Journey Complete!
Finisher #254 to complete the list
1128
Albums Rated
3.32
Average Rating
104%
Complete
Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
Favorite Album
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2020s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Curator
Rater Style ?
102
5-Star Albums
29
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
|
5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
|
Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
|
5 | 2.75 | +2.25 |
|
I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Gold
Ryan Adams
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
|
5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
|
I See A Darkness
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Live!
Fela Kuti
|
1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
|
Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
In The Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
In The Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
S&M
Metallica
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
Close To The Edge
Yes
|
1 | 3.19 | -2.19 |
|
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
|
1 | 2.99 | -1.99 |
|
Os Mutantes
Os Mutantes
|
1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
|
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
|
2 | 3.96 | -1.96 |
|
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
|
1 | 2.9 | -1.9 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Pixies | 4 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.67 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.43 |
| R.E.M. | 5 | 4.6 |
| Ryan Adams | 3 | 5 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 5 |
| Kanye West | 4 | 4.5 |
| Neil Young | 4 | 4.5 |
| David Bowie | 9 | 4.11 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.67 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Rolling Stones | 7 | 4.14 |
| The Go-Betweens | 2 | 5 |
| Arctic Monkeys | 2 | 5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Elliott Smith | 2 | 5 |
| Coldplay | 2 | 5 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 4.2 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 4.2 |
| Tom Waits | 5 | 4.2 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.25 |
| PJ Harvey | 4 | 4.25 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 4.25 |
| Van Morrison | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Frank Sinatra | 4 | 1.75 |
| Yes | 3 | 1.67 |
| Fela Kuti | 2 | 1.5 |
| Emerson, Lake & Palmer | 2 | 1.5 |
| Slipknot | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Mothers Of Invention | 2 | 1.5 |
| Happy Mondays | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 4, 1 |
| The Velvet Underground | 2, 5, 5 |
5-Star Albums (102)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Eurythmics
3/5
The hits are true classics, some other parts (especially towards the end) are not really memorable.
5 likes
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
4/5
Yeah, this is cool and intense. Orange is better though.
4 likes
1-Star Albums (29)
All Ratings
Shuggie Otis
3/5
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Harry Nilsson
3/5
The Gun Club
4/5
The Go-Betweens
5/5
The Prodigy
3/5
Traffic
2/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Pixies
5/5
Van Halen
3/5
Dennis Wilson
3/5
John Coltrane
2/5
Moby Grape
3/5
The Band
3/5
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
MC Solaar
4/5
Cream
4/5
Jane Weaver
3/5
The Sonics
4/5
JAY Z
3/5
Super Furry Animals
3/5
David Crosby
2/5
Kanye West
5/5
R.E.M.
5/5
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Billy Bragg
4/5
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
4/5
Frank Sinatra
1/5
2Pac
3/5
Deerhunter
4/5
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Foo Fighters
4/5
Eagles
3/5
Solange
2/5
Metallica
3/5
Television
4/5
Willie Nelson
4/5
1/5
Happy Mondays
2/5
Brian Eno
4/5
Aimee Mann
3/5
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Eagles
2/5
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Ryan Adams
5/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
The Beach Boys
4/5
Kraftwerk
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Elvis Presley
4/5
Mike Oldfield
3/5
CHIC
3/5
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
2/5
Santana
3/5
Gillian Welch
3/5
Beatles
5/5
Nick Drake
5/5
The Pogues
4/5
Björk
5/5
The Chemical Brothers
5/5
Lorde
4/5
Nirvana
4/5
The Velvet Underground
2/5
David Bowie
5/5
Beatles
4/5
The Dictators
2/5
John Martyn
3/5
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Led Zeppelin
2/5
Cat Stevens
4/5
The Cardigans
3/5
The Kinks
4/5
Eminem
3/5
Talking Heads
3/5
Beck
5/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Primal Scream
2/5
The Beach Boys
4/5
Tears For Fears
2/5
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Metallica
4/5
Stephen Stills
3/5
Blur
3/5
Duran Duran
3/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
Funkadelic
2/5
Jane Weaver
2/5
The xx
4/5
The Blue Nile
2/5
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
Elis Regina
2/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Ray Price
1/5
Sister Sledge
3/5
Television
5/5
Radiohead
5/5
Richard Hawley
3/5
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
1/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Frank Zappa
2/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Justice
2/5
The Streets
3/5
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
The The
2/5
Dr. Dre
3/5
Todd Rundgren
1/5
The Doors
4/5
This is the 100th album I’ve been served by the wonderful 1001 project (big thank you!). To celebrate this, here is my first review. For sure it will make some people happy.
Apart from a few songs, the Doors were actually unknown territory for me. I was prepared for some tedious stuff but this turned out to be a lovely collection of bluesy tunes. If I need to pick a favourite, it is 'Waiting for the Sun'. A quite enjoyable album for the Sunday afternoon indeed. Ok, it’s not anywhere near the level of ‘Siamese Dream’, but man what a relief after yesterday’s unlistenable ‘A Wizard/A True Star’!
Machito
2/5
Primal Scream
2/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Green Day
4/5
Aerosmith
2/5
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Boards of Canada
3/5
Solange
2/5
Otis Redding
4/5
Miriam Makeba
2/5
Orbital
2/5
George Michael
3/5
The Young Rascals
4/5
Elastica
4/5
Herbie Hancock
3/5
The Smiths
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Taylor Swift
5/5
David Bowie
4/5
Steve Earle
3/5
Paul Simon
3/5
Jamiroquai
2/5
The Stooges
4/5
Carole King
4/5
Metallica
3/5
Talking Heads
2/5
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Fred Neil
3/5
DJ Shadow
3/5
Fever Ray
4/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Gang Of Four
4/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Antony and the Johnsons
5/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
FKA twigs
3/5
Eminem
4/5
Culture Club
2/5
Fats Domino
4/5
Various Artists
2/5
Kanye West
5/5
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Christine and the Queens
3/5
The La's
4/5
Harry Nilsson
3/5
The Doors
3/5
Billy Bragg
4/5
Circle Jerks
4/5
Metallica
4/5
Morrissey
3/5
Khaled
2/5
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Marvin Gaye
3/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
T. Rex
5/5
Kate Bush
2/5
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Fela Kuti
2/5
Cypress Hill
3/5
Nirvana
5/5
T. Rex
3/5
Os Mutantes
1/5
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Röyksopp
3/5
John Lennon
4/5
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Prince
3/5
The Cars
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
The Soft Boys
3/5
Elbow
4/5
The Undertones
3/5
The Isley Brothers
2/5
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Adele
3/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Madonna
2/5
Hugh Masekela
3/5
AC/DC
3/5
Silver Jews
4/5
200 albums into the project and I'm still enjoying it. Didn't know this band; turns out that Stephen Malkmus was part of it, though not on this record. It's a very nice album with strong melodies and interesting lyrics.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Motörhead
3/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Miles Davis
2/5
The Temptations
3/5
Erykah Badu
2/5
k.d. lang
3/5
Megadeth
3/5
Arcade Fire
5/5
Neil Young
4/5
Charles Mingus
3/5
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
Supertramp
3/5
Pentangle
3/5
Radiohead
5/5
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
OutKast
3/5
Tangerine Dream
2/5
Fiona Apple
3/5
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Björk
3/5
Mj Cole
1/5
Gang Starr
3/5
Elton John
3/5
Supergrass
4/5
Q-Tip
2/5
King Crimson
4/5
The Everly Brothers
4/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
The Go-Go's
4/5
Bee Gees
2/5
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
Morrissey
3/5
Digital Underground
2/5
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Kraftwerk
3/5
OutKast
3/5
Several 5* songs - incl Hey Ya, one of the best ever - but too scattered and way too long overall.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Roxy Music
3/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Funkadelic
3/5
Suede
4/5
Spiritualized
4/5
5/5
Rod Stewart
3/5
Coldplay
5/5
Very consistent set of perfect pop songs, with a warm sound and comforting voice.
The Sabres Of Paradise
3/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Tito Puente
3/5
Milton Nascimento
3/5
The Triffids
4/5
Violent Femmes
3/5
Peter Frampton
3/5
Deep Purple
2/5
Rather pointless.
D'Angelo
2/5
Janis Joplin
4/5
Eric Clapton
4/5
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
MGMT
4/5
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Thelonious Monk
4/5
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Prince
3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Roxy Music
5/5
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Rush
3/5
Can
2/5
The Kinks
4/5
The Youngbloods
4/5
Gary Numan
2/5
The Adverts
4/5
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Megadeth
3/5
Gorillaz
3/5
The Specials
4/5
Butthole Surfers
2/5
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Long time ago that I listened to this album as a whole. And it turns out to be even much better than I remembered. Not just the singles but all songs are top class: golden melodies, passionate vocals. It's aggressive and moving, tender and strong. A landmark of the nineties.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
The Jam
4/5
Bob Dylan
3/5
Miles Davis
4/5
Public Enemy
3/5
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
Jungle Brothers
4/5
Fairport Convention
4/5
The Clash
5/5
Taylor Swift
3/5
Neu!
3/5
B.B. King
2/5
Billy Bragg
4/5
Faust
3/5
Beatles
5/5
The Temptations
3/5
Jacques Brel
4/5
My album #301, and it's a lovely one. Several of Brel's chansons are of course classics. His performance is compelling, the band does a good job too. I don't understand most of the French lyrics but the language sounds nice. (Brel also recorded some of his songs in Dutch but I prefer the French. Noteworthy by the way is a recording of Brel's work in Frisian by Douwe Heeringa in a 'lighter' style.)
I listened to Enregistrement Public à l'Olympia 1964, containing 15 songs. Personal highlight is Le Plat Pays, while Amsterdam and Les Bourgeois stand out as well. One can argue about live albums in the list. Let's say that in this case the live aspect doesn't add much compared to studio versions.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
The Smiths
5/5
The The
3/5
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Supergrass
5/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
Air
5/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Pixies
5/5
What a band! This may not be their best but still 5 stars easily.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
The Human League
2/5
Joy Division
4/5
Pretenders
3/5
The Gun Club
4/5
2/5
excellent title
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
1/5
Incubus
3/5
John Martyn
2/5
R.E.M.
5/5
FIRE
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Very atmospheric album, beautiful voice. And then there is They won't go when I go - wow!
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
The Who
3/5
Songs of variable quality buried in (funny?) ads.
Finley Quaye
2/5
Iron Maiden
4/5
The Boo Radleys
4/5
Nice surprise, potential 5-star check, almost made it.
Genesis
3/5
Many unnecessary notes.
Marty Robbins
2/5
Happy Mondays
2/5
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
The Who
4/5
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Brian Eno
4/5
Prince
4/5
Bee Gees
2/5
The Zombies
5/5
I listened to this album with low expectations. Ok, chien had 5 stars but there's not much predictive skill in that. But I listened, and once again, and once again. It's not incredibly long, that helps. The last song is of course a massive classic but it fits on the album as just one of the songs. Amazing record, very addictive. I had some associatian with Elliott Smith at some point. Google tells me he actually covered Care of cell 44. And the title is a typo. Only the greatest can afford that. All this leads inevitably to .. yes .. to 5 stars.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
AC/DC
3/5
Very solid rock. Should be played as loud as possible, the chien would say.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Yes
2/5
Madonna
3/5
Stereo MC's
2/5
The Doors
4/5
Carpenters
4/5
Saint Etienne
3/5
Nice sound, some catchy tunes but also tedious at times
Dire Straits
4/5
Dolly Parton
4/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
The Monks
4/5
Queen
4/5
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
Overall far too busy for my taste.
Lou Reed
4/5
808 State
2/5
The Avalanches
2/5
I have the honor to give the 1000th group vote. Not the best timing though. I needed a few spins to find out what this is: a dj set cutting and pasting every sample they could lay their hands on. They probably had a lot of fun but there is no need to bother me with this stuff. Still two stars as some of the samples are really nice and groovy.
Beastie Boys
3/5
David Gray
4/5
The Pharcyde
4/5
Funny and melodic raps!
The Waterboys
4/5
Suede
3/5
R.E.M.
5/5
Absolutely fantastic from start to finish
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Hole
4/5
3/5
This is a collection of very good songs. It's just the sound that annoys me.
George Jones
2/5
Steady country, easy listening, but without any remarkable moment.
Lenny Kravitz
5/5
Hadn't listened to this since a long time and was reminded what a great album it is. A warm bath!
The Saints
4/5
Ice Cube
3/5
The Stone Roses
5/5
Incredibly pleasant to listen to. The flow and consistency of the album is just perfect.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
3/5
Bob Dylan live, acoustic & electric. Nice harmonica, voice as usual, rating as usual.
Mercury Rev
3/5
4/5
Nice raw sound
5/5
Rod Stewart
4/5
Traffic
3/5
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Catchy, bold, melodic, sharp, clean: an ultimate pop/rock album.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Very nice record, packed with hits,
Crowded House
3/5
The Hives
2/5
10cc
2/5
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Nice voice and sound; lost attention in the second half.
Beatles
4/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
This has a certain beauty.
Chicago
2/5
Promising onsets of songs but they keep losing themselves in pointless excursions.
Sepultura
3/5
Very accessible metal, not a punishment to listen to.
Talking Heads
3/5
Metallica
1/5
Get this live shit off the list pleazz.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Nina Simone
4/5
Travis
2/5
Pearl Jam
5/5
I was overwhelmed by this when it came out and it may be the album I have listened to the most. Still great in every sense.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
The White Stripes
4/5
Very good album although it lacks a certain rawness compared to its predecessors. And seven nation army has been spun to pieces.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
fIREHOSE
3/5
The Replacements
4/5
Very good album, a bit uneven though.
Janet Jackson
1/5
Underworld
3/5
Venom
2/5
Nick Drake
4/5
Ozomatli
3/5
At times it gets a bit whiny but this is a respectable effort to mix Latin with a wide range of styles.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
There are a few good songs but it's too dark for my taste.
The Who
3/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Becomes better after a few spins, and could probably grow even more on me.
Beastie Boys
3/5
A bit too much shouting going on there.
Bert Jansch
3/5
Really quiet. Good finger picking, singing could be better.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
SZA
3/5
Not bad
Daft Punk
4/5
Superb house album, though too monotonous at times for 5 stars. Personal favourite: Rollin' ans Scratchin'.
Al Green
4/5
Deep Purple
4/5
Kanye West
4/5
Impressive debut album, not all tracks work equally well but still very enjoyable.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Nize 'n noizy
Janelle Monáe
3/5
So inconsistent and lacking flow that one could easily oversee some good songs. I found them mainly in the second part: e.g., come alive, neon valley street, and 57821.
2/5
I got into the groove a few times.
Elvis Costello
4/5
Not as overwhelming as This year's girl but still very attractive.
Bon Jovi
4/5
Always found this a bit (too) smooth but there are in fact quite a number of killer songs on this album.
The B-52's
4/5
Started to get into it after a few spins and the lyrics really pulled it to a 4.
Bobby Womack
3/5
Not bad but nothing remarkable either.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Adequately sung collection of top songs.
Dexys Midnight Runners
5/5
Yes, another pearl from the 1001 catalogue. Great songs performed by intense vocals and swinging brass instruments.
Queen Latifah
3/5
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Japan
2/5
Niemendalletje
Cornershop
4/5
Hard to judge this album because it's so variable. But in the end the positive surprises are in majority.
Lauryn Hill
4/5
Very pleasant, close to full marks actually
Roni Size
2/5
At half the lengte it would have been 3 stars.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Fast Car is a truly touching song and the record as a whole is convincing.
Randy Newman
4/5
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Decent blues album
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Femi Kuti
3/5
U2
4/5
Ravi Shankar
1/5
Commendable from an educational point of view but here I'm judging my personal listening experience, and that was horrible.
Tina Turner
4/5
Strong songs, splendid voice.
Aerosmith
3/5
As good as it gets for a hard rock album: well done!
Pulp
5/5
One of my favourite albums of all time.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Several songs on this album (bridge, condor, boxer, ..) are nailed in my head, frequently played on radio Fryslan when I was a kid. Combined with some more up tempo tracks they make a rich and diverse record.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Outstanding vocal performance.
The Prodigy
4/5
Definitely good: Start the dance!
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Too experimental for me.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Great aggressive raps, sparse beats, some guitar mixed in. I like it.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Huge hits, not all entirely to my satisfaction though.
David Bowie
4/5
Interesting combination of short song material with longer instrumental tracks.
JAY Z
4/5
I somehow like this stuff.
Robbie Williams
3/5
Arcade Fire
5/5
Excellent
The Shamen
1/5
Total crap, even duplicating the same crappy song three times.
Julian Cope
2/5
Big Black
3/5
Some catchy tunes here (e.g., Kerosine) but overall rather ugly; not to say that ugly can't be beautiful though.
The Modern Lovers
4/5
Very pleasant surprise.
Queen
2/5
Interesting that there is a beta version of bohemian rhapsody on this album. But not my cup of tea.
5/5
Perhaps my #3 PJ, after To bring you my love and Is this desire. Excellent songs, raw and accessible at the same time.
Joy Division
4/5
This is likely a perfect album. Yet it's like a black hole, no light coming out. I'll leave it at 4.
ZZ Top
4/5
Wonderful and cool, with several unexpected highlights, such as Master of Sparks.
Sabu
1/5
The Prodigy
3/5
A little blunt, I favour the Jilted Generation.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Good mix of wild funky stuff with slowed-down sensitive songs.
The Only Ones
4/5
Loved this one, again a nice surprise from 1001.
Queen
3/5
A lot of irritating vocals but overall reasonable music.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Pretty amazing instrumental and vocal performance.
LL Cool J
3/5
Reasonable hiphop but does not really grab me.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Not so easy to get through this, even if Red Alert is a catchy tune.
Sex Pistols
4/5
Very puntig.
David Bowie
4/5
Another beautiful Bowie. Great closing song.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
A little too noisy.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
A little too noisy.
The Sonics
3/5
Solid and energetic rock & roll album
Johnny Cash
3/5
A couple of excellent covers (e.g., Hurt and We'll meet again) combined with several that do not add much to the original.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
Smooth and subtle, nice music in the background.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
I can appreciate (but not more than that) this album because of its variety and skillful raps.
The Jam
4/5
Consistent yet with a lot of variation.
Meat Loaf
3/5
Mixed feelings about this one. Probably heard some songs, in particular Paradise, far too often, and I don't like the bombastic approach. But at the same time there are some really strong tracks here. So 3 it is.
Sebadoh
4/5
I like Sebadoh a lot and generally in the order Barlow > Loewenstein > Gaffney (although the mix is definitely an added value). For that reason later albums are preferred, yet this one is much more than ok.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Quite reasonable effort though too long.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
I have problems with the contrived vocals, as actually holds for many singer songwriters. The songs themselves are of mixed quality.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Steady blues rock but I tend to fall asleep until the classics kick in.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Very decent punk rock, don't like the vocals very much.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
The usual spun-out NY rock, nothing remarkable here.
TLC
4/5
Laid-back sound, excellent vocals.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Great riffs, a tad monotonous, too lengthy
The Cure
3/5
Carefully and patiently arranged tracks. Over the top vocals. Desolate sound reminding of Joy Division.
Deep Purple
3/5
Child in time is an amazing song. Otherwise this music and the pathetic screaming sound rather outdated.
Thundercat
2/5
Not sure what this is all about.
2/5
The shouty vocals, the jumpy rythms .. not my piece of cake.
Beatles
5/5
This is indeed one of the best albums that was ever made. It was a great pleasure to revisit it at this occasion.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Mellow tunes, nice in the background but boring.
Massive Attack
4/5
Wonderful triphop album.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Lots of strong songs and brilliant guitar playing. Unfortunately too much jamming for me to stay really tuned.
Heaven 17
4/5
Compliments to these guys for making a synth pop album that I thoroughly enjoyed. Favourite track: Song With No Name.
Sam Cooke
4/5
I love the energy of this live performance.
Judas Priest
3/5
Rather straightforward hard rock album, less heavy than I had expected.
4/5
The 500th album to rate and it's got a massive status. I can't help comparing it to Revolver, which we had just a week ago. Both records share an incredible richness but to me Sgt. Pepper is weaker in terms of song material, coherence and flow. I'll leave it at 4.
Radiohead
5/5
Collection of wonderful songs that remain intact under heavy experimentation. Just listen to Like Spinning Plates.
Nick Drake
5/5
Stilled timeless beauty.
Jeff Beck
3/5
I know that voice ... it's Rod Stewart!
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Pleasant rock 'n roll.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Apart from the story telling some fine soul music.
Ash
3/5
Sympathetic record. I remember Goldfinger well, still a great song. Rest of the album is of variable quality.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Perfect harmonies, it just misses an edge somehow.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Fahren fahren fahren auf der Autobahn .. usw .. usw
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Very hard decision but let me go for full marks because of the unbelievable variety and yet consistency of this album.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Extraordinary vocal performance
Sonic Youth
4/5
My best known Sonic Youth album: great noise rock.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Apart from a few nicely progressing songs like Into the light and Sin in my heart, this record with somewhat off-putting vocals doesn't really appeal to me.
Def Leppard
3/5
Not much to say against this, nice middle-of-the-road-stuff.
Van Morrison
5/5
Listened to this album couple of times to conclude that it is flawless.
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
Jazz does grab me sometimes but not on this occasion.
John Cale
4/5
Very accessible album: I enjoyed it!
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Great musicians obviously but this style does not appeal to me.
Fugees
5/5
Full marks secured by the first notes of Ready or not. The rest is an excellent bonus.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Very complex album, several sparkles of greatness, but it lacks the flow and melodic strength to keep me engaged.
Portishead
4/5
I didn't know this later Portishead album. Different sound but still very intense and I love the thin vocals.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Even a concept album about English war history turns out fantastic in the hands of PJ.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Nice blues-rock album but I prefer Janis Joplin solo.
Patti Smith
4/5
The raw sound reminds me of PJ Harvey.
The Byrds
3/5
Gentle songs combined with some experimental and at times whining material.
Garbage
4/5
Well composed songs, great sound, a tad monotonous.
The War On Drugs
4/5
Highly atmospheric, I just lose attention somewhat toward the end.
Wilco
4/5
The first part gets 5 stars, the second doesn't completely live up to that level, but overall this is a very good take on country with an edge.
Beach House
4/5
I like the dreamy atmosphere on this record.
James Taylor
4/5
This was a pleasant listening experience, smooth and subtle. Really not much to say against it.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Not a very convincing effort, though there are several great songs (Dance Little Sister, Sign Your Name, ..) on this album.
Eagles
4/5
At first it's a challenge to listen past the title song, but it turns out to be very respectable.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
It's a hodgepodge of styles, it's bombastic, it's live, and I don't like it.
ABBA
3/5
There's no denying that this is very well crafted pop music. Quite enjoyable.
The Cure
3/5
A couple of higlights (Play for Today, A Forest of course, ..) and otherwise not much is happening here.
Roxy Music
3/5
Enjoyable record but nowhere near their debut.
The Band
3/5
I don't hear that this is such a classic. It's definitely solid but nothing really grabs the attention.
The Black Crowes
4/5
Rock as it should be: bluesy and raspy.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Not so bad for a prog album.
Steely Dan
4/5
Accessible jazzy pop songs, perhaps slightly missing the intensity to award full marks.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
4/5
Yeah, this is cool and intense. Orange is better though.
Frank Black
3/5
Songs such as Speedy Marie approach Pixies quality but overall this album is far below that standard.
Ramones
4/5
This is actually very elegant punk!
William Orbit
2/5
Starts reasonable but becomes more and more dull.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
More subtle than some of his earlier work. I needed some time to appreciate it, and then it really fell into place.
The Stooges
3/5
Ok, you can shout and you got the groove, Iggy, but the songs were lost on the way.
Tori Amos
4/5
Beautiful and intense
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Authentic and relaxing sound, not for too long though.
The Band
4/5
Enjoyable laid-back music.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
I love the massive stoner sound. Unfortunately the high level of the first part is not maintained throughout the whole album. QOTSA have made better albums, in particular Songs for the Deaf. I hope that is also on the list.
Slipknot
2/5
Loud and ugly for the most part.
Dire Straits
5/5
This got me into (album) music. Must have played it hundreds of times. Now it feels somewhat too slow and elongated in places but it is still easily 5 stars.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Very well balanced Stones album, my one but most favourite (after Exile on Main St.).
David Holmes
3/5
I found myself getting into the groove a few times.
Kraftwerk
3/5
The typical Kraftwerk: it has a certain style but is quite repetitive and detached.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
I think I can do without this.
Portishead
5/5
Strangely desolate album, yet with a warm heart. It won't get much better than this.
Frank Ocean
4/5
Pleasant to listen to and suggesting great depths.
Yes
2/5
This is in fact listenable, with even a few quite acceptable grooves (e.g., Starship Trooper c).
Aphex Twin
4/5
The sort of electronic music that I can appreciate.
Tom Waits
4/5
Somewhat uneven but four stars are secured by such wonderful songs as Jersey Girl and Ruby's Arms.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
A couple of great songs, in particular (When you wake) You're still in a dream got me excited. Unfortunately too far drowned in sound elsewhere.
The Go-Betweens
5/5
One of the major 1001 surprises: I love everything about it.
Oasis
4/5
Irresistable tunes for the most part, performed with that typical cheekiness.
The Icarus Line
1/5
Very ugly music indeed.
New Order
4/5
Very strong songs, revealing themselves after a few spins.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
It has some moments but overall I had a hard time to stay tuned.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
Crappy album, too long, redundant covers, etc. although with a couple of super classic fragments.
M.I.A.
4/5
Wonderful record, a little busy here and there but with many highlights, such as the very creative Pixies remake '20 dollar'.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Proper song material but I'm not fond of the dreary atmosphere.
Talking Heads
5/5
My expectations were low since I could not really appreciate the previous Talking Heads albums from the list. However, for some reason Remain in Light did grab me. I played it various times and enjoyed it more and more. How can that be explained? Well, I'm really not sure. This one appears a little lighter and more joyous. Byrne's vocals, which I cannot stand for the most part, are less prominent; there are more harmonies instead. The album is overall very coherent. There are striking sounds, such as the guitar in The Great Curve and the horn in Houses in Motion. There is genuine beauty in Listening Wind. There is (by accident?) a catchy single with Once in a Lifetime (on which I even like Byrne's barking). What more could one wish?
Iron Butterfly
2/5
One golden riff does not compensate for the overly long title song and unremarkable remainder.
Blur
4/5
Very entertaining album, a bit inconsistent perhaps but certainly the best Blur effort.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Very energetic, must have been fantastic to hear this live. On record I'm not so convinced.
Brian Eno
3/5
Magical sounds in an otherwise boring piece of work.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
Intriguing stuff, it got me captivated.
Slint
4/5
Interesting early post rock album.
New Order
4/5
Enjoyable album after a false start.
Klaxons
3/5
Reminds me of Bloc Party, but at a lower level.
Bad Company
3/5
This is really not bad, the songs are absolutely ok, but I hear nothing special. Makes me wonder why this is on the list while so few albums from the 2000s are included.
De La Soul
3/5
I value the attitude of these musicians: unconventional, positive and honest. However, I am not really grabbed by most of the songs, even big hits like Me, myself and I.
Solid rock 'n roll album.
Spacemen 3
4/5
So diverse, ruthless riffs alongside gentle gems, yet it seems to fit.
Red Snapper
2/5
I liked a few of the instrumental parts but did not digest the album as a whole well.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Funky stuff, they know how to lay down a groove. Would be better if they kept a bit more focus, it sometimes feels like the sound track of a drug party that I did not want to be invited to.
Stereolab
2/5
The first song is still ok, then it descends into a pretty much unlistenable cacophony.
John Prine
4/5
High-level folk.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Very pleasant mix of tropical styles. Enjoyed it except that I can't really appreciate the singing. And why does that cuckoo pop up everywhere?
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Although this album would have benefited from a stricter song selection (to, say, 50-60 minutes), it contains many highlights, including one of the prettiest songs ever (Under the Bridge).
Hüsker Dü
3/5
Very nice and consistent sound. I think I prefer their older work though. This was just too long and dense.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Truly enjoyable debut album.
Neil Young
4/5
This really is a great listen, one of my favourite Neil Young albums, even if the best tune is a borrowed one.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Beautiful voice rendering a bunch of classics at a quiet pace.
4/5
Entertaining album, very musical.
Elvis Presley
3/5
On this overall decent record nothing stood out that really caught my attention.
Tricky
4/5
Quite good triphop album with great use of samples. What a coincidence (or not?) that both Portishead and Tricky made a song based on Isaac Hayes' Ike's Rap II.
Shuggie Otis
2/5
And it lingers on ...
MC Solaar
3/5
Could appreciate the vibe.
Traffic
3/5
Fairly interchangeable rock album.
Lucinda Williams
5/5
Refined songs with extraordinary vocals and just the right amount of edges.
Wild Beasts
3/5
It doesn't always work for me - I'm not too fond of the screaming here and there - but the more downplayed songs like Two Dancers are definitely worth listening.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Ok, let me settle on a four star, in the low end. It's very intriguing, rich and diverse; the thick noise can be hard to digest though. I think we've now had most of the Sonic Youth albums and I conclude Dirty is my favourite.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
Time after time is brilliant and a total classic, and so is Girls. I was also positively surprised by the rest of the album.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Superb album, it's just that the vocals are (at times) not completely my thing.
Neil Young
5/5
I like the raw and subdued style of this album. The songs really grabbed me, and the first 5* for Neil Young is inevitable.
The Clash
4/5
Absolutely fine punk album.
Skepta
4/5
Gorgeous sound with nicely flowing raps.
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
This is wonderful, so very very melodic. It just flows completely.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
I liked most of the songs, Why'd ya do it as favourite. Difficulties with the vocals though.
David Bowie
4/5
This is trusted Bowie quality, after a long pause. Very enjoyable album.
Ray Charles
2/5
No matter how excellently performed and ground-breaking this music may be, the slick arrangements and over the top choirs get on my nerves pretty quickly.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Makes a very robust and classic impression.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Apart from a couple of nice songs (Starpower) the balance on this album leans over to unstructured noise.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Very convincing record, pleasant to listen to.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Sounds more like heaven than las vegas but not sure it's where I would like to be. Nice music, a bit boring though.
David Bowie
4/5
Admirable record from Bowie in his last days. Great supporting band too with some intense saxophone playing.
Le Tigre
4/5
Reminded me of Blood red shoes: fresh and energetic.
Meat Puppets
4/5
Weird album, incoherent and with doubtful vocal performance, but somehow it works. Good pick by Kurt Cobain for his MTV show.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Couldn't get into this really.
The Stranglers
3/5
I like the sound, the guitar playing, the keyboards. Nothing really stands out however.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Even more entertaining than I had expected.
Eels
4/5
Beautiful indeed: many things to enjoy on this album.
Beck
3/5
This sounds like a remake of Odelay, just less convincing in nearly every aspect. Having said that, it's still a good albums of course.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
After three quite reasonable songs, this album turns into unexcitement. Exception: All I wanna do, but that somehow does not resonate with me.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Really not bad but obviously in a different league than Pet Sounds.
Jurassic 5
2/5
Disgusting raps. Ok let me give two stars for a few nice melodies and speech samples.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Pleasant listen, nothing spectacular.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
I'm not a prog fan: really missing the point of it.
Buck Owens
2/5
The songs are in order, seem rather standard country. The vocals are annoying.
Buzzcocks
5/5
Completely satisfying album: it's got the punk, it's got the tunes, it's got sophistication. And I don't mind is simply irresistable.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Another very nice Dexys album, slightly less convincing than their debut.
Nas
4/5
I like the flow and rapping style.
Arcade Fire
5/5
Dramatic and immersive, this totally grabs me.
Simply Red
2/5
Holding back the years is the only noteworthy thing on this record.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
The melodies are beautiful, the arrangements refined, the vocals gentle. Yet, the songs also feels somewhat contrived, so I leave it at 4 stars.
Raekwon
4/5
I liked this better than the Wu-Tang Clan. Very accessible hip-hop album, great samples too. Only quite a bit too long.
Brian Wilson
3/5
How to evaluate this project of mythical proportions? Well, it has its moments - closer Good Vibrations is irresistable - but equally often the songs appear to have been composed in a complicated way just to show off.
The Young Gods
2/5
Predominantly ugly.
Gram Parsons
4/5
This is really Parsons & Harris, their voices combine excellently with each other.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Some carefully selected covers and a lovely voice: can only lead to a great album.
Linkin Park
2/5
I don't care about this shouting, although In the end is a top class song.
Joe Ely
3/5
Starts with a couple of songs with an edge, then becomes rather uneventfull country.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Smooth, well produced, mostly nice songs, excellent voice.
Minutemen
4/5
Reminds me of Orange by Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. In comparison, a bit less raw, a bit more subtle, much more varied. I love it, though it misses a true flow and is too lengthy.
The Who
4/5
This sounds surprisingly fresh, a great debut.
Lambchop
3/5
Beautiful and subtle music unfortunately ruined by the vocals.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Strange mix between beautiful melodies and off-putting passages. So we end up in the middle, just like that other Flaming Lips album.
'Coyne has claimed that he was unaware of the songs' [Fight test] similarities until producer Dave Fridmann pointed them out.' Yeah, sure.
Bad Brains
3/5
Interesting and accessible metal album. Not really my taste but nice to listen to.
Tom Waits
3/5
The live jazz club atmosphere really comes across on this record. The Tom Waits qualities are obviously there, although I prefer some of his later albums (hopefully on the list as well).
The Mars Volta
3/5
Exciting roller coaster. A bit too intense and jumpy for me.
Soul II Soul
2/5
Not much here that is of interest. And Back to Life is unfortunately less appealing than the single version.
Air
3/5
Some good stuff, like the opener, but too much ripples on.
50 Cent
3/5
It flows quite ok, with some ear catching tunes like PIMP.
Minor Threat
4/5
What an energy, lovely!
Steely Dan
4/5
Very clean album with great solo's. Just a bit too perfect in my opinion. Where are the raw edges?
ABBA
4/5
Didn't think I would give four stars to ABBA. This sounds a bit more sophisticated than their greatest hits.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Not sure whether to take this seriously but it is overall not a bad listen.
Eurythmics
3/5
The hits are true classics, some other parts (especially towards the end) are not really memorable.
The Fall
4/5
Excellent record, I was entirely grabbed by the repetitive rhythms, only to lose some attention in the second half.
Lana Del Rey
4/5
Lana del Rey is fantastic, this album just a bit too flat.
Faith No More
3/5
Epic is a great song and there are a few others. The vocals are not my taste.
Ryan Adams
5/5
Incredible album from the days that everything Ryan Adams touched turned into .. yes Gold. Take the epic Nobody girl and find out that this is soon followed by the heartbreaking duo Wild flowers and Harder now that it's over. And whether they are rock, country, gospel or whatever, weak songs are not remotely in sight.
John Lennon
3/5
Tried a few times but can't really get into it. Too inconsistent perhaps. Nevertheless, there are some high quality songs of course.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Laid-back with some great samples (Walk on the wild side!) but not something I would replay.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
Largely interchangeable country music, nothing to get excited about.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Similar but overall a bit less exciting than Steely Dan.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
I don't get excited by this. It feels mechanic and outdated. The tune #4 is of course classic but that's not enough to save it.
The Who
4/5
Not a punishment to hear this a couple of times. Behind blue eyes is the highlight.
N.E.R.D
3/5
It's not clearing to me what this really is, seems all over the place, but there are definitely some strong tunes.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
I pretty much cannot stand this intrusive preaching, although there are nice musical moments.
The Yardbirds
4/5
Sounds fresh and energetic, nice surprise.
Brian Eno
3/5
Very innovative and influential for sure, but it does not get me very excited, with the exception of a couple of songs, in particular the nicely grooving Regiment.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
In the middle section I spotted some favourable melodies.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
This is asking too much of me.
John Grant
4/5
Moving and very well delivered songs. Just not 5 stars because there are a couple of mishits.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Occasionally I found myself moving a little with the rhythms but this was mostly quite flat.
Frank Sinatra
1/5
Horribly slick, gets on my nerves completely.
Missy Elliott
4/5
The rhythms, the raps, they all fit nicely. The second half is somewhat less covincing than the first, although we find excellent tracks there as well, like Why you hurt me. In summary: very satisfactory album.
Blondie
5/5
This is pop perfection: the catchiness, variety and conciseness of the songs, the extraordinary vocals, even the cover.
(1978 was an exceptional year, as yet another perfect pop album was released: This year's model by Elvis Costello.)
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Apart from some suggestions of melodies (e.g., Flower punk) this is completely unlistenable.
The Damned
4/5
Jumpy and wild: a creative and convincing punk record
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Excellent music though apart from Stairway I miss the wow feeling.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Very nice to hear Bjork in this rock/postpunk setting.
Korn
1/5
Man, this is ugly.
Norah Jones
4/5
Just to float on that voice ..
Missy Elliott
2/5
We had Missy Elliott's debut just over a week ago, and the difference is striking. This one is so much worse: the songs are weaker and why all that talking?
Burning Spear
4/5
Enjoyable reggae album, very nice for a summer evening.
Slade
2/5
I can listen to this but there's really no reason to do it.
The Cure
4/5
Carefully built up, atmospheric songs, well executed. One has to be in the mood for this.
Moby
5/5
What a miracle: all these different styles and samples becoming a slow-paced unit here. Love it.
The Undertones
4/5
Very enjoyable punk.
The Byrds
4/5
Fine, high quality songs. I also liked the droning closer Space Odyssey.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Very good voice and - with a few exceptions - not so noteworthy songs.
M.I.A.
3/5
Entertaining though rather busy album.
Alice Cooper
3/5
This does not completely appeal to me, except some attractive riffs here and there (e.g., in Luney Tune).
Tim Buckley
3/5
Strangely, I both like and disgust the singing on this album.
Miles Davis
4/5
Nice and gentle jazz album.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Not something I would put up again but this was quite acceptable overall.
Serge Gainsbourg
4/5
Interesting and captivating music with spoken words nicely draped over it. (Reading about the content of the story I guess this could not be produced in the 2020s anymore.)
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
The characteristic vocals, the saxophone, overall consistent and enjoyable song material: a nice surprise!
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Too much chatting, too many whoohoos amidst some decent folk.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Atmospheric though somewhat too repetitive and dark.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Completely satisfying, covering an enormous dynamic range and emotional spectrum. In two hours not a weak moment: a true masterpiece.
Shack
3/5
Nothing special; not bad to listen to though.
Public Enemy
2/5
Well, this is way to busy, and I have a hard time listening to it.
k.d. lang
2/5
Not my thing really.
ZZ Top
3/5
There are some classics and the album is solid but overall it is a bit too smooth.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
If it's a joke, it's a bad one.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Relaxed music and gentle voice for in the background.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Brilliant and far-stretching: basically everything is great about this record but on this occasion I particularly valued the infinite jam on Another Star.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Strangely inconsistent album. Nice music here and there, and of course the gorgeous Solsbury Hill, but it doesn't get into one piece for me.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Seriously addictive pop music. It only slightly falls short of 5 stars.
Mylo
3/5
Quite acceptable, occassionally compelling, dance music.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Well crafted but uneventful pop music.
Simple Minds
3/5
Ok, let me be mild and award three stars for this album with a couple of hits (Promised you a miracle is a great song) which is otherwise mostly a dreadful listening experience.
KISS
3/5
There are a few really nice songs and some that can be skipped. Nothing exceptional here.
The Smiths
4/5
Not nearly as sparkling as The queen is dead but still very enjoyable.
John Coltrane
4/5
Extremely well crafted jazz with a slight tendency to get on the nerves.
Guided By Voices
5/5
This is pure magic, what a melodic richness. The crappy production and the shortness of the songs only seem to add to the miracle.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
Quite unbalanced album, containing some nice material.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
A couple of ultimate classics; as a whole I cannot appreciate it enough to give full marks though.
Tim Buckley
2/5
The music is not bad but that nervous chicken spoils it.
Ute Lemper
2/5
These are mainly redundant covers of in some cases quite nice songs, and toward the end it becomes a struggle to keep listening.
Goldfrapp
3/5
I like the atmosphere on this record though it doesn't really stick.
The Specials
3/5
More varied than its predecessor, and/but overall less convincing.
Tortoise
4/5
Thrilling music, full of interesting sounds.
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
I'm not too fond of the psychedelic elements; otherwise really ok.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
In the 80s I played this over and over. Now I still love several songs but don't enjoy the album as a whole enough for full marks.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Unfortunately the vocals keep this otherwise quite attractive album from a higher score.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Maybe this could be nice music for a movie.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
I'm not used to this 'qawwali' sound; it's fascinating and compelling (e.g., Ali Maula Ali Maula Ali Dam Dam) although the intense vocals do get on the nerves after some time.
Baaba Maal
3/5
The voice is annoying, beneath it a gentle, repetitive sound.
Public Enemy
3/5
Overall I could appreciate this but it's telling that I liked the interlude 'Show 'em whatcha got' best.
Cheap Trick
3/5
This is an enjoyable hard rock show, including the classics I want you to want me and Surrender.
The Monkees
3/5
Beatles-like, with a few songs that can match that level plus some less noteworthy stuff.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
This feels like an endless jam in which all band members are allowed to display their skills. I guess they had a good time but I don't care.
Merle Haggard
2/5
Hard to stay tuned to this country music.
Giant Sand
3/5
There are a number of fine compositions, such as Satellite. In between it ripples too often.
Fairport Convention
4/5
I quite like this medieval stuff.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Always thought I didn't like ELO - too sweet, too orchestral - but I enjoyed this album quite a bit.
Björk
3/5
Typical great Bjork style, but becoming too abstract for me. Where has the directness of Debut gone?
Green Day
3/5
These are some elaborated - or even epic - songs, which I find relatively boring compared to the more compact stuff on Dookie.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Not very remarkable, especially compared to several other Boss albums.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Solid blues album, some nice guitar playing.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Very nice, elegant, meaningful, but I do not get the 'best record ever' vibe.
Throwing Muses
4/5
Melodic and edgy: I like this kind of stuff.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
Overall nice flow, although I'm losing attention here and there.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Thoroughly enjoyable album from the early years of this brother-band.
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
Musically I like this, it's just very intense and at some point the shouting gets on the nerves.
Willie Nelson
4/5
This is a largely solid collection of songs and I quite like Nelson's vocals.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Very enjoyable album by an iconic singer.
2/5
It doesn't suck completely.
Bill Callahan
3/5
Some interesting music here albeit rather slooow. And the vocals don't appeal to me.
Starts quite nicely (beautiful day is a top song) but doesn't keep up that level.
New York Dolls
4/5
Excellent punk/glam rock record: edgy, melodic and raw. The songs do last a bit too long here and there (esp. Frankenstein).
Depeche Mode
4/5
This is a great record containing a very solid set of songs. It's a bit restrained though and therefore not completely convincing.
Pink Floyd
3/5
There are several hints to proper songs alongside too long drug-inspired jams.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Nothing wrong with this, it's just very unspecial.
Animal Collective
2/5
There are some good songs but they are seriously trying yo hide that.
Laibach
2/5
Despite a high score for the cult factor and two appreciable covers of a great song, I cannot justify more than two stars for this bombastic pastiche.
Little Simz
4/5
I quite liked this music and rapping style.
The Fall
3/5
A relatively weaker Fall album I guess but still enjoyable.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Great album with several excellent songs, in particular 'Don't give up', although I don't get that superb exxperience over the full record.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Nice folky songs, Marlene stands out, the rest is adequate.
Louis Prima
4/5
Truly entertaining and uplifting: I only knew 'Oh Marie' and 'Buona Sera' and the other tracks fit in there just as well.
American Music Club
2/5
Well, this was rather disappointing: rather flat, only a few reasonable songs.
Magazine
4/5
Wonderful record; favourite track: 'The light pours out of me'.
Common
2/5
It's not repulsive but there are few moments that stick. Overall it's a rather tedious and way too long listen.
Van Halen
3/5
Excellent guitar work and a few great tracks (Jump of course) but I don't get very excited about this.
Van Morrison
4/5
I can't help but to compare this with Moondance, both very nice records. While AW is arguably more consistent, I favour M because it has a warmer sound and some better melodies. Also the vocals on AW occasionally reach the point of irritation.
Slipknot
1/5
Disgusting.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
The music is mediocre; Winehouse's vocals pull it to 3 stars.
3/5
The point of this record is not entirely clear to me, but ok there are some appealing melodies.
Wilco
5/5
This album combines the finest songs (Jesus, Etc. as highlight) with carefully dosed raw edges. Absolutely fantastic.
Beyoncé
4/5
Rich and diverse music with excellent vocals
Motörhead
4/5
Volume at max .. and go!
Destiny's Child
2/5
I love the first two songs; the remainder is just too flat and long.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
It feels a bit outdated but I did enjoy several tracks on this album.
King Crimson
2/5
Not easily digestible, may need more time than available.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
The first two songs are still nice to hear; I don't care about the rest.
Tom Waits
4/5
Very intriguing album, I love the weird sounds, the cracky voice, the gentle ballads. Falls only slightly short of full marks.
Country Joe & The Fish
4/5
Positively surprised by this one: good combination of compact songs and elongated psychedelica.
The Police
4/5
Musically excellent album with a couple of great songs. It stays at the level of appreciation more than excitement though.
Kid Rock
2/5
Much ado with little content.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
This doesn't reach the threshold, what a bloody crap.
The Police
4/5
Though occassionally crumbling down, this is a quite consistent and overall very satisfying record.
Napalm Death
3/5
This feels like a punk record. I can appreciate it and even the growling seems to make sense.
The Beta Band
3/5
Neither repulsive nor very attractive.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Solid country rock, gets a bit whiny at times.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Apart from the live aspect in the context of this list: an entertaining album.
Happy Mondays
2/5
For the most part rather ugly music with moaning vocals.
Germs
3/5
Adequate punk album, I'm not too fond of the vocals.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Very nice in the background, not catchy and compact enough as a standalone album.
Soundgarden
4/5
It took a couple of times listening to re-appreciate this album (at first it was somewhat ponderous). Finally, I can give a solid 4 stars and if cut by 20-30 minutes it might even have received full marks.
Deerhunter
4/5
This is a little treasure, soft and beautiful. Loses momentum at a few places, otherwise excellent.
Little Richard
4/5
What a burst of energy!
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
5/5
Such delicate songs so tenderly performed: an absolute masterpiece.
Mudhoney
3/5
Respectable grunge album, though nowhere near Ten and Nevermind, released in the same year.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Reasonable album but it doesn't keep up with much of Costello's earlier work.
The Byrds
2/5
Mediocre country music, not a pleasure to listen to.
Hookworms
2/5
It keeps going on in a rather dreadful way without hooks to hold on to.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
At first it's easy listening but after a while it becomes annoying.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
It is subtle and atmospheric, it is boring too.
Moby Grape
4/5
Sounds fresh, versatile and entertaining.
The Verve
2/5
Brought back to the essence there are some good songs in here, but the delivery is way too pompous and tedious to reveal that.
Girls Against Boys
4/5
I liked this: great repetitive sound.
Living Colour
3/5
After a strong opening the album deteriorates, only to revive in the second half.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Nice and easy listening, nothing wrong, nothing standing out.
Anita Baker
3/5
I can't deny this is pretty and well executed.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
It's nice but somehow doesn't keep me engaged.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Very nice album, only four songs, each with their own atmosphere, all delivered with a unique voice.
Madonna
3/5
Not a bad album, but why pick this one for the 1001 list?
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Very entertaining hip hop.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Very entertaining album topped off with the climactic Free Bird.
Mudhoney
4/5
Raw, edgy, and melodic; only a bit on the short side.
Common
4/5
Collaboration with Kanye done him good. I love it.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
I perceived this as whiny.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Starts off really well but the second half doesn't deliver much excitement.
Genesis
4/5
Quite rewarding once you get into it.
Doves
2/5
Rather tedious matter.
The Fall
4/5
Catchy guitar patterns in repeat and overlayed with murmling vocals. Very entertaining.
Sade
4/5
Smooth operators indeed, but in a good way. Very relaxed music.
Aimee Mann
4/5
Very pleasant to listen to these well crafted, well performed songs.
Rush
3/5
Musically it's really quite nice; the vocals prevent a higher rating than 3 stars.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Rather experimental and apart from a few nice passages I'm missing the hooks to get into it.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
A stylish album that doesn't really stick.
Johnny Cash
3/5
It must have been awesome to witniss such a concert in jail; listening to it as a record is nice but not more than that.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Not a top album for Cave perhaps but still a very respectable one in general.
Spiritualized
4/5
This is an epic album (with a perfect title) combining fragile melodies with lengthy noisy jams. Very close to full marks indeed.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
The sound is terrific, especially in the faster songs. In the second half they slow down, and that also works.
Sparks
3/5
I can appreciate the liveliness of this record.
Suicide
2/5
Pathetic whining kills the somehow interesting staccato rhythms.
Björk
2/5
I appreciate Bjork's work, even this record, but I did not have much fun listening to it and nearly developed a headache.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Extremely intense and truly beautiful. Also a (too) long ride in slow motion.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Nice songs but somewhat drawling and missing punch.
XTC
2/5
This was hard to listen to until the end.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Far too pretentious and bombastic.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Nice songs tending to pointlessness.
Steely Dan
4/5
Elegant and musically excellent, not entirely grabbing the attention though.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Probably the best LC album: very consistent set of songs with great lyrics and subtle musical variations.
The Killers
4/5
Well underway for a perfect score but losing that in the second half.
Kelela
2/5
Apart from a good sound there is not much to enjoy about this album.
Haircut 100
3/5
Ok, not particularly entertaining but it's friendly and upbeat.
Orbital
4/5
The kind of electronic albums I can appreciate. It's too long for me to stay focused but still a very nice listening experience.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Some good riffs, too theatrical overall.
Boston
3/5
Quite decent middle-of-the-road rock with a huge classic at the start.
Baaba Maal
3/5
The singing is not easy to digest, but after some listening some pearls reveal themselves. I loved in particular Sy Sawande.
The Kinks
4/5
Another very enjoyable Kinks album.
Morrissey
2/5
Maybe this suffers from being the third Morrissey solo album on the list. I'm done with it.
Soft Cell
3/5
Both pleasant and annoying.
Dr. John
4/5
At first I thought this was rubbish but after further listening I got intrigued and played it several times in a row (it's quite short, that helps). Conclusion: very interesting album, best track at the end.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
While 'Two' got its wanted number of stars, 'One' has actually better songs and receives one more. The vocals are problematic on both.
David Crosby
3/5
Atmospheric record with nice guitar playing and vocal harmonies.
Van Morrison
4/5
Very impressive live album: massive band and charismatic performer.
The Crusaders
2/5
Rather unremarkable jazzy tunes.
Ride
4/5
The songs are not so special but the chiming guitar sound more than makes up for that.
Tom Waits
5/5
Typical weird Waits combination of hotseknots and ballads that somehow works perfectly well.
Nirvana
5/5
This had great impact at the time and I still love it.
Love
3/5
Strange album, with a handful of short songs and a very long jam. Still an interesting listening experience.
Turbonegro
4/5
It goes on and on with a fat and fast sound, a great pleasure to listen to.
Killing Joke
4/5
Intense and very satisfying punk-rock album.
Billy Joel
4/5
Fine music, a few absolute classics, just missing full marks at the end.
Ian Dury
3/5
Both entertaining, with a mix of styles, and irritating (I don't get much of the humour), so I end up at 3 stars.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
I'm not too fond of this typical way of singing but the music is overall quite entertaining.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Excellent album, the sound is just great (may also have to do with co-producer Inflo) and the songs are strong.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Entertaining though by no means sensational as the band name promises.
The Style Council
3/5
According to wikipedia the genre is sophisti-pop. It is a bit too sophisticated perhaps and not very consistent, yet it is not bad at all.
Richard Thompson
4/5
Lovely and timeless folk music.
Big Star
4/5
This is an intriguing album: more experimental than previous work, with an anguished atmosphere and off-tone vocals at times. The songs are equally great for the most part.
Syd Barrett
3/5
I can appreciate the somewhat hesitant approach with unstable vocals, especially in the first part, while toward the attention gets lost.
Screaming Trees
5/5
Gorgeous songs, massive sound, just a fabulous album by Lanegan & co.
Big Star
5/5
After a couple of spins this albums starts blossoming. It is a collection of wonderful melodies, without a single weak point.
Steve Winwood
2/5
This didn't make a significant impression after two spins.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
There are some beautiful songs, including of course Nothing Compares 2 U, but as a whole I am not grabbed by this album.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Best Beastie Boys album with the banger Sabotage, fine opener Sure shot, and an overall good mix between heavy and more laid back tunes.
Gene Clark
3/5
Gentle, relatively uneventful country album.
Wire
4/5
Entertaining, interesting, and not straightforward punk album.
The United States Of America
2/5
A couple of nice melodies drowned in an incoherent swamp.
Dagmar Krause
2/5
Interesting cabaret style music, although hard to digest. Vocal-wise I prefer the handful of German songs, since the English is horrible (by the way, there appears to be a full-German version of the album as well)
Sepultura
2/5
It's monstrous, just one additional star for the tribal elements.
Blue Cheer
3/5
I can appreciate the raw bluesy energy of this record. Title is fake Latin.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Top notch country/bluegrass, although it is way too long and the talking should have been omitted.
1/5
It's not unlistenable and I might have awarded two stars if the album had been restricted to 40 minutes and the horrible outro had been skipped.
Van Halen
4/5
Lots of excellent stuff on this record, great riffs, favourite track Ain't talking 'bout love.
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
I don't really get into it, e.g. the first track is hookless and long, but there are some nice moments later on.
Liz Phair
3/5
Proper songs in many cases and I like the overall style.
Nico
4/5
Excellent collection of songs, only some of them slightly too long and Nico's vocals are not entirely satisfying. I had a strong association with Belle & Sebastian (e.g., These Days) and perhaps not surprisingly Spotify switched to B&S when the album was finished.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Mixed feelings about this one: there are some weaker parts between fine songs.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
High-quality punk album, catchy songs, rapid delivery, good flow.
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Attractive hiphop, lovin' the outro.
Fiona Apple
4/5
Very impressive, creative instrumentation and use of vocals while maintaining melodic quality.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
The opening is classic, the rest largely unremarkable.
The White Stripes
4/5
Why don't we get the early WS albums? This is still more than ok (narrow 4 stars) but the raw edge is lost a bit.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Good song material, somewhat 'pushy' execution.
Kings of Leon
5/5
Perfect combination of edgy songs, a raw sound and charismatic vocals.
Scott Walker
3/5
The songs are in order; I'm less attracted by the performance, which is somewhat 'swollen'.
Joan Baez
2/5
It is the singing that drives these recordings and I'm not a fan of that, especially at the high notes.
The Darkness
3/5
Not something I would revisit but it was fun to listen to.
Parliament
3/5
Some good grooves but lacking focus and with too much talking.
2/5
Well, I ploughed through this album; sluggish with rare sparks is a fitting description.
The Vines
3/5
There are some good songs reminding me of Queens of the Stone Age and others, but there is also weaker material and ugly shouting.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Very nice repetitive compositions.
Soft Machine
2/5
Endless and pointless, yet with some proper songs hidden, e.g., at the beginning of Moon in June.
System Of A Down
4/5
Heavy stuff with care for melodies: I like it.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Nice and bluesy with a perfect opener, probably my favourite LZ album.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Cheerful album with interesting rhythms.
Holger Czukay
2/5
It's probably very innovative with the samples and all. To listen to it is another story, the songs linger on. Well, not entirely my cup of tea, even if the music is attractive at times.
Tom Tom Club
2/5
There is definitely a groove that one can hang on to. But I don't.
R.E.M.
4/5
One of the many fine R.E.M. albums.
Adele
4/5
There is so much power in that voice. And emotional expression: just listen to Someone like you.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Generally positive feelings about this one, although a song like Gypsy Woman is too far-fetched. And I'm not exactly fond of Buckley's singing.
GZA
3/5
Very coherent hip hop album with an extremely gloomy atmosphere. I appreciate it but would not listen to it again.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
The dramatic vocals ruin most of this record.
The Birthday Party
2/5
I didn't know about these early Nick Cave escapades. Hard to listen to.
The White Stripes
4/5
Very energetic & raw. Just short of full marks in my current judgement.
The Associates
2/5
Ranging from horrible to acceptable when the singer shuts his mouth.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Uplifting desert blues
Jack White
4/5
Captivating song material of comparable quality to the White Stripes.
Talk Talk
4/5
I only knew a couple of singles from this band. The singing is instantly recognizable; the music lovely most of the time. Attention is not completely maintained over the full record, so I leave it at 4 stars.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Excellent Stones record (I listened to the US version with Paint it Black by the way, always takes me straight to Vietnam). Not all songs are equally convincing and Goin' home is a bit too much.
The Verve
4/5
High quality songs delivered with a lot of (sometimes a bit too much) passion.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
This is all rather weak, about two leagues below the Beatles.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
There's a lot to like about this album: catchy songs (though without absolute earwurms), shiploads of energy and shouty dual vocals. Close to full marks indeed.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
A fine collection of covers. What is the rationale for including this in the list?
Dion
3/5
After listening a couple of times the careful arrangements become apparent but the overall impression remains rather dull.
Donovan
4/5
Excellent album both in the quiet, gentle mode (Guinevere) and in the more rocking mode (Season of the Witch).
UB40
3/5
Nice in the background, and especially the title song left some impression.
3/5
I have mixed feelings about this one. It's excessive, over the top, and every (black) hole is filled with whatever sound. It doesn"t feel genuine. At the same several songs are truly entertaining, so I end up with a score just in the middle.
The National
5/5
It's been a while that I listened to it, and I'm equally impressed and moved as before. Not enough stars can be given to this album.
Doves
3/5
Consistently built up atmosphere with a slight tendency to become boring.
Randy Newman
3/5
Good songwriting and nice performance, although I do not care much about a theatrical song like 'Every Man a King'.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Entertaining and easily digestible synth pop.
TV On The Radio
4/5
Impressive artrock collection with many things to discover. Highlight is DLZ.
Method Man
3/5
Again a respectable WTC solo project. I like the overall atmosphere, losing it a bit toward the end.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
The CCR sound is great, the songs are very decent and partly classic.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
The more conventional songs, like Stand!, are nice; the jams are less appealing.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Not a bad listening experience at all, just not really appealing.
Don McLean
4/5
Lovely songs, among which a couple of classics, delivered with a pleasant voice.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
The title song plus a couple more are nice, the rest is quite unremarkable.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
I have a hard time to enjoy the sound of this album, whether it deals with (redundant) covers or original material.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Adequate blues-rock, not enough to get me excited.
3/5
Good live energy, not great song material.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Some great and classic songs, the singing remains problematic.
Orange Juice
2/5
A swing here and there, otherwise unremarkable.
Anthrax
3/5
Quite acceptable thrash.
Miles Davis
4/5
Lovely jazz album, smooth and light.
The Beta Band
3/5
Not a punishment to listen to though overall rather flat.
Mike Ladd
2/5
It all takes too long with too few hoogste to hold on to.
Bauhaus
3/5
Reasonably accessible gothic with some catchy phrases, so I could appreciate it.
Coldplay
5/5
A pure gem, so tender and intimate. I just love it.
Hot Chip
3/5
It starts off very nicely, then becomes somewhat monotonous, although there are still a couple of energizers, such as Flutes.
Maxwell
1/5
Ultra smooth, ranging between meaningless and repulsive.
Sigur Rós
5/5
This is the ultimate euphoria.
Coldcut
3/5
Crazy mix of electronic tunes. Quite catchy at times, and I sort of like the vocal contribution by Mark E. Smith.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Wonderful poetry put to music. The singing could be better but otherwise this is just great.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Well, I expected to be awarding a straight 1 but apart from being too long and wildly inconsistent this record was actually enjoyable.
Talvin Singh
2/5
Hard to get into this somewhat jangly sound.
Radiohead
4/5
Impressive and innovative piece of work, slightly missing the punch for full marks.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Very enjoyable techno music.
Ice Cube
3/5
Some good rapping & beats, though I'm not really getting into it.
Paul Simon
3/5
Musically and lyrically well thought-out album that I can appreciate as such but that does not grab me.
Stan Getz
3/5
This elegant and relaxed kind of music has a certain appeal.
The Byrds
4/5
High quality songs performed with nice harmonies and guitar playing.
Adam & The Ants
4/5
Catchy tunes with the right amount of weirdness.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Interesting spun-out songs: very well done.
Kate Bush
4/5
I'm ultimately not a fan of Bush's vocals, but this album is overall very rich and entertaining.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
In principle this is a nice collection of drum 'n bass but after an hour it becomes monotonous (and then there's still 1.5 hours to go). Besides, a compilation album from many different artists doesn't make sense in this list.
Fishbone
3/5
This record is all over the place, with lots of different styles. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn"t.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
There is a certain beauty, however the music trudges along and the vocals are unpleasant.
Stan Getz
3/5
Very nice music to listen to in the background.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
I don't get excited about this, in particular the spoken intermezzo's are annoying.
Britney Spears
2/5
In the beginning there are some decent songs, e.g., I like Sometimes. For the langer part the music leaves me either indifferent or irritated.
CHIC
4/5
Very entertaining and great fun to listen to.
Gene Clark
4/5
Country with a twist - very tasteful.
The Residents
2/5
There are some glimpses of something interesting between a lot of nonsense.
Radiohead
5/5
Extraordinarily strong rock album, probably my favourite Radiohead.
Paul Simon
5/5
Lovely album packed with gorgeous tracks that are very diverse but kept together by an overall African spirit.
The Incredible String Band
2/5
I had strong associations with In an aeroplane over the sea by Neutral milk hotel. However, that is a fantastic album whereas this is ... well ... nearly unlistenable, especially toward the end. A very cellular song is ok so 2 stars.
Sugar
4/5
Wonderful melodies and hooks. Dense sound. Close to full marks indeed.
Goldie
3/5
There are some nice hooks but not enough to keep me tied over the full record.
Brian Eno
5/5
Thoroughly entertaining album, harmoniously combining vocal tracks with instrumental pieces. I kept playing it over and over.
Pixies
5/5
Still sounds as great as ever: sublime album by one of my favourite bands.
Arrested Development
4/5
Sympathetic album by sympathetic band.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Several nice songs, but a couple, e.g., the opener, bring it down.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
This is impressive for an a capella record.
The xx
4/5
Although I (music) prefer their debut, this is still a nice and very recognizable xx album.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I could appreciate these up-tempo songs a lot more than the slow-paced ones on the wee small hours.
Les Rythmes Digitales
4/5
It's hard not to move along with these addictive disco tracks.
U2
4/5
A couple of monster songs and I'm quite content with the rest as well.
G. Love & Special Sauce
5/5
I just totally love this, it's so musical. Saw G. Love perform the whole album last year, still accompanied by the Special Sauce. It was amazing.
The Strokes
5/5
Yeah, this is it! Overwhelming, confident, and intense.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Very strong solo debut, with big Bowie influence it seems. Really not much to criticize but just not convincing enough for full marks.
Pixies
5/5
The Pixies have this unique combination of disturbance and harmony, melodies and hooks. This is one of their superb records.
Slayer
3/5
It will never be my favourite genre, but I can listen to this and appreciate it.
James Brown
3/5
It must have been a very special concert, with the women screaming and all. Listening to it 60 years later is nice but not much more than that.
David Ackles
2/5
I find this not easy to listen to. It's too theatrical for my taste. It does have its moments though.
Manu Chao
4/5
I enjoyed this album quite a bit, it's a nice take on reggae and the overall atmosphere is very pleasant.
Mariah Carey
1/5
Horrible
The Slits
3/5
Intriguing music that does however not quite grab me; the mediocre singing doesn't help.
Aerosmith
4/5
Very solid rock album: energetic stuff, beautiful ballad at the end, nothing over the top.
The KLF
3/5
It's ok. I liked the title song, some others tend to tedious.
Iron Maiden
4/5
I truly enjoyed this, it sounds fresh and energetic, right from the start to the excellent closer.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
I like the sound and catchy phrases but the tracks are too long and predictable overall.
Pulp
4/5
It misses the sparkling energy of Different Class but is still a very strong record.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
From The Killing Moon onward it started to grow on me, and after the second spin I can say that this is actually a very acceptable E&B album.
The Cult
3/5
On this occasion the music struck me as quite monotonous, although there is a good energy. The Born to be wild version doesn't add anything.
Peter Tosh
4/5
Very good vibe for a summer day.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
Nice country music without much variation though. I recognized In the pines from the Nirvana Unplugged session. The delivery is flatter here, but ok, it's the fifties and it's hard to top Cobain in that respect.
Hole
4/5
A raging album with Violet as a complete killer opener.
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
Tried a couple of times, but I can't get into this and appreciate it.
Beatles
4/5
Lovely album, this is the pleasure of pop music.
Love
4/5
These are some beatiful and gentle arrangements, a wonderful record for the most part.
Morrissey
3/5
Morrissey's solo debut and probably one of his better albums, although the songs do not really stick.
Madness
4/5
I like the jumpiness and cheerfulness, the occasional melancholy as well, and this is a overall a very coherent album.
Marilyn Manson
3/5
Not that bad overall, just very exhaustive.
The Lemonheads
4/5
Very pleasant record, close to full marks.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Wow, this is intriguing music, it definitely grabs me although the vocals are at times a bit hard to digest.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Fun album, superb sax, a bit shouty.
Paul McCartney
3/5
I liked parts of this but it is overall too inhoherent.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
No
George Harrison
4/5
Apparently considered to be the best Beatle solo album, and I can't disagree: the songs are excellent for the most part; leaving out the jams and a couple other tracks there might even be a 5-star record in here.
Grateful Dead
3/5
Partly great and partly dreadful, so yes, the band name is adequate.
Cream
4/5
Wonderful psychedelic blues album with great riffs.
Def Leppard
2/5
Nothing exciting here.
Pere Ubu
3/5
I like the grooving parts best, while a track like Sentimental Journey is not my cup of tea.
Barry Adamson
3/5
Atmospheric music with nice vocal guest contributions. Could be great for a movie but is a bit harder to appreciate as stand-alone.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Enchanting repetitive melodies, a pleasure to listen to.
Pantera
2/5
Well executed but I don't get any joy from this.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Relaxed sound but rather flat and some tracks (e.g., Parade) are toe curling.
Gotan Project
3/5
Easy listening tango adaptations, just on the good side of boring.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Fine music with superb sax contributions but man, all these oohs and aahs and baby's.
The Stooges
4/5
I'm not fond of all tracks on this album (e.g., pretty face) but there is just about enough raw power for four stars.
Hawkwind
2/5
Extensive live album, feels like a long spacy trip, I guess you had to be there.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Inventive, radical, pioneering, influential. Excellent band name as well. Fully justified that this is on the list.
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
Intense music with dark themes, great songwriting and instantly recognizable vocals.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
So many qualities in one band, and they all come together here: near perfect record.
Lou Reed
5/5
Gorgeous album: a handful of classics and the rest is also rewarding.
The Coral
4/5
Lots of styles are mixed here, and somehow rhe result is still coherent. It was an etertaining listening experience.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Unique JM signature style, which is ok but slightly monotonous.
The Offspring
5/5
This just continues with catchy songs and high energy from start to finish: I love it.
N.W.A.
3/5
I guess you gotta get deeper into these n**gga stories to fully appreciate it. Beats and samples and raps add up to 3 stars for me.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Could not entirely get into it, nevertheless an interesting album.
Laura Nyro
3/5
Not all songs land equally well and the vocals are excellent but not completely my taste.
The Thrills
2/5
It starts off reasonably but turns out to be an uneventful affair.
Black Flag
3/5
Respectable punk album, a little too intense for me.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Some good grooves are present, the sound is somewhat dull.
Django Django
3/5
This was reasonably entertaining, not more than that.
The Bees
3/5
A mixed bag, but not an unpleasant one.
Scritti Politti
3/5
A couple of sweet and notable tracks (the singles mainly) completed with stuff that need not be remembered.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Plenty of nice songs, such as the starter. Unfortunately, there is a lot of unremarkable stuff and nonsense as well, making the album way too long.
Kanye West
4/5
This is less accessible than some of his earlier albums and it required a few spins to acknowledge its greatness.
SAULT
5/5
When this album came out, it immediately grabbed me. It's beautiful, accessible, variable, fragmentary, yet very coherent. The production is excellent and it is stuffed with nice and subtle sounds. A couple of years later I'm still deeply impressed.
Fugazi
4/5
Great album with addictive elements.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Paul sure knows how to write appealing pop songs, and he is accompanied by a solid band here.
The Roots
3/5
Not sure how to rate this one. There are nice moments (e.g., I like the closer) but regularly I get lost.
The Libertines
4/5
Melodic, unpolished music, just lovely.
Mekons
4/5
Great take on country and folk.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
I recognize two classics among several uninteresting parts.
Ryan Adams
5/5
Songs with the right hooks, tasteful instrumentation and very appealing vocals: a personal favourite indeed.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Very impressive album, both instrumentally and lyrically.I don't dig the harsh vocals but otherwise an excellent record.
Kate Bush
3/5
The songs are not always convincing and the vocals are not my thing but still a quite reasonable album.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
I can't fully get into this. Not sure why.
1/5
Extremely tiring
Alice In Chains
4/5
Sovereign grunge-rock-metal, even if slightly ponderous.
Ministry
2/5
Let's leave this where it belongs: at the industrial estate.
Deee-Lite
2/5
Very lite stuff and I recognize a big hit.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
The kind of synth-pop that I can appreciate.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Solid work, a nice combination of quiet tunes in the first half and steady rockers in the second.
Calexico
5/5
Very nice surprise to see this album on the list: it's gorgeous.
The Byrds
4/5
80% is really nice - favourite part for me is Every Door and Eight Miles. The Hey Joe version could have been skipped and I don't care about the 2-4-2 Fox Trot either. End result: just about 4 stars.
The Pogues
4/5
Very entertaining folk: great song material and the vocals work really well.
Billie Holiday
3/5
I don't get excited about this but it's smooth jazz for in the background.
Elton John
4/5
Entertaining and versatile record from a very talented singer.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Very well made, but I'm not that excited about it.
Scott Walker
2/5
There are a few glimpses of songs, the rest is over the top self-indulgence.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Starts of very nice; later I lose attention although it is still ok in the background.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Full appreciation probably requires digging into the story, which I didn't do. As far as the music is concerned: not that bad actually.
George Michael
3/5
The first part, with the lovely Freedom!'90, is fun to listen. In the last part, the momentum gets lost.
Can
3/5
The first half is more than acceptable but with Aumgn and Peking O I'm losing it.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Strong blues album, quite monotonous though.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Satisfying album from start to finish, with a unique, dreamy sound.
White Denim
3/5
Good sound, well played, versatile, but I'm missing the songs to keep the attention.
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
Wonderful band, and a lot to enjoy here, with the title track as highlight. Close to 5 stars, which probably would have been secured by the follow-up Mighty Joe Moon.
TV On The Radio
3/5
I had expected Dear Science. The debut is less convincing although definitely worth listening.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Classic record, very powerful.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
About 2.5 good, nearly classic, songs, but the rest is not compelling.
Paul Weller
4/5
I think I only knew the title song, and it took a couple of spins to get into the rest. Conclusion: very solid album.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
A collection of mostly beautiful songs with an occasional outburst. I like it like that.
Grateful Dead
3/5
This is a quite unique live performance, I assume, so I can see why it is on the list. Some thorough jamming going on.
Weather Report
3/5
The first half is entertaining jazz with recognizable motifs, then there is an unfitting live recording, and what follows is not of much interest anymore.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
LC in his late days: beautiful as ever.
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
Lovely country pop.
The Black Keys
4/5
Terrific bluesy sound, great songs.
Radiohead
4/5
Most of the songs are brilliant. Yet somehow the album does not feel like 5 stars for me, perhaps because it's not entirely coherent and it's too long.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Quite experimental with the gated reverb and all. Well, there are several nice moments, e.g. Games without frontiers, but overall it's not enough.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
Didn't know about this early-career Stills & Young band: it's great.
Kings of Leon
3/5
Similar development as with Coldplay. After the first couple of 'smaller' records, they go full stadium rock and I lose attention.
Ray Charles
4/5
A combination of big band and ballads, both very convincing. What a singer and musician!
Death In Vegas
3/5
Switches between compelling and boring.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Classic Sabbath.
The Charlatans
4/5
Sounds a lot like Oasis, well ok it's Britpop, but operating in a lower league. With the sympathy factor I get to 4 stars.
David Bowie
3/5
The album contains some absolutely great tracks - of course the title song - but also less satisfying material, and the
long ambient excursions in the second half make it overall too incoherent.
The Zutons
2/5
Some reasonable tunes but they don't resonate with me.
Beth Orton
4/5
Strong folk album - with a twist - from start to finish, only a few weaker moments.
Tom Waits
5/5
Unique combination of roughness and beauty: a deeply satisfying album.
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Beautiful songs and harmonies, fantastic closer.
3/5
The title song is outstanding, otherwise these long-spun-out jams are not entertaining enough to keep me engaged.
Foo Fighters
5/5
I did not know that Dave Grohl made this album on his own. The band came later. Anyway, it is superb (post-) grunge: dynamic, intense and melodic.
Pavement
5/5
Excellent songs performed with just the right attitude.
Steely Dan
3/5
Solid, nice in the background, nothing really to praise, nor to complain.
Pavement
4/5
Very strong but not yet fully accomplished debut
a-ha
2/5
It starts with a catchy hit song, the rest is not noteworthy and sounds dated.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I don't get the wow feeling but there is certainly a lot to enjoy on this album.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
Take five is iconic, the album as a whole a bit too flat.
Ice T
2/5
Musically not very interesting and way too long.
Beck
3/5
The beauty is definitely there, e.g. Lost Cause, but - I hate to say it - the album as a whole tends to boredom.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Not too fond of this vocal acrobatics.
Massive Attack
4/5
Thoroughly entertaining album with a very relaxed and diverse sound.
Fela Kuti
1/5
The live atmosphere doesn't come across really, and I don't care about drum solo's.
The Cramps
4/5
An energetic mess, very entertaining.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
The first two tracks set a very promising template. What follows, fulfills this promise at times but is more often tedious and inconsistent.
Small Faces
3/5
The songs are largely of high quality but I don't like the cheesy story-telling in the second half.
Leftfield
4/5
Thoroughly entertaining dance album.
The Auteurs
4/5
I know there exists a 5-star Auteurs compilation - I got it from my friend back in the nineties. This particular record is strong as well but does not keep the high level throughout.
Neil Young
5/5
Apparently, I have a preference for NY's country/folk-rock side compared to his hard-rock side. This preference is not without exceptions but it does explain why After The Gold Rush ends up receiving full marks.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Nice big-band music, after some time it gets on the nerves.