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Thu May 06 2021
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
2
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Fri May 07 2021
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Eurythmics
3
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Mon May 10 2021
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4
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Tue May 11 2021
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
4
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Wed May 12 2021
1989
Taylor Swift
No denying she’s a decent songwriter that knows how to write a catchy hook. She is not a good singer, though, and I find her lyrics to be insipid and catering to the LCD. Not for me.
2
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Thu May 13 2021
Darklands
The Jesus And Mary Chain
I find nothing remarkable about this album or this band. Although I knew their name, I'm actually surprised I'd never heard their music before. The music doesn't hit my 80's sweet spot. (Possible exception is the final track - the acoustic approach is much more interesting to me for their sound than the rest of the album.) It actually sounds more like some of the forgettable 90s bands, so maybe they were ahead of their time. But I haven't missed having them in my life and don't think I will.
2
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Fri May 14 2021
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
I think it's easy to forget today how impactful this album was when it came out. It was the first piano-driven contemporary adult rock album to hit the mainstream in a long time. I think it's also easy today to mock Chris Martin for his past ties to kooky Gwyneth and his aging hipster brand. But truth is, he was helping to invent that brand at the time. His soulful, poetic lyrics are worlds ahead of what many other 25 year old pop stars write (yes, I'm looking at you, Tay Tay, but not just you!). The trance-synth sound of the band is just the chill groove a lot of people were looking for after having "survived" the turn of the millenium. Sure, there are a couple of clunkers on this album, but Clocks was an awakening anthem for it's time, and The Scientist and In My Place are prime examples of the genre this album helped to create/cement.
I don't own this album (it came out around the time I stopped buying very many albums) but if I did, I certainly wouldn't be upset when/if it (or songs from it) came up in rotation. Were this a 10-star system, I'd likely give this album a 7. Stuck in the 3-star system, I give it a solid (high) 3, bordering on a 4.
3
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Mon May 17 2021
Moving Pictures
Rush
A masterpiece. Prog rock finally delivers an album that pure rock fans can "get on board" with. Their musicianship is undeniable - probably the tightest three piece unit outside of jazz. The lyrics are evocative and deep. Tom Sawyer is the perfect lead-off, gently drawing in a more traditional listener with the rock side of things before the album fully reveals its "prog- ness". Limelight perfectly captures the conundrum of what it means to be a rock star, capping it with the vow to never give up their passion for their craft to placate the masses. YYZ is one of the best rock instrumentals ever, showcasing each of the band members individually, but also exemplifying the aforementioned synchronicity. A couple of the songs might be hard listens for someone not as on board with the prog sound - The Camera Eye and Witch Hunt is a tough back-to-back - but I was surprised that the 10 min of Camera Eye was over before it felt long to me. This album definitely has a spot in my rotation, though some of the individual songs might throw off a shuffle of more general music.
5
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Tue May 18 2021
Ambient 1/Music For Airports
Brian Eno
Ambient is tough. I like it for relaxation purposes, or background while working, but don't feel like I really "listen" to the music. This album was pleasant enough - nothing jarring or difficult to get through, but also nothing that stands out as particularly moving or sonically amazing.
3
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Wed May 19 2021
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
A strong solo effort by Macca that shows the growth of his style as a solo artist, but still retains plenty of the influence of that earlier group he was with. The hits are undeniable - both the title track and Jet are complex, yet accessible, of their time, yet timeless. A few of the songs could have been deep cuts from Beatles' albums and would therefore have been much better known (Let Me Roll It, Mamunia). The clunkers, for me, are Last Words..., which feels like a White Album reject akin to You Know the Name, Look Up the Number, and those tracks whose sound is too firmly entrenched in the 70s' FM "rock" genre to have much lasting value. I wouldn't mind most of these songs coming up in a random rotation, but there are definitely some I wouldn't ever choose to play. In a 10-pt. system, I have gone with a 7; here, it could be a three or four, but since it's Sir Paul, I rounded up.
4
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Thu May 20 2021
Black Metal
Venom
I guess this music must have a place for somebody. Not for me.
1
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Fri May 21 2021
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
A few great tunes here - I particularly love her voice on Let's Stay Together. A few really dated-sounding tracks (1984, esp!) that bring the whole effort down a bit. She's an icon, no doubt, but I'd prefer a greatest hits collection to this full album.
3
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Sun May 23 2021
Rio
Duran Duran
Duran Duran is one of my favorite 80s bands. Two undeniable hits (Rio, ...Wolf), a super strong near-hit (Save a Prayer - a personal fave) and the sleeper New Religion make this album a must-have for me. The rest of the album is unremarkable, but only one or two completely miss the mark. Put on your parachute pants and an off-the-shoulder sweatshirt with your favorite day-glo message and dance your butt off to this album!
4
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Mon May 24 2021
Elephant
The White Stripes
Meh. Nothing offensive here, with a couple of fun tracks. The overall production is surprisingly good for garage rock. I particularly like "In the Cold, Cold Night". The intro to "Little Acorns" is hilarious - I had to look to see if I had accidentally opened a video that was playing in a different browser window. I mostly don't like Jack's voice and the thrashing guitars and hyper-aggressive drums get old after a few tracks. I wouldn't necessarily skip any tracks that popped up and might even like them better in isolation, but whole album of one after another was too much and I wouldn't buy this album for my collection.
2
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Tue May 25 2021
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
I tried. Made it through 7 1/2 tracks. I just can't.
1
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Wed May 26 2021
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
She's the Queen for a reason. If you ever needed to explain soul for someone, just play them this album.
5
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Thu May 27 2021
Treasure
Cocteau Twins
1
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Fri May 28 2021
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
I've never been a big Bruce fan, but can appreciate his masterful songwriting and storytelling here. Dark & moody, but soulful, this album hits hard.
3
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Sat May 29 2021
Eternally Yours
The Saints
Not as bad as I thought it might be. Still, a little goes a long way. While I can appreciate it as a groundbreaker, it’s not something I’d listen to again.
2
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Sun May 30 2021
Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
So The Saints (from yesterday) put out a Halloween album…
1
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Mon May 31 2021
Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Loretta Lynn
Hard to believe this album, with its female empowerment overtones, was recorded in 1967! About half the songs turn the songs of heartache on their ear, as she takes the reigns of her own story.
I might rather listen to Patsy if I’m in a twangy mood (and there might be a little more twang here than I’d normally like) and the overall sound gets a little repetitive. Still, there’s no denying the musicianship of her band - I particularly loved the slide guitar work on the otherwise forgettable “Shoe Goes on the Other Foot”.
2
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Tue Jun 01 2021
From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
NOTE: If you don't *really* know Elvis' music - this is NOT the rock 'n roll that made him the King. This album was a comeback of sorts, but also largely a departure from the hits that established him as an icon. He returned to his country/gospel/soul roots, with an added symphonic element for this sometimes over-produced, arguably overly-sentimental collection that was a huge hit at the time it was released. I find it rather syrupy and much prefer his early stuff, but it has a decided nostalgia for me, too, remembering family trips in the station wagon, listening to him on 8-track.
While Suspicious Minds is a personal fave, most of the tracks smack of the Vegas Elvis that has become somewhat of a joke in later years. Still, his voice is powerful, with a style all it's own, and he pours emotion (sometimes too much?) into each and every song. His band, The Memphis Boys, are as solid as can be - tight when they need to be, loose & flowy when it serves the song. They accompany the King expertly, never stealing his thunder but never letting him down.
3
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Wed Jun 02 2021
Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine
Cee Lo Green
Wow, is this man full of himself. The opening & closing tracks tell me pretty much all I needed to know about him and set me up to dislike the album.
But first, I was loathe to listen to this at all, given the sexual harassment/rape charges that removed him from the public eye a decade ago. And it was super hard to stomach the misogyny & violence contained in this album while thinking about the woman who brought those charges against him.
It's a little bit (but only a little bit) too bad, because a couple of the songs could have been enjoyable. He employs catchy beats and seems to have a real talent with both his voice and his rhymes. But there was just too much other stuff for me to get beyond to be willing to give the rest a chance.
1
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Thu Jun 03 2021
A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
I rather like this. Its definitely got some Bowie & Peter Gabriel influence, which could never be a bad thing to me. And I get hits of David Grey’s self-produced White Ladder, which I had on repeat for a while in the 90s.
Some of the synth & sequencer sounds are a bit dated. But the sound is complex, the mood is contemplative, and the overall feel is sophisticated w/o being full of itself. I likely would have liked it more had I discovered in in the 80s, but I look forward to giving it some more time to grow on me and analyze it further.
3
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Fri Jun 04 2021
Crazysexycool
TLC
There are maybe 2 1/2 good songs on this album. Waterfalls is a no-brainer - great hook, tight harmonies, cool metaphoric lyrics - it definitely deserved to be a hit. I don't think I'd ever listen to any other song on this album on purpose again.
2
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Sat Jun 05 2021
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
Some interesting sonic experimentation going on here, but unfortunately, it all sounds so dated. No stand out tracks that, to my mind, stand the test of time. While this album may have (strongly?) influenced music to follow, I don't feel that I've missed out by not hearing it before.
2
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Sun Jun 06 2021
Suede
Suede
Oof. Hard for me to get beyond his voice. That nasally screech, which is too common in British punk-pop, brings all of the music around it down for me.
Some of the music is strong and the overall concept of the albums is interesting, but...that voice...
1
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Mon Jun 07 2021
A Northern Soul
The Verve
I rather like this and think it could be something I'd listen to again. The songs are somewhat diverse in their overall sound, yet cohesive enough have a "Verve" sound and make for a strong album.
The lyrics are heady w/o being pretentious. I particularly like A Northern Soul.
3
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Tue Jun 08 2021
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
With a full listen, I liked this album more than I thought it would, though there are still things about it that grate on me. The overall musicianship is solid, the sound is tight, and the production is first rate, but much of it has a sound that just doesn't trip my receptors.
Let's start with the obvious track: I think someone played Jane Says on the juke box every single time I was in Atomic Billiards in the 90s (and that was a LOT), and with such repetition, the song lost some of it's impact for me. Hearing it afresh, in context of the album, it is the absolute stand out on the album, the one place where Ferrell's voice absolutely fits with the sonic landscape around him. Unfortunately, none of other tracks quite rise to Jane's level, with the possible exception of Summertime Rolls. Otherwise, I'm not crazy about Perry's wailing - it's ok
when it's providing texture, almost like another instrument, but it's tough for me as the lead vocal line. I imagine it's like Geddy Lee's voice for some listeners of Rush.
I loved the opening instrumental and the intro to track 2, but then the grunge guitars kicked in - that aggressive, fuzzy sound was so overused in the 90s and wears on me pretty quickly. Ditto the machine gun drum sounds like are used on Mountain Song. But I love the heavy bass lines used throughout the album, and the playfulness of the brass hits in Mountain Song and the steel drums in Jane Says, genre-bending musicality that says they're more than just grunge rockers. I only wished they pushed against that even more.
3
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Wed Jun 09 2021
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
Listening to the first couple of tracks, I was quickly drawn in by the hauntingly spare sound, honest lyrics and atypical tunings. Surprised that I hadn't heard of Nick Drake before, I looked him up. What a tragic story of a great talent underappreciated in his time and taken far too soon.
I can hear influences of Cat Stevens and Van Morrison in his work, and can hear how his sound may have influenced a whole host of singer/songwriters that followed him.
Some of the songs are a little bleak (understandably), but others feel hopeful and celebratory of our (pained) existence. The musicianship is mostly very strong, with his reedy voice well-suited for introspection.
I will definitely listen to him more and will seek out his other work. How sad that there is so little of it.
4
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Thu Jun 10 2021
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
I like strong women rockers, but this just isn't my jam. Her voice doesn't do it for me, and reminds me of Belinda Carlisle (whose voice I also don't care for). The aggressive, repetitive guitar is also not a fave of mine. I *almost* like Little Babies, but even that one got tiring for me by the end.
So while I appreciate what these strong women are doing/have done, and wish them all the best at it, it's a pass for me.
2
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Fri Jun 11 2021
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
With Sign O' The Times, Prince capitalized on the success of Purple Rain, bringing us another strong album of creative sounds, catchy hooks and stirring soul/funk. The title track, while of it's time on the surface, is sadly still relevant today. The rhythms in Housequake are divine. I Could Never Take The Place... is a fun pop confection, but also a great jam session. A couple of tracks might be on the racy side (If I Was Your Girlfriend, e.g.) for average listeners and therefore a little off-putting, but there's still no denying his musicality. The Cross brings in so many kitchen-sink elements - pop ballad, raspy rock guitar, the slow-build, Eastern/raga instrumentation, gospel choir - that it shouldn't work, but somehow still does.
This is a solid 4 for me, with moments that a clearly higher than that.
4
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Sat Jun 12 2021
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
1
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Sun Jun 13 2021
Dry
PJ Harvey
2
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Mon Jun 14 2021
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
While this album is nearly the definition of a seminal 90s album, the contents are decidedly a mixed bag. Some of the songs are tunes that will live forever in the ears of those who first heard them then. Others are forgettable. Perhaps a double album wasn't the best way for the Pumpkins to cement their legacy. Billy Corgan's voice is certainly quirky and I'm sure there are many that don't like it at all. For me, when it works, it works incredibly well; but when it doesn't, it grates. The lush orchestrations are out of this world and fill some of the songs to the max. The more spare entries are perhaps the more powerful for it.
As for the lyrics, it is quintessential 90s angst. What could be a more stereotypical pronouncement of the disaffected youth of the day than "emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness, and cleanliness is godliness, and god is empty just like me"?
A full re-listen really brought back to me how solid parts of this album were. And yet it also showed me how much of its time it was. It's not really a surprise that the Pumpkins couldn't make a go of it in the new century. But still, we'll always have "tonight, tonight".
3
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Tue Jun 15 2021
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
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Wed Jun 16 2021
Ingenue
k.d. lang
I love this album. It was among the first batch of cds I ever bought (thank you Columbia House!) and have probably played it over 1000 times and I look forward to hearing it at least 1000 more.
k.d. lang has an incredible vocal instrument. First arriving on the scene as a "new" Patsy Cline, she rose to prominence in country circles (despite hailing from Canada). With this album, she (mostly) left her torch and twang behind to prove herself a force in the adult contemporary market. And with the hit "Constant Craving", she did just that and found, in this listener, a lifelong fan.
Vocally, her tone is so pure. She bends notes to her will, coaxing emotion out of words and phrases with seeming ease. When she sings of pain, it is palpable. When she sings of joy, it is infectious. When she sings of longing, it is intense.
This particular collection of songs shows a range that some of her other albums don't. (I own them all, but this is the one I come back to most.) From the bouncy, coquettish Ms. Chatelaine (a cheeky flip-side to her normally butch persona) to the spare, haunting Tears of Love's Recall, she runs the gamut of a true chanteuse's repertoire.
k.d. lang is a true musical artist. 5 stars for me; no hesitation.
5
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Thu Jun 17 2021
Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
This album, along with his later Songs In The Key of Life, stands as a testament to the talent and vision of Stevie Wonder. After years under the watchful eye of Motown head Berry Gordy, Stevie began navigating his own way in Motown. And his way was a satisfying mix of classic R&B sounds updated with outstanding keyboard/synth playing, a dash of funk, and a couple of chill ballads. His subject matter dabbles in the political, while still appealing to the mainstream (and crossover) listeners of the day.
The two hits, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, and Superstition, deserve all of their accolades, though they come from near-opposite ends of the Stevie spectrum. The dreamy keyboard intro and softly crooned opening lines of ...Sunshine might trick one into thinking it is no more than a sappy love song, but when the horns kick in, the drums snap, and Stevie lets loose with his voice, you know his message is deeply felt. Who wouldn't want this song sung to/about them?
Superstition, on the other hand, hits hard, both musically and lyrically, but with the same signature passion. His clavinet playing pretty much defines the instrument, and again, the horns add a brassiness (yes, I KNOW!) that elevates the arrangement. Stevie's howling vocals project the pessimism that was growing among the civil rights issues of the day.
The musicians are super-tight, with shining additions by guest David Sanborn on Tuesday Heartbreak, Jeff Beck on Lookin' for Another Pure Love, and Ray Parker, Jr. (of Ghostbusters fame!) ripping a great solo on Maybe Your Baby - a song that provides a rather direct-line influence to Stevie's R&B-flavored pop successor in the next decade, Prince.
All in all, an enjoyable listen, with some VERY high points.
4
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Fri Jun 18 2021
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4
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Sat Jun 19 2021
The Score
Fugees
2
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Sun Jun 20 2021
Beyond Skin
Nitin Sawhney
I think there is great genius in this album. What a labor of love and caring that this prolific artist, operating mostly in the shadows, would use his clout to speak out, beautifully, loudly and passionately, about a cause that concerns him.
The production is absolutely stunning, the mixes so complex and yet focused and affecting. The vocals are compelling throughout. The various styles could strike some as too all over the place, but I saw the eclecticism as a way of bringing together many eras and many peoples in a salute to our varied humanity.
The concept can be a little heavy-handed at times, but the subject matter is so important that I can let that slide a little. Working backwards in time feels right to me, as it gets us back, at the end of the album, to a time of more innocence and helps us wonder how we might get there again, or where might we be without this threat.
This is not an album to put on for easy listening and I wouldn't necessarily dial up songs from it on a whim. But it is an Important album in other ways. I'm glad I've heard it and can see great value in revisiting it in the future.
4
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Mon Jun 21 2021
The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
Largely seen in the U.S. as a one-hit wonder for "Cars", Numan was actually at the leading edge of the synth-pop/new wave movement worldwide. This synth/Moog heavy collection is not an easy listen today, as the sounds are definitely of their time and outside of the 80s mainstream. Likewise, the subject matter isn't particularly relatable, dealing with machines, robots and other things sci-fi. Perhaps that's why "Cars" hit the biggest - it reflects on something most of us can relate to.
I dig the bass lines and drum tracks in many places (esp. the instrumental opener), can take or leave his voice (which works best on "Cars"), and admire the strings mixed in on certain tracks ("Complex", )
What can't be ignored, though, is the albums influence on other bands. New wave took off big and much of the sound can be traced to Numan, to the point that some of those sounds & rhythms are common in general pop and even hip-hop these days. And if you want a direct connection, look to NIN's cover of "Metal" (which clearly rocks a lot more than the version here).
Still, I wouldn't listen to this album in it's entirety again. But "Cars" has a solid place in my 80s playlist, for nostalgia's sake, if nothing else.
2
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Tue Jun 22 2021
Live!
Fela Kuti
3
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Wed Jun 23 2021
xx
The xx
Wow, what a great find!
This is a group/album that I didn't know I needed in my life but am glad to add. It's lyrical without being predictive, deep without being pretentious, playful without being cutesy, chill without being boring. I like the voices, unconventional on their own, yet well suited to each other. I like the sparseness of the arrangements, which makes each instrument and the vocals all that much more important.
Intro had me very interested from the start, but I warily awaited how their vocals might skew things. When the female voice dropped in on VCR (after that catchy toy piano riff & thumping drum/bass combo kicked in), my wariness waned. The male vocal, somewhat sloppy & slurred) was interesting in itself, but when she joined him, the mixture was just perfect. This feeling continued for me throughout, with particular highlights for me being Heart Skipped A Beat (great, fun percussion tricks), and Infinity (again, great percussion, with reverb-dreamy guitar). Stars is a great lead-out, leaving me wanting more.
It's clear to me by this point (almost 50 albums in) that this list skews British, esp. in alt-rock/pop genres. While that's bothered me a bit with the more "name" groups, I love that it's brought my attention to things like Nick Drake and this.
4
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Thu Jun 24 2021
Cut
The Slits
3
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Fri Jun 25 2021
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
This one is a tough sell for me. I appreciate their musical talents and there are some really great rock songs here. But the content is SO political, and so British, that it becomes inaccessible fairly quickly. I'm all for politics in music, but it's been done much more powerfully and subtly in the decades since by other groups. While I appreciate their bravery and forthrightness, I much prefer their later hit music. I would likely not listen to this album again.
2
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Sat Jun 26 2021
Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
This is a good example for me of how this list can be useful. I've heard the name Stan Getz before, but had no idea what his style of jazz was. After this listen, I know that when I'm looking for some cool, tight sounds to put on for relaxation or background, I can ask Alexa for a Stan Getz album.
3
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Sun Jun 27 2021
Doolittle
Pixies
It's telling that Here's Comes Your Man is the most popular song from this album. It's catchy, melodic and has a great hook. It's the only song on this album I care for. There are a few others that showed promise in the first few bars, but then the strident guitars, angry vocals and discordant noise kicked in and they lost me. It's just not my kind of music.
1
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Mon Jun 28 2021
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
An interesting listen. The album sounds a bit like if the clash did 60s protest folk. And I kinda like it! His voice is interesting and I can see how it might turn some off, but it works for me in much the way that Dylan's does. It's not about the the sound of his singing, but about the message he brings in the lyrics. Those lyrics are pretty political, but in more of a poetic, Woody Guthrie/Dylan way than, say, the hit-em-over-the-head messaging of The Kinks' ARTHUR album.
Still, I'm not sure I'd put this album in my rotation. Rather, if I heard him playing at a festival or rally, I'd appreciate him being there and sharing his viewpoint with us.
3
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Tue Jun 29 2021
Rapture
Anita Baker
While Anita Baker has a nice voice and these songs are perfectly fine, I don't find anything revelatory about this album. I can't say I've ever thought "I'd like to hear an Anita Baker song now" or ever heard one of the hits from it and thought "Wow! What a great song!" The chime-y keyboard sounds, along with some of the other production, place it squarely in the 80s soft-pop genre, and it's unfortunately mostly forgetable.
2
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Wed Jun 30 2021
The Coral
The Coral
3
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Thu Jul 01 2021
Synchronicity
The Police
Any one of The Police's albums could rate as a favorite. This one hits all of the sweet spots for me. It keeps just enough of the punk/reggae vibe of their earlier works, but expands a slightly more mainstream rock milieu. It spawned quiet a few hits (all of them deserving, IMO) and even the lesser tracks still have a lot going for them.
As a whole, the album is rather dark with it's investigations into murder, stalking, oppression, devilry and just the weight of day-to-day existence amongst the uncertainty of the world.
The album kicks off with the almost discordant Synchronicity I, full of ambiguous lyrics, soaring vocals, and jamming piano & guitar. Sting gets a little preachy, but cheekily so, in Walking in Your Footsteps, with great tribal percussion lending weight to the musical message. O My God might be the weakest link for me, but still has a pretty good jazzy hook and a sound that Sting will move more toward in his solo work. Ditto the story aspect of Tea in the Sahara, which could easily come off of his Ten Sumner's Tales album. Many people react against Mother (Andy Summer's sole writing/singing credit) and feel it's too far afield from the rest of the album. Personally, I dig it's weirdness and primal angst, and musically, the Middle Eastern sounds of the oboe and the funky time signature. Miss Gradenko (Stewart Copeland's sole writing credit) hints at a corporate/government scenario rife with danger & intrigue. Murder By Numbers is as Dirty Deeds-esque lyric paired with a bouncy, fun melody for an ironic look at hired violence.
Then there are the biggies, tracks 6-9: Synchronicity II is probably my fave track with it's cynical look at a day in the life of the working man. I can never be in a traffic jam without feeling like lemming packed in shiny metal box. Every Breath You Take, King of Pain, and Wrapped Around Your Finger all earned their place on the airwaves & the charts, each distinct, and yet also of a piece - much like side two from any number of Beatles albums.
This album is a masterwork from a band at the top of their game. That they called it quits right after is in some ways disappointing, but may have been the best call they could make, as they clearly went out on top.
5
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Fri Jul 02 2021
Repeater
Fugazi
2
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Mon Jul 05 2021
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
4
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Tue Jul 06 2021
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
2
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Wed Jul 07 2021
Wild Gift
X
2
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Thu Jul 08 2021
Among The Living
Anthrax
I'd been holding off listening to this album for a while because I was sure I wouldn't like it. And while it's surely not my style of music, we've listened to so many worse albums in the interim that I don't think I can just damn it with one star. Were this a 10 star system, I'd probably give it a 2 - MAYBE a 3. But in this 5 star system, I've got to go with a 2, because it's not nearly as bad a some of the albums that have been virtually unlistenable.
So cheers to Anthrax. You've earned this 2 by not sucking as much as others!!
2
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Fri Jul 09 2021
Melody A.M.
Röyksopp
3
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Mon Jul 12 2021
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Every song is worthy. A classic, a masterpiece.
5
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Tue Jul 13 2021
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Some nice, blues-based rock here. I’ve admired Nick Cave when I’ve come across him before, but never really dig deep. Now that I have with this effort, I find Nothing that jumps out of the speakers, but still appreciate the solid effort.
Stylistically, it’s really two different albums, with a personal preference for the softer Lyre of Orpheus second disc, though I really dig Messiah Ward from the Abattoir Blues disc.
3
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Wed Jul 14 2021
L'Eau Rouge
The Young Gods
Not great, but not offensive. Some great theatrical moments in the early going. Not something I'd return to.
2
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Thu Jul 15 2021
Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
4
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Fri Jul 16 2021
Exit Planet Dust
The Chemical Brothers
3
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Mon Jul 19 2021
The Specials
The Specials
3
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Tue Jul 20 2021
The Wall
Pink Floyd
Well, here we are at The Wall. Probably the most successful, both commercially & artistically, rock concept album ever made. Yes, an argument can certainly be made for The Who’s Tommy, but for my money, Pink Floyd's artistry is just better, deeper, more satisfying.
It’s hard to separate the original album from all of the other incarnations: the movie, the various concert “stagings”. Those versions surely have a lot going for them, on some instances allowing the story to get more fleshed out & giving some fantastic actors & musicians the chance to interpret PF’s work. Love in Berlin, a personal fave of mine, brings together an amazing cast or actors & musicians (Albert Finney & Tim Curry for The Trial! I mean, come ON!), while constructing their wall right alongside an equally menacing wall in the real world. Talk about meta!
But when it comes down to it, a pair of headphones and this original recording just can’t be beat. Get lost in the stupor of Comfortably Numb, shout with rage at the teachers to leave them kids alone, or celebrate in the wall finally coming down, but go on this journey with Floyd, and, musically at the the very least, your soul will be better for it.
5
View Album
Wed Jul 21 2021
Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches
Happy Mondays
I don't have a problem with this music, but I don't find much new, amazing or inspiring about it. There's some good musicianship and some fun hooks. I'd be fine if one of the songs came on, but I probably wouldn't seek it out.
3
View Album
Thu Jul 22 2021
Modern Kosmology
Jane Weaver
Another example of the Brit lean of this list. I'm surprised I've not heard of Jane Weaver on this side of the pond, esp. as it appears that she's made quite a splash over there.
This album is quite listenable, with a chill vibes and an interesting pop/trance crossover feel. I get hits of Dido and Feist, but with Weaver's own unique voice. The sounds are sometimes retro, but don't feel particularly dated (at this time!).
I would give this album future listenings, and will likely seek out some of her other works.
3
View Album
Fri Jul 23 2021
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
4
View Album
Mon Jul 26 2021
Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2
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Tue Jul 27 2021
Blue
Joni Mitchell
This was the first Joni I ever heard, introduced to me by an aging hippie whose musical tastes have shaped my own over the years. It has lived at the top of my list ever since.
Joni’s singing voice is unique and not necessarily for everyone, but there is no denying the power and influence of her songwriting voice. I don’t think you will find a female recording artist who doesn’t list Joni as an inspiration in some way. One of the original singer/songwriters, her unique folk tunings and feminine perspectives make this album a cornerstone of folk/pop history.
I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite song from Blue, though some resonate more for me than others: All I Want, A Case of You & Carey hit the hardest for me. The bittersweet, almost anti-holiday River evokes a deep & melancholy longing that haunts me. And the title track is a perfect expression of the sadness of a painful loss.
This is a no-brained 5 for me.
5
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Wed Jul 28 2021
Orbital 2
Orbital
2
View Album
Thu Jul 29 2021
Night Life
Ray Price
3
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Fri Jul 30 2021
Parachutes
Coldplay
An accomplished debut and a strong precursor to Rush of Blood... Two great songs in Yellow and Trouble, two pretty good songs in Sparks and Everything’s Not Lost, with some okay filler between.
3
View Album
Mon Aug 02 2021
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
This album is a hoot! Super theatrical, great storytelling, decent musicianship. I'd keep it around for kitsch value, but probably wouldn't do much "pleasure" listening. The Kylie Minogue duet is clearly an outlier as the most accessible song on the album, but I also dug some of the earthier, more raw tracks too.
3
View Album
Tue Aug 03 2021
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Maybe I'm showing/feeling my age, but I just don't have a lot of room for aggressive, loud rock. It generally doesn't give me cathartic release and make me feel better, but tends to come off as noise and make me more tense.
I liked couple of tracks on this album that are not so aggressive: Riot Van, Mardy Bum, A Certain Romance. I liked the singer's voice better on these, too, because I could better understand him and follow the story of the songs, stories whose characters fit well with his Scouse voice.
Musically, I really liked some of the bass lines (too bad this was the bassists only album with them), and some of the less-aggressive drumming.
I don't think I'd listen to this again.
2
View Album
Wed Aug 04 2021
American Pie
Don McLean
The good songs on this album are SO good that it's sad that the other songs aren't nearly as good. A few even come off as weak re-treads of the same musical territory.
American Pie is a classic, probably a bit worn-out by now, it's impact weakened as a result of overplay. But on careful listening, the craft of it is still stunning, esp. the veiled lyrics that are a paean to the loss of innocence in post-war America.
Vincent, a song in a quite different vein, is similarly well-crafted, reflecting in it's musicality and it's story/commentary nearly the kind of genius McLean has found in Van Gogh.
But among the others songs, The Grave feels too blatantly political, Sister Fatima is limited by it's religious overtones and Everybody Loves Me, Baby feels silly next to the genius of the best tracks. The rest are warmed over versions of either American Pie or Vincent. Babylon does make for an interesting coda, however.
I've always been intrigued by the story that McLean was the subject of Killing Me Softly, but aside from the two standouts, I don't see much here that would inspire that kind of emotion. Hearing this album makes me think it best to just stick to his hits.
3
View Album
Thu Aug 05 2021
Horses
Patti Smith
4
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Fri Aug 06 2021
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
I dig the sound, the vibe, and the message, particularly after the ‘Yoshimi’ tracks. I especially liked Do You Realize. I’d listen to this again.
4
View Album
Mon Aug 09 2021
Bongo Rock
Incredible Bongo Band
Hey, I recognize that riff! And that one!
There’s a lot of fun to be had with this album. The rhythms are infectious, the music is brassy & fun. I’d probably rather hear this version of In a Gadda da Vida than the original, and I loved the take on Sing Sing Sing. Some of the other covers (Satisfaction & Wipeout, particularly) were somewhat anemic. I expected the solos in Wipeout to blow me away, but instead they were somewhat pedestrian compared to the more energized tracks.
As a whole, the album is a bit of a lark, but I ain’t mad at it one bit.
3
View Album
Tue Aug 10 2021
Apocalypse Dudes
Turbonegro
While there is some decent music here, the vocals are way sub-par. A couple of the tracks work all right for me - Prince of the Rodeo is a highlight - and the camp factor is high. But all in all, it's a pass.
2
View Album
Wed Aug 11 2021
Arise
Sepultura
1
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Thu Aug 12 2021
Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
Largely unremarkable. I enjoyed the title track.
2
View Album
Fri Aug 13 2021
Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
Who knew the origins of heavy metal would be so accessible? I mostly liked the sound on this album and could totally see it as the stepping stone to the harder rock to come. Some of the wankery (esp. on the last track) went a bit far for me, but I generally appreciated their musicianship, their lyrics and the power of their songs.
3
View Album
Mon Aug 16 2021
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
I believe the Smiths are severely overrated. The music is boring to me, the vocals uninspired. Aside from how I feel about Morrisey personally*, I find his voice to be limited in range and full of whiny over-emoting. The music is largely simplistic and the lyrics are a sophomoric retread of teenage angsty introspection.
I can't give it 1 star, because there is certainly much worse stuff on this list. But it barely makes a 2 for me.
*I think his picture is next to the word "douche" in the dictionary.
2
View Album
Tue Aug 17 2021
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
As far as 90s alt rock bands go, I like the sound of Smashing Pumpkins better than many others (ie., Nirvana, STP). Still, I can't help wishing that their albums showed more range. Aside from the couple of hits on this album, much of the rest of the songs sound largely the same, and much the same as the weaker songs on MC&TIS.
That said, Billy Corgan is in great voice on these tracks and the band is tight behind him. Taking the best of these songs and playing them with the best of MC&TIS makes for a damn fine "album" of 90s angst rock, and I'd more likely take that approach than to listen to either album in their entirety.
3
View Album
Wed Aug 18 2021
Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
Mama's Gun starts off on an aggressive note, and with the first track, I was afraid I wouldn't like this album. But Erykah won me over with the string of tracks 2-5. Her voice is a bit odd at times, some whininess I could do without, but the power in her voice and her lyrics holds firm throughout.
In all, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. While I could do without Penitentiary Philosophy, Booty and Kiss Me on My Neck, I dug a lot of the other tunes here.
3
View Album
Thu Aug 19 2021
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
While Frank is not my go-to crooner (I'm a Mel Torme fan), there's no denying the power of ol' Blue Eyes. This collection of songs of the great American songbook is a master class in performance by one of the best ever. Sometimes Frank's phrasing bugs me, but other times the story he tells in his timbre and range can't be beat. His backing orchestra under the masterful baton of Nelson Riddle does seriously swing, bringing the whole package to the highest level.
4
View Album
Fri Aug 20 2021
Younger Than Yesterday
The Byrds
With standouts like So You Wanna Be a Rock n Roll Star, Renaissance Fair, Everybody's Been Burned and, especially, My Back Pages, YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY gives us a great window into the folk rock stylings of the 60s. The album is somewhat uneven, perhaps due to the amount of sonic experimentation, much of which doesn't quite land. But the insightful lyrics and the interplay of the band, gifted musicians riffing off of each other, give listeners plenty to like.
The sound is definitely 60s, with some backward sections, raga inspired sonic beds and unmistakable drum rhythms/sounds of the period. Many may find it dated, but instead I look at it as a stepping stone that brought music to it's next level, to be built upon by other groups that would put their own decade's stamp on the genre.
I give it a solid 3.
3
View Album
Mon Aug 23 2021
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
I must be getting a little soft with all of this album listening, because I didn't dislike this as much as I feared I would. The band really does rock and the guitar work is quite sharp. The vocals are a bit "scream-y" for me, but seems to work well with the style. I wouldn't really go for it again, but better than some we've heard here.
2
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Tue Aug 24 2021
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
1
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Wed Aug 25 2021
American Idiot
Green Day
While I personally prefer Dookie overall (what a sentence!), American Idiot is a very strong album, with Green Day maturing into a band that matters. Billie Joe has a very unique voice, one that entirely fits the sound of the band and the POV of the song lyrics.
In listening to the whole piece, it's clear that the band intended as a concept album and is no surprise that it has done well as a rock opera/musical. The stories & characters in the songs are compelling, and the music (unfortunately) tips over sometimes into musical theatre tropes. There are a few tracks that make me think the band was aiming a little too high, but it's hard to fault their ambition. I'm very interested in listening to this again, closer, to glean more from it.
4
View Album
Thu Aug 26 2021
Timeless
Goldie
Yeah, I dig this. Great beats, inventive sounds, clever mixture of instruments. A nice add to my collection.
4
View Album
Fri Aug 27 2021
Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
Interesting sounds that go out there at times, but never way out there. It's very theatrical at times (which I like), meditative at others (which I also like), aggressive occasionally (but never too much so).
3
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Mon Aug 30 2021
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
2
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Tue Aug 31 2021
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
If ever there were a case for letting your freak flag fly, this album might be it. CSNY are in peak form here, with their signature tight harmonies, lyrics of protest & empowerment, virtuosic guitar playing, and all around 60s love.
Each member has a chance to shine, but it's when they all come together as a cohesive whole that this album transcends. "Carry On", the opener, is a prime example - the harmonies rarely more impressive, the organ & Young's guitar riffing off of each other, the message one of eternal love & peace. Jerry Garcia's pedal steel adds some nice twang to the soulful "Teach Your Children", and Young's "Helpless" aches with raw emotion.
"Our House" might be the weakest entry here, for my money, but it does boast a unique vocal from Nash, perhaps the most underrated of the "supergroup".
But for me, it's "Woodstock" that puts this album over the edge - an amalgam of music and vocal that encapsulates the 60s. This rockin' reinvention of a rather turgid Joni Mitchell tune puts us on an astral plane with CSNY, where we're all stardust. Perfection.
I might normally rank this a high 4 stars, but I'm pushing it up to a 5, just to piss off the whiners.
5
View Album
Wed Sep 01 2021
The Bends
Radiohead
Yeah, this is a really good album. With the exception of My Iron Lung and Bones, I liked pretty much every thing else on it. I'll listen to this again, and again.
4
View Album
Thu Sep 02 2021
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
Wow, those guitars and drums are...unrelenting.
2
View Album
Fri Sep 03 2021
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
3
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Mon Sep 06 2021
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
Great blues jams here. They strike just the right balance between song & jam, for my tastes. Love the organ on Hot 'Lanta, the gritty passion and inventive noodling on Whipping Post, and the thrumming groove on the album as a whole. While it might not be quite that same as being there, you can feel the energy coming off of them and the interplay amongst themselves and the crowd. I'll listen to this one again.
4
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Tue Sep 07 2021
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
3
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Wed Sep 08 2021
White Light
Gene Clark
3
View Album
Thu Sep 09 2021
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
The best find from this list for me, hands down. I really love his sound, his gentleness, his lyrics. This album gives me hits of Cat Stevens and Jim Croce in places, both songsmiths that I deeply admire. The guitar playing is really fantastic on Three Hours and Day Is Done (don't know why this song wasn't a HUGE hit!). Some of the orchestration might be a bit much in places (lots of strings), but I don't mind when it deepens the track. My only less enthusiastic take is for Thoughts on Mary Jane, whose flute part greatly dates the song for me. But all in all, another album that will stick with me by an artist I'm very glad to have discovered.
5
View Album
Fri Sep 10 2021
Rocks
Aerosmith
I like Aerosmith fine, in a "Greatest Hits" kind of way. None of those on this album (yes, I know "Back in the Saddle" was big for them, but it's certainly not one of their greatest.) I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of funk on Last Child and wish more of the album would have gone there. I don't think that if I didn't know this was Aerosmith, I would have taken any notice or thought the band would have amounted to much.
2
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Mon Sep 13 2021
Dust
Screaming Trees
I rather like this album. While uneven, the best of the tracks are better than a lot of the watered-down, over-hyped songs and bands with more output in the nineties. I'm not sure why they never crossed my radar back then. If they had, I think I would have listened to this album. Now, it's maybe a bit too rooted in it's time to make a regular rotation for me, but I would like to re-experience it occassionally.
3
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Tue Sep 14 2021
Marquee Moon
Television
3
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Wed Sep 15 2021
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
2
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Thu Sep 16 2021
Faith
George Michael
80s pop nostalgia - ain’t it grand?
5
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Fri Sep 17 2021
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
A voice to crush rocks, but a poetic soul to reflect our humanity.
4
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Mon Sep 20 2021
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
3
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Tue Sep 21 2021
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
3
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Wed Sep 22 2021
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
Haunting, melodic, political, spare, heart-rending & heartfelt. Sinead brings it all and more with this album. Both the vocals are the production are stunning in their simplicity. The anger, desperation and plaintiveness of the lyricsm bring an emotional wallop to every track, especially when paired with her yearning vocals. This album is sublime.
5
View Album
Thu Sep 23 2021
The Blueprint
JAY Z
1
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Fri Sep 24 2021
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
2
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Mon Sep 27 2021
Abraxas
Santana
4
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Tue Sep 28 2021
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
2
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Wed Sep 29 2021
Either Or
Elliott Smith
4
View Album
Thu Sep 30 2021
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
3
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Fri Oct 01 2021
Pelican West
Haircut 100
3
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Mon Oct 04 2021
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
2
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Tue Oct 05 2021
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
4
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Wed Oct 06 2021
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
4
View Album
Thu Oct 07 2021
Odessa
Bee Gees
3
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Fri Oct 08 2021
La Revancha Del Tango
Gotan Project
3
View Album
Mon Oct 11 2021
Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
2
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Tue Oct 12 2021
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
3
View Album
Wed Oct 13 2021
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
From playful to contemplative, Miriam Makeba shows on this album why she is one of the most important artists to come out of South Africa. That she was recording these songs and selling these albums during the oppressive years of apartheid in her home country proves what a force her voice and her music is. I had the good fortune to hear her sing live during Paul Simon's Graceland tour - what a treat, what an inspiriation.
4
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Thu Oct 14 2021
Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
2
View Album
Fri Oct 15 2021
Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
3
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Mon Oct 18 2021
Blur
Blur
2
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Tue Oct 19 2021
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
4
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Wed Oct 20 2021
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
3
View Album
Thu Oct 21 2021
Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
3
View Album
Fri Oct 22 2021
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
4
View Album
Mon Oct 25 2021
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
4
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Tue Oct 26 2021
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
4
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Wed Oct 27 2021
Country Life
Roxy Music
2
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Thu Oct 28 2021
The Only Ones
The Only Ones
2
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Fri Oct 29 2021
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
2
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Mon Nov 01 2021
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
3
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Tue Nov 02 2021
Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
3
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Wed Nov 03 2021
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
4
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Thu Nov 04 2021
A Date With The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
3
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Fri Nov 05 2021
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
3
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Mon Nov 08 2021
Different Class
Pulp
3
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Tue Nov 09 2021
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
4
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Wed Nov 10 2021
Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
3
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Thu Nov 11 2021
Raw Power
The Stooges
2
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Fri Nov 12 2021
90
808 State
2
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Mon Nov 15 2021
Disintegration
The Cure
3
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Tue Nov 16 2021
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4
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Wed Nov 17 2021
Solid Air
John Martyn
4
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Thu Nov 18 2021
Strange Cargo III
William Orbit
3
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Fri Nov 19 2021
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
3
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Mon Nov 22 2021
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
4
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Tue Nov 23 2021
Pretenders
Pretenders
4
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Wed Nov 24 2021
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
3
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Thu Nov 25 2021
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
4
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Fri Nov 26 2021
Purple Rain
Prince
This album is prime Prince for me. He may have gone deeper lyrically on later albums, and certainly broke as much (or more) new ground sonically elsewhere, but PURPLE RAIN is nothing if not pure Pop/R&B genius.
5
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Mon Nov 29 2021
Being There
Wilco
3
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Tue Nov 30 2021
Modern Life Is Rubbish
Blur
2
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Wed Dec 01 2021
Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
1
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Thu Dec 02 2021
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
2
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Fri Dec 03 2021
Eliminator
ZZ Top
3
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Mon Dec 06 2021
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
3
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Tue Dec 07 2021
Sheet Music
10cc
2
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Wed Dec 08 2021
1999
Prince
4
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Thu Dec 09 2021
Soul Mining
The The
3
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Fri Dec 10 2021
Whatever
Aimee Mann
3
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Mon Dec 13 2021
In Utero
Nirvana
3
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Tue Dec 14 2021
Stankonia
OutKast
2
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Wed Dec 15 2021
Post Orgasmic Chill
Skunk Anansie
4
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Thu Dec 16 2021
Killing Joke
Killing Joke
3
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Fri Dec 17 2021
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4
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Mon Dec 20 2021
Tidal
Fiona Apple
I first heard this album live when she played the Capital Ballroom in Washington, DC. The album had barely been released and Shadowboxer was just starting to get some airplay on the alt-station here. I instantly fell in love with her sound - the growling, alto voice that can soften achingly on a dime, the almost classically-based piano creating the bedrock of the songs, the bass-heavy riffs and lush instrumentations that fill in the gaps. A 19-year-old writing so clearly, so confidently, so movingly about her experiences, some so horrific that might rather forever silence a young woman, elevates the music to another level. Many laud the musical experimentation with which Apple pushed the envelope in her later albums, but this one is stronger to me for being more traditional. There is a counter-point between the sound, reminiscent of adult contemporary artists like k.d. lang, and the poeticized angst of her painful youth - and that brings her message and music home with more feeling, more resonance. This album only gets better with repeated listenings, deeper as more time passes. A masterpiece of a debut.
5
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Tue Dec 21 2021
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
3
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Wed Dec 22 2021
16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
3
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Thu Dec 23 2021
The Idiot
Iggy Pop
3
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Fri Dec 24 2021
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
3
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Mon Dec 27 2021
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
3
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Tue Dec 28 2021
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
1
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Wed Dec 29 2021
The Band
The Band
3 1/2
3
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Thu Dec 30 2021
Faust IV
Faust
3
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Fri Dec 31 2021
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
4
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Mon Jan 03 2022
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
4
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Tue Jan 04 2022
The Visitors
ABBA
3
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Wed Jan 05 2022
Drunk
Thundercat
3
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Thu Jan 06 2022
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
4
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Fri Jan 07 2022
Be
Common
2
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Mon Jan 10 2022
OK Computer
Radiohead
4
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Tue Jan 11 2022
There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
3
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Wed Jan 12 2022
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
3
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Thu Jan 13 2022
Entertainment
Gang Of Four
1
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Fri Jan 14 2022
The Man Who
Travis
4
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Mon Jan 17 2022
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
3
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Tue Jan 18 2022
Me Against The World
2Pac
1
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Wed Jan 19 2022
Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
3
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Thu Jan 20 2022
Fred Neil
Fred Neil
2
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Fri Jan 21 2022
It's A Shame About Ray
The Lemonheads
Is this the group that sings the Friends song? The only halfway decent song here is the “bonus” track remake of the Simon & Garfunkel classic which, aside from its janky, driving beat, has none of the charm or musicality of the original.
2
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Mon Jan 24 2022
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
1
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Tue Jan 25 2022
Wild Wood
Paul Weller
3
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Wed Jan 26 2022
Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
3
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Thu Jan 27 2022
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
Even the non-hits on this album are rich in both their lyrics and their musical stylings. And the hits are monstrous. Both The Boxer and Bridge... are quintessential folk-pop anthems that never get old for me. Only Living Boy... is an emotion-packed lament for one's individuality. If I Could and Cecilia bring the janky rhythms and off-beat instrumentation of world music to the fore, scoring on both points. There's no denying the influence and staying power of this album.
5
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Fri Jan 28 2022
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
4
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Mon Jan 31 2022
Hard Again
Muddy Waters
4
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Tue Feb 01 2022
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
4
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Wed Feb 02 2022
Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
1
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Thu Feb 03 2022
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
4
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Fri Feb 04 2022
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
4
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Mon Feb 07 2022
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
Good, solid, slammin' rock and roll! Kind of a surprise 5 stars for me. I knew I liked their songs that I'd heard before, but didn't realize they all came from the same album! Hard to Handle has been one of my favorite rock songs since their version hit. Jealous Again & Twice as Hard are nearly as good, with great edge, wonderful hooks and tight playing. She Talks to Angels show a bit of a softer side, but still packs a punch. Even the lesser songs on this album show off the strength of the ensemble, with the fantastic organ sounds bringing a feel of the best of The Band or Procol Harum. This album, simply, rocks and will be in my collection in regular rotation, esp. for road trips with the windows down!
5
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Tue Feb 08 2022
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
3
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Wed Feb 09 2022
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
3
View Album
Thu Feb 10 2022
Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
2
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Fri Feb 11 2022
Kenya
Machito
3
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Mon Feb 14 2022
Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
2
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Tue Feb 15 2022
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
3
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Wed Feb 16 2022
Rip It Up
Orange Juice
3
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Thu Feb 17 2022
Truth And Soul
Fishbone
2
View Album
Fri Feb 18 2022
Take Me Apart
Kelela
3
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Mon Feb 21 2022
Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
4
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Tue Feb 22 2022
Music From Big Pink
The Band
3
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Wed Feb 23 2022
Shaft
Isaac Hayes
2
View Album
Thu Feb 24 2022
I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
3
View Album
Fri Feb 25 2022
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
So torn here. I really like some of the MUSIC on this album. Did Kanye write it? He had some amazing musicians & producers working on it with him, so how much if the music is due to them and not him? On the other hand, I pretty much hate every word that comes out his mouth, and I’m gonna put that squarely on his egotistic, misogynistic, wacko shoulders. What a shame. What a waste.
2
View Album
Mon Feb 28 2022
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
2
View Album
Tue Mar 01 2022
No Other
Gene Clark
3
View Album
Wed Mar 02 2022
Grace
Jeff Buckley
4
View Album
Thu Mar 03 2022
Broken English
Marianne Faithfull
3
View Album
Fri Mar 04 2022
Like Water For Chocolate
Common
2
View Album
Mon Mar 07 2022
Homework
Daft Punk
“Mom! Listen to what my Casio keyboard can do!!”
1
View Album
Tue Mar 08 2022
Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
4
View Album
Wed Mar 09 2022
High Violet
The National
4
View Album
Thu Mar 10 2022
Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black
Public Enemy
3
View Album
Fri Mar 11 2022
Vespertine
Björk
4
View Album
Mon Mar 14 2022
Blue Lines
Massive Attack
3
View Album
Tue Mar 15 2022
Illmatic
Nas
2
View Album
Wed Mar 16 2022
Diamond Life
Sade
3
View Album
Thu Mar 17 2022
Maxinquaye
Tricky
4
View Album
Fri Mar 18 2022
Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3
View Album
Mon Mar 21 2022
Low-Life
New Order
3
View Album
Tue Mar 22 2022
Garbage
Garbage
4
View Album
Wed Mar 23 2022
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
3
View Album
Thu Mar 24 2022
Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
4
View Album
Fri Mar 25 2022
Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
3
View Album
Mon Mar 28 2022
Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3
View Album
Tue Mar 29 2022
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
5
View Album
Wed Mar 30 2022
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
3
View Album
Thu Mar 31 2022
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
4
View Album
Fri Apr 01 2022
Kala
M.I.A.
3
View Album
Mon Apr 04 2022
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
3
View Album
Tue Apr 05 2022
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
3
View Album
Wed Apr 06 2022
Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
3
View Album
Thu Apr 07 2022
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
This is the definition of a great rock n' roll album. From the growling guitar riff that opens Whole Lotta Love (one of the best rock album openings ever) through the driving beat of What Is and What Should Never Be, the tender, almost-holy poetry of Thank You, the double-blast of Heartbreaker/Livin' Lovin' Maid, and Ramblin' On through a Tolkien landscape that tops any song the Hobbits could ever come up with - this album has it all. Some may find the drum-solo piece (Moby Dick) a bit unnecessary (Bonham is so amazing on the rest of the album, he maybe didn't need this showcase?), or quibble over the couple of less popular tracks here. But really, there are no misses and Zep proved with this release that they were the sound of rock n' roll.
5
View Album
Fri Apr 08 2022
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
3
View Album
Mon Apr 11 2022
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
3
View Album
Tue Apr 12 2022
Truth
Jeff Beck
3
View Album
Wed Apr 13 2022
Suicide
Suicide
4
View Album
Thu Apr 14 2022
Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
4
View Album
Fri Apr 15 2022
At Budokan
Cheap Trick
3
View Album
Mon Apr 18 2022
Arrival
ABBA
3
View Album
Tue Apr 19 2022
Achtung Baby
U2
5
View Album
Wed Apr 20 2022
For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
2
View Album
Thu Apr 21 2022
Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
3
View Album
Fri Apr 22 2022
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
4
View Album
Mon Apr 25 2022
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
4
View Album
Tue Apr 26 2022
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
1
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Wed Apr 27 2022
1984
Van Halen
4
View Album
Thu Apr 28 2022
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
4
View Album
Fri Apr 29 2022
Station To Station
David Bowie
4
View Album
Mon May 02 2022
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
3
View Album
Tue May 03 2022
Phrenology
The Roots
2
View Album
Wed May 04 2022
Second Toughest In The Infants
Underworld
3
View Album
Thu May 05 2022
The Sensual World
Kate Bush
3
View Album
Fri May 06 2022
Who's Next
The Who
4
View Album
Mon May 09 2022
All Directions
The Temptations
3
View Album
Tue May 10 2022
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
3
View Album
Wed May 11 2022
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3
View Album
Thu May 12 2022
Legalize It
Peter Tosh
2
View Album
Fri May 13 2022
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
4
View Album
Mon May 16 2022
Low
David Bowie
3
View Album
Tue May 17 2022
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3
View Album
Wed May 18 2022
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
4
View Album
Thu May 19 2022
New Forms
Roni Size
Very conflicted here. I like this - some of it very much - but it just goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...
3
View Album
Fri May 20 2022
Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
3
View Album
Mon May 23 2022
Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
3
View Album
Tue May 24 2022
Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
3
View Album
Wed May 25 2022
Back In Black
AC/DC
4
View Album
Thu May 26 2022
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
2
View Album
Fri May 27 2022
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
3
View Album
Mon May 30 2022
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
3
View Album
Tue May 31 2022
Graceland
Paul Simon
A meticulously crafted, deeply felt masterwork.
5
View Album
Wed Jun 01 2022
GI
Germs
1
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Thu Jun 02 2022
Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
3
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Fri Jun 03 2022
Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
1
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Mon Jun 06 2022
Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
3
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Tue Jun 07 2022
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
4
View Album
Wed Jun 08 2022
Groovin'
The Young Rascals
4
View Album
Thu Jun 09 2022
Snivilisation
Orbital
3
View Album
Fri Jun 10 2022
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
Save me the Ray Conniff singers and give me more of Ray’s bangin’ piano solos and this could be a five star effort. Still, it’s a textbook example of jumping, swinging and heartfelt blues.
4
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Mon Jun 13 2022
Young Americans
David Bowie
4
View Album
Tue Jun 14 2022
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
4
View Album
Wed Jun 15 2022
John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
3
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Thu Jun 16 2022
Done By The Forces Of Nature
Jungle Brothers
<yawn>
2
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Fri Jun 17 2022
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
A mixed bag. The hits (Paint It Black and Under My Thumb) are clear standouts. And there are some other strong, interesting entries - Lady Gray appeals to me, and Think gives some great classics RS guitar licks. But the weak songs in this album feel sophomoric & are easily dismissed.
3
View Album
Mon Jun 20 2022
Elvis Is Back
Elvis Presley
This is pleasant enough, but it’s not Elvis at his best and far from what he’s known for. His take on Fever here is pretty phenomenal and there are some other strong cuts, but none of the raw Walt rock energy that he made his mark with.
3
View Album
Tue Jun 21 2022
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
On repeated listens, I may give this a five. The songs I knew (only a couple) are some of the best Dylan. The songs I didn’t know were poetic, emotion-filled and lovely in many different ways.
4
View Album
Wed Jun 22 2022
Technique
New Order
3
View Album
Thu Jun 23 2022
Nevermind
Nirvana
3
View Album
Fri Jun 24 2022
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
Not Fiona Apple at her best (see: Tidal) but still better than 3/5 of the albums on here. Inventive, playful, deeply felt and always sonically interesting.
4
View Album
Mon Jun 27 2022
Something Else By The Kinks
The Kinks
3
View Album
Tue Jun 28 2022
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
3
View Album
Wed Jun 29 2022
Rubber Soul
Beatles
5
View Album
Thu Jun 30 2022
Frampton Comes Alive
Peter Frampton
Ground-breaking. Electrifying. A great party.
4
View Album
Fri Jul 01 2022
Forever Changes
Love
3
View Album
Mon Jul 04 2022
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
2
View Album
Tue Jul 05 2022
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
4
View Album
Wed Jul 06 2022
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
3
View Album
Thu Jul 07 2022
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
3
View Album
Fri Jul 08 2022
Skylarking
XTC
3
View Album
Mon Jul 11 2022
The Yes Album
Yes
4
View Album
Tue Jul 12 2022
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
3
View Album
Wed Jul 13 2022
Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
2
View Album
Thu Jul 14 2022
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2
View Album
Fri Jul 15 2022
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
4
View Album
Mon Jul 18 2022
The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
4
View Album
Tue Jul 19 2022
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
3
View Album
Wed Jul 20 2022
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators
3
View Album
Thu Jul 21 2022
Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
3
View Album
Fri Jul 22 2022
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
-1 star for Clapton aging into an insufferable douche bag.
3
View Album
Mon Jul 25 2022
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
4
View Album
Tue Jul 26 2022
Closer
Joy Division
3
View Album
Wed Jul 27 2022
British Steel
Judas Priest
3
View Album
Thu Jul 28 2022
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
3
View Album
Fri Jul 29 2022
Survivor
Destiny's Child
3
View Album
Mon Aug 01 2022
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
4
View Album
Tue Aug 02 2022
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
4
View Album
Wed Aug 03 2022
Violator
Depeche Mode
4
View Album
Thu Aug 04 2022
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
3
View Album
Fri Aug 05 2022
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
3
View Album
Mon Aug 08 2022
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
3
View Album
Tue Aug 09 2022
Disraeli Gears
Cream
3
View Album
Wed Aug 10 2022
Your Arsenal
Morrissey
3
View Album
Thu Aug 11 2022
Document
R.E.M.
4
View Album
Fri Aug 12 2022
This Is Hardcore
Pulp
4
View Album
Mon Aug 15 2022
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
4
View Album
Tue Aug 16 2022
Pyromania
Def Leppard
4
View Album
Wed Aug 17 2022
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
3
View Album
Thu Aug 18 2022
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
3
View Album
Fri Aug 19 2022
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
4
View Album
Mon Aug 22 2022
On The Beach
Neil Young
3
View Album
Tue Aug 23 2022
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
3
View Album
Wed Aug 24 2022
Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
2
View Album
Thu Aug 25 2022
Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3
View Album
Fri Aug 26 2022
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
View Album
Mon Aug 29 2022
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
3
View Album
Tue Aug 30 2022
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
3
View Album
Wed Aug 31 2022
Safe As Milk
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2
View Album
Thu Sep 01 2022
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
4
View Album
Fri Sep 02 2022
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
4
View Album
Mon Sep 05 2022
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
I’ve never been a huge Springsteen fan, though I have appreciated some of his songs that got air play. I’ve admired his evolution as an urban folk storyteller over the years. But having never really listened to this album all the way through before, I now see that those talents were there from the start. I can see how rough-edged disappointed but dreaming young adults of the 70s would have heard his lyrics and felt his passion and identified with his art. It all fits together so well, I don’t think I’d want to hear the songs separately again, but would rather hear them as this fiercely empassioned whole.
5
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Tue Sep 06 2022
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
5
View Album
Wed Sep 07 2022
Walking Wounded
Everything But The Girl
4
View Album
Thu Sep 08 2022
Infected
The The
3
View Album
Fri Sep 09 2022
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
Are they pretentiously obnoxious or obnoxiously pretentious? Don’t suppose it really matters - isn’t that punk of me? It’s too bad, really, because some of the playing on this album, esp. the jazz-inspired riffs, could make for a great instrumental album. But then they open their atonal douchey mouths and let the bull-sh*t roar. “I can make a minute last an hour.” Yes, you can, my dude. And that’s nothing to be proud of.
1
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Mon Sep 12 2022
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
4
View Album
Tue Sep 13 2022
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
4
View Album
Wed Sep 14 2022
I Against I
Bad Brains
2
View Album
Thu Sep 15 2022
I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
Merle Haggard
3
View Album
Fri Sep 16 2022
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
2
View Album
Mon Sep 19 2022
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
4
View Album
Tue Sep 20 2022
Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
4
View Album
Wed Sep 21 2022
New York Dolls
New York Dolls
2
View Album
Thu Sep 22 2022
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
3
View Album
Fri Sep 23 2022
Make Yourself
Incubus
3
View Album
Mon Sep 26 2022
Sound Affects
The Jam
3
View Album
Tue Sep 27 2022
School's Out
Alice Cooper
3
View Album
Wed Sep 28 2022
Moondance
Van Morrison
5
View Album
Thu Sep 29 2022
Virgin Suicides
Air
3
View Album
Fri Sep 30 2022
evermore
Taylor Swift
2
View Album
Mon Oct 03 2022
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
3
View Album
Tue Oct 04 2022
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4
View Album
Wed Oct 05 2022
C'est Chic
CHIC
3
View Album
Thu Oct 06 2022
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
4
View Album
Fri Oct 07 2022
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
3
View Album
Mon Oct 10 2022
Protection
Massive Attack
4
View Album
Tue Oct 11 2022
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
2
View Album
Wed Oct 12 2022
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
3
View Album
Thu Oct 13 2022
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
3
View Album
Fri Oct 14 2022
Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
2
View Album
Mon Oct 17 2022
21
Adele
5
View Album
Tue Oct 18 2022
Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
3
View Album
Wed Oct 19 2022
Group Sex
Circle Jerks
In between each of the tracks, there was 2-3 seconds of silence. This respite from the noise that preceded or followed it was by far the best part of the album.
1
View Album
Thu Oct 20 2022
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3
View Album
Fri Oct 21 2022
Bad
Michael Jackson
4
View Album
Mon Oct 24 2022
Pornography
The Cure
2
View Album
Tue Oct 25 2022
Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
3
View Album
Wed Oct 26 2022
Funeral
Arcade Fire
Is this the group that has the cute videos with Rube Goldberg machines & such? Makes sense that they developed a new those gimmicks, because nothing about their music is memorable.
2
View Album
Thu Oct 27 2022
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
4
View Album
Fri Oct 28 2022
E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
2
View Album
Mon Oct 31 2022
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
3
View Album
Tue Nov 01 2022
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
3
View Album
Wed Nov 02 2022
Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
2
View Album
Thu Nov 03 2022
Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
2
View Album
Fri Nov 04 2022
Nowhere
Ride
2
View Album
Mon Nov 07 2022
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
4
View Album
Tue Nov 08 2022
The Cars
The Cars
4
View Album
Wed Nov 09 2022
Fishscale
Ghostface Killah
At least the samples he uses are from good songs.
2
View Album
Thu Nov 10 2022
Sincere
Mj Cole
4
View Album
Fri Nov 11 2022
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3
View Album
Mon Nov 14 2022
Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
2
View Album
Tue Nov 15 2022
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
5
View Album
Wed Nov 16 2022
All Hail the Queen
Queen Latifah
2
View Album
Thu Nov 17 2022
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
3
View Album
Fri Nov 18 2022
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
In my review of the previous album we had by Arcade Fire, I mistook them for Ok Go. While AF’s videos may be less gimmicky, that album was as forgettable as anything the other group has put out.
Thankfully this album has a bit more going for it. There’s much more musicality, deeper lyrics and driving rhythms (although by track 7 or 8 they become detrimentally unrelenting).
Oceans of Noise is my fave of the group - hard and shoulders above the rest, and may even convince me to look again at the Fire.
3
View Album
Mon Nov 21 2022
Odelay
Beck
One of the most sonically interesting albums of the 90s.
4
View Album
Tue Nov 22 2022
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
3
View Album
Wed Nov 23 2022
Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
3
View Album
Thu Nov 24 2022
Abbey Road
Beatles
This could nearly be a 5 star album on the strength of the two George Harrison songs alone. Adding Come Together, Oh Darling!, and Golden Slumbers and Carry That Weight seals the deal. The rest is the most delicious gravy possible. The genius that is the bulk of side 2 is as audacious as it is tuneful. it just doesn’t get much better than this.
5
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Fri Nov 25 2022
Future Days
Can
3
View Album
Mon Nov 28 2022
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
3
View Album
Tue Nov 29 2022
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
A couple of monster bookends here - Gimme Shelter and You Can’t Always Get What You Want - elevate this album to a four. But even with the help of the somewhat reimagined Country Honky, there’s still too much here that’s just mediocre. And way too much twang for my money.
4
View Album
Wed Nov 30 2022
Songs From A Room
Leonard Cohen
3
View Album
Thu Dec 01 2022
I Should Coco
Supergrass
2
View Album
Fri Dec 02 2022
Connected
Stereo MC's
Connected was a huge hit in its day, but I couldn’t have told you the artist’s name. It’s a very strong start to this album, but none of the other tracks deliver the same punch. Still, the rhythms, though somewhat dated now, strike a chord in me. I wouldn’t turn this off if it were playing, but doubt I would seek it out.
3
View Album
Mon Dec 05 2022
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
3
View Album
Tue Dec 06 2022
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
I’d almost completely written this album off, then Praise You came on and that twang of nostalgia bumped this album up to a 2.
2
View Album
Wed Dec 07 2022
Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche
Koffi Olomide
2
View Album
Thu Dec 08 2022
Like A Prayer
Madonna
4
View Album
Fri Dec 09 2022
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
2
View Album
Mon Dec 12 2022
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
4
View Album
Tue Dec 13 2022
Dummy
Portishead
4
View Album
Wed Dec 14 2022
All Mod Cons
The Jam
2
View Album
Thu Dec 15 2022
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
3
View Album
Fri Dec 16 2022
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
2
View Album
Mon Dec 19 2022
Van Halen
Van Halen
4
View Album
Tue Dec 20 2022
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
3
View Album
Wed Dec 21 2022
Tapestry
Carole King
5
View Album
Thu Dec 22 2022
Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
2
View Album
Fri Dec 23 2022
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
3
View Album
Mon Dec 26 2022
Aja
Steely Dan
5
View Album
Tue Dec 27 2022
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
View Album
Wed Dec 28 2022
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
4
View Album
Thu Dec 29 2022
Teen Dream
Beach House
I’d not heard this album; didn’t know this group. I really like their sound, their lyrics, their mood. Will listen to this again and seek out more by them.
4
View Album
Fri Dec 30 2022
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
4
View Album
Mon Jan 02 2023
The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
3
View Album
Tue Jan 03 2023
Frank
Amy Winehouse
5
View Album
Wed Jan 04 2023
A Seat at the Table
Solange
3
View Album
Thu Jan 05 2023
Out of Step
Minor Threat
1
View Album
Fri Jan 06 2023
Fragile
Yes
4
View Album
Mon Jan 09 2023
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
4
View Album
Tue Jan 10 2023
Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
4
View Album
Wed Jan 11 2023
L.A. Woman
The Doors
4
View Album
Thu Jan 12 2023
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
4
View Album
Fri Jan 13 2023
Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
3
View Album
Mon Jan 16 2023
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3
View Album
Tue Jan 17 2023
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
5
View Album
Wed Jan 18 2023
Let It Be
The Replacements
2
View Album
Thu Jan 19 2023
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
4
View Album
Fri Jan 20 2023
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
2
View Album
Mon Jan 23 2023
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
3
View Album
Tue Jan 24 2023
Hysteria
Def Leppard
4
View Album
Wed Jan 25 2023
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
3
View Album
Thu Jan 26 2023
Black Monk Time
The Monks
2
View Album
Fri Jan 27 2023
Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3
View Album
Mon Jan 30 2023
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
4
View Album
Tue Jan 31 2023
Parklife
Blur
3
View Album
Wed Feb 01 2023
The Rise & Fall
Madness
3
View Album
Thu Feb 02 2023
Parallel Lines
Blondie
4
View Album
Fri Feb 03 2023
2112
Rush
4
View Album
Mon Feb 06 2023
Metallica
Metallica
2
View Album
Tue Feb 07 2023
Face to Face
The Kinks
3
View Album
Wed Feb 08 2023
Follow The Leader
Korn
2
View Album
Thu Feb 09 2023
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
5
View Album
Fri Feb 10 2023
The Stooges
The Stooges
2
View Album
Mon Feb 13 2023
My Generation
The Who
3
View Album
Tue Feb 14 2023
Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
2
View Album
Wed Feb 15 2023
Amnesiac
Radiohead
4
View Album
Thu Feb 16 2023
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
4
View Album
Fri Feb 17 2023
Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
3
View Album
Mon Feb 20 2023
Dookie
Green Day
4
View Album
Tue Feb 21 2023
Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
4
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Wed Feb 22 2023
Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
3
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Thu Feb 23 2023
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
2
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Fri Feb 24 2023
The Contino Sessions
Death In Vegas
4
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Mon Feb 27 2023
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
With this album, and especially it's monster hits "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", Tears for Fears announced their presence as the accessible voices of the disaffected youth of the 80s. Less emo and sonically dissonant than their cousins-in-pop like The Cure, The Smiths, etc., Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith mixed catchy riffs, powerful arrangements and deeply felt lyrics to capture the airwaves, as well as the ears and hearts of listeners worldwide.
Somewhat less angst-y than their primal scream therapy influenced debut album The Hurting, Songs from the Big Chair retains much of their anger and pain, but ups the ante musically, marrying their new-wave synth roots and sonic experimentation with pop hooks and lush orchestrations that get ever deeper with repeated listenings.
There's a definite Beatles' influence (which the boys exploited maybe a bit too much on their next release, Sowing the Seeds of Love), especially in the Abbey Road inspired flow of the second half of the album, from "I Believe" on. The songs move naturally from one to the next, shifting mood, tempo, rhythm and sentiment, but always feeling somehow cohesive. The brilliance of this approach is highlighted by bookending the MTV-friendly love song "Head Over Heels" with the driving, bass heavy "Broken". Following this up with contemplative and sonically fascinating "Listen" (truly *listen* to this track - preferably through good headphones!) wraps the album up nicely, leaving me wanting more, and yet, strangely, also sated.
This album is one of my favorites - possibly my most favorite - of the 80s and my youth. Listening to it takes me back to the days when music first revealed itself to be a transformative experience that could help me to analyze my thoughts and moods, and help me find solace amidst the chaos of teen life.
5
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Tue Feb 28 2023
A Night At The Opera
Queen
4
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Wed Mar 01 2023
Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
3
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Thu Mar 02 2023
Brothers
The Black Keys
3
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Fri Mar 03 2023
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
3
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Mon Mar 06 2023
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3
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Tue Mar 07 2023
Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers
3
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Wed Mar 08 2023
Midnight Ride
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3
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Thu Mar 09 2023
A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
3
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Fri Mar 10 2023
Revolver
Beatles
5
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Mon Mar 13 2023
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
I would listen to Ella sing the phone book.
While I wish there were more upbeat, jazzy tunes here, it's still such lush listening.
5
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Tue Mar 14 2023
Dirt
Alice In Chains
3
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Wed Mar 15 2023
Another Music In A Different Kitchen
Buzzcocks
2
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Thu Mar 16 2023
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
4
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Fri Mar 17 2023
Clandestino
Manu Chao
2
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Mon Mar 20 2023
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
3
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Tue Mar 21 2023
Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
1
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Wed Mar 22 2023
Yeezus
Kanye West
This man is a mentally ill, hate filled, ego driven monster. His music should not be celebrated.
1
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Thu Mar 23 2023
Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
3
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Fri Mar 24 2023
Trafalgar
Bee Gees
3
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Mon Mar 27 2023
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
3
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Tue Mar 28 2023
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
Loved the “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” cover!
3
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Wed Mar 29 2023
Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
4
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Thu Mar 30 2023
Fear and Whiskey
Mekons
Guy’s voice sucks.
2
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Fri Mar 31 2023
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
3
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Mon Apr 03 2023
Close To The Edge
Yes
4
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Tue Apr 04 2023
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
4
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Wed Apr 05 2023
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
Guy’s voice sucks.
2
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Thu Apr 06 2023
Chris
Christine and the Queens
3
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Fri Apr 07 2023
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
4
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Mon Apr 10 2023
The Healer
John Lee Hooker
3
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Tue Apr 11 2023
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4
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Wed Apr 12 2023
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
4
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Thu Apr 13 2023
Goo
Sonic Youth
The “Goo” of the title must be a result of the masturbatory wankery that these “artists” perpetrate all over this album.
1
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Fri Apr 14 2023
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
2
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Mon Apr 17 2023
Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
5
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Tue Apr 18 2023
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
1
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Wed Apr 19 2023
Palo Congo
Sabu
2
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Thu Apr 20 2023
One World
John Martyn
4
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Fri Apr 21 2023
Paris 1919
John Cale
3
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Mon Apr 24 2023
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
Brilliant application of leit motif to a contemporary music album.
4
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Tue Apr 25 2023
Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3
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Wed Apr 26 2023
Superfuzz Bigmuff
Mudhoney
2
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Thu Apr 27 2023
O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
2
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Fri Apr 28 2023
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
3
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Mon May 01 2023
Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
5
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Tue May 02 2023
Chelsea Girl
Nico
2
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Wed May 03 2023
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
3
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Thu May 04 2023
Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
3
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Fri May 05 2023
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
2
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Mon May 08 2023
Penthouse And Pavement
Heaven 17
2
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Tue May 09 2023
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
2
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Wed May 10 2023
Ramones
Ramones
4
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Thu May 11 2023
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
2
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Fri May 12 2023
Live At The Witch Trials
The Fall
1
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Mon May 15 2023
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
3
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Tue May 16 2023
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
3
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Wed May 17 2023
Eagles
Eagles
4
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Thu May 18 2023
Signing Off
UB40
1
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Fri May 19 2023
The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
4
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Mon May 22 2023
Boston
Boston
One of the greatest debut albums in all of rock. One of the greatest guitar albums in all of rock. If you can’t get into this, you might be broken inside.
5
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Tue May 23 2023
Permission to Land
The Darkness
2