May 06 2021
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
2
May 07 2021
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Eurythmics
3
May 10 2021
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4
May 11 2021
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
4
May 12 2021
1989
Taylor Swift
No denying sheβs 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
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
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.
4
May 17 2021
Moving Pictures
Rush
A masterpiece. Prog rock finally delivers an album that pure rock fans can "get on board" with. Their musicianship is undeniable - probably the tightest three piece unit outside of jazz. The lyrics are evocative and deep. Tom Sawyer is the perfect lead-off, gently drawing in a more traditional listener with the rock side of things before the album fully reveals its "prog- ness". Limelight perfectly captures the conundrum of what it means to be a rock star, capping it with the vow to never give up their passion for their craft to placate the masses. YYZ is one of the best rock instrumentals ever, showcasing each of the band members individually, but also exemplifying the aforementioned synchronicity. A couple of the songs might be hard listens for someone not as on board with the prog sound - The Camera Eye and Witch Hunt is a tough back-to-back - but I was surprised that the 10 min of Camera Eye was over before it felt long to me. This album definitely has a spot in my rotation, though some of the individual songs might throw off a shuffle of more general music.
5
May 18 2021
Ambient 1/Music For Airports
Brian Eno
Ambient is tough. I like it for relaxation purposes, or background while working, but don't feel like I really "listen" to the music. This album was pleasant enough - nothing jarring or difficult to get through, but also nothing that stands out as particularly moving or sonically amazing.
3
May 19 2021
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
A strong solo effort by Macca that shows the growth of his style as a solo artist, but still retains plenty of the influence of that earlier group he was with. The hits are undeniable - both the title track and Jet are complex, yet accessible, of their time, yet timeless. A few of the songs could have been deep cuts from Beatles' albums and would therefore have been much better known (Let Me Roll It, Mamunia). The clunkers, for me, are Last Words..., which feels like a White Album reject akin to You Know the Name, Look Up the Number, and those tracks whose sound is too firmly entrenched in the 70s' FM "rock" genre to have much lasting value. I wouldn't mind most of these songs coming up in a random rotation, but there are definitely some I wouldn't ever choose to play. In a 10-pt. system, I have gone with a 7; here, it could be a three or four, but since it's Sir Paul, I rounded up.
4
May 20 2021
Black Metal
Venom
I guess this music must have a place for somebody. Not for me.
1
May 21 2021
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
A few great tunes here - I particularly love her voice on Let's Stay Together. A few really dated-sounding tracks (1984, esp!) that bring the whole effort down a bit. She's an icon, no doubt, but I'd prefer a greatest hits collection to this full album.
3
May 23 2021
Rio
Duran Duran
Duran Duran is one of my favorite 80s bands. Two undeniable hits (Rio, ...Wolf), a super strong near-hit (Save a Prayer - a personal fave) and the sleeper New Religion make this album a must-have for me. The rest of the album is unremarkable, but only one or two completely miss the mark. Put on your parachute pants and an off-the-shoulder sweatshirt with your favorite day-glo message and dance your butt off to this album!
4
May 24 2021
Elephant
The White Stripes
Meh. Nothing offensive here, with a couple of fun tracks. The overall production is surprisingly good for garage rock. I particularly like "In the Cold, Cold Night". The intro to "Little Acorns" is hilarious - I had to look to see if I had accidentally opened a video that was playing in a different browser window. I mostly don't like Jack's voice and the thrashing guitars and hyper-aggressive drums get old after a few tracks. I wouldn't necessarily skip any tracks that popped up and might even like them better in isolation, but whole album of one after another was too much and I wouldn't buy this album for my collection.
2
May 25 2021
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
I tried. I just can't.
1
May 26 2021
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
She's the Queen for a reason. If you ever needed to explain soul for someone, just play them this album.
5
May 27 2021
Treasure
Cocteau Twins
1
May 28 2021
Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
I've never been a big Bruce fan, but can appreciate his masterful songwriting and storytelling here. Dark & moody, but soulful, this album hits hard.
3
May 29 2021
Eternally Yours
The Saints
Not as bad as I thought it might be. Still, a little goes a long way. While I can appreciate it as a groundbreaker, itβs not something Iβd listen to again.
2
May 30 2021
Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
So The Saints (from yesterday) put out a Halloween albumβ¦
1
May 31 2021
Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Loretta Lynn
Hard to believe this album, with its female empowerment overtones, was recorded in 1967! About half the songs turn the songs of heartache on their ear, as she takes the reigns of her own story.
I might rather listen to Patsy if Iβm in a twangy mood (and there might be a little more twang here than Iβd normally like) and the overall sound gets a little repetitive. Still, thereβs no denying the musicianship of her band - I particularly loved the slide guitar work on the otherwise forgettable βShoe Goes on the Other Footβ.
3
Jun 01 2021
From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
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
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
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 Greyβs 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
1
Jun 13 2021
Dry
PJ Harvey
2
Jun 14 2021
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
While this album is nearly the definition of a seminal 90s album, the contents are decidedly a mixed bag. Some of the songs are tunes that will live forever in the ears of those who first heard them then. Others are forgettable. Perhaps a double album wasn't the best way for the Pumpkins to cement their legacy. Billy Corgan's voice is certainly quirky and I'm sure there are many that don't like it at all. For me, when it works, it works incredibly well; but when it doesn't, it grates. The lush orchestrations are out of this world and fill some of the songs to the max. The more spare entries are perhaps the more powerful for it.
As for the lyrics, it is quintessential 90s angst. What could be a more stereotypical pronouncement of the disaffected youth of the day than "emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness, and cleanliness is godliness, and god is empty just like me"?
A full re-listen really brought back to me how solid parts of this album were. And yet it also showed me how much of its time it was. It's not really a surprise that the Pumpkins couldn't make a go of it in the new century. But still, we'll always have "tonight, tonight".
3
Jun 15 2021
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
Jun 16 2021
Ingenue
k.d. lang
I love this album. It was among the first batch of cds I ever bought (thank you Columbia House!) and have probably played it over 1000 times and I look forward to hearing it at least 1000 more.
k.d. lang has an incredible vocal instrument. First arriving on the scene as a "new" Patsy Cline, she rose to prominence in country circles (despite hailing from Canada). With this album, she (mostly) left her torch and twang behind to prove herself a force in the adult contemporary market. And with the hit "Constant Craving", she did just that and found, in this listener, a lifelong fan.
Vocally, her tone is so pure. She bends notes to her will, coaxing emotion out of words and phrases with seeming ease. When she sings of pain, it is palpable. When she sings of joy, it is infectious. When she sings of longing, it is intense.
This particular collection of songs shows a range that some of her other albums don't. (I own them all, but this is the one I come back to most.) From the bouncy, coquettish Ms. Chatelaine (a cheeky flip-side to her normally butch persona) to the spare, haunting Tears of Love's Recall, she runs the gamut of a true chanteuse's repertoire.
k.d. lang is a true musical artist. 5 stars for me; no hesitation.
5
Jun 17 2021
Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
This album, along with his later Songs In The Key of Life, stands as a testament to the talent and vision of Stevie Wonder. After years under the watchful eye of Motown head Berry Gordy, Stevie began navigating his own way in Motown. And his way was a satisfying mix of classic R&B sounds updated with outstanding keyboard/synth playing, a dash of funk, and a couple of chill ballads. His subject matter dabbles in the political, while still appealing to the mainstream (and crossover) listeners of the day.
The two hits, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, and Superstition, deserve all of their accolades, though they come from near-opposite ends of the Stevie spectrum. The dreamy keyboard intro and softly crooned opening lines of ...Sunshine might trick one into thinking it is no more than a sappy love song, but when the horns kick in, the drums snap, and Stevie lets loose with his voice, you know his message is deeply felt. Who wouldn't want this song sung to/about them?
Superstition, on the other hand, hits hard, both musically and lyrically, but with the same signature passion. His clavinet playing pretty much defines the instrument, and again, the horns add a brassiness (yes, I KNOW!) that elevates the arrangement. Stevie's howling vocals project the pessimism that was growing among the civil rights issues of the day.
The musicians are super-tight, with shining additions by guest David Sanborn on Tuesday Heartbreak, Jeff Beck on Lookin' for Another Pure Love, and Ray Parker, Jr. (of Ghostbusters fame!) ripping a great solo on Maybe Your Baby - a song that provides a rather direct-line influence to Stevie's R&B-flavored pop successor in the next decade, Prince.
All in all, an enjoyable listen, with some VERY high points.
4
Jun 18 2021
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4
Jun 19 2021
The Score
Fugees
2
Jun 20 2021
Beyond Skin
Nitin Sawhney
I think there is great genius in this album. What a labor of love and caring that this prolific artist, operating mostly in the shadows, would use his clout to speak out, beautifully, loudly and passionately, about a cause that concerns him.
The production is absolutely stunning, the mixes so complex and yet focused and affecting. The vocals are compelling throughout. The various styles could strike some as too all over the place, but I saw the eclecticism as a way of bringing together many eras and many peoples in a salute to our varied humanity.
The concept can be a little heavy-handed at times, but the subject matter is so important that I can let that slide a little. Working backwards in time feels right to me, as it gets us back, at the end of the album, to a time of more innocence and helps us wonder how we might get there again, or where might we be without this threat.
This is not an album to put on for easy listening and I wouldn't necessarily dial up songs from it on a whim. But it is an Important album in other ways. I'm glad I've heard it and can see great value in revisiting it in the future.
4
Jun 21 2021
The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
Largely seen in the U.S. as a one-hit wonder for "Cars", Numan was actually at the leading edge of the synth-pop/new wave movement worldwide. This synth/Moog heavy collection is not an easy listen today, as the sounds are definitely of their time and outside of the 80s mainstream. Likewise, the subject matter isn't particularly relatable, dealing with machines, robots and other things sci-fi. Perhaps that's why "Cars" hit the biggest - it reflects on something most of us can relate to.
I dig the bass lines and drum tracks in many places (esp. the instrumental opener), can take or leave his voice (which works best on "Cars"), and admire the strings mixed in on certain tracks ("Complex", )
What can't be ignored, though, is the albums influence on other bands. New wave took off big and much of the sound can be traced to Numan, to the point that some of those sounds & rhythms are common in general pop and even hip-hop these days. And if you want a direct connection, look to NIN's cover of "Metal" (which clearly rocks a lot more than the version here).
Still, I wouldn't listen to this album in it's entirety again. But "Cars" has a solid place in my 80s playlist, for nostalgia's sake, if nothing else.
2
Jun 22 2021
Live!
Fela Kuti
3
Jun 23 2021
xx
The xx
Wow, what a great find!
This is a group/album that I didn't know I needed in my life but am glad to add. It's lyrical without being predictive, deep without being pretentious, playful without being cutesy, chill without being boring. I like the voices, unconventional on their own, yet well suited to each other. I like the sparseness of the arrangements, which makes each instrument and the vocals all that much more important.
Intro had me very interested from the start, but I warily awaited how their vocals might skew things. When the female voice dropped in on VCR (after that catchy toy piano riff & thumping drum/bass combo kicked in), my wariness waned. The male vocal, somewhat sloppy & slurred) was interesting in itself, but when she joined him, the mixture was just perfect. This feeling continued for me throughout, with particular highlights for me being Heart Skipped A Beat (great, fun percussion tricks), and Infinity (again, great percussion, with reverb-dreamy guitar). Stars is a great lead-out, leaving me wanting more.
It's clear to me by this point (almost 50 albums in) that this list skews British, esp. in alt-rock/pop genres. While that's bothered me a bit with the more "name" groups, I love that it's brought my attention to things like Nick Drake and this.
4
Jun 24 2021
Cut
The Slits
3
Jun 25 2021
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
This one is a tough sell for me. I appreciate their musical talents and there are some really great rock songs here. But the content is SO political, and so British, that it becomes inaccessible fairly quickly. I'm all for politics in music, but it's been done much more powerfully and subtly in the decades since by other groups. While I appreciate their bravery and forthrightness, I much prefer their later hit music. I would likely not listen to this album again.
2
Jun 26 2021
Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
This is a good example for me of how this list can be useful. I've heard the name Stan Getz before, but had no idea what his style of jazz was. After this listen, I know that when I'm looking for some cool, tight sounds to put on for relaxation or background, I can ask Alexa for a Stan Getz album.
3
Jun 27 2021
Doolittle
Pixies
It's telling that Here's Comes Your Man is the most popular song from this album. It's catchy, melodic and has a great hook. It's the only song on this album I care for. There are a few others that showed promise in the first few bars, but then the strident guitars, angry vocals and discordant noise kicked in and they lost me. It's just not my kind of music.
1
Jun 28 2021
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
An interesting listen. The album sounds a bit like if The Clash did 60s protest folk. And I kinda like it! His voice is interesting and I can see how it might turn some off, but it works for me in much the way that Dylan's does. It's not about the the sound of his singing, but about the message he brings in the lyrics. Those lyrics are pretty political, but in more of a poetic, Woody Guthrie/Dylan way than, say, the hit-em-over-the-head messaging of The Kinks' ARTHUR album.
Still, I'm not sure I'd put this album in my rotation. Rather, if I heard him playing at a festival or rally, I'd appreciate him being there and sharing his viewpoint with us.
3
Jun 29 2021
Rapture
Anita Baker
While Anita Baker has a nice voice and these songs are perfectly fine, I don't find anything revelatory about this album. I can't say I've ever thought "I'd like to hear an Anita Baker song now" or ever heard one of the hits from it and thought "Wow! What a great song!" The chime-y keyboard sounds, along with some of the other production, place it squarely in the 80s soft-pop genre, and it's unfortunately mostly forgetable.
2
Jun 30 2021
The Coral
The Coral
3
Jul 01 2021
Synchronicity
The Police
Any one of The Police's albums could rate as a favorite. This one hits all of the sweet spots for me. It keeps just enough of the punk/reggae vibe of their earlier works, but expands into a slightly more mainstream rock milieu. It spawned quite 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 its 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 toward more 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 a 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 its cynical look at a day in the life of the working man. I can never be in a traffic jam without feeling like a lemming packed in a 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 of a 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
Repeater
Fugazi
2
Jul 05 2021
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
4
Jul 06 2021
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
2
Jul 07 2021
Wild Gift
X
2
Jul 08 2021
Among The Living
Anthrax
I'd been holding off listening to this album for a while because I was sure I wouldn't like it. And while it's surely not my style of music, we've listened to so many worse albums in the interim that I don't think I can just damn it with one star. Were this a 10 star system, I'd probably give it a 2 - MAYBE a 3. But in this 5 star system, I've got to go with a 2, because it's not nearly as bad a some of the albums that have been virtually unlistenable.
So cheers to Anthrax. You've earned this 2 by not sucking as much as others!!
2
Jul 09 2021
Melody A.M.
RΓΆyksopp
3
Jul 12 2021
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Every song is worthy. A classic, a masterpiece.
5
Jul 13 2021
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Some nice, blues-based rock here. Iβve admired Nick Cave when Iβve come across him before, but never really dug deep. Now that I have with this effort, I find nothing that jumps out of the speakers, but still appreciate the solid effort.
Stylistically, itβs 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
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
Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
4
Jul 16 2021
Exit Planet Dust
The Chemical Brothers
3
Jul 19 2021
The Specials
The Specials
3
Jul 20 2021
The Wall
Pink Floyd
Well, here we are at The Wall. Probably the most successful, both commercially & artistically, rock concept album ever made. Some may argue for The Whoβs Tommy, but for my money, Pink Floyd's artistry is just better, deeper, more satisfying.
Itβs hard to separate the original album from all of the other incarnations: the movie, the various concert βstagingsβ. 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 PFβs work. Live 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 canβt 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
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
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.
4
Jul 23 2021
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
4
Jul 26 2021
Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2
Jul 27 2021
Blue
Joni Mitchell
This was the first Joni I ever heard, introduced to me by an aging hippie whose musical tastes have shaped my own over the years. It has lived at the top of my list ever since.
Joniβs singing voice is unique and not necessarily for everyone, but there is no denying the power and influence of her songwriting voice. I donβt think you will find a female recording artist who doesnβt 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.
Iβd 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.
5
Jul 28 2021
Orbital 2
Orbital
2
Jul 29 2021
Night Life
Ray Price
3
Jul 30 2021
Parachutes
Coldplay
An accomplished debut and a strong precursor to Rush of Blood... Two great songs in Yellow and Trouble, two pretty good songs in Sparks and Everythingβs Not Lost, with some okay filler between.
3
Aug 02 2021
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
This album is a hoot! Super theatrical, great storytelling, decent musicianship. I'd keep it around for kitsch value, but probably wouldn't do much "pleasure" listening. The Kylie Minogue duet is clearly an outlier as the most accessible song on the album, but I also dug some of the earthier, more raw tracks too.
3
Aug 03 2021
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Maybe I'm showing/feeling my age, but I just don't have a lot of room for aggressive, loud rock. It generally doesn't give me cathartic release and make me feel better, but tends to come off as noise and make me more tense.
I liked couple of tracks on this album that are not so aggressive: Riot Van, Mardy Bum, A Certain Romance. I liked the singer's voice better on these, too, because I could better understand him and follow the story of the songs, stories whose characters fit well with his Scouse voice.
Musically, I really liked some of the bass lines (too bad this was the bassists only album with them), and some of the less-aggressive drumming.
I don't think I'd listen to this again.
2
Aug 04 2021
American Pie
Don McLean
The good songs on this album are SO good that it's sad that the other songs aren't nearly as good. A few even come off as weak re-treads of the same musical territory.
American Pie is a classic, probably a bit worn-out by now, it's impact weakened as a result of overplay. But on careful listening, the craft of it is still stunning, esp. the veiled lyrics that are a paean to the loss of innocence in post-war America.
Vincent, a song in a quite different vein, is similarly well-crafted, reflecting in it's musicality and it's story/commentary nearly the kind of genius McLean has found in Van Gogh.
But among the others songs, The Grave feels too blatantly political, Sister Fatima is limited by it's religious overtones and Everybody Loves Me, Baby feels silly next to the genius of the best tracks. The rest are warmed over versions of either American Pie or Vincent. Babylon does make for an interesting coda, however.
I've always been intrigued by the story that McLean was the subject of Killing Me Softly, but aside from the two standouts, I don't see much here that would inspire that kind of emotion. Hearing this album makes me think it best to just stick to his hits.
3
Aug 05 2021
Horses
Patti Smith
4
Aug 06 2021
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
I dig the sound, the vibe, and the message, particularly after the βYoshimiβ tracks. I especially liked Do You Realize. Iβd listen to this again.
4
Aug 09 2021
Bongo Rock
Incredible Bongo Band
Hey, I recognize that riff! And that one!
Thereβs a lot of fun to be had with this album. The rhythms are infectious, the music is brassy & fun. Iβd 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 ainβt mad at it one bit.
3
Aug 10 2021
Apocalypse Dudes
Turbonegro
While there is some decent music here, the vocals are way sub-par. A couple of the tracks work all right for me - Prince of the Rodeo is a highlight - and the camp factor is high. But all in all, it's a pass.
2
Aug 11 2021
Arise
Sepultura
1
Aug 12 2021
Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
Largely unremarkable. I enjoyed the title track.
2
Aug 13 2021
Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
Who knew the origins of heavy metal would be so accessible? I mostly liked the sound on this album and could totally see it as the stepping stone to the harder rock to come. Some of the wankery (esp. on the last track) went a bit far for me, but I generally appreciated their musicianship, their lyrics and the power of their songs.
3
Aug 16 2021
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
I believe the Smiths are severely overrated. The music is boring to me, the vocals uninspired. Aside from how I feel about Morrisey personally*, I find his voice to be limited in range and full of whiny over-emoting. The music is largely simplistic and the lyrics are a sophomoric retread of teenage angsty introspection.
I can't give it 1 star, because there is certainly much worse stuff on this list. But it barely makes a 2 for me.
*I think his picture is next to the word "douche" in the dictionary.
2
Aug 17 2021
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
As far as 90s alt rock bands go, I like the sound of Smashing Pumpkins better than many others (ie., Nirvana, STP). Still, I can't help wishing that their albums showed more range. Aside from the couple of hits on this album, much of the rest of the songs sound largely the same, and much the same as the weaker songs on MC&TIS.
That said, Billy Corgan is in great voice on these tracks and the band is tight behind him. Taking the best of these songs and playing them with the best of MC&TIS makes for a damn fine "album" of 90s angst rock, and I'd more likely take that approach than to listen to either album in their entirety.
3
Aug 18 2021
Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
Mama's Gun starts off on an aggressive note, and with the first track, I was afraid I wouldn't like this album. But Erykah won me over with the string of tracks 2-5. Her voice is a bit odd at times, some whininess I could do without, but the power in her voice and her lyrics holds firm throughout.
In all, I was pleasantly surprised by this album. While I could do without Penitentiary Philosophy, Booty and Kiss Me on My Neck, I dug a lot of the other tunes here.
3
Aug 19 2021
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
While Frank is not my go-to crooner (I'm a Mel Torme fan), there's no denying the power of ol' Blue Eyes. This collection of songs of the great American songbook is a master class in performance by one of the best ever. Sometimes Frank's phrasing bugs me, but other times the story he tells in his timbre and range can't be beat. His backing orchestra under the masterful baton of Nelson Riddle does seriously swing, bringing the whole package to the highest level.
4
Aug 20 2021
Younger Than Yesterday
The Byrds
With standouts like So You Wanna Be a Rock n Roll Star, Renaissance Fair, Everybody's Been Burned and, especially, My Back Pages, YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY gives us a great window into the folk rock stylings of the 60s. The album is somewhat uneven, perhaps due to the amount of sonic experimentation, much of which doesn't quite land. But the insightful lyrics and the interplay of the band, gifted musicians riffing off of each other, give listeners plenty to like.
The sound is definitely 60s, with some backward sections, raga inspired sonic beds and unmistakable drum rhythms/sounds of the period. Many may find it dated, but instead I look at it as a stepping stone that brought music to it's next level, to be built upon by other groups that would put their own decade's stamp on the genre.
I give it a solid 3.
3
Aug 23 2021
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
MotΓΆrhead
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
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
1
Aug 25 2021
American Idiot
Green Day
While I personally prefer Dookie overall (what a sentence!), American Idiot is a very strong album, with Green Day maturing into a band that matters. Billie Joe has a very unique voice, one that entirely fits the sound of the band and the POV of the song lyrics.
In listening to the whole piece, it's clear that the band intended as a concept album and is no surprise that it has done well as a rock opera/musical. The stories & characters in the songs are compelling, and the music (unfortunately) tips over sometimes into musical theatre tropes. There are a few tracks that make me think the band was aiming a little too high, but it's hard to fault their ambition. I'm very interested in listening to this again, closer, to glean more from it.
4
Aug 26 2021
Timeless
Goldie
Yeah, I dig this. Great beats, inventive sounds, clever mixture of instruments. A nice add to my collection.
4
Aug 27 2021
Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
Interesting sounds that go out there at times, but never way out there. It's very theatrical at times (which I like), meditative at others (which I also like), aggressive occasionally (but never too much so).
3
Aug 30 2021
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
2
Aug 31 2021
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
If ever there were a case for letting your freak flag fly, this album might be it. CSNY are in peak form here, with their signature tight harmonies, lyrics of protest & empowerment, virtuosic guitar playing, and all around 60s love.
Each member has a chance to shine, but it's when they all come together as a cohesive whole that this album transcends. "Carry On", the opener, is a prime example - the harmonies rarely more impressive, the organ & Young's guitar riffing off of each other, the message one of eternal love & peace. Jerry Garcia's pedal steel adds some nice twang to the soulful "Teach Your Children", and Young's "Helpless" aches with raw emotion.
"Our House" might be the weakest entry here, for my money, but it does boast a unique vocal from Nash, perhaps the most underrated of the "supergroup".
But for me, it's "Woodstock" that puts this album over the edge - an amalgam of music and vocal that encapsulates the 60s. This rockin' reinvention of a rather turgid Joni Mitchell tune puts us on an astral plane with CSNY, where we're all stardust. Perfection.
5
Sep 01 2021
The Bends
Radiohead
Yeah, this is a really good album. With the exception of My Iron Lung and Bones, I liked pretty much every thing else on it. I'll listen to this again, and again.
4
Sep 02 2021
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
Megadeth
Wow, those guitars and drums are...unrelenting.
2
Sep 03 2021
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
3
Sep 06 2021
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
Great blues jams here. They strike just the right balance between song & jam, for my tastes. Love the organ on Hot 'Lanta, the gritty passion and inventive noodling on Whipping Post, and the thrumming groove on the album as a whole. While it might not be quite the 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
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
3
Sep 08 2021
White Light
Gene Clark
3
Sep 09 2021
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
The best find from this list for me, hands down. I really love his sound, his gentleness, his lyrics. This album gives me hits of Cat Stevens and Jim Croce in places, both songsmiths that I deeply admire. The guitar playing is really fantastic on Three Hours and Day Is Done (don't know why this song wasn't a HUGE hit!). Some of the orchestration might be a bit much in places (lots of strings), but I don't mind when it deepens the track. My only less enthusiastic take is for Thoughts on Mary Jane, whose flute part greatly dates the song for me. But all in all, another album that will stick with me by an artist I'm very glad to have discovered.
5
Sep 10 2021
Rocks
Aerosmith
I like Aerosmith fine, in a "Greatest Hits" kind of way. None of those on this album (yes, I know "Back in the Saddle" was big for them, but it's certainly not one of their greatest.) I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of funk on Last Child and wish more of the album would have gone there. I don't think that if I didn't know this was Aerosmith, I would have taken any notice or thought the band would have amounted to much.
2
Sep 13 2021
Dust
Screaming Trees
I rather like this album. While uneven, the best of the tracks are better than a lot of the watered-down, over-hyped songs and bands with more output in the nineties. I'm not sure why they never crossed my radar back then. If they had, I think I would have listened to this album. Now, it's maybe a bit too rooted in it's time to make a regular rotation for me, but I would like to re-experience it occassionally.
3
Sep 14 2021
Marquee Moon
Television
3
Sep 15 2021
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
2
Sep 16 2021
Faith
George Michael
80s pop nostalgia - ainβt it grand?
5
Sep 17 2021
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
A voice to crush rocks, but a poetic soul to reflect our humanity.
4
Sep 20 2021
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
3
Sep 21 2021
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
3
Sep 22 2021
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
Haunting, melodic, political, spare, heart-rending & heartfelt. Sinead brings it all and more with this album. Both the vocals and the production are stunning in their simplicity. The anger, desperation and plaintiveness of the lyricism bring an emotional wallop to every track, especially when paired with her yearning vocals. This album is sublime.
5
Sep 23 2021
The Blueprint
JAY Z
1
Sep 24 2021
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
2
Sep 27 2021
Abraxas
Santana
4
Sep 28 2021
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
2
Sep 29 2021
Either Or
Elliott Smith
4
Sep 30 2021
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
3
Oct 01 2021
Pelican West
Haircut 100
3
Oct 04 2021
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
2
Oct 05 2021
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
4
Oct 06 2021
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
4
Oct 07 2021
Odessa
Bee Gees
3
Oct 08 2021
La Revancha Del Tango
Gotan Project
3
Oct 11 2021
Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
2
Oct 12 2021
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
3
Oct 13 2021
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
From playful to contemplative, Miriam Makeba shows on this album why she is one of the most important artists to come out of South Africa. That she was recording these songs and selling these albums during the oppressive years of apartheid in her home country proves what a force her voice and her music is. I had the good fortune to hear her sing live during Paul Simon's Graceland tour - what a treat, what an inspiriation.
4
Oct 14 2021
Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
2
Oct 15 2021
Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
3
Oct 18 2021
Blur
Blur
2
Oct 19 2021
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
4
Oct 20 2021
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
3
Oct 21 2021
Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
3
Oct 22 2021
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
4
Oct 25 2021
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
4
Oct 26 2021
Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
4
Oct 27 2021
Country Life
Roxy Music
2
Oct 28 2021
The Only Ones
The Only Ones
2
Oct 29 2021
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
2
Nov 01 2021
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
3
Nov 02 2021
Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
3
Nov 03 2021
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
4
Nov 04 2021
A Date With The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
3
Nov 05 2021
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
3
Nov 08 2021
Different Class
Pulp
3
Nov 09 2021
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
4
Nov 10 2021
Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
3
Nov 11 2021
Raw Power
The Stooges
2
Nov 12 2021
90
808 State
2
Nov 15 2021
Disintegration
The Cure
3
Nov 16 2021
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4
Nov 17 2021
Solid Air
John Martyn
4
Nov 18 2021
Strange Cargo III
William Orbit
3
Nov 19 2021
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
3
Nov 22 2021
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
4
Nov 23 2021
Pretenders
Pretenders
4
Nov 24 2021
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
3
Nov 25 2021
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
4
Nov 26 2021
Purple Rain
Prince
This album is prime Prince for me. He may have gone deeper lyrically on later albums, and certainly broke as much (or more) new ground sonically elsewhere, but PURPLE RAIN is nothing if not pure Pop/R&B genius.
There were a lot of great movie soundtracks in the 80s (Footloose, Top Gun, The Big Chill, to name a few) but PURPLE RAIN was more than just movie music - it was THE soundtrack of my high school years. Every night building our homecoming float in Myers' barn, we blasted that album (hoping the chaperones weren't listening too closely when Darling Nicky came on!). Our pompon teams' signature routine was to I Would Die 4 U/Baby I'm A Star. At least a couple of weekend nights were spent catching the film at Bella Vista Cinemas. And I remember wishing the title track would never end as I sweatily clung to the cute girl I had a crush on, sharing the last song of a school dance.
Prince of course had many other great albums & songs, but when I think of him, I always think first of this album. Listening to it brings up a huge wave of nostalgia, this time manifesting in a big purple rain cloud.
5
Nov 29 2021
Being There
Wilco
3
Nov 30 2021
Modern Life Is Rubbish
Blur
2
Dec 01 2021
Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
1
Dec 02 2021
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
2
Dec 03 2021
Eliminator
ZZ Top
3
Dec 06 2021
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
3
Dec 07 2021
Sheet Music
10cc
2
Dec 08 2021
1999
Prince
4
Dec 09 2021
Soul Mining
The The
3
Dec 10 2021
Whatever
Aimee Mann
3
Dec 13 2021
In Utero
Nirvana
3
Dec 14 2021
Stankonia
OutKast
2
Dec 15 2021
Post Orgasmic Chill
Skunk Anansie
4
Dec 16 2021
Killing Joke
Killing Joke
3
Dec 17 2021
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4
Dec 20 2021
Tidal
Fiona Apple
I first heard this album live when she played the Capital Ballroom in Washington, DC. The album had barely been released and Shadowboxer was just starting to get some airplay on the alt-station here. I instantly fell in love with her sound - the growling, alto voice that can soften achingly on a dime, the almost classically-based piano creating the bedrock of the songs, the bass-heavy riffs and lush instrumentations that fill in the gaps. A 19-year-old writing so clearly, so confidently, so movingly about her experiences - some so horrific that might rather forever silence a young woman - elevates the music to another level. Many laud the musical experimentation with which Apple pushed the envelope in her later albums, but this one is stronger to me for being more traditional. There is a counter-point between the sound, reminiscent of adult contemporary artists, 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
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
3
Dec 22 2021
16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
3
Dec 23 2021
The Idiot
Iggy Pop
3
Dec 24 2021
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
3
Dec 27 2021
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
3
Dec 28 2021
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
1
Dec 29 2021
The Band
The Band
3 1/2
3
Dec 30 2021
Faust IV
Faust
3
Dec 31 2021
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
4
Jan 03 2022
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
4
Jan 04 2022
The Visitors
ABBA
3
Jan 05 2022
Drunk
Thundercat
3
Jan 06 2022
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
4
Jan 07 2022
Be
Common
2
Jan 10 2022
OK Computer
Radiohead
4
Jan 11 2022
There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
3
Jan 12 2022
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
3
Jan 13 2022
Entertainment
Gang Of Four
1
Jan 14 2022
The Man Who
Travis
4
Jan 17 2022
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
3
Jan 18 2022
Me Against The World
2Pac
1
Jan 19 2022
Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
3
Jan 20 2022
Fred Neil
Fred Neil
2
Jan 21 2022
It's A Shame About Ray
The Lemonheads
Is this the group that sings the Friends song? The only halfway decent song here is the βbonusβ 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
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
1
Jan 25 2022
Wild Wood
Paul Weller
3
Jan 26 2022
Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
3
Jan 27 2022
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
Even the non-hits on this album are rich in both their lyrics and their musical stylings. And the hits are monstrous. Both The Boxer and Bridge... are quintessential folk-pop anthems that never get old for me. Only Living Boy... is an emotion-packed lament for one's individuality. If I Could and Cecilia bring the janky rhythms and off-beat instrumentation of world music to the fore, scoring on both points. There's no denying the influence and staying power of this album.
5
Jan 28 2022
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
4
Jan 31 2022
Hard Again
Muddy Waters
4
Feb 01 2022
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
4
Feb 02 2022
Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
1
Feb 03 2022
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
4
Feb 04 2022
Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
4
Feb 07 2022
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
Good, solid, slammin' rock and roll! Kind of a surprise 5 stars for me. I knew I liked their songs that I'd heard before, but didn't realize they all came from the same album! Hard to Handle has been one of my favorite rock songs since their version hit. Jealous Again & Twice as Hard are nearly as good, with great edge, wonderful hooks and tight playing. She Talks to Angels show a bit of a softer side, but still packs a punch. Even the lesser songs on this album show off the strength of the ensemble, with the fantastic organ sounds bringing a feel of the best of The Band or Procol Harum. This album, simply, rocks and will be in my collection in regular rotation, esp. for road trips with the windows down!
5
Feb 08 2022
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
3
Feb 09 2022
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
3
Feb 10 2022
Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
2
Feb 11 2022
Kenya
Machito
3
Feb 14 2022
Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
2
Feb 15 2022
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
3
Feb 16 2022
Rip It Up
Orange Juice
3
Feb 17 2022
Truth And Soul
Fishbone
2
Feb 18 2022
Take Me Apart
Kelela
3
Feb 21 2022
Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
4
Feb 22 2022
Music From Big Pink
The Band
3
Feb 23 2022
Shaft
Isaac Hayes
2
Feb 24 2022
I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
3
Feb 25 2022
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
So torn here. I really like some of the MUSIC on this album. Did Kanye write it? He had some amazing musicians & producers working on it with him, so how much if the music is due to them and not him? On the other hand, I pretty much hate every word that comes out his mouth, and Iβm gonna put that squarely on his egotistic, misogynistic, wacko shoulders. What a shame. What a waste.
1
Feb 28 2022
Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
2
Mar 01 2022
No Other
Gene Clark
3
Mar 02 2022
Grace
Jeff Buckley
4
Mar 03 2022
Broken English
Marianne Faithfull
3
Mar 04 2022
Like Water For Chocolate
Common
2
Mar 07 2022
Homework
Daft Punk
βMom! Listen to what my Casio keyboard can do!!β
1
Mar 08 2022
Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
4
Mar 09 2022
High Violet
The National
4
Mar 10 2022
Apocalypse 91β¦ The Enemy Strikes Black
Public Enemy
3
Mar 11 2022
Vespertine
BjΓΆrk
4
Mar 14 2022
Blue Lines
Massive Attack
3
Mar 15 2022
Illmatic
Nas
2
Mar 16 2022
Diamond Life
Sade
3
Mar 17 2022
Maxinquaye
Tricky
4
Mar 18 2022
Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3
Mar 21 2022
Low-Life
New Order
3
Mar 22 2022
Garbage
Garbage
4
Mar 23 2022
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
3
Mar 24 2022
Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
4
Mar 25 2022
Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
3
Mar 28 2022
Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3
Mar 29 2022
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
5
Mar 30 2022
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
3
Mar 31 2022
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
4
Apr 01 2022
Kala
M.I.A.
3
Apr 04 2022
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
3
Apr 05 2022
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
3
Apr 06 2022
Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
3
Apr 07 2022
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
This is the definition of a great rock n' roll album. From the growling guitar riff that opens Whole Lotta Love (one of the best rock album openings ever) through the driving beat of What Is and What Should Never Be, the tender, almost-holy poetry of Thank You, the double-blast of Heartbreaker/Livin' Lovin' Maid, and Ramblin' On through a Tolkien landscape that tops any song the Hobbits could ever come up with - this album has it all. Some may find the drum-solo piece (Moby Dick) a bit unnecessary (Bonham is so amazing on the rest of the album, he maybe didn't need this showcase?), or quibble over the couple of less popular tracks here. But really, there are no misses and Zep proved with this release that they were the sound of rock n' roll.
5
Apr 08 2022
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
3
Apr 11 2022
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
3
Apr 12 2022
Truth
Jeff Beck
3
Apr 13 2022
Suicide
Suicide
4
Apr 14 2022
Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
4
Apr 15 2022
At Budokan
Cheap Trick
3
Apr 18 2022
Arrival
ABBA
3
Apr 19 2022
Achtung Baby
U2
5
Apr 20 2022
For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
2
Apr 21 2022
Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
3
Apr 22 2022
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
4
Apr 25 2022
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
4
Apr 26 2022
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
1
Apr 27 2022
1984
Van Halen
4
Apr 28 2022
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
4
Apr 29 2022
Station To Station
David Bowie
4
May 02 2022
Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
3
May 03 2022
Phrenology
The Roots
2
May 04 2022
Second Toughest In The Infants
Underworld
3
May 05 2022
The Sensual World
Kate Bush
3
May 06 2022
Who's Next
The Who
4
May 09 2022
All Directions
The Temptations
3
May 10 2022
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
3
May 11 2022
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3
May 12 2022
Legalize It
Peter Tosh
2
May 13 2022
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
4
May 16 2022
Low
David Bowie
3
May 17 2022
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3
May 18 2022
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
4
May 19 2022
New Forms
Roni Size
Very conflicted here. I like this - some of it very much - but it just goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on...
3
May 20 2022
Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
3
May 23 2022
Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
3
May 24 2022
Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
3
May 25 2022
Back In Black
AC/DC
4
May 26 2022
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
2
May 27 2022
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
3
May 30 2022
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
3
May 31 2022
Graceland
Paul Simon
A meticulously crafted, deeply felt masterwork.
5
Jun 01 2022
GI
Germs
1
Jun 02 2022
Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
3
Jun 03 2022
Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
1
Jun 06 2022
Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
3
Jun 07 2022
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
4
Jun 08 2022
Groovin'
The Young Rascals
4
Jun 09 2022
Snivilisation
Orbital
3
Jun 10 2022
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
Save me the Ray Conniff singers and give me more of Rayβs banginβ piano solos and this could be a five star effort. Still, itβs a textbook example of jumping, swinging, heartfelt blues.
4
Jun 13 2022
Young Americans
David Bowie
4
Jun 14 2022
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
4
Jun 15 2022
John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
3
Jun 16 2022
Done By The Forces Of Nature
Jungle Brothers
<yawn>
2
Jun 17 2022
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
A mixed bag. The hits (Paint It Black and Under My Thumb) are clear standouts. And there are some other strong, interesting entries - Lady Gray appeals to me, and Think gives some great classic RS guitar licks. But the weak songs in this album feel sophomoric & are easily dismissed.
3
Jun 20 2022
Elvis Is Back
Elvis Presley
This is pleasant enough, but itβs not Elvis at his best and far from what heβs known for. His take on Fever here is pretty phenomenal and there are some other strong cuts, but none of the raw rock energy that he made his mark with.
3
Jun 21 2022
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
On repeated listens, I may give this a five. (EDIT: I put it into my rotation and gave it the well-deserved bump.)
The songs I knew (only a couple) are some of the best Dylan. The songs I didnβt know were poetic, emotion-filled and lovely in many different ways.
5
Jun 22 2022
Technique
New Order
3
Jun 23 2022
Nevermind
Nirvana
3
Jun 24 2022
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
Not Fiona Apple at her best (see: Tidal) but still better than 3/5 of the albums on here. Inventive, playful, deeply felt and always sonically interesting.
4
Jun 27 2022
Something Else By The Kinks
The Kinks
3
Jun 28 2022
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
3
Jun 29 2022
Rubber Soul
Beatles
5
Jun 30 2022
Frampton Comes Alive
Peter Frampton
Ground-breaking. Electrifying. A great party.
4
Jul 01 2022
Forever Changes
Love
3
Jul 04 2022
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
2
Jul 05 2022
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
4
Jul 06 2022
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
3
Jul 07 2022
Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
3
Jul 08 2022
Skylarking
XTC
3
Jul 11 2022
The Yes Album
Yes
4
Jul 12 2022
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
3
Jul 13 2022
Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
2
Jul 14 2022
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2
Jul 15 2022
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
4
Jul 18 2022
The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
4
Jul 19 2022
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
3
Jul 20 2022
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators
3
Jul 21 2022
Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
3
Jul 22 2022
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
-1 star for Clapton aging into an insufferable douche bag.
3
Jul 25 2022
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
4
Jul 26 2022
Closer
Joy Division
3
Jul 27 2022
British Steel
Judas Priest
3
Jul 28 2022
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
3
Jul 29 2022
Survivor
Destiny's Child
3
Aug 01 2022
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
4
Aug 02 2022
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
4
Aug 03 2022
Violator
Depeche Mode
4
Aug 04 2022
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
3
Aug 05 2022
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
3
Aug 08 2022
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
3
Aug 09 2022
Disraeli Gears
Cream
3
Aug 10 2022
Your Arsenal
Morrissey
3
Aug 11 2022
Document
R.E.M.
4
Aug 12 2022
This Is Hardcore
Pulp
4
Aug 15 2022
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
4
Aug 16 2022
Pyromania
Def Leppard
4
Aug 17 2022
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
3
Aug 18 2022
BEYONCΓ
BeyoncΓ©
3
Aug 19 2022
Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
4
Aug 22 2022
On The Beach
Neil Young
3
Aug 23 2022
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
3
Aug 24 2022
Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
2
Aug 25 2022
Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3
Aug 26 2022
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
Aug 29 2022
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
3
Aug 30 2022
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
3
Aug 31 2022
Safe As Milk
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2
Sep 01 2022
Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
4
Sep 02 2022
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
4
Sep 05 2022
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
Iβve never been a huge Springsteen fan, though I have appreciated some of his songs that got air play. Iβve 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 donβt think Iβd want to hear the songs separately again, but would rather hear them as this fiercely empassioned whole.
5
Sep 06 2022
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
5
Sep 07 2022
Walking Wounded
Everything But The Girl
4
Sep 08 2022
Infected
The The
3
Sep 09 2022
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
Are they pretentiously obnoxious or obnoxiously pretentious? Donβt suppose it really matters - isnβt that punk of me? Itβs 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. βI can make a minute last an hour.β Yes, you can, my dude. And thatβs nothing to be proud of.
1
Sep 12 2022
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
4
Sep 13 2022
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
4
Sep 14 2022
I Against I
Bad Brains
2
Sep 15 2022
Iβm a Lonesome Fugitive
Merle Haggard
3
Sep 16 2022
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
2
Sep 19 2022
The ArchAndroid
Janelle MonΓ‘e
4
Sep 20 2022
Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
4
Sep 21 2022
New York Dolls
New York Dolls
2
Sep 22 2022
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
3
Sep 23 2022
Make Yourself
Incubus
3
Sep 26 2022
Sound Affects
The Jam
3
Sep 27 2022
School's Out
Alice Cooper
3
Sep 28 2022
Moondance
Van Morrison
5
Sep 29 2022
Virgin Suicides
Air
3
Sep 30 2022
evermore
Taylor Swift
2
Oct 03 2022
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
3
Oct 04 2022
(Pronounced 'Leh-'NΓ©rd 'Skin-'NΓ©rd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4
Oct 05 2022
C'est Chic
CHIC
3
Oct 06 2022
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
4
Oct 07 2022
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
3
Oct 10 2022
Protection
Massive Attack
4
Oct 11 2022
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
2
Oct 12 2022
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
3
Oct 13 2022
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
3
Oct 14 2022
Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
2
Oct 17 2022
21
Adele
5
Oct 18 2022
Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
3
Oct 19 2022
Group Sex
Circle Jerks
In between each of the tracks, there was 2-3 seconds of silence. This respite from the noise that preceded or followed it was by far the best part of the album.
1
Oct 20 2022
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3
Oct 21 2022
Bad
Michael Jackson
4
Oct 24 2022
Pornography
The Cure
2
Oct 25 2022
Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
3
Oct 26 2022
Funeral
Arcade Fire
Is this the group that has the cute videos with Rube Goldberg machines & such? Makes sense that they developed a new those gimmicks, because nothing about their music is memorable.
EDIT: Apparently, I was thinking of OK Go. Still don't like this album
2
Oct 27 2022
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
4
Oct 28 2022
E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
2
Oct 31 2022
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
3
Nov 01 2022
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
3
Nov 02 2022
Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
2
Nov 03 2022
Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
2
Nov 04 2022
Nowhere
Ride
2
Nov 07 2022
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
4
Nov 08 2022
The Cars
The Cars
4
Nov 09 2022
Fishscale
Ghostface Killah
At least the samples he uses are from good songs.
2
Nov 10 2022
Sincere
Mj Cole
4
Nov 11 2022
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3
Nov 14 2022
Siembra
Willie ColΓ³n & RubΓ©n Blades
2
Nov 15 2022
Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
5
Nov 16 2022
All Hail the Queen
Queen Latifah
2
Nov 17 2022
Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
3
Nov 18 2022
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
In my review of the previous album we had by Arcade Fire, I mistook them for Ok Go. While AFβs 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. Thereβs 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 - head and shoulders above the rest, and may even convince me to look again at the Fire.
3
Nov 21 2022
Odelay
Beck
One of the most sonically interesting albums of the 90s.
4
Nov 22 2022
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
3
Nov 23 2022
Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
3
Nov 24 2022
Abbey Road
Beatles
This could nearly be a 5 star album on the strength of the two George Harrison songs alone. Adding Come Together, Oh Darling!, and Golden Slumbers and Carry That Weight seals the deal. The rest is the most delicious gravy possible. The genius that is the bulk of side 2 is as audacious as it is tuneful. It just doesnβt get better than this.
5
Nov 25 2022
Future Days
Can
3
Nov 28 2022
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
3
Nov 29 2022
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
A couple of monster bookends here - Gimme Shelter and You Canβt Always Get What You Want - elevate this album to a four. But even with the help of the somewhat reimagined Country Honky, thereβs still too much here thatβs just mediocre. And way too much twang for my money.
4
Nov 30 2022
Songs From A Room
Leonard Cohen
3
Dec 01 2022
I Should Coco
Supergrass
2
Dec 02 2022
Connected
Stereo MC's
Connected was a huge hit in its day, but I couldnβt have told you the artistβs name. Itβs 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 wouldnβt turn this off if it were playing, but doubt I would seek it out.
3
Dec 05 2022
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
3
Dec 06 2022
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
Iβd 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
Haut de gamme / KoweΓ―t, rive gauche
Koffi Olomide
2
Dec 08 2022
Like A Prayer
Madonna
4
Dec 09 2022
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
2
Dec 12 2022
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
4
Dec 13 2022
Dummy
Portishead
4
Dec 14 2022
All Mod Cons
The Jam
2
Dec 15 2022
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
3
Dec 16 2022
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
2
Dec 19 2022
Van Halen
Van Halen
4
Dec 20 2022
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
3
Dec 21 2022
Tapestry
Carole King
5
Dec 22 2022
Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
2
Dec 23 2022
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
3
Dec 26 2022
Aja
Steely Dan
5
Dec 27 2022
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
Dec 28 2022
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
4
Dec 29 2022
Teen Dream
Beach House
Iβd not heard this album; didnβt 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
KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
4
Jan 02 2023
The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
3
Jan 03 2023
Frank
Amy Winehouse
5
Jan 04 2023
A Seat at the Table
Solange
3
Jan 05 2023
Out of Step
Minor Threat
1
Jan 06 2023
Fragile
Yes
4
Jan 09 2023
The KΓΆln Concert
Keith Jarrett
4
Jan 10 2023
Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
4
Jan 11 2023
L.A. Woman
The Doors
4
Jan 12 2023
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
4
Jan 13 2023
Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
3
Jan 16 2023
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3
Jan 17 2023
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
5
Jan 18 2023
Let It Be
The Replacements
2
Jan 19 2023
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
4
Jan 20 2023
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
2
Jan 23 2023
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
3
Jan 24 2023
Hysteria
Def Leppard
4
Jan 25 2023
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
3
Jan 26 2023
Black Monk Time
The Monks
2
Jan 27 2023
Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3
Jan 30 2023
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
4
Jan 31 2023
Parklife
Blur
3
Feb 01 2023
The Rise & Fall
Madness
3
Feb 02 2023
Parallel Lines
Blondie
4
Feb 03 2023
2112
Rush
4
Feb 06 2023
Metallica
Metallica
2
Feb 07 2023
Face to Face
The Kinks
3
Feb 08 2023
Follow The Leader
Korn
2
Feb 09 2023
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
5
Feb 10 2023
The Stooges
The Stooges
2
Feb 13 2023
My Generation
The Who
3
Feb 14 2023
Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
2
Feb 15 2023
Amnesiac
Radiohead
4
Feb 16 2023
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
4
Feb 17 2023
Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
3
Feb 20 2023
Dookie
Green Day
4
Feb 21 2023
Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
4
Feb 22 2023
Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
3
Feb 23 2023
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
2
Feb 24 2023
The Contino Sessions
Death In Vegas
4
Feb 27 2023
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
With this album, and especially it's monster hits "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", Tears for Fears announced their presence as the accessible voices of the disaffected youth of the 80s. Less emo and sonically dissonant than their cousins-in-pop like The Cure, The Smiths, etc., Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith mixed catchy riffs, powerful arrangements and deeply felt lyrics to capture the airwaves, as well as the ears and hearts of listeners worldwide.
Somewhat less angst-y than their primal scream therapy influenced debut album The Hurting, Songs from the Big Chair retains much of their anger and pain, but ups the ante musically, marrying their new-wave synth roots and sonic experimentation with pop hooks and lush orchestrations that get ever deeper with repeated listenings.
There's a definite Beatles' influence (which the boys exploited maybe a bit too much on their next release, Sowing the Seeds of Love), especially in the Abbey Road inspired flow of the second half of the album, from "I Believe" on. The songs move naturally from one to the next, shifting mood, tempo, rhythm and sentiment, but always feeling somehow cohesive. The brilliance of this approach is highlighted by bookending the MTV-friendly love song "Head Over Heels" with the driving, bass heavy "Broken". Following this up with contemplative and sonically fascinating "Listen" (truly *listen* to this track - preferably through good headphones!) wraps the album up nicely, leaving me wanting more, and yet, strangely, also sated.
This album is one of my favorites - possibly my most favorite - of the 80s and my youth. Listening to it takes me back to the days when music first revealed itself to be a transformative experience that could help me to analyze my thoughts and moods, and help me find solace amidst the chaos of teen life.
5
Feb 28 2023
A Night At The Opera
Queen
4
Mar 01 2023
Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
3
Mar 02 2023
Brothers
The Black Keys
3
Mar 03 2023
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
3
Mar 06 2023
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3
Mar 07 2023
Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers
3
Mar 08 2023
Midnight Ride
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3
Mar 09 2023
A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
3
Mar 10 2023
Revolver
Beatles
5
Mar 13 2023
The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
I would listen to Ella sing the phone book.
While I wish there were more upbeat, jazzy tunes here, it's still such lush listening.
5
Mar 14 2023
Dirt
Alice In Chains
3
Mar 15 2023
Another Music In A Different Kitchen
Buzzcocks
2
Mar 16 2023
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
4
Mar 17 2023
Clandestino
Manu Chao
2
Mar 20 2023
Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
3
Mar 21 2023
Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
1
Mar 22 2023
Yeezus
Kanye West
This man is a mentally ill, hate filled, ego driven monster. His music should not be celebrated.
1
Mar 23 2023
Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
3
Mar 24 2023
Trafalgar
Bee Gees
3
Mar 27 2023
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
3
Mar 28 2023
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
Loved the βDonβt Let Me Be Lonelyβ cover!
3
Mar 29 2023
Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
4
Mar 30 2023
Fear and Whiskey
Mekons
Guyβs voice sucks.
2
Mar 31 2023
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
3
Apr 03 2023
Close To The Edge
Yes
4
Apr 04 2023
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
4
Apr 05 2023
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
Guyβs voice sucks.
2
Apr 06 2023
Chris
Christine and the Queens
3
Apr 07 2023
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
4
Apr 10 2023
The Healer
John Lee Hooker
3
Apr 11 2023
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4
Apr 12 2023
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
4
Apr 13 2023
Goo
Sonic Youth
The βGooβ of the title must be a result of the masturbatory wankery that these βartistsβ perpetrate all over this album.
1
Apr 14 2023
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
2
Apr 17 2023
Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
5
Apr 18 2023
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
1
Apr 19 2023
Palo Congo
Sabu
2
Apr 20 2023
One World
John Martyn
4
Apr 21 2023
Paris 1919
John Cale
3
Apr 24 2023
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
Brilliant application of leit motif to a contemporary music album.
4
Apr 25 2023
Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3
Apr 26 2023
Superfuzz Bigmuff
Mudhoney
2
Apr 27 2023
O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
2
Apr 28 2023
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
3
May 01 2023
Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
5
May 02 2023
Chelsea Girl
Nico
2
May 03 2023
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
3
May 04 2023
Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
3
May 05 2023
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
2
May 08 2023
Penthouse And Pavement
Heaven 17
2
May 09 2023
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
2
May 10 2023
Ramones
Ramones
4
May 11 2023
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
2
May 12 2023
Live At The Witch Trials
The Fall
1
May 15 2023
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
3
May 16 2023
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
3
May 17 2023
Eagles
Eagles
4
May 18 2023
Signing Off
UB40
1
May 19 2023
The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
4
May 22 2023
Boston
Boston
One of the greatest debut albums in all of rock. One of the greatest guitar albums in all of rock. If you canβt get into this, you might be broken inside.
5
May 23 2023
Permission to Land
The Darkness
2
May 24 2023
The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
3
May 25 2023
Aqualung
Jethro Tull
3
May 26 2023
Teenage Head
Flamin' Groovies
Never heard them before, but really dig their style!
4
May 29 2023
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
Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
3
May 31 2023
Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
3
Jun 01 2023
Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
2
Jun 02 2023
Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
2
Jun 05 2023
The New Tango
Astor Piazzolla
3
Jun 06 2023
Ray Of Light
Madonna
Madgeβs last great album. I love the cohesiveness of it. Itβs 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 a spiritualized edge. Madonnaβs 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
Lazer Guided Melodies
Spiritualized
3
Jun 08 2023
Tellinβ Stories
The Charlatans
Oasis wannabes.
2
Jun 09 2023
Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
1
Jun 12 2023
Tical
Method Man
1
Jun 13 2023
Picture Book
Simply Red
3
Jun 14 2023
Superunknown
Soundgarden
3
Jun 15 2023
Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys
2.5
3
Jun 16 2023
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4
Jun 19 2023
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
4
Jun 20 2023
Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
3
Jun 21 2023
Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2
Jun 22 2023
Heavy Weather
Weather Report
3
Jun 23 2023
Butterfly
Mariah Carey
3
Jun 26 2023
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
3
Jun 27 2023
Grievous Angel
Gram Parsons
3
Jun 28 2023
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
Fever Ray
Fever Ray
4
Jun 30 2023
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
Lupe Fiasco
3
Jul 03 2023
Devotional Songs
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3
Jul 04 2023
Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
3
Jul 05 2023
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon
2
Jul 06 2023
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
3
Jul 07 2023
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
Sonic nirvana.
5
Jul 10 2023
Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
Never knew much other than her hit(s). Great voice, very expressive.
4
Jul 11 2023
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Genesis
If we werenβt hearing this a couple of days after Dark Side of the Moon, it might warrant another star. Still, a strong outing from G.βs prog rock years.
3
Jul 12 2023
Slayed?
Slade
3
Jul 13 2023
Brutal Youth
Elvis Costello
3
Jul 14 2023
The La's
The La's
Pleasantly surprised!
4
Jul 17 2023
Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
3
Jul 18 2023
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
Too short!
4
Jul 19 2023
S&M
Metallica
This album is so cheesy, itβs hilarious! But i donβt 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, itβs just a mess of styles and self-importance.
1
Jul 20 2023
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
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
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
2
Jul 25 2023
If I Could Only Remember My Name
David Crosby
3
Jul 26 2023
Destroyer
KISS
Some great songs and some super lame-o songs even this out to a 3.
3
Jul 27 2023
Pearl
Janis Joplin
4
Jul 28 2023
MedΓΊlla
BjΓΆrk
I dig BjΓΈrk. 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, thereβs nothing like hearing her sing Ancestors while in the shadows of the mountains that inspired her song.
4
Jul 31 2023
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
3
Aug 01 2023
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
2
Aug 02 2023
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
Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
3
Aug 04 2023
Seventh Tree
Goldfrapp
4
Aug 07 2023
Real Life
Magazine
3
Aug 08 2023
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
1
Aug 09 2023
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
3
Aug 10 2023
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
2
Aug 11 2023
Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
2
Aug 14 2023
Street Signs
Ozomatli
3
Aug 15 2023
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
4
Aug 16 2023
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
Sail Away
Randy Newman
3
Aug 18 2023
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
3
Aug 21 2023
Blunderbuss
Jack White
2
Aug 22 2023
Fun House
The Stooges
3
Aug 23 2023
Ctrl
SZA
I actually like much of the music here. But the lyrics...don't speak to me.
2
Aug 24 2023
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
2
Aug 25 2023
Heroes
David Bowie
3
Aug 28 2023
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
2
Aug 29 2023
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
3
Aug 30 2023
Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
2
Aug 31 2023
Water From An Ancient Well
Abdullah Ibrahim
4
Sep 01 2023
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
3
Sep 04 2023
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
4
Sep 05 2023
Movies
Holger Czukay
1
Sep 06 2023
Electric
The Cult
3
Sep 07 2023
We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
2
Sep 08 2023
Pet Sounds
The Beach Boys
4
Sep 11 2023
Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
4
Sep 12 2023
The United States Of America
The United States Of America
3
Sep 13 2023
Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
3
Sep 14 2023
Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
3
Sep 15 2023
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
3
Sep 18 2023
Ys
Joanna Newsom
2
Sep 19 2023
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
3
Sep 20 2023
Gold
Ryan Adams
4
Sep 21 2023
Metal Box
Public Image Ltd.
2
Sep 22 2023
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
2
Sep 25 2023
Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
3
Sep 26 2023
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
4
Sep 27 2023
Quiet Life
Japan
3
Sep 28 2023
The Doors
The Doors
What a debut album, so iconic and of itβs time, yet lasting. Manzarek and Morrison are unstoppable here with raw energy and an entrancing vibe.
5
Sep 29 2023
Hot Shots II
The Beta Band
3
Oct 02 2023
The Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies
4
Oct 03 2023
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
3
Oct 04 2023
Jack Takes the Floor
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3
Oct 05 2023
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
A master. Playing with other masters.
5
Oct 06 2023
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
When it comes to the crooners and songsmiths of the golden age, give me Mel TormΓ© and Louis Prima and Iβll 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 didnβt first discover Prima in my childhood as the voice of the wailing orangutan King Louie in Disneyβs The Jungle Book, I think Iβd 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
Paul Simon
Paul Simon
4
Oct 10 2023
Savane
Ali Farka TourΓ©
3
Oct 11 2023
Happy Sad
Tim Buckley
4
Oct 12 2023
En-Tact
The Shamen
2
Oct 13 2023
Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
3
Oct 16 2023
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
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
3
Oct 18 2023
Surf's Up
The Beach Boys
3
Oct 19 2023
The White Room
The KLF
3
Oct 20 2023
Justified
Justin Timberlake
2
Oct 23 2023
The Clash
The Clash
The Clash had a couple of great albums. This isnβt one of them.
3
Oct 24 2023
Fromohio
fIREHOSE
2
Oct 25 2023
Scum
Napalm Death
1
Oct 26 2023
Tank Battles
Dagmar Krause
2
Oct 27 2023
Who Killed...... The Zutons?
The Zutons
3
Oct 30 2023
SΓ£o Paulo Confessions
Suba
3
Oct 31 2023
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4
Nov 01 2023
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
3
Nov 02 2023
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
2
Nov 03 2023
NEU! 75
Neu!
2
Nov 06 2023
Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
2
Nov 07 2023
The Libertines
The Libertines
3
Nov 08 2023
Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
3
Nov 09 2023
m b v
My Bloody Valentine
3
Nov 10 2023
California
American Music Club
3
Nov 13 2023
Sulk
The Associates
1
Nov 14 2023
Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
2
Nov 15 2023
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
2
Nov 16 2023
Shalimar
Rahul Dev Burman
3
Nov 17 2023
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
2
Nov 20 2023
Nixon
Lambchop
3
Nov 21 2023
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
2
Nov 22 2023
...And Justice For All
Metallica
1
Nov 23 2023
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
4
Nov 24 2023
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
4
Nov 27 2023
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
4
Nov 28 2023
Highly Evolved
The Vines
4
Nov 29 2023
World Clique
Deee-Lite
3
Nov 30 2023
Don't Stand Me Down
Dexys Midnight Runners
2
Dec 01 2023
Red Dirt Girl
Emmylou Harris
2
Dec 04 2023
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
3
Dec 05 2023
Traffic
Traffic
3
Dec 06 2023
Third/Sister Lovers
Big Star
3
Dec 07 2023
Bossanova
Pixies
2
Dec 08 2023
Kollaps
EinstΓΌrzende Neubauten
1
Dec 11 2023
Lost Souls
Doves
4
Dec 12 2023
Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
5
Dec 13 2023
Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart
3
Dec 14 2023
Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3
Dec 15 2023
Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
2
Dec 18 2023
New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
3
Dec 19 2023
Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson
3
Dec 20 2023
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
3
Dec 21 2023
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
2
Dec 22 2023
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
3
Dec 25 2023
Roots
Sepultura
1
Dec 26 2023
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
4
Dec 27 2023
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
1
Dec 28 2023
Nick Of Time
Bonnie Raitt
3
Dec 29 2023
Heroes to Zeros
The Beta Band
3
Jan 01 2024
Another Green World
Brian Eno
3
Jan 02 2024
Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
4
Jan 03 2024
Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
4
Jan 04 2024
Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Iβve heard enough Elvis Costello. Maybe for good, but certainly for this 1001 Albums adventure.
2
Jan 05 2024
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
Bad Company
Bad Company
4
Jan 09 2024
Henry's Dream
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3
Jan 10 2024
New Wave
The Auteurs
3
Jan 11 2024
Manassas
Stephen Stills
3
Jan 12 2024
Fisherman's Blues
The Waterboys
3
Jan 15 2024
Eli And The Thirteenth Confession
Laura Nyro
2
Jan 16 2024
Myths Of The Near Future
Klaxons
2
Jan 17 2024
Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
4
Jan 18 2024
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
3
Jan 19 2024
All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
3
Jan 22 2024
The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
Hints of Sting & Peter Gabriel in the vocals & lyrics, and Guster in the music - all pluses for me. Iβll listen to this again & check out more by them.
4
Jan 23 2024
The Last Broadcast
Doves
3
Jan 24 2024
Opus Dei
Laibach
1
Jan 25 2024
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
4
Jan 26 2024
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
Leftism
Leftfield
4
Jan 30 2024
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
4
Jan 31 2024
KE*A*H** (Psalm 69)
Ministry
1
Feb 01 2024
Kid A
Radiohead
3
Feb 02 2024
Is This It
The Strokes
3
Feb 05 2024
Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2
Feb 06 2024
Life Thru A Lens
Robbie Williams
3
Feb 07 2024
Smile
Brian Wilson
3
Feb 08 2024
Risque
CHIC
3
Feb 09 2024
Next
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2
Feb 12 2024
Dare!
The Human League
3
Feb 13 2024
Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
3
Feb 14 2024
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
2
Feb 15 2024
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
3
Feb 16 2024
Under Construction
Missy Elliott
3
Feb 19 2024
Want One
Rufus Wainwright
2
Feb 20 2024
Rid Of Me
PJ Harvey
2
Feb 21 2024
D
White Denim
3
Feb 22 2024
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 donβt like his voice, youβll probably give this a thumbs down, even though heβs 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 Lanoisβ production, as I usually do on albums from this era, even if Dylan was not a particular fan.
4
Feb 23 2024
Zombie
Fela Kuti
4
Feb 26 2024
The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
4
Feb 27 2024
Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
Merci, mais non.
2
Feb 28 2024
Vulnicura
BjΓΆrk
4
Feb 29 2024
A Little Deeper
Ms. Dynamite
3
Mar 01 2024
The Who Sell Out
The Who
2
Mar 04 2024
Play
Moby
4
Mar 05 2024
Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
4
Mar 06 2024
Haunted Dancehall
The Sabres Of Paradise
3
Mar 07 2024
The College Dropout
Kanye West
1
Mar 08 2024
You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
2
Mar 11 2024
Ananda Shankar
Ananda Shankar
3
Mar 12 2024
Debut
BjΓΆrk
4
Mar 13 2024
The White Album
Beatles
5
Mar 14 2024
A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
3
Mar 15 2024
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
Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
2
Mar 19 2024
The Stranger
Billy Joel
A masterful songwriter, whether in story-telling mode (Italian Restaurant), generating memorable hooks (Movinβ Out), or as a soulful romantic (Just the Way, Always a Woman). The jazz/piano bar influence peeks through, giving him 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 thereβs no denying the strength of the string of seven songs that make up the bulk of the album.
5
Mar 20 2024
#1 Record
Big Star
3
Mar 21 2024
Blackstar
David Bowie
4
Mar 22 2024
Headquarters
The Monkees
3
Mar 25 2024
Stardust
Willie Nelson
3
Mar 26 2024
Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
2
Mar 27 2024
It's Too Late to Stop Now
Van Morrison
4
Mar 28 2024
Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3
Mar 29 2024
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 doesnβt have a shred of talent, and is super pissed at the world for not recognizing his genius.
1
Apr 01 2024
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
4
Apr 02 2024
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
3
Apr 03 2024
American Gothic
David Ackles
3
Apr 04 2024
Only By The Night
Kings of Leon
Solid
3
Apr 05 2024
She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
4
Apr 08 2024
The Next Day
David Bowie
3
Apr 09 2024
LP1
FKA twigs
3
Apr 10 2024
Copper Blue
Sugar
2
Apr 11 2024
What's That Noise?
Coldcut
3
Apr 12 2024
Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
Absolutely electrifying!!
5
Apr 15 2024
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
4
Apr 16 2024
Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
2
Apr 17 2024
Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2
Apr 18 2024
With The Beatles
Beatles
4
Apr 19 2024
Django Django
Django Django
3
Apr 22 2024
Come Find Yourself
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3
Apr 23 2024
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
A very strong album. Iβd only ever heard Take Me Out before, but found much to celebrate in the rest of the album.
4
Apr 24 2024
Murmur
R.E.M.
3
Apr 25 2024
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
3
Apr 26 2024
Machine Head
Deep Purple
3
Apr 29 2024
Central Reservation
Beth Orton
3
Apr 30 2024
3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
3
May 01 2024
25
Adele
4
May 02 2024
Fly Or Die
N.E.R.D
3
May 03 2024
Third
Soft Machine
2
May 06 2024
London Calling
The Clash
3
May 07 2024
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
3
May 08 2024
Space Ritual
Hawkwind
1
May 09 2024
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
4
May 10 2024
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
4
May 13 2024
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
4
May 14 2024
Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus
Spirit
3
May 15 2024
Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
3
May 16 2024
Viva Hate
Morrissey
Not as bad as Iβd feared. Some interesting things going on musically. His lyrics and voice still leave me cold.
3
May 17 2024
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
2
May 20 2024
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3
May 21 2024
Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3
May 22 2024
The Slider
T. Rex
3
May 23 2024
Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
4
May 24 2024
Spiderland
Slint
2
May 27 2024
Moby Grape
Moby Grape
2
May 28 2024
Public Image: First Issue
Public Image Ltd.
1
May 29 2024
Queen II
Queen
4
May 30 2024
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4
May 31 2024
Mama Said Knock You Out
LL Cool J
3
Jun 03 2024
Remedy
Basement Jaxx
2
Jun 04 2024
Junkyard
The Birthday Party
1
Jun 05 2024
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
3
Jun 06 2024
Scott 4
Scott Walker
2
Jun 07 2024
Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
2
Jun 10 2024
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
The album that launched an entire genre of Unplugged musicβ¦for better or for worse. I remember watching it when it aired on MTV, my whole cohort thinking βwow, Nirvana where you can actually understand what theyβre saying!β Too bad it hasnβt 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
Ace of Spades
MotΓΆrhead
2
Jun 12 2024
Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
3
Jun 13 2024
Basket of Light
Pentangle
3
Jun 14 2024
The Bones Of What You Believe
CHVRCHES
4
Jun 17 2024
Hejira
Joni Mitchell
4
Jun 18 2024
Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
3
Jun 19 2024
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4
Jun 20 2024
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
3
Jun 21 2024
Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
3
Jun 24 2024
Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
2
Jun 25 2024
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3
Jun 26 2024
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
4
Jun 27 2024
Hypnotised
The Undertones
3
Jun 28 2024
The Poet
Bobby Womack
2
Jul 01 2024
Locust Abortion Technician
Butthole Surfers
1
Jul 02 2024
GREY Area
Little Simz
2
Jul 03 2024
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
3
Jul 04 2024
Reign In Blood
Slayer
1
Jul 05 2024
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
3
Jul 08 2024
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
1
Jul 09 2024
In It For The Money
Supergrass
3
Jul 10 2024
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
3
Jul 11 2024
Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
3
Jul 12 2024
G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
3
Jul 15 2024
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
2
Jul 16 2024
...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
So many amazing artists that arenβt on this list, yet this dreck makes the cut?!? -1 for all the better artists that she edged out.
1
Jul 17 2024
Electric Prunes
The Electric Prunes
3
Jul 18 2024
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
4
Jul 19 2024
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
4
Jul 22 2024
Guero
Beck
4
Jul 23 2024
Dance Mania
Tito Puente
3
Jul 24 2024
Youth And Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
3
Jul 25 2024
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3
Jul 26 2024
Pictures At An Exhibition
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2
Jul 29 2024
The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
2
Jul 30 2024
Hunting High And Low
a-ha
3
Jul 31 2024
Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
Cast off songs from HAIR?
2
Aug 01 2024
Sister
Sonic Youth
3
Aug 02 2024
Beautiful Freak
Eels
4
Aug 05 2024
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
Disgusting that someone could think gynecology would be sexy.
1
Aug 06 2024
Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
3
Aug 07 2024
Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby
Terence Trent D'Arby
5
Aug 08 2024
OK
Talvin Singh
3
Aug 09 2024
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 Donβt 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
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
3
Aug 13 2024
The World is a Ghetto
War
3
Aug 14 2024
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
4
Aug 15 2024
The Sounds Of India
Ravi Shankar
2
Aug 16 2024
Fire Of Love
The Gun Club
2
Aug 19 2024
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
3
Aug 20 2024
Very
Pet Shop Boys
3
Aug 21 2024
The Predator
Ice Cube
2
Aug 22 2024
Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
3
Aug 23 2024
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
Celebrity Skin
Hole
4
Aug 27 2024
Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
3
Aug 28 2024
Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
3
Aug 29 2024
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon
4
Aug 30 2024
Screamadelica
Primal Scream
3
Sep 02 2024
Logical Progression
LTJ Bukem
3
Sep 03 2024
Sex Packets
Digital Underground
1
Sep 04 2024
You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
2
Sep 05 2024
Music
Madonna
3
Sep 06 2024
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
HΓΌsker DΓΌ
3
Sep 09 2024
Back to Basics
Christina Aguilera
3
Sep 10 2024
Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
4
Sep 11 2024
Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
3
Sep 12 2024
Peggy Suicide
Julian Cope
3
Sep 13 2024
Smokers Delight
Nightmares On Wax
4
Sep 16 2024
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
3
Sep 17 2024
Da Capo
Love
2
Sep 18 2024
More Specials
The Specials
2
Sep 19 2024
Melodrama
Lorde
3
Sep 20 2024
S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
2
Sep 23 2024
The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
3
Sep 24 2024
Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
3
Sep 25 2024
Sea Change
Beck
4
Sep 26 2024
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
4
Sep 27 2024
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
4
Sep 30 2024
The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu
2
Oct 01 2024
Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales
1
Oct 02 2024
Moss Side Story
Barry Adamson
4
Oct 03 2024
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
4
Oct 04 2024
Atomizer
Big Black
1
Oct 07 2024
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
4
Oct 08 2024
Liquid Swords
GZA
2
Oct 09 2024
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
3
Oct 10 2024
So Much For The City
The Thrills
2
Oct 11 2024
Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby
Girls Against Boys
1
Oct 14 2024
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
1
Oct 15 2024
Slipknot
Slipknot
1
Oct 16 2024
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
3
Oct 17 2024
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
3
Oct 18 2024
Bright Flight
Silver Jews
2
Oct 21 2024
The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
2
Oct 22 2024
Green
R.E.M.
4
Oct 23 2024
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube
2
Oct 24 2024
Life's Too Good
The Sugarcubes
4
Oct 25 2024
Apple Venus Volume 1
XTC
4
Oct 28 2024
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3
Oct 29 2024
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
3
Oct 30 2024
Trio
Dolly Parton
4
Oct 31 2024
Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement
2
Nov 01 2024
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
3
Nov 04 2024
Duck Stab/Buster & Glen
The Residents
2
Nov 05 2024
Gris Gris
Dr. John
3
Nov 06 2024
I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
Oh my god - that warble. How does a voice like this get a recording contract?
2
Nov 07 2024
Shleep
Robert Wyatt
3
Nov 08 2024
Kenza
Khaled
3
Nov 11 2024
Scott 2
Scott Walker
2
Nov 12 2024
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
4
Nov 13 2024
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
1
Nov 14 2024
Guitar Town
Steve Earle
3
Nov 15 2024
War
U2
4
Nov 18 2024
Mask
Bauhaus
3
Nov 19 2024
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
3
Nov 20 2024
Pump
Aerosmith
3
Nov 21 2024
Close To You
Carpenters
Yes, the sound is dated, the Ray Conniff-like background harmonies are hokey, the lyrics are cheesy, and nobody is pushing the envelope musically. But Karen Carpenterβs honeyed alto is one of the purest voices ever to be put on record. Her phrasing is nothing short of perfection and her range is impressive. Plus, she was a pretty amazing drummer! While brother Richardβs talents on keys and as composer/arranger donβt have the lasting impact of his sisterβs gifts, they created a sound that defined a certain escapist, feel-good genre in a complicated, troubled era. While I prefer their more sophisticated later output (Superstar, Rainy Days & Mondays, to name a few) over this early optimism, itβs nice to see their work remembered here. Would that Karen could have matured into a grade dame diva of pop instead of being taken too soon. Still, her struggle with and death from anorexia shone a much-needed light on a condition suffered by many, while her angelic voice lives on for us to enjoy.
4
Nov 22 2024
The Holy Bible
Manic Street Preachers
4
Nov 25 2024
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
3
Nov 26 2024
Vauxhall And I
Morrissey
3
Nov 27 2024
Sunshine Hit Me
The Bees
What a wonderfully pleasant discovery. Will get repeated listenings from me.
4
Nov 28 2024
Cross
Justice
3
Nov 29 2024
1977
Ash
3
Dec 02 2024
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
3
Dec 03 2024
Live Through This
Hole
3
Dec 04 2024
Calenture
The Triffids
2
Dec 05 2024
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
3
Dec 06 2024
Kimono My House
Sparks
2
Dec 09 2024
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
3
Dec 10 2024
White Ladder
David Gray
When this album was released, it was exactly what my soul needed. I discovered it along with a very close group of friends that were connecting on many levels. It opened my mind, it opened my heart. The lyrics send a simple, but universal message that we are not alone in this world and that love is a powerful force in the universe. The music is catchy and singable - I was pleased on this listening that it didn't sound dated to my ear. I won't call it a guilty pleasure, because I don't feel any guilt in loving this music and the part it played in my awakening as an adult.
5
Dec 11 2024
Cupid & Psyche 85
Scritti Politti
3
Dec 12 2024
The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
2
Dec 13 2024
The Real Thing
Faith No More
3
Dec 16 2024
Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
3
Dec 17 2024
Third
Portishead
3
Dec 18 2024
Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
4
Dec 19 2024
Sunshine Superman
Donovan
3
Dec 20 2024
In The Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra
3
Dec 23 2024
I See You
The xx
3
Dec 24 2024
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
TV On The Radio
3
Dec 25 2024
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
1
Dec 26 2024
Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
3
Dec 27 2024
The Scream
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2
Dec 30 2024
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
4
Dec 31 2024
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
4
Jan 01 2025
Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
4
Jan 02 2025
Microshift
Hookworms
4
Jan 03 2025
Histoire De Melody Nelson
Serge Gainsbourg
3
Jan 06 2025
This Nationβs Saving Grace
The Fall
2
Jan 07 2025
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3
Jan 08 2025
Iβve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
2
Jan 09 2025
Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
3
Jan 10 2025
Mothership Connection
Parliament
4
Jan 13 2025
The Nightfly
Donald Fagen
3
Jan 14 2025
american dream
LCD Soundsystem
4
Jan 15 2025
Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
2
Jan 16 2025
Dog Man Star
Suede
3
Jan 17 2025
Le Tigre
Le Tigre
Plenty of interesting stuff to listen to here, but an unfortunate amount of dreck, too. I expect Iβd like it more with repeated listening (especially the stronger cuts) but not sure Iβd feel compelled to spend that time. Mad respect for their energy and tenacity, but a tough 3 stars for me.
3
Jan 20 2025
Hms Fable
Shack
4
Jan 21 2025
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
The nostalgia is strong with this one. While I wasn't a huge BB fan back in the day, it was surprising to me how quickly the songs came back to me on this listening. Very catchy beats & rhymes. Some (too many?) questionable lyrics. A 3 if I heard it for the first time today, but it's getting an extra star for yesteryear.
4
Jan 22 2025
In Rainbows
Radiohead
4
Jan 23 2025
This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
3
Jan 24 2025
Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
4
Jan 27 2025
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
I know way more about Snoopβs d*ck and b@lls than Iβm comfortable with.
3
Jan 28 2025
Thriller
Michael Jackson
Three stinkers on this album. Michael got the short end of the shared duets with Paul, thoβ I suppose Say, Say, Say (the inifinitely better one) did more to elevate Mackerβs album than The Girl is Mine did to hurt Thriller. Human Nature might be the sleeper here - beautiful melody, excellent synth rhythm and first rate performance by MJ. And of course all of the mega hits that made this one of the biggest albums ever, masterly produced by QJ. Mama say mama sah mama coo sah!
4
Jan 29 2025
Go Girl Crazy
The Dictators
First three songs really set a negative tone. Got much better after that.
3
Jan 30 2025
Actually
Pet Shop Boys
3
Jan 31 2025
The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
3
Feb 03 2025
John Prine
John Prine
A honky-tonk Harry Chapin, or maybe Jim Croce, perhaps a more contemporary Woody Guthrie? - though not quite as fully-fledged as any of them. Prine has a way with a story, but I think heβs a better songwriter than performer. I appreciate the social commentary/protest elements, but donβt really dig the twang. Angelβ¦ is by far the most famous one here, but itβs been done better by other artists.
3
Feb 04 2025
Honky Tonk Masquerade
Joe Ely
I feel like there's a story here. Robert Demery, the creator of 1001 Albums..., was reluctantly dragged out to a country bar by a friend where Joe Ely happened to be playing. Not wanting to be there, he drank a bit more whiskey than intended, and caught the eye of a not unattractive Joe Ely fan. Maybe he learned to line dance from said fan. By the end of the night, they were clinging drunkenly, sweatily and sexily to each other and could barely make it back to the fan's one room apartment before they were tearing their clothes off of each other. With strains of Honky Tonkin' throbbing in his ears, Demery had a night of love making the likes of which he had never before experienced and hasn't since. From that day on, he's held out that Joe Ely is a genius musician and one of the only "true" country artists.
This story would be about the only reason I can discern why this album would be one of the few country albums on this list, as opposed to the literal thousands of others that would be more worthy.
2
Feb 05 2025
Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
3
Feb 06 2025
Tommy
The Who
I can see where the idea of a concept album or theatre show could seem like a cool playground for a rock band to mess around in. And any one of the social issues that Pete brought with his Tommy (murder, bullying, pedophilia, drug use, cult of celebrity, etc) could be the basis of an interesting inquiry. But Tommy throws way too much into the mix to make any of it seem important. And on top of that, the music just isnβt that good - in fact, itβs boring, with long stretches of nothing compelling in either the music or the lyrics. Daltryβs voice is not in good form and heβs not given much by the score to show off his strengths. When Pete takes the mic, itβs only too clear that he should stick to the guitar. Some of these songs fare better on the movie soundtrack, but the whole outing was really just a big miss on The Whoβs part.
2
Feb 07 2025
Never Mind The Bollocks, Hereβs The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
3
Feb 10 2025
Peter Gabriel 3
Peter Gabriel
4
Feb 11 2025
The Atomic Mr Basie
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4
Feb 12 2025
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
4
Feb 13 2025
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
With two absolute bangers starting this album off, closing with the amazing When the Levee Breaks and with the iconic Stairway to Heaven sandwiched in between, how could this album be anything less than five stars. Zeppelin defines rock βnβ roll and this album defines Zeppelin.
5
Feb 14 2025
Damaged
Black Flag
1
Feb 17 2025
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
Better than I expected and much better than the other PJ album on the list. I particularly like the collaboration with Thom Yorke.
3
Feb 18 2025
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Animal Collective
3
Feb 19 2025
Goodbye And Hello
Tim Buckley
2
Feb 20 2025
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
Wow. Canβt fathom how something this bad got made.
1
Feb 21 2025
Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
4
Feb 24 2025
McCartney
Paul McCartney
3
Feb 25 2025
Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
3
Feb 26 2025
Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
3
Feb 27 2025
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
4
Feb 28 2025
Devil Without A Cause
Kid Rock
1
Mar 03 2025
New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
2
Mar 04 2025
Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
3
Mar 05 2025
Transformer
Lou Reed
4
Mar 06 2025
Vivid
Living Colour
3
Mar 07 2025
Triangle
The Beau Brummels
3
Mar 10 2025
Chore of Enchantment
Giant Sand
3
Mar 11 2025
Ragged Glory
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3
Mar 12 2025
Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Bill Callahan
2
Mar 13 2025
Rings Around The World
Super Furry Animals
3
Mar 14 2025
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
3
Mar 17 2025
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
4
Mar 18 2025
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
3
Mar 19 2025
Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3
Mar 20 2025
Konnichiwa
Skepta
2
Mar 21 2025
Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
2
Mar 24 2025
Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
4
Mar 25 2025
Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
4
Mar 26 2025
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
4
Mar 27 2025
...The Dandy Warhols Come Down
The Dandy Warhols
3
Mar 28 2025
Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
3
Mar 31 2025
Bummed
Happy Mondays
2
Apr 01 2025
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
2
Apr 02 2025
Before And After Science
Brian Eno
3
Apr 03 2025
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
A wholly underrated folk-pop-rock-jazz group. Hmm, with all of those hyphens, that may be the problem. But they have a wonderfully original sound and some really great songs. They were a fave of mine on the radio in my youth and have always wished they got more play today.
4
Apr 04 2025
Dirty
Sonic Youth
3
Apr 07 2025
Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
3
Apr 08 2025
White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
2
Apr 09 2025
ImmigrΓ©s
Youssou N'Dour
3
Apr 10 2025
Harvest
Neil Young
4
Apr 11 2025
Woodface
Crowded House
3
Apr 14 2025
Pink Flag
Wire
2
Apr 15 2025
Hotel California
Eagles
4
Apr 16 2025
The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Joni Mitchell
4
Apr 17 2025
Mott
Mott The Hoople
3
Apr 18 2025
I See A Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3
Apr 21 2025
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
4
Apr 22 2025
Joan Baez
Joan Baez
4
Apr 23 2025
Elastica
Elastica
4
Apr 24 2025
The Undertones
The Undertones
3
Apr 25 2025
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
3
Apr 28 2025
Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
4
Apr 29 2025
Dub Housing
Pere Ubu
2
Apr 30 2025
The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3
May 01 2025
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
The thing about a Beatles album is that if you're a big fan, repeated listenings only serve to deepen your appreciation of their work. I know all of these songs, some very well, and without fail they prove to me what an iconoclastic and influential band they were. Even some of the "lesser" songs that some may deem filler play a part in their legacy. Tracks like Things We Said Today, Tell Me Why or I'll Be Back won't make any Beatles top 10 (or even top 50) list, but had they been recorded by another group, they would likely have been big hits in their own right. And there's no denying the staying power of the biggies on this disc - Can't Buy Me Love, If I Fell (those harmonies!), And I Love Her (a perfect love song for it's time) and the title track all cemented the Beatles as one of the all-time greats. As for this list, I can confidently say that I'd rather listen to this album than about 95% of the other entries, and that's why it gets a 5 from me.
5
May 02 2025
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
4
May 05 2025
Feast of Wire
Calexico
4
May 06 2025
Too Rye Ay
Dexys Midnight Runners
3
May 07 2025
Shadowland
k.d. lang
4
May 08 2025
B-52's
The B-52's
Full of weird fun!!
4
May 09 2025
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
4
May 12 2025
Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
Got way too preachy on the back half.
2
May 13 2025
Ten
Pearl Jam
To me, this is the quintessential grunge album. I find Ten to be musically more complex and emotionally deeper than albums by Nirvana and Soundgarden. While not a concept album, per se, it always takes me on a cathartic journey and I feel better for having listened to it. Strange though that with such a prolific career and numerous albums, their debut should hold up as the best of their work.
5
May 14 2025
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
3
May 15 2025
Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1
May 16 2025
Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
3
May 19 2025
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4
May 20 2025
Street Life
The Crusaders
2
May 21 2025
Moon Safari
Air
4
May 22 2025
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3
May 23 2025
Stripped
Christina Aguilera
3
May 26 2025
Porcupine
Echo And The Bunnymen
3
May 27 2025
Berlin
Lou Reed
3
May 28 2025
Better Living Through Chemistry
Fatboy Slim
2
May 29 2025
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
4
May 30 2025
Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
3
Jun 02 2025
Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
3
Jun 03 2025
Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
4
Jun 04 2025
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
3
Jun 05 2025
Rejoicing In The Hands
Devendra Banhart
4
Jun 06 2025
Born To Be With You
Dion
2
Jun 09 2025
Talk Talk Talk
The Psychedelic Furs
2
Jun 10 2025
Smash
The Offspring
2
Jun 11 2025
Rust In Peace
Megadeth
1
Jun 12 2025
In Our Heads
Hot Chip
2
Jun 13 2025
ΓgΓ¦tis Byrjun
Sigur RΓ³s
4
Jun 16 2025
Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
3
Jun 17 2025
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
4
Jun 18 2025
The Grand Tour
George Jones
2
Jun 19 2025
Tago Mago
Can
2
Jun 20 2025
Hot Fuss
The Killers
4
Jun 23 2025
Talking Timbuktu
Ali Farka TourΓ©
3