Really enjoyable. Reminds you how little has changed in politics since the 70s. (Could not find on Spotify, YouTube link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnkDjMDD3JQ)
Honestly just the blandest thing I've ever heard. If a yogurt made a sound this would be it.
Ridiculously fun and energetic, a missing link between metal and dance. Like throwing a box of firecrackers into a bonfire. One of the best discoveries I've made here, I just wish I'd been into them at the time.
Not sure if music from this period is bad or if I just didn't like it. But I did not enjoy this one bit; bland, pretentious, and needy. The early-00s equivalent of easy listening.
Aggressive, noisy, raw. To start with. Slides into mediocre lager rock which is alternately boring and annoying.
Pretty much different variations of the same song over and over again. Mixing is very flat. Got bored.
Perky jazz. Very NYC.
Wanted to like it more but it's a bit too indulgent and tuneless.
Joyful!
Really enjoyed this. Mrs Robinson still sounds fresh. Was not expecting synths!
Flamboyant and beautifully produced. Joyous.
Enjoyable. Wish I hadn't listened to the album with bonus tracks though as it's far too long.
Very samey, hated that sound effect they used on most songs.
My flatmate at uni was a big fan of this, but I have only a vague recollection of it. Enjoyable, though, very raw and aggressive in places, in a good way.
Occasionally very cheesy and soap opera-like, but fun and funky nonetheless.
Aggressive, noisy, raw. To start with. Slides into mediocre lager rock which is alternately boring and annoying.
I want to like U2, they just make it so difficult sometimes! After an epic start it nosedives into Bono at his most indulgently awful, punctuated by a few decent singles.
A silly but perfectly formed blast of death metal. It sounds like there are too many lyrics for each song. Can't believe it came out in 86, it still sounds fresh.
A carnival of musical styles that has much more range than the lead single suggests.
Bouncy, fun, silly.
Perfectly formed psych-folk-pop.
On a Neil Young trip at the moment! He seems to be one of the few artists whose live performances live up to the recorded versions.
What I love about SOAD is that the vitriol is coming from a genuine place. They're not just overgrown teenagers ranting against their parents.
Debauched jazz; runs the gamut of emotions while being sonically perfect. Fuckin a.
Production and assembly is great, and it's a (rightly) angry album, but the shameless sexism is not a good look now.
So much funk. Very ahead of its time.
Oh my god this goes on forever. He's not a great lyricist, is he? Will this ever ennnnd...
Punky, upbeat glam pop, definitely an influence on Supergrass and Franz Ferdinand. Irresistible.
The height of 80s slick production contrasts perfectly with her powerful voice. I wasn't keen on the covers though.
Hmm yeah, kind of not really my thing. I remember it being very fashionable to like this though. Maybe I need to see the film.
Honestly just the blandest thing I've ever heard. If a yogurt made a sound this would be it.
The Cure before they discovered the playfulness that gave them hit singles.
Boring 80s pop
Very much of its time, still quite fun though.
Very late-90s; watery.
Solid
Short, sharp bursts of funk. I'm generally not a fan of live albums, but this one's worth a listen just to hear the sheer amount of fervour Brown generated.
Great country music for Lego building with my son on a Saturday morning.
A nice sound, but it gets a bit samey after a while.
Very chilled out folk, occasionally dark and deep.
Dour
Great fun
Very Tim Burton-esque soundscapes. Their formula wears a little thin in the middle, but the album is better than I remember it.
Finally! I've found a U2 album that doesn't make me want to stab my ears out.
Incredibly entertaining.
I always assumed this came out in the 80s, but it makes sense in the mid-70s, exactly halfway between Dylan's folk heroism and swaggering stadium rock. Born to Run is a terrific ode to the small towns where the American dream has come to die.
Jazz-blues, blues-jazz. Definitely an influence on Led Zep. Annoying bonus tracks on Spotify.
Lovely jazz, less showy than Miles Davis.
Bouncy folk-rock with an charming roughness. But I had to skip Fairytale; I've heard that song far too many times and I hate how overexposed it is. It's probably the weakest track on the album as well.
I was enjoying this until I got to "Teacher's Pet," which made me barf. Scarier than all the naff black metal stuff.
Loved every minute of this.
A bit too chill for me. Prefer Nick Drake if I'm going down that route.
Bjork at her most Bjorkish. Wears a bit thin in places, no real standout tracks, and it was about this time that Goldfrapp took it to a more interesting place.
Some decent singles, but his voice is still way too annoying.
Sweaty. Basically lots of different versions of Two Tribes (no bad thing!) and some utterly redundant cover versions which ruin the tone of the album and stretch it out too much.
Knew the theme from \"The Exorcist,\" but wondered how Mike would fill 50 minutes of record. But he does and it works well, with surprising range and depth.
Doors-esque psych-rock. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is a sleazy, slinky classic.
Very well-produced with a distinctive, unique sound. Sags a bit in the middle, but the dour, haunting singles make up for it. Much better than the town it's named after.
Pretty good, but very much of its time.
I'm beginning to realise that Belle and Sebastian aren't quite as twee as I first thought. I liked this, but I get the feeling there are better B&S albums.
Not bad! Couldn't find any stand-out tracks though.
I was sort of dreading this after her more folksy albums, but it's kind of perfect. The sort of thing Air were trying to do, minus the tongue-in-cheekness.
Absolutely perfect in terms of consistency of tone, never outstays its welcome.
Slightly farty prog rock. Great fun.
Puerile, cheesy, and raucous. Love in an Elevator is fantastic though.
Not sure if music from this period is bad or if I just didn't like it. But I did not enjoy this one bit; bland, pretentious, and needy. The early-00s equivalent of easy listening.
Exactly what the future sounded like from the perspective of 1982. Technically impressive and ridiculously sexy.
Another not-great album from the early-00s. Schmaltzy and overwrought.
Definitely growing on me, it has a whimsical charm.
I remember this sounding like the future when it came out. It still sounds fresh, but time has tamed it. Runs out of steam and becomes irritating in places.
A bit dull.
So much texture, enthusiasm, and charisma. Moves so fast, freewheeling and joyously so. Made me smile so much.
Surprisingly croonerific. Not all albums from this era are that good.
I remember my muso mates turning their noses up when they saw my copy of "Iowa." They were wrong. "All Hope is Gone" is better than "Iowa;" less childish and more range. What sets Slipknot apart is the contrast between the crunching, wall-of-sound death metal and the smoother, more melodic elements. A bit corny and overlong, but enjoyable nonetheless.
A weird, spidery album that delves further into the late-night freakiness that Lou Reed initially tapped. Love it.
In which Dwight advocates killing unfaithful women. Maybe they'd have more respect if you weren't such a murderous shithead, Dwight.
Women were so much better at punk than men.
Somewhere between Radiohead and MGMT. A nice sound and great vocals, but I couldn't find any standout tracks.
A match made in heaven — or hell. Metallica's overblown songs meet Kamen's OTT orchestration. Ridiculous fun and hugely impressive technically and logistically, hits its grunty nadir with "For Whom the Bell Tolls."
TV on the Radio were one of the more interesting bands of this era, and I liked that the indie genre became a bit more diverse. But this album seemed to have quite a lot of filler.
Just wow. Every verse is a surprise, but it also manages to work in some tender moments. The best CSN&Y album I've heard. So far.
Really enjoyable. Reminds you how little has changed in politics since the 70s. (Could not find on Spotify, YouTube link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnkDjMDD3JQ)
I find Elvis Costello a little annoying. This was ok.
Loved the singles from this at the time, but I never had the album. They were so different to everyone else at the time, the kind of rock and roll Primal Scream road tripped, but with a hint of ska. Loses a bit of momentum after the first three tracks, but still one-of-a-kind.
So talented! Every song sounds like a blueprint for Bonkers, but without its overexposure and catchiness.
Fun
Angular post-punk, probably very influential but it felt a little slight to me. One track sounds like Seinfeld slap-bass made into a song.
Great title! Dull and predictable album.
What a slog. The Smashing Pumpkins barely have enough material for one song, let alone a 2-hour plus album.
Went for the stereo version. So many good songs it's hard to pick a highlight. Beautiful, genre-bending music that was way ahead of its time but also nostalgic.
Grunge was a reaction against stadium rock, and this is a reaction against grunge: small-scale, personal, lo-fi; with an air of reluctant self-pity replacing anger.
Terrific voice, but the songs all start to sound the same after a while. It's a shame we never got to hear her doing more experimental and interesting stuff. And we missed out on a Bond theme!
I like the way he rhymes "friend" with "end" and "fire" with "fire."
Probably should have listened to this before Christmas! Good though, a nice change from the heavy rotation Christmas songs of the 70s/80s/90s.
One star for the "Money for Nothing" intro. The rest is insipid, cringeworthy music for 80s dads to listen to in their Ford Cortinas. Not sure why a band from Newcastle are trying to sound like they're from Nevada too.
My favourite Beatles album is "The Best of the Beatles" (from the ages of 7-11 it actually was because it was the only one we had on tape). I was excited for "The White Album," and the crescendo of "Back in the USSR" followed by the melancholy crush of "Dear Prudence" (my favourite Beatles song) is a hell of a way to open an album and set its tone. But there are some duff tracks here too: "Ob-La-Di" and "Piggies" have dated awfully, and I'm sad to say I found the whole thing more irritating than enjoyable.
50% decent hip-hop with a touch of trip-hop, 50% utter cringe wannabe gangster. It gets a star for being a welcome antidote to the bland indie that dominated UK airwaves at the time.
Ushered in a new era of bland, limp-wristed, badly sung indie. Too many songs about stars. Did not like one bit.
Love it. Boundary pushing indie pop; jaded romance.
I never got on with Elbow's first album, and it out me off listening to their later stuff. But this is phenomenal and I wish I'd given them a second chance at the time. The only track I don't like is "One Day Like This," which EE used as its hold music and I'll forever associate with stressful calls.
Feeling ill, so I'm listening to this and reading Dickens. Somehow they go together!
One of those albums that seems a lot scarier than it is.
My knowledge of The Doors is embarrassingly poor, but this seems like a step away from psych-rock and towards noodley blues.
Wonderful, mournful 60s blue-eyed soul. You Don't Own Me is chilling and perfect.
Razor-sharp, unpretentious heavy metal.
I'm guessing there probably wasn't much like this when it came out, and it still sounds fresh and vibrant. Occasionally gets a bit Muzaky, but I don't think this detracts from the album overall.
Just the most lost-sounding album in the world; distant vocals amid swirling guitars. Occasionally a little too discordant, but impressive and influential overall.
What an unexpected delight. I love the way "Without You," probably the definitive modern love song, is followed by the playful absurdity of "Coconut," then "Jump Into the Fire" takes us on a psych-rock odyssey. And it does all this without ever losing its focus or missing a beat.
Jazzy trip-hop with a distinctly Parisian twist. Has not dated nearly as badly as other music of this era, moves along nicely, but it is too long.
Not quite as coherent as III, but it makes up for it in the heavenly heights the songs hit.
Big Mouth Strikes Again is probably The Smiths' best song (and yes, that includes How Soon Is Now?), but Frankly Mr Shankly is probably their worst.
When I first listened to this about 10 years ago I wanted to like it more, but found it too schizophrenic and irritating. On relistening Rundgren's genius really shines through. I love the fact that it doesn't sit still and changes direction so many times, but still manages to work in some decent tunes.
Groovy.
If you can't listen to this without at least tapping your foot, you're not alive and probably a zombie or vampire.
Love the diversity of the samples, the bravura of the production. I think the way it pushed things forwards just about overcomes the nasty, dated lyrics.
It's like someone put The Beach Boys in a blender, then baked it. Love the texture.
60s music was really good, wasn't it? This is powerful but effeminate without ever being cloying.
Exactly what my brain needed on a stressful Wednesday morning. Orbital are at their best when they're doing more chilled-out stuff.
My Dad had this on vinyl, so it got some heavy rotation when I was about five. Now, the tentpole tracks (Born in the USA, Cover Me and Dancing in the Dark) lack the punch I remember, but I'm on Fire is an absolute masterpiece; Springsteen baring a vulnerable heart underneath his gruff exterior.
Listened to Sticky Fingers a lot at uni. It makes you feel dirty just by listening — and it's all the better for it. The remastered edition on Spotify is a bit unnecessary, I prefer the heroin-fuelled rawness of the original recording.
Not usually a fan of live albums, but this one is essential. Its acoustic nature strips Kurt of his electrified anger and softens Nirvana's rough edges, revealing something more tender. The covers, in particular "Man Who Saved the World," fit in perfectly too.
One of Eno's best collaborations, with David Byrne and the entire continent of Africa adding a vital funk injection.
Stirring.
There's something very sweet about Gary Numan, he was a musician who was unafraid to embrace his inner nerd. This album is a little underwhelming, probably because other artists have remixed and amped up his songs.
A less weird Kate Bush. Some decent tunes, especially Little Earthquakes, but there are some boring ballads too.
I've always been put off KISS by the way they look. But I realised that this is quite judgemental of me and these poor people must have suffered throughout their lives due to their unusual facial pigmentation, incredible hair, and malformed feet. Anyway, this album is decent; well-rounded and nicely paced with tight production. And it doesn't sound like I expected a KISS album to sound.
My Mum played a lot of Baez when I was growing up, but, being 10, I never really saw the appeal. This album really clicked for me, though; it's very straightforward, but her pitch-perfect voice and skills as a guitarist elevate it to stratospheric levels. What's more is that it has a level of authenticity and sincerity that's sorely missed in modern music.
Girl From Ipanema is very good, it feels bright and sunny. Lost interest after that though.
Started listening to this yesterday, found it nightmarishly horrible and had to switch it off, but I was not in a great place. Picked it up again today and enjoyed it a lot more; despite Sinatra's reputation, there is something heartfelt and sincere about his songs and the way he sings them. I like the way it tells a story as well.
A confession from someone who considers themselves a Pixies fan: I only ever had their "Death to the Pixies" compilation, and I always thought it was enough. Then I saw them live in Cardiff in 2016 and did not enjoy them one bit, there was no audience engagement or energy. But this album has reaffirmed my love of Pixies; it's nice to hear the classics from "Death to..." alongside some songs I've never heard before, all of which are good.
Somehow I'd never heard her before, but she's got a unique voice paired with intelligent lyrics.
I'd heard this before, thanks to The KLF and Primal Scream. It really is phenomenal, lightning in a jar energy. Wish I'd been there, dude.
Given my recent Talk Talk revelation, I thought I might like this a bit more. But I didn't. Bland, unchallenging, meaningless music.
Sorry, I just don't see the attractions.
I'm always wary of albums with the tracklisting on the cover, but this one's pretty good. Read the Wikipedia page and the guy was a scumbag. Next.
No fucking clue what he's singing about, which is a good thing as I didn't get distracted by the lyrics. Technically impressive for a live album too.
Try as I might, I always find Queen more irritating than interesting.
Promising to start with, but overlong and occasionally horribly misogynistic in a "hey I'm playing a character" way, which seems even worse.
Relaxing and soothing; could have been recorded any time between 1965 and now.
Liked this a lot, feels (and looks) like a very 90s alt-rock album even though it was recorded in the 80s.
Enjoyable gentle rock.
Dynamic, engaging pop rock. Well ahead of its time. One of my new favourite bands.
God I wish I still did drugs
Unexceptional blues rock
Easy to see why they were such a hit: a set of punchy pop tunes that wouldn't upset your mum too much. I think I prefer this to their more experimental work.
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I'm old enough to remember when this came out, and was absolutely everywhere, and I absolutely hated it at the time. Listening to the whole album reveals it's not too bad; it has a certain ADHD energy and Kleidis is a surprisingly sharp lyricist. But every song relies on the same formula, which wears a bit thin, and it's far too long.
I enjoyed this more than the Simon and Garfunkel albums I've heard; more meaty diversity and texturally superior.
A machine gun of hits.
Interesting to start with but soon became almost soporifically boring. Just platitudes set to music.
The standout tracks just about overcome some horrible midi sounds.
So it's not "Coming in Jamaica."
I had an annoying, unidentifiable song permanently lodged in my head from 2013 - 2019. It turns out it's "Rock the House." Good to have some closure. I like the album otherwise, a nice halfway house between trip and hip hop. "19-2000" is a forgotten gem.
A lot more depth and breadth than I was expecting from "There She Goes" and Cast's output. A northern REM.
Somehow, I'd never listened to this. Really liked it; raw punk, but with cerebral credibility.
Funky folk by funky folk. Reminds me of Alan Parsons.
I like the concept, but parts of this have dated awfully, especially the "humourous" bits.
Decent.
I did listen to this, but I forgot to review it. The singles are good, from what I remember.
"Dreamin'" is so, so bad. But "The Message" is so, so good.
Not what I expected, soul with a hip-hop edge. Much more subdued and subtle than her sister's more bombastic work.
Steady rock. Not quite as flamboyant or emotional as their later work
Nicely laid-back songwriting from a racist prick.
Loved this. Eastside rap was a lot more cosmopolitan than west, and I preferred its sound. Mama Said Knock You Out still sounds great, while Milky Cereal is great fun.
My expectations were low, but this album is stunning. Sounds as if it could have been recorded in 2001, alongside The Strokes et al.
Never really got this. His cover of "Hallelujah" is heavenly, but the rest is messy and unfocused. It's better in its quieter moments, the louder bits are sub "Pablo Honey"-era Radiohead.
Decent 70s chill.
This kind of music seems to be in a no-man's land between classic and modern. At the time of writing, it's cringeworthy heartfelt saccharine pop-folk without a hint of irony or authenticity.
Irresistible jazz with an electronic edge. Groundbreaking and essential.
Better than most other albums of this era, less whimsical and more muscular.
A halfway house between The Clash and Rage Against the Machine, that refocuses hip-hop's anger against the establishment and corporations. Still as relevant today as it was 30 (!?) years ago.
Decent, but I'm getting a bit bored of blues/folk live albums.
An interesting album, at least 17 years ahead of its time.
Decent but not essential.
Good lord this made me want to drink beer in the sun.
Great fun.
Astonished by how much I enjoyed this, it was never not interesting. Still not sure if they're racist though.
I had this at the time; I sold it (when that was a thing!) because The Prodigy just felt like one-trick ponies, with very little muscle behind their aggressive sound. Now, the singles (Smack My Bitch Up, Firestarter) just feel quaint and cute and kind of funny. But I was surprised at the depth of the rest of the album, there are some decent tracks on here, especially the Crispian Mills collab. Which is something I never thought I'd say!
So many hits here. Unbelievably good.
Made me feel uneasy, but I'm not sure if it was because I was feeling uneasy anyway.
Indulgent and slightly irritating. Not entirely convinced that this list needs more than one Bjork album.
The cover of "You Really Got Me" got me, wasn't quite so keen on the rest though.
Remember when it was funny to pretend to be a wife-beating, drug-addled psychopath? No, me neither.
So smooth and enjoyable to listen to. Love the way each track builds the elements.
I was listening to this yesterday and I thought it sounded very familiar. Checked my Spotify history and it turned out I'd listened to it the day before without realising it! It was a stressful day. Still a good album though.
Loved this, especially its more psychedelic odysseys, which reminded me of Circle and Pharaoh Overlord.
Reminded me of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts a little bit. Sting really fancies himself though.
Interesting music that just about covers up the terrible lyrical content.
Loved this
Probably my favourite album of all time. Still holds up, so completely alive
Ah, this was brilliant. So laid-back and enjoyable.
Nice to hear a female voice in hip-hop. Occasionally discordant and a little too long, but I liked it, especially the first track.
One of the most incredible musical moments of my life was hearing "Intro" echo across Glastonbury's fields at the close of the 2013 festival. It was a fitting coda for a weekend of excess. The rest of the album can't quite match the lofty heights of "Intro," but it the XX certainly had a unique sound and pushed things forwards a little bit.
Not really a fan.
The title track is a mainline injection of pure late-80s nostalgia; neon socks and fake Wayfarers. The rest never hits those lofty heights, but it's enjoyable and slickly produced.
Not as gothy as I thought it would be. Still a unique voice and sound though.
So Täp
Just so many hits here! What a great album.
I don't think famous means what Leonard Cohen thinks it means.
I think their greatest hits would have been a better option here. It includes the Father Ted theme song.
His best album. Into Your Arms is just the prettiest song.
Great stuff
Faith is great, but Father Figure is the real highlight here, such an awe-inspiring love song. The rest is a bit hit-and-miss.
This list really doesn't need this much Springsteen!
I've come to the conclusion that I really hate Elvis.
Interesting, but I don't feel it adds much to her output with The Velvet Underground.
A bit overlong, but still an interesting album. It has more in common with Beastie Boys/Money Mark than their Britpop neighbours.
Probably the best Public Enemy album.
The fuck is JK worth $70m for producing this dirge. Some bloke singing over a thrift shop jazz record. If you want to stop the Emergency on Planet Earth, stop landing your fucking helicopter on wildlife.
Ranty, arty music.
This isn't an album, it's a fucking ordeal.
I bought this when it came out, at the time house music seemed adventurous and mysterious, but Basement Jaxx gave it a geekier and more accessible edge. I think because Felix wears glasses. There are some duff tracks, but there's just enough intelligence and sophistication here to elevate it above the standard Ibiza floor fillers.
Astonishing
Still great
I hate "Come on Eileen," but I was expecting to be pleasantly surprised by this album. I wasn't.
I love the way Abba have gone from brilliant in the 70s, to cheesy in the 90s, and back up to brilliant now. Every song is perfectly written and flawlessly executed.
Surprisingly varied
As much as I like Bjork's solo work, this indie pop is a better match for her fiery vocals. An absolute treasure.
So enthusiastic and light and breezy.
The Beatles: 50% the greatest songs of all time, 50% chintzy whimsy that makes you want to thrust chopsticks into your earholes.
So very, very 90s. A man screeching over a drum.
People in the 60s clearly didn't know how to clap properly.
Not really my cup of tea, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Many tracks missing on Spotify, but what I heard was decent.
Love the way the tracks merge into one another, perfectly executed.
To be honest, I wasn't expecting to be a huge fan of this based on the overplayed "Superstition" and "You Are The Sunshine of my Life," but it really is an incredible album, flowing between moods and genres with ease. It sounds great and his voice is terrific.
I had to wade through almost an hour of boring indulgence before I got to "Paper Planes," and even that song is basically a cover.
The NME always put me off Soundgarden, presumably because they weren't British and ugly and terrible. But I feel like I missed out now, I love the range of Cornell's voice and the power of the production. It does outstay its welcome a bit though.
For the past 35 years, I honestly thought that the lyrics we're "shot through the heart, and you're too late, you need lovin', and band-aid." I thought this was very clever and ironic because, obviously, a band-aid wouldn't do anything for a bleeding heart. But it turns out I was wrong, and this album sucks.
I remember this being a thing. Not overly keen though, there's little variety.
Like being wrapped in a blanket. Wonderful.
Pretty good. "The Man Comes Around" is a total rip-off of "The Claw" by Ten Benson though.
Very good, terrific in places, but I still prefer Talk Talk in terms of London bands with repeating-word names.
Good, very Sex Pistols, completely unsurprisingly.
Groove is in the Heart is a great song, full of life and musically diverse. The rest of the album is the opposite of this; moribund, repetitive, and completely absent of ideas. It's forgivable as the genre was still finding its feet, but I don't think this album should be on the list.
They're having such a great time and I just want to be there with them.
So this is where the Blade Runner soundtrack got most of its ideas.
Occasionally patchy but decent overall. I was surprised at its more electronica elements.
Not sure this is essential, but it's an interesting time capsule of hippie-era San Francisco.
In the no-man's land between metal, soft rock, and grunge. Utterly cringey in places.
Gave me flashbacks to a really awful trip I had in the 60s. I've never taken acid and I wasn't even alive then.
Prog rock with a dose of 80s cynicism. Pink Floyd without the irritating bits. Absolutely loved it.
I think Perfect Day is a perfect song. So bittersweet. The rest of the album is great as well.
So many juicy samples for other artists to pluck from the Incredible Bongo Tree. Great to hear the originals.
Justice did Daft Punk when Daft Punk stopped doing Daft Punk. I like this album; it's coherent. But the French Touch sound was wearing a little thin even at the time of release.
Cash is funny and charming, but I'm not sure two live prison albums (San Quentin is the other one) are needed here. It's a bit niche.
Better and more varied than expected.
I had no idea this was a thing. It's quite well-formed and catchy.
Enjoyable prog.
I loved Smoke on the Water, until my guitar teacher pointed out how mundane the subject matter is (there was literally smoke on the water!). But this album has rekindled things between me and DP. It's proper, straightforward rock that never becomes too cheesy or indulgent.
Any album that features Iggy Pop singing "Aisha, I'm viiibraaatiiing" gets five stars by default.
Definitely growing on me, it gets more interesting every time I hear it. Love the unpredictable key changes and the way the whole thing is out together. I listened to this on YouTube Music, with ads. Totally respect Neil's decision to avoid Spotify.
Absolutely loved At The Drive-In, so I'm not sure how this passed me by. It's great though, lots of scope and variety on top of ATDI's distinctive sound.
Very much a nostalgic album for me. I have a bizarrely specific memory of driving to Hartland Point with my parents while listening to this. Which isn't to say it's good. Beetlebum is better than I remember; Song 2 is worse, time has softened its grunge punchiness. The rest is patchy as hell, often irritating, and low on ideas. Still better than Oasis though.
This is great, not sure how I hadn't heard it before. Reminded me of George Michael in a lot of places.
Very middle of the road trucker music.
30 minutes of Elvis. Doesn't outstay his welcome.
This was a few days ago. Obviously didn't make much of an impression.
I've always liked PJ Harvey, but never enough to listen to her albums. This changed my mind, in a good way.
Two PJs in one day! This one was great, grunge with a distinctly British and feminine twist. Absolute legend.
This was massive in the UK for a bit, but somehow it completely passed me by. It was better than I expected; the connective tissue between Oasis and Elbow.
So far ahead of its time that I don't think its time has come yet.
Almost 60 years old, but you just get an immediate sense of BB King's power and what he was doing differently.
Gets points for somehow straddling riot grrl, grunge, and britpop; loses them for some truly dreadful album filler tracks. "Queer" and "Vow" are their best songs.
This was the first album I ever bought. Eight years old, WHSmith in Barnstaple. It terrified me (I was a sensitive kid). I rediscovered it about 12 years ago and appreciated it more. It's anthemic stadium rock delivered so slickly that you don't realise how moronic the whole endeavour is.
Is Kate Bush always this prog? It's great!
If I had a time machine, my priority would be making my 16-year-old self listen to this absolutely masterful recording. After that I'd go back and kill Hitler etc.
Found this a bit meh. Just sounded like Dylan.
I have no recollection of this woman or her album. But it's pretty good.
How is this 12 years old!? Definitely a 21st-century album that deserves its place here. Delightful and texturally unique.
I was fully expecting to hate this, but it was better than I expected. What's interesting is how Skin kind of kick-started UK hip-hop artists such as Stormzy and Dizzee Rascal, even if the genre is different.
This is the only album I've skipped so far. Yes, Eminem is talented, but then you could say Hitler was a talented politician.
If you had a drink every time someone says the word "space" on this album, you'd basically end up evaporating. It's great, though, surely an inspiration on Star Wars and Flash Gordon and other sci-fi of the era.
I had the special edition of this, where the CD was contained in a blister pack, like a giant paracetamol. We listened to it on the way back from an Unbelievable Truth gig, it sent my dad to sleep and he crashed into a hedge. It's still a great album. I was 16 when I first heard it, and it sounded how I expected love and drugs to be. The album can't quite maintain the starburst of its first three tracks, but it still switches between heartracing and heartbreaking. It's the album Primal Scream, The Verve, and Kasabian wish they made.
I could never quite bring myself to like Muse, they always struck me as a Radiohead clone with greater technical ability but less heart. This album is pretty good though, it's ambitious, progressive, and very Queen in places.
Interesting that this should come up so soon after Spiritualized's "Ladies and Gentlemen...," which nabs some lyrics. I like this as well, it's country rock with a venomous streak of 'nam-era cynicism and a biting sense of humour.
I like the way 70s-era Stones is seeping into this one.
Far too indulgent and proggy. Every now and then it threatens to have a nice melody, but soon turns back into egocentric dirge that probably seemed like a good idea at the time. And then Phil Collins starts singing about erogenous zones 🤢
I was into this album after it was released, but before Stranger Things made it popular. Doubling down on hipsterism. Is hipsterism still a thing? Anyway, album is good.
Good, but a little dated in places.
Finally, a Beatles album I can get behind. Very few of the dated, cloying songs that I hate so much.
Every song sounds like it's going to be "Relax" by Frankie goes to Hollywood, but they always turn out to be better.
Honky tonky
Understanding Pink Floyd's origin story made me like them a bit more. And then Bike ruined everything.
I have no recollection of listening to this album and I wasn't even drunk
EVERYTHING IS SO DRAMATIC AND HOW DOES ADELE GET THROUGH A DAY WITHOUT WARBLING
Can timelessness be a bad thing? This sounds like it could have been recorded any time in the past 40 years, but not necessarily in a good way, just in an unchallenging way.
Ridiculously fun and energetic, a missing link between metal and dance. Like throwing a box of firecrackers into a bonfire. One of the best discoveries I've made here, I just wish I'd been into them at the time.
Split up with boyfriend, throw troll at 14-inch TV with built in VHS recorder, watch Friends, have terrible hair, get shot by your brother's supersoaker, listen to Alanis Morissette. Because it's great. Especially You Oughta Know. And the typewriter font everyone used everywhere.
Just absolutely grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go.
She's great fun and very charismatic, but I'm not sure why all hip hop albums of this era needed to be so long.
This was so boring I actually died. When the paramedics resuscitated me they told me I was the third person that day who'd died of boredom while listening to Nixon.
This is exactly what I imagine a 1980s arts college in northern England would sound like. Amazing in its own way; it almost verges into hip-hop in places. RIP MES.
Enjoyable and full of heart. Could not find the full album on Spotify, YouTube link here: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lPdfiWy1WS-WR8Fwg3GAGWZKKYB3tngiU&feature=share
Reminds me of summer 1954, when I cruised around the Amalfi coast in my convertible Fiat, wooed beautiful Italian women, and did other stuff I completely made up for the purposes of this review.
Incredible. The more I listen to music of this era and genre, the more I realise how unoriginal The Strokes are.
Variations on a theme, but it's a great theme (and one you've heard everywhere).
Actually not bad. Very much of its time, but it's easy to see why they were so popular; Fred Durst's cartoony, juvenile persona matched with punchy, compressed guitars and flawless production.
This album is so tight that it made me pass out.
Not bad, not great. Bit dated.
This just has such a nice vibe that it gets away with sounding like the soundtrack to The Jungle Book/The Lion King.
I had this at the age of about 21 as part of the Peel Slowly and See boxset. It's still amazing, a gritty backlash against the staid pop that dominated airwaves in the 1960s.
This was not what I expected, but then I didn't really know what to expect. I quite liked it though.
Still not a huge Elvis fan, but I appreciated how fast this moves.
This is great, very Led Zeppelin, maybe with a little less variety, but Ozzy's charisma makes up for it.
This doesn't look like a Neil Young album, and there are places where it doesn't sound like one. In a good way! Very enjoyable. YT music link here: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n1S9ljyNSBHJ-FKC5l44V500jlmEBtt-0&feature=share
Green Day are another band the NME made me hate. This is great, raw and aggressive, and I feel sad that I missed out.
Surprisingly experimental and electronic, and quite raunchy.
Graceful and soothing.
This is the third PJ Harvey album I've been recommended by the generator, and it made me wonder if the list really needs three PJ Harvey albums? And the answer is yes. Yes, it does.
This is better than the other Costello albums on here. I'm still not a fan, but I'm beginning to understand why people like him.
Here's a fun fact I probably shouldn't admit: I used to think Utero was a city in America, and that this was a live album. This is still an absolute kick in the balls of an album, more aggressive and weird and artistic than Nevermind; Cobain's recorded suicide note. If Nevermind reflected teenage angst, In Utero is about adult anxiety.
AKA Cool Bass Sounds: The Album. This definitely pushed dance music forwards and it's better, and less cringeworthy, than The Prodigy's output at the time. But the production sucks. It sounds like it was mixed more like a rock album than a dance one, and the drums sound especially washed out and lost in the mix. It makes you realise how much the French Touch improved the genre by applying a lick of polish.
Why are all the hip-hop albums of this era so long? They're always an hour plus, and there are inevitably a few obvious filler tracks. The tracks that aren't obvious filler tracks are good though.
Annoyingly, I only listened to Ray of Light a few weeks ago. Too much Madge! This album perfectly encapsulates the late-90s tech-spiritual zeitgeist, something Moby would build on. Some tracks are great (Ray of Light, Nothing Really Matters, Sky Fits Heaven), others seem to have been recorded by a 12-year-old girl with access to a studio.
This reminds me of a classic southwestern UK joke about Simon & Garfunkel having engine trouble over the Somerset town of Bridgwater. It's a terrible joke. But the album is good! Too many good songs to choose from, some that I didn't even realize were performed by Simon & Garfunkel. Don't ask me for specifics. I just liked it.
Linkin Park's sound is very well-polished, but I found this album relentless and exhausting. Maybe that's the point; I just wish it let off the gas for a little bit. I hate to say it, but I think Limp Bizkit are a better nu metal band - at least they knew how to have fun and injected some variety into their albums.
I remember owning this at the time and selling it after the first listen. But time has been kind to it. It helps that the songs aren't played literally everywhere, all the time, like they were in '99. (I'm currently sitting in a Caffe Nero in Bristol and a man keeps trying to make conversation with me, which is distracting.) Anyway, I really, really love "Honey" and "Run On," and I did at the time. They're doing something interesting and unique with folk and blues. "Porcelain" can fucking do one though, namby-pamby spiritual advertisement shite.
I enjoyed the bits that weren't weird.
Just exactly what blues should be. Frantic, convivial, frenetic fun.
I've never been massively into reggae, but I enjoyed this. Absolutely, convincingly doing its own thing while being tuneful and accessible.
Definitely standing on the shoulders of the Beatles, but it has just enough baroque touches and acerbic humour to make it a bit different.
I feel like taking part in this project has changed my Spotify recommendations algorithm to the point where it's started pumping out tracks from albums on the list. Case in point: "Heatwave" by The Blue Nile, which I've definitely heard before, very recently. The album is good though, its percussive soundscape still sounds great and ensures it hasn't dated as badly as music by The Blue Nile's peers. I also assumed they were from downtown New York, not the highlands of Scotland.
I think this was the point where I realised Radiohead had completely ran out of ideas, other than novel internet distribution methods. "All I Need" is OK, the rest is bland, indulgent, forgettable twaddle. Thom Yorke's lyrics are just interlinked platitudes.
This is the Taylor Swift album you've been looking for. Less strummy folk, more polished bubblegum pop, and "Shake It Off" has to be her best song. I do still wonder how Taylor's had her heart broken so many times without dying though.
Intelligent folk rock, pretty good.
Never not fun. The volume is oddly mixed though.
My son summed it up well when he asked, "Does this band have any good songs?" It's mostly intensely irritating clown music, with a couple of soppy melodramas. "Girls and Boys" is a definite highlight, but it's downhill from there.
POV: It's the 90s and you've just moved into a new house, so you put on "Moon Safari." You're making a television program about moving into a new house, so you put "Moon Safari" on the soundtrack. You're having a bath, so you listen to "Moon Safari." You want to imagine what it's like to be stoned, so you put on "Moon Safari." Or you put on "La Femme d'Argent" and "Sexy Boy" and "Kelly Watch The Stars" and skip the rest. When it's good, it's great, but tracks like "You Make it Easy" are hard to like. "10,000 Hz Legend," Air's follow-up, is better, even if it sounded worse at the time.
Not a bad album, but not an exceptional one. There is too much Costello here.
Great, well ahead of its time. Felt the influence on REM, as well as another band that completely escapes me. Another 1001 gem.
I just always thought of 808 State as the Pacific 202 band, and little more. But this is a great album, and Pacific 202 actually proves to be one of the weaker tracks.
I remember first listening to this about 15 years ago and enjoying it. Sumner's not the best lyricist or vocalist, but his boyish charm makes up for it. It sounds great as well.
Good, but not as good as I thought it might be with that line-up.
I only got into Sonic Youth quite recently, and I couldn't quite get through Goo because of its more artsy, angular bits. But now I love those bits as well. "Tunic" has got to be one of the saddest songs ever.
I loved Goldfrapp's first album; it was retro and modern in a way that hadn't really been done before. The follow-up went in a new electroclash direction that was just as good. Somehow, I never heard this, but it doesn't feel quite as adventurous as the first two albums. Instead, it plays it safe with Radio 2-friendly pop.
Very likable and an interesting sound, just not entirely convinced about their abilities as songwriters. "Been Caught Stealing" is the exception that proves the rule.
Good fun, but, like a lot of 80s metal, it's a bit quaint now. "Run To The Hills" was the soundtrack to many drunken nights in rock bars in my early 20s.
Really liked this. Hip-hop from this era seemed to soften a bit, in a good way. Appreciated the 45 minute length as well, just right.
Ya like 12-bar blues?
I feel bad for saying this because I've grown to like Metallica, but "...And Justice For All" should be called "...And Boredom For All." Never has metal been more unexciting.
Just enough rock to outweigh the annoying folk.
Started out ok, but progressively grew more annoying. If I had a time machine, my priority would be to go back and tell Annie and Dave to cut it short.
If I was 16 and drunk on cheap lager this would be the best thing ever.
If Motörhead didn't exist, it would have been necessary to create them. Some huge Norwegian blacksmith hammering the band out of Marlboro reds, Jack Daniels, gunmetal, and heroin.
I like Iggy Pop, but I did find this a bit meh. Nightclubbing is a highlight.
This was the PJ Harvey I was into. It's good, but I don't think it has the venomous bite of her earlier work. Also, Thom Yorke's cameos in this era just consisted of him repeating the lyrics (see also: El Presidente by Drugstore).
Quite an important album to me. I was 17 when "OK Computer" came out. It was quite unlike anything I'd heard before, and it stood in stark contrast to the tedious Britpop that dominated the airwaves at the time. It was weird and geeky, the sound of uncertainty in a world where technology was taking over, and believing in conspiracy theories was fun and silly and not causing the collapse of civilization. Fast-forward 25 years and I still know it inside-out; it's been engraved on my synapses forever. But it's also kinda patchy. For the initial sting of "Airbag" there's the literal let down of "Let Down," "Paranoid Android's" layered despair gives way to "Karma Police," which I never really liked. It's a good album, but, looking back, I feel like "The Bends" is more consistent and coherent.
To be honest I was dreading another Bruce Springsteen album. But this is decent; more sombre and stripped-back than his other, more work. I think I like Grumpy Bruce more than Hollerin' Bruce.
I can imagine this as being pretty popular in 2000. In 2023, not so much.
Little Richard! An album! Little Richard! An album! Whoop whoop whoop! ^ basically every song
Nicely done, very chill, reminded me of Japanese pop in places.
Just Anthony Kiedis singing about a blowjob he once had.
I'm totally biased, but I love Eno, and I think I even prefer this arty pop rock to his ambient works.
I love the first three or so tracks of this; the false starts, the growing menace of the throbbing bass drum. It's like trying to find a party at 3am, and then it finally kicks in. I think the rest of the album isn't quite the best party in the world, it's a bit too long, but it's still pretty damn good.
This somehow works in Neil Young-does-Goldfrapp kinda way. Love the orchestration, and it feels smarter and more polished than Odelay.
I listened to this on Friday and now, on Monday, I can't say I remember a single thing about this album. I think I liked it?
I loved this album about 10 years ago; I remember playing "Fascination Street" at a Halloween party and it went down a treat. I think it's got even better in the intervening years; it's beautifully desolate. Had I been born 10 years earlier, I would have been the biggest Cure fan.
I was initially worried this would be a bit too groovy, but then I heard the killer line: "I hate you baby with a passion, you know I do." And all was OK with the world. Nice to have a streak of cynicism and surging electric guitars among the bop.
This is fun and he has a nice voice.
The songwriting is a little bland, but this album grew on me. The production here is superb; one of those albums that you'd use to demonstrate your expensive CD hi-fi in the 90s. It also sounds like this is where Justin Timberlake got a lot of his ideas.
Brilliant.
"Alright" is such a blast of nostalgia for me, it just nailed the carefree optimism of the UK in the 90s. "Caught by the Fuzz," "Mansize Rooster," and "Lose It" are all pretty decent, too, in a gobby, cartoony way reminiscent of Blur. But it runs out of tuns towards the end, which is surprising for a 40-minute album.
Very of its time, not bad though.
I think "Sorted for Es and Whizz" was the first cassette single I bought. I remember listening to it with my Dad at the Barnstaple tip. I don't think either of us really understood what it was about, but I do now! I'm not sure time has been kind to this album as a whole. Lyrically it's great, but the music sucks.
Just wasn't feeling this.
I think I had Hendrix's greatest hits. This makes more sense as an album, though; it's long, but you can get absorbed in the trippy guitars. I like the way the best tracks (All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Chile) are saved for last.
A little silly. I like "Come Out and Play," but it definitely feels like a riff on "Love Buzz" by Nirvana (and whoever did that song originally).
Slightly surprised to see this come up. Jacques du Cont was doing the whole 80s throwback thing before Calvin Harris made it cool. That said, quite a few tracks on "Darkdancer" seem to be crowd-pleasing late-90s house that don't quite live up to the perfectly executed pastiche of "Hey You" and "Sometimes."
Just lovely.
Def Leppard's appeal is rapidly diminishing. They're AC/DC-light, zero sense of irony, utterly inane and puerile.
Gets my vote for best album of the 80s. "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" are perfect pop, and the rest of the tracks are great too. At 45 minutes, it never outstays its welcome.
Rod Stewart looks like a Muppet and sings like a Muppet.
Every track sounds like an embryonic version of "Ever Fallen in Love With," apart from one where the swear a lot.
Appreciated how short this was!
Soothing and lovely.
Not a huge fan, but I can see the appeal of this as a live album.
I love this album and it really did set the scene for experimental, introverted music in the 90s. It was super cool to see Kevin Shields noodling away at a Primal Scream live session in 2000-ish as well. But it's a bit much, isn't it? Once you've got over that initial wall-of-sound blast, it becomes a little bit boring. I know that might be the point.
Never quite got The Stone Roses. Ian Brown's lyrics aren't great and this album is just way too long and indulgent. The only place it would make sense is on a stoned comedown after a big night at The Haçienda.
Just insolent noise.
Two tracks, 40 minutes, kind of perfect.
This is just the happiest album.
The band that put me off music and caused me to lose faith in the human race.
My friend Huw recommended this to me at least 15 years ago. Great stuff, punk, but melodic.
Wasn't a Weller fan at the time, he was the Palpatine behind Noel Gallagher's Vader, and together they built a bowl-cut Death Star of dull mod music (OCEAN COLOUR SCENE). But I understand the appeal a little more now: Wild Wood is a British, post-punk take on singer-songwriters like JJ Cale and George Martin. As such, I think it just about stands on its own merits.
I found this bland and forgettable. I think I prefer Bowie when he's doing more cringeworthy stuff, because at least he's trying something new.
Who's your favorite? I like Mr Wind best.
Starts out so tight, but totally goes off the rails towards the end. Gets top marks though for being so, so far ahead of its time.
Very grating in places, and Kevin Shields can't sing, and it lacks the punch of Loveless. But it's still MBV and it's still head and shoulders above everything else at the time.
Wayne Cloying more like.
I love how quiet this is in places.
Largely forgettable save a few moments.
Music for Airports - and generally quiet environments. I tried to listen to this in a busy cafe with loud, terrible music (KLAXXONS) in the background, and it kind of ruined the serenity. But it's definitely a great album, and a very influential one. I love the repetition of motifs and the way it builds up layers. Hypnotic.
Total snoozefest. Sunshine of Your Love is OK, but totally overshadowed by Hendrix's version.
Vaguely interesting but by no means essential.
So good. I love stumbling upon stuff like this that I'd never usually listen to, and Femi's family history is nothing short of incredible. It's an uplifting, energetic, politically switched-on and occasionally very funny album.
I haven't enjoyed most of the Tom Waits albums I've listened to on here, but this turned out to be an exception. It's definitely Waits, but it's less indulgent and more accessible than his later works. PS
Radiohead before Radiohead, Floyd before they made up their mind.
OK
The Cardigans and The Wannadies did indie better than the Brits thanks to the innate Swedish understanding of how to write great pop songs. The sweetness of Nina Persson's voice makes up for the insipid nature of some of the songs here.
I usually like hip-hop, but I'm not keen on this. It's noisy, discordant, and ultimately pretty boring. It's the kind of thing Kanye built on and improved greatly.
I've come to adore David Crosby, but this was too dated and too jangly for my tastes. I did enjoy the occasional dashes of mysticism, though.
"Another Girl, Another Planet" is one of those songs you've heard everywhere but always attributed to someone else (probably The Buzzcocks). It's a great tune and the rest of the album ain't bad either; I like its soporific, heroin-tinged take on punk rock.
This failed to make much of an impact, but there's something awkward and geeky about Echo And The Bunnymen that makes them likeable.
Admittedly, I'm not the biggest Green Day fan, and I remember finding the songs from this album pretty trite when they came out. But in the context of this album, they become part of a larger whole that ebbs and flows organically. I love the idea of a punk concept album as well.
Licensed to Ill is definitely a debut: The Beasties' sound isn't as refined or experimental as later releases, and there's a vein of casual misogyny. But you can feel the freshness, the energy, and I love the way it moves so fast. It's like being machine-gunned to death by rhyming couplets.
I went to Solsbury Hill once and it was shit.
This is hilarious, and knowingly, intelligently so. Post-irony before it was even a thing.
I love how damn tangible and chunky this album is, like a colorful toy from the 1970s that's been cleaned up and made better.
I saw Dylan live last year, some 56 years after this was recorded. Nice to have another live album to compare and contrast with; his voice may be a little more crinkly and he spent most of his time hiding behind his piano, but it was still undeniably Dylan and brilliant. This album is also great.
Another day, another Dylan album! Despite being released some 30 years after his heyday, this is still great, bluesy, tuneful, and wise.
A bit dated, but never not interesting.
I'm so relieved this doesn't sound how it looks.
A lot better and more interesting that other music of the era.
This has really grown on me. Giant is incredible.
A little patchy, but good overall; the sleazy funk of "Work It" more than makes up for the dire "Back in the Day." She reminds me of Prince in places. I think she helped reclaim hip-hop from misogynist assholes as well.
At last, a hip-hop album that isn't too long! And some of the tunes, especially "It's Tricky" and "Walk this Way" are terrific, and I guess they helped open up rap to a wider audience. It's just a shame that some of the lyrics are a bit dodgy.
An unstoppable Bowie meets an immovable Eno.
I'm not massively into nostalgia, but this whisked me back to 2000, when I'd just left home and started uni. "Since I Left You" is still one of the most upbeat tunes you'll ever hear, and I love the way The Avalanches added hip-hop to the hideous "chill" genre; it gives it more texture and backbone.
I didn't want this in my head.
It just always sounds like Shane MacGowan has written too many words to fit in with the music.
Never really got NIN. Until now!
This was so insipid that I don't even remember listening to it.
I don't think I've ever heard an album that so perfectly captures being in your early 20s. Alternately drunk, angry, energetic, worried, stoned, political, melancholy, and frequently hilarious. It made me realize that, with Dylan, it's good to start at the beginning.
I do love this album, and I never really realized how much Kim Deal adds to The Pixies sound. But the remastered edition on Spotify is cack! I had to bump the volume up to hear the details and it just made it sound like complete trash. Give me shitty 80s production over this weirdly spiky mix any day.
Weirdly, I had Helplessly Hoping running through my head this morning, and then it turns up here. It's so good! I love the way that this album takes the infectious pop of The Byrds and adds a dash of cynical folk rock to the mix.
Moss Side Story is pretty good, but I'm not sure it fully works. Film music is always about being good but not drawing attention to itself, but these tracks feel more like conventional "songs." Great production though.
I thought this might have been a bit too much to start with, but it's just right. Still sounds fresh and exciting even though it's over 60 years old.
I think one Supergrass album is enough, and that one Supergrass album shouldn't be this one; it should be the brattish "I Should Coco."
NO.
Neil Young definitely went electric for this one.
I see what they did there.
You can totally feel how this changed the gear of electronic music.
Hey kids let's make an album that sounds like Phil Collins B-sides.
Basically Benny and the Jets 17 times.
Great production, slightly bland songwriting though.
For the longest time, I thought JJ and John Cale were the same person. But they couldn't be more different. This is great, building and surging nicely, and definitely an influence on Belle and Sebastien.
I get a bit lost with all the Nick Drakes and Tim Buckleys, but this is good.
Indulgent and spread a little thin, but I like the way that this is a bit more trip-hop-pop than her later, more big-band works, and I admire the honesty of her lyrics.
This is beautiful, magical soul with an indie slant. I was really enjoying it, but then it just ended at what felt like the halfway point. Unusual to find an album that's too shot here.
Sounds a little conservative by today's standards, but it's easy to underestimate just how important this was at the time. Johnny Rotten's sneer still sounds as fresh as ever though.
Fucking "Yellow Submarine" can fuck right off piss-stained submersible twat.
Got into this about 20 years ago, then went off it. It's all over the place! I think it's at its best when it's going in random folk-psych directions, like "Go Down Easy." Not so keen on the faux-Americana bits.
More silly than intimidating now, apart from the homophobia, which is downright terrifying.
Totally T-boned by Fishbone! Bonin' in the Boneyard is boney.
The Spotify link is correct here, even if it seems wrong! "In A Doghouse" is a compilation of early Throwing Muses work, and the first 10 tracks are actually "Throwing Muses" (the album). And it's great!
I want to like Willie Nelson, but this album just strips all the songs of their energy and replaces it with dopey country. Sorry, Willie!
Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. RHCP without the hubris.
I have no recollection of listening to this, but I also know it was great. I'm not entirely sure how I know this, but it is completely true.
Me during "Alive:" Pearl Jam must have been the most incredible band of the 90s, neatly segueing stadium rock and grunge, this track is amazing, this album has got to be a 5/5. Me towards the end of "10:" Pearl Jam must have been the worst band of the 90s, awkwardly straddling boring and indulgent, this album has got to be a 1/5.
Just totally doing their own thing. Essential.
The repetitive sample tracks on this are a little annoying, and please tell me I'm not the only one who thought I was having problems with my headphones to start with? But the central sonic voyage of "Orbital 2" is mind-blowing, and I prefer it to the overrated "Insides."
Shit music.
Not a huge fan of Portishead's 90s albums, but this blew my socks off. You can feel the influence of Radiohead and Goldfrapp (both of whom were probably influenced by Portishead), as well as the beginnings of Geoff Barrow's work with Beak > and his soundtracks. I admire the way it doesn't sound like other music of this era, too.
Would have loved to have heard this at the time. Talking Heads just totally did their own thing, didn't they?
"Let's Stay Together" is obviously a classic, the rest of this is pretty great, and I like the way it didn't outstay its welcome.
A Funky Space Reincarnation blew my tiny little mind.
Never realized this is essentially a b-sides album, but even Led Zep's b-sides are better than most bands a-sides. I found Kashmir a bit too pleased with itself, but In My Time of Dying more than makes up for it.
Purple Haze is such an uplifting way to start another dreary week. And the song isn't bad either. It's so easy to think of Hendrix as a guitarist, but there is so much more going on here. The arrangements are so layered and swirling and synaesthetic; it's what I imagine clouds sound like.
What I really like about this is that the Sex Pistols and The Clash were pretty aggressive, but then X-Ray Spex took the same format and just had fun with it. I can't think of any genre that's so willing to take the piss out of itself so quickly.
For the first time ever, I 💚ed track number one on an album. The rest is a bit dated and bawdy though.
Surprised at how upbeat this is, I like it a lot. Gets a bit Led-Zep bluesy in places.
Great. Love "Shot by Both Sides." Definitely feel that nihilism and how it rubbed off on bands such as the Manic Street Preachers and Mansun.
Here's a thing: I don't like live albums, especially when I'm listening on headphones, because when you hear the audience applause I immediately imagine they're clapping for me and I feel a bit silly. Am I strange? Anyway, this live album is good because you can't hear the audience (much). Also, The Who are a lot better, and more Led Zeppy, than I remember. They really knew what they were doing.
Someone gave Elliott a budget! I was afraid higher production values would detract from Smith's tender, heartfelt songwriting, but it works. Miss you dude.
I always felt a little embarrassed that I described myself as a big Pixies fan, but I'd only listened to "Death to the Pixies," their 1997 best-of. But I think I was right - some of the tracks here just aren't that great. Having said that, a bad Pixies song is still better than most songs. The perfect Pixies song is goth-rock, very short, and features Kim Deal.
I like the 70s funk/soul vibe of this, and how soft and calm it is. But I was glad when it was over, it became a total slog towards the end.
Slightly shocked to find that Dusty Springfield recorded both "You Don't Own Me" and "Son of a Preacher Man." And "The Windmills of Your Mind" is just the best version of it, even though Dusty apparently hated it.
Somehow this passed me by at the time, but it's good. Very much in the Kanye West mold, which is no bad thing - I might be wrong, but it seems like West helped hip-hop break out of its gun-totin' misogyny and become more tender and inward-facing. "He Say, She Say" is heartbreaking, while "Daydreamin'" takes a sharp satirical knife to hip-hop culture.
LCD Soundsystem should have been my perfect band: edgy, self-deprecating dance/rock. But somehow we never clicked, and I understand why. Every song is the same, build-up of elements, which is initially impressive, but soon becomes tiring. They also sound like they were made on someone's bedroom PC. And I feel like the singer is trying too hard to be hip and missing a genuine emotional connection as a result. That said, I liked it when he sang about people thinking he was English.
So this is where Kula Shaker got all their ideas. "Rising Above Bedlam" is patchy as hell, but you can see how its east/west fusion pushed things forwards.
On the one hand, Morrissey spoke out for sensitive introverts with songs such as "Big Mouth Strikes Again," "Ask," and "How Soon Is Now?" But then he has to go and spoil it all with "You're the One for Me, Fatty," and being a big racist bellend.
Probably the only album I've listened to where a discussion about sandwiches is the best track.
Pretty much a hip-hop concept album, I love how textured and layered this is, plus its scattershot pop-culture references. Despite its length it never gets boring. An awesome achievement.
An album from the past decade that I've actually listened to before! And I still like it. Very post-Goldfrapp with a touch of Kate Bush.
I've enjoyed a lot of the punk I've heard on here, but this felt unexceptional.
For obvious reasons, I always assumed Violent Femmes were a feminist hardcore punk band and never realised they were the guys who did "Go Wild" from the Grosse Pointe Blank soundtrack. Now I know! The album is pretty good too, I like their more laid-back and fun take on punk.
Pretty much what I was expecting; Leonard Cohen-esque moody singer-songwritering. Not bad though, and he does have a unique voice and some of the subjects are right on. I do wonder how someone who uses the N-word and sings about cocaine ended up writing "You've Got a Friend in Me," though.
Here in the UK, boring appliance company AO has vampirically suckered on to Blitzkrieg Bop for its own capitalist means. I guess the logo t-shirt royalties were going to run out eventually. But the impressive thing is that none of this can deflate this album, which deftly blasts you with perfectly formed punk pop gems like a faulty hairdryer. Let's go!
I wanted to like this, but I found it a bit grating and annoying. You can feel their influence on later bands though.
I mean, this is an album named after some herbs, performed by someone called Garfunkel, with a track called "Feelin' Groovy," so it would be pretty easy to dismiss it as the height of 1960s cheesiness. But there's a lot more going on here; the album is permeated with a haunting aurora that lingers long after you've finished.
Nice to hear Slade songs that aren't that bloody Christmas song.
An interesting curio from the time before techno became mass-marketed and saturated. The music is interesting and experimental, the lyrics are absolutely awful and sound like they were written on a cigarette packet at 3 AM. "Move Any Mountain" shows up three times on the album, which is a shame (n) because it overshadows some of the better instrumental tracks here.
I was really into this about 15 years ago; I loved its combination of Spacemen 3 psych, shoegazey rock, and baggy tunes. Not a fan of The Verve's later work ("History" feels like a dry run for "Bittersweet Symphony"), but this is great.
Not sure if we need more than one Beck album on here, especially when every song sounds like it's about to become "Devil's Haircut."
Just listen to an Eno album of this era. The production is pretty much the same, but Eno's tunes are better and his albums are shorter.
Just the noodliest thing.
This is an asbolutely perfect example of the awful, boring, slow, bland pop that was popular in the 80s and 90s. It should be on the "1001 Albums That Must Die" list.
Looks like jazz, sounds like boring country, then goes in a very cool and experimental direction, which reminded me of Alan Parsons, and then goes back to boring country. A rollercoaster!
I find it impossible to not like Led Zep. Those riffs are so solid and erect that you can reach out and touch them, but it's the quieter, tender moments that really stick with you. They are the masters of drama, the rise and fall, the sustain and release.
Just how are these people so popular. Boring and depressing. Even the name sounds like something your grumpy next-door neighbour would say.
Another album that I regret not listening to at the time because I was brainwashed by the NME and probably listening to Dodgy instead. "Antichrist Superstar" probably doesn't pack the punch it did in '96, and it comes across a bit silly and cartoony now, but there are still some decent tunes on here and the production is incredible.
Never heard of this guy, but, despite a couple of duff tracks, I really like his scrappy, laid-back sound. Beck without the weirdness, or Fun Lovin' Criminals without the cringe, or Beastie Boys without the boyish aggression.
Halfway between Led Zeppelin and boring drivetime rock ballads of the late-70s/early-80s.
Wasn't paying a huge amount of attention to this, but it seemed decent. You can feel the ecstasy beat starting to penetrate indie music.
This was exactly what hip-hop needed; child-like wonder replacing guns and bitches.
Loved this! I'm old, but I really liked the late 2010s sound, that kind of dark synth influenced by that OneOhTrix guy. But her voice adds another layer.
Dirty and vampiric songwriting with a rockabilly edge. Great to hear a band with the confidence to do their own thing.
Wasn't hugely impressed with this, but I guess it introduced RnB to clubs. Keep on Movin' is OK.
Is it terrible that I guessed the singer was already dead from the moment I heard the first song? It seems like it might be. This is terrific though; it still sounds fresh as hell.
One thing I like about this project is that it allows you to join the dots: I had no idea CCR did "Proud Mary." The rest is pretty good; solid and consistent like a nice poo.
Caught Tom Tom Club at Glastonbury a few years ago and they were one of the most energetic and enthusiastic bands I saw, despite also being one of the oldest. This album transfers that feeling well; it's like you've been invited into their home and they're all giving you a big hug.
Interesting as a concept album, but I just hate his voice. Sorry.
Not a huge Prefab Sprout fan, but Thomas Dolby's production elevates this a little. About 10% of the lyrics contain nuggets of wisdom as well.
Nothing really hooked me or drew me in here; it felt flat and overlong. You do get a sense of Tupac's magnetic charisma and his troubled life, but there are no tunes to carry it.
I had low expectations of variations on the theme of "American Pie," and that's pretty much what I got. What was surprising was that it didn't turn out to be a bad thing and McLean's brand of cornfield melancholy doesn't outstay its welcome. Edit: I've got to stop looking at the Wiki pages for artists on here. What a dick!
I liked this in a very calm and non-threatening way. There are some nice sounds here. It makes you realise how much this genre needed Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada though.
The immature absurdity of Ozzy's lyrics combines with bang-on arrangements and the faintest whiff of stoner rock. Rare to find such a perfectly formed debut album.
Enjoyed this. Short, sharp songs on side-A, a psych freakout on side B. Who could ask for more?
Just far too jangly.
Some good tunes buried among the gravelly arthouse flatulence.
Hey look I've found a Queen album that's kind of OK! Two things I liked: Brian May can sing, and She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettoes) basically invented the shoegazing genre.
This album does not sound how it looks. I was expecting exuberant psychedelic rock, I got the most amazing laid-back rhythm and blues. What a pleasant surprise and a great start to a shitty Tuesday.
Talking Heads did "Rip it Up" and Queen did "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us."
I liked this to start with, but it soon became cloying and annoying. Like The White Stripes if they didn't know what the fuck they were doing.
Confession time: "Punchbag" and "A Minha Menina" were the first MP3s I ever downloaded, probably illegally via Limewire. I listened to them a lot, in the same way that I watched "Spaceballs" a lot because it was the only VHS tape we had. So I was kind of dreading this album, but I actually liked it. It has a lot of variety and it's definitely straddling multiple genres without losing its balance. Still not sure why some white middle-class guys from England are trying to be Mexican though?
Not sure why the government is investing in nuclear reactors when this album has enough energy to power the country.
The epitome of everything that was wrong with the 80s. About as much substance as a balloon.
Probably would have liked this at the time; now it's just a bit numbing and not hardcore enough.
Radiohead for people who don't want to be challenged.
I like David Holmes, but I'm not sure this is his best record. It's edgy, but not in a good way, and the mix is muddy and flat. The remixes on the "Don't Die Just Yet" EP are far better, and "Bow Down to the Exit Sign" is a more coherent and mature album.
Just that sound, the sheer onslaught of the whole thing. Surprisingly compact for a hip-hip album too.
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TIL Steve Albini had a band, and it was absolutely incredible. So filthy and lo-fi and layered and nasty but just perfect really, I love the harshness of the guitars and the cleanness of the drum machines. YouTube music link: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCqGF7gRwC9ZFxWIv0uWUl_g But this should really be listened to on a dog-eared vinyl or a smashed cassette tape.
Starts out nicely but loses focus and starts borrowing heavily from other songs.
There's something so sweet and uncynical and almost naive about this, it's like a music lesson and an album in one.
Not exactly the hard punk I was expecting, but not unenjoyable either. Reminded me of Half Man Half Biscuit quite a lot.
Slow and boring in a 90s smoky jazz way, but it does come together in "Constant Craving," which is somehow really great. Just listen to that song instead of the whole album.
Stupidly good.
I like the concept, and Meat Loaf was obviously a larger-than-life character, but I feel like this has dated. The idea of buying an album and putting it on to "experience" it is something people don't really do anymore, right?
Unconvincingly haunting the no-man's land between Dylan and Bowie.
A fascinating little slice of history. Weird to think that this album was released closer to when Marco Polo discovered America than today.
Stupid clown music.
REM for people who don't like REM. Just love the structure of the songs and Bob Mould's introspective sadness, which feels a bit more genuine and less showy than Michael Stipe's.
Not so hot on the folk stuff, but I liked its unexpected slips into psychedelia. "Hippie Boy" felt a bit hypocritical, coming from Gram Parsons, but maybe that's the point. Hippie-critical.
Very likable and progressive, but I'm not sure if I'd listen to this again.