Journey Complete!
Finisher #173 to complete the list
View User Albums Summary1089
Albums Rated
3.08
Average Rating
100%
Complete
Favorite Album
Abbey Road
Beatles
Submitted Album
Go Farther In Lightness
Gang of Youths
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
83
5-Star Albums
45
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Come Find Yourself
Fun Lovin' Criminals
|
5 | 2.93 | +2.07 |
|
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
|
5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
|
Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
|
5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
|
Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
|
5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
|
White Ladder
David Gray
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
The Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
|
5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
|
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
|
1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
|
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
|
1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
|
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
Closer
Joy Division
|
1 | 3.21 | -2.21 |
|
Under Construction
Missy Elliott
|
1 | 3.15 | -2.15 |
|
Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
|
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Pink Floyd
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
|
The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 7 | 4.57 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.6 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.75 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 4.29 |
| Steely Dan | 4 | 4.5 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.67 |
| Elliott Smith | 2 | 5 |
| The Band | 2 | 5 |
| Green Day | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.33 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 4 |
| Tom Waits | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Morrissey | 4 | 1.5 |
| Missy Elliott | 2 | 1 |
| Pet Shop Boys | 3 | 1.67 |
| Madonna | 3 | 1.67 |
| Bee Gees | 2 | 1.5 |
| M.I.A. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Joy Division | 2 | 1.5 |
| Scott Walker | 2 | 1.5 |
| Slipknot | 2 | 1.5 |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 2 |
| Public Enemy | 3 | 2 |
| Dexys Midnight Runners | 3 | 2 |
| Yes | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Pink Floyd | 3, 5, 5, 1 |
| Miles Davis | 3, 5, 5, 1 |
| The Velvet Underground | 4, 4, 1 |
| Kate Bush | 4, 3, 1 |
| The Rolling Stones | 4, 4, 2, 5, 4, 2 |
5-Star Albums (83)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Bad Company · 55 likes
3/5
Paul Rodgers has such a gutsy rock voice, so much so that pretty much anything he sings is worth listening to. But, from a lyrical perspective, he only writes about wanting to fuck. Just said in different words from song to song, album to album, and band to band. Though on this record there is a mellow track about a seagull. Does he want to fuck it? Probably.
Green Day · 44 likes
5/5
The album that made me wanna learn guitar. Now been a guitar teacher for 22 years. This shit's in my DNA.
The Only Ones · 37 likes
2/5
I got excited when the opening track started... ooh this band's pretty solid, nice production, ooh tasty chord changes. THEN the dude started singing. Jesus H. Christ. I'd bet ya the members of his band thought he was total shite too, just learned to enjoy playing together and TRIED to turn his mic down bit by bit by bit by bit.
My Bloody Valentine · 31 likes
3/5
A dude testing out all of the guitar effects in a music store AT THE SAME TIME, and insisting that his rather-be-ANYWHERE-else girlfriends sings along.
Happy Mondays · 30 likes
2/5
If somebody were to take the worst elements of 80's music (cheesy keys, gated drums, a dreadful moaning vocalist, all saturated in reverb and thinned waaaaay-the-fuck-out to a treble-y right hot mess) and mix it together, you'd have this album.
Not for me.
1-Star Albums (45)
All Ratings
Duran Duran
2/5
Primal Scream
3/5
Opening track is a classic (memories of cruising through the desert on GTA San Andreas while cranking this tune). Rest of the album? Meh.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Similar vibe to his 1st brilliant album, but without the strong songs. I really like the pared-back instrumentation though, with his crisply-recorded acoustic guitar and vocals front & centre.
The Specials
2/5
High energy Ska. Singing not very melodic. Not for me.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Pop candy. Blank Space is such a killer tune, and Shake It Off is a modern classic. She has such a knack for songwriting and melody. This prompted a deep dive into 2 of her other albums, Fearless, and Red. Time for this 40 year old man to reconsider any foolishly-held notions about modern artists.
Kanye West
4/5
Ohhhh maaan that was intense! And incredibly good!! A wicked album.
Elastica
3/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
A brilliant album. Loved it for many years. A stunning songwriter.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Raw driving energy. Still not fond of Nico's voice but the songs seem cooler every time I hear this album.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Aaargh goddamn Rod Stewart. I HATED his schmaltzy voice when I was a kid, and he was in that era of crooning cheesy ballads with his puffed up hair, smug grin, and bulbous mole. Now Jeff Beck... he's the greatest living guitarist. Why, oh why did he have to buddy up back in the '60's with Rod Fucking Stewart?! Robert Plant was taken, so he thought Rod will do???!!!
Björk
3/5
I listened to 3 other Bjork albums as a run at this one and, maybe I was Bjork'd out by the time I hit this one, it didn't seem as strong as the others. A few tracks sounded like she just set the mic up on her deck during a windy day and recorded her windchimes go nuts..
1/5
Jesus. 80's corn-fest. 5 stars on Allmusic?! Fuuuuck off.
Guided By Voices
2/5
I love the album prior to this one, Bee Thousand, and have owned and listened to this album several times in the past. Gave it another spin, but no. This is rubbish. The song Game of Pricks is outstanding but the rest of the album is awful. Half-baked song ideas with monotone vocal delivery. Very strange to want to something so incomplete with a listening audience.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Some classics on here, Breakdown & American Girl. The rest are very same-ish.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Classic early metal. Loved the mellow track Planet Caravan.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Some pretty mellow sounds here. Like Big Star-lite.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Great melodic sensibility on this album. I particularly like the chord changes in the opening track.
Nirvana
4/5
An absolute classic. Been in my DNA since 1994.
Funkadelic
4/5
So so good. I love how it starts really dark with that epic title track jam, then hits some upbeat funky grooves on subsequent tracks. Monster musicians on show here!
Peter Tosh
3/5
Classic opening track. Good grooves throughout. Very same-ish though. Reggae seems to need strong vocal hooks for each tune to become memorable.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Very aggressive attack here, with a few moments of that melodic clarity they're capable of. Such physical attack on the instruments. I love when they reach for those haunting chords, but there's less of that, and more sheer brutality on this album. Glad to have heard it though.
The Specials
3/5
Classic feelgood tunes. Interesting combo of bratty punk vocal and Afro-beat style vocals. Opening track is a banger and Monkey Man kicks ass too.
Sepultura
2/5
Brutal, physical attack music. Some cool blends of tribal rhythms and rock grooves. Won't be riding further in the Sepultura train though, as it's too aggressive and tuneless for my ears.
Van Halen
5/5
Phenomenal album. I knew the hits, but maaaan what killer songs with game-changing guitar chops.
Sex Pistols
3/5
I LOVE how the guitars were recorded on this album - big, punchy power chords RIGHT-IN-YOUR-MUTHAFUCKIN-FACE. The classics here are still the best tracks. This must've packed a punch when it first came out! 3.5 stars.
Garbage
2/5
Tuneless mock-rock that shamelessly cashes in on the sound of that era, but with total bollocks songwriting chops and soulless singing. I can't believe this stuff got airplay. Aptly named band. I'll not be listening to this band ever again.
Travis
4/5
Great band with killer melodies. I've taught Why Does It... for many years, so very familiar with this band. Songwriter Fran Healy has a great way with wordplay, and a knack for a memorable melody. Favourite tracks are Why Does..., Turn, Writing to Reach You, and Driftwood.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Mellow country sound. 3 stars
Femi Kuti
2/5
Good grooves but tracks just went on and on and were all pretty same-ish to my ears.
Mekons
1/5
Jesus Christ. This is awful. Singer can't hold a tune, and the lyrics and concepts at play here are beyond cringe-y. Kind of like a mix of Ricky Gervais' David Brent character from 'The Office' and Daniel from the doco series 'The Undateables'.
Al Green
3/5
Pretty smooth stuff. Opening track is a classic.
Moby
3/5
Groovy riffs around 'n' around 'n' around
The Black Crowes
4/5
Great grooves and heartfelt vocals. Keepin' the faith in good ol' rock 'n' roll.
David Bowie
3/5
The two singles are classics, but the rest is quite forgettable. Not a fan of his Lennon cover either.
The Dictators
3/5
Great punk energy, but with some cheeky humour and sarcastic covers. Takin' the piss since before it was cool.
Ash
2/5
Marty Robbins
3/5
Pink Floyd
3/5
The singles are classics but, besides one or two tracks, the rest is rather forgettable and overly melodramatic. Don't think I'll ride this whole album again.
Nick Drake
4/5
My main man Nick Drake. This is my least favourite of his albums - Pink Moon's sparse, haunting arrangements make it an easy number one, followed by the lush, glacial strings of Five Leaves Left. The upbeat & bright Nick Drake here seems a bit at odds with the others in his catalogue, but still some great tunes. Good to take for a spin every few years.
Justice
3/5
Not the kind of music I usually gravitate towards, but I appreciate the beats and the layers of sound.
Rush
2/5
I was hoping this would be a good introduction to Rush as, though I've heard a few songs here and there, I've never taken a whole album for a spin. Unfortunately, I found the lyrics far too silly and I'm not a fan of the frail and feeble singing. And the track with the out of tune guitar had this guitar teacher literally grinding teeth. Not destined to be a Rush fan. Still, glad to have tried them out.
Patti Smith
2/5
I know that this is regarding as a classic, and I've now listened to the album 3 times in my life. I just can't get past the way she sings, throwing noise at a note but just not QUITE getting there. Sorry Patti, but my ears are just not compatible with your music, though I do like your band:-)
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Pretty decent Stones album. Two singles are the BIG hitters here. Other tracks pretty decent. Have heard this a few times before. Good one to revisit every few years. 3.5/5
Massive Attack
3/5
Chill background music.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Springsteen minus the muscle of his earlier albums. All very listenable, but no track jumped out as being one for the ages. What a storyteller though. Nobody else like this guy.
Eric Clapton
3/5
Clapton as he started to mellow out. Some really nice laid back tracks here, where the emphasis is less on flashy playing and more on playing for the song.
The Smiths
2/5
I've always kinda liked a few songs by The Smiths (Boy with the thorn..., girlfriend in a coma, there is a light...) but this is the first time I've listened to this album. The two big hitters here are still the better tracks, but I've now resigned to the fact that I just don't enjoy Morrissey's style of singing - his Kermit the Frog tone, and his way of SPLAT-ing his voice onto a note just to the side of a more melodic one. The latter made a lot of the songs sound like he was just trialling his lyrics in a first sing through kinda way. Anyway, just okay to me. Don't quite understand the hype around this band, but I'm no longer gonna worry about "getting" them. 2.5/5
Hüsker Dü
3/5
Bee Gees
2/5
Pre-disco Beegees has a different flavor to it, with a lot of tracks here having a Kinks/Beatles (even Stones-y) vibe about them. But I just don't enjoy the style of singing, which sounds off key and tuneless. Not a fan of this one.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Pretty melodic stuff. Singer has a cool voice and swagger
Beck
4/5
I love this album. Lush strings and some extremely well-placed devastating chord changes. I fell in love with Beck's music from this album, and is still the one I go to if I want a fix o' Beck.
DJ Shadow
5/5
Oh yeah this one's a favourite. Had this on vinyl for a few years. Stands as a giant in this style of music. Loved revisiting it! 5/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
A masterpiece. I love his storytelling, and the muscle of the band. The gradual build up of Thunder Road, the note-for-note perfection of the title track, then THAT saxophone solo in Jungleland. Loved it for years, and it's still astounding every time I hear it.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Title track is a masterpiece, fiery guitar riffs galore and a young Eric singing his goddamn heart out for his mate's missus. He had a turn later, and found out the grass ain't that much greener. Still, prior to that sad domestic disillusion, he was drinkin' and smokin' and cokin' himself right silly, and he had the forethought to get that shit down on tape. Lo and behold, this album.
Bell Bottom Blues is another great track, and his crack at Little Wing is alright too (no outdoing Sir Jimi though). Years later, Stevie Ray would demonstrate what a cover of Little Wing could be.
I've listened to this album of bunch of times before - last time was about 3 weeks ago while grocery shopping. I forgot I was even listening to the music until it reached the title track and my ears zoomed back in on the sound coming through my headphones. This may be a sign that, while I appreciate the album's status as a classic, it's not some kind of Top Ten (hell, Top 100) album for me.
Method Man
1/5
No. This just reinforced my idea that this kind of music is dick-swinging about how cool the vocalist is, whilst never actually contributing a memorable melody or possessing a good voice.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Classic Cat right here. In my adolescence I used to think this guy was corny as fuck, but in my adulthood his earnest charm has been slowly eroding my defenses and, at 40, I reckon I could say I'm a fan. I'm a guitar teacher and have taught his tunes for years, but it was more from wanting to share the wider repertoire of guitar with students than from being a fan. Well... rock on... no, that's not right.. folk on, Mr. Cat!
Steely Dan
4/5
Steely Dan and their SUPREME rota of studio musicians had such an inimitable sound across their studio albums and, while this isn't my favourite SD album (that'd be a toss up between their debut and Aja), it still yields aural treasure on every repeat listen.
D'Angelo
4/5
Aww man the band here is so in the pocket it's ridiculous. Love that jazzy keys sound. First time hearing this album, and it just works straight outta the gate. What a talent! Can't wait to listen to his other albums. Bonus points for naming one song "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker". Is that the greatest song title of all time?! Every track here is awesome.
The Triffids
2/5
That corny 80's reverb-for-days drum sound, cheesy keys, emotive vocals with lame lyrics. Gave it a few tracks (then skipped through a bit of the other songs) to see if there was good stuff lurking in there but, alas, there was none to be found. In terms of other bands from that era doing those kind of songs with that kind of instrumentation and that kind of production, they're a dime a dozen. Don't know how this album made the list, but glad to have listened. There are always treasures to be found in bands & songs you haven't heard before. This wasn't one of them.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Timeless. Would be a 5 just for that guitar solo on Time. A musical highlight of mankind's time on earth thus far.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I dig the humour that runs through the Beastie Boys' music, and there's plenty on display on this album, but the one-trick-pony nasal obnoxious delivery of these white boys does a number on my ears after an album worth. Glad to have ridden the train all the way but I won't be visiting this place again. (Though I may occasionally visit Fight for Your Right, as it's a perfect meld of their various styles).
ZZ Top
4/5
Razor sharp guitar playing over a watertight rhythm section. These songs make up an album of classic ZZ Top tunes. I loved the colour of the riffs and solos, and the feel of the music perfectly fits the album art. Will be listening again.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Major key jams with a nice mellow vibe. Quite same-ish after a few songs.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Classic 90's jingle-jangle guitar pop rock. This is music that could only have come out of that decade. Melodic, and nowhere near as dark as some of the music that was massive at the time. Evan Dando has such a knack for a tune. Gonna have a listen to their other albums now:-)
10cc
4/5
I dig the humour these guys use in their tunes, cheeky wordplay, musical gags and the like. Obviously very skilful musicians. I'm a huge fan of their eerie song 'I'm not in Love', so got excited when their band turned up on my list here. I enjoyed the ride. Definitely a band I need to investigate further.
The Beach Boys
4/5
An innocent and sunny batch of tunes from Brian Wilson and his brothers, with tagalong douchebag Mike Love (who'd later claim credit for much of Brian's genius). This album catches them after the surfing infatuation, and well on their way to the pop masterpiece of Pet Sounds. Their vocal harmonies are in fine form here, and elevate even the corniest tune (and there's plenty of corn here). Sweetness in song form.
Happy Mondays
2/5
If somebody were to take the worst elements of 80's music (cheesy keys, gated drums, a dreadful moaning vocalist, all saturated in reverb and thinned waaaaay-the-fuck-out to a treble-y right hot mess) and mix it together, you'd have this album.
Not for me.
Jurassic 5
3/5
Great beats, clever vocals and it's refreshing to hear it not just being about being cooler than everyone else in the game. No particular tracks stood out though.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Nice atmosphere here reminiscent of Daniel Lanois' style of production. Songs all mellow and mild, though they're all so similar it's hard to tell one from another.
a-ha
3/5
Opening track is 80's pop perfected. Rest of album hovers around this template without ever quote getting there again.
The Stooges
4/5
Fuck yeah! Listened to this album lots before, but this time it was EXACTLY what I needed. Most perfect album title for the sonic punch that lurks within.
The Band
5/5
Masterpiece.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
Mellow indie folk, though fairly nondescript.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
QOTSA before they hit the big time. Songs are all pretty good, but very similar.
Tears For Fears
4/5
Opening track is a killer, and Everybody... is pretty much the 80's encapsulated in pop perfection. Rest of the album is great too.
Miles Davis
3/5
Miles is THE MAN. These early uptempo swing numbers are musical as anything, but they just don't give me the same feels as where he took his music shortly after. I've always found a swing shuffle beat to be a pretty corny sound and, besides a few tracks here, it's just all over this album. Can't hold it against Miles though, as he went on to create one musical masterpiece after another. Glad to have listened to this again after many years.
Hookworms
3/5
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Awesome instrumentation, and abrupt mood shifts within one tune - something I haven't heard before in this kind of music. The guitar playing is great, with tasty chord voicings and sparing use of dissonance.
M.I.A.
2/5
Yeah nah. Interesting layering of beats and snippets of other songs, but overall feel is like a toddler playing with the demo features on a Casio keyboard.
Bad Company
3/5
Paul Rodgers has such a gutsy rock voice, so much so that pretty much anything he sings is worth listening to. But, from a lyrical perspective, he only writes about wanting to fuck. Just said in different words from song to song, album to album, and band to band. Though on this record there is a mellow track about a seagull. Does he want to fuck it? Probably.
Brian Eno
2/5
I've listened to this album at four separate times over about 15 years, each time coming away with a feeling that perhaps I'm missing something, as I just can't hear the qualities that make this a highly acclaimed album. To my ears, the instrumentals lack a melodic focus as they just don't really go anywhere, and the ones with lyrics feel like tuneless drafts of songs. This time around I'm secure in my knowledge that the music of Brian Eno and my own ears are just not that compatible. And I'm fine with that. Thanks anyway, Brian :-)
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Title track is one for the ages - and the other albums cuts are pretty frickin' close. Good upbeat grooves. 3.5 stars.
Supergrass
4/5
A great record, lots of inventive chord twists and turns in the songs. Main songwriter has obviously thoroughly digested his dad's record collection of '60's pop/rock then integrated it into his own unique style. Heaps of great songs I'll be listening to again in the future.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
A rock masterpiece. Hard to believe they hit the ground running like this. What a timeless (and perfectly executed) batch of songs. All 4 monster musicians making musical alchemy. Phenomenal.
The Undertones
3/5
Pretty decent batch of punk tunes, with a real Buzzcocks sensibility. Clearly these guys know how to play their instruments well, which sets them apart from other bands in the genre.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
A lot of layers to this album. I was stoked when it came up as today's album, as I've been meaning to listen to it for years. Great arrangements, killer drumbeats, and a cool but not too cocky delivery by Hill. Gonna run this one again tomorrow. Got me wanting more.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
God, what a dreadful 39 minutes. I struggle to imagine the band listening back to this in the studio and saying "we nailed it boys". Also, how the instrumentalists in the band didn't want to punch Lydon's smug little face after hearing the shit he lays down here. What a fuckwit.
Tricky
2/5
Dark, kinda creepy, and almost entirely not my thing.
Elliott Smith
5/5
An old favourite. Masterpiece.
Van Halen
4/5
Stone cold classic. Only giving 4 instead of 5 as I need time in between listens to give it a sonic punch each time. Greatest electric guitar guru, 2nd only to Hendrix (sorry Stevie Ray, but Eddie added so much to the guitar vocabulary).
Tom Waits
4/5
I loved the atmosphere of this album. They assembled such a stellar band for this session. Loved it.
Dire Straits
4/5
Sultans of Swings. Plus others.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I started off thinking it sounded like any other EC record, same sneery vocals, same mid-tempo mild rockers... Then it kinda got its hooks in me. Great musicianship in the band, and he's singing his lil nerdy white ass off.
Saint Etienne
2/5
Mild generic stuff.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Man he's on fire here. So good to hear some familiar tunes of his given a lightning bolt shock of energy. The band are cooking, he's throwing all he's got at it, and the audience are lapping it up. What a legend. Love it.
Brian Eno
2/5
Love the opener. Rest, not at all.
ZZ Top
5/5
Awesome album. Watertight rhythm section and expertly executed guitar lines that cut like laser. Stunning.
Magazine
3/5
Bit of Bowie, Joy Division, and Television influences coming through here. Just ok.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Poppy rock, definite shades of The Runaways.
Gillian Welch
4/5
My dad loved the music of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, so I've known this album for years. I love the way their guitars and voices intertwine, the snaky guitar leads that occasionally dip into dissonance, and the haunted melancholy feel of it. Probably my favourite album of hers. A unique sound.
The Verve
4/5
I'd only heard the singles prior to tonight's listen to this album. A very carefully crafted album that has a big presence musically, but lyrically is very introspective. Kinda like Oasis without all the grandstanding cocky swagger. The singles fit in perfectly with the rest of the album. I really enjoyed this one.
Richard Hawley
3/5
Mellow to the point I forgot I was listening to music. 3 listens of the album with the same drifting off each time. Happy to know that this album was made in the mid-2000's, fully respect people that just disregard current musical trends and just make the music they want to make.
The Temptations
4/5
Smooth soul meets earthy funk. I liked this a lot.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Tell me you have ADHD without telling me you have ADHD.
Todd: This album.
Wild Beasts
2/5
Music is OK. Vocals are dreadful. Very sure way to alienate your audience is by singing in a goofy falsetto.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
As a child in the 1980's I always thought this keyboard pop kind of music was really corny, embarrassing even. I've always preferred music played on acoustic instruments. This era of synthesizers and drum machines is just so vapid. I'd been meaning to listen to this group for years. Glad to have finally heard their music, but I'll never be listening to them again.
Circle Jerks
3/5
Brash fast angry punk rock. Music that can only justifiably be made by teens and twenty-somethings. It takes a special kind of athleticism to be able to execute this music and stay in sync with the band. Didn't particularly like this album, but it didn't rape my ear holes like some of the albums on this list (Mekons, Lexicon of Love, Wild Beasts). 3/5
Weather Report
3/5
For a bunch of superb musicians who are perfectly in tune, you'd think they'd be able to actually FIND the tune with an hour length album.
The Slits
3/5
Man, there's a whole lot going on here. First impression is like a mix of Talking Heads (vocal delivery), The Police (rhythm section), Gang of Four (jarring electric guitar lines) and pre-dating Bjork's general sense of nuttiness by DECADES. A very unique sound. Album cover rules too!
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Mellow acoustic tunes.
Madonna
2/5
Nope.
Wire
4/5
Solid. Never a bad time for this album. I love the guitar tones on it.
Prince
5/5
Epic album. So many upbeat good groove bangers before possibly the greatest closing track ever. The more I hear this album the more I love it.
Elbow
3/5
Yeah. Um.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Love these guys. A few stone cold classics on this album, some beautiful and effortlessly executed acoustic guitar work, those timeless harmonies, and a brilliant parody of Bob Dylan. And a couple of filler tracks. Perfect ending track though.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
John Lee Hooker
2/5
A very distinctive sound equating to a thin pingy guitar tone, a stomping foot, and changing to either a I, IV or V chord whenever the mood strikes him. Some call it primitive and rootsy. I'd call it something else entirely.
Aerosmith
3/5
Classic greasy 'n' sleazy tracks from Aerosmith. These guys are like the original blueprint for Guns 'n' Roses
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Not for me. I get that this type of music is all about the beat maaaan, but as a lifelong musician I need some melody with my rhythm. Kind of like painting with just one colour.
CHIC
3/5
Lordy. These guys n gals run their choruses over and over and over and over and over and over and over. Good boogie grooves but Jesus..
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Loved hearing this again. The songs for the most part sound pretty loosely structured, but the grooves and chord vamps underpinning them are so good.
Lorde
2/5
Despite being a kiwi myself, this is my first time listening willingly to Lorde's music and, try as I may, I just can't get past my issues with her pronunciation of her lyrics.. some kind of weird tone to her speech that just grates on my ears... Though, that track Liability is a goodie and would be great in the hands (and voice!) of a singer like Phoebe Bridgers
Mercury Rev
3/5
An intriguing sound, in a similar vein to The Flaming Lips. I love the vibe of the songwriting, but the singer's voice isn't really my thing.
The Offspring
4/5
I always leaned more to the Green Day side of the 90's punk revival, and have always heard these guys music as like an angry cousin to Green Day's poppier sound. I dig the rapid downstroke palm-muting vibe these guys use in their songs. Definitely the best album they ever did. I enjoyed revisiting this album a lot more than I expected.
Billy Bragg
2/5
Funny how some writers are drawn to their central concept like a magnet. In this dude's case, he seems pretty goddamn passionate about politics, a topic which I've always maintained zero interest in. So, between that and his not-quite-musical-but-almooooost-there voice, we were never going to be a suitable match between artist and listener. Sorry Billy, but you ain't for me matey.
1/5
Fuckin' what?! Just dreadful.
0/5.
Prince
3/5
Some great singles. Funky all the way through.
Nine Inch Nails
1/5
I'd been meaning to listen to this album for years, so was intrigued when it came up as today's album. Listened, and it's dreadful. Tuneless angsty vocals, inane lyrics that a 12 year old could have written. Exact same bag of tricks as that other 90's gimmick Marilyn Manson.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Classic Bob. Like musical medicine. Love it.
Ute Lemper
2/5
The music is pretty cool, but then the singing comes in. A VERY polarizing style of lead vocal. A bit too melodramatic for these ears. 2.5/5.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Groovy grooves. Nice to hear, but I won't be here again.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Oh maaaan that was silky smooth. What a voice. I loved the choice of songs, and the direct & uncluttered way she phrases the melodies.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
Lucinda is like the earlier model of 1993-era Sheryl Crow. Some pretty good songs on this album, but I like Sheryl more🙄
Eels
4/5
So good I listened to it 3 times in a row. I can hear Flaming Lips, Beck, and early Wilco in their music. Susan's House is my favourite here. Definitely got me curious to hear more Eels albums.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
When I was 15 I loved this album. Bought the guitar TAB book and learned every single note that John Frusciante plays on this album. As a guitar teacher I still teach the odd song from it (particularly fond of the solos on I Could Have Lied, and Mellowship Slinky...). I thought I'd kinda outgrown the album and band but when it came up as today's album I listened again, and loved every last bit of it, cringe-inducing lyrics and all. NOBODY played their instruments like this back in the 90's. Peak RHCP brilliance.
Beyoncé
3/5
Ride
3/5
Not amazing, not rubbish. Just kinda.. there. Almost the definitive 3 outta 5.
The Prodigy
3/5
Green Day
5/5
The album that made me wanna learn guitar. Now been a guitar teacher for 22 years. This shit's in my DNA.
Frank Black
4/5
Quirky pop/rock aplenty. I love this guy's brain. Dude writes about anything and everything, and gives zero fucks about current musical trends.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Cry To Me is a stunning track. Smooth as. Definitely an artist to warrant further listening.
Beatles
5/5
Perfection
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
1/5
All of the 80's collective cheesiness rolled into one album. I hate this corny shit.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Marvin loved to fuck.
Machito
3/5
Put this one on while making dinner.
2 thoughts:
1. It sounds like the happy party time music used in kids animated films.
2. Both Miss Nine and I thought it was one long song, rather than individual tracks.
Enjoyed/tolerated it in the background. Immediately on finishing, I was unable to recall any of the melodies. Didn't dislike it, wasn't crazy about it.
Smack bang on a 3.
John Cale
4/5
I liked this. Stunning instrumentation. And introspective quirky song styles.
R.E.M.
4/5
I'm familiar with this album, 2nd favourite R.E.M. album to Automatic For The People. Always good to revisit.
The Police
4/5
Killer singles. Album cuts just ok.
The Blue Nile
3/5
I adore their followup album, Hats. This one not so much.
AC/DC
3/5
Classic bone head Acca Dacca rock
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Wicked voice. Decent pop/rock stuff
Depeche Mode
3/5
Jane Weaver
2/5
Mild nondescript pop.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
I loved hearing this live album. The mixup during Willow Weep for Me was lovely to hear. Excellent song choice, and a stellar backing band. Lovely.
Eminem
4/5
Classic. Venomous and humorous in equal measure, with the greatest rhymes ever used in music. Legend.
Eagles
4/5
Title track is a masterpiece, and the greatest thing this band of white penny-pinching douchebags ever did. I've got a soft spot for Wasted Time too. Rest of the album is immaculately performed, with everything in the right place. But with 0% recklessness, the vital ingredient for a rock band.
Kate Bush
4/5
Yeah good stuff. Opening track is brilliant. Weirdos and creatives represent!
JAY Z
3/5
Coldplay
4/5
A goodie, this one. Beautiful acoustic guitars in unusual tunings, and an overarching haunting & melancholy feel. Early Coldplay is good stuff, then they went after the mega bucks and impersonal pop hits.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Mellow music with undercurrent of anger. MG is always smooth, but goddamn his music is just the definition of same-ness.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
Upbeat joyous nonsense.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Smooth as silk. I dig his sharp guitar lines as punctuation in the tunes.
Alice In Chains
5/5
This album is a HUGE part of my late teens/early 20's. The one-two punch of Them Bones then Dam That River might just be my favourite opening to an album ever. Then it just keeps going. So many incredible tracks here, where both the playing AND songwriting are immaculate. One of the best rock albums ever. Absolutely loved revisiting this behemoth.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
A Masterpiece.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Love Tusk. Perfect blend of calm, melancholic, and frantic
Elton John
4/5
Tiny Dancer & title track are classics. Album cuts ok, but this is where Elton's voice starts to get a bit schmaltzy to these ears.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Dark folky madness. Cool concept but also a bit one-trick-pony-ish.
David Holmes
2/5
A couple of tracks in I caught myself thinking out loud "What is the PURPOSE of this music?". That feeling didn't budge.
Iron Maiden
4/5
Wailing high vocals, kickass guitar riffs, and melodic kickass rock. Not for everyday, but when I'm in the mood for it this stuff rules.
Metallica
4/5
A brutal and athletic barrage of metal from the single most distinctive sounding metal band ever. Not a huge fan but I can appreciate the artistry here.
Culture Club
1/5
Twee camp 80's rubbish
The Roots
3/5
AC/DC
4/5
A rock classic. Sleazy sexual innuendo, driving drums and MONSTROUS RIFFS. One of rock's greatest albums.
Various Artists
3/5
Sparkly Christmas Murderer Cheese
Iron Maiden
3/5
The The
3/5
An interesting listen, though the singer is unfortunately plagued with that no-longer-a-boy-but-not-quite-a-man voice that was an epidemic in the dreadful 1980's.
Faith No More
3/5
Yeah nah not really. Mike Patton is obviously a talented singer, I just don't really like the notes he chooses to sing over the band - and that nasally whine voice he often uses? Ugh. The songs are just of middling too, and the production hasn't aged very well.
Fugees
4/5
A good one
Van Morrison
4/5
A long time favourite. Absolute magic for the first half of the album, musical masterpiece in Into The Mystic, then a slow decrease in song quality through to the end.
Erykah Badu
3/5
Neither here nor there.
Stan Getz
5/5
Spectacular music. Not one I would have found my way to, so thank you!
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Dreadful. Prerequisite for ANY recording vocalist should surely be the ability to find a note that fits the chord. Never again, Siouxsie.
T. Rex
4/5
Melodic, simple-but-sexy guitar rock. Not sure what the X Factor is, but Bolan had it.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I went to school with a special needs kid with the unfortunate surname of "Bott". From his teen years on, he had a croaky rasp of a voice, and would greet everyone with a "how's it going?" in that voice. A voice which is EXACTLY the same as good ol' Bobby D's voice on this album. So, try as I may (and have tried several times over the years), I just can't hear it for what it is.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Interesting as an historical document of rap's origins. But far too cheesy to ever want to listen to again.
Pixies
4/5
This was a cool listen, with some lesser-known (and new to me) gems. I love the tricks they use in their songs, like a 3-chord repeating chord progression, or those spiky lead lines as countermelody to the vocals.
The Cars
4/5
A classic
Arrested Development
3/5
The single version of People Everyday, and Mr Wendal, are favourites from when I was 11. The rest of the album is pretty stink, dated and preachy. Those two tracks still sound cool though.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
All that I loathe about the 80's rolled into one dated-as-fuck sonic package.
5/5
U2's finest moment. One of the great rock records.
The Only Ones
2/5
I got excited when the opening track started... ooh this band's pretty solid, nice production, ooh tasty chord changes. THEN the dude started singing. Jesus H. Christ. I'd bet ya the members of his band thought he was total shite too, just learned to enjoy playing together and TRIED to turn his mic down bit by bit by bit by bit.
The United States Of America
3/5
Yeah this was interesting
Dwight Yoakam
1/5
Nope nope nope. Listened to this hillbilly twit earlier this year then blocked Spotify from playing him. Just nope.
Pavement
4/5
Fuck yeah. I LOVE the ragged edges on this album, mess = magic here. The dude's attitude is <kisses fingers Italian style>
Orange Juice
2/5
What IS this Morrissey splatfunk goofiness?! How'd THIS ONE make the list????
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Crooning geezer with BIG strings
Supertramp
4/5
I loved hearing this album. Superb musicians playing tightly crafted songs.
The Verve
3/5
Not too bad. Not too good. Just.
Pavement
2/5
The first track is brilliant, then the rest have a bit too much madness and not QUITE enough method. I suspect the album would reveal secrets after a few listens, but I ain't got time for that.
David Gray
5/5
I fucking love this album. Loved it back in the day, and it's still a pleasure to listen to.
Joy Division
1/5
Nope. One of the most overrated bands of all time, with a tonedeaf singer. Listened to all of their albums before, and they're all total shite.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Jane's Addiction
2/5
Great guitar playing from the legendary Dave Navarro (I LOVED his playing in his one album stint in RHCP), but here I'm not a huge fan of the songs, Farrell's weird squeaky voice, or the paper-thin production that sounds like it's trying to sound huge but just sounds empty and distant.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
This is a rock masterpiece. Both 1) of a particular time, and 2) timeless. Mayonnaise is the underdog here and, for this listener, the beating heart of the album (along with Disarm). Corgan may be a bit of a douchebag, but he's also a fuckin' genius.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Oh that was superb. First listen just floored me. An easy 5/5.
Morrissey
2/5
I cannot stand Morrissey's Kermit voice. Songs sound alright, but that voice would ruin anything.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Favourite VU album.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Some stunning musicianship on offer here. Not an album I'd specifically seek out to listen to again in its entirety, bit plenty of individual tracks have been added to my Spotify playlists.
The Human League
3/5
80's synth pop tunes
Caetano Veloso
2/5
Kinda interesting, but mostly pretty forgettable.
Ray Charles
4/5
Classic Ray Charles. His voice is so emotive, and when he lets loose on the piano his note choice is immaculate. Probably the greatest album of this kind of tune.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Alright
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
A dude testing out all of the guitar effects in a music store AT THE SAME TIME, and insisting that his rather-be-ANYWHERE-else girlfriends sings along.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I can appreciate that EC is a talented songwriter, and I truly love some of his songs from other albums, but so so soooo much of his song catalogue sounds very.. well.. very same-ish. That , and the nasal tone of his voice in general , means we're not destined to be pals
Hole
3/5
Big punchy sounding production, and Courtney Love's voice kicks ass on this album.
Cypress Hill
2/5
Glad to have listened finally, but won't be riding this train again. Unless my nose gets really blocked, and I find myself very high on herb.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Surprisingly good. Nice beats, positive messages. Sounds like a precursor to Bell Biv Devoe, De La Soul, and Arrested Development. Great album art too!
Pink Floyd
5/5
Slow-burning masterpiece.
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
Neither here nor there. A dead-on 2.5/5. Would round up to 3, but it kinda gives me the shits when I don't have a clue what the lyrics are communicating. Lyrics ARE important. That, and the chord changes which are intended to sound elegant are overused here past the point of cliche.
Dr. Dre
3/5
An album that kickstarted a different direction for rap, exposed the world to the seedy underbelly of urban living, and introduced the inimitable drawl of one Snoop muthafuckin' Dogg. For this pale-as-the-underside-of-a-fish white boy, one listen is probably enough for a lifetime. I can appreciate the artistry of it, but I'm not the target demographic.
X-Ray Spex
2/5
Meh
Thelonious Monk
3/5
The almighty Thelonious CLUNK. Inimitable voice on the piano.
Deep Purple
4/5
Classic guitar rock
The Fall
4/5
Surprisingly good. Had heard of this band, but this was a first time hearing them. I like.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Pretty fuckin' smooooooooth, Chef.
B.B. King
5/5
A majestic live album. I adore the dialogue the segues into the songs, and his expertly placed guitar links. This guy had everything, the less-is-more thing, perfect phrasing and the sweetest note choice and tone. Blues = B.B. King.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Phew. That was surprisingly heavy. And really really good. Very far from the stylistic vibe I expected from Nick Cave.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Total classic. Would be a 5, but I've always HAAAAAAATED the distorted guitar tone he uses on the electric version of My, My... or Hey, Hey...
Rest of the album: perfect.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Stunning. A 4.5 for me, but I'll round down to 4 as it's magic, but I wouldn't want to hear it all the time.
Herbie Hancock
5/5
Stone cold classic. Loved this album since my teens.
Tortoise
3/5
Ingredients:
A bit of this..
Hmm.
A bit of that too!
3/5.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Just brilliant. I love this album dearly.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Musical. But cheesy as FUCK.
The Saints
2/5
Dime dozen punk rock
Otis Redding
4/5
Smooth classic
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
Perfectly played. But with a smidgeon too much of that everything-in-exactly-the-right-place ingredient.
Sheryl Crow
5/5
I've loved this album since hearing Strong Enough when I was 12. A masterpiece. She never came close to this again.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
I love this album. Cranked it in my Walkman as a teen. Still possesses that perfect blend of aggression, funk, and superb musicality. Some of the greatest riffs of all time are on display here. They never came close to this again.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
I can appreciate that she has a decent voice, but this music and style of arrangement/production does nothing for me.
Miles Davis
5/5
Masterpiece. Loved this bad boy for years. I used to drive the wife crazy by singing along to all the instrumental lines.
Joy Division
2/5
Nope. An album that has been deemed classic, but I just don't enjoy it at all. See also: The Doors.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Brilliant. One of the finest songwriters ever.
Megadeth
2/5
If 11 year old boys who've just learned how to play power chords on the guitar dreamed up the coolest most "ROCK" guitar sound, they'd likely come up with this. For anyone outside that demographic, it's corny as a corn field
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Classic 90's stuff. Was a MASSIVE hit when I was a teen. Still holds its own. Bonus points for having RHCP members as the backing band.
Aerosmith
4/5
Awesome stuff. This album has my all-time fave power ballad What It Takes. So so good.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Intriguing, musical and corny in equal measure
Slayer
3/5
Intense metal. Makes Master of Puppets sound like Barney the dinosaur. Incredibly athletic musicians with freaky nervous systems.
Portishead
2/5
Yeah nah. Playing some minor chords on the keyboard than waffling some airy fairy twaddle over the top does not music make.
Lou Reed
3/5
You have to be in the mood for some Lou Reed, otherwise it just sounds like a dude trying desperately to halftalkhalfsing about bleak shit in order to seem edgy maaaaaaaan.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
That nerd was alright. Catchy pop tunes. I get the feeling he set some kind of template for a 50's rock 'n' roll sound.
Devendra Banhart
4/5
I enjoyed this mellow album heaps. It sounds like the guitar parts from a Nick Drake album, with the dude from T Rex singing.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
The best of the corny side o' the '80's
John Grant
4/5
I love John Grant, and this is my favourite if his albums. Bold, nutty lyrics, excellent song craft and production, and that gorgeous voice. The title track on this album is one of the best tunes written in the current century.
Dr. John
4/5
One crazy spicy gumbo. Love it.
The Jam
3/5
Punk meets decent lyrics.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Had this on CD in the early 2000's. Liked it even more this time around. What a cool brain/approach this dude/band has/have.
Animal Collective
3/5
Like pop melodies run through a blender.
Deep Purple
4/5
Hoo boy the band is on FIRE here! I just changed my opinion on them having heard this album tonight.
Brian Wilson
4/5
Brian Wilson is a universal treasure xxx
Daft Punk
3/5
Meh.
Ray Price
3/5
Easygoing country cheese.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie's finest album. Has long been a favourite of mine. A true musical genius, plus possessor of possibly the finest vocal cords ever gifted to a human.
The Isley Brothers
5/5
Fuckin' A! If there's any music that grooves harder than this album, I have NO IDEA what it is. Absolutely love it. 5/5
Mariah Carey
2/5
Her voice is amazing, but the songs are all so fucking corny, cheesy soft-ballad love/lust lyrics, sterile musical backing. If the music industry had let her follow her muse more like that stunning early career version of 'I'll Be There' then perhaps her music would be less mock-seductive and could be more genuinely musical. Tunes for 12 year old girls.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Yeah man. This shit's in my DNA. I wanna live inside that emotive ramp up to when he sings "How does it feeeeeeeel?".
U2
4/5
Such a great album. Different beast to Joshua Tree, but brilliant in its own creative way.
The Shamen
1/5
Nope. Just the dregs of the 80's/early 90's fascination with Electronica and keyboards. Soulless stuff. Gross.
David Bowie
3/5
The title track is phenomenal, but I could live the rest of my life without hearing any of the other tracks and I'd be just fine. Huge Bowie fan too.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Great sounding layers of guitars, and emotive lyrics about the disenfranchised. I can see how this dude had a big influence on the guitar rock styles that emerged in the early 90s.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Super melodic and perfectly executed white man nerd jazz. Not the real deal, but still enjoyable when you want some safe jazz.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
Mellow stuff
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Mellow eerie goodness
Wilco
4/5
Love this album, and even got my CD copy of it signed by the legend himself, Jeff Tweedy, when he was in New Zealand for a book tour.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Bit o' this, bit o' that.
Gary Numan
5/5
I loved this album. Was only vaguely familiar with Cars, but the sense of alienation and feeling different from others that pervades the album is exactly the world I know. Both Numan and myself are on the autistic spectrum, so I totally recognize the language (musical and lyrical) that he's working from.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Mellow stuff from the German keyboard enthusiasts. Usual fare about robots and the future, though this time one of the boys has taken a fancy to a model who's more in love with her camera than him. Poor nerd.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Yeeeeeah this was good stuff. Lively, joyous music from damn fine musicians.
Tim Buckley
2/5
60's psychedelic swirly tunes with the elder Buckley intoning oh-so-earnest twaddle in a Kermit + vibrato-everything voice. I'll take the son's tunes over this stuff any day.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
The Clash
4/5
Wicked cool. Unique sound, and the perfect name for a rhythm guitar-wielding frontman.
Def Leppard
5/5
1st album I ever purchased.
Brian Eno
4/5
Mellow ambience from a chameleon musician
Sade
2/5
Kinda soulful, but TOTALLY cheesy.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
MASTERPIECE.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
I listened to this album seven hours ago, and I'm STILL waiting for Paul Simon to start singing.
Robbie Williams
3/5
Meh. This dude has a few catchy songs, but is mostly an example of how big music corporations can use marketing to bulldoze slightly talented singers to the top of the pile and make them millionaire megastars.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Uber melodic poppy goodness. That title track is a classic. Don't know how I'd missed hearing that one in the past.
David Crosby
4/5
Cool earthy acoustic guitars and mellow harmonies.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
Shite that coulda only come from the insufferable 80's
Common
3/5
Yeah not bad. Not great, but not bad either. Just sorta.
Meat Loaf
3/5
Cornier than a cob of corn. Some huge hits to be found here, but it just ain't for me.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Awesome musicianship
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Swirly spacey goodness
Public Enemy
2/5
Not my thing
The Mars Volta
4/5
Killer album from a very unique band
Portishead
3/5
Eerie loveliness
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
One of the towering giants of piano playing. Effortless playing.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
Classic
Finley Quaye
3/5
I'd meant to listen to this album for about 20 years and when I finally did, about 4 months prior to getting it pop up on this list, I was so disappointed to hear it wasn't some kinda killer rock album but just some sunshine-y positive vibes mon kinda reggae thang.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
I wasn't crazy about this album when it first came out, as it was stylistically pretty far from the BloodSugarSexMagik-era Chili's that I worshipped at the time. Hearing it again so far removed from that time, it's packed with hits and RHCP classics and is totally part of the Frusciante & the boys legacy of this unique band.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Arty glory
Television
4/5
A long favourite. The twin guitar arrangements on this album are milestones of rock guitar duos. Only gripe is that I've always wished wished WISHED the singer's voice was easier on the ears!
Fever Ray
4/5
Napalm Death
1/5
Atrocious. That this is considered a classic of any kind blows my mind. Angry, venomous messy noise.
Bob Dylan
4/5
A strange ramshackle glorious affair. Dylan's stream of consciousness lyrics are a wonder to behold.
Massive Attack
2/5
Some good drum beats on offer here, but the song styles just aren't that interesting or melodic.
Scott Walker
2/5
Ewwww. I GET that this dude is being pretty unorthodox in his lyrics for that era, but that super corny delivery with the wide vibrato in his voice, plus the schmaltzy band arrangements just make for one overly earnest twee album. My late father loved this dude when he was a young man, but Daddy-O let's agree to disagree on this corny motherfucker.
New Order
3/5
The first track is really good, then it devolves into 80's synth cheese.
k.d. lang
4/5
Smooth smooth stuff. Some killer songs on here
Radiohead
5/5
Classic
Barry Adamson
3/5
What the heck even IS this music? A very odd one to have made the list.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Smooth stuff
Hawkwind
2/5
Nope. Too long and meandering, lyrics are goofy, and the chord progressions are by-the-book. Nothing special here.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
This makes some decent background listening. The arrangements are solid, but the songwriting is neither here nor there. After one listen I can't recall any of the hooks or choruses.
Paul Simon
4/5
I love this album dearly, but need time in between listens to refresh the magic, hence the 4. A lyrical genius, that Paul bloke. Clever wee bugger!
Air
3/5
These blokes love keyboards
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Uber-melodic twee pop from a badly-named band next to a crapper.
Talking Heads
4/5
Didn't think I liked this album so much based on previous listens, but this time around I found myself grooving along to the whole thing.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I love Dylan's stream-of-consciousness rhymes with a passion, and he's just on fire on this album. A towering giant of music of any century.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
Yeah nah
The Fall
2/5
Bizarre stuff. The band are playing alright, but the vocalist is just running a one-trick-pony thing over the whole album. This band may have been his baby, but it baffles me that some record execs back in the day heard this album and decided to invest money and time into it. Heard it, will never listen to it again.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Good God, this album is a delight!
The Cure
2/5
Listened. But I cannot recall a single sung melody that didn't just sound like a kid throwing a tantrum and whining "moooooooom... oh pleeeeease moooooooom...". And this from a fan of The Cure's poppier tunes. Just. Such. A. Whiny. Bastard.
The Smiths
2/5
Whiney Kermit-voiced fuckwit. Jesus Christ.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Buoyant exuberant jammy jams in another tongue.
Def Leppard
3/5
Poppy rock with killer guitar lines.
Public Enemy
2/5
Yeeeeeeah booooooi?
Naaaaaaaa maaaaaaaan!
Roni Size
2/5
Hmmmm. Yeah this is a strange one... there's some musical stuff to be heard on here, but I just don't understand the purpose of this music. Is it techno, is it soul, is it pop? Whatever it is, it sure ain't for me. Strange to deem this one of the 1001.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Classic Elvis
Pixies
4/5
Fuck yeah. Love this album.
MGMT
4/5
Poppy squishy emo goodness. A unique and cool sound. Loved Time to Pretend when it first came out, and it still sounds gorgeous.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
I GET what they're doing, presenting poppy tunes under a wash of screechy distortion. I just don't know WHY. Brittle, thin treble-y mess. Almost like the dude thought writing pop melodies was nerdy, so wanted to prove to his chums he was really a rocker. Kinda like a Tom Waits approach. But I'll "Wait" for Tom. These weirdos? Fuck no.
OutKast
4/5
Lyrical legends, these dudes.
Metallica
3/5
I love the track Four Leaf Clover. What a chorus. But... the premise of the album is a great idea but, to these ears anyway, the orchestral backing gets far too busy and rarely actually feels like it fits the Metallica song structures (in themselves epic symphonies of a kind). Points for trying though!
The Cardigans
3/5
Poppy goodness. A bit of everything.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Good ol' CCR. Band of many a good unpretentious bare bones singalong tunes. I love John Fogerty's simple uncluttered approach to his song craft. This isn't my favourite bunch of CCR tunes , but it's solid as a rock.
Iggy Pop
2/5
Yeah nah.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Music was pretty groovy, but I'm such a sucker for lyrics but I've got no idea what the dude's singing about.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Some really tasty guitar playing going on here, plus some groovy slooooow funk tracks. Never heard this dude before, but this album has piqued my interest enough to take a deep dive into his back catalogue.
Green Day
5/5
Rock legends. Such a knack for melody, and what a phenomenal lyricist.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Elvis. Don't dislike it, don't hugely like it. For me, the definitive 3/5
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
This was fascinating. NOT at all what I expected. Gonna have another close listen and read all the lyrics. A mix of pop, rock, some kinda prog influence. Very tormented.
Queen
4/5
God, Queen were a phenomenal band.
Fats Domino
4/5
Yeah man. What a voice!
Bert Jansch
4/5
Fuck yeah! This dude can plaaaaaay.
Mj Cole
2/5
Yeah nah. Background music for people who don't really care about music.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Meh.
Carpenters
2/5
Sickly sweet twee pop. This stuff hasn't aged well.
Aerosmith
4/5
Sleazy 'n' greasy. The prototype for Guns n Roses. Love me some Aerosmith.
King Crimson
4/5
Classic album with equally classic cover art.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Corny 80's keyboard shite.
The Stooges
3/5
I love the attitude and the guitar's level of ferocity, but none of the songs really do anything for me on a soul level. Wanna go for a 4, but it's probably a 3 to these ears. Definitely an album that was a blueprint for punk.
Nanci Griffith
2/5
Expertly played, but corny as a corn dog.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
As smooth and cheesy as a giant wheel of camembert.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Some awesome tunes on this album, but not the kinda thing I'd revisit often (if at all). Bonus point for expert musicians though.
James Brown
3/5
Held up as a giant among albums, but I could take it or leave it.
R.E.M.
5/5
Majestic
Common
2/5
This kinda rap is like Dr Seuss gone rancid. Nope.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Meh.
Fiona Apple
4/5
Girl's got attitude. Definitely an artist with a unique spin on songwriting.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I've done this album a few times now and, while I can appreciate the artistry in it, it's not a style I feel compelled to listen to for pleasure.
Beatles
4/5
You magnificent men you. My G.O.A.T. Tempted to go 5 stars just because it's the ol' Beatles, but really it's a four. They were just warming up here for their ridiculous 5-star albums run in the (then) near future.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Expert playing. I've just never (since childhood) been a fan of the sound of the organ. It's too intense and takes up such a wide space in the listener's ears. The instrument equivalent of a pushy person.
Coldplay
4/5
They fucking nailed it on this album, that sweet heady mix of pop melodies, sublime instrumentation and arrangements, earnest but not too earnest lyrics, and that little splash of art (see/hear the altered tuning on track 3). I'd give it 4.5 as it's that good, but will have to round down to 4 because, as much as I like it, it ain't no Beatles, Zep, or Hendrix yo.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Pure wank.
Slipknot
2/5
Fuck me. This is some angry-at-Mom-'n'-Dad-music right here. Despite being a guitar teacher since 1999, this is the first (see also: last) time I've ridden the Slipknot train. Militarily executed rhythm section is kinda impressive, but I now see why they needed those stupid mask gimmicks, 'cause the music wasn't musical enough. Betcha the singer ain't so angry at his Mom 'n' Pops now they made him a multimillionaire.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
The xx
2/5
So. A couple of too-cool-for-school teens get together, with plans of becoming the next Interpol. Problem is, she can only talk-sing five notes, and the boy... well, he's limited to one monotone note. Despite this, they forge on. So they pen some really emotional lyrics which, to be ironic maaaaaaan, they talk-sing together in a completely detached and emotionless way. But they forge on. Having written a dozen or so of the exact same thing, they figure let's make an album. They do that. Turns out, it's less Interpol-esque, and more like a couple of 11 year olds doing a Casio keyboard drum beat over their mom's cherished Enya album.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
Jam band noodlings
John Martyn
4/5
Man, I loved hearing this album. I knew and loved the tracks Couldn't Love You More, and Small Hours already, but it was excellent to hear all the album cuts. Dude's voice was a jazz instrument, and his playing acoustic-like-it's-an-electric guitar playing is pioneering and totally cool too. Gonna deep dive his catalogue now. THIS is the reason I'm on this listening journey!
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie Wonder is one of the towering giants of music in any period. His run of albums in the 70s defies belief. One of my all-time favourite songs, They Won't Go When I Go, is on this album. Stunning musicianship, perfect vocals, groove for days, watertight arrangements. It's all here.
William Orbit
2/5
Beats 'n' bloops 'n' bleeps
Pearl Jam
5/5
This album has been encoded into my autistic mind DNA since I was 13. Can go years without hearing it, then put it in and sing along with every lyric, every epic guitar solo, every kickass drum fill. A rock masterpiece.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
G.O.A.T.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Fave Zep track is on this album, the almighty Since I've Been Loving You. A few other cool tracks, but enough filler tracks to knock the whole package down to a 4. A high 4, but a 4 nonetheless.
Bee Gees
1/5
Wimpy and spineless. I HATE that quivering vibrato style of singing they do on this album (and everywhere else) and the lyrics are appallingly bad and waaaaay-too-earnest. Fuck those bearded brothers. Dicks.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Mellow n smooth background funk
Amy Winehouse
2/5
This is a tough one. I love Back To Black, the vibe, the arrangements, the lyrics, the singing. It all just works. But this album? No no no. Loose jazzy jams with barely melodic nasal The-Nanny-style vocal complaining via Amy. Just no. Shows a teeny weeny bit of promise, but no.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
Volume? Check. Attitude? Check. Riffs? Sort of... Songs? Nope.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Lightweight, kinda cool but mostly corny cowboy jingles.
Elton John
4/5
Classic Reginald Dwight right here!
Guns N' Roses
5/5
A fuckin' rock masterpiece. This album stills sounds as sleazy 'n' greasy and downright menacing as it did when it came out. Whereas other bands from that era (see Poison, Motley Crue, RATT, Skid Row etc) sound like boy bands with squealing guitars.
Sisters Of Mercy
1/5
ALL OF THE MOST DIRE, WORST THINGS ABOUT THE 80'S ARE RIGHT HERE. CHEESY KEYS, DREADFUL TUNELESS TALK-SINGING, DRUM MACHINE BEATS, STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE. FUCKING AWFUL. GOTH DICKHEADS. Can't give 0, so it's a kicking-and-screaming 1 star.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Well.. having spent most of my life thinking the Stones were a proper shit band, but changing my mind at around age 38 after a bit of a deep dive, tonight I listened to this album (having heard it before a few times) while cooking and I just thought they sounded shit. Certainly no comparison to Beatles either!
Nas
2/5
Yeah nah
Ice Cube
2/5
Yeah nah
Nirvana
5/5
A rock masterpiece. Never a dull moment listening to this album, and one of just a handful of albums that, to these ears, has zero filler.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Oh for fuck's sake. Whoever sent out the memo to 80's artists to "sing" in that mopey-muppet-whinge-whine voice was a proper douchebag. Music here is pretty fuckin musical, then Dexy (or whoever he is) just SPLATS that mopey voice all over it like a fecal Jackson Pollock.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Oh man the guitar playing all over this album is super tasty. Really interesting polyrhythms between guitar and the rhythm section. I particularly enjoyed (actual LOLs) the song where the vocalist pleads "me want a bunny" (Wayei).
Fiona Apple
5/5
Oh man this was KICKASS! The lyrics are so emotionally vulnerable and heartfelt. Felt those words to my core. The title track will be my new mantra. I'm in love.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Some superb guitar work here but, despite obvious technical prowess this group had, I've always felt at a remove from their sound. Give me The Band's first two albums over thus stuff any day.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Poppy weirdness. The world needs more goofy guys like this!
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
John Fogerty, man. What a treasure that dude's song catalogue is. Hard to believe he smashed out so many killer tracks on do many killer albums in just a few years. Real straight down the line songs, but with wicked hooks and that inimitable lion's growl/howl of a voice. One of the great rockers, for sure. This album is tops.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Yeah, nah. Maybe? Preacher Man is a stone cold classic. The rest? Meh.
Miles Davis
5/5
Masterpiece. When I was 24 I proudly sported a T-Shirt of this perfect jazz album. The best launching pad into the world of listening to jazz.
The Who
3/5
Yeah, nah, yeah. Maybe?
The Replacements
5/5
This album is embedded in my DNA. Loved it from the moment I first heard I Will Dare, then the CD lived in my car CD player on repeat for months. They had moments of greatness after this, but this album is their finest moment.
Röyksopp
2/5
Background music to a poorly designed Sega Saturn game from 1995.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
A beautiful brain. Such sparkly buoyant music. I've owned this record on CD and vinyl.
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
I discovered this treat of an album last year, and adore the songs Mother, and Rainbow. Such obvious and simple sentiments, but perfectly married to song. What an artist.
Janet Jackson
1/5
Not a JJ fan at all. Banned from my spotify in 2020 and zero desire to unlock or revisit.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Interesting... I'd been meaning to hear this album for years, as it's been touted as some kind of classic. I don't think it's that, but it's an interesting blend of dance , pop, indie and 80's styles.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Touted as some kind of generational game changer for rock. I don't hear that.
Silver Jews
2/5
Ok. So the music is entirely uninspired, the "singing" is just a dude mumbling and never quite hitting maybe 3 notes. But the backstory of the frontman and his life are tragic and fascinating. But I'm not rating his life. Just this album. And it's bollocks. (He won't be reading this, or any, review.)
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Interesting to hear a young Bjork in a band context. They're quirky little fuckers, those Eskimos.
Spiritualized
3/5
Wowaweewah! That's a big album. Pretty melodic and dreamy in places, but not a bunch of tunes I feel the need to revisit often.
Taylor Swift
3/5
A bit of a chameleon, that Taylor. VERY fast at making clothes too, if we're to trust her name.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Could be a 4. Could be a 3. 3.5. Round down due to how fucking looooong the album is.
Maxwell
3/5
Smooth soft-porn jams. Some very tasty melodic lines in there, but a real one-trick pony lyrical vibe.
Lana Del Rey
4/5
Some gorgeous songs on this album, and some really cool lyrical themes.
Barry Adamson
3/5
That was quite a ride. Melodic, jazzy, creepy as fuck, cool, weird.
Ray Charles
3/5
Smooth as silk (like all Ray Charles' stuff), but each song here is cut from that same big bunch o' silk - woman/man done man/woman wrong, and now man/woman feelin' sad 'n' blue about it.
Adele
4/5
No question that Adele has one of the finest singing voices ever. I'm well familiar with this album and it's her finest moment. Someone Like You is a song for the ages, and Turning Tables kicks ass. Pretty sure she failed science though, 'cuz like.. how would you even set fire to rain.. like cuz it's water 'n' that? Know what I mean??
Elis Regina
4/5
No IDEA what she's singing, but it's oh so joyful! Like an ethnic Stevie Wonder chick
The Who
3/5
Yeah nah.
James Taylor
4/5
Love me some smooth as silk JT. Legend.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
They don't call him The Boss for no reason. Major nostalgic vibes drip off this thing. Yearning chord progressions aplenty, sax solos, and that gravelly impassioned voice of ol' Brucey Boy.
Ryan Adams
4/5
Love this album longtime. Shame about his recent-ish shenanigans as he is/was one of the great songwriters of recent years/decades.
David Bowie
3/5
Bowie's entree to his phenomenal Blackstar
Fela Kuti
3/5
Groooooovy
Dolly Parton
2/5
Twangy country gals. Nah bro.
Minutemen
3/5
Listened to this one a few times before. It's no Replacements.
The Clash
3/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Meh
David Bowie
3/5
Fuckin Love that Bowie bloke. This album? Yeah, it's alright.
Sepultura
3/5
Toit.
Talking Heads
3/5
Violent Femmes
4/5
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
He can stay in that corner.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Love me some Creedence.
The Avalanches
2/5
It's just wallpaper. "Music" for people who don't like music.
Steve Earle
3/5
Great lyrics, but this twangy cowpoke era of his music is not something I'd revisit often. Yeehaw. That little rocker track is even more poignant now since his son's recent passing. Jesus.
Mudhoney
3/5
Yeah.
Foo Fighters
4/5
A funny one, this album. I owned it on cassette as a teenager, and I only kinda liked it. The heavy riffs were a bit too angular for my ears, but the poppy stuff rang true. Goddamn though, they fuckin NAILED that mix on their next two albums. And to get THERE, they started HERE. 3.5 rounded up to 4.
The National
2/5
Sigh. An acclaimed band with a singer that does, seriously, like 3? 4? notes with his voice. All in that deep just-can't-be-assed-singing-higher voice. Like some parallel universe version of AC/DC where the vocalist just does 3-4 low notes instead of 3-4 high ones. Not one memorable tune here.
Eminem
4/5
Greatest rapper ever? Maybe. Funniest rapper ever? Abso-fuckin-lutely!
Suede
3/5
Melodic Britpop. Animal Nitrate is a classic.
Elvis Costello
4/5
My fave album by the Other Elvis.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Well, they're no Zeppelin. Riffs aplenty, but songs? Nah.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
So so good
Gorillaz
3/5
Wallpaper
GZA
2/5
Yeah nah
Johnny Cash
4/5
Legend
Elvis Presley
4/5
This was a pleasant surprise. Really clean musicianship and a great bunch of songs with heaps of character to 'em.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Not bad, Cave. Not bad.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
Yeah nah
Donovan
3/5
Donovan. 60's real time plagiarizer of the 60's. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, and never quite as good as the copied.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
I've tried these dudes before, and even attended a concert of theirs with a friend, but they're just too (almost sickeningly so) earnest and, well, twee. I get it. Y'all can harmonise with each other. Maybe write a good song or two as well, yeah?
Suede
3/5
Good guitar playing, but not good enough to make up for that whiny keening singer.
Michael Jackson
2/5
Some classics on here for sure, but the production is so dated (80's, for the most part, hasn't aged well). And, well, it's by the world's most musically revered pervert. Gotta lose points for THAT, ya sick fucko.
Gene Clark
3/5
It's alright, this one.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
A masterpiece. Just stunning music.
Richard Thompson
4/5
Crisp, distinctive guitar playing. A unique electric blend of traditional English folk, and rock. Surprising chord changes. Pretty fucking cool.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
Yeah nah.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Good, but not as good as it's said to be. Smack bang on a 3.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Fucking nonsense. The vocals are just dumb. Whoever rates this as a classic needs their ears checked. Christ.
The Charlatans
3/5
Melodic but forgettable
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
-ish.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Smooth vocals, bouncy mellow guitar, super schmaltzy strings, a whole lotta sameness.
Pink Floyd
1/5
Oh God. I fucking HATE this album. Very thankful Syd underwent his drug-induced mindfuck so they could get Gilmour on board and begin the REAL PF musical odyssey. Any joker who says they actually like this is a poseur assclown that you do NOT want in your life.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Smooth as silk. Boulder to Birmingham is a stunner of a song.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Yeah this was great.
Roxy Music
3/5
Fairly melodic but too off-the-wall quirky to stick together properly for these ears. They nailed it on the Avalon album I reckon.
Love
2/5
Nope
Q-Tip
2/5
Nope.
Little Simz
2/5
Nope.
Fugazi
2/5
Nope.
Khaled
2/5
Nope.
Parliament
4/5
Funky as FUUUUUUUUCK
Neil Young
4/5
So so good. I love the on-the-edge, could-fall-apart-at-any-minute vibe of this era of his music
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
The Cure
3/5
Lou Reed
3/5
4/5
Sonic Youth
2/5
Nope
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Fuck yes. Love this album.
Wu-Tang Clan
1/5
Just no.
CHIC
3/5
Funky, yet bland. And very repetitive.
Orbital
3/5
Surprisingly engrossing. Perfect headphone music for doing boring adult admin work.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
These glorious southern rockers. Fucking spectacular bunch of songs. A blueprint for rock music right here y'all.
TLC
2/5
Nope. None of the things it advertises.
Le Tigre
3/5
Pretty cool. I was surprised by this one. Quirky rock chicks
T. Rex
4/5
Poppy Rocky Quirky Goodness
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Meh.
Love
2/5
Overrated as fuck.
The Birthday Party
2/5
No no no
Muddy Waters
4/5
Great album
Liz Phair
5/5
I love this album
Burning Spear
3/5
Groovy. But so goddamn same-ish. Was this a whole album? Or just one track over and over? Who knows?!
New Order
2/5
Gosh. People went overboard with synths in the 80's. I thought this was a 3 star, until the album finished and The Replacements came on, and I felt a massive sense of relief. Replacements 5 stars, of course, but this splodgy bit of synths has got to be a 2.
Sonic Youth
3/5
These guys use the coolest dissonant jagged chords. Solid album, listened to a bunch of times. Not something I'd normally think to put on, but good.
The The
2/5
Nope
Britney Spears
2/5
That stuffy, sexualised teen nasal voice. That glossy marketable plastic backing band. Sheesh.
Santana
4/5
A rock classic. When Carlos gets wailin' he's got a sound all his own.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
Fuck no.
Cornershop
3/5
Groovy drums. I remember the single Brimful of Asha for that memorable lyric about everyone needing a Bosom. Not too many songs drop a "bosom" in there. Funky drum beats throughout, but my favourite was the cover of Norwegian Wood sung in a different dialect.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
So so good. I love this album, but am not always in the headspace for it. So 4 stars.
The Crusaders
2/5
Expertly played, but it's just too cleeeeeeean. Everything is in exactly the right place, so rather than more it more musical it gives it a cold and sterile vibe. And the jams are just endless. The tracks just go on and on and on and on. Nope.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Groovy, but I won't be coming back to this sound world again.
Scott Walker
1/5
No. Just no. The way he sings on EVERY SINGLE SONG is equal to, or even surpasses, the cheesy schmaltzy way Tom Jones sings It's Not Unusual. The dude might be singing something profound, but I. Just. Can't. Hear. Past. The. Cheesy. Cheesy. Cheese.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Classic Marley
The Cramps
2/5
Yeah nah. Gimmick music.
Rush
2/5
No. Not a Rush fan at all.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Stevie Wonder is one of music's true geniuses, and possibly my favourite singer ever. This isn't my favourite album of his, that's Innervisions, but impossible to give this less than 5. A true visionary. Pun intended.
George Michael
4/5
One of the smoothest silkiest voices ever to grace a mortal. He was gorgeous too. Faith is a stone cold classic, and even the lesser songs with their veering-into-proper-corny are saved by his smooth vocals.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
A true innovator of real-life working class people, all set to muscled up rhythm sections.
Dead Kennedys
1/5
Nope.
The Stooges
3/5
Ok
Deep Purple
4/5
Best Deep Purple album I've heard. Fire, ferocity, and passion all here in droves. Singer dude must've had some REEEEEALLY tight jeans yo.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
5/5
This was superb.
Steely Dan
5/5
Musical masters, these blokes. SO MANY wicked twists n turns in their chord progressions, tastier note choices than anyone. Fuck yes.
Aimee Mann
3/5
Music is ok, but I don't like the plain-Jane tone of her vocals. I can tell a lot of crafting has gone into the songwriting and arrangement but the voice tamps it down.
Bon Jovi
3/5
The singles are head and shoulders above the rest of the album cuts, but these guys are 80's rock legends, with good ol' JBJ's boyish charm, kickass voice, and wingman Sambora's squealing pinch harmonic guitar breaks and vocal harmonies.
The War On Drugs
3/5
Smooth and rolling album. All very melodic and easy on the ears, but each track is very similar.
Blondie
3/5
Ho hum
Arcade Fire
4/5
I love how fiercely ambitious this group are, just forging ahead with their own brand of quirky, melodic, and often profound, music.
Eagles
3/5
Middle of the road and cheesy as FUUUUUUCK.
The Zombies
4/5
Poppy majesty. This Will Be Our Year is a mini masterpiece.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Pretty pretty pretty weird.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Classic album.
The Prodigy
2/5
Not my scene.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
Real rock.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Mellow and melodic, but I struggle with Willie's voice. It's just that shaky old-but-not-actually-old-at-the-time-of-recording little lost lamb voice. I enjoy his jazzy guitar leads, but not enough to push this past a 3.
Radiohead
3/5
Not as listenable as Kid A.
The Sonics
3/5
I can hear that this is like a precursor to garage rock and punk, but sounds like a sketch rather than a blueprint.
4/5
British Legends. Some absolutely timeless tracks on here.
Soul II Soul
2/5
Aw fuck no. This was gross. Dated, flash over feel, and corny as FUCK.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Sexy ol' French bastard. Ooh la laaaaa!
David Bowie
4/5
Classic Bowie. Not an album I revisit often, but always nice when I do.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
I love this guy's vibe. Big guy, squeaky little peashooter of a voice but bro, he lets his muthafuckin' freak flag fly.
Beck
3/5
A few bleeps here, a few bloops there, a hip hop drum beat, some random glitchy noises. Does not make an album. Beck is a goddamn legend and a chameleon, but the hype around this album is baffling to me.
The La's
3/5
There She Goes is an absolutely timeless tune. Nothing else on the album anywhere as good though.
The Who
3/5
One of those albums that's been hyped up so much that when you finally hear it it's just dripping in disappointment. That, or it's just not that impressive and/or good.
The Damned
3/5
Neither here nor there.
Jacques Brel
2/5
Nope. Not for me.
Radiohead
5/5
A rock masterpiece.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Not bad
The Youngbloods
3/5
I wanted to like this album more than I do, mostly on account of the perfect album cover. But the music is just a sort of TheBandMeetsTheGratefulDead kinda thing, with no standout tracks.
SAULT
3/5
Ish.
Michael Jackson
3/5
A bit of a classic by the artist with possibly the most tainted reputation of all.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Fave PJ Harvey album
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Fuck, THIS was a surprise. I'd heard of her since I was a kid in the 1980's but never heard her until 41 years old. A stellar musician and what a great collection of songs and lyrics!
Little Richard
4/5
Classic stuff. The blueprint for early Beatles, which was the blueprint for everything else. Fucking awesome album cover too!
Dion
3/5
Kind of like a love child of Van Morrison and Rodriguez. Mellow tunes, nice arrangements and decent lyrics. No particular standout tracks for me.
Peter Frampton
3/5
3 absolute classics, and a lot of filler. Very clever musicians, but long running length and general sameness to the tracks knocks this to a 3.
MC Solaar
2/5
Nope. Or should I say "non"?
Norah Jones
4/5
So so smooth, and expertly produced and arranged. A beautiful album.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
Quirky fuck. I love outsiders in music. But not this guy.
Mudhoney
2/5
Wicked album cover. The music not so much.
Thundercat
3/5
Wicked bass tone and cool beats, but thr song craft is a little out there for me.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Almost every song was a hit. I should give this a 5, but it's just a tad too slick for me to want to rank up there with my other 5's.
Sebadoh
2/5
Opening track is great, but the rest of the album is random, mostly tuneless and rough as guts.
Björk
3/5
Ish
Deee-Lite
2/5
Nah. Those 80's/90's synthetic beats always give me the shits. Add on corny lyrics, and mostly tuneless singing. Sheesh.
Ice T
2/5
Not my scene
Billy Bragg
4/5
Some really nice melodic songs on this album
Talking Heads
3/5
Groovy and quirky
Drive-By Truckers
4/5
The modern world needs more guitar-driven rock like this. Cool narratives, beefy production and classic electric guitar, bass, drums 'n' balls arrangements.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
Good melodic accessible jazz
Madness
2/5
Limp 80's cheesiness.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I've tried and tried and tried to "get" Elvis Costello's albums but, besides My Aim is True (and a couple of songs on Armed Forces), it just doesn't stick. The songs mostly live in that almoooost-melodic-but-not-quite-there zone, and are rinsed in a kind of campy corniness that just doesn't take me anywhere.
TV On The Radio
3/5
An interesting listen. I can hear Prince, Talking Heads, Bowie in there, along with their own unique thing. An intriguing mix of styles and sounds.
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
Yeah nah. Limp wimpy wuss music. Gutless garbage.
George Michael
4/5
One of the greatest vocalists ever. Just silk. Stunning songwriter too. RIP you beautiful human.
3/5
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Poppy quirky goodness
It's kinda like the Stones, but with that raspy-voiced mole-faved Muppet of a man Rod Stewart singing. Sheesh.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
A phenomenal album cover. And a perfect song in Solsbury Hill. The rest is melodic and well-produced, but leaning too heavily into the art spectrum for these ears.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Rock masterpiece.
Kanye West
3/5
Some cool beats, multi-layered tracks and interesting guest artists but not an album I'll need to revisit again.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Some awesome chord progressions in here, great vocals and melodies. A surprising find!
Black Flag
2/5
Hostile, aggressive, and mostly tuneless. Give me The Replacements' take on punk over this stuff any day.
Gotan Project
4/5
Groovy. That accordion sounds stunning against the trip-hop beats. A genuinely surprising and unexpected melodic blend of instruments and genres.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Something about Bob Marley's music always lifts your spirits. Even when he's singing about oppression and corrupt government. The buoyant rhythms and that inimitable voice just lift you higher. High pun intended.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Melancholy, classical-guitar based poetry
Stevie Wonder
4/5
One of the true geniuses of twentieth century music. I adore Stevie Wonder's music.
The White Stripes
4/5
A very unique band that triggered a wave of imitators. Very cool.
Paul Simon
4/5
Lyrical and musical mastermind
Johnny Cash
4/5
Gorgeous. Heartfelt, beautifully recorded, and such a wonderful collection of great songs.
Air
3/5
Mellow, ambient, but forgettable.
The Stranglers
3/5
Peaches is a creepy classic, the rest just ok
Beth Orton
2/5
Non offensive, but boring. Like an Ali Express version of Shawn Colvin.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Not my cup of tea
Missy Elliott
1/5
Nope.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Such an enjoyable listen. His choice of songs, guest artists and inmate banter are exactly right for this show. A legend.
Fairport Convention
2/5
I adore the album cover. Not the album.
Soundgarden
5/5
Goddamn masterpiece
Carole King
3/5
Poppy 70's wallpaper
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Ish.
Pulp
3/5
Yip.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Dreadful stuff. Goofy tuneless singer, and corny songs one after the other. Fuck no.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Springsteen is an international treasure.
Talking Heads
3/5
Groovy quirky fuckers.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Nonsense. A dated 90's groove does NOT make a song. Don't understand the hype around this band at all.
Motörhead
3/5
Lemmy was a very unique musical entity with a sound all his own. Just not a sound I need to hear very often.
Goldie
2/5
Wallpaper music. That just goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on.
The Stone Roses
3/5
Pretty good. Deserving of the hype surrounding this band/album? I hardly think so. Maybe you had to be there. Sounds pretty good in headphones though.
Primal Scream
3/5
Meh.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Just ok.
Aphex Twin
3/5
Background tunes
Spacemen 3
3/5
Background music. Found myself daydreaming and not paying attention which is rare. Didn't like it that much, but wasn't offended by it. 2.5 rated up to 3.
System Of A Down
3/5
High decibel electrified insanity.
"sugar"
Madonna
2/5
Not my thing
Nina Simone
4/5
A troubled but beautiful soul. Who also happened to be a virtuoso pianist.
The Temptations
3/5
Opening track is so so funky!
Steely Dan
4/5
A superb album
Pentangle
3/5
The music is intriguing, but that whiny English folk style of singing does not appeal to these ears.
Deerhunter
3/5
It's alright.
The Pogues
2/5
A unique sound, but VERY One Trick Pony-ish. That, and Shane McGowan's toothless voice is pretty shite, if we're being honest. 2.5 stars, rounded down to 2.
The Byrds
3/5
Mellow when listening to it, yet totally forgettable once it's done.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Very impressively played, to maintain that level of intensity is super hard. But too aggressive and shouty for these sucker-for-a-melody ears.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Sorta Rocky, sorta Funky. But mostly derailed by Perry Farrell just splatting his high, whiny, and almost entirely tuneless, little voice over the proceedings.
Neil Young
4/5
Neil Young is a universal treasure.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Quirky clever bastard. A magic voice and a magic brain.
Beatles
5/5
Masterpiece. Technicolor genius from the top shelf of songwriters ever.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Mellow stuff but I don't feel the need to revisit this album very often.
Ghostface Killah
2/5
Yeah nah.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Sheesh. A massive collection of weird songs.
Korn
1/5
Fucking awful. I wasn't into these guys as a teen in the 90's, but went into this with an open mind and open ears. But noooooo. Atrocious. File under "gimmick music" along with Marilyn Manson, and Nine Inch Nails.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Good humored, cheeky sounding jazz tunes.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Alright
The Gun Club
2/5
No
Boston
5/5
Pop rock guitar greatness. An absolute testament to a basement rock guitar sonic explorer. And Brad Delp - what an extraordinary voice!!
Red Snapper
2/5
Nope.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
High energy live rock n roll baby.
Roxy Music
2/5
Not my thing
Stan Getz
3/5
Mellow and musical jazz. Doesn't require anything from the listener but to sit back and chill.
Stereolab
3/5
Splatty bloopy Frenchy poppy weirdness.
Simply Red
3/5
Good singing, but not really my thing.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Boogie time baby
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Mellow soft rock songwriting
The Strokes
4/5
Fuck yeah. Nonstop quavers never sounded so good.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
If the cheesiest tunes of The Beatles had a sweaty menage a trois with the teethy bearded Bee Gees and the Svedish ABBA, this corny stuff would be the result.
The Smiths
2/5
Ish. Morrissey has such a dreadful Kermit-y singing voice. Just this splatty wimpy mess of a voice. Gross!
Leftfield
2/5
Nope.
Gram Parsons
3/5
I've ridden this train a number of times in an attempt to understand what other people hear in this guy's music, but it just sounds decidedly average to me. The songs are just okay, and his singing is nothing special. Just ok. Also, this will be the last time I ride the Gram Parsons train. Not all music suits all people.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Great album.
Gang Starr
3/5
Alright
Ryan Adams
4/5
Ryan Adams is a genius songwriter. Also, an undiagnosed autistic.
Nirvana
4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Just okay
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
Lenny Kravitz is the man. Not his strongest set of songs here, but I love the dude-rocking-an-electric-guitar-and-singing-his-ass-off vibes. Plus, he just oozes cool.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Alright. Not the classic it's made out to be. Gimme Stevie Wonder over ol' Curtis M any day.
The White Stripes
4/5
Jack White is a legend.
Big Black
2/5
Hostile, cold and aggressive. One listen is plenty.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Melodic guitar rock. Good stuff
4/5
Yeah man. Mix Nirvana's In Utero album with Patti Smith's Horses and a smattering of late Jeff Buckley, then you might get something like this album. Plus Thom Yorke. 3.5 rounded up to 4.
The Waterboys
3/5
Alright
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Mild, mellow, non-offensive, and almost entirely forgettable pop. A bit like Crowded House but without their quality tunes.
Rod Stewart
2/5
This mole-faced, tuft-haired, gravel-voiced Muppet has one of the most overrated singing voices in recorded music history. Blows my mind that he's had a successful career at it with such a shit voice. Maggie May is ok but that's about it. This singing style (see also Tina Turner, Joe Cocker etc) can die a painful death soon. I will not mourn it.
3/5
Funky and melodic, but without a standout track.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
A rock masterpiece. Absolute monsters at their respective instruments.
R.E.M.
3/5
Some good tunes here, but it's nothing against their Automatic for The People album.
Public Enemy
2/5
Nope.
2/5
Quirky as fuck, but not catchy or memorable like Talking Heads. I'm sure it was fairly game-changing when it was released, but in 2023 it's just silly and annoying.
Louis Prima
3/5
Unique, raspy-voiced, cheeky scat-singing Jungle Book dude. Fucking great album cover too!
Big Star
4/5
I adore Big Star, but this is my least favourite of their 3 recorded albums. A very arty, dark, and jagged bunch of songs that reflect some inner turmoil in the mind and life of Alex Chilton. I wish more bands were like Big Star.
The Icarus Line
3/5
Ish.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Rhythmic background music. 2.5 stars.
Jack White
4/5
Some surprisingly cool songs on here. Nice!
The Kinks
3/5
Not my fave Kinks. When they're on, they're superb. When they're not quite on, they're pretty damn cheesy.
Orbital
2/5
Nonsense background music.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Funky, positive, but so so SOOOOOO same-ish. Is Jamiroquai's entire catalogue just ONE SONG?!
Pixies
3/5
Where Is My Mind is a stunning song, but I find the rest of this album to be a fairly tuneless screechy affair, less about actual songs than being offbeat and off-kilter.
Solange
2/5
Yeah nah.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Angular, lo-fi, jagged, dissonant energy.
Supergrass
3/5
Melodic n quirky Britpop. Good stuff.
The Monks
3/5
Quirky, edgy and unexpected. Like a precursor to the Velvet Underground, with a foreshadowing of The Modern Lovers in there too.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Pop genius 'n' paedo pervert.
The Who
3/5
Just ok
3/5
Mellow non-offensive cliché-laden country.
John Coltrane
3/5
I'd like to like this music more than I do, but the wild note choices Coltrane goes for in a lot of his music sounds more miss than hit to me.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Pop perfection. 4.5 rounded down to 4 as I'm not always in the mood for this delightful brand of sugary sweetness. Not quite The Beatles but so so close.
Paul McCartney
4/5
Ramshackle, melodic beauty from the most melodic of the best band ever.
Ice Cube
2/5
Nope.
White Denim
3/5
If Ty Segall dropped acid with the blokes from the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers, it might sound a bit (or exactly) like this. 3.5 stars rated down to 3 as I enjoyed it but all blended into one kinda same-ish guitar jam.
The Jam
3/5
Just alright. I don't hear what the hype around The Jam/Paul Weller is all about.
The B-52's
2/5
I've never been a fan of this band's quirky singing-but-not-QUITE-singing and goofy cartoon music style.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Intriguing guitar playing and instrumentation, but I'm not a big fan of the middle-range plain vocal keening that the singer chick does all over these songs. Maybe ya gots to be Bri'ish to really appreciate this kind of song.
Astor Piazzolla
4/5
Great instrumentation and blend of melodic and avant garde material
Screaming Trees
3/5
Decidedly average rock music. I've listened to this album a few times over the years, but can never remember a single hook, melody or lyric. Lanegan's voice is pretty cool, but all these tunes are just so average and non-offensive.
De La Soul
3/5
Fun and upbeat hip-hop. Not my usual thing, but this was a pretty fun listen.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Edgy, guttural and in your face. Also, 100% forgettable afterwards. She refined this formula in layer albums.
Nick Drake
5/5
A melancholic sublime masterpiece.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Groovy 90's background music but nothing of real substance.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Absolute fucking nonsense.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
Yeah nah.
50 Cent
3/5
A surprisingly enjoyable album with great rhymes, head-bobber beats and some great guest appearances.
Black Sabbath
3/5
When you order Led Zeppelin from aliexpress.com.
Morrissey
2/5
Morrissey is an insufferable whiny penis of a man, with a dreadful Kermit vocal tone and a vocal range of precisely 3.25 notes. Different backing band, EXACT same shite.
Talk Talk
4/5
An intriguing band with an intriguing sound. Will definitely follow this rabbit hole to further listens and their other albums.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
A very good album yields depths with repeated listens.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
When you order Prince from a scam website.
Genesis
2/5
Prog rock can be so fucking weird. Expert musicians purposely playing off kilter, whacked-out music with jarring time signature shifts, sudden tempo shifts, and nonsense nursery rhyme lyrics. I don't understand it. Arty bollocks, this one.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Eerie and cool guitar work and band interplay, but with a useless vocalist making a mess of every single song. A very dated sounding album too. The 80's was fucking weird.
Pretenders
3/5
Enough with the splatty-moaning-narwhal-80's-weirdo vocalists already. SUCH a strange era for vocalists. Brass in Pocket is a classic, Kid is ok, then the rest are all very very same-ish.
Sugar
3/5
Melodic rock, but rather same-ish. Might need another listen for melodies to sink on.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Punkish rock n roll. Just ok.
Eurythmics
2/5
The title track is one of the defining tracks of the 80's, and Annie Lennox's voice is classic, but the electronic wavelength the 80's was fixated with for the most part leaves me cold. All (cheesy) flash, and VERY little feel.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Some superb songs here nestled in amongst some really odd stuff. Before Pearl Jam's Vitalogy album, there was the Beach Boys' Surf's Up. 3.5 rounded up to 4.
2Pac
3/5
Alright.
The Byrds
4/5
A definitive 60's music moment was the arrival of these jingly-jangly 12-string-guitar-sportin' mofos. SUCH a gorgeous sound. And those harmonies. Sublime.
Ozomatli
3/5
Groovy, mood-lifting music.
Cheap Trick
4/5
A powerhouse of a live album. This version of I Want You To Want Me is guitar rock perfection.
Tom Waits
5/5
Such a unique and quirky record. I adore some of the songs on this raucous beast of an album.
Kid Rock
1/5
This white boy rap-rock hybrid is so awful that it's offensive. Lowest of the low. It's just fucking gross.
Nick Drake
5/5
Masterpiece.
1/5
Absolute nonsense.
The Boo Radleys
4/5
Wow a very cool album. Great melodic twists and turns, and musicians who clearly know their stuff. Some of it was like a technicolor blend of Beach Boys and Nirvana. DEFINITELY a band to explore further.
Merle Haggard
3/5
It's alright
The Byrds
3/5
Great record from a definitive 60's band.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Just ok. I don't really get the hype surrounding Iggy Pop's music.
Talvin Singh
2/5
Pointless Electronica noodling. Nope.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I quite liked this. Opening track was like Van Morrison's Moondance mixed with Miles Davis' All Blues. Songs all kinda same-ish, but in a mellow nice way.
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
Truly truly dreadful. What an awful vocal style, and cheesy dated accompaniment. Gross.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Pure gimmick with ZERO actual musical ability. What a complete cunt.
Rufus Wainwright
5/5
Stunning. Floored me on the first listen. Arty, inventive, quirky, but musical as fuck. Legendary.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Mildly melodic, quirky cutesy, and rather gutless and wimpy. 2.5.
Björk
3/5
Intriguing. Very personal lyrics set over cold calculated electronica music. I loved the first track. The rest, not so much.
The Police
3/5
The singles are fantastic, songs for the ages, but the rest of the album is just rhythmic filler. Surprising that one of the greatest rock bands ever could write so many blah songs as well as those masterpieces.
This was ok. Not Joshua Tree magnificent, not Achtung Baby great, but ok. Some good tracks here.
Underworld
2/5
Pointless cyclic electronic posturing. Must need ecstasy to "enjoy" this sound.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
I got excited when this album turned up as I'd been meaning to listen to it for years. Alas, to these ears it just sounds like average 60's song style music. Not as shimmery as The Byrds, not as harmonious as Beach Boys, and nowhere near as melodic as The Beatles, though it strives to contain elements of all of them. Fave track was the cover of Nine Pound Hammer.
Missy Elliott
1/5
Nope.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Vapid, bland, offensively shite music.
ABBA
2/5
Oh God this is just artificial sweetener overdose. ABBA's music is just sickly sweet. Not for me. Cheesy as fuck.
Germs
2/5
Having snarly vocals and gutsy guitars isn't enough to make a classic album. After one listen I cannot recall a single tune. Still, good to hear where Foo Fighter and ex-Nirvana touring guitarist Pat Smear got his start. Glad to have heard it. Don't need to hear it again.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Mellow Indian sitar jams. Loved the Stones cover, and the Doors song was ok too. A westernized take on the Indian sound.
Pulp
3/5
Ish.
Madonna
1/5
God no. Madonna is just awful.
The Doors
2/5
Nope. Not a Doors fan, despite numerous listens over the years to understand the hype.
808 State
2/5
Silly and dated sounds.
Bob Dylan
5/5
A masterpiece. This has long been my favourite Bob Dylan album.
David Ackles
2/5
Dreadful dated syrupy Harry Chapin-style songwriting, without the lyrical or musical prowess required to actually pull it off. Awful stuff.
Van Morrison
4/5
I love this album (except the whiny track Beside You), and have to be in the mood for it. Except Sweet Thing, which I've always got time for.
The Darkness
4/5
So good. Wicked guitar interplay, great vocal melodies, and fantastic production. Stoked to have finally listened to the whole album. Justin Hawkins is a fucking legend.
Brian Eno
3/5
Quirky music that my brain quickly decided was background music, and the album slid by while I thought about other things. Not bad, just not particularly good. Smack bang on a 3/5.
George Jones
2/5
Goddamn. Just the EXACT same song, tempo, instrumentation, over and over and over. Predictable, sterile and corny as FUCK. Gross.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
An interesting listen. Joyous and melodic. Glad to have heard, but not something I'd revisit.
Kate Bush
3/5
My ears and brain pushed this to background music while I drove, thought about other things, and stared out the window. One album of high pitched sameness.
Anthrax
2/5
This music is so stupid. Just random sounding power chords with Not-Metallica-But-Striving-To-Be-Metallica rhythmic galloping, bonehead lyrics sung by a shit singer. Just dumb.
The Byrds
3/5
Melodic and 60s trippy. Not as memorable as other Byrds albums, but still a mostly-pleasant ride.
Traffic
2/5
Just some musicians playing some music together. Can I remember any of it afterwards? Nope.
The Byrds
4/5
Twangy, bright and bold country from the Byrds Boys. I've always loved this take on The Christian Life, as it can be taken either literally or as an ironic sort of dig. I can hear it both ways. And The Byrds were, to these ears, THE best at Dylan covers. The sparkle and harmonies they add to a Dylan number make it zing like nobody else ever.
Turbonegro
3/5
Cool quirky rock from talented musicians. Brilliant song titles too.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Noisy guitar lads.
George Harrison
4/5
Classic album of wonderful playing on wonderful songs.
Yes
2/5
Prog: Where capable musicians meet nerdy nonsense. And nerdy nonsense prevails.
5/5
A technicolor masterpiece.
The Doors
3/5
Ish.
LL Cool J
3/5
Ok. Surprisingly better than I expected, but not something I'd often revisit.
R.E.M.
3/5
Just ok.
Brian Eno
1/5
Awful album.
Buck Owens
3/5
Very same-ish but a fun listen.
Heaven 17
2/5
Cheesy 80's shite.
The Hives
3/5
Glad to have finally heard this album. But it's just alright.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Absolute fucking bollocks.
The Associates
2/5
Stupid music.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Very offbeat and quirky.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Sleazy perverted crooning, like a cousin of Jarvis Cocker. Unusual. Not particularly good, nor particularly bad. A sleazy 'n' cheesy 3 outta 5.
Metallica
3/5
Galloping palm-muted power chords, loud drums. ONE. Galloping palm-muted power chords, loud drums.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Overrated background music. There was nothing in this album for me.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Pretty much like every Elvis Costello song and/or album. Except My Aim is True. That one kicks ass.
Ministry
3/5
Beach House
3/5
Mellow and melodic and also forgettable.
Einstürzende Neubauten
2/5
Very fucking weird.
N.W.A.
3/5
Just ok.
Slade
3/5
Rock music that kinda rocks.
David Bowie
4/5
Magnificent exit album. Lazarus is a perfect song.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Country twangy songs. Not particularly bad, nor particularly good.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Poppy pop, but with a stone cold 5 star song (Beautiful) in there.
Dire Straits
5/5
Masterpiece.
Don McLean
4/5
A beautiful album.
Bill Callahan
3/5
Moody, somber lyric-driven folky tunes.
Tom Waits
4/5
Bawdy, jagged and engrossing. The entree to his classic Rain Dogs album.
Holger Czukay
2/5
Odd and (to these ears/brain) pointless music.
UB40
2/5
Just soooooo same-ish.
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Nope.
Genesis
3/5
Finally bit the bullet and listened to the whole thing. Ambitious, musical, but still lacking those giant songs needed for something like this.
Killing Joke
4/5
Fuck yeah. This album is rad. Such a fat sounding recording too.
XTC
4/5
Quirky and melodic goodness
King Crimson
3/5
Interesting stuff. Some killer riffs, some gobbledygook. Prog.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Just ok.
Oasis
4/5
Wicked album. Not as hit heavy as .. Morning Glory, but a brilliant listen anyway.
Traffic
2/5
Decidedly average 60's/70's rock with a fucking organ in it. Sheesh.
Mike Ladd
2/5
The last track is pretty good, but the rest was not really my cup of tea.
Nightmares On Wax
4/5
Very catchy songs and grooves. Pleasantly surprised by this album.
The Bees
3/5
Melodic sunshine-y music that's enjoyable at the time, and entirely forgettable afterwards.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Abrasive, punchy, but mostly tuneless and entirely forgettable.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Very dated. Music for 14 year old girls.
Sister Sledge
2/5
Bouncy, well-played, but corny as FUUUUUUUUUUCK. Ugh.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Maaaaan that was SUPERB! A beautiful soulful super-musical melting pot of numerous genres. Stunning.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Melodic, diverse, but just ok.
Gang Of Four
4/5
Jagged, quirky and fun. 3.5 rated up to 4.
Small Faces
3/5
The opening track is phenomenal, then it devolves into a kind of poor man's version of The Kinks. Listenable but very same-ish.
Paul Weller
3/5
The title track is awesome. The rest has pretty good instrumentation but Weller is kind of singing really earnestly about not much in particular.
The Adverts
2/5
Forgettable.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
Nope. There was nothing in this album for these ears.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Interesting as background music. Not something I'd revisit, but a fun enough listen one time around.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
What a stupid voice. What a stupid idea to just chat over the music. What a stupid album.
The Auteurs
3/5
Melodic indie rock. 3.5 rounded down to 3 due to not having any particular standout tracks.
Stephen Stills
3/5
The opening track is killer but, despite having Hendrix on a track or two, the rest is sooooo middle-of-the-road same-ish 70s vibe that I said "oh fuck off" twice while listening, and skipped tracks.
Kanye West
3/5
A visceral ego- and sex-driven sonic journey. There's nobody like this fucking crazy man on the planet. I enjoyed it, but wouldn't feel compelled to revisit it.
Crowded House
4/5
Some timeless gems in here from one of New Zealand's finest songwriters (the best ones are Derek Lind, and Don McGlashan) but also some very dated filler. A best of collection gets you a better batch of songs for Crowded House.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Mellow and atmospheric, but I don't get any big feels from Sinatra. Though I've tried many times, I can't feel any greatness radiating off his music. Just a croony bloke sportin' a hat, and singin' a bit behind the beat .
Cowboy Junkies
5/5
That was wholly unexpected, and entirely spellbinding and magnificent. One of this music journey's treasures.
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
Nonsense. An album of a lady speaking about the empowerment of the black vagina. How this is deemed to be essential listening is beyond me.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Dark, dated (production is so 80's) and very blah. Not his best.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Swagger, straight up rock n roll. A stepping stone to their killer era.
The White Stripes
3/5
A couple of good songs, one great one in My Doorbell, and a bunch of filler. Forgettable even the moment it ends.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Easy listening but very very cheesy. Jazz for people who don't actually like jazz. Though I did quite enjoy the tune with the raspy-voiced kid singing along.
Soft Cell
2/5
Tainted Love is a killer song. EVERYTHING ELSE is hot garbage, with corny keys, quirky tuneless singing and a nonsense bunch of songs.
Moby Grape
3/5
Average 60's stuff.
Paul Simon
3/5
Mellow, literate and quirky music from a true poet.
Kate Bush
1/5
Fucking atrocious.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Some masterpieces and some filler.
Queen
5/5
Some timeless tracks on here and a couple of lesser songs, but still has to be a 5. What a brilliant band these guys were.
Blur
4/5
A great album. Melodic, quirky and not trying to be anything other than itself. Makes me wanna deep dive their other albums.
Tina Turner
1/5
This album might be OK, but I've had a lifelong aversion to the raspy croak of Tina Turner's voice, I just can't even open it. Am I missing out? Maybe. Do I care? Fuck no.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
A great album. Very clever brain behind this project.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Opening track is a classic. The rest of the album is very same-ish 70's rock.
Frank Zappa
3/5
Interesting.
Julian Cope
3/5
Very average rock music that doesn't really rock, nor get stuck in your head to any degree. Not particularly bad, nor particularly good. 2.5 rounded to 3. How did this album become one of these 1001?
Bauhaus
2/5
Nope
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Sublime.
Roxy Music
3/5
Not bad, just not that good. Smack bang on a 3. Brilliant cover though (obviously).
Blur
4/5
Quirky and melodic Britpop that I disregarded as a teen in the 90's, but holds more appeal every time I hear it. A grower.
Meat Puppets
3/5
Scrappy, pre-grunge rock.
Minor Threat
3/5
Good punk energy. Killer distorted guitar sounds. I love the closing track.
Joanna Newsom
3/5
Okay. This is kinda like the worst of Joni Mitchell meets the best of Kate Bush, and they drop acid while reading The Lord of The Rings out loud.
Kelela
2/5
Um. Nope.
CHVRCHES
4/5
I like this. Melodic, warm synth-pop tunes.
Suicide
2/5
Nope.
Cream
3/5
Average. That's all.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
A goodie.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Fascinating and unique songwriting and performing style. Very much its own cool thing.
Tori Amos
4/5
Very intense topics in these songs. Stunning piano playing and production. Not something you can listen to very often, as it's real emotional territory. But majestic.
The Cult
2/5
How the fuck did this all-songs-sound-EXACTLY-the-same album make it onto the 1001 list? No way is this an essential listen. This band has one decent song, She Sells Sanctuary, and it's not even on this album. Fail, list makers.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
A unique melodic howl of an album.
Sigur Rós
4/5
Dreamy and beautiful.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Ish.
Björk
2/5
Good God. Can people handle a full album of this sound? This guy can't. Kooky little Eskimo had the weirdness dial cranked to 11 on this one.
The Streets
3/5
A very interesting style of his own. I enjoy the narrative and the ride, but not an album I'm drawn to relisten to.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Nice background music, but not something I would feel compelled to revisit often. Kooky synth-mad Germans.
The Pharcyde
3/5
A fun listen, with good humour, funky drum beats and a couple of tracks with really good jazz-tinged piano playing
The Kinks
3/5
Waterloo sunset is a masterpiece. But among filler. Love The Kinks, just not this album so much.
Beatles
5/5
A kooky, incredibly diverse, rambling masterpiece.
N.E.R.D
3/5
Fun, good vibes music, with funky beats and fun lyrics.
Morrissey
1/5
Nope. Not even gonna listen to this one. I detest his voice, stupid lyrical style, and all-round campy douchebag vibe. I have no reason to believe this album would offer up anything different to his regular wanker nonsense.
Tim Buckley
2/5
Same-ish kind of yelping songs, like the illicit love child of Van Morrison, Kermit The Frog, and the yelling goats one can find on YouTube.
David Bowie
3/5
A couple of great tracks in Drive In Saturday, and Jean Genie. But not my fave Bowie. The experimental piano playing gets a bit too heavy handed, and the arty side of Bowie is not my fave.
Beastie Boys
3/5
The nasal one-note whine these dudes work with is such a limited tonality that I generally can't stomach even a full song. But... there are some killer instrumental things going on on this record, and it would be even better if they just stripped all their stupid voices off it.
3/5
These Radiohead wannabes just dial it up too far too often, so their blend of classical style chord sequences and bombastic big sound just sound so so same-ish. If you've heard one Muse song, you've pretty much heard 'em all.
Grateful Dead
2/5
Dorky cacophonous stoned noodling. Fucking hairy hippies.
John Lennon
5/5
Stunning album. The original introspective deep dive into one's personality set to killer music album? Genius.
Jethro Tull
2/5
Flute-y prog twaddle. Nerds.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Fun, but very dated-sounding album.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Melodic world folk tunes.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
5/5
Genuinely surprised at how fucking cool this album is, as I paid no attention to it back in the 90's. Such a killer blend of genres, and the beats and production on it are soooo good.
Girls Against Boys
4/5
Dark, edgy, and fucking cool. Never heard this band before but it's great.
Blue Cheer
3/5
Visceral, gutsy 60's rock that sounds like an early precursor to punk and metal. Not necessarily an easy listen, but a surprising one for sure.
American Music Club
3/5
Just some dudes in a band singing some songs.
FKA twigs
3/5
An interesting album. Kind of an heiress to the music of Prince?
Stephen Stills
2/5
Some 70's dudes singing very boring 70's songs that all sound just the same. Ass.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Music as a cash cow product, rather than music as a genuine soulful experience. JT can sing, no doubt, but this feels like a commodity rather than an artistic sonic experience. Also, not the demographic this music was aimed at.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Good background music that doesn't require much from the listener except to sit back and enjoy the ride.
Raekwon
2/5
Cool drum beats and the rapper dude(s) have a good flow. Enjoyed it, sort of, but will never feel the urge to revisit. 2.5 rounded down to 2, 'cuz it sho' ain't a 3, know what I mean? Do ya? Know what I mean?
Aretha Franklin
4/5
A classic.
Linkin Park
3/5
Some chunky guitar riffs, but still mostly feels like music aimed at the maladjusted 13 year olds of the year 2000.
Radiohead
3/5
Radiohead kick ass. But this is not a particularly memorable set of songs.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Beautiful wordy music with altered tuning guitars, and Jaco Pastorius' warm and round-sounding singing fretless bass. A bit too floaty and indistinct from one song to the next to want to revisit often, but lovely while I was listening to it.
Sparks
2/5
Nope.
Os Mutantes
3/5
Kooky stuff.
The Zutons
4/5
Cool quirky tunes with unexpected chord changes and great arrangements.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
When Alanis Morrissette spent a week listening to PJ Harvey's first 3 albums, then called in her mates to bash out some rock music.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Ish.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Brilliant. A masterpiece of rock music.
Charles Mingus
4/5
A quirky but musical jazz journey.
Christine and the Queens
2/5
Yeah nah.
Randy Newman
4/5
Randy Newman is an inimitable genius. There's a few tracks on here that I don't particularly like, but the strong ones are superb.
Neil Young
3/5
Ragged n rusty. Not my favorite Neil Young style/era.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Yeah nah. Too many bells and whistles, distractions from just getting on with the song. And.... once you've heard enough other people do impersonations of the "Christina Aguilera" ooooh yeeeeah you hear nothing but that in her tunes.
Django Django
3/5
Melodic indie nerds.
1/5
A fucking monstrosity of zero musicality and 100% gimmick. Couldn't make it past a few corny intros.
Joe Ely
2/5
Americans love this glossy soulless country bollocks. Vapid nonsense that sounds the same as every other country twangy album. Nope.
The Doors
2/5
One of the most overrated bands in rock music, and one that I have tried repeatedly over the years to get into, but the music and lyrics always falls well short of the mark of music that does ANYTHING for me. This album was no exception.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Melodic. Kooky. Genre-bending. Brilliant.
The Velvet Underground
1/5
An absolute atrocity. I don't care what edgy vibe these noisy fuckwits are trying to put across, it's no good if there ain't a tune popping out every now and then. Just stupid dissonant noise. Gross.
Queen
3/5
When the blokes from Queen took a time machine to the 2000's, listened to all of the grand ambition and pomposity of Muse, then went back to the 70's and recreated it all just a weeny bit better. Brilliant band, not so brilliant album.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
I'm sure there were some good lyrics in here, but I just couldn't get past the unusual kermit-y tone of the vocalist. Sorry Kermit!
3/5
Quirky, melodic Britpop. Damon sings about some odd topics, innit?
Steve Winwood
2/5
When Peter Gabriel, in a career slump, gets hired to sing over the top of a mid-80's Saturday morning cartoon theme song soundtrack album.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Dylan is a genius. Not a huge fan of every song on this album, but it's still fantastic. And where his writing journey went next level.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Paul Simon is a genius. There are a few tracks on here that I'd skip after a while, but the masterpieces on here are some of his finest songs and lyrics. 4.5 rounded up to 5.
Can
2/5
Nope.
Van Morrison
4/5
Van The Man doing some of his finest material in his own inimitable way. 3.5 rounded up to 4.
Pantera
4/5
A metal/guitar classic.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Some dudes playing some rock music. Not particularly bad, nor particularly good. Just some dudes playing some rock music.
John Martyn
4/5
So so good. John Martyn was his own kind of genius.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
4/5
Rough, sketchy, stoned, but still melodic, memorable and brilliant.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
Impassioned vocals, cool instrumentation. But I'm such a lyrics person, it's hard to listen to a full album of this music without knowing what he's singing.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
I'd never listened to this album before, and only knew her great Prince cover, as it was EVERYWHERE when it came out. While I kinda like her voice, none of the other tracks did anything amazing for me, and were rather same-ish. 2.5 rounded to 3.
The Beta Band
3/5
Quirky, melodic tunes that are also rather same-ish after a while. 3.5 rounded down to 3.
Chicago
2/5
Nope.
Tito Puente
3/5
Harmless feelgood tunes that all sound like the Dora The Explorer theme song.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
Nope.
Morrissey
1/5
Morrissey's singing voice makes me need to simultaneously vomit, and shit blood.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Talking Heads' little cousins form a band after absorbing all the songs of 1970's Sesame Street.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Interesting.
John Prine
3/5
A different type of songwriter to those around him at the time, and a cheeky sense of humour undercurrent to the lyrics. But.. I find his nasal delivery grates a bit, and makes each song rather same-ish. 3.5 rounded down to 3.
ABBA
2/5
Nope. Can't do it. Fuck ABBA.
Judas Priest
3/5
Rock dudes
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Yup.
Steely Dan
5/5
A magnificent, uber-musical album that just told the world from the get go that these two blokes had their own jazzy kooky twisted take on things. The songs! The lyrics!! The solos!!!
Digital Underground
2/5
Nope.
Paul McCartney and Wings
5/5
Brilliant. Paul McCartney is a towering giant of music.
Mylo
3/5
Smack bang on 3. Pleasant but kinda pointless sounds.
Billie Holiday
2/5
I get that this album is famous and all that, but her voice is gross here. Ravaged and weak, and shaky and sick. Nope nope nope.
Neu!
4/5
Yip.
M.I.A.
1/5
Fucking nonsense.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Silly shock rock. Fairly musical, but offset by the Rocky Horror Picture Show meets Marilyn Manson gimmickry of the whole thing. 2.5 rounded to 3 due to decent instrumental passages.
Tangerine Dream
3/5
Some sounds.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Some funky music. Ish.
Stereo MC's
2/5
Dated sounding, mostly pointless, music where the beat is more important than any kind of songwriting skills.
Skepta
2/5
Stupid music.
Beastie Boys
2/5
Finds 2 other white males. All 3 of us pinch our noses shut with pegs, then abrasively talk-yell at the same time about New York. Rinse and repeat for a whole album/career?!
Doves
4/5
I like this. Kind of like a more indie, slightly darker, and far less yellow, Coldplay.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Ramones
4/5
Punk rock blueprint.
Megadeth
2/5
Stupid lowbrow rock. Inane lyrics, clichéd guitar riffs and just general nonsense.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Peter Gabriel is amazing. This album is not. Very silly songs, like some lukewarm parody of the dumbest prog rock.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Just ok. Not sure about the hype surrounding this album.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Shack
3/5
Melodic but kind of annoying Britpop.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Steely Dan lite lite lite.
Queen Latifah
2/5
Dated and corny. I'm sure it has a good message but I suspect it's not aimed at me.
Gene Clark
3/5
Mellow 70's stuff. Not bad, just not that good either.
3/5
Average 70's rock.
Yes
2/5
Silly prog album. Not a fan of this band. Saying No to Yes.
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
Great backing arrangements with funky beats and strings. A fun listen.
Faust
3/5
Kind of a weird blend of Neu, Brian Eno, and the more psych trips of The Byrds. Interesting driving music, but not something I'd feel compelled to revisit.
Dennis Wilson
4/5
Such a great album. Melodic, dark, edgy, and entirely not what one would expect from a Beach Boys bro. Love it.
The Style Council
3/5
Mellow Weller doing a kind of Blue Nile sorta thing. I like it.
Kings of Leon
5/5
God I fucking LOVE this album. Restored my faith in rock when it was released, after a few years in the swirly whirly jazz world. Hearing Use Somebody one night blew me away, and reminded me of Joshua Tree-era U2 without all the pompous grandiosity affiliated with Bono and Co. And this glorious album does not sound dated at all. A masterpiece.
The Vines
4/5
I really liked this, and could hear a strong Stone Temple Pilots influence on many tracks. Definitely a band to further investigate.
Fishbone
3/5
Neil Young
4/5
Such a great album, and the ones that are the best here are some of his best in his whole catalogue, including my all-time favourite NY song 'Don't Let It Bring You Down'. A timeless album.
Haircut 100
3/5
Is this the whitest music ever made? Quite possibly. Earnest froggy vocals laid down over chunka-chunk guitar licks, and horny horn stabs.
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
Jazzy beats. I liked this.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
An established classic, but numerous listens to this album have never stirred anything particularly deep in me. A 3.
Death In Vegas
2/5
Yeah nah.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Cool instrumentals. Ridiculous and stupid vocals.
The Libertines
3/5
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Nonsense music.
Destiny's Child
1/5
Such a stupid style of music.
TV On The Radio
4/5
An interesting listen. Not a band I'd listened to before, but intriguing enough for me to want to hear more of their music. 3.5 rounded up to 4.
John Lennon
4/5
Stunning album. 4.5 rounded down to 4, as it's not in my upper tier.
Simple Minds
1/5
Dated and incredibly corny music.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Nope.
OutKast
3/5
Hey Ya, and Roses, are stunning, but the rest I could take or leave. And it just goes on and on and on.
Calexico
4/5
Cool, spicy and melodic songwriting. I like this a lot.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Started off interesting then rapidly turned the corner into cheesy shite.
Scritti Politti
2/5
Super corny 80's garbage.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Clever jazz, but not really to my liking as far as jazz goes.
2/5
Ambient background cafe music. Kinda pointless.
Beatles
4/5
Not my fave Beatles album, but there are some personal faves on here.
Dolly Parton
2/5
Cornball Americana.
Goldfrapp
2/5
Nope. Not for me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Dark, pulsing, and rather monotone.
Nico
2/5
Nope. The mopey, toneless deep voice and lack of nuance is just a no go from me. Though I do love hearing Jackson Browne's banter about his electric guitar playing on this cover of his song These Days.
3/5
High octane, high energy classic. Not something I'd feel compelled to listen to often, besides the mega title track, but I totally respect and admire the energy those bastards poured into their live show.
Anita Baker
2/5
Buzzcocks
3/5
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
The Undertones
3/5
Just some songs. Not particularly bad, just not particularly good.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Just some dudes playing tunes.
Tom Waits
4/5
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Iron Butterfly
2/5
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Just ok.
Japan
2/5
Doofus vocals and stupid 80’s-before-the-80’s keyboard tunes. Dumb.
Laibach
3/5
Ok.
Motörhead
3/5
Very intense live rock album by rock legends.
Spiritualized
3/5
Frank Ocean
3/5
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
Slipknot
1/5
Stupid music.
Sabu
3/5
Fun upbeat instrumental music.
Janis Joplin
2/5
I just don’t enjoy the raspy tone of Janis Joplin’s voice, rendering the whole album not pleasant for me.
Metallica
4/5
A true rock classic that can either sound incredible, or like pumped-up cartoon music on steroids, depending on one’s mood. But no denying the ongoing influence this record has had.
Living Colour
3/5
Funky rock tunes
Joan Baez
2/5
Shrill, dated, and not my thing at all.
Prince
4/5
Billy Joel
5/5
Love it.
The Band
5/5
I adore this album. Stunning musicianship, brilliant songs, and the sheer joy and earnestness the singers throw at the music is a thing of joy and wonder. Pity Robbie Robertson fucked the band over with their royalties for this music, and after the 2nd album, the dynamic and earnestness starts to slip slowly but surely.
The Residents
2/5
Nope
Baaba Maal
4/5
Captivating otherworldly music
Lambchop
3/5
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
The KLF
2/5
Willie Nelson
4/5
The Thrills
4/5
Great energetic poppy songwriting. Brilliant production. A gem.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Adele
4/5
Fred Neil
2/5
The Yardbirds
3/5
2/5
Syd Barrett
3/5
fIREHOSE
3/5
2/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
3/5
Klaxons
3/5
New York Dolls
3/5
Big Star
5/5
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
Beck
3/5
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
The Soft Boys
3/5
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Laura Nyro
3/5
Coldcut
2/5
Soft Machine
2/5
Kraftwerk
4/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Tom Waits
3/5
Blood, Sweat & Tears
2/5
U2
3/5
KISS
3/5
The Coral
3/5
Jeff Buckley
4/5
David Bowie
5/5
Radiohead
4/5
The Monkees
3/5
The Cure
3/5
Beatles
4/5
Manu Chao
3/5
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
The Killers
5/5
Incubus
3/5
The Fall
2/5
Radiohead
4/5
Slint
4/5
The Young Gods
2/5
The Kinks
3/5
The Who
4/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
SZA
3/5
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Gil Scott-Heron
2/5
Miles Davis
1/5
The Black Keys
3/5
Boards of Canada
3/5
Throwing Muses
3/5
Hole
4/5
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
5/5
The Beta Band
3/5
The Flaming Lips
3/5
k.d. lang
3/5
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Giant Sand
4/5
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
Suzanne Vega
3/5
The Pogues
2/5
Wilco
5/5
Randy Newman
4/5
Hot Chip
4/5
Can
2/5
Bad Brains
3/5
Funkadelic
4/5
Ian Dury
2/5
Doves
3/5
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Venom
1/5
The xx
3/5