May 06 2021
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The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
2
May 07 2021
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Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Eurythmics
3
May 10 2021
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Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4
May 11 2021
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At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
4
May 12 2021
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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
May 13 2021
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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
May 14 2021
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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
May 17 2021
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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
May 18 2021
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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
May 19 2021
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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
May 20 2021
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Black Metal
Venom
I guess this music must have a place for somebody. Not for me.
1
May 21 2021
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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
May 23 2021
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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
May 24 2021
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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
May 25 2021
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Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
I tried. Made it through 7 1/2 tracks. I just can't.
1
May 26 2021
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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
May 27 2021
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Treasure
Cocteau Twins
1
May 28 2021
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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
May 29 2021
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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
May 30 2021
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Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
So The Saints (from yesterday) put out a Halloween album…
1
May 31 2021
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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
Jun 01 2021
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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
Jun 02 2021
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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
Jun 03 2021
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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
Jun 04 2021
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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
Jun 05 2021
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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
Jun 06 2021
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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
Jun 07 2021
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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
Jun 08 2021
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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
Jun 09 2021
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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
Jun 10 2021
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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
Jun 11 2021
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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
Jun 12 2021
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To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
1
Jun 13 2021
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Dry
PJ Harvey
2
Jun 14 2021
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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
Jun 15 2021
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Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
Jun 16 2021
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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
Jun 17 2021
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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
Jun 18 2021
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Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4
Jun 19 2021
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The Score
Fugees
2
Jun 20 2021
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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
Jun 21 2021
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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
Jun 22 2021
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Live!
Fela Kuti
3
Jun 23 2021
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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
Jun 24 2021
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Cut
The Slits
3
Jun 25 2021
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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
Jun 26 2021
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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
Jun 27 2021
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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
Jun 28 2021
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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
Jun 29 2021
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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
Jun 30 2021
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The Coral
The Coral
3
Jul 01 2021
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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
Jul 02 2021
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Repeater
Fugazi
2
Jul 05 2021
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Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
4
Jul 06 2021
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Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
2
Jul 07 2021
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Wild Gift
X
2
Jul 08 2021
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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
Jul 09 2021
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Melody A.M.
Röyksopp
3
Jul 12 2021
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Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Every song is worthy. A classic, a masterpiece.
5
Jul 13 2021
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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
Jul 14 2021
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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
Jul 15 2021
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Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
4
Jul 16 2021
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Exit Planet Dust
The Chemical Brothers
3
Jul 19 2021
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The Specials
The Specials
3
Jul 20 2021
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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
Jul 21 2021
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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
Jul 22 2021
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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
Jul 23 2021
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Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
4
Jul 26 2021
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Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2
Jul 27 2021
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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
Jul 28 2021
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Orbital 2
Orbital
2
Jul 29 2021
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Night Life
Ray Price
3
Jul 30 2021
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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
Aug 02 2021
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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
Aug 03 2021
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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
Aug 04 2021
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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
Aug 05 2021
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Horses
Patti Smith
4
Aug 06 2021
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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
Aug 09 2021
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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
Aug 10 2021
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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
Aug 11 2021
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Arise
Sepultura
1
Aug 12 2021
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Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
Largely unremarkable. I enjoyed the title track.
2
Aug 13 2021
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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
Aug 16 2021
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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
Aug 17 2021
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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
Aug 18 2021
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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
Aug 19 2021
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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
Aug 20 2021
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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
Aug 23 2021
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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
Aug 24 2021
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The Chronic
Dr. Dre
1
Aug 25 2021
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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
Aug 26 2021
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Timeless
Goldie
Yeah, I dig this. Great beats, inventive sounds, clever mixture of instruments. A nice add to my collection.
4
Aug 27 2021
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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
Aug 30 2021
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White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
2
Aug 31 2021
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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
Sep 01 2021
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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
Sep 02 2021
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Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
Wow, those guitars and drums are...unrelenting.
2
Sep 03 2021
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
3
Sep 06 2021
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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
Sep 07 2021
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Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
3
Sep 08 2021
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White Light
Gene Clark
3
Sep 09 2021
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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
Sep 10 2021
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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
Sep 13 2021
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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
Sep 14 2021
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Marquee Moon
Television
3
Sep 15 2021
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Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
2
Sep 16 2021
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Faith
George Michael
80s pop nostalgia - ain’t it grand?
5
Sep 17 2021
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Bone Machine
Tom Waits
A voice to crush rocks, but a poetic soul to reflect our humanity.
4
Sep 20 2021
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Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
3
Sep 21 2021
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First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
3
Sep 22 2021
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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
Sep 23 2021
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The Blueprint
JAY Z
1
Sep 24 2021
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Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
2
Sep 27 2021
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Abraxas
Santana
4
Sep 28 2021
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Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
2
Sep 29 2021
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Either Or
Elliott Smith
4
Sep 30 2021
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Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
3
Oct 01 2021
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Pelican West
Haircut 100
3
Oct 04 2021
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The Renaissance
Q-Tip
2
Oct 05 2021
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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
4
Oct 06 2021
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Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
4
Oct 07 2021
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Odessa
Bee Gees
3
Oct 08 2021
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La Revancha Del Tango
Gotan Project
3
Oct 11 2021
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Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
2
Oct 12 2021
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Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
3
Oct 13 2021
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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
Oct 14 2021
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Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
2
Oct 15 2021
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Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
3
Oct 18 2021
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Blur
Blur
2
Oct 19 2021
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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
4
Oct 20 2021
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Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
3
Oct 21 2021
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Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
3
Oct 22 2021
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At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
4
Oct 25 2021
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Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
4
Oct 26 2021
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Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
4
Oct 27 2021
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Country Life
Roxy Music
2
Oct 28 2021
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The Only Ones
The Only Ones
2
Oct 29 2021
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Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
2
Nov 01 2021
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Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
3
Nov 02 2021
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Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
3
Nov 03 2021
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The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
4
Nov 04 2021
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A Date With The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
3
Nov 05 2021
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In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
3
Nov 08 2021
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Different Class
Pulp
3
Nov 09 2021
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Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
4
Nov 10 2021
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Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
3
Nov 11 2021
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Raw Power
The Stooges
2
Nov 12 2021
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90
808 State
2
Nov 15 2021
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Disintegration
The Cure
3
Nov 16 2021
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Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4
Nov 17 2021
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Solid Air
John Martyn
4
Nov 18 2021
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Strange Cargo III
William Orbit
3
Nov 19 2021
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When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
3
Nov 22 2021
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The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
4
Nov 23 2021
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Pretenders
Pretenders
4
Nov 24 2021
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Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
3
Nov 25 2021
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Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
4
Nov 26 2021
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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
Nov 29 2021
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Being There
Wilco
3
Nov 30 2021
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Modern Life Is Rubbish
Blur
2
Dec 01 2021
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Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
1
Dec 02 2021
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The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
2
Dec 03 2021
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Eliminator
ZZ Top
3
Dec 06 2021
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Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
3
Dec 07 2021
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Sheet Music
10cc
2
Dec 08 2021
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1999
Prince
4
Dec 09 2021
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Soul Mining
The The
3
Dec 10 2021
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Whatever
Aimee Mann
3
Dec 13 2021
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In Utero
Nirvana
3
Dec 14 2021
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Stankonia
OutKast
2
Dec 15 2021
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Post Orgasmic Chill
Skunk Anansie
4
Dec 16 2021
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Killing Joke
Killing Joke
3
Dec 17 2021
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Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4
Dec 20 2021
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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
Dec 21 2021
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Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
3
Dec 22 2021
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16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
3
Dec 23 2021
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The Idiot
Iggy Pop
3
Dec 24 2021
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Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
3
Dec 27 2021
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A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
3
Dec 28 2021
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System Of A Down
System Of A Down
1
Dec 29 2021
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The Band
The Band
3 1/2
3
Dec 30 2021
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Faust IV
Faust
3
Dec 31 2021
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Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
4
Jan 03 2022
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Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
4
Jan 04 2022
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The Visitors
ABBA
3
Jan 05 2022
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Drunk
Thundercat
3
Jan 06 2022
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Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
4
Jan 07 2022
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Be
Common
2
Jan 10 2022
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OK Computer
Radiohead
4
Jan 11 2022
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There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
3
Jan 12 2022
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Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
3
Jan 13 2022
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Entertainment
Gang Of Four
1
Jan 14 2022
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The Man Who
Travis
4
Jan 17 2022
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American Beauty
Grateful Dead
3
Jan 18 2022
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Me Against The World
2Pac
1
Jan 19 2022
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Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
3
Jan 20 2022
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Fred Neil
Fred Neil
2
Jan 21 2022
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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
Jan 24 2022
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Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
1
Jan 25 2022
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Wild Wood
Paul Weller
3
Jan 26 2022
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Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
3
Jan 27 2022
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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
Jan 28 2022
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Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
4
Jan 31 2022
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Hard Again
Muddy Waters
4
Feb 01 2022
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Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
4
Feb 02 2022
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Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
1
Feb 03 2022
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Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
4
Feb 04 2022
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Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
4
Feb 07 2022
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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
Feb 08 2022
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Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
3
Feb 09 2022
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(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
3
Feb 10 2022
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Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
2
Feb 11 2022
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Kenya
Machito
3
Feb 14 2022
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Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
2
Feb 15 2022
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The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
3
Feb 16 2022
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Rip It Up
Orange Juice
3
Feb 17 2022
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Truth And Soul
Fishbone
2
Feb 18 2022
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Take Me Apart
Kelela
3
Feb 21 2022
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Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
4
Feb 22 2022
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Music From Big Pink
The Band
3
Feb 23 2022
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Shaft
Isaac Hayes
2
Feb 24 2022
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I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
3
Feb 25 2022
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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
Feb 28 2022
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Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
2
Mar 01 2022
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No Other
Gene Clark
3
Mar 02 2022
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Grace
Jeff Buckley
4
Mar 03 2022
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Broken English
Marianne Faithfull
3
Mar 04 2022
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Like Water For Chocolate
Common
2
Mar 07 2022
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Homework
Daft Punk
“Mom! Listen to what my Casio keyboard can do!!”
1
Mar 08 2022
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Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
4
Mar 09 2022
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High Violet
The National
4
Mar 10 2022
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Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black
Public Enemy
3
Mar 11 2022
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Vespertine
Björk
4
Mar 14 2022
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Blue Lines
Massive Attack
3
Mar 15 2022
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Illmatic
Nas
2
Mar 16 2022
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Diamond Life
Sade
3
Mar 17 2022
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Maxinquaye
Tricky
4
Mar 18 2022
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Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3
Mar 21 2022
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Low-Life
New Order
3
Mar 22 2022
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Garbage
Garbage
4
Mar 23 2022
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Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
3
Mar 24 2022
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Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
4
Mar 25 2022
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Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
3
Mar 28 2022
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Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3
Mar 29 2022
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Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
5
Mar 30 2022
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One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
3
Mar 31 2022
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If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
4
Apr 01 2022
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Kala
M.I.A.
3
Apr 04 2022
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Autobahn
Kraftwerk
3
Apr 05 2022
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In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
3
Apr 06 2022
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Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
3
Apr 07 2022
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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
Apr 08 2022
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Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
3
Apr 11 2022
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Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
3
Apr 12 2022
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Truth
Jeff Beck
3
Apr 13 2022
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Suicide
Suicide
4
Apr 14 2022
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Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
4
Apr 15 2022
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At Budokan
Cheap Trick
3
Apr 18 2022
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Arrival
ABBA
3
Apr 19 2022
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Achtung Baby
U2
5
Apr 20 2022
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For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
2
Apr 21 2022
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Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
3
Apr 22 2022
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The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
4
Apr 25 2022
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Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
4
Apr 26 2022
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good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
1
Apr 27 2022
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1984
Van Halen
4
Apr 28 2022
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Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
4
Apr 29 2022
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Station To Station
David Bowie
4
May 02 2022
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Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
3
May 03 2022
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Phrenology
The Roots
2
May 04 2022
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Second Toughest In The Infants
Underworld
3
May 05 2022
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The Sensual World
Kate Bush
3
May 06 2022
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Who's Next
The Who
4
May 09 2022
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All Directions
The Temptations
3
May 10 2022
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Made In Japan
Deep Purple
3
May 11 2022
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Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3
May 12 2022
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Legalize It
Peter Tosh
2
May 13 2022
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Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
4
May 16 2022
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Low
David Bowie
3
May 17 2022
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Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3
May 18 2022
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Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
4
May 19 2022
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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
May 20 2022
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Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
3
May 23 2022
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Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
3
May 24 2022
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Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
3
May 25 2022
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Back In Black
AC/DC
4
May 26 2022
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Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
2
May 27 2022
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Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
3
May 30 2022
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Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
3
May 31 2022
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Graceland
Paul Simon
A meticulously crafted, deeply felt masterwork.
5
Jun 01 2022
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GI
Germs
1
Jun 02 2022
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Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
3
Jun 03 2022
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Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
1
Jun 06 2022
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Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
3
Jun 07 2022
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Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
4
Jun 08 2022
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Groovin'
The Young Rascals
4
Jun 09 2022
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Snivilisation
Orbital
3
Jun 10 2022
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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
Jun 13 2022
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Young Americans
David Bowie
4
Jun 14 2022
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Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
4
Jun 15 2022
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John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
3
Jun 16 2022
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Done By The Forces Of Nature
Jungle Brothers
<yawn>
2
Jun 17 2022
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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
Jun 20 2022
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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
Jun 21 2022
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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
Jun 22 2022
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Technique
New Order
3
Jun 23 2022
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Nevermind
Nirvana
3
Jun 24 2022
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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
Jun 27 2022
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Something Else By The Kinks
The Kinks
3
Jun 28 2022
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The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
3
Jun 29 2022
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Rubber Soul
Beatles
5
Jun 30 2022
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Frampton Comes Alive
Peter Frampton
Ground-breaking. Electrifying. A great party.
4
Jul 01 2022
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Forever Changes
Love
3
Jul 04 2022
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Roxy Music
Roxy Music
2
Jul 05 2022
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A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
4
Jul 06 2022
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Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
3
Jul 07 2022
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Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
3
Jul 08 2022
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Skylarking
XTC
3
Jul 11 2022
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The Yes Album
Yes
4
Jul 12 2022
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Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
3
Jul 13 2022
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Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
2
Jul 14 2022
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Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2
Jul 15 2022
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Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
4
Jul 18 2022
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The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
4
Jul 19 2022
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Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
3
Jul 20 2022
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The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators
3
Jul 21 2022
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Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
3
Jul 22 2022
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Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
-1 star for Clapton aging into an insufferable douche bag.
3
Jul 25 2022
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Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
4
Jul 26 2022
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Closer
Joy Division
3
Jul 27 2022
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British Steel
Judas Priest
3
Jul 28 2022
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Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
3
Jul 29 2022
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Survivor
Destiny's Child
3
Aug 01 2022
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Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
4
Aug 02 2022
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Figure 8
Elliott Smith
4
Aug 03 2022
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Violator
Depeche Mode
4
Aug 04 2022
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Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
3
Aug 05 2022
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Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
3
Aug 08 2022
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Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
3
Aug 09 2022
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Disraeli Gears
Cream
3
Aug 10 2022
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Your Arsenal
Morrissey
3
Aug 11 2022
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Document
R.E.M.
4
Aug 12 2022
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This Is Hardcore
Pulp
4
Aug 15 2022
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Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
4
Aug 16 2022
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Pyromania
Def Leppard
4
Aug 17 2022
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The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
3
Aug 18 2022
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BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
3
Aug 19 2022
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Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
4
Aug 22 2022
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On The Beach
Neil Young
3
Aug 23 2022
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More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
3
Aug 24 2022
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Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
2
Aug 25 2022
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Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3
Aug 26 2022
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Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
Aug 29 2022
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Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
3
Aug 30 2022
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Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
3
Aug 31 2022
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Safe As Milk
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2
Sep 01 2022
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Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
4
Sep 02 2022
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I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
4
Sep 05 2022
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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
Sep 06 2022
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Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
5
Sep 07 2022
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Walking Wounded
Everything But The Girl
4
Sep 08 2022
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Infected
The The
3
Sep 09 2022
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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
Sep 12 2022
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Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
4
Sep 13 2022
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Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
4
Sep 14 2022
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I Against I
Bad Brains
2
Sep 15 2022
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I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
Merle Haggard
3
Sep 16 2022
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Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
2
Sep 19 2022
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The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
4
Sep 20 2022
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Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
4
Sep 21 2022
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New York Dolls
New York Dolls
2
Sep 22 2022
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Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
3
Sep 23 2022
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Make Yourself
Incubus
3
Sep 26 2022
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Sound Affects
The Jam
3
Sep 27 2022
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School's Out
Alice Cooper
3
Sep 28 2022
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Moondance
Van Morrison
5
Sep 29 2022
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Virgin Suicides
Air
3
Sep 30 2022
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evermore
Taylor Swift
2
Oct 03 2022
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The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
3
Oct 04 2022
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(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4
Oct 05 2022
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C'est Chic
CHIC
3
Oct 06 2022
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Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
4
Oct 07 2022
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At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
3
Oct 10 2022
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Protection
Massive Attack
4
Oct 11 2022
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Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
2
Oct 12 2022
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If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
3
Oct 13 2022
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69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
3
Oct 14 2022
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Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
2
Oct 17 2022
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21
Adele
5
Oct 18 2022
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Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
3
Oct 19 2022
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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
Oct 20 2022
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The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3
Oct 21 2022
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Bad
Michael Jackson
4
Oct 24 2022
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Pornography
The Cure
2
Oct 25 2022
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Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
3
Oct 26 2022
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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
Oct 27 2022
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Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
4
Oct 28 2022
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E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
2
Oct 31 2022
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Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
3
Nov 01 2022
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That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
3
Nov 02 2022
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Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
2
Nov 03 2022
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Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
2
Nov 04 2022
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Nowhere
Ride
2
Nov 07 2022
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Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
4
Nov 08 2022
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The Cars
The Cars
4
Nov 09 2022
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Fishscale
Ghostface Killah
At least the samples he uses are from good songs.
2
Nov 10 2022
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Sincere
Mj Cole
4
Nov 11 2022
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Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3
Nov 14 2022
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Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
2
Nov 15 2022
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Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
5
Nov 16 2022
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All Hail the Queen
Queen Latifah
2
Nov 17 2022
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Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
3
Nov 18 2022
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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
Nov 21 2022
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Odelay
Beck
One of the most sonically interesting albums of the 90s.
4
Nov 22 2022
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Dire Straits
Dire Straits
3
Nov 23 2022
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Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
3
Nov 24 2022
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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
Nov 25 2022
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Future Days
Can
3
Nov 28 2022
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If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
3
Nov 29 2022
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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
Nov 30 2022
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Songs From A Room
Leonard Cohen
3
Dec 01 2022
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I Should Coco
Supergrass
2
Dec 02 2022
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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
Dec 05 2022
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We Are Family
Sister Sledge
3
Dec 06 2022
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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
Dec 07 2022
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Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche
Koffi Olomide
2
Dec 08 2022
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Like A Prayer
Madonna
4
Dec 09 2022
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Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
2
Dec 12 2022
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Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
4
Dec 13 2022
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Dummy
Portishead
4
Dec 14 2022
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All Mod Cons
The Jam
2
Dec 15 2022
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Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
3
Dec 16 2022
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Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
2
Dec 19 2022
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Van Halen
Van Halen
4
Dec 20 2022
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Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
3
Dec 21 2022
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Tapestry
Carole King
5
Dec 22 2022
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Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
2
Dec 23 2022
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Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
3
Dec 26 2022
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Aja
Steely Dan
5
Dec 27 2022
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Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
Dec 28 2022
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Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
4
Dec 29 2022
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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
Dec 30 2022
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KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
4
Jan 02 2023
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The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
3
Jan 03 2023
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Frank
Amy Winehouse
5
Jan 04 2023
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A Seat at the Table
Solange
3
Jan 05 2023
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Out of Step
Minor Threat
1
Jan 06 2023
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Fragile
Yes
4
Jan 09 2023
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The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
4
Jan 10 2023
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Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
4
Jan 11 2023
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L.A. Woman
The Doors
4
Jan 12 2023
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Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
4
Jan 13 2023
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Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
3
Jan 16 2023
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This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3
Jan 17 2023
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At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
5
Jan 18 2023
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Let It Be
The Replacements
2
Jan 19 2023
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Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
4
Jan 20 2023
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The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
2
Jan 23 2023
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The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
3
Jan 24 2023
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Hysteria
Def Leppard
4
Jan 25 2023
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Gorillaz
Gorillaz
3
Jan 26 2023
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Black Monk Time
The Monks
2
Jan 27 2023
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Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3
Jan 30 2023
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Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
4
Jan 31 2023
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Parklife
Blur
3
Feb 01 2023
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The Rise & Fall
Madness
3
Feb 02 2023
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Parallel Lines
Blondie
4
Feb 03 2023
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2112
Rush
4
Feb 06 2023
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Metallica
Metallica
2
Feb 07 2023
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Face to Face
The Kinks
3
Feb 08 2023
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Follow The Leader
Korn
2
Feb 09 2023
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Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
5
Feb 10 2023
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The Stooges
The Stooges
2
Feb 13 2023
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My Generation
The Who
3
Feb 14 2023
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Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
2
Feb 15 2023
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Amnesiac
Radiohead
4
Feb 16 2023
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The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
4
Feb 17 2023
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Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
3
Feb 20 2023
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Dookie
Green Day
4
Feb 21 2023
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Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
4
Feb 22 2023
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Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
3
Feb 23 2023
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Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
2
Feb 24 2023
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The Contino Sessions
Death In Vegas
4
Feb 27 2023
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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
Feb 28 2023
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A Night At The Opera
Queen
4
Mar 01 2023
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Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
3
Mar 02 2023
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Brothers
The Black Keys
3
Mar 03 2023
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Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
3
Mar 06 2023
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Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3
Mar 07 2023
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Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers
3
Mar 08 2023
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Midnight Ride
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3
Mar 09 2023
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A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
3
Mar 10 2023
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Revolver
Beatles
5
Mar 13 2023
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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
Mar 14 2023
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Dirt
Alice In Chains
3
Mar 15 2023
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Another Music In A Different Kitchen
Buzzcocks
2
Mar 16 2023
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Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
4
Mar 17 2023
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Clandestino
Manu Chao
2
Mar 20 2023
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Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
3
Mar 21 2023
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Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
1
Mar 22 2023
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Yeezus
Kanye West
This man is a mentally ill, hate filled, ego driven monster. His music should not be celebrated.
1
Mar 23 2023
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Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
3
Mar 24 2023
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Trafalgar
Bee Gees
3
Mar 27 2023
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Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
3
Mar 28 2023
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3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
Loved the “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” cover!
3
Mar 29 2023
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Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
4
Mar 30 2023
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Fear and Whiskey
Mekons
Guy’s voice sucks.
2
Mar 31 2023
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Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
3
Apr 03 2023
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Close To The Edge
Yes
4
Apr 04 2023
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Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
4
Apr 05 2023
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The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
Guy’s voice sucks.
2
Apr 06 2023
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Chris
Christine and the Queens
3
Apr 07 2023
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Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
4
Apr 10 2023
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The Healer
John Lee Hooker
3
Apr 11 2023
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Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4
Apr 12 2023
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Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
4
Apr 13 2023
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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
Apr 14 2023
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Since I Left You
The Avalanches
2
Apr 17 2023
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Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
5
Apr 18 2023
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Master Of Puppets
Metallica
1
Apr 19 2023
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Palo Congo
Sabu
2
Apr 20 2023
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One World
John Martyn
4
Apr 21 2023
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Paris 1919
John Cale
3
Apr 24 2023
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What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
Brilliant application of leit motif to a contemporary music album.
4
Apr 25 2023
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Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3
Apr 26 2023
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Superfuzz Bigmuff
Mudhoney
2
Apr 27 2023
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O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
2
Apr 28 2023
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Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
3
May 01 2023
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Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
5
May 02 2023
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Chelsea Girl
Nico
2
May 03 2023
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You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
3
May 04 2023
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Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
3
May 05 2023
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Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
2
May 08 2023
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Penthouse And Pavement
Heaven 17
2
May 09 2023
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Casanova
The Divine Comedy
2
May 10 2023
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Ramones
Ramones
4
May 11 2023
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Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
2
May 12 2023
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Live At The Witch Trials
The Fall
1
May 15 2023
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Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
3
May 16 2023
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Cloud Nine
The Temptations
3
May 17 2023
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Eagles
Eagles
4
May 18 2023
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Signing Off
UB40
1
May 19 2023
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The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
4
May 22 2023
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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
May 23 2023
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Permission to Land
The Darkness
2
May 24 2023
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The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
3
May 25 2023
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Aqualung
Jethro Tull
3
May 26 2023
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Teenage Head
Flamin' Groovies
Never heard them before, but really dig their style!
4
May 29 2023
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All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
The older I get the more I appreciate the quiet Beatle - the profundity of his lyrics, the virtuosity of his guitar playing, the simplicity of his melodies.
5
May 30 2023
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Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
3
May 31 2023
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Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
3
Jun 01 2023
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Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
2
Jun 02 2023
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Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
2
Jun 05 2023
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The New Tango
Astor Piazzolla
3
Jun 06 2023
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Ray Of Light
Madonna
Madge’s last great album. I love the cohesiveness of it. It’s clear that every song is a part of this album, yet each has its own unique perspective and sound. The Eastern & Middle Eastern influences work well for me, giving the music and the spiritualized edge. Madonna’s voice is in fine form and the production is unmatched. Complicated and catchy rhythms meld with super-rich bass lines and ethereal atmosphere to provide an elevated club sound unlike any other. Frozen is a highlight, with its lush strings, jangly percussion, and almost medieval chord structure supporting her cutting words to a cold, emotionless subject. Little Star, an electronica lullaby to her then-newly-born daughter Lourdes, is unexpectedly touching, yet retains much of the sugary fun that made Madonna a pop goddess.
5
Jun 07 2023
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Lazer Guided Melodies
Spiritualized
3
Jun 08 2023
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Tellin’ Stories
The Charlatans
Oasis wannabes.
2
Jun 09 2023
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Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
1
Jun 12 2023
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Tical
Method Man
1
Jun 13 2023
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Picture Book
Simply Red
3
Jun 14 2023
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Superunknown
Soundgarden
3
Jun 15 2023
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Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys
2.5
3
Jun 16 2023
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Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4
Jun 19 2023
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Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
4
Jun 20 2023
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Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
3
Jun 21 2023
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Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2
Jun 22 2023
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Heavy Weather
Weather Report
3
Jun 23 2023
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Butterfly
Mariah Carey
3
Jun 26 2023
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Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
3
Jun 27 2023
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Grievous Angel
Gram Parsons
3
Jun 28 2023
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American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
A seasoned master finds new life at the end of his career with his collection of brilliant versions of timeless classics.
5
Jun 29 2023
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Fever Ray
Fever Ray
4
Jun 30 2023
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Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
Lupe Fiasco
3
Jul 03 2023
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Devotional Songs
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3
Jul 04 2023
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Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
3
Jul 05 2023
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Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon
2
Jul 06 2023
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It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
3
Jul 07 2023
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The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
Sonic nirvana.
5
Jul 10 2023
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Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
Never knew much other than her hit(s). Great voice, very expressive.
4
Jul 11 2023
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The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Genesis
If we weren’t hearing this a couple of days after Dark Side of the Moon, it might warrant another star. Still, a strong outing from G.’s prog rock years.
3
Jul 12 2023
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Slayed?
Slade
3
Jul 13 2023
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Brutal Youth
Elvis Costello
3
Jul 14 2023
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The La's
The La's
Pleasantly surprised!
4
Jul 17 2023
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Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
3
Jul 18 2023
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Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
Too short!
4
Jul 19 2023
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S&M
Metallica
This album is so cheesy, it’s hilarious! But i don’t think the band realizes how ironically ridiculous it is that they traded their metal cred for some 70s Live-and-Let-Die symphonic arrangements. If they were in on the joke, I might give them an extra star or two for their cleverness. As it is, it’s just a mess of styles and self-importance.
1
Jul 20 2023
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Urban Hymns
The Verve
Bittersweet Symphony is a great song - one of the best of its era, IMO. That elevates this otherwise pleasant, but not great, album for me.
4
Jul 21 2023
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Arular
M.I.A.
Recommended for someone who wants to know what $10 get you. Also for people who need to hear a song that samples Sanford & Son before they die.
2
Jul 24 2023
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Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
2
Jul 25 2023
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If I Could Only Remember My Name
David Crosby
3
Jul 26 2023
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Destroyer
KISS
Some great songs and some super lame-o songs even this out to a 3.
3
Jul 27 2023
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Pearl
Janis Joplin
4
Jul 28 2023
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Medúlla
Björk
I dig Bjørk. And listening to her while driving through the Icelandic countryside added a whole new dimension to her music. While I think Post and Debut are stronger albums, there’s nothing like hearing her sing Ancestors while in the shadows of the mountains that inspired her song.
4
Jul 31 2023
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Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
3
Aug 01 2023
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Surfer Rosa
Pixies
2
Aug 02 2023
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Live At Leeds
The Who
A bit uneven, but still solid, live album. Keith Moon is in particularly fine form - I love his work on Happy Jack, one of my faves of this album, along with the closer (of the Ext. Edition), Magic Bus.
4
Aug 03 2023
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Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
3
Aug 04 2023
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Seventh Tree
Goldfrapp
4
Aug 07 2023
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Real Life
Magazine
3
Aug 08 2023
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Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
1
Aug 09 2023
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In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
3
Aug 10 2023
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The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
2
Aug 11 2023
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Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
2
Aug 14 2023
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Street Signs
Ozomatli
3
Aug 15 2023
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Madman Across The Water
Elton John
4
Aug 16 2023
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The Joshua Tree
U2
This may be THE seminal album of the late 1980's, vaulting U2 from a scrappy Irish act to a massive powerhouse of stadium tours and influential pop-rock. The Edge pretty much re-invented himself as a guitarist, discovering inspiration in classic blues, and his echo-laden delays in the opening riff of the album's first track, Where the Streets Have No Name, announced a new power-house sound for the band and gave him a signature sound. Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton, who could barely play their instruments just a few albums earlier, lay down their tightest rhythm grooves in such songs as I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Bullet the Blue Sky, and In God's Country. And then there's Bono, doing what a front-man singer-songwriter does best. He brings all of his attitude, bombast, nuance and creativity to lyrics that are important, yet catchy. The political shadings (Bullet The Blue Sky, Red Hill Mining Town, etc.) are subversively pointed, some of the best global perspectives painted in this era where great songs & albums made an effort to bring awareness and effect change in the world. (Artists today could take a few pages from that book...).
So many of the songs got such huge airplay that many probably feel they were played out. But really listening to the songs makes it clear why they struck such a chord and became so popular. And those tracks that didn't become hits are still better than 90% of the music on other albums then and now.
Some people have found it trendy to not like U2 since their stardom has waned, and can justify not giving it 5 stars. But anything less than a 4-star rating expresses an ignorance of musical history and creative expression. For me, it's a no-brainer.
5
Aug 17 2023
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Sail Away
Randy Newman
3
Aug 18 2023
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The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
3
Aug 21 2023
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Blunderbuss
Jack White
2
Aug 22 2023
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Fun House
The Stooges
3
Aug 23 2023
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Ctrl
SZA
I actually like much of the music here. But the lyrics...don't speak to me.
2
Aug 24 2023
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Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
2
Aug 25 2023
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Heroes
David Bowie
3
Aug 28 2023
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Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
2
Aug 29 2023
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Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
3
Aug 30 2023
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Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
2
Aug 31 2023
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Water From An Ancient Well
Abdullah Ibrahim
4
Sep 01 2023
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Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
3
Sep 04 2023
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Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
4
Sep 05 2023
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Movies
Holger Czukay
1
Sep 06 2023
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Electric
The Cult
3
Sep 07 2023
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We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
2
Sep 08 2023
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Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
4
Sep 11 2023
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Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
4
Sep 12 2023
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The United States Of America
The United States Of America
3
Sep 13 2023
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Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
3
Sep 14 2023
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Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
3
Sep 15 2023
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Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
3
Sep 18 2023
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Ys
Joanna Newsom
2
Sep 19 2023
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Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
3
Sep 20 2023
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Gold
Ryan Adams
4
Sep 21 2023
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Metal Box
Public Image Ltd.
2
Sep 22 2023
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D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
2
Sep 25 2023
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Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
3
Sep 26 2023
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Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
4
Sep 27 2023
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Quiet Life
Japan
3
Sep 28 2023
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The Doors
The Doors
What a debut album, so iconic if it’s time, yet lasting. Manzarek and Morrison are unstoppable here with raw energy and an entrancing vibe.
5
Sep 29 2023
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Hot Shots II
The Beta Band
3
Oct 02 2023
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The Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies
4
Oct 03 2023
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Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
3
Oct 04 2023
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Jack Takes the Floor
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3
Oct 05 2023
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Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
A master. Playing with other masters.
5
Oct 06 2023
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The Wildest!
Louis Prima
When it comes to the crooners and songsmiths of the golden age, give me Mel Tormé and Louis Prima and I’ll never need to listen to Frank or Dean again. And with Prima, you get a triple shot - his trumpet, his lovely-voiced wife, Keely Smith, and the larger than life persona that was the King of Swing himself. Even if I didn’t first discover Prima in my childhood as the voice of the wailing orangutan King Louie in Disney’s The Jungle Book, I think I’d still have come to love Prima for the sheer joy he brought to his music. Listening to him is like being visited by your fun-loving uncle who storms into the family gathering, charms all of the ladies, has a rowdy drink with the men, goofs with the kids, and then leaves in a whirlwind of laughter and good will.
5
Oct 09 2023
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Paul Simon
Paul Simon
4
Oct 10 2023
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Savane
Ali Farka Touré
3
Oct 11 2023
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Happy Sad
Tim Buckley
4
Oct 12 2023
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En-Tact
The Shamen
2
Oct 13 2023
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Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
3
Oct 16 2023
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461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
There's no denying Clapton's virtuosity as a guitarist. And while I can get behind some of his early rock outings, like Layla and White Room, his solo work feels derivative, inauthentic and passionless to me. Plus, he's turned out to be a real dick.
2
Oct 17 2023
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Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
3
Oct 18 2023
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Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
3
Oct 19 2023
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The White Room
The KLF
3
Oct 20 2023
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Justified
Justin Timberlake
2
Oct 23 2023
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The Clash
The Clash
The Clash had a couple of great albums. This isn’t one of them.
3
Oct 24 2023
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Fromohio
fIREHOSE
2
Oct 25 2023
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Scum
Napalm Death
1
Oct 26 2023
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Tank Battles
Dagmar Krause
2
Oct 27 2023
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Who Killed...... The Zutons?
The Zutons
3
Oct 30 2023
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São Paulo Confessions
Suba
3
Oct 31 2023
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Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4
Nov 01 2023
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Highway to Hell
AC/DC
3
Nov 02 2023
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Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
2
Nov 03 2023
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NEU! 75
Neu!
2
Nov 06 2023
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Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
2
Nov 07 2023
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The Libertines
The Libertines
3
Nov 08 2023
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Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
3
Nov 09 2023
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m b v
My Bloody Valentine
3
Nov 10 2023
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California
American Music Club
3
Nov 13 2023
View Album
Sulk
The Associates
1
Nov 14 2023
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Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
2
Nov 15 2023
View Album
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
2
Nov 16 2023
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Shalimar
Rahul Dev Burman
3
Nov 17 2023
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The Dreaming
Kate Bush
2
Nov 20 2023
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Nixon
Lambchop
3
Nov 21 2023
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Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
2
Nov 22 2023
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...And Justice For All
Metallica
1
Nov 23 2023
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Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
4
Nov 24 2023
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Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
4
Nov 27 2023
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Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
4
Nov 28 2023
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Highly Evolved
The Vines
4
Nov 29 2023
View Album
World Clique
Deee-Lite
3
Nov 30 2023
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Don't Stand Me Down
Dexys Midnight Runners
2
Dec 01 2023
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Red Dirt Girl
Emmylou Harris
2
Dec 04 2023
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Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
3
Dec 05 2023
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Traffic
Traffic
3
Dec 06 2023
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Third/Sister Lovers
Big Star
3
Dec 07 2023
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Bossanova
Pixies
2
Dec 08 2023
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Kollaps
Einstürzende Neubauten
1
Dec 11 2023
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Lost Souls
Doves
4
Dec 12 2023
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Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
5
Dec 13 2023
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Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart
3
Dec 14 2023
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Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3
Dec 15 2023
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Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
2
Dec 18 2023
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New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
3
Dec 19 2023
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Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson
3
Dec 20 2023
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Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
3
Dec 21 2023
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Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
2
Dec 22 2023
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Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
3
Dec 25 2023
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Roots
Sepultura
1
Dec 26 2023
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Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
4
Dec 27 2023
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All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
1
Dec 28 2023
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Nick Of Time
Bonnie Raitt
3
Dec 29 2023
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Heroes to Zeros
The Beta Band
3
Jan 01 2024
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Another Green World
Brian Eno
3
Jan 02 2024
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Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
4
Jan 03 2024
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Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
4
Jan 04 2024
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Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
I’ve heard enough Elvis Costello. Maybe for good, but certainly for this 1001 Albums adventure.
2
Jan 05 2024
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Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
So sad that she wasted such a brilliant talent. Grateful for what we have of her work.
4
Jan 08 2024
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Bad Company
Bad Company
4
Jan 09 2024
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Henry's Dream
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3
Jan 10 2024
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New Wave
The Auteurs
3
Jan 11 2024
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Manassas
Stephen Stills
3
Jan 12 2024
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Fisherman's Blues
The Waterboys
3
Jan 15 2024
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Eli And The Thirteenth Confession
Laura Nyro
2
Jan 16 2024
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Myths Of The Near Future
Klaxons
2
Jan 17 2024
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Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
4
Jan 18 2024
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Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
3
Jan 19 2024
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All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
3
Jan 22 2024
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The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
Hints of Sting & Peter Gabriel in the vocals & lyrics, and Guster in the music - all pluses for me. I’ll listen to this again & check out more by them.
4
Jan 23 2024
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The Last Broadcast
Doves
3
Jan 24 2024
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Opus Dei
Laibach
1
Jan 25 2024
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Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
4
Jan 26 2024
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Imagine
John Lennon
The title track alone might be enough to warrant a five. But the rest of the album is just as important of a musical statement from one of our greatest poets and songwriters. Sublime
5
Jan 29 2024
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Leftism
Leftfield
4
Jan 30 2024
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After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
4
Jan 31 2024
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KE*A*H** (Psalm 69)
Ministry
1
Feb 01 2024
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Kid A
Radiohead
3
Feb 02 2024
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Is This It
The Strokes
3
Feb 05 2024
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Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2
Feb 06 2024
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Life Thru A Lens
Robbie Williams
3
Feb 07 2024
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Smile
Brian Wilson
3
Feb 08 2024
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Risque
CHIC
3
Feb 09 2024
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Next
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2
Feb 12 2024
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Dare!
The Human League
3
Feb 13 2024
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Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
3
Feb 14 2024
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Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
2
Feb 15 2024
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Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
3
Feb 16 2024
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Under Construction
Missy Elliott
3
Feb 19 2024
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Want One
Rufus Wainwright
2
Feb 20 2024
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Rid Of Me
PJ Harvey
2
Feb 21 2024
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D
White Denim
3
Feb 22 2024
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Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
No great fireworks here, just a solid set of songs by a master of lyrics and phrasing. If you don’t like his voice, you’ll probably give this a thumbs down, even though he’s more melodic here than on many of his earlier albums. I feel the depth of his experience, along with a keen insight into the human condition, with Not Dark Yet as a standout track. I also dig Daniel Lanois’ production, as I usually do on albums from this era, even if Dylan was not a particular fan.
4
Feb 23 2024
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Zombie
Fela Kuti
4
Feb 26 2024
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The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
4
Feb 27 2024
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Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
Merci, mais non.
2
Feb 28 2024
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Vulnicura
Björk
4
Feb 29 2024
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A Little Deeper
Ms. Dynamite
3
Mar 01 2024
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The Who Sell Out
The Who
2
Mar 04 2024
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Play
Moby
4
Mar 05 2024
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Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
4
Mar 06 2024
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Haunted Dancehall
The Sabres Of Paradise
3
Mar 07 2024
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The College Dropout
Kanye West
1
Mar 08 2024
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You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
2
Mar 11 2024
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Ananda Shankar
Ananda Shankar
3
Mar 12 2024
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Debut
Björk
4
Mar 13 2024
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The White Album
Beatles
5
Mar 14 2024
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A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
3
Mar 15 2024
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Dear Science
TV On The Radio
Having never heard of this group before, this was a great surprise. Very interesting sound and lyrics, reminiscent of some of my favorite artists. Will definitely listen to this again and check out more by them.
4
Mar 18 2024
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Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
2
Mar 19 2024
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The Stranger
Billy Joel
A masterful songwriter, whether in story-telling mode (Italian Restaurant), generating memorable hooks (Movin’ Out), or as a soulful romantic (Just the Way, Always a Woman). The jazz/piano bar influence peeks through, giving his a certain cred and a wider appeal, though his range here is definitely rooted in mass market pop/rock. Fine by me! The last two cuts are less than the rest, but there’s no denying the strength of the string of seven songs that make up the bulk of the album.
5
Mar 20 2024
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#1 Record
Big Star
3
Mar 21 2024
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Blackstar
David Bowie
4
Mar 22 2024
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Headquarters
The Monkees
3
Mar 25 2024
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Stardust
Willie Nelson
3
Mar 26 2024
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Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
2
Mar 27 2024
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It's Too Late to Stop Now
Van Morrison
4
Mar 28 2024
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Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3
Mar 29 2024
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The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
This sounds like a geeky college dork found the soundtrack for a bad 80s action-comedy with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Ralph Macchio and made up words for it and recorded his voice over it in his closet. He doesn’t have a shred of talent, and is super pissed at the world for not recognizing his genius.
1
Apr 01 2024
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Live At The Regal
B.B. King
4
Apr 02 2024
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A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
3
Apr 03 2024
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American Gothic
David Ackles
3
Apr 04 2024
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Only By The Night
Kings of Leon
Solid
3
Apr 05 2024
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She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
4
Apr 08 2024
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The Next Day
David Bowie
3
Apr 09 2024
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LP1
FKA twigs
3
Apr 10 2024
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Copper Blue
Sugar
2
Apr 11 2024
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What's That Noise?
Coldcut
3
Apr 12 2024
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Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
Absolutely electrifying!!
5
Apr 15 2024
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Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
4
Apr 16 2024
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Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
2
Apr 17 2024
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Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2
Apr 18 2024
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With The Beatles
Beatles
4
Apr 19 2024
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Django Django
Django Django
3
Apr 22 2024
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Come Find Yourself
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3
Apr 23 2024
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Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
A very strong album. I’d only ever heard Take Me Out before, but found much to celebrate in the rest of the album.
4
Apr 24 2024
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Murmur
R.E.M.
3
Apr 25 2024
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Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
3
Apr 26 2024
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Machine Head
Deep Purple
3
Apr 29 2024
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Central Reservation
Beth Orton
3
Apr 30 2024
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3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
3
May 01 2024
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25
Adele
4
May 02 2024
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Fly Or Die
N.E.R.D
3
May 03 2024
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Third
Soft Machine
2
May 06 2024
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London Calling
The Clash
3
May 07 2024
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Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
3
May 08 2024
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Space Ritual
Hawkwind
1
May 09 2024
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My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
4
May 10 2024
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Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
4
May 13 2024
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Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
4
May 14 2024
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Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus
Spirit
3
May 15 2024
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Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
3
May 16 2024
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Viva Hate
Morrissey
Not as bad as I’d fears. Some interesting things going on musically. His lyrics and voice still leave me cold.
3
May 17 2024
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Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
2
May 20 2024
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Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3
May 21 2024
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Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3
May 22 2024
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The Slider
T. Rex
3
May 23 2024
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Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
4
May 24 2024
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Spiderland
Slint
2
May 27 2024
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Moby Grape
Moby Grape
2
May 28 2024
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Public Image: First Issue
Public Image Ltd.
1
May 29 2024
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Queen II
Queen
4
May 30 2024
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Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4
May 31 2024
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Mama Said Knock You Out
LL Cool J
3
Jun 03 2024
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Remedy
Basement Jaxx
2
Jun 04 2024
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Junkyard
The Birthday Party
1
Jun 05 2024
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Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
3
Jun 06 2024
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Scott 4
Scott Walker
2
Jun 07 2024
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Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
2
Jun 10 2024
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MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
The album that launched an entire genre of Unplugged music…for better or for worse. I remember watching it when it aired on MTV, my whole cohort thinking “wow, Nirvana where you can actually understand what they’re saying!” Too bad it hasn’t aged well. The songs mostly sound the same here - natural, I suppose, given the live studio setting. But that also robs most of the songs of the raw power and angst that defined Nirvana. The song that retains it the most is the closer, Where Did You Sleep Last Night?, which is a damn fine cover. This was Nirvana for the masses, and I give it a round of the same polite applause that the studio audience does.
3
Jun 11 2024
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Ace of Spades
Motörhead
2
Jun 12 2024
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Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
3
Jun 13 2024
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Basket of Light
Pentangle
3
Jun 14 2024
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The Bones Of What You Believe
CHVRCHES
4
Jun 17 2024
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Hejira
Joni Mitchell
4
Jun 18 2024
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Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
3
Jun 19 2024
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Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4
Jun 20 2024
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Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
3
Jun 21 2024
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Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
3
Jun 24 2024
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Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
2
Jun 25 2024
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The Good, The Bad & The Queen
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3
Jun 26 2024
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Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
4
Jun 27 2024
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Hypnotised
The Undertones
3
Jun 28 2024
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The Poet
Bobby Womack
2
Jul 01 2024
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Locust Abortion Technician
Butthole Surfers
1
Jul 02 2024
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GREY Area
Little Simz
2
Jul 03 2024
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The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
3
Jul 04 2024
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Reign In Blood
Slayer
1
Jul 05 2024
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Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
3
Jul 08 2024
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They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
1
Jul 09 2024
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In It For The Money
Supergrass
3
Jul 10 2024
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3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
3
Jul 11 2024
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Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
3
Jul 12 2024
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G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
3
Jul 15 2024
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James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
2
Jul 16 2024
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...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
So many amazing artists that aren’t on this list, yet this dreck makes the cut?!? -1 for all the better artists that she edged out.
1
Jul 17 2024
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Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
3
Jul 18 2024
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Remain In Light
Talking Heads
4
Jul 19 2024
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Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
4
Jul 22 2024
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Guero
Beck
4
Jul 23 2024
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Dance Mania
Tito Puente
3
Jul 24 2024
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Youth And Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
3
Jul 25 2024
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The Gilded Palace Of Sin
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3
Jul 26 2024
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Pictures At An Exhibition
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2
Jul 29 2024
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The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
2
Jul 30 2024
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Hunting High And Low
a-ha
3
Jul 31 2024
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Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
Cast off songs from HAIR?
2
Aug 01 2024
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Sister
Sonic Youth
3
Aug 02 2024
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Beautiful Freak
Eels
4
Aug 05 2024
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Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
Disgusting that someone could think gynecology would be sexy.
1
Aug 06 2024
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Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
3
Aug 07 2024
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Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby
Terence Trent D'Arby
5
Aug 08 2024
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OK
Talvin Singh
3
Aug 09 2024
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So
Peter Gabriel
A great album, with no fat whatsoever. With So, Peter Gabriel delivered the perfect blend of his prog rock beginnings in Genesis and the heady alt-pop/new wave sounds that took the 80s by storm. The lyrics have soulful depth in places, and cheeky subversiveness in others. The music is complex and surprising, even today, with world music influences galore. Even the grossly overplayed In Your Eyes can still strike the heart, though Don’t Give Up has always been the chilling winner in my book. The videos for the monster hits Sledgehammer and Big Time were all the rage back in MTV days, but the songs still pack a punch even without the clever visuals. No hesitation for me - 5 stars.
5
Aug 12 2024
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Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
3
Aug 13 2024
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The World is a Ghetto
War
3
Aug 14 2024
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Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
4
Aug 15 2024
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The Sounds Of India
Ravi Shankar
2
Aug 16 2024
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Fire Of Love
The Gun Club
2
Aug 19 2024
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The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
3
Aug 20 2024
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Very
Pet Shop Boys
3
Aug 21 2024
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The Predator
Ice Cube
2
Aug 22 2024
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Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
3
Aug 23 2024
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The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Pink Floyd
Maybe important in terms of showing where Pink Floyd came from and their development. But not great music and not a great album.
2
Aug 26 2024
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Celebrity Skin
Hole
4
Aug 27 2024
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Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
3
Aug 28 2024
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Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
3
Aug 29 2024
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John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon
4
Aug 30 2024
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Screamadelica
Primal Scream
3
Sep 02 2024
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Logical Progression
LTJ Bukem
3
Sep 03 2024
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Sex Packets
Digital Underground
1
Sep 04 2024
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You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
2
Sep 05 2024
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Music
Madonna
3
Sep 06 2024
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Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
3
Sep 09 2024
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Back to Basics
Christina Aguilera
3
Sep 10 2024
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Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
4
Sep 11 2024
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Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
3
Sep 12 2024
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Peggy Suicide
Julian Cope
3
Sep 13 2024
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Smokers Delight
Nightmares On Wax
4
Sep 16 2024
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Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
3
Sep 17 2024
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Da Capo
Love
2
Sep 18 2024
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More Specials
The Specials
2
Sep 19 2024
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Melodrama
Lorde
3
Sep 20 2024
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S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
2
Sep 23 2024
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The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
3
Sep 24 2024
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Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
3
Sep 25 2024
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Sea Change
Beck
4
Sep 26 2024
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A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
4
Sep 27 2024
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Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
4
Sep 30 2024
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The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu
2
Oct 01 2024
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Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales
1
Oct 02 2024
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Moss Side Story
Barry Adamson
4