This sent me down the rabbit hole of music in psychological warfare. Truly an abomination.

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."

When aliens land and demand to hear our “rock and roll,” cue it up.

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.

OH MY GOD THAT’S THE FUNKY SHIT

In 2020, the album was ranked 93 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Particularly enjoyed Unfinished Sympathy, which had to have influenced Moby’s “Porcelain.”

The Ramones also covered "California Sun."

I'll go 2.5 stars.

2.5. This is #3 on “100 Best Australian Albums.” I was excited for this and expected to like it more.

Seems fine. Have no idea how to contextualize this with a list of 1000 additional albums.

All killer. No filler.

“She got a light skinned friend look like Michael Jackson. Got a dark skinned friend look like Michael Jackson.”

TIL what a murder ballad is. 3.5.

If you don't remember Halcyon + On + On from the intro of Hackers (1995), add that film to your list.

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."

Forgettable.

Solid gold blue-eyed soul.

Thoroughly enjoyed it — twice. Honorable mention for “Wearin’ That Loved On Look.”

Wholesome. Intimate.

I'll go 2.5 stars.

Really, really liked. 4.5.

I’m looking forward to listening again and again, and this could be a 5 star for me in the near future.

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.

What a treat. 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."

This is one I’ll probably throw on again. 3.25.

When aliens land and demand to hear our “rock and roll,” cue it up.

2.5.

All the elements for “Bang a Gong” were there, they just couldn’t pull it together.

Solid 3.25.

There are a few salvageable loops, but mostly a car wreck for me.

Not too shabby.

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.

A favorite.

Loretta Lynn radio is now part of my Spotify rotation. Just shy of a 4 star.

I appreciated the heavy organ on Lever Street. Almost a 3.

If only he’d have someone else sing. Just shy of a 3.

First track wasn’t available on Spotify. Short and sweet.

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.

Lovely compilation.

I’ll be adding Mellow Yellow and The Hurdy Gurdy Man into the rotation, too.

Pleasantly surprised.

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.

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.”

This scratches an itch better than The Queen Is Dead. It’s The Smiths how I like The Smiths.

This music is all reds and greens and I’m sitting here colorblind.

The elephant on trumpet on “Work It” get me every time — though Method Man on “Bring the Pain” is my favorite bit here.

“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.”

Wow.

Also now checking out The Sugarcubes.

Real good.

If I could only remember listening to this album.

Satisfied.

Up next: Snatch and the Poontangs

Objectively a 5/5, personally a 4/5.

Solid. Not a fan of the Little Richard cover.

First jazz album to sell over a million copies.

Spellbinding. Produced by Booker T.

Good not great.

Original track listing: 3.75, maybe 4. I was expecting more psychedelia and less Mamas & Papas.

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.

Maybe top 3 Heartbreakers albums. Maybe top 5 if we include solo Tom Petty.

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.

Favorite track: Dr. Feelgood

In summary, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b2_vbou3kxE

Regarding B-Real’s choice of singing style, he “barely liked it,” but “learn to like it.” I haven’t.

First time with Sonic Youth. I probably would have loved a lot of these tracks in high school. 3.3.

Deep cut pick: Peace Like a River

I like their sound.

It’s OK. I wouldn’t turn it on or up, but I wouldn’t turn it off.

2.9

I like all these pretty songs.

+1 for cover art.

Will likely check out more Swedish electronic.

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.

Best female pop vocal ‘93. Runners up: Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Annie Lennox, Vanessa Williams.

“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

Can’t beat The Big Come Up, Thickfreakness, and Rubber Factory for nasty — but Brothers has got groove. Deep cut pick: These Days

I didn’t see a need to change it up after 1987’s “Faith.”

Almost a 3. Maybe after another listen.

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.

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.

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

I like this one more than the last Stooges album.

Nothing grabbin’ me here.

Lots to love here. Better than anything from Firth, Wynn, and Meyer. 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.

Pleasantly surprised. Lotta soul. Lotta funk. 4.5.

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

“After rejecting the names REN, Pinnacles of Cream, and Turd Goes Back, the band settled on Lambchop…”

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 whole is most definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

3.75

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.

3.75 stars, all for Rod Stewart.

Love it. Also enjoyed reading about the evolution of Doktor Avalanche: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doktor_Avalanche

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

Better than expected.

I really like Foo Fighters. 3.33.

Could use more Paul Simon.

Eh

OH MY GOD THAT’S THE FUNKY SHIT

There are things to like here, but the vocal sits on top of some tracks in a karaoke kind of way.

As far as art rock goes: enjoyed more than Roxy Music, not as much as Sparks.

Pretty dark.

Solid 3.5

Some of these loops… fuck, by about minute 4 I’ve had enough and I’m just angry.

Not in the mood. Especially after Smokers Delight. Maybe a 3 on a good day.

I’d like to hear more John Doe and less Exene Cervenka. 2.75.

There are definitely 3, maybe even 4 Springsteen ‘75-‘87 albums I’d rank higher than Darkness on the Edge of Town.

Recently learned the guitar solo on the title track is played slow and the recording is sped up.

2.75

3.75

A couple likeable tracks. 2.375

Enjoyed ‘Rock Bottom’ and ‘If I Had.’

Michael McDonald AND Kenny Loggins on ‘Show You The Way?!’ Sexy.

TIL: Quiet storm is a subgenre of R&B — and I’m lovin’ every minute of it.

Not my cup of tea.

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’

Tubular

Is that Mark Ruffalo on the cover?

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.

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?

1969 Grammy Awards, Best New Artist nominees included CSN, Chicago, Zeppelin.

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.

3.5

Chill. Funky. 3.333.

3.66

Good stuff.

Easy 5 and a treat to listen to on the HiFi.

This sent me down the rabbit hole of music in psychological warfare. Truly an abomination.

3.5. Pretty good.

As a kid I always thought this was a “Greatest Hits” album. 4.5.

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.

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.

Enjoying all the trip hop.

Which New Order album should I hear next?

A tour de force from one of the greatest male vocalists of all time.

Lose the tracks not written by John Fogerty (except for Grapevine) and you’ve got a 5 star album.

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.

First time with anything other than “West End Girls.” Good stuff.

Overall an easy listen. I’d go 3 stars if “just” and “lost” weren’t sung as “juoist” and “lohiest.” 2.5.

3.5

“If I had been white, there never would have been an Elvis Presley.” -Little Richard

First couple of tracks were solid. Kind of a Fiona Apple meets Tiny Tim vibe. 2.3.

Ow-gettis Beer-yoon

Nothing exciting here.

Somewhere between Armed Forces and This Year’s Model.

3.6

Will keep this around.

I guess I’m a Pet Shop Boys fan now.

2.9

2.9

Good not great.

This is what happens when parents stay together.

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 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.

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).

Not too shabby. Found myself groovin’ to Giggy Smile. 2.5.

I should listen to more metal.

Listened all weekend.

There’s room for this in the rotation. Also I think Percolator influenced Radiohead’s 15 Step.

Anything that isn’t on Back in Black is refreshing to hear.

Yeahh Booiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

The band coming in on Mannish Boy hit me like a fuckin’ truck. 3.75

This guy is responsible for the Windows 95 startup sound. Wild. 2.75.

Is this what Technotronic wanted to pump up?

I’ve been here before but somehow missed the haunting beauty of Whispering Pines.

First time with this band.

2.8

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.

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.

Cool. I never would have guessed any of the instrumental stuff was Bowie. 3.3.

Starts strong, but lands toward the bottom half of the 5 Bowie albums we’ve seen. 2.75.

Life During Wartime gets the toe tappin’ and booty shakin’. 2.67.

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.

A joint effort between US and UK governments to wean people off of Tracy Chapman’s ‘Fast Car.’ 3.3.

3.9

Not sure if he intended to sing as a caricature of himself for the first half.

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.

3.7

“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.

2ish.

3.3

Neat.

2.75

Flummoxed how this won a Grammy for Album of the Year. What am I missing?

+1s for The National Anthem and Morning Bell. 3.5/.75

I was most familiar with Elizabeth Fraser on vocals for Massive Attack’s Teardrop and discovered Cocteau Twins (and this album) from there.

Coulda used more Jew’s harp.

Interesting tidbit: 3/4 members would later become Love and Rockets.

High 3. Certainly top 5 Queen album but, maybe not top 3.

I’m afraid they’re just too darn loud.

The Broadway show chronicling my life will open with “1984.”

Hank Kingsley meets the Wu-Tang Clan: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gTpUqzpOm8U

I’ve now listened to 2/97 of Willie’s studio albums. This is my favorite.

There are elements here that I appreciate in other metal subgenres, but this is a little too nu metal.

This is put together a bit better than their self-titled debut (appeared earlier on this list).

Solid

I’ll take more dark/grunge sound (Jenny) and less shrill/punk sound (Words and Guitar). 2.75.

4.5

3.5

I should listen to more Black Sabbath.

“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

Bearable.

Recorded live at Sound City Studios.

A little something for everyone.