Journey Complete!
Finisher #438 to complete the list
1089
Albums Rated
2.89
Average Rating
100%
Complete
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Curator
Rater Style ?
59
5-Star Albums
46
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
|
5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
|
The Predator
Ice Cube
|
5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
|
Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
The Yes Album
Yes
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
The Band
The Band
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
|
5 | 3.41 | +1.59 |
|
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
Aja
Steely Dan
|
5 | 3.46 | +1.54 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Metallica
Metallica
|
1 | 3.79 | -2.79 |
|
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
|
1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
|
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
|
1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
|
The Slider
T. Rex
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
|
1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
|
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
|
1977
Ash
|
1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
|
Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
|
2 | 4.02 | -2.02 |
|
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
|
1 | 3 | -2 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 7 | 4.71 |
| Prince | 3 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.4 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.5 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Paul Simon | 3 | 4.33 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.33 |
| Yes | 3 | 4.33 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 4.33 |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Slipknot | 2 | 1 |
| The Pogues | 2 | 1 |
| M.I.A. | 2 | 1 |
| Tom Waits | 5 | 2 |
| OutKast | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Divine Comedy | 2 | 1.5 |
| Sepultura | 2 | 1.5 |
| Super Furry Animals | 2 | 1.5 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 2.2 |
| The Velvet Underground | 3 | 2 |
| Björk | 4 | 2.25 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 2.25 |
| Morrissey | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Fleetwood Mac | 5, 2 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3, 2, 5 |
| Van Morrison | 5, 2, 4 |
| The Beach Boys | 5, 3, 2 |
| Metallica | 4, 1, 3, 2 |
5-Star Albums (59)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
1/5
This sent me down the rabbit hole of music in psychological warfare. Truly an abomination.
15 likes
Ride
2/5
I went from “kinda like The Cure + Cranberries” to “ehh, that was way too much credit — more like Oasis” to “OK enough is enough, this should have ended a half hour ago.” 2.75/5
12 likes
Led Zeppelin
5/5
When aliens land and demand to hear our “rock and roll,” cue it up.
5 likes
Cocteau Twins
4/5
I was most familiar with Elizabeth Fraser on vocals for Massive Attack’s Teardrop and discovered Cocteau Twins (and this album) from there.
4 likes
1-Star Albums (46)
All Ratings
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Missy Elliott
2/5
In 2020, the album was ranked 93 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Massive Attack
4/5
Particularly enjoyed Unfinished Sympathy, which had to have influenced Moby’s “Porcelain.”
The Dictators
2/5
The Ramones also covered "California Sun."
Frank Black
2/5
I'll go 2.5 stars.
Crowded House
2/5
2.5. This is #3 on “100 Best Australian Albums.” I was excited for this and expected to like it more.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Seems fine. Have no idea how to contextualize this with a list of 1000 additional albums.
Nina Simone
3/5
Megadeth
4/5
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
All killer. No filler.
Kanye West
3/5
“She got a light skinned friend look like Michael Jackson. Got a dark skinned friend look like Michael Jackson.”
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
TIL what a murder ballad is. 3.5.
Orbital
4/5
If you don't remember Halcyon + On + On from the intro of Hackers (1995), add that film to your list.
Spiritualized
2/5
A master class in mediocrity. Lacks substance. Or, as Pitchfork.com puts it: "...feels almost weightless, an astral take on the blues that seems to drift by on cosmic winds. It’s one of the most gentle rock records of its time, with spaced-out guitars and rolling bass lines tenderly nudging Jason Pierce’s vocal melodies along like a weathered stone rolling slowly down a hill."
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
Forgettable.
The Young Rascals
4/5
Solid gold blue-eyed soul.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Thoroughly enjoyed it — twice. Honorable mention for “Wearin’ That Loved On Look.”
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Wholesome. Intimate.
Cheap Trick
2/5
I'll go 2.5 stars.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Really, really liked. 4.5.
Duran Duran
4/5
I’m looking forward to listening again and again, and this could be a 5 star for me in the near future.
Aerosmith
2/5
Started strong. Initially excited to hear some non-radio hits, but lost interest quick. I like Aerosmith, but I doubt I’ll return to this one. 2.5.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
What a treat. 4.5.
Al Green
4/5
In 1999, Q magazine wrote that the album "shows him as the authentic voice of love's pain and purity on such wonders as 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?'" and that "[H]is cover of the Bee Gees' [song] took the soul ballad to new levels of artistry and refinement."
Lauryn Hill
3/5
This is one I’ll probably throw on again. 3.25.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
When aliens land and demand to hear our “rock and roll,” cue it up.
David Bowie
2/5
2.5.
T. Rex
1/5
All the elements for “Bang a Gong” were there, they just couldn’t pull it together.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Solid 3.25.
Basement Jaxx
1/5
There are a few salvageable loops, but mostly a car wreck for me.
Bad Brains
3/5
Not too shabby.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Nothing stands out as particular good or bad. I may explore the style a bit more, but likely won’t return to this album or artist.
Tears For Fears
5/5
A favorite.
3/5
Loretta Lynn radio is now part of my Spotify rotation. Just shy of a 4 star.
Death In Vegas
2/5
I appreciated the heavy organ on Lever Street. Almost a 3.
Minor Threat
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
If only he’d have someone else sing. Just shy of a 3.
Circle Jerks
2/5
First track wasn’t available on Spotify. Short and sweet.
The Who
4/5
Capacity of University of Leeds Refectory: 2,100. Excellent intimate session with The Who in top form. 5/5 live album, 4/5 on-stage banter.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Lovely compilation.
The Cure
3/5
Black Flag
1/5
Donovan
3/5
I’ll be adding Mellow Yellow and The Hurdy Gurdy Man into the rotation, too.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Pleasantly surprised.
Moby Grape
3/5
Sgt Pepper: June 2, 1967
Moby Grape: June 6, 1967
Jerry Miller of Moby Grape: “We sold better in Marin County than Sgt Pepper.”
Likely a 4-star if I could spend a little more time with it.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Sparks
3/5
Really enjoyed this ride. I am also now on a mission to find the earliest known use (this is 1974) of the god awfulness indie pop/soulless corporate sales jingle that is the first 30 seconds of “Talent is an Asset.”
The Smiths
4/5
This scratches an itch better than The Queen Is Dead. It’s The Smiths how I like The Smiths.
Grateful Dead
2/5
This music is all reds and greens and I’m sitting here colorblind.
Missy Elliott
3/5
The elephant on trumpet on “Work It” get me every time — though Method Man on “Bring the Pain” is my favorite bit here.
Turbonegro
2/5
“Initially, the band had two running ideas for band names: Nazipenis and Turbonegro. They were advised that a band named Nazipenis would never sell records, so they chose Turbonegro as a more consumer-friendly choice.”
Beastie Boys
4/5
Wow.
Björk
4/5
Also now checking out The Sugarcubes.
Beastie Boys
3/5
Real good.
David Crosby
2/5
If I could only remember listening to this album.
Red Snapper
2/5
Satisfied.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Up next: Snatch and the Poontangs
Bob Dylan
4/5
Objectively a 5/5, personally a 4/5.
Violent Femmes
1/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Solid. Not a fan of the Little Richard cover.
Animal Collective
2/5
Herbie Hancock
4/5
First jazz album to sell over a million copies.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Spellbinding. Produced by Booker T.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Good not great.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Original track listing: 3.75, maybe 4. I was expecting more psychedelia and less Mamas & Papas.
The Stooges
2/5
IP: What’s that needle bouncin’ back and forth on the board there?
Engineer: That’s the volume unit meter… if if gets into the red, things may get a bit distorted.
IP: You ‘erd him boys, keep it in the red.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Maybe top 3 Heartbreakers albums. Maybe top 5 if we include solo Tom Petty.
R.E.M.
3/5
Fred Neil
3/5
Carole King
5/5
Some folks put on Pink Floyd and watch Wizard of Oz. Some folks put on Carole King and watch Gilmore Girls. I’ve done both.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Favorite track: Dr. Feelgood
Isaac Hayes
4/5
In summary, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b2_vbou3kxE
Cypress Hill
3/5
Regarding B-Real’s choice of singing style, he “barely liked it,” but “learn to like it.” I haven’t.
Sonic Youth
3/5
First time with Sonic Youth. I probably would have loved a lot of these tracks in high school. 3.3.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Paul Simon
4/5
Deep cut pick: Peace Like a River
Cocteau Twins
3/5
I like their sound.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
It’s OK. I wouldn’t turn it on or up, but I wouldn’t turn it off.
Leftfield
2/5
2.9
Nirvana
5/5
I like all these pretty songs.
The Strokes
3/5
+1 for cover art.
Fever Ray
3/5
Will likely check out more Swedish electronic.
Louis Prima
3/5
Fleet Foxes
2/5
Originally going by the name "The Pineapples", a name clash with another local band prompted a change…”
I wonder if this clash came to blows. I also wonder what the OG Pineapples are up to.
k.d. lang
3/5
Best female pop vocal ‘93. Runners up: Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Annie Lennox, Vanessa Williams.
Laibach
1/5
“Avant-garde, a French phrase meaning "vanguard" or (literally, "advance guard"), describes movements or individuals at the forefront of innovation and experimentation in their fields. Implicit in the term are the rejection of the status quo, a critique of popular convention and taste, and a striving for originality that can be intentionally provocative or alienating.” allmusic.com
The Black Keys
4/5
Can’t beat The Big Come Up, Thickfreakness, and Rubber Factory for nasty — but Brothers has got groove. Deep cut pick: These Days
George Michael
2/5
I didn’t see a need to change it up after 1987’s “Faith.”
Joy Division
2/5
Almost a 3. Maybe after another listen.
Tom Waits
3/5
Was this meant to be a film soundtrack? The horn, bells and snare on “In the Neighborhood” make it a nice addition to any Christmas playlist. It’s a shame Frank took out the dog with the house fire.
Korn
3/5
Starts strong, but I can’t maintain that energy for the full 67 minutes. Cut ‘All in the Family’ and everything after except the top notch Cheech & Chong cover and we’ve got a 4 star album.
Richard Thompson
3/5
A great find. I’m not crazy for the sea shanty elements, but I should have heard this before now. Really enjoyed ‘The Calvary Cross.’ 3.5
ABBA
3/5
The Stooges
3/5
I like this one more than the last Stooges album.
Julian Cope
2/5
Nothing grabbin’ me here.
Public Enemy
4/5
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Lots to love here. Better than anything from Firth, Wynn, and Meyer. 3.5.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Being generous with the 3. I’m mostly indifferent, though “I Looked Away,” “Bell Bottom Blues” and “Anyday” were nice. Shame what they did to Little Wing.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Pleasantly surprised. Lotta soul. Lotta funk. 4.5.
The Triffids
2/5
2.75. There are better ways to scratch this itch. It’s fun to think about which 3 bands you’d mash together for this sound. Simple Minds/ABC/Deep Blue Something
Lambchop
2/5
“After rejecting the names REN, Pinnacles of Cream, and Turd Goes Back, the band settled on Lambchop…”
Bob Dylan
3/5
Thumbs up to Standing in the Doorway, Trying to get to Heaven, and Not Dark Yet. And the organ on Love Sick. 3.75.
The Cure
5/5
The whole is most definitely greater than the sum of its parts.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
3.75
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Van Morrison
5/5
Portishead
4/5
Arctic Monkeys
2/5
Soundgarden
5/5
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Rough start, but each track is better than the last. Was “Fodderstompf” intended to be a Monty Python sketch? Being generous with a 3. I liked (3) it today, but not sure I’d be more than indifferent (2) any other day.
Jeff Beck
3/5
3.75 stars, all for Rod Stewart.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Love it. Also enjoyed reading about the evolution of Doktor Avalanche: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doktor_Avalanche
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
You can’t tell me “Almost Cut My Hair” wasn’t a huge influence on Derek Stevens’ work: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VUrbtUwsRXo
ZZ Top
4/5
Better than expected.
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
Even if there was something here you can’t bury it in 3 hours of indie folk.
Foo Fighters
3/5
I really like Foo Fighters. 3.33.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Could use more Paul Simon.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
Eh
The Prodigy
5/5
OH MY GOD THAT’S THE FUNKY SHIT
Roxy Music
2/5
There are things to like here, but the vocal sits on top of some tracks in a karaoke kind of way.
Magazine
3/5
As far as art rock goes: enjoyed more than Roxy Music, not as much as Sparks.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Pretty dark.
David Bowie
3/5
Solid 3.5
Nightmares On Wax
1/5
Some of these loops… fuck, by about minute 4 I’ve had enough and I’m just angry.
Saint Etienne
2/5
Not in the mood. Especially after Smokers Delight. Maybe a 3 on a good day.
2/5
I’d like to hear more John Doe and less Exene Cervenka. 2.75.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
There are definitely 3, maybe even 4 Springsteen ‘75-‘87 albums I’d rank higher than Darkness on the Edge of Town.
Beatles
5/5
Recently learned the guitar solo on the title track is played slow and the recording is sped up.
Mudhoney
2/5
2.75
Isaac Hayes
3/5
3.75
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
A couple likeable tracks. 2.375
Eminem
3/5
Enjoyed ‘Rock Bottom’ and ‘If I Had.’
Thundercat
3/5
Michael McDonald AND Kenny Loggins on ‘Show You The Way?!’ Sexy.
Anita Baker
4/5
TIL: Quiet storm is a subgenre of R&B — and I’m lovin’ every minute of it.
Robbie Williams
2/5
Not my cup of tea.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Let’s go track by track: 5-4-3-4-5-4-4-3-5
4.111
Bonham for MVP on ‘Good Times Bad Times’
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Tubular
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Is that Mark Ruffalo on the cover?
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Sure, there are better S&G albums… Wednesday Morning 3am, The Sounds of Silence, Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme, Bridge Over Troubled Water…. but… I guess I’m not sure where I was going with that.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
The Monks
1/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Love the Vox Continental organ. I’ll go (surprisingly) 3.5 considering how unmoved I was by Armed Forces. Did RHCP ever do (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea?
Chicago
5/5
1969 Grammy Awards, Best New Artist nominees included CSN, Chicago, Zeppelin.
Madness
3/5
I was hoping to find a hidden gem. I like their sound overall and the rest of the album sits nicely with Our House. Just barely a 3.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Pretenders
3/5
3.5
DJ Shadow
3/5
Chill. Funky. 3.333.
The Temptations
3/5
3.66
U2
4/5
Good stuff.
Neil Young
5/5
Easy 5 and a treat to listen to on the HiFi.
1/5
This sent me down the rabbit hole of music in psychological warfare. Truly an abomination.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
3.5. Pretty good.
Talking Heads
2/5
Boston
4/5
As a kid I always thought this was a “Greatest Hits” album. 4.5.
Bob Dylan
3/5
A good all ‘rounder. I’m not sure how to explain it, but the piano and guitar sound about as close to being out of tune as you can get without being out of tune.Phenomenal siren whistle work on the title track. 3.75.
David Holmes
3/5
As I’m listening to Rodney Yates I’m thinking — this has an Ocean’s Eleven (2001) vibe… sure enough, David Holmes is all over that soundtrack.
Gene Clark
3/5
Faith No More
2/5
Tricky
3/5
Enjoying all the trip hop.
Fairport Convention
2/5
The Beach Boys
5/5
Various Artists
3/5
New Order
3/5
Which New Order album should I hear next?
Depeche Mode
5/5
Steely Dan
5/5
Sam Cooke
5/5
A tour de force from one of the greatest male vocalists of all time.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Lose the tracks not written by John Fogerty (except for Grapevine) and you’ve got a 5 star album.
Living Colour
2/5
First few tracks had me leaning toward a 3, but by 2nd half I was over it. Other than Cult of Personality, +1 for Desperate People.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Afrika Bambaataa
4/5
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
First time with anything other than “West End Girls.” Good stuff.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
Overall an easy listen. I’d go 3 stars if “just” and “lost” weren’t sung as “juoist” and “lohiest.” 2.5.
The Who
3/5
3.5
Little Richard
4/5
“If I had been white, there never would have been an Elvis Presley.”
-Little Richard
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
First couple of tracks were solid. Kind of a Fiona Apple meets Tiny Tim vibe. 2.3.
Ramones
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Nas
5/5
Sigur Rós
3/5
Ow-gettis Beer-yoon
Finley Quaye
2/5
Nothing exciting here.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Somewhere between Armed Forces and This Year’s Model.
The Roots
3/5
3.6
Fela Kuti
3/5
Will keep this around.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I guess I’m a Pet Shop Boys fan now.
Ryan Adams
2/5
2.9
Baaba Maal
2/5
2.9
Pink Floyd
4/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Good not great.
David Bowie
4/5
Ash
1/5
This is what happens when parents stay together.
Pearl Jam
5/5
David Browne from Entertainment Weekly 12/13/91:
With the release of Pearl Jam’s debut album, the so-called ”Seattle Sound” has become, for better or worse, institutionalized, a lumbering monolith waiting for the Next Big Thing to usurp it. Ten abounds with everything you’d expect from a band from this part of the country — mountain-high guitar riffing that tips its Northwestern hat to Led Zeppelin; misty, elliptical lyrics that only hint at their subject matter; the primordial wail of the wah-wah guitar; and the lugubrious, druggy ambience of a young hippie commune. While there’s nothing wrong with any of that, you’ve heard it all before on records by fellow Northwestern rockers like Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and the defunct Mother Love Bone (some of whose members are in Pearl Jam). Like many of its Seattle cohorts, Pearl Jam also flail about in search of a groove and a song. Occasionally, as in the single ”Alive,” they find both. More often, they lose themselves in a sound that only goes to show that just about anything can be harnessed and packaged. B-
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
The only time I get excited to hear Allman Brothers Band is when it means I’m about to watch an episode of Top Gear. Unimpressive, but not offensive.
Janet Jackson
4/5
My second listen in the last few years after scoring this album at a Yankee Swap. Has inspired me to check out a few others from this era: Control (1986) and Janet (1993).
Faust
2/5
Not too shabby. Found myself groovin’ to Giggy Smile. 2.5.
Metallica
4/5
I should listen to more metal.
Jethro Tull
4/5
Listened all weekend.
2/5
Stereolab
3/5
There’s room for this in the rotation. Also I think Percolator influenced Radiohead’s 15 Step.
AC/DC
3/5
Anything that isn’t on Back in Black is refreshing to hear.
Coldplay
4/5
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Yeahh Booiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Muddy Waters
3/5
The band coming in on Mannish Boy hit me like a fuckin’ truck. 3.75
Kraftwerk
4/5
Brian Eno
2/5
This guy is responsible for the Windows 95 startup sound. Wild. 2.75.
The Jam
3/5
Is this what Technotronic wanted to pump up?
The Band
5/5
I’ve been here before but somehow missed the haunting beauty of Whispering Pines.
The War On Drugs
3/5
First time with this band.
Morrissey
2/5
2.8
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Simon admits the drum track on Homeward Bound was a mistake. Check out any live performance with just him and a guitar and I suspect you’ll agree.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Couple of bangers for bookends, nothing striking in-between. Album goes from 100 to 0 pretty quick moving into track 2. I had to double check to make sure I wasn’t on shuffle.
David Bowie
3/5
Cool. I never would have guessed any of the instrumental stuff was Bowie. 3.3.
David Bowie
2/5
Starts strong, but lands toward the bottom half of the 5 Bowie albums we’ve seen. 2.75.
R.E.M.
3/5
Talking Heads
2/5
Life During Wartime gets the toe tappin’ and booty shakin’. 2.67.
The Clash
3/5
At least a 3. Probably a 4, but I’d need to spend some more time with it. More ska elements than I would have guessed.
David Gray
3/5
A joint effort between US and UK governments to wean people off of Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car.’ 3.3.
Culture Club
3/5
3.9
2/5
Not sure if he intended to sing as a caricature of himself for the first half.
OutKast
1/5
Having only heard (and not enjoying) Hey Ya, I wasn’t sure if I wasn’t a fan of just that song or OutKast. Now I know I’m not a fan of OutKast.
The Police
3/5
3.7
Parliament
5/5
4/5
“I say right around minute 11 we get into a Beach Boys thing and then.. well, I don’t know, full on cathedral organ?” “Yeah let’s give it a go.”
Or at least that’s how I’d like to think these things come together.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
2ish.
JAY Z
3/5
3.3
Supergrass
3/5
Neat.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
2.75
Kacey Musgraves
1/5
Flummoxed how this won a Grammy for Album of the Year. What am I missing?
Radiohead
3/5
+1s for The National Anthem and Morning Bell. 3.5/.75
Cocteau Twins
4/5
I was most familiar with Elizabeth Fraser on vocals for Massive Attack’s Teardrop and discovered Cocteau Twins (and this album) from there.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Coulda used more Jew’s harp.
Bauhaus
3/5
Interesting tidbit: 3/4 members would later become Love and Rockets.
Queen
3/5
High 3. Certainly top 5 Queen album but, maybe not top 3.
Fairport Convention
2/5
The Sonics
2/5
I’m afraid they’re just too darn loud.
Supertramp
4/5
Aimee Mann
2/5
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Tina Turner
3/5
The Broadway show chronicling my life will open with “1984.”
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
Hank Kingsley meets the Wu-Tang Clan: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gTpUqzpOm8U
Willie Nelson
4/5
I’ve now listened to 2/97 of Willie’s studio albums. This is my favorite.
Slipknot
1/5
There are elements here that I appreciate in other metal subgenres, but this is a little too nu metal.
Aerosmith
4/5
Roxy Music
3/5
This is put together a bit better
than their self-titled debut (appeared earlier on this list).
Little Simz
3/5
Solid
ZZ Top
3/5
Q-Tip
2/5
Sleater-Kinney
2/5
I’ll take more dark/grunge sound (Jenny) and less shrill/punk sound (Words and Guitar). 2.75.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Nirvana
4/5
4.5
Richard Hawley
3/5
Dr. Dre
4/5
Van Halen
3/5
3.5
Elastica
3/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
I should listen to more Black Sabbath.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
“So, there are six cardinal colors: yellow, red, orange, green, blue, and purple. And there are 3,000 shades.
And if you take these 3,000 shades and divide them by 6, you will come up with 500 — meaning there are at least 500 shades of the blues.”
H2O Gate Blues
Sister Sledge
3/5
Taylor Swift
2/5
Bearable.
Otis Redding
5/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Television
3/5
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Recorded live at Sound City Studios.
Elbow
2/5
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
The Style Council
3/5
A little something for everyone.
Oasis
2/5
Air
3/5
Airy
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Album is on YouTube Music for those missing tracks on Spotify.
The Shamen
1/5
Amateurish. Aimless.
Radiohead
3/5
3/3.5
Gary Numan
3/5
Wild that the Moog sound on Cars is so distinctively Cars, but it’s also on nearly every other track here.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
Ryan Adams
2/5
I probably should’ve went 3 stars on the Bill Evans record.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Machito
3/5
I’ll be on a Latin jazz kick for a week now.
Adele
3/5
Burning Spear
2/5
Wouldn’t turn it on, wouldn’t turn it off. The epitome of a 2.
fIREHOSE
2/5
+0.5 for Spotify subsequently suggesting the “Crate Diggin’ Sub Pop Records” playlist.
Elton John
4/5
I grew up with a Greatest Hits album — the one with Elton in a white suit and hat on the cover. I always assumed they had put a live version of Bennie and the Jets on it. Imagine my surprise when I later picked up Goodbye Yellow Brick Road — finally, the “album” version…
The Avalanches
2/5
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Fun fact: Milton lends his talents to “Spirit Voices” on Paul Simon’s Latin American inspired album, Rhythm of the Saints.
Beatles
5/5
Iron Maiden
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Radiohead
2/5
Metallica
1/5
I much prefer the thrash of earlier albums.
Morrissey
3/5
Nick Drake
3/5
The Smiths
3/5
Public Enemy
3/5
Ice T
3/5
D'Angelo
3/5
Beach House
2/5
Santana
4/5
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Not incredible. I don’t recall hearing a many strings, either.
Aerosmith
4/5
Steven Tyler plays the shit outta that sugar packet:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CQAwnN81tq4
Stan Getz
3/5
Smoooooooth
Pixies
4/5
Listened all weekend!
Ray Charles
3/5
Poor recording — the sound regularly breaks up a bit. Could use a lot more piano and a lot less everything else.
Genesis
3/5
Easily top 10 prog rock albums to come out of 1973. 3.3/5
The B-52's
4/5
Schneider, Pierson, and that Farfisa organ are hypnotic.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
twangy [twang-ee] adjective. 1. having the sharp, vibrating tone of a plucked string. having a nasal voice quality.
Lorde
2/5
From https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/pkyqkv/cursive-singing-tiktok-trend-explained
“…cursive singing or "indie singing" – a style characterised by diphthongisation, wherein vowel sounds are stretched beyond what is necessary. The typical cursive vocal will resemble a child mid-tantrum trying to articulate their distress but ever so slightly missing the mark, with many phrases being incomprehensible. For example, "flood" becomes "floyuid", "time" becomes "toyiuem" and so on.”
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
The Auteurs
3/5
The vocals keep taking me to the Rocky Horror intro “Science Fiction/Double Feature.”
The Clash
3/5
I don’t need a double album from The Clash, so I may take this over London Calling.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Talking Heads
3/5
Same as it ever was.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
The Icarus Line
2/5
2.5
Motörhead
3/5
Lemmy positioned his microphone in an uncommonly high position, angled so that he appeared to be looking up at the sky rather than at the audience. He said that it was for "personal comfort, that's all. It's also one way of avoiding seeing the audience. In the days when we only had ten people and a dog, it was a way of avoiding seeing that we only had ten people and a dog.”
Alice Cooper
3/5
When you’re 10 and watch Wayne’s World for the first time, some time after that you learn that Bohemian Rhapsody had been around for 20 years. Welp, TIL Alice Cooper (also of 10yr old me Wayne’s World fame) is not (solely) glam metal, and had a career that mostly spanned the early 70s. 3.5/5.
The Cardigans
3/5
It’s no Gran Turismo.
2Pac
4/5
Fun Lovin' Criminals
1/5
Deep Purple
5/5
Awesome!
Billie Holiday
3/5
That’s a voice that, while still sultry, has hit the bottle hard.
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
Loved every minute.
Spiritualized
2/5
Elliott Smith
2/5
Suicide
2/5
Had the makings of a 3, but went off the rails after “Johnny.” 2 + .5 for that sweet sweet Vox Continental sound.
Gillian Welch
3/5
Needs a lonesome fiddle or somber piano on the slower tracks.
Eels
3/5
Beautiful Freak is largely the solo work of musician Mark Oliver Everett. It is his first album using the full band name Eels, in an attempt to get the records in the same general location in the stores as his previous works under the name "E".
Bad Company
3/5
Billy Joel
5/5
Tori Amos
3/5
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Every time I listen to Harry Nilsson I think — I should listen to more Harry Nilsson.
Sonic Youth
3/5
TV On The Radio
2/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
A tad more shoegaze than Darklands (3.5/5) — my intro to J&MC. Solid 3.
Rush
3/5
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Mmmmm industrial. 3.5/5
Fela Kuti
4/5
A rollicking good time!
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Super duper fly.
CHIC
3/5
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Something tells me the Stones put on a great show, but, for me, there isn’t anything spectacular here. 2.75/5
Jamiroquai
2/5
A little busy. Didgin’ Out was unexpectedly refreshing after the acid jazz onslaught.2.75/5
Leonard Cohen
2/5
OK. 2.75/5
Johnny Cash
3/5
Ride
2/5
I went from “kinda like The Cure + Cranberries” to “ehh, that was way too much credit — more like Oasis” to “OK enough is enough, this should have ended a half hour ago.” 2.75/5
Goldfrapp
2/5
Could use more synth and less indie folk.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
It’s all the parts of a prog rock album I skip.
David Bowie
4/5
Our 6th Bowie album!
The Pogues
1/5
Couldn’t get into it.
The Youngbloods
3/5
Lots to like. Certainly worth digging into if (like me) you hadn’t heard anything other than Get Together.
Hawkwind
3/5
“In case of sonic attack on your district, follow these rules: if you are making love it is imperative to bring all bodies to orgasm simultaneously.”
Spacey. Some of that guitar was surprisingly grungy.
Sebadoh
2/5
Was it just me or did the production quality degrade as the album progressed?
Arrested Development
3/5
David Bowie
2/5
Our 7th Bowie album! 2.8/5
Mercury Rev
2/5
Throwing Muses
3/5
Definitely worth tracking down all of the tracks on YouTube. 3.5/5
Black Sabbath
5/5
Reading a bit about drummer Bill Ward on Wikipedia:
“According to Tony Iommi, he and the band would often set Ward's beard on fire and perform other harmful pranks on him. On one occasion, Ward even received third-degree burns.”
“Ward almost died after a prank-gone-wrong during recording of Vol. 4 in 1972. The band were renting a Bel Air mansion belonging to John DuPont of the DuPont chemical company. The band found several spray cans of gold DuPont paint in a room of the house; finding Ward naked and unconscious after a night of heavy drinking, they thought it would be funny to cover the drummer from head to toe in gold paint. Ward soon became violently ill and had a seizure and an ambulance had to be called. The paint had blocked all of Ward's pores, which his bandmates were subsequently informed can be fatal.”
The Byrds
4/5
Jingly AND jangly.
Sade
4/5
No duds here — just a quiet storm of sultry smooth, jazzy sophisti-pop.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
OK. I was expecting something a tad more eery. 2.5/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
“Shortly before departing for Lagos, drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCullough left the group. With no time to recruit replacements, McCartney went into the studio with just his wife Linda and Denny Laine. McCartney therefore played bass, drums, percussion and most of the lead guitar parts.” 4.5/5
The Cars
4/5
4.5/5
New York Dolls
3/5
3.3/5
King Crimson
5/5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
From “If…”
If you were a horse
I'd clean the crap out of your stable
And never once complain
We got ourselves a real Bill Shakespeare over here.
The Damned
3/5
The Beach Boys
3/5
Not once, ever, after 6 hours of school, did I feel the overwhelming need to dance, dance, dance — mo matter how hot the beat.
a-ha
4/5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
‘72-‘76 was an incredible run.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Venom
2/5
2.666/5
Radiohead
3/5
Yes
5/5
3/5
The Stooges
2/5
The Only Ones
2/5
2.5/5
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Sexy
Nirvana
4/5
The Who
4/5
I can no longer listen to Won’t Get Fooled Again without hearing Conan’s intro: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Od5mgxiZkos
Can
3/5
I like CAN.
XTC
3/5
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
3.5/5
Talking Heads
2/5
2.75/5
Tangerine Dream
3/5
Pretty solid for ambient electronic. Just enough going on to hold my interest, never jarring or repetitive.
Jane Weaver
2/5
2.75/5
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Massive Attack
3/5
Black Sabbath
3/5
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
2.5/5
The Specials
2/5
Not that special.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Fats Domino
4/5
Who doesn’t love The Fat Man?!
Miles Davis
4/5
+1 for the intro/outro on In a Silent Way. Mesmerizing.
Paul Simon
4/5
Deep cut pick: Song About the Moon
Janelle Monáe
2/5
Eclectic. If I dig around a bit I find lots of little bits I like. 2.75/5
The The
3/5
3.5/5
B.B. King
4/5
Paul Simon
5/5
Be sure to watch the 2012 documentary Under African Skies for a look at the making of and the controversy surrounding the album.
Wilco
3/5
Rocked a little harder than I expected.
The Human League
3/5
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
The Kinks
3/5
13 Kinks songs I’ve never heard and I enjoyed them all! 3.5/5
James Brown
2/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Stumbled onto this one after our last Springsteen album and have been through it a few times. Excellent.
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
Dead Kennedys
3/5
Elvis Presley
3/5
Blur
3/5
The Temptations
4/5
Travis
2/5
Norah Jones
4/5
The Yardbirds
3/5
MC Solaar
3/5
j’ai apprécié cette musique
Tom Waits
2/5
Sideshow Bob vibes on a couple tracks.
Gene Clark
3/5
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
2.5/5
Röyksopp
3/5
Was hoping for a Christmas album, but this was fine. Ended up exploring electronic Christmas music as a result and wasn’t disappointed.
Suede
3/5
I recognized The Next Life from The Chase (1994) featuring the gorgeous Kristy Swanson. 10yr old me knew at that moment, without a doubt, that the E36 BMW would become one of the best generations of 3 Series.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
I liked it more than anticipated — but unlikely to return. 2.75/5
Peter Tosh
2/5
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
That’s Steve Winwood on the Hammond organ for Voodoo Chile.
George Michael
4/5
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Nice groove on Join The Boys. 3.5/5
Hüsker Dü
2/5
I like the energy of Zen Arcade a bit more. With half as many tracks this is a solid 3. 2.5/5
The Fall
2/5
It sounds like the drummer has great posture.
The Hives
3/5
The Stranglers
3/5
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
2.75/5
Def Leppard
3/5
Rockin’
Pink Floyd
3/5
Ya’ll sure this is Pink Floyd?
Beastie Boys
3/5
This is quite a debut. 3.5/5
Solomon Burke
3/5
Waylon Jennings
3/5
This has got country AND western!
Wire
3/5
21 tracks in 35 minutes — I like the pace.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Pixies
3/5
3.5/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
I ended up replacing speakers in my 2000 Impala due to how poorly mastered this album was.
Kate Bush
3/5
Solid 3.5/5. I’ve not listened to any Kate Bush outside of Stranger Things last summer. I’ve loaded up Hounds of Love (1985) to check out next.
Deep Purple
4/5
Rating the original release, which ends at Space Truckin’. Top notch performances by all.
3/5
Anyway… there’s Wonderwall.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
3.5/5
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
2.7/5
Goldfrapp
2/5
2.7/5
Le Tigre
2/5
The upside is the guitar lick on Let’s Run sent me down an INXS rabbit hole.
Miles Davis
3/5
Adele
3/5
Nick Drake
2/5
2.5/5
Simply Red
3/5
Blondie
4/5
Bon Jovi
3/5
5/5
The Prodigy
3/5
Brian Eno
3/5
3.5/5
Heaven 17
3/5
Songhoy Blues
2/5
2.75/5
Radiohead
2/5
2.75/5
Eric Clapton
2/5
2.75/5
Linkin Park
2/5
2.75/5
Bobby Womack
3/5
3.5
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Steely Dan
3/5
PJ Harvey
2/5
2.75
The Charlatans
2/5
When I saw the album cover I thought, I bet these guys sound like Oasis. 2.275
The Divine Comedy
1/5
Dire Straits
3/5
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Love the energy. See the album “The Killer Live 1964-1970” for a handful of songs (Mean Woman Blues, What’d I Say, Hound Dog) from the show that aren’t included on the album linked to Spotify. +1 for Money and Your Cheating Heart.
Arcade Fire
2/5
2.75
Genesis
3/5
Manu Chao
2/5
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
The Zombies
4/5
T. Rex
3/5
The Slits
3/5
Fugazi
2/5
2.75
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
Slayer
3/5
The Pogues
1/5
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
The Black Crowes
3/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
Hookworms
2/5
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
“We’re satirists, and we’re out to satirize everything.” - FZ
AC/DC
2/5
Jane's Addiction
3/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Leonard Cohen
3/5
The Isley Brothers
3/5
3.5
The Undertones
2/5
Def Leppard
3/5
3.5
Coldplay
4/5
Dr. Octagon
3/5
+1 for turntablism
1/5
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
4/5
Air
3/5
Iggy Pop
3/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
Thin Lizzy
3/5
The one and only Huey Lewis on harmonica for Baby Drives Me Crazy.
Tom Waits
2/5
Eggs and Sausage started to grow on me.
Madonna
2/5
Sepultura
1/5
Some nice grooves. Jasco and Itsári are welcome breaks from the guttural madness.
The Who
3/5
Gram Parsons
3/5
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Fiona Apple
3/5
I always looked forward to the Criminal music video popping up on VH1 back in ‘97.
Van Halen
4/5
Deerhunter
2/5
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Scritti Politti
3/5
Check out Miles Davis’s cover of Perfect Way.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Erykah Badu
3/5
Elis Regina
2/5
Bee Gees
2/5
Slipknot
1/5
Like bad sex and cold pizza, my enthusiasm for this intensity peaks at about 10 seconds in, drops significantly after 90 seconds, and is completely gone at 3 minutes.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
The Libertines
2/5
2.7
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Beck
4/5
Johnny Cash
3/5
Don McLean
4/5
+1 for Till Tomorrow
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
The Birthday Party
1/5
I’ll admit it started to grow on me. Torn between Dead Joe versions 1 and 2.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Buck Owens
3/5
Love that Bakersfield sound.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
3.5
Gang Of Four
4/5
Doves
2/5
2.5
Björk
2/5
David Ackles
3/5
Peter Frampton
3/5
Got this in the mail with a sample of Tide. 3.75
CHVRCHES
2/5
The Fall
2/5
Hole
3/5
The xx
3/5
3.5
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
Boyoyo boys bringin’ that South African groove! 2.75
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Talk Talk
3/5
Swappin’ the synth for the B3. Solid 3+
Bob Dylan
5/5
Half of the people can be part right all of the time
Some of the people can be all right part of the time
But all of the people can’t be all right all of the time
I think Abraham Lincoln said that.
“I’ll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours”
I said that
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Alice In Chains
4/5
Randy Newman
4/5
New Order
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
“I’m a bad mother fucker, don’t you know
And I’ll crawl over fifty good pussies just to get to one fat boy’s asshole”
Said Stagger Lee
2.5
Johnny Cash
3/5
Pulp
2/5
Shame track 11 wasn’t a Springsteen cover. Or maybe not?
Dolly Parton
3/5
Frank Zappa
3/5
The Doors
4/5
Cream
3/5
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
2.5
The Police
3/5
James Taylor
3/5
Jeru The Damaja
4/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Rod Stewart
3/5
Beatles
5/5
Tom Waits
2/5
2.5
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
2.75
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Nick Drake
3/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
3.5
Shack
2/5
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Dolly Parton
3/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Love
2/5
Portishead
2/5
Prefab Sprout
3/5
4/5
Would love to hear Matt Bellamy cover Tears Are Not Enough. Or maybe Muse should take this entire album on tour.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
Laura Nyro
3/5
I thought I knew this voice from Wedding Bell Blues (I didn’t, I was thinking of The 5th Dimension version). Lo and behold, she wrote Wedding Bell Blues and Stoned Soul Picnic (also made popular by T5D).
3.5
Van Morrison
2/5
Nothing remarkable here.
Joy Division
3/5
Kid Rock
1/5
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
3.5
The Waterboys
2/5
American Music Club
2/5
Album available on YouTube
Stephen Stills
3/5
Good drivin’ music.
Ray Price
3/5
This mother fucker so old, 4/4 time in country music is known as the “Ray Price beat.”
Buena Vista Social Club
2/5
I always assumed (having never listened) this was a white indie rock band. I was pleasantly surprised. Needs to be 20 minutes shorter or my Spanish needs to be significantly better for a 3.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Per Wikipedia bio: [Piazzolla’s] disappointment of being forbidden [by his father] to join the tour proved to be fortunate, as it was on this tour in 1935 that Gardel and his entire orchestra perished in a plane crash.
I’ll remember this anecdote when needing to discourage someone from following their dreams.
Pavement
2/5
2.5
Kings of Leon
3/5
Maybe a 4.
The Kinks
3/5
Alice Cooper
3/5
Cooper has said he was inspired to write the song when answering the question, "What's the greatest three minutes of your life?". Cooper said: "There's two times during the year. One is Christmas morning, when you're just getting ready to open the presents. The greed factor is right there. The next one is the last three minutes of the last day of school when you're sitting there and it's like a slow fuse burning. I said, 'If we can catch that three minutes in a song, it's going to be so big."
808 State
3/5
Sabu
2/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
The start of an incredible 4-year run.
Destiny's Child
2/5
The Fall
3/5
The Mars Volta
3/5
John Frusciante on guitar and synth on Cicatriz Esp (maybe the best track here). Flea on bass for nearly the entire album. Lenny Castro (percussion on Toto’s Africa), too.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Not my favorite Liverpudlian band.
Neil Young
3/5
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
2.5
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Steve Winwood
4/5
Steve played everything you hear on the album: lead and backing vocals, Prophet-5, Minimoog, Yamaha CS-80, Hammond B3 organ, Steinway piano, Ovation acoustic guitar, Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, Ibanez mandolin, bass guitar, Multimoog (also used for keyboard fretless bass), Hayman and Ludwig drums, Linn LM-1 programming, percussion, producer, engineer, mixing.
The Young Gods
1/5
Swiss industrial punk with surreal cabaret sounds interesting in theory, but (at least in this case) doesn’t do it for me.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Elvis Costello
2/5
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
+1 for that humpin’ bass riff on The Suit.
The KLF
3/5
Rating is for Director’s Cut
John Prine
3/5
The Smiths
3/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
2.75
Giant Sand
2/5
Soft Cell
3/5
Barry Adamson
2/5
I like the concept of a soundtrack to an imaginary film, but maybe I need to see the film.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Sugar
2/5
The Killers
3/5
Soft Machine
2/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
The Blue Nile
3/5
Guided By Voices
2/5
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Could do with a little less sitar.
M.I.A.
1/5
Kraftwerk
4/5
Miles Davis
2/5
It insists upon itself.
Deee-Lite
3/5
The Verve
2/5
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
I followed this up with Equinoxe and enjoyed it just as much.
Green Day
3/5
The Thrills
2/5
Adam & The Ants
2/5
The United States Of America
3/5
Devendra Banhart
2/5
Scott Walker
3/5
Goldie
3/5
Suzanne Vega
3/5
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
Raekwon
3/5
Anthrax
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Fatboy Slim
2/5
The Zutons
2/5
Slade
1/5
Jacques Brel
2/5
The The
3/5
The Offspring
3/5
Nico
2/5
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
A couple interesting tidbits from Roy Halee, sound engineer, for Paul’s recent audio book Miracle and Wonder:
The drum crash in The Boxer is a snare played in an elevator shaft. The aahhhhhs on The Only Living Boy in New York were recorded in an echo chamber (small room with speakers and a mic to add reverb) at the studio, but he put Paul and Art IN the chamber instead of just piping the recording through the speakers in the chamber.
Morrissey
2/5
2.5
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
2.5
Fugees
4/5
Bert Jansch
2/5
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Beck
3/5
Os Mutantes
3/5
Super Furry Animals
1/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Eagles
3/5
2/5
2.75
Prince
5/5
If you have 17 minutes check Purple Rain live in Syracuse 1985:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bm03wqLY3Nc
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Napalm Death
1/5
Can’t pick a favorite - toss up between Divine Death and The Kill.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Maybe a 3
Queen
5/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
The Stone Roses
2/5
The White Stripes
4/5
Wild Beasts
2/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Daft Punk
3/5
Brian Wilson
3/5
Suede
2/5
Boards of Canada
3/5
Bob Dylan
2/5
Mariah Carey
3/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Big Black
2/5
Donald Fagen
3/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Funkadelic
3/5
Neil Young
3/5
John Martyn
3/5
Barry Adamson
2/5
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Nanci Griffith
2/5
Amy Winehouse
2/5
Maybe a 3
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Man that Cathy’s Clown chorus is a banger. Verse-chorus-verse? Fuck that — Chorus-bridge-chorus. Give ‘em what they want.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Tom Waits
1/5
50 Cent
2/5
Green Day
4/5
Roxy Music
3/5
Justice
3/5
Queen Latifah
3/5
Charles Mingus
3/5
Blur
2/5
Sonic Youth
2/5
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Liz Phair
2/5
Screaming Trees
3/5
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
Spacemen 3
2/5
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Pentangle
3/5
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
UB40
2/5
Who on Earth hears Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” and thinks dammmmn this needs a reggae treatment?
Pantera
1/5
Jungle Brothers
3/5
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Billy Bragg
2/5
Skip the 2006 reissue and save yourself 30 minutes.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Metallica
3/5
Simple Minds
4/5
Gorillaz
3/5
Talvin Singh
2/5
Beatles
4/5
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Haircut 100
3/5
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Ain't nothin' like a gang bang
To blow away the blues
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Kept waiting for this 53 minute intro to drop into Love You Too.
Billy Bragg
3/5
A few tracks I like, a couple I don’t. +1 for Natalie Merchant’s harmony on track 3.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
Silver Jews
2/5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Queen
4/5
Pulp
2/5
Scissor Sisters
2/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Prince
5/5
Stan Getz
4/5
Merle Haggard
4/5
Gotan Project
3/5
Bee Gees
2/5
Kanye West
3/5
Joanna Newsom
1/5
Coldcut
3/5
Tito Puente
4/5
PJ Harvey
3/5
Britney Spears
2/5
Orbital
3/5
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
The xx
2/5
Maybe a 3
Frank Ocean
2/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Eagles
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
3/5
Stephen Stills
3/5
Mike Ladd
2/5
Maybe a 3
Primal Scream
2/5
+1 for the instrumental tracks
Big Star
2/5
2.75. Spotify version (titled “Third”) most closely matches the 1992 release.
Radiohead
3/5
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
Ian Dury
2/5
Maybe a 3
R.E.M.
4/5
MGMT
3/5
The Dandy Warhols
2/5
2.5
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
Kraftwerk
4/5
The Streets
1/5
4/5
Brian Eno
3/5
White Denim
2/5
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
The Soft Boys
2/5
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Maybe a 3
k.d. lang
2/5
Traffic
4/5
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
Carpenters
4/5
The Associates
3/5
David Bowie
2/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Doves
2/5
2.5
Pavement
3/5
Steve Earle
2/5
Justin Timberlake
3/5
Underworld
3/5
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
Japan
3/5
The band originally intended for the track listing to be 1) All Tomorrow's Parties, 2) Fall in Love with Me, 3) Alien, 4) Quiet Life, 5) The Other Side of Life, 6) Despair, 7) In Vogue, 8) Halloween, 9) A Foreign Place and suggests the listener try listening to the album in that order.
Dire Straits
5/5
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
The Adverts
4/5
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Solange
3/5
Bill Callahan
2/5
Maybe a 3
Brian Eno
3/5
The National
3/5
Kate Bush
3/5
Calexico
3/5
John Martyn
3/5
Rush
5/5
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Grizzly Bear
2/5
George Harrison
5/5
The Specials
2/5
Steely Dan
3/5
Mylo
2/5
+1 for the Boy Meets Girl / Kim Carnes throwback
U2
4/5
KISS
3/5
Muddy Waters
4/5
10cc
2/5
The Flaming Lips
2/5
Meat Loaf
3/5
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Joe Ely
2/5
Wilco
2/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
+1 for the accompaniment
The Crusaders
4/5
Larry Carlton played guitar with The Crusaders, Steely Dan, on the Joni Mitchell album we just heard.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Big Brother & The Holding Company
2/5
PJ Harvey
2/5
2.5
The Jam
3/5
Taylor Swift
2/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
The Cure
4/5
The White Stripes
3/5
Girls Against Boys
3/5
The Beach Boys
2/5
Christine and the Queens
2/5
Lou Reed
3/5
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
N.E.R.D
2/5
The Byrds
3/5
Skepta
1/5
Iron Butterfly
4/5
Grateful Dead
2/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Everything But The Girl
3/5
If this sounds familiar and you’re not sure why, you’re looking for the song ‘Missing’ from 1994.
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
Judas Priest
3/5
John Coltrane
3/5
Sex Pistols
3/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Can
2/5
+1 for Halleluhwah
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
GZA
4/5
Duke Ellington
3/5
Rating is for the original 1956 LP (40 min) not the 1999 remastered “Complete” (2 hr) release.
System Of A Down
3/5
Common
3/5
The Lemonheads
3/5
The Residents
1/5
N.W.A.
4/5
Small Faces
3/5
The Vines
2/5
Tortoise
3/5
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Slint
2/5
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Ozomatli
2/5
Germs
2/5
Tim Buckley
3/5
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
Django Django
2/5
Moby
4/5
The Cramps
3/5
Fishbone
2/5
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
The Pharcyde
3/5
The Bees
2/5
Deep Purple
3/5
3/5
Paul McCartney
4/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Tim Buckley
2/5
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Marilyn Manson
3/5
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Happy Mondays
2/5
Almost a 3, but never quite gets there.
Caetano Veloso
4/5
Ministry
2/5
Dion
2/5
Elvis Costello
3/5
The Pretty Things
3/5
Buzzcocks
3/5
The Beta Band
2/5
Koffi Olomide
2/5
Paul Weller
2/5
Maybe a 3
Amy Winehouse
2/5
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Starts strong, but too many skippable tracks for a 4.
Ice Cube
4/5
Beyoncé
2/5
Common
3/5
Baaba Maal
2/5
William Orbit
3/5
Holger Czukay
3/5
Shit you not one of my first thoughts was “this bass has Can written all over it.”
+1 for Cool in the Pool
Primal Scream
2/5
Lightning Bolt
2/5
The progression of the Spotify track play count matches
my enthusiasm
to a
tee.
Beatles
5/5
Eminem
2/5
2.75
Funkadelic
3/5
3.5
Christina Aguilera
2/5
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Guns N' Roses
3/5
4/5
2/5
Supergrass
3/5
Motörhead
3/5
M.I.A.
1/5
The Undertones
3/5
Morrissey
2/5
The Gun Club
3/5
Mj Cole
2/5
2.5
Neu!
3/5
The Beau Brummels
3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
3.5
The Beta Band
2/5
Method Man
3/5
Mudhoney
3/5
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
The Wikipedia entry sums it up.
1/5
The Doors
4/5
One of the great live performances: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=--RYPHqbD50
Jurassic 5
3/5
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Soul II Soul
3/5
That Jermaine Clement on Jazzie’s Groove?
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
John Lennon
4/5
Meat Puppets
2/5
2.75
FKA twigs
2/5
2.25
Steely Dan
3/5
The Byrds
4/5
The Cult
2/5
2.7. I think I prefer gothic rock The Cult over hard rock The Cult.
King Crimson
3/5
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Incubus
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
SAULT
2/5
Enough here for a solid 3 EP
Pixies
3/5
3.75
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
Hole
3/5
3.5
Yes
4/5
Fiona Apple
2/5
Digital Underground
4/5
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Jimmy Smith
4/5
The Darkness
3/5
Björk
1/5
Can’t listen and not see Winona Ryder on SNL Celebrity Jeopardy.
1.5
Blue Cheer
2/5
2.5
Femi Kuti
3/5
Van Morrison
4/5
Maybe a 3
Klaxons
2/5
2.75
The Replacements
4/5
Orange Juice
3/5
The Verve
2/5
The Kinks
3/5
3.25
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
2.5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
2.5
Madonna
2/5
Bearable, but that American Pie cover is weapons-grade suck.
Scott Walker
3/5
Lucinda Williams
1/5
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Ray Charles
4/5
Dr. John
3/5
3.5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Iggy Pop
3/5
Stereo MC's
3/5
Love
3/5
Dagmar Krause
2/5
Available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkPvS85L998
Dirty Projectors
1/5
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
Khaled
2/5
Some groovy beats here. Album can be pieced together from YouTube.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Ute Lemper
3/5
John Cale
3/5
Minutemen
3/5
John Lennon
4/5
Kelela
2/5
Beck
2/5
2.75
Beatles
4/5
4.5
Everything But The Girl
3/5
2.75
The Monkees
2/5
2.75
Eurythmics
3/5
George Jones
3/5
OutKast
2/5
2.5
TLC
3/5
3.5
De La Soul
3/5
3.5
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Depeche Mode
4/5
SZA
2/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Gang Starr
3/5
Beth Orton
2/5
2.75
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Kings of Leon
2/5
The Doors
4/5
Elliott Smith
2/5
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Patti Smith
3/5
Miles Davis
3/5
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
WoooooeeEE! BOyyy that was some mighty fine a-pickin’ anna singin’
Butthole Surfers
1/5
3/5
Sepultura
2/5
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
3.5
Jack White
4/5
3/5
3.75
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Marty Robbins
4/5
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
2.5
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Björk
2/5
Madonna
4/5
Traffic
3/5
Syd Barrett
3/5
Cornershop
2/5
John Grant
3/5
Roni Size
3/5
Maxwell
3/5
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
2.5
Megadeth
3/5
3.5
The Go-Betweens
3/5
3.5
LTJ Bukem
3/5
Original 1996 release available on YouTube
Kate Bush
4/5
The La's
3/5
+1 for There She Goes, underwhelmed by the rest.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Metallica
2/5
21 tracks and 2 hours — this will surely influence my year-end wrapped.
The Byrds
3/5
The Boo Radleys
2/5
2.75
The Byrds
3/5
3.25
Randy Newman
4/5
Aretha Franklin
4/5
The Electric Prunes
3/5
The White Stripes
3/5
3.5
Aphex Twin
4/5
The Band
3/5
3.5
Joan Baez
3/5
3.4
Happy Mondays
2/5
CHIC
3/5
3.7
Christina Aguilera
3/5
3/5
Big Star
3/5
Prince
5/5
We’ve been seriously underweight on Prince over the last 1,055 albums.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Ice Cube
5/5
Rod Stewart
4/5
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Lou Reed
3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Kanye West
3/5
The Saints
3/5
3.5
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
2.5
Sheryl Crow
2/5
2.75. Maybe a 3.
The Coral
2/5
Brian Eno
3/5
The Who
3/5
3.75
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Elton John
4/5
TV On The Radio
2/5
ABBA
3/5
3.75
Neil Young
3/5
3.5
Hot Chip
3/5
Emmylou Harris
3/5
+1 for The Beatles cover
Garbage
3/5
3.5
Weather Report
3/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
2.75. Maybe a 3.
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
LL Cool J
4/5
The Flaming Lips
2/5
Mekons
3/5
Killing Joke
3/5
3.75
“It got slagged off by everybody and then eight years later we were told it was a ground-breaking record. People are fickle and you have to stand by your own creations.” - Jaz Coleman
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Michael Jackson
5/5