354
Albums Rated
2.94
Average Rating
33%
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735 albums remaining
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2010s
Favorite Decade
Metal
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UK
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Perfectionist
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17
5-Star Albums
16
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peace Sells...But Who's Buying | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
| Felt Mountain | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| S.F. Sorrow | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| System Of A Down | 5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
| The Downward Spiral | 5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
| ...And Justice For All | 5 | 3.43 | +1.57 |
| Blackstar | 5 | 3.48 | +1.52 |
| Antichrist Superstar | 4 | 2.48 | +1.52 |
| Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots | 5 | 3.58 | +1.42 |
| The Cars | 5 | 3.67 | +1.33 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
| The Velvet Underground | 1 | 3.53 | -2.53 |
| Trans Europe Express | 1 | 3.15 | -2.15 |
| Under Construction | 1 | 3.14 | -2.14 |
| Dare! | 1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
| Psychocandy | 1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
| Black Monk Time | 1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
| AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted | 1 | 2.93 | -1.93 |
| Supa Dupa Fly | 1 | 2.92 | -1.92 |
| Only Built 4 Cuban Linx | 1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
5-Star Albums (17)
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Popular Reviews
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
It's a live album of a keyboard-driven progressive rock band covering a 150 year old Russian romantic composer, and it sounds like video game boss music.
38 likes
The Pretty Things
5/5
Imagine if the Beatles, Syd Barret-era Floyd, Wall-era Floyd, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard got together to drop acid and make a concept album. Loved it.
23 likes
David Bowie
5/5
Awesome album, and the context around is next level. Releasing a track called Lazarus with lyrics like "Look at me, I'm in heaven", on an album released 2 days before you die? Very meta.
17 likes
Johnny Cash
3/5
This album could have been half the length and come across stronger. Some brilliant interpretations, some “this is Johnny Cash covering something”.
15 likes
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Proto-riot-grrrl English punks, with clear influences from the Sex Pistols and clear influences on 80's ska-punk bands. Catchy, with some inconsistent guitar effects choices.
14 likes
1-Star Albums (16)
All Ratings
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Not bad if you’re in the mood.
Beatles-esque but too peppy and string heavy. Mr Blue Sky was the best track
Arrested Development
4/5
Super groovy. I can see myself going back to this one.
Tricky
3/5
Extremely chill and relaxed. Would have enjoyed it more with an edible I think. Good background music for work / studying.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
1/5
I'm okay with quiet rock, I'm okay with noise (love Nine Inch Nails!), but this was terrible. Maybe relevant in its time, but I'm fine to never listen again.
AC/DC
3/5
I thought maybe I'd like AC/DC better when I wasn't listening to the A-sides over FM radio. Not really. Lyrics like a 19 year old with a thesaurus just read penthouse letters.
Kate Bush
4/5
I like it so far - not my usual jam, but nice and airy. Giving me "Florence and the Machine" vibes.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
My first full Hendrix album. I definitely enjoy the more avant-garde stuff more than the twelve bar blues, even though of course he does that well.
Queen Latifah
2/5
Interesting mix of early rap (with requisite cringe lyrics), reggae vibes, some dance/house stylings, etc. A few toe tappers, but not going to make regular rotation.
Richard Hawley
2/5
I figured there might be a crooner album somewhere on this list, but I was not expecting it to be from 2005. He's got a nice voice, but it's not really my type of thing.
The Black Keys
3/5
Wow, albums recent enough that I've heard them on a modern radio station. This was decent - again not my usual style (sensing a trend) but not something I'd request to get turned off.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I mean, it's Frank Sinatra. It does what it says on the tin. There's crooning, big band blasts, and hip cat lingo.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
I think I may be missing the gene to truly enjoy EDM. Absolutely sure it would sound better in a club than it did while walking my dog in the woods.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
Some elements were typically sounding early hip-hop, but incorporation of different instrumentation (jazz, tribal) made it stand out.
Roxy Music
2/5
My first glam. Kinda meh with some highlights. I can see how parts of this get incorporated into music I like more. Much sounded like Rocky Horror outtakes.
Goldfrapp
5/5
Stephen Stills
3/5
Southern rock, the exact proportion of which varies. I like the rock parts more, though I'm not against a slide guitar solo. Pass on the fiddle tracks though.
Sade
3/5
If I was scoring a movie in the 80's and there was a sex scene, I'd definitely try to license a track or two off this album. Also, Smooooooth operator.
Louis Prima
2/5
Wasn't expecting a straight up swing record on the list. Would have begged this as earlier. Several songs I knew, reminding me of my high school days in jazz band.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Hadn't heard of these guys. Reminds me of the Clash, which makes sense since I don't know much post-punk. A few tracks worth a re-listen.
Missy Elliott
1/5
Not for me.
The Zombies
4/5
Sort of a mix between post-Sgt. Pepper Beatles and the Beach Boys, with a bit of Doors mixed in. Groovy.
1/5
I didn’t know saxophones could have aneurysms.
Blue Cheer
3/5
Heavier (for the time) hard rock. As a general fan of metal I'm not quite as in to proto-metal / blues-inspired stuff. Black Sabbath put out stuff shortly after that's more my style of metal.
The Doors
3/5
Bluesier than I like my rock, but having heard many The Doors songs before I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Wilco
3/5
Some solid indie rock rode trip tunes, but a little more country than I like.
Venom
3/5
Some decent metal in here somewhere, but it was totally drowned out by the almost parody-like lyrics (SATAN!) and terrible sound recording quality.
The The
3/5
Generally enjoyable synth-pop. Not too sugary, some analog touches (accordion!), some interesting arrangements.
Paul Weller
4/5
Best straightforward rock I've heard so far in this journey. Some fast, some slow, some hard, some soft. Didn't feel like skipping a track.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Album: Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Artist: Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Year: 1984
Best Track: Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Thoughts: This one started pretty strong - sounded like it was building to a synth-powered disco concept album. Deflated a bit later. Catchy though.
Tears For Fears
2/5
Distractingly 80's. Imagine an 80's song. No, more 80's. Let's add some more synth. Even more. Amp up the rototoms. Time for a saxophone solo!
Violent Femmes
4/5
Super catchy, Would be great at a house party. A bit same-y after a while, but good to come on a playlist. Great bass guitar work.
Merle Haggard
1/5
Reminds me of my parents. That's the only good thing about it. The simplicity bugs me - if I could listen to 4 bars then play along with the whole song, I don't like it.
Fever Ray
2/5
Kinda boring. I've been enjoying ambient / trip-hop type stuff (Tricky, Goldfrapp), but this was so unvaried that I had to check a few times I wasn't listening to the same song on repeat.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
Super boring. One long section of chord vamping made it sound like the mixer forgot to layer in the guitar solo. Least interesting 60's album thus far.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Some pretty good tracks. A few fall into the indie trap of simple drum beat + constant strum pattern, but still interesting enough to keep my attention.
Steely Dan
4/5
Great musicianship and harmonies. The upbeat stuff is really fun, but the ballads tend to drag a bit.
Deep Purple
4/5
Didn't really know much Deep Purple before - they rock hard. If you only know "Smoke on the Water", try this album. The vocals on "Child of Time" are otherworldly.
Megadeth
5/5
First album in the list so far where I've listened to the album several times before. Not the best Megadeth, but shows the trajectory. Great thrash metal.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
I know Carrie from Portlandia, but this is the first I've heard of S-K. Great energy, interesting chord progressions for punk (I -> ii -> I, etc.). The vibrato starts to grate..
Wu-Tang Clan
1/5
I don't know as much East Coast rap as West Coast, and having not heard this until I was today years old, I'm not a big fan. Also, ODB was only 25 - just "DB"?
Alanis Morissette
5/5
No wasted tracks on this album. I knew most of the singles (6!) as a teen but never listened to the full album. Great stuff - catchy, edgy, angsty, varied.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Obviously she's got the voice. Aretha Franklin highlights tend to feature her belting out powerful phrases, but I also really enjoyed the backing band on this one. Subtle and clever.
John Prine
4/5
What a surprise! Country, dude sitting on a hay bale - but themes of environmental devastation and crippling heroin addiction in blunt lyrics that would be funny if they weren't depressing.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
The first CD I ever bought was the remix version of this album, so we go way back. Dark, sonically intense, noise in all the right places, and big dynamic shifts. Love it.
Underworld
4/5
Liked this way better than Fat Boy Slim, a contemporary. Instrumentation was interesting enough, and the occasional lyric helps move it along.
The Go-Go's
3/5
I've heard "We Got the Beat" before, but the rest of the album was a little bit grittier and a bit darker than I had expected. Solid early pop-punk.
Beatles
4/5
Thoughts: I mean, it's a classic Beatles album. Some *very* high highs here, but this double album is very front loaded - I skip 7 of the last 11 songs.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Decent mid-90's rock. I was today years old when I realized it's likely Manic (Street Preachers), and not Preachers from Manic Street.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
It's a live album of a keyboard-driven progressive rock band covering a 150 year old Russian romantic composer, and it sounds like video game boss music.
Gang Starr
4/5
Solid hip-hop. Lyrics along the lines of "Watch me rap better than you" which I prefer to the "I'm going to kill you" vibe. Samples were catchy but repetitive within a track.
Saint Etienne
3/5
It was... inoffensive. Billed as "trip-hop", I found it less atmospheric than others in the genre I've liked, with a few high points. Pretty good samples though.
Burning Spear
2/5
I came into this album with a preconceived notion that most reggae sounds similar. I did not have my mind changed. The rhythm I get, but the same two chord progression gets old.
Devendra Banhart
1/5
Wikipedia describes this as "psychedelic folk", which - I guess? A few interesting progressions among the dissonance, like the glimmer of light in a Bartók piece.
The Youngbloods
3/5
A bit southern, some Beatles-like sounds, and a few things all over the map. Interesting enough for another listen through.
Charles Mingus
4/5
Interesting - at times smooth, sultry, dissonant , languid, frenetic. The blend of styles in the highlighted track (big band -> flamenco) is great.
David Holmes
2/5
Some cool samples and break beats, but otherwise pretty boring - not enough variety to keep me interested. Alright for background music, but that's not how I tend to listen.
Leftfield
3/5
Some variety of beats, good energy for puttering around the house doing chores. More to sink my teeth into than some of the other electronica I've heard recently, but still tough to just sit down and take in.
The Damned
4/5
Pretty good early punk! More polished than Sex Pistols, some clear influence on bands like Bad Religion. Elements of The Doors with the keyboards and groove sections.
Liz Phair
2/5
Angsty guitar-driven singer-songwriter stuff. Grungy power-chord transitions but not that heavy. Not a lot of standout tracks, and the bored-sounding vocals got tiring after a while.
Scott Walker
2/5
Lush instrumentation, whiplash subject changes from love songs to getting gonorrhea as part of an army-run brothel (along with the subsequent PTSD). Interesting if nothing else.
Kraftwerk
1/5
I like synth. I even like some Kraftwerk. But this album is so repetitive and boring that it was pretty hard to get through. There's a set of 3 songs that are actually the same song. Rough.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Pretty straightforward "blue-eyed soul". Hard to tell if I liked Son of a Preacher Man because it's especially good, or if it's just familiar.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Rock / dance hybrid, reminds me of Pop Will Eat Itself but softer. The 2009 remaster I listened to had some remixes which are better than the source material.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Proto-riot-grrrl English punks, with clear influences from the Sex Pistols and clear influences on 80's ska-punk bands. Catchy, with some inconsistent guitar effects choices.
Napalm Death
1/5
Blast-beat growl fest. Fast, loud, and poor sound quality. I can see influences from this on bands like System of a Down, but this is pretty close to unlistenable.
Neil Young
4/5
A lot of hits on this one, so picking a favorite is tough. Masterful song writing, deceptively simple guitar, unexpected orchestral flourishes, and a voice that grows on you.
The Stranglers
4/5
Late 70's British Punk keeps on giving. Excellent bass work, some creeping Doors-style organ-powered jams, and Down in the Sewer dips lightly into prog.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Jangly guitars, atmospheric chords, some double-tracked vocals reminiscent of later Beatles, and the occasional trumpet accent. Interesting and varied.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
A little more big-band than the previous Charles Mingus listen, but still exploratory. No real standout track (Bemsha Swing by a nose), but a nice listen.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Masterpiece. Sublime guitar solos, evergreen subject matter, subtle arrangements. This 50 year old album is still used to calibrate high end stereos. Wonderful.
Black Flag
3/5
Gritty, driving beats, interesting guitar voicing. You can see the spoken word master that Rollins will grow to be. Not my favorite punk sub-genre (hardcore), but an element of levity adds a lot
JAY Z
3/5
The first Jay-Z album I've listened to. He's clearly talented and has some clever lyrics, but I think it's telling that my favorite track on the album is the one where Eminem takes the lead.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
I've seen this billed as "Funk", but it's more "Soul". A bit of wah-wah, falsetto at the right times, some fret-hand muting etc., but I really miss the horns. Not a trumpet in sight!
David Bowie
2/5
Not my favorite Bowie. Fame is funky and dark, but the soul sound is less interesting to me than other Bowie hits I'm familiar with. Some great backing vocals though.
Van Halen
3/5
Great rock, fantastic guitar work. Would have enjoyed it a lot more without the vocals. “On Fire” was fine, but everything else was just David Lee Roth being thirsty and DTF
Bob Dylan
3/5
I like Dylan as a songwriter, but not as much as a performer - the harmonic grates a bit, and the mumble loses it's charm. Still a few gems here though.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Some classic dueling guitars, and the singer is talented, but most of the songs fell flat for me. I prefer the dips into metal, though The Boys are Back in Town is classic.
Missy Elliott
1/5
I like this better than the first Missy album, but that's not saying a lot. At least she didn't rhyme "Missy" with "get pissy" this time.
3/5
Decent early punk, good vocal harmonies between the male and female lead. Songwriting was pretty straightforward but catchy.
Julian Cope
2/5
I found Julian Cope’s previous band, The Happy Monday’s, pretty boring. Same here. Stylistically all over the place, but still nothing caught my attention.
Raekwon
1/5
I'm sure fans can point out the ways this is different than a Wu-Tang album, but it has the whole group and seems same-y to me. Not my favourite.
Ice Cube
4/5
Well, I guess I like West Coast rap way better than East Coast. I knew one or two of these, but in general I found it more political with better backing tracks than Wu-Tang etc.
The Who
3/5
A lot of classics, but the ones that aren’t classics kind of drag. Even the big ones are more “great riff” than “6 minutes of excellence”.
Bon Jovi
3/5
Reminds me of AC/DC in that the songs are either a thesaurus-full of "let's have sex" synonyms, or repeated descriptions of how they do, in fact, rock and roll. Nice guitar though, pinch harmonics abound.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
I mean, it's a head-bobbing, bongo-rich album of instrumental dance tracks. It does what it says on the tin. Apache is notable for being extremely heavily sampled in hip-hop.
The The
3/5
Yet more"post-punk" on the list. Started off sounding proto-industrial, maybe like early NIN, but pretty soon dropped into the key-tars and backup vocals that plant the sound firmly in the 80's.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
A pretty flat collection of 12-bar blues. However, both the first and last track are built around riffs / progressions that feature in probably 100 future songs.
Beth Orton
2/5
I need to throw a [citation needed] on the Wikipedia page - \"folktronica\" this is not, with only one song really having a beat. Fine but not my favorite.
Michael Jackson
2/5
I've heard several of these before, and I think they're in the category of \"familiar\" vs. \"things I like\". Noting near as good as Thriller, and I like Alien Ant Farm's \"Smooth Criminal\" better...
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
Interesting and bombastic backing tracks, and really started off like something I'd like, but got pretty annoyingly repetitive after a while. Barely finished this one.
Gang Of Four
3/5
Fine I guess - another late 70s British “post-punk” band - they’re really starting to blur together.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I mostly know later Beastie stuff, so some of this sounded pretty raw. The rhyming schemes are great but lyrics are dated. You can see the budding genius though.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I know a bit of S&G, but was pleasantly surprised by complex harmonies. More than enough to forgive the missing Oxford comma.
Talking Heads
4/5
Great stuff - driving baselines, funky but not overbearing guitars, and David Byrne doing his vocal thing. I hadn't heard most of these, and will dive deeper into their catalog.
Waylon Jennings
2/5
Straightforward classic country. Not my style but well done for what it is.
Beck
2/5
This is generally considered to be one of Beck's best, but I don't get it. I've heard very little Beck, but like the rap and samples. This was almost all acoustic. No turntables and a microphone.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Frank sounds like Frank even when he pairs up with a Brazilian musician. Fun fact, this album lost out to "Sgt. Pepper" for the 1968 Grammy.
David Bowie
5/5
Awesome album, and the context around is next level. Releasing a track called Lazarus with lyrics like "Look at me, I'm in heaven", on an album released 2 days before you die? Very meta.
The Prodigy
4/5
I knew the singles as this came out while I was in high school, but it was good to give a critical listen and hear the b-sides. Maybe my favorite dance music so far.
Steely Dan
3/5
Classic Steely Dan sound, but not quite as compelling as Countdown to Ecstasy. Harmonies and musicianship are still there and catchy.
Bee Gees
2/5
My knowledge of Bee Gees is limited pretty much to disco hits / Saturday Night Fever. Was interesting (but not especially enjoyable) to hear them sing pre-disco ballads.
The Style Council
2/5
As someone who likes Mr. Bungle and Zappa, it’s hard for me to say that this album is too varied for its own good. That said, jazz to rap to pop, no cohesion.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Uninspired early 90s alternative. Nothing too bad, but relatively risk free with a number of tracks indistinguishable from one another.
Roni Size
1/5
So boring, especially with The Prodigy having been up recently. It’s like Mark Rebillet started off a jam and then just left it going while he went out to buy groceries
Can
4/5
Airy and light, clear influence on future electronica and art-rock outfits like Radiohead. Prog elements and interesting rhythms / chord progressions put above other Krautrock like Kraftwerk.
Suicide
2/5
Interesting electronic additions into the usual late 70's punk angst guitars and yelling. Unfortunately, it's a bit unrealized - you can see some future Muse, or NIN, but it's not quite there.
Hookworms
2/5
Started off promising, but ended up sounding pretty generic. Drone rock is one of the listed genres on Wikipedia, and is apt - pedal tones over rock does not an interesting album make.
Radiohead
5/5
Fantastic - from prog to solid rock to a killer ballad, this album runs the gamut. I like this more and more over time.
The Crusaders
3/5
Some straight-up jazz, less esoteric than some of the previous things on the list (Mingus, etc.) but made for a great mountain biking soundtrack. The instrumentals shone.
Machito
3/5
The original Afro-Cuban jazz. The Wikipedia article was fascinating - Machito basically invented the 3/2 and 2/3 rhythms that make this style of music so identifiable. Interesting time capsule.
Funkadelic
4/5
Funky! A little too funky at times - I mean, not every word in the song needs to be, or rhyme with, "funk" - but otherwise really fun. The back stretch of the album lost lyrics altogether and went down the path of awesome solos.
David Bowie
3/5
Very interesting - seemingly mostly instrumental (didn't keep track of how much), there's a mix of ambient sounds with straightforward beats. It still sounds like Bowie even without the voice.
Miles Davis
3/5
Jazzy noir, like stumbling out of a bar in a neon-covered part of the city, fighting your way through there rain to the next bar.
Morrissey
3/5
I know of Morrissey but have never really heard his solo or other work. Reminds me a bit of the limited U2 I’ve heard. Alright but no real standouts.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Much slower and more introspective than the small amount of ‘Merica I’ve heard from the Boss. Folky, depressing, soulful.
The Who
3/5
Lots of humour throughout this album with the classic late 60's sound. The jingles and commercials add a time capsule element to it. Not what I was expecting from The Who given their later work.
a-ha
2/5
Peak 80's. A mix of slow and fast, upbeat and morose, but "Take On Me" pretty much outshines everything else.
Mylo
2/5
Another mostly instrumental house album. Most notable are the few tracks that wouldn't be out of place in a chiptune game soundtrack, and inexplicable lists for lyrics (rockers, cars).
The Smiths
3/5
Second Morrissey in a week, and my first album from The Smiths. It's well done, but my favorite. I can see a bit of influence on later, heavier bands that I like, like Pop Will Eat Itself.
Madness
3/5
A little bit of ska and a whole lot of wacky, vaudevillian carnival vibe (think "Being for the Benefit of Mister Kite"). Then, that song from the coffee commercial in the 80's.
Lorde
3/5
Soulful yet poppy, energetic and sad at times. I can see a couple of potential anthems here for the right set (of which I'm too old to be a part).
Blur
2/5
Woo hoo! All I knew about this album prior to listening was Song 2, and it set me up for disappointment. Genre hopping is fun and all, but none of the journeys went anywhere particularly good...
Lou Reed
3/5
Clearly ahead of its time with the subject matter. Although Walk on the Wild Side is by far the most widely known track, I think it also fits Reeds voice the best.
Janet Jackson
3/5
First half of the album had some good beats and interesting layering - New Jack Swing apparently. The second half was all ballad all the time, which I can do without.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Reminds me of a bar band doing covers of late 50's / early 60's rock tunes. Whiskey Woman got interesting, but much of this sounded like style pastiches.
Sabu
2/5
Really puts the "Afro-" in Afro-Cuban. Typical Latin sounds morphing into tribal beats and back. Good grooves, but really repetitive and a bit too raw for me.
Ash
3/5
Super-heavy riffs and wall-of-noise distortion too frequently ends up with straightforward and uninspired songwriting. Moments of headbanging greatness.
Metallica
5/5
Great album - more "prog" than I remember, with shifting time signatures and elaborate arrangements. Dueling guitar harmonies are nice, but that chunky palm muted E is never far away.
Billy Joel
3/5
Great ballads and a few rock tunes. A few songs were a bit indistinguishable, but others were peak-McCartney-level writing.
The Who
2/5
Classic rock sound, but lacked the humour of Sells Out and the songwriting depth of Who’s Next. My Generation does a great job normalizing stuttering though.
Culture Club
2/5
I can't believe I had to listen to a whole Culture Club album just to realize that "Karma Chameleon", the first song and their biggest hit, was the best.
Boston
5/5
Great album - 8 tracks, and all 8 get regular classic rock play. Defined 70's hard rock sound, with classical touches. "Peace of Mind" would make a good punk cover by Bad Religion.
Marilyn Manson
4/5
High school staple. Hasn’t stood the test of time as much as my other favorites from this era, but thematically it’s strong and there is are some cool dynamic shifts.
The Cure
3/5
I can see why Trent Reznor did The Cure’s hall of fame induction - half of these instrumental tracks could be on The Fragile or Ghosts. The rest were a bit 80s for me.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Fogerty's voice is awesome, even as backup vocals. CCR is a known quantity, so no surprises from the music, though it was fun to find out they were a SF-based band in the summer of love.
Kid Rock
2/5
The background music is alright - rap-rock is always good for a head nod - but the lyrics are trash. I get it. You are a redneck pimp. That doesn't need 70 minutes of exposition.
3/5
First of the album is all the big hits, with that jangly guitar / ephemeral U2 sound, and of course Bono's pipes. Polished and skillful, but not my style. Greatly preferred Bullet the Blue Sky.
Funkadelic
4/5
Hendrix meets funk, pretty cool. Hard to pick a favorite track because there's a lot of variety, but the title track has one hell of a guitar solo.
Beck
4/5
This is the Beck I know from high school - a mix of live instruments and samples, digital and analog, with the slacker/stoner drawl tying it all together.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I must be missing something about Elvis Costello. It's *alright*, but I'm not hearing anything that screams "rock and roll hall of fame". Maybe its the influence he's had?
The Stone Roses
3/5
Good solid rock. A bit ageless - this could easily be mid 90's, or mid 00's, or more recent. Some driving baselines in a few tracks made for a repeat listen.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Great album - I knew the big hits, the ones with music videos, but the stuff deeper into the album is great as well. Geek USA got my 10 year old headbanging.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
An interesting mix of soul/funk and rap, with some great highlights of each. A lot of versatility in terms of flow and structure.
Eagles
2/5
Previously I only knew "Hotel California", and thought the Eagles were okay. Now I know I just like Hotel California. Uninteresting country rock.
Ice Cube
1/5
Good beats, but much weaker than The Predator. Lyrical content is just terrible, with the social messages overshadowed by one-note misogyny
Frank Ocean
4/5
Heard of Ocean before this but didn't know his stuff. R&B singing isn't my favorite, but he's talented. More interesting were the beats, synths, and layers. Interesting listen.
The Adverts
3/5
Good early punk - one of the better late 70’s efforts I’ve heard. A more genuine angry teen vibe than early Who.
The Beach Boys
3/5
This is my first "deep cut" Beach Boys, and I'm not super impressed. There are some callbacks to the surf-rock harmonies, and some Jethro Tull-like explorations (and flute).
Miles Davis
3/5
Novel recording techniques, atmosphere, and jazz expertise collide with my general dislike of not having any way to know where the beat is.
The Cars
5/5
Hit after hit! If you had asked me to name a Cars album, I couldn't have done so, but it turns out I know half of these. Great stuff.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Classic 80's metal - technical guitars, operatic vocals, fun riffs in minor thirds, and of course the "gallop". Run to the Hills brings back some Rock Band memories.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Pretty decent country rock. Much more interesting than the Eagles, making a twangy 12 bar blues compelling. Freebird is overrated
Carole King
3/5
Interesting to hear the songwriter herself do these huge hits which are best known by other artists. Polished Easy Listening.
The Black Crowes
3/5
Blues rock just isn't my thing - I get how it'd be fun in a bar live with beer and friends, but it's not great for just sitting and listening.
The Young Rascals
2/5
It sounds very "Summer of Love", but it's a lot less interesting than most of the heavy releases from 1967. I mean, at least add a sitar or something
Hugh Masekela
3/5
The most straightforward of the jazz albums thus far, striking in comparison to Bitches Brew. Great soundtrack for a city walk, and surprising tribal beats to close
R.E.M.
2/5
I know some later R.E.M. (Losing My Religion) but found this pretty boring. The songs blurred together a bit, and I got the impression of a less dynamic Tragically Hip.
Ramones
2/5
I get it - they were ahead of their time. That said, it's a bit of a hard listen given my enjoyment of more modern punk. Better as a history lesson than a listen.
The Beau Brummels
4/5
Elements of mid-late Beatles, with a fair amount of Jethro Tull flair thrown in. Lovely string arrangements and meandering song structure. Good listen.
Blur
4/5
Great album! I liked this much better than “Blur”. Multiple genres, from disco to punk to polka. Some. Baroque pop elements - really interesting.
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
This is often cited as one of the best live albums of all time, and I can imagine the energy of being there in '64. At this point it's dated.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Much more mature than the first Costello album I listened to, to the point of being borderline overproduced (did we need strings there?). Great ballads.
Moby
4/5
I knew fewer of these than I thought I would, given its marketing push on release. I found the instrumentals and ambient tracks most compelling.
The Pretty Things
5/5
Imagine if the Beatles, Syd Barret-era Floyd, Wall-era Floyd, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard got together to drop acid and make a concept album. Loved it.
Beatles
3/5
Classic Beatles, though I greatly prefer Revolver onwards. Some new tracks in here for me.
Frank Zappa
2/5
Not my favorite Zappa - there's something about jazz without lyrics that I have trouble getting into. Technically proficient, sure, but I like his later stuff much better.
Ray Charles
2/5
Straightforward big band charts. I like this better than Sinatra-style crooning, but it’s still better for background / theme music than a dedicated listen.
Happy Mondays
2/5
This is the second Happy Mondays album on the list, and I’m not really digging them. I much prefer the heavier version of this as heard in later PWEI
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Poppy with a bit of punk attitude and a lot of girl power. The hits overshadow the other tracks, but it’s all pretty danceable.
4/5
Nice space-y Bowie, with only a few songs I've heard before. Soaring choruses, far-out lyrics, and of course, letting the kids boogie.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Great album - love the parallel harmonies on the title track, and Our House could pass for a Beatles track. The missing Oxford comma is really throwing me off though.
Guided By Voices
3/5
This sounded like a bunch of unfinished demo tapes or jam sessions. Listenable, and the lo-fi aesthetic is endearing at times, but if feels like a meal consisting solely of appetizers.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Pretty catchy, but the clever lyrics can't cover up the repetitive themes. Tay Tay breaks up with more people *per song* than I have in my life time. Maybe the haters in Shake It Off have a point?
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
The opening disco-funk beat which segued into salsa got me hooked, but I was a bit disappointed that there was no further crossover in this Latin set.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Folky goodness - some Jethro Tull style vocal embellishments made me smile. I’m also reminded of the busker who played Wild World non stop for years outside my old office.
Air
2/5
Ambient soundtrack stuff, a few highlights but ultimately pretty boring.
Dire Straits
3/5
Highs and lows - some towering tracks here, but also a few that were fine, I guess, but really lacking in comparison to their neighbours. I just want more guitar solos!
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
I always like hearing different languages and accents in vocals because it can lend different texture to vocals. That said, I can only take so much a cappella.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Side A was what I expected from the band knowing “Been Caught Stealin’”, which was fine, but the prog elements of side B were awesome.
Duran Duran
3/5
I knew Hungry Like the Wolf, but that’s just boring compared to some of the other tracks. The bass lines are especially notable.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Great album, was already in my favourites list. Cohesive, tells a story without being too blatant, and I love the mix of folky warble with some electronics influence.
The Stooges
2/5
Apparently a classic, but I really only enjoyed one song, which had a good balance of psychedelic and proto-punk sounds.
Otis Redding
3/5
Another “I enjoy the learning more than the album”. Good soul, but I learned that Redding wrote “Respect”. Decent Stones cover.
Black Sabbath
4/5
High quality early metal. As with most Sabbath, there are a few modern covers that are more compelling, but this still stands up.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Two Sabbath albums back to back, but very disappointing - I didn't need to hear Ozzy singing a piano ballad. Only a couple of good tracks.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Smashing Pumpkins meets The Cure meets Jesus and Mary Chain. Sure it has atmosphere and texture, but so does a porcupine in Beijing smog..
The Jam
3/5
Well produced late / post-punk. A mix of upbeat and peppy tunes with driving guitar lines and four on the floor kick. Good music for running.
Pixies
3/5
Punk sensibilities in a noise rock suit. Tracks are hit or miss, but there's a good amount of experimentation and influences from other genres, which keep things interesting.
Sonic Youth
2/5
A bit too pretentious and arty for me, but can appreciate the experimentation. Didn't really have any tracks that resonated with me.
Yes
3/5
Nice early prog but a little poppy for me. Great basslines giving me Rush vibes.
The Cardigans
4/5
Love Fool wins probably for nostalgia purposes, but a lot of tracks have similar energy and instrumentation (in a good way). A fun listen.
The Human League
1/5
There's 80's and then there's "the most 80's singing ever over the background of a Casio keyboard". Stereotypical, in a bad way.
Koffi Olomide
1/5
In the interest of saying something nice if I'm going to say anything at all - it's the best French-language Congolese dance album I've ever heard.
Talking Heads
2/5
It's got the Talking Heads sound, but I liked it far less than Fear of Music. Compositions were a bit sparse for me. Looking forward to see if Remain in Light breaks the tie.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Better than most of the East Coast rap I've heard (Wu-Tang etc.). Biggie's flows are great, though the subject matter is ridiculously repetitive once you get past the shock factor.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Way, way better than Trans-Europe Express, which came out only a year earlier. Some of these tracks were one pounding baseline away from a Deadmou5 hit.
R.E.M.
4/5
Much better than Murmur - this was the R.E.M. sound I was looking for. A few big hits, but even the tracks I hadn't heard of were quite solid rock.
John Grant
4/5
Surprisingly good - reminded me of John Prine, with some Goldfrapp synths at times and even a touch of Mr. Bungle ballad.
Buck Owens
2/5
Country twang isn’t my thing but there were a few songs that edged in on rock, which kept things interesting.
Maxwell
2/5
I’m cool with the occasional soulful slow jam, though I’d never put one on intentionally. This album is packed with them, and they get hard to differentiate after the third or fourth.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
The genre hopping reminded me of Ween, though with a more electronic bent. Most tracks were still close to the indie rock formula.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Very interesting - light guitar and piano, plus soulful singing, plus orchestral hits and some noise. My kind of soul.
Meat Loaf
3/5
Straight up rock musical. It's got more of the "ride a motorcycle into the sunset" aesthetic than I like, but he really powers through and adds in a bit of humour.
Q-Tip
3/5
The rapping style reminded me a bit of Kendrick Lamar (yes I know Kendrick came later). Backing beats were funky, maybe a little like Jamiroquai.
Van Morrison
2/5
Van has one vocal tool, a mumbly repetition of a syllable or short phrase. Fine in moderation, but it seems to be most of every song.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Good old country. Performing a concert in prison about all the ways one can break the law is a pretty neat PR idea.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Great recording quality and production techniques, and good variety within the confines of the Latin sound.
Stereo MC's
4/5
These guys were contemporaries with Happy Mondays, but I like this way better. I think I’ve heard a few of these in commercials or similar. Groovey stuff.
Little Richard
3/5
Quintessential early rock and roll.
Lyrics that are either nonsense or about simple romance (and repetitive either way) are saved by high energy music and vocals.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Hit or miss - the title track is stellar and ageless, but I don’t like the bluesy stuff as much. And the country could have been avoided all together.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
I could see this influencing early NIN with the drum machine and themes. The singing was a bit comical for me though - exactly what I imagine "British gothic rock" to sound like".
James Brown
2/5
Thought I was going to hear some funk, but this is pre-funk Brown. Good R&B, with some hints of the horn dominance to come, but not a single "hit me" to be found.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Like a time capsule - interesting, but dusty.
Willie Nelson
2/5
I like Willie, but was disappointed that this was a very straightforward album of covers.
Slipknot
3/5
Messy and noisy, with some cohesion but too much repetition. It’s like Napalm Death, if they all decided to play the same song at the same time.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Just kinda boring. I get the slacker 60s aesthetic, but it drags on after a song or two. No standout tracks.
Queen
5/5
Genre bending, sing a long operatic rock. I can see the influence on bands like Mr Bungle
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Another time capsule. Twangy and folky, with rural themes and predictable elements.
New Order
3/5
The first track had me intrigued - this album came out in the same year as Pretty Hate Machine, which I love. However, the album sank back into 80's synth instead of getting harder.
Pixies
3/5
Hints of interesting stuff here, but the low-fi, scattered approach ends up detracting instead of adding. More focus would make this a much better album.
Digital Underground
4/5
Great album - really funky early hip hop, with the iconic Humpty Dance and several other head bobbing tracks. Definitely some mature subject matter, but absent a lot of the "I'm going to kill everyone" lyricism of the genre from later in the decade.
John Martyn
3/5
Easy breezy - apparently this album was written after a visit to Jamaica revitalized the artist. It’s not Reggae, but it’s on island time.
Johnny Cash
3/5
This album could have been half the length and come across stronger. Some brilliant interpretations, some “this is Johnny Cash covering something”.
System Of A Down
5/5
Exactly what I would predict an early SOAD album to sound like. Unrefined only compared to later works.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Unremarkable glam rock. Apparently Mott was offered Suffragette City by Bowie - they should have taken it.
Spiritualized
2/5
A mix of ambient and structured songs. Some smooth and light, some more like the brass breakdown on Radiohead’s National Anthem
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Another almost indistinguishable Summer of Love from psychedelic album. Some tracks play it safe and folky, others try too hard to be far out man.
Mudhoney
3/5
Not quite lo-fi, not quite grunge, this album was in between in a way that it made it less interesting to me than it could have been.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Turns out most Rage songs I really like are on this album. High energy, lots of anger, great lyrics.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
This was one in heavy rotation back in the day. The first half is much better, but there’s a lot of variety and energy throughout.
Various Artists
2/5
Remember that 1960’s Christmas song? You know the one? It’s on this album.
Neil Young
2/5
If you thought you might like Neil Young, because his singing is a bit endearing, this album may convince you otherwise. It’s almost a parody at times.
The National
3/5
Arcade Fire meets Johnny Cash vocals and a bit of emo sensibilities.
808 State
2/5
More like a drum machine demo reel than a coherent album. Background music for video games.
Fela Kuti
3/5
African, Latin, jazzy, simultaneously raw but polished. Relatively long tracks with enough variety to keep it interesting.
David Bowie
4/5
Several big tracks - not as consistent as Ziggy, but the lows weren’t as bad as Heroes.
The Young Gods
3/5
What if Ministry and Tom Waits teamed up to do a mix of late 80's Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, and György Ligeti covers? Now, what if it was all in French?
David Bowie
3/5
Middle of the road Bowie for me.
No big hits, but not quite the disappointing follow-up to Ziggy that some make it out to be.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Another good Stones album, with fewer country-style hits than the last one I listened to. Brown Sugar is a jam but has *terrible* lyrics - glad to hear that the band has stopped playing it.
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
Apparently this is a traditional / classical Indian album, but it felt.. watered down for me. Major scales, mostly western instrumentation, etc.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Even with Eric Clapton playing solos, a whole album of 12 bar blues is too much for me.
Red Snapper
4/5
Groovy, laidback, chill. Perfect for driving, studying, or just hanging out.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I liked the writing on Nebraska better. His vocal style is something I’ve heard parodied quite a bit, and much of this sounds like a parody of itself.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Pretty straightforward electronic beats, some good rhythms and samples but nothing too challenging. A little safe.
The Smiths
3/5
In line with what I’d expect from The Smiths / Donovan - fast strummed high guitar parts, solid singing that hangs out on the dominant of the chord most of the time.
Nina Simone
3/5
Some classic soul, with touches of baroque-pop around the edges. Her voice's timbre can change quite drastically from song to song, which I found quite interesting.
Weather Report
2/5
Cool and jazzy, sounded like a Zappa backup band. Unfortunately, there was very little quirk and no lyrical humour, so it ended up being a bit boring
Tim Buckley
2/5
I've never heard of Tim Buckley, and this was not great. I never really got a sense of a grounded genre, and while shifting is sometimes interesting, this wasn't. Slightly bluesy but not satisfyingly so.
Stereolab
3/5
Sort of like a mix between Metric and Flaming Lips, half in French. Tracks vary in how interesting they are, but worth a listen.
Pearl Jam
4/5
Grunge classic. I was never into Pearl Jam as a kid, but I can see why they were so highl my regarded.
Laibach
2/5
Think Rammstein, in the 80’s, with more saxophone, a few good beats drowned out by the weird marching band / rally vibe.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Seminal hip hop anthems, and a fun crossover with Aerosmith.
Def Leppard
2/5
Classic 80’s hard rock / light metal. Iconic sound but kind of lazy writing in a lot of places.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Apparently Nilsson was a favorite of the Beatles, and I saw some indications of great songwriting, but there were many misses as well.
Tito Puente
3/5
Another fun Latin album - all trumpets, all the time.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
So sexy, I think I might be pregnant. One of the most iconic opens of all time.
The Monkees
3/5
“What if the Beatles never did acid?”
The Undertones
3/5
Bouncy light 80’s punk. Easy to listen to but nothing really grabbed me.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Still not a big Elvis Costello fan. He’s good at what he does - I’m just not that into this type of rock.
Skunk Anansie
4/5
Never heard of this band, but they rock pretty hard. They remind me of Foo Fighters in that the style can change a lot between songs, but it sound like the same band still.
Supergrass
4/5
Brit rock done right. I’ve heard a few of these in ads or on the radio. Solid listen.
Depeche Mode
2/5
Kinda boring. I can see the influence on bands I do like, but having a more animated vocalist would do wonders.
Prince
4/5
My first Prince! Funky and soulful. I’m sure it would anger fans, but I could have done without some tracks. Still overall very solid.
Ice T
3/5
The usual early 90’s west coast sound.
The La's
3/5
90’s light rock radio staples, with some late 60’s British Invasion sounds in the deep cuts.
Beatles
5/5
One of my favorite Beatles albums. The suite in the middle is just epic.
XTC
3/5
Varied and energetic - I thought it might be along the Morrissey line, but it ended up being a bit more interesting in my mind.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Not my favorite Hendrix album, but you can’t argue with those melodic riffs.
Rod Stewart
2/5
Overwrought vocals and uninspired bland rock backing track.
Tim Buckley
2/5
A bit boring, folky rock with some good licks but lack of variety.
Fugees
4/5
I knew the singles from high school, but I actually like the rest of the album much better. Hill has an awesome voice, but the hip hop tracks are great.
Fred Neil
2/5
Pretty strange - uninspired old school ballads, then a song about cocaine, then more boring, then a weird Greek sounding tape-loop driven closing jam track.
Parliament
4/5
Always a good groove with Parliament, and I heard of licks and beats that I recognize from later work like Dr Dre
Metallica
3/5
I don’t Metallica, but 2.5 hours of past-prime Metallica with a bunch of strings thrown in drags a bit.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I don’t think I’d previously heard any of these, even though I knew the album title. Nothing here to sway me to being a stones fan.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Somewhat generic post punk sounds.
Faith No More
4/5
I don’t recall hearing the album before, but I knew almost every song. Awesome, hard rock, rap, kinda prog?, metal.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
My favourite African album so far - good guitar hooks and solid playing.
Nick Drake
3/5
Slow singer-songwriter guitar work, kind of an even boring pace to start but got more interesting in the deep tracks.
Lambchop
2/5
Strange crooning, falsetto ballads. It’s like some of the slower Ween stuff, but not as well written
TLC
2/5
A classic from high school, but the single subject matter (relationships / love / sex) gets old half way through.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Uninteresting generic rock.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Some classics on this one, but the less psychedelic tracks are a bit boring. Grace Slick always shines though, weird vibrato and all.
Barry Adamson
3/5
Super weird - light jazz followed by groovy beats followed by straight up random.
Nick Drake
2/5
A little more straightforward than the later Nick Drake album I had a week ago. Fine folky guitar with some nice string arrangements.
Van Morrison
3/5
Way better than my last Van album, on account of fewer annoying vocal tics. Still not my thing
Patti Smith
2/5
Some good punky elements at times, but it was both a bit scattered and kind of safe.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Good collection of Dolly songs I hadn’t heard, from back when country didn’t mean a bigger truck and bragging about how rustic you are.
Aerosmith
3/5
Aerosmith is sort of their own caricature, and stadium rock isn’t my preferred flavour. That said there were some new to me tracks here that pleasantly surprised.
CHIC
3/5
Funky disco grooves, but each song was about twice as long as it needed to be. Great for a dance floor, annoying to listen to.
Joy Division
2/5
Super boring and mopey.
Bert Jansch
3/5
Good folk rock and great guitar playing - reminds me of a whole album of Beatles’ “Blackbird”
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Like walking into a Latin American night club on funk knight.
Slayer
3/5
Below Megadeth and Metallica on my Big4 thrash list - not quite melodic enough for me.
Deep Purple
4/5
Only heard a few tracks because of Spotify limitations, but solid. They are even better live though!
Sebadoh
3/5
Feels like I’m in early 90s Seattle listening to a cross between Sonic Youth and Nirvana B-sides
Elastica
3/5
Some punk and noise rock elements decorating the pop. Decent but no real standouts.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Some good singer/songwriter stuff, like a newer and less quirky Elvis Costello in some ways.
Michael Jackson
2/5
MJ has a great voice, but this album is a bit too disco and has too many ballads.
My least favorite MJ album so far.
Germs
2/5
Pretty good early punk, but the sneering voice grates after a few tracks.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I’ve been listening to some Cohen recently so it was fun to see this pop up. As usual, lyrics are introspective and pseudo religious, with some straightforward but not too simple backings.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
I didn’t enjoy this as much as Tiger Milk, but the singer’s sing song, matter of fact, sitting around a campfire approach is endearing and makes for an easy listen.
Manu Chao
3/5
I’ve heard this before, but have no idea where. There are at least 3 languages sung and apparently the singer uses up to 8 in his work. Latin dance moving bombastic horns to cypress hill slow groove.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Still looking for a perfect funk record, but this is not it. I’m more in the Parliament camp than Sly or James Brown.
Gotan Project
3/5
Instrumental grooves and chill Latin beats
Gorillaz
3/5
Instrumental grooves and chill Latin beats
Crowded House
3/5
Standard inoffensive rock.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Overproduced - I know it was meant to sound like this and was groundbreaking, but I’d love to hear a stripped down version of this that avoids Spector’s wall.
Spacemen 3
2/5
Rather uninspired late psych rock. The album started fine but really lost focus near the end, and I almost turned it off.
The Jam
3/5
A good non-punk but still hard late 70’s rock album. It didn’t have the overdone punk sneer of that era.
Bob Dylan
3/5
The songwriting is great, but I think I’ve come to Dylan too late - the Dylan babble/wail just doesn’t do it for me.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Awesome early keyboard driven prog. The title track could be mistaken for Super Nintendo era JRPG battle music.
The Band
2/5
The least interesting of the Southern rock I’ve heard so far.
TV On The Radio
4/5
Solid electronic rock, a few songs will make the playlist.
Pulp
3/5
Loved the first third, then it got into pretty generic Brit rock (still good), and then boring ballads to close the album.
Jane Weaver
3/5
Reminds me of Metric - a little less unabashed synth pop but directionally aligned.
Dr. John
3/5
Psychedelic bayou stomp.
Nick Drake
3/5
Intricate guitar work and soft signing - proto- Jack Johnson
UB40
3/5
Not as gritty as Burning Spear or Marley, but a bit more listenable.
The B-52's
3/5
All the typical B52 things - weird voice guy, solid vocal gal, quirky lyrics and keyboards - with a bit more punk style vocals than I expected.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
A little indulgent- a few songs worked well by themselves, but the album was not focused enough for me.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Songwriting is great, but It much prefer grittier, bassier older Cohen. Even his early 90’s stuff is markedly better.
Garbage
2/5
Pretty typical 90’s alternative - beyond the hits that got a lot of radio play it’s a pretty shallow offering.
The Avalanches
4/5
I only knew Frontier Psychiatrist prior to this, and it’s still the standout. The rest of the tracks have fewer random cuts but still plenty of samples and great beats.
Miles Davis
3/5
A little less experimental than the later David I’ve heard.
New Order
2/5
The synth / high male vocal combo that typifies a lot of 80’s pop is here in spades, with relatively little to differentiate itself from the pack.
Radiohead
4/5
Not in my top 3 Radiohead albums but still fantastic. With relatively simple instrumentation compared to later works, Thom steals the show.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Pretty boring compared to later Maiden - the ingredients were all there but they haven’t figured out how to bake the right cake yet.
Elliott Smith
2/5
Generic singer songwriter stuff.
The Byrds
3/5
Summer of live rock that’s not quite psychedelic, not quite folk. I think it would land harder if it picked a side.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
A classic, though listening to a whole album of that singing accent sounds is a bit much.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Well travelled world beats, with Indian and Japanese influences.
John Lennon
3/5
Not particularly impressive - reminiscent of my least favourite tracks Let It Be.
David Bowie
4/5
Marty Robbins
3/5
It’s an accurate album title - old school country campfire narratives about life in the badlands.
Fiona Apple
3/5
Solid mid 90’s fare, with interesting chord progressions and some varied style.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
The Only Ones
3/5
Pretty solid early punk - it’s got the sneer and the occasional disregard for melody, but is otherwise structured, in turn, and polished.
The Pharcyde
2/5
Loved the beats, but the sophomoric subject matter and lyrical approach let me down. Passing Me By is a standout.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Only one song available on Spotify, but it was much more to my liking than the last Young album.
Milton Nascimento
2/5
Didn’t get into this one - one of the least impressive of the Latin records I’ve had so far.
Rod Stewart
2/5
Stewart’s voice is a great rock voice, for about half a song, then it starts to grate.
The Monks
1/5
Repetitive and uninteresting
Jamiroquai
3/5
This band has a funky acid jazz sound that is almost too consistent - difficult to differentiate songs.
The Fall
3/5
Some early British punk, a splash of Talking Heads and even B-52s.
Turbonegro
3/5
Kinda weird “death punk” - touches of metal, punk, and rock.
The White Stripes
4/5
More twangy then I thought it would be, but Jack really carries it with his songwriting chops, unpolished voice, and energetic riffs
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Seminal punk, and you can feel the energy, but the vocals are a bit monotonous despite their power.
Aphex Twin
2/5
Probably breathtaking in its time, the state of electronic music has moved so far ahead that this ends up sounding a bit boring and dated.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Really interesting - I don’t love it, but there are a variety of styles and interesting songwriting techniques.
2/5
Each individual song was a good late 60s rock jam, but with only one dynamic setting (loud) it got monotonous.
Ryan Adams
2/5
Singer songwriter country-inspired fare - not my cup of tea.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Started out a bit boring, twelve bar blues heavy, but kicked up the psychedelia in the back half for some interesting takes.