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Tue Jun 22 2021
Hounds Of Love
Kate Bush
Great songs - Running Up That Hill, Big Sky, Cloudbusting, Waking the Witch, Watching You Without Me, Jig of Life
Very experimental album, probably especially for the time. Hard to categorize it.
4
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Wed Jun 23 2021
One World
John Martyn
Not a great album. Surprised I've never heard of this guy though. All the songs are kind of boring and uninteresting. "Big Muff" was kinda funny. "Certain Surprise" had a croony, Dean Martin-y feel. "Dancing" had a 70s groove. Those were the only ok songs on the album.
2
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Thu Jun 24 2021
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
What can you say about this one? Classic Sinatra. All great songs. Missing a couple of my favorite Sinatra songs (like Luck Be a Lady), but they're all exactly what you'd expect on a Sinatra album.
5
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Fri Jun 25 2021
Crazysexycool
TLC
Not really my thing but this is about as prototypical mid-90s R&B as you can get. Solid album. Worth listening to.
4
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Sun Jun 27 2021
Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Tortoise
Maybe this was ground breaking at the time, but now it sounds like every "Alpha Wave Music to Relax and Study" video on youtube. Would put it on in the background and forget about it but there's nothing special about it. Giving it an extra star for any historical relevance it might have.
3
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Mon Jun 28 2021
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
Absolutely fantastic. Pure funk. Head starts bobbing of its own accord. Not too sure about "All About Love" even though it has some good moments. Everything else is great though. Too short.
5
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Tue Jun 29 2021
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
This album is pure energy. Weird listening to it today, when all the "controversial" aspects seem tame. It's been imitated so much that it almost sounds like a parody of itself. No doubt that this is as punk as a studio album can get.
5
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Wed Jun 30 2021
The La's
The La's
Mostly nondescript but catchy songs. Recognized "There She Goes" from every movie ever. Everything else was new to me. I liked "Liberty Ship" and "All By Myself". There aren't really any standouts but there are no bad songs on the album, and the songs that are on there tend to grow on you.
4
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Thu Jul 01 2021
I Should Coco
Supergrass
Pretty eclectic mixture of songs, sometimes just one song was an eclectic mixture. I liked "Sitting Up Straight" but not much else.
3
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Fri Jul 02 2021
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
Powerful album with tons of cultural significance. Lyrically strong and deep with a lot of innovative sampling of sound bites interspersed throughout. My only criticism is that the songs seem to run together musically, but Public Enemy was always more about the lyrics than the music.
5
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Sat Jul 03 2021
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
There's some really good songs on this album (Cherub Rock, Today, Disarm) but overall it's pretty boring. 3.5 stars.
3
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Sun Jul 04 2021
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Garbage. Not sure what I'm supposed to like about this. I guess some of the songs would sound good in a movie soundtrack in a scene where a guy walks into a room where his whole family just got murdered. No thanks.
2
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Mon Jul 05 2021
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
Not really sure how to rate this. On the one hand, it's just a bunch of covers so who cares, but on the other hand there is a raw energy here that is palpable and impressive. They put their own subtle spin on the covers but at the same time there wasn't much difference between them and every other version of the songs I've ever heard. I probably won't listen again but I didn't hate it. I bet they would have been great to see live. "Strychnine" and "Have Love Will Travel" are great songs. "The Witch" & "Boss Hoss" grow on you.
3
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Tue Jul 06 2021
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
Big James Brown fan but this album really isn't that good. "Lost Someone" was pretty cool though.
3
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Wed Jul 07 2021
Legalize It
Peter Tosh
Every song on this album is catchy and interesting. No low points. Great example of classic Reggae.
4
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Thu Jul 08 2021
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
Classic album. Cool cover too.
5
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Fri Jul 09 2021
Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson
"Dreamer" was ok I guess. The rest of the album was pretty forgettable. Reminds me of "Eels" in some places.
2
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Sat Jul 10 2021
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
Beautiful voice here. Nice collection of standards performed pretty much perfectly. Not really a fan personally of this kind of thing even though it's easy to admire the talent. Also I don't generally like live albums. I think the Spotify version linked here is only half of the album. Full album is here: spotify:album:4HXhOHapnfYAFUuQqBWQ3L
Kinda messed up of the emcee to call her out for performing with lyric sheets...
4
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Sun Jul 11 2021
Haunted Dancehall
The Sabres Of Paradise
Generic techno.
2
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Mon Jul 12 2021
Aja
Steely Dan
You kind of have to be in the right mood to listen to Steely Dan, but luckily I'm in that mood most of the time. "Deacon Blues" is the highlight of this album but the whole thing is great.
4
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Tue Jul 13 2021
Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
Psychedelic blues rock. Probably a fun band to see live, but this album didn't really do much for me. It did make me a little curious about this band though. They have some good stuff, just not much on this album in my opinion.
2
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Wed Jul 14 2021
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
I had never heard this album all the way through but, like everyone I guess, I know all the hits and they're all on this album. The songs I hadn't heard still felt familiar. Great album
5
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Thu Jul 15 2021
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
This was a strange listening experience. Clearly cathartic for Neil to write and perform these songs, but they weren't very interesting for me. Especially given the fact that his voice is objectively terrible. Not sure why he attempts to hit some of the notes he goes for. Despite this, I find myself thinking about some of the songs long after I've heard them. Can't really articulate why. Summary: objectively bad, subjectively good.
3
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Fri Jul 16 2021
Brothers
The Black Keys
Good but not great. Some pretty forgettable songs on here. The good ones are really good though. "Ten Cent Pistol" is probably my favorite, but the most popular are probably "Howlin' For You", "Next Girl" and "Tighten Up" which are all also pretty great. Could skip the rest and not miss anything.
4
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Sat Jul 17 2021
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
I guess none of the songs are terrible and there were some cool guitar riffs here and there. No good songs either though.
2
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Sun Jul 18 2021
Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
This was overall an enjoyable listen. A step up from the usual 60s psychedelic rock that was prevalent around this time. Not sure I'd listen again but didn't mind it while it was playing.
3
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Mon Jul 19 2021
Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
I get why people would like this, powerful voice, meaningful lyrics, emotional music. Just not my thing really.
3
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Tue Jul 20 2021
Casanova
The Divine Comedy
Don't understand this at all.
1
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Wed Jul 21 2021
Dirty
Sonic Youth
Didn't do much for me.
2
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Thu Jul 22 2021
The Who Sell Out
The Who
A very relaxing listen. Kinda clever with the little fake commercials interspersed between the "real" songs. "I Can See For Miles" is a great song and I like "Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand" but otherwise not too impressive.
3
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Fri Jul 23 2021
Fever Ray
Fever Ray
Very generic. Could be nice to have in the background while you're doing something else, but so would any random album like this. Nothing special about it. "Seven" was the standout song for me.
2
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Sat Jul 24 2021
Kala
M.I.A.
This album is a mixture of catchy and annoying. Not too sure how I feel about it.
3
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Sun Jul 25 2021
The Yes Album
Yes
Mellow album to put on in the background. Not sure I'd listen on purpose though. The talent is palpable and obvious but just not my thing.
3
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Mon Jul 26 2021
Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
Pretty solid. The big hits on this album are incredible: "Sweet Baby James", "Country Road", and of course "Fire and Rain" but a lot of the rest are pretty unmemorable. Wasn't familiar with most of the rest and I'm pretty fine with that.
4
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Tue Jul 27 2021
2112
Rush
Another of many examples on this list of an album where I can appreciate the talent, but it's not for me.
3
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Wed Jul 28 2021
Suicide
Suicide
The first note of the first song had me intrigued but it quickly got really bad after that. This seems to be a pattern with bands I haven't heard of on this list. Anyway, this whole album was awful. "Girl" might be the worst song I've ever heard. "Frankie Teardrop" was kind of interesting but still terrible. Unnecessary screaming everywhere.
1
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Thu Jul 29 2021
Fishscale
Ghostface Killah
Good stuff. The guy is an incredible lyricist, but I felt like I had to pay too much attention.
3
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Fri Jul 30 2021
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
Pretty boring.
2
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Sat Jul 31 2021
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
Nice album but not great. 3 great songs ("America", "Mrs. Robinson", "A Hazy Shade of Winter") and the rest were ok. Can't really call this a good album even though I'm a big fan of Simon & Garfunkel.
3
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Sun Aug 01 2021
Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
This is a cool album. Don't know if it's "good" but it is definitely cool. The harmonizing is something else. "Turn to Stone", "Sweet Talkin' Woman", "Sweet Is the Night", and, of course, "Mr. Blue Sky" are the standouts but there aren't really any duds.
4
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Mon Aug 02 2021
Pink Flag
Wire
Not my thing. Kinda neat hearing "Three Girl Rhumba" and how clear it was plagiarized by Elastica on "Connection". I remember learning about that but had forgotten who was the original artist. When that song came on I thought it was playing the Elastica song.
2
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Tue Aug 03 2021
Marquee Moon
Television
Another underwhelming punk album. There were some parts of Marquee Moon that were ok, but overall this was a dud.
2
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Wed Aug 04 2021
Sea Change
Beck
Didn't really like this one other than "Lost Cause". Really depressing stuff.
2
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Thu Aug 05 2021
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
This is a really good album. Not really my thing but the songs are catchy and danceable all while providing a social commentary (although sometimes a little corny). That was probably the whole point so mission accomplished. Unlikely that I'll listen to it again though.
4
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Fri Aug 06 2021
Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
Mostly forgettable tracks with some interesting features. Really not like any albums I've heard before, even though most of the songs sounds pretty similar to each other. It's a mixture of world music combined with McLaren yelling random stuff. I think most of the songs would be better without him.
2
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Sat Aug 07 2021
Be
Common
Meh. "The Food" was the only song I liked on this album.
2
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Sun Aug 08 2021
Celebrity Skin
Hole
Reminds me of the 90s. Good but fairly generic.
3
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Mon Aug 09 2021
The Only Ones
The Only Ones
Another bad punk album.
2
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Tue Aug 10 2021
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
How do you rate The Beatles? Kind of an impossible task. Just give every album 5 stars? I'm normally not a big fan of these kinds of poppy love songs, but The Beatles can make even those sound good. That said I'll give this 4 stars since I like a lot of their other stuff better. Feel like I'm grading on a curve though.
4
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Wed Aug 11 2021
The Specials
The Specials
This is an ok album. A few good songs on it, but this kind of ska sound gets a little too repetitive for my taste. Still, not bad overall.
3
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Thu Aug 12 2021
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
Cool album. Pretty good as background but not generic like a lot of "background music" albums on this list.
4
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Fri Aug 13 2021
Junkyard
The Birthday Party
I thought the first song "Blast Off" was ok. Had a White Zombie feel to it. Album fell off pretty quick after that though. Picked back up with "Several Sins" but didn't much like the rest of it. It was unique though, I'll give it that.
2
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Sat Aug 14 2021
Live At Leeds
The Who
Songs are all good but I'm just not a big fan of live albums. The show was probably amazing, album really isn't.
3
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Sun Aug 15 2021
Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
It was a miserable experience listening to this.
1
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Mon Aug 16 2021
american dream
LCD Soundsystem
This is not a good album. None of the songs were objectively terrible though so I guess I can give it 2 stars. Can't for the life of me understand how this is on this list though.
2
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Tue Aug 17 2021
Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
Cool voice. This album gets a bit repetitive, but each song is pretty cool on its own.
3
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Wed Aug 18 2021
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
Nice album to listen to. Lots of interesting tracks. Not really my thing but didn't mind it at all. I was expecting to dislike the whole thing.
3
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Thu Aug 19 2021
Close To The Edge
Yes
I feel the same way about this album as I do about just about all prog rock. It's kind of like watching a circus act or a magic show: The skill and talent is evident and impressive and I'm glad I saw it, but I don't ever need to see it again.
3
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Fri Aug 20 2021
Achtung Baby
U2
Kind of a weird experience listening to this. I haven't listened to this album in a long time and I was expecting it to be really good. Instead even the songs I like weren't as good as I remembered them.
3
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Sat Aug 21 2021
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
This album goes down in quality after the first three songs but still a thoroughly great album from start to finish.
4
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Sun Aug 22 2021
John Prine
John Prine
This is a great album. This style of folk/country music can get repetitive but every track here is solid despite this. Don't know how anyone can listen to "Angel From Montgomery" without crying.
4
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Mon Aug 23 2021
On The Beach
Neil Young
This isn't good. At all.
1
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Tue Aug 24 2021
Exit Planet Dust
The Chemical Brothers
This was definitely a step above most electronic dance music stuff. Still not my cup of tea, but every song was solid. Could imagine a DJ in a 90s rave just throwing this album on and just stepping away for an hour and no one would complain.
4
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Wed Aug 25 2021
Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
Nice, pleasant album. Billie Holiday's voice is full of emotion and feeling and the songs are all sad in their own subtly different ways. That said, the songs do blend together and are hard to distinguish from each other. Can't really imagine listening to this to just enjoy it and I think that's what music is really about.
3
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Thu Aug 26 2021
Bad
Michael Jackson
This is an incredible album. Every song either is or could have been a hit. And with good reason too. I don't think I paid as much attention to this album when it came out because the previous albums were "Thriller" and "Off the Wall" and how do you top those? Answer is you probably don't but this is still a top tier album.
5
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Fri Aug 27 2021
Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Elvis Costello is one of those hit or miss singers for me and this album is mostly a miss. I've listened to a few of his albums and they all tend to have one great song and the rest are mediocre. I couldn't find the great song on this album.
3
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Sat Aug 28 2021
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
Incredibly powerful voice. Good songs, but only a couple of real great ones.
3
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Sun Aug 29 2021
Bummed
Happy Mondays
I didn't expect this to be good and was pleasantly surprised. Started off strong with a little bit of a lull but most of this album was really good.
4
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Mon Aug 30 2021
Kid A
Radiohead
Not too impressed. Don't think I've ever heard this entire album before, but on this listening the only song I liked was "Optimistic". The rest kind of blend together. Might be good as background music though.
2
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Tue Aug 31 2021
Synchronicity
The Police
The beginning and ending of this album is not good at all but the middle is unbelievable. Sometimes it's hard to tell if you like a song or you're just familiar with it, but the 4 songs I knew (Synchronicity II, Every Breath You Take, King of Pain, Wrapped Around Your Finger) are enough to make this a great album. I also liked Miss Gradenko which I don't think I've heard before.
4
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Wed Sep 01 2021
At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
The Spotify album isn't the same one from the Wikipedia article. The one I listened to was way too long and had a few too many cameos from other artists. Also, not a big fan of live albums anyway (San Quentin twice in a row? Ok...) and some of the pandering in this one was hard to take. Still the songs were pretty good, but I'd rather hear them on their original albums.
3
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Thu Sep 02 2021
Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
Interesting. Not bad, but not really good either (or at least not my thing). I could see this growing on me but not too interested in giving it the chance.
3
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Fri Sep 03 2021
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
This was interesting, just not something I would ever listen to on purpose.
3
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Sat Sep 04 2021
Virgin Suicides
Air
There's really nothing here. I assume it worked as a soundtrack but not interested as a stand alone album.
2
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Sun Sep 05 2021
This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
It's tricky to rate this album. I don't think the full album is on Spotify, so I'm not sure if I'm rating this correctly. Still the songs I did hear were all pretty good. Nothing really stood out except the big hit "Blueberry Hill". Still not too bad. I bet it was more impactful when it came out.
3
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Mon Sep 06 2021
Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
Really eclectic mix of songs on this album. No duds, but only a couple of really good songs (Band on the Run, Jet). Worth a listen though, some of the songs seem like they would grow on you.
4
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Tue Sep 07 2021
Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Not bad, not good. Of course, "No Woman No Cry" is amazing and I really liked "Them Belly Full" but the rest was just ok.
3
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Wed Sep 08 2021
Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
Not great. I liked "Sunday Shining" and that's it. Completely forgot about that song until I heard it again. Probably going to forget about the rest of these songs real quick.
2
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Thu Sep 09 2021
Actually
Pet Shop Boys
They've got a pretty unique sound which is cool to hear. Most of the songs on this album are pretty bland though. "It's A Sin" is a cool song though. "Shopping" is just stupid.
2
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Fri Sep 10 2021
Heavy Weather
Weather Report
I feel like I'm writing the exact same review for all the instrumental only albums on this list. Basically this would make decent background music, but not really interested in listening to this album more than once. I'm nearly positive that first song "Birdland" is a theme song from some cheesy 80s tv show, although I can't remember which one, and the internet is no help, but that little bit of nostalgia isn't enough to bump up the overall rating.
3
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Sat Sep 11 2021
Odelay
Beck
This is a mostly fantastic album. There are quite a few duds but the good songs more than make up for it.
4
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Sun Sep 12 2021
Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
Felt like pretty generic reggae to me. Could see putting it on in for some background music.
3
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Mon Sep 13 2021
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
This album was pretty great. Ultimate example of the rave sound of the 90s. Not really my thing musically so I didn't want to give this 5 stars but I have to. It's as good as anything I've heard so far.
5
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Tue Sep 14 2021
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
Pretty unusual album. They really have a unique sound that sets them apart. Couple of songs I really liked were "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1" and "Are You a Hypnotist??". "Do You Realize??" was also pretty good. Not really the kind of music I usually like to listen to but still really good.
4
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Wed Sep 15 2021
Maxinquaye
Tricky
OK but not great. Songs kinda ran together but nothing too bad. I liked "Black Steel" but it was the only one I thought was more than just ok.
3
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Thu Sep 16 2021
Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
Didn't mind this. There were no standouts but nothing really bad either. Probably would have been a cool band to see in concert, but the songs didn't have any staying power for me.
3
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Fri Sep 17 2021
Mask
Bauhaus
I get that these guys were innovative and unique for the time. You can definitely tell they influenced a lot of my favorite 80s bands. That said, this album didn't really do anything for me.
2
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Sat Sep 18 2021
Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
This album just isn't very musical and so it doesn't do anything much for me. The Killing Moon is good but I wouldn't like to hear any of this stuff in more than small quantities.
2
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Sun Sep 19 2021
The Cars
The Cars
I thought the three songs "I'm In Touch with Your World", "Don't Cha Stop", and "All Mixed Up" were pretty bad but the rest of the album was so good they more than made up for it. 4.5 stars.
5
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Mon Sep 20 2021
Murmur
R.E.M.
Nothing too bad but nothing too good either. "Radio Free Europe" was the only song I liked.
3
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Tue Sep 21 2021
Eliminator
ZZ Top
Real mixed bag here. Lots of fun songs but starts to get a little repetitive. The hits like "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs" alone are worth it though. Also really liked "If I Could Only Flag Her Down" which I'd never heard before. 3.5 stars.
4
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Wed Sep 22 2021
L.A. Woman
The Doors
Pretty enjoyable listen. Sounded like a really good blues band jamming for the most part. One thing I never understood with the doors was the keyboard that seemed sort of out of place. Definitely was the case here.
4
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Thu Sep 23 2021
Live Through This
Hole
Wasn't expecting to like this too much but it was surprisingly entertaining. Was a little repetitive at points, but overall a good album. Very 90s. Very grunge.
4
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Fri Sep 24 2021
E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
Don't really get this album. It's not bad or anything but this kind of music doesn't do much for me.
3
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Sat Sep 25 2021
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
A fairly entertaining listen. The guitar work is obviously top notch. But most of the album is standards and I've heard better versions elsewhere. The non-standards are ok.
3
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Sun Sep 26 2021
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
Pretty cool album. I think a little better than the other prison album of his "At San Quentin". Still, not a big fan of live albums in general. Songs are good, but live versions of songs when you're not actually there in person to hear them lack something. 3.5 stars.
4
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Mon Sep 27 2021
Headquarters
The Monkees
Pretty bad. If this is the only Monkees album on this list then they messed up. Was cool to hear "Mr. Dobalina, Mr. Bob Dobalina" on "Zilch" but that and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" were really the only highlights of this (long) album.
2
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Tue Sep 28 2021
The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
Really like this album. I'm familiar with the usual Kinks songs but had never heard any of the songs on this album. I keep listening to the title track over and over again. It's got a Lewis Carroll feel to it. The whole album is amazing though start to finish. There are a few silly songs on the album but they don't really distract from the whole and even those have some parts that are really good.
5
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Wed Sep 29 2021
Treasure
Cocteau Twins
This is a pretty cool album. Not really my thing but they have a very unique style and I didn't hate it so there must be something to it, right? Hard to judge this kind of thing. Probably one of those albums that I wouldn't mind having on in the background while doing other things.
4
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Thu Sep 30 2021
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
Fantastic singer singing some mediocre tunes.
3
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Fri Oct 01 2021
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
There were a lot of songs on this album where I liked the music much better than the lyrics. I really liked the music though.
4
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Sat Oct 02 2021
Ten
Pearl Jam
I had forgotten how good this album is. Used to listen to it all the time in the early 90s. Not only is the album 5 stars but just about every song is 5 stars.
5
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Sun Oct 03 2021
Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
Seems like they are good for their genre but not a fan of this style of music. Hard to judge impartially but I didn't like it.
2
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Mon Oct 04 2021
Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
Incredible musician but these songs are pretty boring. Definitely some bright spots (Sweet Thang and Strawberry Letter 23) but overall not really worth listening to, except maybe as some inoffensive background music.
3
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Tue Oct 05 2021
With The Beatles
Beatles
I'm kind of surprising myself with how low of a score I'm going to give this. It is still the Beatles, and there are glimpses of their genius in this album, but the songs are for the most part not that good or covers that are worse than the originals.
3
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Wed Oct 06 2021
Sincere
Mj Cole
Just a bunch of repetitive beats and hooks. Not very creative or interesting at all. There was one song (Rough Out Here I think? Can't even remember, that's how interchangeable these songs are) that had a moment or two that I liked, but this was just pointless all the way through. Could see some of these songs being appropriate at a crappy rave somewhere but that's the only thing that saves it from 1 star.
2
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Thu Oct 07 2021
Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
I didn't really like this kind of thing. They are just making fun of music, while making music. Seems like a weird take. Trouble Every Day was pretty interesting but the rest was too weird for me.
2
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Fri Oct 08 2021
Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
Every song almost sounds good.
3
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Sat Oct 09 2021
Play
Moby
Wasn't expecting to like this, but was pleasantly surprised. Creative and fun.
4
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Sun Oct 10 2021
Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
Don't really get it. Pretty boring stuff.
1
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Mon Oct 11 2021
Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
It's weird how sometimes I really like this style of music and sometimes it feels like a waste of time. I enjoyed this album but not really sure why. Cool mix of electronic music and lounge. Creative and fun. Loses a little steam in the 2nd half but still fine.
4
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Tue Oct 12 2021
Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
Really low key album. Too low key for my taste I think. "Time of the Season" is a great song though.
2
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Wed Oct 13 2021
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
Fantastic stuff. Can get a bit too manic at times so I can see why people might not like it. However, the manic never gets overwhelming and I'm not really sure how. A testament to his genius I suppose.
5
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Thu Oct 14 2021
No Other
Gene Clark
This was a collection of well-produced, arranged, and sung songs. Nothing remarkable or interesting about it though.
3
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Fri Oct 15 2021
Live!
Fela Kuti
Just a really well done example of a pretty cool style of music. Lots of energy. Would have been fun to see this in person. Really enjoyed this album.
4
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Sat Oct 16 2021
The White Album
Beatles
First of all, I just want to point out the obvious: "The Beatles" must be the worst ever name for a band.
Now that that's taken care of this album is incredible. Very eclectic but just about every song is amazing.
5
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Sun Oct 17 2021
Roots
Sepultura
I thought this was going to be an album by The Roots. Imagine my surprise.
2
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Mon Oct 18 2021
Moondance
Van Morrison
One of the best storyteller songwriters ever. Pretty much every song on this album is great.
5
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Tue Oct 19 2021
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
Big fan of several Pixies songs including a couple on this album but overall this is kind of hard to listen to. Sounds a lot like a few friends got together with some instruments and decided to screw around in the garage.
3
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Wed Oct 20 2021
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
There are a couple of really good songs on this album but most of it is just way too pretentious. Felt very "I'm 14 and this is deep" to me. For example, on the last song of the album, they sing "Silent Night" as you hear a newscaster describe horrible events of the day in the background. It's the kind of thing I would have come up with in 7th grade and then felt real smug about it afterwards. I think I would have given this a higher score when I was younger but these days I just found it mostly annoying.
3
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Thu Oct 21 2021
The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Joni Mitchell
Not my favorite. Hard to explain but it doesn't really sound like she's singing songs. It's more like she's just talking to you but melodically.
2
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Fri Oct 22 2021
Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
The harmonies on this album are something else. There are a few incredible songs including the underrated "Marrakesh Express" and the rest of the songs are presentable at least. Didn't really like the cover of "Everybody's Talkin'" but had no problems with the rest.
4
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Sat Oct 23 2021
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
Brought back some memories of listening to this album over and over and over again as a kid. The first half is still pretty amazing, but it falls off sharply starting at "Girlfriend". "She's Out of My Life" is ok, but is a little cheesy as well. Still solid album.
4
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Sun Oct 24 2021
Sign 'O' The Times
Prince
Not sure if I'm giving this a fair shake because Spotify doesn't have the whole album on here, but this only had a couple of songs that I liked. The rest wasn't bad, but not great either.
3
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Mon Oct 25 2021
Timeless
Goldie
Generic nothing.
1
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Tue Oct 26 2021
Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
Fairly generic musically, but is pretty good for what it is. Wouldn't be bad for the background, but don't think I would go out of my way to listen to it again.
3
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Wed Oct 27 2021
Make Yourself
Incubus
Very ordinary 90s style toothless rock/metal. Generally, I like this kind of music but this felt a lot like trying to cash in on a trend and not much originality.
3
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Thu Oct 28 2021
Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
Really only familiar with Jamiroquai from "Virtual Insanity" and maybe one or two other songs that I can't remember right now. Nothing on this album seemed to have the same funk. Not sure how they chose this album for the list but I can't imagine there is more than one Jamiroquai album on this list. Can't imagine this is their best album though.
2
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Fri Oct 29 2021
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
These "important" bands never really do it for me. I guess this is considered the beginning of grunge, but I just didn't hear many songs that stood out to me. Wasn't bad at all but not that good either.
3
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Sat Oct 30 2021
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Thought I would like this more than I did. Blue Suede Shoes was the only song I really liked. The rest was ok but not my favorite Presley stuff.
2
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Sun Oct 31 2021
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
These guys have a really unique sound so they're always fun to listen to. No real standouts on this album except for Spellbound though.
3
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Mon Nov 01 2021
The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
This guy really is a master of clever wordplay and interesting rhymes. The lyrics can be a little too edgy for their own sake but if you take them as Eminem supposedly intended - fictional accounts of a terrible character - it's easy not to get too upset by it. Still it sort of detracts from the otherwise impressive album.
4
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Tue Nov 02 2021
The Real Thing
Faith No More
I remember getting their next album because I really like "Midlife Crisis" and being really disappointed in the rest of the album. Was expecting the same here but I was really pleasantly surprised. Everything on the album is good, although it does fall off a little bit in the 2nd half but the only real dud was "Woodpecker from Mars".
4
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Wed Nov 03 2021
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
Never heard of this band before but they're pretty cool. Starts off a lot stronger than it ends, and it's quite a mixed bag at points, but overall really enjoyed it.
4
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Thu Nov 04 2021
Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Jam band album. Not very good. Probably fun to see live but the album is underwhelming.
2
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Fri Nov 05 2021
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
Always enjoy listening to a band/album like this that is experimental and unique while being listenable at the same time. Some songs are iffier than others but that's what happens when you take risks. Overall pretty great stuff.
4
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Sat Nov 06 2021
Low
David Bowie
My first time listening to this album and my first impression is squarely on the "meh" side of things. There's something about it, though, that makes me think it becomes better the more you listen to it, so I'm going to give this a slightly higher score than my gut says I should.
3
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Sun Nov 07 2021
There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
I've never heard this album but Curtis Mayfield is awesome and this album is too.
4
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Mon Nov 08 2021
Ramones
Ramones
Simple but good. Not sure why I like it, to be honest. Every song sounds exactly the same but I still found my head nodding and foot tapping at some point in just about every song. Got to give it to them even if I don't know what "it" is.
4
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Tue Nov 09 2021
...And Justice For All
Metallica
Pretty powerful stuff. Not really my bag and all the songs are too long. Still can't deny the raw talent on display here.
4
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Wed Nov 10 2021
The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
Cool, old school hip-hop. Was not familiar at all with this album but it's exactly the kind of thing I would have been into at the time. Kind of amazing what gems got lost in the pre-internet days of music discovery.
4
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Thu Nov 11 2021
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
This is not really the kind of album you can just sit back and enjoy. You can with a couple of the songs, but for the most part it takes a little bit of effort on the part of the listener. Some great stuff on this album (Tangled up in Blue is one of the best songs ever written) but it can be exhausting so unless you're in the mood for that it can be hard to enjoy.
4
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Fri Nov 12 2021
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
Didn't really understand this album at all. Mostly inoffensive but bad, although there were a lot of parts that were miserable to listen to. Giving this 2 stars but it's really close to 1.
2
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Sat Nov 13 2021
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
Interesting album. If you took the best 10 songs or so and made an album out of it I'm pretty sure it would be a 5 star effort. As it is though, there are a few duds. Still overall a really good album.
4
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Sun Nov 14 2021
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
Didn't really get this. I only liked the song "Government Center" and the rest went from active dislike to extreme indifference. I was on a streak of a bunch of good albums in a row and this really ended that streak abruptly.
1
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Mon Nov 15 2021
Groovin'
The Young Rascals
Didn't realize that Pat Benatar was not the original singer of "You Better Run". Other than that you have the classic "Groovin'" and the lesser known but still great "How Can I Be Sure". The rest was pretty generic late 60s music. Nothing too exciting, but nothing too offensive either. This sits right on the border between 3 and 4 stars. I think one more great song would have pushed it up to a 4.
3
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Tue Nov 16 2021
Disraeli Gears
Cream
Didn't really do much for me. "Strange Brew" and "Sunshine Of Your Love" and "Tales of Brave Ulysses" are worth listening to but the rest of the album doesn't have much appeal. It's an attempt at psychedelic rock that might have been ground-breaking at some point but I don't think it has held up well.
3
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Wed Nov 17 2021
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
Really nice album. Very 60s vibe. Cool harmonies. Catchy songs that are a little more disturbing than they first seem once you pay attention to the lyrics ("Straight Shooter" for example). Very enjoyable overall.
4
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Thu Nov 18 2021
Chelsea Girl
Nico
Really hard to listen to this. "These Days" is good, but I had to listen to it like 20 times before I started to like it. Maybe the same thing would happen with the rest of them, but I'm not going to do that. "It Was A Pleasure Then" was a miserable experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and this album was not a pleasure.
1
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Fri Nov 19 2021
In It For The Money
Supergrass
Pretty fun. Not the greatest songs but the energy is palpable. Probably wouldn't listen to this album again though.
3
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Sat Nov 20 2021
Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
This has a few really good songs on it but also a lot of duds. I know I'm in the minority but "Everybody Hurts" is a pretty overrated song. I didn't like any of the songs I had never heard before. The good songs make up for the bad ones, but I can't give this more than 3 stars.
3
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Sun Nov 21 2021
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
This is a fun album. Lots of good songs but way too long and therefore lots of not so good songs too. Would have a higher score if they cut out some of the cruft. Still mostly fun to listen to.
3
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Mon Nov 22 2021
Djam Leelii
Baaba Maal
Kind of cool. Never would have found this on my own. Songs are all a bit long and of course I have no idea what the lyrics are, but the instrumentals are interesting and it really handles the role of background music very well.
4
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Tue Nov 23 2021
The Slider
T. Rex
It's ok I guess. Wouldn't turn it off if I heard it again but probably won't go seeking it out either. Every song on this album was about a 3.5 or so.
3
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Wed Nov 24 2021
KE*A*H** (Psalm 69)
Ministry
This was pretty cool. Definitely not my kind of music but can't deny it was impressive.
4
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Thu Nov 25 2021
Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
Not really a big fan of this "lecture disguised as music" type of thing. There were definitely some clever turns of phrases that elevated this a little bit but it was still a little too preachy for me. Has a distinct Public Enemy feel in some places. Also much of the album just seemed like reciting poetry over a beat.
3
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Fri Nov 26 2021
More Specials
The Specials
This is pretty garbage. Worst song is the aptly named "I Can't Stand It".
2
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Sat Nov 27 2021
Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
I'm a big fan of the Supertramp hits, but haven't heard this album before. Was relatively disappointed. I think it might grow on me after a few more listens, but my first impression is about 3.5 stars. A couple of great songs (Bloody Well Right, Dreamer) but the others didn't really blow me away.
3
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Sun Nov 28 2021
Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
I don't know what that was.
1
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Mon Nov 29 2021
The Contino Sessions
Death In Vegas
I don't know what to make of this. It's not terrible but it's definitely not good either. Each song seems wildly different from the one before it too. Not sure how to categorize it. One of the most aggressively 'meh' albums I've ever heard.
3
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Tue Nov 30 2021
All Mod Cons
The Jam
Not terrible, just boring.
3
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Wed Dec 01 2021
Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
Absolutely unsure how to rate this album. Guess I'm glad I heard it. It was very unique especially when you consider the other music that was released around this time. Definitely didn't like it though. Also didn't hate it. Giving it a 3, but I don't know if that's right.
3
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Thu Dec 02 2021
Parachutes
Coldplay
Songs are all well-crafted, and nothing overtly terrible but man is this boring. Don't really understand why this was so popular at the time. I liked "Yellow" and "Trouble" even though (because?) I've heard them 1000 times, but otherwise pretty forgettable.
3
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Fri Dec 03 2021
Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Lana Del Rey
Wasn't expecting to like this very much but it was surprisingly good. Very hypnotic voice. Sort of a one-trick pony, but it's a very good trick. Can't really listen for too long though - doesn't take too long before the trick becomes very repetitive.
4
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Sat Dec 04 2021
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
Really great example of a great jazz album. Bad jazz is probably the worst music there is but great jazz is the best, and this is undeniably great.
5
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Sun Dec 05 2021
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
What the fuck? Who cares about any of this bullshit? This is the first album in a while that felt like it was made specifically to make me angry.
1
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Mon Dec 06 2021
OK
Talvin Singh
Fine I guess. Nothing interesting about it though. Good background music.
2
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Tue Dec 07 2021
Document
R.E.M.
This feels very quintessential REM. I think if you love REM you'll love this album and if not, you won't. I don't really have any strong feelings one way or the other, but can recognize the musicality of this work, so I'll pump it up by one star.
4
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Wed Dec 08 2021
Arrival
ABBA
The hits on this album are absolute 5 star material, but there were a few duds. I think if you removed 2 or 3 songs the album would be 5 stars, but I can't give 5 stars to an album with "Dum Dum Diddle" on it.
4
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Thu Dec 09 2021
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
I guess I can appreciate that this is a very early, and therefore influential, example of heavy metal, but other than the first half of "Child in Time" and parts of "Into the Fire" this album didn't have much to offer.
2
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Fri Dec 10 2021
Paris 1919
John Cale
Absolutely not for me. The only song that was anywhere near good was "Paris 1919". "Hanky Panky Nohow" was basically unlistenable.
1
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Sat Dec 11 2021
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Was never a big fan of Nick Cave and really didn't understand why people liked him. After listening to this album I finally got it. Not really my kind of thing, but now at least I understand what the hype was about.
4
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Sun Dec 12 2021
Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
Feel like I would have liked this kind of thing when I was in 7th grade so everyone would be impressed with how random I am. As an adult, I liked "The Hall of Mirrors" but everything else was fairly unremarkable.
3
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Mon Dec 13 2021
Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
This whole album I kept jumping back and forth between "what the hell is this crap" and "oh shit this is pretty good". Perfect example of a three star album then.
3
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Tue Dec 14 2021
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
This really brought back some college memories... I remember I couldn't believe how good this album was back then. Still pretty solid but there are a couple of duds that I was blind to back then. Even so, I gotta say that the hits really outshine the duds. Could see it being annoying if you're not already into this kind of music but luckily for me, I am.
5
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Wed Dec 15 2021
Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
Nice little jazz album. Very easy to listen to but nothing exciting here. Sort of generic sounding. Would gladly put this on in the background and just hang out with friends.
3
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Thu Dec 16 2021
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan
It's sort of hard for me to rate this album. There are a lot of great songs on it, but it's fascinating to me how many of his songs have better covers. Three on this album alone! I guess his genius is undeniable but I'm rating this album and I don't think I'd listen to this more than once.
4
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Fri Dec 17 2021
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
Only two tracks so it's hard to give this a fair ranking. I liked the second one better, but both are really good. Nice and relaxing, but interesting at the same time. 1st song is a 4 and 2nd song is a 5. That's easy math: 4.5 stars.
4
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Sat Dec 18 2021
It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
This was a cool album. She has a great voice - sounds a lot like Chrissie Hynde - and the songs were catchy and interesting. Highlight was probably "Heads Will Roll" but I also like "Zero" a lot. I think her voice turns a lot of these songs from 2's to 4's but they're still 4's regardless.
4
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Sun Dec 19 2021
Woodface
Crowded House
Sort of a boring album. Not bad, but nothing too interesting. I liked the song "Weather With You" but even that was kind of boring.
3
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Mon Dec 20 2021
Atomizer
Big Black
Lot of energy but I just didn't like it.
2
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Tue Dec 21 2021
The Score
Fugees
Pretty cool sound but not as good as I remember it. Still pretty fun to listen to. Well-produced and cool samples.
3
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Wed Dec 22 2021
Tapestry
Carole King
Great album. I thought she was doing covers of "You've Got a Friend" and "A Natural Woman" but it turns out she wrote both of those. A cool album that really embodies the sound of the time. 4.5 stars
4
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Thu Dec 23 2021
Modern Life Is Rubbish
Blur
I might be missing something. All the songs on this (very long) album sound the same, and they're all boring. At one point I thought there was something good going on but then it turned out to be a bad cover of "Maggie May". Nothing egregiously terrible but nothing to make me want to listen to it either.
2
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Fri Dec 24 2021
The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
There was a lot of talent on display for what turned out to be a very average album. Didn't care too much for the songs and there wasn't enough of an interesting twist on the standards for me to enjoy.
3
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Sat Dec 25 2021
Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
Pretty good. Liked "Back Home" and "The Bottle" the best. Not super exciting though.
3
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Sun Dec 26 2021
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
Great Christmas album, but that's all it is. No original songs or especially creative takes.
4
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Mon Dec 27 2021
Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
The guitar work on this album is pretty amazing. The singing/lyrics leaves much to be desired though. They sort of even each other out. This musical style isn't really my cup of tea but gotta give it up for that guitar playing. 3.5 stars
3
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Tue Dec 28 2021
Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
Everything here was just really boring. Songs all sounded the same and none of it was good. I guess I liked "Sigourney Weaver" on the first listen - the lyrics were pretty funny. Other than that it was mostly meh.
2
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Wed Dec 29 2021
Doolittle
Pixies
Pretty great example of alternative rock. One of those albums though that I'd rather remember listening to than actually listen to.
4
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Thu Dec 30 2021
The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
Every song blends together in a jumble of mediocrity. Sound, lyrics, and music were all neither good nor bad. Just a basic 3 star effort.
3
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Fri Dec 31 2021
The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
This album was a lot of fun and probably not one I would have listened to if it wasn't for this list generator. Hoping for more discoveries like this one as I continue to listen.
4
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Sat Jan 01 2022
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
I think this album was a big step forward in music at the time. It continues to have some appeal but a lot of the songs just don't seem as innovative as I imagine they must have been back then. Still a very solid work, but I just don't see it as belonging in the upper echelons that the critics seem to place it.
4
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Sun Jan 02 2022
Connected
Stereo MC's
Cool album. I think it's possible that my nostalgia for this era is causing me to overrate it but I really think this is one of the best examples of this style of music out there.
4
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Mon Jan 03 2022
Shalimar
Rahul Dev Burman
This was pretty fun to listen to but really just in a kitschy way. It's not very good.
3
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Tue Jan 04 2022
Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
This is just an amazing album. Very mellow but still interesting. The talent on this one album is unbelievable.
5
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Wed Jan 05 2022
Jack Takes the Floor
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Surprisingly fun to listen to. None of the songs seemed too high caliber in terms of skill or talent, but I could see myself singing along around a campfire or something. Folksy and catchy, but nothing stood out as very great.
3
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Thu Jan 06 2022
Clandestino
Manu Chao
I'm not exactly sure how to rate this album so I was tempted to just give it 3 stars and be done with it. It does feel somewhat generic, but I'd imagine that's just because I'm not super familiar with this style of music. It was a fun listen though so I'm bumping it up to 4 stars.
4
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Fri Jan 07 2022
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
The songs seems sort of dated now but Ray Charles really knocks them out of the park anyway.
4
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Sat Jan 08 2022
Debut
Björk
She belongs in her own genre. There were a lot of interesting things going on without ever straying to far into weirdness for its own sake. Lot of fun and a pretty incredible creative effort. One or two duds that keep this out of 5 star territory for me but it's pretty close.
4
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Sun Jan 09 2022
En-Tact
The Shamen
Not terrible but pretty generic.
3
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Mon Jan 10 2022
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
I don't really get the appeal of albums like this in general and Tom Waits in particular. It wasn't purely awful but it was not good at all. Can't imagine listening to this again.
2
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Tue Jan 11 2022
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
This was a lot more funky than I was expecting. Still a few old school Temptations songs on it but mostly a different vibe than I'm used to with them. I hadn't heard most of these songs before but still really enjoyed the album.
4
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Wed Jan 12 2022
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
Couple of good songs on here, but overall this is pretty missable.
3
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Thu Jan 13 2022
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
I'm a big Tom Petty fan but this wasn't a great example of his work I don't think. A couple of good songs that I've heard a million times (Breakdown & American Girl) but besides that it was pretty forgettable. Mystery Man had a Van Morrison feel that I wasn't expecting.
3
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Fri Jan 14 2022
Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
This was pretty cool. Never heard of this band before and I'm really glad they were on this list. Not sure if they'd make my list of top 1001 albums, but was glad to be introduced to an interesting sound.
4
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Sat Jan 15 2022
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
Morissey's voice is annoying. This whole album is annoying.
1
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Sun Jan 16 2022
Tigermilk
Belle & Sebastian
Seems like a decent enough album. Not really my kind of music though.
3
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Mon Jan 17 2022
Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
Not very good.
2
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Tue Jan 18 2022
Zombie
Fela Kuti
Not entirely sure how to rate this album. I thought it was pretty good and the story behind it is awesome. A lot of the songs had these weird moments of awkwardness that affected my enjoyment. Between 3 and 4 stars but closer to 4.
4
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Wed Jan 19 2022
Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
This album got pretty repetitive, but overall it's ok. Only one song I really liked on it, but it never got grating. I think this would have appealed to me more in my younger, more angsty days.
3
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Thu Jan 20 2022
Kick Out The Jams (Live)
MC5
I liked the songs but really not a fan of live albums. That said, this one is better than most. It really captures their energy and made me wish I was at the concert.
3
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Fri Jan 21 2022
Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
Not usually a super fan of country music, but this one was pretty enjoyable. I wouldn't change it if it came on but probably wouldn't seek it out either.
3
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Sat Jan 22 2022
School's Out
Alice Cooper
I've heard "School's Out" a million times but the rest of this album is not what I expected at all. I expected glam rock or heavy metal but this a pretty eclectic mix of enjoyable songs. More than 3, but less than 4 stars.
3
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Sun Jan 23 2022
The Wall
Pink Floyd
This is one of those albums where I can appreciate the effort and the talent, but it still just didn't do much for me. I think this was the first time I'd ever listened to the album in full and it was a pretty underwhelming experience.
3
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Mon Jan 24 2022
Opus Dei
Laibach
No thanks.
1
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Tue Jan 25 2022
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
This is a great album. Every song is interesting and well-executed. I'd dock it a couple of points because the songs are all fairly depressing and a little bit repetitive. So 5 stars if you listen to it spaced out over time but 4 stars if you have to listen to it all at once.
5
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Wed Jan 26 2022
Dry
PJ Harvey
There are some albums where you can tell something good is happening but they just don't appeal to you. This is one of them.
2
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Thu Jan 27 2022
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
Real weird. That's not necessarily a bad thing and I thought I might like it after the first song but it quickly devolved into indecipherability after that.
2
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Fri Jan 28 2022
The Rise & Fall
Madness
This album wasn't bad. Very eclectic mix of songs, but nothing that felt unmissable other than "Our House".
3
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Sat Jan 29 2022
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
I was expecting this to be bad but I didn't really mind it too much. Only a couple of good songs ("Clocks" is really good... heard it a million times but had no idea that's what it was called. "The Scientist" is pretty good too). Everything else kind of blended together a little too much for me.
3
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Sun Jan 30 2022
Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Why are there so many Nick Cave albums on this list? This is nearly impossible to listen to.
1
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Mon Jan 31 2022
Diamond Life
Sade
This was a lot better than I was expecting. This was always my go-to stereotype song to play when a bar was closing down and you wanted people to leave but I never actually listened to it. Her voice is smooth and the songs are all easy to listen to. Does the job.
4
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Tue Feb 01 2022
Hard Again
Muddy Waters
Classic blues. Great album all the way through.
5
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Wed Feb 02 2022
Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
This album started off really strong. If this album ended after 7 songs or so it would probably be a 5 star album. It really dropped off pretty hard after that though. Most of the songs in the second half of the album just felt like uninspired filler. First half - 5 stars, second half - 2 stars. 3.5 total.
3
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Thu Feb 03 2022
Frampton Comes Alive
Peter Frampton
Not bad. I mostly just liked the hits that everyone has heard a million times but those were all very good. Giving this 4 stars but it's a low 4.
4
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Fri Feb 04 2022
White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
I always feel like I'm in an "Emperor's New Clothes" situation when I listen to The Velvet Underground. This is garbage but I have to listen to everyone tell me it's brilliant. Pretty sure I heard him say "busy sucking on a ding-dong" at some point?? There were one or two moments that prevent this from being one star but it really is complete trash.
2
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Sat Feb 05 2022
Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Liked this more than I expected. I've always been a big CCR fan, but the song list didn't really jump out at me at first. It was all good though, even the "Good Golly Miss Molly" cover which I thought would be cringey. Lots of energy and talent on display here but it didn't cross that threshold into 5 star territory for me.
4
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Sun Feb 06 2022
The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
This is all pretty generic early eighties stuff. Only a couple of good songs on here and I'm pretty sure they are only good for nostalgic reasons. Overall it's ok, but didn't feel like it deserved a place on this list.
3
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Mon Feb 07 2022
Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
This is a great album but as is often the problem when there's an album with a bunch of covers, there are better versions out there for most of these. "Respect" is not a cover but there is also a better version elsewhere. Still great for what it is.
4
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Tue Feb 08 2022
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
This was a great album. I've listened to a few albums on this list that lost a star or two because they added too many songs. This one is a little short but at least there's no filler garbage. (Turns out the title song was actually written as "filler" but it is far from garbage)
5
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Wed Feb 09 2022
Violator
Depeche Mode
A few great songs on here but Depeche Mode never really did anything for me. This album is the same. Mostly forgettable with a few gems thrown in for good measure.
3
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Thu Feb 10 2022
Truth
Jeff Beck
Never heard this album before and have only known Jeff Beck as a guitarist. I was like "wow he really sounds like Rod Stewart!". Then I looked it up and it turns out it *was* Rod Stewart. Anyway, this album was ok. Lots of talent on display but didn't really do anything for me.
3
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Fri Feb 11 2022
She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
This whole album was utterly fantastic. I wasn't expecting to like it so much but it was incredible the whole way through. The last few songs weren't the best but even those were catchy after a couple of listens. She really has a strong, unique voice and the tunes were all interesting (in an 80s sensibility sort of way). I can't get "Witness" out of my head.
5
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Sat Feb 12 2022
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
Lots of energy and power on every song. He's a one trick pony, but the one trick is pretty amazing. It's pretty hard to rate this now but I'd imagine this blew people's minds back in 1957. Looking back though there's only a couple of songs on this album that are worth listening to again.
3
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Sun Feb 13 2022
Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
This was a pretty disappointing album. I was looking forward to listening to it after I looked at the song list and realized I had only ever heard a couple of the tracks. Turns out the tracks I knew were the only ones listening to. This is probably a 1 star album if Sara and Tusk aren't on here. And I'm pretty sure Sara is only good because Stevie could sing the phone book and it would be worth listening to.
3
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Mon Feb 14 2022
Dust
Screaming Trees
Perfectly fine I guess but there's nothing good here. Not sure why this is on the list.
3
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Tue Feb 15 2022
Seventh Tree
Goldfrapp
Guess I'm not really a fan of this kind of music. This was ok but basically a worse Cocteau Twins or maybe Portishead. Don't think I'd ever choose this over one of them.
3
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Wed Feb 16 2022
The Band
The Band
The longer I listen to albums on this list, the more I'm starting to doubt my own ability to recognize good songs. I keep getting albums like this where the only songs I really like are the ones I've already heard. Feels like I'm good at recognizing music but not critiquing it. "Up on Cripple Creek" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" are 5+ stars but everything else is a 3. 3.5 stars overall.
3
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Thu Feb 17 2022
Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
I guess I'm glad I listened to this one but it really didn't do anything for me.
3
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Fri Feb 18 2022
Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
Usually with rap it's important to understand the lyrics. I speak a little French but the lyrics were going by too fast for me to understand what he was saying. With those caveats, this might have been good if I understood French better but from my perspective the beats and flow were good but it got a little repetitive after a while.
3
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Sat Feb 19 2022
This Year's Model
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Just about every Elvis Costello album I've ever listened follows the same pattern: One or two incredible songs, 4 or 5 mediocre songs, and the rest garbage. This one is no exception. 2.5 stars.
2
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Sun Feb 20 2022
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
This album could be pretty annoying in large doses but as a one-shot it can't help but get you pumped up. Lyrics are incredible and the energy is off the charts. Can't handle more than one listen in a row though.
4
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Mon Feb 21 2022
Central Reservation
Beth Orton
This album was full of good songs that I would never be interested in listening to again. I never like rating this kind of album because it is clearly really good, just not anything I'd want to listen to.
3
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Tue Feb 22 2022
Drunk
Thundercat
This was an interesting mix. Lots of funky beats and grooves but overall it didn't seem to be saying much. Also some occasional over-the-top silliness that took me out of the moment. At its best it felt like a cool 70s psychedelic funk album, but at its worst it gave off edgy memelord vibes.
3
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Wed Feb 23 2022
Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
Definitely an important work. A lot of times the lyrics, while simple, are deeply profound. There is a point though where you can get too much Randy Newman. All the songs start to sound a lot alike and a lot like every other Randy Newman song. This is one of those albums where I'd listen to the whole thing if it was on, but I probably wouldn't go seek it out.
4
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Thu Feb 24 2022
Manassas
Stephen Stills
Unfortunately I got assigned this album right after he took himself off Spotify, so I had to find sources elsewhere. Not sure I got the full experience. There weren't any stand out songs for me but the entire album felt like a great example of southern rock overall. Really enjoyed it.
4
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Fri Feb 25 2022
Moon Safari
Air
Didn't expect to like this so much but it was really good. I was familiar with a couple of the songs without being aware of it. Guessing they made the rounds in popular culture somewhere or other. The quality fell off a little bit in the second half but this was a 5-star effort for the first half.
4
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Sat Feb 26 2022
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
This was an impressive effort. I really think it is one that would have been improved by making it shorter but even the songs I didn't like as much were still 3+ or 4+ songs. I'd listen to this any place any time. Some of the social commentary was a little too heavy-handed for my taste but usually the groove made up for it. 4.6 stars
5
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Sun Feb 27 2022
In Utero
Nirvana
Having a hard time rating this whole album. There are 5 or 6 great songs but also 4 or 5 terrible ones. Some of the worse ones just consisted of him yelling until his voice broke. Sometimes that works out (like on "Rape Me") but other times it was hard to listen to. The good songs pull this up to a high 3, low 4 stars, but not sure I'd like to have to listen to the whole album again.
4
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Mon Feb 28 2022
High Violet
The National
I feel like I'm missing something here? This is garbage.
2
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Tue Mar 01 2022
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
Incredible. The title song is one of the few 10 minutes songs that I have to listen to all the way through any time I hear it. This is really close to 5 stars but there are a couple of duds on the album. I'd listen to it any time though.
4
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Wed Mar 02 2022
LP1
FKA twigs
Not really sure if I'm qualified to judge this music but I know I don't like it.
2
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Thu Mar 03 2022
My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
Like every Elvis Costello album, a few great songs, a few mediocre songs, and a few terrible songs. Maybe a greatest hits album would belong on this list but the individual albums are all just ok.
3
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Fri Mar 04 2022
Apocalypse Dudes
Turbonegro
This was incredible. Never heard of them before but they have everything - cool riffs, high energy, driving beats, catchy tunes, funny lyrics. I bet this would be a great live show. Really makes it worth it when I get a album like this from this list.
4
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Sat Mar 05 2022
Transformer
Lou Reed
Hard to judge this album. I don't think there is a single song on here that I liked at first listen. Most of them I still don't like after several listens, but there are a few that grew on me. I have to give the benefit of the doubt and assume that that is on purpose, but I still find this mostly hard to listen to.
3
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Sun Mar 06 2022
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
The Flying Burrito Brothers
This was a pretty good time. The songs get a little repetitive but the lyrics are interesting all the way through. First time I heard "Hot Burrito #1" it was a cover by Belly, but didn't realize it was a cover until hearing this. Both versions are really good. Feel like this is just a little below 4 stars but I'll round up.
4
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Mon Mar 07 2022
Nevermind
Nirvana
Pretty incredible. I got burnt out on this album since at the time of its release, it seemed like it was the only thing anyone was listening to, so I haven't listened to this one in a while. I can remember walking through the halls of my dorm and every room was blasting "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Pretty well-deserved praise though. All the songs are catchy without being annoying. This is going back into the rota.
5
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Tue Mar 08 2022
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
Pretty interesting album. I'd never heard of Joan Armatrading before this. It felt like every song was *almost* good. Definitely one of those albums where you know the Spotify suggestions afterward are going to be good.
3
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Wed Mar 09 2022
Gold
Ryan Adams
Pretty bad. Not offensive enough to receive 1 star but not sure why this is on the list.
2
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Thu Mar 10 2022
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
Great stuff. This kind of bluesy rock is really fun to listen to when it is done well, and this is done really well.
4
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Fri Mar 11 2022
Ready To Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
BIG is pretty incredible at what he does but what he does is pretty off-putting. 5 stars for style and flow, 1 star for the horrifying content. The last song of the album added a star but the audio of him getting a sloppy beej lost him a star.
3
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Sat Mar 12 2022
Street Life
The Crusaders
Coincidentally I was listening to this album not that long ago after listening to some garbage that got suggested to me by this list. I said to myself "it's a shame I get that crap but something this good will never show up". That's the universe once again telling me to shut my damn mouth. Thanks universe.
4
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Sun Mar 13 2022
Basket of Light
Pentangle
This isn't bad or anything but I normally don't like this kind of folk music. If I oversaw some kind of medieval court I would 100% hire this band.
3
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Mon Mar 14 2022
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Solid album. Would listen anytime.
4
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Tue Mar 15 2022
Suede
Suede
I think I liked Pantomime Horse a little bit but otherwise every song sounded pretty much the same. This is a whole genre of music that I can't really understand how anyone likes.
2
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Wed Mar 16 2022
Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
This feels like typical bluegrass but the execution is pretty amazing. The album is way too long, but in small doses this is a pretty good time.
4
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Thu Mar 17 2022
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
Just doesn't do it for me. I think I liked "Strangelove" but that might just be because I recognized it.
2
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Fri Mar 18 2022
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
I was looking forward to this when it popped up, but it's pretty boring. A couple of good songs, but overall is pretty one note. In case you weren't aware, Lenny wants two things from everyone: 1) be good and, 2) not be bad. And he tells us that in approximately 13 different ways on this album. Thanks, Lenny!
2
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Sat Mar 19 2022
Imagine
John Lennon
Album was a lot worse than I expected. A couple of good songs but mostly pretty boring. Can't imagine writing a song like "How Do You Sleep?" or "Jealous Guy" and then actually releasing them for everyone to hear. Pretty embarrassing.
2
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Sun Mar 20 2022
Yeezus
Kanye West
Tough to judge this one. If there were no lyrics then this would easily be a 4 and possibly a 5. There's even some great wordplay if you ignore the actual content. However, the lyrics range from inane to offensive and really brings the whole thing down. 2.5 stars.
2
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Mon Mar 21 2022
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
There seem to be a lot of albums like this on the list. Glad I listened but probably won't listen to it again. Wouldn't skip a song if I heard one, but wouldn't seek one out. Interesting album but I'm not interested.
3
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Tue Mar 22 2022
Faith
George Michael
Have never listened to this whole album before and was really expecting not to like it. I really hate "I Want Your Sex" but everything else on the album is good to great. This would probably still be a 4 without that song but it really drags it down almost into 3 territory.
4
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Wed Mar 23 2022
Moving Pictures
Rush
Really good stuff. The musical talent is off the charts and the lyrics are interesting and inventive. I think I have to be in the right mood to listen to this but when I am it's a great listen.
4
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Thu Mar 24 2022
The Stranger
Billy Joel
Great songwriter. The last two songs (Get It Right the First Time and Everybody Has a Dream) are complete garbage but everything else is top notch if you're looking for some well-crafted lyrics and perfect accompanying music. In other words, nothing super inventive or genre-shattering but still a great listen.
4
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Fri Mar 25 2022
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
I feel like I spent the entire year that this album came out having to explain to my white friends why they couldn't also say the N-word. Other than that I like it. It's probably about a 3 for my enjoyment level but it gets and extra point for being so influential.
4
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Sat Mar 26 2022
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
This album is fine. Lauryn Hill is clearly an incredible talent but there were only a couple of songs I really liked on the album.
3
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Sun Mar 27 2022
Smokers Delight
Nightmares On Wax
This is as good as it gets for music to listen to while working or studying or otherwise mentally occupied.
4
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Mon Mar 28 2022
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
Ace of Spades is cool but every song sounds just like it. Enjoyable album but I can survive just hearing Ace of Spades at random occasionally.
3
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Tue Mar 29 2022
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
Extremely influential album. I think I am able to separate my enjoyment of the style from the content. It felt very performative at times, almost like a skit. Not sure if that was the intent but it seems like it especially when you learn about Dr. Dre's past (see World Class Wreckin' Cru) but good on them for being the leading edge of a genre. I think most of the music it spawned was garbage but this one was pretty good as long as you didn't take it too seriously. 3 stars for enjoyment, but add a star for influence.
4
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Wed Mar 30 2022
Rejoicing In The Hands
Devendra Banhart
Pretty bad. Not musical. Not interesting.
1
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Thu Mar 31 2022
A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
The first Divine Comedy album that this list introduced me to got my first 1 star rating. Not looking forward to this but I'll try to keep an open mind...
Not nearly as bad as the first one but still garbage. This artist doesn't have any reason to be on this list once, let alone twice.
2
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Tue Apr 05 2022
Graceland
Paul Simon
This album is mostly just great but there's a couple of real clunkers. The bad songs pull this down from a 5 but just a little. 4.5 stars.
5
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Wed Apr 06 2022
Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
Not bad. A little boring but not entirely uninteresting. Not sure what situations I'd listen to this in.
3
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Thu Apr 07 2022
Phrenology
The Roots
Pretty good album. The unfortunate thing about rating albums is I can only say how I feel about it at this exact second, and in this exact second I don't want to take a lot of time to pay attention to the lyrics. I have the feeling I'd rate this a little higher if I was analyzing the words. In this moment though, I don't feel like paying too much attention and it's not the kind of thing I think I'd want to play repeatedly.
3
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Fri Apr 08 2022
Copper Blue
Sugar
Was pretty generic grunge. I hadn't heard of this band/album before but I think I would have liked it a lot in 1992 when it came out. Probably would have gotten an extra star from me for nostalgic reasons. But on a first time listen it just sounds ok with occasional great moments.
3
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Sat Apr 09 2022
Rio
Duran Duran
This was a pretty big deal when it came out so I get why it's on this list. Something I could easily do without though. A couple of pretty cool songs surrounded by by generic 80s synth-pop. Lyrics are a step above but it's still pretty middle of the road. 3.5 stars
3
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Sun Apr 10 2022
Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
This was nice to listen to but nothing really stood out as amazing to me. Wouldn't turn it off but wouldn't seek it out.
3
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Mon Apr 11 2022
Snivilisation
Orbital
Enjoyed it. Nothing ground-breaking though.
3
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Tue Apr 12 2022
Darklands
The Jesus And Mary Chain
My friend in high school had a weird obsession with this band and would basically never stop listening to them. I thought they were ok then and ok now.
3
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Wed Apr 13 2022
Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
Not aggressively terrible, but pretty boring.
2
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Thu Apr 14 2022
Hunky Dory
David Bowie
I like a few of his songs but I never really got all the hype around Bowie. Changes is great, Life On Mars? is pretty good. Everything else is pretty middling.
3
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Fri Apr 15 2022
Guitar Town
Steve Earle
Is this for real? It feels like it is making fun of country music. I like some of his other stuff so I'm not sure why this album really rubs me the wrong way.
1
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Sat Apr 16 2022
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
Not the best Rolling Stones album. Sounded very generic bluesy in a lot of places.
3
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Sun Apr 17 2022
It's A Shame About Ray
The Lemonheads
Perfectly ok.
3
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Mon Apr 18 2022
All Directions
The Temptations
The only really great song on this album is "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" (I had no idea this was a cover until today) but it's an incredible song and it alone makes this album worthy of being on this list. Any song with the balls to spend nearly 4 minutes of instrumental before the first word is uttered gets points in my book. The rest of the album is entertaining too, but nothing comes close to that one.
4
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Tue Apr 19 2022
GREY Area
Little Simz
No denying her talent but this isn't really my kind of music. 3.5 stars
3
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Wed Apr 20 2022
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
This isn't really music. Felt more like a skit stretched out to the length of a play. Not entertaining at all.
2
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Thu Apr 21 2022
Strange Cargo III
William Orbit
Perfectly fine music to study by that sounds exactly like all the other perfectly fine music to study by that I've ever listened to.
3
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Fri Apr 22 2022
White Ladder
David Gray
David Gray is what Ryan Adams wants to be. I'm not really a fan of either, but it's remarkable how more talent there is on this album than on any of Adams' work. 3.5 stars
3
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Sat Apr 23 2022
The Visitors
ABBA
ABBA is pretty great and there were a lot of songs on this album I hadn't heard before. Not their biggest hits and a little bit more of a serious tone than their usual stuff. "Two For The Price Of One" brought back a bunch memories. I haven't thought about that song in a while but I listened to it all the time as a kid. Would not have been able to tell you who sings it before hearing it again on this listen.
4
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Sun Apr 24 2022
Gasoline Alley
Rod Stewart
I always think of Rod Stewart as the cheesy "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" and slightly less cheesy "Maggie May" singer, so it's always surprising to hear his more bluesy early stuff. This album isn't anything too special but it was pretty easy to listen to. 3.5 stars
3
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Mon Apr 25 2022
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
This is just boring. I don't get it.
2
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Tue Apr 26 2022
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
I like this sort of Irish folk/punk music but not sure how to differentiate this with anything else out there.
3
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Wed Apr 27 2022
Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
The only possible reason this could be on this list is because the author has some nostalgic memories of listening to this while drinking beer in the parking lot after high school with his buddies or something. This is pretty bland and generic glam rock.
2
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Thu Apr 28 2022
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
As a great man once said "I have no strong feelings one way or the other".
3
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Fri Apr 29 2022
Rip It Up
Orange Juice
There's not a single Tool album on this list and yet I have to continuously listen to this garbage and garbage like it.
1
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Sat Apr 30 2022
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
I feel like PJ Harvey exists at a higher level than I'm capable of understanding.
4
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Sun May 01 2022
I Against I
Bad Brains
I can see why it's influential and why people like it but it's not really for me.
3
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Mon May 02 2022
The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
I'm going to create another list called "1001 Mediocre New Wave Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". That would reduce the current list by about 700, and it might be hard work to replace those, but I think it's worth it.
2
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Tue May 03 2022
Bad Company
Bad Company
There are a couple of great songs on here ("Bad Company" above everything else) but it's mostly surprisingly mediocre.
3
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Wed May 04 2022
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
A little different than the other Kraftwerk albums on here. Glad I listened but it didn't really speak to me. Clearly too many Kraftwerk albums on this list.
3
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Thu May 05 2022
Revolver
Beatles
Kind of a hodge-podge of styles and it's quite short for an album with so many songs, so I could nit-pick and dock this a star but there's way too many incredible songs for me to give this any less than 5 stars.
5
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Fri May 06 2022
Triangle
The Beau Brummels
Strange listening to this. It felt like the kind of album that would have been hailed as genius if Dylan or Donovan released it. I've never heard it before though. As it is, it felt like a great album in a genre I'm not so sure about. Feels very psychedelic sixties. 3.5 stars.
3
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Sat May 07 2022
Smile
Brian Wilson
I don't know. I guess I'm glad I heard it so it's hard to give it too low of a score, but it was really not very compelling. Not sure what was going on in "Vega-Tables" but it was a weird failed attempt at being clever. A lot of the songs had really cool parts but then the whole mood and style of the song changed into something worse. Probably won't listen again.
3
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Sun May 08 2022
Stankonia
OutKast
Lots of garbage on this album. Most of the filler was unnecessary but the good songs were incredible. Really close to giving this 5 stars but the skits were all terrible enough to lose it a star.
4
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Mon May 09 2022
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
Not entirely sure how to rate this album. Feels very much a product of the time. I'm not sure how much I like it currently but I'm 100% sure this would have been one of my favorite albums if I were around when it was released. I'll split the difference between what I think it is (3) and what I think I my 1967 counterpart would have thought (5). 4 stars. The Spotify suggestions after this album were incredible.
4
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Tue May 10 2022
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Spiritualized
I really liked the first song and the unique take on "Can't Help Falling In Love" but after that my feelings aren't so clear. Everything was decently put together but not really my thing. 3.5 stars.
3
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Wed May 11 2022
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
This might be the weirdest album on here. I already listened to the "Ace of Spades" album and half of these songs are already on it. Anyway, I'll say the same thing here that I did there: Ace of Spades is a great song but every song sounds just like it and I'd rather just occasionally listen to it than sit through an entire album.
3
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Thu May 12 2022
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
Well I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. Some duds but overall pretty surprisingly good. Like 3.75 stars probably.
4
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Fri May 13 2022
Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
This is as good as any punk band I've ever heard which means it's bad according the punk fans I know. Whatever, I really liked it.
4
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Sat May 14 2022
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
Got a nice feel to it but definitely too "samey" for me. Would 100% put this on in the background on a rainy day and gaze out the window. 3.5 stars
3
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Sun May 15 2022
Teen Dream
Beach House
Good background music.
3
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Mon May 16 2022
Garbage
Garbage
Not sure if it's the nostalgia talking but I thought this was a really strong album. A couple of songs didn't do it for me but overall it's a hell yes.
4
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Tue May 17 2022
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
Queen is the only band that sounds like this. The guitars are out of this world. Too much of it is overkill for me but the talent level is incredible.
4
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Wed May 18 2022
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
I had never heard this whole thing before and was a little bit disappointed. Title track is incredible of course, but there weren't any other great ones. Nothing bad either, fine to have in the background, but probably not something I'd return to.
3
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Thu May 19 2022
The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
Pleasant but boring. Only one or two songs I really like but the rest was forgettable. Impressive production and composition but ultimately fell flat for me. The last track where you got to listen in on the recording process was pretty interesting.
3
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Fri May 20 2022
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Pretty low key and mellow. Nothing too interesting except "Sultans of Swing" though. Guitar work is incredible. 3.5 stars.
3
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Sat May 21 2022
Vivid
Living Colour
A couple of good songs, incredible guitar licks. Unfortunately, every Living Colour (Coloür? Never noticed the umlaut before) song loses steam half way through. Like they had a great idea for a song, but then had another great idea before they could put all the finishing touches on that song and so they wrap it up and start on the next one.
3
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Sun May 22 2022
New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
This is not good.
2
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Mon May 23 2022
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
"Stagger Lee" was pretty good. Otherwise, not worth listening to. On the bright side, this was the fourth Nick Cave album I had to listen to on this list so I think that's the last one.
2
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Tue May 24 2022
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Pretty impressive. This was a great example of grunge. Sounds like it was late enough in the movement to benefit from a lot of different influences, and early enough that it wasn't yet cliche.
4
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Wed May 25 2022
Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
I think if I was in the right mood I'd enjoy this. It has some fairly entertaining moments but I don't really like it musically. Probably an incredible live show.
3
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Thu May 26 2022
John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
Really cool, really eclectic. Funky instrumentals, psychedelic, folk, jazz, blues. Not sure if it works cohesively but every song was great on its own.
4
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Fri May 27 2022
Something Else By The Kinks
The Kinks
Every song is catchy. No real standouts though. Definitely liked it but not as much as some of their other stuff. 3.5 stars.
3
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Sat May 28 2022
Frank
Amy Winehouse
Super talented artist. Most of the songs were pretty forgettable though. Still her ability really shines through.
3
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Sun May 29 2022
1977
Ash
Another band that somehow escaped my notice from a time when I would have been really into them. Not really into it now but this kind of grungy stuff was really in my wheelhouse back when this album was released.
3
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Mon May 30 2022
Dare!
The Human League
The more new wave albums I hear the more I realize it's not really that good. This is mostly boring and even the one song I like (Don't You Want Me) is kinda boring too. I'll give it an extra point because it was pretty influential but won't listen again.
3
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Tue May 31 2022
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
When people tell me they don't like this album I realize I have no idea what some people even listen to music for. This is incredible.
5
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Wed Jun 01 2022
Spiderland
Slint
I don't get it. It isn't really musical, each song is like a short story with an unrelated backing track. Feels like an album that some pretentious band would make and sneer about how you "just don't get it", although I didn't really get a pretentious vibe from them, so I'll bump it up one star.
2
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Thu Jun 02 2022
Pearl
Janis Joplin
Amazing talent. Some of the songs get a little repetitive but her abilities are on full display here and it's an incredible show.
4
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Fri Jun 03 2022
Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
I was expecting to hate this and surprisingly didn't. Not really something I could listen to for extended periods of time but it was pretty good. 3.5 stars
3
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Sat Jun 04 2022
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
Fiona Apple has a way of making things that have no business sounding good, sound great. That said, this album was a little too weird for my taste but she is a really unique talent and is worth listening to.
3
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Sun Jun 05 2022
Very
Pet Shop Boys
Wow what a surprise. Another mediocre new wave/synth pop album. This was exactly average just like all of these kinds of albums. I'm only about 350 albums into this list so I'm looking forward to rating another 300 of these.
3
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Mon Jun 06 2022
Future Days
Can
Would have never guessed this came out in 1973. Seems like it was way ahead of its time. Not really my thing though.
3
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Tue Jun 07 2022
Who's Next
The Who
The first and last two songs on this album are off the charts. "Baba O'Riley" especially being one of the best songs ever written I think. "Won't Get Fooled Again" is also pretty high up there. The middle is pretty meh though. They try to get deep with "Getting Mobile" and "Getting in Tune" but the end product is pretty corny. That middle is bad enough to drop it half a star. 4.5 stars.
4
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Wed Jun 08 2022
Ctrl
SZA
Inane lyrics. Boring simple melodies. Not worth listening to at all. My criteria for giving something one star is if it feels like it is actively trying to piss me off, and this one doesn't feel that way. This is bad enough that I still wanted to give it 1 star but by that measure it's more like 1.5.
2
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Thu Jun 09 2022
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Great unique voice. Great unique sound. Have you ever heard an album that you don't think you're cool enough to be allowed to listen to? This is that for me.
4
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Fri Jun 10 2022
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
This feels like the kind of thing I would like but for some reason it doesn't really appeal to me. Not sure why but something just felt a little off.
3
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Sat Jun 11 2022
Aqualung
Jethro Tull
This was a pretty cool album. Even the songs I didn't like all that much would get bumped up a star or so when the riff (guitar and/or flute) kicked in. Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, even knowing I would like "Aqualung" and "Locomotive Breath".
4
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Sun Jun 12 2022
m b v
My Bloody Valentine
I found myself continuously asking “is this song done yet?” And it never was. It never was.
1
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Mon Jun 13 2022
Closer
Joy Division
I've heard how brilliant this band is a million times but I've never really heard anything by them except "Love Will Tear Us Apart". After listening to this I'm glad I haven't. It really feels like an emperor's new clothes situation. This was terrible.
1
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Tue Jun 14 2022
British Steel
Judas Priest
This album is from a definite place and time. Not sure it holds up all that well even though there are a couple of great songs here. Don't think I'd listen to the album again though.
3
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Wed Jun 15 2022
Morrison Hotel
The Doors
Pretty generic blues rock. Not that great but not that bad either.
3
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Wed Jun 22 2022
Cross
Justice
Not really sure how to rate albums like this. I liked it but there was nothing groundbreaking here for me. I'd heard D.A.N.C.E. before and always liked it. Phantom Pt. II also had a cool 70s feel to it. Everything else was relatively generic sounding but still good. 3.5 stars. Might have given it a 4 if it wasn't for The Party & DYNO. WTF was that.
3
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Thu Jun 23 2022
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
I was very impressed just listening to this, but the backstory added another star to the score. What an amazing piece of work that almost didn't happen due to one mixup after another. I wasn't expecting the groans but somehow they added another level of authenticity. The Spotify recommendations that came after this album were great too. This definitely lives up to the book's title.
5
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Fri Jun 24 2022
The College Dropout
Kanye West
Really good. Not nearly as much of the self-indulgent egotistical nonsense from his later stuff. He's an incredible wordsmith and it really shows here.
4
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Sat Jun 25 2022
Disintegration
The Cure
Just terrible. I liked the instrumentation on a couple of songs (Prayers For Rain, for one) but I can't stand his voice and the lyrics were either inane or whiny, and the attempts to be deep were embarrassing. 1.5 stars
1
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Sun Jun 26 2022
Dance Mania
Tito Puente
This was pretty fun to listen to but I have no idea how to rate it. I assume it's a good example of this genre of music because everyone says it is, but I don't know how to differentiate between good and bad examples of this style. 3.75 stars
4
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Mon Jun 27 2022
Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
I don’t think you can’t deny the talent here but you also can’t deny that this is a very dated album. Don’t think I’d listen again but it also definitely belongs on the list. 3.75 stars.
4
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Tue Jun 28 2022
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
A little too sappy and saccharine for my taste but I can understand the appeal. If I don’t think too hard about the corny lyrics I could see myself tapping my foot and nodding serenely along.
3
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Wed Jun 29 2022
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
This was a fairly difficult album to rate. Absolutely enjoyed listening to it and there were no duds on the entire, nearly two hour long, album. That's impressive. But nothing really stood out either. I didn't "fave" any individual songs, but did "fave" the entire album so maybe that explains how I feel about it better than I can express. I'm going to assume that was intended so even though it's probably a 3.5 star album for me, I'll give it the benefit of doubt and push it up half a star.
4
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Thu Jun 30 2022
Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
I kept waiting for some kind of payoff but it never came. Felt very pretentious somehow.
2
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Fri Jul 01 2022
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
Pretty fun, energetic, and inventive. Couldn't really relate to some of the lyrics but even in those cases the music was worth listening to. Overall it was a great ride.
4
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Sat Jul 02 2022
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
I hadn’t heard this album before. This was the second Stones album I got in 3 days and I had the same feeling about both. Cool album but nothing really stood out. Still enjoyed but not as much as I thought I would. 3.5 stars.
3
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Sun Jul 03 2022
Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
This was a pretty fun album. Not sure if it's "good" but the songs were catchy and it kept my toe tapping.
3
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Mon Jul 04 2022
Blur
Blur
Sometimes I’ll listen to an old album like this and wonder why I’ve only heard one song from it. In this case I know exactly why. The only good song is the one I’ve already heard (Song 2).
2
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Tue Jul 05 2022
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
There’s a lot of interesting stuff happening on this album but this kind of thing just isn’t for me.
3
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Wed Jul 06 2022
Before And After Science
Brian Eno
There’s something impressive going on here. Not really my bag though.
3
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Thu Jul 07 2022
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
This is easily the most fun album I've listened to on this list. It's hard for me to separate nostalgia for quality, but I "fave"d just about every song on it. This is back when the only thing that mattered in rap was the lyrics so every song follow the same basic musical pattern:
Run: 2 measures
DMC: 2 measures
Run: 1 measure
DMC asks a question: 1 measure
Run + DMC answer together louder: 2 measures
But it fucking works. 5 stars
5
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Fri Jul 08 2022
Axis: Bold As Love
Jimi Hendrix
All good songs. A couple of great songs. Had never heard this entire album before and I was expecting more. 3.5 stars
3
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Sat Jul 09 2022
Blue Lines
Massive Attack
Wasn’t familiar with this band and from the name I assumed it was going to be another bad punk album. One of those albums where I wasn’t too impressed but I really liked all the Spotify suggestions that popped up afterwards. Makes me realize this was probably a pretty influential album so I’ll give it a bonus star for that. 3.5 stars
3
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Sun Jul 10 2022
Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
I can’t believe I made it through the eighties without ever hearing of this band. Not really a big fan of this style but I guess I can’t understand why they weren’t more popular. The second half sort of peters out but the first half is full of songs that I could see being hits.
3
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Mon Jul 11 2022
Pretenders
Pretenders
This album is really cool. I feel like I absorbed some of the cool just by listening to it. None of the songs are really catchy or anything but they’re all interesting. It’s between 3.5 and 4 stars for me.
4
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Tue Jul 12 2022
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
A lot of good songs in the first half. It dries up a lot in the second. The voice modulation gimmick gets old pretty fast. Don’t mind listening to the hits every once in a while but the album as a whole isn’t going to be in my rota any time soon. 3.5 stars
3
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Wed Jul 13 2022
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
Mostly forgettable. The parts that weren’t forgettable were annoying. Could almost be decent background music but then the annoying parts kick in. 2.5 stars
2
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Thu Jul 14 2022
Beautiful Freak
Eels
This album has the kind of whiny self-pity lyrics that I usually hate and I have panned other albums in the past for this reason, but I guess I'm a hypocrite because I thought it worked here. The more albums I listen to on this list the more I realize that I am just going by my gut and then post-hoc rationalizing my feelings here.
4
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Fri Jul 15 2022
Sail Away
Randy Newman
Randy Newman is a pretty incredible talent and I like most of the songs on this album. It's just really hard to listen to an entire album. It starts to get repetitive pretty fast. If I heard each of these songs interspersed throughout a day or so of listening to music I wouldn't mind as much but when you listen to them all in a row you start looking for the "skip" button. 3.5 stars
3
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Sat Jul 16 2022
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
Some talent going on here but only one song I really liked. The rest were pretty forgettable. 2.5 stars
2
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Sun Jul 17 2022
Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales
The Spotify version was missing a few songs but I got the picture. Generic dance music. A lot of the Spotify recommendations that came after this were much better. 2.5 stars
2
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Mon Jul 18 2022
Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
I liked the first few songs a lot but then the quality dropped off pretty sharply. Weird thing is the songs sound pretty much the same so it’s pretty clear I don’t know what the hell I'm talking about. 3.5 stars
3
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Tue Jul 19 2022
Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
I have an idea in my head about who The Rolling Stones are but after listening to a few albums I’m starting to realize they defy classification. This had a very 60s rock/pop feel and it’s as good as anything I’ve heard in that genre. It doesn’t really fit my image of them though. Still pretty good stuff. 3.75 stars.
4
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Wed Jul 20 2022
Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Lyrically this is pretty brilliant if depressing, musically it's pretty repetitive. I think my rating would depend pretty strongly on my mood at the time. This time I enjoyed it but I can imagine turning it off pretty quick if I was in the wrong frame of mind. 3.75 stars.
4
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Thu Jul 21 2022
Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
Really cool. Sounds like Iceland. I couldn't understand the lyrics but there was a sort of uncanny valley feel where it felt like I could almost understand. A very surreal experience.
4
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Fri Jul 22 2022
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
I listened to this right after a Sigur Rós album so it was pretty hard to adjust. The drums and guitar here are 5 stars, but I have a hard time with the voice. I can't imagine there's a better example of this kind of music, but it's just not for me.
4
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Sat Jul 23 2022
Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
Just felt very pretentious all the way through. Can't stand Morrisey's voice. Hard pass.
2
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Tue Aug 02 2022
OK Computer
Radiohead
Weirdly soothing for being so depressing. Great listen though.
4
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Wed Aug 03 2022
Sister
Sonic Youth
There were parts of just about every song that I liked. Very small parts though. Mostly unlikeable.
2
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Thu Aug 04 2022
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
I wanted to like this more than I did. Lots of good things going on but there were also some overly clever/complicated parts that brought the whole thing down for me. I ended up listening to it twice and the second go brought the score up by about a star.
3
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Fri Aug 05 2022
This Is Hardcore
Pulp
Nothing really good or bad about this. Perfectly middle of the road.
3
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Sat Aug 06 2022
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
What a weird album. I either hated or loved every song on it. All the hits were great. “Operator” and “Candyman” were complete garbage. I’m giving it 3.5 stars but it could have easily been 1 or 5 depending on which songs they kept.
3
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Sun Aug 07 2022
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
I liked just about every song on this album but at least I have the decency to be ashamed of that.
4
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Mon Aug 08 2022
White Light
Gene Clark
I was confused by the first few songs because I thought this was going to be *Roy* Clark. Once I adjusted my expectations I was pleasantly surprised. Nothing real stand out or groundbreaking but the whole album was soothing and easy to listen to. 3.5 stars
3
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Tue Aug 09 2022
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
He’s singing about stuff I can’t relate to in a style I can’t understand. Some pretty good turns of phrases every now and then brings this up a star but still not my thing.
2
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Wed Aug 10 2022
Black Metal
Venom
Everything about this album from the title to the name of the band to the album art to every single track title sounds like the workings of an angsty teenager who thinks everyone is afraid of him but really everyone is just embarrassed for him.
1
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Thu Aug 11 2022
Locust Abortion Technician
Butthole Surfers
Mostly seemed like just noise but every once in a while it was an enjoyable noise. Adding a star because I just don’t get it but they clearly know what they’re doing
3
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Fri Aug 12 2022
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
Everything was terrible except the Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go? combo. If I heard Spinal Tap singing Sex Dwarf I would have liked it, but the fact that it wasn't a parody is disturbing. Considering that this was probably a pretty influential album, and there were occasional interesting non-lyrical moments, I can add half a star but that's the best I can do. 1.5 stars.
1
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Sat Aug 13 2022
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
This started off really strong. Thought it might be the easiest 5 star I’ve given. It petered out a lot in the second half though. Still this is a great album. Very pretentious but they’re so talented they get away with it.
4
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Sun Aug 14 2022
The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
Just a really fun album all the way through. The first half is much stronger than the second but the whole thing was a joy to listen to.
4
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Mon Aug 15 2022
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Beatles
Lots of incredible songs (Day In the Life has to be one of the best songs ever written) but there are a couple of mediocre ones. Even those have parts that are incredible. I would probably give it 4.5 stars if I was just going by my own opinion but I will gladly pump it up half a star for how influential it is.
5
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Tue Aug 16 2022
Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
I mean, yeah it's cheesy and all and I wouldn't say it's "good" but it is fun, and I think that was the point. Just a little below 4 stars but I'll round up.
4
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Wed Aug 17 2022
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
The title song was the only real stand out. Still a pleasant listen but it didn’t really blow me away. 3.5 stars
3
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Thu Aug 18 2022
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
There are some albums that you can recognize as incredible even if you don't necessarily like them so much. There was a lot of talent and creativity that went into making this but it would not be very high on the list of albums I'd want to sit down and listen to.
4
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Fri Aug 19 2022
Shaft
Isaac Hayes
Title song is incredible. Probably carries the whole album to be honest. I didn't mind the rest but it didn't knock me out like "Theme From Shaft" did. 3.5 stars.
3
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Sat Aug 20 2022
Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
Generic background music. Nothing memorable about it, but fine to put on and forget about.
3
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Sun Aug 21 2022
Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
This was an ok listen. Superstition is, of course, incredible, and there were a couple more that I liked even though they were pretty cheesy. Probably won't listen again but I'm glad I listened to it once.
3
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Mon Aug 22 2022
The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
Couldn't find anything wrong or right about this album. I guess it's impressive that I found my head nodding along to a couple songs even though objectively I couldn't find anything I enjoyed about them. Still nothing here that blew me away.
3
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Tue Aug 23 2022
Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
I think I finally figured out my problem with live albums. If it's really good then you keep thinking about how much better the concert itself must have been, and if it's bad you keep thinking about why you wouldn't just listen to the original song recordings. At least this one is pretty good (minus some stupid banter, but maybe in 1978 it was considered "fresh").
3
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Wed Aug 24 2022
Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
Mostly hated this. There were one or two songs that almost had my foot tapping but it was nearly entirely awful. The gross cover didn't help.
2
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Thu Aug 25 2022
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
I don't really have an objective way to judge these kinds of albums. They all sound the same to me, but somehow I like certain ones better than others. I liked this one but couldn't possibly say why.
4
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Fri Aug 26 2022
Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
Didn't really expect to like this. Don't really like this kind of music. But it was a really good example of this genre. Mostly bored but a couple of songs had me riveted.
4
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Sat Aug 27 2022
American Pie
Don McLean
I came for the American Pie and that's all I got.
2
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Sun Aug 28 2022
Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
This album was pretty good for this genre, but I am not a huge fan of the genre. Also, there is way too much representation on this list. It gets old quick. 3.5 stars
3
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Mon Aug 29 2022
Follow The Leader
Korn
This is some high energy stuff and sometimes if you don't think about it too hard you will find yourself banging your head along with the music, but if you pay too much attention it all just feels kind of pointless. 2.5 stars
2
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Tue Aug 30 2022
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
Unique sound on this one but ultimately there were only a couple of songs that I like. Sometimes when the lyrics are too dense it takes away from the experience for me. 3.5 stars
3
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Wed Aug 31 2022
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Really good album. Great story teller. Not sure when I would ever want to listen though due to the depressing nature. Still absolutely worth a listen and a place on this list, I'll just never listen to the whole thing again.
4
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Thu Sep 01 2022
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
A pleasant listen but ultimately unremarkable.
3
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Fri Sep 02 2022
Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
It was fine. Won't listen again though.
3
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Sat Sep 03 2022
Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
Great example of old school rap. This came out at a time where the world was getting tired of it so I don't think this really got its due. I think if it came out a couple of years earlier more people would be aware of it. I sort of dismissed it at the time but looking back it really equals if not surpasses anything else like it. No real variety in sound but clever and smooth lyrics make up for that. These days though I don't really have a reason to listen to old school rap unless it's for nostalgia and this doesn't do that for me.
4
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Sun Sep 04 2022
Here Come The Warm Jets
Brian Eno
Pretty unique without being annoying which is hard to do. It's a 4 star album that I probably wouldn't listen to on purpose again.
4
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Mon Sep 05 2022
Protection
Massive Attack
This was fine but doesn't feel like it belongs on this list. It's the 2nd Massive Attack album on this list too, which seems like at least one too many. Good background music but ultimately who cares.
3
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Tue Sep 06 2022
1999
Prince
The good parts were incredible but some of the songs are just too much. Trim some of the songs down and it’s probably 5 stars.
4
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Wed Sep 07 2022
Dummy
Portishead
Very smooth very soothing. Can be a bit repetitive though. It's slightly below a 4 but I'll round up.
4
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Thu Sep 08 2022
Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
This is one of those albums that I don’t know how to rate objectively. On the one hand everything all sort of sounds the same but on the other hand I really did enjoy it.
4
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Fri Sep 09 2022
Teenage Head
Flamin' Groovies
Glad I listened to it and there were a couple of cool tunes on here but overall this didn't do much for me.
3
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Sat Sep 10 2022
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
Anyone else also get this album on September 8, 2022? The day Queen Elizabeth died? Can’t be a coincidence, right?
Anyway, as for the album, I thought it was terrible and I hate that I live in a world where it is considered good.
1
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Sun Sep 11 2022
Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
I usually don't like live albums, but this was a good one. Lots of energy, lots of fun.
4
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Mon Sep 12 2022
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
I was looking forward to this when it came up but it turns out it's mostly weird garbage with a couple of good songs thrown in the mix.
2
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Tue Sep 13 2022
Hot Fuss
The Killers
I really wasn't expecting to give this 5 stars but I don't see any other option. There was a little bit of a lull in after the first half or so, but that first half was pretty incredible.
5
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Wed Sep 14 2022
Sheet Music
10cc
I'll add a star for being eclectic and unique, but it's not good. Every song sounds like a different genre, which is a little jarring. The only other songs by 10cc that I'm familiar with are "I'm Not In Love" and "Dreadlock Holiday". I like both of those, and neither is on this album so I was pretty disappointed. Album cover is pretty cool though.
2
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Thu Sep 15 2022
Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
Lots of highs (Knights of Cydonia is incredible) but also lots of lows. Felt like half the album was the same song. 3.5 stars.
3
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Fri Sep 16 2022
Odessa
Bee Gees
This is a very sprawling album that is not what you think of when you think of the Bee Gees. A lot of it was cringy and pretentious which is the big risk when you do a concept album like this. Enjoyed it overall even though there I had some undeniable second hand embarrassment during some of the more corny parts. 3.75 stars.
4
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Sat Sep 17 2022
S&M
Metallica
It's an incredible album. I'm not sure how much the SFSO adds to it, but the energy was off the charts and all the songs were great. I don't normally like live albums so this loses a star for that plus the fact that it's so long, but still a solid 4 stars.
4
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Sun Sep 18 2022
Modern Kosmology
Jane Weaver
An ok album. Nothing wrong with it but I'm not sure why it's on this list.
3
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Mon Sep 19 2022
The Last Broadcast
Doves
Never heard of this band before. It was pleasant enough but nothing really stood out to me. Had a real Coldplay vibe.
3
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Tue Sep 20 2022
Liquid Swords
GZA
Really good flow and lyrical mastery, but the songs all tend to sound alike. Seems like it's the kind of album that you have to put in some effort to appreciate. I don't really feel like putting in that much work though. 3.5 stars.
3
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Wed Sep 21 2022
The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
There are a few fun songs on here and "The Message" is of course one of the best rap songs ever written. The whole thing is pretty dated though and a couple of really weird songs also bring it down a notch."Dreamin'" made me pretty uncomfortable and "You Are" was pretty out of place. 3.5 stars
3
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Thu Sep 22 2022
If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
Felt like there might have been something going on here but it's really not for me.
2
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Fri Sep 23 2022
Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
Was looking forward to this as I like Steve Winwood's stuff even though I don't really seek it out. I was only familiar with "While You See a Chance" which opens the album. Strong start but everything else just sort of blends together in a mediocre sameness. Nothing too bad but nothing really stood out either.
3
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Sat Sep 24 2022
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
Just seemed pretty average to me. It feels like I've gotten a lot of these perfectly fine but not special at all albums lately.
3
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Sun Sep 25 2022
Either Or
Elliott Smith
Whiny garbage. Didn’t like this at all but it wasn’t aggressively annoying at least.
2
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Mon Sep 26 2022
Ambient 1/Music For Airports
Brian Eno
Not sure how to rate this. It’s definitely not “good” but I would also listen to this as background music anytime. After reading about it it sounds like that’s what he was going for so mission accomplished but I still can’t give it more than 3 stars.
3
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Tue Sep 27 2022
Hejira
Joni Mitchell
Not really my thing but there's no doubt this is some good stuff. It's probably a 5 star album but I can't give it more than 4 stars when I balance my enjoyment of this kind of music (low) with how good it actually is (high).
4
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Wed Sep 28 2022
Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
I really enjoyed this but I'll be the first to admit that it is probably mostly nostalgia talking. The songs all sound basically the same and the beats, while unique, are pretty simplistic. I'd throw the whole album on anytime though.
4
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Thu Sep 29 2022
Slipknot
Slipknot
I don't like this at all but there's no doubt that it's a great example of the genre.
3
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Fri Sep 30 2022
Destroyer
KISS
Should you listen to a Kiss album before you die? Yeah, probably. They are one of the most well known bands in the history of rock music after all. I don't know if this is the one though, and it turns out they're really not that good. Everything about them feels corporate and manufactured but it still does occasionally result in a compelling moment or two.
3
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Sat Oct 01 2022
Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
Incredible. Probably the easiest 5 star album so far for me. And that's despite that weird last song that is worth negative 10 stars.
5
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Sun Oct 02 2022
Beach Samba
Astrud Gilberto
This just doesn't feel very special in any way. Almost like they noticed there was no "Bossa nova" on the list and hurriedly found this one and threw it on there. Didn't do much for me but I tend to listen to these kinds of songs as one-offs. There might be something here that my ears just can't pick up.
2
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Mon Oct 03 2022
Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
Was a nice listen and I'd be happy to have this as background music but there was also nothing special about it.
3
View Album
Tue Oct 04 2022
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
Cool and clever and smooth.
4
View Album
Wed Oct 05 2022
Microshift
Hookworms
I've never heard of this band before. Wasn't bad at all. Nothing great either but I'd probably listen again.
3
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Thu Oct 06 2022
Soul Mining
The The
Good new wave stuff but I don't really like most new wave.
3
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Fri Oct 07 2022
Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
This one had some moments where it felt like something special was happening or about to happen but that feeling went away pretty quickly. It ended up just being a middle of the road album.
3
View Album
Sat Oct 08 2022
Being There
Wilco
It was just ok.
3
View Album
Sun Oct 09 2022
Machine Head
Deep Purple
Pretty generic stuff. I'd only ever heard the two hits before and now I know why. It wasn't bad at all but nothing really there to make me come back.
3
View Album
Mon Oct 10 2022
Like A Prayer
Madonna
A couple of great songs on this album. Mostly cheesy generic pop though. I'd only ever listen to the hits on purpose. 3.5 stars
3
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Tue Oct 11 2022
Is This It
The Strokes
There's a lot of sameness all the way through this album, but I still really enjoyed it. No real "wow" moments, but it was still a step above.
4
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Wed Oct 12 2022
Night Life
Ray Price
Didn't get much out of this. There were a couple of impressive moments here and there but overall I'm not really sure why this was on the list.
2
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Thu Oct 13 2022
Remedy
Basement Jaxx
Really just didn't get it. It's a little below a 2 but not quite a 1.
2
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Fri Oct 14 2022
...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
It's a very good example of bubble gum pop so I understand why it's on the list, but it's really hard to listen to as a grown adult.
2
View Album
Sat Oct 15 2022
Different Class
Pulp
Very repetitive. Didn't actively hate it but I also didn't really like anything about it.
3
View Album
Sun Oct 16 2022
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
I sure would like to hate this album seeing as how big a prick Kanye turned out to be but this really is a great album. I guess if you’re looking for really deep lyrics you won’t find it hear but you will find great production and clever wordplay. I enjoyed listening to it
4
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Mon Oct 17 2022
Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
This is the fourth Elvis Costello album I've had to listen to on this list and, as I said in the other 3 reviews, the albums are all the same: 1-2 great songs, 4-5 mediocre songs, and the rest terrible songs. This album is no different. Unfortunately it appears there's at least one more album on the list so I'll have to write this same review one more time.
3
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Tue Oct 18 2022
Van Halen
Van Halen
This album was an absolute blast. Feels like the epitome of this kind of metal. Was surprised to see the release date of 1978 because it feels a lot more modern than that. I have to imagine people were absolutely blown away when this album was originally released.
5
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Wed Oct 19 2022
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
This wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be but the lead singer's whiny voice got annoying after a while. It's absolutely insane that they have three albums on this list though. 3.5 stars
3
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Thu Oct 20 2022
São Paulo Confessions
Suba
Glad to hear this one. Never heard of it before and it was very nice all the way through. There wasn’t anything unique or surprising about it so I can’t really give it a high score but I’d listen again. 3.5 stars
3
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Fri Oct 21 2022
The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
This was awful. I think "Waltz of the New Moon" was the only song that I wasn't actively angry about. It was like they decided to just vocalize whatever uninteresting thought they had in their head and throw a sitar in there as an afterthought. Just terrible.
1
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Sat Oct 22 2022
Tommy
The Who
I was aware of this album's significance and it does deserve a lot of credit (blame?) for being the first "rock opera", however, I didn't actually like very many of the songs. The story itself was kind of hard to follow as well, so I don't think I got much out of the "opera" part either. I'd probably give this 3 stars for enjoyment, but I'll add a star due to its place in history.
4
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Sun Oct 23 2022
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
This was a great listen. Very mellow and laid back but still interesting. I would listen to this with rapt attention and as background music. Works either way.
4
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Mon Oct 24 2022
Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
This was really uncomfortable to listen to. Feels like an "emperor has no clothes situation" so kudos to Zorn for getting away with it but it's a big "no thanks" from me. To make things worse I just listened to a Jimmy Smith album so my jazz expectations were too high for this noise.
I am having a medium good time trying to imagine someone who actually likes this album and is trying to tell me how their favorite song goes. I can picture the panic in their eyes as they let out their third squeal in ten seconds and realize exactly how untenable their position is.
1
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Tue Oct 25 2022
Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
Not bad - a couple of cool songs but also not super exciting. Probably a different story if I had heard this in 1975 when it was released but rating it now I can't give it more than 3.5 stars.
3
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Wed Oct 26 2022
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Marlene on the Wall is an incredible track but the rest of the album doesn't really do much for me. I also think she has better albums than this so I'm not sure why it made the list over other more worthy stuff. 3.5 stars
3
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Thu Oct 27 2022
Medúlla
Björk
I honestly feel like I'm being generous giving this 2 stars. I didn't understand the point of any of it. There's probably an artistic angle I could take to justify it but if I'm being honest it doesn't feel like there was anything worth listening to here.
2
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Fri Oct 28 2022
S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
Well damn. I got "Tommy" a couple of albums ago and was sort of disappointed in the quality but gave it an extra star for being "the first rock opera". Turns out this was out first and, in my opinion, it was better. Still not very good though, but I guess I can't rank it lower than "Tommy". 4.1 stars.
4
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Sat Oct 29 2022
Country Life
Roxy Music
Perfectly fine. Nothing stands out for me though.
3
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Sun Oct 30 2022
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
Starts off incredibly strong, but peters out after the first 3 songs. Still has a nice laid back vibe to it, so even though I wasn't completely enthralled the whole way through I still didn't mind it.
4
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Mon Oct 31 2022
Madman Across The Water
Elton John
I'd really like to rate this higher because Levon and Tiny Dancer are so good but it turns out those are the only good songs on the album. 3.5 stars
3
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Tue Nov 01 2022
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
Very fun album. Not sure I’d call it “good” but I liked listening to it. Good energy but I think it’s more enjoyable in smaller doses.
4
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Wed Nov 02 2022
Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
This is just one of those bands/albums where I feel like everyone is playing a trick on me when they say they like it. I found it basically unlistenable.
1
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Thu Nov 03 2022
Forever Changes
Love
Nice but relatively generic. 3.5 stars
3
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Fri Nov 04 2022
Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
Didn't get much out of this. Felt pensive and sorrowful, but I didn't understand the actual words.
2
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Sat Nov 05 2022
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
4 or 5 great songs on this album and no real duds. Lots of different genres but nothing sounded forced. Great storytelling and very much worth a listen. Album is a little too long otherwise I'd probably give this 5 stars.
4
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Sun Nov 06 2022
Shadowland
k.d. lang
K.D. Lang has a cool crooning voice, but this album was dated back when it was released and it still is.
3
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Mon Nov 07 2022
Wild Gift
X
Not a bad punk album but not really my thing.
3
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Tue Nov 08 2022
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
Pretty great album. A handful of incredible songs and no duds. Was familiar with the hits but it was nice to finally hear some of the lesser played stuff.
4
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Wed Nov 09 2022
Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
The only Buffalo Springfield song I know is "For What It's Worth" and that was not on this album. Seems like that's the only good song they have, so this is not a good album. Nothing terrible here but I'm also not too interested in it.
3
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Thu Nov 10 2022
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
Never really listened to Tim Buckley before even though I thought I had. Feels like in an alternate timeline this takes the place of some bluesy 70s band in the general zeitgeist. Pretty good stuff.
4
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Fri Nov 11 2022
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
Not really saying anything new here but this really is incredible. Not a long album by any means but it felt shorter than it was. Rare album that sounds good whether you're paying attention or not.
5
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Sat Nov 12 2022
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
Definitely a product of its time and I suppose a lot of my enjoyment comes from nostalgia but this album really does have a bunch of great songs on it. I “faved” just about every song on the album.
5
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Sun Nov 13 2022
Under Construction
Missy Elliott
Fun album. Missy Elliott has a lot of talent. There were a few misses, especially on the back half, but overall it was a pretty good listen. 3.5 stars.
3
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Mon Nov 14 2022
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Sort of a difficult album to rate. I really liked 3 of the songs and really didn't like the rest. I'm not even sure why I liked those three as they seemed pretty objectively mediocre, but I found myself going back to them over and over. 3.5 stars.
3
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Tue Nov 15 2022
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
It's rare to have a funk album that you can just put on in the background and enjoy. This was one that you could enjoy if you pay attention or if you just want something to listen to while you're doing other things.
5
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Wed Nov 16 2022
Butterfly
Mariah Carey
I will defend Mariah Carey’s first album to my grave and would defend it on this list but this is garbage. Not sure why it was picked over the other one. She’s very talented though so I can’t really justify 1 star.
2
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Thu Nov 17 2022
Young Americans
David Bowie
Don't know why but I've never really been able to get into Bowie too much. Songs are ok but only a couple of standouts. Overall not a very exciting album.
3
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Fri Nov 18 2022
Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
One of the most eclectic albums I've ever listened to. Wasn't "good" by any means but maybe it's on this list because it's so unusual.
3
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Sat Nov 19 2022
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
Infectious attitude carries this album. The songs are pretty good too, but the best part was just the feeling of joy that permeated the whole thing.
4
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Tue Dec 13 2022
Scum
Napalm Death
There's no getting around it - this is awful. But I decided to read the lyrics while I was listening, just so that I could claim to be looking at this thing objectively. Turns out the lyrics are surprisingly poetic in a nihilistic sort of way. Would never listen again of course, but the lyrics bring it up a point even if they are completely incomprehensible while the singer is "singing".
2
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Wed Dec 14 2022
Dog Man Star
Suede
After the first few songs I thought I was going to begrudgingly give this 4 stars and talk about how it would have been 5 stars if it wasn't for the lead singer's whiny sound. Turns out the quality dropped off pretty good after that so this is a fairly easy 3 star effort. Still might have been 4 stars with just about anyone else singing.
3
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Thu Dec 15 2022
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
It's hard to rate live albums too highly for me because if it's bad I'd rather listen to the studio songs, but if it's good then I'd rather have been there. This was definitely the latter. Just seems like it was a fun time.
4
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Fri Dec 16 2022
World Clique
Deee-Lite
This album was only ever made to be a fun little distraction so I wasn’t expecting much. Still, other than “Groove Is In the Heart”, it was pretty aggressively mediocre all the way through.
3
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Sat Dec 17 2022
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
Has some great tracks that are a lot of fun to listen to, but the repetition can be a little much.
4
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Sun Dec 18 2022
La Revancha Del Tango
Gotan Project
Was a nice listen I guess, but it really wasn't anything special.
3
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Mon Dec 19 2022
Life Thru A Lens
Robbie Williams
I paused listening to these albums for a few weeks and on Monday of this week I got an email saying "you will get top rated albums this whole week if you reactivate your project today" so I reactivated.
Then today (Saturday) I get this shit. WTF.
2
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Tue Dec 20 2022
Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
Not familiar with this artist at all so I had no idea what to expect. Turned out to be a whole lot of fun. Just a lot of talent and energy that is definitely going into my regular rota.
4
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Wed Dec 21 2022
Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine
Cee Lo Green
Cee-Lo has a unique style that's pretty fun but it's hard to listen to so much at once. Still glad I listened to this. Had a good time. 3.5 stars
3
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Thu Dec 22 2022
Kimono My House
Sparks
I really can't say I liked it and there are really way too many bands of this genre on this list, but the lyrics were clever and the songs were inventive so I can't really pan it too much. Still, not putting this one back on any time soon.
3
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Fri Dec 23 2022
Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
I really don't like this style of music. I don't know what it is about his voice, but it just rubs me the wrong way. Like he's pretending to have a deep voice but he can't really hit low notes. Anyway, that said, somehow this didn't really piss me off as much as usual. Get a good singer and this gains at least a star. 3.5 stars.
3
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Sat Dec 24 2022
At Budokan
Cheap Trick
Probably a great show but there is really no point to this live album. I like Cheap Trick (or at least the hits) but the sound quality on here was pretty bad and all the crowd participation was just annoying for me as someone who is not in the crowd.
2
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Sun Dec 25 2022
Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
This album was incredibly boring. I kept forgetting I was listening to it.
2
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Mon Dec 26 2022
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
A lot of five star sections of this album but I think my overall enjoyment was not especially high. 3.5 stars
3
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Tue Dec 27 2022
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
Very cool, very smooth. Clever lyrics and a great vibe. Not too many standout songs, but you can jump into any part of this album and you will enjoy it. The only criticism I have is that it can be a little repetitive in parts. 4.5 stars
5
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Wed Dec 28 2022
American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
Incredible album that is very well put together. A couple of “why is this song here” moments and a couple of times where Johnny’s interpretation didn’t add much compared to the original but overall it’s fantastic. I’d rather it was a little bit shorter but it obviously deserves a place on this list. 4.5 stars
4
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Thu Dec 29 2022
Orbital 2
Orbital
Seemed fine, but I really don't know how to judge these albums. They all sound pretty much the same to me.
3
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Fri Dec 30 2022
Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Very talented. Very good for a folk album but I felt like I got the gist about halfway through the first song. No need to listen to an entire album of this.
Side note: this album must own the record for most songs with a person’s name as the title.
3
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Sat Dec 31 2022
Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
Really worthwhile album. Starts off with an incredibly powerful and sustained note that lets you know what you’re in for. I was let down a little by the cover of “House of the Rising Sun” and was very disturbed by “One More Dance”, but otherwise pleasantly surprised since I probably would not have found this on my own.
4
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Sun Jan 01 2023
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida should easily be on the list of 1001 songs you must listen to before you die, but not on the list of 1001 albums you must listen to before you die. This was completely forgettable. 2.5 stars and the one song probably bumps it up a star.
2
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Mon Jan 02 2023
Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye can elevate any subject through sheer talent which is exactly what he does here. Incredibly boring subject matter, but because it's Marvin singing you don't mind listening.
3
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Tue Jan 03 2023
Boston
Boston
Well this is pretty great. I didn't realize just about all of Boston's huge hits were on their debut album. Songs are all pretty great with impressive harmonies and great guitars. A couple of the songs are pretty cheesy (Rock & Roll Band) but even those have redeeming qualities. Didn't expect to give this 5 stars but here we are.
5
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Wed Jan 04 2023
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
"Ramble On" is a great song. Other than that though there wasn't a lot here that I liked. Never really was big into Led Zeppelin (which made college difficult) so maybe that explains it. Still, nothing bad here, just a bit overrated in my opinion. 3.5 stars
3
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Thu Jan 05 2023
Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers
Another new wave album... I've probably listened to more new wave since I started using this site ~500 songs ago than I have in my whole life, and I was alive in the 80s. That said, I wasn't completely annoyed by this. The album is probably a little better than I am giving it credit for, but I'm just tired of this style. I really liked "Hanging Around" but the rest of it was just ok. 3.5 stars
3
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Fri Jan 06 2023
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
I think if this was anyone else I would give it a much lower rating but Marvin elevates it to another level. I can't imagine anyone else could get away with basically having the same song ("Let's Get It On" and "Keep Gettin' It On") twice on the same album. 3.5 stars
3
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Sat Jan 07 2023
Dirt
Alice In Chains
You know how some bands put out a great song and you think they might be good, but then you listen to another one of their songs and you realize they just got "lucky" somehow? For some reason I always thought that about Alice in Chains even though I liked all their songs. "They got lucky again!" I'd think, every time I heard a new one. Eventually I realized I was wrong but it was well after their heyday. Anyway, this album is great and I'm pretty sure it's not from luck.
4
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Sun Jan 08 2023
Penthouse And Pavement
Heaven 17
I'm expecting another bad English New Wave band after looking at the cover of this album. Oh what a surprise I was right. This album was so bad it made me reconsider my enjoyment of other new wave bands.
2
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Mon Jan 09 2023
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
I usually find these experimental albums to be pretentious and self-indulgent but this was pretty enjoyable to listen to. Probably wouldn’t seek it out again very often but it was simultaneously interesting and soothing.
4
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Tue Jan 10 2023
Screamadelica
Primal Scream
WTF. I can't give this one star because I liked the first song but it's really close. Everything on this album was awful. Just a sprawling mess.
2
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Wed Jan 11 2023
We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
This is such a weird combination of good and annoying that I don't know how to rate it. The smugness is off the charts and it's sort of terrible musically, but there is often something there that makes me want to listen again.
3
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Thu Jan 12 2023
Le Tigre
Le Tigre
Pretty good. Not really my style overall but there were a few songs that were catchy and interesting. Was thinking this sounds a lot like Bikini Kill in parts and then found out that Kathleen Hanna is in this so duh. 3.5 stars
3
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Fri Jan 13 2023
First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
There's a lot of subtly interesting things going on in most of these songs musically but most of it doesn't really come together for me. "Been It" and "Lovefool" are great but the rest of it just hovers a little above "good". Also every song seems to have basically the same theme (masochistic relationships) and that gets old fast. 3.5 stars
3
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Sat Jan 14 2023
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
Every song reminded me of taking family trips in the 80s with the radio tuned to a station that plays nothing but generic but pleasant songs. The lyrics are a little melancholy but the music is very soothing. Ultimately though, it is mostly forgettable. 3.5 stars
3
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Sun Jan 15 2023
Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
Great bluesy album. A couple of incredible songs and there were no weak spots anywhere.
4
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Mon Jan 16 2023
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
Cool background music. Felt like I'd probably enjoy it more if I focused on it but still was enjoyable only sort of half paying attention. Reminded me of The 5th Dimension in some ways, not sure if they ever collaborated but it would have been a great match if they did. 3.5 stars
3
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Tue Jan 17 2023
The Blueprint
JAY Z
I mean he's good and all but it got very repetitive. A couple of incredible tracks though (especially Renegade) and he has a real way with words but I don't think I'll be listening again.
3
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Wed Jan 18 2023
Scott 4
Scott Walker
Logically I should have hated this but I didn't find it completely terrible. Most of the songs are pretty boring and "old" but there was definitely something about it that was at least a little alluring. I really liked "Duchess" and sort of liked "The Old Man's Back Again" but otherwise nothing really stood out. Still not terrible to listen to and I assume if I enjoyed this kind of music more I would rate it higher. Way better than other artists of this genre but I just don't like the genre that much.
3
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Thu Jan 19 2023
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
This was incredible. Never heard of this artist before but I enjoyed this a lot. Upbeat Brazilian songs with incredible rhythms and sounds. Thought Taj Mahal sounded a little familiar and lo and behold it turns out Rod Stewart ripped it off. Anyway, good job, list, for introducing this to me.
5
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Fri Jan 20 2023
Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
I was looking forward to this as the only songs I really knew from it were "Relax" and "Two Tribes" which are both pretty great. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the album is just bland new wave and uninspired covers. Nothing terrible but nothing really great either. The title song had some cool moments but was probably just a little too long. 3.5 stars
3
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Sat Jan 21 2023
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
This is a great take on traditional Irish folk music. The high energy and fun lyrics are an absolute blast to listen to. I'm not too familiar with the ins and outs of what makes Irish folk music good, but to my ears, this is a terrific example of it. 4.5 stars
4
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Sun Jan 22 2023
Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
This was a pleasant listen but not much more. I’d never heard of this band so I came in with no expectations. The album started off strong and there were no bad songs, but it was pretty repetitive. I did find myself thinking “wow this part sounds like ——— (Dylan, Petty, Springsteen, Dire Straits, etc.)” a lot. This would make pretty good background music but I probably wouldn’t seek it out.
3
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Mon Jan 23 2023
Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
Everything on this album just sounds a little bit off. That's probably on purpose because I never got the feeling that they didn't know what they were doing but that said this was definitely not for me.
2
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Tue Jan 24 2023
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
I never really appreciated Radiohead until I saw them live. I still think they are way better live than on an album but I'm not sure why. This album felt kind of boring even though I'm sure it would be amazing if I saw them perform it. 3.5 stars.
3
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Wed Jan 25 2023
Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
One of the strongest beginning/ending combos of any album I've ever heard. There's a little bit of a lull in the middle but there is so much lyrical and musical imagination on display here that it's hard to believe he was only 22 when this came out. Every song has a good message without being overly preachy (I'd argue the advice is offered humbly, in fact) or trite, which is incredibly hard to pull off.
5
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Thu Jan 26 2023
69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
Funny name. Oh it really is 69 songs? So, they're all like 30 seconds long? No? Jesus Christ. Fine.
I wasn't expecting to like this, and I didn't. It felt like doing homework. Homework can be good though even if it's hard, and this felt like that. Clearly an impressive, if self-indulgent, work, but I promise I will never listen to it again. Reminded me of when my friends show me pictures of their kid and I have to see twenty exact same pictures of the kid but with their elbow at a slightly different angle. Edit this shit, please.
3
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Fri Jan 27 2023
Devil Without A Cause
Kid Rock
Spotify went down as soon as I tried to listen to this. Message received, universe, I read you loud and clear.
1
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Sat Jan 28 2023
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
It was a little bit repetitive but I didn't mind. Every song gave off a "forget your troubles" vibe that I could listen to over and over again.
5
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Sun Jan 29 2023
Street Signs
Ozomatli
Can't really point out exactly what I didn't like about this but the whole thing just felt a little off.
2
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Mon Jan 30 2023
The Predator
Ice Cube
Cool beats. A mixture of strong messages that are important if uncomfortable to hear with the casual misogyny sprinkled here and there. Got very repetitive but there are a couple of great songs on here. I'm hovering between 3.5 and 4 so I'll round up.
4
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Tue Jan 31 2023
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
Felt like a very average blues album. Not sure it would be considered special except for the fact that it is Bob Dylan. No bad songs, but also no songs that I would consider interesting in any way.
3
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Wed Feb 01 2023
I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
I had the same reaction to every song: 1. What is this shit? 2) Oh actually it's not bad. 3) Hey this is pretty good. 4) I don't know if that was good... maybe I should listen again.
Bottom line, I liked this album even though I'm not sure why.
4
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Thu Feb 02 2023
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
"Gimme Shelter" is one of the best songs of all time and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is not far behind. The deeper cuts are a mixed bag (not exactly sure what the point of "Country Honk" was), but they are good enough to make this a classic. 4.5 stars
5
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Fri Feb 03 2023
I See A Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Just generic sadness. Nothing really interesting or compelling about it. Made me more angry at the attempt to make me feel sad than I did sad. Felt earnest and not manipulative though, so I’ll give it a star for that.
2
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Sat Feb 04 2023
Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
I was going to give this a lower score because it just feels so basic and simple, but the fact is every song was soothing and enjoyable despite hitting on some very heavy topics. Only knock is that it starts to sound a little same-y after a while. 4.5 stars.
5
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Sun Feb 05 2023
Calenture
The Triffids
Incredibly generic, bland, new wave (although Wikipedia calls it "folk rock"?) that is not worth listening to. I guess if you really feel like you have to you could listen to just the first song and you will basically understand the whole album.
2
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Tue Mar 28 2023
Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)
Loretta Lynn
Kinda get the gist after a couple of songs. Her man sucks and she either hates that fact more than anything or doesn't care at all. Still not bad overall and I imagine some of the songs would grow on you the more you listen.
3
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Wed Mar 29 2023
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
I can understand why this is considered good but it's totally not for me. Very inventive and compelling in parts but I could never quite get it. 3.5 stars
3
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Thu Mar 30 2023
Elephant
The White Stripes
Jack White is so incredibly inventive and prolific. I "liked" just about every song on here. This was one of those albums that comes out once every few years that just renews your faith in music.
5
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Fri Mar 31 2023
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
Psychedelic rock and progressive rock are always kind of hit or miss, and this album is no different. There were a lot of places where I felt like I was just getting impatient for something interesting to happen and other places where I was wowed by what I just heard. No doubt this was influential and I think this might get better on repeated listens but on this listen it was just a little above average overall. 3.5 stars
3
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Sat Apr 01 2023
Amnesiac
Radiohead
There are some bands that you have to see live for the hype to make any sense and Radiohead is one of them. But since I am reviewing their album and not their concerts, I have to say this was pretty disappointing. Felt like the same whiny, boring song 11 times in a row.
2
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Sun Apr 02 2023
Like Water For Chocolate
Common
I accidentally saw Common in concert once and it was just as boring as this album.
2
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Mon Apr 03 2023
The Undertones
The Undertones
I guess "The Undertones" is British for "The Ramones". I don't think I've ever heard of this band before although I must have heard "Here Comes the Summer" and "Teenage Kicks" in some coming of age movie at some point, right? Just a fun high energy album. No need to listen too closely to the lyrics. Just nod your head along with the beat.
4
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Tue Apr 04 2023
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
The Beastie Boys's best album. Lots of variety with the sampling and lots of energy and lots of fun. Clever lyrics and a style that you just didn't see in hip-hop at the time. Didn't completely stand the test of time but I'd still consider this a master class in rap music.
5
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Wed Apr 05 2023
The Infotainment Scan
The Fall
Based on everything I know about myself I should have hated this album. I'm still not sure I don't. Still, there was something compelling about it. I'm pretty confused about the whole thing. 3.5 stars.
3
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Thu Apr 06 2023
Fred Neil
Fred Neil
I didn't really understand why this was on here until "Everybody's Talkin'" came on, and after that I still didn't. 2.5 stars
2
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Fri Apr 07 2023
Skylarking
XTC
I was always worried about listening to a full XTC album because I really liked the songs I'd heard (like "Dear God" and "Earn Enough For Us" are pretty brilliant) and was worried that the rest of their catalog wouldn't live up to my expectations. Turns out I was right. This album has a handful of great songs and the rest are pretty aggressively average. The great songs pull it up a little, but I wouldn't listen to the whole album again.
4
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Sat Apr 08 2023
Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
Very good stuff. Lots of big hits and lesser known hits, but this really packs a punch. This type of songwriting with a message is pretty hard to do well but he nails it. Also gets some points for nostalgia for sure, but I think I'm mostly being objective here.
5
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Sun Apr 09 2023
The Poet
Bobby Womack
Well I definitely enjoyed that more than I expected to. Very smooth and soulful. Can imagine sitting in a papasan and listening to this in the dark while I sip on a glass of brandy.
4
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Mon Apr 10 2023
Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
There was nothing about this that differentiated itself from any other punk-ish band I've ever heard.
3
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Tue Apr 11 2023
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
I haven't listened to this in decades. What a mistake, I apologize. This whole thing is incredible. They have a unique sound that is instantly recognizable with cool lyrics and catchy beats. Pretty much every song got a "like" from me.
5
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Wed Apr 12 2023
Live At The Witch Trials
The Fall
I've never heard of "The Fall" before starting this list and weirdly, I got 2 albums of theirs in one week. The first one was confusing but (I think) enjoyable. This one had a great song to start it off. It reminded me of the sort of horror rap songs that were kind of popular in the 90s, I think. I got a little excited but that was easily the high point of the album.
3
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Thu Apr 13 2023
The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
Very interesting stuff. It's kind of hard for me to pretend I like it though. 3.5 stars
3
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Fri Apr 14 2023
Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys
This whole damn list is just mediocre new wave bands I've never heard of. This was better than most, but not much. 3.5 stars
3
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Sat Apr 15 2023
Hysteria
Def Leppard
This sounds like every other 80s pop metal band but it's approximately 25% more fun.
4
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Sun Apr 16 2023
The Grand Tour
George Jones
George Jones has an incredible voice, but I can't imagine an album where every song sounds the samer than this one. Then, out of nowhere, a song where he rails on his fans for listening to gossip. I understand the appeal but it's not for me.
3
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Mon Apr 17 2023
Mott
Mott The Hoople
Perfectly fine. Felt like David Bowie lite, and it turns out that's exactly what it is.
3
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Tue Apr 18 2023
The Bones Of What You Believe
CHVRCHES
I was honestly shocked to see CHVRCHΞS (people always remember the "vee" but not the "equivalent to") on here but they definitely belong. This is not my favorite album of theirs but maybe since it was their debut album it makes sense for this list. This is not normally the kind of music that appeals to me, but this album is fantastic. Maybe it's the 80s feel, or the clever (without being eye-roll-y) lyrics, or the lead singer's sheer charisma. Whatever it is, it's a great listen. 4.5 stars.
4
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Wed Apr 19 2023
Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
See my other reviews, but the TL;DR is: 3 good songs, 5 mediocre songs, 5 bad songs, just like every Elvis Costello album.
3
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Thu Apr 20 2023
Ingenue
k.d. lang
Cool voice, couple of good songs, but this is pretty boring.
3
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Fri Apr 21 2023
When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
The first song played and I thought "Hey this kinda sounds like that 'Brimful of Asha' song from a while back." Then the second song played and I thought "Oh." It doesn't get any better after that. 2.5 stars.
2
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Sat Apr 22 2023
Purple Rain
Prince
The guy's a damn genius.
5
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Sun Apr 23 2023
Pyromania
Def Leppard
This one is a little more metal than Hysteria. Still fun and still interesting to listen to but not as many songs worth a repeat listen. 3.5 stars
3
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Mon Apr 24 2023
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye
Got to give Marvin a lot of credit for attempting to change the world with a single album. Everything flows together extremely well and the songs are both musically listenable as well as being lyrically important. It's hard to be lectured at for that long though, so I can't give it a full 5 stars even though it might deserve it simply for its importance in musical history. 4.5 stars
4
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Tue Apr 25 2023
I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
One of those albums where I can recognize the talent, but it just isn't for me. I would be fine hearing most of these songs occasionally, but when you have to listen to them all in a row like that it's exhausting.
3
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Wed Apr 26 2023
The Idiot
Iggy Pop
What a great surprise this was. This is exactly the kind of album that I usually don't like, and that's why I had never listened to it. Somehow everything came together perfectly here. Just a collection of weird songs that incomprehensibly work incredibly well together. Also never realized Bowie's version of "China Girl" came out after this one, even if it was only a few years later.
5
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Thu Apr 27 2023
Face to Face
The Kinks
I like The Kinks a lot. I didn't realize how much until listening to a few albums on this list but they have such subtly subversive songs with catchy tunes and clever lyrics. They are well-respected, but I feel like they really should be mentioned in the same breath as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. This album isn't perfect, but still a great listen.
4
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Fri Apr 28 2023
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
This is pretty great. Not sure there were any individual standouts but I'd listen to this over and over again. I don't really understand the point of live albums but that's my only knock on this one.
4
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Sat Apr 29 2023
Bright Flight
Silver Jews
Why would anyone listen to this on purpose? Some of the lyrics were decent but ultimately not worth it.
2
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Sun Apr 30 2023
Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
It said it was going to be gunfighter ballads and then that's what it was. Some fun songs but they're all kinda gimmicky.
3
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Mon May 01 2023
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
Eurythmics
Not really much on here worth listening to except the title track.
3
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Tue May 02 2023
Blackstar
David Bowie
Seems like there's some poignancy here but there's really nothing on here that I would want to listen to again.
3
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Wed May 03 2023
Sound Affects
The Jam
It's pretty good. Sounds like a bunch of other sounds that came out at the same time though. Not sure if this stands out from the rest, although "That's Entertainment" was a step above. 3.5 stars
3
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Thu May 04 2023
Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Just absolutely chock-full of hits. Rest of the album was also pretty good. Had a very jam band feel. Like they were just randomly playing whatever suited their mood at the time, so I wouldn't say it is very cohesive but the songs are so catchy and absorbing that it didn't matter much. Surprised myself by giving this 5 stars but here we are.
5
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Fri May 05 2023
The Next Day
David Bowie
I guess it's about time that I accept that I'll never be a big fan of David Bowie. I like some of his songs just fine and it's clear there's a lot of talent here. It just doesn't do anything for me.
3
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Sat May 06 2023
Leftism
Leftfield
Definitely not bad but nothing I could tell that distinguishes it from any other electronic music. 3.5 stars
3
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Sun May 07 2023
Permission to Land
The Darkness
That was a pretty weird listen. I don't think there was anything bad on here, but I feel like I should have hated it. Lots of annoying antics, but somehow they didn't make me want to stop listening. Some songs were hilarious even though I hated myself for thinking so afterwards. Glad I listened but probably won't give it another try. 3.5 stars.
3
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Mon May 08 2023
New Forms
Roni Size
Enjoyed it but it sounded just like every other drum and bass music I've ever heard.
3
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Tue May 09 2023
American Gothic
David Ackles
I really don't like these albums where someone is just telling a story with some barely discernible backing track. This wasn't interesting in the least.
2
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Wed May 10 2023
Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
I remember when this album came out and I thought they were overrated. They were so popular, and I couldn't understand why. Listening to it now ~40 years (WTF) later and I realize they are much better than I gave them credit for. Still not for me but at least I sort of get it now. 3.5 stars
3
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Thu May 11 2023
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
Lots of interesting things going on here but ultimately a little to experimental for my taste. Psycho Killer is great of course but nothing else really lived up to my expectations.
3
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Fri May 12 2023
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
Didn't think I was going to like this but it was really good. Pretty amazing job of managing to sound unique but still sound like Q-Tip.
4
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Sat May 13 2023
Tidal
Fiona Apple
This is just a fantastic album. Apple is such an incredible lyricist it's hard to believe this was her debut. "Slow Like Honey" is the only one that didn't do much for me, otherwise every song is incredible.
5
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Sun May 14 2023
Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
Lupe Fiasco
Very middle of the road.
3
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Mon May 15 2023
Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
This feels like the kind of album where you uncover some hidden depth on repeated listening, but it really didn't do much for me on the first listen. My opinion on first time through is a 2, but I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt and add a star.
3
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Tue May 16 2023
Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
I hit play on Spotify but then I had to leave and I didn't come back until the recommendations were playing. Based on the recommendations I knew I wasn't going to like this. Just pretty boring overall. Maybe if it came out 70 years ago I'd feel differently. 2.5 stars
2
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Wed May 17 2023
1989
Taylor Swift
This is the catchiest collection of bad songs I think I’ve ever heard.
3
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Thu May 18 2023
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
I didn't understand the point of any of this.I didn't understand the point of any of this. I heard "Utopia" once by itself and kind of liked it but I guess I can't take a whole album of whatever this was.
2
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Fri May 19 2023
Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
The only song I really liked was "Headache" and I think that's just because I remember them playing it a lot when this album came out. Otherwise it was pretty forgettable.
3
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Sat May 20 2023
Abraxas
Santana
Somehow very chill and very intense at the same time. Incredible talent on display here. 4.5 stars
4
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Sun May 21 2023
Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
This was perfectly fine but I can’t imagine any reason why anyone must hear this before they die.
3
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Mon May 22 2023
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
Very experimental but Miles is always able to somehow pull this craziness off. Not sure I like it as much as some of his more standard stuff, but it was still very impressive.
4
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Tue May 23 2023
Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
Incredible voice. I get why people like her, but it's just not for me. Every song felt like it had one or two "mistakes" that took me out of the moment. 3.5 stars
3
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Wed May 24 2023
Scott 2
Scott Walker
Do you remember that Martin Short character "Irving Cohen" who would opine about the good ol' days of entertainment only to demand that his piano player "give me a 'C', a bouncy 'C'" and then would improvise a mediocre line or two of a song and finally finish it with "ba-da-bee, ba-da-boo, and whatever the hell else you want". Anyway, that's what this album is. Not sure if that's good or bad.
3
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Mon May 29 2023
Repeater
Fugazi
Honestly don't know how to rate this one. Didn't like it, but I thought it was good. WTF
3
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Tue May 30 2023
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
Very hard to pin down exactly what this album is. It defies classification. I still like it even if I wouldn't necessarily listen to it on purpose.
4
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Wed May 31 2023
Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche
Koffi Olomide
This sounds like what would happen if you told an AI to make an album of songs that sound like "Under the Sea". Not sure how to rate this in the slightest.
3
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Thu Jun 01 2023
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Animal Collective
I feel like this was too weird for me, but I'm still not sure. I "think" I might "enjoy" this "more" if I "had" a little "help". (All the quotes mean drugs)
3
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Fri Jun 02 2023
Immigrés
Youssou N'Dour
This was fine I guess. Nothing too mind-blowing but I didn't feel compelled to skip anything either.
3
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Sat Jun 03 2023
Feast of Wire
Calexico
Another album on this list that was perfectly fine but I definitely didn’t need to hear it before I die.
3
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Sun Jun 04 2023
Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
Very unusual but compelling. It's very hard to balance "weird" with "enjoyable" but Talking Heads seem to be able to walk that line. Not really my thing but I get it. 3.5 stars
3
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Mon Jun 05 2023
I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
This feels like it might be good if someone else was singing. I saw "Leonard Cohen" and thought "Hallelujah" but then the first song started playing and I thought "this sounds like every generic eighties song I've ever heard". This whole album seems like a good album in need of a remake. 3.5 stars
3
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Tue Jun 06 2023
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
I'd never heard this album before and was looking forward to it. Turns out the whole thing is just pretty stupid. Only 4 songs? Stupid. 9 minute spoken word intro? Stupid. To an 18 minute song? Stupid. One nonsense word song title? Stupid. One song where he justifies (or at least excuses) his infidelity, followed immediately by a song where he complains bitterly about his partner's infidelity with seemingly no recognition of the irony? Stupid. The musicianship is impressive but that's the only thing keeping this from being a 1 star album.
2
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Wed Jun 07 2023
Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
I guess I just don't like David Bowie.
2
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Thu Jun 08 2023
Cupid & Psyche 85
Scritti Politti
It’s weird to listen to an album with nine songs that all sound the same and somehow only one is good. 2.5 stars
2
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Fri Jun 09 2023
Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
I can't really explain why I liked this but I did.
4
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Sat Jun 10 2023
American Idiot
Green Day
I’m all for the idea of a “punk rock opera” and while it has the risk of coming across as gimmicky, they were really able to pull it off. This album started off really strong but wasn’t able to maintain that in the second half. Still a great listen. 4.5 stars
4
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Sun Jun 11 2023
Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
This jumped back and forth between annoying and awesome like 15 times. The annoying was VERY annoying, but it's probably harder to make an awesome song than an annoying one so I will bump it up half a star. 3.5 stars
3
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Mon Jun 12 2023
Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
Another supposedly influential album that was just mediocre. Every song sounded exactly the same. I guess it wasn’t terrible but it sure wasn’t good either.
3
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Tue Jun 13 2023
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
Never really thought Led Zeppelin was all that great. This album is no exception. I liked "Immigrant Song" (duh) and "That's the Way" which I'd never heard before, so that was a nice surprise. Otherwise it was fairly uninspiring. I feel like I've heard a version of "Gallows Pole" before that I liked, but this wasn't it. 3.5 stars
3
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Wed Jun 14 2023
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
This feels like the soundtrack to every 60s movie where everyone is frantically doing the watusi.
3
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Thu Jun 15 2023
Pelican West
Haircut 100
More garbage British new wave. I'm done with it.
2
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Fri Jun 16 2023
Parklife
Blur
This really isn't worth listening to. It's not terrible but the only song I liked was the first one (Girls & Boys) and even that was mostly because of recognition.
3
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Sat Jun 17 2023
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
Really liked this one. A lot of duds but the good ones really made up for them. "Jump into the Fire" is incredible. Cut out some of the weaker stuff and this could easily be a 5 star.
4
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Sun Jun 18 2023
Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
I couldn't really get into this. Wanted to like it but every song sounded exactly the same. 2.5 stars
2
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Mon Jun 19 2023
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
This is one of the dumbest pieces of self-indulgent garbage I've ever heard. Stop playing the harmonica. There's really no need for this album on this list even if it wasn't terrible. Sad thing is, there were a lot of good songs on this album but this was an absolutely miserable experience. A couple of good efforts on the back half barely saved this from being one star.
2
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Tue Jun 20 2023
Mama Said Knock You Out
LL Cool J
I thought this was pretty good but it was at the end of the era where this was considered pretty good. I don't think I'd be as impressed if it wasn't for nostalgia. 3.5 stars
3
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Wed Jun 21 2023
Harvest
Neil Young
This is a well made album but it is incredibly boring. Even the handful of songs I like are pretty boring. I would never listen to this on purpose but I can understand why people would like it. 3.5 stars
3
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Thu Jun 22 2023
At Fillmore East
The Allman Brothers Band
I've given this same review for half the live albums on this list, but this is another one where the actual concert seems like it would have been a blast but it doesn't mean it needs to be an album. 3.5 stars
3
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Fri Jun 23 2023
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
A lot of great songs on this album. The harmonies are really impressive technically and there is an underlying 60s attitude that permeates everything. A couple of the songs were really big let downs and it was sort of jarring to deal with that after hearing a great song. Really close to 5 stars for me though. 4.5 stars
4
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Sat Jun 24 2023
New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
That was weird. Didn't hate it as much as I thought I would after listening to the first couple of lines, but I also never want to listen to it again. 3.5 stars
3
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Sun Jun 25 2023
Reign In Blood
Slayer
I remember being scared of this kind of band when I was a kid. It's almost comical listening to it now though. I wonder if the band members were in on the joke or if they took it serious. Anyway, not my cup of tea, but the guitars were really impressive all the way through. Would have been nice if even one song sounded different than any of the others.
3
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Mon Jun 26 2023
The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
"This sounds like the Arctic Monkeys with a 60s mod rock feel" - was the first thought I had when I started listening to this album. Turns out that's exactly what it is, and, well, I like both those things and I like this album.
4
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Tue Jun 27 2023
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
Songs are all really good but I really don't think there should be any live albums on this list. 3.5 stars
3
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Wed Jun 28 2023
Among The Living
Anthrax
Holy shit this is dumb. I wasn't sure how I'd react to this but I was looking forward to it. The first song started and had a pretty good riff, but then as soon as the singing started the quality fell through the floor. I can't believe how stupid every song on this album is. The guitar work is good enough to save this from one star but sheesh.
2
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Thu Jun 29 2023
Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
This is some hippie bullshit and luckily I like hippie bullshit. I think this needs a little more energy for me to bump it up into "really like" territory though. Still this is the highest 3.5 stars I can give.
3
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Fri Jun 30 2023
Rust In Peace
Megadeth
This was surprisingly incredible. I just avoided this kind of thing when I was younger because I heard enough bad examples of it to give up. This thing really hit me though. Guitar work is insane and the lyrics and singing, while dated and cringy in some places, were powerful and interesting for the most part. Really surprised myself to give this 5 stars but here we are.
5
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Sat Jul 01 2023
Solid Air
John Martyn
Just a nice, soothing, relaxing ride. Had a couple of standouts and no duds. I probably wouldn't seek this out but if it was on in the background I wouldn't mind, and depending on my mood, I might actually enjoy it. 3.5 stars
3
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Sun Jul 02 2023
Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
I've gotten a handful of hidden gems from this list and I thought this was going to be another one, but for whatever reason this just fell flat for me. I really can't explain why but every song just felt a bit off. I really liked the suggested songs that played after this so there must be something to it, but I couldn't find it. 2.5 stars
2
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Mon Jul 03 2023
Hotel California
Eagles
Handful of good songs on this album but they are front loaded to the first few songs. Really peters out after that so I can't give this a great rating. Still, not going to give them a knee jerk crappy rating that seems to be in vogue ever since The Big Lebowski came out. 3.5 stars
3
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Tue Jul 04 2023
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
Was surprisingly disappointing. All the songs sounded the same and none of them sounded good all the way through. Some great guitar broke through a bunch but that was the only part I liked and it was not enough for me to enjoy the album. 2.5 stars
2
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Wed Jul 05 2023
Black Monk Time
The Monks
I feel like this is a great example of what punk is supposed to be about, so I can respect it, but the problem was I just didn't like it musically. Every song was just a little too unpleasant or had some unpleasant parts. Glad they put this out there though. 2.5 stars
2
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Thu Jul 06 2023
90
808 State
Not bad but I kept forgetting I had it on. Not really sure if that's a good sign or bad. It did have a strange familiarity even though I'm pretty sure I've never heard anything on this album before.
3
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Fri Jul 07 2023
25
Adele
She's very talented but there's nothing on here for me. Don't really like this kind of stuff but I hate giving a bad review to someone so obviously good, so 3 stars it is.
3
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Sat Jul 08 2023
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
This got pretty repetitive listening to it all at once but I liked every song on the album. Good stuff to listen to but repeated listens are pretty hard.
4
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Sun Jul 09 2023
Space Ritual
Hawkwind
Never heard of this band and wasn't sure what to expect. It was way too long but other than that I really liked it. Psychedelic jam band vibes.
4
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Mon Jul 10 2023
Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
Familiar with a couple of the songs but I always thought a raspy sounding woman was singing. So weird. Anyway, only a couple of songs worth listening to on this album, and those are the hits (I Saw the Light & Hello It's Me).
3
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Tue Jul 11 2023
Pornography
The Cure
I can't understand how anyone likes The Cure. The instrumentation can be good in parts but it is mostly cheesy, boring, typical 80s stuff. The lyrics are awful and his voice is worse. Gets a half a star for the occasional moments when there was a cool guitar or keyboard but this is ultimately pointless and not worth listening to. 1.5 stars
1
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Wed Jul 12 2023
Infected
The The
Very generic 80s stuff. Nothing too good but nothing bad either. 2.5 stars
2
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Thu Jul 13 2023
Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
I really wanted to hate this. These guys give off such a douchy vibe to me. Don't know them at all so I could be way off base there. Anyway, I enjoyed it. The first half was better than the second, but the whole thing wasn't bad.
4
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Fri Jul 14 2023
Real Life
Magazine
Definitely something going on in this album that is better than I can appreciate. Feel like I need to listen to this a few more times to give it a fair rating but for now I'm just giving it an average score.
3
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Sat Jul 15 2023
Guero
Beck
Nice relaxing listen. Nothing mind-blowing, but it was very enjoyable. Would listen again.
4
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Sun Jul 16 2023
In Rainbows
Radiohead
These Radiohead guys are nice to listen to. I never really like any individual songs but really like the album overall. Guess that means the songs kind of run together so that would be my only criticism of it.
4
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Mon Jul 17 2023
Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
I always found The Cure to be one of the most overrated bands in history. Had never heard a single song by them that I actually liked. This album changed that a little. The first song, which was an instrumental, so I guess not having to listen to his voice was a big plus there. There are a couple of other songs that would have been improved immensely if they remained instrumentals. "In Your House" was also good. Other than that this album is still trash.
2
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Tue Jul 18 2023
Justified
Justin Timberlake
Wow this is garbage. Great voice though.
2
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Wed Jul 19 2023
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
Usually pretty annoyed by his voice but there are a handful of great songs on here. I feel like 3.5 is too low but 4 is too high.
3
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Thu Jul 20 2023
Tago Mago
Can
Kind of a weird experience. This was not very good and ultimately pointless but there were a couple of songs that I didn't mind having on when I wasn't paying too much attention. Seemed like a few relatively talented musicians formed a jam band and then just wanted to see how strange they could get.
2
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Fri Jul 21 2023
Queen II
Queen
These songs were all very impressive but I guess I like Queen for their hits and there was not a single one on this album. 3.5 stars
3
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Sat Jul 22 2023
Bossanova
Pixies
This album grew on me while I was listening to it. Just very inventive and compelling all the way through even if there weren't really any stand out songs. I got about 3.5 stars of enjoyment out of it, but I'm going to bump it up to 4 stars because I'm pretty sure it will improve on repeated listens.
4
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Sun Jul 23 2023
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
There's a few Kings of Leon songs that I like but none of them are on this album. It's not terrible though, I was just expecting more.
3
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Mon Jul 24 2023
Too Rye Ay
Dexys Midnight Runners
Only familiar with "Come On Eileen" and I thought there was a reason they were one-hit wonders, but this album was surprisingly good. No big standouts besides that one, but still a nice, pleasant listen.
4
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Tue Jul 25 2023
Broken English
Marianne Faithfull
The bass line in "Broken English" sounded a lot like the one in "Every Breath You Take" and I thought that was the best part of this album.
2
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Wed Jul 26 2023
Thriller
Michael Jackson
7 great songs, 1 ok song, 1 bad song. This was about as easy a 5 star album as there could be.
5
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Thu Jul 27 2023
Want One
Rufus Wainwright
I kept forgetting I was listening to this one. Not sure if that's a good sign or bad sign. Good background music I guess.
3
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Fri Jul 28 2023
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
Feels like the soundtrack from some obscure, avant-garde sixties movie with no plot. Not really my cup of tea but not terrible either.
3
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Sat Jul 29 2023
The Libertines
The Libertines
OK I guess. Completely forgettable though.
3
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Tue Aug 22 2023
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
Hard to separate the nostalgic value with the musical value on this one but this was a ton of fun all the way through. Very inventive rhymes and mixing of rock and rap. A really good time if you don't take the lyrics too seriously.
5
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Wed Aug 23 2023
Gris Gris
Dr. John
This was not really music for the most part.
2
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Thu Aug 24 2023
Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
Mediocre tunes, mediocre voice, mediocre lyrics. Doesn't even include their best song.
2
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Fri Aug 25 2023
Survivor
Destiny's Child
I thought I was going to give this 5 stars after the first three songs (their hits) but after that it got pretty generic, boring, and repetitive. Lots of great moments but nothing that sustains an entire song. 3.5 stars and that was heavily weighted by the first 3 songs, although the cover of "Emotion" was pretty cool too.
3
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Sat Aug 26 2023
Nixon
Lambchop
Awful. Boring and monotonous. Nothing redeeming here.
1
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Sun Aug 27 2023
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Just too boring for me to appreciate any kind of musical genius that might be happening here. 2.5 stars
2
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Mon Aug 28 2023
Urban Hymns
The Verve
Just boring. Every song sounds exactly the same and even the famous one isn't that good.
2
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Tue Aug 29 2023
Vespertine
Björk
This sounds like a lot of other Björk albums. Incredible, unique voice. Weird arrangements and lots of emotion. Didn't mind it, but it's not really something I'd seek out. 3.5 stars
3
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Wed Aug 30 2023
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon
Seemed fine, just not very memorable. Don't think I'll listen to anything on this album on purpose again and I won't miss it.
3
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Thu Aug 31 2023
Oedipus Schmoedipus
Barry Adamson
This kind of experimental music can be a little too weird and annoying and this album is no different, but there is a lot of talent on display which makes up for the annoying parts. Good background music, but probably wouldn't seek it out.
4
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Fri Sep 01 2023
Electric
The Cult
Normally I don't like it when every song on an album sounds the same, but this was awesome. Best song is "Love Removal Machine" but after hearing the whole album, I think that's because it was the first song of theirs I'd ever heard.
4
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Sat Sep 02 2023
Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
If you asked me what I think of this album I would say it's not very good, but whenever my focus was distracted I found my heading nodding and my foot tapping. So I'm rating this higher than my conscious would but lower than my subconscious would.
3
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Sun Sep 03 2023
Homework
Daft Punk
Mostly mid but a handful of tracks that I wouldn't mind listening to again. Most likely due to nostalgia though so I can't really recommend it.
3
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Wed Sep 27 2023
Another Green World
Brian Eno
There's probably too many Brian Eno albums on this list. This is the 5th one I've reviewed, not sure how many more there are. Anyway, this one is not doing anything for me. Just bored and uninterested throughout.
3
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Thu Sep 28 2023
White Blood Cells
The White Stripes
Pretty great album that could have done without the last handful of songs. The first 10 songs are 5-star quality though.
4
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Fri Sep 29 2023
Trio
Dolly Parton
Really impressive levels of talent. The songs themselves didn't do too much for me but I enjoyed taking it all in.
4
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Sat Sep 30 2023
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
This might be the most confusing album on this whole list. It's not terrible I guess but there is nothing good about it either. If your friend told you he made this album you'd be pretty impressed but it really is nothing special compared to actual musicians. There is no historical significance to this album that I can see either so what the fuck.
2
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Sun Oct 01 2023
Take Me Apart
Kelela
This felt very poppy and generic. Fine for what it is I guess but not sure why it's on this list.
2
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Mon Oct 02 2023
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Pretty cool listening to some of these classic songs in a non-commercial setting. I've never heard the disjointed drum solo in the middle of "Take Five", for example. Moments like that pull it down from a 5 but it's still a great album.
4
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Tue Oct 03 2023
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
This was simultaneously impressive and idiotic.
3