Journey Complete!
Finisher # to complete the list
975
Albums Rated
3.26
Average Rating
90%
Complete
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2020
Favorite Decade
Soul
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style ?
120
5-Star Albums
8
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
|
5 | 2.57 | +2.43 |
|
Gris Gris
Dr. John
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
E.V.O.L.
Sonic Youth
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
|
Tical
Method Man
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Eli And The Thirteenth Confession
Laura Nyro
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Psychocandy
The Jesus And Mary Chain
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
|
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Heartbreaker
Ryan Adams
|
5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
|
Time (The Revelator)
Gillian Welch
|
5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
|
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
|
5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Queen II
Queen
|
1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
|
Bluesbreakers
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
|
1 | 3.16 | -2.16 |
|
White Ladder
David Gray
|
1 | 3.06 | -2.06 |
|
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
|
2 | 3.94 | -1.94 |
|
Electric Ladyland
Jimi Hendrix
|
2 | 3.93 | -1.93 |
|
In Rainbows
Radiohead
|
2 | 3.86 | -1.86 |
|
The Stranger
Billy Joel
|
2 | 3.86 | -1.86 |
|
Good Old Boys
Randy Newman
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
|
Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
|
1 | 2.82 | -1.82 |
|
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
|
2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 7 | 4.71 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 4.8 |
| Bob Dylan | 6 | 4.67 |
| The Stooges | 3 | 5 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 5 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 5 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 5 |
| Neil Young | 4 | 4.5 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.5 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.67 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 4.67 |
| Elliott Smith | 2 | 5 |
| The Band | 2 | 5 |
| The Clash | 2 | 5 |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4.25 |
| PJ Harvey | 4 | 4.25 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 4 | 4.25 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.33 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.33 |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Randy Newman | 2 | 1.5 |
| Queen | 3 | 2 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| OutKast | 5, 2 |
| Miles Davis | 3, 5, 2, 5 |
| Frank Sinatra | 4, 2, 5 |
| The Doors | 5, 3, 2 |
| Brian Eno | 5, 2, 3 |
5-Star Albums (120)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Eric Clapton · 63 likes
2/5
Probably a 3 really, but fuck him
Justin Timberlake · 11 likes
2/5
Man wanted to be MJ so bad!
This is such a Time Capsule of an album… The Neptunes sound was everywhere when this came out and there are a couple of great singles. But so many of the rest are grafting forgettable songwriting and indifferent vocals onto that production. Songs *feel* long even when they’re not. Not great.
DJ Shadow · 11 likes
5/5
Already knew it well. Classic. Bit depressing to be reminded it came out 25 years ago though!
Keith Jarrett · 6 likes
5/5
I actually discovered this in the early days of the pandemic when I found myself hardly able to listen to music. This has been a constant in the period since. Technically, it’s wonderful of course, but it’s also been that bit of a lifeline for me.
Pulp · 6 likes
5/5
This was the first album I ever bought. So part of this is nostalgia, but it still holds up incredibly well. Much less “of its time” than the big Britpop albums of the era, this has genuinely interesting, clever songwriting coupled with absolutely banging singalong choruses. What’s not to like!
1-Star Albums (8)
All Ratings
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Hadn’t heard previously. Two great songs, and the rest decent, but unremarkable? Maybe more to it on repeat listens.
Elton John
5/5
Not heard before. Only knew the big singles, but this is great from start to finish.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Hadn’t heard this before. Enjoyed, though not my usual thing, will give some repeat listens.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Not heard before. Admired rather than hugely enjoyed.
Alice Cooper
2/5
Not heard before. Didn’t do anything for me at all, just dated and a bit silly.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Not heard before. I do like LC, but this is absolutely drowned in awful plastic 80s production.
DJ Shadow
5/5
Already knew it well. Classic. Bit depressing to be reminded it came out 25 years ago though!
Eminem
3/5
Heard before but not for ages. Trails off in second half when the nastiness stops being offset by the wit and intelligence that characterise the first half, and is just… grim. The guest spots and skits add very little too.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Heard before. I like EC, but even though this is one of the “biggies”, it doesn’t land as well as some of the others, either the slightly punkier early ones or the more expansive later ones. Still enjoyed it.
Billie Holiday
4/5
Not heard before. Really enjoyed it, will listen again for sure.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Completely new to me. Might be more to it on repeat listens, and I enjoyed it enough that I will give that a go, but seemed more “blandly pleasant” than “essential”?
Bon Jovi
4/5
Not heard for ages. Great fun. Some filler, but the big singalong numbers never get old.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Not heard previously. Have struggled to get into Joni Mitchell albums previously but this engaged me more. Suspect this might grow on me further/reveal more with more listens, so will add it to the rotation.
Pixies
3/5
Pixies
5/5
Know this one well.
Two Pixies albums in a row! Unlike Bossa Nova yesterday which I didn’t know well but thought had the same “vibe” but none of the tunes, this is an unequivocal start-to-finish classic that has been in permanent rotation since I first heard it 15 years ago.
Elliott Smith
5/5
Have loved this album for a long time. Not my absolute favourite of his (the self titled for me) but still gorgeous.
Fats Domino
3/5
I don’t really know how to rate this. I recognise that this is important in music history but I didn’t engage with it at all.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Not heard before.
I don’t really have the tools to “analyse” jazz. I also need to listen multiple times. I enjoyed it enough that I will do so, but can’t really rate it fairly until I have.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
Not heard before.
Absolutely brilliant. Going into regular rotation for sure.
Richard Thompson
3/5
I have owned this album for nearly 20 years but don’t listen too often.
The bits I like, I really like. But those are the least folky bits. The stuff on the really folky end of the spectrum doesn’t do much for me at all.
Travis
3/5
It’s… nice. Playing fast and loose with the definition of “essential” here, I think.
Radiohead
2/5
Not heard before.
Even though I know everyone loves them, I gave up on Radiohead after OK Computer and, honestly, listening to this I feel vindicated! I don’t get the hype at all.
Bob Dylan
5/5
It’s been a while since my “Dylan phase” but this is start-to-finish brilliant and I should listen more often.
Steve Earle
4/5
Already knew this well.
Not my very favourite of SE, but perhaps pips others to the list because of its greater significance. Nevertheless a really strong album.
Machito
3/5
I don’t really have the tools to rate this one in any objective way. I enjoyed it as a fun listen though.
5/5
Already knew this well.
Not much more to say than this is an unequivocal classic. Obvious five stars.
Beatles
5/5
Already knew it well.
How could it not be a 5?!
The Stooges
5/5
Brilliantly sleazy and dangerous sounding.
The Young Gods
2/5
This is something you probably need to work at to get truly into.
But I don’t want to. Maybe it’s my loss.
Solange
4/5
For some reason I listened when this came out and not since.
Not sure why as I played this twice through today and it’s brilliant. Will be playing regularly from here.
Joy Division
3/5
This is one of those where I struggle as to whether ratings should just be on a pure, instinctive emotional reaction or if I should be trying to inject some sort of qualification of its importance/worthiness of being on a list of truly essential albums …
Significant, influential, all of that: yes. Did I massively enjoy it? Not really. Perhaps if I’d caught it on a different day.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
A fun listen, albeit I found it starting to drag a bit in the second half.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Expected cheese - was pleasantly surprised, but not blown away.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Only knew Mercedes Benz and Bobby McGee before. Didn’t expect to enjoy this so much - straight into regular rotation.
Alice Cooper
2/5
Second Alice Cooper album… I still don’t really get it. Maybe with the live theatrics, I might, but on record I don’t get much from it.
Television
3/5
I’ve tried to get into this several times over the years but it just doesn’t do it for me. Pioneering, maybe, but I prefer the stuff it opened the door for.
Love
4/5
Been listening to this for years, but good to have a reminder. Really like it.
Daft Punk
2/5
I understand that this isn’t designed to be listened to while sitting on my sofa struggling with the crossword, but…
It’s got the distinctive sound of Daft Punk, but hardly any of the catchy tunes they’d come up with later.
Roni Size
2/5
Not really for me.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Really enjoyable listen throughout.
The Prodigy
3/5
Nina Simone
5/5
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
The Stooges
5/5
Been playing the Iggy mix for years, never heard the Bowie mix until now. The Iggy mix pips it for me, just gels with the sleazy, dangerous vibe of the songs a bit more for me.
Yes
2/5
Not for me, Clive
Frank Black
3/5
This is the 46th album I’ve listened to on this project. Of which, two have been Pixies (and I expect may be at least one more) and now this. This was ok - definitely too long - but it doesn’t feel essential, especially given the amount of representation FB already has on this list.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
The Sounds of Silence will forever be my favourite, but this is also stunning; wonderful songwriting and gorgeous harmonies throughout.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
I very likely wouldn’t have listened to this if not for this project, but it was wonderful.
The Jam
4/5
Despite enjoying The Jam through various best of compilations, I’m not as up on the actual studio albums. Good to learn the album tracks don’t dip in quality from the well known hits. Will be rectifying this in future.
The Specials
2/5
Thought I would enjoy this. But all the tunes seem to be on their other albums.
The Band
5/5
Still marginally prefer the self-titled, but nonetheless brilliant.
Ice T
3/5
New to me. Some of the production now sounds dated, and it is definitely too long. But the first half still sounds pretty great.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Heard snippets before. I had to give up on this - musically and lyrically not half as clever as it thinks it is.
Dire Straits
4/5
Only heard greatest hits before. Very much enjoyed, though struggling to put my finger on it!
Stephen Stills
4/5
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
New to me. I would never have heard this outside of this project I’m sure, but glad I did. Lovely, peaceful album. Will continue to listen.
The Smiths
4/5
Teenage me would have given this 6 stars. Adult me wasn’t quite as captivated, and possibly conflicted by Morrissey becoming so horrendous.
Metallica
4/5
Marty Robbins
3/5
New to me, though I recognised El Paso from the Old 97s version. Enjoyed this more than I expected, though over time it felt a bit samey and not sure I’d listen too often.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
I like Dinosaur Jr, though I hadn’t this album previously, but their albums all feel much of a muchness to me, but some albums have more tunes than others. I felt this was one of the others.
The Doors
5/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Scott Walker
4/5
Not for everyone, perhaps. But overwrought songs about depression and foreign films are pretty much my jam.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Revisiting a staple of my mid teens. Bits really hold up. Other bits… do not.
Prince
4/5
Not his very best. But it’s still Prince!
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Parliament
4/5
Frank Ocean
3/5
Some good tunes, but not a patch on Blonde
Roxy Music
3/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Bad Company
3/5
The Black Keys
3/5
Fugazi
4/5
Brian Eno
5/5
Hard to know how to rate this, as by design it’s not something to devote yourself to listening to. But by its own intentions, it’s a success.
Beatles
5/5
Pulp
5/5
This was the first album I ever bought. So part of this is nostalgia, but it still holds up incredibly well. Much less “of its time” than the big Britpop albums of the era, this has genuinely interesting, clever songwriting coupled with absolutely banging singalong choruses. What’s not to like!
Wire
3/5
The Fall
2/5
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Pearl Jam
5/5
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Oh Skunk Anansie? Yeah this might be alright, they had a few decent tunes.
None of them on this album though.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Not their best overall, but with some of the best individual tunes
Black Sabbath
3/5
The Soft Boys
3/5
Keith Jarrett
5/5
I actually discovered this in the early days of the pandemic when I found myself hardly able to listen to music. This has been a constant in the period since. Technically, it’s wonderful of course, but it’s also been that bit of a lifeline for me.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Enjoyed it but prefer some of his others.
Shack
2/5
It’s… fine?
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
I really liked this. Might be worth a higher rating on further listening.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
Made no impression on me at all
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
I already had Superfly in this list, and this doesn’t quite hit the same heights, but still excellent. Adding to the rotation.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Eric Clapton
2/5
Probably a 3 really, but fuck him
Various Artists
3/5
My years in retail mostly beat any affection for Christmas music out of me. But as these albums go, this is one of the best.
Massive Attack
3/5
Not an album of theirs I knew particularly but enjoyed. Will listen more. Might even have been a 4.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Michael Jackson
5/5
Second MJ album so far, after Bad. This was my original favourite when I was younger and Bad less so, and now it seems to have switched. The brilliant moments here far outweigh the occasional dodgy/dated bits.
Germs
2/5
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Tom Waits
4/5
I like boozy crooner TW more than weird jazzy TW, but this is just in the right spot before it gets TOO weird
Lou Reed
3/5
Anthrax
2/5
Thin Lizzy
3/5
KISS
3/5
The Birthday Party
2/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Minutemen
3/5
Patti Smith
5/5
Peter Frampton
2/5
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
Fiona Apple
4/5
R.E.M.
5/5
Elastica
3/5
William Orbit
4/5
3/5
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Slipknot
2/5
Finley Quaye
3/5
Paul Weller
3/5
Aphex Twin
3/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Miles Davis
3/5
Death In Vegas
2/5
Dirge and Aisha are great, but much of the rest is a bit samey
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Some lovely Macca/Beatles-y stuff. But also that bloody coconut song.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
Doves
3/5
Otis Redding
5/5
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
R.E.M.
5/5
The Beau Brummels
3/5
The Gun Club
3/5
Justice
3/5
Gene Clark
3/5
I think this rating has the potential to creep up over repeated listens…
Michael Jackson
5/5
Morrissey
2/5
Bits of this are good, but it’s also an excellent reminder of the extent to which Marr’s guitar makes The Smiths.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Sister Sledge
4/5
The Who
2/5
This is more impressive in its scope and ambition than it is actually very enjoyable to listen to…
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
I just couldn’t engage with this at all.
Kraftwerk
4/5
I had to listen several times before I could decide what to make of it. It’s not immediately engaging but after a while it becomes quite mesmerising/almost hypnotic.
John Grant
3/5
Some really gorgeous stuff here, but quite patchy. He’s done better work since.
The Byrds
2/5
On paper The Byrds could have been designed specifically to tick all my favourite jangly, folky, Americana musical boxes. In reality, every time I listen to them I just… don’t get it?
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Like The Byrds yesterday, this is a real blind spot for me even though in theory it’s exactly my thing.
Kate Bush
4/5
I hadn’t heard this before and it didn’t have an immediate great number like Hounds of Love or Wuthering Heights, but on second and third listens it reveals itself as a wonderful, coherent piece. Four stars, and can see it gathering the fifth after more listens.
The Smiths
2/5
The Smiths have some brilliant tunes. Not many of them are on this album.
Oasis
4/5
Partly nostalgia, but also this is still full of big tunes and singalong choruses.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
There are some brilliant bits on this album but it definitely flags in the second half. It also feels quite long, given it’s not even 40 minutes, which isn’t a great sign.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Queen
1/5
I find Queen basically unlistenable. Any of it really.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Roxy Music
3/5
Goldie
2/5
Fela Kuti
4/5
Black Sabbath
3/5
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
I think the highs on this are both good and frequent enough to warrant a 5 and offset the odd filler track and the godawful skits
The War On Drugs
3/5
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Common
3/5
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Frank Zappa
3/5
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
I like Franti’s solo stuff so I hoped I would enjoy this. But I just found it dated and heavy handed, with none of the power that, say, Public Enemy’s early stuff still carries.
The Crusaders
2/5
Tails off pretty badly after the title track.
2/5
Funkadelic
3/5
Starts brilliantly, but the weirdness of the last couple of tracks got in the way for me.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Funkadelic
4/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
The looooong last track really kills the momentum
TLC
4/5
The Pogues
4/5
The Undertones
3/5
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
3/5
Syd Barrett
3/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
This is obviously a landmark album. It’s not necessarily Dylan’s most enjoyable but the significance is undeniable.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
I know this is a blind spot but I just don’t get much out of listening to Hendrix at all.
B.B. King
3/5
Ute Lemper
4/5
A genuine discovery through this project, really liked it.
Crowded House
2/5
95% inoffensive but bland, plus certified banger Weather With You. Fine.
Randy Newman
1/5
Norah Jones
2/5
It’s fine. It’s probably a real terms 3⭐️, but as an essential album…
The Clash
5/5
Ice Cube
3/5
Muddy Waters
3/5
The Roots
4/5
A big sprawling album, it could maybe be slightly tighter/more focused… but none of it seems like filler and it shows the breadth of the group’s talents and scale of their ambition. Perhaps shaving bits off here and there would defeat the purpose.
John Cale
3/5
Amy Winehouse
3/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
The Cure
3/5
Slayer
4/5
Meat Loaf
3/5
The Byrds
3/5
Lana Del Rey
4/5
Primal Scream
2/5
Eurythmics
3/5
Spiritualized
3/5
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
I really like DBTs and this may be sacrilege but this is really not their best. Individually, some of their best songs are here - Ronnie and Neil, Zip City, Women Without Whiskey - but it’s too long and too self consciously focused on explaining “the duality of the southern thing”. At their best (The Dirty South, for me) they do this through their excellent songwriting without needing to interrupt albums for extended monologues about George Wallace or whatever, which you’ll inevitably skip on repeat listens.
Ozomatli
4/5
Def Leppard
3/5
The Icarus Line
2/5
Nothing unusual or interesting about this
Madonna
2/5
Like A Prayer is one of the all time great pop songs. And then… the rest is pretty nothingy.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
John Prine
3/5
Lauryn Hill
5/5
Raekwon
3/5
Chicago
2/5
Van Morrison
5/5
Michael Jackson
5/5
Van Halen
3/5
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Magazine
3/5
Gillian Welch
5/5
Primal Scream
4/5
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Elvis Presley
5/5
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Hole
4/5
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
Saint Etienne
3/5
I liked this but couldn’t find it on streaming so listened on YouTube with ad breaks and not the best sound! Enjoyed it enough that I might look to get hold of my own copy.
The Verve
2/5
One paced sub-Oasis self importance
Fred Neil
3/5
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
Pink Floyd
3/5
Admirably talented, virtuosic album that I had absolutely no emotional engagement with at all.
Brian Eno
2/5
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
The The
3/5
The B-52's
3/5
The Human League
3/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Two albums on this list feels like it’s pushing it a bit. Maps is still the stand out.
Culture Club
2/5
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Wilco
3/5
Mirroring my comments on Drive By Truckers from recently… Love this band but this is not the prime example of their work album I would have picked. While it has some great individual songs, it’s overly long and can’t maintain the momentum all the way.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
This has aged much better than a lot of the psychedelic music from this era, much of which has dated poorly. Still sounds very fresh and engaging.
Neil Young
5/5
Depending on what mood you catch me, this is either Neil Young’s very best or one of his best. Bleakly beautiful? Beautifully bleak? Either way, it’s absolutely brilliant.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Bit of an odd choice of albums this one. Very much a first album with some finding his way to do. Couple of great tracks, but much more was to follow.
Nick Drake
4/5
Beyoncé
3/5
This isn’t great - bit overlong and incoherent in tone - but it does feature some absolutely brilliant singles and it’s unquestionable that Beyoncé is a dominant figure in the music of recent years. Not sure why* the “but she doesn’t even play her own instruments” brigade are so up in arms about this one.
(*I do know why)
Beatles
5/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Slightly heart over head rating this, but I really enjoyed it.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I expected this to be weirder!
TV On The Radio
3/5
Joy Division
3/5
Björk
4/5
T. Rex
3/5
Individually I like a lot of this. As an album it drags and meanders too much for me.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
In general a big fan of quiet/loud/quiet channelled through layers of distortion bands. Also really like Shields’ soundtrack work. This didn’t quite catch fire for me though.
Pentangle
2/5
Garbage
3/5
Deep Purple
3/5
Björk
3/5
The Blue Nile
3/5
Hüsker Dü
3/5
Beck
4/5
The Shamen
4/5
Faust
3/5
Gorillaz
2/5
I get this was doing something new with the cartoon visuals etc and the whole Gorillaz project gathered pace after this and became massive.
But obviously the visuals are not in play if you’re just listening to the album so you need to base your views on the music and, with hindsight, it’s not that great. The big singles were smashed but even they now sound a bit dated. And the rest mostly have a vibe of Blur off cuts with occasional rapping. Better stuff was to come.
Screaming Trees
3/5
Pixies
3/5
Two bits of sacrilege:
1. Pixies are over represented in this list. This is the third album plus one Frank Black solo album I’ve encountered so far.
2. While bits of this album are undeniably great, other bits (lots, even) are very much not.
The answer to both is to prioritise Doolitle.
Faith No More
3/5
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Thundercat
2/5
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Radiohead
3/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Depeche Mode
3/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Paul Simon
4/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Miles Davis
5/5
The Stone Roses
3/5
Kanye West
4/5
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Portishead
3/5
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Slint
4/5
On first listen this was a 3, on a second it’s a 4. I can see this revealing more and more with each listen and picking up the 5th star at some point…
Arcade Fire
2/5
Green Day
3/5
Richard Hawley
2/5
I bought this when it came out on a wave of critical acclaim but don’t listen to it often these days.
It’s a really well polished take on a romantic crooners collection, but with hindsight I’m not sure exactly why he did so - it’s well sung and arranged, but ultimately feels like very high end karaoke.
Kelela
3/5
JAY Z
4/5
Wilco
2/5
Beck
4/5
Miles Davis
2/5
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
The Auteurs
3/5
Neil Young
4/5
Beastie Boys
5/5
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Moby
2/5
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
2/5
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Depeche Mode
3/5
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Here for the significance in the growth of the genre rather than it being a brilliant listen today. Dated and one-note.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Don McLean
2/5
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Motörhead
2/5
The Rolling Stones
5/5
3/5
Beach House
3/5
Spiritualized
4/5
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Japan
3/5
Metallica
3/5
David Bowie
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Smack in the middle of an incredible (unprecedented?) run of eight 5-star albums to start his career, the production may sound occasionally dated but it’s a sequence of absolutely expert songwriting and performance that has kept stadiums filled ever since.
Van Morrison
4/5
Adele
2/5
Elvis Costello
2/5
This felt a very odd choice of EC albums for me. It’s… fine, but it’s far from his best but nor does it feel particularly novel or out there that you could mark it as being game changing even if not the “best”.
Throbbing Gristle
2/5
I don’t even know how to rate this on a standard like/dislike scale.
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
Ryan Adams
4/5
David Bowie
3/5
Portishead
2/5
Elvis Presley
3/5
ABBA
3/5
Dire Straits
3/5
David Gray
1/5
Throwing Muses
4/5
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Kanye West
2/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Orange Juice
4/5
Led Zeppelin
2/5
The Cardigans
2/5
The Stranglers
3/5
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Elvis Presley
2/5
George Harrison
3/5
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
4/5
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
Steely Dan
3/5
Beatles
5/5
Einstürzende Neubauten
2/5
The Doors
3/5
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
George Michael
3/5
Astor Piazzolla
4/5
Dead Kennedys
4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Tim Buckley
3/5
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Ice Cube
3/5
Q-Tip
3/5
The Kinks
4/5
Gang Of Four
4/5
Brian Eno
3/5
Tito Puente
3/5
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Arrested Development
3/5
Ride
2/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Gang Starr
3/5
Fishbone
3/5
The Prodigy
3/5
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
Goldfrapp
3/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Herbie Hancock
3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Dusty Springfield
5/5
The Temptations
3/5
U2
3/5
Queen
2/5
The Youngbloods
3/5
Milton Nascimento
4/5
Madness
3/5
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Queen
3/5
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Public Enemy
5/5
808 State
3/5
Jane's Addiction
2/5
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
D'Angelo
2/5
Van Halen
3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
The Slits
2/5
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Prince
5/5
The Beach Boys
4/5
PJ Harvey
4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Mj Cole
3/5
Alice In Chains
5/5
Frank Sinatra
2/5
The Smiths
4/5
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Iron Butterfly
2/5
CHIC
3/5
MC Solaar
3/5
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
Dolly Parton
3/5
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Wild Beasts
3/5
Foo Fighters
2/5
Red Snapper
2/5
Jacques Brel
3/5
2Pac
2/5
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
Dr. Octagon
4/5
The Kinks
2/5
Fatboy Slim
2/5
The Byrds
3/5
Taylor Swift
5/5
UB40
2/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Koffi Olomide
2/5
Neil Young
4/5
Black Flag
3/5
The Damned
4/5
Pavement
3/5
Iron Maiden
2/5
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
The Police
2/5
The sequencing on this album is bizarre. There are some decent tunes on here, but rather than front load them, they’re all buried in the second half after a load of filler that ranges from insipid to actively terrible. It does pick up but a lot of goodwill has been squandered by then. As a coherent album this is a failure.
Ray Charles
3/5
The Zombies
3/5
George Jones
3/5
The Byrds
3/5
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Santana
4/5
Cat Stevens
4/5
System Of A Down
3/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Billy Joel
2/5
Nick Drake
4/5
The Cure
3/5
Soundgarden
3/5
Ryan Adams
5/5
Tricky
3/5
Bee Gees
2/5
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Queen Latifah
3/5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Grateful Dead
3/5
Def Leppard
3/5
Simple Minds
2/5
Cornershop
3/5
Little Simz
4/5
Manu Chao
3/5
The White Stripes
2/5
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Coldplay
2/5
Baaba Maal
3/5
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Willie Nelson
3/5
a-ha
2/5
John Martyn
5/5
Fugees
5/5
50 Cent
2/5
The Beach Boys
2/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Kid Rock
1/5
Arcade Fire
3/5
Röyksopp
4/5
The Cure
3/5
The Avalanches
2/5
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
King Crimson
2/5
Pulp
4/5
The Cramps
3/5
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
Eagles
2/5
The Who
4/5
The Jam
4/5
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Burning Spear
4/5
New Order
2/5
Elis Regina
3/5
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
David Bowie
3/5
Cypress Hill
4/5
Skepta
3/5
David Bowie
4/5
Common
5/5
Beatles
5/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Suicide
3/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
The Sonics
4/5
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Os Mutantes
2/5
Caetano Veloso
4/5
SZA
2/5
Slade
2/5
John Martyn
3/5
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
Elton John
4/5
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
2/5
Roxy Music
3/5
Metallica
3/5
Nick Drake
3/5
The White Stripes
4/5
The Temptations
3/5
Deerhunter
2/5
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Joe Ely
3/5
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Charles Mingus
3/5
fIREHOSE
3/5
The Specials
3/5
Ian Dury
1/5
Sonic Youth
5/5
Ray Price
3/5
The Vines
2/5
Guided By Voices
3/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
Al Green
4/5
Lambchop
4/5
Jack White
3/5
Hole
5/5
Green Day
5/5
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Big Star
4/5
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Adam & The Ants
4/5
Scissor Sisters
3/5
k.d. lang
2/5
Goldfrapp
3/5
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
3/5
Sigur Rós
4/5
Songhoy Blues
4/5
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Tina Turner
4/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Björk
3/5
Iggy Pop
4/5
David Bowie
3/5
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Stereolab
3/5
Love
2/5
The Monkees
2/5
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
Radiohead
3/5
Stan Getz
4/5
The Lemonheads
3/5
Haircut 100
2/5
Merle Haggard
3/5
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Suede
4/5
Liz Phair
3/5
Air
3/5
Gene Clark
2/5
Scott Walker
3/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Arcade Fire
2/5
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Sam Cooke
4/5
FKA twigs
3/5
Silver Jews
2/5
Femi Kuti
4/5
Radiohead
3/5
Butthole Surfers
3/5
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Mariah Carey
2/5
Gotan Project
3/5
Metallica
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
U2
2/5
The Band
5/5
Fiona Apple
4/5
Aimee Mann
3/5
Odd choice - there’s significance in it being her debut but there was better material to follow, especially Bachelor No 1 and Lost In Space. This album has brilliant tracks, largely concentrated in the first half but it trails off towards the end.
N.W.A.
5/5
Buck Owens
3/5
Motörhead
3/5
Jeff Beck
3/5
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Supergrass
2/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Madonna
3/5
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Ramones
5/5
4/5
Cream
3/5
Talk Talk
3/5
The Saints
3/5
Orbital
3/5
Nas
5/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Coldplay
3/5
Minor Threat
3/5
Kraftwerk
3/5
Justin Timberlake
2/5
Man wanted to be MJ so bad!
This is such a Time Capsule of an album… The Neptunes sound was everywhere when this came out and there are a couple of great singles. But so many of the rest are grafting forgettable songwriting and indifferent vocals onto that production. Songs *feel* long even when they’re not. Not great.
The Hives
3/5
Super Furry Animals
2/5
The Only Ones
4/5
The Adverts
3/5
Supergrass
4/5
Eels
4/5
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Heaven 17
1/5
Deep Purple
2/5
Spacemen 3
4/5
Paul Simon
3/5
So, Paul Simon is a genius. His best ranks with Dylan, Cohen, whoever in the songwriting pantheon you want to name.
This is pretty lightweight stuff. He still hits some gold just because, but this doesn’t come close to his heights.
Maxwell
4/5
4/5
Talking Heads
5/5
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Solomon Burke
3/5
Sade
2/5
10cc
3/5
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
5/5
Pavement
3/5
Ray Charles
3/5
Boston
4/5
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Linkin Park
3/5
Prince
5/5
Tim Buckley
4/5
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
Gary Numan
3/5
Eminem
2/5
Blur
4/5
The Waterboys
3/5
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
Peter Gabriel
2/5
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Marilyn Manson
2/5
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Steely Dan
4/5
Emmylou Harris
5/5
G. Love & Special Sauce
4/5
Dolly Parton
4/5
Erykah Badu
4/5
Nirvana
3/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
Elvis Costello
4/5
The Mars Volta
3/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
5/5
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Dr. John
5/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Aerosmith
2/5
Miles Davis
5/5
R.E.M.
3/5
The Offspring
3/5
Sparks
3/5
Taken track by track this is so fun and original, and This Town is of course one of the all time great pop songs.
Taken altogether over best part of an hour, it’s A Lot.
Talking Heads
5/5
Radiohead
2/5
Barry Adamson
2/5
The Darkness
3/5
The Strokes
5/5
Eagles
2/5
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
American Music Club
4/5
Rush
2/5
ABBA
3/5
3/5
Nico
3/5
AC/DC
5/5
Nirvana
3/5
Violent Femmes
4/5
Mudhoney
4/5
Korn
3/5
Super Furry Animals
3/5
The Modern Lovers
5/5
Cheap Trick
4/5
Aerosmith
2/5
Robbie Williams
2/5
Hookworms
3/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
No wonder Neil Young fell out with them… he must have put his back out carrying their dead weight if this is anything to go by.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Dion
3/5
The Dictators
3/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
James Brown
3/5
Bob Dylan
5/5
3/5
De La Soul
3/5
Britney Spears
3/5
Dr. Dre
4/5
The Beta Band
3/5
Lucinda Williams
5/5
Small Faces
2/5
This sort of twee fake salt of the earth Britishness is already insufferable when done better by The Kinks and The Who…
Neil Young
5/5
Frank Sinatra
5/5
Queens Of The Stone Age
4/5
Talvin Singh
2/5
Paul McCartney
4/5
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Doves
3/5
The Zutons
2/5
Tim Buckley
2/5
The Sugarcubes
3/5
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Slipknot
3/5
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Tortoise
3/5
George Michael
3/5
4/5
AC/DC
4/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
David Holmes
2/5
Duke Ellington
5/5
Bert Jansch
3/5
Mercury Rev
3/5
Soul II Soul
4/5
Air
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
OutKast
5/5
Van Morrison
3/5
The Replacements
4/5
Terence Trent D'Arby
4/5
Blondie
4/5
Soft Cell
3/5
ZZ Top
3/5
Randy Newman
2/5
Talking Heads
4/5
Method Man
5/5
The premier Wu solo album, superior even to the usual consensus picks Liquid Swords and Cuban Linx. Some rap albums get flabby, too many skits and throwaway tracks but this is tight and efficient from start to finish.
Highly recommend seeking out the Prodigy remix of Release Yo Delf on the deluxe edition as well. Brilliantly creepy/paranoid sounding.
Elbow
2/5
Tori Amos
3/5
The Thrills
2/5
Giant Sand
3/5
Jurassic 5
5/5
The Associates
2/5
Beastie Boys
5/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
New Order
2/5
Dennis Wilson
4/5
The Streets
3/5
Kanye West
3/5
As huge as this was, and influential on the music of the time, it has dated quite badly with a few exceptions.
GZA
5/5
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Blur
4/5
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
David Bowie
4/5
The Black Crowes
2/5
The Who
4/5
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
Tom Waits
5/5
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
1/5
I normally do try and give every album a full listen but I felt I had the full gist pretty early on and turned off.
Racist got filthy rich off soulless take-offs of Black music.
Lou Reed
4/5
Steely Dan
3/5
Peter Tosh
4/5
Jamiroquai
2/5
Joanna Newsom
3/5
John Lennon
3/5
Hot Chip
3/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Circle Jerks
3/5
Elliott Smith
5/5
The Kinks
2/5
Madonna
3/5
Blandly fine? Finely bland? The American Pie cover is a shocker.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Fairport Convention
4/5
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Tangerine Dream
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Destiny's Child
2/5
Kings of Leon
4/5
M.I.A.
3/5
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Billy Bragg
4/5
The Verve
2/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Bobby Womack
4/5
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Massive Attack
4/5
Incubus
3/5
Steely Dan
2/5
Johnny Cash
5/5
Calexico
5/5
Carpenters
3/5
Christina Aguilera
3/5
M.I.A.
3/5
Gram Parsons
4/5
Sheryl Crow
3/5
2/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
Weather Report
2/5
Sebadoh
3/5
Bakesale or Harmacy would have been a better choice. Not wildly different but just better executed than this.
Kings of Leon
3/5
This is the third album by KOL I’ve been fed in two weeks and it’s got me channelling my inner Jeff Winger.
“Oh, OK, they’re KOL now? We need a shorthand for Kings of Leon. That’s how fundamental they are”.
This is fine. Like the others. Decidedly not essential.
Django Django
4/5
The Pharcyde
3/5
Paul Simon
5/5
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Duran Duran
3/5
3/5
XTC
3/5
Louis Prima
3/5
T. Rex
3/5
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Bill Callahan
4/5
Taylor Swift
4/5
The Coral
3/5
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Missy Elliott
3/5
New York Dolls
5/5
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
PJ Harvey
5/5
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Happy Mondays
4/5
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
The xx
3/5
Joan Baez
2/5
The xx
3/5
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Beatles
5/5
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
The White Stripes
3/5
The Bees
2/5
Jane Weaver
2/5
Beck
5/5
The Police
3/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Barry Adamson
3/5
N.E.R.D
4/5
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Turbonegro
2/5
The La's
4/5
David Crosby
2/5
Donovan
2/5
MGMT
3/5
Black Sabbath
3/5
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Stan Getz
3/5
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Beastie Boys
5/5
Muddy Waters
5/5
Scritti Politti
2/5
k.d. lang
2/5
Mike Ladd
5/5
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Anita Baker
2/5
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Tom Waits
4/5
ZZ Top
3/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Boards of Canada
2/5
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Lorde
3/5
2/5
Leftfield
4/5
CHVRCHES
2/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
The National
5/5
The Killers
5/5
The Cars
4/5
SAULT
4/5
The Yardbirds
3/5
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
OutKast
2/5
Suede
4/5
Carole King
3/5
Mekons
3/5
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
Khaled
3/5
Le Tigre
3/5
Stephen Stills
3/5
The Clash
5/5
3/5
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
The Beach Boys
2/5
Johnny Cash
3/5
Sex Pistols
5/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
Rod Stewart
2/5
The Stooges
5/5
The Who
3/5
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
Pretenders
3/5
Tears For Fears
3/5
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
Kate Bush
3/5
Iggy Pop
4/5
LL Cool J
3/5
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
The Libertines
2/5
Tricky one. Little bits are very very good and lots is not very good at all.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Nirvana
4/5
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Pere Ubu
3/5
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Klaxons
2/5
Fever Ray
3/5
Beth Orton
3/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
The Doors
2/5
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Simply Red
2/5
Killing Joke
4/5
Ash
3/5
Radiohead
3/5
Devendra Banhart
4/5
Sugar
2/5
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
White Denim
2/5
Orbital
3/5
Aerosmith
2/5
Laura Nyro
5/5
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Blood, Sweat & Tears
2/5
The Cult
2/5
Billy Bragg
3/5
The Beta Band
3/5
James Taylor
2/5
The The
2/5
Big Star
4/5
Missy Elliott
4/5
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Neneh Cherry
4/5
Rush
2/5
Little Richard
3/5
Kate Bush
3/5
Blue Cheer
2/5
Supertramp
2/5
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Willie Nelson
5/5
Björk
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
David Bowie
3/5
For all the absolute genius sprinkled through it, it has to be said that there are quite large chunks of the Bowie catalogue that aren’t much cop, actually.
Exhibit A…
John Coltrane
5/5
The Triffids
3/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
Meat Puppets
3/5
CHIC
4/5
The Byrds
2/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Mylo
2/5
Iron Maiden
2/5
Suzanne Vega
3/5
The Charlatans
3/5
The Style Council
2/5
Brian Wilson
2/5
Buzzcocks
4/5