156
Albums Rated
2.81
Average Rating
14%
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Hip-hop
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7
5-Star Albums
10
1-Star Albums
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Be | 5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
| Paul's Boutique | 5 | 3.47 | +1.53 |
| Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
| Wild Is The Wind | 5 | 3.64 | +1.36 |
| 69 Love Songs | 4 | 2.84 | +1.16 |
| Cafe Bleu | 4 | 2.87 | +1.13 |
| At Folsom Prison | 5 | 3.99 | +1.01 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
| 1989 | 1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
| Too Rye Ay | 1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
| Maxinquaye | 1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
| Veckatimest | 1 | 3.05 | -2.05 |
| Slanted And Enchanted | 1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
| Hearts And Bones | 1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
| The Nightfly | 1 | 3.01 | -2.01 |
| Steve McQueen | 1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water | 2 | 3.97 | -1.97 |
5-Star Albums (7)
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Popular Reviews
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
In 300 years, when future civilizations sift through the wreckage of our society, this album will be treated as one of the foundational building blocks of a global culture. People will analyze the lyrics of the GZA like Shakespeare and the production of the RZA like Mozart, they'll probably even think ODB was a genius! The fact that a group of teenagers from the worst areas of New York were able to combine a few snippets from soul records from the 70s, culture and dialog from martial arts movies from Hong Kong and Japan, and a kick and snare to make something that will still be banging in car stereos and block parties 300 years from now is what music is all about. Wu Tang forever!!!
32 likes
Todd Rundgren
2/5
I don't get it, lame-ass 70s pop. This is album to listen to *after* you die.
23 likes
Germs
2/5
Proof that music is whatever people will make and whatever other people will listen to, everything else is extra.
13 likes
Björk
2/5
I can appreciate the thought and care that went into this and the production is pretty good, but got to be honest I just can't get into her voice and her weird infantile fairy thing.
13 likes
Brian Eno
2/5
Music for (empty) elevators, deaf people, morgues, and trees falling in the woods when nobody can hear them.
10 likes
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
Beatles
3/5
A few I've heard before but a lot that's pretty forgettable and repetitive.
Brian Eno
2/5
Hmm, I guess you had to be there.
David Bowie
3/5
Golden Years is classic, hadn't heard the others but some good jams.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
Wow this guy's voice is annoying!
Tricky
1/5
Wow this guy's voice is annoying!
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Bumpy! Some interesting ideas and benefits from not being super self-conscious and serious. Not a fan of the autotune. Fav track: Same Old Show.
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
bArf!
The Go-Go's
2/5
Passable and hooky
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Yeah, this is more my speed! Funky, layered, original. Dude plays all the instruments and did the whole thing as a teenager!
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
The problem when can't really sing and just talk over the music is that everyone can clearly hear how inane your lyrics are. Sometimes this works if the music is good enough to be able to ignore the lyrics, but that's not the case here either. Not bad just something I wouldn't feel the need to listen again.
Anita Baker
3/5
Not my deal, but nice voice and production
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
A lot of the same, but consistency is good
Common
5/5
Straight fire, rhymes, message, music, production this is real hip hop
Metallica
3/5
I guess, but the trash thing gets dull after the first few songs.
Pavement
1/5
Rather hit my head against the pavement
Germs
2/5
Proof that music is whatever people will make and whatever other people will listen to, everything else is extra.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Actually really liked it, 1st track is classic, but a few others are quite catchy as well. Bass playing is gold.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
Sax on track 7 makes it. Shows why bass is needed in Punk. Overall pretty good, right for it's idiom.
Paul Simon
1/5
Soft, bloated, unoffensive, smugly inane lyrics, about as much character as white bread. If he wasn't already famous, he'd have been laughed out of the studio (\"2 x 2 is 22\", \"cars are cars\"). Some good session musicians trying to keep a straight face while playing on this dross, but doesn't redeem it. Negative 5 stars, I will go out of my way to burn any physical copies I find.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
Wow, didn't expect this to be so consistent and entertaining. Definitely some forgettable tracks but with 69 there's an amazing amount of variety and creativity here. Plus the rhymes are hilarious. Definitely no writer's block for this guy.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Kick ass! Straight raw punk, definitely not for everyone, but this is exactly what it's supposed to sounds like, no over production, no radio hits, no shits given and plenty of sax!
Queen
3/5
Rocks harder than I expected and quite consistent throughout. A bit too many vocal overdubs, overproduction and weird lyrics for my tastes but I can see what they were trying to do.
The Pharcyde
4/5
Classic party rap from my younger dayz. If you don't like this, you're just not cool, sorry.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Wow the first CD I bought as a 10 year old. Happy to report my musical tastes have evolved significantly in the past 25 years, but this album still left a mark. I'll always remember trying to understand the lyrics and not knowing what to make of (that hasn't changed). On this listen, I was still impressed by Flea's bass on You Oughta Know and all those jangly guitar effects and 90s production tricks. Not all has aged well, but still something I'll come back to in 25 more years.
Mudhoney
3/5
Sound innovative guitar effects and great punky bass and drums, but not much really stands out. The breakdown In and Out of Grace is cool and they definitely bring the out the grunge. Would have been into this in the 90s had I known about it, but they've been eclipsed by everything that came out of Seattle subsequently.
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
I was hoping this would be more than just your standard 90s alt/indie rock. There are occasional glimmers with the ragtime piano on the first and 8th track and some interesting 12-string guitar sounds, but that's about it. Not saying it's bad, but just a bit too safe to stand out.
Suede
3/5
Just about got into it! Some cool production and guitar tones. Like a lot of British music (not sure why this is the case and other countries have their own faults), this quickly becomes cheesy and shoe-gazey. The last track works when they got out of their own way a bit and just played, but not sure I would be back to listen to the other tracks.
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
Have never really been able to get into Bossa Nova, especially in comparison to the other amazing music coming out of Brazil. It always just fades into the background no matter if you're trying to listen or not. It's the music equivalent of a boring football (soccer) game--nice but pretty hard to pay attention to the whole time.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
Never been a huge country fan, but this is manageably short and sweet. Some funny lyrics in the first song but the rest is pretty depressing, which, I guess, is country's thing. Interesting how the instrumentation is put together with really formal solo breaks and each instrument weighing in.
Tangerine Dream
2/5
Historically interesting prog-electronica from the 70s when it must have been super uncool. Can't imagine these German guys where rocking at hotel parties with hookers and blow. Still cool to learn about the process and how they made it. Sounds better than much of the electronic music today, but still basically ambient and not quickly fades into the background.
Kid Rock
3/5
Yeah Kid Rock is easy to hate on, and there's a lot of really stupid stuff on this album. But the 13 year old in me can still enjoy this after 23 years, so it must have something going for it.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Cute and sweet. The Portuguese lyrics work for me more than the English as they seem to match the music better. Cool to hear so many hip hop samples from this.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
I have an abiding dislike for Paul Simon and this didn't do much to change that, but it was still worth a listen. Seems like they tried to break the mold a bit by sampling some other genres and adding some different instrumentation, but still to much fetishization of the voices at the expense of other elements.
Death In Vegas
3/5
Wow really interesting, didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. Very hard to describe but sorta like ambient electro hard rock psychedelia. Lots going on with the many, many layers of productions so will definitely listen again with headphones.
Incubus
3/5
Ah yes that time in history with soul patches, ear lobe plugs, rock bands with DJs, that Justin Delong guy from the Mac vs. PC commercials, pretentiousness of rocking out in 7/8 time, and those generic MTV music videos which are either super deep or were just made up on the spot.
R.E.M.
2/5
Listened to the whole album and could only tell the songs apart due to the youtube ads. Yes they had a good sound but can't imagine this being anyone's favourite album.
ZZ Top
3/5
Guy sounds like he's gargling marbles and some of the tracks are a bit iffy (Sheik), but still a fun album and worth a listen
Magazine
2/5
Interesting mix of pop, punk, electro with some sax and other random stuff thrown in. Some funny rhymes and cool production but that sneering/whiny British accent gets old after a while. The Goldfinger cover at the end was cool.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Wow what a dead-center-kick-to-the-nuts album from top to bottom!
The Smiths
4/5
Some of the best to come out of the UK in the 80's the rhythm section is on point and the guitar playing is layered with great rhythm and melodies. The grooves are huge for a 4-piece rock band. Even Morrissey works way harder than most vocalists.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Classic Timbaland beatz and some surprising fresh rhymes and content from Missy that have really aged well. Part of her appeal is that she's not a pop star and doesn't need to go the Nicki Minaj/Cardi B route, so there's a lot more attention and emphasis on the music vs. the packaging.
Finley Quaye
3/5
Interesting vibes and some pretty groovy tracks, would listen again.
Deep Purple
2/5
Not recommended to listen to with a headache.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Having never sat and listened to the whole album "cover to cover" I definitely found it way more impactful. Sure there are the 6-7 classic songs which are some of the best rock ever written, but a lot of the shorter conceptual tracks work to tie everything together. It does occasionally crest into pretense and self-indulgence, but has aged surprisingly well over the past 40 years.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Weird. Definitely has been mined for some great hip hop samples though. Don't listen on youtube with ads.
Neil Young
3/5
Good old Neil! As a Canadian, I'm bias, but the dude gets it across! I know people quibble with his voice, but it's really just a few notes that sound a bit whiny.
Minutemen
3/5
Really admire the punk aesthetic, despite what you think of the music, the idea of generating this amount of creativity in a short period is inspiring. Obviously some tracks are better than others, but you can't really say its too long or that any not necessary.
Laura Nyro
3/5
Not sure why I've never heard of her before, this sounds like it should be classic stuff, but I guess she never had a major hit. Definitely sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday.
Johnny Cash
5/5
What a legend, what an album, what a venue, what a performance!
Pixies
3/5
Some great tracks that I hadn't heard before. Can definitely see the influence on grunge, metal, and punk.
Björk
2/5
I can appreciate the thought and care that went into this and the production is pretty good, but got to be honest I just can't get into her voice and her weird infantile fairy thing.
The La's
3/5
Pretty good, had never heard of them but clear how much influence this album had on Oasis and various other Brit bands from the 90s. Would relisten.
The Strokes
3/5
Classic from my youth. Nice mix of punk, jangly guitars and melodies. Not wild about all of the singing but mostly works.
Fred Neil
2/5
Sorta like Neil Diamond with a better voice and better guitar. Sometimes there's just too much going on however and things sound confused, could have used better production and some more sparse arrangements.
The Byrds
2/5
I know it's a classic album, but sounds like they're trying too hard to be The Beatles and the same jangly guitar sound on every track is repetitive. I think you had to be there in the 60s to fully appreciate this.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Another classic from my youth that aged spectacularly well...except the funk stuff which I never got. All together a great album though from top to bottom with some of their best songs and concepts.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Classic electronic still sounds a lot better than most stuff today. But have to admit I got a bit bored on this listen and probably wouldn't come back to it again for a while.
John Martyn
2/5
Yeah the British bias of this list is showing up again here. This is some weird sort of funk folk rock that sounds like the doobie brothers trying to be country.
T. Rex
3/5
Hmm, sounds like the whole thing was recorded at half speed, with the singer whispering in the closet. Guitar was fun and lyrics are entertaining. Sort of a loungey rock and roll for late-night listening.
Depeche Mode
2/5
Not really a fan of this guy's voice and the whole angsty electronica from the 80's genre. Album got a lot better in the middle when it was just instrumentals, however and I probably would have enjoyed it more as an instrumental soundtrack to a bad 80s scifi action movie.
DJ Shadow
4/5
Aaah yeah this was my jam back in the day, had organ donor on repeat for months. Probably enjoy the Private Press a little more overall but this is one of the foundations of instrumental hip hop. Not everyone will like the aesthetic and the quirky samples, but you have to at least acknowledge the amazing drum programming, looping and sampling. Nearly every sound on the album came from something that was already recorded, yet it's all completely original.
Grizzly Bear
1/5
Not really grizzly bears more like a group of pretentious winnie the pooh voice bears singing intentionally awkward harmonies while playing their instruments half asleep. Way too many vocal overdubs and production sounds like a vat of goop that's been cooking on the stove for days.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Definitely missed this whole 2010s indie scene and can't say I regret it. Just can't wrap my head around why anyone would submit to this torture. The music is a grab bang of half finished guitar parts and weird synths, the lyrics are inane and the lead singer has one of the most annoying voices I've heard so far on this list, which is saying something. The only bright spot is when one of the women is singing and that only happens on the one single.
The Only Ones
3/5
Some great guitar and arrangements, occasionally cresting into jazz, ska, and other genres. Songwriting and lyrics are good, but the nasally drawl is more annoying and distracting than edgy and ironic. Seems like they would be a great live band where they could jam out at more length.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Not a huge country fan, but don't mind this kind of "classic country". Songwriting is great and production is clean. Would have liked the songs to open up a bit more and have time for longer solos and more jamming, but I guess that wasn't the style.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Oh man! Can't describe how happy I was to see this come up on the list. Definitely a a huge Maiden fan and even though I haven't listened to this in years, it was just as kick-ass and over the top. Yes the lyrics are ridiculous and the whole occult aesthetic is hooky as hell, but Bruce Dickinson's voice is one of the best in the history of music, the twin lead guitars are straight fire and the bass playing is equally iconic. You may not like it, but there's a reason these guys can still sell out stadiums 40 years later.
Buck Owens
3/5
Twangy as all hell. Works great if you don't take it too seriously.
Aerosmith
3/5
Some decent 70s rock but other than Walk this Way and Sweet emotions, nothing stood out for me.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Crazy and weird but fun and rocks pretty hard. Twangy surf guitar, 60s ginger baker style overdrumming, and that electric jug thing adds a whole level of frenetic energy.
Alice Cooper
2/5
A few flashes of the musical creativity from earlier albums, but mainly just doubles down on the weirdness and shock value.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Wow, this is the real deep americana, not "my dog died" country or "blowin in the wind" dylan but some deep dives into real life without a lot of hopeful moments. Takes a lot to write and pull off songs with this level of credibility and authenticity.
Cypress Hill
4/5
Classic! Great beats and rhymes, inane lyrics that are both too silly and too violent to know what to think, and B-real's nasally voice, you either love or hate. So many songs have built off of samples from this album, listening to this is like a greatest hits of all the hip hop it inspired afterwards.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
For a band on their 10th album in 6 years, this is a solid effort with at least 3 classics tunes. Not every song works, sometimes it sounds like they're just jamming and making stuff up on the spot, but overall still a solid effort.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Really interesting to hear the first version of No Woman No Cry and see how much it's evolved over the years with so many covers. Rest of album is decent, but Bob Marley was just one of many great singers/songwriters in Jamaica at the time and has a far greater reputation than this material would warrant.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
What can you say? A great album that has been thoroughly review and acknowledged as a great album with anyone with a soul.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
In 300 years, when future civilizations sift through the wreckage of our society, this album will be treated as one of the foundational building blocks of a global culture. People will analyze the lyrics of the GZA like Shakespeare and the production of the RZA like Mozart, they'll probably even think ODB was a genius! The fact that a group of teenagers from the worst areas of New York were able to combine a few snippets from soul records from the 70s, culture and dialog from martial arts movies from Hong Kong and Japan, and a kick and snare to make something that will still be banging in car stereos and block parties 300 years from now is what music is all about. Wu Tang forever!!!
Public Enemy
4/5
A huge part of the foundation of hip hop, this inspired pretty much everything that came after. I didn't realize Flava Flav could rap but his track is actually pretty good.
Donald Fagen
1/5
PUuukyyy schmaltz for middle aged white people. Seriously what the hell!?
Pixies
3/5
A very solid listen, no stand-out tracks for me but good variety and some great grooves. Better than 80% of the non-grunge music coming out in the early 90s.
The Police
3/5
When Sting ruled the world. One of those asshole ego maniacs that treated "his band" like shit. You want to hate him, but can't argue with the songwriting on this album. The weakest tracks are the ones by the guitarist and drummer so also hard to feel sorry for them if this was their best effort.
Beastie Boys
5/5
What a masterpiece, I can't believe that I hadn't listened to the whole thing before now. The samples, the production, hot-potato hand-off rhymes, the ridiculous lyrics--you could listen to this for years and not catch everything.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Wow this dude loves construction work, baseball, and tight pants! Pretty much the epitome of America in the 80s. Lots of classic rock radio jams and some pretty decent deep cuts. What can you say?
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Pretty solid 90s hip hop. Classic DJ Premier Boom Bap production, but noting super stunning. Good rhymes and concepts, but again not much stands out. Fav track: Mental Stamina.
The Adverts
3/5
Short and consistent, some cool ideas and great energy, but hard to get super excited about it. The Great British Mistake is pretty ironic these days.
2/5
Not sure who it was but I think it might have been Henry Rollins said somewhere what a ridiculously overrated band U2 was. It was like I had been brainwashed and was finally snapping out it and ever since I've not been able to enjoy them. They are a band with a limited amount going for them other than their singer's voice yet they've managed to stick around for 40 year, the last 20 objectively without any good music. This album was definitely a highlight and I know people rave about how good a singer Bono is and how amazing the Edge's guitar playing is, etc. But when you take a step back, you realize they are an average band with great production, a few catchy hooks and way too much guitar delay. I know that will offend a lot of people and I'm truly sorry for shattering this illusion, but the sooner you come to recognize it, the sooner the world can finally get rid of Bono!
Soundgarden
3/5
Solid 90s rawk, not super grungy but has all the classic elements of heavy distortion riffs, tons of toms, vaguely poignant lyrics, rock screams (CC's are pretty great though), and music videos with creepy bugs and other weird shit for good measure.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
Another one of these bands I've heard so much about over the years but never sat down to listen to an album start to finish. I can see the appeal here and imagine if you were a fan and invested in it it would be pretty cool. For the causal observer it's a bit inaccessible and hard to place: Do you listen to this at party or is headphones music? Had me a few times with some clever lyrics and the occasional head-bopping rhythm break, but not sure I'd come back to it anytime soon. Solid 2.5Stars
Ramones
4/5
Classic album, classic sound, a couple of their best songs. Doesn't always work and the same tempo, 3 chords and singing gets repetitive by the end, but hard to find fault elsewhere. All bands should endeavour to reach this level of consistency, congruency and existential rigour.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Classic jazz, never gets too crazy or experimental, but still keeps your attention. Bass playing is next level.
The Beach Boys
2/5
Don't get it, sounds like the worst of early 2000s indie bands with way too much production and vocal harmonies. Some of the songs were decent "Don't go near the water", "Feel flows" but the rest are just blah.
Alice In Chains
3/5
More of a mix between hard rock and and metal than grunge to me but rocks in any case. Definitely built around the lead singer's vocals and lyrics, rest of band is adequate but not much ground breaking materials. Always liked "The Rooster" but a very consistent album beyond that.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Wasn't aware that his was a genre, but some great stuff in terms of songwriting, composition, and overall vibe. Comes across as vaguely familiar and almost classic, but suffers from the number of tracks and ambition to an extent.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
I don't get it, lame-ass 70s pop. This is album to listen to *after* you die.
Def Leppard
2/5
Generic 80s Rawk. A lot of screaming about stuff, way too much synth, and fake drum sounds (obviously drummer only has one arm so can't blame him for that but could have dialed back the compression) Guitar playing, which is normally the best part of hair metal, is so so. Overall, would prefer to be a deaf leopard than to listen one.
Aerosmith
4/5
Prize for most double entendre, puns, and sex jokes per song! Still funny and rocks hard today. After listening to a bunch of other hair metal bands on this list, it's hard to overstate just how much better Aerosmith is in every way to Def Lepard, Motley Crue, etc. Arrangements, musicianship, song-writing are all a cut above.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Smooth and soulful, but the wispy voice and minimalist arrangements start to sound pretty similar after a while.
Parliament
3/5
Make my funk the P. Funk, I wants to get funked up
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Shrill and repetitive you'd have to be a fan to get into this, not for the casual listener.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
The worst of 70s rock, no new ideas, second and third hand guitar riffs, the most cliched lyrics imaginable that would make Spinal Tab cringe in embarrassment.
Primal Scream
2/5
Nope.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Even though I've heard these songs a million times, they still bring a smile to my face because of their authenticity and unbridled passion for the music they are making. I know John Fogerty was a dick and the rest of the band hated him, but what can you say when a guy can play guitar, sing, write songs, play harmonica, and basically create a whole mythology around a time and place that never really existed.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
Pure 60s pop. Very much forgettable, so-called "hit song" "kicks" is super weak sauce considering what else was coming out at the time. This is like the Maroon 5 of today, popular but irrelevant long term.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Ah the early 90s house sound: drum and bass that sound like they came through a telephone, the same 3 chord piano riff in every song, some cheap keyboard stabs, over the top singing and vocalizations. The formula became a joke, but these guys at least got out in front. Groove is in the Heart is by far the best track, but it's also hard to go wrong when you have Bootsy Collins, Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker and Qtip together on a song.
The Style Council
4/5
Surprisingly good! I really liked The Jam and thought this was a good exploration outside the mod-sound into new territory that could have been quite risky. Not all of the tracks are amazing but it's consistent despite the variety of genres and style.
Various Artists
2/5
Not sure why I'm listening to Xmas music in the spring but I guess it doesn't matter. Nothing particularly new or exciting here but that's the point.
Traffic
2/5
Worth a listen, but wouldn't say it blew me a way. Very 70s, very English, very jam bandy.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Um yeah, not too sure. Some sort of 80s punk/hair metal from Finland. If this has any relevance to the world of music, it must be lost on my ill-informed ears, but this could safely have never been made.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Elvis in top form, nothing amazing or super original, but such as contrast to the pop music of today: real instruments, doo-wop backup singers, a wide variety of songs and lyrics. Today the best you can hope for is an autotuned singer and a guy with pro tools rehash the same tired drum samples, loops and chord progressions for the millionth time.
Nick Drake
2/5
Just a dude mumbling to his guitar. Liked the playing but not really feeling the vocals or the song writing. Probably one of those artists that if you discover them yourself you think they are great, but if someone tells you to listen to them you're not impressed.
Spiritualized
2/5
Hmm another super niche British album that really had no discernible impact or influence anywhere else in the world. Most of the time the music alright but the singer sounds like he's mumbling to himself in his sleep, and a lot of the songs blend into each other. Definitely, nothing "wow!" here but more tolerable than the other super lame stuff on that often comes up on this list.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
What can you say? Classic. A very specific moment in music and the world that coagulated into a cultural high point that couldn't happen again the same way.
Depeche Mode
2/5
Pretty much the same review as for the last DM album: Find the singing super annoying; the instrumentals are better and more suited for their cinematic creepy/minor key keyboard sounds. 0 Stars for album cover.
Eminem
3/5
"Dave pull up your pants, we need an ambulance, there's a girl upstairs talking to plants." Some of these rhymes have been deeply buried in my teen-aged mind for decades. Yeah it's violent, misogynist, homophobic, and all the other things and I'm not defending it. But criticizing this is likely going to a horror movie and complaining it was too violent, or going to a modern art exhibit and saying it sends the wrong message to kids--that's point, you're supposed to be offended and shocked! Not saying this a great work of art or anything but the context of how and why it came to be is important. Slim Shady is a symptom of many larger social problems that have gotten worse over the last 2 decades. If you're not mad after listening to this, you're doing it wrong!
CHIC
3/5
5 stars for the Good Times bassline alone. Never gets old. Rest of album is pretty wishy-washy disco/70s but listenable.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
As a Canadian, I'm contractually obligated to like Joni Mitchell and Neil Young. Honestly though this is some 70s junk. She can write a good song like nobody's business but it just doesn't come across in these arrangements and production. Prefer the stripped back vocals and guitars, but can't please everyone.
Adele
3/5
Never been a huge fan of music that fetishizes a person's voice over other elements such as songwriting and music, but this hits all three areas quite consistently. Hard to knock even though something so popular generally means it serves as the lowest common denominator to everyone's tastes. The only thing she could have done was take a few more chances later in the album instead of edging closer to lounge music.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Teetering on the edge of chaos for 40mins without ever completely losing it. This is that real, scare your parents, start a riot, lose your mind rock and roll that few will ever equal (sorry Beatles)!
Muddy Waters
4/5
"She used to get a ride in the daytime now she gets a ride in the night" Looolz!! Singing about your wife cheating with the bus driver, going to Florida, a cross-eyed cat it doesn't really matter. If you got troubles, 12 bars and three chords you can build any kind of song you want. Throw in some blazing guitar, harmonica, and piano solos and jam the f*ck out!
Orbital
2/5
It's very easy to hate on electronic music. All the things that make music great, the timing, the tonality of live instruments, the play of expected vs. unexpected changes and sounds, improvisation, and the slight imperfections that make something sound organic just don't come across in a mathematical sequence. Things have improved somewhat since the early 9s when this came out but it's still about as emotional as interacting with a pissed off microwave.
Radiohead
3/5
Sort of ambient, free jazz, electronic, rock, with creepy singing and "you just don't get it" pretensions. I missed the boat on Radiohead as a pre-teen and now it appears I'm too old.
Roni Size
2/5
Could have been a few hours shorter. I appreciate that not every genre can or should appeal to everyone. If it did, it would be so generic and lowest common denominator that everyone would rate it as 2 or 3 at most. While I'm sure this isn't a very popular album on this list, the idea that there are people out there, throwing down the 5-stars and rave reviews, to me, is a good thing. I'm glad you like it!
Janis Joplin
2/5
Grating doesn't begin to describe it, this voice could shred rocks. I admire the vibe and feeling, but still feels a little like Amy Winehouse or another soul music recycler, a bit hallow like why are you so upset again?
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Remember Take Me Out being quoted as the "best music for banging" in university due to it multiple rhythm and time changes. Definitely do as much as they can with the pop-punk-dance vibe without going over produced or electronic. Had it's time and place in the mid-2000s but I guess they sort of ran out of steam.
George Jones
3/5
Country has a whole different concept when it comes to sad songs and depressing subject matter. This guy is more emo than any of those black eye shadow dudes and actually has the depressing life story to back it up. Music is straightforward with little variation, so it's mostly about that twangy country voice thing.
Tortoise
3/5
Nice and mellow and I generally like instrumental music. This skates dangerously close to elevator music territory and quickly fades into the background.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
Really like the mix on this album. Lot's of different styles and samples, positive vibes, and some super corny 80's lyrics. Interesting to speculate on how hip hop would have evolved had something like this became more popular vs. the NWAs and Wu Tangs.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Okay, nothing really stands out, but enjoy her observational songwriting and wordplay. Music is all over the place and sometimes seems to have been an after thought thrown together at the last minute by the studio musicians. Raised and Robbery is a good jam, rest wouldn't come back to.
Wilco
2/5
Songs all start off promising enough, then the sleepy-voiced singer comes in and they start layering way too many things on top and mid way through it just turns to generic rock-mush. Potentially a good live band if they got a jam going, but doesn't seem to work in this format. Nothing much to the lyrics or themes, so not sure why they were so famous for a while. Maybe I'm missing something here.
ABBA
2/5
Wow, never thought I would listen to a full ABBA album beginning to end. Wasn't as bad I as thought: they definitely had a formula down by this point so the songs are consistent and pretty catchy. You can't argue with the vocal harmonies, songwriting or musicianship either, but it all has the weird bizzaro tinge of 70s Sweden which makes everything sound vaguely familiar but not quite natural.
Harry Nilsson
2/5
70s schmaltz, but some good signing and a few good grooves. Had only ever heard the coconut song before, which is not representative. I think this music would have been long forgotten without the novelty factor. Dude strikes me as the Ed Sheeran of the 70s.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Interesting artist who had real authenticity, musicianship, and songwriting chops, but whose success came at direct cost to her ability to retain what made her so unique. This album has some great stuff, but is generally pretty heavy and sad. Some of the rather half hearted attempts at "African" and "Jamaican" sounds seems like they were someone else's idea.
Aphex Twin
2/5
Nice chillout muzak, some tracks get lost in themselves and despite a valiant effort the limitations of the genre quickly become clear. There's only so much emotion and soul that can be channeled through repetitive loops and synth sounds.
Joy Division
3/5
Interesting soundscapes and moods, can definitely see the influence on later Manchester bands and post punk genres. Not all of it is actually that much fun to listen to, but the creativity is admirable.
Sufjan Stevens
1/5
Lame, smug proto-hipster music for people you like to think that this guy is somehow god's gift to songwriting, sorry no
Brian Eno
2/5
Music for (empty) elevators, deaf people, morgues, and trees falling in the woods when nobody can hear them.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
Every hip hop track in the 80s and 90s owes an eternal gratitude to these funky drum breaks. Must have been a hell of party to record this!
Arcade Fire
2/5
More of that mid 2000s overproduced, whining, emo, why is there a fiddle in everything?, proto-hipster, I wear a funny hat but I can pull it off because I'm a musician type stuff.
Taylor Swift
1/5
Dear god that was horrible!!!
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Wow, great! I had heard people raving about this album but hadn't sat down to listen to it before. Definitely starts out stronger than it finishes, but a really creative and artistic set of songs, lots of variety, great musicianship and interesting overall vibes. No wonder it never got the credit it deserves!
Jamiroquai
2/5
I guess this was unique when it first came out: some white guys from the UK doing soul and funk, but now that everyone and their dog has copied this sound it no longer feels very fresh. The most creative part is the digeridoo on the first and last songs, but rest sort of melds together into a gelatinous blob of recycled funk and derivative vocals.
Prefab Sprout
1/5
Wow that was truly miserable, I have no idea how anyone could connect with this: music is the driest, most unsoulful pop goop imaginable, the lyrics are weird, and the whole thing has a locked in a dark closet humming to himself vibe.
Love
2/5
60's freakout rock with every hippie cliche imaginable. Still fun though and rocks pretty in places. Could have used better production and edit down the final track.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Interesting classical/punk-new wave, not what I was expecting, but worth a listen.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Grooves, soul, long-winded story about a guy leaving his wife that didn't seem to get anywhere, swelling strings, funky breaks, and more soul. What would happen if you showed up to record an album having thought it over only briefly but were so talented that it's an instant classic.
Nina Simone
5/5
How does one woman kick so much ass?
Fairport Convention
3/5
Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, with fiddle trying to sound like English folk music, but comes across pretty American. Not altogether unpleasant though.
James Brown
3/5
Short and screamy, but a good intro to JB and captures the vibe. Band is air tight!
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
Sing-songy, lite folk/pop, I guess this was the safe bet for office parties in the 60s if you weren't cool enough for Hendrix.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Early 90s, British emo by skinny, white guys who look like they've been locked in a cellar their whole lives.
Funkadelic
4/5
Maggot Brain was left on repeat for days at a time in my dorm room, but hadn't heard the other tracks in a while. Some of it crosses the line for me in terms of good taste, but hard to argue with it overall.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Banging vibes and concertina thing, weird little percussion noises in the background. Surprisingly interesting and varied overall. Good background 60s party music.
Lorde
2/5
Mellow some drama, but mostly the same few song ideas swashing around like a shoe in a dryer. Song writing is aight I guess but can't remember any of it as the song is over. Still better than a lot of computer-/committee-generated pop content in recent years.
Burning Spear
4/5
Deeeeep riddims,! Big Up!
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
Country pop combines two genres of music that I find most devastatingly annoying. This wasn't as bad as I thought, so maybe two wrongs can partially redeem each other. Still pretty bad though.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Man so damn classic! Even if you don't like Dylan, the fact that pretty much everyone still knows these songs 50+ years later is insane. The guy could write a song about any random mundane part of life and it would still be a classic.
Morrissey
3/5
I like The Smiths and Morrissey in general. There's nothing that really stood out for me, but I still get a kick out of the depressing lyrics and turns of phrase. That chainsaw break is also pretty sweet!