Sep 09 2021
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Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette
Took me back in time and I forgot just how many catchy hooks were on there. Also some irritating vocalization, but definitely a good bit of nostalgia and good to hear a strong female voice!
4
Sep 10 2021
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Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
I forgot just how tired I had become with this extremely repetitive genre of music. After the first 30 seconds, you've heard everything the song has to offer. After the first 3 songs, you know the shape of every song on the album. It had it's time an place for me, but I'm over it!
2
Sep 13 2021
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The Visitors
ABBA
I tried to get into it. I like the title track and Soliders. Beyond that it just wasn’t my taste. It struck me that they had a lot of big ideas and they worked hard to get them all in there. I’m sure if I enjoyed the band in general it would work for me, but I just couldn’t connect with the music enough to find my place in it.
3
Sep 14 2021
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Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
4
Sep 15 2021
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Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
I guess I knew of Leonard Cohen, but I never knew anything about him. This album was an enjoyable introduction, but boy did it feel like a lot to deal with. The lyrics are dense and left me with a sense that I barely had a grasp on how to handle the english language. I was impressed with the elaborate storytelling of every song and I defintely couldn't just passively listen. Rather each song pulled me in and nearly forced me to delve into it's narrative. What I felt the music lacked was an emotional connection that existed on an involuntary level. The connection required work.
4
Sep 16 2021
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Tres Hombres
ZZ Top
Every song is simple and too the point. I can hear echos of this album's influence on countless other artists that I listen to.
3
Sep 17 2021
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Horses
Patti Smith
With the exception of 'Gloria: In Excelsis Deo', each song felt (to me anyhow) like it was recorded right on the edge of creation and destruction. The underlying music ebbed and flowed with a casual fludity, while the lyrics and vocalizations alternated between settled and urgent. It felt intimate and meaningful and I'm left with a sense of loss for not having had the opportunity to appreciate the album it in it's context, in it's time.
4
Sep 20 2021
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Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Meh - A bunch of privileged white dudes signing about how they want to get over on girls while they misappropriate blues music. Hows about putting some actual blues artists in the list.
1
Sep 21 2021
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Groovin'
The Young Rascals
I'm not sure that the entire album merits being on this list, but there were defintely some enjoyable tracks. Groovin' was certainly the star of the album for a reason, but what stuck with me the most was the diversity of sounds and styles on the album overall. If I were to listen to tracks like "A Girl Like You" and "I Don't Love You Anymore" alongside "You Better Run" or "A Place in the Sun", I'd have sworn they were entirely different bands. In the end, I'm glad to be introduced to the album.
3
Sep 22 2021
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Bad Company
Bad Company
Listening to this album made me feel like I should be three pints deep on a pitcher of lager and playing pool in a smoke filled dive-bar. I enjoyed the album from start to finish and plan on putting some Bad Company on in the background at my next backyard BBQ.
4
Sep 23 2021
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Too Rye Ay
Dexys Midnight Runners
3
Sep 24 2021
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90
808 State
2
Sep 27 2021
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The College Dropout
Kanye West
How does one appreciate the art without considering the artist? If you're going to marry the two opinions together, do you consider who the artist was at the time of the creation of the art, or what you know about their whole life? This album made me struggle with this idea, because it is a great album but I'm not much of a Kanye fan nowadays.
Every song on the album is a winner. So many great collaborators and the tracks themselves are as enjoyable to listen to (in some cases moreso) than the rap itself. Holding it all together is the clear narrative of the impact poverty on a generation. And yet some of the songs still convey hope and celebration. It's an album that hits on so many levels and I really enjoyed revisiting it.
Who knows. Maybe I'll see what Kanye has been up to since then. Maybe.
4
Sep 28 2021
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Yeezus
Kanye West
That was garbage. The music itself was mediocre, the rhymes and techniques were only occasionally engaging (I mean seriously, ending multiple back-to-back verses with the same word is like kindergarten-level prose) and the content of the lyrics was completely pointless.
I honestly thought the album was meant to be self-satirizing, like some sort of commentary on how ludacris celebrity life has become, but alas I was just grasping for ways to give the album more credit than it really merits.
1
Sep 29 2021
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Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
I had heard songs from this album before, but I had always assumed they were from this decade. This album is phenominally timeless and filled with rich arrangements. I've honestly listened to the album 5 times already and each listening is revealing more and more to enjoy.
This is exactly the type of experience I had hoped to have with this site!
5
Sep 30 2021
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Calenture
The Triffids
Was there a typo that resulted in this album getting on the list? I fail to see any aspect of this one that merits it being in a list of 1001 albums I must hear.
The whole thing feels over thought and way over produced. Given the pay counts (or lack thereof) on Spotify, I get the feeling that I'm not the only one this hasn't connected with. I wonder how many of those plays are purely generated from this site recommending the album.
The worst part was that track had so much reverb and chorus on it that I was effectively forced to listen to every song multiple times at once. It was like each track was actually multiple instances of the song being played; each instance's timing slightly offset from the next. I could only get through track 6 (Open for You) before I had to call it.
1
Oct 01 2021
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Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers
Another good album I'd never heard of. Apparantly I need to pay more attention to bands from the 70s. I heard clear parallels to bands like Franz Ferdinand and the Strokes, but I also appreciated the differences. The band didn't hold strictly to 2 minute verse-chorus-verse and they allowed themselves to jam and explore.
By and large I enjoyed the album and I'd point to Sometimes, London Lady, Peaches and (Get A) Grip [on Yourself] as good tracks to check out to get a feel for it.
I could have done without the track Choosey Susie, to behonest, give the overt depictions of sexual violence.
3
Oct 04 2021
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A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse
Faces
This album was right up my alley. The blues-rock genre is already something I really enjoy, so this fit right in.
The production of the album overall felt very genuine and laid back. I'd point specifically to the track Too Bad as a good example of this. Every instrument has it's place and each stands out so clearly that I feel like I'm hanging out in the room with the band playing around me.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the clarity and grit of Rod's vocals.
Overall a fun listen and a band that I'm curious to hear more of.
and I was pleasantly surprised by the grit of Rob Stewart's vocals.
4
Oct 05 2021
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Bad
Michael Jackson
Man! Looking back on this album, there is so much cringe-worthy content. After listening to the track "Bad" and then "Speed Demon", I couldn't help but feel like this whole album was going to be like scrolling through r/IAmVeryBadAss.
Seriously, all I could think about while I was listening to "Liberian Girl" was the scene in "40 year old virgin" where the main character was (falsely) talking about all the experience he had with girls. "Just like in the movies" - ha!
Jokes aside though, the album is still undeniably good. My personal favorite is "Leave Me Alone", and there are many other that are great listening and chalk full of nostalgia for me.
I guess what makes the album hard for me, hence the lower rating, is it's a bit much to take in one sitting. A ton of great singles, but I need a break between most songs to wash the synthesized taste of my mouth.
3
Oct 06 2021
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Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
Its funny to me how much this album now sounds like electrified honky-tonk to me. In any case, it was still thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. The radio anthems that are nearly impossible to not sing along with, still hold strong, but the rest of the album is a solidly stable collection of tracks as well, that doesn't really leave much room for complaint - assuming you can get into the style at all.
The production of the album is vocals and guitars forward and it's pretty obvious why (Axle, Slash and Duff - I mean, come on!). In contrast, the rhythm section could basically be any studio artists out there and I'm not sure it would feel any different.
All around, a good one to revisit.
4
Oct 07 2021
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Red Headed Stranger
Willie Nelson
Well, I'm a sucker for a concept album, so the stage was already set for a favorable reception.
The understated composition of every song belies the relentless and tragic story that unfolds across the entire album. I was honetly startled when the second voice came in for harmony on 'Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain', because it was almost like someone snuck in the room and interrupted while Willie was confiding a dark secret to me.
And so it went through the entire album, until 'Remember Me'. It's an enjoyable song on its own, but it was jarring in it's place and in it's contrast with the mood of the album.
All told though, it was a riveting bit of story-telling folded into musical form, which further enhanced the emotions of the tale and of the telling.
4
Oct 08 2021
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Entertainment
Gang Of Four
The 70's deliver again.
Good old fashioned anti-establishment punk. The composition of the songs themselves show a complete disregard for established pop norms, instead preferring to forge their own path. The instruments float in and out of the song and even in and out of alignment with eachother. But they all work together to create a truly distinct and enjoyable album.
I was pleasantly surprised to find tracks that appear to be direct forefathers for groups like LCD Soundsystem (Not Great Men) and Blur (Ether).
I'd never heard the album before, but it will defintely be on my list and it defintely belongs here as well.
4
Oct 11 2021
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Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bill Evans Trio
A very subtle and relaxed album.
The song structures seem, to my untrained ear at least, to be completely linear and unrepeating lines throughout. There aren't verses and choruses, just a start, an exploration and an end. I'm so accustomed to hearing repetition in music, that I'm unsure of what to make of it. It must take an immense knowledge and comfort with your instrument, with your bandmates and with the foundations of music theory to make music like this.
What I can't say for the album, is that any one track stood out to me. This is probably again due to my lack of understanding the format of Jazz and the challenge of what they are doing as musicians, but I feel like I could be dropped into the middle of any of these songs and I would have no idea which one is which. Again, I don't really know what to make of it.
All told, I wouldn't likely go out of my way to put this album on again, but I do feel opened to something new and I'm curious to learn more from others that do have a deeper appreciation/fascination with the genre.
3
Oct 12 2021
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Close To The Edge
Yes
It's certainly a compositional and recording feat. I just didn't find it very interesting.
2
Oct 14 2021
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Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
Well, the album started off strong, but then it all started to sound the same. I can absolutely understand songs like "Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough' and 'Rock With You' being on lists of 1001 songs you must hear, but as an entire album, it's hard to see. In fact, I noticed this first with when listening to Bad and I'm picking up on it again here, but this album also feels more consumable in pieces as opposed to trying to listen to the whole thing in one sitting. I do think that 'I can't Help It' redeems the latter half of the album, from being mostly forgettable.
My tastes aside, it's undeniable that this album was massively influential on countless artists, so for that alone, I can't really bring myself to rate it below a four. In this case I think the album is great, less for what I hear in the music, then for what most people hear in the album.
4
Oct 15 2021
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At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
First off, the improvised humor during the second song (Willow Weep For Me) and throughout the last song (How High The Moon) put a smile on my face. It was enjoyable to hear an artist just rolling with it in a live performance. And honestly, if you weren't paying close attention, I think it would just roll by you as a listener as well. It's a testament to how clean, tight and yet how fluid Sarah Vaughan and the Trio are across this album.
Everything about this album felt in perfect balance, which I find especially remarkable given it's a recording of a live performance.
Sarah's vocals are an enchanting blend of smooth, pitch perfect and with a touch of smokey rasp. She carries every tune perfectly and doesn't overly-adorn, preferring instead to be straight to the point.
And sitting just below the canopy of the vocals is the remarkably stout trunk that is the backing trio. Their performance was equaly clear, concise and beautiful.
All told, it's a lovely album, made more special by the candor and simplicity that comes from the stripped down production of recording a live performance.
4
Oct 18 2021
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The Wildest!
Louis Prima
Any album containing a song played by Marvin Berry and the Starlighters for the Enchantment Under the Sea dance is good enough for me!
In a word though, this album is "joyous", end-to-end.
It lands like a band of musicians who really are have a great time playing together and a band leader that is both putting on the act for the crowd and having fun goofing for the band itself. Even songs with titles like "(I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You" lands like playful teasing between friends.
I'll definitely be coming back to this album again and again. Worth every star.
Interesting aside, this is the first album where I noticed the wikipedia page pointed to the book that appears to be the source material for this site's list. Spoiler alert.
5
Oct 19 2021
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Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin
If one of my kids asked me what classic rock was, I would sit them down and play them this album. It is quintissential. If it weren't for a couple of Plant's questionable performance (I'm looking at you "Bring it on Home"), I'd say the album was flawless.
Classic riffs like the openning bars of "Whole Lotta Love", "Heartbreaker" and "Moby Dick" are all you need to hear to know exactly how impactful this album was on every record that came after it. But it didn't just come down to catchy bars. Almost every song is dynamic, leaving room for exploration of the spaces in between the muscial themes.
I've listened to this album countless times before, and it continues to be worth every star I can give it.
5
Oct 20 2021
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I Should Coco
Supergrass
Meh. I couldn't get through a single playthrough. I have got to believe that there are at least 1001 albums in the world better than this one. Sure, I recognized 'Alright', but it sounded nothing like the rest of the album. If that was the only song that got this album on the list, then I'm really lost.
I did appreciate that the related wikipedia page taught me about cockney rhyming slang, so at least I've got that going for me.
1
Oct 27 2021
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Fromohio
fIREHOSE
I'm not so sure about this one. It's a wild and only partially folded amalgam of genres. The musicians (singer aside) clearly have a mastery of their instruments, but at the same time they seem unconcerned about anything sounding cohesive or finished. Like, literally, some of the songs just sort of stop.
As for the engergy of the music, I bet they had a good time putting the music together and playing it. I suspect they'd also be a good band to hear live.
Alas this isn't "1001 bands you should hear live" so it all comes down to the album. For that, this one didn't really do it for me and I'm not really clear on why its included in this list.
2
Oct 28 2021
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American Idiot
Green Day
A punk rock musical? Nine minunte long medleys? What am I listening to?
Well, shame on me for writting these guys off after Dookie. This is an album that was made at a serious inflection point for the band, and what they came up with is a real coming of age for the group. It took courage for the group to step out of the mold they'd been cast in and what they came up with is something that I really enjoyed.
The album started off on an almost 50's pop production, amped through heavy distortion, but then I hit the 1:50 mark on "Jesus of Suburbia" and the vibe started changing. From that point on the story telling took over and the album gave way to an unfolding narrative. I was struck with the realization that I had heard a fair amount of this album in radio hits, but I had no idea how they fit together (i.e. "Holiday" and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" are conjoined!). Since I hadn't heard the entire album, I didn't fully appreciate the songs in context and I was missing out on the goodness that didn't make the radio.
The album includes plenty of flexes from the band's punk core ("St. Jimmy"), but they don't stay contrained by it, rebelling against their constraints. And maybe it's that spirit that really makes this album so good. After all - isn't that what punk is about?
4
Oct 29 2021
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american dream
LCD Soundsystem
I remember spotify annoucing this album to me and being happy when I figured the news out, that LCD Soundsystem had reunited. It took a while for this one to grow on me, but grow on me it has.
The more linear songs, like "other voices" and "i used to", are good enough. The real gems in my opinion are the tracks that grow and unfold, such as "oh baby", "how do you sleep?"
As far as the whole album goes, it is good, but I'm surprised to see it on the list. If anything, I would've expected to see "Sound of Silver" or "This is Happening". "American Dream" is (in a good way) a derivative or a continuation of those albums.
4
Nov 01 2021
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Tea for the Tillerman
Cat Stevens
The album is just catchy enough to keep you listening and just deep enough to keep you thinking. I personally think "Miles From Nowhere" is the standout track, but I complete understand why the stand-out hits ('Where Do The Children Play?', 'Hard Headed Woman;, 'Wild World' and 'Father An Son') are what they are as well.
I honestly have no idea how the Flaming Lips could claim that 'Fight Test' was not directly *ehm* "influenced" *ehm* by 'Father And Son'.
Uncanny similarities aside, the album was a good listen on it's own two feet.
3
Nov 02 2021
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Bayou Country
Creedence Clearwater Revival
I enjoy the general sound of the band and I the vibe they are going for. But the songs are SO BORING and mind-numbingly repetitive. With the exception of 'Proud Mary', you can hear everything that each song has to offer within 20 seconds of the song starting.
2
Nov 03 2021
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Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk are pioneers of the electronic music scene and any of their albums merits a spot on this list, without a doubt!
The core of the album is the openning track (Europe Endless), and then tracks 4 through 8 ('Trans-Europe Express' through 'Endless Endless'). If you consider those 6 tracks alone and played in order, it's really two musical movements. When I listen to those 6 songs together, I hear it like a musical interpretation of a trans-european train ride. The themes slowly ebb and flow, much like the scenary would out the window of the train. Where you end is much like where you started, but there is just enough variation to make it feel all its own.
The other two tracks ('The Hall of Mirrors' and 'Showroom Dummies') are more like single b-sides that were tossed into the album. The seriousness of 'The Hall of Mirrors' stands in sharp contrast to the nearly humourous 'Showroom Dummies'. Both are enjoyable tracks, but they seem a bit out of place.
This album provides a great trip through the state of the art for early days electronic music.
4
Nov 04 2021
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Eli And The Thirteenth Confession
Laura Nyro
I'd never heard 'Eli And The Thirteenth Confession' and I'd never heard of Laura Nyro, so this was a complete surprise to me. In a word, the album struck me as ambitious.
Laura's vocals are powerful and each song's arrangement feels packed full, to the point of bursting with purpose and intent.
I can see why this would be an infuential album and I can also see how a number of these songs would go on to be hits for other bands as well.
3
Nov 05 2021
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Warehouse: Songs And Stories
Hüsker Dü
I can't really say that this album did anything for me. It all kind of sounded the same and I didn't feel much of a connection to any of it. I guess I can see why the band opted to call it quits after this.
2
Nov 08 2021
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Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
The version that I found on Spotify was the 2013 re-release, which included a bunch of extra tracks, but I will keep this vote limited to the origional first nine tracks ("Inspiration Information" through "Not Available").
Overall, I really liked the album, for what it was. It actually felt more like two sub-albums put together into one.
The first four tracks are completely constructed compositions with vocals on top. The title track is the stand-out of them all, but I didn't think "Aht Uh Mi Hed" (read "That hurt me head" in a cockney lilt, I think) was far off.
Then, starting with "Happy House", the album gives way to more experimental and funky tracks, which are entirely instrumental. Of that set, I particularly enjoyed "Happy House", "XL-30" and (to a lesser extent "Pling!". These tracks felt more like musical streams of conciousness, and I felt a connection of influence all the way to more current tracks by artist like Knxwledge.
And then the (original) album wraps up with "Not Available", which I think is short for, "We had a song ready to record but the singer was Not Available". The song sounded ready to go, and it's just missing someone to sing along.
That sort of sums up the album in general, I think, and the fact that there were two more releases with two sets of additional tracks added seems to support this. When it was released, despite 3 years of production, the album was still sitting as a work in progress. It has some gems, shows a lot of promising ideas, and who knows... maybe a couple more re-releases and it will feel complete.
3
Nov 09 2021
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Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
I've never really sat down and listened to James Taylor, and to be honest I had the guy mixed up in my head with Jimmy Buffet. Ha!
Once I realized (happily) I wouldn't be hearing Margaritaville, I settled into the album and was pleasantly surprised. James' vocals are so rich and clear, I couldn't help but be immediately drawn in.
The album had it's share of folky ballads, which I expected, but the blend of country, folk, blues and even the touch of gospel provided far more musical diversity and depth than I expected. I think the tracks "Lo and Behold", "Steamroller Blues", "Oh Baby, Don't You Loose your Lip on Me" and the latter half of "Suite for 20 G" show this well.
Given James' music remains ubiquitous to this day, it's undeniable that his music deserves it's place in this list.
I've been remiss for dismissing it on account of having heard the "big hits" umpteen-million times, so next time I'm relaxing on a lazy day, I know where to go digging.
4
Nov 10 2021
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Searching For The Young Soul Rebels
Dexys Midnight Runners
I feel like the lead vocalist's sound is an inside joke that I'm just not in on. I mean listen to "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green" or "I'm Just Looking" and help me understand what is going on. It's like the first time I heard "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" from "The Darkness" and I struggled to understand if it was authentic or satire.
Looking over my difference in taste for the vocalist, tracks like "The Teams That Meet in Caffs" gave me a chance to consider the band on it's own. As a unit, they sound good. Not necessarily great, but good. I think they would probably sound great as a part of the background din of a pub, but the vibe didn't translate to recording in my opinion.
In the end, I couldn't bring myself to finish the album. My only assumption as to why this is on the list would be because of the impact the album had in it's historical context. Given this is the 2nd album by this band that I've come across in the list, I'm a bit concerned. Especially given I've yet to see entire genres (i.e. classical, world music) represented. I can't really fathom how this one is on the list at all.
1
Nov 11 2021
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Dry
PJ Harvey
Its a fantastic album, crammed full of the energy and innovative novelty of a debut of an artist who will go on to greatness. I think the comparisons that others have made to Patti Smith's album "Horses" are apt in a lot of ways.
The song "Dress" perfectly exemplifies the simultaneously approachable and yet rough nature of the album. The song is compelled forward by the persistent beat, and everything feels like it is charging and driving forward to an unheard point of explosion. Another track with a similar energy, which I loved is "Joe".
But there are other faces to the album such as the somewhat swanky "Hair" or "Plants And Rags", which starts out as a girl and a guitar and slowly grows into an ensembled piece of at least 4 different stringed instruments that roll around eachother in near dissonance.
It was super fun to listen to, and I'm stoked to hear another phenominal female artist on this list.
4
Nov 12 2021
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Nixon
Lambchop
I don't get it.
The arrangements are elaborate enough and the band (backed by a small orchestra it would seem) played them them perfectly. The production is slick and polished. The vocals are full of nicotine soaked rasp. The lyrics are dense and feel like short stories or letters read outloud.
But the music just lacks anything to connect to. Each song just sort of lilts into the next. The emotional register of each song is perfectly uniform, bordering on monotone.
Funny enough, "What Else Could It Be?" is like the one song I felt something with, and it's the one where the vocalist is singing in a screeching falsetto that seems two modulations higher than the vocalist dares belong. Yet, it kinda worked for me.
So, what am I missing? Why is this album on the list?
2
Nov 15 2021
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Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
Each time I listen to this album, I turn it on thinking I'll just play it in the background. And each time I listen to this album, I find myself progressing from unconciously tapping me feet to cranking it up and signing along. I just love how nearly every song grows and builds. "All My Friends" and "New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down" both exemplify what I'm talking about.
Overall, this is one of my favorite albums and it's already on my list of heavy rotation, so it's easy for me to give this 4 stars.
4
Nov 16 2021
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The Yes Album
Yes
I guess my take on Yes hasn't changed much from what I listended to "Close to the Edge". The band is clearly talented, the production is over the top good, and there is no doubt that the band has a huge following and has influenced countless other bands and artists.
For whatever reason, I personally just can't connect with the music. It feels showboaty and a bit sterile. There were moments in the latter half of "Yours is No Disgrace" and "Starship Trooper", where I picked up on something, but the whole vibe still feels like it's at an arm's length.
Another review wrote that it was like rush, but boring, and I think that sums it up perfectly.
2
Nov 17 2021
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I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
This album is good for the soul. I can't help but feel the music and want to join in.
Aretha's powerful and adept vocals are first and foremost the glorious centerpiece of every track. But when I listen to songs like "A Change is Gonna Come" I also realize that her performances enhance the movement and the emotions of the underlying music as well. Every pause and flourish beautifully embelishes the solid framing that the band provides.
The songs don't just reference the range of human emotion, they evoke them, and that is one of the truest measures of art that I can think of.
5
Nov 18 2021
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The Clash
The Clash
The brilliant simplicity of the entire album, belies the complexity of it's appeal. The sound is visceral, the lyrics have depth and a purpose, and it is all exactly what it needs to be without any fluff or pretense.
5
Nov 19 2021
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Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
Great storytelling makes great country music. Each and every song on this album feels like prose pulled from a hard-worn diary.
Lucinda’s syrup drawl and lilting vocals bound between hints of whispers, laments and growls.
The arrangements are simple, and well executed, but a touch simple for my taste.
I can clearly see the appeal of the album. I didn’t personally connect with it, but I can appreciate it.
3
Nov 22 2021
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Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
This album is a masterwork of an end-to-end experience. Every song is meticuously layered and arranged, creating an expansive and enveloping sound. I think "Fight Test", "Are You a Hypnotist??" and "In the Morning of the Magicians" are good examples of this.
But breaking up the album and considering it song by song, undermines the value of the ablum, which is at it's highest as a whole. Although the creators have insisted this is not a concept album, there is a unifying feel and an arch to that I continuously enjoy experiencing end-to-end.
5
Nov 23 2021
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Dookie
Green Day
I remember this album being super divisive with my friends that were into punk. They kept calling these guys sellouts, which I just couldn't wrap my brain around. How could a band be sellouts on their debut album, when they'd only just begun. Wouldn't that just mean that they are what they are? And why give a shit anyhow - the album was great!
The album is extremely tight. Billie and Mike's guitars are locked in an intricate and electrified swing dance, each locked to the same beat, but each with their own lightning fast and elaborate roles to play. Tre's drums are pounding, precise and raucously joyous. I think these descriptions stand out the most in the songs "Burnout", "Welcome to Paradise" and "In the End". Beyond the intrumentals though, the lyrics are actually about something, many speaking to the disillusioned and angst-filled vibe of the times. That and masturbation.
For me, this album ushered in my punk-rock awakening. It intrigued me and got me interested enough to want to delve into the genre further. And it's that bridging role that this album played for so many, that I think drew ridicule and acclaim alike. Some wanted to keep their punk secret safe and unsullied, whereas others wanted to see what they'd been missing.
I for one, was glad for it.
4
Nov 24 2021
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In Utero
Nirvana
I'm conflicted by this album, but underpinning and riding above all musical opinions, is the feeling of loss. What could this band have done if Kurt had been able to get well and stay healthy?
I see the album as a conflicted stream of conciousness. You only need to hear the first two tracks back-to-back to get a sense of what I mean.
Tracks like "Heart-Shaped Box", "Dumb", "Pennyroyal Tea" and "All Apologies" playoff as near ballads. Others like "Scentless Apprentie", "Milk It" and "Tourette's" explode and writhe.
Throughout it all though, I just can't shake the sense that this album is primarily a band that is working through its understanding of itself. We, the listeners, are left with unresolved emotions and lingering questions.
3
Nov 25 2021
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Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
A bit of folk, a bit of rock, a bit of blues and all the reverb you can possibly muster. I dig the sound of the band in general, but the songs where Grace Slick took control are undeniably the best.
I appreciate what this band did in creating a new sound, one which plays through clearly in bands like "The Black Angles" and tons of similar dark folk bands out there today.
Out of context, I'm not sure the majority of the album does much for me, but I appreciate why it's on the list.
3
Nov 26 2021
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Hotel California
Eagles
Sheesh - Way more ballads on this one that I know what to do with. It's interesting to see what's classified as rock n' roll over the years.
A few of the songs piqued my interest, and you can't help but love the title track. Beyond that though, it felt a little flat and dreary.
I guess I had to be there to appreciate it.
3
Nov 29 2021
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Transformer
Lou Reed
Its an eclectic bunch of songs, that's hard not to enjoy.
A couple songs strike me as a bit unsettled thanks to how emotionally disconnected Lou's vocals sounds from the rest of the performance. It works well for narrative songs like "Walk On the wild Side" and "New York Telephone Conversation", but feels flat on other songs like "Make Up".
Where the album really connects though are songs like "Perfect Day", "Vicious" and the final third of "Satellite of Love" (made even richer by Bowie's backup vocals).
Overall it's an enthralling album that crosses boundaries and sounds amazingly modern for an album that's has been our for nearly half a centry.
4
Dec 02 2021
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A Seat at the Table
Solange
I think the cover of this album is just about the most perfect depiction of what I felt listening to this album.
The vibe of the album is intentional, pure, sparsely adorned, and holds your attention. The beats and arrangements are generally mellow and ride somewhere between jazz, hip-hop, funk and R+B. The instrumentals themselves are subtle and provide the solid foundation for the vocals, which always take center stage.
Stand out tracks for me include \"Weary\", \"Mad\" (where Lil Wayne contributed some genuinely heartfelt lines) and \"F.U.B.U\".
My sense of engagement with the album was disrupted by the occasional track where Solange's vocals sounded thin or strained. \"Where Do We Go\" is one such example, where I almost felt myself needing a warm cup of water and to take some extra breaths. Not sure what that was about, because it seemed really uncharacteristic when considered against the rest of the album.
That aside, I found the whole album to be really engaging and a welcomed introduction to an artist I'd never heard of before.
3
Dec 03 2021
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Tapestry
Carole King
Relentless soulful positivity. I'm shoked that so many songs that I've heard numerous times all come from one album, which I've never heard of.
I mean seriously... "I Feel the Earth Move", "Its Too Late", "You've Got a Friend", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman)"!
It took me a couple run throughs to get a clear sense of what made the album great, but chalk that up to my crappy headphones.
If you only have the energy for one track, I found "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman)" to be the most emotionally dynamic track.
4
Dec 06 2021
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The Poet
Bobby Womack
Huh. I didn't really connect with the album. It's just shy of 40 minutes and I still couldn't resist the urge to keep skipping ahead, looking for something that evoked a sense of how this is one of the 1001 greatest albums.
By the time I got to "It You Think You're Lonely Now", I felt like I'd already heard what the album had to offer and my interest was entirely lost.
1
Dec 07 2021
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I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen
I think, I might actually get it... well a bit more than I used to anyhow. What I'm connecting with on this listening is that Cohen's work is great, for being a phenominal template.
Interestingly enough, I was listening to some of the backup vocalists on tracks such as "Ain't No Cure for Love", "Everybody Knows" and "Take This Waltz" when it dawned on me.
I still don't care much for Cohen's vocals or his drone delivery, but I can think of plenty of other artists that I would love to hear perform these songs.
And that's ok, right? This is the 1001 best _albums_, not 1001 best performers.
BTW - What is the world was going on with "Jazz Police"?!
2
Dec 08 2021
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MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
I recorded this show on VHS and rewatched it so often, the magnetic media started to wear down. It is entirely impossible for me to disconnect this album from the experience of finally having access to my favorite band, for an entire show. The memory is made all the more poigniant by it's proximity to Kurt's suicide, where this entire show took on an entirely different palor and tone.
Attempting to detach myself from my deep connection to the moment in time, the album itself is still legitimately great music. The pop relatability of the band's music, including their covers, is made plain in every track. Kurts vocals are remarkably stable and smooth, save for when he's growling out a chorus. Throughout it all, there is a tenderness and an intimacy that is common through the early days of the unplugged performances, and for which this album established the watermark.
Really, the only reason I don't listen to this album much at this point, is because it hurts a little too much to listen to. Then again, it is better to have loved and lost, than it is to have never loved at all.
4
Dec 09 2021
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Is This It
The Strokes
I love the sound of this album. It is ohrwurms from start to finish.
There is a driving punk persistence to every song, thanks to the near metronomic accuracy of the rhythm section. Check out "When It Started" or "The Modern Age" to see what I mean.
Riding on top, is the collection of guitars and vocals, all wrapped in a warm distortion that provides a cunning disguise for just how precise and polished the performances really are.
Tying it all together are the production details that create a sense of depth as you listen to them. Put on some headphones and the track "Roma" and listen to the guitars play tug-of-war with your attention and dance around on the aural stage.
5
Dec 10 2021
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Parachutes
Coldplay
3
Dec 13 2021
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Vol. 4
Black Sabbath
70's Black Sabbath is unbelieveably good. Sludge/stoner metal is a genre I can't get enough of, so this recommendation fell on happy ears!
The album starts off with the +7m30s musical journey of "Wheels of Confusion / The Straightener", which shows those pretentious prog-rockers exactly how this sort of thing is supposed to work. Following that is the far more straight forward verse/chorus/verse growl of "Tomorrow's Dream".
And then a ... piano and synthesized strings!? "Changes" is a beautiful departure from the general feel of the album, which is mirrored on the other end of the album by "Laguna Sunrise". Both offer a moment of calm, to catch your breath from all of the rock in between.
And then the album ushers you out, the same way it welcomed you in, which the medley of subtracks brought together in "Under the Sun / Every Day Comes and Goes"
For those that have never looked into Sabbath, or that might've been turned off to the band by tracks like "Crazy Train", I think "Vol. 4" is a much better album to form your opinion on.
Regardless, I appreciate the album both for what it is and for what it represents in the evolution of rock and metal. Super glad to see it on the list!
5
Dec 14 2021
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Astral Weeks
Van Morrison
It's a lovely sort of ramble that sounds to me like a Sunday afternoon. I'm guessing it takes a certain frame of mind to fully appreciate.
3
Dec 15 2021
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Dirty
Sonic Youth
A raging and raw album that floats between calm focus and chaos bursting at the seams (check out the tracks "Shoot", "Wish Fulfillment" and "JC" to see what I'm talking about). The parallel lyrical themes of mourning and female harassment/exploitation ground the album with a weight of meaning that either puts you off or pulls you in.
For me, I appreciate their willingness to be honest and I think the album endures because of it.
3
Dec 16 2021
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Play
Moby
I contiuously get Moby and the Chemical Brothers mixed up, even to this day, and that's not saying much in my book.
The soundscapes are richer and not as entirely monotonous, but I still feel like I can see the repetitive layering and unlayering in every single track. The formula is laid out bare within a few songs, and then every track thereafter just feels like a reskin of the same thing.
What ultimately kills it for me though, is Moby's voice. There was a time when the guy would get on any microphone within his greater radius and he would rant on and on about whatever political topic he felt compelled by at the moment. That's entirely within his right to do. Ultimately though his voice, in my head, became inseperable with the sense of impending agenda bombardment, and now I can't unhear it.
I wonder what I would think of this album, if it was new to me again?
As an aside, I swear the chorus and mid-song bridge on "South Side" is the musical and spiritual ancestor to "Friday" by Rebecca Black. That flasetto is horendous.
2
Dec 17 2021
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Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
It's like the deliberate surrealism of Salvador Dali , with Van Gogh's fuzzed and enriched palette. The album is at once a hazy blur of sound and a precise vision of production.
I think it's the sort of album that a student or a music industry professional could study endlessly, in search of just how they manged to so completely fill every possible inch of the soundscape.
I'm not sure that I really connect with the album all that much. It feels like more of a work of Dali, and I'm more of a Van Gogh fan (to reuse my earlier anologies), but I can fully appreciate the artistry involved.
3
Dec 20 2021
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Boston
Boston
3
Dec 21 2021
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Paul Simon
Paul Simon
4
Dec 22 2021
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Step In The Arena
Gang Starr
3
Dec 23 2021
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Odessa
Bee Gees
I expected disco, so I was glad when that assumption didn't hold up. What I didn't expect is just how all over the place this album would be. The album sounds like it was pulled together from many directions, including psychedelic folk, light rock, country and the symphony.
Some songs sound like David Bowie tracks ("You'll Never See My Face Again"). Others sound almost like CCR ("Marley Purt Drive"). Others still have a Beatles vibe ("Melody Fair", "Never Say Never Again", and my favorite track "Whisper Whisper").
I don't really get what pulls it all together to make it work, but somehow, the album manages to work. I think the comparison mentioned in the Wikipedia article to Sgt. Pepper is apt.
3
Dec 24 2021
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Achtung Baby
U2
3
Dec 31 2021
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A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
An energetic and playful contrast to the prim and tidy arrangements of the 50s and before. Nearly 60 years on, this album is packed with back-to-back holiday standards.
4
Jan 03 2022
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Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
This group is an enigmatic blend that defies explanation but somehow manages to find a endearing niche amongst the North American pop greats!
The band is extremely tight and the production of the music is crystal clear. You can hear everyone doing their part and all parts and transitions are exactly in their places and precisely on their marks. Byrnes’ lyrics and vocals are both equally complex and precise, but not altogether too serious either.
In all, the band was and remains quite unique. Their vision feels so precise that it’s easy to take for granted as just a given while it rolls by on the radio. But listening closer will reveal something really special that always has me scratching my head wondering, where in the world did they come up with this!
4
Jan 04 2022
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Ace of Spades
Motörhead
This break-neck sprint of an album is a striped down and pure cut rock gem! The sound of the group lives right at the intersection of punk and metal and there is absolutely no pretense about the fact that they came to party. Each track has an almost bootleg quality, which is a testament to the skill and sensibility of their producer.
On the whole the album is fairly uniform and a bit of a one-trick pony, but I happen to really like that one-trick, so it suits me fine.
3
Jan 05 2022
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Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
3
Jan 06 2022
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LP1
FKA twigs
How does one approach an established genre,rip away all conventions, and interpret it entirely anew?
This album is a veritable master class in doing just that. FKA twigs' vision of R&B is wholly her own and it creates an infinitely large space for creativity, where it seemed (to my uninitiated ear) there was wasn't much left to work with.
3
Jan 07 2022
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Whatever
Aimee Mann
The lyrics may well be clever, but I can't get over the music and the vocals to appreciate them. Albums like this make me wonder what it is that I can't hear, because I really can't understand why this would be on the list.
1
Jan 10 2022
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James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
The quality of this recording of a live performance puts a massive swath of studio albums to shame. Sure, we lose Mr. Brown a bit while he's working the crowd, but that's the price you pay to work the instrument that is the audience; and it's worth it in the long run, as the crowd swells and swoons along with the tracks.
Literally every song is winner. I couldn't help but move my feet and wiggle in my seat as I listened along to tracks like "Think", "Night Train" and even the various instrumental brides. When things slowed down on "Try Me" and "I Don't Mind" I was still swaying along and hanging on every verse.
This album provides a glimpse into the undeniable fact that James Brown (and his band) had mastered the art of the stage show, and that's even without being able to see his expressions and footwork.
I wish I had had the chance to see them myself. That chance has passed. But I'm glad to have albums like this, so I can at least glimpse into the experience and carry the energy on in my heart.
5
Jan 11 2022
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Live At Leeds
The Who
Clearly talented musicians, but I've never really connected with their work. This album didn't change that for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
2
Jan 12 2022
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Apocalypse Dudes
Turbonegro
Contrary to what the WIKI article suggests, I wouldn't say Turbonegro shed their punk sensibilities, for an all-out glam rock style. The opening track "The Age of Pamparius" defintely gives you the impression you're in for a glam-rock adventure, flying on the back of a flaming guitar, but that gives way to well worn punk standards, just a song later. Moreover, track titles like "Don't Say Motherfucker, Motherfucker", "Redezvous With Anus" and "Good Head" make it pretty clean the group isn't taking themselves too seriously.
In general, the album is fairly middle of the road punk, but with a longer format (more songs are longer than 3m, than aren't). I think they would've been better served by keeping each song tight and fast (giggity). I enjoyed the straight forward energy of the album, but the sophmoric lyrical subject matter was a detractor for me. I can get behind an appropriately depraved song (I'm thinking GWAR of Tenacious D), but this just felt pointless/aimless.
I am still intrigued to hear more from the band. A quick glance at their top tracks on Spotify gives me the impression they've remained pretty superficial. We'll see if they grow on me over time.
3
Jan 13 2022
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Purple Rain
Prince
I remeber being kid in the video store and seeing the wall sized poster for this album/movie. I had no real idea of who Prince was and my parents seemed pretty eager to keep it that way, but I remeber being frozen in awe of just how damned cool Prince must be.
So, the elephant in the room - Darling Nikki. What a singularly fascinating song. I'm sure the sexual subject matter and the outro with lyric played in reverse is a big part of why this whole album was the focus of so much conservative and censorship ire. It's probably also part of the reason why my parents weren't stoked to see me gawking at the poster, all those years back. If you can look past that though, it is a relentlessly catchy track, merging funk, rock and healthy portion of musical theater.
Outside of that one salacious track, the rest of the album is focused on common funk and R&B lyrical themes. The arrangements, the live band vibe, Prince's vocal diversity and improvisation all come together with fluid perfection. Nearly every track is a stand alone hit, and played back to back they sound cohesive and congruent.
An all out great album!
5
Jan 14 2022
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Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
This album has the feel of a high energy anti-establishment punk album of the 70's, heard through the haze of heavy sedatives. The tempo is slower, the gritty effects are traded for rich and mellow reverbs, but the bite is everywhere and just beneath the surface. Check out the track "All That Jazz" to hear what I mean.
This is a great album and pair perfectly with works from groups like the Clash. I'm surprised that I never really listened to this group, but I know I will be now!
4
Jan 17 2022
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The Specials
The Specials
Fantastic from start to finish. I think SKA ran a bit off the rails in the 90's revival, resulting in the genre getting a bad wrap. Therefore, it's incredibly refreshing to go back to the roots with this album; to be reminded of just how fun the blend of influences are.
The album starts out with the seminal \"A Message to You Rudy\", which introduces not only their fusion of reggae, punk, brass, funk and R&B, but also the bands socially minded lyrical leanings. And the whole album carries on as it starts, each track iterating on the same core spirit of house-party meets social commentary.
And with that said, you'll need to excuse me. I'm going to immerse myself in The Specials' discography. Cheers!
5
Jan 18 2022
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Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
Raising social consciousness and making tracks people can move to.
3
Jan 19 2022
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Reign In Blood
Slayer
Can you imagine the discussions between the band members, when they were putting these songs together?
"Oh yeah, that sounds great, but let's try it like 5 times faster."
"Totally, and while you guys do that, I'm going to scream at the top of my lungs about BLUHHHHHHHHHHHHD!"
Whatever state of mind they were in, the result is a blistering fever dream of thrash metal that set the bar for everything else to come.
For my tastes, I'd love to hear the album sans vocals. At times Tom had a hard time keeping up with the track, which was distracting. More important to me though is that the lyrics feel cringy and pointlessly scandalous. I think they turn a lot of listeners off from appreciating the album on the whole.
4
Jan 20 2022
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Come Away With Me
Norah Jones
A debut album with a force of clarity that doesn't need much wind in the lungs or adornment in the arrangements to be heard over the din of popular music and appreciated. Norah's vocals delicately blend aspects of Jazz and Country with the touch of a smoke ring and are irrefutably alluring and playful. Tracks like the cover of Hank Williams' "Cold Cold Heart" show the playfulness, while tracks like "Turn Me On" show the allure.
Upon first listening, I'd say I'm most fond of the track 'Nightingale'. It layers and unfurls like silk sheets. What I enjoyed about it the most though is that the whole band had more of an opportunity to stretch their legs on this track, than on other tracks.
Overall, the album is smooth and comforting like the hum of a loved one's voice while they hug you, and every distinct part is beautiful in its tone and simplicity.
3
Jan 21 2022
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Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Much like some people think cilantro (corriander) tastes like soap, and others don't have an internal voice, I think I was born with something that prevents me from enjoying bands like this, Tom Waits and most of Leonard Cohen's work.
The tracks were sleepy and the lyrics felt so packed that their density shrouded their meaning.
I'm sure there are millions of people, for whom this is exactly what they are looking for, but I just couldn't connect with it. I couldn't even power through the whole album.
I don't know why, but I feel like I'm letting someone down.
2
Jan 24 2022
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You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
Get this man a throat lozenge and a cup of lemon tea!
Jokes aside, this is a beautifully intimate album. The backing band is a tight and dynamic collection of instruments, that is varied from track to track but cut down to just the essential pieces within any given track. Leonard's vocals whisper, growl, rumble and occasionally claw their way up into the lower musical register. The lyrics are quintessentially Cohen; poetic, built on a frame of relatable narrative and decorated to the hilt with evocative imagery and metaphors.
I entered into the album thinking I wasn't in the mood for it. Turns out I was wrong.
3
Jan 25 2022
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Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
The "O" in soul stands for Otis.
4
Jan 26 2022
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Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
The sound of this album is like waking up in the middle of the night, in a sleepy haze, and hearing the echos of a jam session reverberating through the alley and up into your loft window.
The album's entire vibe is fitting of the title emo. It is seemingly purpose built to evoke somber emotions wedged somewhere between tears, rage and resignation.
3
Jan 27 2022
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Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
The tracks are fantastically soulful blues, played raw and straight. I think ‘Mr. Seigal’ and ‘In Shades’ show what I’m talking about perfectly. Of those two songs, I greatly prefer the latter and here’s why.
The voice. I just couldn’t get over or get into was Tom’s vocalization on this album. If it’s his natural singing voice then I guess I just can’t relate to the appeal. To me though, it sounds like a chosen and overt stage persona.
I honestly had to fight the impulse to rip my headphones off of my head to escape the gurgling wails of "Sha-lala-lala-lala" in 'Jersey Girl'.
2
Jan 28 2022
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Live And Dangerous
Thin Lizzy
The album listens end-to-end like a classic rock narrative about tough kids living rough lives. Almost like a coming-of-age rock opera following the lives of the youth of a town in the mid 20th century.
For me, the absolute bright spot of this album is the explosive intensity of 'Massacre' segued into the lamentation of 'Still in Love With You'. Both songs and performances are phenomenal, but something about them being back-to-back heightens the poignance of both.
Overall, the quality of the album (overdubbed or not) did well to maintain the air of a live performance and showcased exactly why Thin Lizzy deserves their place on this list.
4
Jan 31 2022
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Document
R.E.M.
For what it is and what it aims to be, it is good. The band's sound and overall production quality is clearly a template for countless bands to follow and songs like 'Its the End Of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)' and 'The One I Love' are anthems for that time period.
I just don't care for it all that much. I don't connect with the lyrics, everything sounds uniform, and I find it all a bit bland.
2
Feb 01 2022
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Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
Mellow rock with elements of jazz, latin, and psychedelic mixed in. Despite the light-hearted sound of the tracks, the lyrics all tell fairly sad stories. You can check out 'Dirty Work', 'Midnite Cruiser' and even 'Reelin' In The Years' to hear what I'm talking about.
In and amongst the well-known classic rock hits on this album, I think I enjoyed the track "Change of the Guard" the most.
3
Feb 02 2022
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Fisherman's Blues
The Waterboys
If the Waterboys were playing a live show in a pub and I was walking by, I'd pay the cover, grab a pint and take in the ambience. A Celtic-rock jam band. Seems a bit obscure to me, but it's a fine thing to have on in the background.
3
Feb 03 2022
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Stand!
Sly & The Family Stone
We need more funk in the world!
4
Feb 04 2022
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Idlewild
Everything But The Girl
The album has the feel of a lounge act playing the early-bird happy hour at the Holiday Inn. I have no idea why this album would be something that anyone would have to hear before they die.
1
Feb 07 2022
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Different Class
Pulp
I admire Pulp's ability to juxtapose the highly consumable fuzzed brit-pop sound with novelesque narratives of tortured characters in a broken world.
You can hear this in the first 4 tracks, which are kind of like couplets of alternating themes.
The title track 'Mis-Shapes' is a perfect summary of the struggle of a younger generation coming up against the adversely challenging realities that their elder generations set before them. The story carries on in 'Common People', where two people explore (and ultimately become disillusioned with) just what it would mean to be common. Both tracks have this bubbly pop beat, which make it easy to overlook just how downtrodden these stories really are.
Sandwiched between those two tracks is 'Pencil Skirt', which tells the story of a depraved would-be suitor who is stalking someone, persisting past all objections, and content only in the acquisition or torment of the object of their obsession. If you don't like that, then you'll want to steer clear of this character's escalating fantasies in the track "I Spy".
And it carries on from there. Each song, something you can easily bop along with as it plays along in the background. Then a lyric grabs your attention, and you find that the stories are increasingly demanding your attention. Somewhere along the way, the pop tunes fall away entirely and you're struggling with the dilemmas of these characters.
4
Feb 08 2022
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The Band
The Band
Root-rock jam band with a bit of a honky-tonk feel. It's easy listening with a good vibe and some rich storytelling.
3
Feb 09 2022
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Palo Congo
Sabu
98 albums into 1001 and this is only the 3rd non-english album, and that's being generous in considering Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express as being non-english. Is this list really that myopically focused on english language albums?
This album is a perfect example of why the voices of the whole world need to be included in this list. With just some congas (I'm not even sure it isn't just one) and vocals the track 'Billumba-Palo Congo' shows the purity of Sabu's energy. While other tracks bring in one or two more instruments, the album continues on in much the same way. Each track is bare bones in its arrangement, but in no way does that compromise or undermine their ability to get your feet tapping and your hips moving.
The album is vivd and proof to me that I don't need to speak the same language to appreciate the impact of good music. Perhaps more "Top X" lists need to take that into consideration.
4
Feb 10 2022
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Leftism
Leftfield
Chemical Brothers, take note! Finally, someone that can do house/trance/EDM without just looping the same refrain over and over and over and over.
I really appreciate seeing an album on this list that isn't vocal-centric. There are vocal tracks that come and go, but beats, instruments, sounds and samples are what takes center stage. Each track has a solid foundation that carries throughout, but there is a diverse cast of musical characters that roams into, out of and through each. Likewise there is a flow and continuity to the entire album that makes the whole thing feel like a complete work of art.
On the whole the album is equally enjoyable playing in the background or occupying your entire attention span. I'm really glad to have been introduced!
4
Feb 11 2022
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Pacific Ocean Blue
Dennis Wilson
This is a hidden gem of an album. Sure, there are some corny parts, but I just kept getting caught in the hooks. This whole album just sounds like someone who is genuinely having a great time making music, and that makes me happy.
4
Feb 14 2022
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British Steel
Judas Priest
If you're looking for 11 back-to-back tracks of good old-fashioned metal, you've come to the right place. Feathered hair tossing windmill power chords, finger-tip shredding solos, a chest pounding rhythm section, and Rob Halford's expansive vocal range growling and wailing. What's not to love?
Side note, I was really intrigued by how 'The Rage' started. It had a Clash feel to it and I was hoping they'd continue on in that direction.
3
Feb 15 2022
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Dusty In Memphis
Dusty Springfield
1001 songs you have to hear before you die, sure, I'll give you that for "Son Of A Preacher Man". If the albums was "Dusty Springfield and a ton of songwriters and a bunch of studio musicians In Memphis", then I might be more inclined to appreciate the album on the whole. But the album is "Dusty In Memphis", and if all we're talking about is what Dusty brings to these tracks, I don't see it as something that merits being in this top 1001.
2
Feb 16 2022
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Tommy
The Who
This album coined the term Rock Opera. Regardless of what I think about the music, I have to at least appreciate it for the courageous step out of the norm that it is.
3
Feb 17 2022
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More Specials
The Specials
It's a good album, by a great band, but I don't see how this is above or beyond their first album, which is already on the list. While I won't complain about listening to The Specials, I think this spot on the list would be better filled by something new.
PS: Anyone else mistake 'International Jet Set' for a Gorillaz track?
3
Feb 18 2022
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Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
Imagine the pitch here. "Yeah, it's two dudes with a couple synthesizers, a drum machine, and expansive amorous interests. I think they'll fit in great here at 'Some Bizarre Records'!"
The synth-pop sound that these guys brought into being with this album, is surprisingly rich and diverse. While I do think the album could stand to be a handful of tracks lighter, there are quite a few highlights. Obviously, 'Tainted Love'. Secondly, lyrical subject matter aside, 'Sex Dwarf' is a far better track than the name suggest. And lastly, I really enjoyed 'Memorabilia', which I swear LCD Soundsystem's sound is directly descended from.
3
Feb 21 2022
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On The Beach
Neil Young
It's a tough thing to have a world view and to weave that into music in a way that doesn't feel heavy handed or is off putting. I think Neil Young does that well. I can't say I'm a big fan of his music, or this album, but I appreciate his willingness to take a stand, given it can easily up-end his career.
Even to this day, with his most recent stance to pull his music from Spotify in response to their support of podcasts that give a platform to disseminating misinformation, Neil is demonstrating that there is value in, and values around, his artform that he is willing to defend.
That principle of integrity and willingness to take a stand, is something we all need to hear. For that, I think this album is worthy of being on the list, if for nothing else than the reminder it provides. Music is far more than just audio decoration, filling in the background of our lives.
4
Feb 22 2022
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Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys
A great album tied to a horrible time in my life. The scenes, personalities, and dilemmas described in each song are the stuff of younger year legend and the backing tracks are pumped full with the same vim and ornery playfulness. Each song is impossibly better than the one before. I miss the memories, but I’m glad I’m past them!
4
Feb 23 2022
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Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
I forgot how raw this album sounds. Hindsight being what it is, the album's eclectic feel (especially beyond 'Alone + Easy Target'), is foreshadowing of Dave Grohl's nascent potential at this point in his career.
The album's sound is one of overtly forward and fuzzed up electric guitars, although tracks like 'Big Me' and 'For All the Cows' offer moments that stand-out from that crowd. I tend to think that contrast and variation from the well-worn grunge/rock formulas is directly correlated to why those two tracks have higher play counts on Spotify for the front and back end of the album, respectively.
Along similar lines, Dave's vocals are varied across this debut album, sometimes almost hidden behind the blaring leads and other times right out in front. In all though, I remember being amazed at how well he held the front-man role, and that perception holds up over time.
As you would expect from any project that Dave is involved in, the drum tracks are steady solid throughout. They are the heart that sends the blood coursing through the veins of the album, delivering beats of energy and life to every track.
With all of that said, I don't feel like this is the right Foo Fighter's album to be on the list. I view 'The Colour And The Shape' as being their real debut. This album did much to put distance between Dave and his past rolls in other bands; taking the step stone his past fame provided and vaulting from it. Where it's really at though, is where the band's feet fell next and where they journeyed from there!
3
Feb 24 2022
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Scream, Dracula, Scream
Rocket From The Crypt
2
Feb 25 2022
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Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche
Koffi Olomide
My opinion about the music is irrelevant.
From the wikipedia page - 'In 2019, He was found guilty by a French court of statutory rape of one of his former dancers when she was 15 years old.[8] He was handed a two-year suspended jail sentence in absentia, as he did not attend court in France.'
1
Feb 28 2022
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Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
A bit of bop music, a bit of blues, and enough energy to bring even the most introverted wall flower onto the dance floor. The already infectious tunes are brought to life by raucous wails, punched up fills, and smooth rasp of Little Richard's vocals. In fact, you can hear in tracks like 'Jenny Jenny' that Little Richard is nearly overcome himself by the music trying to explode out of him.
This man's performances transferred the rock-n-roll energy into legions of artists to come. They heard something special in the full-throated expressiveness and they couldn't resist taking that idea and running with it.
4
Mar 01 2022
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Lady Soul
Aretha Franklin
This is a powerful album, crammed to the brim with classic originals and covers. Each track shows Aretha's ability to connect the listener to the emotion and the meaning buried deep down in the soul of every song. The tracks 'Good to Me as I Am to You' and 'Ain't No Way' are so incredibly good.
5
Mar 02 2022
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In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
Wild! The opening track (21st Centrury Schizoid Man) is like a prog-rock riff on themes from Black Sabbath's album Paranoid, nihilistic lyrics, echoed drum rolls down the set, and screeching horns and guitars. What's interesting through is this album came about a year before Paranoid did. Then, next up is 'I Talk To The Wind'; (my fav) a somber duet backed with clarinets, flutes, harmonics and a playful drum trilling and filling along in the background. Following that is 'Epitaph', which is an expansive and spatial lament reminiscent of tracks from Radiohead's 'OK Computer'. The next song 'Moonchild', just kind of slowly disintegrates into an ambient jam session, that almost sounds like they just forgot to stop recording and figured, "Eh, why not," when it came time to put it on the album. Then 'The Court of The Crimson King' ties all the themes together in an on-again-off-again crescendo.
This is such a singularly unique album, and I love it!
4
Mar 03 2022
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NEU! 75
Neu!
Lately I've been hung up on stoner/sludge rock and bands like Elder, If These Trees Could Talk, and Russian Circles. I really enjoy how their albums fuse together the movements and diversity of sound that you would find in classical music, with the instrumentation and overall sensibility of prog-rock/metal.
This album scratches similar itch for me. Between that and tracks like 'Isi', 'Hero' and 'After Eight' sounding like direct influences for LCD Soundsystem, this is definitely an album I can enjoy.
3
Mar 04 2022
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Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
I have to give it to Tim; He's really into what he's doing. Unfortunately, that energy doesn't translate into a connection for me. The band is tight, and they do well with the music they've been given. They even get to stretch their legs a few times, in tracks like 'Devil Eyes'. But that isn't enough to offset the fact that Tim's vocals and lyrical delivery are just too awkward for me to hear past. Moreover, the characters he trying to convey and/or the stories he's trying to tell in each song, just don't seem believable as he depicts them.
Nowhere is this more apparent than 'Get on Top' and 'Sweet Surrender'. I was literally cringing and tensed listening to 'Sweet Surrender', which was basically a 2-minute song followed by 4m44s of Tim's warbling and nasally improvisations. You figure that they would've learned from the previous track 'Get on Top', where there is a very apparent and abrupt cut around the 5m50s mark in and amongst a similar 4+ minute long outro. I will say that I was almost into 'Nighthawkin''... almost.
All told, it feels like an attempt was made to make a gritty album that told the stories of hard worn lives in a big city, but what came through was more like a kid telling tall tales.
1
Mar 07 2022
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Elephant Mountain
The Youngbloods
The album starts out with a touch of country, rock and psychedelic. Then after the jam session double track 'On Sir Francis Drake' the band moves on to a considerably more mellow mix of songs and instrumental tracks. Stand out tracks for me are 'Smug', 'On Sir Francis Drake', 'Trillium', and 'Sham'.
3
Mar 08 2022
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Pink Flag
Wire
If there is one thing this whole exercise has taught me, it's that I am a fool for having ignored punk music from the 70's for this long. Shame on me!
This album, with its 21 songs in 37 minutes, is a whirlwind of musical thoughts. Don't conflate that for a lack of quality though. In contrast to my equal appreciation of prog-rock, I also appreciate that Wire didn't feel the need to draw anything out. If they could get the idea across with a single verse and 40 seconds, then sobeit.
Each track, be it an entire song or a segment, is complete and stands on its own. If you're only glancing across the album, you would be forgiven for thinking much of it is all the same, but a closer listening reveals the contours of something unique in every song. Some of the brightest spots for me, which also show the diversity of sound across the album, are 'Three Girl Rhumba', 'Lowdown', 'Mr Suit' and 'Champs'.
4
Mar 09 2022
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Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Ah! Back when I was not embarrassed to admit I enjoyed RHCP. I could not get enough of this album when it first came out. The union of rock and funk was something my musical ear had apparently been craving.
Flea, Frusciante and Smith (and arguably Rick Rubin) put together a masterpiece, that has easily endured the decades since. Smith's jazz drumming is relentlessly precise and uncharacteristically diverse for that era of popular music. Flea elevated the bass guitar to a main instrument and also brought explosive personality to the stage and to recordings. And yet, they together never compromised on remaining the tight-knit rhythm section. In and amongst all of that, Frusciante steers clear of the need for a rhythm guitar part at all by magically weaving a sonic fabric of riffs, solos and powerful chord explosions.
What is on a bit shakier ground are Kiedis' contributions. While some of the sincere songs like 'I Could Have Lied' and 'Under the Bridge' are quite powerful, much of the lyrical content across the rest of the songs range from fractional thoughts, to gibberish, to outright celebrations of misogyny. I remember gleefully singing along to all of these songs, so this is definitely also a lot about my sensibilities changing over time, but it's sad how much it takes away from my fond memories of the album.
3
Mar 10 2022
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Connected
Stereo MC's
Lower key dance beats, loops upon loops and rap/sing/rap stanzas. A simple formula for a decent album.
2
Mar 11 2022
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To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
Delving even deeper into the vein that 'M.A.A.D City' opened, this album is a genuine and vulnerable telling of one man's struggle in a violent and oppressive world. What stands out on the surface may sound like bravado and avarice, but lying just underneath that facade is fear, self-doubt, and despair. In sharing that story, Kendrick has lent his voice to the telling of many people's stories. The list of examples is nearly as long as the entire album, but I'd point to 'Institutionalized', 'These Walls', 'Alright', and 'How Much A Dollar Cost' as prime examples of what I'm talking about.
The tracks themselves are filled with the life and a diversity of numerous artists and musical elements from a wide array of genres. Check out 'For Free?' (spoken word), 'These Walls (R&B), 'u' (jazz), and 'Alright' (hip-hop) to get a sense of just how dynamic this album is. I think the statement from the Wikipedia article which says the album is, 'supremely "cinematic" production qualities but [with] "the freedom of a mixtape",' summarizes it perfectly.
The rhymes and rap techniques are simply on another level. The internet has covered this thoroughly, so check that out if you don't hear it for yourself. My absolute favorite flow is on the tail end of the track 'i' and I only wish that it could carry on, instead of being broken up by the fight in the crowd.
Please. Take the time to listen past the language and the talk about pussy and bitches! This album has so much to offer on every level, and it would be a shame to misjudge this book by it's cover.
4
Mar 14 2022
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Surfer Rosa
Pixies
Try as I might, I struggle to wrap my head around the appeal of this album.
There are moments and fragments, but it seems like the band didn't really know what to do with what they had. I give the album 3 stars overall for being fine enough to listen to, and clearly the album has influenced many other artists, but it falls well short of greatness or being something, I absolutely have to hear.
3
Mar 15 2022
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If You're Feeling Sinister
Belle & Sebastian
It's like prog-rock, but instead of the musical parts being complicated, you just strum three chords and say every single word that comes to your mind. Bleh.
1
Mar 16 2022
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A Hard Day's Night
Beatles
A handful of classics and the clear show of the promise yet to come from this band.
3
Mar 17 2022
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New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
I'll give'm this. They knew the sound they were aiming for and they nailed it. Not sure I'm very into it though.
2
Mar 18 2022
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Gold
Ryan Adams
A fine enough blend of county and rock with a touch of folks, played in a way that kind of sounds like a bunch of songs that you've heard a million times on the radio. It's ok, but I wouldn't call it gold.
2
Mar 22 2022
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The ArchAndroid
Janelle Monáe
Janelle shows boundless creativity and talent across these 18 tracks and takes ample time to tip her hat to numerous inspirations. The album is a variable periodic table of musical elements; Funk, Rab, R&B, Classical, Latin, Swing, Pop, Samba, Jazz, Psychedelic, Rock, Folk, Ballads and maybe even some Broadway.
Stand out tracks for me are 'Neon Valley Street', 'Dance or Die', 'Come Alive', '57821' and 'Tightrope'.
4
Mar 24 2022
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Faust IV
Faust
There are moments in and amongst the eclectic variety of jams, but it's a bit too scatter shot for me to really get into. It's too bad because the first track ('Krautrock') really worked for me, so I was stoked to see where it was heading. By the time I got to 'Lauft', I was lost.
2
Mar 25 2022
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Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
Not my speed at all.
1
Mar 28 2022
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One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
I know I'm supposed to view this group through a funk lens, but there is so much rock and jam in this album, I don't think it's right to limit my view. That idea is perfect captured both lyrically and musically in the track 'Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!"
Building from that idea, I think that spirit is a major part of why this album leaves such an indelible impression. Each track forces you to open your mind further and further, both on what you think the band is, and on various serious and nonsensical topics. But none of it comes across as heavy handed. They just want to help bring one nation together under a groove!
Highlight tracks for me would be 'One Nation Under a Groove', 'Cholly', and especially 'Maggot Brain / Chant'.
3
Mar 29 2022
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Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod Stewart
Songs that speak fondly of loves past and yet to come, played out over a mostly American roots rock stage, with occasional forays into bluegrass, gospel, country, and rock. Its sweet, refreshing, and well-rounded.
4
Mar 30 2022
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At Budokan
Cheap Trick
A tight rock and roll set played in front of a jubilant Japanese audience. The break between each track reveals an almost beatlemania-esqe fervor amongst the crowd, which had to have been a thrill for the band as well!
I feel like the energy just exploded on 'Come On, Come On', relented a bit during 'Need Your Love', and then just hard charged all the way through to the 'Clock Strikes Ten' encore. Also, the 'Hello There' and 'Goodnight' bookend tracks on the performance were a nice touch of showmanship.
All told, this had to have been an epic show and is translated fantastically to recording, which is saying a lot for a live performance.
Bonus points for 'Surrender' starting off with a sound bite that was sampled by the Beastie Boys.
4
Mar 31 2022
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Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
The album is straight forward, raw in parts and laser focused on telling the story of a woman afloat in a setting that is as ill-fitting as hand-me-down clothes.
The emotional baseline of the album isn't explosive or outraged like some of Liz's female-lead contemporaries (i.e. Alanis), but much more dry-witted and ambivalent akin to Courtney Barnett (who I really hope is on this list!)
For exemplary paired down tracks, I'd point to 'Girls! Girls! Girls!' and 'Shatter'. For songs that include the band, I enjoyed 'Never Said' and 'Divorce Song'. Floating somewhere in between the two vibes are great tracks like 'Soap Star Joe'.
3
Apr 01 2022
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Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
Normally, I'm in for this sort of album; Especially with one of the greats, such as Billie Holiday! But this album just felt like a complete production miss. The orchestral arrangements strike me as overly glossy and schmaltzy. On the other hand, Billie's vocals sound strained, especially during the line punctuating vibratos (of which there is one on nearly every single line).
Honestly, I expected something great, but after 3 attempts, I just couldn't sit through the full length album.
1
Apr 04 2022
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Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
Still walking the fine line between calm and chaotic, although maybe a bit more refined in places than prior PJ Harvey albums.
As I've said with other artists that have multiple albums on this list, I don't understand what makes this one substantially different from PJ Harvey's debut album, such that she merits double billing. It would make more sense to me to just have a shorter list, then continuing to fill it with multiple albums from the same artist that basically represent the same thing.
2
Apr 05 2022
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1984
Van Halen
Bad boy glam rock packed full of bluesy riffs, furious drumming, and synth fills. I can practically hear the sweat rolling off their chest hair and onto their skin tight vinyl pants!
I honestly never fully appreciated just how great a track 'Hot For Teacher' is. Each part played and sung is remarkable on it's own, and they fold and flow together so perfectly. 'Girl Gone Bad' is another impressive showing by the band, showing just how tight the band is with or without David Lee Roth.
3
Apr 06 2022
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Architecture And Morality
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
The tracks are spatial and moody and strike me as a group doing their level best to take the harsh edges off of their nascent electronic instruments.
The vocals mostly blend into the crowded early 80's emo/electro scene, but there are moments where the singer's snaps out of the act, which I found far more sincere and engaging.
Honestly, my impressions on the album are all over the place. Tracks like 'Motion And Heart' show how bad things can get, whereas 'Extended Souvenir' and 'Of All The Things We've Made' work way better. Then there are tracks somewhere in the middle, like 'Sacred Heart', where I think the synthwave backtrack is great, but the vocal track just kills it for me.
I am curious to see where the group went from here, but I probably won't end up coming back to this album in particular.
2
Apr 07 2022
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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
"I've lost my harmonica Albert" - haha, ded!
3
Apr 08 2022
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Protection
Massive Attack
3
Apr 11 2022
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L.A. Woman
The Doors
Psychedelic blues rock. Yum!
The band sounds effortlessly clean and tight-knit across the entire album. They show they can still deliver some crazed energy on tracks like 'Been down so Long' and 'L'America', but where they really shine are on the cool and casual tracks like 'Cars Hiss by My Window', 'Crawling King Snake', and 'Riders on the Storm'.
3
Apr 12 2022
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Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
So, this is the first time I have ever listened to a Rolling Stones album. I know this band is legendary but due to some indelible marks made during my formative years from being bombarded with the song 'Start Me Up', I had put a mental block on them. Now that my time had come, I was glad to find out that I had the wrong impression.
What struck me the most throughout the album, is how varied and diverse the song arrangements were. This is made loud and clear with the opening track. 'Sympathy For The Devil' is slow-to-boil perception bending tale, with a catchy piano progression, a bass guitar, a collection of utility percussionists, some people saying "woo-woo" over and over again, a couple of guitar cameos, and Mic giving it his all on top. Just brilliant.
Songs like 'No Expectations' layer and build and are constructed as they play out. Others tracks, while straight forward in their structure, flourish in that they are built on non-pop roots like delta-blues ('Dear Doctor', 'Prodigal Son') and bluegrass ('Factory Girl').
This is definitely much more than just another classic rock album, and with the one exception of 'Stray Cat Blues', doesn't align (in a great way) with what I was expecting.
4
Apr 13 2022
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Time Out
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Four profoundly talented, creative, and meticulous musicians, each making it sound effortless. I appreciate that this album is extremely accessible, but that it's does that without compromising richness and complexity. You could listen to each track 10 times in a row and still discover new fills and trills with every playthrough.
5
Apr 14 2022
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Low
David Bowie
3
Apr 15 2022
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Elvis Is Back
Elvis Presley
Smoldering, sultry, raucous, and swaying back and forth between soulful and playful. The album covers a ton of ground (Rock - 'Dirty, Dirty Feeling', Do-Wop - 'Solider Boy', Soul - 'It Feels So Right', and even Blues - 'Reconsider Baby') and every single track is firmly footed in a pop sensibility.
The one track I just can't shake though is 'Fever'. Elvis' performance is breathless and breathtaking. The solitary upright bass, surrounded by the ghosts of reverbed vocals and snaps, keep this barely tethered song from flying off. Bursts of bongo fills accentuate the creeping ambiance. It's haunting and seductive.
All-up the album was considerably more enjoyable than I was expecting, made great by exemplary performances by Elvis, the Blue Moon Boys, and all of the supporting vocalists and artists. Shout out to the bass vocalist especially.
4
Apr 18 2022
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Dirt
Alice In Chains
3
Apr 19 2022
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Stankonia
OutKast
Oh, the days when every single hip-hop album had skits. What was that about?
I kind of struggled with this album, since it feels to me more like two albums blended together. One is socially minded, has a purpose, and is focused. This album includes tracks like 'B.O.B. - Bombs Over Baghdad', 'Humble Mumble', 'Spaghetti Junction', 'Xplosion', and '?'. The tracks are musically and lyrically dense and each is full of enough dimension and depth to keep them fresh for years.
The other album is sophomoric, goofy, and full of "get my stank on" innuendo (or worse). I'm thinking of tracks like 'Snappin' & Trappin'', 'We Luv Deez Hoez', and all the skits.
On the whole, it is a great hip-hop/rap album that pushes the boundaries and challenges pre-conceived notions. I do think it would've benefitted from being 8-10 tracks lighter, but I can also appreciate that the group was probably having a great time being in full control of their recording process.
3
Apr 20 2022
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Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
It must've been the historical context that made this album important, because I'm just not getting it out of context. British art-house post punk with an overtop smack of zeal that borders on being campy and self-satirizing but could also just be a leadman who can't help from being over the top.
2
Apr 21 2022
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Blur
Blur
It's remarkable how deftly the band flirts with and yet ultimately rejects a purely pop quality. Each song teeters on the edge of falling into the catchy pop tune chasm, threatening to fall in, if it weren't for the chaotic and dissonant anchors, holding it back.
While not a terrible song, 'Look Inside America' shows what I'm talking about. Compared to every other song on this album, it's quite straight forward. It's nice, but it feels a little flat amongst the crowd.
All told though, the album is a better listen than I recall, and with the benefit of hindsight, a noteworthy standout from the "alternative" crowd of the time.
3
Apr 22 2022
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The Stooges
The Stooges
I dig the vibe, but the energy is pretty flat. It's kind of like psychedelic punk, which I don't feel meshes all that well.
2
Apr 25 2022
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Birth Of The Cool
Miles Davis
A dense and energetic album, that has added to my snowballing desire to delve more deeply into the world of Jazz. Two things stand out to my extremely untrained jazz-listening ears.
The musical agility of each performer is incredible. My hands and lungs ache just thinking about the endurance and precision of movement and breath involved to play these parts. This stands out clearly in the tracks 'Move', 'Budo' and more subtly in 'Israel'.
The band is cohesive and perfectly aligned with one another. Their level of collective coordination, even amongst the most frenetic parts of the songs, reveals their dedication to the craft. I can't really point to anyone track as showcasing this more than any other, as I feel like it's evident at all points, in all tracks.
4
Apr 26 2022
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Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
The reason I love Dylan is the same reason I love Willie Nelson. Enchantingly simple arrangements and enthrallingly detailed narratives.
5
Apr 27 2022
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Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
I get why people would enjoy this. I do not.
2
Apr 28 2022
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Pump
Aerosmith
Just how exactly a rock band that got their start in the 70s, manages to come back decade over decade and be relevant and fresh, is beyond me! Pump, is packed with hits which have remained in constant rotation on both Pop and Rock radio stations ever since. It's a testament to how when a group finds just the right blended musical sensibility, they can transcend audiences and cultural phases, and tap into a vein with music that people can't kick, like a bad habit.
The riffs and melodies are undeniably catchy, even if you're like me and you're not into the band all that much. With that in mind, I've got to give credit where credit is due.
For my tastes, I'd say 'The Other Side' is the real gem on this album. The layered vocal tracks on the hook are unshakable, the brass/wind section is jubilant, and the core of the band is just pounding along with a blues-rock vibe that even the staunchest prude can't help but tap their foot to.
4
Apr 29 2022
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Night Life
Ray Price
This album lines up with the stereotypes of country music that I was indoctrinated to dislike as a youth. The album has the feel of a honky-tonk meets crooner longue act, which could potentially be enjoyable, if wasn't for the fact that the whole thing is so monotonous and monotoned. For kicks, listen to the first 10 seconds of the tracks 'A Girl in the Night', 'Pride' and 'If She Could See Me Now' respectively, and see if you can figure out which is which.
And that's kind of my problem with the whole thing. It's basically the same song, over and over and over again. Heck, the first distinguishing moment I heard in any of these songs didn't come until 1m15s into the 11th track (out of 13). It's like the whole album is just one big song, or that each song is just a shortened version of the whole album. In effect I listened to the whole album 13 times, and that's about 12.5 times more than I ever wish I had.
2
May 02 2022
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Illinois
Sufjan Stevens
3
May 03 2022
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In Rainbows
Radiohead
On the whole, In Rainbows is a spatial and casually meandering album that feels at once both intricately detailed and yet effortlessly crafted. From reading the related Wikipedia article, it sounds like creative process that brought the band to this end was chaotic, but I would never have guessed from listening.
Overall, the mood of the album is very cohesive and gives off an air of genre-bending high-art rock. While the majority of the album flirts back and forth between the upper boundaries of melancholy and the lower boundaries of explosion, the one track that bursts through with non-stop energy is 'Bodysnatchers'. I love this track and would be interested to hear a mix of the album that builds up to this as the conclusion, since it feels like such a perfect culminating track.
4
May 04 2022
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Happy Sad
Tim Buckley
In high school, I had a crush on a girl. She had long since decided we should only be friends. I had my head buried deep in the self-absorbed teenage sands and I was unfoundedly convinced that the time for our true relationship was imminent. You would've thought I'd have known better, given she already had a boyfriend.
One day, she asked me to drive her to boyfriend's house, to which I agreed because ... of course I wanted to hang out with her! We got there and the plan somehow turned into the three of us hanging out in my car, in the dude's driveway. They chatted and cuddled while I strummed my guitar. In hindsight, I'm sure there were numerous clear signals that I should have gone for a walk or something, but as I said I was oblivious.
In fact, as the plan went on, I became progressively convinced that I had been invited along because somewhere deep down inside she wanted to leave this guy and be with me. The masterstroke of my subterfuge, most certainly, would be my musical prowess.
In reality, I was shit at playing the guitar and the main reason I was there is primarily because I had a car.
I feel like Tim Buckley and young me, were on a similar wavelength.
1
May 05 2022
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Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
This is an unapologetically straightforward album with a name that lays plain, what you're getting into.
I remember hearing this album for the first time. It compelled me! I couldn't resist the urge to bang my head, clench my fists, furrow my brow, twist my face and gnash my teeth as each track pounded and growled along. I wasn't generally a rage filled person, but the visceral force of this album was infectious. It gave me a means for realizing emotions I had packed away and provided me with some harmless catharsis.
This album isn't really in my rotation list anymore, but it was great to hear it again. I can only point to a few albums that have taken me out of the blue like that, and I appreciate them each for what they helped me to learn about myself.
As far as the music itself goes, its quintessential hardcore metal. There is no glam. The big hair is traded for shaved heads and sweaty mops. The skin tight pants are traded for ripped denim. These bands look more like the roadies, than the main attraction.
That plainspoken affect of the artists carries through to the sound. The guitars grunts, growl, screech and wail, trading blues rock riffs for prog-esque atypical time signatures. The drums, instead of rolling along in the background with the occasional flourish or solo, are right at the forefront, pounding out the path and playing equal parts with all other instruments. The vocals are a gravel throated fist to the face, evoking all of the emotions folded up into each track. All of this is prepared with a simple production quality, much like how the perfect Texas Brisket only needs salt, pepper, and time (prove me wrong).
4
May 06 2022
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Caetano Veloso
Caetano Veloso
2
May 09 2022
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Madman Across The Water
Elton John
I can't figure out what, but something prevents me from connecting with this album. To be fair, it is full of good music, energetic performances, and emotional storytelling. Normally that would be the perfect mixture for me.
For some reason though, it just feels a bit too "put on" or stuck somewhere in the uncanny valley, just shy of the qualities that would resonate with my senses. I guess I would point to 'Indian Sunset' as an example of what I'm talking about. I should be into it, but it just feels a bit awkward.
Looking beyond the well-known tracks like 'Tiny Dancer', I personally think 'Holiday Inn' is the stand-out here, but even that could do without the sitars and swelling strings.
A good album, but something's just off for my taste.
3
May 10 2022
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Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
As much as I want to complain about these songs being "played out" on the radio or complain about my perceptions of Billy Corgan steadily degrading over time ... I just don't care, because this album is way too good. I also openly acknowledge my fondness for this album is likely unduly swayed by nostalgia.
What really drew me into this album, and still endears me to it today, is that it is founded in the grunge/alt musical sensibility, but it goes way beyond the simplistic structures of that genre. The songs are full of contours. They have intros, transitions, swings in guitar effects, phrases that build and climb, pauses of calm punctuated with eruptions of fuzz blaring guitars. I think the tracks 'Soma', 'Mayonaise', and 'Silverfuck' demonstrates what I'm talking about perfectly.
Some of the greatest tracks/moments on this album, that come to my mind are, the first 57 seconds of 'Cherub Rock', 'Hummer', 'Rocket', 'Soma', 'Silverf*ck', and 'Rhinoceros' - oops, wrong album.
4
May 11 2022
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Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon & Garfunkel
I didn't realize that DJ Shadow sampled from this album. Now I gotta go back and listen to some of his earlier stuff! I digress.
These guys had an uncanny creative sensibility because this album is back-to-back earworms. The album doesn't seem to follow any particular theme as it bounces between subdue (i.e. 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', 'So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright', and 'The Boxer') or bubbly and bright (i.e. 'Cecilia', 'Keep the Customer Satisfied', and 'Baby Driver') tracks, but they ultimately blend together nicely into a well rounded collection.
It's a solid album from start to finish that has endured for 50 years, and I'm sure it will hold it's beloved status for another 50, and then some.
4
May 12 2022
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Pictures At An Exhibition
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
A British prog-rock super group's adaptation of a late 19th century classical suite... this could really only go one of two ways.
I enjoyed this album more than I anticipated I would. The calm chill of 'The Sage' and the raging ramble of the BabaYaga series of tracks culminating into 'The Great Gates of Kiev' were the real standouts for me.
3
May 13 2022
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Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
A bit of blues, a bit of roots rock, a bit of soul, and maybe even a bit of country. All of it is touched with the dust of a road worn band, and the fuzz of distortion and reverb. I really enjoy the overall sound of the album.
It's a mostly subdue and introspective album that maintains the lyrical poignance that you would expect from Dylan. Standing way out from the crowd on this album is the track 'Make you Feel My Love'. It's a gem of a love song that I'm surprised I've never heard come across before (either original or covered). Whoa is me, and my musically sheltered life.
3
May 16 2022
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Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
5
May 17 2022
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The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
4
May 18 2022
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Thriller
Michael Jackson
4
May 19 2022
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The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
3
May 20 2022
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John Barleycorn Must Die
Traffic
3
May 23 2022
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Melodrama
Lorde
I don't know what the thing is called when singers kinda twist, roll and truncate the words at the end of their lyrical phrases - but I can't stand it!
"I do my makeup in, somebody else's cahw
We order different drinks at the same bahws
etc..."
It's this sort of exaggerated baby talk that you see all over tik tok videos. It took me a while to get past that "technique" enough to consider what I really thought about the album.
Contrary to what the pop-forward veneer might suggest, the lyrical content tackles some pretty series subject matter. The songs look past the buzz to the hangover, and past the honeymoon to when the infatuation has worn off. I appreciate that a musician that is getting hundreds of millions of plays on Spotify is willing to go there. Hopefully people who hear these lyrics and they create some awareness and emotional space for those whom their own introspections are missing or repressed.
As for the music, it's alright, but not really great (for my tastes anyhow). Nothing about it really gives me goose bumps or intrigues me all that much. It a generally subdue backtrack that stays mostly hidden below and beneath Lorde's performance.
3
May 24 2022
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Parallel Lines
Blondie
This is a great album that brings together numerous elements of popular genres and makes something entirely unique and special, from parts and pieces of things we've all heard before. Topping it all off is Debby Harry, a powerful and charismatic front woman, which even 40+ years later are still far too few and far between due primarily to the endemically flawed nature of both the music industry and how popularity works in our society.
And yet, fortunately for all of us, all of these unlikely pieces fell into place.
This album has a couple of new wave classics in "One Way Or Another" and "Heart Of Glass". I also enjoyed the tracks that veered from the formula of those hit tracks, specifically the darker vibe on the track "Fade Away And Radiate" and the ensemble rock sound of "I Know But I Don't Know".
4
May 25 2022
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The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
If this guy hadn't previously been a part of Pink Floyd, there is no way this album would have been made. I can appreciate a touched mind's deranged performances (RIP Wesley Willis), but this is just nonsense.
1
May 26 2022
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My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
Let me start this off by saying that the 'Blame Game' backing track is a straight ripoff from Aphex Twin's 'Avril 14th'. Aphex deserves all of the recognition he can get, so shame on Kanye for not doing right by him.
There is a lot to enjoy about this album, and I agree that it is the pinnacle of Kanye's career. There are some great rhymes and techniques at play, Kayne's production skills are on full display, and the collaborations are fantastic (especially Nicki Minaj and JAY-Z on 'Monster').
There are also stark contrasts between and even within tracks that seem to mirror Kanye's continuously tortured state. You've got a track like 'POWER' throwing bravado every direction it can but then culminating in contemplations of suicide. You've also got loads of lines about how they're "f'in B's" and then a seemingly apologetic track like 'Runaway'.
It's been sad to see the steady decline of Kayne (at least in the public eye) and this album seems to do a decent job of encapsulating the conflicts that were at play within the man at the time. It is simultaneously resplendent, self-congratulating, chaotic and introspective.
I still struggle to separate the artist from the art, so I'm sure that is pulling my rating down here, but the album was much better that I figured it would be, and certainly far superior to anything that Kayne has made since.
3
May 27 2022
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Frank
Amy Winehouse
Such a tragic loss of a profoundly talented musician.
3
May 30 2022
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Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
It took me a while to place it, but the things I like about this album are very similar to what I liked about 'A Nod Is as Good as a Wink... to a Blind Horse' by Faces, which is also on this list.
Every track is exuberant, and each part is played to perfection with a casual blue-rock affect. Chris Robinson in particular sounds like he's put everything he has into every single track, and that energy is infectious.
3
May 31 2022
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At San Quentin
Johnny Cash
As far as Cash's albums go, it's not nearly as great for the music, as it is for chaotic fun of the performance itself. The whole show is resplendently defiant and yet Johnny remains endearingly charismatic to everyone involved. What I appreciate very specifically is how Johnny shows deference for the humanity of the inmates, especially in the stage banter between the songs.
3
Jun 01 2022
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Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
3
Jun 02 2022
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Vespertine
Björk
3
Jun 03 2022
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American Pie
Don McLean
I appreciate the lyricism and storytelling and there isn't anything particularly off putting about the songs. Don's voice is crystal clear, and the tunes are catchy.
But it's all sort of eye-glossingly boring to me. I say that, then I feel like I'm an ingrate who is overlooking gorgeous nuance of the music, and I'm haunted by visions of my furrowed browed Dad shaking his head as he says, "Pearls before swine."
2
Jun 06 2022
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Mothership Connection
Parliament
Tear the roof off this motherfunker!
3
Jun 07 2022
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Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago
It is quite an intriguing union of styles and sounds. The album has the heart of a rock album, which stands out on tracks like 'Listen', 'South California Purples' and 'Liberation', but there is a depth and a soulfulness there (i.e. 'Poem 58'), as well as an occasional pop-anthem vibe to some of the songs (i.e. 'Beginnings'), that make it feel a bit like a musical square peg.
All told, the album is an enjoyable debut from a group of people that seem like they are really enjoying making music together, regardless of what genre people want to try and pack them into. Who would have thought at the time that these dudes would still be rocking and touring together half a century later!
3
Jun 08 2022
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Roger the Engineer
The Yardbirds
The albums plays like an out of focus image rough cut into a puzzle of poorly fitting pieces. There is something there, you're sure of it, but it's hard to make out and you can't tell whether the focus required to put it together is worth it or not.
Generally speaking, this sort of low-fi rock/punk/psychedelic thing would be right up my alley, so I'm a bit surprised to find that I can't quite settle into enjoying the album too much. I will probably come to appreciate what this album is, or the place it had in the context of musical history, but for the time being, it's just a bit too scattershot for me.
2
Jun 09 2022
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Penthouse And Pavement
Heaven 17
They had a vision for what they wanted, and they went for it; I'll give them that. When I think synth-pop, I definitely don't think about socially conscious bands that are looking to make commentaries with their music.
The lyrical content makes the focus of this album plain, but the conspicuously artificial sound of the synthesized drum tracks and keyboards add an additional dystopian and ominous air to most of the tracks.
The result is an album that isn't necessarily entertaining, or rather that feels less casual and more forceful with it's desire to be heard. I appreciate a group that is willing to do that, but I also have to admit that in this case, it kind of undermines my ability to enjoy it too much.
2
Jun 10 2022
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Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
The album makes me think of laidback summer weekend afternoons. I appreciate the craftsmanship that they put into the harmonies and it's remarkable how they come across as one voice.
All that said though, it's not really my cup of tea and I doubt I'll be revisiting the album for my personal enjoyment.
2
Jun 13 2022
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Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
I get the impression that this album was an important milestone in the glacial evolution of the culture of the music industry. Regardless of how accurate that assumption is, I am sure that this had a positive effect on the "If you can see it, you can be it" scales over the years since this album's release.
3
Jun 14 2022
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Bossanova
Pixies
To me, the Pixies fall into a similar category of esoteric or contentious brilliance and I think 'Bossanova' is perfectly curated collection of songs that illustrate what I mean. Each track is captivating in its own way, but it's hard to tell whether you're still listening because of the harmony or the dissonance. The band manages to flirt right at the boundaries of both ends of that spectrum simultaneously, turning it into more of a closed loop than a continuum.
Overall, the album is built on the foundation of an electrified and blurred out beach-rock sound. The moods of the album are varied, ranging from mellow (i.e. 'Havalina') to manic (i.e. 'Rock Music') and many unsettled points in between (i.e. 'Is She Weird'), 'Hang Wire'). The vocals are all over the place and seem to be deliberately imperfect, and there is a quirk there that makes it all work.
And I think that's the thing about the Pixies. They are easy to dismiss or dislike on the surface. I've personally resisted getting into their music and really understanding its appeal. You have to spend time with it and grow a personal connection. That's not what everyone is looking for when it comes to music, certainly not of this genre, but it's there if you've got time to give.
3
Jun 15 2022
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Tago Mago
Can
The play counts on spotify tell the story clearly enough. The album is like a wild trip, equal parts euphoric and terrifying, and definitely not for everyone.
The first four tracks of this album are a collection of meandering jam sessions, that bring together rock instrumentation with a touch of funk and an overall psychedelic air. It's a great set of tracks to have playing in the background or bopping in your headphones while you're focusing. I especially enjoy how the track 'Halleluhwah' ebbs and flows through it's permutations, the rhythm section holding to a core while the rest of the band dances all around it.
And then you come to tracks 5 and 6, and the wheels just fall off... for 29 minutes! I can't really understand why anyone would bother to commit these sorts of noise jams to a recording, and in the case of this album it really spoils what was a fantastic start.
The album sort of crawls back to where it started, with 'Bring Me Coffee or Tea', but I suspect that most listeners don't know that because they threw in the towel somewhere in the middle of 'Peking O'.
3
Jun 16 2022
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Germfree Adolescents
X-Ray Spex
An extremely precise punk backing band fronted by explosive, raw and untamed vocals. It makes for a solid album that I'm sure was influential to countless artists over the years. This sounds like a group that would've been really fun to see live. I appreciate the break from the norm that the track 'Plastic Bag' provided, and it makes me curious for what could've been if they explored outside of their punk structure a bit more.
3
Jun 17 2022
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Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
As I was listening through this album, I developed a boatload of flawed assumptions about how this album (a country album by a soul singer) came to be. I figured that a bunch of studio bigwigs forced Ray into this path in order to line their pockets. Reading through the Wikipedia article for this album though, I found out I was dead wrong, and my appreciation for what this album is has appreciated all the more for it. The truth is that Ray was the mastermind behind this cross-over and through this work the popularity of country music on the whole was significantly improved. An enjoyable twist on many levels.
The music and the performances are fantastic, and Ray brings his characteristic charisma and soulful touch to each track. Perhaps 24 tracks does feel a touch long, but it can be forgiven.
4
Jul 07 2022
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Armed Forces
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Everything is there to make a great album, but yet I still can't manage to get to the point of connecting with the tracks and immersing in the album.
2
Jul 08 2022
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At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
This album was already in my heavy rotation list, but I'd never really taken the time to think about the end-to-end album (and the event itself) all that much. It's really quite remarkable that a well-established artist from any musical genre would opt to setup inside of a prison and perform a whole show for the prisoners. I very seriously doubt there is any modern musician with an established career and the courage to do the same (especially any country musician). I could be wrong, but I doubt I am.
So, then the show gets started, and instead of rolling off a series of radio-worn popular tunes, the band plays a setlist of songs that tell the tales of criminals. Each song honestly, and often sympathetically, portrays the personhood and humanity of the criminal, without romanticizing or pitying. And in an amongst all of it, Johnny is chatting up the crowd and making jokes just like it's nothing.
It's an enjoyable and voyeuristic musical experience, with a very subtle underlying tragedy that, when explored enough, challenges the listener to think of the humanity of the people that have been locked away from society.
5
Jul 11 2022
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Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
I remember the first time I ever heard Neil Young was when he showed up at the 1993 MTV Music Awards to perform "Keep on Rockin' In The Free World' with Pearl Jam. My poor little teenage fanboy mind was confused, because one of my favorite bands had sidelined their lead vocalist in favor of some dude I'd only vaguely heard of. I could have recovered from that but to add insult to injury, in and amongst some very awkward movements and fits across the stage, this Neil Young dude was struggling to carry the tune at all.
I'm sure that has flavored my perception of Neil Young's work to this day, but I just can't distance myself enough from his voice to even kind of engage in the music or the lyrics at all.
This album followed along those similar lines. When the whimpering trio of vocalists started to carry in the first 30 seconds of the first track (Tonight's the Night) I thought, "Welp, here we go again!". By the time I got to nearly breathless screech of "Railroad traaaaaaaaack" around the 2:15 mark in 'Mellow My Mind', I gave up.
I'm glad that so many other folks get so much out of this artist's work, but it just isn't for me.
1
Jul 12 2022
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A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
Its enchanting, mesmerizing and yet cognitively exhausting to listen to, somewhat akin to the sirens' call from The Odyssey.
I can't even begin to comprehend the complexity of the performance and the skill required to pull it off with this much elegance and emotion, let alone the genius and intimate musical intuition required to absolutely nail it in a single take.
I will need to come back to this album many more times before I can fully appreciate it, and I'll be glad to do it.
5
Jul 13 2022
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Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Stereolab
What an entirely unique confluence of musical and production elements. I can't say I'll be coming back to this album over and over again, but it was fun to be introduced to.
3
Jul 14 2022
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Butterfly
Mariah Carey
Geez - I totally forgot how tiresome R&B tracks had become by the late 90s. Slow jam after slow jam with synthesized everything accompanied by little more than a fretless bass guitar. FKA Twigs this is not!
While still largely constrained to the formula above, I would point to the track 'Breakdown' as a pleasant break out (at least in meter) from the well-worn guardrails that the rest of the album feels tied down by.
Above the tracks Mariah's vocals are flawless and float back and forth between smokey seduction and belting power. I'd point to 'My All' and 'Close My Eyes' as being the stars of the album in particular.
3
Jul 15 2022
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Aja
Steely Dan
I guess if I'm evaluating an album on the technical marvel of its production and the elaborate nature of the performances, then I would be lauding the genius of this album.
If I am being honest though, it's just feels too full of itself to be enjoyable.
2
Jul 18 2022
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The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
I'm hard pressed to think of a more perfect hip-hop album. The flows and wordplays are sublime. The subject matter of the tracks covers a range of substantial topics with a perfect balance of seriousness and humor. The backing tracks are a genius fusion of jazz, break loops and samples and an art form unto themselves, which have influenced countless artists and genres since.
An absolute gem!
5
Jul 19 2022
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The Doors
The Doors
An iconic cornerstone of the psychedelic musical genre. I'm rating this a bit lower than what I suspect the norm is, only because I'm not a big fan of the group, but that is mostly just a matter of personal taste.
3
Jul 20 2022
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A Northern Soul
The Verve
2
Jul 21 2022
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Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
A succinct and unoffensive rock'n'roll album with plenty of earworm tracks that have now become foundations and pillars for countless artists to follow.
Nearly every song adheres to a strict verse-chorus-verse structure, with the sole exception of 'Luna', which musters up the courage to diverge to a verse-chorus-bridge routine - scandal! Jokes aside though, I really enjoyed that track for all of the diversity it brought, relative to the rest of the rather formulaic album.
Those nit-picks as they are though, the whole album is fast enough and enjoyable enough to not really get caught up by any of them. The impression that endures is of a bright and tight production with just enough soul and energy to get your butt wiggling in your chair.
3
Jul 22 2022
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The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
This album is a masterpiece, unifying elements of R&B, hip-hop, rap, and soul/gospel masterfully. The opening pairing of 'Lost Ones' and 'Ex-Factor' are stripped down tracks that put Lauryn's rap bone fides and vocal power front and center, setting the tone for the whole album to come. Ms. Hill's performance on each track is impeccable, even the chorus parts that she recorded for the background hypes and harmony.
The lyrical content of this album is clearly very personal and speaks to experience that everyone can connect with at a similar level. It must have been hard to put all of that honesty and emotion into this work, have it become a worldwide success, and then compelled to tour the world singing it over and over again. I can't imagine how artists doing it and maintain authenticity and their own connection to the work.
And ultimately, that is what makes this a bittersweet album for me too. Ultimately, something went awry for Ms. Lauryn Hill, and she has suffered for it. It highlights the parasitic aspect of fandom in an uncomfortable way. Artists are who they are, and their work is what it is, and we need to be careful to not lose sight of them as people, especially when things get difficult.
5
Jul 25 2022
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Billion Dollar Babies
Alice Cooper
The album is rock at its core but it sure can't help from bursting into musical theatre grandeur along the way. Each track has a boisterous pop affect that contrasts against the ghoulish nature of the performances and the scandalous nature of the lyrics.
And speaking of the lyrical content, now I know why Alice Cooper's work was coined as shock rock. The lyrics blast right through taboos such as sexual assault ("Raped and Freezin'"), blow-up dolls ("Billion Dollar Babies"), and necrophilia ("I Love the Dead"), like they're just small talk. I can see the roots of groups like Gwar in these songs, for sure.
3
Jul 26 2022
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The Cars
The Cars
Classics from start to finish. Just enough rock'n'roll grit to be relatable and just enough new-wave polish and studio production to feel crisp and novel.
4
Jul 27 2022
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Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
It doesn't get much closer to the roots of rap than this album. This crew was taking all of the tools of the trade (i.e. scratching, sampling, synthesizers, drum machines, a live DJ doing the mix, and multiple emcees) and putting it to full effect. All of this is something we take for granted at this point, but these guys were quite literally figuring it all out as they went.
What really sets Run-D.M.C apart from rappers of that time and since is their collaborative style, of passing the lines back and forth, and chorusing each other. The coordination and memorization involved to do this without breaking the flow is truly mind-boggling to me.
3
Jul 28 2022
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Abraxas
Santana
This album is a beautiful melting pot of musical influences, merging together the rhythms and dance inducing energy of latin music, with the expressiveness guitar of classic rock, the cleverness and organic flow of jazz, and the fuzzy blur of psychedelic. Beyond the classics that this album has become known for, 'Incident at Neshabur' and 'Mother's Daughter' are perfect examples of how all of these genres come together into perfect harmony together.
4
Jul 29 2022
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Immigrés
Youssou N'Dour
There are far too few non-western artists on this list, so I was already feeling good about this album, just to see it here. But this is absolutely not just a token of diversity meant to appease. Rather, this is a testament to the universal language of music, which I hope will open the eyes and ears of listeners touring this list.
I personally enjoyed the vibrant vocals and horns, the hypnotic drum chorus, and the iterative verse-over-verse permutations of the opening track 'Immigres/Bitim Rew' and the closing track 'Badou'. The central two tracks are much more mellow, but similarly rich in their musical texture.
This is a wonderful introduction to the music of Senegal and I look forward to exploring the artists and albums of that country and region further; with or without this list's recommendations.
3
Aug 01 2022
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No Other
Gene Clark
I don't think it should have been completely panned when it came out in the 70s, but I can't really see how the whole album is hailed as a lost masterpiece either. The title track 'No Other' is definitely great, and the album on the whole has the hallmarks of a well-executed labor of love. Overall, I got tired with the album by the track 'From a Silver Phial' and found my attention span trailing off over the remaining 3 tracks.
2
Aug 02 2022
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Music For The Jilted Generation
The Prodigy
Any album that can get tens of thousands of Pacific Northwestern Washingtonians to dance en masse with complete abandon, then there is something special happening.
While other countries and many major US cities were already rave crazed, the greater Puget Sound was still clueless about EDM. I remember hearing these guys for the first time on the radio station KNDD (aka \"107.7 the End\"), which was the mainstream \"alternative\" radio station, squeezed in between the otherwise endless sets of grunge rock. I was hooked. And so was the region.
Nearly overnight, clubs started appearing (all I could go to DV8 since I wasn't 21 yet) and more and more EDM shows started touring into town. Pretty soon, festivals and raves were popping up everywhere, house parties were blasting \"electronica\" and people could not stop dancing!
It was a really good time, and this album takes me right back to it.
3
Aug 03 2022
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Moving Pictures
Rush
It's really extraordinary how this trio managed to make such a huge sound for themselves with Moving Pictures. The ability and precisions that each of these artists brings to their performances is on another level of greatness, most notably on the tracks 'YYZ' and 'The Camera Eye'.
And yet the album still feels totally accessible and easy to connect with, which is quite the achievement for a prog-rock album.
4
Aug 04 2022
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Winter In America
Gil Scott-Heron
I was just about to give up when 'H2O Gate' came on and I realized I had heard this artist before and that I liked his other spoken word pieces (namely 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised'). His spoken tracks have popped up on the radio from time to time, but I never heard them attributed to an artist's name. I'm glad to now have a name and to be able to make the connection back to LCD Soundsystem's 'Losing My Edge' track.
But, back to 'H2O Gate'... I didn't really enjoy the majority of this album.
While the tracks did have a nice chill vibe and the keyboardist (I'm assuming Gil) has got some great chops, the flow and tonality and lyrical content all felt off. 'H2O Gate', on the other hand, felt perfect. It cleverly and deftly pulled me into focus and then set my mind sprinting to keep up. The message was urgent, eloquent, thought provoking and enduring. The pacing was exciting, and I am sure that I only scratched the surface of understanding all that was said.
I will need to revisit this album somewhere down the road and see if it lands differently with me then. For now though, outside of one brilliant track, I just couldn't connect with what was happening enough to enjoy it much.
2
Aug 05 2022
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World Clique
Deee-Lite
When I loaded up the 1001 page for the day, I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn't seeing things. It's Deee-Lite! This is an album that my family and I used to jam to together and it's always been a guilty pleasure of mine to go back to from time to time.
4
Aug 08 2022
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Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Do I really have to write another review on what I think about Neil Young's music?
1
Aug 09 2022
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Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
What started out as charming and novel, grated on my nerves by the end. Apparently, I can only handle so much piccolo, fiddle and slurred folk tales.
2
Aug 10 2022
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Timeless
Goldie
I have always enjoyed the jungle EDM subgenre. It's blend of drum-n-bass, trance and house plays right around the edges of something you can dance to and something you can chill to. Unfortunately, as time has gone on the monotony of the compositions have stood out more and more to the point where I think I'm almost over it.
While this album had similar moments (i.e. I definitely didn't need to hear the same dolphin chirps looped for 9 minutes on 'Sea of Tears'), it also did well to keep tracks varied enough to keep songs from feeling too stuck in a rut. I could see digging this album back out for workday focus, or for playing in the background.
3
Aug 11 2022
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Rio
Duran Duran
Ok, first off... The bassist, John Taylor, plays the hell out of every track on this album. I never realized how much funk he brings to the group. I think his performances on this album are a subtle, but significant factor in just how catchy Rio is. In fact, kudos to the John and Roger for putting together a great rhythm section, to counterbalance the otherwise light synth and guitar parts. The other person whose contribution can hardly be overstated is Simon Le Bon, who is singing his heart on every track.
I'd point to "Last Chance On The Stairway" as being the standout overall performance on the album, although there are admittedly much greater pop songs there. For my tastes though, I've got to cast my 'best track' vote for "The Chauffeur". It's got a peculiar allure that is unsettling enough to sound novel and really lingers in your memory.
But honestly, it's all great. Every last track on the album is good (at a minimum) and most are extraordinary. It's definitely an album that everyone should hear at least once.
4
Aug 12 2022
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Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
For some reason I've struggled to describe the album or what I think about it. It's excitingly novel in a lot of ways but also chaotic and seemingly unconcerned with its moderately shabby presentation.
What's clear is this is an album where the lyrics and the topics they cover are meant to take front stage. The album is lyrically sharp and poignant at points ('Some Mother's Son') and tongue-in-cheek at others ('Yes sir, No Sir', 'Platic Man'), which makes it hard to figure out how to take other tracks ('Drivin').
For their part, the arrangements are floating along merrily, but they feel so far in the background that it's hard to focus on them long enough (over the singers) to gather a clear impression. Tracks like 'Mindless Child of Motherhood' and 'The Man He Weeps Tonight', give some of the clearest pictures of the groups' cohesion and power.
It is a powerful and ironically complex and it's one that I'm definitely going to be coming back to again and again.
3
Aug 15 2022
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Technique
New Order
I just can't connect with it. I don't like the pace of the tracks, I don't enjoy the blend of synthesized and real instruments, and I don't like the claustrophobic effect of reverb on everything.
2
Aug 16 2022
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Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
This album is technically marvelous and musically vibrant. Any given track features only a handful of performers, and yet each sound like a group the scale of an orchestra was involved. I really appreciate that the instrumentals were left to stand on their own.
3
Aug 17 2022
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Vincebus Eruptum
Blue Cheer
I suspect this album is here mostly because of 'Summertime Blues', so I'm not so sure this was an album that I had to hear, as much as a song.
In general, I dig the distorted blues rock vibe with gravelly vocals. Unfortunately, it's really hard to get over the poor audio quality; it's like they just put a mic in the middle of their garage and hit the record button. As such, I can't really get into the album all that much.
2
Aug 18 2022
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For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
Nope.
1
Aug 19 2022
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Ramones
Ramones
Unlike the other punk bands of the mid-seventies, whose stripped-down aesthetic was born as a counter-expression to the self-indulgent trappings of prog-rock, the Ramones strike me as a group that just wanted to make the simplest and most straight forward musical expression they could. Whatever their motives, the album is beautifully concise in every way possible, and I think that gives it an appeal and an authenticity that has made it as influential as it has become. You can hear this album, feel this album when it's cranked, and then you can hop on your instrument of choice and start cranking out the same straight forward sounds. And if these four goofy looking dudes could make it happen, then so can you!
4
Aug 22 2022
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Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
There is an urgency, a conscience, a soulfulness, and a solemnity to this album that I find enthralling and encouraging.
Black Lives Matter!
... and the fact that there has to be a movement and a slogan and marches and lives lost to get people to understand that fact is absurd. And yet, despite the struggle and the forces at play against this foundational truth, there are those that find beautiful ways to make that phrase ring in the ears and minds of many. That hopefulness and creativity in the face of struggle, is an inspiration and a reminder to others that we can all be the good we want to see in the world.
4
Aug 23 2022
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If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
While I appreciate it for what it is, I don't much care for it myself, and by the time I get about 5 songs in, I'm itching to turn it off.
What I can appreciate is the format they popularized and cleared a space (however niche) for. To the extent that groups like the Decemberists have space for their rich storytelling, and bands like Titus Andronicus (on 'The Monitor' specifically) drunkenly slur over their roiling tunes, I can appreciate the place that the Pogues occupy on this list.
2
Aug 24 2022
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S&M
Metallica
I could only get about halfway into 'Master of Puppets' before I literally could not handle it anymore. My physical reaction to the cognitive dissonance was just too intense. I can see how this idea would've piqued music executive interests enough to back it, but the end result is as awkward as an arranged marriage. I really wish I had never heard this album.
1
Aug 25 2022
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Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
The very thing that makes this album compelling is also what makes this album one that I'll likely never put on heavy rotation. Its unapologetic intensity is both captivating and exhausting. The elements of hip-hop appeal to your rhythm and soul, while the precisely selected and timed lyrics charge your mind, and the industrial musical palette grind across all of the grains refusing to let your senses relax. That is, until the track 'Music And Politics', which is a jazzy and vibrant guitar jam paired with a self-effacing analysis spoken over the top. The album remains intense, but on a different level, for that one track. Then back to the program.
The album overall is as avant-garde as it is gritty and real. Comparisons to Gil Scott-Heron, Public Enemy, Arrested Development, and industrial aspects of groups Nine Inch Nails, Ministry and White Zombie are all apt, but also only represent pieces of the picture.
3
Aug 26 2022
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The Message
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
This is an especially wild album to listen through, with the hindsight of 40 years of hip-hop and rap progression in mind.
It goes without saying that this album was revolutionary for its role in popularizing a sound and bringing at least a couple different genres into the mainstream. What I find especially interesting is how refined this album is compared to so much of the hip-hop and rap music since.
I dig that many of the samples are supplemented with live instrumental accompaniments. When I see other hip-hop/rap performances on Tiny Desk, or I hear tracks produced by folks like Pharrel, I hear the influences of this album running through.
The performances are tight and playful. I can appreciate tracks that are hard to keep up with because the artist is performing at a blistering speed, but I have no patience for all of the slurring and mumbling that has become especially popular in genres like trap.
What really stands out is that the whole group, throughout the entire album refers to women as "ladies" and "girls" instead of derogatory terms. One of the members of the crew even has verses in 'It's Nasty' about how content he is in a monogamous relationship. I'm not trying to say that all music needs to be clean and pristine, but I do think there is a value to finding a better middle ground and I appreciate artists like Tribe Called Quest and Tobe Nwigwe that are deliberate about it.
The album maintains this standard even while telling the story of a darker and harder reality in tracks like 'It's a Shame', 'The Message' and 'Message II'.
3
Aug 29 2022
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Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is a powerful voice, both melodically and lyrically. This album vividly depicts a desperate slice of life with a passion and a clarity that you can't easily ignore or shake.
3
Aug 30 2022
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Your New Favourite Band
The Hives
How a band can sustain playing and performing full tilt like this, is beyond me. I call the genre coke punk because I always assumed they were working under the influence of one coke or the other.
The explosive energy of the group is heightened by the album's brilliant production, which makes the guitars sound like their being played with razor blades and that the drums are sitting in the room right next to me. The constant force of the songs makes the already pithy 12 songs in 28 minutes, breeze right by.
3
Aug 31 2022
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Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Note to self - add this band to my "venture capital presentation backtrax" playlist. While engaging at times, and definitely a sound that has been revisited by many bands since, it all just falls into the background until you barely realize you're listening to music at all.
2
Sep 01 2022
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Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
I'll stick with Radiohead, thanks.
1
Sep 02 2022
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Shalimar
Rahul Dev Burman
The title track, 'Title Music (Shalimar)', is great! When I heard that I was stoked for the album to come. From there, it was a pretty even split though. Tracks like 'Countess' Caper', 'Naag Devta', and 'Baby Let's Dance Together' kept the same vibe going, while the rest either made me want to rip my headphones off or just kind of bored me. Perhaps if most of the tracks didn't sound like a one-track dub off of an old television speaker, there would've been more to enjoy.
In any case, I'm really happy to see more international representation on the list and I'll definitely be adding 'Title Music' to my playlist.
3
Sep 15 2022
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Sunshine Superman
Donovan
This feels like an artist in transition, whose footing in both folk and psychedelia is somewhat unsure as they find their new place. I feel like 'Ferris Wheel' shows what a really good balance would sound like, which also carries with it aspects of what I enjoyed from Nick Drake's work. On the whole though, I wasn't all that into 'Sunshine Superman'.
2
Sep 16 2022
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Cut
The Slits
I can't help but think of Ludwig Wittgenstain's quote that "the limits of my language means the limits of my world", when I hear an album like this. It's an amazing thing, when something entirely new enters into the world, because before it there were just some unstructured inklings waiting to be connected. Then after it, there is a blueprint and a new path for anyone that wants to follow and build on it.
This album is elegantly simple and spectacularly raw. The fusion of reggae/dub and punk, with an Avant Garde and art-house affect is sublime. I'd point to 'Newtown', with its punchy guitars, high-hat and tom laden drums, matchbox and dropped silverware utility percussion, and the moaning and vibrato vocals, as a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
While it is uncomfortable for me to point out the importance of this also being an all-female band, because I wish we lived in a world where that wasn't something extraordinary at all, I am glad that these women were who they were, had the environments they had, and gave this music to the world. In turn, they gave the language for many in the world to move past the limits they didn't fully comprehend a way past yet.
4
Sep 19 2022
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Hunting High And Low
a-ha
OK, so you have to appreciate this album, because it contains 'Take on Me', which you either enjoy ironically or you loved because of the music video.
Beyond that, it's a boy and his synthesizer, and if that's all it is then I'd rather be listening to Wesley Willis.
2
Sep 20 2022
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Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
A vibrant and at times jubilant sounding album, with subject matter that is almost entirely anything but. The production and the energy of the album lives right on the outer edge of the uncanny valley of pop, that draws you in with its quirk and curiosity.
3
Sep 21 2022
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Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
If I had this on vinyl and I listened to it with a cigarette and a bottle of wine, I'm sure I would be giving this at least one additional star.
Sober as I am, it felt like I was listening to French diction instruction on cassette, which is unfortunate as I think something more balanced would be far more enjoyable to listen to.
2
Sep 22 2022
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The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
It's a tough call, but if I were forced to decide, I think this is the pinnacle of Kraftwerk's discography. Despite the digital precision of their instruments, the sounds across these tracks flow smoothly, like a masterfully hewn marble sculpture.
And with that work done, the groundwork was laid for numerous groups and genres to come. Groups like Daft Punk and The Orb and genres like ambient, house, and synthwave built upon that ground bringing EDM on the whole solidly into the mainstream. Now the use of computers are ubiquitous in all aspects of making music, so much so that working without them is the exception as opposed to the norm. In that sense, groups like Kraftwerk were pioneering multiple levels and their influence can hardly be overstated.
5
Sep 23 2022
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Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
Exploring, pushing, and in some places blasting past the established boundaries and assumptions of hip-hop at that time. How this guy and his collaborators were able to capture the sound of 20 years of hip-hop music to come, is really amazing.
3
Sep 26 2022
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Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
A couple of radio hits and a bunch of super slow synth rock. Meh.
2
Sep 27 2022
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Solid Air
John Martyn
3
Sep 28 2022
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Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
As an album on its own, it's not all that bad but I can't say I enjoyed it all that much. I do think there are a couple tracks like 'You Got A Reputation' and 'Pretty Polly' that sit in the middle of where the band was and where they were aiming to go, which I found a lot more interesting than the majority of the album.
I get the impression that the album is less on the list for how individually great it is and more for the fact that it was a complete revamp of a widely popular band's sound/genre. There are other examples of bands doing this (Ministry's early albums, Garth Brooks' grunge album under the name Chris Gaines, Eddie Vedders ukulele album to a lesser extent). I can't recall a band that has navigated this transition well and certainly not in the span of a single album. If there was a group that did that, I could see why that transitional album would be here.
2
Sep 29 2022
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Club Classics Vol. One
Soul II Soul
A grand fusion of house/dance beats, hip-hop breaks, and jazz/R&B instrumentation, all with an undertone and influence of African roots. When it all comes together, as in the hit songs like 'Keep On Movin'' and 'Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)' as well as lesser-known songs like 'Happiness Dub' and 'Jazzie's Groove - Piano Version', it really hits.
3
Sep 30 2022
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Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
3
Oct 03 2022
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Raw Power
The Stooges
I guess I'm not into the Stooges. What I really can't understand is why this group would be on this list more than once, given all of their work pretty much sounds the same.
2
Oct 04 2022
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Eliminator
ZZ Top
3
Oct 05 2022
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Damaged
Black Flag
Acerbic, visceral, seemingly chaotic and yet very intentional. If you aren't listening close, you may not catch that nearly the entire album is a tongue-in-cheek cautionary plea to not waste your life away.
3
Oct 06 2022
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Before And After Science
Brian Eno
Perhaps it was influential, or perhaps it was derivative. I don't really have the desire to figure out which. What I can say is that the album, while not particularly bad in any way, doesn't really interest me all that much. The production is impressive throughout, and I definitely catch glimpses and connections to musical themes that I enjoy, in songs like 'King's Lead Hat', 'Here He Comes', and 'By This River'. Not sure I'll be coming back to this one though.
2
Oct 07 2022
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Truth
Jeff Beck
Blues infused rock with the distortion amped up and a vocalist that sounds like Rob Stewart. What's not to like? It's funny to think how novel this was when it was released, because nowadays it's almost forgettable. I'd say 'Beck's Bolero' is probably my favorite of the bunch, mainly because I'm a sucker for instru-metal.
3
Oct 18 2022
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Songs From The Big Chair
Tears For Fears
The opening track 'Shout' sets the ethos of album perfectly. The musical space created across 'Songs From the Big Chair' is voluminous and enveloping, thanks to ambient keyboard pads and reverb-a-plenty. The result is a sense that each song feels like there is enough space in it to shout your lungs out and still barely be heard. And from within that space, the group laments, longs, reflects, and rejoices. The track 'Working Hour' shows how enchanting the effect can be.
It really is a beautifully enduring album, in addition to being a powerhouse hit of its time.
3
Oct 19 2022
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It's Blitz!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The first time I heard the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, I thought it was a new PJ Harvey album. The amalgamation of synth/electronic, punk, with a touch of eccentricity, is perfectly topped with Karen O's haunting vocal character.
3
Oct 20 2022
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The Wall
Pink Floyd
The progressive rock opera magnus opum! I'm not a raging fan of everything that Floyd does, but it's hard to not be in awe of something this grand and ambitious coming together so perfectly.
If, like me, you are one of the few people in the world who have never heard this album all the way through, consider giving it two listens. Start with a full playthrough without reading the Wikipedia page. What was the story about? Then go read the Wikipedia page (specifically the plot) and then listen to the album again. How did that effect what you heard?
5
Oct 21 2022
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Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
Rapcore has its place on this list, but this is not the banner carrier that I would have picked. The Judgement Night soundtrack was the groundbreaker for me. Otherwise, you could point to some Run DMC, Beastie Boys, or Linkin Park. Even Limp Bizkit's prior album ('Significant Other') would've been more logical in my opinion.
Now, with that out of my system...
This is a better album that I had always assumed it was. I was completely exhausted by the celebrity drama surrounding Fred Durst at the time this album came out. Once I heard the infantile album title, I wrote the whole shebang off.
The band is true to what brought them into success.
Fluid energy that ebbs from chill to explosive and swaggered lyrical delivery. The tracks that show this off well (with minimal lime-light grabbing tough guy posturing from Fred) are 'The One', 'Take A Look Around', and 'Boiler'.
The absolute highlights of the album 'Rollin' (Urban Assault Vehicle)' and 'Outro' are buried way at the end. Granted the first sounds more like a DMX track than a Limp track, and the latter is made by Ben Stiller, so maybe neither should count.
2
Oct 24 2022
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The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
Genius obscured and nearly completely undermined by scandal and controversy. Eminem's ability to craft rhymes and flows within, across and all over bars is mind-boggling. But it's hard to hear it (or show it off to people) when so much of the lyrical content is explosively offensive.
4
Oct 25 2022
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Talking Book
Stevie Wonder
"Here is my music. It is all I have to tell you how I feel. Know that your love keeps my love strong."
I find it hard to believe that it took 15 studio albums for Motown Records to start giving Stevie leeway enough to make an album like this. Granted I know nothing of what that process was like, but I get the impression that these songs were just dying to come out. Fortunately for all of us Stevie Wonder was patient enough, and still full of love enough, to create this and so much more to come.
'You Are The Sunshine Of My Life' is a beautiful track and 'Superstition' (and most of it's subsequent covers) is one of the greatest tracks of all time, but the real highlight for me is 'I Believe'!
3
Oct 26 2022
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Wild Gift
X
A delightfully polymorphic punk album that leans more towards the cerebral/art-house vibe.
3
Oct 27 2022
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Doolittle
Pixies
Why are there three Pixies albums on this list? Honestly, all you need is this one and folks get the point.
The Pixies are the consummate artist's artist for the whole grunge era of musicians and this album was the inspirational darling of the bunch. It also represents their greatest commercial success. So, you've got to give them credit for that.
3
Oct 28 2022
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Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen
I find it funny that the album is lauded as an everyman down-to-earth rock'n'roll performance, when it's loaded so full of grandeur and production. It's like countrypolitan, but for rock.
Anyhow, my pretentious opinions of genres and musical taxonomy aside, this is a powerful album. The band's performances are impeccable and the whole group is operating seamlessly. It's great to hear each person playing off of the other, adding to the energy and flow. Nearly every track has a building swell, especially the central trio of 'Backstreets', into 'Born to Run' into 'She's the One', where it seems the band is about to boil over into musical explosions. And somehow, the recording equipment just barely takes it all in and keeps it together.
In the end, Bruce's contributions tie it all together. His lyrics are specific enough to fell real, while open enough for almost anyone to find their place in them. His voice and delivery imbue each track with a genuine depth and range of emotion. You can tell his heart is in everything and that comes through in the durable goodness of this album.
3
Oct 31 2022
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Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Still not really my cup of tea.
2
Nov 01 2022
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Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
Just a bunch of clean-cut looking kids exploring the limits of their combined energy and influences. If their generous use of exclamation marks is any indication, they came to rock.
3
Nov 02 2022
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Country Life
Roxy Music
Still, nope. It's as if Dracula wanted to try his hand at a rock'n'roll album.
1
Nov 03 2022
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Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts
The Adverts
All of the late 70's brit-punk hallmarks are there, but it's the blend chaos-to-polish-ratio and their more expansive lyrical focus, that sets the Adverts apart. It's like that noteworthy, albeit significantly lesser known, ancestor that gets a sentence or two in the genealogy.
2
Nov 04 2022
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The Last Of The True Believers
Nanci Griffith
A smooth county folk vibe that has echos of future acts like The Chicks. The stories are sweet, and the harmonies are warm.
2
Nov 07 2022
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Pink Moon
Nick Drake
In hindsight, I should have rated 'Five Leaves Left' as 4 stars, because 'Pink Moon' is the real 5-star performance in my opinion. The album has an air of intimacy akin to Nelson's 'Red Headed Stranger'. Hearing the strings rattle, fingers sliding on the strings, the slight imperfections of the chords and the inhales between the phrases, all combine to create a musical atmosphere that is warm and enveloping.
The songs themselves are fascinatingly engaging given it's mainly just a man and his guitar. I'm re-listening to 'Harvest Breed' right now and it's a perfect example of what I'm talking about.
Overall, the album is a true gem and it set the standard for acts like Jose Gonzalez, Iron and Wine and many other 'an artist and their guitar' groups that came to follow.
5
Nov 08 2022
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Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
A classic sophomore over extension. The music is still moving and beautiful, but the increased production value of the whole thing really detracts from the essential nature of Nick Drake's brilliance. You just don't need things like a backing strings section, horns and backup vocalists to punch up the tracks. Without much surprise, the noteworthy tracks (i.e. 'One Of These Things First' and 'Northern Sky') from this album are constructed much more closely to tracks from 'Five Leaves Left'.
3
Nov 09 2022
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Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
And this was when it all came together again, at least in a commercial sense, but I'd suggest that went hand-in-hand with the group's realization of what it aimed to be in the world.
'License to Ill' was the raucous debut that put the boys on the map. Then they did some existential roaming and soul searching through the wildernesses of 'Check Your Head' and 'Paul's Boutique'. What they found out there was a significantly evolved sense of self and identity and that came through in a way that nearly everyone could connect with.
Sure, they still had the rough edges ('Tough Guy', 'Sabotage'), and moderately childish demeanor ('Heart Attack Man') that people first knew them by, but their expanded influences ('Sabrosa', 'Flute Loop', 'Bodhisattva Vow', really almost the rest of the album) and their resulting applications and translations proved that they had come into something well beyond where they started.
That growth, that change, that evolution is exactly the kind of metamorphosis that I think merits a band having multiple albums on this list.
5
Nov 10 2022
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Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
It is wild to think about just how far out into the future it would be before an album like this was taken for granted in the musical mainstream. Kudos to Jean-Michel for setting those wheels into motion!
3
Nov 11 2022
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In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
A chill soundscape that apparently pioneered the genre of Jazz fusion. Not much music or material there to really hang your "this is genius" hat on, in my opinion, but I can appreciate that this represents a milestone in modern jazz.
3
Nov 14 2022
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Grace
Jeff Buckley
The albums complete lack of pretense is disarming and enchanting. The songs are seemingly plain but there is a richness that steadily reveals itself in the re-listening.
'Mojo Pin' alone shows it all. The song flows and sprawls and climbs and falls, showing how perfectly harmonious the band and the performances are. Of course, there is also the album's pinnacle that is 'Hallelujah', which plays out as a lovers' embrace between Buckley's voice and his guitar.
It is beautiful and fleeting vision of what could have been, being Jeff's one and only.
4
Nov 15 2022
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Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Dead Kennedys
So, that's the thing about shock rock. It's trying to satirically shake people loose from their complacency long enough to get them thinking. Problem is the other, more likely, reaction is for a knee jerk reaction because they think it's literal. Offended and now further entrenched, they remain complacent and bolsters in smug judgement.
But yeah, this is punk through and through!
3
Nov 16 2022
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Diamond Life
Sade
How am I supposed to go from Dead Kennedys to this, huh 1001 albums!?
Sade is good, but this is the wrong album. 'Love Deluxe' better be on the list, if anything from Sade is. All the pieces are there, but it's a bit one-note out of the gate.
2
Nov 17 2022
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Walking Wounded
Everything But The Girl
I could've sworn I stopped the Sade album. *checks Spotify* Oh, it's not Sade. I think I'd rather this one be 'Becoming X' by Sneaker Pimps. It scratches the same itch, which I don't need scratched that often, without sounding as derivative.
1
Nov 18 2022
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Opus Dei
Laibach
This is a joke, right? It sounds like a homemade backtrack, in the style of the Princess Bride soundtrack, for a recruitment VHS for the secret society of neckbearded katana enthusiasts. It evokes mental images of quick cuts between scenes of swords slicing halfway through 2-liter bottles of mountain dew, and dudes with fedoras bowing.
Honestly, the music itself doesn't have much to offer and I can't really think of what impact this band had on the history of music that would merit suggesting this is something that anyone has to hear in their lifetime. If anything, I'd suggest it's quite the opposite.
1
Nov 21 2022
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Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
"The album was voted 18th of Scotland’s 100 Best Rock and Pop Albums in 2003"
My heart breaks for Scotland.
1
Nov 22 2022
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The Joshua Tree
U2
A marvel of musical production that perfectly captures the spirit of both the performances and the underlying emotions and spirit of a group. The impact of this album on the band's trajectory, and that of pop music, really can't be overstated.
4
Nov 23 2022
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The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
I think the person on the cover of the album laying on their back, staring despondently to some far-off place, mouth ajar seemingly sighing does well to capture how I felt when I first saw 'The Smiths' was on deck.
Pleasantly though was my surprise, as the album was much more energetic and enjoyable than I had vaguely recalled. Songs like 'Frankly, Mr. Shankly', 'Vicar in a Tutu' and 'Bigmouth Strikes Again' land as nearly bubbly, especially with the vivid lyrical storytelling. Yes, there are some ballad-esque tracks that are more akin to what I was dreading, but they provide a diverse texture to the album, when the album is taken on the whole.
3
Nov 24 2022
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Public Image: First Issue
Public Image Ltd.
The songs on this album are like miniature templates for countless albums made thereafter.
Most of the group is on a great vibe and it's a shame (to me anyhow) that Johnny couldn't resist the urge to stand out from it all. 'Annalisa' and 'Public Image' are the two tracks where it sounds like everyone is working together in the same direction, and they show just how good it can be.
2
Nov 25 2022
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Oracular Spectacular
MGMT
There was a time where it felt like I couldn't turn on the radio without a track from this album coming on. 'Time to Pretend', 'Electric Feel', 'Kids', over and over. It makes it kind of hard to listen to the album objectively now.
What I like about this album, and others from that era like the self-titled debut from 'Vampire Weekend' and M.I.A.'s works around that time. It felt like popular music was becoming more expressive, freer from imposed conventions, and drawing from a fuller spectrum of influences, sounds, instruments, techniques and all of that it. I don't know that I can really pin any of that on this album, though.
Considering this album on its own, it feels more like two mini-albums. The cohesion and compellingly novel sound of the former, far greater (on both counts) than the latter. Going back to where I started though, I've heard the interesting parts of this album ad nauseum at this point, and the novelty has worn off. There are numerous albums that can stand that test and make it to infinite replay-ability. Not this one; not for me at least.
2
Nov 28 2022
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Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
A lovely meander through the creative pathways of some talented musical minds. Each song unfolds dynamically, themes flowing one into the other, at once both cohesive and distinct.
For me, it was like each song was a short story depicting the sights, sounds and energy of a person in movement through one setting or another. A couple of songs that evoked this sort of imagery most vividly for me were 'The Big Apple' and 'Maesha'. The latter of those two, being my personal favorite of the album.
4
Nov 29 2022
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It's A Shame About Ray
The Lemonheads
I do not care for this. I understand the appeal of it. I just don't find it all that engaging, novel, or profound. Really not sure why it's here, beyond the Mrs. Robinson single, which wasn't even part of the album originally.
2
Nov 30 2022
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Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
I loved this era in rock, when groups like The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Jet, Wolfmother, and the Arctic Monkeys were aggressively blasting fuzzed-out, syncopated songs that you could barely resist the urge to get up and dance to. I mean, how many rock songs have you heard that are as danceable as 'Take Me Out' or 'This Fire'!?
3
Dec 01 2022
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O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
I almost entirely forgot that Ice-T was a "hardcore gangsta" rap artist, before becoming a type-casted investigator in every single crime drama television show on TV made in the last decade.
Honestly, this isn't all that special. The lyrics are largely sophomoric posturing (i.e. 'Ziploc'). The rhymes are mostly pretty obvious ends, slants, and identical. The verse timing is mostly repetitive and don't do much to play off of or enhance the tracks, with the notable exception of 'Lifestyles of the Rick and Infamous'. Some of the tracks are fun (i.e. 'Bitches 2'), with a ton of samples and layers, but in general they don't stand out from the crowd all that much.
It's unfortunate because Ice-T seems like a pretty thoughtful guy who would have something important to say. There are glimpses of that in 9 tracks after 'M.V.P.s', for sure.
Anyhow, if you want high quality early 90's rap, there is plenty of it. Let's put Jurassic 5's 'Quality Control' in here, instead!
2
Dec 02 2022
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1977
Ash
Pretty much one in a sea of a thousand bands that sounded just like this in the 90's. If it had been made in 1977, that at least would be noteworthy. I really don't understand how this album represents anything that I haven't heard already.
2
Dec 05 2022
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Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
5
Dec 06 2022
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The Idiot
Iggy Pop
2
Dec 07 2022
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Ray Of Light
Madonna
1
Dec 08 2022
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Tical
Method Man
3
Dec 14 2022
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The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
2
Dec 15 2022
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The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks
The album depicts a slice of life perspective on England, at times in a reminiscent rear-view (i.e. 'Picture Book', 'Village Green') and other times in the first-person (i.e. 'Big Sky', 'Sitting By the Riverside'). It felt like a follow-up album to David Bowie's debut self-titled album, in a way.
Be that as it may, the album is singularly true to its vision which I found intriguing when listened to from start to finish. It was like each song transported me into different consciousnesses, each sharing a moment in time and vibin on a similar sentiment of thought, and yet each being entirely its own. I had a personal connection to the song 'Village Green' in particular, based on my own visit to one such green, in township outside of Lytham St Annes once.
So, yeah. Once I took my mind out of musical consumer mode, and kicked it into art reflection mode, my perception of the album changed. Perhaps the timeline of the album's popularity tells a similar story. In any case, credit where credit is due.
3
Dec 16 2022
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Rings Around The World
Super Furry Animals
With elements of Blur, The Flaming Lips, Radiohead, and even a bit of Fleet Foxes tossed in, this savory stew of alt-brit-pop hit all the right notes for this frozen winter day. Wild, I’ve never heard of this group!
3
Dec 19 2022
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Murmur
R.E.M.
I want to like it, really I do, but there just isn’t something there I connect with. By the time ‘Sitting Still’ came on, I found myself ready for the album to end.
2
Dec 20 2022
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Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
5
Dec 21 2022
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Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba
3
Dec 22 2022
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Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
3
Dec 26 2022
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Kenya
Machito
4
Dec 27 2022
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Jazz Samba
Stan Getz
3
Dec 28 2022
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Your Arsenal
Morrissey
3
Dec 29 2022
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Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
4
Dec 30 2022
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São Paulo Confessions
Suba
1
Jan 03 2023
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Remain In Light
Talking Heads
4
Jan 04 2023
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Dance Mania
Tito Puente
4
Jan 05 2023
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Infected
The The
It's lauded as a grand work of someone with a vision for what they wanted to achieve with their art. It doesn't really resonate with me. I'm sure this is right up someone's alley, but I'll pass. The stories around his music videos sound hilariously terrifying though.
2
Jan 06 2023
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Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
The album's production value is intimate, simple, and unpolished which compliments the artist-and-their-guitar format well. The tender musical delivery belies how serious the lyrics are. While the album fits in somewhere on the folk spectrum between Nick Drake and Dylan's earlier work, it doesn't really rise to the greatness of either of those comparisons in my armchair music critic mind.
2
Jan 09 2023
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Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
It's magical when someone is able to create something novel. We all have access to the same raw materials, techniques, and tools after all. But somehow, sometimes, someone is able to combine them in a way that creates something so entirely new that it changes how people approach their own creative process from that point forward.
I'm not going to claim I'm a huge Tom Waits fan after listening to this album. I still struggle to relate to the allure. But I do think this album delivers as novel of a musical vision as any of the greats. The whole album evokes imagery of a gritty world filled with hard lived lives, viewed through the blurred lenses of hungover eyes.
3
Jan 10 2023
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Live Through This
Hole
The bookend tracks of 'Violet' and 'Rock Star' show the immense capacity that Hole had to absolutely rock! The album is powerful, dynamic, and genuine. That combination made it a standout from the crowded 90's grunge era and I'd go so far as to say that it was a better album than Nirvana's 'In Utero'.
4
Jan 11 2023
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Hypnotised
The Undertones
2
Jan 12 2023
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Rising Above Bedlam
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
This is bizarre.
2
Jan 13 2023
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Clandestino
Manu Chao
3
Jan 16 2023
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Paranoid
Black Sabbath
I honestly can't think of a metal album that can top Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid'. It is perfection from start to finish.
The intro of 'War Pigs' sets the stage. The distortion growls ominously as feedback lurks on the edges, threatening to collapse in at any moment. The bassline dances into the song, muffled but solid, and sort of bounces and lurches around as the guitars snarl on. Then the feedback fuses into growing sirens, all three parts now building to a crescendo. And with two synchronized strums, it all crashes to a silent stop.
And that is how the entire album continues. The songs are crafted and molded and shaped into movements that tell a story on multiple levels. Everything working in unison and in harmony, even if the parts are distorted (always) and dissonant (at times).
This album honestly changed my understanding of what music was capable of and I completely agree that it is an album that everyone should here at least once in their life!
5
Jan 17 2023
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KIWANUKA
Michael Kiwanuka
4
Jan 18 2023
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Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
It's an impressive debut, and it's ok, but if you really want to give due credit to Brit-Hop let's talk about Kae Tempest or The Streets.
3
Jan 19 2023
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(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
The only hotter than this album's critical reception at the time, would be the intensity of this band's flash in the pan.
3
Jan 20 2023
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Ingenue
k.d. lang
k.d. has a lovely voice, for whatever my opinion on that is worth. If I had to listen to a bunch of slow songs back-to-back (as I just did), I think I'd prefer they follow the stripped-down simplicity of 'Wash Me Clean'. There are so many non-essential parts and finishes on the other tracks!
2
Jan 23 2023
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Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
5
Jan 24 2023
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Blackstar
David Bowie
3
Jan 25 2023
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Bubble And Scrape
Sebadoh
2
Jan 26 2023
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Copper Blue
Sugar
Points for an artist that reinvents themself, but I can't get over how every song is laid out in the first 15-30 seconds, and then it's just a loop thereafter. The album made for fine alt-pop airtime filler when radio stations were clamoring to fill their dockets with "grunge", but I don't think this one really stood the test of time as being something I had to hear.
2
Jan 27 2023
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My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Brian Eno
I mean, if you're going to do a musical thought experiment, I can't think of too many artists that would be better to do with than David Byrne.
3
Jan 30 2023
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xx
The xx
3
Jan 31 2023
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461 Ocean Boulevard
Eric Clapton
3
Feb 01 2023
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Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
There is something to be said for a band revered amongst the Seattle grunge scene, opting to stick with 8-track mixes and holding firm to their sub pop label. In an amongst the grunge power-chord tropes like 'Shoot The Moon', there are tracks like 'Something So Clear', 'Thorn', and 'Fuzz Gun '91' that show this group had a lot more to say and do. Kudos to them for going after that vision and kudos to this list for recognizing the value of it.
4
Feb 02 2023
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Siembra
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4
Feb 03 2023
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The United States Of America
The United States Of America
3
Feb 06 2023
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At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
4
Feb 07 2023
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Dear Science
TV On The Radio
3
Feb 09 2023
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Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
I keep wanting to get into the music, but the lyrics and the vocalist break the immersion each time. The prose lands as sophomoric and the lead singer's performance comes off as over the top. It's not a horrible album, I just can't see what makes it all that great.
2
Feb 10 2023
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Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
4
Feb 13 2023
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The Predator
Ice Cube
I never really appreciated how strong of a narrative Ice Cube's tracks provide. They may not be stories you are interested in hearing, but they are well composed and executed. The standout example here being 'It Was A Good Day' but you see it throughout with tracks like 'When Will They Shoot?', the title track 'The Predator' and 'Who Got The Camera?'
Underpinning these stories are beautifully crafted tracks blending jazz, funk, soul, and sound bites ranging from playful responses to Cube's lyrics to monologues that support the message of the rap itself. This is one of the clearest examples of a DJ/producer that is working in perfect harmony with the rapper, to create an album that is truly a synergy of the two's contributions.
It is unfortunate that many people can't get past the dichotomy of a social justice-oriented artist that is also vulgar and openly bellicose. I appreciate that tracks like 'Fuck 'Em (Insert)' are included to attempt to bridge that divide.
4
Feb 14 2023
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Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
3
Feb 15 2023
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Elephant
The White Stripes
In the same way that I am enthralled by the intricacy of a great prog-rock album, I absolutely love stripped down this album is.
4
Feb 16 2023
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Face to Face
The Kinks
2
Feb 17 2023
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The Only Ones
The Only Ones
3
Feb 20 2023
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Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
There are some club/radio hits with catchy hooks (i.e. 'In Da Club' and 'P.I.M.P') so credit where credit is due. And where that credit is due is with the people/teams that made the backing tracks and the hooks. If that was Fifty, then kudos to him! If not, then, again, credit where credit is due.
As an album, I don't see why this is something that people should put on a pedestal. The subject matter is repetitive and paints an exaggerated caricature of a lifestyle, that really isn't appropriate to romanticize. The rhymes and rhyming techniques are basic; made all the plainer by Eminem's collaboration on 'Patiently Waiting', where he completely runs circles around Fifty's contrastingly lethargic contribution. By the 7th track I just got bored and it felt like a task to push through anymore.
Let's trade this one out for MF Doom's 'Madvillainy'. People need to hear that!
2
Feb 21 2023
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The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
Five British kids showing R&B some respect and ushering in multiple pop music movements in general. Whodathunkit!? I wish I didn't have to overlook Phil Spector's involvement to appreciate it.
3
Feb 22 2023
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The Seldom Seen Kid
Elbow
I went from sighing, "oh no, not another brit pop band" in my head to bopping my head along with 'the Bones of You'. Once the deep baseline dropped in and the vocals climbed, I was hooked and disappointed in myself for having judged 'The Seldom Seen Kid' by its cover. I enjoyed every single track. The sound across the album is spatial and rich, and yet the arrangements and production are intimate. By the time I got to 'One Day Like This' my enjoyment had escalated all the way to frisson, and I was already eager to explore the rest of their musical catalog.
If all my waxing on doesn't help, if you're interested in a blend of original-Coldplay-meets-Radiohead, then this one will be worth the while.
4
Feb 23 2023
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Revolver
Beatles
I never really thought about the impact it would have had to make an album that was never intended to be performed live. Removing that constraint from the creative process must've unlocked creativity in all directions, leading to Revolver being as innovative and intricate as it is. This is an absolute work of art from start to finish.
5
Feb 24 2023
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Ananda Shankar
Ananda Shankar
3
Feb 27 2023
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Superunknown
Soundgarden
4
Feb 28 2023
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If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
Highly produced folk for the masses, showing the musicality of the movement without all of that thought provoking lyrical burden. Listen to Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, and Woody Guthrie if you really want to hear the folk music you need to hear before you die.
2
Mar 01 2023
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Haunted Dancehall
The Sabres Of Paradise
2
Mar 02 2023
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I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson
2
Mar 03 2023
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Roots
Sepultura
A relatively enjoyable nu metal album, notable for the Brazilian band's exploration of and inspiration from their native peoples. If nu metal made the list, I sure hope we see the Deftones on here!
3
Mar 06 2023
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Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
Outside of the drum and bass tracks switching channels from song to song, I can hardly tell one track from the next. I got so bored with the album that by 'The Bells of Rhymney' I was yawning, and my eyelids were getting heavy. The only think that prevented me from fading off into sleep, was how annoyingly imbalanced the levels were on the guitar tracks. It was like I was stuck between two street performers that were competing for my donation by trying to drown each other out.
Then 'I Knew I'd Want You' started, and I heard the keys and thought things could get interesting. But, my hopes were dashed by about 20s in. From there I started scanning the remaining tracks and I didn't find anything to merit digging in much further. I really don't want to hear this album again.
1
Mar 07 2023
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Cloud Nine
The Temptations
2
Mar 08 2023
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White Ladder
David Gray
Oh wow. There was a time that this album was on regular rotation in my MP3 library. I think that hard drive failed, or something, and the collection was lost. In that instant it's as if this album completely disappeared from the face of the earth. That is until 1001 brought it back into existence.
3
Mar 09 2023
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Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin
4
Mar 10 2023
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Figure 8
Elliott Smith
2
Mar 13 2023
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Exit Planet Dust
The Chemical Brothers
I can't say that my feelings have changed much from week 2, when 'Dig your Own Hole' came up. Honorable mention for 'One Too Many Mornings' dub/ambient vibe that manages to at least mask the repetition in an airy and moody soundscape that feels like floating on a musical cloud. Dishonorable mentions for the tracks 'Alive Alone' and 'Life Is Sweet', which both manage to combine a series of disinteresting loops and rubbish vocals to make something that is synergistically bad.
1
Mar 14 2023
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Band On The Run
Paul McCartney and Wings
3
Mar 15 2023
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Shaft
Isaac Hayes
4
Mar 16 2023
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Treasure
Cocteau Twins
2
Mar 17 2023
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Killing Joke
Killing Joke
3
Mar 20 2023
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Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
A passionate and energetic performance, with the comfortable feel of a hometown show, sing alongs and all.
3
Mar 21 2023
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Dare!
The Human League
3
Mar 22 2023
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Come Find Yourself
Fun Lovin' Criminals
A bit of funk/R&B, a dash of hip-hop, and a dose of machismo in places. It's a musical cocktail that promises to intoxicate but falls a bit flat after the first few sips. Highlights for me were the slower jams, that had the whole band working out a funk vibe together while the lyrics just sort of slid across the track. Tracks like 'The Grave And The Constant', 'Smoke 'Em', 'Come Find Yourself' and 'Methadonia'.
I'm on the balance of 2 and 3 starts, but I'll err on the side of 3 since I wouldn't be opposed to hearing the album again. If I was looking for something along the lines of this vibe, I'd probably look for Citizen Cope or Everlast's Whitey Ford material.
3
Mar 23 2023
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Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches
Happy Mondays
Well, they got the bellyaches part right.
2
Mar 24 2023
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The Real Thing
Faith No More
5
Mar 27 2023
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Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
3
Mar 28 2023
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Cross
Justice
3
Mar 29 2023
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With The Beatles
Beatles
3
Mar 30 2023
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I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail
Buck Owens
A couple of nifty honky-tonk ditties, which gives way to the sense that it's all really just one song performed in a few different ways.
2
Mar 31 2023
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Are You Experienced
Jimi Hendrix
5
Apr 06 2023
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Crime Of The Century
Supertramp
3
Apr 07 2023
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Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
4
Apr 10 2023
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Exile On Main Street
The Rolling Stones
3
Apr 11 2023
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Wild Is The Wind
Nina Simone
5
Apr 12 2023
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The Scream
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3
Apr 13 2023
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Fifth Dimension
The Byrds
2
Apr 14 2023
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In It For The Money
Supergrass
3
Apr 17 2023
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Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
2
Apr 18 2023
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Fun House
The Stooges
2
Apr 19 2023
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The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
3
Apr 20 2023
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Dub Housing
Pere Ubu
ummm, Whatnow?
2
Apr 21 2023
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The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
3
Apr 24 2023
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All Things Must Pass
George Harrison
For some reason, I've never allowed myself to explore the solo catalogs of the Beatles. I'm glad that this has prompted me to break from that pointless self-imposed rule.
3
Apr 25 2023
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Liquid Swords
GZA
4
Apr 26 2023
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People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
4
Apr 27 2023
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Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
2
Apr 28 2023
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A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
3
May 01 2023
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Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
3
May 02 2023
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Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
5
May 03 2023
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The Undertones
The Undertones
3
May 04 2023
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Second Toughest In The Infants
Underworld
3
May 05 2023
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Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
Whoa, wait! Made in 1974!? It is still an uncomfortably relevant musical homage to an US subculture that people are either way too proud of, or much too critical of. Both views are merited and yet both are equally flawed. I definitely didn't see this coming.
PS: Man, that first track is hard to listen to.
3
May 08 2023
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It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
In a time where disenfranchised black kids were turning to gangs for a sense of pride, identity and camaraderie, albums like 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back\" provided an alternative sense of belonging to a nation. The group's image was relatable from the perspective of gang culture, but the message and methods being advocated were far more constructive, empowering and positive. The icing on the cake? It also made a bunch of tight-assed old white people uneasy.
This album is remarkable on its own for its hip-hop and rap caliber. The fact that it takes aim (and succeeds) at making a positive difference in the world, puts it over the top in my book.
4
May 09 2023
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Who's Next
The Who
3
May 10 2023
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There's No Place Like America Today
Curtis Mayfield
3
May 11 2023
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Fuzzy
Grant Lee Buffalo
According to the WIKIpedia article, 'R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe praised Fuzzy as "the best album of the year hands down".' It would appear Michael Stipe and I have wildly differed musical tastes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_in_music -- Decide for yourself.
2
May 12 2023
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Guero
Beck
3
May 15 2023
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Dust
Screaming Trees
3
May 16 2023
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Let's Stay Together
Al Green
3
May 17 2023
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Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
First listening fell short for me, to be honest. The album sounded two-dimensional, which is super odd given the arrangements seemed pretty elaborate, and the lyrics landed as either rambling or senselessly disjointed (I'm looking at you 'Thorn of Crowns').
And yet, while I listened to the album, I couldn't hear it and not think of Frightened Rabbit; I had to give it another chance.
Yeah, nope. Still not into it. At least I'm listening to 'The Midnight Organ Fight' now, so I've got that going for me.
2
May 18 2023
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Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
All of the pieces of Stevie's wonder (see what I did there) are in place, and it all falls perfectly into place on the track 'Higher Ground'. The infectious energy, spatial mixing, and lip biting funk is just about as near perfection as a song gets. The subdued tone of the remainder of the album, is a stark contrast. The closing tracks of 'Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing' and (to a lesser extent) 'He's Misstra Know-It-All', work to reprieve that energy with their steadily building structures.
A good album to be sure, but more one I'd pick songs from, then appreciate for its entirety.
3
May 19 2023
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So
Peter Gabriel
A beautiful amalgam of musical styles and influences that converge together naturally, and yet create something entirely novel. I personally also can't think of this album without thinking of the music videos that came out on MTV, specifically for the track 'Sledgehammer'. The culminating and synergizing effect of the musical and artistic directions was sublime.
3
May 22 2023
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Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
A fascinatingly eclectic collection of songs. The Spanish language ballad 'Si No Estas Tu', the new-age punk rock of 'Jump into the Fire', the reggae-inspired 'Coconut', the blues/R&B/rock vibes 'Down', and whatever 'Lamaze' would be considered. It's a regular Golden Corral of musical tastes, all prepared with a surprising level of excellence.
4
May 23 2023
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Station To Station
David Bowie
Every song is an elaborate composition of brilliant artistry. Bowie's lyrics are dense narratives, performed in manic sways between haunted and explosive, and loosely collected around a vaguely alluded to central character (the Thin White Duke perhaps). The arrangements are fantastically detailed, meticulously performed, and merit multiple close listening to fully hear and appreciate.
Although it may be the most well-known track from the album, I found 'Golden Years' to be the least interesting of the bunch. I found myself coming back to 'Word on a Wing' and 'TVC15' repeatedly before I could really collect my thoughts.
4
May 24 2023
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Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
First off, if this album is ever remastered, please for the love of God, show some respect to the band and drop the vocals further back into the tracks.
The album was mediocre but interesting at points, but completely fell off a cliff around 'The Loved Ones' and never really came back. Clearly there is a broader positive sentiment that I'm not connecting with, but I really can't get into Costello's country-rock-cosmopolitan discography.
2
Jun 01 2023
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We're Only In It For The Money
The Mothers Of Invention
Interesting and satirically relevant to its time as it may be, it's not something I can casually experience, so it's difficult to truly enjoy. I've heard it, so it met its purpose on the list. Don't think I'd ever chose to go back to it.
1
Jun 02 2023
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Funeral
Arcade Fire
3
Jun 05 2023
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Seventeen Seconds
The Cure
3
Jun 06 2023
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Getz/Gilberto
Stan Getz
As albums go, it's fairly one-note. It's more like one song played 10 times. I guess if you like 'The Girl From Ipanema', then you're really going to enjoy this.
2
Jun 07 2023
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Devil Without A Cause
Kid Rock
I think Kid Rock puts it well when he says, "I'm a contradiction, I'm a twist of fate" in 'Roving Gangster (Rollin').' This three-way mash-up of rock, country and rap was bound to happen. There were a lot of ways this could have happened, but as luck would have it, Kid managed to find the most 'I don't give a fuck' characteristics of all three and slammed them together into one electrified redneck gangster vibe. It is unapologetic and unfortunately popular.
I'll give it one bonus star for being novel, but honestly I think this album, and the whole "damn right, I'm proud of being a shithead" narrative that continues to swell in the US is not worth giving a platform. Even if it is wrapped up in an interesting musical combination that was a commercial success.
1
Jun 08 2023
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Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
4
Jun 09 2023
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Wonderful Rainbow
Lightning Bolt
When you see the phrase, "considered to be their most accessible album", you know you're in for a wild ride.
The first seconds of 'Assassins' reeled me in and there I remained, riveted, as the distorted explosions pulsed over me for the remainder of the album. Each song is chaos, with moments of clarity, stretched thin over the scaffolds of familiar song structures and lots of repetition.
Despite the fact that there isn't anything especially high-minded going on here, this connects with and satisfies a cognitive itch for me. Not sure why, but this is what I needed to hear today.
3
Jun 12 2023
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Little Earthquakes
Tori Amos
3
Jun 13 2023
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Roxy Music
Roxy Music
3
Jun 14 2023
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I Am a Bird Now
Antony and the Johnsons
The songs are lovely, but I can't handle the throaty vibrato inflicted on every single lyric that hangs for more than a moment.
2
Jun 15 2023
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Broken English
Marianne Faithfull
I got a nicotine buzz just listening to Marianne's vocals. Turns out the qualities of her voice were the bi-product of turbulent life circumstances, this album marking the artist's reemergence from a downward spiral, and marking a stark transition from her past musical persona. Kudos to her for pulling it together for this album (and beyond).
3
Jun 16 2023
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Sister
Sonic Youth
3
Jun 19 2023
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Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
While I appreciate what these guys did to represent an unseen subculture, what they did to popularize rap music, and the musical ingenuity that went into this album, I can only get so excited about the content of gansta-rap.
3
Jun 20 2023
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Spiderland
Slint
3
Jun 21 2023
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The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
The album opens up with a track about "five years", jumping right into the middle of a narrative story that climbs and climbs to an explosive crecendo. I doubt it is a coincidence that this is the opening song and this is Bowie's 5th album, each of which was released 1 year apart. The overall sound of the album is "big". The tracks are layered, and spatial thanks to various chorus effects and their use of the left/right/center channels. 'Star' and 'Suffragette City' are good example of what I mean. It will take a few more albums to be sure, but I think this might mark the point where Bowie fully realizes his initial musical vision and where he is really comfortable in his form.
5
Jun 22 2023
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Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
I get it, but still... I don't get it.
2
Jun 23 2023
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Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
A technological breakthrough in musical history, but kind of boring to listen to.
2
Jun 26 2023
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Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Aphex Twin
3
Jun 27 2023
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Feast of Wire
Calexico
One radio hit does not a profound album maketh. I'd swap in the Decemberists if we're looking for a bohemian rock ensemble vibe.
2
Jun 28 2023
View Album
The Beach Boys Today!
The Beach Boys
Of course, I'd heard of the Beach Boys, and yeah, I'd also heard some of their songs, but I guess I never sat down and listened to one of their albums. Well, I sort of regret having done that, because I really did not enjoy it. The tracks are repetitive, the production quality is all over the map, and the lyrics sound like they were written by a 70s TV sitcom writer attempting to channel the ethos of a 1950's teenager. Only in radio-hit sized doses I guess...
2
Jun 29 2023
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Smokers Delight
Nightmares On Wax
3
Jun 30 2023
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Coles Corner
Richard Hawley
The bits I skimmed through sounded flawless. I just don't find it very interesting.
2
Jul 03 2023
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Cosmo's Factory
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4
Jul 04 2023
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Heavy Weather
Weather Report
4
Jul 05 2023
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I Against I
Bad Brains
3
Jul 06 2023
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Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2
Jul 07 2023
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The Nightfly
Donald Fagen
2
Jul 13 2023
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Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals
2
Jul 14 2023
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Kimono My House
Sparks
2
Jul 17 2023
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Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
3
Jul 18 2023
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GREY Area
Little Simz
4
Jul 19 2023
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Central Reservation
Beth Orton
2
Aug 01 2023
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Justified
Justin Timberlake
3
Aug 02 2023
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2112
Rush
4
Aug 03 2023
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Chris
Christine and the Queens
3
Aug 04 2023
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Smile
Brian Wilson
2
Aug 07 2023
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Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
3
Aug 08 2023
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Ten
Pearl Jam
5
Aug 09 2023
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Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
3
Aug 10 2023
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Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
2
Aug 11 2023
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Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
4
Aug 14 2023
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Moss Side Story
Barry Adamson
2
Aug 15 2023
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Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
3
Aug 16 2023
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The Contino Sessions
Death In Vegas
2
Aug 17 2023
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Scott 4
Scott Walker
While there are moments and glimpses of something special, the album ultimately fell flat for me. The track "Get Behind Me" is exactly what I'm talking about.
This easy-listening crooner album, packed with its dense lyrics and layered arrangements feels like it's trying really hard to be something. Ultimately though the authenticity just doesn't carry through.
2
Aug 18 2023
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Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
A trust in an idea and a collection of brilliant collaborators. A fascinating juxtaposition and combination of youthful spirit with old R&B soul. Truely novel.
4
Aug 21 2023
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Vento De Maio
Elis Regina
The vision of the album is clear and well executed. The genre just seems limited.
2
Aug 22 2023
View Album
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
The production value of this album alone is worth all of the stars you have to give. Seriously, production studios soundcheck their equipment with this album. Look it up.
Then the musical trio come in with the performances that are as precise as they are powerful, fronted by Tom Morello's boundary defying guitar tracks. The soundscapes that he creates honestly redefine what most thought was possible with a guitar. I mean honestly, how in the world did they come up with "Settle for Nothing"!?
And then Zack comes in with his punch-to-the-gut lyrical tour de force that harkens to Gil Scott-Heron's pleas to wake people up from their entranced complacency.
The mainstream honestly had no idea what was coming when these guys showed up on the musical scene in the grunge era. Their fight-the-system sensibility was simultaneously anachronistic and rife for rediscovery.
The song that sums it all up perfectly is "Wake Up". It is a plea to awareness. A song as evocative as a hymn, a ballad, screaming to be heard and to be headed.
5
Aug 23 2023
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Natty Dread
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3
Aug 24 2023
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The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
3
Aug 25 2023
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Parklife
Blur
Well, it's better than Oasis, but the album is still like the Cheesecake Factory of 90's brit pop. They do a reasonable job of most everything, but everyone is really only there for one thing.
3
Aug 28 2023
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Physical Graffiti
Led Zeppelin
5
Aug 29 2023
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Alien Lanes
Guided By Voices
3
Aug 30 2023
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Rust In Peace
Megadeth
5
Aug 31 2023
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Music in Exile
Songhoy Blues
3
Sep 01 2023
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The Dreaming
Kate Bush
3
Sep 02 2023
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Youth And Young Manhood
Kings of Leon
Who would have thought that a bunch of country boys that had been the backing band for their holy-rolling Dad's revival tent tours, would one day break out and make a dixie punk band!? Their sound has matured and evolved over the years, but what an exciting debut this must've been for them.
4
Sep 02 2023
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Beauty And The Beat
The Go-Go's
4
Sep 03 2023
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Hms Fable
Shack
That right there was some fairly "dime a dozen" 90's brit alt-rock, that I would've been just fine with not hearing before I died. I mean, seriously, why did the British music producers of that day think they could simply stick a string quartet behind any mediocre band off the streets and start printing gold records!?
2
Sep 04 2023
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This Is Hardcore
Pulp
2
Sep 05 2023
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Songs Of Love And Hate
Leonard Cohen
As simple and intricate and delicate and lovely as a spider's web. A bit terse and rough at points as well, but overall enchanting. Definitely much more accessible than most of Cohen's albums.
3
Sep 06 2023
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Tellin’ Stories
The Charlatans
Well, if you're into the Stone Roses, you're going to dig 'Tellin' Stories'. Who did it better?
3
Sep 07 2023
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Jack Takes the Floor
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3
Sep 08 2023
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Devotional Songs
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3
Sep 09 2023
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Blunderbuss
Jack White
3
Sep 10 2023
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In Our Heads
Hot Chip
2
Sep 11 2023
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Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
If I wanted to hear three dudes jacking each other off, I'd have gone to pornhub.
1
Sep 12 2023
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Harvest
Neil Young
3
Sep 13 2023
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Vivid
Living Colour
3
Sep 14 2023
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Midnight Ride
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3
Sep 15 2023
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Ellington at Newport
Duke Ellington
3
Sep 16 2023
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Vulnicura
Björk
3
Sep 17 2023
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Repeater
Fugazi
3
Sep 18 2023
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Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
3
Sep 19 2023
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American Gothic
David Ackles
3
Sep 20 2023
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Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4
Sep 21 2023
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evermore
Taylor Swift
3
Sep 22 2023
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Soul Mining
The The
3
Sep 23 2023
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Very
Pet Shop Boys
2
Sep 24 2023
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I See You
The xx
2
Sep 25 2023
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They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
Some of these songs seem practically purpose built for driving listeners away. The album has the affect of a schizophrenic's notebook.
3
Sep 26 2023
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The Chronic
Dr. Dre
I'm a fan of rap, I really am. I just can't get over how pointless the lyrics are.
2
Sep 27 2023
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3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...
Arrested Development
Hilarious that this recommendation comes up immediately following Dre's 'The Chronic'. Two break-out hits for hip-hop in 1992. The contrast between the crotch-and-gun-clutching nonsense of the former versus the social justice and love focus of the latter, is the perfect example of the spectrum that hip-hop occupies. Respect to Arrested Development for going after the higher ground!
4
Sep 28 2023
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Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
I was struggling to understand why this was on the list, then I finally got to 'Time of the Season' and I realized this was another one of those albums that is put on the list because of a popular single. I don't personally find the album all that interesting.
2
Sep 29 2023
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Throwing Muses
Throwing Muses
3
Sep 30 2023
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Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
3
Oct 01 2023
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California
American Music Club
3
Oct 02 2023
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Bright Flight
Silver Jews
What!?
2
Oct 03 2023
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Music
Madonna
There is plenty of Madonna's music that merits being on this list, but this isn't it in my opinion. As a professional musician, she's obviously welcome to try anything she wants, but just because her name is on it doesn't mean it's worth listening to.
2
Oct 04 2023
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Woodface
Crowded House
2
Oct 05 2023
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The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
2
Oct 06 2023
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Duck Stab/Buster & Glen
The Residents
No thanks.
1
Oct 07 2023
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Scissor Sisters
Scissor Sisters
3
Oct 08 2023
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We Are Family
Sister Sledge
3
Oct 09 2023
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Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
3
Oct 11 2023
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Deserter's Songs
Mercury Rev
I get the feeling that people thought this was a Flaming Lips album until they got a couple tracks in.
2
Oct 12 2023
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The Healer
John Lee Hooker
3
Oct 13 2023
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All Mod Cons
The Jam
3
Oct 14 2023
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Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
3
Oct 15 2023
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Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
I get why it's here, but I really wish it wasn't.
1
Oct 16 2023
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Fire Of Love
The Gun Club
Want to guarantee that your album will be relegated to near obscurity, regardless of its musical merits or cultural relevance? Drop some hard-r'd N words. I do not condone the use of the word and it drives me nuts to hear it here, as the album is otherwise super impressive.
3
Oct 17 2023
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My Generation
The Who
3
Oct 18 2023
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Sulk
The Associates
2
Oct 19 2023
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Phrenology
The Roots
3
Oct 20 2023
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Sea Change
Beck
4
Oct 21 2023
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Seventh Tree
Goldfrapp
3
Oct 22 2023
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Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
Small Faces
"I know. Let's make a rock band, that walks in the stylistic footsteps of Wily Wonka's Oompa Loompa's" - Small Faces
2
Oct 23 2023
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Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
10 songs in, there was no mistaking what the group had set out to do. Satirically emulating pop music, and by extension the industry and the cultural mindset that makes it possible, is a risky bit for a debut album. Diogenes would have been proud!
Then the track 'Trouble Every Day', drops the pretense and the Mothers show you a bit of what they truly are. An adept psych-blues band with a penchant for laser focused social commentary.
The remainder of the album slips and descends slowly into chaos, culminating in a true freak out of a track with 'The Return Of The Son Of Monster Magnet.' I guess they needed to fill the 2nd record with something.
A wild ride, indeed.
4
Oct 24 2023
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All That You Can't Leave Behind
U2
Was this the album that was forced onto peoples' iPhones? I didn't listen to it back then and I didn't find anything overwhelmingly important about it now. It's a fine album that sounds like it was crafted with a "spare no expense" mindset. What I can't shake though is how formulaic it feels.
3
Oct 25 2023
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Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis
The music is fine, but this style of jazz is not really all that engaging to me. I've always wondered why, and I think I finally realized it's because of the group dynamic (or lack thereof). This album is primarily a collection of very talented soloists performing in immediate succession under the pretense of a collection of songs. Each songs starts as an ensemble piece, that gives way around the 1m mark to a medley of spotlight swapping solo showcases. I'm amazed at the patience of the rhythm section, as they play along while everyone else gets to do whatever they want.
3
Oct 26 2023
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Hunky Dory
David Bowie
Up until this album it struck me that Bowie stuck mostly to portraying characters.
The album starts off with a song about “me” and it's like an actor breaking the fourth wall. That vibe continues for the first 3 songs and I wonder whether the narrative has turned to a 1st person perspective, or if Bowie is actually talking about himself at this point. The characters are definitely still there, but it’s nice to have some variety.
Bowie is over the brief proto-metal kick (The Man Who Sold the World) and back to his Avant-rock ways. Pianos, saxophones, keyboards, pianos, strings, unconventional time signatures, multiple transitions and movements in a single song – I still can’t fathom how an artist comes up with stuff like this.
Standout tracks to me (mostly cliche) are 'Changes', 'The BewlayBrothers', 'Oh! You Pretty Things', and 'Life on Mars?'
4
Oct 27 2023
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Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3
Oct 28 2023
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Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3
Oct 29 2023
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Medúlla
Björk
3
Oct 30 2023
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Rock Bottom
Robert Wyatt
3
Oct 31 2023
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After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
3 albums already from Neil and not one Townes Van Zandt album, yet? I don't get the appeal at all.
2
Nov 01 2023
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Black Monk Time
The Monks
3
Nov 02 2023
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Private Dancer
Tina Turner
3
Nov 03 2023
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Tuesday Night Music Club
Sheryl Crow
4
Nov 04 2023
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The Soft Bulletin
The Flaming Lips
3
Nov 05 2023
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Teen Dream
Beach House
2
Nov 06 2023
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Aladdin Sane
David Bowie
As iconic as the album cover may be, the album itself was almost entirely unknown to me. I guess my main hang-up is that many tracks feel like they tried to shove a few more ideas in, than were really necessary. The gems that are 'Time', 'Cracked Actor', and 'The Jean Genie' strike the balance of glam and rock perfectly, though.
3
Nov 07 2023
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The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
It is precisely, unapologetically, and quintessentially synth-pop. I don't care for it myself, but it can't be under-appreciated for the influence it had on an entire decade's worth of music. The rating reflects my own personal tastes, but I completely get why this album is on this list.
2
Nov 08 2023
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Fear Of Music
Talking Heads
3
Nov 09 2023
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Sex Packets
Digital Underground
2
Nov 10 2023
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Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
I genuinely believe this is one of the most perfect albums ever made. At a minimum, the opening trio of 'Praying for Time', 'Freedom! '90', and the haunting cover of 'They Won't Go When I Go', have to be heard to be believed. It is also tied for me to childhood memories of all-out voice-belting family sing alongs, which is saying a lot given how dysfunctional we were.
While I'm no George Michael biographer, I always felt like this album was a response to dysfunction. The man had been repressing his sexual identity while his musical career and international fame continuously grew, built (at least in part) on him being a hetero sex symbol. He is then outed in the most humiliating way possible and forced to confront it all, all at once, on CNN for Christ's sake. The album's name, it seems to me at least, is practically a plea to give him a chance.
While the dysfunction in my own life was of a different sort, this perception has given me a personal connection to this album that has only grown and deepened over the years. I can hear echos of truths I don't want to live with in these songs, and the hopes of the possibilities that come with living life after I begin to put them behind me.
5
Nov 11 2023
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Future Days
Can
3
Nov 12 2023
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Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black
Public Enemy
4
Nov 13 2023
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Chelsea Girl
Nico
3
Nov 14 2023
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Now I Got Worry
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2
Nov 15 2023
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The Slider
T. Rex
2
Nov 16 2023
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Street Signs
Ozomatli
A veritable Jack In the Box of music. Sure, it's a bit confusing to follow-up a burger, with a taco and an egg roll, but it's tasty.
3
Nov 17 2023
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Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
3
Nov 18 2023
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Fly Or Die
N.E.R.D
2
Nov 19 2023
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Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon
3
Nov 20 2023
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Sound Affects
The Jam
3
Nov 21 2023
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Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
Try as I might, I just can't quite seem to discern what the overarching theme of this album is.
Does anyone else find it as hilarious as I do that the first 7 tracks are a passionate full court press advocating for getting it on, and then the last track is like, "Well, it's too late..."? It's like the campaign from the first 7 songs was successful, things wrapped up, and reality set in.
3
Nov 22 2023
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Stephen Stills
Stephen Stills
4
Nov 23 2023
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Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
3
Nov 24 2023
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The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
3
Nov 25 2023
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Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
2
Nov 26 2023
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Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
4
Nov 27 2023
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Machine Head
Deep Purple
3
Nov 28 2023
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Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
3
Nov 29 2023
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BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
3
Nov 30 2023
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Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
2
Dec 01 2023
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Headquarters
The Monkees
2
Dec 02 2023
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A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
3
Dec 03 2023
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Make Yourself
Incubus
4
Dec 04 2023
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Shleep
Robert Wyatt
3
Dec 05 2023
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Trout Mask Replica
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
Can we trade this one out for 'Safe As Milk'?
2
Dec 06 2023
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I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
Sinead O'Connor
3
Dec 07 2023
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Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor
Lupe Fiasco
3
Dec 08 2023
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Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
3
Dec 09 2023
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Out Of The Blue
Electric Light Orchestra
3
Dec 10 2023
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Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
3
Dec 11 2023
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Dummy
Portishead
4
Dec 12 2023
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good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
5
Dec 13 2023
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16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
2
Dec 14 2023
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Be
Common
3
Dec 15 2023
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Dog Man Star
Suede
I understand why the Cranberries outshone these guys on tour.
2
Dec 16 2023
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Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
3
Dec 17 2023
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Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
I stand behind my beliefs that Kool Keith is clinically insane. I'd put this into the same musically interesting category as Wesley Willis' albums. Bizarre, profane, nonsensical, but unrefutably creative and expressive.
3
Dec 18 2023
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Talk Talk Talk
The Psychedelic Furs
3
Dec 19 2023
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Odelay
Beck
4
Dec 20 2023
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The Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies
3
Dec 21 2023
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Sincere
Mj Cole
3
Dec 22 2023
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Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
4
Dec 23 2023
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AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube
Yeah, hard stop at the song that casually talks about violent involuntary abortions.
1
Dec 24 2023
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The Gilded Palace Of Sin
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4
Dec 25 2023
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The Slim Shady LP
Eminem
4
Dec 26 2023
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Homework
Daft Punk
5
Jan 02 2024
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Low-Life
New Order
If you are into Joy Division, then I'm sure you'd be into New Order. I am not into Joy Division.
2
Jan 03 2024
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Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby
Girls Against Boys
3
Jan 04 2024
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Guitar Town
Steve Earle
2
Jan 05 2024
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Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
3
Jan 06 2024
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D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
I honestly can't get over the entirely unnecessary imagery of the young sleeping girl on the album cover. Add to that the deliberate inaccessibility of the music, and I'm not conflicted at all with giving this 1 star.
1
Jan 07 2024
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(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5
Jan 08 2024
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The White Album
Beatles
5
Jan 09 2024
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Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
3
Jan 10 2024
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Younger Than Yesterday
The Byrds
2
Jan 11 2024
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Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3
Jan 12 2024
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Pelican West
Haircut 100
I'll be damned, if I couldn't stop tapping my toe while I listened along. The blend of jazz and pop, spiced up with hints of latin, funk, and ska are an act of musical alchemical genius. The instrumental performances are flawless and the production is polished to a yacht deck sheen. While the lyrics aren't anything that will compete for a Pulitzer, their light and delivered the brightly and chorused with harmonies. An all-around feel-good album that would pair up nicely with a dance hall as easily it would segue into The Clash or The Specials.
4
Jan 13 2024
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Third
Portishead
3
Jan 14 2024
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You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
A stand-out from the crowded 'electronica' scene of the 90s, which stands the test of time impressively well.
3
Jan 15 2024
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In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Iron Butterfly
I appreciate this for the root influence, the musical primitive, that it is. I can't say that it's all that enjoyable to listen to anymore, which makes the initial success of the album all that much more interesting, I suppose.
3
Jan 16 2024
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Henry's Dream
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I prefer the Decemberists.
2
Jan 17 2024
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Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
The rich and immersive sound production, the excellence of the backing band, the hilarity of the banter with the audience (along with their responses), and the clever wordplay and vibrant lyrical imagery, make this album a diamond in the rough that is Tom Waits' discography.
4
Jan 18 2024
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Rubber Soul
Beatles
4
Jan 19 2024
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There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone
4
Jan 20 2024
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It's Too Late to Stop Now
Van Morrison
3
Jan 21 2024
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Born To Be With You
Dion
3
Jan 22 2024
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Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Bill Callahan
Kudos for the Nick Drake facsimile circa Bryter Layter. It has a stilted awkwardness to it thought, which prevents me from resting in it.
2
Jan 23 2024
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Since I Left You
The Avalanches
I believe my kids would like me to say, "Slappin bops, all bangers."
Me, I'm enveloped by the craftsmanship of the album. The fusion of electronic sequencing, cuts, breaks, samples, and melodies are a real work of devotion to an artform. You can get up and dance to it, or you can vibe with it while you're focusing. I'd heard 'Frontier Psychiatrist' and I'm glad this list brought me to the album and the album that it came from.
4
Jan 24 2024
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The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
4
Jan 25 2024
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Mermaid Avenue
Billy Bragg
3
Jan 26 2024
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Moby Grape
Moby Grape
2
Jan 27 2024
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Space Ritual
Hawkwind
3
Jan 28 2024
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Done By The Forces Of Nature
Jungle Brothers
3
Jan 29 2024
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#1 Record
Big Star
3
Jan 30 2024
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Kid A
Radiohead
This album marks the point where Radiohead completely jumped off the pop rails and flew into a musical realm almost entirely of their own.
It's like talking to someone who is operating on a much higher order of thought. You can't help but smirk because you know what they are saying is profound, but it's just inaccessible enough to where you feel a bit left out.
3
Jan 31 2024
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Metallica
Metallica
I honestly don't care about all of the critiques about when and if Metallica sold out. This was a profound influence on my musical tastes when I was young, so it gets a bonus start for that!
4
Feb 01 2024
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My Aim Is True
Elvis Costello
3
Feb 02 2024
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The Sounds Of India
Ravi Shankar
3
Feb 03 2024
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Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
A simple enough formula that reminded me of Japandroids, who I hadn't heard in a long time, so I went back to the 2012 release of Celebration Rock ... that's a great album; one that I think everyone should hear before they die.
2
Feb 04 2024
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New York Dolls
New York Dolls
On its own and out of context, this album could blend in with numerous others at this point. Thing is, nothing like this existed at that point. That's wild to think about, given how many mirror image and derivate albums came after it.
4
Feb 05 2024
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Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
TV On The Radio
An interesting project that ultimately sounds incomplete.
2
Feb 06 2024
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Synchronicity
The Police
3
Feb 07 2024
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Smash
The Offspring
3
Feb 08 2024
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Beautiful Freak
Eels
2
Feb 09 2024
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Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
2
Feb 10 2024
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Underwater Moonlight
The Soft Boys
3
Feb 11 2024
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Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
3
Feb 12 2024
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Oar
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
It makes me wonder what the world would be like if we could opt out of our normal minds from time to time. What would we see? How would we feel differently? Would we consider ourselves or others differently?
I'm glad to see some music here from someone who is not in a neurotypical frame of mind.
3
Feb 23 2024
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Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
4
Feb 24 2024
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John Prine
John Prine
5
Feb 25 2024
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Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
4
Feb 26 2024
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Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear
4
Feb 27 2024
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Don't Stand Me Down
Dexys Midnight Runners
Terrible
1
Mar 01 2024
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Back to Mystery City
Hanoi Rocks
4
Mar 02 2024
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Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
3
Mar 03 2024
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Pretenders
Pretenders
3
Mar 04 2024
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Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
4
Mar 05 2024
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Elastica
Elastica
2
Mar 06 2024
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Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
2
Mar 07 2024
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White Light / White Heat
The Velvet Underground
2
Mar 08 2024
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Tidal
Fiona Apple
5
Mar 09 2024
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All Hail the Queen
Queen Latifah
3
Mar 10 2024
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Punishing Kiss
Ute Lemper
1
Mar 11 2024
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Eternally Yours
The Saints
3
Mar 12 2024
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Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
3
Mar 13 2024
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Lost In The Dream
The War On Drugs
3
Mar 14 2024
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Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
3
Mar 15 2024
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Kenza
Khaled
3
Mar 16 2024
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The Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald
3
Mar 17 2024
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Strangeways, Here We Come
The Smiths
3
Mar 18 2024
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The Next Day
David Bowie
2
Mar 19 2024
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Black Holes and Revelations
Muse
3
Mar 20 2024
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D
White Denim
3
Mar 21 2024
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Faith
George Michael
3
Mar 22 2024
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Viva Hate
Morrissey
3
Mar 23 2024
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The Libertines
The Libertines
2
Mar 24 2024
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Arrival
ABBA
3
Mar 25 2024
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Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
5
Mar 26 2024
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Darkness on the Edge of Town
Bruce Springsteen
3
Mar 27 2024
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Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
3
Mar 28 2024
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Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
3
Mar 29 2024
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Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
3
Mar 30 2024
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1999
Prince
3
Mar 31 2024
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Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby
Terence Trent D'Arby
3
Apr 01 2024
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She's So Unusual
Cyndi Lauper
4
Apr 02 2024
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Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
3
Apr 04 2024
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Rejoicing In The Hands
Devendra Banhart
2
Apr 05 2024
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Out of Step
Minor Threat
3
Apr 06 2024
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The Grand Tour
George Jones
4
Apr 07 2024
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A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
3
Apr 08 2024
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Brutal Youth
Elvis Costello
2
Apr 09 2024
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From Elvis In Memphis
Elvis Presley
3
Apr 10 2024
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Buffalo Springfield Again
Buffalo Springfield
3
Apr 13 2024
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Electric
The Cult
3
Apr 14 2024
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Want One
Rufus Wainwright
3
Apr 15 2024
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That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
2
Apr 16 2024
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Da Capo
Love
2
Apr 17 2024
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Among The Living
Anthrax
2
Apr 18 2024
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The Notorious Byrd Brothers
The Byrds
2
Apr 19 2024
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Mama Said Knock You Out
LL Cool J
4
Apr 20 2024
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Hot Shots II
The Beta Band
An album with spacious production and eclectic arrangements that ultimately falls flat due to being highly repetitive.
2
Apr 21 2024
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Californication
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Good music with utter lyrical nonsense.
2
Apr 22 2024
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Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
3
Apr 23 2024
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E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
3
Apr 24 2024
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Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3
Apr 25 2024
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Peter Gabriel 3
Peter Gabriel
3
Apr 26 2024
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Nevermind
Nirvana
5
Apr 27 2024
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Remedy
Basement Jaxx
3
Apr 28 2024
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The Hissing Of Summer Lawns
Joni Mitchell
2
Apr 30 2024
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Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
3
May 01 2024
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Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
3
May 02 2024
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Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield
I think this sort of thing is why punk was made, so I can't dislike it entirely.
2
May 03 2024
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Autobahn
Kraftwerk
3
May 04 2024
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Myths Of The Near Future
Klaxons
3
May 05 2024
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25
Adele
4
May 06 2024
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3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
3
May 07 2024
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I’m a Lonesome Fugitive
Merle Haggard
3
May 08 2024
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Apple Venus Volume 1
XTC
3
May 09 2024
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Live At The Regal
B.B. King
4
May 10 2024
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Blue Lines
Massive Attack
3
May 11 2024
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Django Django
Django Django
3
May 12 2024
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Heroes to Zeros
The Beta Band
2
May 13 2024
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Mask
Bauhaus
3
May 14 2024
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Maxinquaye
Tricky
3
May 15 2024
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Duck Rock
Malcolm McLaren
3
May 16 2024
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Chirping Crickets
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4
May 17 2024
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Aqualung
Jethro Tull
4
May 18 2024
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Master Of Puppets
Metallica
The gold standard of thrash metal.
5
May 19 2024
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Larks' Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson
3
May 20 2024
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Emergency On Planet Earth
Jamiroquai
3
May 21 2024
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The World is a Ghetto
War
3
May 22 2024
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Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3
May 23 2024
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You're Living All Over Me
Dinosaur Jr.
2
May 24 2024
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More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
3
May 25 2024
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Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
3
May 26 2024
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Young Americans
David Bowie
3
May 27 2024
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The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
The Incredible String Band
3
May 28 2024
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Disraeli Gears
Cream
3
Jun 01 2024
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Gris Gris
Dr. John
3
Jun 02 2024
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Permission to Land
The Darkness
2
Jun 03 2024
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Either Or
Elliott Smith
2
Jun 04 2024
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Marquee Moon
Television
3
Jun 05 2024
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Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4
Jun 06 2024
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Liege And Lief
Fairport Convention
3
Jun 07 2024
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War
U2
3
Jun 08 2024
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The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
4
Jun 13 2024
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Get Behind Me Satan
The White Stripes
3
Jun 14 2024
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Ctrl
SZA
If this is the future of R&B, I'm here for it.
4
Jun 15 2024
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Fulfillingness' First Finale
Stevie Wonder
3
Jun 16 2024
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The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
3
Jun 17 2024
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Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
3
Jun 18 2024
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Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
It remains hard for me to listen to this album and not just feel like its talent abused and ultimately wasted.
3
Jun 19 2024
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...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
I just can't do it. The album looks and sounds purpose built to sexualize her and given what we know now about her entrapment, I just can't get passed it.
1
Jun 20 2024
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Hejira
Joni Mitchell
3
Jun 21 2024
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White Light
Gene Clark
3
Jun 22 2024
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When I Was Born For The 7th Time
Cornershop
2
Jun 23 2024
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Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
3
Jun 24 2024
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OK Computer
Radiohead
5
Jun 25 2024
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Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
2
Jun 26 2024
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Queen Of Denmark
John Grant
3
Jun 27 2024
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The Man Who
Travis
2
Jun 28 2024
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Stripped
Christina Aguilera
3
Jun 29 2024
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Brown Sugar
D'Angelo
2
Jun 30 2024
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Ritual De Lo Habitual
Jane's Addiction
3
Jul 01 2024
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Under Construction
Missy Elliott
4
Jul 02 2024
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Supa Dupa Fly
Missy Elliott
3
Jul 03 2024
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Fever Ray
Fever Ray
3
Jul 04 2024
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In The Wee Small Hours
Frank Sinatra
For my own tastes, it's a two-star album. It wins back one star for being damn near flawless. It wins back another star for being undeniably influential.
4
Jul 05 2024
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The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Velvet Underground
2
Jul 06 2024
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Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3
Jul 07 2024
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Nowhere
Ride
2
Jul 08 2024
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Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales
3
Jul 12 2024
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All Directions
The Temptations
2
Jul 13 2024
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Skylarking
XTC
2
Jul 14 2024
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Teenager Of The Year
Frank Black
2
Jul 15 2024
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Planet Rock: The Album
Afrika Bambaataa
4
Jul 16 2024
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Blonde On Blonde
Bob Dylan
5
Jul 25 2024
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First Band On The Moon
The Cardigans
3
Jul 26 2024
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Grievous Angel
Gram Parsons
3
Jul 27 2024
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The White Room
The KLF
2
Jul 28 2024
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Green
R.E.M.
3
Jul 29 2024
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Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
OutKast
3
Jul 30 2024
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Third/Sister Lovers
Big Star
2
Jul 31 2024
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Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
3
Aug 01 2024
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Raw Like Sushi
Neneh Cherry
2
Aug 02 2024
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Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4
Aug 03 2024
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Kala
M.I.A.
3
Aug 04 2024
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Superfuzz Bigmuff
Mudhoney
3
Aug 05 2024
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Bitches Brew
Miles Davis
3
Aug 06 2024
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Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
3
Aug 07 2024
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Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3
Aug 08 2024
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Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
2
Aug 09 2024
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Cupid & Psyche 85
Scritti Politti
3
Aug 10 2024
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Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
3
Aug 11 2024
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Goo
Sonic Youth
3
Aug 12 2024
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Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
3
Aug 13 2024
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Aftermath
The Rolling Stones
3
Aug 15 2024
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Go Girl Crazy
The Dictators
3
Aug 16 2024
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A Wizard, A True Star
Todd Rundgren
3
Aug 17 2024
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Heaux Tales
Jazmine Sullivan
3
Aug 18 2024
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Orbital 2
Orbital
4
Aug 19 2024
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Trafalgar
Bee Gees
I couldn't tolerate the nasally warbling much past the half-way point of 'Somebody Stop the Music'; a song whose name I only now realize is perfectly suited for my review.
1
Aug 20 2024
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Honky Tonk Masquerade
Joe Ely
2
Aug 21 2024
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Tragic Songs of Life
The Louvin Brothers
I could do without the song about bludgeoning a Knoxville Girl to death. How in the world did that seem like something they needed to commit to a record, let alone write a song about.
1
Aug 22 2024
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Street Life
The Crusaders
2
Aug 23 2024
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Suede
Suede
3
Aug 24 2024
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The Score
Fugees
4
Aug 25 2024
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John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon
2
Aug 26 2024
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A Date With The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
4
Aug 27 2024
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Black Metal
Venom
3
Aug 28 2024
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The Colour Of Spring
Talk Talk
2
Aug 29 2024
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You Are The Quarry
Morrissey
1
Aug 30 2024
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Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
4
Aug 31 2024
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Nebraska
Bruce Springsteen
4
Sep 01 2024
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Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
3
Sep 02 2024
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Picture Book
Simply Red
3
Sep 03 2024
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Close To You
Carpenters
It is with begrudging hesitation that I give this one 3 stars. I really, really, don't like it ... but ... it is flawlessly produced and the album and the duo has clearly been influential.
It is an album that I had only known through ironic mockery, and I think that is where it will remain for me.
3
Sep 04 2024
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Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
4
Sep 05 2024
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Konnichiwa
Skepta
3
Sep 06 2024
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Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
3
Sep 07 2024
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Savane
Ali Farka Touré
3
Sep 08 2024
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New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
2
Sep 09 2024
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Risque
CHIC
3
Sep 10 2024
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Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
3
Sep 11 2024
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Foxbase Alpha
Saint Etienne
2
Sep 12 2024
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Behaviour
Pet Shop Boys
Pretty much the same song played 10 times.
1
Sep 13 2024
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Giant Steps
The Boo Radleys
1
Sep 14 2024
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Music From Big Pink
The Band
Oh, The Band. Every time I start the album I'm like, "Oooh yeah. Nice vibe!" Every time I get to the last few tracks, I'm like, "GAHHH! Make the muppetian falsetto STAHP!"
Overall, I definitely dig it, but it's pretty clear to me that their strengths lie in their abilities as a backing band, not backing vocalists, up to that point for a reason.
3
Sep 15 2024
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Hard Again
Muddy Waters
4
Sep 16 2024
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New Forms
Roni Size
4
Sep 17 2024
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Music Has The Right To Children
Boards of Canada
3
Sep 18 2024
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Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
3
Sep 19 2024
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The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
3
Sep 20 2024
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Atomizer
Big Black
2
Sep 21 2024
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Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs
Marty Robbins
3
Sep 22 2024
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Tusk
Fleetwood Mac
3
Sep 23 2024
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Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
4
Sep 24 2024
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Electric Warrior
T. Rex
3
Sep 25 2024
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Arise
Sepultura
3
Sep 26 2024
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Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
5
Sep 27 2024
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The Genius Of Ray Charles
Ray Charles
3
Sep 28 2024
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The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
3
Sep 29 2024
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Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
3
Sep 30 2024
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Femi Kuti
Femi Kuti
3
Oct 01 2024
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Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
2
Oct 02 2024
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Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman
John Zorn
Take a jazz song and give it to five musicians; two playing sax, one playing upright bass, and to more playing drums. Tell them to simultaneously improvise that song, but do it as blisteringly fast as their musical ability allows. Then do that over and over again for 40 minutes, or so.
It's hard to listen to but also oddly enthralling. Not sure I'd like to hear it more than once though.
3
Oct 03 2024
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Manassas
Stephen Stills
3
Oct 04 2024
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The Who Sell Out
The Who
3
Oct 05 2024
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The Sensual World
Kate Bush
2
Oct 06 2024
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Rocks
Aerosmith
3
Oct 07 2024
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Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus
Spirit
3
Oct 10 2024
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Live!
Fela Kuti
4
Oct 11 2024
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A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
3
Oct 12 2024
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Lam Toro
Baaba Maal
3
Oct 13 2024
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69 Love Songs
The Magnetic Fields
2
Oct 14 2024
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The Modern Dance
Pere Ubu
2
Oct 15 2024
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Abbey Road
Beatles
5
Oct 16 2024
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The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
5
Oct 17 2024
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The La's
The La's
3
Oct 18 2024
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m b v
My Bloody Valentine
3
Oct 19 2024
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Slipknot
Slipknot
3
Oct 20 2024
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Actually
Pet Shop Boys
2
Oct 21 2024
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Virgin Suicides
Air
2
Oct 22 2024
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Joan Baez
Joan Baez
2
Oct 23 2024
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Trio
Dolly Parton
3
Oct 24 2024
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Strange Cargo III
William Orbit
3
Oct 25 2024
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Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
2
Oct 26 2024
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Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
3
Oct 27 2024
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Slanted And Enchanted
Pavement
2
Oct 28 2024
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Peggy Suicide
Julian Cope
1
Oct 29 2024
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Want Two
Rufus Wainwright
3
Oct 30 2024
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High Violet
The National
Just because Starbucks corporate, the Apple store, and the umbrella company that owns the GAP, choose to blare this album over their storefront speakers -- in an attempt to woo an indie demographic and mask their true capitalism-driven wallet-felching nature -- doesn't mean I (or anyone else) has to hear this garbage before death.
It is neither novel nor exemplary.
1
Oct 31 2024
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Hot Fuss
The Killers
4
Nov 01 2024
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Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
This happens to be in my musical wheelhouse, but I suspect there won't be too many fans.
3
Nov 02 2024
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Logical Progression
LTJ Bukem
3
Nov 03 2024
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Graceland
Paul Simon
5
Nov 04 2024
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Modern Life Is Rubbish
Blur
3
Nov 05 2024
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Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2
Nov 06 2024
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No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
4
Nov 07 2024
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Metal Box
Public Image Ltd.
3
Nov 08 2024
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Drunk
Thundercat
3
Nov 09 2024
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Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
3
Nov 10 2024
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The Renaissance
Q-Tip
3
Nov 12 2024
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Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
4
Nov 13 2024
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McCartney
Paul McCartney
3
Nov 14 2024
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Illmatic
Nas
3
Nov 15 2024
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Amnesiac
Radiohead
3
Nov 16 2024
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American IV: The Man Comes Around
Johnny Cash
3
Nov 17 2024
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Definitely Maybe
Oasis
3
Nov 18 2024
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Brothers
The Black Keys
3
Nov 19 2024
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Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
3
Nov 20 2024
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Safe As Milk
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2
Nov 21 2024
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Snivilisation
Orbital
3
Nov 22 2024
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Gorillaz
Gorillaz
4
Nov 23 2024
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Me Against The World
2Pac
4
Nov 24 2024
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Third
Soft Machine
2
Nov 26 2024
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Arc Of A Diver
Steve Winwood
2
Nov 27 2024
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Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
2
Nov 28 2024
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Darklands
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2
Nov 29 2024
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Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
4
Nov 30 2024
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Berlin
Lou Reed
3
Dec 04 2024
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Live At The Star Club, Hamburg
Jerry Lee Lewis
3
Dec 05 2024
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Sheet Music
10cc
2
Dec 06 2024
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Le Tigre
Le Tigre
3
Dec 07 2024
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C'est Chic
CHIC
2