My 1001 Albums Journey

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Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Will The Circle Be Unbroken Nitty Gritty Dirt Band	5	2.98	+2.02
The Man Who Travis	5	3.01	+1.99
The Gershwin Songbook Ella Fitzgerald	5	3.53	+1.47
The Wildest! Louis Prima	5	3.53	+1.47
At Folsom Prison Johnny Cash	5	3.98	+1.02

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Paul's Boutique Beastie Boys	1	3.47	-2.47
B-52's The B-52's	1	3.29	-2.29
Phrenology The Roots	1	3.25	-2.25
Step In The Arena Gang Starr	1	3.17	-2.17
Are You Experienced Jimi Hendrix	2	4.16	-2.16
The Holy Bible Manic Street Preachers	1	3.15	-2.15
Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde The Pharcyde	1	3.13	-2.13
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted Ice Cube	1	2.93	-1.93
Freak Out! The Mothers Of Invention	1	2.83	-1.83
Debut Björk	2	3.37	-1.37

5-Star Albums (8)

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Popular Reviews

The Man Who

Travis

5/5

I'm surprised I'm not familiar with this band or album, because the sound/style is pretty similar to some of my favorites. Good find.

3 likes

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

5/5

Where has this been my entire life? I don't listen to bluegrass often, but now I know where to find (a lot of) it when I want it. I liked the mix of sung and instrumental songs and the included conversations. It's amazing how tight the takes are, considering the complexity of the music and the number of contributors, but these are talented people after all.

1 likes

Phrenology

The Roots

1/5

What lyrics I could understand I did not enjoy. Some of the samples were grating. I gave it a few songs before I was done.

1 likes

Ragged Glory

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

I like this sound, even though Neil Young's voice sounds somewhat out of place to me. The tone of the guitar made me wish I could pick it up and play along.

1 likes

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

1/5

I suffered through it. I tried to see what people like about this. The rhythm, the rhymes. But for me, the voices are annoying, the topics are not interesting, and half the time I was trying to decipher what they actually meant by this phrase or that--usually unproductively, sometimes with regret.

1 likes

1-Star Albums (8)

All Ratings

Harvest

Neil Young

4/5

Only recognized Heart of Gold and Old Man. Not a fan of Harvest. Like the pedal steel and harmonica. Pretty orchestral music but kind of a weird combo.

Like A Prayer

Madonna

2/5

She does have a great voice. Rich tone, variable texture, controlled, but borders on too nasal at times. Not generally a fan of the poppy bouncy style of music or the chanting. Love Song didn't sound good. Mostly pretty depressing lyrics for the happiness of the music. Ironic, but not really in a good way. Exception is Cherish--probably the best song.

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

5/5

New to me, but what a perfect album! This one is ironically upbeat in a good way. Great concept executed just right. He had the voice/style/personality to pull it off. I wouldn't listen to it over and over, but I like it for what it is.

Countdown To Ecstasy

Steely Dan

2/5

All kinds of interesting genre mixing going on and I have to acknowledge the great technical skill on display. But as a matter of taste I just don't really like it.

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

2/5

Don't really like the bluesy tuneless vocals. I like the grungy tones being produced, but some of the weirder experimentation goes on too long.

Street Life

The Crusaders

3/5

The playing/recording of the solo sax is incredible. It jumps out from the rest and it's like I can hear the tone coming off of every molecule of the instrument. After the first few tracks the album devolved into sameness/background music. More vocals or changeups might have kept me more interested.

Blue

Joni Mitchell

4/5

I like her lyrics and melodies, but sometimes the lack of structure leaves me a little unsatisfied. It's not necessarily a bad thing. I might like some of her other songs better.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

5/5

Wow. I've never intentionally listened to Black Sabbath, maybe because it was too old or something. I've heard some of the songs a lot, but I never knew what a great complete album it is. Cohesive sound, but enough variation between tracks to stay interesting.

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

3/5

Sort of a cool sound with the organ, and I liked his voice. I'm not as big on such long songs/solos.

Home Is Where The Music Is

Hugh Masekela

3/5

I liked the variation between tracks. I also like a certain amount of "lazy" playing on the brass, where the squeaky sound adds character. I did think it was used a little excessively in this case, sometimes sounding more like goose calling than music.

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

3/5

Compared to Folsom, this one fell a little flat to me. A Boy Named Sue is fun.

Freak Out!

The Mothers Of Invention

1/5

Nope. I assume it is on this list for being daring at the time, but that doesn't mean it sounds good. Mildly funny at times, like the "doo wop" throwback.

Elvis Is Back

Elvis Presley

3/5

I like the variation in tempo/sound, but wanted more variation in subject matter. I guess it's what the people wanted at the time. Good track lengths.

Revolver

Beatles

5/5

I had never actually listened to a Beatles album from beginning to end, though I've heard a lot of their songs many times. But I really enjoyed this album. It flows really well and I liked the songs I hadn't heard before.

Songs From A Room

Leonard Cohen

3/5

I liked the music and the lyrics, but I think I would like this a lot more if someone else was singing. There were times that it sounded like he actually had a good voice, but for the most part was purposely tired and pitchy.

Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

Spiritualized

2/5

Not very charming lyrics. Reverb sounds cool but loses its novelty.

Graceland

Paul Simon

4/5

I had only heard one song from this before. I liked it, and it was interesting to learn about. Although the African influence was cool, I did get a little tired of the constant pep.

Horses

Patti Smith

3/5

It's hard to rate this one. I'm glad I heard it, because it's unique. I like the variation between tracks, the edginess, and the poetic lyrics. I especially liked the pretty piano contrasting the grungy sound. That said, the overall sound is not pleasing enough to put on repeat, but I might come back when I want a lady to yell musical poetry at me.

The Holy Bible

Manic Street Preachers

1/5

That was not enjoyable. I would probably like the music with other subject matter, but in this case the lyrics are the songs.

Ragged Glory

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

I like this sound, even though Neil Young's voice sounds somewhat out of place to me. The tone of the guitar made me wish I could pick it up and play along.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

5/5

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

Pretty good. I liked the guitar better in Ragged Glory but I think Neil Young's voice is more suited to the slower ballad type songs.

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean

2/5

I liked the sounds of the music more than the lyrics/singing. I appreciated the singing more than usual rapping that goes with this genre, but the vocal melodies were not particularly imaginative. One takeaway was that I have not known many extremely wealthy people nor drug-addicted people in my life. #sheltered

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Incredible String Band

2/5

I did not know that psychedelic folk existed. Now that I have heard it, I'm not in love with it. It was fun to hear once. Some of the time, the conglomerated layers of instruments sounded less composed and more randomly thrown together.

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

3/5

I didn't understand the lyrics much, but it kind of works. I like the sound, but all of the songs were pretty much the same.

Beach Samba

Astrud Gilberto

3/5

I like her voice, and I like it better when she sings in Portuguese. The overall sound is kind of boring, but also relaxing. Good background music.

First Band On The Moon

The Cardigans

2/5

From the beginning of the album, I was waiting for the one-hit wonder. I didn't know what it was, but every song sounded so generic that I knew there must be one. Lovefool was it. Nostalgia makes that song enjoyable, but the rest was only tolerable. Iron Man was kind of weirdly fun.

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

1/5

For Your Pleasure

Roxy Music

2/5

I liked the synth and textures/layers of the music for the most part. The singer's vocal style is so big/dramatic that it's more comical than enjoyable.

Phrenology

The Roots

1/5

What lyrics I could understand I did not enjoy. Some of the samples were grating. I gave it a few songs before I was done.

Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones

3/5

I really only recognized the first track. Overall, I liked the music. The singing style is enjoyable for a little while, but then gets old. My ears wanted to ignore it enough that I didn't pay much attention to lyrics. I was surprised that there was so much of a southern/blues sound given that they are British.

The Notorious Byrd Brothers

The Byrds

4/5

I liked it. The flanger effects were probably overdone but I'm sure it was a novelty at the time.

The Man Who

Travis

5/5

I'm surprised I'm not familiar with this band or album, because the sound/style is pretty similar to some of my favorites. Good find.

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

4/5

What they do, they do well. The style isn't the kind of thing I could listen to every day, but when I'm in the mood it's good stuff.

Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

3/5

British Steel

Judas Priest

3/5

Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

The Pharcyde

1/5

For me, it is most decidedly not jiggaboo time.

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

Ice Cube

1/5

London Calling

The Clash

3/5

I like the music and the general vibe, but I can only endure the singer's voice for a short while. I would listen to them in a mix.

Coat Of Many Colors

Dolly Parton

3/5

I like to hear her voice now and again. I think the length of the songs and album are the right amount. None of the songs on this particular album are very memorable for me.

Bandwagonesque

Teenage Fanclub

4/5

I liked the last track the most. Overall, the sound is good but not interesting enough for me to really pay attention. It's more background music. But, Ben Gibbard's cover album takes it to that next level for me. It's more what my ears want to hear.

evermore

Taylor Swift

4/5

I don't know how an album this recent made it onto the list, but this and folklore were my pandemic guilty pleasures. I like folklore much more though.

John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic

3/5

Scott 4

Scott Walker

2/5

I was a little intrigued, but in the end couldn't get over his voice.

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

5/5

These weren't the Gershwin songs I'm most familiar with, but they're good and she's great.

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

4/5

The singing is hit and miss, but I do like the music throughout. Several of the songs are instantly recognizable because of their distinctive tone and catchy licks.

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

5/5

This one was awesome. The one about making pie and buona sera were good discoveries to be shared.

The Undertones

3/5

This is some of the more listenable early punk I've heard.

Before And After Science

Brian Eno

3/5

I liked the second half more than the first half.

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

4/5

I was surprised by how much I liked it. I've heard of "ELO" but never listened on purpose. A couple of tracks were familiar. My least favorite thing is the "spacey" synth stuff, but there's a pretty good mix of sounds going on. The vocal style might be a little fatiguing, but it's consistent and ties everything together.

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

I never knew I liked this band or album, but more than half of the songs have somehow stuck in my brain over the years, so I must have liked them enough to keep listening wherever/whenever I heard them.

Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

Frank Sinatra

3/5

It was good. Probably wouldn't seek it out again.

Pieces Of The Sky

Emmylou Harris

3/5

Step In The Arena

Gang Starr

1/5

If this is the greatest hip hop album of all time, then I should probably stop giving hip hop a chance.

Automatic For The People