142
Albums Rated
3.04
Average Rating
13%
Complete
947 albums remaining
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Rating Timeline
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1960s
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
13
5-Star Albums
9
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Dig Me Out
Sleater-Kinney
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
Repeater
Fugazi
|
5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
|
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
|
5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
|
Surfer Rosa
Pixies
|
5 | 3.5 | +1.5 |
|
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
|
5 | 3.62 | +1.38 |
|
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
|
5 | 3.65 | +1.35 |
|
Superunknown
Soundgarden
|
5 | 3.66 | +1.34 |
|
In Utero
Nirvana
|
5 | 3.83 | +1.17 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hotel California
Eagles
|
1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
|
Aja
Steely Dan
|
1 | 3.46 | -2.46 |
|
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
|
1 | 3.01 | -2.01 |
|
Steve McQueen
Prefab Sprout
|
1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
|
Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
|
1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
|
Destroy Rock & Roll
Mylo
|
1 | 2.89 | -1.89 |
|
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
|
1 | 2.84 | -1.84 |
|
Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
|
2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
|
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
|
2 | 3.79 | -1.79 |
5-Star Albums (13)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Soundgarden
5/5
Disclaimer: Can't be objective about this one. This is literally the first record I ever purchased. I just finished the new Chris Cornell biography Total Fucking Godhead... I'm a bit of a fan of this band.
What a classic album! Love the sort of dark, evil psychadelia of this record. Huge riffs, Matt "Fucking" Cameron on drums with bizarre time signatures, and one of the all-time greatest rock voices... it just doesn't get much better. On my all time favorites.
19 likes
Laibach
3/5
The last 4 or 5 songs were really a drag to get though, but I found the A side to be more enjoyable. As a novice German-speaker, he's pretty easy to understand, found I could understand a good deal of it. So that was enjoyable.
Not sure what I think of them though after reading about the group. Usage of Nazi iconography is pretty questionable, though I guess they were using it kind of subversively to point on the problems with state power under communism? Not sure that wears as well in 2021 post-Trump/alt-right era as it might have in 1987 behind the steel curtain.
12 likes
Beyoncé
1/5
It's modern mainstream pop music...
These pop people are always kinda funny to me. They're like full grown adults most of the time (I guess she was ~32 when this was released) and they have to sing these ridiculous songs ("Blow" comes to mind) and dress in these crazy outfits all the time. Sure, she's only 32 at the time here and maybe "Can you eat my skittles?" and "Turn that cherry out" are actually the artistic statements she wants to make... Regardless, the lyrics on this album are just ridiculously cheesy. Whatever pays the bills I guess.
10 likes
Sonic Youth
4/5
Great record! Love the tracks with Kim on vocals, they have a sort of effortless cool to them. Sonic Youth's most commercial album. For some reason I remember thinking this record was kind of uneven but coming back to it now it's pretty strong all around.
It is kind of weird to have Chuck D on a track just to say a few kind of cliche rapper things in the background. Weird 90's thing to do (REM's Radio Song being a similar example).
9 likes
John Lee Hooker
3/5
I'm not super crazy about albums with a million collaborations like this. Was worried this would be like those Santana records in the late 90's (You know, the one with "Smooth" and the Matchbox 20 guy) where every track is basically just in the style of the collaborator and the main artist is just sort of a show-piece in the background. First track (ironically with Santana) is definitely kind of like this but as it went on it (largely) escaped that trap.
Still, it feels like this is probably not his best work - more of his introduction to mainstream audiences. It's fairly stripped down, straight ahead blues. Enjoyable but not that inspiring. I suspect his back catalog is much stronger than this record.
Still, glad he got paid by this record - sounds like it let him live out the rest of his life without money worries.
It's fine but not great, 3 stars.
8 likes
1-Star Albums (9)
All Ratings
The Smiths
3/5
I can appreciate it but doesn't really speak to me. It's too clean and shimmery.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Classic masterpiece.
Judas Priest
3/5
"United" and "Red, White & Blue" are really cheese and don't seem to be ironic / sarcastic. Red, White and Blue literally ends with "God Save the Queen".
Maybe I'm just too much of a punk rocker, but seems like the only that should follow that is "She ain't no human being".
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
"There's Always Tomorrow" is basically the same as Bob Dylan's 115th Dream
Solid meh - seems like pretty typical 60's rock. A bit copycat of the Beatles. Not offensive generally but also don't really get why this would be special.
Eagles
1/5
Billy Bragg
4/5
This is great, can't believe I've never heard of it. Love the heavy use of organ. Sounds modern but also like folk music. Some great lyrics. It's a winner.
John Coltrane
4/5
While I'm not necessarily a huge jazz fan, quite enjoyable. I can understand why it's a classic. Probably worth 5 stars aside from personal preferences. Still, likely I'll come back to it.
N.W.A.
4/5
It's a classic. Some great samples. I love Ice Cube. Of course the lyrics are pretty vulgar and juvenile (and occasionally racist, sexist etc), but I can almost rationalize that in a punk rock kind of way.
I will say, it's pretty uneven. Some all-time great stuff but also some that just feels a bit like filler. I think I remember it as better than it actually is.
The Clash
5/5
What a great fucking record! I used to not particularly care for The Clash when I was a bit more purist in my punk rock. They certainly shift styles a lot. But this is really a masterpiece. I think I tend to like it more each time I return to it.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Obviously a great album, but I don't think it quite hits the heights of later Stones records. It's the beginning of their golden era though. This through maybe Goat's Head Soup are all just great records.
Steely Dan
1/5
Initial thought after one song: It's "jazz" in the worst sense. Generic, soft, cheesy, and likely something played in the background. I feel a bit icky listening to it.
In fairness, it's possible my brain has been programmed by worse albums and media that came after this to categorize this style of music as bad/corny/etc... or it was always that way.
Also, most of my favorite music was probably recorded in a dingy basement on the cheapest equipment possible. Could this record be 'too clean' for me? It could be entirely subconscious.
Stephen Stills
3/5
3 songs in... really good. I find CSN a little soft for my tastes (though I do like/appreciate them) so I was expecting this to be similar but it's much harder blues rock.
... Spoke a bit too soon - got real folksy-ballady right after that. LOL. Still, can't complain too much - it's very pretty.
Turns out the four sides have different themes. Side B was the most CSN and probably my least favorite, but not by any means bad - just personal preference here.
The Roots
3/5
I always kind of thought this would be the type of hip-hop I would like, and there is definitely some good stuff here, but overall it surprises me that I think I prefer the 90's gangsta rap to this a bit more.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Was expecting this to be bad. But it's actually pretty good. I'm kind of a sucker for this style though, heavy on the organ, lots of soul. You can tell his backing band is pretty fantastic and lays down some nice grove. His voice is fine. A few cheesy moments towards the end.
Syd Barrett
3/5
Overall I think I liked it. Listened a couple of times. Some nice acoustic work. Got kinda weird toward the end. I can see why it's on here but I'm not sure it's something I'll revisit that often.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Listened to it once but I was kinda busy and I'm not sure I fully processed it. Enjoyed some of the guitar work. Enjoyable but it didn't wow me - but maybe I didn't give it enough attention.
Nick Drake
5/5
This album is great. Dark, melancholy, beautiful. Reminds me a lot of Mark Lanegan's solo work (and come to think about it, I think Nick Drake was mentioned as an influence in Lanegan's autobiography).
David Bowie
4/5
New to me. I'm more familiar with Bowie's Berlin trilogy than his earlier Stardust era stuff. Pretty good, I like the sort of raunchy Stones vibe but TBH I'd probably rather just listen to the Stones for that. Enjoyable album though.
Laibach
3/5
The last 4 or 5 songs were really a drag to get though, but I found the A side to be more enjoyable. As a novice German-speaker, he's pretty easy to understand, found I could understand a good deal of it. So that was enjoyable.
Not sure what I think of them though after reading about the group. Usage of Nazi iconography is pretty questionable, though I guess they were using it kind of subversively to point on the problems with state power under communism? Not sure that wears as well in 2021 post-Trump/alt-right era as it might have in 1987 behind the steel curtain.
Boston
2/5
I've actually not listened to this before (aside from the really famous songs everyone has heard obviously). It's very commercial sounding. The wikipedia article says it marks the point where rock shifted from blues-rock to power pop - totally agree with this. This album is probably one of the reasons why punk rock exists. It feels kind of generic to me actually - but that's probably more a reflection on me than the record. Overall, I can see why it's a popular record and can appreciate parts of that - but not for me.
Pretenders
3/5
I like a few songs. I've personally not listened to a lot of "New Wave" - I know it's often referred to as an iteration of punk. I can hear that a bit in some songs and some of the attitude, but it's so much more commercial sounding generally.
One song had a notable amount of Flanger.
Neu!
3/5
It's basically two different albums on each side. Side A was kinda boring but pretty. Side B was much more in my wheelhouse. Hero is a fun song and I can see why it's consider influential / proto-punk. Interesting album but not sure if I'll revisit
Ash
2/5
Definitely feels like a record from 96. A pop band trying to ape the sounds of great underground bands but in a much more commercial style. It's like another version of Creed or something.
Girl from Mars is straight-up sugar pop with a layer of distortion added on top. Some tracks (Lost in You) are just straight up bad.
They occasionally sound a lot like bands that I love and some of the guitar work is enjoyable but the whole thing is just kind of offensive and feels very calculated / inauthentic. Would never put this on a list of albums you have to hear before you die. Nothing here should be a requirement for anyone - go listen to the bands this group is imitating.
Beastie Boys
4/5
It's a bit uneven but the grooves are tight! Obviously was familiar with a few songs on here (Sabotage, Sure Shot to a lesser extant) but never listened to the full album. I've been fairly agnostic... probably most due to the vocals always being a bit harsh. But now I realize that the grooves and DJing is probably more important for them than the MCing, at least on this record.
Fred Neil
4/5
"They'll probably drop the atom bomb the day my ship comes in" - badass line in "That's The Bag I'm In"
I know "Ba-Di-Da" from the excellent Mark Lanegan cover.
Really enjoyed this record. A bit Cash-like in some ways. Definitely see the Mark Lanegan connection. Great record.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
On first glance there isn't much here beyond the title track. I'm not much of an R&B/Soul fan but wikipedia describes this as funk record. I like funk but this is pretty smooth... seems like a stretch to me. Maybe it's all the harps...
Enjoyable listen but it kind of just merged into the background for the most part. 3 stars.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Pew Pew Pew...
Nirvana
5/5
A formative album for me. I actually don't listen to Nirvana that much anymore... but still a classic for me.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Reminds me a bit of early REM... jangle pop. Something about the production feels very 80's.
I liked a few of the songs and there is nothing overly objectionable but I doubt I'll ever revisit this.
Aerosmith
2/5
Aerosmith at the height of their 80's/90's come back when they embraced a pop / hair metal style. Everything is way over-produced and "big" sounding. In some songs there is so much going on it's a bit hard to follow. Too many instruments, too slick.
Listened to a little 70's Aerosmith (Rocks) after this to compare... such a better album. It's like a different band. Way less fluff, distraction, and gimmick.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Just not very interesting to me. Kinda boring. Lyrically doesn't seem like she has much to say that's interesting. Musically it feels more R&B and electronic influenced than most rap I've heard. I think I prefer more aggressive/transgressive hip-hop but I'm not much of a hip-hop fan so that's also part of it.
Also, this album is too long. Clearly from the CD era.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Not really a big fan of Simon & Garfunkel. Mr Robinson is great and I recall liking some other stuff on the Graduate soundtrack but otherwise I find them kinda boring. I can understand why this record is important and probably loved by many but for me there are too many strings and things are generally just too sweet and meandering. Though it does get a bit more uptempo on side 2. Just my preference, but I prefer folk music (and music generally) with a bit more of an edge (regardless of tempo).
John Prine
3/5
It's pretty country but more on the folk side of country. Having said that, there are some strong anti-war songs on here. It's not your modern red-state fishin'/drinkin'/Merica! country music. Though there is some religion-stuff in here.
The songs do all kind of sound the same after a while and he's not the best singer. But in folk music like this the words/message are a bit more important than the music. And he's got some clever, enjoyable, and thought-provoking lyrics.
TLDR: Interesting listen. Probably won't revisit much but I can appreciate it.
The Blue Nile
2/5
This is a bit of a chore to get through. I can kind of understand why it might be on the list. It's an interesting sound... very 80's sounding to my ears... but from what little I read about this album it might have pioneered this sound. So it was definitely influential.
Interesting, but not something I necessarily enjoyed or would revisit.
The B-52's
3/5
Finally something with a beat. Last few albums have been slow/boring.
I wasn't expecting to like this very much, probably because I'm not that big a fan of 80s music and I thought this would be pretty pop-oriented (Love Shack is probably the only song of theirs have some awareness of). But it's surprisingly good. Fun surf guitars and driving beats. Vocals remind me of X a bit. Good, enjoyable listen but also nothing earth shattering for me so it's unlikely I'll revisit much. Very solid 3 stars.
Moby Grape
4/5
Weirdly this album isn't fully available on Spotify or Amazon Music (there are some tracks, but they are mostly the 'bonus' tracks from a 2007 reissue). So be warned that if you listen on these services you aren't really getting the actual album. Was able to find it on youtube videos.
Pretty great record! Something about this era and this style of music that always feels like coming home to me. I'm not a baby boomer that grew up with this stuff in my formative years (in fact, never heard this record before) - I think it's just that this era's blues-based rock is so foundational if you're a fan of rock music.
The Jam
2/5
Just meh. I listened to this on Friday and it's Monday now. I honestly can't remember much about it. Maybe I wasn't giving it enough attention, but it seemed pretty bland to me. Singer reminded me of a cut-rate Joe Strummer. Nothing against this, just didn't seem special.
The Zombies
3/5
There is a lot to like here. It's a bit too sweet for me but some fun stuff. Really liked "Butchers Tale" and of course everybody's heard Time of the Season. Love the 60's era organ stuff.
Also, bonus points for the great album art! Solid 3.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Very pedestrian pop-blues rock/country. Feels like 80's production. I can see why this was a big hit for her. Some of the songs that veer more towards the blues (Real Man for instance) are ok, but generally this is not very interesting to me. Guitars are too clean and too far back in the mix. Personally I'd rather listen to actual Chicago-style blues like Muddy Waters or something with a bit more bite and hard edge. This is kind of watered down blues-style pop.
Brian Eno
3/5
I wouldn't have predicted that I'd like this. Ambient, prog sort of music isn't typically a thing I go for but this is pretty good. Super interesting tones and instrumentation. Rating only 3 because I'm probably not going to revisit this much - but definitely enjoyable/interesting.
Laura Nyro
2/5
I feel like I should have liked this more than I did but for some reason I couldn't get into it and really struggled to get through it. Probably more on me than the record. Probably should be 3 stars but giving it 2.
Van Halen
3/5
I've not listened to Van Halen much. Growing up mostly in the post-Grunge period these guys were never cool to me and I generally lumped them in with all the (bad) 80's hair bands. Listening to this now... it's not terrible.
First off, can't deny that Eruption isn't great... but I mostly came to appreciate that after hearing Mike McCready play it live.
The guitars are pretty front and center so that's nice. I'm surprised by how much they sound like Aerosmith to me. David Lee Roth sounds a lot like Steven Tyler. The music isn't as funky as Aerosmith can be but it's basically the same idea.
Overall, a surprisingly fun listen considering my general dislike of this big pop-rock style. Aside from some of the guitar playing, it's really not that original. I can understand why lots of people love this and it's on the list - but it doesn't really seem like that much of a landmark album to me and stylistically I'm not really into it.
Boards of Canada
1/5
I got through it but it was tough. Might be a classic of the genre for all I know but not for me.
Mudhoney
5/5
One of my favorite bands... hell, at times they are my absolute favorite. Great band to see live. This is a classic in my book, just got the 30th anniversary version of this on vinyl. Glad to see it here on the list.
These guys are still cranking out great stuff. I'd argue their last 3 records (The Lucky Ones, Vanishing Point, Digital Garbage) are as good as (and maybe better than) anything they've ever put out. Check them out too.
Culture Club
1/5
This is so 80's sounding it is ridiculous. Hard to believe anyone ever took this seriously or thought this was was a critically important album. So cheesy.
Primal Scream
2/5
While I'm not a huge fan of the electronic music, some of their hybrid electronic-rock works. The grooves are pretty decent and I can appreciate what they are going for here. Some if it is also pretty bad.
Kowalski is pretty fun. So is "If They Move, Kill 'Em". Star is terrible. The rest is somewhere in the middle.
Mixed bag of a record that ends up being less than the sum of its parts.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
So much envelope filter on the first song, love it! Enjoyed the rest of it too, though I got a little too jazz for me in places. I'm definitely more interested in funk than jazz. Also, it's instrumental so it's easy for it to kind of become background music. Pretty enjoyable overall though.
Don McLean
3/5
Obviously the opener/title track is a classic. Haven't actually heard any other songs from this prior to this listening. This rest of it is pretty meh. Generally clean, pretty, kinda dour, and slow. "Everybody Loves Me, Baby" being the one up-tempo exception. Maybe if I was in a specific mood it would work. But generally, I think the only must-listen here is the title track.
Gillian Welch
4/5
Beautiful, timeless folk/country/bluegrass. Strong and heartfelt performances. I like it.
The down side is that it's really not very original or creative. For an album released in 2001, this is all stuff that could have been recorded 50 or even 70 years earlier. There is nothing here you haven't heard before.
Still, periodically people need to return to these kind of classic/roots sounds and this record does a great job delivering it.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Initially I was turned off by the sort of stripped down nature of the recording and how sort of weak it makes his voice sound but as I got into the record I found it grew on me and came to enjoy that aspect of it.
Noticed a weird buzzing noise in the back of the mix, really quiet. Turns out it's an instrument called a "Jew's Harp". Really interesting - never come across this before. Seems like it's on basically every track.
I suspect this is a record that probably gets better with more listens. It's also of a certain mood and tends to be a bit one-note. I can see why it's on the list but it's not something that jumps out at you as a classic right away.
2Pac
2/5
Not very funky but I did find my head bobbing along to some of the beats. Overall, it's a bit dour - musically and lyrically. Kind of drones on. Also, it's too long - typical of the early CD era.
Seems like he's trying really hard to be 'deep' and 'introspective' but to me it feels a bit put-on - especially with the fairly juvenile content of the lyrics. I guess given the macho pretensions of this genre/time period it's kind of to be expected.
Also it's hard to separate the fact that he was in jail for sexual assault while this was released... So that adds an ick factor that's hard to get past.
Haven't listened to much 2Pac compared to other 90's hip hop. Overall, not overly impressed with this.
Pixies
5/5
Great album - one of my all time favorites. Personally, my favorite Pixies record, though Doolittle is great as well I think I prefer this one. Such a great band, Albini on the boards... can't go wrong. Punk rock classic.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Generally not a fan of electronic music but this is pretty good actually. North American Scum is punk rock. This isn't boring ambient stuff or just a collection of club beats. There are some songs in here.
The Mars Volta
3/5
I remember liking this record back in the day but I haven't listened to it in years. I'm not a huge fan of the singer's voice - find it a bit grating. There is a lot going on, it's a bit hard to get into. I guess that's prog rock for you - which is typically not my thing. Still, it's definitely an interesting record. Not as good as I remember or maybe I just wasn't in the right mood. Makes sense for it to be on this list.
Beatles
5/5
Disclaimer: While I like the Beatles, I also think they are the most overrated band in history. Not to say they weren't among the greatest ever... but the boomer obsession with this band can be a bit much.
Having said that, this is my favorite Beatles record. Side A is good but side B is just incredible from "You Never Give Me Your Money" to the end. They definitely went out with a bang on this one (the last record they recorded together)
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Great record, but it's hard to be impartial on this one since it's something I grew up with. I'm not the biggest Jane's Addition fan, but it's a classic. Tempted to give 5 stars but I'm not sure it's quite up there for me. Still a classic record.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
I'm not super crazy about albums with a million collaborations like this. Was worried this would be like those Santana records in the late 90's (You know, the one with "Smooth" and the Matchbox 20 guy) where every track is basically just in the style of the collaborator and the main artist is just sort of a show-piece in the background. First track (ironically with Santana) is definitely kind of like this but as it went on it (largely) escaped that trap.
Still, it feels like this is probably not his best work - more of his introduction to mainstream audiences. It's fairly stripped down, straight ahead blues. Enjoyable but not that inspiring. I suspect his back catalog is much stronger than this record.
Still, glad he got paid by this record - sounds like it let him live out the rest of his life without money worries.
It's fine but not great, 3 stars.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
I don't think of myself as a jazz fan... but this site is going to make me one. I don't listen to jazz often and I'm not too familiar with classic records in this genre but so far I've been enjoying most of the jazz records this site is throwing at me. This is another good one.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
I think I only listened to about half of this. Never really captured my attention. Not offensive. Seems like some of this would be up my ally but it just didn't hold me for whatever reason. Maybe too polished?
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Not really my preferred style of music but I can't deny it's a great record. Really beautiful. Should be 5 stars in all honesty but for me personally I wouldn't count it among my all time favorites so I'm going to only give it 4 to adjust for personal tastes.
Maxwell
2/5
Never heard of this record. Liked this better than I thought I would... but I wasn't expecting much when I saw the wikipedia article mentioning similarity to D'Angelo...
I'm not a big R&B fan but there were elements of funk in here on occasion that I liked. Excessive use of wah and fun modulation effects. Seemed like a good R&B record but I'm not a great judge of that. It did go on a little long at times.
Close to a 3 for me but probably not quite there. 2 stars.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
There are some great songs on here - it's obviously a classic record. I'm not a huge fan of the production of this record. It always sounds kind of muddy to me. I feel the production combined with their take on it kind of ruins Hendrix's Little Wing (on of my favorite songs)
I used to be a bigger fan of Clapton but these days I find him a bit... not sure the right word... stodgy? He's a bit too traditional in his adherence to the blues. And he's not the greatest singer. But still, some great stuff on here. Hard to dislike it.
Deep Purple
3/5
Some fun songs but it seems like kinda by-the-numbers 70's hard rock to me. Nothing was super interesting or creative. A good, solid record but I wouldn't call it a classic or a great one. If you are fan of this style it's a good one.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Enjoyed this record. Very interesting use of synths. I generally like Kosmische Musik (and Bowie's Kosmische Musik influenced stuff from this period) though I don't listen to it that often and I don't gravitate to this style. This record is the progenitor of that sound. Definitely should be on this list.
3/5
Never listened to Yes before. Was kind of dreading this because for some reason, I assumed this was an 80's hair band - I guess their name is pretty generic sounding. Turns out it's a 70's prog rock band - big difference there! lol
The album is basically just two very long tracks. Enjoyable listening... some good grooves and interesting things happening. Some cool keyboards and organ stuff. But it doesn't have that kind of primal immediacy that tends to move me. I guess liked from a sort of academic perspective, if that makes sense. Can definitely see why it's on the list. Solid 3 stars.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Love it! This was actually my first Nick Cave & Bad Seeds record. This is a classic in my book. I forget how good this record is from time to time but it's so great from top to bottom. Glad it made the list.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Great record! Love the tracks with Kim on vocals, they have a sort of effortless cool to them. Sonic Youth's most commercial album. For some reason I remember thinking this record was kind of uneven but coming back to it now it's pretty strong all around.
It is kind of weird to have Chuck D on a track just to say a few kind of cliche rapper things in the background. Weird 90's thing to do (REM's Radio Song being a similar example).
Marvin Gaye
2/5
First thought - that is a terrible cover! The ego he must have had at this point!
This is apparently a bitter divorce album. It's basically a concept album on the subject. But nothing here is particularly deep - just feels like a bitter, very self involved man ranting. It's not a good look and it seems like he doesn't realize it - which is maybe even worse (again, that cover...).
There are a few decent funky tracks (A Funky Space Reincarnation for example) but this is largely pretty cringe-worthy and not worth the time.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
An interesting mash-up of different genres but I didn't really care for it. It's been about a week since I listened to it so details are sparse but I think it was kind of uneven for me and I kind of struggled to finish it. There were some fun tracks I think but it didn't always work or come together for me. Also, not very interesting lyrically.
Korn
2/5
Weirdly I was kinda looking forward to this. I was in Middle/High School around this time and while I was never a huge fan of these bands, I definitely listened to some of this stuff since it was omni-present. Never owned or fully listened to this record but I remembering liking Freak on a Leash.
Wow, this has not aged well at all. Particularly the lyrics. So much homophobia everywhere and it sounds so stupid and childish. "All in the Family" is particularly stupid.
Musically, the vocalist is pretty annoying. He's a bit nasal when he's singing and his guttural screams are a bit annoying too. They sounds kind of put-on if that makes sense. He's not really an MC at all and has no flow on the rap-like tracks. About the only time he's interesting is when he does his freak-out scat-type stuff.
The guitar work is sometimes interesting. Some weird modulation stuff going on with the west coast whistle style sounds in between the harder metal parts. The heavy parts aren't that interesting and don't sound that well recorded to me.
The record is also too long. Definitely falls in that 90's CD-era where every record had too many songs on it just because they could.
Overall, it's pretty weak - especially in 2021.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Never really listened to Alice Cooper. I always wrote them off as a gimmick / novelty group. I think I saw them in Wayne's World and they seemed like kinda cheezy metal too.
This is actually not too bad. It's basically just classic rock. Some strings and orchestration here and there too. Definitely not very metal. Vaguely enjoyable; nothing offensive. (musically that is, some might find offense with the necrophilia in "I Love the Dead"). Overall though, just sort of ok.
Kanye West
4/5
Prog-rap? Yeah, I think so. Kanye might be a huge douche and kind of insane but this record *is* pretty amazing sounding. Lyrically it has some pretty problematic spots but it's also pretty funny. This isn't my genre and I'm probably not going to revisit much but it's a fascinating listen. Totally get why this is on the list.
Television
4/5
This is a pretty great record. Television is a complete blindspot for me but seems like they should be in my wheelhouse. The guitar interplay is great. The vocals aren't amazing but they mostly work in the context of the songs. Cool record.
Gary Numan
3/5
Really interesting record. Definitely out of my comfort zone since I'm typically a fan of guitar-based music. I can see why this is on the list from that perspective. The music is very sort of sparse and cold feeling. Apparently a big influence and Industrial music like Nine Inch Nails later on. Sometimes the synths sound cool and kind of square wave, other times it's a bit too... not sure the right term... orchestral maybe?
It's a cool record. I liked it from an intellectual perspective but I didn't really connect to it otherwise. An interesting listen but not something I'll likely come back to.
k.d. lang
2/5
Lots of country twang. This is a real throw-back record. Lots of ballads... apparently all covers written by others. This record could have easily been made 20 or 30 years earlier I think. I'm no expert on this, but I'm guessing this is inspired by the famed "Nashville Sound".
The production and session musicians are very clean and professional sounding. It's maybe a bit too clean and polished sounding for me. I have to say, she has a cool voice - it's kinda smoky sounding and lower than you typically hear in female vocals.
Still, this doesn't seem like a landmark album to me. Just some average or above average examples of this genre and not innovating in any perceptible way. More just paying homage to a classic style. If you like this genre you'll probably like this. If not, I'd skip it - seems like there are probably more important/canonical recordings of this genre out there.
The La's
3/5
I thought I hadn't heard of the La's before but apparently I have.
Timeless Melody! I know this from Pearl Jam bootlegs. I knew it was a cover but never bothered to look up the original. Great song.
"There She Goes" - Again, I've heard this but never knew or looked up the author. I guess their biggest hit. Makes sense, feel like I remember this from various 90's rom-com type things.
Overall, a pretty good record. It's a genre I enjoy so I'm probably biased. Not world shattering.
ABBA
2/5
ABBA is definitely not in my wheelhouse. Was kind of dreading this. Then I heard the synths at the beginning of the first song and started reading the wiki article that this was a change in direction for them. That gave me some hope that it might be more interesting... but no, it's still syrupy sweet pop music.
I mean, it's not unlistenable and I can appreciate that it might be perfect pop music for some people. It's just really not for me. "I Let the Music Speak" was particularly difficult to get through. So slick and overproduced. At least it was only 37 minutes long.
But this isn't offensive to me. ABBA are what they are and they have no pretensions about being a pure pop group.
A 1 for me personally but bumping up to a 2 in recognition that this is really just not my type of music and it's probably not that bad.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
Surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I got ABBA right before this one and this is the perfect palate cleanser after that slick, syrupy pop so maybe that's part of it...
But this is an easy win for me. I'm already a QOTSA fan. I've seen them live at PJ20 and I actually just re-purchased Rated R on vinyl.
Wouldn't call myself a huge fan though. I actually haven't listened to this one much before. I really liked Rated R and Songs for the Deaf. I kind of lost track of them after Lullabies but a few weeks ago I spent some time catching up with their more recent work. But for some reason I always kind of skipped this one (maybe I listened to it once and wasn't impressed, maybe it's the kind of terrible album art... not sure.)
This is great! I think I'd still rate Rated R and Songs for the Deaf above it but it's clearly QOTSA. Love Homme's guitar sound and the big stoner riffs. Great stuff.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
American Girl is a great song but most of this doesn't really stand out to me. Sort of middle of the road roots rock.
It's funny, some of the critical reviews talk about how this was almost underground at the time and compare to the Ramones but to my ear it has none of the bite or aggression of 70's underground punk music. I suppose in the 70's era of big, over the top Zeppelin rip-offs this probably felt more revolutionary but in 2020 it just sounds a bit too tame for me.
It's not bad, but not very interesting either. Just fine.
Fever Ray
2/5
There were a few cool tracks. I liked the first song and 'Keep The Streets Empty For Me'. It's an interesting album. Some interesting sonic textures. Not really the kind of music I'm into so it was a bit of a struggle for me sometimes, but I can appreciate that this is pretty good if you like this kind of thing (stark, electronic music sound-scapes that occasionally become dance music).
The Byrds
2/5
Initial thoughts
* Mr Tambourine Man - More familiar with the Dylan version and I think I prefer it.
* Spanish Harlem Incident - This is not great. I thought the Byrds were known for making Dylan's stuff more accessible but seems like the singer seems like he's really aping Dylan and not in a good way.
After that I didn't pay super close attention. Jangly vaguely folky soft rock. Can hear some 12-string sometimes. Some good songs but I'm not in love with their particular style or performances.
Some factoids I came across
* Apparently two songs (title track and "I Knew I'd Wanted You") were actually recorded by the Wreaking Crew (great doc if you haven't seen it) before the Byrds insisted that they actually play on the record. And you can really hear the difference on those two tracks.
* Also an interesting tidbit, a book I'm reading about the history of the electric guitar (Play It Loud) claims the Byrd were an influence on Dylan going electric.
Bottom line: Just sort of meh. I'd rather just listen to Dylan himself - though I really like Dylan's electric period so thankful if this played some small part in that. Those are great records. Definitely and influential record, can see why it's on the list from that perspective.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I think this was one of my favorite Zeppelin albums at one point but I haven't listened to Led Zeppelin in a while.
It's definitely a great record but I listening back this time it was a little underwhelming this time. I think there are two reasons
* The recording quality leaves a bit to be desired. Sounds a bit thin in places (probably the first time I'm listening to this on a truly hi-fi audio setup)
* It's a bit less bombastic than earlier Zeppelin albums. They definitely started to do more acoustic stuff and ballads. The is one of the things I used to really like about this album but probably I just wasn't in the mood for mellow Zeppelin this time out so not going to count this against it too much.
Anyway, hard to rate this anything but a 4. A great record.
Fishbone
3/5
There is a lot going on here. So many different styles all kind of on top of each other. And they're busy styles with a lot of instruments. Dirty guitar tones are kind of a cheesy 80's high gain sound that sounds somehow both too clean but also too gain-y (not sure how to describe, but it's not my favorite sound). Production is very 80's.
It's all very over the top and chaotic. I feel like I want to like this because of the punk/funk elements and the kind of out of the box aspect of it. This is definitely not your typical top 40 music - definitely feels creative and fun... but it's a bit too much for me and it didn't really click with me.
It's probably actually a 2 for me but I liked their vibe and the sort of throw it all at the wall attitude, even if it didn't really work most of the time for me so 3 it is.
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
Never heard of this album/group. First impression on seeing the cover: "Looks like three wolf moon... this is going to bad". Then I read this was an 80's goth/dark wave record and I was prepped for the worst...
But I actually really enjoyed this record. I actually haven't listened to much "goth" or "dark wave" music. Maybe I should. There is some heavy use of 80's synths and production here... but this is not your top 40's cheezy 80's music. This is music for outsiders. Can hear the post-punk roots in this. Pretty cool record.
Carpenters
2/5
My thoughts on this record are similar to my thoughts about the ABBA record that I got on here recently. I can appreciate their skill as a pure-pop group but by and large this music is just not for me. It's not unlistenable but it's too polished, too clean, and too syrupy.
Having said that, even ABBA is arguable more creative and influential than the Carpenters. This is far more middle of the road and boring.
Soundgarden
5/5
Disclaimer: Can't be objective about this one. This is literally the first record I ever purchased. I just finished the new Chris Cornell biography Total Fucking Godhead... I'm a bit of a fan of this band.
What a classic album! Love the sort of dark, evil psychadelia of this record. Huge riffs, Matt "Fucking" Cameron on drums with bizarre time signatures, and one of the all-time greatest rock voices... it just doesn't get much better. On my all time favorites.
Dr. Dre
3/5
I have a strange fondness for gangsta rap. I guess it's a guilty pleasure? The lyrics are so juvenile and offensive... but it almost becomes a kind of transgressive art like punk rock. It get's so ridiculous that it becomes kind of silly I guess. Still, it's hard to get past a lot of the sexism and macho-ness in these records.
But having said that, the grooves and samples are great on this record. And I love all of Snoop's appearances. Like a lot of 90's stuff, it's too long and pretty uneven but it makes sense that this is considered a classic hip-hop record.
Buck Owens
2/5
So much twang. I can see this being fun if you like this kind of twangy, honky tonk country stuff. Seems like the kind of music that would be cool (briefly) in a Tarantino movie. Enjoyable in bits but a whole record was a bit much for me since this isn't a genre I love.
Gene Clark
4/5
Dylan-esque folk rock. This is a sound/style I enjoy. This kind of music always feels so classic to me, kind of like coming home I guess. Maybe not the most groundbreaking album.
I listened to this over two days. The first day it wasn't really clicking with me but the second day I quite enjoyed it. 1975 in particular was really great. Probably more like a 3.5 for me.
Suzanne Vega
1/5
Very 80's sounding sort of confessional singer-songwriter. Her delivery is interesting, kind of half-sung, half spoken word. Honestly sounds very pretentious to me - first song being the worst example of this.
I see a lot of comments saying this record is "bare" and "acoustic". I did not find that to be the case at all. The arrangements do sound kind of sparse but it mostly sounds like she's in a big empty room. Most of the songs have lots of little embellishments with other instruments (synths, electric guitars, etc) that are all very 80's sounding. To me this is more subtraction than addition. Might be more compelling if it were just her and an acoustic guitar. Maybe with less reverb or whatever makes it sound so sparse. Something to make it a bit more intimate sounding. But maybe that's just me.
Thundercat
2/5
This is an intense record. There is a lot going on. Some of it is really interesting and inventive. Some of it is a bit much for me. The bass playing is pretty amazing (Uh Uh stands out). A lot of ideas packed in here but R&B/Soul and Jazz are probably at the core. Some of the lyrics are pretty funny too.
While I can kinda appreciate the artistry here, this doesn't really click with me. Maybe it's just not my genre, maybe it's just a bit too much. Interesting though.
Jurassic 5
3/5
I'm not much of a hip-hop fan but I enjoyed this. Really good grooves, definitely got my head bobbing. While I didn't play super close attention, seemed like interesting lyrical content.
Sparks
2/5
When I first saw the cover I was like "Cool, maybe it's a Japanese surf band" then I realized the title was just a cringey pun by some old white guys in the 70s.
This was a chore and I didn't make it all the way through this. Not a fan of the super-high falsetto vocals all the time. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood but the music also didn't speak to me. Trying to be both pretty and complex - almost baroque or something if that makes sense. This is the kind of album that makes we want to listen to something more roots-oriented like the blues or folk as a palette cleanser.
Kelela
2/5
It's probably good for people who enjoy this kind of music but it's not for me.
John Martyn
2/5
Listened to this about a week ago but forgot to write the review. I can hardly remember anything about it - which tells you something...
What I do remember: the singer mumbles a lot - didn't care for his delivery. Seemed like he was trying a bit too hard to sound like somebody else.
Otherwise, kinda boring. Not bad or offensive. Some likable songs. But mostly just kinda meh.
Joy Division
3/5
I liked a few songs. "A Means to an End" stuck out as a good one. But overall it didn't really click with me and I found it a little difficult to get through. Maybe a bit too cold and electronic for me. Seems like a record I should have liked more. Still, an interesting record and maybe something that would grow on me if I gave it more time (which I probably won't...)
Paul Simon
3/5
It's catchy and non-offensive. Found myself tapping my foot to a lot of the songs. Previously I reviewed Simon and Garfunkel's Bookends on here and I found it to be too meandering and schmaltzy with too many swells of strings. I liked this more than that but it's still a bit too saccharine for my tastes (referring more to the music than the words) and all the world music stuff comes off a bit cheezy to me for some reason. Still, not terrible - wouldn't avoid listening to this agian.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
2/5
I don't usually listen to Jazz so this is definitely out of my wheelhouse but I've enjoyed the other Jazz records I've gotten on here more than this one. The only track that really stuck out to me was "Take Five". Most of it kind faded into the background. Per wikipedia I guess this is considered "cool jazz" with relaxed tempos and a lighter tone. That makes sense - probably just not the right Jazz for me (I typically favor more intense music). Your milage may vary.
Mylo
1/5
70's and 80's soft rock sampled into electronic/House music. Hard to imagine a worse fit for me. Listened to about 5 songs and realized there was no point in going farther. Life is too short for this record. Even if you like this style of music, this seems bland. Hard to imagine this being a record worthy of anyone's time before they die.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
Great record but it's a genre (90's alt rock) that forever has a soft spot in my heart so I'm crazy biased.
I'm not the biggest NIN fan outside of this record. I think I had The Fragile back in the day and I've listened to some of their more recent stuff every now and again. I think this is the most guitar-oriented record of theirs, which is probably why I connect with it the most. Could be wrong because I haven't listened much very recent stuff but I know I checked out a few of their records in the late 00's and it seemed they were going a more electronic direction.
For me, Reznor doesn't have the most compelling vocals (they're fine) but the soundscapes he produces are top notch. Having said that, he does have a decent scream. Some of the songs on this are actually pretty strong under the roar of the guitars and synths. Johnny Cash's cover of Hurt can attest to that since it proves that it meets the old rule: If it doesn't work on an acoustic guitar it's not actually a good song.
Great stuff, from the intro sampling THX 1138 to the final crackling end.
Beatles
4/5
Fitting that this comes up shortly after the release of Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary. Apparently the sessions for the White Album were the start of the fractures that led to the Beatles break up. Lennon even said "the break-up of the Beatles can be heard on that album". I guess it's a double-album in part because it's basically several solo albums jammed together and only 16 of the 30 tracks have all four members contributing.
This definitely contributes to the album, it's all over the map musically. I find most double-albums to be a bit boring at some point but I think this avoids it mostly because it's so diverse.
Some great stuff on here for sure but it's never really been my favorite Beatles record. This also becomes the point where Paul's contributions start to get a bit too saccharine.
Also, small rant. I hate when people credit the Beatles for "inventing" all sorts of genres on this record. For instance people say they invented heavy metal and/or punk rock on Helter Skelter. I like the Beatles but this is a crazy statement. Both of these things are true: They are a great band and the most overrated band in history.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
This is an important record. The Fender strat probably wouldn't be the guitar it is today without Buddy Holly making it so iconic and Buddy's playing on this record does sound pretty innovative. It's very rhythmic and you can hear that classic Fender twang cutting through all over the place. I was also surprised by how much edge there is in his voice. You can clearly hear some blues influence in there. Of course, by today's standards it's a very clean and tame sounding record. Hard to imagine what it was like to hear this in the 50's.
For me personally, I'm unlikely to revisit this much but I can appreciate its importance in history. Great, classic record.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
I'm a big Neil Young fan but I haven't really spent much time with Buffalo Springfield aside from the obvious (For What It's Worth).
I liked this but I found this it to be a bit uneven and sometimes a bit slow for my tastes. Some fun fuzz tones on this record though. I like the sort of Rolling Stones vibe of Mr. Soul (seems like it's clearly a homage, if not outright copy of Satisfaction). The more country rock songs (mostly the Still songs with shades of what was to come with CSN) were less interesting to me. A few of the Furay songs (Good Time Boy for example with some nice raspy vocals) were pretty good - I wasn't familiar with him.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Pretty cool - definitely feels like a record that could only be made in the 60s (yeah, the release date says 1970 but we all know this is the sound of the 60s....). Lots of sitar, not much singing - mostly instrumental.
Definitely an interesting record - even if just as a historical document. I found the first half (which seems more rock oriented) more interesting than the second half. Some cool sounds on this record for sure - glad it's on the list but not necessarily something I'll be listening too a lot... unless I start doing a lot of acid.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Came into this without having listened to much Depeche Mode before. I'm generally not into 80s synth music. I think the only Depeche Mode connection I have is the Johnny Cash cover of Personal Jesus for this record.
In general I enjoyed listening to this. I liked the first half better than the second half. Enjoy the Silence in particular was tough to get through for me for some reason. But the first few songs were pretty good.
Probably not something I'll revisit too much if ever but interesting and enjoyable generally.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Fun record. CCR is kind of an easy win for me though with their 60's swamp blues rock. They seem a bit underrated to me in terms of classic rock and I've never really spent a lot of time with their records aside from Green River. I think Green River is a stronger album than this one but maybe not by a lot and that might just be my personal bias. I should really go back and listen to more of their stuff.
Suede
2/5
Lots of sort of swirling layered guitars. It sounds kind of lush and not necessarily noisy. Some heavy usage of flanger some other modulation effects like this. Kind of interesting playing but I tend to prefer things with a more driving beat. The guitars tend to sort of fade into the soundscape and instead of being out front.
The real dealbreaker for me was the singer. To my ear, his voice is thin, nasal and whiny. There is a lot of falsetto but I think his main voice is just too thin. Not for me at all - basically the opposite of what I gravitate to.
Overall, not terrible but just not for me.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
This is hard to describe, it's like some kind of weird musical theatre written by a sex crazed teenage boy. The lyrics are super cringey. The music is too "cute" with lots of orchestration. It's like one of those architectural styles that is too over the top with ornamentation: Baroque or Rococo maybe? What I'm saying is I could do with fewer fucking cherubs, metaphorically speaking of course.
Holy shit, just got to "The Frog Princess" - this could be a Disney song, maybe if it was less obviously sexist.
Not for me. I'd much prefer something authentic. Tempted to give it a 1 but at least it wasn't a boring listen so it's got that going for it.
The Triffids
2/5
First impression: So 80s sounding. Something about the drums specifically just scream 80s. Really curious why this drum sound so strongly evokes this era of music - is it a massive amount of reverb?
First 4 songs were quite rough for me. Was about to give up on this record until "Unmade Love" - which was a bit better with a hard driving rhythm some noisier guitar work. But I think this was an outlier because I didn't much care for the rest of the album after that.
Very 80's sound, some pretty cheezy songs/lyrics (this Christmas one at the end being the worst), and some vague theme of religion (allmusic practically calls them a christian band) add up to a bad formula for me.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Iggy, thank you for saving me from the streak of dud records I've been getting on here. This is a great record. It's not the Stooges, but having Bowie help you out isn't a bad way to continue your career. A classic.
Arcade Fire
3/5
For some reason I never got into these mid-2000's "indie rock" bands. They're a bit too pretty for me - maybe there isn't enough puck rock influence musically, even if some of the ethos is there otherwise (hence the "indie" label). They never seem to actually rock to me. This is a bit of a chore for me to get through if I'm being honest. A little boring but not terrible. Just ok.
Eminem
2/5
Some of these songs were omni-present when I was in high school. Used to carpool with a guy to school that was a big fan of this music and I think he had a burned CD with some of these tracks (along with OutKast's Stankonia and Dre's Chronic II) that was on a constant loop. So this brings back some memories...
But having said that I was never much of an Eminem fan and much of this album has really not aged well.
While I have to give him credit for being pretty funny a few tracks (The Real Slim Shady)... much of it is overwrought (Stan, Marshal Mathers) and (as usual with the genre) the homophobia and misogyny is a problem. He's also kind of obsessed with the pop landscape of the time (Britney Spears and the like, boy bands, etc) and that all seems so dated now. Also, like a lot of records from this time period, it's way too long (1 hr 12 min). Not even Snoop can save this one in the end.
Kind of a fun memory trip, some clever/funny lyrics, but it doesn't really hold up (even compared with other records in this genre from the same time).
Otis Redding
4/5
Love Otis Redding. I have a live album of him (Good To Me: Live at the Whiskey A Go Go) that's just amazing. If you only know him from Dock of the Bay it's not obvious how great of soul singer he is. I'm not sure the recording quality here really captures him like the live album I have does but glad to see this on the list. Definitely an enjoyable listen.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Kind of interesting but occasionally bland 2000's era "Indie Rock". For some reason I never connected with a lot of bands from this era. Wikipedia classifies it as "Alternative Pop" - I can see that. Maybe a bit too pop-oriented for me to really connect to it. Not bad but not really into it either.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
First song thought: Unique voice. Very, very "breathy", is this how she sings all the time? It kinda sounds like she is struggling to him some of the notes with this voice. (Turns out this is not her normal voice on the rest of the record)
Second thought: This came out in March 2021? Writing this in March 2022 - crazy it's on the list this soon.
While I see it referenced as a "folk" record, it sounds thoroughly modern. For instance the production on Tulsa Jesus Freak is very hip-hop inspired and I think I can hear a little auto-tune too. Definitely a slick, modern sound here.
It's fairly well done modern pop music. There are some folk elements but it's dressed up so much in modern sounds that I'd hesitate to call it folk music. The music seems to have some depth to it that is often missing in pop music so that's nice. Didn't really speak to me much but it's nice to hear in modern pop music.
The Who
4/5
I like the Who but I haven't listened to much of their earlier stuff (Quadrophenia is my favorite). This is pretty good and hints at some of their influence on punk and garage music that maybe isn't as obvious in some of the later studio work that's a bit more polished and operatic. So it's fun from that perspective and obviously there are some great songs on here. I think to modern ears it can still sound a little tame sometimes and I think the production of the time tried to smooth them out a lot. I think that's my biggest complaint with the record. Would love to know what this would sound like if it was recorded today. Good stuff regardless.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
Pretty good 2000's era "indie" record. Some enjoyable songs but I find this style/genre kind of boring and forgettable for whatever reason. But I can definitely see why this would be a popular record.
Fugazi
5/5
Love Fugazi! One of the greatest bands of all time. This is an absolute classic. Not necessarily my favorite Fugazi record but all their records are great. Hard to think of another band with such a consistently strong catalog. Got to meet Ian once after an Evens show (another great band, "Get Evens" is a great record) - was a nice guy too.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Haven't actually heard this before. Not much background with the Arctic Monkeys. Feels like something I should like or perhaps would have liked more if I'd heard it back in the day when it came out. Pretty good straight forward guitar rock. Not sure I'm in love with the vocals but they're mostly fine. That kind sums up my feelings on this album actually... it's fine. Given the theme of the record, I can see why maybe this would have a lot of nostalgia for people who found this at the right age.
Decent record but for some reason I didn't fully engage with it. Strong 3 I guess.
The Kinks
3/5
Kind of run-of-the-mill mid-60's pop-rock to me. Some kind of Beatles-esque baroque sounding stuff (mellotron) too. Enjoyable but didn't really stand out to me. Unlikely to revisit.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Really enjoyable post-punk record. Wasn't familiar with this group but it feels right at home with other artists/bands that I love from the same genre and period. Some great noise-rock guitar sounds. Will try to revisit this one again soon.
Beyoncé
1/5
It's modern mainstream pop music...
These pop people are always kinda funny to me. They're like full grown adults most of the time (I guess she was ~32 when this was released) and they have to sing these ridiculous songs ("Blow" comes to mind) and dress in these crazy outfits all the time. Sure, she's only 32 at the time here and maybe "Can you eat my skittles?" and "Turn that cherry out" are actually the artistic statements she wants to make... Regardless, the lyrics on this album are just ridiculously cheesy. Whatever pays the bills I guess.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I like Dylan generally so this album was kind of an easy listen for me. I even like his aged gravelly voice. But I have to admit that most of the songs on this record don't really stand out to me. There is some good stuff and then a lot of stuff that just isn't very memorable - kind of a sameness to it. Still, enjoyable latter day Dylan record.
Nick Drake
4/5
Really enjoyed Pink Moon when it came up on here. This is also a really beautiful record. Still pretty melancholy. He's got a cool voice and some nice guitar work.
However, I prefer Pink Moon to this record. It was really stripped down with just him and a guitar. This record has a lot of backing musicians and while they're mostly fine, it is occasionally a bit too much I think. Still, that's a minor complaint, it's still a calm, beautiful, dark record.
King Crimson
2/5
Was kind of interested for a bit but it got pretty boring. The extended in noodling in Moonchild really lost me but I stuck it out. At least it wasn't a very long album. Never had much interest in prog rock and it turns out that was probably legit.
Nico
2/5
Thought I would like this with the Velvet Underground / Lou Reed connection but found this pretty slow and difficult to get through. I like the general style/vibe of the music here, but it's a little dull for me.
Roni Size
1/5
Started listening to this while doing my taxes. I have to admit that I was occasionally bobbing my head while I was focused on entering 1099s into Turbotax... but that's about all this is good for. Background music while you do something else.
Otherwise, it's boring and incessantly repetitive. Why are so many of these songs 7+ minutes?! Life is too short to spend your time listening to this album. Couldn't make it all the way through.
Tracy Chapman
2/5
Wasn't very familiar with the record before this.
Thematically it's definitely in the folk tradition and she covers some important political topics that are sadly still relevant today.
Musically, it's not very folky in my view. The record sounds very much like the 80's. (Is it the reverb they were using?) While I think people might remember this as a simple acoustic record, it's got a lot going on, maybe some "world music" sounds even when it comes to percussion in particular. Maybe it just sounds back to basics in comparison with the other things being released at the time (Hair metal, synth pop, etc). Can't say I'm a huge fan of the production or instrumentation.
She's got an interesting voice. Not very traditional but quite strong.
Overall, I can see why it was an important record and why it's on the list but it didn't wow me and I probably won't revisit.
Hole
4/5
A good record from the heyday of 90's alt rock. Hard for me not to like it. There is definitely a heavy Nirvana influence, even if the rumors about Cobain having ghostwritten it are false. Hard for me to say it's a classic or a must listen though. Probably somewhere between a 3 and 4 for me if I'm honest but my love of this genre and period bumps it to a 4.
U2
3/5
Haven't listened to this record before but of course I've heard some of the big singles (who hasn't?). I've always been kinda meh on U2. I recall buying "All That You Can't Leave Behind" back in the day and I think I've made various attempts to listen to some of their earlier work but they have never really clicked with me - more of the same on this record.
This band has always seemed to be trying way too hard to be relevant and the attempts at including electronic sounds to this record feels that way too. And for some reason I find the production this record to be almost unlistenable. Everything sounds a bit muffled.
Having said that, on occasion I did enjoy some of the guitar tones and obviously a few of the songs do stand out since they are just so well known. Most of the not well known ones are pretty forgettable though.
Kinda on the edge (no pun intended) between 2 and 3 stars for me.
Elvis Presley
4/5
In my mind Elvis is kinda of a cheesy figure who isn't really worth much serious consideration. But this record is actually pretty great! While I'm not sure how much artistry Elvis himself actually possesses - he's got a backing band of absolute pros, covers some great songs, and is being recorded with (at the time) state of the art record production. The record just sounds great. Also, Elvis' voice is nothing to complain about at all - often powerful and versatile.
While I'm typically more of a fan of musicians that take a more "auteur" or "diy" approach, it's hard to deny the craftsmanship on this record. Fun stuff!
The xx
2/5
Pretty modern ambient "indie" rock. Lots of reverb and some synths. Most songs are duets but didn't particularly care for one of the voices (the guy).
It's well executed and I can see why this record would be really appealing for a lot of people. If I would have been at the right age when this record came out, I could imagine it being important to me.
But unfortunately I wasn't and this kinda music isn't really my thing - little boridng. It's ok, but not for me.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Bob Dylan is a favorite and it's hard to beat some of the songs on this record. Having said that, this isn't one of my top Dylan records. For instance, I tend to prefer the period after he went electric over this one. Some of the deeper cuts can get a little tedious. Still, definitely a classic.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I like Nick Cave. I really love Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus - one of my favorite albums. And I also really liked the Grinderman albums and Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! - great stuff. But he kinda lost me after that. Push the Sky Away was ok but with every subsequent release his records seem to get slower and more ambient.
This is not terrible by any means. He's still got a cool voice and the music is interesting and haunting. With enough listens and the right mind space I could see myself really getting into this record. But I'm rarely in the mind space for this kind of haunting/depressing music. I often listen to music while working and this music just kind fades into the background for me. I think this is the kind of music that demands more from the listener.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
The legendary "Beano" album. Mostly known for Clapton's guitar tone - he allegedly refused to turn down his amp in the studio and played it cranked at basically live concert volume - driving the sound engineer crazy. Apparently his crazy-loud guitar even bled over into the mics of the other players as well. Still, it created an all-time classic sound that guitarists are still chasing today (for those non-guitarists, there is an endless series of "bluesbreaker" or "beano" guitar pedals attempting to recreate Clapton's guitar tone from this record).
Also interesting, when Clapton recorded this record the Gibson Les Paul was seriously unpopular. They actually stopped making them entirely in 1961 but Clapton's usage on this record helped create a resurgence in popularity (along with other British blues artists like Keith Richards and Jimmy Page using them). So much so that Fender Stratocasters were considered uncool until Hendrix made those popular again (even influencing Clapton to switch primarily to a Strat himself).
A classic record of the 60's British blues scene.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Widely acclaimed 90's alt record but I've never really taken the time to listen to it (though of course I've heard the big songs).
I can see why it's an important record. He really does have a unique voice and he does some really cool stuff with it on here.
Was recently watching something and learned that Jeff Buckley was huge influence on Radiohead as they were working on The Bends. I guess Thom Yorke saw Jeff Buckley around the time they were working on that record and Buckley's performance influenced Yorke to use falsetto on Fake Plastic Trees. So it's definitely an important record.
Having said all that, I found it a bit hit or miss for me personally. Especially when it gets more operatic (Corpus Christi Carol). But the highs are pretty high.
It's a strong 3 for me - probably close to a 4.
The Temptations
3/5
Papa Was Rollin' Stone is badass with lots of great wah pedal usage. I also liked some of the other funky songs - Do Your Thing and Funky Music Sho Nuff.
But otherwise it's a bit uneven for me with some pretty weak stuff (The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face) or otherwise forgettable tracks.
Fun at times but not something that was revelation for me.
Prefab Sprout
1/5
Slick production. There are interesting elements but it's way too sugary for my tastes. Definitely a pop band. Not sure the "jazz" elements help with me either. Some kind of ick factor with this band. Feels like Patrick Bateman would discuss them in detail. Couldn't wait to get through this.
Almost a 2 for some of the interesting parts... but the more I listened to the album the worse it got.
Lou Reed
4/5
This record has a cool feel to it. I imagine it's exactly what NYC in the 70's felt like. A bit sleazy, a bit scary, a cool mystique. Lou has such an interesting voice and delivery. Hard to imitate. A classic record.
Pavement
3/5
Listened to this a few times while working but nothing really stood out to me too much though I wasn't really paying attention closely. Pavement is one of those bands that I probably should like given my preference for 90's alt rock but I've never really clicked with them. To me, they sound sort of the vanguard for 00-era "indie rock" which swings away from punk rock noise and more into kind of outsider pop that sounds "pretty" instead of "ugly" for lack of better words.
Probably I should given this a few more listens but right now it's just a 3 for me.
Sleater-Kinney
5/5
Love Sleater-Kinney! This is probably in my top three of theirs (behind One Beat and The Woods in that order). But honestly all their records are great. Corin has such a great voice! She and Carrie's guitar interplay is always so exciting and full of energy. Janet is a badass. A shame she's no longer with them. All together, great band.
Blondie
3/5
Have to admit that New Wave is a bit of blind spot for me. As a 90's alt rock fan, it always felt a bit too mainstream (and 80's) despite a lot of these bands coming up in CBGB with the early punk rock bands in the 70s. Been listening to the "Ongoing History of New Music" podcast's history of alt-rock recently though and I feel like they did a good job of describing them (and New Wave). They said something like "They don't sound like punk rock, but when you hear them you can tell that punk rock had happened."
This record definitely feels like that. It's very commercial sounding and there are some big hits on here that probably feel more tame than they did when this came out because they've been played so many times. But there is an edge to the playing that probably wouldn't have been there without punk having happened.
It's a fun record and I can see why people like it but probably not something I'll revisit very much. Solid 3 stars for me.