625
Albums Rated
3.16
Average Rating
57%
Complete
464 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960s
Favorite Decade
Psychedelic-rock
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
72
5-Star Albums
96
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
|
5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
|
Jack Takes the Floor
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
|
5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
|
Atomizer
Big Black
|
5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
|
Histoire De Melody Nelson
Serge Gainsbourg
|
5 | 2.75 | +2.25 |
|
Basket of Light
Pentangle
|
5 | 2.76 | +2.24 |
|
A Short Album About Love
The Divine Comedy
|
5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
|
My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
|
5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
|
Tago Mago
Can
|
5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
|
Ys
Joanna Newsom
|
5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
|
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Thriller
Michael Jackson
|
1 | 4.22 | -3.22 |
|
Bad
Michael Jackson
|
1 | 3.81 | -2.81 |
|
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
|
1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
|
Abraxas
Santana
|
1 | 3.72 | -2.72 |
|
Boston
Boston
|
1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
|
Born In The U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen
|
1 | 3.7 | -2.7 |
|
21
Adele
|
1 | 3.69 | -2.69 |
|
The Cars
The Cars
|
1 | 3.67 | -2.67 |
|
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
|
1 | 3.64 | -2.64 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| David Bowie | 6 | 4.67 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 5 |
| PJ Harvey | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Velvet Underground | 3 | 4.67 |
| Brian Eno | 3 | 4.67 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.67 |
| Joy Division | 2 | 5 |
| Siouxsie And The Banshees | 2 | 5 |
| R.E.M. | 2 | 5 |
| Tom Waits | 4 | 4.25 |
| Bob Dylan | 4 | 4.25 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 4.33 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
| Joni Mitchell | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 1 |
| Metallica | 4 | 1.5 |
| Yes | 3 | 1.33 |
| Michael Jackson | 2 | 1 |
| Kanye West | 2 | 1 |
| Adele | 2 | 1 |
| Eagles | 2 | 1 |
| Def Leppard | 2 | 1 |
| Suede | 2 | 1 |
| The Verve | 2 | 1.5 |
| Aerosmith | 2 | 1.5 |
| Eminem | 2 | 1.5 |
| U2 | 2 | 1.5 |
| Van Morrison | 2 | 1.5 |
| Missy Elliott | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Marvin Gaye | 2, 5 |
| Madonna | 1, 4 |
| Willie Nelson | 4, 1 |
| Leonard Cohen | 4, 1, 4 |
5-Star Albums (72)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Kanye West
1/5
West is an antisemitic, homophobic, racist, misogynist. And his music isn't much better. Annoyingly, I can't give minus or zero stars.
59 likes
Lana Del Rey
1/5
I'm not sure how any album released less than 10 months ago can make it onto any list of albums you must hear before you die. One dimensional and bland
42 likes
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
I haven't heard this for over 40 years. It's still awful
18 likes
The White Stripes
4/5
Meg White is such an underrated drummer; she is the unmistakeable sound of The White Stripes.
17 likes
1-Star Albums (96)
All Ratings
Talking Heads
4/5
A great album which starts as it means to go on. The classic Talking Heads rhythms propelling David Byrne's lyrics along at full pace. The funky element of the band is at the fore throughout. A band at the top of their game.
Merle Haggard
4/5
Excellent - a true classic of the genre. Good ol' honky tonk Country songs of heartbreak, loneliness, cheatin' women, and running away from responsibilities ;) Haggard's voice sounds great and is well supported by the traditional country sounds of pedal steel et cetera.
Burning Spear
5/5
Brilliant album - uplifting and full of righteous anger. Burning Spear is one of the key artists in roots reggae and this is my favourite of his albums. The dub is rather special too.
Bad Company
1/5
In the 70s this album was considered good. If I was still 14 I might think so, but I'm an adult and it's generic blooze rawk. Awful.
Slint
5/5
Brilliant album - ground breaking when it was first released and it more than stands the test of time. The influences are apparent but it is what is done with those influences which makes this such a special album.
Dolly Parton
4/5
The Verve
2/5
I knew there was a reason why I didn't bother with this i the 90s after hearing the hit singles. It's okay, nothing more. Rolling People is the best track; Bittersweet Symphony Ashcroft performed live with the god awful Coldplay, so that tells you a'' you need to know about that song. As for the Drugs Don't Work? They do.
The Doors
4/5
Everything there is to say about this album has already been said. Diverse and utterly compelling.
The Soft Boys
4/5
I was late to this album - but then so was nearly everyone else. Now seen as highly influential and regarded, rightly, as a classic.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
A key album in the West Coast genre - part hippie, part psychedelic, part singer-songwriter. Includes the gorgeous Helpless.
The Doors
4/5
Brilliant album - further comment superfluous
5/5
Nothing to say that hasn't already been said. Bloody brilliant!
The Cure
4/5
Love this, one of their best albums.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Beautiful. One of their greatest albums, starting with the utterly gorgeous "Ivo".
Pantera
1/5
Ho hum... On etrack is enough really, you know what you're getting. And then there's the slow one...
Joy Division
5/5
Ryan Adams
2/5
Uninspiring. Jason and The Scorchers for people who think Jason and The Scorchers are too raucous.
Orbital
4/5
Bloody brilliant!
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Much better than I expected. The good stuff (the singles and a couple of other tracks) are very good, but possibly I'm a little jaded about them due to their ubiquity at the time of release. The weaker elements are pretty good, making an overall pleasing and engaging listening experience. But they really should have invested in a few shirts.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
A very strong start, but deteriorates after the first three songs. Her voice is too reedy for my tastes, lacking depth and variation. By the end of the album the music is distinctly average, slightly better than filler, but nothing special or that will stick in the mind.
Eels
5/5
I love this album. Beautiful melodies and lyrics to match.
The Beach Boys
5/5
It's been said before, but.... Genius!
The Coral
4/5
Excellent opening, let's see if it continues in this vein.... So far, so good....
Looking for it now on Discogs!
Dr. Octagon
2/5
It's fine, a bit juvenile, but better than the all "fur 'n bling, I'm so hard, look at my gun" gangsta nonsense
Liz Phair
3/5
Jimmy Smith
5/5
Brilliant!
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4/5
Seminal...
Radiohead
4/5
More experimental as they progress and so better and better. This is a great album.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
It's fine. I don't mind if I hear it again, but I don't mind if I never hear it again either.
Minutemen
3/5
This is great, much more varied than I expected from what I had heard of Minutemen. It holds together well over the double album.
Elastica
4/5
Loved this album when it came out and it holds up very well 16 years later. Okay, so one or two tracks are possibly plagiarised (I Am The Fly being the obvious example) but it was all done in the best possible taste.
Tom Waits
4/5
Everything brilliant about early Tom Waits.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Yeah, not bad. A little patchy, but I enjoyed it overall.
Ash
3/5
Pixies
4/5
The last great Pixies album.
Tori Amos
3/5
The start of a run of good albums; not as many highlights as a couple of the later albums but enough to more than entertain.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
On hearing this when it was first released I was a little disappointed that I wasn't blown away quite as much as I was with the first two singles. But they were such highs that it would always be hard to compete. This was a game changer when it came out in 1985 and has stood up to the test of time. JAMC never consistently reached these heights again.
4/5
An album full of highlights - and it's not even her best!
TLC
1/5
Not my thing, but that doesn't mean it's without merit. If you like this sort of music I suppose this would be pretty good. But it's music you don't need to engage with. Background, lift music. Or the kind of thing you'd hear in a restaurant that was trying to be "urban" - but it would just be irritating.
Jane Weaver
4/5
Bought this on a whim when it was released. I liked it so much, I bought the next release.
2/5
I didn't like ABC in 1982, but quite enjoyed this album when I finally heard all of it in the early 1990s. I've not listened to it for well over 20 years and I don't need to hear it for another 20 . It's okay, but nothing I'm going to choose to listen to over something else.
Orange Juice
3/5
Opening with the brilliant "Rip It Up", but that is as good as it gets, which is pretty good to be fair. It just becomes a little samey after a few tracks.
Buck Owens
3/5
Yep. Liked that, a good ol' slice of honky tonk.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Showing the wannabes how it should be done :)
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Moby Grape
3/5
A couple of filler tracks, but overall this is a good album. Lower first division 1960s psychedelia.
Fishbone
1/5
Dreadful. A mish-mash of styles, all done badly and not put together with any musical intelligence.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Pretty good, but there's some filler.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
Very good, even if I rarely play it these days.
Carole King
4/5
A warm, lazy summer's day, a nice glass of something - just the right album.
Pulp
4/5
The highpoint of Pulp's career? Very possibly.
Barry Adamson
4/5
Possibly the best part of the trilogy of soundtracks for movies which don't exist albums. Set the Controls... is a particular highlight.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
Didn't really get this when it was released, apart from the "Joan of Arc" single, so didn't buy it until a fair few years later. It's great!
John Coltrane
5/5
A work of genius. Quite simply, if you don't like it you're wrong.
3/5
Certainly the best thing I've heard from John Doe. I think I last heard X over 40 years ago - this has aged well.
Billie Holiday
3/5
It will never be my desert island Billie Holiday album, partly the choice of material, partly because her voice has lost much of its power. That said, it has many beautiful and poignant moments. The delicate orchestration supports and caresses Billie's fragility rather than overwhelming her voice.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
5/5
Wow! I didn't know this album. It's fantastic.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
Love this album! A great slice of mid-60s psych.
New Order
2/5
I knew there was a reason why I stopped listening to New Order after Movement...
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Another work of genius.
Björk
4/5
Beautiful album
Frank Black
3/5
Pretty good, although too long. Some judicious editing of tracks would have created a tighter, more powerful album. That said, none of the tracks are bad, it's just that there are only a minority that are very good/excellent/essential.
The Charlatans
2/5
Tedious baggy. Distinctly average.
Aerosmith
1/5
Awful.
Bob Dylan
4/5
A stone cold return to form after the frankly abysmal previous 20 years (give or take).
Michael Jackson
1/5
Ye gods, no.
Napalm Death
3/5
Relentless...
Janet Jackson
1/5
I guess this is pretty good if you like Janet Jackson. The first track was surprisingly not as bad as I was expecting, but it was downhill after that. The overly used drum machine sound became tedious and annoying in the end.
New Order
4/5
The last great New Order album.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Excellent
The Cardigans
1/5
Boring.
The Monks
4/5
Love this - had it for years, ever since the Fall covered a few of their songs.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Very good, especially as most of the songs were written when he was 18. A little Jonathan Richman influence...
Talking Heads
4/5
One of the classic debut albums
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Not really my thing, but I enjoyed this a lot.
Rod Stewart
3/5
The first couple of songs go on a little too long and I thought I wasn't going to like it as much as I ended up doing.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Short and sweet outlaw country.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Not their best, but still very good.
Public Image Ltd.
4/5
Bought this when it came out in 1978 - it's still great. Much better than anything the Sex Pistols did.
Eminem
1/5
Really not interested in his "ironic" misogyny and homophobia. I'm not shocked, just bored, because I'm an adult not 14.
Brian Eno
5/5
Stunning, exciting and funny. And the music is brilliant.
Metallica
1/5
May the Lord save us from high-pitched, twiddly guitar solos!
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
5/5
Brilliant. Raw, "real" and Woody Guthrie!
Fred Neil
5/5
Excellent - Fred Neil's voice in combination with his fine guitar is mesmerising at times and always deeply soulful.
N.W.A.
3/5
Musically great and when being political, but the braggadocio gets a bit tedious. I'm not impressed or interested in your attitudes towards women. To be honest, it sounds like a bunch of teenage virgin boys.
ABBA
2/5
Average Euro-Pop
Can
5/5
The highlight of a career of highlights.
Sabu
3/5
I like this. Not usually what I'd chose to listen to, but it is infectious.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Well, there's nearly 3 hours that flew by. Quirky and entertaining; lyrically interesting.
The Who
4/5
Over-inflated, ludicrous storyline - but brilliant
The Beach Boys
3/5
Enough high points to make it interesting and enjoyable.
The Icarus Line
3/5
I'd never heard this at the time. Smacks of early Soundgarden (when they were interesting and good). Maybe a little overlong, but - apart from the occasional spot of self (or, over) indulgence - highly entertaining.
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
Bland
Machito
3/5
Entertaining, best for a night out rather than sat in a chair at home!
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Not flawless, but beautiful in many places.
Beck
4/5
Even though this album was a huge change from his previous work it is just as good. Just don't expect two turntables and a microphone.
Barry Adamson
4/5
Love this album, possibly his best. Evoking a cinematic universe of danger, love and shadows.
Hawkwind
4/5
One of the greatest Hawkwind albums. Therefore, one of the greatest albums ever.
Baaba Maal
4/5
Powerful stuff from the legendary Baaba Maal. Really enjoyable.
Eminem
2/5
Can't be doing with his "ironic", "humorous" misogynistic violence. Even if he is claiming it's all done in character. The music is potentially good, but lyrically it's just unpleasant.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Looking forward to getting my copy of the 50th anniversary reissue!
OutKast
2/5
Overindulgent, far too long and with a lot of filler. Ghetto Musick is great, but it's downhill after that.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
I get that it is full of sorrow and heartbreak, but it is musically uninspiring.
Cyndi Lauper
1/5
I can't be doing with her voice, it makes her music unlistenable for me.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
One of their best
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Great, but a sign of diminishing returns. They really should have stopped after this.
Blur
4/5
A great album - poppy yet interesting. Some great songs; even the filler is better than anything Oasis have ever done.
Dr. Dre
3/5
Given that there are so many Parliament/Funkadelic samples musically this is pretty good, although it does tend to fade into the background. Lyrically, it's tedious, misogynistic, violent braggadocio which, although the sound is fine as part of the overall sound, doesn't really pay listening to in any detail.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I used to play this album so much - haven't played it for years now, but it's still great.
Motörhead
3/5
Peak Motorhead :)
Talking Heads
3/5
Not my favourite TH album, but enough highlights to keep me happy
Thundercat
1/5
Awful.
Method Man
1/5
Boring and bland.
Steely Dan
1/5
Supposed to be a classic, and I suppose it is if you like this sort of thing. Personally, I think jazz and rock should always be kept separate.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
I surprised myself by liking more of this than I thought I would; so I bought it - 20 odd years ago
Patti Smith
5/5
Practically perfect.
Elton John
3/5
Some filler, but the good stuff is great. I don't feel the need to ever hear it again, but I'll be happy if I do.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Pop punk - and one of the best of the genre IMO. But ultimately disposable and not vital. Still fun though
Leonard Cohen
4/5
It's got Avalanche and Famous Blue Raincoat on it; what more do you want?
The White Stripes
4/5
If you like The White Stripes you love this album. If you don't like The White Stripes, I spurn you with my toe.
Lana Del Rey
1/5
I'm not sure how any album released less than 10 months ago can make it onto any list of albums you must hear before you die. One dimensional and bland
Dire Straits
1/5
Nope
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
A good, solid album with a number of highlights and not a great deal of filler. It would benefit from being tighter and shorter though.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Ahhh, nostalgia is a great thing. An album of its time, but still stands up even after nearly 40 years.
The National
3/5
An album of its time. I used to listen to a lot of this kind of thing and this is a good example of the genre.
Paul Simon
2/5
One for the yuppies and highly problematic at the time. A couple of stand out tracks - but even they are limpid and uninteresting. Overall it's over-filled with instrumentation and rhythms.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Awesome. Further comment superfluous.
Big Black
5/5
Still love this album. Bleak, angry, raging, powerful stuff. I don't think they ever bettered this, although Songs About F*cking comes very close.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
One of the great live albums. The Killer is on blistering form and The Nashville Teens - no slouches themselves - have problems keeping up with Jerry Lee's pounding piano! The editing and track ordering could be better though.
James Taylor
3/5
Much better than I expected; very pleasant and doesn't outstay it's welcome.
Deerhunter
2/5
Not especially interesting.
The Byrds
4/5
Love this album. Not my favourite Byrds lp, but close enough.
David Gray
1/5
Nondescript background music for people who like Coldplay.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Not even Pere Ubu's best album. I love this.
Various Artists
4/5
We don't start Christmas in our house until at least 21st December. This is always the first Christmas music played.
Kate Bush
4/5
Love this album when it came out and still do. It gets called progressive or post-progressive, but it's much better than that.
Sex Pistols
3/5
For what is, essentially, a faster, less capable, pub rock album (not that we thought so at the time!) this stands up surprisingly well after nearly 45 years.
Kanye West
1/5
Jesus Christ, this man is an arse. I really don't get why this album is held in such esteem. People calling it ahead of it's time? In what sense? Created essentially by Daft Punk, sampling (nothing wrong with sampling) earlier music and then he just puts some juvenile, misogynist words over the top. Plenty of people already doing that. The lyrics aren't anything special and frequently neither complement nor disturb or disrupt the music, which makes me wonder what they are for. It never ceases to amaze me how people get taken in by the self-promotion of such mediocrity. There really ought to be an option for zero stars.
Love
4/5
Side 1 and side 2 are very different and it works up to a point. I really like this album - always have - but the side 2 single track, "Revelation" could do with a bit of editing; I've never been a fan of rock drum solos. That would give room for another track perhaps. Side 1 is a little patchy but contains some great tracks, particularly "7 and 7 is".
Madonna
1/5
Never been a fan. I get why teenage girls liked her back in the 80s, but it's not for me. Some of her later stuff is okay, but not this.
Neil Young
4/5
Is it possible I have too many records? (No.) Because I'd forgotten that I have this album and I'd forgotten how bloody good, relentless and depressing it is!
Donovan
4/5
Great combination of folk, psychedelia, West Coast style - a bit of Doors-style keyboards on "Season of the Witch" - all wrapped up in Donovan's voice.
Laibach
2/5
A poor man's Test Dept.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Yeah, it's fine. Nothing special but a good listen.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Slightly surprised how good this is. Jazzy, funky, soulful with a side order of rocking, all without really being any of those things.
Boston
1/5
There are some albums that, when they pop up on this generator, make ones heart sink. This is one of those albums. More than a bloody feeling indeed! It's got that hideous American "rawk" guitar and vocals sound. Ugh! Horrible.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Always enjoy hearing a bit of top quality Afro-beat, especially from Fela Kuti and Tony Allen.
Tom Waits
4/5
The first of the great Tom Waits albums.
Björk
4/5
Beautiful, mesmerising album. There's always something new to discover in it.
CHIC
3/5
The third Chic album; the third best Chic album. The high spots are the singles, but overall the album doesn't have the consistency of the first two.
T. Rex
4/5
I always preferred Tyrannosaurus Rex and the early T.Rex albums. The Slider is the last great (even the last good) album Bolan made, there was a lot of filler in the subsequent albums. There are signs of the decline in The Slider, but he manages to avoid them for one last time.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Why is it that any cover version of Light My Fire sounds twee and like muzak? Even the on eon this album. There's a couple of comparatively low points (Light My Fire being one of them) but overall this album is great.
X-Ray Spex
5/5
Quite simply one of the greatest albums of the punk era.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
I've never really understood the fascination people have for The Flaming Lips. This album is okay, but nothing really stands out and grabs hold of me.
2/5
U2 were well into their overblown grandiosity by this stage. They really should have called it a day after Boy.
The Cure
3/5
A little over long at 72 minutes. There is a 5 star album buried in there somewhere.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Genius (with the exception of Murder Mystery, which is okay, but not up to the standards of The Gift)
Don McLean
3/5
I used to have a vinyl copy of this album, but eventually sold it over 20 years ago. It's not bad, but the hits have been overplayed.
Duran Duran
1/5
Hated Duran Duran in the 1980s. Hate Duran Duran now.
Herbie Hancock
3/5
Pleasant and unassuming, so not that interesting, but I'd never object to hearing it again.
John Martyn
4/5
Possible John Martyn's best album?
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Proving the band is so much more than Green Onions.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
If you're a fan this double album (really two separate albums) is one you'll already own. If you're not a fan, try this. If you're not a fan afterwards, go away.
Scott Walker
4/5
Moving further away from the Scott Walker we all knew and loved and nearer to the Scott Walker that the musically adventurous of us know and love even more.
Public Enemy
4/5
It took me a while after this was released, but it is a stone cold classic. Powerful and angry.
John Prine
3/5
Like the early Dylan albums, this debut from John Prine pays for repeated listening. There's a lot to explore and unpack, musically and lyrically.
The Cramps
4/5
A sign of things to come in Crampsville. Love this album!
Metallica
2/5
As with a number of other bang average bands, metallica - and this album - is hugely overrated.
Jacques Brel
4/5
It's Jacques Brel, what's not to like?
Elliott Smith
3/5
This is great - my first real listen to Elliott Smith and I really like it. If you're coming to him late, as I have, then you'll recognise all the influences and all the artists influenced; so avoid the "he sounds like..." critique.
The Black Crowes
1/5
Yawn. More American blooze rawk. Tedious stuff. The best thing about this album is the use of the Elmore James song as the title. Luckily they don't attempt a cover version.
The Youngbloods
3/5
I didn't know of this album - nice discovery, although I don't mind if I never hear it again.
Iron Maiden
3/5
I saw Iron Maiden 3 times, but only ever with the original lead singer; Paul Di'anno. Brilliant live and, as this album shows, semi-punk before degenerating into run of the mill heavy metal. Okay, lyrically immature at times and definitely of it's time ("Charlotte the Harlot" for example) but it's still great.
Kraftwerk
5/5
What is there left to say about this stunningly influential album?
The Rolling Stones
3/5
The penultimate good Rolling Stones album. It's good, but not great; an effective mix of blues, rock and rock 'n' roll. Guitar, bass and drums with little else relative to the previous couple of albums.
Massive Attack
4/5
Trip-Hop at it's finest and it still holds up despite the passage of time.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Not my usual fare but this is great - perfect for a lazy summer day (which today isn't). Gentle bossa nova grooves combined with a fittingly perfect voice.
Radiohead
5/5
For years I didn't get this album, or Radiohead. Then one day I decided to listen to it properly on the train on the way to work. I realised I was utterly and completely wrong; OK Computer is one of the great albums. It's nice to be wrong.
Tito Puente
4/5
Ahhh.... summer sun, Italian films of the 1950s and 60s. :)
The Who
4/5
One of my favourite albums by The Who. The, at the time, unheard of linking of songs with verité, here in the form of radio jingles and adverts as heard on pirate radio stations, make this an album that flows seamlessly. And it contains the sublime "I Can See For Miles".
Stan Getz
3/5
It's jazz. It's samba. Jazz can be brilliant, samba is fine in small doses...
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
I haven't heard this for over 40 years. It's still awful
Pentangle
5/5
One of Pentangle's best.
Foo Fighters
3/5
I'd pretty much ignored Foo Fighters, but this is great. There again, I don't much mind if I never hear it again.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Started off interestingly but I got bored before I was halfway through. Good if you're a fan, I guess.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Yep.
Adele
1/5
Hugely overrated. Belting out pap for people too scared of Aretha Franklin.
Queen
1/5
This really hasn't aged well; I must hunt my copy out and sell it!
Nick Drake
5/5
Beguilingly strong. My favourite of the three albums.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Well, that was a damn sight better than I thought it would be.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
With the exception of the singles, including the unforgivingly ubiquitous "Come On Eileen", I'd managed to largely avoid this album for 40 years. And now I know I was right to do so.
LL Cool J
3/5
I like this much more than I expected. There's some filler, but the combination of beats, samples and lyrics often works extremely well.
Ozomatli
3/5
Infectious :)
The Cars
1/5
Seriously!? This is an album I should listen to at all, let alone before I die?
Miles Davis
4/5
Yes.
Black Sabbath
4/5
My fifth favourite Sabbath album... :)
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Excellent album. A career high ;)
Mudhoney
5/5
When this was first released it changed everything (well, musically). It's still awesome
Mylo
1/5
No.
Bon Jovi
1/5
Under no circumstances.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
I just don't get the fascination with Springsteen. With the notable exception of Nebraska, it all just seems like simplistic, cheer-along-US-rawk. Lyrically more interesting than the music, this album is utterly uninteresting and cringe-worthy.
Sugar
3/5
First time I've listened to this album all the way through. It's not Husker Du but it's good enough, with enough of interest to keep me listening.
Bauhaus
4/5
Almost flawless. Better than the debut album?
Leonard Cohen
1/5
Awful. Cohen's worst album? ((Probably not, and I'm a fan!)
Talking Heads
4/5
Love this album - the lyrics, the rhythms, the cover...
Taylor Swift
1/5
Bizarrely, to me and my friends, I own not one, but TWO albums by Ms Swift. This is not, nor will it ever be, one of them. I guess if I was a 14 year old girl I'd like it, but I'm not. So I don't.
AC/DC
3/5
Musically, as basic as in the Bon Scott era, which is fine on the good stuff - simple, catchy and entertaining. Lyrically, still as juvenile as ever!
Richard Thompson
5/5
My one complaint about this album has always been that it's not long enough.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Thoroughly entertaining, infectious grooves from the master.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Much better than I thought it would be and not quite what I expected, much more to CCR than Bad Moon Rising...
Willie Nelson
4/5
Short and sweet, Willie Nelson on top form.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Loved this as a teenager and the shows were fantastic. It's still good, with some notable highlights, but it's more nostalgic than a must have now.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Essential.
Metallica
2/5
Oh god, do I have to...?
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Genius.
The Cure
5/5
The last truly great Cure album? Possibly.
The Who
4/5
The Who's greatest album
Germs
3/5
Great for the time it was released, but like many albums of its ilk, it doesn't travel well. Still good, but longer than it needs to be.
4/5
Peak Muse?
Arrested Development
2/5
Got bored, it all sounds much too similar all the way through. Well, at least as far through as I got.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
One of Neil Young's top three best albums I reckon.
Justice
2/5
I listened to this blind; I'd never heard of it and knew nothing about it. The album started interestingly and I was somewhat intrigued, but have a few tracks it was all starting to sound very similar all the way through. Possibly the result of using such small snippets of samples (yes, I went to the Wiki page) within a very limited musical palette and with only a few musical ideas. It would be fine to dance to a couple of tracks on a night out, but I'd soon want something else.
Haircut 100
1/5
Hated this when it came out and certainly don't need to listen to it today! Everything about it was horrible - especially the jumpers! So horribly clean and preppy. Ugh!
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Not my thing, but I get why people like it.
Gang Starr
3/5
Musically, I really enjoyed this. Lyrically, it's the usual mix of genre stuff, but some is quite clever.
Norah Jones
2/5
Not my thing; all a little bland.
Peter Tosh
4/5
Peter Tosh almost at his best.
The Temptations
4/5
Flawed but brilliant. A side is more psychedelic soul than the B side and although both sides are great in their individual ways, the songs on the B side, whilst being nearer to the original Temptations' sound are not as good as those earlier songs.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Very pleasant as background music.
Björk
4/5
Coming to this from the second Sugarcubes album (which isn't a patch on the first one) showed what a talent Björk was (and still is). Utterly beguiling and just the right side of the line between House and Rock/Punk.
George Michael
1/5
No.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Not my favourite Soul album, but there's enough good stuff here to keep me interested.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Great at the time, but I'm less interested in it now. Still worth having in any decent record collection though.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
A couple of Great American Songbook classics, a touch of easy cool bossa nova and Sinatra's inimitable swing amounts to a great album. 4 stars because it is not too long - any longer and there would be too much filler. As it is, there is a little dip around halfway through.
Q-Tip
2/5
Harmless, but ultimately nondescript.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Up there with "What's Goin' On".
Eagles
1/5
AOR - yuck.
Aphex Twin
2/5
Not interesting ambient. There's a formula and he follows it well, I suppose.
Gorillaz
4/5
More than stands the test of time.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Superb.
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Much better than I thought it would be
Beatles
3/5
Okay, I really like this album and always have. But if it is going to be i the list of 1001 albums surely that means most of the Beatles albums are in the list as well. Probably a tad over the top?
Raekwon
1/5
You've heard one W-Tang related album you've heard them all. Lyrically and musically tedious. Probably the least talented of the Clan?
The Velvet Underground
5/5
The only thing left to say about the brilliance of this album is that the deluxe version is both better and unnecessary as perfection cannot be added to.
The Jam
4/5
Paul Weller thinks this is The Jam's best album and he's probably right. It's certainly the last good thing any of them did.
MGMT
1/5
Not my cup of tea. His voice goes right through me.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Great album
Sade
4/5
I'd forgotten just how good this album is. Smmooooottthhh, but in a good way!
Miles Davis
2/5
I really, really dislike jazz fusion. As with Bitches Brew, this album is listenable purely because of Davis' playing. Other than that, I'll continue to run screaming from any album that contains the words "John McLaughlin" and "Chick Corea"!
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Important album on the back of the hype of Live Aid.
The Specials
4/5
Leading the Two-Tone Mod revival - fantastic stuff!
The Pharcyde
3/5
Fun, light-hearted, good rhythms and "Ya Mama". Great stuff.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Even with a cover reminiscent of Sunshine Superman era Donovan and the Wikipedia informed knowledge that this is an early example of Tropicalia, I still didn't really know what to expect. I was more than pleasantly surprised though. A conglomeration of styles from bossa nova/samba through psychedelia and onto mid-60s folk stylings, I thoroughly enjoyed this. And, at a few minutes over half an hour, it didn't outstay it's welcome.
The Saints
4/5
Influences and influential. And This Perfect Day. What more do you need?
Sonic Youth
4/5
Love this album! Live, many of the songs on it are even better.
Spiritualized
4/5
Where have I been with regards to this - excellent!
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Take Five isn't even the best thing on this album. And it's not Brubeck's fault that he inspired the band Blue Rondo a la Turk...
Johnny Cash
4/5
It's not as good as Folsom Prison, but that's a very high bar.
The Style Council
2/5
I've never liked the Style Council; the beginning of Paul Weller's decline into "rock-dad" mode.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Classic Fela Kuti: infectious grooves to get you on your feet, coupled with powerful political and social messages. The horns are brilliant throughout as are the baking vocalists. Genius.
Def Leppard
1/5
Seriously, of all the albums ever released, why on earth does anyone need to listen to this drivel before they die? I had the misfortune to see Def Leppard live around the time of their first album. They were crap then and this is worse.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Let's have some more of those block rocking beats!
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
Apparently, Mick Jagger said that this album was a better take on a modern updating of blues and rock 'n roll than the contemporarily released "Sticky Fingers". Mick is right.
Animal Collective
3/5
Very good, like the Beach Boys if they lived in Arizona.
Soundgarden
3/5
I was a fan of Soundgarden in the early days, but it all became a bit glossy and rock-god for my tastes.
Nick Drake
5/5
Beautiful. And it's not even the best Nick Drake album.
k.d. lang
2/5
This is good if you like that sort of thing, but I don't, so I find it a little twee.
Todd Rundgren
1/5
Nonsense.
Beastie Boys
4/5
So much better than Licensed To Ill, a real breakthrough album.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Exquisite listening. A record I rarely play, but always enjoy immensely when I do.
Pink Floyd
5/5
You either love it or hate it. I love it and always have.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
Very enjoyable in a slightly-above-average-1967 kinda way. Psychedelic enough, lyrically interesting but hardly one of the 1001 albums to hear before you mow the lawn, let alone before you die.
George Michael
3/5
I listened without prejudice... and have to say that this album is MUCH better than I thought it would be. There's a couple of songs I can happily to do without, which would make the album much tighter, but overall - in particular the opening three tracks - I really like this. His voice is great, the jazz focus works and the dance elements are infectious.
David Bowie
5/5
Almost perfect.
Muddy Waters
3/5
The first Muddy Waters album I bought, over 40 years ago now! It was great then, it's great now.
Al Green
3/5
Great voice of course, but I do feel he's let down by some of the material.
10cc
1/5
Prog-light and very definitely of its time. I never understood the fascination people had with 10cc.
Steely Dan
3/5
Much better than I thought it was going to be. Show Biz Kids will always be the highlight, but the rest is pretty good.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Well this was a pleasant surprise. I may have to buy it.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
It's good, but I've never been one for the Dusty was utterly brilliant argument. Still, I'd rather listen to this than any of the wannabes. (Yes Adele, I'm including you.)
Radiohead
4/5
It took me a while to get into Radiohead, but this is a great album
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Infectious - even better live.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Excellent. Surely even those oddities who profess "not to like jazz" couldn't fail to have their feet moved by this?
Mariah Carey
1/5
Awful. Okay if yo like this sort of thing I suppose, but I cannot stand her voice.
The Replacements
4/5
Possibly better than the other Let It Be...
Massive Attack
4/5
This and the Mad Professor remix album would be a great double lp.
Iggy Pop
4/5
The Offspring
3/5
Entertaining enough but ultimately disposable.
Ute Lemper
3/5
Ultimately disappointing: a great voice obviously, but with three or four notable exceptions, the choice of material doesn't match the potential of the possibilities.
Yes
1/5
For the first 4 - 5 minutes of Roundabout I had a horrible feeling that nostalgia was influencing me to quite like this. But no, the world continues to turn; it's dreadful.
Nick Drake
4/5
Nearly flawless. Flawless was to come with Pink Moon.
Michael Jackson
1/5
I can't be doing with Michael Jackson. Okay, this is good if you like this mix of pop/funk/r&b, but the best selling album of all time? That just shows the vacuity of a large percentage of the record buying public. ;)
Death In Vegas
3/5
Very interesting electronica/rock crossover.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Like most of Elvis' oeuvre, this has peaks and troughs, but because it's Elvis, on this album the troughs are still higher than many artists peaks.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
One of Costello's greatest albums.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Could do with some editing to make a shorter, tighter and better album. Lose the first and last tracks, for instance.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Possibly not as good as The Idiot, but still great.
Queen Latifah
3/5
Some of these tracks are fantastic and really get a groove on, musically, socially and politically. There are a few filler tracks but my main problem with it is that I get a bit bored overall as it is very similar throughout. But each time I think I've has enough the next track is great.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
A great album with excellent musicians, pulled together by the brilliant Masekela. Each track has its own voice and yet fits into the whole.
John Grant
4/5
I love this album - and it's not even his best.
AC/DC
3/5
Why on earth did I sell this album 20 years ago! Guilty pleasure ;)
Fiona Apple
2/5
Yeah, I can see why people like it, but it's not a standout album for me.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
An unknown album to me, but it's great.
Bob Dylan
4/5
At this point Dylan was getting better with every new album.
Pearl Jam
2/5
Small amounts of Pearl Jam are fine - and by small amounts I mean a single song, not a whole album. It lacks interest for me, plus too many "look how many notes I can play" guitar licks.
Ice Cube
2/5
After a while it just becomes tedious braggadocio, or misogynistic violence. The politics is fine and musically it's good, but once you're halfway through you've heard it all.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
2/5
Better than I thought it was going to be, but it is a long time since I heard any Penguin Café Orchestra. In the right setting it would be good as background music, but it's not for me to sit and listen to.
Deep Purple
2/5
My older brother bought this when it was first released and I played it to death, but I was a kid then. Now, I'm an adult and it's only good for nostalgia. When you hear it... meh.
Minor Threat
4/5
Always relevant. Hard, tight, angry - and why not.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
My son has recently discovered 'Freebird'. I've tried to talk him out of it.
Erykah Badu
3/5
Very pleasant, nice in the background but nothing really stands out for me and gets me going. That said, I'd never object to hearing any of it again.
U2
1/5
It's worse than I expected.
The Stooges
4/5
Simply one of the most important records in rock music of any genre.
Rush
1/5
When I was in my late teens I had - for some unfathomable reason - all the Rush albums up to this one. I heard this one and now have no Rush albums.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Love it (obviously)
Morrissey
3/5
Can we still listen to the racist curmudgeon? I still like this album, but obviously it's not The Smiths and suffers from the absence of Johnny Marr.
The Smiths
4/5
So, this popped up the day after the Queen died. Coincidence? I think not. Funny? Yes. And obviously it is a great album. Musically and lyrically way ahead of yesterday's "randomly generated" (honest) album - Morrissey's "Viva Hate".
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
I listened to what seems to be a double album - nearly 80 minutes. Each time I felt it was getting a little repetitious something brilliant started!
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Better than I thought it would be.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
As debut albums go, this is up there with the best of them.
John Lennon
4/5
Everyone knows this is great, don't they? Just skip over Imagine...
Television
2/5
One of the most overrated albums of the 1970s, or any other decade.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
For those that either don't like, or are new to, Sinatra, there are few better albums to start with.
Beatles
3/5
For most other bands, this album would get four stars. As it's not close to being The Beatles best album, it only gets three stars.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Highlight? Personal Jesus. Overall, this is good, but not great.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Approaching their best...
Screaming Trees
2/5
Overrated.
Marty Robbins
4/5
I was surprised by how many of these songs I already new. It's a great example of storytelling country & western.
Kid Rock
3/5
Some really good stuff on this, but Kid Rock comes across as an arse. And as for the godawful Eminem...
Japan
4/5
I bought this when it was first released and it has more than stood the test of time.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
There are some classic Cohen songs on here and others that deserve to be regarded as such.
Meat Loaf
2/5
As a teenager, I really liked this album. But I'm an adult now and it's all a little juvenile.
Genesis
1/5
The song "After The Ordeal" was how I felt whilst listening to this.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Ah, Aretha... What a voice! Showing the Aretha-lite wannabes how to do it: great songs sung with intelligence and righteous power. Nothing forced, nothing faked.
Sufjan Stevens
1/5
Reminds me of 1970s Genesis. That is not a good thing.
Traffic
3/5
Overrated, but it has some highlights.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Personal Jesus - hard to go wrong really
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I often wonder why I like Joni Mitchell's music so much; this album goes a long way to explaining it.
The Waterboys
3/5
I used to play this album a lot back in the day. It still pretty much stands up to the test of time.
Yes
2/5
It was all downhill from here...
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Possibly Costello's best album
The Black Keys
4/5
Nothing startlingly original here, including in the Black Keys oeuvre, but that's no bad thing when it's done this well.
The xx
4/5
Much better than I remember it was when I bought it!
Ian Dury
4/5
Love this album!
FKA twigs
3/5
This album started well, with more than an air of Portishead about it. I was pleasantly surprised and found the first three of four tracks interesting. But after a while, it all became a little too obvious, each track sounding pretty much like the one before.
Serge Gainsbourg
5/5
In an alternative, dystopian world, I could have lived and died without ever having heard this 28 minutes of sublime music. Fortunately, I do not live in such a world, so I have heard it, and my life is enhanced by having done so.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
A bit of filler, but mostly dance-tastic disco!
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Even if you're only a passing listener to hip-hop, this is an album that bears repeated listening.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Sonic Youth really starting to find their groove by this album. Love it!
The Stooges
4/5
Not even The Stooges best album!
The sound of a band having fun!
Primal Scream
1/5
Dreadful. Lots of people liked this at the time, but they were mostly on drugs, which is really the only way to get through this tedium.
Lou Reed
4/5
One of Lou Reed's best works, including his VU days. Only not 5 stars because "Kids" is such a difficult thing to listen to...
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
I really dislike music like this: lyrically uninteresting, unamusing braggadocio, misogyny and unconstructive violence; musically lightweight, dull and meandering pointlessly. Sadly, 0 stars isn't possible.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Powerful and grim.
Kanye West
1/5
West is an antisemitic, homophobic, racist, misogynist. And his music isn't much better. Annoyingly, I can't give minus or zero stars.
The Clash
4/5
An excellent opening album from the icons of punk.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
A transitional album between The Wailers and Bob Marley and... but still very good.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
An album of its time, I think, like a number of others from around the same period; Fleet Foxes et cetera.
Beyoncé
1/5
Awful. It's really not my thing, but I was expecting much better.
Blue Cheer
3/5
A mix of 13th Floor Elevators, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Iron Butterfly (complete with drum solo) and early Led Zeppelin, with a healthy dose of blues influences. All that and coming in at under 33 minutes to pack a healthy punch. What's not to like?
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Generic; every track screams "Here's the band that influenced this one!" Okay for teenagers at the time but definitely dated.
The Lemonheads
3/5
It's good, but there is a bit of filler, which there shouldn't be in an album of only half an hour. The best track (Mrs Robinson) wasn't even on the original album and is (obviously) a cover.
Public Enemy
4/5
Even better than A Nation of Millions...? Probably.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Great album, probably overrated.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
I like the idea of this debut more than the actuality. Personally, I find grime becomes a bit too generic after a while and I stop listening, so a full album is more than I want to hear. That said, each track has its merits.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Bought this when it was first released and it sent me backwards in time to some fantastic music. It remains a guilty pleasure.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Love this album. The recent remastered edition is even better, and not just because it credits the actual songwriters!
Buena Vista Social Club
2/5
An album that begins entertainingly enough, but there is a LOT of filler. I'm struggling to see how this has been raised above anything else of the same genre.
Wild Beasts
3/5
It's okay. Of it's time, in a Fleet Foxes etc. way.
Jane's Addiction
1/5
With a sound reminiscent of a Sixth Form band and vocals by a 14 year old, this really is mediocre.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Peak Joni.
Beastie Boys
4/5
More sampling, fewer live instruments and very eclectic.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Much better than I expected; really good.
Solange
3/5
This album really surprised me; I really like it. Clearly the more interestingly talented of the Knowles sisters.
Underworld
3/5
Immersive :)
The Allman Brothers Band
1/5
Tedious.
Morrissey
3/5
The signs of Morrissey's curmudgeonly racism are beginning to show by this album. The good stuff is excellent, but I can hardly bear to listen to him now, knowing what he has become and almost certainly was all along.
Bill Evans Trio
5/5
Sublime perfection.
Van Morrison
2/5
I cannot stand Van Morrison. Okay, he's done a couple of good songs, but with such a large output, anyone could knock off two or three half-decent songs. On this album - an album I own, for some inexplicable reason - the one good song is "Moondance". The man himself is also a bit of an arse.
Boards of Canada
3/5
I really like this, but can't help feeling that it would be just as good at half the length.
Morrissey
3/5
I still like this even though I try not too.
SZA
1/5
Really not my thing at all.
Daft Punk
3/5
It all gets to sound a bit samey after a while. The standout tracks (Da Funk, Round The World etc) are excellent, but a single album would have been much better.
Tom Waits
4/5
My first Tom Waits album and still one of my favourites.
The Slits
3/5
Still a great listen after 40+ years. A sign of things to come for Ari Up and Viv Albertine.
The Birthday Party
4/5
Peak Birthday Party!
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
The end of the Sisters as far as I'm concerned. After this, it's a vanity project which I'm not interested in. This, on the other hand, retains enough of the pre-Sisters of Mercy releasing an album, to maintain the interest.
Joy Division
5/5
The second best Joy Division album.
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
Love this album!
The Strokes
3/5
In a way, this album is much like Marquee Moon: supposedly genre-changing/defining and an alleged classic. Also, just like Marquee Moon, to my mind this is a hugely overrated album. It's good, but it's not that good.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
It always amazes me that the same person who wrote "Because The Night" and the "Nebraska" album can create so much utter dross.
Kelela
1/5
Why, exactly, should I listen to this album before I die? Okay, it's not my sort of thing, but I can hear no recognisable merit in this that would elevate it above anything else in the genre. Bland and insipid.
The Police
2/5
They really should have stopped by the release of this album. Actually, the should have stopped after the release of Roxanne.
Paul Simon
3/5
Great album, reminding everyone that Paul Simon was a much better songwriter than Art Garfunkel, but also that without Garfunkel, the songs just don't sound as good.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Loose.
Deep Purple
3/5
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. The remastering makes it sound better than I remember as a teenager.
Sonic Youth
4/5
I really like the previous albums, especially Bad Moon Rising, but this is the first album that really hinted at the greatness to come.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
It's Hendrix. What's not to like? A lot.
Fiona Apple
3/5
A really interesting, sometimes challenging album.
Venom
3/5
Everything Metallica would like to be.
Moby
3/5
Massive at the time and I often played it. It stands up well, but I don't mind if I never hear it again.
Einstürzende Neubauten
4/5
By turns disturbing, charming, thought-provoking and both musical and non-musical - often simultaneously. Ground-breaking at the time and still relevant.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I'm now wondering why I haven't played this album much since I bought it when it was released. It's great!
Missy Elliott
2/5
It's fine; I like it, but don't care if I ever hear it again. I guess if this is your thing, this album is excellent.
George Jones
2/5
Run of the mill country music fare, but it has a certain charm.
David Bowie
5/5
Sadly, the last great Bowie album :(
Hookworms
2/5
Derivative, but not bad for that. There's significant filler, but some very good tracks.
Radiohead
3/5
Over long but has enough of interest and quality to sustain it.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
Life is too short to have to listen to Springsteen. This, like everything else of his oeuvre I've heard (with the notable exception of 'Nebraska'), is either bombastic drivel or piano-driven mawkish balladry. Just stop it, Bruce.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
By turns, fun, moving, entertaining, stirring. What a voice. What a life.
Suede
1/5
I once had the misfortune to see Suede - then just an "upcoming band from Horsham" - supporting The Fall. I didn't like them live and I don't like them on record.
The Adverts
4/5
Love this album!
Tim Buckley
4/5
Beautiful.
Gang Of Four
5/5
Still a masterpiece.
Public Enemy
4/5
I always struggled with some of the politics, especially the antisemitism that developed (we know who!) but this is still a vital piece of work.
Slayer
3/5
Much better than I expected, but would benefit from being a shorter, so more powerful, album. It does get a bit samey.
Pretenders
3/5
Sometime around 1985, I bumped into a drunken Chrissie Hynde in an Exmouth street; she was on the lash with a friend of mine. That was a highlight and so is this album.
Crowded House
1/5
Uninteresting.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Listening to Cocteau Twins from the start, I guess I will always prefer the earlier work. Nevertheless this album is one of their greatest, even if one can tell what some of the words are!
Jethro Tull
1/5
Most of the first track is good, but, like the album, there's too much uninteresting prog nonsense interrupting it.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
All the hits and more...
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
The start of greatness
Ray Charles
4/5
What a voice and what interpretations of some classic songs.
Duke Ellington
4/5
It's Ellington, so thoroughly professional and entertaining, but nothing out of the ordinary. Although, for Ellington, ordinary is most other people's greatness.
Cypress Hill
3/5
Musically interesting for a while, but once you've heard four or five tracks you know what you're getting for the rest of the album. Lyrically, the usual braggadocio.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
It's fine, but does one really have to hear it before one dies?
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Infectious guitar, even if it does eventually all sound the same. Very danceable. Like listening to John Peel in the 1980s!
Mekons
4/5
I've always liked the idea of Mekons more than the actuality. This album is really good, but not as good as I want it to be. It doesn't grab me by the scruff of the neck and tell me how good it is. I really like it, but at the same time, don't feel the need to ever hear it again. But if I do, great.
Wilco
4/5
Much, much better than I remember it being!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
At the time, fairly ground-breaking stuff, even if you can hear all the influences (not that there's anything wrong with that).
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Always great, always underrated.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Should I ever wonder why I like Joni Mitchell, I'll just play this.
Beach House
4/5
Gorgeous dream-pop, with enough variety to keep it interesting.
David Bowie
5/5
Not a classic from Bowie's 70s run of classic albums, but it is a very, very high bar.
Doves
2/5
Distinctly average album. I wonder at the criteria used to decide that an album is worth hearing before you die. I mean, surely they have to be more interesting than this offering?
Tom Waits
5/5
One of Tom Waits' best albums, and that is saying something! From the opening of "The Earth Dies Screaming" you know you're in the presence of greatness.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
Even at the length it is, this still works. What a great collection of artists and songs!
Alice Cooper
4/5
From the opening "School's Out" this is Alice Cooper at their best.
The Zombies
4/5
Showing that the Zombies were always more than "She's Not There". Although if that was all they done that would still be more than a lot of bands!
The La's
3/5
Entertaining; some really good tracks, but nothing I need to hear again.
1/5
Must I?
Rahul Dev Burman
4/5
Excellent!
Missy Elliott
1/5
I have better things to do with my ears and my time.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
The first signs of how good Neil Young was going to be over the next few albums.
Fats Domino
3/5
A bit of a mish-mash with little coherence, but it's Fats Domino, so it's great!
Tina Turner
1/5
Oh come on! Big-haired pop-rock with over the top vocalising. No one really has to hear this before they die. It was tedious enough having to put up with the singles back in the day. Still, I suppose if you like this sort of thing...
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
The first Banshees album I bought and it's still great over 40 years later!
The Prodigy
3/5
Once "Smack My Bitch Up" has finished (what were they thinking?) I can listen to this great album
Carpenters
3/5
All the hits (well, some of them) but, in truth, not a great deal more. It's The Carpenters, so even the weaker tracks are pleasant enough, but are shown up by the hit singles.
Tears For Fears
2/5
"Shout" is great, but that's it really.
Little Richard
3/5
Shouty man! But it's infectious, isn't it?
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Anyone who hasn't heard this album should go and listen right now!
Kacey Musgraves
1/5
The first song is fine, nothing special but fine. Then it goes rapidly downhill and becomes twee.
Air
4/5
I often find that soundtrack albums don't fully work without the film, but this definitely does. There are some real high points that would grace any album by Air, especially "Dead Bodies".
David Bowie
4/5
Not as good as Ziggy or Diamond Dogs, which in truth, is a meaningless comparison. It's still essential Bowie.
Dirty Projectors
1/5
I really didn't get on with this album at all.
Like Fleet Foxes and its ilk, but without the tunes
Love
4/5
As good as "Da Capo"? Maybe, maybe not, but this album contains some stone cold classics.
Jefferson Airplane
5/5
Seminal.
Judas Priest
2/5
Mostly tedious NWOBHM, but there are two or three standout tracks which would have made a great 7" single!
Johnny Cash
4/5
A continuation of The Man In Black's return to essential relevance. And it has "Hurt".
Metallica
1/5
I can think of few things worse than having to listen to this. "Metallers like classical" shock! I blame Jon Lord...
White Denim
3/5
A bit of a mish-mash of styles, but overall it really works.
Kings of Leon
3/5
On the basis of only having heard this album by KOL, I think that a "best of" compilation would be a great album to have. This album has some good moments and a handful of great ones, but there is also - for a shortish album - too much filler.
Sam Cooke
5/5
A fantastic live album which manages to retain the vibrant energy of what must have been a great gig! My only quibble is that it isn't long enough!
Kraftwerk
5/5
Ground-breaking, seminal et cetera...
Beth Orton
3/5
Excellent if you're a fan of Beth Orton, but for me it all becomes a little cloying, although without ever degenerating into tweeness. Overall, it is good but never, to these ears, great. It would benefit from being shorter and tighter.
Coldplay
1/5
I wrote this about Metallica's S&M album: "I can think of few things worse than having to listen to this." Turns out I was wrong.
The Kinks
4/5
Not even the best album by The Kinks...
PJ Harvey
4/5
A second division album from PJ Harvey this one, but given that her second division is better than most artists' first division... By turns, politically angry, despondent and hopeful, with music to match, this is an essential album in Harvey's oeuvre. But then, aren't they all?
The Band
3/5
One of those overrated "classic" albums that have a mythology which exceeds the greatness of the actual music. With the notable exception of "The Weight" and a couple of other tracks on Side 2, this is largely above-average fare, but not great.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Most soundtrack albums tend to be a bit uneven. There's usually the hit single, a couple of other standout tracks and not much else. Isaac Hayes' "Shaft" on the other hand, has the hit, half a dozen standout tracks and very little filler.
Roni Size
3/5
I like a bit of drum n' bass, but it's really a music to be out dancing to. That said, the first half of this is great, in a head nodding, trance-inducing kinda way. I'll listen to the second half sometime perhaps.
The Auteurs
2/5
I was hoping for more from this album, but it rarely strayed from competent. The peaks weren't very high and there is considerable filler.
Dion
3/5
Apparently Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream cites this album as an influence, which explains a lot. Distinctly average; good voice (obviously) a few decent songs, dreadful production.
Gary Numan
4/5
A great album, consistently interesting musically and lyrically.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
One of my favourite Abdullah Ibrahim albums, there's some beautiful music on this - and ska!
Brian Eno
4/5
Not even Eno's best album... :)
Peter Gabriel
1/5
Awful mid-80s pap that has definitely not stood the test of the years passing; which is a little a disappointing because I quite liked it at the time. Sounds too much like Genesis.
Madonna
4/5
Madonna's best album according to the critics. I'm not a great admirer of La Ciccone, but I do like this album a lot, even if William Orbit's production lends the whole thing a fairly predictable vibe in terms of sound.
Aimee Mann
3/5
Even after all these years, this album is still not as good as I wanted it to be.
PJ Harvey
5/5
Peak Peej.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Overlong, but good, even if it does now sound a little dated. A bit of judicious pruning would have made for a tighter, more exciting album.
Ghostface Killah
1/5
Almost beyond parody.
Tortoise
4/5
The glorious "Djed" is worth four stars alone.
Bad Brains
2/5
My problem with Bad Brains is that there were some better bands around at the time (Husker Du, anyone) and a number of the bands they influenced are significantly better. Although this album only clocks in at just over 30 minutes I'd had enough half way through. You know what you're getting, and you get it.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
I just don't get the love for The Flaming Lips. Like everything of theirs I've heard, it's fine but trying very hard to be clever. I've heard their stage shows are fantastic; that is probably to distract from the music.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Vital, energetic and verging on chaotic at times, the first and last great Dexy's album before they ditched the sharp look and went all straw hats and dungarees with the godawful "Come On Eileen".
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Disappointing really; it sounds dated (to be fair, most stuff of this ilk does) but beyond "Buffalo Stance" and "Manchild" (both great) I really couldn't take much interest.
M.I.A.
5/5
Stonkingly good!
John Lee Hooker
2/5
Such a disappointing album; too many guests, too much white blues rock, not enough raw Hooker.
Prefab Sprout
1/5
With the notable exception of the opening track, this is just like everything else I've heard by the Sprouts; tweely irritating.
PJ Harvey
5/5
Virtually flawless. An astonishing, raw and powerful debut album. And better was to come!
Brian Eno
5/5
I love this album; the perfect meeting of two of the 20th century's most interesting musicians.
Wilco
3/5
As always with Wilco, the good stuff is great, there's very little downright poor music but rather too much of it settles nicely in the background, musically speaking. I'm not sure it sustains itself over four sides.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
Perhaps not as ground-breaking as some people think; John Peel had been playing similar for a while, but important and influential nevertheless. And a great collection of songs to boot.
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
You only need one album by Drive Like Jehu, and this is it. Then, you've pretty much got everything, because - just as it did 30 years ago (give or take) - it a;; becomes fairly predictable. Good, but predictable.
Neil Young
4/5
Overrated? Possibly. But a 1970s overrated Neil Young album is better than most artist's rated albums. ;)
The White Stripes
4/5
Short and very sweet! Okay, not their best work together, but this mix of blues, rock and 60s psychedelia works a treat as far as I'm concerned.
Nina Simone
5/5
If this album consisted only of "Four Women" and nothing else it would still be a masterpiece.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
A very interesting mix of musical styles, building on, and adding to, the sound of the Asian Underground (a compilation well worth seeking out). There are some outstanding tracks (notably "Tides") but there are a couple of tracks that could safely have been omitted, making for a more powerful, compact album. The various news items on different atomic bomb tests, ending with the famous Oppenheimer quote, add to the slight feeling of unease that permeates the album. The thing is, were you to put the record on, listen for a while then leave the room, when you returned you know exactly what you'd be getting and wouldn't really have missed much.
Bill Callahan
4/5
What a voice and what a fantastic group of songs - as good as anything he's done before or since.
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
How does a band follow up an album such as Rumours? Well, not with this flatulence. As someone who bought Tusk when it was released and forced myself to play the whole thing more than once before getting rid of it, I am unsurprised to find that it has not improved with age. Stevie Nicks voice is a pastiche of Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie appears to have forgotten how talented she was, and the less said about Mick Fleetwood's by the numbers drumming the better. There is an excellent EP trying to escape from the turgid mediocrity: Sisters of the Moon; Sara; Tusk and (maybe) Beautiful Child, those tracks alone merit the two stars. The less said about the rest the better.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
"Single" is a great song, but that's about it. I've never got EBTG - too one dimensional.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
When an album's least good track is 'Everyday People' you know you are in the presence of musical greatness. The only people who don't like this album are the people who haven't heard it.
4/5
Two alto sax, two drums, one bass: John Zorn + Ornette Coleman = awesome!
De La Soul
3/5
It would benefit from being a little shorter; maybe remove the interstitial tracks, but it is a significant album in hip-hop.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I've always had a bit of an on/off relationship with Costello's music; this is definitely an 'on' album; not flawless, but up there with his best work.
fIREHOSE
3/5
It's fine, a bit dated but has enough of interest and it's only around 30 minutes long, so doesn't outstay its welcome.
Lucinda Williams
4/5
A long time since I last heard this album - it's still great!
Ice Cube
3/5
Like most gangsta rap of the time, musically this is very interesting and effective; lyrically it becomes a bit wearing. Braggadocio and the glorification of violence -regardless of where it comes from - gets boring after a while. Still, better than 2Pac etc
Neil Young
4/5
One of Neil Young's great 70s albums!
Prince
1/5
I've never understood the fuss about Prince; there's nothing on this album that wasn't already going on: Nile Rodgers had been doing this stuff for years. Bowie, Heaven 17, numerous second rate new romantic bands. It's merely not very good disco music.
Kate Bush
5/5
An album that confused many at the time - it wasn't what we expected from Kate Bush! But turns out, it was exactly what should be expected from Kate Bush. Ground-breaking and influential in so many ways, not just musically. I loved it at the time and I still do.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Very pleasant, but nothing extraordinary. An interesting collection of songs though, with enough interesting things going on to hold the attention and stop it from becoming background music.
Charles Mingus
4/5
One of his best albums I think. Sublime at times.
Joan Baez
4/5
I never tire of hearing this album, or Baez's voice.
2Pac
1/5
Boring. I know it's not aimed at the likes of me and that it's all "real" et cetera, but it simply doesn't do anything for me. I can appreciate its strengths, but I can't be arsed listening to it.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
It's good, but not that good. I've always considered this to be another one of those albums which are considered "essential" but are overrated (see Marquee Moon). It all becomes homogenous and would have benefited by pruning down to a single lp.
David Bowie
4/5
An album which took everyone by surprise, not least because it was the best, most consistent and interesting album Bowie had released since Scary Monsters... Yes, I am making that claim; Bowie's output in the 1980s (with the exception of Scary Monsters... and most, but by no means all, of Let's Dance, was awful. There was something of a return to form from the mid-1990s, but The Next Day was the first Bowie album you'd want on a desert island since Scary Monsters...
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Like all Wyatt's albums, this is mix of highs and lows; but Wyatt's highs are stunning and his lows are higher than many artists' highs, so...
Queen
3/5
Overblown bombast, but then it is Queen, so that is exactly what one would expect. I bought this as a teenager a few years after it was released and still have it somewhere, but it doesn't stand either the test of time nor the development of my musical tastes. Still, the good bits are great, and for nostalgia's sake, I've bunged on an extra star!
Nico
4/5
A high point in Nico's post-Velvet's output. Perhaps slightly more accessible than The Marble Index, which no doubt pleased the record company.
Eric Clapton
1/5
Awful man, tedious music. His best years were with The Yardbirds.
Elton John
4/5
An album which I'd never heard before, with the exception of "Tiny Dancer", and it probably benefits from that. I don't consider myself a fan, but Elton John's early output was consistently high.
Little Simz
3/5
A genuine surprise; much better than I expected it to be, "Offence" and "Venom" being particular highlights. Lyrically, Little Simz is angry and taking no shit from ANYBODY, especially the music business, misogyny and macho rappers. There's a couple of tracks that don't really do much for me, but as the whole thing comes in at a little of half an hour, I can put up with those.
Blondie
4/5
An album from when Blondie could do little wrong, although much of the credit for this power pop classic must go to producer Michael Chapman.
N.E.R.D
2/5
A vaguely interesting mix of styles, which others have done both better and worse. It's not bad, but didn't make me want to listen to it all.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Surely everyone knows and loves this album. One of the most important albums of its genre (or any other); THE highlight of Marvin Gaye's career: it was all downhill from this point onwards, but what a highpoint!
Elvis Presley
4/5
In this, his first post-Army album, and back again with the Blue Moon Boys (most of them) Elvis shows that, away from the mawkish films, he was still a potent force. There's some great stuff on this album: 'Fever', 'Make Me Know It' and 'Soldier Boy' are some of the standout tracks, each showcasing a different aspect of the phenomenon that was 1950s/early 1960s Elvis.
The Libertines
1/5
Ye gods, but The Libertines were dreadful! Half Man Half Biscuit summed them up perfectly:
"We've just been performing a guerrilla gig
In the middle of another group's guerrilla gig
Well surely that's the ultimate guerrilla gig
But still they cried like girls"
Eagles
1/5
'Hotel California' and 'Life In The Fast Lane' have a certain nostalgic value and I suppose could be considered guilty (nearly) pleasures. The rest of this mawkish nonsense is music for people who find Steely Dan just a little bit too dangerous.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
5/5
Still sounds great after nearly 45 years! What a debut album and highly influential.
Slade
3/5
Rambunctious, rollicking rock ' roll!
k.d. lang
3/5
This is great, and much better than I expected given her later work. If you like a bit of honky tonk and steel guitar (lap and pedal) this is for you. With added Loretta Lynn!
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
One of my favourite Bad Seeds albums.
Mercury Rev
1/5
Jonathan Donahue, frontman of Mercury Rev is quoted as saying "The world wasn't exactly waiting for another Mercury Rev record." Well, there was probably a reason for that.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Vaughan is on top form here; relaxed and having fun. Her voice is sublime and the understated accompaniment from the trio of Jimmy Jones, Richard Davis and Roy Haynes is the perfect foil for her.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
I fail to see how a bog standard, basic pop album is something that must be listened to before you die. Genre defining? No. Ground-breaking? Hardly. Paradigm shifting? Not even close.
Alice In Chains
2/5
Too much Metallica, not enough Mudhoney/Nirvana/early Soundgarden. And harmonising tenor heavy metal vocals are rarely a good thing.
The Divine Comedy
5/5
With the obvious shades of Scott Walker, I enjoyed this album a LOT more than I expected to. Beautiful.
Van Halen
2/5
At the time, I really liked this album, but I was a only 15, so what did I know. It hasn't aged well, but still has some highlights. But guitar solos bore me now.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Short 'n sweet, nigh on perfect.
Kings of Leon
1/5
Boring really.
Destiny's Child
1/5
If this is the kind of music you like, then I guess this album ticks all the right boxes - it's good pop music. But it's not my thing and I abhor the treated vocals.
Steely Dan
3/5
Did Steely Dan ever reach these heights again? Nope. And this isn't a flawless album by any means. There are a number of tracks that aren't very promising for the first minute or so, but somehow one finds oneself listening to, and quite enjoying, the whole thing (I'm looking at you "Only A Fool Would Say That"). Read the Wiki entry if you want to know the many musical styles on show. Then there's the wonderful "Reelin' In The Years". Do I care if I ever hear the album again though? Not really. Except for "Reelin'..."
Steely Dan: the band too dangerous for fans of the Eagles.
The White Stripes
4/5
Meg White is such an underrated drummer; she is the unmistakeable sound of The White Stripes.
David Bowie
5/5
I've met someone who doesn't like Low.
Blur
4/5
I always preferred Blur over Oasis (who are dreadful) and this album cements that preference; showing progression and a range of musical ideas (something Oasis have never had). There are half a dozen standout tracks; Beetlebum, Song 2 (with Albarn's best John Lydon impression) Country Sad Ballad Man... and that's just the first three tracks.
The Smiths
5/5
Possibly The Smiths' greatest album, back when we all thought they were the new Beatles (they weren't) and back when Mozzer was not as obnoxious and self-centred as he became. Less racist too.
Def Leppard
1/5
I once had the misfortune to witness the awful, dreary, third division Def Leppard live (I'd gone to see the band third on the bill). Back then, the drummer still had both arms. They were awful then, but this, this album is even worse. Dreadful.
Pavement
4/5
You either like Pavement or you don't. I do and so should you.
Living Colour
1/5
This is HORRIBLE! And sums up perfectly why I never liked Living Colour back in the 1980s. Yuck.
Aerosmith
2/5
With Toys In The Attic I thought I might be wrong about this album (not about Aerosmith in general though). But I wasn't. Thank god Run DMC managed to improve Walk This Way!. The best song on the album is Aerosmith's cover of Bull Moose Jackson's Big Ten Inch. As for ending with a hard rock band style ballad? Ugh.
Louis Prima
4/5
Rambunctious! I defy anyone to not smile when listening to this. And jive!
The Only Ones
4/5
There was always more to The Only Ones than Another Girl... and this album proves it. Not flawless by any means; there's a touch too much power pop perhaps, but still a great album of its time and still.
Stereolab
4/5
Not quite Stereolab at their most majestic, but close enough.
Willie Nelson
1/5
Oh my god, what a horrible, horrible collection of cover versions! No wonder the record company weren't happy with it. Dreadful, dreadful, dreadful. I was expecting so much better than this unlistenable pap.
Billy Bragg
4/5
Brilliant collection of songs, including the fantastic Levi Stubb's Tears!
Sparks
4/5
Effervescent!
The Pogues
5/5
Of course, I preferred them when they were still called Pogue Mahone. :)
The Police
2/5
A few hit singles which have not stood the test of time and some filler.
Talk Talk
3/5
It took a couple of tracks, but eventually I really liked this. Not, in my opinion, as good as Spirit of Eden, but still very good.
The Who
4/5
Showcasing The Who whilst still reasonably mod and before they started the transition to rock behemoth.
Elliott Smith
3/5
I like this album, but none of it sticks in the mind and to be honest I'm not fussed if I hear it again, but it'll be fine if I do. So 3 stars.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
When this album was released I was a child, which probably explains why I liked it. Now I'm an adult, apart from The Exorcist segment(!) it's fairly tedious showing off.
Donald Fagen
1/5
And I need to listen to this why exactly?
4/5
Another Kinks concept album which, like the other ones, is better than all the concept albums by prog rock bands that would come later.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Short and sweet.
Robbie Williams
1/5
I've given this two stars because, if you like this sort of thing - and I most emphatically do not - then I guess there are a couple of hit singles which people enjoyed... On second thoughts, one star because I cannot stand Robbie WIlliams' music.
3/5
Much better than I remember, but still not great. There are some excellent tracks, but too many above average but still run-of-the-mill songs. If the album clocked in at a little of 30 minutes instead of 45 it would be excellent.
M.I.A.
4/5
I'm always taken by surprise by M.I.A. She works in a genre that I don't have a lot of time for and yet, she has the talent and interest to create something that stands out from just about anything else like this.
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
I can't stand R&B; it's one of the very few musical genres that do absolutely nothing for me, except make my ears die. All simulated bling vocals and soft, placid beats. Even if the songs are saying anything I can't stand listening to the treated vocal noise. One R&B song/album is pretty much the same as another, so why I need to hear yet another collection of of it before I die remains a mystery.
The Thrills
1/5
Boring and generic.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Ali Khan's voice makes you want to listen for hours, as does the music; but in the end, it does just become background noise. Excellent noise for all that.
1/5
Awful band. Stupid name. Awful music. Childish album title. Immature lyrics. A fanbase of 14 year-old boys who inexplicably continue to like this puerile, juvenile dross. Is there anything about this whining, faux-outrageous dross that is, er, worth a biscuit? I hate everything about nu-metal and Durst is one of the worst exponents. Ooh, Fred, you're so ironically threatening. Twat.
3/5
I never really noticed Liars at the time; I knew the name obviously, but anything I heard clearly didn't make a huge impression. Nevertheless, this is good. Even thought I was not giving it my full attention, there was enough in it to lift it into my consciousness and engage.
Gillian Welch
5/5
A truly great album from a truly great artist.
Calexico
3/5
I used to go and see a lot of this sort of stuff live - I think I saw Calexico. I like it, but it does tend to become a bit samey after a while. Each individual song is generally good or better, but after a while I want something different. Perhaps if this album was 15-20 minutes shorter?
Van Morrison
1/5
Is Van Morrison one of the most overrated musical artists out there? Yes, he is. Dreadful, whining vocals to go with a dreadful, whining man.
Justin Timberlake
1/5
Horrible.
Suede
1/5
Oh god, not another Suede album.
The Verve
1/5
Richard Ashcroft's voice takes fairly average alternative rock and turns it into ear-grating, unlistenable noise. I'm not surprised that Liam Gallagher is a big fan.
Pixies
3/5
If, as I did, you bought "Surfer Rosa" and "Doolittle" when they were first released, then caught up with "Come On, Pilgrim", this album was disappointing; still clearly Pixies, but far more straight ahead and thus less interesting than their earlier work. Almost Pixies by numbers; still better than a lot of other contemporary "alternative" music, but never going to be my go to Pixies album. So I sold it.
Adele
1/5
Completely overrated in my opinion. Sure, she has a good voice, but so do a lot of people. I just find it all a bit mannered.
Ride
4/5
I never paid much attention to Ride in the early 1990s, but this album makes me realise what I missed.
The Specials
4/5
I love this album; it's mix of styles showed both the development of The Specials and the seeds of their split. Okay, so there's a couple of filler tracks which, if cut out, would have made for a tighter album, but even the filler is pretty good!
Emmylou Harris
3/5
An album in which Emmylou wrote most of the songs, showing that she has more talent than just her voice. There are a couple of tracks I consider superfluous, the absence of which would make for a stronger, tighter album, but these are balanced out by songs like "Red Dirt Girl" and "Michelangelo".
Joanna Newsom
5/5
I'd forgotten just how good this album is. I was a fan of "Milk-Eyed Mender", but this is at another level entirely.
George Harrison
3/5
Overlong and overrated, but still a must for any decent record collection.
Christine and the Queens
1/5
Awful! Why on earth should anyone listen to this before they die?
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Lots of interesting stuff in this album, even if he does frequently sound like Tyrannosaurus Rex era Marc Bolan, which is no bad thing, but as with Bolan's work, it can be a little hit and miss.
Kate Bush
4/5
Just like all Kate Bush albums, this has it's weaknesses, but they are minor ones and don't lessen the overall impact of the album, which as - as always with Kate Bush - bloody brilliant!
Blood, Sweat & Tears
1/5
I really can't be doing with jazz fusion.
Santana
1/5
Santana bore the pants off me. Oo! Look how many notes I can play! I struggle with any sort of "fusion" whether it be Jazz fusion (dreadful) or this Latin fusion.
Alice Cooper
3/5
One of Alice Cooper's better albums, containing two or three genuine classics.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Any album containing a song such as "Visions Of You" is worth a listen and this album is no exception. It meanders a little at times, but overall I'd rate it as amongst the best of Wobble's work (that I've heard).
Kraftwerk
5/5
Highly influential and no wonder. A move away from the previous "Autobahn" incarnation of Kraftwerk - in fact, this was the third style the group created. Wonderful stuff.
Spiritualized
4/5
Setting a template for later bands, whilst shamelessly mining earlier glories; still a great listen though.
Heaven 17
4/5
A fantastic album that summed up a lot that was wrong with Britain under Thatcher. Musically it more than stands the test of time. Lyrically, sadly, it also stands the test of time... :(
Elvis Costello
3/5
I always want to like Elvis Costello more than I do, and this album sums that up perfectly. Mostly, it's great, but overall I just don't like it as much as I think I should do. It's still a great album though.
Guns N' Roses
1/5
No.
The Jam
4/5
Amongst the first LPs I bought; it still holds up after 45 years. Pity the same thing can't be said for Paul Weller...
King Crimson
5/5
An album that's as good as its cover!
Afrika Bambaataa
4/5
Ground-breaking et cetera - and it opens with "Planet Rock" :)
Slipknot
1/5
\"The singer out of Slipknot went to Rome to see the Pope.
The singer out of Slipknot went to Rome to see the Pope.
The singer out of Slipknot went to Rome to see the Pope, and the Pope said to his aide:
'Who the fuckin' hell is Slipknot?
Who the fuckin' hell is Slipknot?
Who the fuckin' hell is Slipknot in relation to me getting out of bed?'\"
(Half Man Half Biscuit)
'Nuff said.
Leftfield
4/5
An album that was always on my radar but that I never actually bought or heard all of; now I have and it's great!
B.B. King
5/5
This is what a live blues album sounds like. Take note Mr Clapton.
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
It's fine, but does become a little predictable after a while.
R.E.M.
5/5
Not even the best album by R.E.M.
Klaxons
3/5
Interesting enough, but ultimately forgettable.
The Monkees
5/5
The Monkees were always more than a manufactured band of pretty boys and this album proved it; all the self-penned songs stand up against those written for them or recorded as covers (well, maybe excepting "Band 6" and "Zilch", but even they have their merits) and in some cases are the best songs on the album.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
There's a lot to like about E&TB, but I can still see why I was never a huge fan at the time. Also, I don't think this is their best album, but as a debut it's great, but nothing The Teardrop Explodes hadn't already done.
R.E.M.
5/5
I love this album; this was the tour I saw R.E.M. on. Superb song-writing and interplay between the four members of the band. Possibly my favourite album by the band.
The Pogues
4/5
The second best Pogues album, which makes it a damn sight better than many other artist's best. The fun we had dancing to songs of this album!
SAULT
4/5
One SAULT album is pretty much like another SAULT album, but just different enough to maintain interest, which is also helped by being very good!
Wire
4/5
Stunning and very influential album.
The Triffids
2/5
I expected to like this album more than I do; I am a fan of the previous album 'In The Pines', but the best song on 'Calenture' is an update on a song from 'In The Pines'.
Tim Buckley
4/5
A beautiful album, showcasing Buckley's voice and songwriting talents, both of which would improve still further.
Os Mutantes
4/5
Wild, inventive and bonkers. A mish-mash of styles and influences thrown together, put into a blender then spread out to dry for your listening pleasure. Fantastic!
The Pretty Things
4/5
A psych masterpiece. Claims that it is or isn't the first concept album are irrelevant; it is simply a fantastic, unified piece of work.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Infectious!
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Overlong, but pretty powerful stuff at times.
Turbonegro
2/5
Dude can play guitar - as he shows by playing lots of notes, often at the same time at a high pitch. Ho hum.
New York Dolls
4/5
"Mock rock"