Solid as a rock rock. Great guitar riffs, classic vocals. Not too much more to be said about an album that probably has a million words written about it.
Goergeous album. Impressive and intricate arrangements. The string sections are sublime. Nick Drake will always be one of my favorite folk artists and more people should familiarize themselves with this album and not just Pink Moon.
Not my favorite style of folk but still an enjoyable album. The often almost spoken word story telling Cohen deploys isn't nearly as effective or engaging to me as his more melodic contemporaries (Nick Drake, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, etc.). That being said he still has some beautiful arrangements throughout and the lyrics can often be really interesting even if their density can make it challenging for me to stayed personally engaged.
Rocking album. Everyone knows the two mega classic hits off this one but the rest of the album is great as well. Psychedelic guitar riffs and momentous drums background an album where Grace Slick absolutely destroys. She gives me Stevie Nicks front woman vibes but where you trade out the at times whimsical nature of Nicks for Slicks more punk attitude where she seems to almost spit and yell lyrics at times. A truly wonderful performance by her thats a highlight in an album of highlights.
Lower end 3 for me. Personal taste wise its probably actually a 2 for me but I do appreciate the musicianship an album like this has so it gets a 3. I think the best way to sum up this album is that I really enjoyed the sections with vocals. Nice driving energy when vocals are being deployed but thats maybe a third of the album. The rest is heavily guitar solo centric and while I respect the art and craft of a good guitar solo, generally these long sections became boring personally. Not an album I disliked per say but not one I'd have much desire to revisit.
Anita Baker sure can sing. Beautiful voice. The mid 80s adult contemporary production is what makes this a 3 out of 5 for me. Not really my cup of tea even if I really enjoyed certain touches like a fun bass line here, great sax solo there. Won't be revisiting anytime soon but I'll definitely always remember Baker's voice.
Noisy, tense post-punk indie rock. While it isn't their masterpiece that would come 2 years later, you do hear many of the foundations of that album being explored and distilled. Energetic, often angry and yet melodic vocals and hooks being buried beneath walls of sound. It's no wonder Sonic Youth often distills that gap between Black Flag and all the 90s indie rock bands that followed suit in my mind. They angrily and yet with a delicate pop touch thrashed the path forward.
A fine debut soft rock album from one of the genre's most famous bands. Doesn't have the highs of some of their other work but its consistent through out. Not particularly my cup of tea when it comes to rock and I think that's mostly because of how insanely laid back the album can often feel. There is a lack of any real propulsion to the rock songs and I think thats a part of the reason why I can't truly connect to The Eagles like others. Still a perfectly fine album, better suited for BBQs and laying in a pool than anything else.
Great early 90s NYC rap. The juxtaposition between Jeru The Damaja's easy listening and fun flows with the discordant and jarring beats makes the album still fresh today even with all the hallmarks of the East Coast rap resurgence from that era easily identifiable. I'll be coming back to this for sure.
A solid 90s rock album. I thought the drummer was kind of the standout for me on this album. I also realized that while I don't dislike Oasis at all, Liam Gallagher's voice isn't one that draws me in and at times even annoyed me a bit. Looking forward to hearing their other work on the list to see if I may be able to connect a bit more to it because the obvious talent and ability is there.
Very guitar heavy blues album from the mid 60s. The word jangly kept coming to mind when listening to the group jump back and forth between takes on Blues standards of the time and their own original work. A young Clapton killing it as the lead guitarist is definitely the standout on the album for me. Very fun album but never felt incredibly essential or meaningful which is why I kept it at a 3 instead of maybe giving it a 4.
A bubbly, eccentric, bizzare Glam Rock album from the mid 70s. A few moments get so strange that I found it a touch off putting but generally the album was a ton of fun precisely because of how weird their brand of Glam Rock can get. Strange melodies, bizarre vocals, there is a ton going on here and thats a good thing for 95% of the album.
This country album is an album that reminded me of all the jokes people make about country being basic chords backing tracks primarily about trucks and your dog and drinking and the good ol' days. Those genre stereotypes are definitely because of albums like this. And while I enjoyed some of the B3 piano on the album, I was quickly reminded why I was never into the traditional country that this falls into; it mainly just bores me.
I have quite the soft spot for the psychedelic pop that Animal Collective seems to energetically spew into the world. It's loud, bewildering, complex music with an energy that I can never quite put my finger on but personally cannot stop chasing. It's a thrilling album that continues to challenge 10 years later while never feeling overbearing. The groups masterpiece no doubt.
Pretty incredible to me that an album that is closer to 60 years old than 50 is this prescient. The lyrical work is still top notch and very relevant and relatable. The blues rock deployed on the album is incredibly infectious and has some of the best energy of his canon. And lastly the album never has a real dip, it is incredibly solid from its insanely famous opener through to the last track. The quality is unrelenting, the brillance of Dylan on full display.
A very pleasant 80s "new wave" pop album. The production is quite different then a lot of its contemporaries in the 80s british new wave scene. Singer-songwriter pop with some very interesting lyrical work. The album has a few tracks that stood out a bit but for the most part its consistency is easily its strongest asset. There was never anything to dislike even if the highs weren't soaring either.
While I am not the biggest classic rock n' roll guy there is no denying the absolute powerhouse that this album is. Still widely considered one of the greatest rock debut albums ever, and well, for good reason. There is a reason why half the album gets played on classic rock radio. The guitar tones and techniques have inspired and continue to inspire generations after. And when it comes down to it, the pure energy of the songs coupled with the talent on display make for nothing short of a classic you gotta respect. Might not be what I ever search out to listen to, but there is no denying its impact and the pure enjoyment most of these songs bring.
While the lyricism was a bit more interesting than the other country artist I've received in Steve Earle, it wasn't enough to pull me into the twangy country of The Flying Burrito Brothers. I did enjoy some of the messier arrangements but again never enough to be engaged by the music. Just really never did it for me.
I had a moment while listening to this album yesterday where I thought to myself, 'oh, maybe I am a U2 fan.' I have a hard time articulating exactly what was so appealing about their anthem level soft rock. Maybe it was Bono's performance which howls. Maybe the never overbearing but huge, uplifting swell of guitars that make up much of the background. It's hard for me to say exactly why, but the album is endlessly appealing. Something I wouldn't have thought to say after growing up with the more laborious older albums that U2 has recently produced.
Loved this collection of classic blues performed live. I was personally surprised at how good the recording was for it being from 1960. Stellar guitar, great harmonica, the twiddling of a piano, Muddy's distinctive howl, it all works wonderfully.
A pleasant indie rock album that leans heavily towards the power pop genre. Often messy yet very melodic music. I like how they played with the usual tension between feeling lovesick and the moments of euphoria. The album feels familiar and thats a good thing. And surprisingly consistent. There isn't anything to hate here even if it isn't what I would truly adore.
This album of stunning Indian instrumental music was absolutely gorgeous. Lush soundscapes often evoke mountain valleys, small villages, serenity. Sonically quite unique compared to what I've heard from this list so far made this more than just beautiful relaxing music; it was as refreshing as it was peaceful.
Incredible how relevant the lyrical work still is today. This 2Pac album is impeccably written by one of raps greatest writers. It's solid production is the only thing holding it back from being a 5 for me. It's fine production, but nothing jumped out to me to really elevate that part of the album. The writing and 2Pac's flows though almost get it there on their own. That's how great of a writer he was.
This album felt tedious. The messy rock songs on it for the most part were pretty boring, a couple of them stood out as a bit more interesting but not enough to make a 35 minute long album feel like an hour. The problem is the messy, sometimes discordant rock isn't actually doing anything interesting with that sound.
One of the best examples of how incredibly effective negative space can be in music. Their brand of modern R&B blended with pop is consistently arresting and engaging because it does so much with so little. Hushed vocals about sex and relationships over airy compositions consistently impress. It's simplicity breeds an endlessly enjoyable experience because you often find just as much in the nothing between notes as you do their actual notes.
The length of this album holds it back. There is some really nice, catchy synth-pop here but its often surrounded by filler in an album that would shine if it was 40 minutes (but alas clocks in at just over an hour).
An almost perfect blend of early punk and metal. An exciting and energetic album filled with awesome guitar riffs, punishing drums and wonderfully fun vocals. It's just a great time from start to finish.
This 80s soul/funk rock just didn't do it at all for me. Maybe it was a bit too grounded for that 80s era Prince style albums? Cause it made me think of a really grounded, grittier Prince album which isn't what I like or enjoy about Prince. Wasn't particularly bad, just nothing here drew me in or engaged me at all.
An angry and brooding album from Springsteen and crew. It works well enough and you still get plenty of their signature style but the album does end up feeling like a bit of a slog. The anger and brooding never ends up feeling fully meaningful or even deserved even if its effective on elevating a few tracks.
Joni Mitchell doing her usual blend of folk rock and jazz. Her lyrics will always be standouts as she has a canny ability to create songs that often feel like you're listening to a painting. It's wonderfully detailed, fascinating stuff.
Not Tom Waits best work. I will always remember though the description that Waits work is basically, 'what if Charles Bukowski played piano?'. And well it works perfectly for this cigarette and whiskey soaked beatnik poetry session. It's effective at what it does, but i don't know if I wanna spend 50 minutes in such a vibe now that I am getting older. But in the end, it works well enough for what it is.
This wasn't an insanely effective new wave, pop punk album for me. Personally found it much more enjoyable when they were dabbling in the pop punk territory as the new wave work on the album generally was either boring or just a touch off putting personally.
Very early rock, rhythm and blues, pop. NIce simple but catchy arrangements with Fats Domino's signature voice leading the way. It's completely enjoyable and incredibly charming.
Great metal album. Thudding drums, interesting vocals that swap between growls and almost glam levels of yelling into the stars, and wild even at times sporadic guitar riffs make this an overwhelming experience in a good way. It's not as punishing as a lot of metal albums can be, it's more just a wild, propulsive and energetic good time.
Pleasant is my best descriptor of Randy Newman and this album. It's soft piano and orchestral arrangements allow Newman's storytelling and portraits to do their work. It's not wholly engaging or as prescient as other folk/singer songwriters of the era but it is well crafted, it's pleasant to spend time with.
Some of the best guitar work you will ever hear. It's really as simple as that. Hendrix's best album was this debut and it's about as perfect as a 60's rock album gets. It's thrilling, memorable and to this day still through and through so much fun to listen to.
I think the thing I enjoyed most about this album was the tension you can hear between Gene Clark wanting to dive full force into the lush, opulent folk rock of the mid 70s but still stay true to his country roots. Creates a pretty fascinating dichotomy to listen to even if the songs never really captured me.
Incredibly fun early punk album. Enjoyable lyrics, memorable riffs (especially the few times they edged towards surfer punk), and an album that is impeccably paced for punk. It was an absolute blast to listen to.
It's pretty incredible to listen to a hip hop album from 92 that is this scathingly critical of raps tropes from that era (like the homophobia, predilection for violence, capitalist boasting, etc). And it's all backed by a very fascinating collection of jazzy, bluesy yet at times industrial beats. It's a great and truly prescient album. You'll be shocked at how relevant the lyrical work is from the very get go and it's a great shock.
Ah yes Pearl Jam. I've tried many times but their anthemic grunge style has just never clicked for me. One of those bands I just can't seem to ever get engaged with and almost always find myself zoning out when listening to them. Can't really express exactly why either but alas sometimes music just boils down to connection and I just don't connect here even if I can appreciate the artistry.
One of the better pop albums of the last 20 years because it rejects the overproduced pop production that has become so common for an at times spacey, live band ode to soul and R&B. The production shines but Winehouse's vocals are the clear star. Her music still feels as refreshing as it is catchy yet devastating.
A extremely synth heavy new wave pop album. It's pretty impressive what this duo can get out of building pop songs around synths and while I very much respect a lot of the craft to this album (and it is very well crafted), it's not my cup of tea at all. Impressive production, well-crafted pop songs, but again done in a style that doesn't stir much of anything in me.
A wildly inconsistent album from one of the most influential American post-punk, art-punk bands around. You can hear the foundations of what many of those genres bands went on to explore but the album doesn't have the consistency personally to be considered as something that ages perfectly. It's worthwhile to hear how they inspired generations after them but again just not consistent enough to go back to the full length time and time again.
It's Yes so of course you get masterful musicianship and staggeringly incredible compositions. I can't help but wonder if this album would be a 5/5 if 'Roundabout' didn't lead it off. As its constructed, the album can't ever reach the highs its lead (and easily most famous) song hit. It's still incredibly well done, interesting prog rock, but it doesn't land as well after hearing one of their masterpieces.
A phenomenal jazz album from one of the premier artists of the 60's and arguably ever in jazz. Evans keys and compositions are quite fascinating and continually engaging. And to no surprise if your familiar with the trio, the bass lines are endlessly fascinating as well. It's a wonderful jazz set from one of its masters.
A glam rock album with some great highs in its well known hits but also feels like a bit of a slog outside those. I feel like the album would've been much more effective if trimmed down by 15 minutes. It would've made its momentum and energy more meaningful instead of it starting to blend a bit together.
A phenomenal soul album from one of the genre's greats. Green has a great catchy, emotive vocal performance and its back by some really nice groovy, lush soul back drops. I especially enjoyed the brass used to elevate particular moments in this one.
A thrilling and tremendously influential experimental rock album. It's blend of pysch, proto-pop, art-punk, dream pop and on and on is what makes it such a fascinating and still wholly original sounding work. It's a difficult work but one that rewards every minute you engage with it.
It's Miles freaking Davis. It's great. He's truly one of the most purely talented and emotive musicians ever and this pair of long form tracks highlights his ability to adapt to shifting times (first track dabbles in jazz fused with the "space music" that was being explored by composers and some early ambient/electronic pioneers at the time and a second, more traditionally blended jazz-rock track). It's not his best work sure, but it's still beautifully composed, expertly played jazz. The man can't disappoint.
This brand of folk rock was a bit tedious for myself. I few interesting lyrical sections or tracks weren't able to pull me in enough to say that I enjoyed myself or the vibes this particular kind of folk rock is putting down. Maybe it's how anxious and distant it feels at times, I am not quite sure, but it just ended up very flat to me.
An interesting enough blend of soft rock, dream pop and alt country. This album stands out though for its often arresting lyrical work that primarily focuses on queer themes/experiences. If you didn't listen closely you'd might categorize this as a 'shy debut' but nothin about the substance of this work is shy at all.
I liked how tight this pop punk, electroclash album was. It's production masks how crazy political it is but it quickly comes to the forefront as you listen to it more. It's still very fun though, just never hits that exact spark that would fuel it into the pop punk stuff I've always loved.
An enjoyable and through and through just very solid jazz fusion album. The consistency in itself stands out compared to most jazz fusion albums even if they never reach some of the insane creative heights of other artists. It's a fun, interesting enough listen. But honestly, not one where i feel entirely drawn to keep diving into time and time again.
I'll just focus on the music and not the complications that the actual person Morrissey brings up. It's a decent enough album filled with Morrissey doing what his usual, very english, often dark but oddly comedic alt rock. It's decent enough with a few tracks that shine and nothing truly offensive but it definitely doesn't feel as essential as some of his early work (most notably his The Smiths output of course).
A good if not a touch too long big beat acid/techno album. You can hear a lot of the influence big bet music had on the stuff to come (looking at you dubstep, what you really thought you invented drops in electronic music?). Unfortunately a very good album gets a bit sunk by too much bloat in the middle. Trim off 15 minutes and this is an absolute banger of an album but alas it falls more in the 'hits are great, the rest is a mixed bag' territory.
The debut by The Pharcyde is an insanely infectious good time. The group sounds like they are just having so much fun crafting and constructing their flows amongst the generally bare bones, upbeat and jazzy production. The beats are good, do the work they need to but isn't anything groundbreaking and honestly is probably the only thing holding this back from a 5/5. It's a great album because you can distinctly feel the good time vibes and you feel like you are right there along for the ride, and the ride is a joy.
A relaxing and pretty yet also perplexing orchestral album. I especially enjoyed the string work on this album and while I found some very peaceful, beautiful work here; I was also left scratching my head more than once. It's an interesting look at what 70s orchestral music was dabbling in, but I'm not sure if it worked well enough for me as a whole piece (even if a few of the tracks will be definitely going into my ambient/insttrumental playlist).
In my reviews of albums and bands I often talk about energy. Well, what about the bands with more mellow vibes? Van Morrison's 3rd album is a perfect example of a mellow album that still has plenty of energy and life within its chill collection of soul/jazz/r&b/folk rock. It's all so incredibly catchy, the instrumentation works great together and the vibes are on point. And again, it's mellow but there is no doubt that the album has a lot of life to it. That is the energy I usually am pontificating about.
Joy Division's debut still sounds wholly original and somewhat unique today which is a real testament for how their brand of gothic rock/post-punk broke norms back in the late 70s. While it isn't exactly my cup of tea when it comes to post-punk, there is a lot to enjoy in the processed drums, the melody driving bass work and dark moods that still feel so unique even after all the imitators they spawned.
First mainstream "mafioso" album still feels as enthralling today as it did when it was thrust to the forefront of hip hop with this. It's a bit punishing as a rap album clocking in at almost 70 minutes but Raekwon's persona looming large and being engaging enough alongside Ghostface Killa makes it work. It's an important and incredibly influential album with plenty left to still engage with.
Of the country albums I've encountered so far this foray into early southern/country rock was definitely a bit more appealing to me. It still never hit a real personal note but there was something about their jangly southern rock that was definitely a bit more engaging than some of the other old school country artists.
This is a WEIRD album. And it as fascinating as it is weird (and trust when I say, it is truly WEIRD). Interesting that this album is under the Eno name and not a collaborative title as this definitely feels just as much a David Bryne album as it does an Eno one. I guess Eno's masterful as always production does really flesh it all out but part of the bewildering beauty and effectiveness is in how Byrne (known of course for The Talking Heads) decided that this avant-garde afro/worldbeat/funk project would be his first without the band that put him on the map. It continually surprised me with how well it all works, how well Byrne plays as a counterpoint and partner in crime in an album that is sonically pure Eno madness (and such great madness it is!).
I had a pretty hard time connecting to Kate Bush's art pop album from the mid 80s. The 80s production works well, and Bush displays a lot of talent in concept, lyrical work and performance. But I just couldn't connect to the album in general, everything came off quite distant to me for whatever reason. Maybe it's an album that needs more listens to find those connections but it may take a while for me to be inspired to try it again.
His 15th studio album emanates a confidence and precision in his usual mix of soul, funk and jazz. You can tell from Wonder and the band are truly dialed in with years of experience. It's a delightful experience with one of the most iconic voices ever.
The Talking Heads brand of eclectic, new-wave alternative funk is not the easiest to digest right off the bat but there is an undeniably unique and catchy sound they've landed on by this point. Eno's always fascinating production coupled with Byrne's signature style create an album that is certainly challenging at first but always as fun as it is challenging. It has an ability to make you dance while feeling quite perplexed, not many albums do that, and even few do it so damn well.
Sadly this concept album project with Kool Keith has never been a hit for me. It's a perfectly fine hip hop concept album but it does suffer tremendously from it's run time which makes it feel far too meandering as a whole. None of the beats or production scream breaking boundaries though it is fun to hear Kool Keith embrace some of the more relaxed West coast style. It's never bad except for a few of the skits (what hip hop albums from this era don't have terrible skits tho right?), but also never reaches the heights other Kool Keith projects or concept albums of the era get to.
An idiosyncratic prog/art rock album. Felt like someone gave Queen some ADHD medicine to keep them from really letting loose. And I think that's why it didn't really work well for me, I wanted the unhinged grandiose leaps that Queen songs and albums have. And you can hear the foundations for said jump but they never seemed to fully commit and take that extra leap to put it over the top. So it became in album where a lot of times I was excited for what might come and yet, the pay off never did come around.
One of the greatest singer-songwriters ever with what is probably his best album. It's a powerhouse album that touches on so many different genres that it's dizzying. It feels like every song is Elton banging out a wonderfully alive hit with whichever genre he decided felt compelling. His voice is incredible of course, the band is filled with precise, talented musicians and again, the variety of production here immaculately tied together makes the album continually replay-able. A masterpiece no doubt.
I'm a big Paul Simon fan and even I found this a bit of a weird addition to this list cause it's probably not close to the top half of his discography. There are a few stellar track sure (the album's namesake in particular), and I did enjoy him starting to experiment with the sounds that led to Graceland. However, the album otherwise falls flat. Maybe because I enjoy other albums/projects by him more but it lacked the catchy hooks and charm that I've grown to appreciate from this artist.
