Brilliant, moving, heart-breaking at points, but also with an eye on recovery and the future. One of the most astounding and memorable pieces of music I have heard in a very long time.

Very noisy, but solid tunes in there somewhere too. Clear influence on royal blood and the white stripes, hints of the strokes, queens of the stone age, and plenty of grunge. Not one of the best 1001 albums, but an interesting one I would never otherwise have heard

An absolute masterpiece. One of the most quotable albums ever, with lyrics by two of the very best to ever write. Songs are lyrically heavy, musically appropriate to the words, with flashes of genius every few seconds. Almost unfair that one band would have two such poetic lyricists, and two genius all-round musicians, and one of the very best vocalists ever, and a drummer who is such a good all-rounder, and as a band they would even design covers/videos/artwork. That that they would combine to collaborate with such a clear vision is almost unbelievable. Favourite tracks are ... All of them! We miss you Richey

Really enjoyable, a mix of genres and styles, with echoes of Ooberman, Blur, Nirvana, the Clash, ELO, The Beatles, and many more from across the whole of music. I'd only heard a couple of songs before, but loved wish I was skinny, barney (and me), Lazarus, and the white noise revisited.

Wonderful, if it's not the Sgt Pepper's of hip-hop, it is the Dark Side of the Moon of hip-hop! Absolute genius, even if it's not on Spotify

Great album, perfect start to this insanity! One (obviously) and Frayed Ends of Sanity were particular highlights

Enjoyable, if a little one paced. First band in this that I have seen live, albeit 5-6 years after this album. First Scottish band too, and quite a change of pace from Metallica! You're just a baby and I could be dreaming were my favourites after one listen

Great voice, great songs, and only a few of them that I knew before listening. Oldest album so far, and first solo artist and female vocalist

Great album, in some alternate universe they are bigger than anyone in the game. Wonderful variety of samples and guests. Thin line, Hey, and Freedom my top tracks, along with Kool Kieth's DDT freestyle

Classic. More instrumental songs than I would have guessed, brilliant samples and guests

Great album, wonderful vocals and instrumentation. Do you realize and Yoshimi ... (part 1) probably my favourite individual songs, but makes most sense as a while piece.

Best song is the hidden track "blue flashing light", perhaps because it has not been overplayed; the drumming is unusual at points, but not in a bad way; Fran can really sing, this is especially obvious on "as you are"; not sure why there is a song half in French?!?

Not for me, too art for art's sake. Very 80s sounding, but not in a good way. No thanks

Great album, didn't know as many of the songs as I thought I would. Night prowler, shot down in flames, and, of course, the epic title track were the highlights. Funny to think that some people used to think that this was as heavy/fast/extreme/metal as music would ever become - if they only knew!

Not my kind of thing, but good background music and very chilled out. Sounds like the work of one man with a clear idea of what he wants to do

Good album, but a bit samey. Not a huge fan of the organ being so prominent on all the songs, but that happens when you have an organist. Good vocals, often bizarre lyrics, largely unexciting music

Really enjoyed this, only knew one song well, but it wasn't even the one I liked most. My favourites were son of a gun, doledrum, timeless melody, and the absolute best was looking glass. Just wish they had done more, but better one 5 🌟 album than five 1 🌟 ones!

As a Scot, the idea of english folk music sounds a bit strange to me - who do they sing about being oppressed and invaded by? Or do they sing about doing the invading and oppressing? Turns out it's like Scottish and Irish folk music, but with less politics and more soap opera stories! Tunes are good though, and I enjoyed the album even though I would probably never have chosen to listen to it. Matty Groves and Crazy Man Michael were my favourite tracks.

Really good album, not sure why j didn't get into it at the time. Title track, come together, and electricity were my favourite songs.

Sounds very dated, although probably in a nostalgic way for anyone who liked it at the time. I only knew 2 songs before listening to the album, and didn't really feel connected (!) to them or any others afterwards

More of the songs than I expected were ones I knew. A wide variety of styles and vocal range. The guy is clearly a genius, both in songwriting and in picking his cover versions to sing. Gotta get up, jump into the fire, and coconut were my favourite tracks

Not my kind of thing, but can hear its influence in loads of stuff. Instrumentals with only electronic sounds get very repetitive very fast.

Only about half the songs are on Spotify, which was a shame. Really enjoyed the songs I did hear. Not sure why they were not huge, or why they have been forgotten if they were a big deal.

Great album, loved every song, from hugely famous (walk this way) to the fun ones (you be illin) to the serious ones (proud to be black). Proper hip hop, still relevant today. Love it love it love it!

Old, very old, country, more my dad's taste than mine. God example of this genre though, and I did enjoy it. Really surprised to find In The Pines, covered by Nirvana as Where did you sleep last night, turn up

Ok, with a couple of great songs - Frozen and The Power of Goodbye. Sounds expensive, well produced, designed to be a hit, and slightly dated

Really good, if a bit samey. Politik, the scientist, and the title track were stand outs for me. Kind of odd to listen to it just as their new album is released.

Good album, was everywhere for a while, but the songs stil hold up. Very relaxing, very chilled, very enjoyable in a low key way. Svefn-g-englar probably my favourite, along with the title track

Sounds very much of its time - the line between dated and nostalgic is thin! Not a band I knew well, due to my age, and my parents' ages, when they were big. Lazyitis (too short) and Wrote for Luck (too long) were my favourites

Very short album, but still with a couple of very long songs. All sound similar, although with a few different voices popping up. Run Charlie run has some lyrics you would not expect to see in a pop record nowadays! The First time ever I saw your face is my favourite of these songs

Good songs, great lyrics and production. Kanye West clearly heavily involved.

Brilliant voice, brilliant songs, properly stopped me in my tracks at points. The title track, A Change is Gonna Come and, of course, Respect were highlights.

Never heard of them before this, never will again. Pish, which should never be in this list, or in end of year top album lists. Not one song I liked, or would be happy to hear again. Rubbish

Nothing like what I expected, since by the 90s they had gone into dance music. The cover of i don't wanna talk about it surprised me, but was good, the sax turning up was less enjoyable. Decent, but not one I am likely to come back to

Brilliant, classic, hear its influences all over the place. I was a bit surprised how may of the songs I knew, but they released SIX singles, and one of the other songs is one of the singles backwards! Really enjoyed it, but now frustrated they didn't kick on from here.

Classic

Odd. Very odd. Story / lyrics interesting (which does not mean good), music varies with the story. Concept albums have come a long way!

Really enjoyed this, hadn't heard of them before but will check out some of their other stuff. Red dress and love dog were the stand out tracks for me.

Amazing. Not what I, or anyone else, expected after Different Class, but really really good. Probably suffered at the time from how good their last few albums had been. A little soul, help the aged, & the title track stand out, but every song has something interesting

Not my favourite, but one I'll probably come back to, might not it more after a couple of listens. Very modern, hip hop without the rapping

Brilliant.

Solid, but unspectacular. He can really sing, but all felt a bit restrained for me.

Not one I would ever have just chosen to listen to, but I quite enjoyed it. Look forward to hearing more jazz, and learning more about it

Knew fewer than I expected of the songs, but really enjoyed visiting early 90s London. For tomorrow, chemical world and intermission were top tracks

Sounded familiar even though I had never heard any of the songs before. Think too much (b) and The late great Johnny Ace were my favourite songs

Rubbish lyrics, terrible vocals, horrible instrumentation, and no drums at all! The worst album I have ever listened to, and I never will again. Virtually a crime against humanity, and I can only assume that some reviewers (who likes it) have no ears, or taste, or were afraid to admit it should be nowhere near this list

Meh. Ok, and mercifully short, but not great. Hungry like the wolf and save a prayer the best songs, but still no better than average.

Good, but no better. Live album was interesting, and loved the introduction he was given. Didn't know many of the songs, but all pretty catchy. Will come back to when I'm not driving, so I can listen more fully

Meh. Very shiny, over-produced, bland lyrics. Pretty good voice though, and not unpleasant to listen to.

Brilliant, moving, heart-breaking at points, but also with an eye on recovery and the future. One of the most astounding and memorable pieces of music I have heard in a very long time.

Brilliant vocals, unique (and brilliant) lyrics, wonderful instrumentation and production. Loved it, and would probably not have listened to the whole thing unprompted. 4.5 🌟 rounds up to 5 🌟

Very eccentric, impressive vocals, not always catchy songs but always arresting and interesting. Clear influence on Lorde, Sia, Marina and the Diamonds, and Florence + the machine. Pull out the pin, suspended in gaffa, and get out of my house were my top tracks

Classic

Really enjoyed this, only knew a couple of songs beforehand. If I die tonight, fuck the world and, of course, dear mama are standouts.

Enjoyable, but not super catchy and very long songs. Ginger Baker was a hell of a drummer, and so versatile!

Better than I expected, but not really my kind of thing. Happy when it rains is a cracking tune, and they get a wee extra 🌟 just for being Scottish!

Very jangle-pop uk 80s, some of the songs sound like Echo & the Bunnymen, or The Smiths, or Deaon Blue, or The Associates, or even Inxs. Wasn't expecting much, but really enjoyed it, and will listen to it again. One thing though - Spotify has the (very) extended version, with more than twice as many songs, some of them demos/outtakes.

Awesome, almost unfair that someone could be such a good singer AND guitarist. Every day I have the blues, worry worry worry, and woke up this morning were the best songs

Better than I expected, influences of/on the clash, manics, ultrasound, maybe even the jam. Didn't know they were Finnish before this, makes them 77% more interesting!

Very noisy, but solid tunes in there somewhere too. Clear influence on royal blood and the white stripes, hints of the strokes, queens of the stone age, and plenty of grunge. Not one of the best 1001 albums, but an interesting one I would never otherwise have heard

Really good, like a country tinged Bob Dylan, but with a sense of humour!

Sloppy and unfocused, but ozzy's voice is still startling (in a good way) on virtually every song. Changes is my favourite track

Shite. Shite singer, shite songs, shite production, shite lyrics. The guy sings like he has been kicked in the plums, but I don't think we are that lucky. Turns out he is a nazi too, so fuck him. Would give it zero, or even less than that if I could. Absolutely pish

An absolute masterpiece. One of the most quotable albums ever, with lyrics by two of the very best to ever write. Songs are lyrically heavy, musically appropriate to the words, with flashes of genius every few seconds. Almost unfair that one band would have two such poetic lyricists, and two genius all-round musicians, and one of the very best vocalists ever, and a drummer who is such a good all-rounder, and as a band they would even design covers/videos/artwork. That that they would combine to collaborate with such a clear vision is almost unbelievable. Favourite tracks are ... All of them! We miss you Richey

Meh He can really sing - obviously, but it all feels a little polished and stilted for me. Decent background music though, and reminds me of my grandad, so that's nice.

Ok, I guess, like a better version of The Smiths. Very 80s, very jangly, rubbish lyrics, annoying vocals, not my kind of thing at all. One extra star for attending attending same uni as me!

Not my kind of thing, but probably not meant to be. Some interesting ideas, musically ad lyrically, but feels a bit unfinished. Not terrible, but not great. The ind of songs you would hear on BBC 6music, and then something better would come along.

Genius

Decent enough, I guess, but disco sucks.

Very influential, on a wide variety of bands and singers. Must have seemed like it was from the future, cos it doesn't sound dated at all!

Very distinctive voice, but this means a lot of the songs sound pretty similar. Really good songs though, lyrically and musically, with production that lets them shine. Enjoyed it more than I expected, even though I knew enough of the songs to be confident it would be good.

Interesting, challenging, different to anything I generally listen to, not my kind of thing, but could be. Keeping it in mind for future listening

An absolute masterpiece, with some of the greatest prog rock songs ever written. Enjoyed the story more by listening to it in full and in order. Comfortably numb and run like he'll were my favourites before, and still are, along withe the three "movements" of another brick in the wall

Very enjoyable, well written and well sung

not my kind of thing. lyrics, music, Instrumentation, vocals all just pretty bad. not one i will come back to

Very polished, slightly bloodless, over-produced, completely lacking any sort of edge, only emotion is a soet of general whining about "feelings". However, all of my heart is one of the best pop songs of the 80s, and the other two big hits (poison arrow & the look of love) are better than I remembered

Very funky, and very good

Brilliant

Very good, and an extra star just for being Björk. Hidden place, cocoon, and unity were my favourites

Not really my kind of thing. Relatively interesting, musically at least, and can hear the influence on loads of bands and artists. Sounds very 80s, which I guess means it was ahead of its time

Perfection, from the first note to the last. Pretty much every song is a timeless classic, with some all-time greats mixed in as well. Absolutely loved it; would give it 6 🌟 if I could!

Really inventive, very of its time, very interesting

Pretty good, not one I would have heard without taking on this list. Family affair and spaced cowboy were my favourites. Did not enjoy the instrumental/alternate versions as much

Clear influence on lots of bands I love, but doesn't resonate the same way, probably because I didn't hear it when I was younger. Really enjoyed it, hope to hear more from them

Brilliant. Lots of clever samples, lyrically magnificent, great flow, politically engaged, clear purpose and aims. I loved it.

Really enjoyed this, title track, bottle of smoke, thousands are sailing and, of course, fairytale of new york, were my favourites. Really good to listen to it in Mid-december too, a strange coincidence of the list

Pretty good. Jazz is still not my favourite genre, but the African influence was clear to hear and very enjoyable. I didn't pick up the names of any songs, so don't know which were my favourite, other than ingoo pow pow (children's song), which was great

Awesome album, maybe the first five star that I hadn't listened to all the way through before. My favourites were nightswimming and drive, but even the instrumental was brilliant. I'm definitely going to explore more R.E.M. when I get a chance, to see what other wonders share albums with songs I know!

Would have rated it higher on the memory of loving it 20 years ago, but it is not quite a five star record for me now. Still really enjoyed it though, and hope more sfa comes up in future. Favourite songs were the (sort of) title track, juxtaposed with u, and run! Christian, run!

Even as a drummer, I found this too much drums - not by much, but just a wee bit too much. Enjoyed it a bit, and spotting samples that were used elsewhere was great fun.

Absolutely awesome! One or two songs sound so 80s they border on pastiche, but still enjoyable. Title track, walk of life, latest trick, so far away, and of course, money for nothing are all-timers. What an album.

Never really heard of them before, now I'm not sure how! Sound like an Australian clash-influenced proto-nirvana - I was astounded to find they were from the USA. Really enjoyed it, and was nice to see what the rock kids were listening to when the pop and indie kids were in charge of the charts. Definitely going to listen to more of their stuff, and read more about them too. Wonderful

Awesome! Short, but catchy and a few classic songs. More time to listen would probably mean I gave it 5, but even once through it's a high 4.

Meh. Very nice, very impressive, but just doesn't move me in the way that guitars and vocals do. Interesting story behind it though, with the wrong piano being brought, and then needing tuned, and then ... just read the Wikipedia page!

Really enjoyable, a mix of genres and styles, with echoes of Ooberman, Blur, Nirvana, the Clash, ELO, The Beatles, and many more from across the whole of music. I'd only heard a couple of songs before, but loved wish I was skinny, barney (and me), Lazarus, and the white noise revisited.

Very extravagant, overblown, and eclectic. Too many songs, but most are good or great. Better quality control (and less drugs) could have made a tighter, shorter, more consistent album, but that was not the way at that time!

Classic. Not a bad track, although of course there are some good and some great. Drive in Saturday, let's spend the night night together, jean genie and the title track the best known, and most immediate for me because of that. Look forward to hearing plenty more from one of the best artists there ever was.

Not my kind of thing, very repetetive and mostly instrumental.

Not my jam

Very modern, very expensively produced, a bewildering array of guests. Sounds like flylo fm from gta v, which is not a bad thing.

Not as awesome as I expected, given his reputation, but I suppose there had been less music back when this came out. All the songs were pretty similar, but bird on a wire stood out as really good, rather than just quite good.

Solid, but unspectacular. He can really sing, but all felt a bit restrained for me. You ain't the problem is far and away my favourite track

Classic. War pigs, paranoid, and iron man are right up there with the best rock songs. Amazing to think it was only a few months since their debut.

Samey all the way through, Pacific 202 is probably the best song, but all the rest are nearly as "good", or "half decent" to be more accurate

Awesome, and really surprised me how awesome. Hints of influence on or by an eclectic range of artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Radiohead, Lenny Kravitz, Slash, Avalanches, Royal Blood, Jamie T, and many more. I absolutely loved it, with my favourites being ... actually, all 7 tracks on the original album! An extra star for being so unexpectedly wonderful makes it my first 6 🌟 album!

I can hear why people would like it, and the moments of behind the scenes where she "forgets" words or speaks to the crowd are very cool. Love her voice, but all the "American songbook" songs sound like relics from a bygone era, which I suppose they are. Enjoyable enough, but not one I will come back to

An interesting album with diverse influences including folk, prog, hippy rock, and Eastern music. Perfectly pleasant, but not likely to live long in the memory. Pretty much the definition of three stars for me!

Very odd, which is not a bad thing! Some songs sounded like rammstein covering Kenny Loggins, others like David Bowie fronting a particularly gloomy Echo & the Bunnymen, and one sounded like a piano ballad from some schlocky horror movie. I would never have found this on my own, and would not have expected it to sound like this based on what I had heard of the band before. Loses a star for not having a proper drummer.

Three stars. Good, but not great, best song last for some reason, not their best album

Very short, but full of good songs. Pretty much what I expected from them, although "At the zoo" was a lot more whimsical than I thought. That song, hazy shade of winter, America, and Save the life of My Child were my favourites, along with Mrs Robinson

Very psychedelic, very 60s. Enjoyable, although not sure it needed (at least) two versions of each song!

Another all time classic, one of my favourite albums before this, and it still is. A masterwork, best listened to as a whole, but Money and Eclipse are my favourite "movements"

Brilliant album, one of my dad's favourite artists. Folsom prison blues, give my love to rose, the hilarious flushed from the bathroom of your heart, and, of course, Jackson are awesome songs that I just keep coming back to

Never heard the whole album before, which is the point of doing this! Singles were clearly the catchiest songs, some of the filler was fairly silly. He was a great singer, but I would have liked to hear him sing more rock than pop

Sounds pretty much like it could have been made at any time in the last 40 or so years, other than the production being a bit tighter than in their very early days. Stuck in a moment and walk on were two very good songs that I had (just about) forgotten existed, beautiful day and elevation are basically classic rock staples at this point, and in a little while might be my favourite of the whole record.

I don't speak the same language, but I can still appreciate the gorgeousness of her voice. I deliberately didn't read much about the album either, but really enjoyed it. Didn't catch the names of any songs, or any of the guest vocalists, but a solid 4 ⭐ for me

Good, but not great. Good background music, but another where I don't speak the same language. I enjoyed it a lot, but will probably not come back to it

Classic, one of those albums where pretty much every song has popped up in my life a few times before. Title track, Took the words ..., and two out of three ... are my favourites, but they're all awesome!

I love the Beatles, so his will score well, but it is so early in their career that they hadn't quite developed into the band they became. Lots of cover versions, which is odd when they had three of the best songwriters (and Ringo). Thus does include the first Harrison song on an LP though, which is interesting. All the songs are good or great, and all are pretty much part of life in Britain. I prefer their later stuff, when they were exploring the fringes of modern music and developing the future, but still love this. It is both good in its own right, and an interesting snapshot of the biggest band in the world, ever, just as they claimed that title.

Sounds like a bunch of clever clogs trying (and nearly managing) to sound like Pink Floyd. Bloody well right and dreamer are the catchiest tunes, but it probably works bets as a whole album.

Only 4 of the songs are on Spotify, which is far from handy, but I found versions of the rest on other albums or compilations though. Side 1 very different to side 2, and much better, but neither is really up my street. Title track and heard it through the grapevine are my favourite songs

Good splid indie album, if they had been a few years earlier they would have sold thousands more copies. Fills the space between the Las and Embrace, which I never knew needed filled. Natalie's partly and beautiful ate my favourites, with an honourable mention for lend's some dough

All the songs sound basically the same, which is fine, because I like it, but it does mean that the album drags a bit towards the end. Very english, so I'm not sure how it would go across further afield - I'm scottish and don't always get all his references! Help save the youth of America is the best song, I also liked the hoke front and ideology

Pretty bad

More varied than I expected, but hampered by a not very good singer. Geno is the best song, burn it down is pretty good, and the rest are fairly forgettable

Loved it! An early forerunner of lots of stuff I like, and one of the first power trios. Every song was great, but their version of summertime blues was greatest for me. Really intrigued to hear more of their stuff.

Sounds even more like The Killers than I would have thought, clearly one they spent a long time studying. Thunder Road, jungleland, and the title track were the best songs, but it probably works best as a whole piece. I'm sure it won't be the only album from the boss on this list

What a wonderful surprise, an album i would never have listened to but absolutely loved. The range of genres and influences is mind-blowing, and the variety in the vocal performances makes it hard to believe it was one artist (with guests) responsible. I love a concept album, and this is as high concept as anything, but the songs stand up individually as well. Dance or die, faster, tightrope (with big boi), wondaland, and my new favourite song Come Alive (War of the Roses) are so good I can hardly believe I hadn't heard them before. What an album, and this is exactly the reason I wanted to do this!

Classic

Great album, if a little samey throughout. All songs have a slightly arch quality, which works better in some than others. Songs of love and frog princess are my favourites, but all tracks are very good

Classic hip hop. I was surprised how few tracks I recognised by name, but knew more of the songs when they came on. NY state of mind and the world is yours were stand outs, but the whole album works well as a piece

Old people's music, hippies trying to make money but pretend they're not. Songs all sound the same, and only ok. Not for me; just sounds like so many other albums from that time.

Brilliant album, from a band I had never even heard of. Loved every song, but "do you compute" and "sinews" were the best ones. They remind me of late Nirvana and/or early Biffy Clyro - two of my favourites of all time!

Good, but not great. They were such a god singles band, and so prolific at albums, that it's not a huge surprise that there's a fair bit of filler at points. Start! and Monday were my favourites favourites

This came up in my feed a few days after he asked Spotify to remove his music. Joe Rogan sucks. This album however, does not suck. It is pretty samey, and would probably have scored higher if I had listened to it a few more times.

Nah, not for me

The laddie can clearly sing, in whatever style he/his people want. Ranges from disco to balladry, with hints of funk and rock. First two tracks were the big singles, but she's out of my life and the title track were more enjoyable for me.

Not their best work, but still better than most other bands can do!

5 🌟

Weird, but in a good way! Really odd to hear songs in English, but intended for a German/non-anglophone audience. Lots of influence on lots of bands I like, even though I had never heard of them before

Very prog, very odd instrumentation at points, very enjoyable for the most part. Roundabout mostly famous from GTA V, which made it odd hearing it in its original context

Good, but not great, aside from brass in pocket of course.

Sounds very much of its time - the line between dated and nostalgic is thin! Not a band I knew well, due to my age, and my parents' ages, when they were big. Lazyitis (too short) and Wrote for Luck (too long) were my favourites, along with hallelujah

The worst album I have ever listened to all the way through, still not sure why I bothered. It was clear early on that there were no musicians involved! Not even any good as background music, unlikely to be enjoyed by anyone with ears. Just wish I could give it no star, as even one is way too generous

Better than average, love the folk infuence

Classic

Muddy sounding at points, but the songs and performances are awesome. Had to find the deluxe edition, as the regular was missing a few of the songs for some reason.

Nonsense, but pleasant enough. Didn't realise before that Greg Lake (from ELP/Xmas) was in King Crimson. Schizoid man and the title track were the highlights for me

Not at all what I expected, but not in a good way. Nothing memorable or catchy here, after the first track, and nothing especially bad either. The definition of mediocre.

Very varied, very seventies. Proto-prog, and all performed and produced by one guy. I really enjoyed it; it could have handled being a bit shorter, but I'm not sure what I would remove! Saving Grace and Black Maria were my favourites, but it was all pretty good

Pretty good, catchy and varied, and before a lot of the things it sounds like (which shows its influence). Roadrunner, astral plane, and she cracked were my top tracks

Only four (very long) songs. Still not my thing, but I can certainly appreciate the skill of the musicians involved.

Too much prog, not enough rock. Three songs for a whole album?!? No thanks! Even the extended version is only 7 tracks (but still over an hour long!)

Five songs in 43 minutes, means it must be either jazz or prog-rock! Jazz it is, which I still don't really get. Very impressive musicianship, even if it doesn't move me like some other music does.

Really good, like a country tinged Bob Dylan, but with a sense of humour!

Nah, not for me thanks. Influenced a lot of stuff I do like, but I just can't get past the weird vocals and droning backing tracks.

I always thought I didn't like bon jovi, but it turns out their worst songs are their biggest songs! "Let it rock" was the stand out for me, although listening to the whole album made me appreciate "wanted dead or alive" a little more.

Very good, but mot quite great. Even though I was 17 when this (first) came out, I had never heard any of these songs, probably because September 2001 had more important events happen the week before. I will definitely come back to this though, and explore their other albums when I get a chance.

Awesome, one of my favourite artists, and one of his best albums. Best songs are Crosstown traffic, voodoo Chile (both versions), and, best of all, all along the watchtower

Genius

Classic hiphop, from one of the greatest, but not enough variety in soind and subject matter in my opinion. Also, the last track on the remaster, "just playing (dreams)", is so sexist and misogynistic it meant the album finished on a very sour note

Awesome album, one of the ones I enjoyed most so far. Equally capable of being background music or being the focus of attention. Safe from harm and the majestic unfinished sympathy dominate, but all tracks work really well as a piece.

Genius, really lush and diverse, with lyrics that tell a story and work as a whole piece. Loved it.

Perfect, or close enough. Bit of a shame Spotify didn't have the couple of bonus tracks on the UK cd version, but still one of my favourite albums of all time. Loved it!

Surprisingly good, but not quite great. Much better than I expected, and much rockier and louder too. Bonus tracks on the Spotify version are actually longer than the original album, for some reason.

Great album, loved every song, from the hugely famous ones (it's tricky, walk this way, my adidas) to the fun ones (you be illin') to the serious ones (proud to be black). Proper hip hop, still relevant today. Love it love it love it!

Better than I remember it being, really enjoyed it. Not quite five stars, but pretty damn close! There goes the fear, pounding, and Friday's dust were my favourites

Classic hip-hop that I had never heard before. I loved it though, and will definitely hunt out more of their stuff. Execution of a chump, and the meaning of the name were my favourites first time through, but I will revisit it to pick up the lyrics and flow of some of the denser tracks too

Only four tracks (plus some bonus material, including an odd interview, on Spotify), but all good. Not sure any of the songs really needed to be quite so long, but didn't mind it. "Walk on by" was virtually unrecognisable, and "by the time I get to phoenix" lasted about a week!

Really good album, probably helped to such a high score by the fact that I listened to it a few times through. Reminds me a lot of some of my favourite bands, but in a way that doesn't feel like they are just copying anyone. For example, they sound a bit like a younger, American, version of Elbow. Terrible Love, Lemonworld, and Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks stood out for me

Really enjoyed this, title track, bottle of smoke, thousands are sailing and, of course, fairytale of new york, were my favourites. Would have been better to listen to it in December though, given the clear association.

Sounds like a soundtrack- for good reason! Lots of instrumental tracks, or ones with only a few lyrics. Title track is obviously well known and an all time classic, but most of the others are pretty forgettable. Decent background music for doing something else, I guess.

Not my favourite, but one I'll probably come back to, might not it more after a couple of listens. Very modern, hip hop without the rapping

A lot of the songs sound like tiny dancer, which is fine, since I like that one. Wide range of lyrical themes, surprisingly, and pretty consistent quality throughout. Only three stars though, can't be much higher since even the best song is ony OK!

Good background music, no more and no less. An extra point for being (very surprisingly) Scottish!

Definitely not background music - this grabs you by the ears and forces you to listen. Still sounds like nothing else; it sounded like it came from another planet at the time! Firestarter and breathe are the two big hits, and as close to catchy as the album gets, but it probably works best as a whole piece

Weird and awesome, just how I like it.

Weird and wonderful, but one I would probably enjoy more given the chance to listen through a few more times. Clear influence on lots of bands I love, maybe just a bit too out there for me to properly adore.

Brilliant

Really interesting, and good, with funny songs, important songs, and catchy songs. Not all uk hip hop is this good. Favourite part was the (possibly coincidental) nod to Akala when she spoke about escaping the "fuckery" - in a line with a very 'Akala' flow to it

Terrible. 0 stars

Weird, but good. Pretty sure it works best as a whole piece, given the songs all meld together. I would love to have more time to listen a few more times through

Brilliant vocals, unique (and brilliant) lyrics, wonderful instrumentation and production. Loved it, and would probably not have listened to the whole thing unprompted. 4.5 🌟 rounds up to 5 🌟

Awesome, especially in the current mini heatwave here! Love a bit of reggae, and using it to tell the story of one of my all-time heroes is genius. Hard to pick a best track so I'll say Al of them!

Decent but forgettable pop music. Sounds like it was recorded quickly, but none the worse for it. Honey are you straight or are you blind, and I hope you're happy now were my favourite songs.

Samey, noisy, good but not great. Really surprised to hear the cover of Helter-skelter, and obviously knew Hong Kong Garden, but nothing else really grabbed me.

All the songs, except ...rolling stone, sound like demos to just get something on tape before recording it properly! He's not a great singer, which has been said before, but I'm also not sure his lyrics are as good as the reputation would suggest. One of the more disappointing albums for me, since I have always heard how it it is, but it just wasn't

Not my jam, music largely devoid of emotion, with lyrics that sound rushed and uninspired. Not the worst Mancunian band of the 80s (that is the smiths) but disappointing and unimpressive.

Really good album, with a few brilliant songs. Another girl, another planet was the stand out for me, with The whole of the law, Creature of doom, and As my wife says, all very enjoyable. Not sure it's quite a five 🌟, but a solid 4 🌟 effort. I loved it

Awesome! Short, but catchy and a few classic songs. Glad I was able to give it a few listens through; it meant even the "lesser" songs were able to shine

Good album, influences are clear, and much of their sound has influenced a bunch of other people. Truckin' was my favourite, but it was pretty solid all the way

Better than I expected, influences of/on the clash, manics, ultrasound, maybe even the jam. Didn't know they were Finnish before this, makes them roughly 77% more interesting!

Not really music, more like a showreel for advanced production techniques. Could be used as background music for some sort of sci-fi movie set in the future, where the director doesn't want the music to distract from the dialogue. Interesting, but only rarely enjoyable, not one I am likely to come back to. Still far from the worst album on this list (*cough* Nico *cough*)

Landfill indie, made mildly more interesting by being American landfill indie. Like an NYC version of Doves, if they had listened too nothing but Hail to the Theif. Not really my thing, not bad for chilling out with glitchy guitars and engaging time signatures.

Not really my kind of thing, but interesting. Many of the songs last much too long, but I guess that works in the clubs and/or makes it easier to create remixes. Inner City Life (part of the 20 minutes opening medey) was the big breakthrough hit, and probably the best "song". Plenty of other enjoyable music though, just not much that is as catchy or memorable

American Brit pop, which is odd as a concept! Good, but not great, with the title track and the cover of Mrs Robinson being the most immediate tracks. Plenty of other decent songs too though. One other thing: the audio quality of some of the bonus tracks sounds like a cassette taped from a vinyl record that had been left in the sun - so much hiss and pop!

Very interesting, a clear influence on loads of bands I love. Some tracks sound like a heavier version of The Doors, other like the Sex Pistols with wierder lyrics. Overall, great, but not quite 5 🌟 for me.

Absolute genius

Genre defying, in a good way! I wasn't sure when this was from, and surprised to find out it was a 60s album. Not my favourite on this list, but interesting and experimental.

Intelligent, engaging, mature pop music. Not really my thing (not loud enough!) but really good. Kiwis get an extra 🌟 too!

Good songs, great lyrics and production. Kanye West clearly heavily involved. 4 🌟

Background music, for some sort of dull sci-fi movie. Influential on lots of artists I do like, but I didn't massively enjoy this. I'm torn between giving it 2 or 3, so will be generous!

Not on Spotify - Joe Rogan still sucks! All the songs and pretty similar, and not in a good way. She can really sing, and the lyrics are good, but it didn't quite grab me. Very enjoyable, but not especially memorable

Like a Texan Biffy Clyro - which is intented as a massive compliment! I loved At The Drive-in, but hadn't listened to much of The Mars Volta before - I am now regretting that. Added all their albums to my list off the back of this one. Loved every second of it, wish I could give it 6 (or 7) stars!

Classic

This was everywhere for a few years! He's taken a bit of a back seat since, but I suppose he made so much money that he'll never have to work again. Hard to pick a stand out track because so many are so well known, and because they are all pretty similar.

First Bollywood soundtrack I have listened to all the way through. Really enjoyed it, found the wee references to "western" music sprinkled throughout very interesting. Hard to pick a favourite track, other than to mention that "one two cha cha cha" is probably the most immediate

Decent background music, but not super engaging or memorable. They were everywhere for a while, back in the day, but that is not always a mark of quality! Enjoyable enough, but that doesn't translate into a very high score. They get another star for being Norwegian though!

It turns out that I love afro beat! Really fun, engaging, and interesting to listen to, and not as dense or challenging as I would have thought. Brilliant, hope to hear more from Fela and his various bands. P.s. read the Wikipedia page to see how his government reacted to the success of this album - showing why it was needed.

Brilliant album, tells a story but with songs that stand alone as well. Some of the skits were arguably unnecessary, but they give the songs room to breathe. Production of all wu-tang (and wu-tang solo) albums is always spot on.

Best song is the hidden track "blue flashing light", perhaps because it has not been overplayed; the drumming is unusual at points, but not in a bad way; Fran can really sing, this is especially obvious on "as you are"; not sure why there is a song half in French?!? Extra point for being Scottish!

Middling hair metal. The best song is probably 'photograph", but I prefer the Santana version of that as well. I was very surprised to hear the sample from "pretty fly for a white guy" at the start or "rock of ages", but mostly because there is not other obvious influence on the offspring by Def Leppard

Great, with a couple of benchmark punk tracks and the others all very very good.

Fabulous, if a little one-paced. Brilliant vocals, decent lyrics, passable music. Very easy to listen to, or to have on in the background. Good, but not great.

An absolute classic. One of my favourite albums growing up, and listening again showed me why. Only change since 20 years ago is that I enjoyed the longer, gentler, more contemplative songs more than when I was younger. Loved it, from start to finish

Boring, the epitome of the bland, formulaic, guitar-less nonsense being produced in the UK in the 80s. Instantly forgettable - and I mean *literally* instantly: it must have been (based on the length of the album and how long I had had it on) at least the fourth play through before I recognised any of the songs that I had just heard 45 minutes ago! Also, after listening 4 or 5 times to this record, I still only know one Talk Talk song (it's my life), and it's not on this album! One extra star for being able to sing well (i.e. not being Nico).

Brilliant, and exemplifies why I was keen to do this: I would probably never have listened to this album otherwise. The click song and a couple of the covers were the only ones I recognised on first listen, but I loved pretty much every track. Wonderful

The most prog of anything ever to happen. Good though, just dense and lyrically impenetrable. It seems to tell some sort of story, but without doing any background reading it is hard to tell what it is about.

Not my kind of thing, but probably not intended to be. As Scroobius Pip says "You don't have to like everything, and not everything is meant for you to like!" Some interesting ideas, musically and lyrically, but feels a bit unfinished. Not terrible, but not great. The kind of songs you would hear on BBC 6music, and then something better would come along.

Nah, not for me. Perfect Day was better as a cover by loads of different people, none of the others are particularly memorable

Interesting, not super catchy or exciting, but pretty pleasant and enjoyable. The Dolphins and Everybody's Talking were my favourite tracks

Exceptional. I obviously knew the duet with Kylie, but I loved pretty much all the other songs too. Not quite a concept album, but with a clear theme, and musically really interesting

Brilliant and odd, and really fun. Reminiscent of Sgt Pepper's and Pet Sounds, but more tongue in cheek.

Hard, heavy, and repetitive. A clear influence on loads of bands I love, but a bit sterile and underwhelming for me. Would listen again, but mostly to have another go at picking out bits that went on to be "borrowed" by bands I like more! Also, NWOBHM is possibly the worst genre/movement name in all of music history!

Really enjoyed this, only knew a couple of songs beforehand. If I die tonight, fuck the world and, of course, dear mama are standouts. 4 🌟

Meh

Very 80s, which is not a compliment! Bets song is Reward, which wasn't even on the original version. Enjoyable enough, but not great. Definition of three 🌟 to me!

Very enjoyable

Very good, of perhaps a bit self indulgent at points. Works well as a full album, with sunshine of your love and strange brew as clear stand out tracks.

Great album, in some alternate universe they are bigger than anyone in the game. Wonderful variety of samples and guests. Thin line, Hey, and Freedom are my favourite songs, along with Kool Keith's DDT freestyle 4 🌟

Brilliant, one of my favourites before, but even more so after listening in full again. Jesus Walks is an absolute classic, Spaceship is a rare 12/8 rap song, and All Falls Down is masterful pop music. Couldn't be less than 5 🌟!

Exceptional, uncomfortable, repetitive, draining, occasionally enjoyable, but mostly awkward, and always always moves the listener. One of the most starling albums I have listened to, and still sounds as fresh and unsettling as it always did. Awesome, in every possible sense of the word!

Very, very good, a clear influence on loads of bands I love. Full of energy and attitude, and fills the gap between garage rock and grunge perfectly. Some songs are a little bit "older gent trying to sound like his younger self", but that's no bad thing. Not on Spotify, but that meant I saw the videos for the songs that have them. Joe Rogan still sucks!!

Unique, eclectic, mesmerising, fascinating and engaging. A great mix of samples & interpolations, and some intriguing guests appearing.

Amazing, startling, arresting, wonderful, complex, emotional, and brilliant.

How to disappear completely might just be the best song ever, and more than half of the others are in contention for a place in my top 100. I loved this album after the first couple of times I heard it, and have loved it ever since. Maybe my favourite Radiohead album, although there is plenty of competition! Could be 10 out of 5 in my book!

Surprised by how many songs I knew, seems to have been everywhere even more than I noticed at the time. Gangster Trippin is still my favourite, but the album as a whole is so good, and so consistent, that it works best as a piece.

Perfect, unimprovable, magnificent, interesting both musically and for its cultural resonance. Absolutely wonderful

Decent, but very samey and full of sloppy (but still pretty fun) live versions of a few of the same tracks at the end of the remastered edition. Really fun, and surprised me how many songs I knew. Tres hombres, tres 🌟

Wierd and wonderful, but not really an album of actual songs. Sounds like an audio showreel of production techniques, which it kind of was. Bits of some songs sound like later Radiohead, which is again no bad thing!

Brilliant

Not my kind of thing, but good background music and very chilled out. Sounds like the work of one man with a clear idea of what he wants to do

Brilliant. The drums are really interesting, and the rest of the music and lyrics really good too. Not the best Weller album, but very very good

Meh, sounds like early Metallica b sides with a worse singer and half finished lyrics. Sorry Dave!

American landfill indie, like The Strokes' younger brothers listened to too much Editors and Doves (and not enough Elbow or Radiohead) before being let loose in a studio to produce their own album. Good, but not great, and not a band I am likely to explore further

Very distinctive voice, but this means a lot of the songs sound pretty similar. Really good songs though, lyrically and musically, with production that lets them shine. Enjoyed it more than I expected, even though I knew enough of the songs to be confident it would be good. 4 🌟

Very impressive, and enjoyable, and creative. Instrumentals rarely move me as much as songs with lyrics.

Brilliant, awesome, wonderfully funky, almost perfect (and yet funkadelic still just hits better for me!)

Messy, impenetrable lyrics, odd choices of cover versions, and yet, there's something there. Not the best, but one my younger self would probably have liked a lot.

Good album, was everywhere for a while, but the songs stil hold up. Very relaxing, very chilled, very enjoyable in a low key way. Svefn-g-englar probably my favourite, along with the title track. 4 🌟

Nope. One of my most hated bands, and they still are. The world does not need Brummies (doing cod reggae). An album so bad it is practically a hate crime! Listen to the music they claim to love, not this piss poor facsimile. 0 🌟. Seriously, not even the 1 I had to give it.

Very good. A bit rambling at points, but pleasantly rambling. Sounded more like Dylan than I had expected, and lots of influence from The Clash too. Clear distinction from his work with the Pixies, which I was kind of not really thinking it would be. Oddly, it made me want to listen to Pixies rather than more of his solo stuff though - just cos I know it better.

Classic, I loved it when I was 17, and I love it still. Funny, dark, conscious, and silly (at different points!)

Not on Spotify - Joe Rogan sucks! Pleasant enough, but pretty old sounding and very samey all the way through.

Classic, but with more instrumentals than I would have expected and only one song I knew beforehand. Really enjoyed it though, sounds like a band at the top of their game.

Decent enough, but a bit dull.

One of my favourite albums by one of my favourite bands. Lyrically, musically and vocally flawless. My favourite lyric is the first verse of "Some Riot". Heartbreaking at points, and arguably even more so when you read the story of his friend who it is dedicated to. 5 🌟

Awesome, almost unfair that someone could be such a good singer AND guitarist. Every day I have the blues, worry worry worry, and woke up this morning were the best songs 4 🌟

Very long opener, album as a whole very prog. Not great, but can appreciate the skill involved in making it

Decent, with one outstanding song (sympathy...) and a few other god ones. I struggle to see why they were such a big deal though - there is very little innovative or exciting here. Maybe they were already past that point of their career.

Not all songs on Spotify, which is not hugely helpful! The ones that are there are pretty sludgy and dull, and not very exciting. Decent enough, but plenty of room for improvement. Influence on a bunch of other bands is fairly clear

Very different from anything I would previously have chosen to listen to, but a genre I can appreciate much more now. No lyrics can make it tricky to engage, but also allows the music to speak for itself.

Flawless vocals, note perfect guitar playing, and yet it all feels a bit bloodless. I still really enjoyed it though! Would probably benefit from being listened to a few more times.

Flawless

Bizarre

Pleasant and enjoyable without being obtrusive. Could easily be a movie soundtrack, or a cool advert.

Brilliant. I'm not sure why I didn't listen to them before, other than my disliking for jangle pop. An extra star for being Scottish as well means that it has to be 5 🌟

Very good, not exactly what I expected, but I really enjoyed it

Nah, not for me. "You suffer" is decent, but too long, and most of the others sound similar (if less focussed). Still, at least it's not Nico or PSB, so they can have another 🌟 for being interesting - even if I genuinely never want to hear this album again!

Heavy as hell, but with tunes and lyrics. Catchier than I expected, with no compromise on their aims.

Wonderful, not quite the Marley that gets played on the radio in Scotland, but probably more authentic because of that. The version of 'no woman no cry' is very different to the famous version on the "Legend" album, but still very impressive. For clarity, I loved it!

Very bad. Nein danke from me!

Brilliant and important, must have been startling at the time. Probably the shortest album on this list - 25 minutes! I loved it.

Fabulous

Over produced and over worked, but with a few gems in there as well. Takes me straight back to the time it was released, when the singles were everywhere for a while.

Jangle pop nonsense, with lyrics about nothing and some really bizarre production choices. The use of a sitar is an insult to the whole Indian subcontinent, and the bonus tracks include band members swearing at each other to "do it properly". Not great, but better than Nico or PSB!

Brilliant

Not for me. Very 80s, with lyrics about nuclear war and drug addiction, and with over the top production that doesn't really benefit the songs. Personal Jesus is pretty good, although I like Johnny Cash's version better, but one of the later tracks sounds like a phone ring tone

Interesting, challenging, different to anything I generally listen to, not my kind of thing, but could be. Keeping it in mind for future listening 3 🌟

Clear influence on lots of bands I love, but doesn't resonate the same way, probably because I didn't hear it when I was younger. Really enjoyed it, hope to hear more from them 4 🌟

Must be the first album I have had (and will probably be the only one) that has the current UK number one single on it! Very good, if a bit samey, but she is a great singer and songwriter. Some of the sound effects are pretty odd, but not in a bad way. Cloudbusting is my favourite, with the two big singles close behind. 3 1/2 🌟 for me, but rounds up to 4

Better than his other album, in that at least this one has actual songs. Not good songs, granted, but still a step u from the random nonsense of his previous effort. Some sounds like Radiohead, some like Franz Ferdinand, all of it sounds like someone being mightily indulged, with no-one to rein in his stranger creative impulses.

Nothing like what I expected, since by the 90s they had gone into dance music. The cover of I don't wanna talk about it surprised me, but was good, the sax turning up was less enjoyable. Decent, but not one I am likely to come back to. 3 🌟

Absolutely genius. One of the best albums ever, by one of the best artists ever.

Some pretty questionable lyrics, which would probably be changed nowadays, but good music and very interesting to hear such early Clapton work.

Very fast, very loud, very funny, and very short. Kind of good, but I'm not sure "good" is what they were aiming for anyway.

Wonderful

Really enjoyed this, some of it sounds like early Biffy, or gentle Nirvana, but it is still entirely its own thing. A band I plan to seek out more from.

Very enjoyable, like an early Nirvana with even less focus or production work. Not super catchy, or immediate, but one I will probably come back to.

Nah, not for me. Americans covering bad English folk songs is unnecessary, and the other tracks sound like an attempt to copy the title(ish) track. 7 o'clock news/silent night is the one original thought here, just weird enough to maintain interest.

Very distinctive voice and musical style, which can lose impact after a while. No tracks I knew before, and nothing immediate or catchy, but a solid album of classic Neil Young songs.

Meh. Very shiny, over-produced, bland lyrics. Pretty good voice though, and not unpleasant to listen to. 3 🌟

A work of genius, with some all time classics. Even the random bonus tracks are good!

Great album, very fast, very heavy, very 80s sounding. If Dave had stayed in Metallica, they could have made the same album over and over again as well!

Wonderful

As a Scot, the idea of english folk music sounds a bit strange to me - who do they sing about being oppressed and invaded by? Or do they sing about doing the invading and oppressing? Turns out it's like Scottish and Irish folk music, but with less politics and more soap opera stories! Tunes are good though, and I enjoyed the album even though I would probably never have chosen to listen to it. Matty Groves and Crazy Man Michael were my favourite tracks. 3 🌟

Another I loved before this, but tried to listen to 'properly' again when it came up. Sounda like it was recorded fast and cheap (which it was), and only hints at the variety of styles and influences they would explore on later records. Some of these songs are all time punk classics, and it's the debut album by one of my favourite bands, so it's got to be another 6 star album!

Very prog, but also pretty heavy at points. Title track is my favourite, but not just because of the Simpsons!

Very weird, fairly bad, better than a few others. Sounds like sarcastic Bond themes, sung by someone who has been in every musical. Not for me

Good, but not great. Doesn't sound like a band who sprung from friends seeing a Sex Pistols concert! Our lips are sealed and automatic were my favourite tracks, but plenty of others were good too.

Dull

Much more variety than I would have expected. Really enjoyed it, would probably never have picked it out to listen to without this.

Classic

Not really my kind of thing. Relatively interesting, musically at least, and can hear the influence on loads of bands and artists. Sounds very 80s, which I guess means it was ahead of its time 3 🌟

Really enjoyable, a mix of genres and styles, with echoes of Ooberman, Blur, Nirvana, the Clash, ELO, The Beatles, and many more from across the whole of music. I'd only heard a couple of songs before, but loved wish I was skinny, barney (and me), Lazarus, and the white noise revisited. 5 🌟

Reminds me of being 17, but not in a good way - just sounds like everything I had to tolerate on the radio. Could easily be Fatboy Slim or Moby, or any of the other cash-in copyists that followed.

Genius. Even the less well known songs are almost perfect, and the bigger hits are among the best of all time.

Pretty wierd, sounds like the soundtrack to some bizarre 70s kids TV show. Strange voice, nonsense lyrics, very outdated. And yet, there is something ethereal and enjoyable there too.

Good but not great. No real stand out tracks (other than Rebellion (lies) which I knew before) but works well as a whole piece. Singing in French and playing accordion are always welcome here!

Very summery and psychedelic, and very very dated. Daft lyrics, clichéd music, but fun and enjoyable in spite of that.

Nope. Off their faces, clearly, and Nico just can't sing. It's not quite as bad as her solo album, but still the 2nd worst album I have ever listened to in full. How this got on the list, I will never know. Absolutely rubbish; 0 🌟

Wonderful, almost perfect, one of my favourite bands ever, and was always going to score well. Listening to it again, I was reminded why I loved it first time around, and it has to be five stars (at least!) Pyramid song and you and whose army are stand outs, even in an album so flawless

Very smooth and very dated, with way too much saxophone for me. Good vocals, but not a lot else worth revisiting. Torn between 2 or 3, I will err on the side of generosity!

Good, and with a couple of really well known (and really good) tracks, but patchy and inconsistent later on. The Black Sabbath cover and the instrumental seem pretty unnecessary, perhaps even self-indulgent

Very fun, but not one I could appreciate fully because I don't understand why it is so good. I really enjoyed it, but jazz just isn't my thing.

Time after time is a great song, girls just wanna have fun is one of my most hated songs. When you were mine is an interesting and enjoyable cover (or a great Prince track), but he's so unusual is boring and wierd. Money changes everything is catchy and good, witness is simplistic and sticks in your head. So it's pretty patchy, with (just!) enough good stuff to take it to 3 🌟!

The guy is not a great singer, and by this point his lyrics kind of sucked too. "trying to get to heaven" is kind of funny if you imagine heaven is a club with a strict doors close time, but most of the other songs are fairly dull. With an album this late in a legendary act's career, you have to wonder if it suffers in comparison to his earlier work, or would never have seen the light of day if anyone else recorded these songs. With this album, I think it's the latter

Genius album by a genius (and Meg), never going to be any less than 5 🌟!

Dull, and he seems like a bellend. The album starts with wankers arguing about who loves a prick more, and gets worse from there. Musically ok, but lyrically and in terms of the flow of the album, it is crap.

Nah, just hip hop backing tracks (with a few vocals). Could be good, if they were finished songs, but only ok as backing music as they are

What a voice! All the songs sound about a hundred years old, which is fair enough, because they are. Very catchy, very enjoyable, very good

Very loud, fast, and short. Songs about a wide variety of topics, which got them in a bit of bother. The 'big 4' band I knew least we'll before, but would be happy to see them pop up again

Perfection, a band I have seen live a bunch of times, including at a Radio 1 Roadshow around the release of this album.

Very 80s and not very good. The singer has some odd affectations, and the lyrics are nonsense. Not their best work, probably, but not actively terrible.

Very boring

amazing. not what i, or anyone else, expected after different class, but really really good. probably suffered at the time from how good their last few albums had been. My favourite song is 'a little soul'; 'help the aged' & the title track stand out too, but every song has something interesting 4 🌟

Odd, in a wonderful way. Sounds like at least three different bands playing at the same time - sometimes many more! LSD infused folk music, with a bonus point for being Scottish.

Very good, but not quite great.

So 60s it would sound like a parody if it came out now. The whole second half, with weird narration and short songs, showed a whole different way of making an album.

Classic Scottish indie, really reminds me of living in Glasgow at the time this was out. Every song is so catchy and bright that it can be hard to pick as favourite, but 40' and the imperious Take Me Out are definitely up there. Loved it, and pleasantly surprised to see it on the list!

Brilliant

Very like his work in Genesis, showing how much control he had in the band. Solisbury Hill is far and away the best known (and probably with good reason) but the album as a whole is pretty consistent.

Does not sound like classic beach boys, a bit darker and less intensely happy. The focus on environmentalism was way ahead of its time, but the music is more dated. I hope and expect to see more of their albums, and reckon I will enjoy them much more.

Very unexpected to hear the guy from Toy Story using the n-word so liberally! Rest of the album is still not like anything I knew from him before, but not quite so startling.

Brilliant, a country concept album with a coherent story and great tunes. One of the reviews said it was "the Sgt pepper's of country", which sounds about right!

Right at the intersection of folk and country, which is a very nice place to be. The band are very tight, the vocals are flawless, the lyrics talk of an America that doesn't exist anymore (if it ever did). Wonderful

Classic, still (sadly) relevant, and insightful. Really interesting to hear from the start of rap and hip-hop, and an album that was an inspiration to so many throughout the years since.

Absolute genius, from a band who knew for sure who and what they were.

Not one I would ever have chosen, but one I will definitely come back to! Might be better suited as background music for me, while studying or cycling, but enough to keep the interest if I'm listening "properly" too.

Not on Spotify unfortunately, but on YouTube plenty. A classic, set out a path for hip-hop for years to come, and still the standard everyone is striving for.

Wonderful, if it's not the Sgt Pepper's of hip-hop, it is the Dark Side of the Moon of hip-hop! Absolute genius, even if it's not on Spotify

Nah, not for me thanks. Musically ok, lyrically and vocally sub-par. Very 80s, which is not a compliment. Far from the worst album on the list (still Nico) but a long way from the best.

Weird and noisy, and uncomfortable to listen to at points, but also awesome and unique. An influence on loads of bands I love, and interesting as the first album by one of the great, but underappreciated, Scottish bands.

Good, but not great. Love the vocals, and the sound is pretty unique, but still doesn't quite make it to four 🌟 - not even with a bonus point for being Scottish!

Would have rated it higher on the memory of loving it 20 years ago, but it is not quite a five star record for me now. Still really enjoyed it though, and hope more sfa comes up in future. Favourite songs were the (sort of) title track, juxtaposed with u, and run! Christian, run! 4 🌟

I *hated* this band when I was a kid, didn't see the point and didn't know much of the music they were ripping off. I must have mellowed, because I thought this was ok. Only ok, but there's no way I would have given it more than one star a few years ago!

Sounds very like Lorde, which they would probably both be happy with! Not especially catchy, but very pleasant and atmospheric

Very random, but very fun! Didn't get some of the lyrical references, but I really enjoyed the music. Sounded surprisingly similar to some of the more interesting stuff going on in the anglophone world around the same time - with a Latin twist.

I didnt love it but, to be fair, didn't entirely hate it either. I can't get on board with his voice, and all the songs sound the same because of it. The lyrics are as not as good as his reputation would suggest, perhaps it was easier to be considered good when there hadn't been as much music.

Wow! What a voice, and with interesting lyrics and music too.

Unlike much else I have listened to, a mix of instrumental tracks, samples (or recreations) of news reports, and songs about both of the above. Like a concept album about nuclear weapons, but cheerier than that sounds! Also, it was really interesting to hear his music, as I know him better as a radio and TV presenter

Not great, but at least no Nico! The best song was The Gift, a mmad spoken word story about a guy who posts himself. Many of the others are sloppy and unfocused, and there are way too many outtakes and live versions as filler on the linked version of the album.

Got served this on the morning of September 9th, the day after Queen Elizabeth II (I of Scotland) passed away. So much for randomisation. Anyway, this is shite. Shite singer, shite songs, shite production, shite lyrics. The guy sings like he has been kicked in the plums, but I don't think we are that lucky. Turns out he is a nazi too, so fuck him. Would give it zero, or even less than that if I could. Absolutely pish

Background music, which is what he apparently intended. Really pleasant to have on while driving, studying or relaxing, as it is nice but not too engaging. Surprised I liked this so much, after previous Eno experiences, but it was (twice) a lovely wee reset in my day. Only four tracks, but it might as well be one to be honest.

Really really good, but not quite brilliant - so I guess it'll be 4 🌟! The big hits and that title track are the most immediate, but it's all pretty solid - just missing a bit of spark in my opinion

Very cool, very fun, not one I would have listened to without this nonsense!

Absolutely class - both interesting as the start of the golden age, and immensely enjoyable on its own merits. It's like that and rock box and hard times and wake up are all pretty perfect, and so are all the other tracks!

A bit sloppy and messy, like live albums often are. Really enjoyable, and interesting, and sounds like it was an awesome gig. Weirdly also sounds like he was already kind of a heritage act, even so close to his heyday. Loved it!

Classic, not one I would have listened to all the way through without this, but I'm glad I did! Spoonman and the peerless black hole sun are the best known, but every track has its own charms. Loved it

Very enjoyable and fun, sounds like they were having a blast while making it! Not really my kind of thing up too now, but maybe it should be!

Great, sounds a bit like they're riffing off the Beatles and the Stones at the same time! Very 60s, very British Invasion sounding (but from the US), very very good.

American landfill indie, pretty bad but not offensively so. A couple of really upsetting puns (e.g. 10 I see / Tennessee), fairly dull music, but difficult to properly hate. Sounds like another three to me!

Very old and lush and boring; sounds like a soundtrack to some terrible pretentious movie about nothing. He is clearly a good singer, just all a bit dull.

Bland, samey, dull, with only a couple of songs worth remembering - the one about killing a guy, and maybe the one about going home for Christmas and dick. Other than that, it sounds pretty rushed and unfinished, like it was too soon after her last album and she hadn't properly thought through what songs would be on this record.

Awesome - like the skynyrd/steinman crossover that we didn't know we needed! It's long, and heavy, and emotional, and absolutely brilliant. I will definitely listen to this again (and again) and look forward to checking out the rest of their stuff.

Very pleasant, but not super exciting. He has a lovely voice, and moves in an engaging variety of styles, but the lyrics are a little simple and there's a slight lack of emotion at times. Enjoyable enough, and an artist I would be happy to hear again, but not one I can give a really high score.

Not very exciting - sounds really dated. To be fair, I only listened once through, but it didn't grab me in that time.

Repetitive, instrumental, strange, trippy, evocative, repetitive, weird, lyric-less, bizarre and repetitive.

Not a chance I am listening to that Nazi prick - he has no place in this list, mostly because of his shit music -he just can't sing, or write good lyrics - but also because, and I can't stress this enough, he is a terrible conspiracy theorist and racist.

Brilliant, although very short. Super catchy, really evocative of the time. Sounds like a bunch of other bands that were about at the same time, but with an added dose of Swedish eccentricity.

Very fun, it sounds awesome to be young in 1978! Songs are very dated though, as they are very of their time. Hard to pick a favourite, since they all sound basically the same, but the first three tracks are definitely a very strong start to the album.

A bad pastiche of some very old music - sounds like someone trying to recreate Johnny Cash or Eagles having only heard them once. Not what I expected from The Byrds, and not as good. Decent enough I guess, but nothing memorable in the whole album.

Nonsense, very very old fashioned, not very exciting.

Fantastic, perhaps perfect. Stevie is such a treasure, I love pretty much all of his work, and this is no exception. Absolutely wonderful

Meh

Sounds like a bunch of 80s TV themes, probably because they were the future when TV theme writers were getting into writing. Very repetitive, good background music for studying perhaps.

Perfection

Only ok, like mediocre punk mixed with the worst excesses of the 80s. A pale shadow of the music they love, but interesting nonetheless

Brilliant, hard to believe it was their first album - it sounds so focused and complete. Breakdown and American Girl are stand outs, but it is all great!

Nope. He can't sing, and is a Nazi, and isn't a good lyricist, and is a Nazi, and writes terrible music, and is a Nazi, and really puts the "pretentious" in "pretentious wanker", and also, and I can't stress this enough, is a Nazi. 0 🌟

Perfection

Very good, great at points, with such a sad story of the aftemath and the tragic loss of Amy. What a talent she was! A majestic album, which I find really hard to separate from its creator, and which is largely responsible for people thinking Mark Ronson was a production genius (rather than a bit of a one trick pony) As music, and an album, it is an absolute masterpiece

Not as good as the reputation it has - only a couple of good songs and a lot of filler, especially on the special edition with live versions.

Brilliant, really reminds me of being a teenager back when it was out. Some big hits (in the UK at least), including song 2, but i think some of the lo-fi low key tracks are my favourites.

Fills the gap between Springsteen and Johnny Cash, which is a pleasant place to be. Musically and lyrically great, and really fun.

Meh

Boring, samey, bizarre lyrics, nowhere near as good as I was expecting from its reputation.

Classic, not as heavy as I might have expected, but absolutely great

Crap

Pretty bad, pretty boring, really odd. Like someone listened to the instrumentals from Radiohead albums and decided to make a tribute compilation.

Sloppy and unfocused, and probably didn't need to be a double. But there are plenty of great songs and no absolute stinkers. Falls just short of getting 5 🌟

Absolutely brilliant, heavy as hell and twice as loud. They are also the loudest band I have ever seen live. Wait and Bleed woke me each morning for years, on a CD alarm clock, which fairly gets the day started right!

Good, but not great. Sounds kind of like a Canadian Radiohead, but maybe less interesting. A couple of really good songs, and a lot of filler.

Pretty bad - all the songs sound the same, and all are massively over-produced with terrible gated drums and nonsensical lyrics. More like a pop album than a rock one, but fails as either in my opinion

A stone cold classic, the best album they ever made and one of the best of the century so far. Another band I saw live, on the tour for their album following this one, and a band who put everything into each show. Was never likely to be less than full marks, but listening again confirmed it as entirely deserving of 5 big 🌟

Very noisy, but solid tunes in there somewhere too. Clear influence on royal blood and the white stripes, hints of the strokes, queens of the stone age, and plenty of grunge. Not one of the best 1001 albums, but an interesting one I would never otherwise have heard 3 🌟

This is a good album. But it does not demonstrate what made Elvis an icon. It lacks the energy and swagger of his early live and television performances and albums. And it is missing the showmanship and experience of his later years as a Vegas bandleader. If this were the only Elvis Presley music to which you were ever exposed, you’d likely (and rightly) think, “why is this guy such a big deal?” That would be a shame because at his best, he was The King.

Pretty good, but not perfect. Really interesting choices of instruments, engaging (if often impenetrable) lyrics, lovely vocal harmonies, always good to hear antipodean voices represented in the book.

Brilliant

Brilliant, but not quite as good as their follow up (which I had yesterday!). Still solidly 5 🌟 though - and a new favourite band for me after 2 albums in 2 days

Perfection, both the songs and the banter between. He is one of the greatest of all time, and this is one of his mat famous shows - what's not to love?

English folk, so obviously not as good as Scottish equivalent, but still very good - and with a couple of all time classics.

Better than their previous one that came up for me. Sounds like one of the best music producers leaving the band helped the band move in a more guitar focused direction. Still not hugely engaging or enjoyable, but better than I expected.

Not for me thanks, just not very interesting. Also his voice is bizarre, not even in a good way.

Very good, with great lyrics, but all felt a bit restrained. Clearly very influential, especially on female singer songwriters, but not quite 5 🌟 for me.

Wonderful - not one I would have ever found without this project, but I'm glad I did!

Instrumentals, although a few recognisable and interesting ones. Not great, other than as background music I guess.

Très étrange, mais la plupart des groupes avec <<projet>> dans leur nom sont assez étranges. Presque toutes les chansons n'ont pas de voix, et certaines ont des choix d'instruments très étranges. Cet album n'est pas terrible, mais il n'est pas non plus très bon. Je l'ai un peu aimé, mais je ne le réécouterai pas.

He's a bad singer, who writes decent songs with good lyrics and bland predictable chord progressions. I truly thought this would be great, but it is no better than good in my opinion

Classic and classy, and far more variety of tone and texture than I would have expected.

Basically perfect, one of my favourite albums ever

An absolutely wonderful collection of songs, with lots of light and shade and lovely lyrics. The title track might be her best song, in terms of words and music, but I prefer the driving rythym of Travellin Man. Brilliant, and much better (in my opinion) than a lot of her later pop records.

Probably the wierdest album I have ever listened to. Not the worst - that is still Nico - but very odd, with unusual instrumental choices. I had no real idea what to expect, and don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone else!

Brilliant, with a clear influence on many of my favourite bands - most obviously nirvana but also Biffy and pavement.

One of the precursors to classic Brit-pop, probably suffers a bit in comparison with the abundance of classic albums released by Suede and their contemporaries over the few years that followed. Very very good, but just a bit patchy in my opinion

Brilliant, both for its influence and in its own right. I recognised more songs than I expected, and really enjoyed the ones I hadn't heard before.

It's ok

More folk than country, but that American folk that is right between the two. Good, but not great, with no songs that will live long in the memory. Perfectly pleasant though.

My favourite of his albums that I have listened to, this does a better job of explaining why he has the reputation that he does. Some all time classics, and some really good but less famous songs, adds up to a five 🌟 score

Very very odd, not always in a good way. Not terrible, far from great, but really strange. Not for me thanks. Still miles better than Nico though!

Boring, samey, annoying vocals and terrible lyrics. Why is this even on the list?

Really good, very modern and polished, sounds expensive and lush.

Sounds really old, and not as "country & western" as the title made me expect. Good, but not great, and very long (because it is two albums turned into a double)).

Really good versions of really old songs. Reading the story behind it was cool too - a kind of hands across the generational divide type of project. Was cool to hear songs that some of my favourite acts (Johnny Cash, Elvis etc) would have listened to growing up. Surprised how many of the songs I knew - there's even one that Jeff Buckley recorded!

Brilliant, classic, hear its influences all over the place. I was a bit surprised how may of the songs I knew, but they released SIX singles, and one of the other songs is one of the singles backwards! Really enjoyed it, but now frustrated they didn't kick on from here. 5 🌟

Very odd, in that specific 60s way. Very good though, and touches on themes few other bands wrote about.

Cet album est excellent. Je l'ai écouté pendant que <<les bleus>> jouaient leur premier match de la coupe du monde Qatar 2022 - ce qui était une belle coïncidence. Il me fait penser à un Roots Manuva francophone, ou à un Afrika Bambaataa bilingue. La musique est super, et les paroles sont encore meilleures. Cinq étoiles !

Nah, not for me thanks

5 🌟

Technically very proficient, but lacking that indefinable something that changes "Muzak" into "art". Pleasant enough, but very very old fashioned and doesn't really help explain his reputation. I did like it (honest!), I just struggle to see how anyone could properly love it.

Very good, and very odd. If I was born ten years earlier, I would probably have loved this band growing up, but as it is I love the (many, many) bands they influenced.

Good but not great, with the exception of 'love is a stranger' and the peerless title track. Annie is one of the oddest humans, and Scottish too, but overall this is just too 80s for me

Boring and samey. Sounds like backing music from a Nigella cooking show, possibly performed by one of her smug twat friends. All the songs sound the same, but somehow all worse than each other too. Inoffensive bland nothing, with as much substance as the frothy milk drinks she soundtracks. Still many million times better than Nico and Morrisey though.

I still don't really know enough to describe or even critique this "properly", but I do know I enjoyed it, and appreciated the talent of the musicians involved.

One of the few albums my partner owned that I didn't when we moved in together, which is pretty surprising, since I am the hip hop head out of the two of us! A great album, which is possibly too long, but I can't say what (except the weird instrumental version of 'my favourite things') could be cut. Two "solo" albums, releases as a double, could be a way forward for bands on the verge of breaking up! Big boi's album is straight up ATL hip hop, and brilliant, but it's Andre 3000's convincing impressions of Prince, but southern, that really stands out. Wonderful, weird, interesting and engaging, I loved it!!

Good but not great. Lots of filler and interlude instrumentals for what is a pretty short album. Maggie May is a classic though, and he's (sort of) Scottish, so I can't really be too harsh.

Shite. Rubbish vocals, dull lyrics, terrible music, weird arrangements and instrumentation. How is this even on the list?

Not their best album, but any collection of songs which includes "Kashmir" is fine by me! Plenty of other crackers too, with plenty of miscial light and shade, and loads of lyrical variety.

Solid if unspectacular; an album that feels like a warm hug and a mug of cocoa.

Classic 5 🌟

Absolutely not my kind of thing, but a good example of big beat dance music (I think!). Good guests, interesting samples, but all too repetitive to truly enjoy (at least without being on something).

Decent background music, but no better. Fine, but not my favourite.

Really good, and not one I had ever heard of before. Lots of great songs, in the space between country and proto-prog, which seems like a very fun place to be!

Nah, not for me. Probably god if you're into that sort of thing, but I'm not

Very good, although pretty much ignored at the time. Sounds very like his famous songs, but without the baggage of being rock radio staples for a few decades!

Old, very old, country, more my dad's taste than mine. Good example of this genre though, and I did enjoy it. Really surprised to find In The Pines, covered by Nirvana as Where did you sleep last night, turn up

Very good, albeit a bit maudlin at points. Of course, that was the intention, given the back story. Interesting to hear it was poorly rated at the time, but it's far from the only album on the list that this applies to. Not on Spotify (Joe Rogan still sucks).

Pretty dull, probably sounded ahead of its time, but is now over 40 years old. He's not a great singer, and all the songs sound kind of the same. Not a worthy inclusion in my opinion

Pretty bad

Brilliant. Clear and obvious influence on The Killers, and pretty much all stadium rock. I never knew how many singles were from this one album 6 out of 12 tracks charted!

Virtually flawless, with the only issue being that it is maybe too long - especially the extended version (and even more so the other version on Spotify - which is over 4 hours long!). My sweet Lord is one of the prettiest songs ever, and so is so much of the album. Hard to believe some of these were rejected from Beatles albums - although they weren't struggling for songs I suppose!

Very weird, not always in a good way. Done better by many other bands, not sure why this is on the list

Great album, from a pretty terrible person, who had a really difficult life. Judging purely on the music, hard not to give a great score! Man in the mirror and dirty Diana probably my favourite, although any song featuring Stevie Wonder is also good.

Very odd and very funny. Talks about all sorts of nonsense that mainstream hip hop didn't (and still doesn't). Very enjoyable, if pretty lyrically dense.

Not very exciting. The title track stands out a mile as being fun and catchy, but most of the others are pleasant enough but dull.

Very enjoyable, well written and well sung 4 🌟

Nah, not very good. Not actively painful, but pretty bad.

Old and boring. Not terrible, just not good

Shite. Shite singer, shite songs, shite production, shite lyrics. The guy sings like he has been kicked in the plums, but I don't think we are that lucky. Would give it zero, or even less than that if I could. Absolutely pish. He can't sing, and is a Nazi, and isn't a good lyricist, and is a Nazi, and writes terrible music, and is a Nazi, and really puts the "pretentious" in "pretentious wanker", and also, and I can't stress this enough, is a Nazi. 0 🌟

1 🌟

Flawless, my favourite album by one of my favourite bands. The card cheat and death and glory are two of the best rock songs, which are never really heard outside of this album. The bugs hits (title track, guns of Brixton, train in vain) are also great, but it is the breadth of their vision and influences that really stands out. Perfection

Classic, no idea how it could possibly be improved. Any collection that starts with Gimme Shelter and ends with You Can't Always Get What You Want, and doesn't drop off a cliff in between, is alright by me!

Solid if unspectacular, but maybe an album that would benefit from repeated listening. Sounds kind of like a lot of artists I love, so probably someone I could get into. Really torn on how to score this - might as well err on the side of generosity!

Background music, or instrumental tracks waiting for a rapper/singer/both to come along and finish them. Sounds kind of like an audio showreel, to demonstrate a producer's work. Not terrible, but interesting; good, just not great.

Very good, but maybe falls just short of "genius". Not by much though!

Meh, sounds like no effort has been expended (which I accept may be their schtick) in either the music or lyrics. Trying to be cool, while trying to cover up any sign that it took any effort. Like the audio equivalent of the "bed head" where it takes ages to make your hair look like you "just woke up". Also, just not very good.

Very good, one of the best pop artists at the top of her game. Probably wouldn't have been a 5 without Prince turning up, but he did, so ... Cherish is a wee charmer, title track is obviously a classic, Dear Father and Oh Jessie are better then I remembered them being. And Prince is on this! Probably my first 5 to a pop album, but fully deserved in my opinion.

Like a more boring Mumford and Sons, with hints of (a poor facsimile of) Roddy Woomble's solo stuff. Decent, but unexciting, part of the wave of landfill folk that followed landfill indie for a few years. White Winter Hymnal is the best track, but that's a bit like being the tallest dwarf.

5 Before I even listen to it today, 5 🌟 on my love for the man, and this collection in particular. After listening, I am reminded of the fragility and power of his voice, often in the same song, and the genius of the song choices and production work by Rick Rubin. I has also forgotten Fiona Apple shows up, and fits in perfectly with the mood and tone. All in all a virtually perfect album, and one of a very small number that my dad and I would both have in our top handful of albums.

Pretty much what I expected from them at this point in their career - safe, over-produced, more effects than guitar playing, but still very enjoyable. "...wild horses" and "the fly" probably my favourite tracks, but so many of them are classic rock staples already.

Really interesting to have an album starting with instructions for how to listen to it and an explanation of the instruments used. For all Shankar says his music is not jazz, it shares certain qualities - one of which is that I don't fully understand it! I enjoyed this album, although like most instrumental pieces I found myself getting a little distracted - so maybe better as background music.

Decent, for disco, although Lost in Music is a hypnotically great track. Some of the slower songs drag massively, and even the big hits are only decent. Involvement of Chic elevates it slightly, but I just didn't enjoy it enough for it to score very highly.

Never really heard of them before, now I'm not sure how! Sound like an Australian clash-influenced proto-nirvana - I was astounded to find they were from the USA. Really enjoyed it, and was nice to see what the rock kids were listening to when the pop and indie kids were in charge of the charts. Definitely going to listen to more of their stuff, and read more about them too. Wonderful 5 🌟

He's lost his mind since this was recorded and released, to the point that I wasn't sure whether to listen to it. He's clearly not well, and maybe this album, with him framing himself as as deity, could be seen as the start of it. It is not a great album, full of auto-tune and glitchy beats, and with only a couple of memorable songs. Probably the biggest drop from his early work of any artist I have listened to.

Weird and fun, with a couple of my favourite dance tunes - frontier psychiatrist being the absolute best. So many samples, from so many random places, that it can sound jumbled. But when they get it right, they get it so right!

Rubbish lyrics, terrible vocals, horrible instrumentation, and no drums at all! The worst album I have ever listened to, and I never will again. Virtually a crime against humanity, and I can only assume that some reviewers (who liked it) have no ears, or taste, or were afraid to admit it should be nowhere near this list. 0 🌟

Absolutely brilliant - maybe falls just short of Maggot Brain, but still a very high 5! Probably my favourite band I have discovered through this project - hope to hear much more from them.

Very enjoyable, with great guests and engaging songs. Lots of spoken word to start and end the album, which was a bit weird. I really enjoyed it, but not quite enough for full marks. She came damn close though!

An album that as such a great reputation, but not one I particularly appreciated. He's not a great singer, obviously, and I'm not sure his songwriting is as good as it is often said to be. A couple of clever lines here and there, but sounds dated and boring, and I'm not sure it would be held in such high regard if it came out now.

Pretty samey, whiny and dull. The second album I have had which has a white guy using the N word. That's automatically a point off in my book - even if he has since renounced the use of the word.

Not sure by there's a love album on the list - it's not *really* an album. It's really good though, sounds like Led Zep at points and Monster Magnet at others.

Grumpy mopey grungy goths, an influence on a bunch of bands I like, but a bit dark and one paced for me. Having said that, I would probably have loved it if I was 16 when it came out.

Lyrics half in English and half en français - une très bonne idée! Keeps it intéressant, même si la musique is sometimes un peu dull. Je l'aime, but didn't love it, mais je crois que I might have been very into them si j'avais les connais quand j'etais plus jeunes. Trois étoiles / three stars

Wonderful voice, quite a strange guy, but that works better for a singer than if it was the other way round. Some of the songs covered are very old, and sound it, but still interesting. A clear influence on loads of artists, particularly The Divine Comedy. Good, but not great

Odd, pretty dated, but very important. Part of a very successful musical family, none of whom were involved in this album. Fun, and often funny, but the first two songs stand out a mile. Not sure the remixes on the linked Spotify version add anything.

Wonderful. Hard to believe it was their debut album - it sounds so fully realised and polished.

Trying to trick reviewers into giving them five stars by having "fifth" in the title - but it won't work on me! Pretty good, certainly better than their other album I have heard, but no better than that.

Classic, one of the best hip-hop albums of all time, still so influential, and unfortunately still so relevant. I also listened to this the same day I started watching Chuck's series "Fight The Power" about the history of hip-hop, including the background, development of the four elements, and (in episode 2) the golden age of which this is a major part.

Genius. Anyone who doesn't like this was not in Britain in the 90s! When the question "Blur or Oasis?" was asked, Pulp was the secret right answer. Every track makes you feel something, whether that is 'kill the rich' or 'Jarvis is a sleaze'. A flawless album, literally couldn't be improved in any way.

An album released the year I turned 18, by a bunch of college boys from the same country (sort of) - how could I not like it! I loved it at the time and, listening purely on its own merits, I loved it again now. Shiver (their breakthrough track) was an instant classic, and it turns out I remember pretty much every word of the whole album. Wonderful, it's just a shame they moved away into dance music and Hollywood marriages!

Not on Spotify (Joe Rogan still sucks). All the songs sound kind of the same, which is no bad thing when they are so good. Her voice is gorgeous, floating between fragile and powerful as she sees fit. A wonderful album, well worthy of inclusion in this list.

Very weird and not very good. The world is better for Sparks existing, but I'm not a huge fan. Better than a lot of the dross on the list, but not by much.

Very enjoyable, even if I still don't quite understand all the nuances of the genre. That's a me problem, not a Miles problem, and one of the many reasons I am delighted to be doing this!

Solid if unspectacular, with two stone cold classics to open, but a bunch of good to very good afterwards. As such, it's pretty much my definition of a 4 🌟!

Mediocre 80s hair metal, which is not my favourite genre. A few good moments, and a rubbish pop hit ("Jump") does not make an essential album. Not for me, but better than Nico and Morrisey (and quite a few others on the list).

Very enjoyable, although not overly memorable. A perfect soundtrack for driving on a sunny day - which is handy, as that's what I was doing! Hard to pick a stand out track, which shows how consistent the piece is. The music, lyrics, instrumentation and vocals are all great - would love to hear more from them

Very very old.

Very easy listening - not a criticism or a compliment, just an observation. His voice is wonderfully rich and smooth, but I'm not a huge fan of the songs themselves. One of the hardest to rate, for me, because I'm not quite sure what to make of it!

Who knew prog-folk was a thing? Not me, until I heard this, although I wish I had! Title track is the most immediate, but plenty else to like as well. Probably one that would have had a 3 from the first listen, but I went round a couple more times and feel it earned that fourth star!

One of the best albums ever, with at least three of the best songs ever, by one of the best bands ever, with each member being one of the best in ther role. Never going to be any less than 5!

Not really my kind of thing, but oddly hypnotic after a while. No real stand out tracks, but pleasant enough

Very good, although not very exciting to me. She's a great singer though, and following in a grand tradition of soul/disco crossover.

Brilliant, wonderful, hypnotic, genius. Pretty much invented a genre (along with massive attack) An all time classic

Good, but not great; a clear influence on the punk movement that followed, especially The Clash.

Certainly very short - about 30 minutes - but also very good. Neil Hannon is a great singer and lyricist, with a slightly skewed perspective on the world. Wonderful, if perhaps a bit one paced and similar sounding. I really liked it

Flawless

Probably the only album with songs later covered by both The Byrd's and Rage Against The Machine. One of Dylan's better ones, with lots of good songs, but he never was a good singer so they get a bit lost. Enjoyable enough, but far from the masterpiece I would perhaps have expected.

Meh. Very shiny and expensively produced, a few clever lines, but mostly just generic 80s bland nonsense.

Abysmal, barely a single coherent thought in the whole shebang. Absolutely rubbish, but still better than the Nico album! 0.00000001 🌟

Patchy and inconsistent but pretty enjoyable. Clear influences, from the bands you would probably expect them to be influenced by.

Very important, but has been done better by other bands since. Didn't realise there would be harmonica!

Il est belge, mais il chante en français, donc je n'ai compris qu'une grande partie de ce qu'il a chanté. Cela sonne très bien, mais assez démodé. Je l'ai aimé, mais je ne l'ai pas adoré. 3 étoiles

I am not listening to this Nazi prick and his shite band. Never have (even changing the radio station if they come on) never will. I hate this band, especially their arsehole of a singer, and I always will. *googles* how to give a rating below zero

Very old, a genre I still don't quite understand, a slightly messy live recording, much too long (at least the linked Spotify version), but still pretty magical at points.

Very odd, in a good way, with a dazzling range of styles and genres. Influences from rock, country, hip-hop, dance, and a bunch of other fields. I already loved the "big" songs, but was pleasantly surprised by how good some of the others were as well. Falls just short of a 5 🌟, but only just!

Possibly his best work, which is saying something! Very varied, with features and guest verses all over the shop. Wonderful, even if it should probably lose a star for him going so fully insane in the time since. But, my rules, and I've decided it would have been six if he had stayed sane!

Really enjoyed this, only knew one song well, but it wasn't even the one I liked most. My favourites were son of a gun, doledrum, timeless melody, and the absolute best was looking glass. Just wish they had done more, but better one 5 🌟 album than five 1 🌟 ones

Very old fashioned, with very short and (occasionally) repetitive songs. More my dad's taste than mine, but still very enjoyable.

Not for me, too art for art's sake. Very 80s sounding, but not in a good way. No thanks 2 🌟

Very varied, big singles are obviously the most catchy/immediate, but I works really well as a (loose) concept album too. I didn't really realise it was her only solo album - although I guess she did plenty of other work with the Fugees, and others, that she didn't really need to work too hard as a solo artist. A great album, which scores juuuust over 4.5 - meaning it scores 5!

Flawless

Brilliant, with a few tracks that are even better than that! It's the end of the world ... and To the one I love are stone cold classics. Also features the shortest review of another artist's album - " 'Standing on the Shoulders of Giants' leaves me cold" - obviously not a fan of Oasis's later work

Very good, very consistent, very of its time. A song like ten inch record would probably not be released nowadays!

1 of my most disliked artists, even before I listened to this 1. There's, at most, 1 half decent song. Hard to believe they were 1 of the biggest bands in the world at this time - they are pish! Another 0 🌟 for me - even if the scoring doesn't allow it!

Very odd, doesn't have any recognisable links to Ireland - much more a New York album. Mostly instrumental dance music, with spoken samples, which means it feels more like background music. Very odd remix/reworking of the James Bond thème just dropped in the middle, for no real reason.

Meh, pretty dull and partly responsible for the explosion of terrible jangle-pop nonsense yha followed. Not for me

Perfection. So many classics, but I want to give a special mention to Red House - one of my favourite songs of all time!

Very loud, fast, and great

Like a terrible compilation album of bands who think EDM is the new rock n roll. It's not, and never will be. A diverse array of styles, all of them rubbish. I was not surprised to find this was music made by an industry veteran - it sounds so calculated it could have been written by a focus group, like a lot of acts who have former managers, producers, or label bosses.

Brilliant, even the songs I didn't know before were awesome and still, sadly, so relevant. Themes of the album include racism in Britain, unemployment and hopelessness in teenagers, and corruption in politics - none of which have got any better! Much rockier than I might have expected, which is obviously a good thing

Weird and bad; not really music

Better than I expected, but not really my kind of thing. Happy when it rains is a cracking tune, and they get a wee extra 🌟 just for being Scottish! 4 🌟 => 5 🌟

Very important, and not quite what I expected. Good, but not great, but with a clear place on this list for its importance and for being such an influential work.

Great voice, great songs, a brilliant album all-round.

Very 60s sounding, not always in a good way. Almost a cliché / parody of the other songs around at the time. Even the bigger songs sound weirdly tame and muted - maybe because of the muscular live versions that have become part of the backstory of rock music.

A band I was only vaguely aware of, given how much more successful Steve Albini was as a producer. Glad to have listened to it now though, even if my favourite song was the one I knew best before - "Bazooka Joe". A very good album, but not quite 5 🌟 for me.

I'm not 100% sure it needed to be two hours long, but I'm glad it is. A classic of the "post-grunge" era, with loads of light and shade and musical variety. I played in a Pumpkins cover band when I was a teenager, and love the songs as much now as I did then.

Not an album I knew much about, but I found my new favourite New Order track on it - Elegia is an absolute masterpiece, which is far more moving than an instrumental has any right to be. The other songs are all pretty good too, but not as magical as Elegia. Overall, better than a 3, not quite good enough for a 5.

Absolutely brilliant, from a band I had not really heard of. If it was out now, I'd say it sounds like Biffy and Razorlight, with hints of Pearl Jam and Incubus. However, this was before all of those bands! Always good to hear a wee drum solo too, as long as it's not too long. Couldn't be less than 5 🌟

Boring and samey. Mostly well sung, just not interesting. The version of "We'll Meet Again" is perhaps the oddest single song on a pop album

Not quite sure what I expected, but I certainly hoped for better. As a Scot, an album of songs about England is not top of my wishlist - even if it's not complimentary! Singing is great, but words and music less so. Maybe I'd like it more after a few more times through, but there's no time for that - on to the next!

Absolute genius. One of the best to ever do it, and also one of the first. Anyone who claims to love hip-hop, but doesn't know of the founders, is missing out massively. This album in particular makes me want to set up a class teaching the youngsters about the early days and the golden age!

An album that was *everywhere* when it was out - every song was played in the pubs and clubs of Glasgow (not just the singles). Mostly very silly, but with a few more poignant moments. Reminds me of being a student in the big city, and gets am extra stars for that!

Brilliant. A band I knew only through the artists they had influenced (Manics, Elastica etc.) but now wish I had explored more. Like a slightly artier Clash, or a Pistols who could actually play. Wonderful

Very, very good, with lots of light and shade. Some points where it is very funny, some where it is very serious, but overall it easily matches the standard of the big singles he had out. Only track that slightly grates is Outro - basically a list of everyone he has ever met!

Sounds more of a rock album than I would have expected - maybe cos he was not in Nashville. Still plenty of country music tropes though, from listing all the ways his life sucks (in the opener) to clear threats to kill a cheating lover (in a couple of songs!)

Sounded familiar even though I had never heard any of the songs before. Think too much (b) and The late great Johnny Ace were my favourite songs 3 ⭐

Perfection, from the first note to the last. Pretty much every song is a timeless classic, with some all-time greats mixed in as well. Absolutely loved it; would give it 6 🌟 if I could! 5 🌟

Not as good as I expected, given the reputation this has. Still good, but not great.

Flawless