389
Albums Rated
3.61
Average Rating
36%
Complete
700 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
2000s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
70
5-Star Albums
14
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damaged | 5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
| Peace Sells...But Who's Buying | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
| Nighthawks At The Diner | 5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
| Bandwagonesque | 5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
| Myths Of The Near Future | 5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
| Music For The Jilted Generation | 5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
| Double Nickels On The Dime | 5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
| It's A Shame About Ray | 5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
| Dear Science | 5 | 3.16 | +1.84 |
| School's Out | 5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lines | 1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
| Let England Shake | 1 | 3.15 | -2.15 |
| Car Wheels On A Gravel Road | 1 | 2.99 | -1.99 |
| Mask | 1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
| 69 Love Songs | 1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
| Kings Of The Wild Frontier | 1 | 2.83 | -1.83 |
| Club Classics Vol. One | 1 | 2.82 | -1.82 |
| Planet Rock: The Album | 1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
| Follow The Leader | 1 | 2.65 | -1.65 |
| Boy In Da Corner | 1 | 2.57 | -1.57 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Metallica | 4 | 5 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.67 |
| Neil Young | 3 | 4.67 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.67 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 4.67 |
| Oasis | 2 | 5 |
| Johnny Cash | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| The Pogues | 2 | 5 |
| Steely Dan | 3 | 4.33 |
| David Bowie | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| PJ Harvey | 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (70)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The Young Gods
2/5
Ok so it's like if a French Pink Floyd and 9 Inch Nails had a baby? But also the baby kind of sucks.
58 likes
Janelle Monáe
5/5
After the Overture, this album starts and just keeps going. Great energy, vocals, big band mixed with some synth/electronic that give a bit of a Wizard of Oz vibe. Really liked this, could see this being an excellent live performance.
22 likes
Alice Cooper
5/5
Initial thoughts as I started listening: Great week for short albums, I think this is 4 in a row that are about 35 mins. Love Alice Cooper, you know what you're going to get here.
After actually listening: You DO NOT know what you're going to get here. That was a trip, after 2 fairly basic rock tunes to open this album went on a wild trip across musical theatre, blues, jazz, and an orchestral closer. I can see people being put off by this but I really enjoyed it, while it was all over the map there was still a cohesion to it, and the amount of creativity and talent that went in is on display big time.
18 likes
Dr. Octagon
2/5
Album literally opens by playing audio from a porn scene with a low-effort beat playing over it. Don't know how this is on the list.
"Earth People, New York to California, Earth People, I was born on Jupiter" is a line that gets repeated over and over in a song, like it's just not good.
I'll give it a point for the fact that he's trying to rap about science, so at least it's something a bit different, but still really juvenile stuff.
I'm Destructive was actually pretty good.
15 likes
1-Star Albums (14)
All Ratings
Pixies
4/5
Wasn't a fan of Bone Machine but after that the album was very solid. Loud grungy vibes, very 90s. Had only really heard Where Is My Mind before.
Lots of energy, frantic guitars, fast loud drums, bet they have some rowdy live shows.
Deep Purple
5/5
Highway Star - Classic song, good for an opener. High tempo, great solo, just a fun energetic tune.
Maybe I'm a Leo - More of a jam, lots of distortion but almost a funk melody to it. Good tune.
Pictures of Home - Quick drum solo to open. More of a wailing tune, some Kiss vibes in the vocals. Not bad, but weaker than the previous two. Long instrumental to finish that's very solid.
Never Before - Back to the funk, very similar to song two. Good tempo, definite bop.
Smoke on the Water - Needs no review, it's the Deep Purple song.
Lazy - Very spacy opening. Almost like In a Gadda da Vita, then gets into a high energy dueling guitars instrumental.
Space Truckin' - Great tune, heard this one on the radio but didn't know it was Deep Purple.
Overall - Great album, lots of jams, front to back pretty consistent and solid with great instrumentals.
Queen
3/5
Bit of it all, got the slow ballads, the fast rock, a lullaby, Leroy Brown is a ragtime tune, and some rock jams; Stone Cold Crazy is a great high-tempo tune which is then followed by a lullaby. Album really bounces back and forth with the styles and they have a lot of different ideas going on. Still it's all Queen so it works.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Agnus Dei - Very Latin religious wailing vibe, like something you'd hear in a movie soundtrack about ancient Rome. Opener is a bit unique but does give a hint to the style/vibe of the album.
Voice is a lot like Josh Homme if he didn't get into hard rock, same wailing, long notes. Some songs he's channeling a lot of Thom Yorke.
Album is very mellow/chill. Piano, lounge music drums, but has a stoner vibe. Legit sounds like this was written and performed by depressed Josh Homme. Some orchestral instruments, very melodic tunes.
Would have been my cup of tea in the past, bit too slow for my tastes now but is very well done if in the mood for some slow/sad tunes.
Moby
5/5
Lots of ambient tracks and the well known Moby hits from early on. Good work music. Front end is a bit more energetic, back end is much more chill lo-fi. Double album, lots of good tracks, definitely good background music.
Oasis
5/5
How can they make such nice songs, but be such miserable people.
Johnny Cash
5/5
Great album of a live performance, Johnny is having a great time laughing in the middle of songs and cracking jokes with the inmates and staff.
Brian Eno
4/5
Electronic music from 1975, people back then must have HATED this. Really interesting music, well made, definitely before his time. I can't imagine the limitations he had to put this together back then.
Lots of unconventional structures to the sound. Some songs are very ambient and great for background noise while working, others are more busy. Good album, first time hearing Eno's music though I've heard the name a lot.
Megadeth
5/5
So Metal. My face has melted
The Slits
2/5
Didn't even realize it was Punk at first, but by song three I caught on. I now realise this was an early counter culture album. Wouldn't listen to it again but appreciate it for what it is and what it contributed to the punk movement.
Cyndi Lauper
2/5
First songs are decent and have a good hook, but are probably about 2 minutes too long. Back half is rough, and some weird voice acting cartoon character stuff going on.
Nirvana
5/5
Bauhaus
1/5
Very spacy goth music, it was ok but not my thing. Kick in the Eye had a good beat to it; but songs like Hollow Hills were a bit too artsy and dreary for my taste.
Lucinda Williams
1/5
Country music, sounds a bit like Sheryl Crow and just sings about what she found in her yard by the look of it.
Carpenters
3/5
Lots of love-themed ballads and two harmonized vocalists. Like what they would play on the Partridge Family or something. Bonus point for Burt Bacharach showing up.
The Who
4/5
Saw this play as a kid. Listening took me back. Very clear that it was for a play, lots of consistency in some of the melodies that appear through the album. A classic.
The Stone Roses
5/5
Never heard of these guys before but was a solid album, good guitars, chill music with some oomph. Another review compared to Oasis before there was Oasis and I could see where they're getting that. Dig this, will be adding some of their tunes to my playlist.
John Prine
4/5
Pretty good old school country; I'm not big on country but this is just a guy and a guitar and he's got some great lyrics. Not over the top party songs like the new country, but has a bluesy tone. Pretty Good actually kind of reminds me of The Hip in some of its lyrics.
Back half is a lot slower, definitely liked the first half more.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Classic
Raekwon
2/5
Just never got into Rap but I have a few groups I listen to. Not into the Mafioso or bravado stuff, more interested in interesting lyrics and creative use of the artform but this wouldn't be my thing. Definitely not a fan of the points where they're just talking, as it seems to go on too long.
Minutemen
5/5
Definitely thought this was a David Byrne side project at first. Lots of short tunes, really liked this pretty solid front to back and even the weaker ones are so short it goes right back into a new interesting riff or tune. I think I heard the riff that Sublime uses in Greatest Hits in there at one point. I dig.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Good poppy rock, they have their sound locked in pretty well. Everyone should be familiar with the singles from this album, overall a good album I probably wouldn't have heard otherwise.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
Album literally opens by playing audio from a porn scene with a low-effort beat playing over it. Don't know how this is on the list.
"Earth People, New York to California, Earth People, I was born on Jupiter" is a line that gets repeated over and over in a song, like it's just not good.
I'll give it a point for the fact that he's trying to rap about science, so at least it's something a bit different, but still really juvenile stuff.
I'm Destructive was actually pretty good.
The Pogues
5/5
Really dig this, I'd heard of the Pogues and I must have heard a song or two in the past since it's very familiar.
It's Punk, it's Irish folk, it's Polka, lots of surly vocals and lyrics with a solid accompaniment using all kinds of instruments. Metropolis is almost like an orchestral piece. Definitely adding to my playlist. They cover a lot of ground in this album but it all lands.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
I had heard single LCD Soundsystem songs here and there, never saw the appeal. Sitting and listening to an album front to back I think it clicked a lot better. A lot of reviews mention this is considered a weak album compared to their past work so that makes me really want to seek out some of the other stuff since I liked this quite a bit. They definitely like their very long songs, I think the shortest one clocks in just shy of 5 mins.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Classic hippie music, wasn't bad. I don't really get why they had such obsessive fans, the music seems good and the instrumentals are deceptive in that when you really start listening close you can see how much is going on with them.
John Martyn
3/5
Some easy listening, good background music. Don't know that I'd put this on again but didn't mind it.
Jazzy/Bluesy night music.
Miles Davis
2/5
That sure was several 20-minute jazz songs.
Adam & The Ants
1/5
I don't like whatever this is.
They never should have made music videos, seeing them made it so much worse. The audio only songs on Youtube are more tolerable but still just...bad.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
After the Overture, this album starts and just keeps going. Great energy, vocals, big band mixed with some synth/electronic that give a bit of a Wizard of Oz vibe. Really liked this, could see this being an excellent live performance.
4/5
Good album by Blur, hadn't heard any of these songs before. Mix of the upbeat high energy tunes you hear from their singles and some melodic jams.
Lou Reed
3/5
Talk-singing piano dirges. Liked it but some misses, wasn't feeling Caroline Says. Had a rock opera feel to it. Overall ok, one of those musician names I heard a lot but never really knew the music. Interesting concept album I think.
Paul Simon
3/5
Easy listening, background music that's not overbearing and you don't really need to listen to that closely.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Very hazy dreamy melodies, lots of slow jams. Songs are all fairly short, get their point across and then onto the next. Not bad, good chillout album. He really likes fading out to end songs.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Blues mixed with bluegrass. Big band putting it all together really well. Double-length album with lots of great tunes. Feels like a continuation of CSNY, clear that Stills was a major part of their sound. Really good album, definitely would listen again.
Goldfrapp
4/5
Early you get James Bond soundtrack vibes from this, then in the back half it's more of a horror movie score. Very sultry vocals with squealing electronic backing of a theremin, orchestral strings. Pretty good.
Some parts get a little weird, the ending of Deer Stop kind of meandered a bit and could have stopped sooner.
Oompa Radar was pretty unique, polka evil circus vibe.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Southern Bluegrass / Country. Long album at 42 tracks with a lot of artists collaborating. Pretty well produced, recognized some of the tunes despite not really listening to much of this genre. Would probably have given this a 4 because the instrumentals were very well done, production values were high, but docking a point for the confederate flags. Also it's looooong, and there's only so much banjo and fiddle you can hear before it's all sounding the same.
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Slow jams, just seems like some very basic alt rock from the late 80s / early 90s. Kind of a bummer. Not sure why this is an album I "Have to hear" but I guess I have heard it now and will never remember a thing about it in the future.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Definitely Frank Sinatra, lots of mournful songs about love with an orchestral backing. These days doesn't seem like much but he has a great voice and I know the impact he had on music. Good album, a bit on the melancholy side though.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Some interesting sounds, like a proto-Radiohead at their most experimental or even a bit of a Pink Floyd or Bowie vibe some jazz elements in that the structure is just not there especially in the piano playing. Seems less polished though, it's a rawer sound than those other bands. Not sure that I like it but it's definitely unique and I think worth a listen.
Alife is straight up hard to listen to.
TV On The Radio
5/5
I only really knew their single Wolf Like Me that I've heard from time to time but otherwise not too familiar with TV on the Radio. Some good Rock with energy, some psychadelic flavor and vocals at times, and just solid jams all around. I liked this, would definitely add to the playlist.
Teenage Fanclub
5/5
Just some good 90s rock. The guitars were front and centre and it clicked. Liked this a lot, new one for me never heard of these guys before today. Added most of the album to playlist.
Cypress Hill
3/5
You know what you're gonna get with Cypress Hill. Classic Gangsta Rap, with lots of weed and guns.
There's definitely some nostalgia factor going back in high school when you could build your personality around smoking weed. Definitely outgrown these kinds of lyrics/themes these days but I'll give it points since I used to love some of the tunes on here. I bet they'd sound really good backed by the London Symphony Orchestra, possibly while high.
Sister Sledge
2/5
Some good hooks, the hits are recognizable from pretty much any Disco related media you've ever seen. Very repetitive, seems like they get an idea for a song and then just milk that one line or tune on repeat for 5+ minutes.
Stan Getz
4/5
Jazz but not the really out-there whacky kind. Pretty short as far as albums go too, doesn't overstay. I liked it, good background music to get some work done, has a Latin vibe in the percussion.
PJ Harvey
1/5
Thank god that's over. That was a slog to get through, apparently this person is insanely popular? Never heard of her and I hope I never have to hear another song. Grating vocals, weird screechy instruments and noises. Intros that just go on forever. That was a bummer to have to experience.
Bad Company
3/5
It was good, pretty standard classic dad-rock. Seemed like a prelude to 80s rock. Doesn't stand out as anything amazing but just good, steady, stay in your lane rock and roll.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Psychadelic rock. Guitars remind me of Cream quite a bit. Songs are all very unique, each one does it's own thing.
Opens with "White light / white heat" a bit of a traditional rock tune.
Followed with "The Gift" an 8 minute story/stream of consciousness while a guitar is wailing.
Next is "Lady Godiva's Operation", once again a bit more of a standard tune with dueling vocalists that gets more surreal as it goes on.
"Here she comes" has a summery vibe, brief tune about a beautiful hippie lady.
"I heard her call my name" is a grungy tune with lots of distortion in the guitars and growling vocals that sounds a lot like Steppenwolf.
Last is "Sister Ray" which plays for a whopping 17 minutes and 30 seconds. This song has some attitude, angry Organs that remind me of Ina Gatta Da Vita. Intensity increases throughout the song until a big crescendo of wailing on instruments to end. The keys are literally just holding on notes so it's a thrumming buzz with the drums and guitar going. Great jam session tune.
Overall good album, was worried after the 2nd song but that was the only one that I really didn't enjoy. The rest were pretty good, though a bit too "out there" to add to the playlist.
Ministry
4/5
Hardcore album, loud fast drums and guitars. Angry music. I saw on the wiki it called Ministry an Industrial band but this definitely didn't seem Industrial as it was just a traditional guitar/bass/drums setup. More Metal I would say, but without the solos and just the hard/fast energy all the way through the songs.
Seem to have some different influences.
The opening to Hero sounded a lot like Megadeth
Jesus Built my Hotrod had some Primus vibes
Scarecrow sounds like a Rob Zombie tune
Not for everyone but I liked it well enough.
Eurythmics
3/5
If anyone ever asks you what the 1980's were like just play this album. It's all you need to know.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
People love Joni Mitchell but her music just doesn't do it for me. Very soft easy-listening. I would put her in the same category as Paul Simon. Just very inoffensive, low tempo, background noise. It's not that it's bad, she's definitely talented, just not for me.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
I enjoyed it, good vibes and electronic beats. More on the chill end especially on the back half, so it was some good background music for work. I'm a sucker for when songs lead straight into each other.
The Who
4/5
You can really tell how young they are on this album. It has a bit of a classic doo-wop Rock style with the harmonized vocals and melodies, but you also get a sense of where The Who is going to go with some really brilliant instrumentals. Highlights are the kids are alright, a legal matter, and the ox. Didn't care for Instant Party but otherwise great album.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I've heard enough Dylan and saw him live in the early 2000's, and when I drew this album I wasn't very excited. I think his music is fine and I do get the significance of what he was doing at the time he was doing it, but I've never been able to get into it.
With that said, this was a much better album than I was expecting. It's classic Dylan, you have some of the really well known numbers in here, but it's not as challenging of a listen as I thought and really does come on as more of some traditional folk tunes, nothing that was too out there. Pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this and that it maintained a pretty consistent tone throughout.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
Very much a Euro Alt Rock / Indie type thing. Never heard of this group before. Very up and down with some relatively normal folksy type indie tunes, and then getting into some weird yodeling and jazzy/inconsistent melodies. It was ok, seemed very experimental, not really my cup of tea but I didn't hate it.
Vocalists remind me of Mother Mother, lots of harmonies with the 3 of them but the music almost gives me a Swedish or Icelandic Fairy-tale kind of vibe. A bit trippy and very offbeat. It's so hard to pin down.
Funkadelic
5/5
Holy hell this was a great album. Amazing opener with a 9 minute blues/funk guitar solo. Whole album has a strong groove through it, Super Stupid is a highlight. Back in our Minds has some interesting percussion leading it.
I think it was up and down, loved some songs, others were just ok. None were bad though.
Added a few songs to the playlist, definitely would go back to his album.
Billie Holiday
3/5
Very old timey music; lady singing really slowly about love to an orchestral backing. My grandparents would have thought this was the bee's knees.
Dire Straits
4/5
Pretty classic Dad-rock. So Far Away from me and Money for nothing, and Walk of Life should be pretty recognizable to most people.
After the singles to open the album it gets into some more slow jams with some jazzy undertones. Wasn't as into these, I think the Singles were popular for a reason but the other tunes weren't great.
Their instrumentals remind me a lot of the background music to an 80s movie like 3 Men and a Baby.
Iron Maiden
5/5
Great old-school metal, this album is a classic. Run to the Hills is such a perfect song and this album is filled with great tunes. It's Metal but it's got a real craftsmanship to how it's all put together.
Deerhunter
2/5
It was ok for background music but really low energy naval-gazing type alternative rock. First song led me to think this was going to be a lo-fi electronic beats but then realized it's not after. Not my thing, but when I was depressed I probably would have loved this.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Very Noir, light simple instrumentation and a smooth deep voice singing poetry. The whole album reminds of me that "Nick's Cafe" song.
I dug it, added Everybody Knows to the playlist. Probably not an album I would go out of my way to put on but I appreciated it. Edged it to a 4 over a 3 but it was close.
Paul Weller
4/5
Sunflower was a strong open, very 90s with some grunge elements. Peter has a strong voice. Can You Heal Us transitions into a bit more of a bluesy direction and very religious lyrics. Each song has a unique flair to it, he's not just one sound, but there is common ground that ties it all together in subtle ways. Never heard of this artist before but was a big fan. Added a few songs to the playlist. I said it already but his voice is excellent.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Double album with 18 songs from the Rolling Stones. Much more bluesy vibe to the album, not as much in the pure rock that some of their more well-known tunes have. Funny that there is an 18 song Stones album and I haven't heard a single one of the tunes before, despite growing up on classic rock radio.
It's U2, you know what you're going to get. It's competently made rock and roll.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I've heard a lot about the Velvet Underground. I don't know why but I thought they were a very early punk band. I was very wrong.
That said, I liked it. Mellow jams, the voice is very familiar but I can't place it. (I cheated, realized it's Lou Reed). In the back half they seem to add some vocals and it's not just Lou. All goes with some easy melodies that work well and flow very easily.
Murder Mystery was really hard to get through. Points for trying this in 1969, very ahead of their time with some ideas.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Opening track is very familiar, didn't know Harry Nilsson but it's music that you've definitely heard in movies/tv.
Poppy classic rock, a guy and his keyboard and occasionally a guitar in the mix. Kind of fluctuates between jaunty energetic tunes and some more slow/sad tunes. Some real bops in the mix, good energy and you can really feel how deep he is into the music as he's playing and giving it his all when he sings.
Only one that I really didn't like was the last song on the album. Everything else was enjoyable and brought a lot of different styles and emotions to the album.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
As a teenager probably would have liked this. Early indie songs about teenage love and meaningful glances and holding hands. First few songs are acoustic, then switches to a bit of a more electronic and energetic vibe. Towards the end reverts back to the melancholy teenage sadness a bit.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
Old school hip hop, very political lyrically covering societal issues, global events / politics. Some interesting beats with unique elements, first track has a lot of Jazz Sax playing with the drum beat. Spoken Word style delivery on the lyrics, every now and then he "sings" a bit but mostly very monotone even-keel delivery, but that works because the content seems to be pretty deep. I enjoyed this, though it's a very long album with the majority of songs 6 minutes or longer.
Back half kicks up the energy a bit, and has more classic hip hop, still keeps the political messaging but a bit more focused on the beats. California Uber Alles is a great takedown of the governer at the time this album was out. A lot of the messaging still applies today about stripping social programs and stuffing the pockets of the rich, not much has changed.
Guided By Voices
4/5
The album is a series of very short songs, the tunes all are similar early 90s rock, sounds like Brit-rock or even hints of Sloan in a way. The songs all being very short seem to have a chorus or hook they're written around, and then move onto the next one, similar to the Minutemen. Good tunes, album keeps things moving and it was all fairly consistent/enjoyable. The downside is no song really stands out, they're over so quick. It all just blends into a generic 90s rock session as a result.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
4-song Funk album.
Open Chameleon is a 15 minute jam, great tune really enjoyed this one.
Watermelon Man I didn't like as much, it was still good but wasn't getting into the pipes. Luckily this was the shortest in the album.
Sly gets a little more jazzy/slow to start and then gets more and more frantic throughout.
The last track Vein Melter is a bit more trippy, it's quieter and slower and more focused on some psychadelic sounds with the keys.
Good album, opening track is definitely the strongest, and the last track is enjoyable. Both middle tracks were a bit weaker but overall a good listen.
Metallica
5/5
One of Metallica's best albums, tons of bangers on this one. Definitely the transition point where Metallica went into the more mainstream rock, they're getting older and the Thrash has faded. Kirk Hammett is such a gifted guitarist. Excellent album, a lot of these songs were what drew me to learn to read a tab and play guitar.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Oh that's some babymakin' music.
If you think you're lonely now was the highlight of the album for me. A lot of the tunes were just average. Not much to say, saw he does have some great tunes in his repertoir but this album didn't do a whole lot for me.
Mike Ladd
2/5
Hip hop album, beats seem to have an Industrial slant to them. First few songs were pretty good and tied into the "Afterfuture" theme with some sci-fi and futuristic lyricism. The DJ work throughout the album is solid but the rapping is hit or miss.
Didn't like Bladerunners, juvenile overly sexual lyrics. Red Eye to Jupiter also terrible.
Best song was Wipeout on the wave of Armageddon
On the plus side, this is the first album where absolutely none of the videos had ads playing in front of them on Youtube.
The Specials
3/5
Wasn't sure what to expect. It's a bit of a combination between British Rock like the Clash, and then Reggae. Leans really heavy into the Reggae on some songs. Really interesting, didn't love it but was decent.
Ice T
4/5
Old school gangsta rap. Definitely not my thing, just talking about how hard he is, how much sex he has, how much money and guns he has. It's produced well but just not my bag.
I am giving it a higher rating because my opinion is based on my life experience and that I just don't enjoy the gangsta mentality or glorification, but I respect that this was impactful for black culture. Also the last track is the best part of the album, that was worth an extra point on itself too.
Joy Division
3/5
Was interested to get this album, I've seen the cover art referenced a lot but didn't really know what kind of music it would be.
Very much the kind of music the goth kids in high school would have listened to. Thought there were some good songs, liked the opener, but it was a very hot and cold album with some really drawn out/downer tunes in there too.
Surprised to see it was from 1979, definitely feels a bit before it's time.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Immediately recognizable opening, Green Onions is such an iconic jam and everyone should have heard it at some point.
The whole album is instrumental jams, and a lot of recognizable songs. Not sure if they are covering them like Twist and Shout and Rinky Dink, or if these are the originals that were then covered by other groups.
Sounds very 60s in the synths and guitars, pretty straightforward album with lots of hits from the time period.
4/5
This is my 2nd PJ Harvey album since starting and the first one was a very easy 1 so I was pretty bummed when this popped up.
That said, where the other album was very experimental, weird, and overall just hard to listent to; this is just more of a straightforward rock album. Really reminds me of Garbage or some of the more grungy female artists from the 90s, would fit right in with that era though I guess 2000 isn't that far behind.
This Mess We're In has Thom Yorke out of nowhere.
Not only was this album not a 1, I downright enjoyed it.
Love
5/5
Very hippie music, psychadelic and acoustic. Really liked the guitar work in this, really interesting arrangements and even some flamenco in there. Lyrics were up and down, some songs were very dark and interesting, others very flaky and folksy. Kind of reminded me of Cream from a vocal perspective but the standout really was the instrumentals here. Great album.
Jefferson Airplane
5/5
Classic 60s jam band. Some very popular tunes on here, didn't realize they switched up vocalists on tunes. Very mixed bag of tunes, some very psychadelic, some heavy rock, and some simple jams.
5/5
Seminal album for Oasis, almost a greatest-hits collection in itself. Great album, easy 5.
I've said it on the last Oasis album and I'll say it again. I don't know how the 2 most miserable people on the planet can write such lovely songs.
Television
5/5
Hadn't heard of this group before, so wasn't sure going in what it would be about. Very much a guitar-first album, and they do an excellent job with that. Very much what the Strokes brought back in the 2000s. Vocalist takes away from it a bit, but added some tunes to the playlist here. Marquee Moon the song is excellent, very catchy jam. Added a few to the playlist off of this one.
Public Enemy
4/5
Old school hip hop, pretty much what you'd expect from that era. Good combination of political/cultural relevance for the time period without being too focused on the violence/money/bitches side of gangsta rap though that is still there. Great beats and backing tracks throughout, lots of energy.
Metallica
5/5
Great classic thrash album, lots of nostalgia for me personally so this is an easy 5 as I grew up on these tunes. Still bangers.
Bon Jovi
4/5
Bon Jovi, you know what you're getting here. Lots of his classics are on this album, Livin on a Prayer, Shot Through the Heart, Cowboy. Pretty consistent throughout.
The Waterboys
3/5
New band for me, opening tune pulled me right in. Very East-Coast folk-rock, right up my alley. Some of the songs are very energetic, fast strings. Then some are more melodic and mellow.
Some of it was a bit too folksy, like The Stolen Child. Overall good though. The first two songs really had me excited for this album but it did keep getting slower and slower and never got back to that energy of the first two tunes; would love to hear more from them like that.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Latin Album, hard to comment on since I'm not super familiar with the genre but it's a nice listen and good for background/ambiance.
The Young Gods
2/5
Ok so it's like if a French Pink Floyd and 9 Inch Nails had a baby? But also the baby kind of sucks.
John Cale
3/5
Very easy listening, kind of meloncholy 70s piano rock. A bit sappy and slow for me. Was a very average listen, just sounds like a lot of other musicians I've heard before.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
She really wants to be Sad Dolly. No doubt she's talented, great voice but the music is just so slow and a bit of a bummer. It's good on a technical level, but just not something I enjoy.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Funk album that's got a lot of variety, seems like everyone in the band gets their own vocal track or at least a lot of shifting around. Some major hits on here people should recognize, a couple of songs I couldn't really get into, but overall thought it was pretty good. Added a few songs to the playlist off of this one.
Richard Hawley
2/5
This sounds like my grandparents music, sad guy on a piano singing about love and loss. Very slow, voice is ok but doesn't really stand out in any way. The opening song definitely sets a really unexciting tone, some of the later songs pick up a bit but they go from like a 1 to a 3 out of 10 max.
Everything about it just seems like a very generic version of what's happened long ago. Like an AI was tasked with generating an album after listening to Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and any other 50s guy that just sings slowly. This is what that AI spat out.
The Roots
4/5
Great hip hop album, lots of "featuring" artists on each song. There's some consistency in the quick flow of the rappers, but otherwise the songs themselves have a lot of variation and the band goes into a few different musical styles.
Tapers off towards the end, some more experimental tunes that kind of drag down the energy.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Slappa da bass
The Replacements
4/5
Some notes before starting, looks like a generic 80s Bon Jovi style rock band based on the cover. Short album, 11 songs at 2-4 minutes apiece, and Gary's Got a Boner is an amazing song title.
Alright let's start listening. I'm liking the guitars here, singer has a bit of a punk rasp, this almost seems like very early pre-grunge seems more 90s than 80s. Good energy, I'm definitely digging this.
A few slower tunes, kind of reminds me of the Pogues in a way. Overall good album, definitely not what I expected at first was pleasantly surprised.
Taylor Swift
2/5
I've hard like 60% of this album in grocery stores, malls, or when I'm with someone that only listens to Top 40. It's good enough, the people that wrote, produced, and put together all of the songs for her to sing did a good enough job on a technical level. But at the end of the day it's Focus Group music. Not for me, it's cold, emotionless, appeal to the masses music, there's no art here; only marketing.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
So much wah-wah pedal, this is some funky guitar. Really high-pitched voice, reminds me a bit of vocalist from The Heavy, but if he was really going as high as he could. Very soulful album, had it on the background but didn't really pull me in too much. I'd be willing to bet there are quite a few babies that were born because of this album.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Was expecting a country album based on the title and art. More of an alternative rock group, trying to place who this reminds me of, definitely some music my parents would listen to when I was young. Voice is halfway between Iggy Pop in Wild Child, and the Don't you forget about me singer.
Really not sure why this is on the list, don't think I needed to hear this, just very bland/generic 80s soundtrack rock.
4/5
Very West Coast punk album, another new band from this list that I've never heard before so had no idea what to expect. I liked it, great energy, wailing guitars, has a rockabilly vibe. Would listen to this again.
Short, punchy, and I like that the vocalists switch it up, each leading their own songs and some with both harmonizing. Fun album.
Alice Cooper
5/5
Initial thoughts as I started listening: Great week for short albums, I think this is 4 in a row that are about 35 mins. Love Alice Cooper, you know what you're going to get here.
After actually listening: You DO NOT know what you're going to get here. That was a trip, after 2 fairly basic rock tunes to open this album went on a wild trip across musical theatre, blues, jazz, and an orchestral closer. I can see people being put off by this but I really enjoyed it, while it was all over the map there was still a cohesion to it, and the amount of creativity and talent that went in is on display big time.
David Bowie
4/5
First Bowie album since I've started. The Sax player and the backup singers definitely earned their paycheques on this album. Opens with Young Americans, closes with Fame, and then in between are songs most people may not be familiar with. Overall this album is less "weird" Bowie and more songs that would be considered traditional 80s jazzy/soulful rock ballads. Didn't like the Beatles cover, the original has a great dreamlike tone and this one there's a lot of force behind which I don't think translates well. Overall good album.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I had a classic rock phase in high school where i started getting into all of the big names, but Dylan eluded me a bit. I ended up going to a concert around 2002 of his and it was a bit of a disaster, I barely recall it but reviews were that he was out of it and his voice was a disaster. I still made an attempt to get to know his music and became familiar with some of his more popular songs; so from this album I knew "Rainy Day Women" though I thought it was just called "Everybody must get stoned" and as a teen discovering cannabis I thought it was the funniest song ever. I also knew Just Like a Woman but otherwise these are new to me.
Dylan never really grasped me, I heard he was this amazing poet and songwriter and I could hear hints of it in the songs I did know but still it never clicked.
Now on my 2nd full Dylan album since starting this process I'm starting to see it. I think you need to really sit and get into a groove, not just pick up one song on a playlist with a bunch of other guitar rock, it's not going to land well, but if you can get into an album and listen to it through you really do get into the right mindset. I can appreciate this music a lot more, still not something I would go out of my way to seek out, but I appreciate it and its place on this list.
Soul II Soul
1/5
I thought clubs in the 80s were going to be way more exciting with how much Cocaine they were doing. Apparently I was wrong, they listened to slow elevator music. I guess the only way they could dance to this was with stimulants.
William Orbit
3/5
Lo-fi electronic album, this was some solid background music to listen to while I worked. The album playlists on Youtube were all either incomplete or way out of order, so I had to search each song individually to listen to it which was frustrating but that has nothing to do with the music itself. Enjoyed it for what it was, not my usual thing but wouldn't complain if someone put this on.
Machito
4/5
Instrumental Jazz album, has a big of a "big band" vibe to it. Cuban influences are very strong, the "afro" part seems to mostly come through in the drums and the song titles. Good dinner music, or something in the background at a classy party.
Talking Heads
4/5
This is the first full Talking Heads album I've listened to, though I'm familiar with David Byrne, and some of their radio hits. It's unique, it's experimental, it's very 80s, and very frantic.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
They mention this being a live album, and you do hear a bit of cheering as it opens but the music sounds like it could be a studio recording once they get going as the audience is barely audible and the playing is so smooth. Excellent blues jams, just easy to put on and groove with. It definitely drags on, most albums I've sat straight through or paused if I need to do something else but this one I could walk away from and not feel like I was really missing much. Also as someone that has a Skynyrd double live album that I've played to death, there was a lot in these jams that sounded identical though that just may be a Southern rock thing and the styles are going to result in the same solo's happening sometimes.
Scott Walker
2/5
Went into this not knowing what to expect, but based off of the album cover I'm thinking something like the Carpenters or Donny and Marie.
After listening, well that was weird. It's kind of like if Richard Cheese went on Lawrence Welk, but instead of covers just sang his own oddball original songs. Did not like.
Santana
5/5
This is a staple album, definitely belongs on this list. Santana is an incredible guitarist and musicion, blending his culture with some amazing classic rock styles. Must listen.
Pixies
5/5
My 2nd Pixies Album of the list, this one containing no songs I've heard before. The album is definitely full of the Pixies "sound" though, it's got the surfer-rock tinge while they do their grungy frantic post-punk that you'll come to expect form the band. Really enjoyed this, was consistent and had some good tunes that I've added to the playlist.
Air
4/5
Wasn't expecting a movie score to get onto this list.
I saw this movie in my teen years, I remember some parts and the ending but not the music.
As for the album, it opens with a traditional alt-rock song, some synths going, followed up with some instrumental tracks that definitely sound like background music in a movie score, and also very aimed towards angsty teen girls. Lots of the tracks were very familiar, I'm not sure if they've been used in other media, as I shouldn't remember it from the movie.
Bit of a trippy, dreamy quality to it, at times reminds me of Pink Floyd but they add in some intense crescendos and spoken word sections that mix it up. Makes me want to go watch the movie again since it's been so long, but it definitely evoked the tone that I remember from it throughout this listen.
Hole
4/5
I was actually pretty surprised I knew so many Hole songs. Very consistent sound, didn't feel much variation between tunes but it fits right in with the 90s grunge movement.
Separating the music from the artist, overall it's a good album. Well put together, songs have good hooks, Courtney can belt. A bit angry which I can't get into at this stage in my life but I would have enjoyed before. She definitely cribbed some songwriting notes from Kurt, not that that's a bad thing.
Randy Newman
3/5
I know Randy Newman from his movie soundtrack work but I'm not familiar with his early albums. This has his very recognizable voice, man on a piano singing some kind of goofy half-speed ragtime music. Very contrasting tone compared to the lyrics, seems he was a religious man but then also not much faith in humanity. Interesting listen, glad I got to see this side of his music outside of Disney.
The Stooges
4/5
Way ahead of their time, this album would fit right into the 90s scene. Wasn't a big fan of "We Will Fall" as it was a long dirge, but the other tunes are full of energy and swagger. Great album, added quite a few to the playlist.
The Temptations
3/5
You have some Funk, some Soul, very 70s. Not very cohesive, they have some bops and the cover of Papa Was a Rolling Stone is great but then there are some very slow ballads and the B-side drags a bit.
Queen
5/5
I usually don't review an album song by song, but I found myself doing this here.
Death on two legs is a very strong opener, has an epic feel to it and the guitar's sound great.
Lazing on a sunday afternoon is kind of a silly "Tiny Tim" kind of song, could go without it but we'll see how it ties into the album.
I'm in Love with my Car: Now we're into an 80s Hair Rock song that sounds like it could be The Scorpions or Def Leppard. At this point I'm starting to think this album is going to be very disconnected song to song, but maybe more of a satire/comedy focus?
You're My Best Friend: Classic tune, everyone knows it. Very upbeat and poppy.
'39: Very strummy, stompy folk song. Reminds me of Country Roads Take Me Home but with a little Queen flair. I dig it.
Sweet Lady: Back to the rock, guitar-first tune this time around. Kind of busy, bouncy melody, again very 80s kind of sound but more of a Foghat or Aerosmith vibe this time.
Seaside Rendezvous: A ragtime piano tune, with some horns and slide whistles thrown in, file this one under weird Queen, vocals are great as usual but it's a bit out there.
The Prophet's Song: Oh wow this is 8 minutes long. This one has a bit of an operatic quality to it, and a bit Metal telling an epic story, this is like Tenacious D almost but minus the comedy and more straight laced. Gets into a strange echoing chant in the middle that kind of kills the vibe.
Love of my life: A romantic piano ballad, Freddy putting the emotion into this one.
Good company: A vocal harmony, almost has a Beatles vibe now. A touch of ragtime again, and some plunky guitar.
Bohemian Rhapsody: The quintessential Queen song. Fits perfectly in this album, the song goes in a lot of directions and matches the amount of whiplash you'll feel from song to song.
God Save the Queen: It's actually God Save the Queen, but like a Jimi Hendrix style guitar solo version.
Overall Thoughts: That was a wild ride, every single song is completely unlike the other. It feels like Queen had a checklist of genres or bands they wanted to pay homage to and they went through that piece by piece. Some really great tunes, some that I personally didn't dig but I recognize they were well done. Quality is there, Queen is an excellent band and belongs on this list, I can see why this was here. Overall liked it but the inconsistency dragged it a bit. Still giving it a 5, the highs are very high.
Neil Young
5/5
I'm biased since I love Neil Young, and this album is full of some classics. Needle and the Damage Done is a favorite of mine. Great songwriter and some classic folk tunes here including the song that led to Lynyrd Skynyrd calling him out in a friendly way in Sweet Home Alabama. Kind of surprised Harvest Moon isn't in the album called Harvest, but great album as it is.
The The
2/5
When I popped this open I judged this book by it's cover, I looked at the album art, the name of the band, and the album title, and I thought to myself ok we have a Punk Album this will be fun.
Well, now that the album is playing this is terrible. New Wave, singing about desire, the male vocalist even though I can't see him I can picture the eye shadow. The tone is all over the place, you have some Industrial metallic drums, sometimes there's darkness in the lyrics and then you get a nice little piano trill to follow. There's hints of something good in here but I was really put off by how poorly the entire brand of this album and band did not represent what was inside.
Japan
3/5
Cover Impressions: More 80s New-Wave, fantastic. Do you like Glam and Synthesizers? If you answered yes then this should be right up your alley.
On listen: Overall it's not bad, doesn't lean too heavily into the 80s weirdness but it is still there, there are some good hooks in this. I like the melody in "Fall in love with me". Giving me Depeche Mode or Duran Duran vibes, vocals are very familiar sounding but they are the weakest part of this. The more I'm listening the more forgiving I'm feeling of this after my initial distaste for what I was about to be getting into, it's not cringey and there's some pretty solid arrangements. I'm usually not one for the moody depressing stuff but Despair, and In Vogue both had lengthy brooding instrumental sections that I was just vibing with. Probably wouldn't go out of my way to revisit but I appreciated this one.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Easy listening, it's Frank Sinatra so you should know what you're getting. Enjoyed this album, keeps a consistent tone throughout. "Makin Whoopee" was a little smutty, keep it clean Blue Eyes!
Christine and the Queens
4/5
An album from 2018, looks like maybe we're going outside of the 1001 albums book since it only went to 2010, not that that's a bad thing.
Wasn't sure what to expect, turned out to be a French pop album with some 80s influences. Kind of reminded me of Robin in a way, but also more focused on religion and LGBTQ+ topics. Found it to be pretty good musically, I don't go out of my way to listen to pop but you sort of have to if you ever go in public so it was nice to hear something different and it was very well performed.
Miles Davis
4/5
Jazz album with two long jams that are broken up into a few parts on each album side. Miles Davis is great, not big on jazz personally but it is an excellent piece of music.
Billy Bragg
4/5
My streak of misjudging album covers continues. I was expecting a punk album here. I don't really even know how I would classify this, it's a bit rockabilly, it's a bit dancehall, I guess this would be the Alt-Rock of the 80s. Very much its own thing, and it's super Bri'ish.
The more I'm listening to this I can just picture this guy in a pub belting it out. You wouldn't see Billy play a stadium, you'd see him in the pub, it's that kind of vibe.
It took a few songs but I got into this album, definitely dug it. There's a lot going on, and it's hard to pin down but it's got a lot of character.
The Doors
4/5
Very strong A Side, B-Side gets a little slower but Riders on the Storm is a great closer. The Doors were huge for a reason, great album.
Femi Kuti
4/5
I've had some Afro-Cuban Jazz on this list so far, this is my first pure African Jazz. I really enjoyed it, this artist is very talented. It had great energy and it definitely makes you want to dance.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Classic old-school Hip-Hop Rock, most songs have a fairly simple hook or lyric but the verses are where they really shine. I never realized how much Beastie Boyz picked up from Run DMC, the influence is super obvious here. Raising Hell stood out, that was a great tune. Good mix of goofy tunes with some serious punchy ones.
Cheap Trick
4/5
This was a fun live album, particularly a great run of tunes from the 9 minute jam then ain't it a shame, want you to want me, and what sounded like their first time playing Surrender as they announced it was going to be on their new album. That was a great rendition of that tune, and the concert as a whole had great energy to it. I had a big classic rock phase and still enjoy it, but Cheap Trick wasn't a band I ever paid much attention to, but this makes it evident they were a fantastic live band.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Very angsty 90s rock. Like most bands on this list, I'm familiar with the singles that got on the radio but otherwise don't know much else. Jane's Addiction seems to have two sides to them, with one being very fast/frantic instruments and aggressive vocals, and the other being very psychedelic and more thoughtful.
Overall I liked the 2nd half more, I think Stop and Been Caught Stealin are always fun to listen to and the front half was still alright but it got too much with the frenetic energy. The slower tunes in the back end helped come down from that opening, I didn't like Of Course but the rest was mostly positive.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Wasn't sure what to expect, was thinking this would be like the Carpenter's going off of the album art. Mr. Soul is instantly recognizable, hippie music. The album seems a bit all over the place, lots of different styles and sounds throughout. Each song is very unique, they all definitely have the 70s vibe (though this was a late 60s album).
After reading some other reviews I can't believe I didn't realize this was Young and Stills pre-CSNY days.
Steve Earle
3/5
Yep that's honky-tonk alright.
Thundercat
2/5
This is a really weird album. It's a DJ set of samples it seems like, bunch of 30 second tracks that almost feel like his demo reel for other artists to pick up and use in their songs?
Randomly Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins out of nowhere, and then a Kendrick Lamar song in there. Clearly this guy has some connections in the industry.
It wasn't a bad listen, it was just kind of there. Not entirely sure what to make of this.
AC/DC
5/5
Great collection of AC/DC tunes, this album was a hit machine with only a couple of songs that I don't think made their way to the radio or pop culture in some form. Big return to form after the death of their first singer.
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
I hate this.
The Cure
2/5
It's hard not to be familiar with The Cure, and they do have some solid hits, but overall the sound of the band isn't something I'm too into. The music is a bummer. When I was a teenager and in my early 20s I was really leaning into my depression and would have let this music validate those feelings. Now I just don't care for it at all and I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to something like this.
One extra point for the drums.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Already knew this would get a 5 before the listen, just a fantastic album filled with a ton of classics. Great vibes throughout.
Various Artists
4/5
Like many people, I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas music and how you can't escape it in the holiday season.
With that said, this album was a pleasant surprise. I feel like I must have heard most of these versions in supermarkets or retailers, but it all sounded like brand new versions of songs I was familiar with and they were all produced very well. The amount of character and the "wall of sound" style really lends well here.
Darlene Love in particular was a standout, she killed it on each of her tracks. Would definitely make this my definitive Christmas album.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
This one needed some time to land with me. First impressions: More of the same, eighties wailing, New Wave, it does have some energy to it but still nothing outstanding.
Halloween and Monitor kicked things up and I got more of a Goth/Punky vibe from it, I do like that it's very guitar driven and not synth heavy. Still a very 80's sound overall which I've heard a bit too much of as I've worked through this list, but when it's good it's really good, just some duds in there that dragged it down a bit.
Haircut 100
4/5
I really don't know what to make of this, I thought the singer from Duran Duran maybe took a side gig to produce something more poppy at first? It's a unique sound, very plinky-plonky on the guitars and keys, and they have a couple of horns players which I always appreciate in a band. I liked this, just a nice listen that didn't go too hard but had nice vibes and positive energetic instrumentals to it.
Coldplay
5/5
While I'm not a fan of what Coldplay has become, there's a reason they got to be so huge and this album is an absolute masterpiece. It's moody, has great heart and emotion, it's so easy to get into this and every song is a banger. There's a huge run of hits but even the tunes that didn't become radio hits are all great, Politik is an excellent opener.
The band went on to lose the magic that made this album so fantastic, and their new tunes are all focus-group pop music to appeal to the masses. But despite the future that comes, this album stands on it's own and is worth five stars easily.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
As someone that doesn't listen to much rap, I'm pretty choosy on this genre. Part of it is that I can't identify with a lot of the content, and some of it is distaste for some of the ways it perpetuates and glorifies violence and gangsta lifestyle.
Biggie was an excellent rapper, the pure talent and flow are amazing, he can weave a story so well and you do get a sense of his upbringing and coming out of that life to stardom throughout this album.
For me what drags it down is a lot of the content though, the violence and gunshots, the music video where he blows away a bunch of guys from a balcony and it pans down to dead bodies, the juvenile skits and sex noises. I'm not a square but I just don't enjoy this, though as a teen I would have thought it was edgy and hilarious.
3 Stars from me, the talent is there and there are some bright spots in the album where he really gets into some great poetry, but it drags on too long and I just don't enjoy some of the content regardless of the talent behind it.
Elliott Smith
2/5
The name Elliott Smith is familiar but not sure where to place. Album cover would like like a pop-punk type.
On listening it's soft, acoustic tunes, very melancholy, kind of naval-gazing. This one is another pretty forgettable album, it just sort of went by and it was hard to notice because it was so soft. Definitely another one that I would have adored when I was heavy into depression. Otherwise not my cup of tea anymore and way too samey throughout.
ABBA
2/5
It's Abba, lots of ballads and songs you would hear in musicals. You should know what you're getting into here.
I find that for every song they came up with one catchy chorus line or piano riff and then wrote around that hook where they could repeat it as much as possible. It's so lacking in substance, but I think that's why Disco failed was this shallow repetition.
Also the music videos are all the same, there were 4 or 5 in the playlist on Youtube, and each one was "Let's do a short quick-burst closeup on the face of the person singing" "Ok now let's have one of you face the camera, and the other stand in front but face to the left" "Ok now we're just doing a closeup of whoever is singing". Every. Single. Time.
Minor Threat
4/5
There have been some stinkers for me this week so I'm excited to see this album pop up. I need some energy, and I've heard Minor Threat was a huge influence in the early punk scene in the US.
This didn't disappoint, it's a pretty short album with 9 songs that are around 2-3 minutes each. The album comes in fast and hard, and blasts by, this almost reminds me of early Thrash metal in a way with how the instruments and played.
The singer is yelling and swearing, and generally pissed off then you hear about the straight edge life and the lyrics of Cashing Out were awesome.
I had fun with this one, would definitely listen to it again.
Beatles
5/5
Would be hard not to give the Beatles a 5 on merit alone. Rubber Soul is a great album, this is the Beatles I enjoy where they're starting to get away from their early pop stylings and start evolving into their own musicians. Some great tunes in here, a bit more of an edge in their lyrics.
Drive my car, Nowhere Man are some great tunes.
That last song, yikes.
The Crusaders
3/5
Jazz album. The first track was probably the worst one, the singing wasn't doing it for me and it went on for 11 minutes. After that it settles into more instrumental jams that are about 5-6 minutes each, and they were all fairly pleasant. Not the intense quirky Jazz, more just good sax solos and jams. Overall liked this album but would probably skip song #1 next time.
Pink Floyd
4/5
As someone who has a lot of experience listening to Pink Floyd, I've never heard this album or any of it's songs so this is going to be really interesting.
This is waaaay different than what I'm used to from this band, their youth and inexperience really comes through but it does give a hint of the levels of experimentation and their ability to pave the way into new territory with music comes from. It definitely is something that I think would be very unappealing to a lot of people, and would be a hard listen. Regardless, to me this was pretty fun and a really interesting peek into the birth of what would become a massively influential band.
I also learned that the "Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies" super deep saying to teenagers came from this apparently?
MC Solaar
4/5
French hip-hop, wasn't sure what to expect going in but I dig it. Don't speak the language so most of the lyrics are going over my head but the guy seems to have a good flow and the beats are good. I liked this.
Ananda Shankar
4/5
Opening with an awesome Sitar solo over a sample of the Stones doing Jumping Jack Flash is not what I expected when I saw this album cover.
A few songs deep, looks like the whole (or most) of the album is going to be Sitar covers of Classic Rock hits. Really interesting take, I dig it.
ZZ Top
5/5
This is such a fun album, definitely more of a "pop" outing for ZZ Top than they're more bluesy stuff but it's a bop from front to back. Lots of classics in here, opening with Gimme All Your Lovin and just riding that wave through to the end.
Frank Ocean
3/5
It's young people music, usually I just can't get into albums like this. Guy has a good voice. Lofi R&B, throughout there are lots of very simple beats but sometimes it kicks up and there are more interesting tracks. Early in the album there seems to be a "tv channel" theme with some sound effects kicking in like the Playstation startup, and random ads or lines being heard but halfway through the album this disappears.
Overall there are some really good songs in here, a run in the middle that I really enjoyed, and going against the grain I think I liked the 9 minute song the most which usually isn't the case for me. But then there are some tunes that are just very slow and boring and I couldn't get into them. That inconsistency lands this album at a 3 for me.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
I don't really know how to classify this album. It's got an orchestral quality to it, and some very heavy crooning going on. The album does a good job setting expectations, it really is a short album about love, and there is some comedic elements to it.
Overall I couldn't get too into this, I didn't like the lyrics between the absurdist comedy lines and the very shallow concept of "love".
On the other hand, I liked the orchestral side, it was refreshing to hear something like this in a late 90's album. The arrangements were very pleasant and listening to just that without the lyrics I probably would have rated this higher.
The Pharcyde
2/5
Very much early 90s rap. The first half of the album is bad. I could tell these guys had good flow in the verses but the content was so offputting that I already made my mind up that this is getting a 1. Lots of references to sexual assault, misogyny, yo mama jokes, and just juvenile vulgarity. I have no problem with swearing, but not like this.
The back half of the album is an improvement, Officer and Pass Me By are both pretty good. They'll get an extra point for those tunes but without them this would be a 1 and I still have no desire to hear it ever again.
Muddy Waters
4/5
A great Blues standard, for a live album it sounds perfect like it could be a studio recording aside from the fact you can hear the crowd getting more and more excited throughout the performance, as well as the little audience interaction bits between songs. What's not to like?
Iggy Pop
4/5
Iggy has a unique voice, particularly for the time period that he was doing his thing. It's punk with a hint of Bowie. Big fan, enjoyed this album despite only really knowing the big hits. It's fairly brief too, doesn't overstay its welcome.
5/5
Pretty much THE Bowie album, the man has produced a lot of great music but this is his crowning achievement. A fun concept album, definitely worth a spot on this list, lots of great hits and none of the songs really drag here. Just a wacky guy singing about space.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Going in, not super thrilled as I haven't been a huge fan of Joni Mitchell. I don't recognize any songs on the tracklist so let's see if this one changes my mind.
Ok yeah, still not a fan. I did learn a quick formula for Joni Mitchell though.
Is she playing a guitar? It's going to be a bit more upbeat and half-decent.
Is she playing a piano? Prepare to be bummed out.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Really didn't enjoy the opening track, especially the squealing sax-solo portion which always gets a nails on the chalkboard kind of response from me. Seems like mediocre ballad-rock, trying to mimic a lot of other bands. I hear a bit of Bowie, I can hear some Floyd, but it's not very good. Just a band of hoopleheads I guess.
Suede
2/5
Oof, three stinkers in a row. The guitar in this album is pretty good, but it's another new wave Smiths/Cure copycat. Pretentious, whiny, bummer music.
Let's give me something more upbeat tomorrow, ok algorithm?
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
Fantastic album, my 2nd LCD Soundsystem listen on this list and I think this was a bit better than the first, though I also really enjoyed that one. Definitely a band I've been turned onto from this journey, you can tell that there's a perfectionism going into the music but then there's also this "imperfect" element added in mostly through the vocal stylings, but you can tell it's there on purpose. Added a few songs to the playlist from this one.
System Of A Down
4/5
Oh wow this is going to be fun, haven't listened to System since high school. I always loved Serj's voice in contrast to the heavy metal instrumentals, and their goofy ass lyrics as well as the political stuff they get into. I also remember being so proud of my little trivia tidbit that Serj was an opera singer before SOAD, hence his ridiculous ability to switch up vocal styles.
Turns out I still dig it, you can tell they really MEAN their political stances, it's not angsty teenagers this is a lived experience. The music bangs, it's loud, it's angry, and it kicks ass. Also, the squirrely dude isn't singing much on this one which is a plus, let Serj handle the vocals.
ABBA
3/5
Not thrilled to open up to an Abba album, but the tracklist on this one has no songs that I recognize.
It's definitely Abba, but something is just a bit different here. It might be the novelty that these aren't the singles that you hear all over the place, it seems more genuine, more mature, a bit more soulful instead of very basic disco/pop. Still nothing fantastic but it's a step up for this group.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
I feel basically the same way on this album as I did on the last Siouxsie and the Banshees album that came up on this list. I do appreciate the instrumentals, but the vocals are really grating to me and it's just not an enjoyable listen, it's uncomfortable to listen to but not in a good way.
I can appreciate that this came out in the 70s so it is veery ahead of its time. Aside from that just not for me.
Boards of Canada
4/5
I have no idea what I'm getting into here. The song titles are amazing though, very nostalgic to early education.
This is a really interesting lo-fi/ambient electronic album. I feel like the sampling may come out of those old-school education VHS videos you'd see in elementary school. It was good music to have on in the background and work to, the tracks did seem to loop for a very long time in some cases without much variation (or I just don't have an ear for it) but it was pleasant overall.
The La's
3/5
It's basically a British version of 5440, but then There She Goes comes out of nowhere in the middle. Pretty solid early 90s Alternative.
Aerosmith
3/5
I like Aerosmith well enough so was happy to see this was today's album. When it got going though I found I wasn't enjoying it too much. Very jangly guitars, the first 3 songs were all just not doing it for me. Walk This Way and Sweet Emotion are obviously great songs and was nice to have them in the list, 10 Inch Record is a weird ragtime tune with not at all subtle innuendo. I did like No More No More, and Round and Round. Very up and down album, just couldn't grab me but had some solid moments in there.
The Kinks
3/5
Was expecting a bit of a heavier album than what this turned out to be, when I think of the Kinks I think of "You Really Got Me" with the power chords. This album is much more of a 60's folk album and they're really channeling the Beatles.
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
Wow this album actually has 69 songs on it, this is going to be a long one.
"The book of love is long and boring" yeah no kidding so is this album. They really just wrote down the first idea they had and wrote a song on it, just very shallow and the effort was just to reach the number and not actually produce good music.
Song 25 Update: I'm losing my mind, how is there still over 40 left? This is just torture.
Song 45: I don't know if this is a joke or not, what's real? Am I sleeping, is this a nightmare from which I will never awaken?
Song 68: Holy shit, it's almost over. I almost have my life back. There is hope in this world, everything ends.
And it's over! I did it, I survived, life can continue! I did like "Fido, Your Leash is too long" for what it's worth.
Gillian Welch
2/5
Just kind of meh, it's a country crooner album. She's a singer-songwriter with a guitar. She's got some good lyrics and a good voice, so while it's well done it's very low-energy kind of depressing so not my jam.
Sade
2/5
Baby-makin' music. Smooth saxophone, Sade singing some smooth jazzy R&B. Pretty much everyone should know Smooth Operator, and the rest of the album is the same style so you know what you're getting into. Not really my thing but it was ok.
John Grant
3/5
This is such a bizarre album. The music video for Marz was hilarious. Drugs were definitely involved.
There are a few kind of absurdist comedy songs that I enjoyed and thought that was what the album was going to be, as it was frontloaded with these. Sigourney Weaver, Chicken Bones, Marz, TC and the Honeybear. It does get a bit more melancholy and serious in the back half and that's where it fell off for me. It was ok, and the guy writes some compelling lyrics, but the initial interest I had waned over time.
The lyrics about Winona Ryder and "that other guy" screwing up their accents in Dracula are comedy gold though.
The Lemonheads
5/5
I'm only about 5 songs in but this is the most 90s rock album I've ever heard in my life. If you asked a computer to make an amalgamation of all 90s rock bands this is what it would spit out. This is right up my alley, never heard of this band but really digging it and added a few songs to my playlist.
One thing I always do when a band I've never heard of comes up on this list is try and figure out which song is that one song that I've definitely heard before; super easy in this case.
Slipknot
3/5
Wait and Bleed is the only good song, mainly because the guy takes a break from screaming and actually has a decent voice. Fast and loud doesn't make something automatically good, but respect to the drummer.
The Kinks
3/5
My 2nd Kinks album on this list, the first one caught me off guard as it was much more folksy than I was expecting. This album continues that trend, it has a bit of a whimsical and psychedelic slant to the tunes. Didn't add anything to the playlist but it was a fine listen.
Beach House
4/5
Very chill summery music, this album seems to be all about vibes. I enjoyed it as background music, would definitely play this again.
Blur
4/5
Very eclectic mix on this album, it's got a lot of variety in the sounds but keeps the strong British vibes that Blur gives off. Enjoyed quite a few songs, some were just ok but overall good album and a fun listen.
Elbow
5/5
This is a brand new band for me, never heard of Elbow before. The first song didn't really grab me, but it quickly picked up and I got very entranced by the music, it's a very pleasant listen and I realized this band reminds me very much of what Coldplay could have become if they didn't go into the mainstream stadium rock path, it's very reminiscent of their early work.
In the reviews I see Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Coldplay, Dave Mathews, and Peter Gabriel come up frequently and I think the comparisons make sense. Good album, I could see myself picking this one up if I spot it in a shop. Grounds for Divorce is the standout but it's solid across the board.
Tom Waits
4/5
I'm fairly familiar with Tom Waits but I've never sat through one of his albums front to back, and I don't know how this will go since his music can be challenging at times.
Turns out it's not too bad, I think going in already knowing what was to come helped but I was able to get into it and really enjoyed his mad jazzy carnival. Tom's such a weird cat, I love it.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Don't Garfunkle me bro!
Ramones
4/5
I like the Ramones well enough and they have some good tunes, but they really seem to only have one sound. About halfway through it all just started blending into one song. They're really good at what they do, this would be great in a dancehall or to see live, lots of energy and punchy power-chords that they just keep hitting in every song. It's fun, what more can you ask?
David Bowie
4/5
3rd Bowie Album so far, and this one is quite different than the others I listened to as they were both very early in his career. This is a bit more "traditional", some funk, some glam. Golden Years is a bop, Stay was awesome too. The others I enjoyed, overall a good album, 6 long songs in there and each having something unique to offer.
Massive Attack
1/5
Oh cool a band named Massive Attack with a fire warning symbol from the early 90s, this will be a fun pop-punk or alt rock album!
NOPE, this is very slow lo-fi electronic R&B/Reggae/Hip-hop with some weak drum machine beats, Bri'ish rapping, or very high falsetto singing like they're trying to sound like Prince but doing a terrible job.
This would probably be a 2 if the branding of the album gave me a heads up of what to expect, but it's a 1 because I was excited for some 90s rock and then had to listen to whatever the hell this was.
Don McLean
3/5
Very folksy stuff. Melancholy acoustic or piano tunes. American Pie is obviously a great song, but the rest of the tunes were a bit of a drag. He sings with a lot of heart and has a pleasant voice, the music is well made, but it just wasn't really landing with me.
The Smiths
4/5
I pretty much only know "How Soon Is Now" from The Smiths, and I've heard the stories of how much of a sad sack Morrissey is. Based on that, I was pretty surprised with how energetic the first two songs were, Frankly Mr. Shankly even having some comedy to it. The Queen is Dead as an opener is pretty solid.
The album only has a couple of really "sad" tunes which are I Know It's Over, and Never Had No One Ever. Most of the album has some pep and hopefulness to it. It was a nice surprise, I enjoyed this more than I expected I would. Still wouldn't go out of my way to seek it out, but it was a nice listen.
Songs I enjoyed: The Queen is Dead, Cemetry Gates, Bigmouth Strikes Again
Lorde
2/5
I am Lorde. Ya ya ya.
On one hand I think she has a unique voice, she does that "cool girl" talk-singing thing in a lot of her songs. I'm not a woman in her 20s but I still enjoy it even though it feels very much music for that demographic. The songs are good overall.
On the other hand, reading other reviews I keep seeing the name Jack Antonoff come up and I'm realizing this is another pop singer churned out by the song-writing machine. Maybe I'm just old and crotchety but I just don't like that there's some small cabal of people writing songs and then giving them out to pop singers to perform. I think songwriting is an art and it always disappoints me to learn that an artist just gets handed the music by some person that also writes songs for all of the other Virgin Radio artists that play on repeat ad nauseum.
I'd normally give it 3 points for finding it ok but not quite my thing, but docking a point for my personal vendetta against the focus-group pop industry.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Let's get funky.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
This is an interesting album, lots going on but it didn't fully grab me.
Joan Armatrading sounds like if you had Cher's voice singing Joni Mitchell songs. You have a good mix here, some acoustic folk singer-songwriter type tunes, you have some operatic ballads, and you have some uptempo jazzy/funky numbers. Lots of variety in the instruments and styles from song to song. Overall well done, she seems to be a very good songwriter.
I liked Join the Boys in particular. People was good too, that was a good one-two punch on the album.
Alice Cooper
4/5
This album list has really taught me that my idea of what Alice Cooper is, was totally flawed. Between School's Out and this album, you really see the flair he has for theatrics and kind of a "burlesque show" vibe to his albums. It's Rock and Roll but has that stage show feel, less so on this album than it did with School's Out, but still there.
I enjoyed this one, some more of his classics were on the list with Hello Hooray, Elected, Billion Dollar Babies, and No More Mister Nice Guy. Solid album all around.
Tom Waits
5/5
Tom Waits is such a crazy cat that I genuinely can't be certain whether there is a real audience or if it's a recording of an audience throughout the album.
I'm about halfway through at this point and I'm enjoying it, it's very jazzy, spoken-word with "intros" to every song that are basically as long as the songs themselves and just Tom rambling about drinking, life, women, the weather, breakfast foods, drinking bleach, and whatever else comes to mind.
I love this.
The Kinks
3/5
On my 3rd album by The Kinks we rejoin them as they continue their quest to manifest the Beatles. This is an album of the goofy 60s "boopy boopy I'm a mushroom man, I will wear this silly hat doo doo doo" type music. Lots of that British silliness, jaunty tunes, well made but feels like they're aping the Beatles so hard it's just impossible not to notice.
Tin Soldier Man sounds exactly like Yellow Submarine.
Love Me Til the Sun Shines is a solid tune. Waterloo Sunset is pretty good too. Added both to the playlist.
Overall, competently made but it's been done better.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Alien Ant Farm did it better.
Decent pop album, you pretty much know what you're getting here and it's stuffed with some major hits.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Solid funk / proto-rap album. 7 songs and each is unique, a bit up and down.
Enjoyed She's Fresh, It's a Shame, and The Message. The others were ok.
Korn
1/5
I had Slipknot earlier in this list and I ended up enjoying it; so I went into this with an open mind. It's awful, they try so hard to be edgy but I'm not buying it, just a bunch of try-hards acting like they're hard. Dropping some slurs in All in the Family totally lost any lingering respect I might have had for the fact that they can make chords happen on their instruments. I'd give this a 0 if I could. Garbage.
Sigur Rós
4/5
Ritualistic Space Yodeling
Radiohead
4/5
First Radiohead album to pop up on this list, and it's one from 2007 which is a bit of a surprise. Don't recognize any song titles but let's see how this goes, as I really have enjoyed their major albums that I do expect will show up as I work through this.
This album *feels* like Radiohead, but it also seems watered down and definitely not as impactful as something like OK Computer, or Kid A. Mostly Thom Yorke wailing along to some lofi instrumentals. It's ok, but hard to grasp why this is on the list.
If I'm rating this as a Radiohead album, probably a 3. On its own merits though it's at least a 4
Public Enemy
4/5
This is a solid old-school rap album, great flow, great beats, the "skits" are all pretty funny and there aren't too many of them. Very focused on racial themes among different systems like hollywood, policing, government, and society as a whole. Great album, it's a long one at 20 tracks, but didn't feel like it.
Chuck D has excellent delivery and lyrics. Flava Flav is up and down, luckily he's not as prevalent on the album. Can't do nuttin for ya, man! was probably the lowest point of the album, but there was a lot to like in here. So much of the message is still relevant 30 years later; which is depressing to think about.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
RHCP is a polarizing band, they are all over the place and have a massive repertoire of singles that you'll hear on the radio. Haven't listened to this album through but it is absolutely stacked with hits, and they're all solid. The guitarist John Frusciante has a history in and out of the band, this is his first album back after a long hiatus, and this summer (2022) he's returning again to the band for a tour. I'm seeing them live for the first time so excited for that and this album helped me get in the mood.
Kiedis is the weakest link, but also the band doesn't work without him. All of the pieces fit together well, and this particular lineup has a great synergy in their instrumentals. This album slaps, the b-sides are mostly good, not great. Porcelain is probably the lowest point in the album, it's kind of whiplash to go into something so slow after nonstop high-energy bangers, and then it's right back to it afterwards.
10cc
3/5
This is such a hard one to review. I'll start with the album art, which I almost never comment on, but I really love what they've done with it.
As far as the music, it's all over the place. It feels like a lot of the melodies are borrowed and relatively simplistic, not that everything needs to be super original or complex, and it serves the purpose here. The constant changes in genre/tone even within songs make it really hard to settle in and get comfortable. The lyrics are pretty funny at times, they do get serious on occasion and I think they should have leaned more into the comedy.
Overall it's alright, don't think I'd go out of my way to listen to it again but it was interesting and kind of funny.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
A name I've heard, but know nothing about. Assumed this would be a jazz album based on the cover.
This was an interesting one, he's very clearly a talented songwriter, the arrangements had a lot going on and it was nice to listen to. It's mellow, his voice is very pleasant, but if you're really paying attention there's a lot to pick up on.
The song titles are killing me, also clearly has a sense of humor.
Overall enjoyed this, really unique.
Nirvana
5/5
Not much to be said, iconic album. Bangers front to back.
Judas Priest
4/5
Just a solid early metal album, really feels like Iron Maiden took a ton of inspiration from Priest. Definitely enjoyed this one, the two singles Living After Midnight and Breaking the Law were alright but almost enjoyed the deeper cuts better.
Overall this album really feels like the foundation that so much metal, thrash, and rock through the late 80s and 90s built off of. You can see how they do so many things that later bands would pick up on, and improve on. What Judas Priest creates here really is just so solid, and maybe seems more simple because of what came after, but it might be one of the most truly influential albums I've heard so far in terms of being able to hear the legacy they left through memories of other bands I've had close connections to growing up.
Orbital
3/5
The opening is a bit rough, song one and the first minute of song two are just spoken bits with a computerized voice. The voice is just repeating a phrase over and over again too, so there's nothing there but hearing a line. This happens again later in the album too.
When the music is actually playing, it's very good ambient electronic and I liked having it on while I worked. Song 1, and the very end of Song 2 are jarring and take away from the quality of the album.
Lush 3-1,Lush 3-2, and Monday are highlights.
I'm on the fence on rating this one. How they decided to have the opening and closing tracks be this annoying, lazy, no-effort put a sentence on a loop thing boggles my mind. Everything in the middle is pretty solid, and you have some great music in there but the album has decided to piss you off at the start and risk you turning it off before getting to the music, or you actually listen to it and then it pisses you off at the end and kills the vibe you just built. I'll rate it 3, I really enjoyed the actual music on this album, they're lucky I'm not in a bad mood or this would be a 1 or 2 just for having those asinine first and last tracks.
Aerosmith
4/5
I flip-flop on my opinion of Aerosmith, I think they have some amazing songs and then some serious duds. This album hits that sweet spot where they're rocking but not too cheesy. Definitely a strong showing from the band.
The Riff in Monkey on my Back reminds me of Giving a Dog a Bone by AC/DC.
Fela Kuti
4/5
African jazz album, played live. I like the song intros from Fela ahead of the songs, simple introducing the title and briefly the meaning. Ginger Baker joins for the B-side, after touring Africa to learn about African drumming styles with Fela prior to this recording. Fun album, the songs are lengthy and overall it feels like a long jam session.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Very Bowie-esque showing from Iggy. Not very punk in this one, but more dramatic tunes that make you feel like you're in the big city late at night. It was good, nice to see another side to his music.
Talking Heads
4/5
The thing about Talking Heads is that it's just always a fun listen. I think in my younger days I would have hated it, but now I'm always happy to hear David Byrne being a total weirdo. This was a fun album, with good funky bass and guitar rhythms to David's unusual delivery.
KISS
2/5
Style over substance, mediocre rock in elaborate costumes.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
4/5
Opens with a group of songs based around Love, and they're all pretty good. Where You Love gets a little grating to the end with the screaming, but then kicks into the next tune and picks things back up. I should have realized Who Do You Love is a cover, I only know the Thorogood version.
After the Love set, we get into "some Rock" as the frontman puts it. It definitely turns away from the bluesy-ness and leans into the psychedelic guitar with the next few songs. Calvary is looooong, I don't know that it needs to go as long as it does.
Overall, was excited when the album started as I'm into this type of music, but Calvary was the point I was ready for it to end. Still lots of good in here so it's getting 4 stars, but I think if it was a bit shorter it would have been a 5.
Johnny Cash
5/5
It's Johnny so it's getting a 5.
While I'm not usually one for the sadder music, this album is very beautiful and knowing that it was after the death of his wife you can feel the emotion coming through. A great epilogue, from one of the all time greats.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Very slow/sad crooner album. Seems to channel a bit of Thom Yorke in his voice. I've heard his version of Hallelujah before. Overall not my thing but it was ok for what it was.
The Who
3/5
Was excited for The Who, and the album was alright but didn't quite live up to my expectations. I added I Can See For Miles and Odorono to the playlist. I liked the concept, the cover art and the vignettes were funny but a lot of the songs just weren't really doing it for me.
Violent Femmes
4/5
One of those bands that you'll instantly recognize on the opener. West coast pop-punk, the bass is the standout on the album. This was a fun listen.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Shouty girl punk with a Saxamophone. Good shit.
Kraftwerk
4/5
So very Euro beats. Love the German robot voice just saying the song title occasionally in a few. Definitely impressive for the time it came out, and has since been really expanded on.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
It's hard to listen to Stevie and not feel good. His voice is one of the best and the message in his music is so positive, even when it's a slower tune you still need to move along with it. Incredible artist, and this was great to peek into his lesser known stuff.
Brian Wilson
4/5
I've always heard comparisons between the evolution of the Beach Boys to that of the Beatles, but never really dove into their discography to find out why since the singles I knew I wasn't super into. This album really illuminated those comparisons, and taking those hits and really building on the musicality of it while making each song flow into the next shows how strong Brian Wilson is with crafting a piece of music.
Really enjoyed this and opened my eyes to the band, can't wait for more of their albums to show up on this project.
Elvis Presley
2/5
So I listened to an album called Elvis (1956) on YouTube, and after perusing the reviews I've found out that what I listened to was not at all this album as it did not have any of the songs mentioned by others here. Luckily I already know most of those so I'm not going to listen to another one, you hear one Elvis album you've heard them all.
He has three styles, the uptempo rockabilly, the blues, and the love (or gospel) croon. Very formulaic, he has a nice voice but he's also the original "manufactured" pop star. He's given all of songs and a career, and in no control of his life or music. Just playing the three types of songs and they all sound the same, can't get into it.
Also, my Elvis is Fat Elvis.
2 stars
Queen
4/5
Another interesting Queen album on the list, this is the 3rd I've come across so far and once again it's got no singles I'm familiar with.
I enjoyed this, really leans into their signature guitar sound and applies the fast dynamic instrumentals into fantastical lyrics about ogres and fairies. The album flows nicely with songs leading straight into one another and had a consistent theme throughout.
Overall a good listen.
M.I.A.
4/5
I was surprised by this one, I've heard Paper Planes a lot and assumed it would be a British gangsta rap kind of album. Luckily the album is nothing like that song, and it's actually probably the lowest point when it does show up. The rest of the album has great drum beats, dance/club style music with interesting layers and vocals. Pleasantly surprised.
Neil Young
5/5
Love me some Neil, but not on Spotify anymore!
Good album, Neil's in his Rock mode here and not as folksy, revolution blues has a nice growl in his voice that I feel he doesn't use enough.
Good album, liked the attitude he was giving off throughout and lots of new songs that I hadn't heard and would have added to the playlist if I could have.
First thought: Never heard of these guys
Second thought: That sounds a hell of a lot like Rod Stewart.
Third Thought: Oh no, this guy sounds totally different on song 2 I must have imaged it
Stay with Me is a banger, it's cute that Rod lets the other guy sing every other song, though you'd think he'd be more focused on putting out a good album. Seems like Rod's songs are all awesome, and this other dude is just dragging things down a bit.
Was originally planning to give this a 3, but the last batch of tracks from Stay With Me onwards was pretty solid so I'll bump it to a 4.
Elliott Smith
3/5
Was not a fan of the last Elliott Smith album that came up, just super bummer music.
With that, I was pleasantly surprised when Son of Sam started up with some upbeat guitar. Still an emo album but there's more energy in the instrumentals and he's projecting his voice more too so wasn't as bad as the last go around.
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
I really need to stop judging a book by its cover. This band looks terrible by all accounts and I was ready to hit the 1, maaaybe 2 star button.
Boy was I wrong, this wasn't 80s synth heavy glam, but a rock album through and through. Fast guitars, driving drums, a singer that can belt, this was a fun listen to aside from one or two songs that didn't land. Hanoi Rocks sounds like what Kiss looks like.
Goldfrapp
3/5
It's interesting to get repeat artists on here, but experience something completely different between albums.
The first goldfrapp album I got was very instrumental, and went into some interesting places. This album seems to be a bit more generic, lady singing over some electronic music. It was ok, very average. They should have kept doing the more creative work like the previous album.
Steely Dan
5/5
Peak easy listening
Eminem
3/5
I really thought I'd enjoy this more than I did, I like a lot of Eminem but this just wasn't doing it. His flow and lyrics are strong, but it was too juvenile for me.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
I've had several jazz albums come up now, some Afro-Cuban jazz, and smooth jazz specifically. This is the first real straight jazz album and the one thing this project has done is really given me an insight into this genre that I've never really paid any attention to.
This album was very nice, I had it on as I did some work and it set a good vibe of being in the small intimate setting where a live band was playing. I can see myself getting more into this music over time.
Metallica
5/5
This is a classic for me, it's not Metallica's best but still a solid album and it's the reason I learned guitar. One was the first tab I learned, starting with just the opening and eventually getting through all of the solos and the song front to back. Definitely would like to hear the version that still has the Bass track audible, but otherwise a big fan of this one and will give it 5 just for the personal impact it had on me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Nick Cave is a name I've heard a lot and I've never heard a single song. I also saw just last weekend, he lost his 2nd son which is very tragic.
Going in I had no idea what to expect, but I was thinking it would be kind of an Indie/Alternative type album. He's more of a crooner, with a strong backing band in the Bad Seeds. The cacaphony of sound that comes up in quite a few songs, aggressive instrumentals behind a baritone voice, it all comes together really well. I really liked this, I didn't add anything to the playlist since it's a bit intense but I would definitely revisit and check more of his discography.
Nas
3/5
I went into this having heard how amazing Nas is from people that listen to a lot of hip hop, and then seeing the reviews in here describing this as the absolute best rap album of all time.
That was a mistake. If I went into this without all of the hype I might have enjoyed it more, instead I heard what sounded like so many other rap albums. The beats, the flow, and the content of the lyrics all just sounded the same as what I've heard elsewhere. I expected something incredible and I got normal. It was good, I liked it, but I don't see why this was mind-blowing for so many.
New Order
4/5
Of all the 80s New Wave thats come up on this list, this is the first album I've enjoyed. It starts strong with a very upbeat tune and keeps the energy going for most of the album. A couple of songs didn't catch my interest as well as the first ones, and there's some moments in the album where the singers voice just gives out, but overall this was a fun album that I'd definitely listen to again.
Also after it finished Spotify played the love triangle song and it all clicked.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Willie Nelson just seems like such a friendly and interesting guy, he'd smoke a joint with you and really go out of his way to get to know you.
This was a really nice album, a collection of oldies covers, big band, jazz, but Willie puts his stamp on it and you have these beautiful acoustic renditions with some fantastic understated guitar work and his trademark voice with a bit more crooning going on.
This was such a nice listen, and didn't overstay it's welcome at under 40 minutes.
Wilco
4/5
Wilco is apparently a very popular band, but they've somehow eluded me. My stepfather loves them, so I've heard a few songs but never sat for an album.
Overall I really liked this listen and added a lot of songs to my playlist. There were 2 or 3 songs I didn't really care for, they got a bit too depressing and trying for a Radiohead-lite sound, but aside from those the other more upbeat traditional alt rock tunes were great. Would definitely explore some more albums in the future.
Suicide
1/5
Opening riff sounded really promising, hard-driving beat with lots of heavy distortion. Unfortunately that doesn't set the correct tone for what's to come, you're going to get some weird goth/artsy singing with proto-industrial electronic beats in the background.
Was prepared to give this a 2 after the first couple of songs, not my thing but I liked the beats and for being ahead of it's time. Then "Girl" and "Frankie Teardrop" happened. Utter garbage, making weird orgasm noises and then the next song just saying "this guy killed a baby and his wife" then screaming for 7 minutes. Waste of time, if you're reading reviews before starting just skip this one, it's that bad.
Steely Dan
4/5
Accessible is the word that comes to mind with this album. It's smooth easy listening and if you're just playing it in the background it will be decent inoffensive dad rock. But, it also rewards really paying attention and then you pick up on the variety in instrumentation, harmonies, and the melodies changing throughout the songs.
Overall a short snappy album that does what it does well.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Sheryl has a nice voice and you probably have to have been living under a rock not to know her hits. The upbeat poppy tunes are fun and easy to listen to, but the sad and slow tunes are a miss for me. Overall it was alright, I liked the opening tracks and All I Wanna Do is a good tune, otherwise fairly unremarkable singer-songwriter fare.
Beth Orton
3/5
It's singer-songwriter week for my algorithm apparently!
Not familiar with Beth Orton, but she writes pleasant songs that have a very mournful quality. They're meloncholy but it's not bumming me out to listen. They are long however, lots of 5-7 minute tunes which maybe could be shaved down a bit.
I've spent the entire album trying to figure out who she sounds like, her voice is so familiar but I can't figure out who it is.
Pink Floyd
5/5
There is no band quite like Pink Floyd, their ability to craft a piece of music that can resonate emotionally is unmatched. This album, being a tribute to Syd Barrett, could have been something very dark and miserable, but instead you can feel the fondness in his memory, mixed in with their sadness and grief, in the tracks.
Shine on you crazy diamond manages to make four simple notes carry such weight. There is obviously a lot happening instrumentally, but those four notes are what I always remember about the song, and how powerful they feel among everything else happening. Two long bookends to the album, but this song (and the whole album really) are something that require really stopping everything and just living in the music, giving it your full attention. It's a masterpiece.
Welcome to the Machine, and Have a Cigar are very different tracks, both about the music industry, and each are great in their own way. You can feel the sleaze in Have a Cigar, while Welcome to the Machine focuses on the clinical churn of capitalism.
Finally we have the title track, the most well-known out of those on this album, and a personal favorite of mine. It's so satisfying to play the intro on guitar, and there is so much joy and nostalgia in the sound.
Easy 5 stars, definitely belongs on this list. This is an album I'll always go back to and enjoy for the rest of my life.
The Sonics
4/5
For 1965 these guys rocked hard, was expecting something a bit more Beatles-esque based on the album cover.
Lots of old standbys in here, recognized almost all of the songs but unsure if the Sonics are covering or if these are the originals. I suspect it's mostly covers.
Overall good. It's loud, fast, upbeat and has more attitude than anything you'd find from that era.
Lou Reed
3/5
Interesting album, some well known tunes with Perfect Day and Walk on the Wild Side. Lou Reed has a unique vibe, some of the songs got a bit goofy but overall it was a fun listen.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Liked the first few songs, the mandolin and harmonies sound nice and I think they have a guy playing the jug.
After that though I started checking how many songs are left, it was getting very samey and I was ready for it to end.
Death In Vegas
4/5
Went into this one blind, album cover really didn't give me much in terms of what to expect. Turns out to be a pretty solid heavy electronic album, really enjoyed the beats on this one was some great background music. The lyrics in some of the songs would normally be pretty cringey, but somehow in this case they made it work and it wasn't too bad. Definitely would listen again or check out some of their other works.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Very different album from the Beach Boys, lots of haunting songs with a focus on political themes. Really enjoyed the album, Surf's Up itself is an amazing tune and enjoyed almost all of the songs with maybe one or two exceptions.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
I always have a really hard time reviewing the hip hop albums on this list. I can't relate to the content, and I always get put off if it's the excessive guns, drugs, women, money type of bravado. I can appreciate black culture and so I always try to keep that lens in mind when listening.
So far, 243 albums deep into this journey I've had a lot of hip hop albums and I'll say To Pimp a Butterfly would be among the best that I've heard. I still struggle with some of the lyrical content but Kendrick puts so much energy into his performance, and the production is stellar. There is a lot going on, many musical influences throughout, and the musicality of it all is excellent. The political message hasn't changed, still covering the same topics because sadly things haven't changed. Overall enjoyed listening, though don't know that I'd go out of my way to listen again.
Blondie
3/5
Thought this album started strong, but about 3 or 4 songs in it really fell off for me. Still, not bad; it's a serviceable rock album.
The xx
4/5
I'm a little familiar with the XX, first heard Islands on a music based video game and then one or two radio singles that came later. Overall liked their vibe, very lofi minimalist but they have nice voices and put together some catchy little riffs.
Nice chill album in the background, they are a bit mumbly in their singing so don't catch much of the lyrics unless you're really focusing. Don't mind though, added Intro, Crystallized, and Islands to the playlist.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Some artists on this list people will say (myself included) that they were ahead of their time and the music sounds like it should be from a decade or generation later. Tim Buckley isn't that, his sound is behind his time seeming like be belongs in a royal court in the 1300s. Or his lyrics and themes around Vietnam are on time, since that was happening at the time. So he's on time lyrically and way behind with his sound.
That said, it was still a nice album. Good singer-songwriter folk with psychedelic aspects, poetic lyrics, and a wide variety in the instrumentals between songs hearing a sitar in one and really big sweeping orchestral backing in the title track.
Speaking of the title track, it's too long and just completely changes multiple times throughout. Wasn't a fan I think that was the lowest point.
Overall decent album, I can see why it's on the list. Probably wouldn't listen again.
The Style Council
2/5
This was a confusing album. I didn't mind the first half, the ragtime instrumental opener, the jazzy lounge act songs that would be right at home in a Gotham City mob den. Then utter whiplash as they go into rap, followed by 80s cocaine keyboard dance music.
First half was decent, but you lost me on the b side. Don't think it belongs on the list.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Well, I learned a little something about making assumptions today. With the cover and the title, my mind went straight to "Cuban jazz album". First, it wasn't Cuban but a Brazilian pair of artists I later learned. Also, get this, other parts of the world can have more than one genre of music! It's not jazz at all but a South American-style psychedelic rock album (with some jazzy elements at times maybe).
Overall I liked the album, had some great sounds and riffs. It's quite lengthy, but nothing wrong with that and the songs themselves didn't overstay their welcome.
Lastly, looking back at the cover art part of me wonders if this is the two artists as childhood friends. Not sure, and I don't want to go looking to find out but that will be what I believe it is.
Jeff Beck
4/5
Super bluesy, lots of wa-wa pedal, and a voice like Rod Stewart giving it his all. This was a fun, punchy album that didn't overstay its welcome.
Ok after reading reviews, that actually was Rod Stewart and there were collabs with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Ronnie Wood. Holy smokes what a lineup. Beck is an insane guitarist and apparently makes the right friends.
Fugees
4/5
This is the week of solid hip-hop for me, and this one was so close to a 5. I really liked the beats, and Lauryn Hill is an incredible rapper and vocalist. It loses a point for the skits and the outros that take you out of each song where they're suddenly at a party talking. Just let the music stand out on its own, but it's a product of its time I guess. Lots of great jams on here aside from the filler.
JAY Z
3/5
Hip-hop week continues, and this is the weakest of the bunch. I've heard plenty of Jay-Z, I think he's fine but his rap is exactly the kind I'm not into. All he's talking about is himself, how much money he has, how tough he is, how many women he gets and treats like garbage. Pure bravado, no art. Points because it's competently made but not something I would ever seek out.
Tito Puente
4/5
Very classic Mambo album, lots of songs that sound very familiar either just because of the nature of the genre, or because I've actually heard them. Couldn't tell you which. What I can tell you is the only reason I recognize the name Tito Puente is because of the Simpsons.
Overall good, a fun energetic listen that would make solid background tunes in the right setting.
Black Sabbath
4/5
First time Black Sabbath has shown up on this list, and it's their debut album.
The opening track sets a great tone of what to expect in their sound. The two songs I know from this album are The Wizard and NIB, and both are still great. Listening to this reminded me my playlist has no Sabbath on it so I remedied that and added quite a few. Definitely holds up, Ozzy's a bit of a nut but he makes some great music and this album really holds up, love the guitars on this album. Lowest point is the album, the song has some great guitar solos but it's all a bit directionless and just goes on for way too long, I was ready to give 5 stars but that lost one for me.
Metallica
5/5
An album I'm quite familiar with from my early teen years when I was obsessed with Metallica. Memories of this album are how I thought it was so cool to mix metal with a full symphony, and that No Leaf Clover was a great addition to the discography.
Now, revisiting this album my initial thought is on the amount of ego that must go into deciding to do something like this. We're such a huge band and everyone loves us, so let's hire a whole orchestra and put on a show. It's a ballsy move, you better really be that good to back it up.
The album opens with two instrumental tracks, so right away the orchestra gets to shine as they back up the band. Finally on track three we get Master of Puppets which is obviously one of their massive hits, and right away we get James letting the audience sing half the song. This is an experience and it makes you really appreciate how cool it would have been to be part of that audience.
It's a long album, 20 tracks and lots of them are 8+ minutes, this is a recording of a live show so that makes sense, and effectively it plays like a Metallica Greatest Hits album that adds the orchestra to make it something new entirely. I don't know that many bands could have pulled off a move like this, but damn if Metallica didn't knock this out of the park.
Now if only Cypress Hill would record an album with the London Symphony Orchestra, possibly while high...
ZZ Top
3/5
Nice to have a shorter album after a streak of pretty long ones recently. Overall a decent showing from ZZ Top, really only know La Grange from this album. The other tunes were alright, nothing spectacular but decent blues and rock.
Tori Amos
4/5
Fits right into the 90s female singer-songwriter scene. Tori Amos is a name I know, but I couldn't name a song unlike Sarah McLaughlin, Lisa Loeb, or several others from that era.
Overall a well-made album though not my type of music. I liked the haunting piano tones and the layers within the instruments that give it a bit of a psychedelic slant.
Going to try to rate this objectively, I can see a lot of talent in her voice, songwriting, and in the piano playing so I'll give a 4 despite my personal enjoyment of the music or connection to it.
a-ha
3/5
There's been a lot of albums from the 80s on this list, but this might be the most 80s of them all. You got the drum machine, the synths, and the voice. I think the synth is the most interesting work, some very elaborate beats going on.
Chicago
4/5
Really enjoyed this album, everything comes through very strong between the brass section, the guitars, and the vocals they all get their time to really step into the spotlight. You have some solid Rock, but it's backed with all kinds of genres weaving in between Jazz, Funk, and even some psychadelia. Lost a point for Free Form Guitar, that could have been cut otherwise definitely an album I would add to my collection.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Very early Leonard Cohen, few times he's cropped up on the list now but this one you can really hear how young he is. Very poetic acoustic album, reminiscent of Dylan's writing style but with a nicer voice. Overall not my sort of thing, but I can appreciate the artistry.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Love me some CCR, never disappointed when one of their tunes come up. This was a fun album, Fogerty and crew doing what they do best. There's something so accessible about their music, it fits in sitting quiet and relaxing but also on a road trip, or at a party or the bar. For the small time this band was together they really put out some great music and Green River is a solid sampling of what they can do.
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
After I wrote my last exam in University and was officially finished school, I was driving to my hometown and Take Me Out came on the radio, a song I already loved, and I just started jamming out hard in my car. Apparently I was dancing enough for people to notice and some folks in a truck passing by started dancing too. That's my story about this album.
Anyways, love Franz Ferdinand, there's something about their guitar riffs that I just love. They have some great hooks and this album is full of bangers. Take Me Out, Tell Her Tonite, Auf Achse, This Fire,
The Dictators
2/5
This was a strange album, not sure why it's on the list. To me it was 80s frat rock, an ode to beer, parties, cars, and girls. The singer gave me a bit of Kim Mitchell meets Kiss and i can't tell if it's tongue in cheek or not. They have balls for having a track called Go Back to Africa followed by Master Race, I really hope that was a joke.
Bob Dylan
4/5
This is heavier bluesy Dylan album, not the usual folk music you might expect. I know he got a lot of flak when he added The Band and went electric but I like the heavier side of his music which is still quite tame. This album being 1997 is much later than that controversy of course, but this style of Dylan may upset the same crowd. Old man voice is much better on record than live. Good showing from ol' Bob, I liked this one quite a bit.
Röyksopp
3/5
I have some personal biases against Electronic music, I can enjoy it greatly but I just prefer to know something was played live with instruments rather than assembled and hit play.
But old man opinions aside, this is a nice ambient lo-fi album. Nothing too exciting, I recognized Remind Me because it was played in a commercial that I can't remember, otherwise just some simple beats to put on in the background while you do some mindless repetitive work or studying.
Gang Of Four
4/5
Early punk kind of reminiscent of the Ramones with the bouncy guitar riffs. I think this might be the band that does the theme song for the show Misfits but I could be wrong. Good album, fun listen and energetic, would be great driving music.
The Beach Boys
5/5
The seminal Beach Boys album, I've never heard it front to back but so many references to it from anyone talking about the band, I knew it would show up on this list eventually. Didn't disappoint, you can feel the band transition from pop/surf music to something more. You still have the harmonizing the band is known for, but it's more of a psychadelic tone. Great album, definitely would listen to again.
The Clash
4/5
I'm not a huge fan of the radio singles that are so overplayed these days, London Calling and Rock the Casbah looking at you. This album was a great listen though, it's pure punk aside from Police and Thieves where you see some genre bending happening and that was a good cover. Great punchy album, Strummer is the quintessential punk vocalist and they really put it all out these on this album. Fav songs were Deny, White Riot, 48 Hours, Janie Jones. Lots of solid tunes really, none that I didn't like.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I'm a bit disappointed to have not enjoyed this as much as I expected I would. I do enjoy Stevie Wonder, his voice is among the best and he sings so effortlessly and so perfectly. Superstition is a banger, and I really liked Big Brother off of this album as well. Aside from that though, I started to feel early on that the tone of the synth sounded like a Sega Genesis game soundtrack, and once I heard it I couldn't unhear it. Stevie is an excellent artist, absolutely deserves the success he saw and I wish I enjoyed this more than I did.
The Byrds
3/5
Very much a psychadelic-folk album, pretty much what I expected from the Byrds. When they stick to the basics it's pretty good, but there are some low points in this album that take me out of it. First is the moments they try to get experimental with the instruments like the biggest offender CTA-102; on one hand good for them for trying these things in the 60s, definitely very progressive but it just doesn't really land well. Mind Gardens is also trying a bit too hard. Enjoyed quite a few of the more 'standard' tunes on the album though.
Jane Weaver
3/5
I wasn't very keen on this for the first few tracks, it took some time to pull me in. Initial reaction is she sings a lot of sustained notes, over an electronic beat and it's all a bit samey. As the album went on though, I was drawn in and started listening more closely, and I must say there is some excellent layering to the sounds here and it really rewards taking the time to pay attention. I don't know that I agree that it belongs on the 1001 list; but it was a nice album that I ended up enjoying once I gave it a chance.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Generally not my type of music but damn if Willie isn't incredibly talented. The closing track on this album was beautiful, just the piano and harmonica. The piano was really a standout the whole way through. The album tells a great story, and Willie is a master at his craft. Probably the only 5 star country album I'll have this list, but if any deserves it this is the one.
Foo Fighters
5/5
Dave Grohl's solo debut that would later become the Foo Fighters, pretty wild what this album turned into. While there's a bit of a lack of polish it's pretty incredible that he whipped this together in such a short timespan, and that he's created some serious bangers while also reeling from the grief of Kurt's passing. Objectively I'd probably give this a 4, but Foo Fighters were the best concert I've been to and I'm biased so it's a 5 for me. Love the way Dave just smashes those drums, nobody hits em like he does.
Prince
4/5
I've always had a hard time getting into Prince, and felt the man himself was what people liked as I didn't find the music (mostly the big singles) to be that outstanding. Listening to Sign o the times I definitely gained much more of an appreciation for his musical style. I wasn't familiar with any of the tracks on this double album but it flowed very well, had a great sense of funk and soul and it pulled me in the longer it went.
Kanye West
4/5
"Too many Urkels on your team, that's why your Winslow"
As someone who never goes out of their way to listen to Kanye, it's a testament to how prolific his music is that I've heard almost every song from this album. Not a fan of the man but I will give credit that his songwriting skills are excellent and this album is loaded with some absolute bangers. Dark Fantasy, Gorgeous, Power, All of the Lights, Runaway, Devil in a New Dress. Dammit I'm going to give Kanye a 5 aren't I?
Didn't like: Monster, So Appalled, Hell of a Life, Blame Game...ok there's enough here to shave off a star.
Some other notes:
The lineup on Monster is hilarious, Kanye, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj.....and then Bon Iver.
That "HHEEHH" sound he makes is like nails on a chalkboard.
Os Mutantes
4/5
This is an interesting album, psychadelic rock mixed with Latin music and instruments. It's nice when something unfamiliar comes up on this list, and this album is something I definitely never would have come across if not for doing this. Very unique, and an interesting listen but not something I would put on repeat.
Anthrax
3/5
My knowledge of Anthrax comes from a Beavis & Butthead cassette I had growing up, they have a skit and then play a song (Looking down the barrel of a gun).
Thrash album, fast guitars and drums. I don't think there's anything too inventive here, feel like it's been done a lot better by other groups but it was fine. Overall it's competently made, I do like that they reference Steven King and Judge Dredd, but just lacking in something.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
I think if you choose to listen to the "best-of" version you're really not missing much. 59 songs is just too much, and not necessary to convey the feeling of the album which ends up all blending together with the length that it takes.
Ella has a great voice, there's no question there, but these old-time music standby's that you've heard plenty of times just aren't that interesting to me musically. It was on the background, it was pleasant enough, but didn't strike up any strong feelings or enjoyment it was just sort of there.
The B-52's
4/5
B52s are an interesting band, the guy's voice is so distinctive and aside from that seems like a kind of spacey go-go music. I waffled between a 3 and a 4 listening to it, there are definitely some low points but damn if a lot of it isn't super catchy. It's kooky, camp, kitchsy, just so out there and unique that it definitely deserves a spot in this list.
The Prodigy
4/5
Breathe is a banger and is the opener to one of the greatest 90's compilation albums of all time - Big Shiny Tunes 2.
Quite a few hits on this album, and it's a solid Industrial Drum n Bass album. Lots of driving beats, very Bri'ish accents, some good hooks on a lot of the tunes. A bit repetitive at times, but a solid album and good music to work to.
Tim Buckley
2/5
These songs are loooooong. He's definitely really leaning into his voice in this album, lots of long drawn out words and pitch changes, very slow crooning style to very mellow instrumentals. It's ok, talent is there but I'm a bit bored by it all.
Pixies
5/5
Always happy to see the Pixies show up, and wasn't expecting a 3rd album on this list so this was a very pleasant surprise.
Compared to Surfer Rosa and Bossanova this is definitely a much more "accessible" album as the wiki states, and it's solid bangers front to back. Great guitar hooks, Here Comes Your Man has such an instantly recognizable riff that you can't help but get down to. Found myself recognizing a lot more songs than I expected as well, Debaser, Monkey Gone to Heaven, and Hey. Added a lot to the playlist off this listen, and would absolutely buy this album if I saw it out in the wild.
Circle Jerks
4/5
Straight up West-Coast American punk. Short, punchy, shouty, fast drums and chords. I dig it.
Tina Turner
2/5
Crack is whack kiddos.
James Taylor
4/5
Former president James Taylor may have the most pleasant voice of all time. Just a nice folk album to listen to on a rainy day.
"Ant's huh? We had quite a severe ant problem at the vineyard this year. I had Art Garfunkel come by with his compressor, and we created a total vacuum outside the house, and we blew the ants out the front door. But I'm sure you high-tech NASA people could care less about our resort-town ways."
David Holmes
3/5
I think the guy talking in the background on a few of his tracks just learned the F word.
Ambient beats album, was good enough music to have in the background while working but not sure the reason it would be on the list.
3 for the beats being good, came very close to dropping it to a 2 because the spoken parts are really bad.
Magazine
4/5
There's some very 80s-sounding quirkiness, but these guys can really jam. The first 30 seconds were a bit offputting and I was getting ready to not like this. That quickly changed when I realized this isn't a New Wave synth album, they do seem to have some synth effects but it's a lot of great guitar riffs and driving melodies. Singer sounds halfway between Bowie and the lead singer from Blur, that took on a more heavy rock band. Overall good album, grew on me fast and kept it going pretty much to the end.
Talking Heads
4/5
This album still has David Byrne's oddities and creativity, but I would say this is a more accessible Talking Heads album that tones down some of his more "out there" ideas. The last two songs are definitely where he lets loose, leading up to that it's a bit more of a standard alternative rock album.
DJ Shadow
4/5
Solid drum and bass album, very brief interludes before kicking into the next beat. Had this on while working and definitely was vibing, lots of great samples in here with deep layers.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a group that I definitely expect to like a lot more than I usually do. They have some absolutely brilliant songs, but when you dig into an album there's a lot of filler. I get the sense that they're absolutely fantastic to see live, and overall it's a fun listen but definitely inconsistent.
Killing Joke
4/5
This is right up my alley, never heard of Killing Joke and for a second I accidentally started listening to the 2003 album that has the same name before realizing my mistake. Based on the name and the album I'm expecting some Punk.
Instead, this is some straightforward solid Rock. It's parts Industrial, Metal, Grunge, Goth, but where it falls in between all of those you get some solid rock music that sounds way ahead of its time. Definitely dig this, would listen again and I'm interested to explore more of this band. Really well done, the instrumentals really stand out here.
The Isley Brothers
5/5
Solid palette cleanser of an album, very great vibes on this one. It transitions between funky and soulful seamlessly and the guitar tones and wah-wah pedals are in full bloom here. Lots of covers which was surprising, but seems like these guys have a massive discography so they've earned a little songwriting break I'd say. Really enjoyed this, I can't imagine anyone listening to this and hating it.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Solid showing from the Beastie Boys, this album is pretty much pure hip-hop through and through. They avoid some of the more bombastic ideas that come up in their later songs and stick to having a solid flow, seamlessly having the three MCs jump in and out through the lyrics and it feels much more like some guys freestyling on the streets of NYC.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I love Neil Young, but so far the albums that have come up I've found to be alright or very much one or two excellent tunes and then some filler.
This album however, was solid through and through. Neil's in rock mode here, less folk and some serious jams on the two long songs. Cinnamon Girl is a banger, but was surprised how much I recognized among the other songs. Definitely an album I would pick up.
The Band
4/5
Very solid thematic album. The Band has a distinctive sound, and this album really shines with some of the big hits but the lesser known songs all carry their own weight. Robbie Robertson always dominates the conversation when it comes to The Band, and what an incredible guitar player he is, but for me I almost never really pick up on the guitar work in the songs, the vocals carry so much passion and the synth and bass always seem more evident than the guitar work to me.
Great listen, enjoyed this a lot.
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
In my opinion ELO is the best group when it comes to Branding. The name, imagery on their albums, all fit in so incredibly well with the music.
Out of the Blue is simply an incredible album. It's very cohesive front to back and filled with great tunes. Lots of classics but really no weak songs in here from what I see, and loved the Weather Suite portion ending with Mr Blue Sky. Easy 5 stars.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
I don't feel qualified to comment much on this album, except to say I really enjoyed it and I feel it would definitely be something to put on in the background for a dinner party.
The Who
5/5
This plays like a Greatest Hits album by The Who. Their sound gets a little more mainstream and it's banger after banger here. I think I added about 80% of the album to my playlist here. Won't Get Fooled Again, Baba O'Reilly, Bargain, Behind Blue Eyes, Going Mobile, The Song is Over, Getting in Tune. So many singles off of one album, great rock album and impressive for how many popular tunes they managed to produce in one shot.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
This is my kind of hip-hop, clever rhymes and creative lyrics/storytelling. Definitely going to dive deeper into this group, really enjoyed this one.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
Feels like the kind of band that they make fun of in F is for Family when the son wants to write songs about wizards and elves. Has the wavery hippie voice and fantastical lyrics about things like the magical velvet wolf. The strings are nice, and it's quite silly but I think it's intentional. Not bad, but nothing outstanding.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Definitely a unique album. Ethereal Yodeling in a made up language. Overall I thought it was alright, and it went by fairly quickly.
Arcade Fire
4/5
When this first came out I couldn't stand hearing Wake Up constantly, and would change the channel on the radio the second I heard it come on.
While I still feel they're a bit up their own ass being 'artists' I do enjoy the music a lot more now.
Regine is a treasure, don't hurt her Win.
Spiritualized
3/5
This album started strong but it's very long and definitely lost me a little over halfway through.
There's a lot of depth here, and this is the kind of album you definitely want to have some headphones on for to really let everything shine through. Also may benefit from the influence of psychedelics to really enjoy.
The highs are high, first four tracks are solid as is Electricity. But the lows are also very low, really didn't like the attempts at being 'trippy' in a few of the songs that just really didn't land well.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Where their first album felt more experimental and raw, Paranoid really takes the band forward with a riff-centric approach and a more polished sound. Metal before metal, each song is a jam.
The Byrds
3/5
60s psychedelic hippie folk. Some interesting ideas with the instrumentals and they regularly add in a country twangy slide guitar sound that you wouldn't expect to hear in this style of music. Vocals were the weakest part, but overall a decent representation of the time.
Duran Duran
4/5
If someone were to ask you to describe the 80s you could just put this album on and they would learn all they need to know.
Generally not into New Wave but this sounds like the best album in that space.
R.E.M.
3/5
You can hear a bit of what R.E.M. would become here, but this debut album feels like it blends into the 90s alternative sound and doesn't offer anything too unique. I know what the band is capable of so a bit let down by this one, but it was alright for what it was.
The Pogues
5/5
Just a solid set of bangers in here. Irish Punk Shanties are definitely underrepresented in music.
LL Cool J
3/5
I'm not sure how I feel about this. His flow and voice overall is good, lyrics are a bit dated, and the beats are clear and crisp. It almost sounds over-produced and makes it feel a bit less genuine like LL isn't really a rapper, but someone that is pretending to be one (while still doing a good job at it). It's strange because if the music is good that should be the end of it, but that vibe just throws things off for me.
I did like Murdergram, and the title track. The others were fine too not really any awful songs in there.
Mekons
4/5
First impression wasn't great but the album grew on me, and the last two songs I ended up adding to the list. Quick thoughts, they're a bit like Diet Pogues, and Lost Highway sounds suspiciously close to Dirty Old Town.
Baaba Maal
2/5
I really try to give the international music a fair shot as it's always unfamiliar territory. Usually I can enjoy it, but Djam Leelii just didn't connect for me. The instrumentation in all of the songs seem to consist of one four or five note riff that repeats the entire way through, and the singing also feels like it's very repetitive as well. Once you've heard about 30 seconds of a song you've heard all it has to give.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Easy 5 stars, added every song to the playlist. Led Zeppelin are the GOAT and this album is stacked.
The War On Drugs
4/5
If anyone asked me what the youths meant when they say "it's a vibe", I'd probably use this album as an example.
Good chill tunes, the songs are a bit lacking in variation but they do paint a nice picture and the guitar work is very nice once you start really paying attention to it.
Knew these guys since they get some play on the local radio so the first two songs I already knew. I appreciate it a bit more now having sat through a full album. Feels like a mix of Arcade Fire and Springsteen.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Emotional Mayonaise
The Byrds
2/5
Front half is very twangy bluegrass with lots of gospel lyrics. Settles into a country folk-rock back half that I enjoyed more, but I was so annoyed by the first half I basically just ran out the clock wanting this to end.
Khaled
3/5
Enjoyed it, first album from this part of the world that I've gotten and it was a fun listen. Only issue was it was way too long.
David Bowie
4/5
Bowie's death album, making the list likely just due to the story of its production and release alone. Some slow dirge-like songs with Bowie's flair added in. Enjoyed it and it wasn't overly long. Girl likes me was a standout.
Alice In Chains
4/5
I generally like Alice in Chains and that they took 90s grunge and made it even grungier. Was shocked to find that the majority of the hits that I could name are all on this one album. Overall it was good, found it got a bit repetitive, but makes sense why this album would be on the list.
Astor Piazzolla
4/5
A live album that you'd never know was live if not for the occasional round of applause, the sound is so sharp and the instruments are played perfectly. Very unique music and unconventional instruments used but it was a pleasant listen. It all sort of blends together, one song doesn't particularly stand out, but that's not a point against it as the album as a whole was nice to have on as I worked. I'd listen to this again or play it during a fancy dinner party.
3/5
Grew up with this CD usually on rotation from my parents playing it in the house so pretty familiar with it, plus the fact that it's U2 and you just can't not know a lot of their songs. Very frontloaded with 4 singles off the hop and then it settles into the B-sides that are quieter and lesser known.
I'm a bit ambivalent to U2, the music is fine but I don't get why they're considered so amazing. There was a documentary where Jack White, Jimmy Page, and The Edge all get together and chat about playing guitar and in one segment they teach each other some of their iconic riffs. For The Edge he plays a C Chord with some amp effects on, that's his whole riff, one note and the effects carry the rest of the weight.
3 stars, it was fine.
Gene Clark
4/5
Very strong album, you can feel Gene put his all into this and it evokes a lot of feeling and emotion. A bit too melancholy to put on my rotation but I enjoyed it, and the tragic release and decisions made by the label add a layer to that.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Gentle is the word that comes to mind. It was a pleasant listen though it fell into background music as the album went on. I would have loved this at an earlier point in life, not my pick these days but still good overall. I feel like Ben Gibbard loves this band.
Ray Price
3/5
The intro was the best part, more albums should do that. The rest was pleasant crooning.
Elvis Costello
5/5
Elvis Costello is one of those names that I've always known about but never really dug into his discography. Really enjoyed this debut album, comes out swinging with that first track and has a great energy throughout with the punched up rockabilly style. Added a few tunes to the playlist off of this one, makes me want to dig into his other albums.
Sex Pistols
3/5
While the songs are fast, frenetic, and full of British punk swagger, I felt the album overstayed it's welcome a bit given how repetitive it was.
Disappointed to have learned this was all a focus group boy band, soured me on the band the day I found that out.
Faith No More
2/5
Genuinely shocked this was from 1989. Points for being ahead of its time but just can't get over how cornball his voice is and Epic being just so dumb. Has its moments but overall not my bag.
The Cure
4/5
I wasn't excited to pull this album, but ended up enjoying it a lot. The Cure and Robert Smith are widely known to be so very very sad all the time, and I generally don't want music to bum me out.
With that said this album wasn't quite so sad and gloomy as I expected. The melodies are deep and have a hopefulness to them, and even at times get a bit jaunty. Overall a pleasant listen and subverted my expectations.
Robbie Williams
3/5
As far as pop music goes this is more my speed. A bit overproduced but it was a fun listen. Kind of "more of the same" don't really see why this makes the list.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
I'm a big sucker for vocal harmonies, mostly from an obsession with Mother Mother's earlier albums. So with that, this album really hit that nice spot for me, lush vocal harmonies and instrumentals that are a bit low-key but fit very nicely to the vibe that was being set here. Added quite a few songs to the list, though some were kind of weak in the back half I'm still giving this 5 stars as it's really an impressive and unique debut album.
The Electric Prunes
4/5
Was a bit concerned by the album art that this would be more of the same 60s folk rock. I was pleasantly surprised as the album opened with a banger that I feel like I've maybe heard on some movie or tv soundtracks. The whole album was psychedelic but the band has a bite that you don't usually see from this era. Between the distortion in the guitars, the growl of the vocalist, and the lyrics themselves these guys almost feel like a group that would have thrived in the punk era but went psychedelic as that was the counter-culture in the 60s.
Great album, didn't save any songs but would absolutely listen again.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
***On Spotify the album is called Second Edition***
There's something very off-putting about this album, and I couldn't wait for it to end. The songs are too long and the vocals are really terrible new wave style. On the other hand the Bass and Drums really stand out and I feel like they greatly inspired Modest Mouse in their rhythm section.
If that rhythm group had a better frontman I think I would have really liked this, but sadly it really dragged things down.
Almost gave a 2 for the positives I could find, but drops back to a 1 because this album is looooooooong and it's just brutal to sit through.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Just another solid CCR album, not much more to say.
The Jam
4/5
Somewhere halfway between The Who and The Beatles. Solid album and a new band discovered, would definitely like to explore The Jam's discography some more.
The Zombies
4/5
While I feel like this list has an over abundance of 60s psychedelic pop, this album definitely slaps. Solid front to back, a bit tired of the genre but this was a great one.
Digital Underground
2/5
Very cringe, these guys really want you to know that they do sex. Samples are good and it has moments that are decent, but man some of the content.....Yeesh.
Black Flag
5/5
Punk covers a pretty wide spectrum, but if someone asked me to show one album to represent the genre this would be my pick. Fast unconventional instruments, screaming and taking the piss out of society, just really that sense that this is the opposite of what is expected of how one should behave.
Tv party was hilarious, mocking how people will get together to hang out and not talk at all. Henry Rollins is one of the all time great.
Not an album I would just put on to listen to, and usually wouldn't give a five to an album based on that, but this is a critical punk album and I think warrants the rating despite not being to my personal tastes at this stage of my life.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Kind of nice that it's almost entirely songs I haven't heard before, but still very much "an Elvis album".
The Temptations
3/5
Holy that one dude can hit those high notes. It was a fun album, not my wheelhouse but enjoyable enough.
Calexico
5/5
Really didn't know what to expect but enjoyed this a lot. Kind of a west coast Iron and Wine with some Latin flair in the instrumentation. Would absolutely put this on again and hope to see more from these guys.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
I feel like Wings is always considered a bit of a joke, and doesn't get much respect. Probably any effort by a Beatle to do anything else will get compared to what was one of the greatest bands of all time, and will always have detractors
That said, this album is pretty solid with more tunes than I realized I would know. Let Me Roll It is my favorite of the bunch but there's no songs in there that I didn't at least enjoy. Pleasantly surprised as I expected this to be worse based on the reputation of the band.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Shows that simple can be effective. Took some time to adjust to the album, wasn't enjoying his voice or the extra stripped down instrumentation to start but a few songs in was able to enjoy. I know Cohen has some very strong output and this feels a bit below average for his body of work. That said, managed to still be a good listen and I'll give it an extra point for ending on a recorder solo.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Oh god I just had these guys like 5 albums ago and it was absolute garbage. This one's only 7 songs....maybe it's a bit better?
Nope, still hate it.
Rush
5/5
Easy 5, love em or hate em. I'm in the love em camp and this album slaps.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Dug this more than expected, almost got a hint of metal in there some of the riffs reminded me of Iron Maiden. Dudes got a powerful voice and you can feel the swagger. Not reinventing the wheel but a well made controversially "live" album.
Steely Dan
4/5
I find Steely Dan so interesting, this is their 3rd album that I've come across so far in here and it's not typically something I'd enjoy. It's definitely got the Muzak vibe with the keyboard tones they use, it's very smooth jazz easy listening type music you'd hear in an elevator, but then there's just this weirdness to it that makes you pay a little mor attention. I'll give it points for somehow making me enjoy this type of music.
Liz Phair
4/5
Horny 90s alt-grunge girl. Very strong songwriting, didn't add anything to the playlist but did enjoy it.
Pulp
3/5
Muse meets Tim Burton meets turning the volume way down. Really had to turn up the volume to hear this album, and in there i didn't find much. Some anthemic crooning britpop songs, no major standouts.
Would have been much better if they snuck in Party Hard by Andrew WK (the original, not a cover) into the album. Otherwise a terrible song by that name.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Surprised to see this album didn't have Virtual Insanity on it. I do like Jamiroquai but it felt very much like you've heard one song then you've heard them all.
Also he knocked up one of the All Saints.
Scritti Politti
1/5
The most 80s synth pop album of all time. It sounds like every 80s soundtrack. Nobody wants, let alone needs to hear this
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Massive collection of absolute bangers by one of the greats. Love this album, always going to be a 5
Ray Charles
4/5
I really like how those helpful ladies sing the song title to start each song so i know what song they're about to do. As a super busy person, this saves me a lot of time in my day to day life.
Otherwise a pleasant collection of reworked country classics, Ray has a great voice and it was overall a nice listen.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Wasn't "thrilled" for this to crop up, but pleasantly surprised. There were quite a few pop ballads but the album was surprisingly brief so didn't overstay it's welcome. The big hits are there, Billie Jean is definitely a bop, but lots of filler. Four stars, which is better than expected.
4/5
Kind of shocked how well this album holds up. Could do without the skit at the end but the music itself ripped, wall to wall bangers from a band that I shouldn't like, but somehow I do.
The Monks
4/5
Way before its time, i did a double take when i saw the date of the albums release. Makes sense with the Vietnam references, and there are moments where psychedelic rock of the era peeks through. Definitely worthy of the list and a fun, short, punchy album.
Supergrass
4/5
Started with a reading comprehension fail, as I thought this was going to be Supertramp. When it started i quickly realized my error, and the frenetic pace of the opening song was a bit worrying that this would be very experimental new wave kind of stuff that I'm not too keen on.
All that aside the album quickly grew on me, really enjoyed Strange Things and had the Aha moment when Alright came on. Fun boisterous album, definitely would give it another go and see what else these guys have to offer.
Beatles
4/5
Definitely the strongest Pop showing from this version of the Beatles. The songwriting is strong, great instrumentals and lyrics. Not going to get too deep as I'm under qualified to review the Beatles, but it's a great album no surprise.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Just an expertly crafted album, every instrument and wail is carefully planned but still manages to sound purely spontaneous and full of passion. As someone that hasn't sat through a full album from The Boss quite yet this set a high bar, and I'll always appreciate when an album feels like a true story front to back. Bruce manages this as the album starts strong and keeps up a solid pace through the first half to peak at Born To Run and then end with a denouement in the final two tunes. Really enjoyed this, more than expected.
Neil Young
4/5
Very melancholic Neil, feels like you're in a smoky bar with a small band playing in the corner. Gives a great atmosphere, Neil really leans into his voice in ways that I feel most would find off-putting, but works given the emotion he's feeling. Not an easy listen, but definitely the work of an incredible songwriter and artist.
Janis Joplin
5/5
An all timer, what a voice.
Genesis
3/5
This was ok, but felt they were trying too hard to be Trippy and Psychadelic. Like they listened to I Am the Walrus and went oh lets write some nonsense lyrics and we'll have all kinds of hits!
Instrumentals were mostly good, aside from the weak psychadelic wobbly sounds they'd throw in.
Charles Mingus
4/5
Definitely a headphones kind of listen, I definitely got more out of this than if I had left it on in the background as I worked. This is the type of dissonant, experimental, hep cat/beatnik kind of jazz that I'm less inclined towards but as far as that style goes I did find myself enjoying this album more than others.
Also points for being brief, when i saw this was four tracks I was worried they'd each be 15 minutes or more, but the first three were all reasonably brief.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Obviously an iconic album, weaves a lot of influences together and you can tell a lot of it is very personal to Ms. Lauryn Hill. Not my usual thing, but I enjoyed it and it's definitely worthy of it's status.
Joy Division
3/5
Listening to it with the context that the lead singer committed suicide between recording and release made me give it more of a chance than I normally would. I already encountered the first album and really didn't care for it. In this album, I still can't stand the vocals but I do find the grooves to be more energetic and found myself bobbing along. Still too 80s sadness for me, but a step up from the previous showing.
Afrika Bambaataa
1/5
Today I learned Renegades of Funk was a cover. Interesting to see all the samples that came out of this album.
4 star knocked down to 1. Shame about the diddling young boys.
Paul Simon
4/5
There's something charming about Paul Simon's very straightforward vocals and lyrics. Some dated bass and general corny instrumentals but it's hard to hate.
First instinct was to wonder if this is appropriation but reading into the creation of the album, the fact that so many African artists contributed, and that an artist like Paul Simon would allow this style of music to reach an audience that otherwise would never seek it out overcame that initial reaction. Fun album with an interesting controversy, I can see why it's here.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Definitely what I would expect from Jimmy, psychedelic rock with lots of solos and jams. Many solid classics here, a strange Beatles knock off in one song, otherwise just a solid final outing by a legend.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Punk rock that gives Rancid vibes with a hint of Springsteen. Good energy, punchy album. Not sure what put it on the list but was a fun listen.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I know Joni is beloved but I cannot for the life of me get into it.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
A workshop in simple effective songwriting. Tracy does a great job with very little, writing lyrics about poverty, injustice, inequality in a way that is beautiful and straightforward while still being relevant decades later. Fast Car is an incredible song, the rest of the album can't quite meet that early high but it's a solid effort.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
File it under dinner party music. Some nice grooves and the sax is very solid but each song spends about 12 minutes and doesn't stray from the same melody so gets long and repetitive fast. Still pleasant though, not mad about it.
Pink Floyd
5/5
So many incredible songs on their own, but probably the single greatest example of an album being a cohesive piece from front to back. I've heard the album through the film several times, but never just listened to it from a pure audio standpoint (and without some psychedelic enhancement) outside of the singles. Still amazing, always going to be a contender for top album lists.
Adele
3/5
My mom has this CD
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Really enjoyed this one, most songs settle into a groove and noodle around but the layers that the two guitarists bring in really make it quite nice. Offers something for those looking to play some music for chill background vibes while simultaneously offers pretty complex depth for those that want to put on headphones and really give it full attention.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Was very surprised when I saw only four tracks, as I expected more of a standard soul album with a bunch of songs about looove. Really dug this, incredible production on these and while each track is very long they all have something great to offer and you don't get bored, except for when he tells a way too long story.
Fats Domino
4/5
Sometimes I have a hard time appreciating the oldies era, I understand why it's on the list due to historical significance but often I feel it's now been improved upon so much and I can't get into it.
Absolutely not the case with Fats Domino, such great catchy piano, all the tunes are so energetic and it was a great fun listen. Definitely want to look up some more Fats after hearing this.
3/5
Awful ballsy to debut with a live album. Jam band energy, makes sense why after a listen.
I'm sure it was a fun show to be at, and was a fine listen but nothing outstanding as an album. Singer felt a little cultural appropriation-ey too.
The Only Ones
4/5
This was a really up and down album for me. I very much enjoyed the overall tempo and energy of the songs and I feel like the instrumentals could have fit in very well in modern Indie Rock.
When the vocals kicked in on the first track, I groaned right away. Another whiny 80s new wave voice, great. Luckily my view changed over time, in some tracks his voice worked very well and I found myself getting over that initial reaction though there were a couple moments later in the album i found his voice grating to me.
Lyrics were ok, a bit downer for me but when it's high tempo and fun guitar riffs I don't mind as much, and they played around with rhyming structures a fair bit.
Overall a pleasant surprise, I feel like this is a band that gets better the more you listen, and was way ahead of their time.
David Bowie
3/5
As far as Bowie albums go this one didn't really stand out, enjoyed "Time" and Jean Genie is always catchy but otherwise a bit underwhelming. Also wasn't a fan of the Rolling Stones cover.
I like Bowie, but this era wasn't it.
The Prodigy
5/5
What a sick album, just banging beats front to back. This is more pure beats and samples, very light on vocals compared to later Prodigy that most would be familiar with. Just a great time listening to this, couldn't sit still had to keep bopping along while getting some work done.
John Lennon
3/5
Never was a huge fan of the song Imagine, a little schmaltzy for my taste. Most of the album I felt was a bit subdued, I enjoyed a couple of songs like I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier and Crippled Inside, but otherwise nothing special.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Pretty solid entry, very bluesy and "American" outing for the Stones. Two massive hits off the album, and Midnight Rambler is a great tune as well. The rest was ok, interesting slower take on Honky Tonk Woman.
The Cars
4/5
What a stacked debut album, hit after hit to open it up and some good workman tunes to fill it out. This lives somewhere in the end of "classic rock" and the beginning of "new wave". While i usually hate new wave this felt like an acceptable amount.
T. Rex
3/5
A little psychedelic, a little shoegaze. I feel like the mixing really muted down the instruments to match the softness in the vocals. Enjoyed it well enough, but these days doesn't really stand out.
Ice Cube
2/5
Women, am I right fellas?
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Punchy album, has a pretty clear identity and was a fun listen that definitely feels ahead of it's time.
Klaxons
5/5
This was an interesting album, nice to see a new / current band that definitely fits my taste. Added a few to the playlist and plan to do a deeper dive. Reminds me of Fontaines DC.
MGMT
4/5
The amount of airplay the hits from this album still get is a testament to how great they are. Solid album that goes in many interesting directions with influences from Bowie, Shoegaze, Prog, and Synth-pop. Great entry into music for these kids, if you can find it check out the video of them playing Kids to a crowd of about a dozen when they were just starting.
Crowded House
3/5
Fall at your Feet and Weather With You both unlocked some memories. Overall a safe, pleasant album. Doesn't stand out in a significant way but wasn't bad or unenjoyable either. Very much a 3.
The comment about Gilmour Girls soundtrack fodder was apt, as someone who's never actually seen that show.
Carole King
4/5
Very well produced and performed singer songwriter fare.
Dire Straits
4/5
They really have their sound figured out in this album. Sultans of Swing is a great song that I always enjoy, and so the rest of this album with many very similar songs was good.