and interesting, but I just don't have the concentration span for it.
3
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Thu Sep 23 2021
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Title track is great, a jazzy prog epic. By comparison the other tracks feel like b-sides
4
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Fri Sep 24 2021
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
Very atmospheric and interesting. Just nowhere near as good as some of their later albums, or indeed the Banshees stuff he was apeing.
3
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Mon Sep 27 2021
The Specials
The Specials
Has some energy but pretty much every song sounds the same.
3
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Tue Sep 28 2021
John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
Really enjoyable electric rock, spanning multiple styles from folk to blues with a hint of psychedelic in there.
The weakest track is probably the title one, as I don't think they nail folk properly, but the rest more than makes up for it.
4
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Wed Sep 29 2021
In It For The Money
Supergrass
Nearly a 5 star. A combination of fantastic pop/brit rock with dashing of psychedelics and some fantastic songwriting.
My only issue is that it does seems to drift a bit at times, losing focus. Would have been better 3-4 songs shorter.
4
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Thu Sep 30 2021
1984
Van Halen
Decent 80s metal.
3
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Fri Oct 01 2021
Hysteria
Def Leppard
Another good 80s hair metal album. Lot's of great songs, but also a lot of songs that sound the same, and it does sound quite dated.
Honestly, it could have been 20 minutes shorter and much better for it.
3
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Tue Oct 05 2021
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
A few good songs (Roadrunner, Modern World) but mostly fairly boring.
Apparently hugely influential and I can hear the roots of styles other bands used to make better music.
2
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Wed Oct 06 2021
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
Mostly fantastic grooves and beat. The rapping is fun and interesting, if a little sneering.
4
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Thu Oct 07 2021
Kenya
Machito
Really nice and interesting for the most part. It just sounds too much like background music for an old cartoon show or and advert.
3
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Fri Oct 08 2021
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
So much better than I remember. Lots of killer pop/rock songs that I didn't appreciate as a metal/goth kids in the 90s.
My only issue is that it seems to bounce around the place and for me doesn't feel tied together, but still hugely enjoyable.
4
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Mon Oct 11 2021
S&M
Metallica
An amazing, crushingly intense album.
I can't quite give it 5 stars as in quite a few songs it doesn't work, with the orchestra not really adding anything, and sometimes detracting from the songs. But where it works it really works.
4
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Wed Oct 13 2021
Haunted Dancehall
The Sabres Of Paradise
Meh, I guess it's ok as background music, but it just sounds so generics and boring.
Maybe this was interesting when computer-assisted music was less ubiquitous?
1
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Fri Oct 15 2021
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Nice mix of energetic punk indie and regular indie songs. Love Heads will Roll.
4
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Mon Oct 18 2021
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
I started off thinking it was the bg music for an old cartoon, but I did get into it.
Yes, it's beautiful and interesting, but I probably won't listen to it much and I've already forgotten most of it.
4
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Tue Oct 19 2021
Station To Station
David Bowie
Another great 70s Bowie album.
4
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Wed Oct 20 2021
Bad
Michael Jackson
Is it uncool to say that this is my favourite Michael Jackson album?
It's just so funky, with even ballads like The Way You Make Me Feel sitting on massive grooves. I guess songs like Liberian Girl is pretty generic, but it has perhaps one of the strongest ending of an album I can think off, with all the tracks from Main in the Mirror to Leave me Alone hitting like freight trains.
5
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Thu Oct 21 2021
A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
Smooth and sophisticated, but also flacid and lacking energy.
2
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Tue Oct 26 2021
The Clash
The Clash
Super exciting, great songs delivered with energy.
Not as good as London Calling and the production is weak, but still a bonafide punk classic, with lyrics sounding as fresh and relevant today as they would have 40 years ago.
5
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Wed Oct 27 2021
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
Great songs, great performance.
4
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Thu Oct 28 2021
Clandestino
Manu Chao
Fun, interesting, occasionally twee, but not something I will listen to again.
3
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Fri Oct 29 2021
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
Rather beautiful, earnest and naive.
4
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Mon Nov 01 2021
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
Full-blooded rock n roll boogie. Not much variety, but what it does, it does well.
4
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Wed Nov 03 2021
Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
Atmospheric world music, in places etherial or upbeat.
An album I very much enjoyed but I doubt I would listen to again.
4
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Thu Nov 04 2021
Teen Dream
Beach House
It's ok I guess. A little bland. I usually quite like this kind of music but it just struck me like someone heard a couple of Yo La Tengo's dreamier numbers and tried to stretch them out over an album.
3
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Fri Nov 05 2021
Protection
Massive Attack
I have to be in the right mood, but this is just so deliciously smooth. Just lie back and let it wash over you.
4
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Mon Nov 08 2021
All Mod Cons
The Jam
Some ok songs, but most of the music just seems incredibly bland and generic.
2
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Tue Nov 09 2021
Superunknown
Soundgarden
A sprawling, expansive grunge/stoner masterpiece. So much variety and depth with amazing song and riffs coming one after the other. Great singing and musicianship.
Like a lot of long albums I can't help but feel it would have been better if it were shorter, I'm just not sure what I would cut.
5
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Wed Nov 10 2021
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
A twee, but endearing album.
The full on pop songs are great and they're lots of invention going on, but just a few too many song that could be themes to a kids TV show.
4
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Thu Nov 11 2021
Second Toughest In The Infants
Underworld
Boring BG music.
2
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Fri Nov 12 2021
Superfuzz Bigmuff
Mudhoney
Energtic, sloppy fuzz punk.
Would be 4/5 star if it were just the EP, but the deluxe edition has a load of extra songs, which just don't do anything for me, and I guess this is 1001 albums, not EPs.
3
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Mon Nov 15 2021
Either Or
Elliott Smith
Some cool songs, and I sued to love this album.
On listening to it now I just wasn't interested, and it does seem quite one dimensional and samey.
3
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Tue Nov 16 2021
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
What to say?
One of the few 'best' + 'classic' albums that totally stands up to it's rep.
5
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Wed Nov 17 2021
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
Fantastic dark synth.
A little samey after a while though.
4
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Thu Nov 18 2021
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Pink Floyd
I didn't really enjoy most of it.
Weedy songs with little in terms of tunes that seem to lean on the worst psychedelic tropes.
Terrible production doesn't help with tracks like Interstellar overdrive sadly lacking in energy and weight.
2
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Fri Nov 19 2021
Third
Portishead
It's ok. There are just much better synth/doom albums. Some good songs but overall not enough variety for me.
3
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Mon Nov 22 2021
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
It's ok, I guess. You probably needed to be around when it was released to really appreciate it.
Sure, he created the cliches, but they're still cliches.
3
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Tue Nov 23 2021
Grace
Jeff Buckley
Actually very good. The songwriting isn't amazing and sounds a bit dated to my ear, but more than made up for by the musicianship.
4
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Wed Nov 24 2021
On The Beach
Neil Young
Beautiful and haunting.
The music is up there with anything he's done, but lyrics really hit me. So sad and bitter. The man really needed a hug.
5
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Thu Nov 25 2021
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
An album I just love, from the funky shorter songs like 'Been caught stealing' to the soaring 'Three days'.
Everything feels well thought out, inventive and cohesive.
5
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Fri Nov 26 2021
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
Zzzzzzzz
Songs to play around an open fire in the 1950s. Boring stories and repetitive boring music.
If this was the soundtrack for a a Spinal Tap/Mighty Wind style mockumentary it would fit perfectly.
1
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Mon Nov 29 2021
Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
Beautiful, dreamy, meandering. The whole album feels incredibly cohesive and warm.
4
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Tue Nov 30 2021
Tapestry
Carole King
A collection of well crafted classic songs. Just not for me.
4
View Album
Wed Dec 01 2021
The Sounds Of India
Ravi Shankar
I know nothing about indian music, but I enjoyed this and it's great music to work to.
4
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Mon Dec 06 2021
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
On this album they have one trick. They do it very well but it's not enough for me, and I much prefer Toxicity, which feels more mature and varied.
3
View Album
Tue Dec 07 2021
Fun House
The Stooges
Raw, proto-punk rock with huge energy.
4
View Album
Wed Dec 08 2021
Fragile
Yes
This is not a perfect album. Jon Anderson's emotionless singing, the self-indulgent nothing tracks mar it.
But still, it has enough amazing things about it for me to give it 5 stars. The musicianship is amazing, particularly the bass and drumming. The actual songs are all great and it holds together wonderfully.
5
View Album
Thu Dec 09 2021
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
Always hard hitting and sincere. There are some lovely songs but also some which are too sparse to be genuinely enjoyable.
4
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Fri Dec 10 2021
Funeral
Arcade Fire
Mostly good songs that just roll through. When they work they're great. When they don't it just a bit indie meh
4
View Album
Mon Dec 13 2021
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
5
View Album
Tue Dec 14 2021
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
If I don't listen too hard to the lyrics this is great. Great grooves, samples and beats.
But I'm too square but all the talk about bitches and money and crime just seems sad and juvenile to me.
4
View Album
Wed Dec 15 2021
Nick Of Time
Bonnie Raitt
Smooth bland MOR.
2
View Album
Thu Dec 16 2021
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
Great guitar work, but the actually songs seem quite bland to me, especially compared to The Queen is Dead.
3
View Album
Fri Dec 17 2021
Odessa
Bee Gees
Some really beautiful songs, but also some meandering, bland ones.
Not what I was expecting, when thinking of the Bee Gees.
3
View Album
Mon Dec 20 2021
John Prine
John Prine
Enjoyable country. But it's still country.
3
View Album
Thu Dec 23 2021
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
Hugely influential epic doom.
Not their best album but still awesome and crushing.
5
View Album
Thu Jan 06 2022
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
The best Christmas album ever?
Great Mo-town versions of Christmas standards. I can see myself putting this on again next Christmas, but certainly not until then.
4
View Album
Fri Jan 07 2022
Shadowland
k.d. lang
Sure she has a nice voice, but it's like she made a decision to cover all the most hackneyed, schmaltzy songs she could find.
I'm sure my grandma would have liked this.
2
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Tue Jan 11 2022
Risque
CHIC
Great band, but every song sounds like something else. Still enjoyable though
4
View Album
Wed Jan 12 2022
Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
Very nice and pretty, but not the kind of thing I would listen to
3
View Album
Thu Jan 13 2022
1999
Prince
On the one hand, I can see what so many people absolutely love Prince. On the other, it's just not for me.
I can get into the most intense/best songs like the title track and Lady Cab Diver, but so many track just have nothing to hook me in.
4
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Mon Jan 17 2022
Marquee Moon
Television
I'd forgotten how amazing this album is. The hypnotic, driving bass with the guitar work pulling it along.
If I'm nitpicking, I'm not totally sold on the singing but does convey masses of character and attitude, and the title track is so amazing and titanic that it overshadows the songs coming after it.
5
View Album
Tue Jan 18 2022
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Largely brilliant, veering from deranged gospel to sensitive ballads, all dripping with personality and menace.
When it works it's amazing, just as with most double albums, no matter how good they are they tend to drag on and overstay their welcome. I'm left thinking it could have been one of the great single albums, but I'm not quite sure what should have been left out.
5
View Album
Wed Jan 19 2022
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Witty, knowing lyrics, some energetic music. It doesn't come together quite right for me but I can see why it's popular.
3
View Album
Thu Jan 20 2022
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
It's ok I guess, rough and energetic, shouty punk-grunge.
But seriously, Superfuzz Bigmuff is on the list too and you don't need to hear 2 Mudhoney albums before you die.
3
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Mon Jan 24 2022
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
Original sparse synthwave.
Maybe a little sparse but still hold up well against modern followers.
4
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Tue Jan 25 2022
2112
Rush
The hard rock end of prog. Briliant.
5
View Album
Thu Jan 27 2022
Like A Prayer
Madonna
Smooth, competent pop. The second half of the album is much better than the first.
4
View Album
Fri Jan 28 2022
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
Smooth, very listenable, unmemorable.
3
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Mon Jan 31 2022
Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
3
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Tue Feb 01 2022
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
Great chilled rock n roll!
5
View Album
Wed Feb 02 2022
The Stooges
The Stooges
Interesting proto-punk. But again, you don't really need 2 Stooges albums on the list and it gave me Fun House 2 weeks ago which I much preferred.
4
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Thu Feb 03 2022
Aja
Steely Dan
Glimmering, uber produced jazz pop.
Starts off very strongly, with Aja and Deacon Blue both being amazing, but I found myself losing interest as the album played out.
4
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Fri Feb 04 2022
Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
Ok, song nice songs but nothing that stands out too much.
3
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Mon Feb 07 2022
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
Eclectic and inconsistent very 60s psychedelic pop. The good songs are great, but there's a lot of twee filler.
Also, when you have Grace Slick in your band, what isn't she singing every song?
3
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Tue Feb 08 2022
Revolver
Beatles
A collection of mostly ranging from good to excellent short songs. Some genuinely inspired stuff, but also a couple of duds.
My issue is just that it doesn't feel consistent or cohesive. When every some is 2-3 minutes the best ones are gone in a zip without a chance to breath, then you move on to something else.
4
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Wed Feb 09 2022
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
4
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Thu Feb 10 2022
Mama Said Knock You Out
LL Cool J
Dated (to my ear) 90s hip/hop.
It just doesn't mean anything to me.
2
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Fri Feb 11 2022
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
Great performance but the songs all sound the same.
3
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Mon Feb 14 2022
A Night At The Opera
Queen
A collection of fun, eclectic and well-composed songs, with a smattering of classics, all impeccably recorded.
4
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Tue Feb 15 2022
Debut
Björk
Interesting art pop, some cool beats, low on melody, zero intensity.
3
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Wed Feb 16 2022
Scott 4
Scott Walker
More dated ballads. I'm sure I got another Scott Walker album (Scott 2 I think) about a month ago which honestly was pretty much interchangeable with this one.
Nice voice, very inoffensive. Dull.
2
View Album
Thu Feb 17 2022
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Crushing stoner rock. More refined and polished and less sprawling than Kyuss and probably better for it.
5
View Album
Fri Feb 18 2022
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
Cool, effortlessly inventive alt-rock.
5
View Album
Mon Feb 21 2022
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
Smooth, listenable and chilled hip hop. Works for me as BG music but I can't remember any tracks after a couple of listens
3
View Album
Tue Feb 22 2022
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
Great voice, great song. But really only one great song, played with a little variation 10 times.
3
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Wed Feb 23 2022
Palo Congo
Sabu
Did absolutely nothing for me.
1
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Thu Feb 24 2022
Water From An Ancient Well
Abdullah Ibrahim
The score to a looney tunes cartoon when nothing is happening.
1
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Mon Feb 28 2022
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
Lovely melancholic singer/songwriter stuff. Sounds exactly like here other albums.
3
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Tue Mar 01 2022
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
Fun, chilled hip hop.
4
View Album
Wed Mar 02 2022
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
So more great songs, some competent rock n roll. If it were 20 minutes shorter I would have enjoyed it far more.
3
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Thu Mar 03 2022
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Some nice tracks, if generally a bit low key and nowhere near as good as some of his other albums on this list.
3
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Fri Mar 04 2022
Before And After Science
Brian Eno
Now my favourite album from him. I'm not 100% sold on the songs in the first half of the album, though they're, but the 2nd half was lovely - dreamy minimalistic the lead towards his later more experimental work but still has uncools things like structure and tunes.
4
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Mon Mar 07 2022
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
More lovely acoustic singer-songwriter ish stuff.
A big gap between the great songs and the good ones though.
4
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Fri Mar 11 2022
Slipknot
Slipknot
2 stars for nostalgia as I used to like them when I was younger, but after 15 years I found it a really difficult listen.
The percussion and aggression is what the album is all about and it just didn't make up for the lack of variety or anything approaching a melody.
2
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Mon Mar 14 2022
21
Adele
A full-on album with great performances, production and songs.
4
View Album
Tue Mar 15 2022
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
Slick, soulful rnb.
I can appreciate how every element is polished and well done, but still not really my thing.
4
View Album
Wed Mar 16 2022
Pink Flag
Wire
Seminal lo-fi punk album.
Has some genius moments but over 21 mostly 2 minutes songs it just feels too disjointed for me to really enjoy.
3
View Album
Thu Mar 17 2022
Chris
Christine and the Queens
Great voice and songs. I also loved the 80s synth-pop ascetics.
4
View Album
Fri Mar 18 2022
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
Slick, soulful RnB. Every song sounds the same.
3
View Album
Mon Mar 21 2022
My Generation
The Who
Ok psychedelic pop/rock. If I heard it in a vacuum I would not have seen anything to suggest how good their later album were.
2
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Tue Mar 22 2022
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
What more needs to be said? One of the greatest debut albums ever.
I think the songwriting is better in later releases but the performances are impeccable.
5
View Album
Wed Mar 23 2022
Third/Sister Lovers
Big Star
Low key bland indie.
2
View Album
Thu Mar 24 2022
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
3 hours, really?
Usually, when I listen to these long self-indulgent multi albums I find myself thinking that they would make great single albums if they could cut the filler. But I don't think you could make this better than 'good'.
Sure, there are some nice songs, but no genius or stand out moments, so it just washed over me like a blanket of mediocre unmemorable mostly indie twiddlings. By the end, I was just glad it was over and I couldn't think of any moments I might want to go back and relisten to.
1
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Fri Mar 25 2022
I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
Lovely tunes, I think his singing and voice work well.
4
View Album
Mon Mar 28 2022
Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Loved the music and beats. The actual rapping seemed a bit basic.
3
View Album
Tue Mar 29 2022
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
Actually pretty great.
Driving, mesmeric rhythms and great attitude. Maybe a little monotonous, but that's probably the point.
4
View Album
Wed Mar 30 2022
Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
Some nice moments, but mostly just dull 60s psychedelics by numbers
2
View Album
Tue Apr 05 2022
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Great 70s rock album with some cool southern folk styling.
4
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Thu Apr 07 2022
Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
Nice, if often cheesy psychedelic pop folk.
3
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Fri Apr 08 2022
Da Capo
Love
Not as good as forever changes.
Some nice pop psychedelic stuff and the 20 minutes song on the second half was fun, but lacking in great song writing.
3
View Album
Mon Apr 11 2022
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
I listened to it. I thought 'this is passable new wave pop. Nice texture, the occasional good song.
I can't recall a single thing about it now.
2
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Tue Apr 12 2022
Blackstar
David Bowie
Some beautiful moments, but also a lot of atonal monotony. I really wanted to like the album but I just can't get into it.
3
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Thu Apr 14 2022
White Light
Gene Clark
Chilled well crafted songs. Nothing mind-blowing but I enjoyed most of them.
4
View Album
Wed Apr 20 2022
Close To The Edge
Yes
I could throw so many adjectives at this album: lush, intricate, melodic, ambitious, funky, brilliant.
They are of course amazing musicians, and this is them at their best, with songs that do justice to their ability.
My favourite prog album.
5
View Album
Thu Apr 21 2022
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Chilled, melodic and beautiful, just lacking intensity and variety.
4
View Album
Fri Apr 22 2022
Illmatic
Nas
Slick rapping, smooth beats.
Great BGM for me but nothing more.
3
View Album
Mon Apr 25 2022
Rust In Peace
Megadeth
Some great agression and rhythm, but not enough hooks for me.
3
View Album
Tue Apr 26 2022
Arrival
ABBA
Nice, well crafted pop.
I'm probably like a lot of other people, in that I'd only heard Abba singles and their greatest hits songs.
Arrivals has a decent chunk of their best singles, but the non singles songs stand up well too, though they suffer from feeling like they are just not as good versions of the bigger songs. The good songs carry the album though.
4
View Album
Wed Apr 27 2022
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
A beautiful, melancholic album full of clever observations and melodies.
4
View Album
Thu Apr 28 2022
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
Anthems for incels.
Knowing, relatable lyrics and fantastic music. Morrisey is still twat.
5
View Album
Fri Apr 29 2022
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Doesn't have the hooks or the moments of brilliance of My Aim is True or Armed Forces, but makes up for it in sheer consistency. No filler, just consistently good songs.
4
View Album
Mon May 02 2022
Solid Air
John Martyn
Nice, chilled but a bit monotonous
3
View Album
Tue May 03 2022
Murmur
R.E.M.
Fairly bland indie.
2
View Album
Wed May 04 2022
Connected
Stereo MC's
Ok as far as background music goes. Not my thing.
2
View Album
Thu May 05 2022
Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
A beautiful, soulful psychedelic pop album.
Some really lovely songs, with my main issue being how it doesn't have much range.
4
View Album
Fri May 06 2022
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
If you don't like this album you don't like rock.
5
View Album
Mon May 09 2022
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
Great samples and production, but still felt rather soulless.
3
View Album
Tue May 10 2022
The White Album
Beatles
Some great songs, most of which you've already heard a thousand times. Some filler, some stuff that doesn't work.
All in all it's decent. Could have been a killer single album.
4
View Album
Wed May 11 2022
Hypnotised
The Undertones
One-hit wonders and their one hit isn't even on this album. Seriously why are there 2 Undertone albums on this list? You don't even need 2 songs.
A few good songs but in general mediocre, uninspired indie punk.
2
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Thu May 12 2022
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
A super-smooth soul album. Incredible production and I could see myself putting it on when I'm in the mood, though it does wash over me a bit without any memorable or stand out moments.
4
View Album
Fri May 13 2022
Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
Intense and authentic reggae.
4
View Album
Mon May 16 2022
Kid A
Radiohead
Frequently beautiful, but just too bleak and anaemic for me.
4
View Album
Tue May 17 2022
With The Beatles
Beatles
Decent 60s pop.
Their original songs are better than the covers, but tbh I can't see myself listening to this again - historical value only.
3
View Album
Wed May 18 2022
No Other
Gene Clark
Melodic and chilled, if a bit aimless.
I enjoyed it but I can't remember anything from it 5 minutes later.
3
View Album
Thu May 19 2022
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
Nice folk with some beautiful moment, but ultimately too downbeat and monotonous for me.
2
View Album
Fri May 20 2022
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
Smooth voice but everything about it is so dated and the sounds mean nothing to me.
2
View Album
Mon May 23 2022
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
Listening to this kind of thing is like reading a classic book. I can hear the craft, I can see why people would enjoy it, but it's just not for me and I find it boring.
2
View Album
Tue May 24 2022
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
A beautiful, warm, lush album full of melancholy, wonderfully constructed songs and dreamy soundscapes.
This is an album I know well and I've listened to many, many times going back years and it just resonates with me. The attitude and outlook are spot on and the music is consistently strong.
5
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Wed May 25 2022
Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
Lovely voice and I can appreciate the songs, but just too slow and boring for me.
2
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Thu May 26 2022
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
A bit too scattershot for my taste. Lots of cool moments, but also lots of what felt like weird and kooky for the sake of being weird and kooky. Interesting at least.
3
View Album
Fri May 27 2022
Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche
Koffi Olomide
I mean it's nice and all, but it just makes me think of background music in some gift shop.
3
View Album
Mon May 30 2022
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
Nice, but just nice.
3
View Album
Wed Jun 01 2022
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
Nice folk. A bit twee and nothing really jumped out at me.
2
View Album
Thu Jun 02 2022
Beyond Skin
Nitin Sawhney
Nice, interesting and out of my comfort zone, but not something I can see myself listening to again.
3
View Album
Tue Jun 07 2022
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
Enjoyable random jazz squawkings. Some really cool stuff, and you can see where a lot of prog bands were ripping stuff off.
4
View Album
Wed Jun 08 2022
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
Some great moments, but really not my thing.
3
View Album
Thu Jun 09 2022
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
Lovely folk pop prog.
4
View Album
Fri Jun 10 2022
Midnight Ride
Paul Revere & The Raiders
Mediocre garage pop.
2
View Album
Mon Jun 13 2022
Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
Does what he does - stadium rock that still manages to sound humble and rooted. It's a little samey and one paced, but the great songs make up for it.
4
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Tue Jun 14 2022
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
Smooth lounge jazz.
Amazing background music, but not the kind of thing I would just listen to. Kind of remind me of being on hold.
3
View Album
Wed Jun 15 2022
Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
Some nice sounds, overall I'm just not too fond of the sound and tone.
3
View Album
Thu Jun 16 2022
Peggy Suicide
Julian Cope
Some good indie/post punk/whatever. But it just seems to have no real stand out tracks or moments that jump out. More consistent than Fried, but not as enjoyable.
3
View Album
Fri Jun 17 2022
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
Truly beautiful.
But also nothing that really digs into my memory, like () has.
4
View Album
Mon Jun 20 2022
Pretenders
Pretenders
Decent Indie pop rock but nothing more.
3
View Album
Tue Jun 21 2022
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
Smooth and inventive, just not engaging enough. Like really good music to be on hold to.
3
View Album
Wed Jun 22 2022
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
Ok synth pop.
Mostly fairly bland and unmemorable music. I guess I should give them credit for the time period they were in, but as someone who listens to a lot of synth wave, this just sounds weak.
2
View Album
Thu Jun 23 2022
Entertainment
Gang Of Four
Disjointed jangling with no traces of actual songs or melodies.
1
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Fri Jun 24 2022
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
Hugely fun, british soul. I love a good horn section, and they use it well.
4
View Album
Mon Jun 27 2022
Le Tigre
Le Tigre
3
View Album
Tue Jun 28 2022
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
Some great songs, some (for me) filler. I prefer his earlier albums.
3
View Album
Wed Jun 29 2022
Sheet Music
10cc
Some great stuff, but a little too all of the place for me - just no coherence.
3
View Album
Thu Jun 30 2022
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
Attitude, great songs, killer bass runs. I love this album.
I can see why a lot of people will be turned off by the singing, but it works perfectly for me.
5
View Album
Fri Jul 01 2022
Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Often beautiful, haunting ambient music, but really not enough that actually engaged me.
3
View Album
Mon Jul 04 2022
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
Fun, listenable Brazilian Samba? Rock? I'm not sure about the genre.
Not enough hooks to draw me in though and that in combination with Lyrics I can't understand made it feel almost like jazz and a bit too abstract.
3
View Album
Tue Jul 05 2022
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
I like the blissed out power pop Teenage Fanclub, but this isn't my favourite albums from them. It might be the most consistent but it lacks the hooks of some of their later albums.
4
View Album
Wed Jul 06 2022
The Score
Fugees
A few nice moments but overall did nothing for me.
2
View Album
Thu Jul 07 2022
Truth And Soul
Fishbone
A bit too all over the place for me. Some cool songs and great musicianship but completely lacks cohesion.
2
View Album
Fri Jul 08 2022
Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
Smooth, beautiful, well crafted, but souless.
I do like Lena Del Rey, I didn't really find enough in this album to keep me interested - I far prefer Born to Die or NFR.
Also, I do think for an album this recent to be in this list it needs to be undisputedly special, which I don't think this is. Maybe time will tell and I'll like it more in 5 years time, but put it in then, once we've had time to prodcess it, not now.
3
View Album
Mon Jul 11 2022
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
80s cheesy. A few good songs, and of course her voice is great, but that's about it.
2
View Album
Tue Jul 12 2022
Songs From A Room
Leonard Cohen
Very dry, some good songs but some that sounded forced. Didn't really enjoy overall.
2
View Album
Wed Jul 13 2022
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
Intense, interesting, lots of attitude and character.
4
View Album
Thu Jul 14 2022
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
4
View Album
Fri Jul 15 2022
The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
Dreary, meandering and dull.
1
View Album
Thu Jul 28 2022
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
I'm not a huge fan of their shout rapping, but the samples and the flow of the songs is fantastic and in the end I can just treat the rapping as percussion.
4
View Album
Fri Jul 29 2022
Hunting High And Low
a-ha
Sure, Take On Me is a great song, but there is nothing else on the album that comes close and as a whole it just washed over me as a mass of bland synth pop.
2
View Album
Mon Aug 01 2022
London Calling
The Clash
Just a great album from start to finish with no weak tracks.
5
View Album
Tue Aug 02 2022
Eliminator
ZZ Top
4
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Wed Aug 03 2022
Microshift
Hookworms
This is what I signed up to this site for. An album and a band I had never heard of that blew me away.
Mesmeric beats and samples building up to a shimmering flow that drags me in. Sure, I couldn't tell you want the lyrics are about, or even remember them, but every song have ideas and their own hooks. No filler.
5
View Album
Thu Aug 04 2022
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
It's nice, it's cheerful, it's endearing and it's historically significant, but is it good?
I'm not sure. The production is terrible, the performances are spotty and it often feel like I'm listening to a commercial for something. but still there are some genuinely good songs and it's short enough to let go how samey it feels.
3
View Album
Mon Aug 08 2022
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
Great performances and songs.
4
View Album
Tue Aug 09 2022
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
I like a lot of it, but it does also sound very samey.
4
View Album
Wed Aug 10 2022
Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
Another lovely jazz album that I can happily stick on as background music but that I will completely forget the minutes it's over, no matter how much I listen to it.
4
View Album
Thu Aug 11 2022
Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black
Public Enemy
I don't really listen to rap and as much as I can appreciate how cool this is I'm probably not going to listen to it any time soon.
Great beats and attitude, just not for me.
4
View Album
Fri Aug 12 2022
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
The great songs are great, cheesy crowd pleasers. a few filler songs of course.
4
View Album
Mon Aug 15 2022
Wild Wood
Paul Weller
I'm not a huge fan of the Jam, and didn't know his solo work so I was expecting not to like this, but I really enjoyed it.
No stand out tracks - I felt like all the songs had purpose and art to them. Maybe a bit one tempo, but it's definitely something I will listen t more.
4
View Album
Tue Aug 16 2022
The Yes Album
Yes
Beautifully crafted, some songs that feel forced. Not as good as their later work.
4
View Album
Wed Aug 17 2022
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
Lots of great bluesy songs, a bit long and low key to hold me interest the whole way through.
4
View Album
Thu Aug 18 2022
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
It's ok, bit low key and even if I can like a lot of it, it feels a bit off to me.
3
View Album
Fri Aug 19 2022
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
Great, aggressive sample and beats. I can't really relate to any of the lyrics though. I guess that's on me.
4
View Album
Tue Aug 23 2022
The Real Thing
Faith No More
Great great rock, but also some cool more jazzy art stuff too.
4
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Wed Aug 24 2022
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
I can appreciate the craft. Every song is beautifully sung and they are well chosen and arranged. It's just a bit meh for me.
I could only see myself putting it on as background or mood music, and tbh if I was doing that I'd probably go for some Ella instead.
3
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Thu Aug 25 2022
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
I had never heard of John Grant or this album, but I love it. Warm, melodic and fun music, ranging from folk to more poppy stuff, and fantastic lyrics.
5
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Fri Aug 26 2022
Teenage Head
Flamin' Groovies
Good, if unmemorable blues/bluegrass rock. The instrumentals are great, the singer is utterly mediocre, and stuck back in the mix.
3
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Wed Aug 31 2022
...And Justice For All
Metallica
Aggressive, technical thrash. I used to love this album, and it still has some amazing moments but I did finding it dragging on a bit.
Probably my least favourite of their 80s albums.
4
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Thu Sep 01 2022
Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
Very mediocre with nothing standing out. Just fairly bland, like The Cure but without any melodic sensibility.
2
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Fri Sep 02 2022
Vespertine
Björk
Just sounds like toneless self indulgence to me.
2
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Mon Sep 05 2022
Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
Chilled instrumental prog.
A bit silly at points but also hugely atmospheric.
4
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Tue Sep 06 2022
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
Eclectic and cool rnb. Lots of great songs and moments. It just lacked cohesion a bit to me.
4
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Wed Sep 07 2022
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
Chilled jazz, counter culture political lyrics. Very cool, but not enough hooks to get me coming back.
3
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Thu Sep 08 2022
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
Didn't really do much for me. Lots of experimental and arty bouncing around but not much in the way of tunes or melody and it just sounded to sparse to draw me in.
3
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Fri Sep 09 2022
Bongo Rock
Incredible Bongo Band
It's fun an a silly 70s kind of way.
3
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Mon Sep 12 2022
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
Some cool samples but too many plodding songs and their rap shouting doesn't work for me on it's own.
2
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Tue Sep 13 2022
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
I love the first 2 albums but I just can't get into this one. It's just has too many twee and lo-fi tracks for me.
2
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Wed Sep 14 2022
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
A lovely, dreamy and beautiful album, but I really can't recall any songs and they feel a bit samey, even after listening to it several times.
4
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Thu Sep 15 2022
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
Nice, chilled latin music. I can enjoy it, without taking it in, and I can't help feeling I'm probably a bit of a tourist.
3
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Fri Sep 16 2022
Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Some great pop rock songs, but a bit too bland for me.
3
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Mon Sep 19 2022
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5
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Wed Sep 21 2022
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
4
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Thu Sep 22 2022
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
I like most of the album but I can't stand the first 2 tracks, meaning I found it hard to get into the album. But overall I enjoyed it.
3
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Mon Sep 26 2022
Exit Planet Dust
The Chemical Brothers
I can see that if I was into this kind of music I would probably like it, but I don't and I just found it too repetitious.
3
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Tue Sep 27 2022
The Blueprint
JAY Z
Great beats and samples. It's a lush, rich album just ruined by Jay Z being such a complete dick. If only it were in another language, then I could probably enjoy it.
3
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Wed Sep 28 2022
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
Quite lovely for the most part, just a little wet and meandering.
4
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Wed Oct 05 2022
Dust
Screaming Trees
Not totally sold on the singing, but it's still a great album filled with varied, interesting and well crafted songs.
5
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Mon Oct 10 2022
All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
I want to give it 5 stars. It's mostly a hugely enjoyable album, filled with genuinely great tracks. I can't quite give it 5 stars just due to how long it is, plus the awful track reordering in the remastered versions.
4
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Tue Oct 11 2022
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
I love Nirvana, but this album just doesn't do it for me. It's just missing the energy of their studio albums ,let alone one of their conventional live albums.
I don't think it really improves any of the songs, and to me it feels like it's a greatest hits album for people who don't really like grunge or Nirvana.
If you want a great unplugged from a grunge band go listen to Alice n Chains Unplugged.
4
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Wed Oct 12 2022
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
Funky and enjoyable, and not just the singles.
4
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Thu Oct 13 2022
Gold
Ryan Adams
A really good collection of songs, with a lot of variety and some genuine gems. Kind of like a more poppy version of Springsteen. Could be a few songs shorter.
Lots of people in the other reviews raging at him being a nasty piece of work, but honestly we need to be able to separate the man from the art. Saying 'this is a decent album' is not endorsing his behaviour.
I wonder if these people are giving 1s to Bowie/The Stones/Zeppelin/Beatles/etc too?
4
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Fri Oct 14 2022
Night Life
Ray Price
Broadly enjoyable, but just a little bland.
3
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Mon Oct 17 2022
Abbey Road
Beatles
Ok, yeah. It's brilliant, I can even forgive Maxwell's Silver Hammer, the rest of it is so good.
5
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Tue Oct 18 2022
Suede
Suede
In general, a good album that serves as a bridge between the 80s Smiths still indie and 90s brit rock/pop.
The guitar work is fantastic and the songs where this comes to the fore are all brilliant, but the ballads are a bit more hit and miss. In particular the last 2 songs are fairly bland.
4
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Wed Oct 19 2022
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
I feel like I should like this more than I do. On the face it checks a lot of boxes that matches at lot of my favourite music. Heavy epic guitars, lots of texture, melodic soaring choruses.
Sadly it just feels too one dimensional and paced. Too teenage angsty with the songs blending into each other. 'MOM, KNOCK BEFORE YOU COME INTO MY ROOM! They don't understand me...'
3
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Thu Oct 20 2022
A Northern Soul
The Verve
Mostly bland shoe gaze with good guitar work. History is a lovely ballad and you can see where they were heading.
3
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Fri Oct 21 2022
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
It's not musically perfect, the lyrics are terrible and it's not for everyone but it's still an amazing album. The energy, performances and general song writing more than make up for any blemishes.
For me it's the pinnacle of old school, melodic heavy metal. Great solos, epic riffs screams and howls and Hammer horror imagery.
5
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Mon Oct 24 2022
Graceland
Paul Simon
A smattering a excellent songs amid an album of decent, world music inspired tracks that I can appreciate if not love.
4
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Tue Oct 25 2022
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
Lovely atmospheric folk music that doesn't overstay it's welcome.
If only more musicians had the balls to just say 'that's it, I'm not padding this out and adding filler'.
5
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Thu Oct 27 2022
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
It's nice, but if I'm honest it just feels like background music, or the theme tune to an old looney tunes cartoon.
3
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Mon Oct 31 2022
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
A few interesting songs, but mostly it just sounds like background music to me.
2
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Tue Nov 01 2022
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
Amazing bombastic Rock and Rock. When it works it really works, just a couple of tracks that don't quite succeed.
4
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Wed Nov 02 2022
Smash
The Offspring
Fun grunge punk ska stuff. Holds a place in my heart from when I was a kid.
4
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Thu Nov 03 2022
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
Intense, dark but also varied and melodic.
This is another album that I listened to a lot when I was a kids but haven't in a while, and I'm happy to say that it still holds up for me.
5
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Mon Nov 07 2022
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
Amazing psych/prog/funk.
I've heard people say you can find out a lot about someone and their music taste by who they prefer - Beatles or Stones, Lennon or McCartney. I think you can add another one, being Sly and the Family Stone or Funkadelic. I'm firmly in the Funkadelic corner. More out there and adventurous, and crucially alongside the epic guitar freak outs and social commentary there is also a self awareness and sense of humour.
5
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Tue Nov 08 2022
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
Ok. Nice. A bit bland.
3
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Wed Nov 09 2022
At Budokan
Cheap Trick
Has some great songs and the performance is good but let down by the recording and some bland songs. If you like power pop/rock you may enjoy this.
3
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Thu Nov 10 2022
Crazysexycool
TLC
A few interesting songs, but most seems just bland pop R&B.
2
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Tue Nov 15 2022
The Joshua Tree
U2
It's good album. Smooth and atmospheric.
My main issue is that is really blows it's load immediately with the genuinely great first 3 tracks, then the rest ranges from decent to good but never reaches those heights again.
4
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Wed Nov 16 2022
Dirty
Sonic Youth
I love this album. A great mix of noise aggression and melody - lots of crazy experimentation but also very accessible and some lovely dreamscape tracks.
5
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Thu Nov 17 2022
Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
Inoffensive. Some nice songs I guess.
3
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Fri Nov 18 2022
Suicide
Suicide
Just too monotonous.
2
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Mon Nov 21 2022
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
Sometimes a little disjointed but always interesting and jarring. Mostly great music and creepy without being pastiche.
5
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Tue Nov 22 2022
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
Some lovely songs performed extremely well. A little dull though and tbh I think you could mix this up with the soundtrack to Mighty Wind and most people wouldn't notice.
4
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Wed Nov 23 2022
Violator
Depeche Mode
Hard hitting synth. Mostly great, just a little monotonous and low energy.
4
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Thu Nov 24 2022
Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
Better than I expected - 60s throwback shoegaze indie pop. But still felt too long and a bit samey.
3
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Fri Nov 25 2022
Diamond Life
Sade
Smooth
3
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Tue Nov 29 2022
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
5
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Wed Nov 30 2022
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
Nice songs, well performed. Still felt quite dated and had a few bland songs.
3
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Thu Dec 01 2022
Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
Boring songs sung by a technically good but boring singer, with boring arrangements.
2
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Wed Dec 07 2022
Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
3
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Thu Dec 08 2022
Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
I can see how if I liked this kind of music it's probably very good, but for me it just sounds bland and every track the same. Ok for background music but not much else.
2
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Wed Dec 14 2022
Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
Great voice and mostly great songs.
4
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Thu Dec 15 2022
Tellin’ Stories
The Charlatans
Indie Britrock mediocrity.
2
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Wed Jan 11 2023
Music From Big Pink
The Band
Lovely country folk. Beautifully performed and some amazing standout tracks but overall I find it a little lacking.
I think the problem is that it's just not as good as The Band, their next album. That would be a 5 so this is gonna be a 4.
4
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Thu Jan 12 2023
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
Great riffs and aggression and I loved it when I was younger but it's not enough for me now. Too many of the songs sound the same and blur into each other.
3
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Mon Jan 16 2023
Soul Mining
The The
Such an amazing album, running the full gamut between the stripped back synth and lush piano, all with angry, acerbic, self defeating lyric.
5
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Wed Jan 18 2023
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
4
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Fri Jan 20 2023
American Idiot
Green Day
5