981
Albums Rated
3.39
Average Rating
90%
Complete
108 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Blues
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
129
5-Star Albums
26
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
|
5 | 2.23 | +2.77 |
|
We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
|
5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
|
Jack Takes the Floor
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
|
5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
|
G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
|
5 | 2.73 | +2.27 |
|
São Paulo Confessions
Suba
|
5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
|
Damaged
Black Flag
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
Gris Gris
Dr. John
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
Slayed?
Slade
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
The Flying Burrito Brothers
|
5 | 2.93 | +2.07 |
|
Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
|
1 | 3.62 | -2.62 |
|
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.48 | -2.48 |
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
|
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
|
The College Dropout
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
|
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
GREY Area
Little Simz
|
1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
|
Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
|
1 | 3.15 | -2.15 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 4.6 |
| Steely Dan | 4 | 4.75 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.75 |
| Tom Waits | 4 | 4.75 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 5 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 4.67 |
| Paul Simon | 3 | 4.67 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.67 |
| Stan Getz | 2 | 5 |
| AC/DC | 2 | 5 |
| Willie Nelson | 2 | 5 |
| Beatles | 6 | 4.17 |
| Bob Dylan | 5 | 4.2 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.2 |
| David Bowie | 9 | 3.89 |
| Frank Sinatra | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.33 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.33 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kanye West | 3 | 1 |
| Eminem | 2 | 1 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 1 |
| The Cure | 2 | 1.5 |
| Taylor Swift | 2 | 1.5 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 2 | 1.5 |
| Joni Mitchell | 4 | 2 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 4 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Lou Reed | 5, 2 |
| Gene Clark | 5, 2 |
| Metallica | 4, 5, 2, 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5, 2, 5, 4, 5 |
5-Star Albums (129)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Kanye West · 67 likes
1/5
This will likely be the one and only album I will not listen to. I will not contribute to his bottom line.
Kanye can go fuck himself with a fist punch up his ass today at the present moment.
Eminem · 45 likes
1/5
I tried on this one, I really did. Of the 400 albums I've listened to this is the first I gave up on. This is easily the most sophomoric shit I think I've ever heard. It's just shit. There's not even any peanuts or corn to be found.
It's just more of someone with the fucking mentality of a 13-year-old, rhyming dictionary in hand, talking about his dick and raping, assaulting, and murdering all those "worthless bitches". The frightening thing is this "man" wields influence on impressionable children. 13-year-old boys listened to this and think this is how women are meant to be treated. We call them "incels" now.
This has no inherent value. It's not parody. It's not trying to shine a light on some difficult to understand social construct. It's just a asinine little boy talking about his dick for an hour.
This album is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in his rambling, incoherent "music" was he even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Lynyrd Skynyrd · 39 likes
5/5
Come on. This is such a great album. Half of the songs are all time classics. Tuesday, 3 Steps, Simple Man, Free Bird. There's only 8 songs on the album and four of them are not just classic, but all time classics. What a great album!
Screaming Trees · 24 likes
2/5
Kinda surprised to find this album on here. It's completely unnotable. No real hits. Certainly didn't change anything even the genera. It's not a bad album, but there's nothing remarkable about it either. To me, it's just another of the hundreds of bands that tried to copy the Washington sound of the 90s but unremarkably so.
Eminem · 21 likes
1/5
Let me sum this album up for you: Repetitive bass line + I have a dick and girls are worthless shit = 66 mins I'm not getting back.
I lost count of how many times he spoke of assaulting, raping and murdering women. I really struggled to listen to this whole album. I feel like there are basements full of incels that still listen to it everyday.
If I was in Jr. High when this came out I'd probably have loved it. Funny voices. Sophomoric bathroom humor. Drugs. Fuck this, fuck that. Bitch, cunt, whore. Yeah, when I was 13 it would've been cool and I would've thought I was cool and edgy for listening to it. Bunch of suburban white boys listening to this thinking they hard.
But I'm not, and this is nothing more than a braggadocios teenager with a rhyming dictionary. "What rhymes with pee? ....Tree!!" Cool. On par with "Anybody want a... peanut!"
1-Star Albums (26)
All Ratings
Frank Ocean
1/5
Not my bag, man.
Louis Prima
4/5
Roxy Music
3/5
Pretty cool. Knew of them, never listened. Kinda Bowie-esque.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
The Beach Boys
2/5
Starts out nice and peppy. What you expect the BB to sound like. But then kinda drones on and gets monotonous.
Ride
2/5
Meh. Not terrible. Shoegaze is not my bag. But the songs are well written.
Madonna
3/5
Once again, not my style. I know the hits. They're pretty good. I mean, 15 million people can't be wrong? Am I right? The rest. Just not my bag, baby.
Rod Stewart
4/5
Really good album. Only a hit or two, but even the non-hits are catchy and well written. Good road trip tunes.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Gary Numan
2/5
If John Thompson or Hal Leonard wrote a book on playing keyboard. I don't think this album will stand the test of time. One hit wonder and most of the songs are simple and contrived. It wasn't unenjoyable to listen to, but it also didn't inspire me to hear it again.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Solid. Great funk. Really dig it and want to start saying things like Honkey and Jive Turkey.
John Martyn
4/5
Unusual combo of funk, jazz, blues, and Dr. John. Dude can noodle, too. Dig it.
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Not really my thing. Good for late evening, winding down, drinking scotch. It's def got its place.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
The Strokes
3/5
Kinda dig it. You can kinda hear Last Night in every song. There's no question who you are listening to. Some of it's cause there is a bit of uniqueness to the singer's voice, but mostly because of vocal distortion and the guitarist being kind of a one trick pony.
The Streets
3/5
A band I've never hear of. Pretty unique. The lyrics are good, but his cadence gets a bit repetitive. All in all, I'd listen again.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
ZZ Top
3/5
The Doors
5/5
Fucking classic. Every song. One of the best albums of all time. Prolly listened to this 100 times. Hyacinth House, one of my all time favs.
Aerosmith
5/5
Ho boy. That's a blast from the past. One of the first rock albums my best friend introduced me to. This is when I found out Run DMC didn't write Walk This Way. Sweet Emotion rocked my 15 year old musical world. Good, straight forward, rock and roll. Love it.
Peter Tosh
4/5
Good shit, man. I'm not a huge reggae fan, never bought a single album, but I can listen to this all day.
TLC
3/5
Not a style I'm into, but this is an enjoyable listen.
The Band
3/5
Good stuff. Straight forward Canadian blues is the best way I can think of putting it right now. Mellow and enjoyable. Doesn't like blow my skirt up but will def listen again when in the mood.
Lambchop
2/5
If Tom Waites, Leonard Cohen, and Smokey Robinson had a baby.
The Temptations
2/5
Meh. Not into it. I love the slow funk. But songs like Papa are to slow and feel a bit like Shatner's spoken word.
Santana
5/5
Classic stuff. So well written. So many layers. Great shit.
The Beach Boys
2/5
Better than Pet Sounds in my opinion. One thing that strikes me is most of what I hear from the BB doesn't sound like the BB I expect to hear.
Janet Jackson
2/5
Meh. Not my bag. Some of it is well written. Some not so much. I'm not much of an R&B fan, especially, slow R&B ('cept Barry). Just doesn't speak to me.
Beatles
4/5
Great song writers. You can hear them starting to transition from their Hard Days/Help style towards their Sgt. Peppers/Magical Mystery Tour style. Excellent transitional album. Especially love the harmony on Drive My Car. The "horn" harmonies. Fantastic. Norwegian Wood. Such an underrated song.
Bad Brains
2/5
Not sure how I feel about this. Really solid guitar playing. Many styles. But it just doesn't match with the songs. The songs themselves don't have a real melody. Lyrically and melodically it's very simple. Not a fan of most of it. Maybe I just don't have enough angst to appreciate it.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Cypress Hill
4/5
Great shit. Beat can get a bit monotonous song after song, but generally each song on it's own is solid and the album is great.
The Divine Comedy
4/5
Never heard of The Devine Comedy. This is such well written music. Very full and layered. Like an Ogre. I'm interested in hearing more.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
Well, I was today years old when I discovered that 'Our House' was CSN&T. I always thought it was some one hit wonder 80's English Band. Great album. Great hits. So many talented writers on one album. Love it.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Fan-fuckin-tastic. First album on this site that I immediately listened to again. Blue Rhondo and Take Five are of course classics but there is so much incredible music made with incredible writing and incredible musicianship. Love it.
Dire Straits
5/5
Yeeees! My favorite guitarist. If I could sell my soul to play like anyone I would chose Knopfler.
The Temptations
3/5
Good shit. I'd totally listen to this again.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Reasonably good album. Some classic hits. Sounds a bit like Weird Al sometimes.
The Crusaders
3/5
It's cool or whatever. Nice funky jazz. Great background music. But not my bag.
Blondie
2/5
Meh. Some good hits that are super catchy, but also a bunch of really bad songs. I certainly wouldn't go so far as to call this Punk either. Def new wave. There are some hints of punk. But really, I find it far too poppy. Has no edge. No angst. No anger. I'll be fine hearing the 2 hits on classic radio. No need to hear this again.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Good shit. Unique. Excellent instrumentalists. Great jams.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Surprised American Girl wasn't the first hit on this album, let alone it was the last song on the list. Obviously his early work and he got really good at writing hits. This is middle of the road for me. Not great. Certainly not bad.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Great album. What a unique talent. Love the funk. Songs are impeccably well written.
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
Kinda comme ci comme ca on this one. Good musicianship, decent writing. Good punk. I think I have to be in the mood for this type of angsty punk. Today was not that day. Good marks for writing. Low marks for listenablility.
Boards of Canada
3/5
Eez niiice. This is great nearly ambient music. Can listen to it and work. Not good for sleeping - beat is too heavy. But Love this for work.
Sade
3/5
I recognize that this is good music, but it's just not my bag. It's not bad ('cept for that 'why can't we live together' song, Jesus tits that's bad), I don't mind listening to it so much, but wouldn't go out of my way to do so.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
I find it hard to believe that I know who this band is. So not my bag. It's like listening to Bjork. The music is well written but I can't stand listening to what amounts to someone putting a peacock in a rear naked choke.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Meh.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
Great guitar playing. Great late 20th century blues.
Lou Reed
5/5
How am I only hearing this album now? I've heard the hits, but this is fantastic. I expected VU kinda stuff. But this really good.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
Not bad, but just not something I could get into. Every song was repetitive and sounded just like the one before it. By the end I wasn't sure if I'd listened to one long song or not.
Steely Dan
4/5
Solid writing. Excellent musicianship. Really good album.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Really unique. Good music, good songs.
Devendra Banhart
4/5
Very unique. A wholly new genera for me. Really liked it. Would def listen to again.
Minutemen
4/5
Can't be sure if I've heard of these guys. I think so. It's a unique blend of punk and americana. I really dig it. I like how they make their point and move on.
The Cure
2/5
Never was much of a Cure fan. I guess I never had the proper amount of malaise. I feel like listening to the cure is like denying yourself the joy of music.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Wow. Incredible album. Never been much of a fan, though I've seen him live. Still didn't walk away a fan. But this album. Just wow. Every song, so great.
Stereolab
2/5
Meh. I have no opinion. Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. Kind of monotonous and repetitive.
Heaven 17
1/5
Shallow and Pedantic. Bass player is fantastic. But everything else is pretty elementary. Seriously, I'm struggling to not turn this off. It's like that guy in school who thinks he's a good song writer and keeps trying to share his demo but it's god fucking awful. And he gets a record deal, which is stunning until you find out his dad owns the label.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Pretty good. Never listened to Iggy before. Liked it.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
Yeah, baby. Yeah! Love Frank.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
Not really my bag, but didn't dislike it. Singer sounded like Grace Slick and Pat Bennatar had a baby.
4/5
So classically British. I can hear a ton of Bowie and Who influence here. Well written music. Don't know that I'd rush back out and listen to it but it's pretty good.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Meh. This one is a hard meh. Just wasn't into the tunes. Their just ok. Not my style. I don't even know what mood I'd need to be in to hear songs like that. It's like he wanted to be an English Michael McDowell. Not turning my crank.
Talk Talk
2/5
Not sure how I feel about this. Kinda liked it but also kinda don't really care. Not for it, but about it. I'm so nonplussed. like this is the most didn't love it didn't hate it album I've ever listened to. It's full and basic at the same time. Hard to explain.
Neil Young
5/5
This is practically a greatest hits album on its own. One of those rare albums I immediately start over and listen to again.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Good stuff. Catchy tunes. Nice harmonies. Buuut, not my bag.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Uhg. I've never gotten Joni Mitchell. I get she's a great song writer and has a fantastic voice, I can hear that in the music. But, the vocal melodies and dissonant harmonies. I can't get past them. I think they're horrible. It's like if someone gave me a poem and I randomly started singing it. That and it's like listening to an hour long tampon commercial. All with the exception of Raised on Robbery. It's the antithesis to the rest of the album. It reminds me a lot of Mama Kin by Aerosmith. Twisted really shows her talent. She sounds like she's doing skat but she's still singing. It's a legit shoopy doo kinda thing.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Normally, not my bag. But yeah, this was kinda my bag. I'd def listen again.
Neil Young
3/5
Didn't love it. Didn't hate it.
The Cure
1/5
God. I hate the Cure. They are just miserable to listen to. I can't imagine being so depressed that this is appealing. Must be a horrible existence.
Deep Purple
3/5
Some great songs. Never been much for live albums. I'd rather see the show.
Radiohead
4/5
Good album. Maybe great? Not sure. I'd have to listen many more times before making that distinction. I think it would really grow on me though. Would tots listen again.
Tim Buckley
4/5
Good stuff. Unique. Great song writing.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
Come on. This is such a great album. Half of the songs are all time classics. Tuesday, 3 Steps, Simple Man, Free Bird. There's only 8 songs on the album and four of them are not just classic, but all time classics. What a great album!
Faust
3/5
Not bad. Not great. Not my thing. But some pretty good rock.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Classic. What a voice. What passion. No one did it better.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Another great album. And it's not even as good as Licensed to Ill in my opinion.
Kraftwerk
1/5
Sounds like someone dicking around on a keyboard. Almost ten minutes of this shit on the first song. Guh. Like is the fact they say "Europe. Endless." Over and over and play the same shit over and over for 10 fucking minutes supposed to be ironic? Or is it supposed to be a stab at coloratura? Europe is endless and so is this fucking song. I don't find this groundbreaking in anyway. It's sophomoric if you we're to ask me. Pedantic even. I'm not taking the right drugs. I've just seen there's a song called endless. I can't wait...
The B-52's
3/5
Good stuff. Not a huge fan of new wave. Like a lot of B52s, Cars, Talking Heads. But not enough to buy any albums.
Never been much of a U2 fan. Like their hits and what not, but have never added them to a list I'm listening to or clicked on vid. I get their influence and that they are great song writers, it just doesn't speak to me.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Was always a fan, but these guys blew me away live. This album doesn't really do it for me, but I'm a huge fan of the band.
Carpenters
2/5
So not my bag. I remember listening when I was a kid and liking some of it. And the catchy ones and covers aren't bad, but I'm also not gonna seek them out. This barely eeks out 2 stars. Barely.
Billie Holiday
4/5
Great disneyesq music. She has an incredibly unique voice.
Weather Report
3/5
Pretty good. Really great structure and song writing. Excellent musicianship. The songs aren't really my bag, but it's great music to analyze.
Paul Simon
4/5
One of my top 5 all-time favorite song writers. Not my favorite album but still great.
Cheap Trick
4/5
Good ol' fashioned straight forward American Rock n' Roll. I've always been a off handed fan of Cheap Trick. Liked their radio hits. Never owned an album. Also, never been a fan of live recordings. The amazing thing about this is I only know two songs on this album but I could listen to it. A lot. I'm not blown away by the songs so much as the performance. They know how to put on a concert. They know how to drive it. It's all straight forward and fairly elementary but they do it on an expert level. Would love to see them live. As they say, they use every cheap trick in the book, but it works. It just works.
Parliament
4/5
Portishead
3/5
Meh. Not my thing. Well written songs. Didn't love or hate it.
Underworld
2/5
Gets super tedious. I almost feel like ambient music shouldn't have song breaks. Just work it right into the next song. Like Floyd would do. It's not terrible by any means, just goes on too long. It's like they made their point at 3 mins but kept going for five more.
Portishead
3/5
Def liked this better than the last one. Still not my thing.
Donald Fagen
4/5
From note one you know this dude was Steely Dan. Hell of a song writer. Hell of a musician.
John Prine
5/5
Incredible song writer. Even better storyteller. Josh Ritter, Dylan, Prine. He's in high cotton here.
Marilyn Manson
3/5
Like the music but the lyrics seem forced on some songs. Huge fan of beautiful people. It's like he's trying to find the tool/nin edge but I don't think it's coming from a genuine place.
Stan Getz
5/5
Great stuff. I love a good samba or bassa nova. Listened to this one back-to-back.
Faith No More
4/5
Love this album. Takes me back to when bands tried to push the envelope and try new things.
Sigur Rós
2/5
What's up with Icelandic music? It's so unique. I'm not a fan for sure, but it seems to have evolved in a vacuum. I don't see any direct western or eastern influence.
The Pogues
3/5
I love good Irish music. I'd say Pogues are more traditional than say Flogging Molly or Dropkick Murphys. Even The Young Dubliners. I'd put them a hair closer to Irish Rovers.
The Smiths
2/5
I don't know. Kinda stuck between two and three. Never been a fan. It doesn't suck, but not my thing either.
Morrissey
2/5
Meh, I liked the Smiths better. This is just too whiney. It's like listening to the Cure.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Def liked transformer better. This gets a bit weird, especially the 18 mins of him talking about getting his "Ding dong" sucked. Musically it's spot on.
Don McLean
3/5
Hmm... so one all-time classic song. But many of the rest of the songs sound like they are sliced from American Pie. Or the other way around, the best parts of each song was sliced up and masterfully pieced together to make Paulina Porizkova. Not that any of them are bad songs. I just keep hearing pieces of American Pie. It's not too surprising he only had one hit.
R.E.M.
3/5
Two great classics and a bunch of forgettable songs.
Paul McCartney and Wings
5/5
How have I never listened to this album? I know the two big radio hits, but Mrs. Vanderbilt, 1985, how do I not know these songs? They are fantastic songs. Paul is on my top three songwriters list. I was gonna give this one a four, but on my second listen I think it's a 5.
The Byrds
4/5
Good ol' fashioned Americana.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Great writing, great songs. Really of all of Paul Simon's hits, PSR&T is prolly my least favorite.
The Zombies
4/5
Surprising great stuff. I always thought their music and their name didn't jive. This is the first time I've listened to anything by them that wasn't Time of the Season. They were really talented song writers. Name still doesn't jive though.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Good ol' fashioned BB. Nothing unexpected. However, their wiki page is fascinating.
Love
3/5
Didn't love or hate it. Liked it just fine. I do feel that if I listened more I would really get into it though. Feels like there is much missed on first listening.
The Smiths
3/5
Never been much of a Smith's or Morrisey fan. This is the best of the bunch for them in my opinion, but that's really just a "taller than Micky Rooney" award.
Tricky
3/5
A little enigmatic. Liked the originality. Not really my thing though. It's good for listening while working. Nothing distracting.
The Waterboys
2/5
A lot like listening to a soundtrack.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Kinda reminds me of Leonard Cohen. Not much of a fan. The melodies are not very melodic, and I like that in a song.
Lou Reed
2/5
Kinda melancholy. Didn't love or hate. Just was. Prolly wouldn't listen again.
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Not my fav Wu-Tang. I like the audio clips from the music but am not too wild about the dialog that goes in between. The rest is cool. Don't love or hate. Just think they have better albums.
The Damned
2/5
Meh.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Interesting. I dig it, mostly. Pretty space-y. Some reminds me of Shaky Graves. Some reminds me of The Life Aquatic.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
This is pertnear a greatest hits album on its own. Five all-time classics. Damn.
Leftfield
2/5
This may be the most meh album I've ever listened to. I have no opinion of it. Like no part of it was good or bad. It just was. It's like something that would be playing quietly in the background for the sole purpose of making sure people weren't sitting in silence, handcuffed to their thoughts.
John Grant
4/5
I've been on a bit of a rollercoaster with this album. First, the lyrics of Marz were like random words pulled from a dictionary. But a pretty good song. Then I started thinking that he was trying so hard to be David Bowie. From the album cover to the song writing. But then... the Chicken Bones song. What was that? Cool, catchy song. Then Queen! with Silver Platter Club. The longer I listened the more I liked it.
Screaming Trees
2/5
Kinda surprised to find this album on here. It's completely unnotable. No real hits. Certainly didn't change anything even the genera. It's not a bad album, but there's nothing remarkable about it either. To me, it's just another of the hundreds of bands that tried to copy the Washington sound of the 90s but unremarkably so.
Pixies
3/5
Dolly Parton
4/5
She's a national treasure. I'm not a country fan by any stretch of the imagination but I love Dolly.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
There is a surprising number of VU/Lou Reed albums on here. I never was a big fan, mostly just listened to the radio hits, but they are def growing on me.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Nice traditional C&W. Good mix of blue grass. Nice to listen to. Might even learn a song or two.
The Avalanches
3/5
Not a lot to say. I kinda liked it. It was slight better then Meh.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Pretty good stuff. Good mix of funk, R&B, and just grooveyness. But, the best songs are covers. So a bit of a knock there for lack of originality.
Megadeth
3/5
God damn, I said god damn, these guys were tight. Not a big fan of their music, but they could play. Countdown was def the better album, but this one certainly holds it's place in the developing the genera.
Metallica
4/5
Remember when Metallica was labeled "sellouts" for making the One video? It was a game changer. Yes, it was.
Taylor Swift
2/5
Overproduced. Formulaic. Vapid lyrics. Catchy melodies though. Bit far from those country roots when she was playing bars in places like Kuna, Idaho. Unfortunately, I did catch myself bobbing my head a number of times. That's the only reason it gets two stars.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
It seems to me this was a much more influential and groundbreaking album then it gets credit for. I remember see her the first time on SNL and being taken aback. I think this is a great album.
The Clash
3/5
Hard to describe the clash. It's like all substance and no substance. Know what I mean?
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Certainly not their best album, but pretty great. Established that bayou folk rock sound. Without getting into "southern rock". Pretty great effort.
Elton John
5/5
What a brilliant album and brilliant song writer. Just blows me away every time I hear the title track.
David Holmes
3/5
Not my bag, but interesting to listen to.
The Jam
3/5
This could be my jam for a day or two. Good mix of punk and new wave. Not gonna rush out and buy their albums, but nice to know they're on YouTube.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Good song writer. Not really into it.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
There's some pretty good stuff and some stuff that didn't interest me. Prolly wouldn't go out of my way to listen again but didn't exactly hate listening to it this time.
The Yardbirds
4/5
Great stuff. Great writing. Great musicianship. Fun/witty songs.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
Amazing, full, big band greatness.
Patti Smith
3/5
So much of this feels like an inside joke. Like you had to be there to get it. Either that or I'm just not stoned enough. Beyond that, great lyricist. Not a fan of the music though.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Great rhythms. Dig the Polly rhythms. But I don't get why this is something I should hear before I die. I don't know that it was fundamental in changing the music world and it certainly is full of classics. It's just covers with bongos. It's not that I didn't enjoy listening to it, but wouldn't have felt robbed if I died and hadn't heard it.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
One of those albums that I listened to the whole thing and didn't even realize it. It was not what I expected. It's hard for me to rate cause I'm not sure I really listened. It just kinda happened in the background.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
The Human League
2/5
a-ha
2/5
One great, classic. A bunch of pretty basic songs.
The Who
3/5
I like hearing the early 60s stuff that was so unlike the music the bands would be remembered for. Like Floyd, Beatles, etc. It's like seeing a 50s Vett. It's so representative of the era but not of the car. And yet it's still super cool.
Queen
3/5
Not my favorite Queen album. Don't get me wrong, Queen is one of my top three fav bands. But I wasn't a big fan of the mystical kinda stuff.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
Meh. Didn't love or hate it. Nothing really to say about it.
The Clash
3/5
The Sonics
3/5
Like the tunes, like the feel they bring to them, don't like that half the songs are covers.
Cream
4/5
Really good album. Great guitar work. Good writing.
Muddy Waters
4/5
What an amazing talent. What really gets me is the passion that comes through in his use of coloratura and his voice.
Living Colour
3/5
Reid was an amazing guitar player. There's a weird combination of great songs and questionable songs on this album. Really feel like they should have stuck to 8 or 9 songs and would have made it a fantastic album. They kinda dribbled out the shot clock and then passed the ball.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
You have to immerse yourself in this. One of those albums you can just swim in.
Fever Ray
4/5
Yesterday's album was one I said you swam in. This one you submerse yourself in. Also, knew it was the Vikings' theme song from the first note.
Common
3/5
Enjoyed this far more than I expected. Not my bag, but the guy's got skills.
Elliott Smith
4/5
What a unique song writer. Very talented. Really good songs. Tragic story.
Simple Minds
2/5
I can do new wave. I can do angsty. I can do post-punk. But all three at a time? It's like mixing m&ms, skittles, and gum. Not a fan.
Television
3/5
Reminiscent of Eliot Smith, I thought. Not bad.
Wilco
4/5
Great album. I've never really listened to them, but I liked this a lot.
Sonic Youth
3/5
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Wow. Was I confused on who this band was. I've always thought they sang New Age Girl from Dumb and Dumber. Look who's dumb now.
Bee Gees
3/5
At first I thought, I didn't realize how much I hated the Bee Gees until I heard this. It's sounds like someone shaking a baby on a helicopter. ah ah ah ah ah. But as it went on it got better. Still not a huge fan but one can for sure hear how they we're about to leave a stamp on the 70s.
LL Cool J
3/5
Meh, nice beats but lyrics are just "what rhymes with (blank). No cohesion. No direction.
The Stooges
3/5
First time I've ever listened to the Stooges. Kinda dig it. Don't love it. Prolly wouldn't seek out a second album. But didn't hate this.
Various Artists
4/5
Excellent versions of these songs. Really liked this. Phil Spector is a dbag though.
Miles Davis
4/5
It's like every episode of Hillstreet Blues in my ears.
Motörhead
3/5
Never been a huge fan. There is for sure something I like about Motorhead. I would totally see them live. But in the end, the writing is simplistic and it's not enjoyable to listen to a recording of their music. The melodies are non existent. It's like being yelled at in traffic for an hour.
Beach House
3/5
Not really blown away or anything. Better then "Meh" but I likely wouldn't listen to anything else they do. Kinda reminded me a bit of Florence and the Machine.
T. Rex
3/5
I've likely only heard one song by T-rex before this. If I had heard the first song on the radio, I would have known instantly it was T-rex. I was thinking, kind of a one trick pony. Several songs fit the bill. A few didn't.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Good shit, man. That is all.
Jurassic 5
4/5
Fun. Jaunty. I'd listen to these guys a whole bunch.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
Madness
3/5
Suede
3/5
Not bad. This one gets a solid Meh.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I feel like I liked these guys better when I was in high school. Loved their version of people are strange.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Ground breaking. Hard to believe it was recorded in the 60s. Changed metal fo sho.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
For sure worked with Paul Simon. It's the spine of some of later work and you can hear it's influence over the last 35 years.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Not impressed. I don't like most of the music and I don't find it genre or industry changing.
The Who
3/5
I'm not real big on live albums. There are a few that were wholly better than the original recorded content. Frampton, Cheap Trick, are two exceptions that I can think of off the top of my head where the live versions are some of their best material.
I still love live shows. Having worked in the industry, I've seen over 400 bands live. I'm just not a fan of live albums. I gotta be there. Gotta see their energy.
But, too frequently, the singer can't hit the same notes they hit in the studio. Often those higher notes or hitting pitch can add to a greater emotional response. Further, vocal chords get tired on long tours. Sound isn't as good in an auditorium. It's more the rule than the exception. Even Robert Plant doesn't sound nearly as good live.
My beef isn't with live music, it's with recordings of live music.
Rod Stewart
4/5
I was never really a fan of Stewart before getting on this website. So far I've had two of his albums come up on this and I've been surprising pleased by both.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Really great shit. I love this album.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
Quite the song writer. I'm impressed. I really expected them to be a one hit wonder where everything else sucked. But these guys are good.
David Bowie
4/5
I've never been a big Bowie fan, but the more I hear his stuff the more I like it. I for sure like the typical radio hits but never really listened to anything outside that. He's massively talented and from what I've seen in interviews he appears very intelligent as well.
Nightmares On Wax
4/5
Quite the song writer. I'm impressed. I really expected them to be a one hit wonder where everything else sucked. But these guys are good.
Jeff Beck
3/5
I couldn't believe how much the singer sounded like Rod Stewart. Then I looked it up. Rod Stewart sounds just like Rod Stewart. Uncanny. Regarding the album, beck can sure noodle. Fantastic guitar work. And really, what a lineup. Stewart, Beck and Woods. However, I'm not a huge fan of the songs. Just the music.
R.E.M.
3/5
Didn't really dig this at the time or now. Song are well written and great lyrics, but far too whiney for my taste.
The United States Of America
3/5
I liked this a lot more than I expected. Excellent musicians and really good song writing. I liked that pushes the edge of experimental music rather than breaking the bounds. Some experimental music just gets too far out there. Not necessarily a bad thing, just that it becomes less enjoyable as listening music and more of studying music, if that makes sense.
UB40
3/5
Not bad, but I wouldn't listen again. I'm just not a fan of their style of reggae.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
I dig Jane's Addiction. I feel like they were a unique drop in a sea of homogenous rock.
Supertramp
4/5
Great writing and musicianship. Really talented individuals who managed to create something together.
The White Stripes
4/5
I really like white stripes' music. I especially appreciate that they were wholly unique in the genre. What I can't wrap my mind around is that Jack White keeps showing up on top guitarist of all time lists.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I both like and dislike the the 80s rap. I for sure like it better than current rap, but there are plenty of times I find the meter, beats, and rhythms too pedantic.
Ray Price
4/5
Good stuff. I'ma sound old here, but I love the old country and can't stomach new country. It reminds me of 80's hair rock. Only diff is that the lyrics aren't about partying. They're about drinking alone, sitting on tractors they've probably never driven, and supporting white supremacy. The lyrics haven't changed much, but the music has.
William Orbit
3/5
It's funny that he's worked with so many famous musicians and I've never heard of him. It's also funny that I listened to this album, liked it, and the next day couldn't even really remember what it was. It's remarkably forgettable.
The Who
3/5
I like the Who. I like a lot of their songs. But when I rank them on my list of greatest bands from that era they're not only pretty far down the list, they're leagues below Zep, Floyd, Stones, Beatles, etc in my book.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Iron Maiden
3/5
I've never been a huge Iron Maiden fan. I've always liked their music, but haven't ever owned an album. They were just a hair before my time. No way in hell my parents would've let me listen to No. of the Beast. Powerslave and Piece of Mind were the albums my friends had. I def appreciate the synchronicity. Their ability to play that fast and in perfect time is pert near unmatched.
Bee Gees
1/5
These guys had to have sold their souls to the Devil. There's no other explanation for their fame. This whole album sounds like Katheryn Hepburn singing while driving a truck down a washboard road. This is god awful. Lion in the winter? WTF? Ever wonder what Rod Stewart will sound like when he's dying? Listen to Lion in the Winter. I award you no stars and may god have mercy on our souls.
Van Halen
5/5
One of the greatest albums of the era. And a game changer for guitar players.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Powerpop my ass. I don't hate this. I can see how it may have inspired Weezer and the like. It's pretty vapid. But I spose that's the point.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Not much to say. It's Michael. Dude had talent.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Didn't hate it. Pretty good writing. Not really my style, but wouldn't likely listen again.
Primal Scream
2/5
Frank Zappa
4/5
Frank was the shit. The most underrated musician I can think of. His music is borderline genius but it wasn't "radio worthy". I hope he doesn't end up as a footnote in 20th century music.
5/5
How have I never listened to this?! What's wrong with me? This album is amazing.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Kinda monotonous. Certainly some talent there, but I've heard enough organ-centric music at church to last a lifetime. I wish they played like this at church but still, not something I enjoyed listening to. Church or this album.
James Taylor
4/5
I've never been a huge JT fan. I love his hits, seen him live, etc. But never bought an album. I guess that it's 'cause I've never been much into many of the 60/70s singer songwriters.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Missy Elliott
3/5
Some pretty good stuff. Not my bag though. I enjoyed quite a bit but wouldn't go out of my way to rehear most of it.
2Pac
3/5
Not my thing, but certainly can see why he's revered the way he is.
John Lennon
2/5
Don't get me wrong. I love the Beatles. I like a lot of what Lennon did solo. But this album. The videos that went along with it. All it did was make me hate Yoko Ono more. I can't stomach her.
Ministry
4/5
Man, it's been a long time since I've heard these guys. Damn they shred. Good shit.
Lucinda Williams
4/5
Aerosmith
4/5
Classic. My best friends mom had this album and I remember being introduced to this, toys in the attic, and Lucky Lager.
The Cars
5/5
This is a damn impressive album. Five all-time greats on one album. The fact that this was their demo makes it 10 times more impressive.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Not my favorite stones album but four stars just the same. Not wildly creative writing but still absolute, all time classics that you can hear over and over without getting bored with them.
Was never a fan till I saw them live. Two of the greatest shows I've ever seen.
The Kinks
3/5
Totally not what I was expecting. Much more poppy and less punk than I thought it would be.
Eurythmics
3/5
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
I love a good samba. This didn't really blow my skirt up, but was still fun to listen to. I just kept hearing Girl From Ipanema.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I've never been a fan of Bruce. Sure he's got some great songs and Born In The USA is an all time classic album. But this album is what I don't like about his music. I'm just not jersey blue collar enough to relate.
Deerhunter
2/5
Full "meh". Possibly the most Meh album I've ever heard.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Not a lot to say about this. Pretty cheezy. Still a bit catchy. An ok listen. I'm sure it was edgy for it's time. Pompadours and red ties and all.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Really interesting. Great writing. Gonna need to listen to this more. Might grow on me.
The Specials
3/5
Pretty fun album. Dig the grooves. A little Monty Python-y at times. But generally good shit.
Metallica
5/5
Few albums did more to change the path of music, metal specifically, than this one. Amazingly one of the others was Black. Amazing.
Yes
5/5
Brilliant writing and musicianship.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Gotan Project
4/5
Interesting stuff. Enjoyable listen. Nice background music. Could even fall asleep to it. That's not to say it's boring. Ambient at times. Often static. It's got some cool. I dig, man.
Barry Adamson
3/5
For the most part, this was a pretty solid experiment. I like that it was a soundtrack for a movie that doesn't exist. That makes it more like a soundtrack for life. Like when Peter Griffin had his own theme music. I tried to picture what was going on in his life by the music he wrote. It isn't something I'd just listen to for shits but it was certainly entertaining for the time I listened to it.
Beatles
3/5
Some good songs. Mostly simple writing. Didn't blow my skirt up, but it did for a bajillion others.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Some weird stuff (that's not a bad thing) and some wonderful writing. Mostly, it's like and indie movie soundtrack.
The Young Gods
3/5
Reminiscent of Vaudeville at times mixed in with metal. And metal vocals in French. Kinda dig it.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
I love this band. I love that their music is simple and complex at the same time. It's off the beaten bath. I was a huge fan of Mountain Song and Jane Says in high school.
Prince
5/5
Dude was so talented. Such a prolific song writer.
Nanci Griffith
4/5
Love her voice. Really nice songs. Not my bag, but still appreciate them. It's like music that my wife listens to and I don't complain about it.
Nirvana
3/5
Yeah, so, I never really saw that Nirvana was the transformational band that they get credit for. Transformational, certainly, just not as much as they've been given credit for. Personally, I felt that Alice In Chains should've been the band that got the credit for ending hair metal and ushering in flannel. I suppose they just didn't have the pop radio appeal that Nirvana had. I mean, Facelift came out a year earlier than Nevermind. Additionally, I think Nevermind was the more groundbreaking album anyway. In Utero has some great songs, it just wasn't groundbreaking or transformational in my opinion.
4/5
Overall, it's a pretty good listen. Decent music, good drive, a bit poetic at times. Not bad. I still wouldn't rush out and buy it, but I most certainly didn't hate listening to it. If I could give it 3.5 stars I would. I wouldn't call it 4 stars, but can't see giving it 3. So it gets four by default.
Jamiroquai
4/5
Kinda tough to judge this. Ultimately, great music, great funk, great songwriting, really great musicians. I don't want to take away from those things. However... much of it is so similar to the likes of EW&F, Sly & TFS, Parliament, etc. There's no doubt where the influence came from. They've certainly added their touch. I really like it, but struggle to find the differences. It's not quite as difficult in their newer stuff. Traveling w/out moving, virtual insanity, canned heat. Those stand out to me.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Not my bag, but good stuff just the same. A few tracks ran a bit monotonous but most were enjoyable.
Beastie Boys
5/5
Classic and ground breaking. Good music to boot. I've listened to this often since high school. Never gets old.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
Damn! She can sing. What a voice! Really enjoyed this album. Great writing, great vocals. Poetic. Creative. Worked in and out of the box. Quite impressive. Def listen again. Did feel like I kept hearing voices. That was weird.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Napalm Death
1/5
It's cool, you know, if you like music bereft of melodies. I'm tempted to give them a 2nd star for keeping most of the songs under 2 mins. They're tight, no doubt about that. But, tight, does not music make.
Every single vocal note is the exact same (regardless of key) and that gets straight up fucking monotonous. My guess is, if you asked them every song would be in the key of \"drop D\", but I'm not listening to it again just to figure that out. I wonder if putting the lyrics in the sleeve was ironic or not. Two chimps arguing over a baby and a cat would have an equally well thought out melody.
The lyrics could quite possibly be the most poetic thing I've ever heard, but I'll never know cause you can't understand word one. Hilariously, they list backing vocals for this! In fact they list two for backing vocals! Does that mean there there are hidden three part harmonies?
I think the best part of this band is that they are so bad that there are no original members. Not even the band members can stand to listen to it for long.
This was just hard to listen to, but I did it. Felt like what I imagine a napalm death feels like. I'm sure that was the point. Not to create music, but to bludgeon the senses. I'd've much rather just listened to the music and throw the singer out with the bathwater.
Ute Lemper
4/5
Fantastic singing, poetry and writing. I think Ute gets too much credit here, though. She's got an amazing voice and is unique talent. But the people who wrote the songs, and the guy who re-envisioned them should get at least 50% of the credit, in my opinion. That aside, still a four star album.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
I'm a huge fan of Sinatra. But... this is not my favorite of his works. This is nice 'winding down at the end of the day with a glass of scotch' music. It's got its place fo sho, but in the grand Sinatra scheme, it's pretty low on the pole. Still 4 stars.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
So, yeah racial epitaphs They weren't ok then, still not ok. Makes it difficult to objectively judge the music. Part of the problem is time and place change and I can't know what the context was without Elvis giving an explanation. From a perspective 30 yrs in the future, they seem out of place and unnecessary in the context of the rest of the lyrics.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
A few great classics. A few misses. Over all good shit.
The The
3/5
Not really my jam. I appreciate the complexity and originality of the writing and lyrics. But the sound doesn't really turn my crank.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Not bad. Enjoyable. Not gonna rush out and listen again, but still reasonably good music. Well written. A talent for sure.
The Kinks
4/5
I'm always shocked to hear the big four (not so much The Who) in the early sixties. And how much they change in the span of a decade. They were sooo pop-y.
Ramones
4/5
There are many songs I love by the Ramones. A few on this album. What I really like is that they are almost caricatures of a punk band while still being a legit punk band. Exhibit one, the fact the short guy in the band is standing on his tiptoes in the photo.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Pretty monotonous. Not necessarily bad, it's ok for back ground music. But it's borderline static.
The Black Crowes
5/5
I love this album so much. My girlfriend was a huge fan and talked me and four buddies into seeing them in '88 at the 300 seat Greek theater in Tri-cities Washington. They opened for Jellyfish. One of the best shows I've ever seen. This album has been a mainstay in my collection ever since. I've seen them 4 times over the last 30 years and am seeing them again in August. Great album, great band.
Carole King
4/5
Not much of a fan of CK, but this album has some all-time classics on it. Really good album. Great song writing.
Kate Bush
3/5
Meh, excellent music writer but it doesn't translate to listenable music. In my opinion.
Nirvana
4/5
I think this is their best album, as do most I suppose. There are some all-time classics on this one. But I still can't find way to give Nirvana the cred others give them. I don't think they started grunge thought they for sure were the most popular. I think they were just poppy enough for radio air play which meant all the others got the back seat. I also find many of their songs to be nearly indiscernible from others. That said, this is still a pretty great album.
James Brown
3/5
I love live shows but I'm not much for live albums. It's just not the same. The girls screaming bloody fucking murder between each of his sentences was a pain to listen to. Great music though. I'll give it that.
Country Joe & The Fish
4/5
There are albums I listen to twice because I really enjoyed them and albums I listen to twice because I feel like I wasn't listening to/for the right things. This one falls into both.
The Divine Comedy
4/5
I typically don't like these kind of movie soundtrack or life soundtrack type of albums, but this is the 2nd time The Divine Comedy has come up on this site and I have really liked both albums. They are incredibly well written. Great music and good poetry.
Joan Armatrading
5/5
Dig this! Great jazz, good funk, great song writing. I'm thrilled to have found her. Want to hear more.
Elton John
4/5
Great song writing and lyricism, as expected. Not my favorite from EJ but pretty great nonetheless.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Just not a fan of slow jazz. Or Chicago jazz. I'm more of a New Orleans guy.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Love these guys. Pretty much my favorite hip hop. Jazzy and well written.
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
I hate Smashing Pumpkins. I can't stand Billy's voice. It ruins otherwise pretty decent music. Good melodies, good driving rock guitar/drums/bass. I'm def a fan of Iha's tone. But damn if that voice doesn't sound like a 6 year old that needs his juice box NOW!
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Fun to hear the transition. Like still some of that poppy stuff they did in early 60s but you can hear the transition to more bluesy stuff and Jone's influence with different instruments.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Meh, I'm like 50/50 on these guys. Wasn't a huge fan, but they do have some good songs and their sound pretty much defined 80s new wave. When I listen I hear almost every 80s movie soundtrack. They get extra marks for that.
Animal Collective
3/5
Super forgettable album. I literally could not recall any of it the next day. I guess that is a sold 3 star didn't love or hate it.
Tears For Fears
4/5
Well, that takes me back to high school dances. Really great song writing. One of the few New Wave bands I got into. I think maybe because they were less synth oriented than others. Either way, loved this album.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Pretty meh. Not a fan, but didn't run away screaming either.
Talking Heads
3/5
Been kind of a closet fan for some time. Never owned an album. These guy write funky cool songs. I dig them. Not so much this album, but in general.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Really great song writing. What an amazing trio. Can def hear the Buffalo Springfield influence. Good shit.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Horney Gospel. Love it! This guy an sing. What a talent. Really enjoyed this album.
Pere Ubu
3/5
I don't think bands that include performance art as part of their act cannot fully express their message via audio. It seems to me I'm only receiving somewhere in the vicinity of half of what they are trying to get across. Mostly what gets conveyed is chaos. Which, I didn't hate, but I feel like there was more I was supposed to experience.
Beth Orton
3/5
I-hit wa-hus a pre-hity goo-hood alb-hum. Bu-hut her di-hiction i-his anoy-hoy-hoying.
Metallica
2/5
I'm a pretty big Metallica fan. I've stood in line to buy albums and tickets. Buuut.... this album does nothing for me. The orchestra adds nothing. It kinda makes it sound like Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
The Doors
3/5
Not my favorite Doors album. But a good one just the same. I like the bluesyness that you find in most of their previous albums.
Beck
5/5
It's not often a musician comes along and writes fundamentally new music that is still "listenable". The really great thing is Beck has done it more than once. There are lots of guys like Glass and Reich who break the boundaries, but their music isn't "listenable". It's studiable, if that's a word. I would literally use Reich to clear a restaurant of stragglers after closing.
Donovan
4/5
I feel like this is the sound of the 60s. He encompassed it and then influenced others. When the other guys (Who, LZ, Stones, Et al.) were trying to break out of doing ripped off blues Donovan was creating the sound of the summer of love.
The Monkees
4/5
I'm tempted to give this five stars. It's not the Monkees I expected. There is some really creative amazing music on this album. But there is also some pretty elementary stuff. Overall, loved it and listened to several of the songs multiple times. Would def listen again.
4/5
Really good writing and musicianship.
David Bowie
4/5
There is no denying his talent. I don't know why I never got into him when I was younger. Maybe it was growing up in conservative Eastern Oregon and not having the courage to go that far against the grain as a teenager. It is for sure my loss. This isn't my favorite album of his, but this one is still damn good.
Culture Club
3/5
Meh, not really a fan. I liked their two hits but never really got into them. Weird thing was I bought this album in HS. Also, Boy George had some issues. Chaining an escort to a wall and beating him with a chain? Weird shit man. He's like the Rick James of the British Empire.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Hard to classify. There was some really forgettable stuff and some pretty cool stuff. Overall liked it. Likely wouldn't listen again. Prolly wouldn't turn it off it came on randomly.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Solid Stones album. Reminds me of the first time I saw them and they played Sympathy. One of, if not, the greatest concert moment of my life.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
I think I have a weird relationship with Neil Young. Sometimes I think he's brilliant and other times I think his lyrics are sophomoric. His writing is generally pretty good.
This album encompasses all of that.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Meh, not really into "Blue-eyed soul". It's kind of like English food is to actual soul food. Know what I mean?
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Meh, not really my bag. Didn't hate it. Didn't love it. Solid 3.
Eric Clapton
4/5
I love his skill and his hits. What I don't like is that most of those hits were written by other people. JJ Cale, Marley, black blues artists. They are credited, so props there because that wasn't always the case in those days. But Clapton is such a skilled musician I'd think he could write his own hits. Still, as an album, this is a great listen and has great music.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
This caused me a tremendous amount of anxiety. Like I had to hurry up and finish the album because I needed to be somewhere. Not an enjoyable listen at all. Fantastic bass and drum skills. Really these guys are good, but it's just too chaotic to be an enjoyable listen.
There are those songs that have super chaotic intros or devolve into chaos at the end but have an actual song in there. This album is a 21 min chaotic intro that devolves into 21 more minutes of chaos.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Not bad. I was surprised by what I heard. I could've maybe named one song by FBS and my expectations were not what this album was.
Eminem
1/5
I tried on this one, I really did. Of the 400 albums I've listened to this is the first I gave up on. This is easily the most sophomoric shit I think I've ever heard. It's just shit. There's not even any peanuts or corn to be found.
It's just more of someone with the fucking mentality of a 13-year-old, rhyming dictionary in hand, talking about his dick and raping, assaulting, and murdering all those "worthless bitches". The frightening thing is this "man" wields influence on impressionable children. 13-year-old boys listened to this and think this is how women are meant to be treated. We call them "incels" now.
This has no inherent value. It's not parody. It's not trying to shine a light on some difficult to understand social construct. It's just a asinine little boy talking about his dick for an hour.
This album is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in his rambling, incoherent "music" was he even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
David Bowie
4/5
Not my favorite DB, but thanks to 1001 albums I have discovered that I really like his music.
Traffic
4/5
This feels like a live album. So jam oriented. I'm a huge fan of the writing, it's really amazing. Very jazzy. Good shit.
David Bowie
4/5
He was a unique talent.
The Undertones
3/5
I'm always a bit amazed when I listen to punk bands of this era and find them anything but punk. A result of the generation I was born as they had moved the needle as to what punk is.
Beatles
4/5
When I saw this was their 2nd album I expected more of their sophomoric writing but was really surprised at how many well written songs this actually had.
Can
3/5
Kinda cool, kinda weird. Overall not bad. Probably won't listen again but wasn't a waste of my time.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Cool. Cool. Not a big Elvis fan but I didn't hate this one. Matter of fact. I can't recall a thing about it. I'm nonplussed.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
That is just some good shit right there. Soulful, funky, groovy,, and even some quality yodeling! Neat.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Never been much of a Bruce fan. Nothing really jumps off the page about his singing, writing or playing that make his non hits enjoyable. It's fine, don't get me wrong. In my opinion it's all just average and the sum of all those things is just average. But that's just me.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
The Everly Brothers
2/5
This is what my mom used to tell me she listened to when she was younger to try to sound cool because it was the only thing she ever listened to that wasn't a recording of a Presbyterian choir singing from the hymnal. She probably on listened to it once and wasn't offended so rolled with it.
4/5
Damn! This is Rage before Rage. Fuckin' love it!
Blur
3/5
Kinda weird. Pretty groovy. Some good stuff. Kinda liked it.
Paul Simon
5/5
Love Paul Simon. One of the great 20th century pop composers.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
I liked this far more than I expected to. I still don't quite understand why she's the icon that she became in death. I don't want to distill it down to people needing another person to add to the 27 club, but it kinda feels that way.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Air
3/5
Pretty mellow. Good vibes. Could listen again.
Scott Walker
2/5
"I didn't think he'd do Moon River, but then - BAM! Second encore!"
The songs are really well written. But... it's really boring for the most part. I can't imagine being at this show.
Pulp
2/5
Not a fan. Just not my bag really. To much like Smyiths/Morrissey. Also not my bag.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Pretty good. I really liked some of it.
Taylor Swift
1/5
I can imagine that if you're into this style that the songs are cool and all. But... I find it vapid and redundant. For all I could tell this was one long song to teenage girls. I hope to FSM that there isn't another TS album on my list.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Has some nice beats. Maybe heard a little zydeco in there? Wasn't really inspired by it. Just a reasonably nice listen.
The Who
3/5
Sounds like a long Monty Python skit. Some wacky stuff in there. It's entertaining. Couple good songs. One great one.
ABBA
3/5
I've never been a fan of Abba. They do have a couple good songs and I most likely wouldn't turn the channel if any of their radio hits came on. They are for sure to bubblegummy for me. But they have nice harmonies. Well written songs. Not much to fault. Just not into the style.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
"I mean, come on." ~ Jimmy Valmer
Arguably the greatest album ever written (not the greatest in my opinion but it's damn close). Every song a banger. Every song an all-time classic. Every. Last. Song. And some aren't just all-time classics, they rise to the top of a list of all-time classics. Black Dog, Rock & Roll, Going to Cali, Misty Mountain, Evermore. And arguably the greatest rock song ever written. All on the same album. Every song continuing to get daily radio airplay.
"Wooo! Hot damn, son! I believe you did sell your soul to the devil." ~ Ulysses Everett McGill
Ash
3/5
Solid 80s power pop written in the 70s. Guess that makes them a bit ground breaking.
Alice In Chains
5/5
Yeah! Seen these guys 6 times. Always an opener, and weird pairings too. Van Halen, Aerosmith. I saw them open for Poison in '89, a last minute replacement for Warrant in Portland, Or. Someone said find me a replacement Now! and someone else said there's this band in Seattle making waves.
AIC got booed off the stage. Poison fans were not ready for this. Pretty sure they thought hair metal was going to be around for ever. But then flannel became en vouge.
Anyway. Great album. Facelift was better. Fucking love these guys.
Queen
5/5
This was my first album and to this day I do not think a more perfect album was ever composed. I got this for my 10th birthday and have memorized every song, lyric, lick and note from the 10k times I've listened to it.
Where's the six star button?
The xx
3/5
Not much to say. It just was.
3/5
There are a couple of really great songs. Classics, now. But I've never really been a fan of this band. I like their hits but have never owned an album and never liked anything outside of their hits.
The Afghan Whigs
1/5
Ugh, with the whining. Eeeeuuuaaahhh. Eeeeuuuaaahhh. 50 mins of this. Even the guitar was whiny. I don't know who this speaks to but I'll bet they are real downers at a party. It's like The Cure at 78 rpm. Or Smashing Pumpkins at 45.
Billy Bragg
5/5
Great shit. If I wasn't a day behind I'd listen to it again right now. Loved this album.
Dire Straits
4/5
Man, if I met the Devil and could sell my soul to play like anyone, it would be Mark Knopfler. Just amazing. The guitar playing on this gets five stars on it's own. It's not my favorite DS album. Not a huge fan of the songs (with exception of SoS). So overall it gets 4.
Judas Priest
4/5
Really good straight forward metal. Simple song writing, great guitar work. I do feel badly for the bass player. Pretty lame work for him. This is a great album to just pop in and get to work.
Led Zeppelin
2/5
If they had given credit where credit was due I'd give this album 5 stars. Hell, I'd give it ten if I could. But they didn't. They gave credit when the courts told them they had to. And that's a downright shame. It's a stain on their legacy. First pressings had Lemon Song as Killing Floor and they still didn't give Howlin' Wolf credit.
I loved this album so much when I first heard it, before I knew they had stolen ideas. It was probably my favorite LZ album. But I don't buy the "It was a different time, everyone was doing it." argument. When was there a time when it was OK to steal from people? There never was such a time. There was only a time when people in charge looked the other way when it was black musicians getting robbed.
As much as they "pinched" from black musicians it makes me really wonder about Stairway. The courts have let that one fly, but listen to the two songs. It's a tough pill to swallow about one of my all time favorite bands.
I do appreciate the Randy Newman cameo on the Bring It On Home intro.
Mercury Rev
3/5
Liked this. Didn't love it. So like 3.5 but not 4. And since 3.5 isn't an option I'ma round down on this one.
Bert Jansch
5/5
Really amazing guitar work. So impressive!
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
I was never much of a Cyndi Lauper fan in high school, but she has grown on me over the years. She really is a good song writer and has amazing pitch. I'm not much of a fan of the timber, however.
Depeche Mode
5/5
Never really been a fan of DM I think mostly because they were an 80s band that, outside Personal Jesus, didn't really have any radio ready songs. I feel like they were more of an MTV band and by the time MTV was in most households I was out of high school. Also, rural America didn't get MTV until decades later. My point being, DM was not a band I had ready access to.
That's why I love this site. It's got me to listen to and really enjoy a band I previously little interest in hearing. These guys are good. They are excellent, and most importantly, creative composers.
Green Day
4/5
Charles Mingus
5/5
Beautifully chaotic. Went straight out and found another album of his to listen to.
The Auteurs
2/5
So, I listened to the entire album and YouTube took me straight into their next album. I was completely unaware of the transition. It sounded exactly the same. Couldn't really tell you where one song ended and the next began let alone when the album changed.
Really seemed as though there was only one thing on the menu.
Germs
3/5
Pretty good stuff. Can really hear the Bad Brains influence.
4/5
Not much of a prog rock fan and this isn't my favorite Yes album, but remarkable writing and musicianship.
Beatles
4/5
You can sense the transition in writing from Help! to Sgt. Pepper's in this album. Pretty cool.
Blur
3/5
It's ok. Enjoyable. Not really notable.
Throwing Muses
4/5
Reminds me a bit of the Runaways. Especially Vicky's Box. Very Cherry Bomb-esq. Also a bit of Grace Slick thrown in there. Not quite four stars but I don't think 3 does it justice. Closer to 4 tho.
David Bowie
4/5
I can specifically thank this website for getting me to listen and enjoy Bowie. I wasn't a fan until this website gave me the suggestions and I'm really digging his music. This isn't my favorite album. A bit low energy for me, but still great writing.
David Bowie
3/5
Least favorite of the Bowie albums. Still a reasonably good one.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
There's some pretty decent songs on here. Pretty good writing. But nothing really blows my skirt up. For sure, the best song is the cover of Cohen. Which, I think is better than Cohen's version (not to bad mouth Cohen, I just don't think his register was good for the song or the weird synth), but not even close to the best one. Wainwright, Brandi Carlisle, John Cale. All better in my opinion. Buckley's is (was?) just the most famous.
Gillian Welch
5/5
Fantastic! Great feel for period pieces. She's right up there with Allison Krause in her song writing. Loved this album and will listen to it many more times.
Moby Grape
4/5
Good ol fashion R&R. Really dig that sound.
Julian Cope
4/5
I was surprisingly impressed by this. Really good writing. He has something like 68 albums to his credit only a few of which have achieved even nominal recognition. He may be too smart for his own good. I also think he writes what's in his head and has no desire to kowtow to the industry. He could absolutely write a few I, IV, V, vi hits.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I say this a lot. Great album, not my favorite by them. But really, doesn't all but one of their albums fit that bill? Need to stop saying that.
End of the day, great album.
The Roots
4/5
Great grooves, beats, and poetry. Dig it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
This must be what taking a fist full of quaaludes is like. And the description that this is a double album with part two being two songs and spoken word. Oooff.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
Not what I was expecting. I was expecting "If You Leave" kind of stuff. This was pretty, I guess, artsy? Sometimes ethereal. Not my bag. But good composition nonetheless.
The Smiths
3/5
This can't be a coincidence? The Queen Is Dead? The day after the queen died? Common now.
That aside. Probably my favorite of the The Smiths albums. I'm not really a fan in general, but this one is a bit more enjoyable than the others.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I'm not going to rush right out an buy an album, but I do enjoy these guys' music.
Ray Charles
5/5
Wow. What a once in a generation talent. The way he rewrote/reworked/restyled these standards was so good, quite often amazing..
The Prodigy
4/5
Really enjoyed this. Went straight to their next album and listened to it too. It can be a bit repetitive (what self respecting EDM isn't?), but jacked up on my ADHD meds this hits just right!
Coldplay
3/5
Meh. Didn't love or hate. Not a big fan of the the style, but it was catchy enough. I think it's slightly better than a 3 but not a four. On a scale of 10 I'd give it a 6.5.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Tight. Really loved that about these guys. Hearing this in HS was really the first time I heard that kind of harmony soloing. Good stuff.
David Bowie
4/5
Masterful songwriter.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
Really good live performer. Would've loved to have been there.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Spectacular musicianship and composition. Really amazing. Not a great listen in my opinion. I mean I wouldn't put it on while cleaning the house. But certainly a great study.
Fairport Convention
4/5
Kinda cool. Some trad stuff in there that was nice to hear. I'd say more than 3.5 but less than a 4.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
I don't know, not a bad listen. Didn't blow my skirt up or anything. Wasn't objectionable either.
Radiohead
2/5
I try to like Radiohead. It's my wife's favorite band. But they just don't do it for me. It's too monotonous. It gets points for originality and composition. But just not something I want listen too again. But I will, cause my wife will have it playing.
Morrissey
3/5
Of all the Smiths/Morrisey albums (I think this is the 4th) that have been served me, this is the best so far, in my opinion, and really the only one I've enjoyed.
Burning Spear
4/5
Cool grooves. Dig it.
Eminem
1/5
Let me sum this album up for you: Repetitive bass line + I have a dick and girls are worthless shit = 66 mins I'm not getting back.
I lost count of how many times he spoke of assaulting, raping and murdering women. I really struggled to listen to this whole album. I feel like there are basements full of incels that still listen to it everyday.
If I was in Jr. High when this came out I'd probably have loved it. Funny voices. Sophomoric bathroom humor. Drugs. Fuck this, fuck that. Bitch, cunt, whore. Yeah, when I was 13 it would've been cool and I would've thought I was cool and edgy for listening to it. Bunch of suburban white boys listening to this thinking they hard.
But I'm not, and this is nothing more than a braggadocios teenager with a rhyming dictionary. "What rhymes with pee? ....Tree!!" Cool. On par with "Anybody want a... peanut!"
Ice Cube
4/5
Really liked this. Loved the social commentary. What a difference between this and Slim Shady LP. One has legitimate grievances. The other is pissy cause girlz don't like him.
Paul Simon
5/5
Every song on this album is amazing. So well written, great lyrics. An all-time classic album.
The Killers
3/5
Pretty good stuff. A little repetitive, but some nice hits. Not bad at all.
Nas
3/5
Interesting. For the most part I appreciated it. I'm by no means a fan of rap. Most of it I find pedantic, repetitive and unimaginative. I can't usually relate to the lyrics having spent my life in rural PNW.
Orange Juice
3/5
Meh. Not my bag. Didn't hate it though. Just sounded really repetitive. I'm not sure if they were the ones leading the new wave/synth pop scene or if they were just riding the wave. Extra points if they were the former.
Pulp
3/5
Another Meh. Just not a fan.
The Black Keys
3/5
Pretty good. I liked it. Not quite a 4 but good stuff. Might think differently on a 2nd listening.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Nice, original, pretty well written. Dig it.
The Gun Club
3/5
Not bad, kinda liked it. Prolly won't listen to it again, but enjoyed it while it was on.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Not my bag. I'm not wild about the vocalizations in eastern music. I recognize, however, the talent to do it, I just don't enjoy listening to it.
De La Soul
3/5
Pretty good. Not the best stuff coming out of the 80s. Honestly, I liked it better back then. Still like it, just not as much.
I'm surprised how much I like Rod Stewart's older stuff. My introduction to him was in the 80s and I wasn't a fan. But Gasoline Alley and this album are really pretty good.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Hard to think of something good or bad to say about this album. It's a really solid three. Not even a 3.01 or a 2.99. Dead on balls 3.0.
R.E.M.
3/5
I've never been much of a fan. Just liked their hits but never bought an album. This one hasn't changed my mind much. They are talented musicians and songwriters, that's not lost on me.
Kanye West
1/5
This will likely be the one and only album I will not listen to. I will not contribute to his bottom line.
Kanye can go fuck himself with a fist punch up his ass today at the present moment.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Nice grooves. Kinda dig it.
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
Can we just rename this genre "Narcissistic Gun, Dick, Pussy Rap"?
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Yes! That's how to express anger for the system as an artist and an activist.
Thundercat
4/5
There were times when I was really digging this. Covers a whole lot of genres. Pretty impressive songwriting at times.
Steely Dan
5/5
Amazing album. Rare musicianship and songwriting ability.
Neu!
4/5
Hard to know what to think about his album on one listen. It for sure needs multiple listenings to grasp it. Seems pretty great on the surface and I think it would only improve on multiple listenings.
Elbow
4/5
Really impressive lyrics. Pretty pleased with this album despite its slow pace.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Some pretty weird stuff in there but overall solid blues.
Röyksopp
3/5
This is one of those albums that was on and I didn't even realize it. I just worked away and at some point the album changed to another Röyksopp album and I didn't even know it. It's one of those albums that just is.
k.d. lang
4/5
Wow, I was really surprised by this album. This is not what I expected. Firstly because I liked it. It was wide ranging and a far cry from the genre in which I had stereotyped her.
3/5
Pretty good. Not blown away, but dig it well enough.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
There was something... about this band... that I didn't know. I recognized that voice right off the git. And I was not one iota surprised to see that members of both The Cars and Talking Heads were in this band. I'd heard of Modern Lovers but never listened to them, bit before my time. But I can totally hear their influence in Talking Heads.
New Order
3/5
Meh, not my bag. Singer is pretty awful, tone wise. Never been much of a new wave fan. Didn't hate it though.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
I've got a lot say about this album because I used to work in the concert industry and I got into many, many arguments about how bad this album is. Everyone around me argued it was great. I am clearly the odd man out on this opinion.
I used to love RHCP. I wore out my BSSM cassette. But this album, in my opinion, feels like they had a contractual obligation to meet. They took everything they had recorded that wasn't fit for an album and laid this turd. I hate it so much it makes me dislike their other music because it reminds me of this album. It's like their Coda. To be fair most of my complaint is not with the music. The writing is decent, the musicianship is decent to amazing. It's the vocal melodies and the lyrics. The melodies are repetitive and the lyrics are half-assed at best. Kiedis mailed this one in.
Around the World ruins this whole album for me from the git. It reminds me of some old, white politician trying to appeal to POC voters. It's a terrible rap, and the lyrics are fucking awful. "Fox hole love Pie in your face Living in and out of a big fat suitcase." Or this classic - "Ding ding, dong dong, ding ding, dong dong, ding ding." I just can't.
Much of this album has the same elementary vocal cadence of Scar Tissue combined with a monotonous vocal melody. It does the same thing over and over and over and over. Same cadence, same melody, on repeat. Doot, doot, doot, doot, doot, doot, dooo. Now do it on the 4th. Now the 5th. And now the root. Repeat. Or like Emit Remus, let's not change chords at all.
Most of my disappointment with this album is that RHCP are better than this.
Peter Frampton
4/5
Some wicked good all-time classics here. They've stood the test of time which is why I give it four stars. I saw him live once, wasn't as good as the album.
Fiona Apple
5/5
I was shocked by how good this album is. What incredible writing. I saw her open for Page/Plant at the Gorge in George, WA. I found her to be an extremely talented musician but was really taken with the songs themselves. Never really listened to her after that. But this! Wow. Amazing song writing, amazing musicianship, amazing poetry. I will go back and listen to her older stuff again.
Roxy Music
3/5
It's a weird cross between Rocky Horror and The wall. Kinda dig it for its uniqueness, but also prolly won't ever listen to it again.
The Byrds
3/5
I don't know. Didn't hate it. There's some decent songs by a group of very good song writers. They each grew and became better as they went on.
Tim Buckley
4/5
There's some really good shit on this album. It's pert near a four so I'ma round up.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I've never been a fan. I appreciate that he is a very good songwriter. But his music kind of reminds me of that one friend who records their songs on a cassette deck and then pulls it out at a party and wants everyone to listen to it, and it just kills the vibe.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Remarkably good blues players. It's so unique and unusual to hear what ultimately sounds like really good American blues with lyrics in a foreign language. I think what I like most about this is the blending of the two elements fits naturally.
Too often musicians try to force two or more styles together for the sake of being different or unique and end up with something that doesn't work. Too often they're looking for the next peanut butter and bananas but end up with peanuts and banana flavored gum.
Dead Kennedys
3/5
Pretty wacky. Exactly what you expect from DK.
Machito
5/5
Great stuff! I love a good samba!
Revenge? Of course! But why wound his body with bullets, when I can set his soul on fire with a slanderous mambo? ~Tito Puente
Bob Dylan
5/5
Classic! Great shit.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Fantastic musician. Not a real big fan of his style or the songs themselves, but props for how well he plays. Also not a fan of the guy in the audience that kept moaning when he heard something he liked.
Adele
4/5
Normally not my kind of music, but this album really has some great songs on it. Not necessarily impressively written, but they are enjoyable to listen too and have hooks that stick.
Steely Dan
5/5
Great musicianship, great songwriting. Outstanding album.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I struggle with Joni Mitchell. I know she's widely regarded as a great song writer, but to me she sounds like someone who is singing ad libitium a letter to ex boyfriends. It doesn't work for me. I feel like I need to have a cup of hot tea and depression to listen to her.
Tom Waits
4/5
Tom's one of those composers who is really great at composing music but has a voice that is hard to fit to any style. Leonard Cohen was another. I think Tom writes gritty, raw music and that goes well with his voice, but ultimately it's not that enjoyable to listen to. Like I'd never throw on Tom Waites and then start doing the dishes.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Anything I say about this album, its genius, the number of incredibly composed songs, its effect on the music industry and a generation of musicians, would all be woefully dull compared to what needs to be said.
This album is a triumph and is likely the greatest progressive album ever written.
System Of A Down
5/5
Damn this album rocks hard. Tremendous musicianship. Creative writing. Genre forming.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Enjoyable album. Lots of catchy hooks. Good for doing dishes.
Anita Baker
4/5
Not a style that I'm really into but still mostly enjoyed this album. She's an incredible musician and has a fantastic voice in my opinion.
Roni Size
2/5
Meh. This could have been one long form song. Or a bunch of shorter songs. It drags on like someone who likes to hear their own voice.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I like the vast majority of their songs on this album, but I'm not much of a fan of their sound. And often I find the lyrics sophomoric. I feel like these are songs that are much better as acoustic. But, that's his signature sound and that's what inspired a whole new genera, so it's hard to fault him based on my personal preference.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
A great album. Trent really turns what music is on its ear while still making it listenable. Most of the time.
Billy Joel
5/5
I have a chicken named Virginia Gold Lemonthwaite due to misheard lyrics from Only the Good Die Young.
So many great hits and singalongs on this album.
Fats Domino
3/5
Some really great all-time classics. I'm sure my parents loved it. Not exactly for me tho.
AC/DC
5/5
Learned that the line isn't "Heavy Jezebels saying 'Nom Nom guitar'." Who knew?
Normally, the simple writing and pointless lyrics will get a star or two taken off, but this album was a cornerstone in my formative years and I love every beat and chord of it.
Dr. John
5/5
I have a real appreciation for Dr. John and how he incorporates the music and traditions of Acadiana. He's steeped in it.
John Martyn
2/5
One of those albums that I listened to and was mostly unaware that I had.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Kind of a hard one to put my finger on. There's some great music here. But much of it seems pretty mundane. I think I might be expecting vintage Clapton but getting 25 year old Clapton. Which means I've set expectations they can't meet.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Love this album. It's long but it's fantastic. May be my favorite partially because I don't think they stole any of the music for this one.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
Kind of crazy to hear the sound of a whole decade of post punk bands in one band/album. Even get a hint of Cyndi Lauper for some reason. Lot's of 80s musicians were listening to these guys in high school.
Genesis
3/5
Really not that big of a fan of their progressive stuff, or a majority of the progressive music that came out during the period.
Miles Davis
5/5
What a great talent and mind. Personally think Kind of Blue was his greatest album. This one is right up there.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I try, I really do, but most of Springsteen just doesn't strike a chord with me. He's got a few songs I really dig, but at the end of the day it's all just very simple and the stories he tells don't strike an emotional chord that allows me to overlook the rest.
It feels to me like music for people who are trapped in manual labor jobs because that's either all they're capable of or that's all that's available to them. It feels like music that might inspire one to keep on trudging. I don't mean that as an insult because there are people who are simply stuck for reasons beyond their control, I'm just not that person. And I think that's why it doesn't resonate.
Wire
3/5
Meh, nonplussed.
Ian Dury
2/5
It's hard to get behind a celeb remake of songs by someone I've never heard. I don't know if the performers took creative license or if the songs were exactly as written. Hard to even grade this, but mostly not a fan.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Beatles
5/5
What could I possibly say that hasn't already been said. It's an all-time classic amongst all-time classics.
ZZ Top
3/5
There are some good, catchy songs on this album. But there is also a lot of crap. And most of the lyrics are sophomoric as are the "jokes". I struggle to enjoy lyrics that need the word "really" or "kinda" or that turn one syllable words into two, like "the-uh" or "i-is" to finish out a line. Bugs me. And nothing bugs me more lyrically than a "Really, really". Shows a lack of imagination if you ask me.
Also, the repetitive keyboard (I think) technique throughout every songs gets old. It's their sound, but I don't dig on it after about two songs.
Still get's three stars cause there are some genuine classics on it. Four classics with four role players (Bad Girl, for instance) would've made for a great album. But in my opinion, this is four classics with four or five that should've been left on the cutting room floor (TV Dinners, for instance).
Wilco
4/5
Kinda digging this. Never really listened to Wilco, but I'm a fan. Will listen to this one again as well as other albums, fo sho.
Fred Neil
4/5
How have I never heard of Fred Neil? Guy writes pretty great music and this is the first I've ever heard of him. I'm disappointed in myself. I only get one star.
Liz Phair
4/5
Not bad. Pretty gutsy and gritty. Better than I thought it would be.
Bobby Womack
4/5
You knew it was going to be good by the suit and glasses.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Said it twice before, I don't get Joni Mitchel. The music is great, her voice is great. But her lyrical style is like singing a love letter she wrote to an ex. Like listening to Linda Belcher make up songs for dinner theater. But for like 6 mins apiece. Christ.
From the first song I actually got anxiety about having to listen to this whole album. Really? Why do you keep doing this to me thousand albums? Ugh, here I go. Such relief when the last song came on after an hour.
Def Leppard
4/5
Bought this album in basic training. So many great classics. It was the pinnacle of 80's hair metal. Likely it's demise as well as it spawned bands like Firehouse, Steelheart, and Gypsy Rose. As Sarah Lynn would say, "That's too much, man!"
Adele
4/5
She has lovely voice. Songs are reasonably well written and the lyrics are reasonably good. The only complaint I have about her songs is they all sound too similar, often similar to songs by other artists, and there are many times I wonder if they are covers.
2/5
100% Europop. Not really my bag. Singer was kind of annoying.
The Mars Volta
4/5
I don't know if I liked it or not. The musicianship is top notch. Great vocal range as well. It just wasn't very enjoyable music for me to listen to. Also, I feel like they make up a lot of words. Regardless, four stars on musicianship alone.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
It's remarkable what an impact JJ left in such a short time. 3 albums during her life, 21 after her death.
The Electric Prunes
4/5
Kinda fun stuff. Catchy. Decent hooks.
Van Morrison
4/5
Great song writer. Not my favorite style but can still appreciate how great he is at it.
Killing Joke
3/5
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
One of the greatest albums ever recorded. Changed a generation.
Harry Nilsson
5/5
I'm shocked at how many great songs that aren't "hits" are on this album. Really fantastic writing and songs.
The Charlatans
3/5
This is one of those albums that nothing really stands out for me. It almost 'Just is'. Like background music in a grocery store. I'm not even really aware I'm listening to it.
Brian Eno
3/5
Kinda funky and cool. Not funky, like funk music, but funky like a clown. Not that I enjoy clowns, but I did enjoy this.
Moby
4/5
Never really listened to Moby and regretting it after hearing this. This is really good.
Soundgarden
5/5
This is a great, classic album. And I don't even think it's their best one. Badmotorfinger gets the nod, but just by a hair. It was such an groundbreaking album and this album just built upon it.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected. Great song writer.
Nick Drake
3/5
Really good songwriter and lyricist. Kinda boring though.
Haircut 100
3/5
Lots o Duran Duran in there. No really my bag, but decently well written music.
The Young Rascals
3/5
The Who
4/5
I'm a little surprised that I've never listened to this whole album in my life. I struggle to rate it because I compare it to the Wall and it doesn't even come close. So if the Wall is a 5 this is a three. But if I'm rating it in a vacuum then I suppose it's a near a 4. There are some good songs on it, no question. But in general doesn't hold up in my opinion.
Talking Heads
4/5
Jethro Tull
4/5
Sheryl Crow
4/5
Not a huge SC fan, but I do appreciate that she is a decent song writer. She writes good melodies.
Mudhoney
3/5
Some pretty good stuff. Kinda edgy. Nothing that really blew my skirt up though.
MC Solaar
4/5
After the first two songs I was ready to give this five stars. Kinda tapered off after that but still pretty good music, just no so much a fan of the rapping.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Ooof. Some good stuff, but come on. It's like the Village People met Young MC. Still prefer it to Eminem, though.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Ground breaking album.
Love
4/5
Oh man. Who came first? These guys or the doors? They sound so similar.
Kelela
2/5
She has a lovely voice, but this style isn't my bag. I feel like it's overproduced and there are too many things that feel like asides that make it hard to get into the theme of the music.
Boston
5/5
Every single song on this is a classic. This is one very rare album that has no losers on it.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Enjoyed it a bit, but a bit static/amelodic for my taste.
David Gray
4/5
I've gone my whole life thinking Babylon was Tracy Chapman. Would've continued to believe that if not for this site.
That aside, really good music. Good songwriting. Great voice.
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
I'm not high enough for this.
Kraftwerk
3/5
This album is soooo much better than Trans-Europe Express. This one has melody and purpose and some songs that are even a bit catchy. They're still pretty simple songs, not a complicated in anyway but with a tinge of creativity, which goes a long way.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
I love his creativity and exceptional song writing. Great stuff. Personally, I think he was better without Genesis and Genesis was better without him. It's a rare breakup that turns out for the best on both sides.
OutKast
4/5
If going on Speakerbox alone I'd give it a solid 4 stars. The Love Below, not so much. But still good songs. Meh, I guess 4 stars anyway.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Amazing. Stunning voice, great songs. Brilliant album.
Magazine
4/5
This album is kind of all over the place in an interesting way. I hear Sabbath, Ramones, Sex Pistols, Clash. All pretty good stuff. Don't know that I'll listen again, but a pretty good listen overall.
Shack
3/5
Not bad, liked most of it. Would listen again.
Queen
4/5
There is some spectacular songs on this. Bring Back That Leroy Brown. Wow. Stone Cold, Killer Queen. Classics. Great stuff, also some stuff that doesn't measure up to what I expect from Queen. Great album, not my favorite.
Gorillaz
4/5
Not much to say, just good shit that's enjoyable to listen to.
CHIC
4/5
I've got a weird relationship with disco. When I was a little kid, like 7, my brother had the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack on LP and I listened to it over and over. Bet I listened to it hundreds of times. But in general I haven't really liked disco except for the groovy bass lines and wikiwokiwikiwoki guitar.
So in general, I've tried to convince myself I don't like disco, because I love rock. But the reality is they can coexist! Peace to all. This was a great album.
Beck
3/5
Not my favorite Beck. It's quite a change from his other stuff. Not that it's bad, it's just not what I really like about his music.
Pearl Jam
4/5
Great, classic album. Groundbreaking sound and songwriting. Contributed immensely to a fundamental shift in the industry.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Not bad, kinda diggin it. It is a bit one dimensional and It'd get old if I had to listen to it often or if their other albums sound the same, but on first listen, it was reasonably good.
N.W.A.
3/5
Rap just isn't my bag. But as far is it goes I found this album to be better than most. I for sure have a great appreciation for pre 2000 hip/hop/rap. Guess that just shows my age.
The Stooges
4/5
Raw Power is an apt name for this. Great stuff. The guitarist has some fantastic licks. It's unfortunate he never really did anything else on guitar.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Really impressive composition. The music itself doesn't exactly turn my crank, but he knows what he's doing.
Doves
4/5
Kind of U2ish, I suppose. Kind of liked it. Won't rush out and listen to it again anytime soon, but won't turn it off if it comes up in my feed.
The Police
5/5
What an album. So many hits and such great song writing. It's unfortunate this band couldn't remain together because I'm not a big fan of Sting's solo stuff but the group was great.
Duke Ellington
4/5
Spectacular writing and musicianship. The tunes kinda sound like a burlesque soundtrack.
The Cardigans
3/5
Not really my bag but kinda dug it anyway.
Calexico
3/5
There were some parts of this I really loved and others where I just stopped paying attention. Overall, not bad. It's good stuff.
Pixies
3/5
One of those albums that I listened to and didn't even know it until the next album came on. Just basically one long song.
The Pogues
3/5
Not what I was expecting, for some reason. But when it comes to celtic/irish punk fusion their style is pretty far behind some of the others in my preferences.
Manu Chao
4/5
Really dig this. It's kind of a Tito Puente crossed with more modern beats.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Honestly expected this to be Jimmie's Chicken Shack. Regardless, really great stuff. I loved the way the organ was the backbone and the different rhythms were used.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Man, I'd forgotten how great this album was. It's not necessarily great lyrically or often musically. But they were such a groundbreaking band and listening to them scared my parents. What more could you ask for?
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Nice songs. Simple, pretty well written. Not my style but decent songs.
Gene Clark
5/5
Outstanding album. You can really hear were Crosby learned his songwriting chops and even where bands like Fleetwood Mac got their inspiration.
Supergrass
5/5
Loved this album! How have I never heard of this band. Great songs.
The Only Ones
2/5
Uhm, mostly decent musicianship from the guitarist but everything else is pretty basic, though the song composition is ok. But the lyrics are pretty simplistic and the singer's voice grates on me after about 30 seconds.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
So many incredible, all-time hits on this album as well as some that should've been.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Cool beats, fantastic rhythms. Great music to dive into or just have on while you clean the house.
The Hives
3/5
Melodies are predictable but fun none the less.
10cc
4/5
Some is little bit corny, but overall really outstanding writing and musicianship. I loved it!
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I find it very interesting how ubiquitous droning instruments became in the mid-60s. Sitar, hurdy gurdy, even some organs. What was it about that period that made stasis such a fundamental part of the sound?
This album is pretty great. I really dig the writing. Some of the guitar playing sounds a lot like when I was learning and just messing around. Maybe it's genius and I'm just missing the boat.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
I enjoyed this far more than Treasure. I actually liked it. It's more mainstream, but that's not the reason. It's the singing. I couldn't stand how they sounded on their earlier albums.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Yeah, not a fan. I did like the line "this useless old fucker and his twinkling cunt." But overall, just didn't connect with his style.
The Band
3/5
Some great writing. A few classics. Overall, a fan of this band.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I don't know... I'm kinda split like 50/50 on Dylan. Sometimes I think he's brilliant. And I see where John Prine got some of his song writing chops. Other times it feels too free flowing and structureless. Which, I get is probably the point, but it just doesn't appeal to me. Many of these songs are 5 star worthy. But I can't give the whole album that.
Small Faces
3/5
I feel like there was some really special stuff in here, but I was too distracted and didn't listen intently - as I feel concept albums need. The music never really fully grabbed my attention, but I was still enjoying listening to it. I feel like this needs a second listen.
The Shamen
3/5
Pretty good. Was digging the grooves. It was a fun listen.
Queen Latifah
4/5
Late 80s/early 90s hip hop/rap is surprising one dimensional, but I have strong preference for it vs. anything post 2k. I find it much more groovy and funky.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Loved the music. And she has a lovely voice. However, there was no life or energy in her singing. Perhaps because English is not her first language and she's not super comfortable letting go. It just sounded like the energy of a teenager at a school concert.
N.E.R.D
4/5
Damn, that Pharrell is one talented dude. This is a pretty great yet unheralded album. Totally dig it.
Skunk Anansie
4/5
Never heard of this band but am pretty impressed. Really good album. Gonna check out more of their stuff.
Pavement
3/5
Meh.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Kind dig it. It's like a goth Talking Heads. Pretty clear where their influences are. Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, The Cure. I can't quite give it a 4 but it was pretty close.
Buck Owens
4/5
Dig it. Like a more C&W Roger Miller and, to a lesser extent, John Prine. That kinda fun, light-hearted song writing.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
I went back and forth on this one. Sometimes there were some pretty cool grooves and other times I was just wondering what it was I was listening to. I imagine if I was into dancing this would be more enjoyable.
Kacey Musgraves
1/5
Vapid.
Steely Dan
5/5
Outstanding writing. So much generational talent in this band. Their melodies don't really grab me for the most part, but the instrumentation is top notch.
Nick Drake
3/5
Pretty good song writing, not really my bag tho.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Really creative song writing. Pretty much dig it. Would listen again.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Pretty cool. Kinda dig it. Nothing really blew my skirt up, though.
The Style Council
3/5
If I'm rating on Keytar usage alone, it's an easy five. The rest is, for the most part, well written but all over the place. Jazz, 80s white man rap, new wave. I liked some of it but then it would change. Hard to keep up.
Pixies
3/5
Pretty good stuff. Would prolly listen again.
Aimee Mann
3/5
I think her best work was getting her toe cut off in Big Lebowski. Then prolly 'Till Tuesday, and then maybe this. It's decent song writing. Reasonably good melodies. But I'm not really into it.
R.E.M.
3/5
Never been much of a fan. I get their appeal and see/hear that they are talented, but they've just never been my bag.
Spacemen 3
3/5
Bit of a cross between Pink Floyd and the Doors.
Tom Waits
5/5
Fantastic. All the way around. Creative songwriting. Original, gritty, clever. Love it!
The Stooges
4/5
Really dig that 60s blown speaker guitar sound. The writing is pretty elementary, but it's still makes for some pretty good tunes.
The The
2/5
Meh. Not my bag. Nothing really exciting, and that 80s, new wave, synthpop sound gets on my nerves.
Klaxons
3/5
Pretty sure I know who The Killers listened to growing up.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Great album, a classic. Not their best in my opinion but lots of great songs.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Very good songwriter. I'm impressed with her somewhat unique melodies and cadence.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
This feels like back in the day when you'd pass out watching TV and wake up to static.
"New song. I, IV, V, slow, four beat down strum, two measures per chord. Just needs incoherent lyrics. And for the love of the gods, doesn't your fuzz pedal go to eleven?"
I've yet to hear shoegaze that I appreciate. I'm either not sufficiently self loathing or I'm taking the wrong drugs.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Lotta noodlin'. Never got to see them live. I kept saying "next time". And then there wasn't a next time. One of my life's regrets.
Gang Of Four
3/5
There's a lot to like here. Dig the guitar and driving beats, but it was significantly lacking in melodies, creativity, and cleverness. There was a significant amount of redundancy.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Is there tab for this? Seriously though, this is just noise and yelling to me. It actually put me in a bad mood listening to it. The only use I can imagine for it is a soundtrack to a sci-fi snuff film. I actually listened to it at 2x speed for a bit and it didn't sound any different.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This very well may be the greatest album ever written. It's difficult to narrow it down, especially when there are two other albums by the same band in the top five or ten of the greatest albums of all time.
Minor Threat
3/5
That drummer sure gets a workout. Overall, a solid meh for me.
Suicide
3/5
There's some good, original content. Lots of creative tunes. Some of it was not really my style, but overall, it was pretty good.
Turbonegro
4/5
Good, straight forward rock and/or roll. There's really nothing groundbreaking about it. It sounds like the vast majority of early 90s rock. I can see how they might have been an influence to the pop punk bands of the early '00s. It's still fun, rockin' music and I'd for sure listen again.
George Jones
3/5
I'm not real big on country, though this era is so much better substance wise than current country. This is pretty simple, fun, music. It's enjoyable to listen to.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Love it for the most part. Can be a bit one dimensional but still is great, original content.
Michael Jackson
3/5
There's some pretty fantastic writing here. Good songs. Not my bag, and not my favorite MJ album. It's difficult to just judge the music and ignore that he was a pederast.
King Crimson
4/5
I'm not a huge fan of progressive rock, but I do have a great deal of appreciation for the talent the musicians have and their ability to compose and play this music. It's mind blowing.
Wild Beasts
3/5
I don't even know when this album ended. The songs seem well written. It's a bit odd though. A bit ethereal. Maybe influenced Bon Iver a bit? Not really my bag. Kind of toes the line on experimental.
50 Cent
3/5
One thing I've learned from this site is that I like rap more than I thought. Still not much of a fan. Before, I'dve said I disliked 90%. Now, I'd say more like 75%. This album was kind of enjoyable. Don't know that I'd listen again, but I kind of got in the groove.
Neil Young
3/5
I'm just not that big a fan of Young. I liked CSNY way better. I don't really care for his voice and his song writing doesn't really blow my skirt up.
Tom Waits
5/5
I'm frequently blown away by Tom Waits. I didn't used to find his music that listenable, but was still amazed by his song writing skills and his ability to add depth and texture to his music. The more I hear it the more I find new details. He's a once in a generation talent.
Paul Weller
5/5
Nice combo of blues, some funk and soul. I'd call it remarkably soulful funky blues, but they are often fully distinct. There are soul songs, funk songs and blues songs and there are blended versions of two or three of the styles. It's really quite interesting. The longer I listen the more I love it.
The Darkness
4/5
Some of it can be a bit corny, but at the end of the day I find it's just good 'ol, straight forward, rock &/or roll. I dig it. Great guitar tone.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Why? Why 1001 albums? This is the 4th fucking Joni Mitchell album to which you've subjected me. I cannot stand her style of music. It all feels like she's just making up the melodies as she goes. I'd love to just listen to her play the piano. That sounds pretty good. But then she starts this singing a love letter warbling that sends me through the roof. I'd give this one star if it wasn't for the fact that she is very talented, I just don't like her songs.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I'm not a big fan, but he does write some kinda good tunes. Just not my thing. Also, Escape Club stole Pump It Up.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Takes me back to Highschool. Wasn't really a fan back then but their stuff has definitely grown on me over the years. Some of it is a bit corny, but overall, it's pretty well written stuff.
808 State
3/5
Not really my thing. Didn't hate listening to it but wasn't really into it either. A solid Meh.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Elvis was never my thing. He's got a few songs I'll listen to, but mostly he was just a good voice. Stole music from a lot of people too.
Digital Underground
3/5
Not bad, as far as rap goes. I tend to like the 80s/90s stuff more anyways.
Hookworms
3/5
Dig it. Like U2 meets Rush.
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
Amazing composition. Generationally talented musicians. Great music.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
5/5
Love that you can hear the development of an entire genre. Great music. Transitional and ground breaking.
Skepta
3/5
Mixed feelings on this one. It was more or less an enjoyable listen, but I don't relate to constantly having to state how hard one is, or how willing they are to use a gun or take a life, or how sexually prolific they are. I just can't relate to someone who's whole life is bragging about aggression.
Elastica
4/5
Pretty great stuff! Really enjoy listening to this.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Just not a Springsteen fan. Never really struck a chord with me. This might actually be my least favorite album of his. I do recognize that he's a fairly decent song writer and he gets props for that.
Ice Cube
2/5
There were songs here and there that I could get into, but ultimately if felt like half the songs had gunshots and sirens in them. I have no scope of understanding in that world, where every song is about either being hard or getting laid.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Meh, not bad. Not gonna rush out and listen again, but found it enjoyable enough.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Not bad. I dig their vibe on this album. I haven't been much of a fan of their others, but this one was pretty good.
Stan Getz
5/5
Outstanding. What an incredible composer. Loved every note of this.
Tom Waits
5/5
He's such a creative song writer. Unique style, voice, and composition.
Hole
3/5
Expected to hate this. I'm not much of a Courtney/Hole fan. I didn't hate it. Actually enjoyed half of it and found a few songs pretty bad, but overall a solid 3.
Bad Company
3/5
I've seen these guys live, listened to them on the radio a thousand times or more, but for some reason have never listened to this whole album. My older siblings had it on 8-track so I'm sure I've heard the whole thing but this was the first time I recall hearing the whole thing. It's a lot more mellow than I expected. Still reasonably good.
Circle Jerks
3/5
This is exactly how an album if this style should be done. 14 1 min songs. It's like drinking a sour beer. I enjoy a sample, but 16oz is too much, man.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
Dear lord. This couldn't end fast enough. Not my bag for sure. It's like if Grace Slick and Joni Mitchel had a baby that liked to sing letters people wrote to their dead pets. The songs are written well enough, so it gets a star for that.
SZA
3/5
Not my bag. Didn't hate it or anything. She's got a nice voice and the songs are written well enough.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Quite poetic. Never really listened to her stuff and expected it to be more straight forward C&W and less Americana. Pretty good stuff.
Miles Davis
5/5
A generational talent. Amazing album, my favorite of his.
Frank Black
4/5
Surprisingly diverse. Lots of different styles and variations of styles. Creative writing. I really liked it.
k.d. lang
4/5
Super surprised by this whole album. Very creative and not anything what I expected from her. It's very Chris Isaak-esque. Really digging it.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Great composition. Not my favorite Floyd album, but you can hear the brilliance that is to come.
Orbital
3/5
Interesting. Enjoyed the listen. Fairly complex. Def dig the looping and polyrhythms.
Bob Dylan
4/5
This might be my favorite Dylan album so far. I've never been a big fan, but recognize his prolific writing and ability.
Crowded House
3/5
Didn't think I'd enjoy this as much as I did. I remember a few of their hits from HS, but never listened to a whole album of theirs. Reasonably good stuff. Might even listen again.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Not doing it for me. Not a fan of the style or the way they do it.
Jane Weaver
3/5
One of those didn't love it, didn't hate it. It just happened and I was there.
Ice T
3/5
I can't decide if I like older rap better because I'm old or if newer rap just isn't my thing. I've never been a fan of rap and don't own a single album. However, since listening to many albums on this site I find that the 80s-90s stuff is much more palatable to me. Is it my age? Or was it just better back then? I wonder...
John Cale
4/5
Good stuff. Great song writer. Not super into the genre but the songs are solid.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Such simple songs that moved so many people. Not just those in San Quinton, though it did speak to them quite succinctly.
Traffic
4/5
I can't come up with a reason to make this album 3 stars. Great guitar playing. Educated writing. It's good stuff.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Not my thing. Just not a fan of the style or the writing.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Kind of liked it. Not really my thing, but it had some songs that were relatively enjoyable. The guitar solos got a bit monotonous.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Really impressive song writing, but this kind of jazz is pretty low on my list of favorite genres. I will give an extra half star for the line "Nah nah nah, $1.09 get a bottle a wine"
Prince
4/5
One of the best and certainly most prolific songwriters of our time. This isn't my favorite album, but the the music is still so well written.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Weird shit. Decently written, though.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Not really a fan, but it's reasonably good music to work to.
Chicago
5/5
Man, would've loved to see these guys back when they sounded like this. Great musicians.
Tortoise
2/5
Weird shit. I don't really get it. I don't doubt that a great deal of thought went into it, but without a deeper understanding of what they were going for it's difficult to have a deeper understanding of the music. Also, how is "Post-Rock" a genre? Rock is still a big deal.
The Jam
3/5
Clearly a predecessor to The Clash, but The Clash took their influence and ran away with it. Musically it wasn't too bad, but much of the lyrics we're poorly, or maybe lazily, thought out.
Linkin Park
3/5
Not really a fan of the band. This album was pretty innovative for the time and I did like the songs. But they were really just a one trick pony.
Radiohead
3/5
I don't get Radiohead and I don't know what I'm missing. They do nothing for me yet I know so many people who flat out love them. I'd really like to understand and am genuinely trying to.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Interesting. At first I thought great. Another album that's noise for the sake of making noise. But this was not what I anticipated. It's actually quite musical. Almost in the vein of Ummagumma.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
Interesting. Innovative use of instruments though some of them don't always seem to fit, in my opinion. Mostly the electric guitar. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere and is quite different then the tone of the piece.
The Offspring
4/5
Not the best writing in the world. Pretty formulaic, but it was definitely unique. I liked this album quite a bit when it first came out and it holds up pretty well in my opinion.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Top notch soul.
3/5
Not much of fan of this band. The album was pretty innovative and I did like a few songs off of it. But they really were just a one trick pony.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Not what I expected by a long shot. It's a cool mix of like Velvet Underground, Oasis, The Ramones, and even some AC/DC. Really dig it.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Meh, not wild about it. One of those albums I listen to and will never remember.
Kate Bush
3/5
I read so many comments about how magical and amazing Kate Bush is. She really strikes a chord with some people. I, unfortunately, am not one of them. I don't get it. Good songwriter, nice voice. But the songs just don't speak to me.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
I'm not really sure what I've just listened to. Unique is one of putting it. It was weirdly entertaining.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Not really what I'm into but the guy has an amazing voice and writes decent songs. A few I liked quite well. Also interesting that he was a member of INXS for a brief time.
M.I.A.
4/5
Huh. Didn't see that coming. I liked this a lot. It was multidimensional, something I often find lacking in post 90s rap. Also, significantly more melodic.
Scritti Politti
1/5
Wowzers. This is god awful. Well, maybe not that bad, but oof. Can't stand his voice and the 80's keyboard tones, and the fact that he's singing boy band lyrics. Gag. Hated this.
Can
3/5
Got some Ummagumma vibes going on.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I'm really not a fan of this band. Mostly cause I can't stand Corgan's whiney voice. That said, this is actually a good album. I dig most of the songs and the music is good.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Not bad. Not my bag either, but didn't hate it.
KISS
3/5
It's pretty impressive that they were able to turn elementary song writing into a career spanning 24 albums. They def have some solid hits here but most of this album feels like filler.
Lupe Fiasco
5/5
Wow, I really liked this. Well written, thoughtful lyrics. Good shit here. Would def listen again.
Sister Sledge
4/5
Great writing, super talented, lovely voices, perfect harmonies.
Ozomatli
4/5
Cool shit. Really enjoyed this.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Great writing. Not a style I really like but he can put together a complex song.
Mekons
3/5
I'm just not much of a fan of arthouse bands. From a music perspective, the songs are solid, the lyrics are quite good, the musicians are talented (singing could use an upgrade), but ultimately there just seems to be so much noise layered over their art for what only seems to me, the sake of "art".
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Hard to believe this album won album of the year. It doesn't suck, but that's about the best I can say about it.
The Monks
4/5
Pretty campy, but really well written songs and good musicians.
The xx
3/5
Meh.
Ali Farka Touré
5/5
Outstanding. This will go in my frequently listened list. Unique, original, great musician ship, great songs. Loved it!
The 13th Floor Elevators
5/5
This was pretty fantastic! And I mean fantastic in the literal sense. It's imaginative and unique. An electric jug player? I mean common!
Listened to it twice back-to-back.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Not bad, didn't blow my skirt up either.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Meh, not my bag.
Django Django
4/5
Kinda dig it. Original.
GZA
3/5
Kinda torn. Some stuff I liked, some I didn't care for. Not a terrible album.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Bit surprised. Pleasantly. I have not been much of a fan of the previous 2 EC albums and kinda rolled my eyes when I saw this one come up. But, I liked it. Really solid writing and musicianship. Melodic. All the stuff I like in a good album!
Coldcut
4/5
If you'd asked me who this was before I listened to it, I'd've told you I have no idea. I'm surprised at how many of these songs I know. Either from having heard them before or having been sampled by other groups.
The Byrds
3/5
Mixed feeling on this album. I love the guitar tone and that these songs feel like they are solely responsible for the genre. However, I'm not really of fan of many of the songs.
Slade
5/5
Man I love this band. How did I not know of them until this year? Crazy. They are the original party band. Catchy, straight-forward rock & or roll. Love it!
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Pretty good stuff. This is the C&W music I like. Not like the newer stuff which is really just a rehashing of 80s rock.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
Wasn't ever much of a TL fan. They do have some classics, but hearing them live didn't really change anything for me.
Dion
2/5
Yeah, not a fan. Pretty boring. Good writing for the style, but I'm just not into the genre.
Randy Newman
2/5
I really don't like his style. His song writing in pretty formulaic. I'm not a fan of his singing voice. And his lyrics pretty much come across exactly like they made it out on Family Guy. I feel like he Rafi for adults.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
4/5
Fun album. Like their style.
Incubus
4/5
I'm pretty torn on Incubus. They have some songs I absolutely love and find them to be unique, original and very well written. And I'm a huge fan of Brandon Boyd's voice. But, they also have some songs that don't sound very dissimilar and Boyd has one note that he sounds really good on and he repeats it often.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Can't deny how brilliant he was. I'm more of a southern blues fan then the Chicago style. But that doesn't take away from his talent.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Too melancholy and the melodies are pert near nonexistent. Kinda think their best song was the remake of People are Strange. Just not floating my boat.
The Icarus Line
3/5
Meh. Pretty noisy. Might've liked this better in high school when I was bitching about my first world problems.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Of all the CSNY guys, S is for sure my fav. Just really appreciate the songs he writes.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
For the most part, couldn't wait for this to end. Amounts to a steady hour of eight-notes. Extra credit for passion though.
The Zutons
3/5
Not bad, didn't hate it. Prolly wouldn't listen again, but enjoyed the first time around.
Randy Newman
3/5
Got to say, I liked this one significantly more than the last one. I kinda groaned when I saw another RN album just days after the last one. But this one was much more enjoyable.
Bauhaus
3/5
Kinda dig it. Kinda Fred Schneidery.
Kanye West
1/5
Fuck Kanye. He is an awful, selfish, arrogant, useless human. Not going to listen to him. The only albums on this site I refuse to listen to.
The Associates
1/5
Not a fan. So whiney. It's like listening to a siren and it's battery is running down.
The Doors
4/5
Classic. So many great songs. And so unique. No one has ever really sounded like the Doors.
Elis Regina
3/5
Pretty creative. Love good bossa nova. Ultimately, not really that into it.
D'Angelo
3/5
Certainly not bad, but just not my thing.
The Fall
3/5
Kinda dig this. Found it rather enjoyable to listen to. My only big complaint is that the songs were unnecessarily long. I get long songs if you have different themes and they are varied. This just felt like long songs.
Def Leppard
4/5
They really had a run of radio worthy songs. I wasn't a fan at the time, mostly because they had a long period of time with number one songs on MTV and my favorite band was often 2nd. Even though hair metal didn't really age all that well, they still wrote some really good songs.
Spiritualized
4/5
Pretty great album. I really enjoyed the listen. Very well written and very listenable.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
There are not many songwriters better than Paul Simon. One of my top three.
Marty Robbins
3/5
Liked this way more than I expected. The songs are simple and catchy, but not very unique.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
I'm a bit surprised that I haven't listened to these guys before. Good writing and musicianship. Not really a fan of the genre but didn't find this unlistenable.
fIREHOSE
2/5
Anyone else pronounce it Fromo hio? Anywho, not bad. But also pretty forgettable.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Might listen to this when going to bed. Other than that it sounds like one of those 70s sci-fi movies with very little dialog and some dude wandering a barren planet.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Not bad. Didn't rock my socks. Good musicianship and songwriting, just a little to melancholy for my taste.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Pretty well written songs. Didn't hate it as much as I had expected. Still, not my bag.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
She's got a lovely voice. I feel like the songs were pretty unoriginal in general.
Steve Winwood
3/5
Not a real big fan of his solo stuff. Just not a fan of the style.
T. Rex
3/5
Not bad, liked their first album a bit better, but still found this enjoyable.
The Prodigy
3/5
I probably wouldn't listen again. Not that I think it was bad, it just didn't flip a switch for me. I did like it more than most EDM I've listened too. However, I'm just not that into EDM to begin with. I'm guessing 6-7 minute songs are the target length of songs people listen too? For me, however, that's just too long to listen to a song I'm not that into.
Brian Eno
4/5
Very interesting. Exceptional composition. Can totally hear the Talking Heads influence (not sure which way it goes). Even hear some kinda Floyd vibes mixed in.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Kinda torn on this one. There's some very interesting stuff, but some of it can be so fundamentally different inside of the same song that I often kept checking to see if I had a second YouTube window open and playing. It was like mashups that just didn't work.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Not my favorite from him. I vastly preferred his 80's album, Trash, that he did with Desmond Child. Super 80s hair/pop rock, but I was into that at the time.
Genesis
4/5
This album rates pretty highly for me when it comes to prog rock. But it also suffers from the same thing that all prog rock albums suffer. Comparison to Pink Floyd. And nothing else holds up in my book.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Kinda funky in a weird way. And I tend to like weird stuff as long as it's not weird for the sake of being weird.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
Not that I don't like CSNY, but Buffalo Springfield was my favorite of all the groupings of those guys.
Throbbing Gristle
3/5
As far as experimental noise goes, I guess this wasn't too bad. Just not my bag.
Also, super not a fan of that album cover. Super ick. I assure the site mod that it will not affect their numbers if they were to use the alternate cover that omits the inset image.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Not bad. Got a little tired of the feedback tone though. Get's a bit redundant.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
I love the poetry and the way he highlights it with the perfect music. Such a talent. Not the biggest fan of his voice, but that doesn't hardly take away from how great his album is.
Public Enemy
4/5
I enjoy 90s hip hop/rap so much more than any other decade.
Rush
3/5
Rush just doesn't speak to me. I don't know what it is. I just don't get it. I can hear that they are epically talented, but I just don't enjoy listening to 95% of their music.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Good stuff. Love BB. Love the 80s/90s hiphop.
The Byrds
3/5
Not exactly what I expected. Much more C&W. Also, a lot of overt xtian lyrics for a bunch of guys who were knee deep in the sex/drugs part of Rock &/or Roll.
Hypocrisy aside, if you want some extremely interesting reading, check out Gram Parsons' wiki and read about his death. Fascinating!
G. Love & Special Sauce
5/5
One of my favorite albums and artists of all time. Such a phenomenally talented musician.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Is there anything more iconic than that opening line? "Hello. I'm Johnny Cash."
King Crimson
4/5
Phenomenal writing and musicianship. These guys really know what they're doing. I still don't feel that they are on the same level as Pink Floyd because I don't find their music as "listenable" if that makes sense. But, I do need to smerk a berl and give this a real deep listen.
Fishbone
3/5
Thoughts are mixed. Liked some of it and some I couldn't really get into. In the end, it wasn't very memorable.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Started off well enough, but really went down hill from there. Good writing from a musical standpoint, but lyrically and melodically pretty saccharine.
Erykah Badu
4/5
Dug this way more than I expected. Creative song writing. I had no idea I was into Neo-soul. Really good stuff.
Suede
3/5
Madonna
2/5
Pretty glad when that one ended. It sounded to me like she was fulling a contractual obligation.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
Meh, didn't hate it, didn't love it. A solid 3 stars, I suppose.
4/5
The singer and some songs sound so much like Johnathan Richman. That's neither here nor there, but the music is solid, dig this album.
Solange
3/5
Love the message but not a fan of the melodies. Also, must be nice being the kids of a music industry exec.
Soft Cell
2/5
Sophomoric melodies. How they managed to fart out a hit is pretty amazing to me.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
Outstanding. Everything about it from the writing to the musicianship.
Van Morrison
4/5
Ivan is such a great songwriter. I'm not always into the stuff he writes, but he does such a great job of putting original melodies over the tunes.
The Byrds
4/5
I enjoyed this one much more than their C&W album that came later. Just well written, yet simple songs. I can really hear the influences that were shared between them and Dylan.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Haven't listened to much of his stuff and I'm pretty pleased with this album. Very well written and good melodies. Not a huge fan of his vocals, but am impressed with the album as a whole.
Radiohead
3/5
I just don't get Radiohead. I know many people who flat-out love the band, but they are kind of the rice cakes of rock for me. Musically, I find it quite impressive, but I think it's the nearly flavorless vocal melodies that turn me off.
Joanna Newsom
3/5
I kinda liked this at first, especially her voice. Not usually a style I like. But I thought she did a good job of making melodies out of her very poetic lyrics. However, after about 20 mins of this I wasn't even sure if it was on a different song or not. It just kind of all ran together and became monotonous.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
I'm not a fan of the singer's style. It borders on melancholy whining. The music is reasonably good. I can listen to this but wouldn't seek it out.
5/5
Man, Eric Burdon is talented. I'm not even sure which one of his bands I like better but I think I lean towards War.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Some pretty good stuff on here. Didn't blow my mind but def enjoyed it.
Daft Punk
4/5
Sometimes I think it's brilliant and other times it's monotonous. Overall, even though EDM isn't my bag, I dig it. Might need to get a bit pear shaped and give it another listen.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Sometimes I really dig it and am totally into it and other times I find it grating. I don't mind the guitar tone, unless the guitar tone is the song. Then it's just obnoxious.
The Allman Brothers Band
5/5
God damn! I said god damn! Not usually one to enjoy live albums but, oh to have been at that show. Great stuff.
Goldie
2/5
Maybe I need some molly to enjoy this. Why are albums like this so long? I'm ok with monotony if it's going somewhere, but a two hour album seems a bit much.
Ultimately, just not my bag.
The Soft Boys
3/5
Yeah, kinda dig this. Kinda Beatles meets sex pistols meets stones, meets Outfield. Every song kind of reminded me of another song that I couldn't quite put my finger on. And every song seemed like it was in a slightly different genre but never falling too far from the tree.
Buzzcocks
4/5
Good stuff. Liked pretty much everything about it.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
I used to think I wasn't a fan of him. I'm not sure what I heard that made me feel that way but the two albums of his I've gotten to listen to on this site have been outstanding.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Not real impressed by the first half of this. Basically did covers by changing a few instruments and using a sitar to cover the vocal melodies. Not exactly what I'd call fusion.
The second half of the album was more traditional Indian music and was at the least a bit eye opening and I warmed to it. But other than the acoustic guitar I didn't really hear any fusion of the styles.
The second half of the album was more traditional Indian music and was at the least a bit eye opening and I warmed to it. But other than the acoustic guitar I didn't really hear any fusion of the styles.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Kinda dug it. Not blown away by anything in particular, but certainly found it listenable.
Merle Haggard
3/5
I do like that he actually has lived a life about the songs in which he writes. One of the things that really bugs me about many of the suburban country writers of today.
Orbital
3/5
This album helped me realize why I don't tend to like albums like this. I'm trying to analyze them rather than just sit back and enjoy the music.
I don't need the full 12 minutes to make a general analysis and don't tend to seek out the genre. So I find myself forced to listen to the remainder of the song.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
Good stuff! Really digging the poly rhythms and vocals.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Interesting. Not sure what else to say.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Love the funk and the soul. Not my favorite album by Hayes, but a great one just the same.
B.B. King
4/5
Fun listen. I've never been overly impressed by BB King's chops but he's been extraordinarily influential to those who I am impressed by.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Boy, that took me back to high school. Other than a romantic reminder, I'm not a fan of most of their music.
Blue Cheer
3/5
Acid rock often reminds me of Peter and Lois when they had their band and thought they were really great, but it was just the drugs.
Anthrax
3/5
Other than not thinking much of Belladona's ability to carry a tune, I think the band is fantastic. Great metal, cool guitar harmonies. Just struggle to listen to the lack of vocal melodies.
Björk
3/5
Hard to opine on this. Parts of it are brilliant, but weird as shit too. I imagine this is what a well orchestrated orgy sounds like.
Gram Parsons
4/5
A little to C&W for more liking, but not a bad album as far as that goes.
Fugees
3/5
Kinda of a mixed reaction. Really like some, not a fan of some. Ultimately, I like the Fugees and I'm a huge fan of Lauren Hills voice when she sings.
Metallica
5/5
Ho man, this takes me back. Waiting outside La Grande Stereo & Music for them to open so my buddy and I could by the cassette. Love the smell of a new cassette and reading the liners. Something that is definitely missing from digital music.
This album changed my taste in music for many years.
The Libertines
3/5
Not bad. Kind dug some of it. Would def listen again if it came into my feed.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Really fantastic songs. I love that they are simple structures with more complex pieces and great melodies. Makes for classics and there are few on this album.
TV On The Radio
4/5
Good stuff! Really enjoyed this album. For the life of me I can't remember their hit they had when I was just a yoot.
The Specials
3/5
Really liked most of it. Nothing great about it, just that it was a fun little listen.
Beatles
5/5
There is nothing I can say about this album that hasn't already been said a 1000 different ways.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
The Muppets turned me on to Stevie when I was a little kid. I've always been so blown away by the bass tone and the way his voice is clear like a trumpet. Just love this!
The Residents
4/5
I'd bet dollars to donuts this was Les Claypool's favorite album in high school. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be the least bit shocked to find out one or more members of Primus were in this band.
Anyway, I kinda dig it. It's weird, I like avant garde stuff. What I don't like is weird for weird sake. This has purpose and is well written. Also, It's only 34 mins, so I don't get burned out on it.
3/5
Kinda catchy songs that sound fairly simple, but nice use of passing chords to keep everything from being I, IV, V.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
This website has made me a much bigger fan of Leonard. I never used to be a fan of his voice but still liked his song writing, especially when performed by other singers. However, the more I listen to him the more appreciation I have for him.
Air
3/5
I'd have to go with "good studying music". Just something nice to have on in the background.
Pantera
4/5
File under bludgeon!
Garbage
4/5
I'd totally listen again. Decent stuff. I'll round up to four stars.
Morrissey
3/5
Morrissey just isn't my bag. I liked the Smiths better, but not significantly. I will say of the four albums I've had to sit through (not including three Smiths albums) I'd say this is probably the best of them.
Also, of the 738 albums so for, of the 1000 albums I need to hear before I die, how are seven of them Morrissey? He's a very good song writer if that's your bag, but that can be said about many, many, many artists that aren't on this list. Like, not one Cake album yet. This is more albums than I've heard of both Pink Floyd and Zepp combined. What am I missing?
Quicksilver Messenger Service
4/5
Good stuff. Could totally listen again.
Gene Clark
2/5
Not a fan of this genre. Gordon Lightfoot and the like. Just not my bag.
The Vines
4/5
This was good! Dig it a lot. Kind of a Jane's Addiction vibe. Will def look up some of their other stuff.
4/5
Didn't expect I'd like this as much as I did. Even listened to the reissue with extra tracks.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Good stuff! Enjoyed the sense of humor throughout.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Some real catchy stuff, but for the most part it's elementary and repetitive.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Really interesting. Not an everyday listener. More of an indie film soundtrack, I guess. Excellent writing.
Neil Young
3/5
I'm simply not a fan of his style. He's got some songs I really like (Cinnamon Girl, Harvest Moon, Heart of Gold specifically), but they are so few and far between that I don't really enjoy listening to his albums. Would rather hear his hits on the radio every once in a while.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Looking back at my history, this is my fourth Nick Cave album and I have rated all of them a two. This one is no different. I'm not a fan.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Really talented musicians and writers. Interesting enough and not a bad listen, but, just not my bag and something that I'd get into.
Big Star
2/5
Was thinking not too bad, kinda .38 special, Foreigners vibes. Then that Jesus Christ song came on. Dear FSM. What a turd that was. Kind shifted the vibe of the whole album for me.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
I've never really listened to her. For some reason, I was a bit surprised that it didn't sound like Faith Hill. Kinda dig it. It was pretty creative and had some hints of uniqueness.
Khaled
3/5
Interesting and unique from the perspective of a westerner. Wouldn't listen again, tho.
Bill Callahan
3/5
Usually not my bag, but I kinda dug on most of this. Except for that last song. That was a ten minute song that could've easily been 2 mins. And shoulda been. Repeating the same line for 8 full mins is just playing with yourself.
Mj Cole
3/5
Not my bag at all. I didn't hate it by any means, it's just not what gets me going.
Hanoi Rocks
1/5
As far as 80's hair bands go, this one suuuuux. Cool name tho. But that's about where it ends. Singer struggles to hit pitches, guitar work is ok, lyrics are straight out of a rhyming dictionary. Themes are idiotic. Beats are sophomoric.
LTJ Bukem
3/5
I dig the chill vibes but they are too frequently interrupted by something harsh, which kinda kills my buzz. But overall pretty decent.
The Stone Roses
3/5
Pretty good. Nice melodies. Might listen again. That's a good sign!
U2
5/5
I've never been a big fan of U2, but I've always dug their hits. This is a fantastic album and the Edge has some pretty fantastic guitar work. Would love to hear him play some disco.
Kate Bush
5/5
I wasn't much of a fan of the first album of hers that was offered on this site. But this one was outstanding. I totally dig it. Especially the first half. Just the weirdness but in an artistic sense that makes sense, vs. weird for the sake of weirdness. This is still melodic for the most part.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Although, there's really spectacular about this album, it was a pretty defining album for the time. And Gabriel is a fantastically talented songwriter.
Mariah Carey
3/5
I just don't like this style of music. It doesn't turn my crank. In actuality, it grinds my gears. It's well done, she has an amazing voice, the writing is reasonably good, as is the production. But I just have a hard time listening to it.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
This was pretty good! I've heard of the band but had never listened to them. I'll seek out more!
Meat Puppets
5/5
Really fantastic stuff. Creative song writing. Edgy. Unique. Dig it.
Eagles
5/5
Really a great album. So many hits. Not just hits, all-time great songs. They were true masters of the trade.
Cornershop
4/5
I really dig this. Will totally listen again and seek out their other music.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Did not vibe with this. The melodies were repetitive but the music was pretty well written. I just couldn't get into it because the singing sounded pretty much the same from song to song.
Britney Spears
2/5
Man, this shit just isn't my bag. The lyrics are vapid. The music is basic. It's somewhat catchy sometimes, but it inspires absolutely nothing in me.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
5/5
What amazing storytelling and guitar playing. I want to go camping with this guy and listen to him around a campfire.
The Slits
3/5
Pretty creative, as original as post punk can probably get.
Foo Fighters
4/5
I really like the Foo Fighters. They aren't necessarily original or breaking any new ground. But they write catchy songs and hooks that reel you in. It's pretty formulaic, but they do it masterfully.
The Verve
2/5
There's a decided lack of hooks in their music. For music that isn't that complex I find that good hooks can make all the difference.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Good writing and all, but not my bag. Kinda like a sedated Leonard Cohen. Who was already a bit sedate.
David Bowie
3/5
Not my favorite of his. Some of the instrumental stuff was beneath him in my opinion. He's a better writer than that. Felt contractually obliged.
Butthole Surfers
4/5
I kinda dig it. Some of it is pretty... just noisy, but I've heard many albums that are noise for noise sake and this isn't one of them. Like, they know what they're doing and how to use some of those harsh tones in kind of a Stephen Riech way. I guess, less experimental and with more purpose.
Raekwon
2/5
Gets pretty monotonous. Like repeating piano themes but with zero variation.
Korn
4/5
Pretty original. Dig the tunes. Good n' groovy. Some of the vocal and guitar effects were a bit overused, but all in all, a good listen.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Oh, man. I thought I was going to hate this after about ten measures of the first song. I thought I was going to be a Joni Mitchel type of album as soon as I heard her hit a high note.
I was pleasantly surprised. The melodies were nice and catchy. It's a bit on the melancholy/downtempo side, so not something I'd likely listen to again, but will probably give some of their other music a listen.
The Triffids
3/5
Meh, it's ok. Not mad I had to listen to it, but certainly not going to listen again. It kinda felt like listening to a shiny song about angst 17 times.
Syd Barrett
4/5
Reminds me a bit of 8 Songs for a Mad King. With hindsight, it appears like a view into madness. Kinda dig it.
Sex Pistols
5/5
Some groundbreaking stuff here. Compositionally, not so much. But the results can't be argued with.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Pretty melancholy. Not usually my thing, but it kinda rings with me. I saw her open for Page/Plant in the 90s ish and was, I think, more impressed by her live show.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Uhhh, a bit on the long side. The songs are mostly pretty cool and well written, but I would much prefer an album of 12 of the best songs. Nearly 70 and the good ones just get lost with all of the ones that slid of the wall.
The White Stripes
4/5
Radiohead
2/5
I just don't get Radiohead. I can't get into it.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Don't get me wrong. I like JT. I think he's hilarious and talented. But, I'd rather hit my thumb with a hammer than listen to this again.
Ella Fitzgerald
5/5
Really amazing. And long. I'd much rather listen to this as four or five separate albums instead of 3.5 hours straight. Especially since I already had an album this week with more than 60 songs.
That said, it doesn't take away from the brilliance of the writers, the musicians and Ella. They are all some of the best in the world in their fields. Often, that combination makes for too many cooks (too many cooks!), but here it combines for a solid five star album.
Paul McCartney
5/5
I think McCartney is one of the all-time best pop songwriters of the 20th century. Top five easily.
Megadeth
4/5
These guys are quite underrated and unfortunately I think it's because Mustane vocals come across as a bit whiney.
ABBA
3/5
Not a super big fan of ABBA but they do have some catchy songs and are decent songwriters. Great voices. Just not really my bag.
The Cult
3/5
I've always liked the Cult's sound. But it's really limited to their hits. Because when listening to a whole album every song starts to sound like Fire Woman.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Can totally hear why these guys were such an influence on so many of the alt/grunge bands of the 90s.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Great writing from a generational talent.
The Incredible String Band
4/5
Kinda cool stuff. Creative writing. I can see where many bands were influenced by them.
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
This was cool and all, and I'd love to have it playing in the background when the grandparents are over for dinner. Maybe while doing homework. But it's not a genre I'm accustomed to and don't know the structure. So for all I know it could be genius level work or sophomoric or somewhere in-between. I can hear the musicianship is at times quite impressive. At the end of the day, it's a nice listen.
3/5
Not really sure. I liked the song writing. It's well done, but some of it was just too slow/melancholy. It's like listening to a Sting xmas album.
Mike Ladd
3/5
Not really by bag, but kinda dug it anyway. Prolly wouldn't listen again, however.
The Bees
3/5
Meh, kinda cool, but not really by bag either. Didn't love or hate it.
Slayer
4/5
I'm not really a fan of speed metal. I appreciate it though. The musicianship, especially when it comes to timing and speed is spectacular and worthy of the highest praise. The singing doesn't do it for me though.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
All time classic with banger after banger. Great album!
Supergrass
4/5
Great music! I'd listen again and will seek out more!
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
My least favorite, of pretty much all S&G songs, is Bridge. After that, fuckin' hits. Every last one of them. Well, Bridge was as well, but I mean in my book.
Al Green
4/5
Great stuff, would def listen again.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I was surprised by his voice. It wasn't that distinct baritone I'm so accustomed to. What a great song writer.
M.I.A.
3/5
Kinda dig it. Not usually my bag, but this kinda did it for me.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I'm always shocked at hearing how Stones were a straight forward blues band early on. Yet, can still hear what they were to become.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Pretty impressed. I've not really listened to much of KOL, but will rectify that after listening. Pretty talented song writers.
Motörhead
3/5
Is it just me or did I listen to the same song for 30 mins? Not exactly creative or innovative, but still fun to listen to.
Laibach
4/5
I was a little put off at first but as this album went on it grew on me. It's actually pretty epic. Creative. Well written. I've no idea what they're saying, but could totally listen again.
The National
4/5
Not usually a sound or genre that I'm drawn to, but this was quite well done. Good songs, well written, pretty good musicianship (I sense they may be much more talented but have to keep it in check for the style).
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
Phenomenal! Absolutely love this album.
Eagles
4/5
Certainly not their best album, but two of their best songs in Take It Easy and Peaceful, Easy Feeling. Witchy Woman is no slouch either.
Joe Ely
2/5
Not for me. Sophomoric lyrics and totally predictable melodies. Some creativity in the guitar playing but for the most part it's just par for the course honky-tonk/country.
Spiritualized
2/5
Not my bag. Decent song writing, just kinda boring.
Arrested Development
5/5
Outstanding! Really great shit. Great writing. Unique. Original. Love it!
Tito Puente
5/5
Fucking love Tito Puente!!! Never heard a single song from his band that doesn't make me want to move. Five stars before I even listened!
Norah Jones
5/5
What a voice. Really dig this.
Primal Scream
3/5
Meh, Didn't really do much for me. Just kinda was.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Not bad, not sure I'm a fan, but was worth the listen.
Beck
4/5
Super talented song writer.
Oasis
3/5
Meh, some pretty good, catchy stuff interspersed with some stuff that sounds mailed in.
The Stranglers
3/5
Pretty good. Never heard of these guys and kinda liked it. Not so much that I'll seek out more of their music but certainly didn't mind the listen.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Jazzy! Enjoyed the listen, but not really my jam.
Ryan Adams
4/5
This surprised me. I thought I knew Ryan Adams but this was much better and well composed than I had expected.
Venom
2/5
Just ok, I guess. I didn't find it ground breaking. Though it might have been in '78. Just kinda fast, and kinda in sync. Mostly just sounded like a garage band. Not a fan of the singer's voice or melodies (or lack thereof). Just not my thing.
The Fall
3/5
I'm not sure about this one. Quite a bit of impressive writing and creativity. Unfortunately, a bit mixed with some tedious songs. But overall, I think I dig it. Like a hair more than meh, but not quite so-so.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Kinda groovy to listen to. Always like hearing new (to me) stuff. Not my jam though.
The Blue Nile
1/5
Not a fan. Too melancholy. Too slow. Too whiney.
The Beta Band
3/5
The War On Drugs
3/5
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
That the shit I like. Good, creative, unique (in it's time).
Joy Division
2/5
Not a lot of Joy to be found in this. It's so mundane.
Whatever you do, skip the live version.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
I listened to this entire album while working and very literally didn't remember one bit of it. So I guess my review is that it wasn't memorable.
Scissor Sisters
4/5
Kinda dig it. Witty, clever, good songs. Not great, but I'd listen again and to there other stuff as well.
4/5
Not what I expected from the Kinks at all, but I dug it! Fun album.
AC/DC
5/5
All time great album. So many hits. Just doesn't stop. It's simple, but it just hits all the right notes.
The Pretty Things
5/5
Kind of a great mix of early Pink Floyd and Queen. Really digging it.
Stephen Stills
5/5
Great music. Great writing. Great musicians.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Yeah, not a fan at all. That was hard to sit through.
Hole
3/5
Kinda edgy. They do a great job of getting their anger/point across in both the music and lyrics. It's not great, not groundbreaking. In a sweeping generalization, it's about like most angry girl bands I've heard before.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Great album. Very little "borrowed" music on it. So that's a plus. Lots of great songs and great musicianship.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
I liked it pretty well at first, but it kinda ran long and got a bit monotonous. Overall, kinda liked it. Prolly wouldn't listen again.
George Harrison
4/5
Just a bunch of very well written songs. Ultimately, I think this would've been better as two or three separate albums.
Talking Heads
4/5
I dig their creativity and uniqueness. Embodied in excellent song writing. Not something I'd listen to often but am a fan!
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
I'm not much of a fan of the style but I do like their melodies and am pretty impressed.
Thelonious Monk
5/5
Brilliant writing and musicianship. It's not my favorite kind of jazz as I often find it too dissonant and difficult to follow, but I also understand that is because of my own limited musical knowledge.
Deep Purple
4/5
I dig the vibe. Groovy, funky, driving. It's all there.
Jacques Brel
3/5
Dude's passionate. I'll give him that. It's kinda cool. It's something I imagine playing on my parents giant record player/radio/tv console when I was a kid. I've really no need to listen to this again, though.
George Michael
2/5
Welp. Glad that's over. Fantastic voice. Dumb songs.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Not usually my bag, but I got into this. Kind of a fan!
Brian Eno
2/5
This one of those albums that I listen to and when it ends I have no idea that I've listened to it. It's akin to elevator music in an Old Navy.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
It got much better once I realized it wasn't necessarily supposed to be in German. Really talented song writer.
The La's
3/5
Not too bad. I'm surprised they only did one album. Was actually pretty good. I'd've liked to hear what they could've done.
The Fall
3/5
I probably liked this one the most of the three that I've listened to now. Still just three stars, but more like 3.5 if I was able to split hairs.
U2
3/5
Never been a fan. They've got some really great songs but the style is really hit and miss with me.
Silver Jews
2/5
Pretty melancholy. Songs really lacked melody. I didn't hate it, but certainly wouldn't listen again.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Meh, kinda flavorless.
The Police
3/5
I like a lot of The Police songs, but I'm about 75/25 don't like/like. The way the melodies often bounce up and down instead of flowing chromatically bugs me.
Hot Chip
3/5
Kinda liked this. Prolly won't listen again, but liked what I heard.
Nick Drake
2/5
This is another one of those albums that I listened to and never remembered a single thing about it. So, "unremarkable", I remark.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Wait a minute... This sound like rock and/or roll.
Interesting, and not what I expected. I've only heard the one song (I'll let you guess which one). I expected the rest of the music to be more inline with "In The Garden of Eden by I. Ron Butterfly."
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
To play like that and sing at the same time. Mind blowing. A once in a lifetime talent.
The Replacements
3/5
The White Stripes
4/5
Pretty fucking fantastic. I love how much they do with so little. Simple songs that sound so much more complex.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Kinda liked this. Creative, well written. Witty in places.
Eels
3/5
Kinda into this. Weird in a good way. Bit catchy.
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
In my opinion, this just sucks. Repetitive and juvenile. It's like he got the lyrics off of a jr high student's peechee. Yes, I know I'm dating myself. Like eating overcooked vegetables as a kid, I wanted to get up and leave the table. But I stuck it out.
Richard Thompson
3/5
Not really my thing but pretty good songs.
The Undertones
3/5
Some wittiness to the music and lyrics. Mostly just pretty simple.
Little Simz
1/5
I just can't relate to the lyrics. I also can't get into to the repetitiveness. It's not like EDM where the repetitiveness has a purpose. Just don't dig it.
Brian Wilson
2/5
Meh, didn't hate it. But it sound suspiciously like the background music in a Goodwill.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Great writing, excellent musicianship.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Not really what I expected. I guess I'm not sure what I expected, but this wasn't it. Still, not a bad listen, just didn't really blow my skirt up.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Here's what I find funny. The lyrics are just a juvenile and stupid as Eminem's but I enjoy this a significant amount more. Still not that much.
Roxy Music
3/5
Quite a bit different from the last album of theirs on this site. A lot more melancholy, experimental, and droning in my opinion. Not bad, just not for me.
Simply Red
3/5
Not a fan of the genre, but liked the songs.
Goldfrapp
2/5
I'ma go with - weird. A lot was well written, but much of it was just, I really don't know how else to put it, weird.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Not much of a country fan, but I liked this. It's more like the old C&W that my dad listened to.
Fugazi
4/5
I kinda like it. It's what I expect from Punk. Also, it's short, so the constant driving snare drum doesn't go on for an hour and a half.
Massive Attack
4/5
Pretty cool. Unique, well written. Creative. I dig it. Was wild about their doors cover, but the rest of the album was pretty good.
Kanye West
1/5
I've listened to 877 of 878 albums presented to me on this site. The one I didn't listen to was Kanye. I'm not going to give this fuckwad a second of my time. I'll add two albums of my own to round out the thousand.
Brian Eno
4/5
Quite fantastic. Very creative, a bit slow, but well produced and written.
Slipknot
4/5
Yeah, dig it. It's driving. It's got great musicianship. Not a super big fan of the "I'ma scare you from fighting me by using my dominant male monkey motherfucker voice " singing. But overall, good shit.
Iggy Pop
2/5
Not very good. It's the musical equivalent of eating unseasoned vegetables. Yeah, it's probably good for me, but can I get some salt or something?
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Great. All-time classic.
5/5
That is some serious cacophony, organized chaos, and epically talented musicians. It's a bit of a difficult listen because there is so much happening and it's impossible to digest the entire thing in one sitting.
Finley Quaye
3/5
Dig it. Not as good as Exodus, but good shit.
Elliott Smith
3/5
It's quite creative. I had this combination of appreciation and malaise from listening to it. He seems quite talented as a song writer but I didn't really enjoy or connect with the songs.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Great stuff. I love it! One hang up though. He refers to Antonio Carlos Jobim as the "inventor" of Basso Nova. I got a bone to pick with that. Though very influential there were a number of artists/composers who were mixing Samba and Jazz during the same period as Jobim. They all influenced each other and took influence from those before them. So to hang that accolade on one person seems a bit narrow.
JAY Z
3/5
I've never listened to Jay-Z. Not my bag. Like most music I avoid, it was better than I was expecting.
The Pharcyde
4/5
90s hip hop was the best. Love it.
Björk
1/5
I'll chalk this one up to the 1000 albums I should die before I hear. Bjork is just not enjoyable. Not only is it not enjoyable but I have to suffer through 8-11 min songs. Jebus. It's beyond me that there are people who buy her albums. In what mood does one have to be to want to listen to this? I hope I'm never in that mood.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Just saw him play a week ago. Hearing his voice and listening to these songs that he made classic is an amazing experience. There's so much that goes beyond just the song writing. There's this odd, longing melancholy that is woven into his songs that make them feel so personal.
Destiny's Child
3/5
I was kinda ok with it until the last song. But ultimately, it was a kinda poppy, catchy, well sung album. Not ever going to listen to it again, but didn't hate it.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Very Queen-like. Talented writer.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Meh. Not terrible. That's not a ringing endorsement, but I didn't hate it. Just not my bag.
The Beau Brummels
4/5
Really talented song writers. I don't care too much for the music itself, kinda like spending an afternoon at a renaissance faire.
Femi Kuti
2/5
Not bad. Not my bag, but not bad either. It's hard to get into 8 min songs when it's not really blowing your skirt up.
Scott Walker
2/5
Woof. That was a hard listen. "It's like Vegas if it was run by Ned Flanders." "I didn't think he was going to do Moon River, but BAM! 2nd encore!"
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Every time I listen to him I like him more! I especially appreciated Diamonds in the Mine. I don't usually like his voice much so I looked up some cover versions and no one gives the song the feel he does.
SAULT
2/5
Kinda boring. Might be nice for a romantic dinner or something, but that ain't my bag either.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Not bad, but not my bag either. Middling song writing.
XTC
4/5
Kind of dig it. It's not the XTC that I remember of the 80s. Kinda felt like this was way better. More of that 60s/70s Strawberry Alarm Clock kinda feel.
Pentangle
2/5
Top 3 least favorite genres. There is some pretty impressive musicianship and the song writing is good as well. But the vocals and vocal melodies are unpalatable to me.
Q-Tip
3/5
Funnily enough, I listened to this entire album and a couple days later have zero recollection of it. I guess the best I can say about it is that it is forgettable.
Black Flag
5/5
Yeah, baby, yeah. This sort of thing is my bag, baby!
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Not really into DJ music. I felt like these songs could easily have lyrics which is not something I usually find in DJ music.
Sabu
4/5
I love good rumba, samba, mambo. I've heard very little that wasn't enjoyable.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
This is the type of shit I usually can't stand. I can't stand about 1/3 of this, so it's got that going for it, which is nice.
Sugar
2/5
Not a fan. Insipid lyrics and sophomoric writing in general. It's like Fastball and The Rembrandts had a baby named Good Charlotte who started a band named after something on a table in a Waffle House.
Dagmar Krause
4/5
At first I was, I am not in the mood for this crap. But after a few songs I realized I was actually enjoying this. It's masterfully done. I feel like the original German flowed better (as it should). Translation always changes the feel.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
Weird shit, man. Not that that is bad, it's just weird.
Rush
4/5
This might be the only Rush album I really like. Blown away by many of the songs.
David Ackles
3/5
I'm about 50/50 on this one. Some really great stuff and some stuff that didn't tick any boxes.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Not bad. Not really blown away by it either.
Johnny Cash
5/5
It's incredible to hear his voice at the end of his life singing these songs, especially Hurt. His voice has lost it's power, he's powerless to what is happening to him, and most of these songs are a reflection of that. Very powerful.
Van Halen
4/5
Great album. Probably my favorite. They were just on the periphery to me until this album came out.
Arcade Fire
2/5
Not really a fan. It's not horrible, but certainly doesn't strike a chord with me.
Grateful Dead
3/5
I've never really been a fan of their studio stuff. Always wished I had seen them live though. Always thought I'd catch them "next time." And then, there were no next times.
Little Richard
4/5
This one's tough. It's all very catchy and has genuinely good melodies. However, It's almost all 12-bar blues. You can anticipate the chord and melody changes every time. Pretty simple structure but he made the most of it.
Pretenders
4/5
Good shit. This, I can get behind.
Dennis Wilson
5/5
What a great album. I even listened to the reissue and all the extra songs that went with it. I had no idea he was that prolific and talented as a song writer.
Baaba Maal
4/5
Beautiful use of timing and rhythm. It's so precise, at first I thought YouTube was skipping. However, the songs are long and get kinda monotonous. I'ma have a sesh with Towlie and I'll bet this'll knock my socks off.
OutKast
4/5
Kinda dig it. If I heard each song in a vacuum I'd pretty much like them all. But after 24 songs, I was ready to move on and listen to something else.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Def liked Dear Science better. Still not bad. Great writing.
George Michael
4/5
Never really been a big fan. I've heard all of his hits but I don't know that I've ever listened to an album of his. I have to admit, I'm pleasantly surprised. He's either a good songwriter or works with someone who really knows their shit. There is use of passing chords, subdominants, etc. You don't find that in your run of the mill pop songs.
5/5
Grooooovy! Dig it. Will def listen again.
CHIC
3/5
Great musicianship and songwriting. Lyrics are kinda cheesy tho. Also, just not my thing. It's like body positive disco.
Morrissey
3/5
First, this has been the most likeable Morrissey/Smyths album so far. Still not that big of a fan, but it beats the others. Which, brings me to pretty much my only complaint about this site. This is the 7th Morrissey/Smyths album I've been served. With only 73 albums left, I hope this is my last. There have only been 7 Zepp and Floyd albums combined so far. No Cake. No Josh Ritter. No Neil Diamond so far. Certainly any one of those would be more important to share than a 7th Morrissey album.
Tori Amos
2/5
Jebus, this just made me edgy and angry after an hour. Not for me, no sir.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Listened to this album hundreds of times. All time great. Literally, first note to last.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Hard to say. It was one of those albums that I put on and then it was over. It just turned into background music.
Tina Turner
2/5
I've never been a fan of her or her voice. She sounds like my grandma who was a life long smoker. I'm impressed with the musicianship and writing, but those are things she had nothing to do with.
American Music Club
3/5
Not blowing my skirt up. It's something I'd maybe listen to on day three of a four day bender.
Bon Jovi
5/5
I'd love to rate this higher. It's a huge piece of the soundtrack of my formative years and it brings back a lot of memories. Which, isn't music supposed to do that? If music is creating an emotional response, good, bad or otherwise, isn't that what most song writers would love to hear? So fuck it, I'll give it 5 stars on that alone.
Massive Attack
3/5
Not bad. Not my thing, but still a reasonably good listen.
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
Not a fan. This is the 80s rap I didn't like. I liked Run, Young MC, Beasties, LL. But this just didn't float my boat.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I don't know why, but Bobby never did it for me. I've seen him live twice and was disappointed both times. Maybe it's just the era I was raised in and why he doesn't speak to me. The songs aren't bad, I just don't connect deeply with them like so many people seem to.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Not bad, some catchy stuff.
New York Dolls
3/5
That first chord was so Poison. Pretty obvious these guys were instrumental in that band. Great party rock. Makes me want to drink gallons of cheap beer. Or Boons. Or Mad Dog.
Pavement
3/5
Pretty good. Normally not a huge fan of the genre but I was digging this most of the time.
Funkadelic
5/5
Great funk. Great grooves. I'm all about this!
David Crosby
3/5
Great songs. This is nice album to relax to. It's not too complicated, it can just be.
White Denim
4/5
Pretty cool. I'm down with this. A lot of variety in the writing. Sometimes I hear ELP/Yes kinda vibes and other times CSNY. Loved it!
Le Tigre
3/5
Pretty good stuff. I like the complexity to the songwriting.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
For some reason I expected this to be more, like 60s bubblegummy. If that makes sense. Pleasantly surprised.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
5/5
I was quite surprised by this. Lots of passion and great songwriting. I'm a fan!
Duran Duran
4/5
Man, I loved these guys in HS. They're music has aged well.
PJ Harvey
5/5
2nd PJ album and I'm really impressed. Unique, creative, all around enjoyable listen.
MGMT
3/5
Not bad, I had no idea that I knew any of this band's music. Nice surprise.
Hawkwind
4/5
I'm not usually one for live albums, but this was good.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Never listened to these guys cause I didn't think I'd like it. Wrong! Great music.
Miles Davis
5/5
Brilliant. Absolute Genius.
Arcade Fire
3/5
There were times I kinda liked it, but for the most part I'm not really a fan.
The Adverts
3/5
Not bad, good grooves. Little edgy. Kinda liked it.
The Mothers Of Invention
5/5
Hot shit, that's good!
Soul II Soul
3/5
Kinda liked it. Groovy. Listenable.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
So good. So groovy. So laid back. Love it.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
Every single song on this album is a banger. I bet I listened to this cassette 1,000x in high school. I know it note for note. One of the best albums of all time in my opinion.
Method Man
2/5
Meh, some good stuff but not overly impressed.
Aphex Twin
3/5
Well, it's properly titled. I'll give it that. I really don't know how to rate ambient works. Like, yes that was extremely ambient. Well done.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
It's a fun listen. A bit long and churchy. I was done after about 12 songs, but still had 31 more to listen too.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Sometimes I think I like KoL, and other times I'm just like "meh". It's almost as if it's mood dependent.
The KLF
2/5
I was kinda digging it until that last song. WTF was that? Like listening to xtian rock. Barf.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
Dig it. I'll listen to some other stuff of theirs. It's like a 40 min opening to a Pink Floyd song.
Sparks
3/5
Meh. Not great, not bad. Listenable. A little weird. Kinda punky. Didn't hate it.
Mylo
3/5
Didn't exactly blow my skirt up, but had a song or two I dug.
Robbie Williams
4/5
I am shocked that I have never listened to him. I've barely even heard of the guy. He has a very long list of well received songs and albums on that side of the pond. He's a pretty good songwriter (with the exception of 'One of God's Better People', that song was a turd top to bottom, in my opinion).
3/5
Not my bag. Didn't hate it, but I've never been a Devo fan and I continue not being one.
Fairport Convention
4/5
That's some pretty decent folk music. Quite melodic. Not something I want to sit around an listen to all day, but I'd like to learn a song or two.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
Too flowery and atmospheric for my taste. Excellent vocals. Well written, just not by bag.
Talking Heads
4/5
Easily my favorite Talking Heads album. Great stuff. Unique and creative without being nonsensical.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Kinda torn between a 3 and 4. I think it's a very good three but not quite a four for me.
Willie Nelson
5/5
This man is a national treasure.
John Coltrane
3/5
I want to love this, there is so much great music in it. But then there is also quite a bit that just sounds like if I tried to play jazz. Like pluck whatever and call it jazz. I know that it works and if I had a better ear and understanding of theory it would tickle a special part of my brain. But I don't, and it doesn't.
The Beta Band
4/5
This is a great album to work to. Enjoyable melodies, nothing distracting, great for focusing. Dig it.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Still better than the first Kraftwerk album presented to me. Also, still not really my thing.
Mudhoney
3/5
Good stuff. Not blown away by it, but enjoyed the listen.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Meh, wasn't bad, just not my bag.
Drive-By Truckers
4/5
Digging it. Like their vibe, like their sound, like their songs.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I'm so close to giving this 5 stars. I'm not a fan but do recognize his talent. The thing holding me back from a 5 is that between the all time great songs are some duds that were written by other people. That's not to take away from the vast talents he has but those songs just bring it down a whole notch. Kinda like what Buddy does to the Elf choir.
Justice
3/5
Meh, kinda cool. I liked it here and there.
Deee-Lite
4/5
That just fun stuff. Good listen, would def listen again.
Public Enemy
3/5
Not too bad. I can sit through it. Rap's not my bag, but anything I can listen to and not just suffer the whole time is ok in my book.