My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
Antichrist Superstar	5	2.48	+2.52
Shalimar	5	2.66	+2.34
Atomizer	5	2.72	+2.28
Two Dancers	5	2.75	+2.25
Oedipus Schmoedipus	5	2.79	+2.21
Among The Living	5	2.85	+2.15
Millions Now Living Will Never Die	5	2.87	+2.13
Spiderland	5	2.97	+2.03
Throwing Muses	5	2.98	+2.02
Os Mutantes	5	2.98	+2.02

Album	You	Global	Diff
Superunknown	1	3.66	-2.66
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan	1	3.63	-2.63
Green	1	3.48	-2.48
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols	1	3.46	-2.46
Reggatta De Blanc	1	3.45	-2.45
Smash	1	3.37	-2.37
Every Picture Tells A Story	1	3.24	-2.24
Lady In Satin	1	3.23	-2.23
Like A Prayer	1	3.23	-2.23
Scissor Sisters	1	3.23	-2.23

Artist	Albums	Average
Beatles	7	4.86
Pink Floyd	4	5
Stan Getz	2	5
Portishead	2	5
Kanye West	3	4.33
Jimi Hendrix	3	4.33

Artist	Albums	Average
Grateful Dead	2	1.5
Rod Stewart	2	1.5
Björk	4	2
Madonna	3	2
Dexys Midnight Runners	3	2
Van Morrison	3	2
Peter Gabriel	3	2
Leonard Cohen	4	2.25
R.E.M.	4	2.25
Talking Heads	4	2.25

Artist	Albums	Variance
Taylor Swift	2	1.5
Muddy Waters	2	1.5
Elvis Presley	3	1.25
Arcade Fire	3	1.25
Kraftwerk	3	1.25

Michael Jackson

4/5

Wow, I just began with such an undisputed classic. Thriller, its apparently dark theme a product of Michael Jackson's struggles as a superstar. With disco stuff losing popularity, Jackson was compelled to make a definitive pop album "where every song is a killer". I haven't heard the bestselling album of all time before, but of course I knew the iconic singles. I've always liked "Billie Jean" and "Beat It". But while the title track has an awesome music video (which is apparently the first MV by a black person that MTV aired) and kickass dance moves, I've never been a fan of it. Still, I can see why this album become a household staple. I definitely heard the rock, the funk, and the soul smoothly blending in the disco pop of this album, its crossovers are all stellar. It's such an explosive and influential pop album. I cannot really assert that every song is definitely a killer. Few songs, especially the last ones, dragged the album. But it's undeniably a classic pop album, and one of the greatest pop album of all time.

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

4/5

I never knew there was a king of soul until now. And I did see why Sam Cooke was crowned the King of Soul. Whew! Right after the King of Pop I got to listen to the King of Soul! This album is exploding with energy. And it's not even rock. It's soul! Cooke's raspy vocals, the dynamic band, and the audience interaction all powered the album. I'm not a big fan of live albums, but this one is definitely one of best of them. It might get repetitive after a while. But it has a solid pace. It's a nice thirty plus minute party album.

Roger the Engineer

The Yardbirds

3/5

Reiterating what the critics said, this is blues trying hard to be psychedelic. It has a few great psychedelic tracks, and some blues tracks slap. Never heard of The Yardbirds, and I'm not a huge Beck fan, but hearing this, I can see why they are considered as one of the pioneers of psychedelic rock. The bass line in the first track alone reminds me of some Black Sabbath, early Pink Floyd, and Beatles stuff. Overall, an interesting album. While it has a few great tracks, it's a pretty dull album.

Songs From A Room

Leonard Cohen

2/5

Leonard Cohen is apparently a revered singer-songwriter. And this album is one of those... contemporary folk, according to Wikipedia... albums. To be fair, he has a cool and chill voice, and the instrumentals are gentle. Together, these elements effectively builds a melancholic or even gloomy atmosphere, something that a lot of people, including me, would find boring in high doses. But I guess that's what it's all about. Poetry being delivered with music in the best possible way. I respect him for that. But this album would only work as a lullaby playlist or a background music for me. Not a big fan of super moody stuffs.

Bat Out Of Hell

Meat Loaf

4/5

This one is a very loud opera rock album developed from a musical, a futuristic version of "Peter Pan". It sounds epic, and grandiose. Of course it's not surprising for an opera rock album. But I've listened to a few opera rock albums, most notably "The Wall" and "Ziggy Stardust". But while the mentioned albums are great, both are not as loud and ridiculous as "Bat Out of Hell". It is already evident in the cover, explosive motorcycle ride in nearly all red color scheme. Of course loud isn't equal to quality. The album starts out loud, and get monotonous after a while. But on the latter half, it starts to build-up. The latter tracks are all stellar, and together, the album creates a solid narrative. Which apparently involves teenage angst and all the stuff that comes with it. It's a pop album like no other.

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

3/5

0:00:30 (01) Wow this is Tom and Jerry-ish 0:01:30 (01) This is surprisingly listenable for me. Not a fan of jazz but I have a big hope that I'll enjoy this one. 0:07:23 (02) That was pretty good. Only 72 songs left... 0:10:40 (02) *yawns* 0:12:20 (02) Since the 4th disc is just a bunch of alternate takes, I will skip that. Only 57 tracks then, let's hope that we will reach track 57. 0:14:20 (03) Wow vocals! Love that voice, that type of singing always take me to the '50s despite the fact that I wasn't even born during those times. 0:22:53 (05) I wonder why this literal compilation album is chosen for the list. Not that it's bad, it's just H U G E. It has an expected fair share of "eh" tracks, like this one. 0:26:32 (06) Lmao the '50s have at least a couple of weird pop songs too. 0:30:51 (07) That voice does better in the ballads. The pop-ish songs are not my jam. 0:33:18 (08) Just kidding. This one is ballad is it's boring. 0:36:05 (09) I'm considering giving up rn. But let's hold on for a bit. 0:37:35 (09) My favorite Beatles album, "Revolver" is considered one of the best and most influential albums of all time. And it's only 35 minutes long. I mean, I'm just thinking that if this is a rock album, then today's listen is finished now. 0:41:45 (10) I mean hiphop albums are usually 70-ish minutes. And that's why they're usually challenging as a listen for me. Oh wait, I'm still listening to an album right now? Lmao I almost forgot. 0:44:21 (11) It's incredible to think that I'm barely 25% into the album as of now. 0:45:11 (11) Love this track and its instrumental break though. 0:52:15 (13) Wonderful track indeed. Woke me up at the moment. 0:57:47 (14) *yaaaaaawwwnnn* "The Wall" is another album that I love. It's 81 plus minutes long. At this time, Pink is probably going Nazi already. 1:00:00 (15) Achievement unlocked: BOOMER MUSIC OVERDOSE (Listen to non-stop '50s pop-jazz music for an hour) 1:04:06 (16) Should I take a break after disc 1 or is it cheating? 1:09:22 (18) Wow, ragtime aint it? Pretty neat way to end a disc. 1:13:36 (19) Yes, "who cares" indeed. Who cares if this is their "very best" or "most influential". Who cares if I didn't finish this album and rated it anyway? 1:26:28 (23) I figuuuuuured ouuuuuutt thaat lissteniiiing to someoneeeee singiiiiiiiing liiiike thiiiiiisssss maakess me sleeeeepppyy.... 1:37:14 (26) This one's pretty good. 1:42:25 (28) Is this really an album one should listen to before they die? I mean three hours of old music is a unique experience. But is it worth it? Does it provide a whole new way to experience music? Is it a good experience? 1:44:20 (29) The 21st Century Fox theme plays and I thought, maybe Is should put an end on this self imposed torture. So now I will raise the white flag and end this madness... 1:46:22 (29) [Game over]; Mission: Listen to it from cover to cover [Failed]; Mission: At least listen to the first three discs [Failed]; Mission: Appreciate the music despite the ridiculous length of this album [Failed]; Mission: At least appreciate Ella Fitzgerald's beautiful voice [Accomplished].

L'Eau Rouge

The Young Gods

3/5

"L' Eau Rouge" or in English... "The Red Water"? Information is limited and I don't know French, but this might have something to do with menstruation, love affair, and probably sex. And what is that lame cover? Is that an amber? I'm a big fan of Rammstein. And Young Gods sounds a lot like the mentioned industrial German band. But for some reason I didn't enjoy the album much. Unlike Rammstein which has a heavy and more slick sound, this album is loose and even inconsistent. The beats and the noises didn't engaged me that much. Still, the tracks that incorporates classical elements are stellar. "La fille de la mort", "Rue des tempetes", "Charlotte", and "Les enfants". I liked those even more than Rammstein's popular violin driven "Mein Herz Brennt". While I'm not whining that my favorite industrial band isn't mentioned in the list, I still wonder why this is in the list. My guess is that this is the beginning or the biggest influence to the industrial music in the '90s. Released in 1989, this might be the turning point from new wave to industrial rock. It has a few great tracks, but not a solid must listen album overall. It's hard to say if I hated it or loved it, but it surely is interesting.

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

The Kinks

3/5

While The Kinks is not really underrated, they're obviously overshadowed by their peers. And like the big names such as The Beatles and The Stones, The Kinks also went beyond the usual cheap pop-rock stuff and made daring albums later in their career. That is not really interesting or surprising. But the sound and the scope of "Arthur" certainly is. It's a concept album about war and politics in the UK. Interestingly, it was originally made as a soundtrack for a TV show, which was never aired. Aside from the tunes and the lyrics, the thing that fascinates me here is the fact that this "concept album" is so carefree and loose sounding. It sounds fun and light oftentimes. As of now, however, it didn't really stuck to me. It has a few stellar moments, especially in the instrumentals. But the tunes are ultimately forgettable for me. But I guess it's interesting enough for me to listen to it again.

I’m a Lonesome Fugitive

Merle Haggard

3/5

It's easy to predict what would this album offer. Just by looking at the simple cover of him hanging on a train can infer that this album will be another one of those country stuff. And my prediction of this being an acoustic country jam album which has nothing special in it is true. But far from the simple songwriting and the overall generic sound, his voice is pretty good. Apparently a bunch of songs written by a woman Haggard didn't even know (probably "The Strangers" in the name "Merle Haggard and the Strangers"), these are songs about being a fugitive, it conjures images of wild west thingy in my mind. Fast paced and action packed. But that's not the case with this album, it's so casual it seems to be sentimental. Perhaps that's why a handful of people wondered if Haggard himself had a little prison history or experience. Overall, not really a bad one, but not a remarkably good one that is worth checking out either.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

4/5

**2000's** I was just a kid. All those alternative rock one hit wonders amuse me. Forget about that guy rapping about mom's spaghetti, we have songs about being numb, being here without you, being asleep in September, going wherever you will go, having to go and make things so complicated, and of course, crying when angels deserves to die. I have no idea how incredible the '90s were when it comes to alternative rock (aside from something about being a creep, I guess), but nonetheless I enjoyed the 2000's much. . . A couple of buildings from a big country just got destroyed and everyone was talking about it. . . And what's this song about... nobody saying it was easy? It's pretty boring. *2020's* "A Rush of Blood to the Head"? Sounds stressful. The fact that it came from a band that I did not care much about didn't hel- Oh boyyyyy! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Okay. First of all, this is amazing. Coldplay is not as bad as I thought they were, lmao. My only issue is that the every single is on the first half. I've heard some other albums that are like that. Unsurprisingly, the first half is incredible, 5/5 in this case. But the second half? Usually hit-and-miss. Still, what a unique experience. . . I guess it's called "A Rush of Blood to the Head" because it can blow one's mind.

The La's

1/5

If the "retro" that they are selling nowadays is the '80s, often represented with vibrant colors, what is the "retro" in the '80s itself? The answer is, probably, the '60s. Not colorful and bright, just simple. The good old days. And there she goes, the album that attempted to create a nostalgic retro album but ended up creating a painfully generic and tedious pop rock album instead. Not the best retro from the '80s amirite lads? Or should I say... L A' S ?

Skylarking

XTC

3/5

It's pretty funny that right after a '60s influenced album from the '80s, I got another '60s influenced album from the '80s. But while I hated The La's self-titled album, this one is pretty good (note: The La's self-titled was released in 1990, but recorded in the '80s). It's another pop-rock album, with influences from the '60s psychedelic rock acts, Pink Floyd, Beatles, and most notably, The Beach Boys. As far as I can hear, this is most likely a Beach Boys-esque album. But that doesn't mean that the album only copied the styles and sound of other bands. It's has an entirely new sound. And that alone impressed me. I would love to enjoy this album, but unfortunately, '60s sounding pop-rock vibes are probably not my thing. But I can see why it is included in the list. The production and the instrumentals are all interesting, and it has a few personal highlights, particularly the fun first five tracks, the slightly trippy "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul", and the originally unreleased and unsurprisingly controversial "Dear God".

Machine Gun Etiquette

The Damned

4/5

The Damned. Machine Gun Etiquette. A bunch of men in the middle of a road in New York City. These elements remind me of an American action film, perhaps by Tarantino. And the album itself is the soundtrack. Punk. Never liked the genre but damn this one is so good. It is perhaps because it is guitar driven. There are fast riffs and solos in many songs. The vocals are not that bad unlike other in punk songs. Gets repetitive after a while but still a super fun overall listen.

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

5/5

It was early 2010's. Life was fairly simple. Youtube and Spotify are not yet swarming with ads so this particular young man decided that exploring new music is more worth it than exploring new porn vids. He discovered "Hotel California," as well as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Stairway to Heaven," "Nothing Else Matters," and the Glee version of "Hey Jude" because the original was geo-blocked. But all of those infamous songs are nothing compared to what he eventually discovered: "Comfortably Numb - Live at Pulse." His mind was blown away. He was never moved by music in that way before. "Definitely better than porn," he thought. So it went on. He slowly got into some album about the moon, then he got absorbed in a 22 minute colossal song, then something about a wall... But no matter how mind-blowing those Pink Floyd treasures that he found, a particular song still stands out: Shine on You Crazy Diamond. And no, he didn't even know some guy named Syd exists. But there he was, amazed beyond words. The slow build-up, the haunting four notes, the melancholic lyrics and theme, and the incredible and emotional latter parts... he was captivated by it all. ... ... ... Years later, the man remembered those moments. He wished he could experience them for the first time again. The thing with Pink Floyd is, while there are other legendary and influential artists, none of them transformed his perception of what music can be in such degree as Pink Floyd did. As of now he heard things about a piper, as well as the moon, a wall, some bell, a cow, a submerged ear, some animals, and even that "ummagumma" thingy. But that burning man shaking hands with someone still remains the best for him. It has the Pink Floyd equivalent of "Yesterday," and two sharp tracks, sandwiched with the best song of all time. A masterpiece. . . Yeah, it's a bit overhyped. But with such experience, it's understandable I guess?

Deja Vu

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

3/5

Why did this album became such a commercial success? A. Neil Young joined the chat. B. D I V E R S I T Y (despite the fact that's it ultimately became inconsistent and messy) C. The previous album by the group was (probably) a good one D. because harmony E. uhmmm... it took them 800 hours to record it

Vincebus Eruptum

Blue Cheer

4/5

If Black Sabbath's debut is the birth of metal, then this album is it's conception. So how does it sound? Well, it sounds like blues. But not like blues but like... █▄▄ █░░ █░█ █▀▀ █▀ █▄█ █▄▄ █▄█ ██▄ ▄█ Ridiculously heavy and psychedelic, it's not that pleasant as a listen. Not to mention the vocals, which felt like they were mere decorations to the gigantic sound. Yet for some reason, it rocked me hard. And I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Group Sex

Circle Jerks

2/5

I imagine some scenario where a group of teenagers gathered and was like, "lmao let's troll everyone by creating a 15-minute long chain of screaming and speedy instrumental fiddling." And just like that, a new subgenre was born, or popularized: "hardcore punk." As if punk is not annoying enough right? I'm not really allergic to the so-called "hardcore" sounds. This one is just repetitive and bland, hardcore for the sake of being hardcore.

Golden Hour

Kacey Musgraves

3/5

While I listened to a healthy amount of Taylor Swift around a decade ago, I didn't really took her seriously until she stepped into the domain of pop. And recently- wait a second, this isn't a Taylor Swift album? So, okay, this is Kacey Musgraves, a country pop singer and this particular album won the Grammy Awards. This album sounds very Taylor-ish. I could make my Swiftie friends listen to some songs from this and make them believe that this is Taylor covering some unpopular song. But while it does sound generic at some places, it's didn't felt outdated, it actually felt modern, at least for me. But perhaps it's only due to the fact that Musgraves explores a lot of sounds throughout this album. Because of that, most of the songs felt, as they put it, overproduced. But I actually liked it more than Taylor's old country stuff. I especially enjoyed the softer and folksier songs. I don't know much yet about the rest of Musgraves stuff, but I think it'll be good if she explored more of the softer side of her sounds.

Fire Of Love

The Gun Club

3/5

Lmao, that cover is hilarious. It looked like something that eight year old me would have done if he discovered photoshop during that time. Is it terrible? I don't know. It's a bit unsettling. Greyscale tribal people on bright pink background. I think it's pretty good. It catches the sound of this album. So I discovered a new specie of punk: post-punk. It's basically punk going avant-garde. This album screams tribal energy and I liked the Doors-y sound that it made in some places. As usual the louder tracks didn't do anything to me. But the overall unique sound is pretty impressive. I guess American roots music is perfect for punk.

Arrival

ABBA

2/5

I remember watching an old CD my mom brought home, it's "Mamma Mia!" (I can't believe it was released in 2008, I've always thought it was released somewhere in the '90s). It was some light film where everyone sings Abba songs. I don't remember much about that night. I can roughly recall how my mom loved the movie. She's probably an Abba fan. And me? I only remember liking two songs, "Honey Honey," and the iconic "Dancing Queen." I loved the energy and the casual positivity in "Dancing Queen." But I've never heard the original until now. And... I didn't like it much. Because of the mentioned memory, I expected this album to be some standard pop album, but its much more disco than I expected. "Dancing Queen" is still a good song. That and "Money Money Money" are the only good songs in the entire album. The bonus track "Fernando" is also worth mentioning, its incredible. The rest is some terrible disco pop stuff. The mentioned tracks saved this from 1 star. If this album is a hit-and-miss, then those tracks are bullseye.

Jazz Samba

Stan Getz

5/5

What is "bossa nova"? Well it seems that the answer is in this album. The title itself (probably) summarizes it all, "jazz samba"! That's bossa nova, jazz samba. I can see why this album ignited the so-called bossa nova craze. It's chill, it's atmospheric, and it's energetic. The very music that one would hear in some tropical themed restaurant or some pub. What a good introduction to the genre. I enjoyed it a lot, despite my dislike towards jazz in general.

Cypress Hill

5/5

From bossa nova to Latin hip-hop. Wow, I think I'm loving Latin music. I'm not a big fan of rap and marijuana culture. So I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed this impressive album. First of all, the beats and the sampling are awesome. Apparently, they made it marijuana-style psychedelic, which explains the trippy atmosphere of the songs. There is also something about their rapping that gets me. I like smooth yet solid nasal delivery, it's not overly angry and it fits perfectly with the beat. Overall, kudos for one of the first rap albums that I genuinely loved. PS. So that's one of the songs RATM covered. PPS. Cover art effort = 1/5; Production effort = 5/5.

Manassas

Stephen Stills

1/5

So this guy, Stephen Mills, apparently gathered a bunch of people together to restlessly record an album. After a lot of sleepless nights and restless days, his newly formed band created the self-titled album. A considerably huge 70-minute album that tries to touch every realm of the country genre. It has 4 parts, each for every subgenre, rock, bluegrass, folk, and... experimental? I dunno, it doesn't change the fact that none of those parts impressed me. It's pretty boring. One good thing about the tracks is that the length seems to be perfect. At the very moment I decided to push the "next" button, I would see that there are 2 seconds left on the track. But is the album's length perfect? Er... no.

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

4/5

Why Vol 4 is Definitely Sabbath but not... Black enough (?) by some guy who only listened to "Master of Reality" (A shame it wasn't included in the list. Oops, spoiler! But the thing is, I loved em-oh Reality a dozen tunings more than the legendary em-oh Puppets), "Heaven and Hell" (I know there's quite a discourse regarding the two vocalists. While both are fine, I'm not a huge fan of either. But still, I'd pick Dio any day of the week. Sorry Ozzy fans.), and a couple of singles and thinks he can make such statement. (Whew! What a title!) Well first of all, look at that cover. I mean, it's not bad. But thinking about the incredible covers of the debut (my all time favorite album cover, yes even though I haven't listened to that thing) and "Paranoid," I wonder why the covers turned into some boring and generic signages. Orange on black seems cool though, and that image of Ozzy seems almost grotesque. I couldn't make out his face at first. But of course, as cliche sayings go, "Do not judge a book by its cover." Riffs? Check. Heaviness? Of course. Big C? Wait what? Big C! Oh, the speaker box was delivered. Compared to em-oh Reality, this album sounds... happy? I dunno. It's pretty upbeat and while it is trippy (Big C flavored, I guess), it's not as dark and gloomy sounding as em-oh Reality. Sure, "Heaven and Hell" sounds like Renaissance, but Vol 4 (a generic name because the company doesn't want the Big C reference, "Snowblind") sounds hard rocking, upbeat -- too upbeat for a Dark Age Era Sabbath. Of course I might realize I'm wrong (which is likely) when I listened to this again (which is also likely). But as of now, I think this album -- which has a tropical beach sounding instrumental -- sounds too happy. It's not bad of course, just not Black. Sabbath yes, but not Black. I still liked it despite the boring soft breaks. It's Sabbath after all.

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis Redding

3/5

Do not judge a book - or an album - by its cover. Of course this is still true when taken literally. But still, covers gives the consumer - especially the ones who haven't heard of it before - and idea of what's to expect. Let's have a real life example: Say a guy discovered a music album, it's cover a blonde woman smiling with her eyes closed. Above it, in a solid font read "OTIS BLUE/OTIS REDDING SINGS SOUL". Otis? What an odd name. The guy thought as he began listening to the album. A raspy, energetic, and most notably, male, voice erupted as soon as he pressed play. The man was shocked. Is Otis a woman who sounds like a man? Of course not. Otis Redding is a dude, and the guy who is listening is bamboozled. And who is that woman on the cover? As far as he know, it was a freaking stock photo. And the music of "OTIS BLUE/OTIS REDDING SINGS SOUL"? It's pretty decent. It's mostly generic soul or R&B. Half of the album is a bunch of covers of some rock and blues songs.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

1/5

For every piece of art - whether it is a music album, a book, a movie, etc. - there is at least one person who never gets it. It doesn't matter how the consumers and the critics love it, there is always some people who just hated it. In this case, the influential "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", one of those people is me. Yeah, I know, it's BOB DYLAN. The harmonica driven folk guy who sang the original "All Along the Watchtower" (loved that version - it's the only Dylan song that I knew then), how could someone hate him? I'm surprised by how I hated it myself. It's boring, it's tedious. Yeah, the lyrics might be the meat of this album, but that alone won't make me listen to this. I get his voice and the harmonica interludes, after all that's why I liked the watchtower song. But most of the time, it felt like he was someone screaming random sentences over a guitar track. I kind of liked some of the songs though. The love songs are listenable, at least. And the opening, "Blowin' in the Wind" is popular for a reason. The rest? Naaah. I don't get the hype about those so-called "protest songs." But to be fair, people would probably welcome some soothing music during such terrifying historical event.

Vespertine

Björk

3/5

vespertine \ˈve-spər-ˌtīn\ adj. 1: of, relating to, or occurring in the evening 2: active, flowering, or flourishing in the evening noun 1: a dull album that sounds like trip-hop but much lighter. Characterized by an enchanting whispery voice, music box tinkles, and some household sounds. Typically with a great first half and a boring second half. verb 1: when some Icelandic woman tried, typically through music, to stimulate being cozy at home but instead ended up stimulating a fever dream where one is in an alien house in the middle of woods where they are indeed cozy but very bored

Before And After Science

Brian Eno

3/5

Two years. Several musicians from different countries. One hundred plus tracks. It seems that these are recipes for a wider and more diverse (and possibly more exhausting) version of "The White Album", but fortunately, Brian Eno did it pretty well and only ten tracks made it. This album is quite a ride. At the beginning, I thought it sounded colorful (I'm thinking about the spooky black and white album cover) and fun, like being in a carnival. But like a bland cotton candy, it sounds generic and forgettable, no matter how colorful. But as I said, it's a ride. After a while, things get more serious - less colorful, but in a good way. The ambient-ish tracks are great, it's like riding from the noisy circus to a pleasant, quiet park. Still, while it's a ride, it's pretty rough one. The rock-ish tracks and the ambient-ish tracks didn't go really well, but I guess that's the "before" and "after" science that he was talking about. So does he tell us that the world is a circus - even happy - before science? It's tempting to dive into it. But I don't think it matters. The only sure thing is that this album is an interesting, rough ride between circus-y rock and heavenly ambience.

Drunk

Thundercat

1/5

Drunk. How does it feel to be drunk? Is it being dazed, feeling lightheaded and fuzzy? Then after it, you don't remember anything at all? Well, there's an album that portrays it well. It has weird synth and falsetto sounds that made elevator music sound like "Bohemian Rhapsody", and zero remarkable and memorable things. It was almost an hour long - pretty lengthy - but I didn't recall listening to anything at all. But at least the album did two things to me: (1) It definitely told me how being DRUNK probably felt like and (2) it changed my entire definition of what "boring" is.

Gris Gris

Dr. John

4/5

There was a guru who calls himself Dr. John, because he has a so-called "spiritual kinship" with a spiritual healer named Dr. John Montaine. That's probably where he got his treasured amulet that he call a "gris gris". Something about New Orleans voodoo. The mysterious man offered some stories about some native communities in New Orleans. Curious, I sat and chewed the stories. I'm not sure and I don't remember if we used some psychedelics, but we probably did. It IS psychedelic. But those nighttime stories - the trippiest ones - bore me. I prefer the festive daytime rituals. I love the vivid and lively imagery of it, especially the stories and songs for Mama Roux - the queen of little red, white, and blue, and Jump Sturdy - who come out of the swamps like a lazy fool. I felt like I was in that little community, happily chanting with them. It felt like a non-horror version of "Midsommar", it's trippy, exotic, and tribal. I'll definitely come back to his stories, but if I do, I'll probably skip the slow, lengthy trippy ones.

Public Image: First Issue

Public Image Ltd.

2/5

Punk is dead. And John Lyndon wanted to resurrect it as a slightly different entity: post-punk. And surprise! It still sucks. The opener, "Theme" is awesome though, despite it's length. Carrying the I-hate-society-slash-myself theme from punk, it has a deep, dark metal sound. The closer "Fodderstomf" has a interesting sound, but 1 minute of whining mouse vocals is enough. the rest is still punkish, or should I say, pukish.

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

2/5

Is the way he improvised his music given the difficulties and the circumstances impressive? Yes. Are the melodies interesting for someone who doesn't know a single thing about jazz or music theory (like me)? At some moments, yes. A good background music for doing some tasks for school or work? If you don't mind the moaning sounds, yes. So does that mean that I enjoyed this piano fiddling that stretches for more than an hour? No.

Picture Book

Simply Red

3/5

There is another challenger for the battle against the mediocrity of '80s synthpop. Equipped with elements from jazz and soul, as well as a pretty good vocalist, Simply Red made a pretty nice effort in it in their debut, "Picture Book". But unfortunately, they lost the battle. The generic sound of the '80s synthpop didn't engulfed them, but it knocked them to the ground. "Come to My Aid" is such an early triumph. The banger sounds generic, but they used the sound well and produced such an electrifying synth pop song. After it comes a live (?) jazz infused song. While the instrumentals here are great, the overall sounds are unremarkable and even boring. It's not really downhill from here. Some songs, especially the slower ones, are pretty good. But it's all dull and boring. Not exactly generic, but still terrible. Not a really bad album though. An easy listen, at least for the first time.

Surfer Rosa

Pixies

4/5

From Nirvana to The White Stripes, I can hear a lot of alternative rock acts germinating in this album. "Surfer Rosa" is one of the first alternative rock album, surfing from 1988, yet it sounds as fresh as freshly catched fish. Is the reason punk fans enjoy punk is the fun feeling of the raw, edgy, chaotic, and loud sound of it? Perhaps, and that's why I enjoyed this album a lot. It's gritty, yet fun. Some tracks still sound like forgettable loud garage rock snippets, but a lot of it are one of the best punk songs I have ever heard to date. "Bone Machine", "Gigantic", "River Euphrates", and "Where is My Mind" are notable examples. This album is just a bit above thirty minutes long, but I felt like I listened to an hour worth of the so-called "art punk." Perhaps because it's such a unique sounding album, perhaps because most of the latter half is pretty dull.

Behaviour

Pet Shop Boys

3/5

Synth pop was probably dying at this point. This album, "Behaviour", released a year before Nirvana stormed the scene, sounds like a final groove, a last dance. The overall atmosphere seems melancholic and vulnerable. I guess switching to analog synths contributed to it. I don't mind the British accent, but the vocals are irritating most of the time. It doesn't go well with the synth tunes. It's not really bad, but it surely didn't age well. While the synth lines and the melodies are catchy sometimes, the songs just pass by without leaving anything remarkable. This is far from a must listen.

Let It Be

The Replacements

3/5

Another punk going alternative rock album. The bridge between the two genres viewed at another angle. And while Pixies introduced some new elements in "Surfer Rosa", The Replacements made a "more sincere" work in their pretty decent coming-of-age album, "Let It Be" four years earlier. Most of the tracks are still as messy and as edgy as most punk songs that I know. And I unsurprisingly didn't enjoy most of them. The theme ranges from childishly fun (songs about somebody's tonsils or boners, for example) to mature and serious (a non-binary love story, for instance). And the signature punk energy weaves all of those tracks, creating such a solid statement, despite it's messy sounds. Not something that I would listen to again, but definitely a fun ride.

Dr. Octagonecologyst

Dr. Octagon

3/5

Okay, so I'll describe the most recent narrative that I discovered from LET'S GET EDGY CINEMA. It's about a mad scientist. An up-to-date theme, right? And he's a doctor. A gynecologist and a surgeon specifically. He specifies in intestine surgery, rectal rebuilding, relocated saliva glands, chimpanzee acne, and moose bumps. But that's not all. He's an extraterrestrial from Jupiter. And a time traveller as well. His phone number is 1-800-PP-51-DOODOO. And and he is also horny and homicidal. And at the top of that, he is named after a freaking polygon. At first, I thought that this is a pretentious narrative trying hard to be "scientific" or whatever. Throwing slick bass and technical words here and there. But it's (probably) not. I think it's a parody, a circle jerk for... medical or science fiction stuff? Awesome synth-y and scratchy sound effects. Love the horror-ish vibes. The lyrics seems comical most of the time, but the delivery is sometimes repetitive and weak. With a length of more than an hour, this little science fiction horror thing gets weary and boring after a while, whether it is a genuine attempt to make a horror sci fi narrative or a self parody doctor story.

Harvest

Neil Young

4/5

The history of my knowledge and impression about country music can be expressed in two parts: Before discovering Neil Young's "Harvest", and after discovering Neil Young's "Harvest". And guess which one has a better impression (clue: it was during the time when I know some awesome harmonica driven country rock/folk music by a surprisingly great singer).

Catch A Fire

Bob Marley & The Wailers

3/5

"Catch a Fire", which actually means burn in hell. in terms of sound, it's pretty solid. Chill and slick despite the political themes of most songs. I think, however, that the sound is better and more sincere when the theme is simply about love. Reggae. Is this just creating tunes over that signature beat? I don't know. But I didn't liked it overall. Too repetitive or same-y. If this is considered as the best reggae album of all time, then I'm pretty sure this genre isn't for me.

Sheet Music

10cc

4/5

How many possible co-writing duos can the "Worst Band in the World" have: There are four of them so... 4C2 = 4!/(2!*(4-2)!) = 4!/(2!*2!) = (4*3)/2 = 6 Six pairings of Stewart, Gouldman, Godley, Creme. In just a bit more than thirty minutes, these guys went wild with the sounds of pop/rock during that time. All of the six pairings produced at least one song (Creme and Godley seem to like each other a lot, though). And with such sparse and hit-and-miss process, it's unsurprisingly a messy album. And is "Sheet Music" a shit music? Well, yes. But I think that's part of the show. Take note that they admitted being the worst band in the world. This wildly adventurous album might seem like a mediocre album trying very hard to make something unique, or to change the course of pop and rock during that time. But for me, it's just an aimless and fun fiddling with the sound. It's fragile, it's inconsistent, and it's pretty weird, and I like it. It gives one the light and carefree vibes with its stellar and playful sounds despite singing about topics like time bombs in airplanes.

One World

John Martyn

2/5

One day, a fish (or some old man who accidentally swallowed a fish bone, I don't know which) learned how to sing and make some music. So, he grabbed some guitar and harmonica, gathered a bunch of other musicians and decided to record an album. All I can say about the result is, he did a pretty decent human music. But the critter needs a lot of improvement. I love the "One World" title though, it's like we and those fishes live in one world or something, right? Probably not. I mean, I don't get the sound of it. It sounds include tropical restaurant background music, default ringtone of cellphones, and some pretty decent bossa nova stuff. But perhaps more important than the sounds is the vocals. Yes, singing in the air is difficult for a fish, but it should be improved further. There are lots of great singers (yes, even outside of death metal and black metal) who have raspy vocals. A little bit of vocalization and now he's good. Overall, boooring. It kind of reminds me of Pink Floyd's "Meddle", another ocean-vibe rock album that was released six years before this one. It's a masterpiece of course, I mean there were whales lmao. But at least this album, unlike "Meddle", was so experimental it invented trip hop, among other genres. A nice achievement for a fish, isn't it?

Dire Straits

3/5

Just got a perfect album this Christmas Eve. While it isn't solidly great, its warm, slick, and minimalist approach in rock is just perfect for such a cold, grandiose day. I want to liken this album to a fireplace. It sparked in the first track, "Down to the Waterline". A pretty decent opening. But the fire was still not warm enough to do anything besides emitting a low glow. Between the opening and "Sultans of Swing" aka "The epic acoustic guitar solo song" -- the greatest extent of the fire, no doubt, the fire was like that. Bland. Trying hard to make something out of the folk and country fiddling in their pub-rock sound. But after the explosive spark of "Sultan's of Swing", the fire was up. The following tracks were warm and slick. But while "In the Gallery", "Wild West End", and "Lions" are great tracks, none surpassed the epic single. Overall, pretty dull, but a delicious Christmas treat nonetheless.

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

4/5

THINGS MASSIVE ATTACK'S "BLUE LINES" ACHIEVED: • Making such a solid blend of hip hop, soul, reggae, and electronic music (I love how these elements mix well and get baked into one delicious bread). • Making the first "trip-hop" album, probably igniting the trend for the mentioned small genre (it's amusing how it went from this to something like "Roads" and "Teardrop"). • Making an album that is interestingly both chill and upbeat. • Showing how can terrible vocals and terrible raps be saved with great production. • Making one of the worst and the most low effort album covers.

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

3/5

Living in the "eastern" half of the world, I received "A Christmas Gift for You" a day late. But I don't mind. After all, I live in a country where Christmas starts long before the winds get colder and ends several days after the New Year fireworks lighted up the sky. Also, I don't have time to listen to it on Christmas Day anyway. All I can say is, it's a decent gift that has everything one could expect from a set of Christmas songs. The notable things in this album is that it's so '60s. The sound of '60s pop songs rule this album. That, and Phil Spector's so-called "Wall of Sound" approach is well-compiled in this album. And perhaps that's the reason why this is included in the list. Overall, pretty good. Out of the four gifts, my favorite is Darlene Love and her powerful voice -- just look at her in the cover, at the top, waving her name like a banner. Not listening to it again next year though, nor blast it on speakers. I mean, Mariah Carey is overplayed as hell, but I liked the more recent versions of some classic Christmas tunes more than the outdated '60s pop version of them. Thinking about it, Christmas song is probably a great lens to look at the evolution of pop sounds throughout the years.

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

3/5

Q: This is "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" by "the Genius" Ray Charles. Bringing in not only the typical rhythm and blues, jazz, and soul elements of the time's pop sounds, it also integrated country music and big band music as well. It created an irresistible set of love songs that captured the hearts of people regardless of race. Released in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, this album once again showed that music unites! So, would you like to listen to forty minutes worth of generic (but not bad) '60s love songs? A: I won't mind I guess. I grew up listening to these kinds of songs in the radio every Sunday anyway.

Pearl

Janis Joplin

5/5

PEARL A beautiful, precious, little gem from the sea (where Janis Joplin - oh! such a powerful voice! - rests now). I don't even know who Janis Joplin is, but this posthumous album blew my mind. Just a standard soul album, but with a great band and a passionate voice. The Full Tilt Boogie Band's performance slaps. Setting aside the haunting context of "Buried Alive in the Blues" (what an ironic title), the band's bluesy beats here are irresistibly moving, not undermining the energy of the rest of the album. Her voice is of course, incredible. This album is a great showcase of her voice's vigor (perhaps not, but the empty space in "Buried Alive in the Blues" might give us an idea of what more she could possibly achieve). It's a lasting final statement. It's possibly one of the best soul albums of all time. It's a pearl.

Let's Get Killed

David Holmes

4/5

When thinking about my appetite for music without lyrics, a few contradictions appear. I'm not someone who focuses on the lyrics, if it sounds good, then I'd listen to it. Lyrics is just a bonus, or a part of the context for me. Good lyrics with terrible sound... I might just read poems instead. But music without lyrics seems... incomplete sometimes. It's seems difficult for songs -- if they ARE called "songs" -- like these to be a solid whole experience. But I do listen to songs without lyrics, or even without context. Pink Floyd's epic 20+ minute "Atom Heart Mother" comes to mind. The track is as nonsense as the title, yet I like it. But I'm still struggling to justify why, for example, I like classical music of Chopin or Beethoven but dislike something like jazz. What makes a wordless track listenable, at least for me? "Let's Get Killed" is an hour of electronica fiddling with an aim to create movie soundtracks, and I enjoyed it. I was moved by the beats and the instrumental fiddlings in this album. But why? My hypothesis is that some wordless tracks, like the ones in this album, takes me into an adventure. It makes me conjure images of scenes or emotions. The way a violin passionately rejoices, or the beats weave a sense of conflict. Whatever the reason. I like this album. Though I might only come back to it if I want a good background music. But still, it's energetic and quite fun for a background music (ignoring the conversation snippets, of course).

Shaft

Isaac Hayes

4/5

Cool, another hour of mostly instrumental album, but this time it's literally a movie soundtrack. I'm not familiar with the movie, "Shaft" (1971). Apparently a "blaxpoitation" film, which means that it's like poverty porn but instead of slum inhabitants, it is focused on urban African-American people. But I won't judge the movie since I haven't seen it. Nor will I judge this album as a soundtrack. After all, this project involves listening to albums, not watching some movies. This album is... great. I liked it. Perhaps because it's admittedly better than "Let's Get Killed" that I listened to yesterday. I love the chill and soulful vibes of the tracks, and I can see why it was such a successful hit. I think I'm loving soul. This one is a so-called "progressive soul". Probably, this genre is culturally tied to African-American music. Think about the kind of movie that it is based on. And if it does, then this album is definitely a culturally significant work of art.

Tigermilk

Belle & Sebastian

4/5

It's 2020. Quarantine started. Almost everyone locked themselves at home, away from the terrible mess of the outside world. It was a weird time. Stretching for months and months. A lot learned to plant, to cook, and other stuffs that are popular in the DIY world. This event accelerated a trend. No, I'm not talking about TikTok, I'm talking about people's inclination towards sentimental, minimalist stuff. Plants. "AESTHETIC" designs. Crafts. Journals. And of course, lo-fi and indie music. My teenage sister would blast moody acoustic songs, thanks to this trend. These songs are oftentimes mediocre and frankly, boring. But I do enjoy some of them, but only if they are close to rock. Biases, I know. And this album, "Tigermilk" by Belle and Sebastian, is a perfect soft quarantine-vibed indie rock. I'm not a fan of this kind of music, but this is actually well done. I love the oftentimes lo-fi instrumentals. The vocals are pretty mediocre, but I think it's appropriate. Overall, a nice indie album. I just wish I discovered it during quarantine, maybe I'll enjoy it more. I wonder if my younger sister would enjoy this piece from 1996. Maybe she would, despite it's age and the fact that TikTok probably (fortunately) haven't touched it yet.

Lady In Satin

Billie Holiday

1/5

Another "penultimate" album from a female singer? Well, I guess I knew what's to expect despite that suspicious genre name of "vocal jazz". Aaaaaand it sucks, even for a '50s pop-jazz album. Her voice is like a whistling drone, it's somewhere between irritating and boring. Yeah, this is her "penultimate" album and it's her voice's last performance after years of alcohol and drugs. But... does it matter? I doubt if this is included in the list as a do-not-do-drugs-or-you'll-sound-like-a-chicken-trying-to-sing-like-a-songbird campaign or something. I also doubt if this is included for us to experience and appreciate Billie Holiday's voice. It's far from her best performance, I think. The orchestra is also mediocre. But I guess it captures the '50s sound well. Overall, I'd rather listen to three hours of Ella Fitzgerald (or even Billie Holiday herself before her voice succumbed) instead of forty minutes of this. At least Ella's voice is at full power and passion when I listened to her in the ridiculously long "The Gershwin Songbook". What I'm trying to say is that I don't really hate the orchestra pop songs released when my grandparents are in elementary or high school. As long as I feel the smooth flow and the gentle yet powerful voices of the era, I'm in.

Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

3/5

"Songs of Leonard Cohen", guess whose debut album is this. A clue: he was actually a published poet and novelist. So, while his album titles are too generic for a poet (his second album, which I already heard, was titled "Songs from a Room"), his songwriting is unsurprisingly awesome. Folk, acoustic mellow albums are never my thing, even after listening to this undeniably fine record. It came two years before the personally boring "Songs from a Room", but I enjoyed this one more. Perhaps because it's more raw and sparse sounding than "Songs from a Room". I like the guitars and I felt the emotions in his voice most of the time. It has decent love songs, but still too mellow for my taste. The less "acoustic"/stripped-down tracks such as "So Long, Marianne" are personal highlights. Overall, just another acoustic moody album. Not my vibe, even during a chill, rainy day. Decent, but not for me.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West

5/5

A guy invited you to his place. Apparently, he wanted to show something, something "special," something that he wanted to show everyone. That guy is not the most decent guy that you know. You recall the incident that he made during a gathering. He interrupted a congratulatory celebration for a girl, shouting that another girl is "the best". That incident either kindled or intensified the fiery feud between him and that particular girl. He stayed in another place most of the time after the incident, working on something. Now he's done, and he'll show the product to people. All of your thoughts were dissolved - at least temporarily - the second you entered his home. At first you can't make out a single thing, because at every corner and at every edge there is FLASH. It was a set of colossal artworks that apparently expressed his thoughts and feelings. Everywhere you look, there is something to be astonished to. Your eyes can barely have a break. After a while, you get exhausted of it. The flashes are mostly gone, but the remaining ones are still incredibly jaw dropping. Now, you began to chew the dense and complex artwork. While he DID worked hard for that something, it won't be there if not for the help of a lot of people -- most of which have BIG names. What is this? You think. Why does he want to show this excessive and self indulgent display? It's admittedly impressive, even jaw-dropping. The way the art was made, or PRODUCED, was awesome. But you couldn't help but be torn between judging the art and the artist. Of course one can judge the art without while not taking note of the artist, but this art seems to scream the artist's name in every corner. The almost immature and egoistic way the message or the thoughts were presented isn't very easy to ignore. But perhaps that's what it's all about: presenting one's ego, topped with enough bling-blings to obscure it's stench. Isn't that what hip-hop, or even art in general, is all about? Perhaps it's too naïve to say that. Fortunately, you didn't know a lot about that guy. and maybe even if you did, you'll still at least enjoy this giant one-inch-thick-icing-coated cake of an effort.

Surf's Up

The Beach Boys

4/5

I visualize this journey as a day at the beach, or maybe at the woody mountains (the original title of this album was "Landlocked" but they resurrected the discarded track from 1966, "Surf's Up", and made it a decent closing track for the album). In the early morning, the cool and welcoming vibes was captured by "Don't Go Near the Water". I love the casual and slightly trippy energy of it. The rest of the morning, the first half of the album, is pretty bland. Just a bunch of forgettable Beatles-esque tracks. At noon, a riot erupted. "Student Demonstration Time" is a bit of a rocker with a dark theme. But even that is forgettable and not that great. The fun began when the sun sets. The beautiful sound of "Feel Flows" painted the crimson-going-indigo colors of such calm time of the day. The ocean went from blue to black. And the winds became more solid and cool. It's nighttime, and while everyone is beginning to sleep, the nature is just waking up. I love this "nighttime" part, the second-half of the album. It's trippy and oftentimes emotional. The sound conjures images of walking alone in the beach at night. Almost haunting, but cool and relaxing. It's like being spiritually close to nature. It was night. And nature was wide awake. . . . And the lyrics? Perhaps extending the metaphor and narrating this as the reason for spending a day at some beach? To ponder about some social issues, especially environmental ones. Perhaps their true motive is just to re-ignite the band's public image, and that might be the reason it felt messy. But the few stellar tracks are worth experiencing. I might not come back to experience the whole album, but I would listen to those tracks again. Perhaps at a vacation in the woods. Man, this album made me want to experience and smell those woods and leaves and soil again.

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

3/5

What I just heard is probably one of the best summarization of the '90s alternative rock tsunami. Unfortunately, that's what "Definitely Maybe" seemed to only do, it just summarized rock sounds of its time. They did it well though, but focusing on the sound for almost an hour? It gets tiresome after a while. I only knew Oasis as the "Wonderwall" boys. It was narrated that their name was used to be "Rain", after the Beatles song released almost three decades earlier. Apparently, Oasis based their sound on the mentioned track. But while one can hear The Beatles's "Rain" in it, the sound of "Definitely Maybe" is heavily grunge-like. The grunge and alt-rock songs of '90s and even the '00s can be heard in these rock songs driven by the deliciously hazy guitars. It's so '90s rock. Unfortunately, this makes the album generic. But it's still fun nonetheless. At least in small doses. It's interesting how it went from this to "Wonderwall". Even the chill closing track is different from it. Perhaps they're still finding their sound here.

The Slim Shady LP

Eminem

4/5

"Holy shit! He's alive! He just opened his eyes. I did it! I DID IT! Dr. Frank would be proud!" "rgggh..." "And here goes his first words!" "rghhhh... Fuck you!" "Perfect!" *** "You are Slim Shady, my alter-ego. You are made of every angry experiences and thoughts that I have ever had. Your job is to tell the world all about you. About what makes you, and maybe even about who made you. You are already gifted with literary skills, and all the words that I memorized from the dictionary, so you can work now." *** "Find him!" "Really? But he is white!" "I don't give a fuck if he is purple, if he can kick it, I'm working with him" "Okay, okay..." "..." "I heard that he's one of your big fans, Dr. Andre!" "Hmmm mm? I think I'll love giving those verses some life!" *** "What the hell are you listening to this time, son? Another edgy rap isn't it?" "It's just some new hip-hop guy, mom" "Just some new hip-hop guy, eh? But he does sound different, let me hear... hmmm... Jesus Christ what the FUCK are you listening to young man? You... ... ... *** "Hahaha rap god fast" *** "Was all of these... me, daddy?" "Yeah, this little girl in the picture is you. And that little voice in the special song was also you. We all made it when you were a baby" "But... was it about... killing and disposing... mom?" "Errrr... not exactly. These things shouldn't be taken literally you know?" "Geez..." "..." "So... what was all of this... thing all about?" *grabs a cigarette* *** "Hahaha rap god dude during the '90s... wait WHAT THE HELL?" "hehe beats good"

Bitte Orca

Dirty Projectors

4/5

Somewhere in the early 2010's, a "facts" page in Facebook once boasted: Japanese scientists have created an MRI machine that can record your dreams and reconstruct them for you to watch while you're awake. And that made me think: considering the illogical and very, very weird stuffs that we see, do, and experience in our sleep-worlds, what could we watch if such MRI machine exists. And more importantly, how will we REACT? But apart from images, our brains actually created SOUNDS too. And of course, the sounds isn't any less weird. A lot of people are probably aware of those non-existent symphonies and synths and voices screaming random words like opera singers. I experience such music when I am about to sleep or about to wake up. And thinking about the fact that my skills in music stuff is zero, I guess that EVERYONE'S brain creates unique music too. My point is, what if instead of recording what we see in our dreams, we record what we HEAR in our dreams? What would we hear? Well, in 2009, some people who call themselves "Dirty Projectors" made a pretty convincing impression of those weird dream-music. They called this album "Bitte Orca". Please killer whale. And hearing those while awake? Weird. Weird. And weird. And perhaps I would have the same reaction if I saw my dreams in that MRI machine. I would see all the eccentric adventures and the illogical stuffs in it. I would find it weird. And this is how I describe "Bitte Orca". Surreal lyrics, unpredictable sounds, and tense yet fun overall atmosphere. It's dream music (no, not the Minecraft YouTuber). It reminds me why I love dreaming. It is where we temporarily throw logic and rules aside, and just have fun and face the chaos and surprises of human imagination.

The Modern Lovers

3/5

A debut album of a band that is founded by a literal teenager, it is not surprise that "The Modern Lovers" is one of those "proto-punk" albums. But is this really a landmark in proto-punk? Let alone in the influences in punk itself? I can definitely hear punk being conceived along the angsty lyrics and sounds, but it sounds more like a '60s rock inspired fiddling than a genre conceiving album. In terms of sound, it's pretty chill but boring sometimes. It was narrated that the band had a conflict about the direction of their sound; towards more mellow stuff or keeping and improving the aggressive sound? I would love it if they went with the former, but unfortunately, punk clearly went with the latter.

Fun House

The Stooges

5/5

Woaahhh! These guys created one of the best punk songs I have ever heard just by having a live performance in the recording studio. Amazing. The ugly vocals and the messy guitars are used well, creating an energy that is like, you know, being in a FUN HOUSE. But it isn't punk... yet. Of course, this flavor of rock can be much more harsher. But I think this is the just the perfect harshness. Filthy, but not annoying.

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

3/5

You know, Cowboy Elvis, I actually enjoyed our trip in the Western Country. I love the vivid stories and the delicious cowboy rock flavor of it from the '50s. I guess I enjoyed this little album as a whole. Most dads and grandpas today would love this set of '50s pop-rock tunes. Simple and even generic, just like "the good old days". It has a generic overall sound. It gets boring after a while, not so different from the old cowboy movies the local movie channel sometimes shows. But it's the vivid stories that bring this album to life. Much like the stories our grandparents tell us, there's fun in experiencing the adventures that they went through during those days.

American Beauty

Grateful Dead

2/5

Folk country with a bit of psychedelic stuffs. Where did this album took me? Along the generic landscapes of the countryside of America? With Fields so green one can smell it? With a forest that is thick enough to cool the place but not thick enough to conjure funny images at night? Wooden house with beer barrels? I could go on, but this whole thing feels like coloring a greyscale photo. The place where this album took me felt colorless, and it only gains those greens and browns when I let my imagination paint the scene. Perhaps I'm too colorblind as of now to see the "American Beauty". I'm not sure if this is a good representation of Americana music, and I don't even know why is this so popular both among the critics and the listeners. I'm definitely colorblind at these stuffs.

Ten

Pearl Jam

3/5

With such a loud and passionate sound, it is no surprise than "Ten" is considered such a groundbreaker that triggered the tsunami of alternative rock in the '90s. With casual yet headbanging sound, as well as dark subject matters, I think any young rock fan from any decade would enjoy this. I enjoyed it, but something just don't hit it. I enjoyed the loud instrumental outbursts, the solos, the solid yet raspy voice. But somehow, I felt disconnected with the songs. I don't know, but I might describe it as the lack of "approach" that the songs do to listeners. I get the sound, loud and passionate as it is, but why do I always get zoned out and ultimately get bored after enough repetitions of the same sentence? It felt like a performance from a distance, impressive, but not actually played for me. Or perhaps it's because it's too loud? Maybe. The energy seems over the place sometimes. And the more "mellow" tracks are personally better. "Black", "Jeremy", and "Alive" are personal highlights. But I also enjoyed "Once" and "Even Flow". Still, a great must-listen album. Maybe a couple of re-listens will do for me to enjoy this one.

New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)

Simple Minds

2/5

Why "New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)"? And why the crucifix with a sacred heart? Are Simple Minds really simple? Well, upon listening to it, one would infer that yes, it's definitely simple. Just a generic '80s synthpop that didn't age well. "Someone Somewhere (in Summertime)" is a nice mellow pop track. But the rest is just a bunch of boring pop songs. The synth riffs are interesting sometimes, but the songs themselves are not that great. In the end, "New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)" just aged together with the other synthpop albums during that time. And no matter how interesting its name is, its sound is still indistinguishable from its peers.

Pacific Ocean Blue

Dennis Wilson

1/5

"Pacific Ocean Blue". A tropical title that is not that unusual for a Beach Boy. But of course, he'll deliver music here that is different from the famous band's music. And the result is just a bunch of forgettable rock and ballads. It's such a boring album. Dennis Wilson himself panned this album for "having no substance". And... it DOES have substance -- a product of his personal stuggles for the past seven years -- but it still sucks. The more I listen to moody rock music, the more I learn how I hate it. This album is clearly not for me, and I'm not sure if it should be on this list. "Dreamer" is such a slick banger, though. I wish there was more of the track's tropical energy throughout the album.

Elvis Presley

2/5

I remember enjoying Elvis Presley's songs during my explore-music-through-youtube phase. I liked almost every song from his compilation album, "Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits". My general thought about his music as a whole is that the songs usually lie somewhere between ballad and rock-'n'-roll. The closer it is to ballad, the better. I know he's the King of Rock-'n'-roll, but his voice sounds like a wood being sawed when he's singing rock songs. Sorry. When I received his self-titled debut, I expected to hear at least one of the tracks from "Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits", perhaps at least "Heartbreak Hotel", one of my favorite Elvis songs. But there is none, because to quote Wikipedia: "In the 1950s, general practice dictated tracks having greater commercial potential to be released as singles, with tracks of lesser appeal placed on albums." And that's probably why this album is such a letdown personally. It felt dull, especially when compared to his other songs. And weirdly, I enjoyed the rockabilly songs more than the ballad ones. Not even the fan beloved "Blue Moon" impressed me. But perhaps it's because the songs here have the minimal production that is observed in "Heartbreak Hotel". But I guess this album is still important for bringing rock-'n'-roll into the mainstream. He covered those rock-'n'-roll songs from people of color so kids who listen to it don't have to lie to their parents that they're listening to a white singer. Perhaps he's definitely the King of Rock-'n'-roll for bringing the genre into the forefront of the music scene. Whether these covers are great is probably a matter of debate. I'm particularly familiar with Little Richard's bluesy banger, "Tutti Frutti". And Presley's cover of it is surprisingly dull, lacking the energy of the original. Overall, influential but not that great.

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

4/5

Days since I heard music that is so fun and full of life: 0

Rio

Duran Duran

4/5

A cup of kickass riffs. 500 grams of irresistible grooves. 10 slices of hooks that are either terrible or doesn't age well. A can of dull, whiny vocals. And finally, a desired amount of layers of deliciously interesting production instrumentals. Mix everything careful until it's thick enough for future molds to sneak in. And behold! A typical new-wave album! An odd yet perfectly sane mixture of delicious and repulsive.

(What's The Story) Morning Glory

Oasis

3/5

This album: *gets released* Critics: In this album, Oasis departed from the alt-rock sound of "Definitely Maybe" and made songs that are more melancholic and ballad-ish. It's not as good and original as "Definitely Maybe", it sounds generic, but it's an okay album. This album: *gets commercially successful* Critics: WOAHHH THIS IS A GIGANTIC ALBUM THAT MADE OASIS SUCH A WORDLWIDE ACT! BEST BRITISH ALBUM BEST '90S ALBUM BEST ALT-ROCK ALBUM BEST BRITPOP ALBUM BEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME! A MUST-LISTEN BEFORE YOU DIE!!!

The Specials

2/5

Well, of course, mixing reggae with other genres is already popular at more than forty years ago. I don't know about other countries (but I remember Magic's reggae fusion banger in 2014, "Rude"), but reggae plus x music is still a fairly big thing today here in my country especially among young people. Unsurprisingly, reggae hip-hop is the most popular. Those songs are pretty decent, but the older local reggae folk songs (yes, folk, my least favorite genre) are my favorites. And this? This... sucks. Why would they combine the feel-good energy of reggae and the angsty power of punk? This album is such a mess. Which is a shame as I'm interested in the riffs and beats of some of the songs. Is this what ska is all about? I'm not sure. But it makes sense, I guess. Punk is a big genre during the '70s, so it's no surprise this album got so popular, especially among the British youth.

Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

3/5

I don't want to focus too much on the fact that this is another attempt by a bunch of white people to do blues music, but as I listen on this seemingly soulless version of blues (a quality that I also observed in Elvis Presley's self-titled cover album), I think I might want to change my mind. But ultimately, I just listened to it. It still has the immediate catchy-ness of blues songs. It's an ok album overall, not that offensive. I guess Eric Clapton's guitar works had a huge impact in this album as a whole. I enjoyed his riffs and solos. I guess I know now why he is one of those big names when it comes to guitarists. Again, an ok album. Not coming back to it, but maybe I'll give myself a spin of the first two tracks (my personal highlights) sometimes. Both "All Your Love" and "Hideaway" are covers though, but Clapton's guitar works here are awesome.

Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen

4/5

Bruce Springsteen. The steorotypical American rockstar. I haven't heard of his music before, partly because yes I'm living under a rock, but mostly because I wasn't "Born in the USA". "Born in the USA", apparently his masterpiece, is a perfect introduction to this kind of music. It hit all of my expectations with such music. But what surprised me is how well it delivered those generic rock sounds. Also, the Pearl Jam-ish energy of it made me think for a moment that it's released in the '90s, but as I listened closer, I heard the synths and other pop elements present in the '80s. Does that mean that this album is ahead of it's time? Perhaps. But whatever, kudos for not letting the music be engulfed by those '80s synthpop sounds. And kudos for using such an uplifting and melancholic flavor of rock despite the criticizing nature of the lyrics. I'm not surprised that many misinterpreted the title track as a totally patriotic song.

A Seat at the Table

Solange

4/5

R&B was such a big genre in the 2000's with acts such as Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Rihanna, Usher, and of course Destiny's Child dominating the music scene. But as the 2010's began, EDM stormed the scene and swayed some R&B artists away. But of course, a genre doesn't just die, it evolves no matter the circumstances. And sure enough, a different form of R&B emerged. Because aside from EDM, another separate element is currently storming the scene: minimalism. These are just my observations though, and it's certainly evident in the 2016 R&B album, "A Seat at the Table" by Solange, the younger sister of pop star and former member of Destiny's Child Beyoncé. Just like most R&B songs, it tackles themes such as anger, injustice, violence, alcoholism, etc. but it sounds chill, too chill even. Like... sitting at a seat on the table. Perhaps that is what this is all about: "let's sit at a table together and talk about some issues" instead of "I'M GONNA SCREAM ALL OF THE INJUSTICES AT THE TOP OF MY LUNGS BECAUSE I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHOSE VOICES ARE SUBDUED!". Also notable is its minimalist yet slick and passionate sound. Solange's voice is so beautiful and the production and instrumentals are all fascinating. These elements saved the album from being an elevator music-like mess like Thundercat's "Drunk". But still, it's hard to stay engaged with such music. I find the latter half boring, but perhaps because I've been sitting on that seat at the table for too long at that point. But at least, it ENGAGED me. And it impressed me as well.

Country Life

Roxy Music

3/5

What best represents this highly fascinating, sometimes enjoyable yet rarely catchy sound of this unconventional species of art-rock? A couple of boobies, of course.

Dig Me Out

Sleater-Kinney

3/5

Hey, what are you listening to? Feminist punk, I guess. Whoa? How does that sound? Uhm... punk.

Red Headed Stranger

Willie Nelson

3/5

A country concept album about an outlaw who murdered his wife and her lover. Nice. I am not a big fan of minimal instrumentals and stripped down productions. But this isn't bad. The sound is perfect for the sentimental nature of the album. And I love the instrumentals and the vocals, as well as the way they are so balanced. Definitely coming back to this. Maybe I'll like it even more.

BEYONCÉ

Beyoncé

4/5

Not long after listening to Solange's R&B album "A Seat at the Table", I got her older sister's self-titled album. It's tempting to compare the two, one minimalist fused R&B and the other electronica fused R&B. But nobody wants to be compared to their sibling, so I guess won't. Beyoncé's surprise album is a surprise indeed. Mostly because this isn't what I personally expect from someone who gave us "Single Ladies", "Halo", and "Listen", among others. This is a so-called "alternative R&B" album. The sounds and the productions are so jaw dropping-ly gorgeous. It perfectly captured the personal, the sexual, and the feminist aspects of this album. I love how the electronic and synth elements are utilized. However, the album seems to have an unconventional structure. It's not bad, but because of this, there are minimal hooks in this album. After a while, it losses its steam, and it becomes somewhat monotonous. Still, it was a hella good listen. I'll definitely come back to this, perhaps I'll even watch the visual part of the album to maximize the experience.

Hot Buttered Soul

Isaac Hayes

4/5

Definitely a hot and buttered. A deliciously funky psychedelic soul. Issac Hayes, the one who made the famous "Shaft" soundtrack. But this is something else. It's much better than the mentioned album. I love the long and smooth instrumentals. The length and the psychedelic nature of this album feels a bit too much however. But who wouldn't love a big steamy buttery treat like this for breakfast?

Synchronicity

The Police

3/5

Just remove the experimental rock-ish side 1 and this album could be one of the of the most decent and slick new-wave EP's of the '80s.

In Rainbows

Radiohead

5/5

There are albums that are personally catchy yet shallow. There are albums that are profound but personally boring. There are albums that are both meaningful and groovy. And of course, there are albums that just don't care about concrete meanings or hooks but will give you an out-of-body experience to the fifth dimension of the universe, or something like that. ...guess which one is my fave.

Paul Simon

4/5

Was pleasantly surprised. I don't know Simon and Garfunkel, and I'm not a big fan of folk and singer/songwriter, but this is the best folk album that I have ever heard so far. I love the reggae, rock, and other elements blended with folk in this album. I like his voice, and that's probably one of Simon and Garfunkel's defining assets. I also enjoyed the guitars and the other instrumentals. I'm now excited to hear a Simon and Garfunkel album. I'm pretty sure that I'll enjoy it. I wonder how different the duo's sound were, and how much did Simon explore. Anyway, I just learned today that I can actually enjoy a freaking folk album. That's one of the beauties of this project.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen

3/5

"Darkness on the Edge of Town" brought to you by '70s Springsteen. Country-ish hard rock springkled with flashy riffs and sax solos. And what's the difference between '70s Springsteen and '80s Springsteen? Or in particular this album and "Born in the USA"? I don't know, tbh. The sounds are pretty similar. Yet for some reason, I enjoyed "Born in the USA" more. Of course it's too early to judge Springsteen's music as a whole. But I think his music is the best in small doses. I received his USA album not so long ago, and that's probably why i find this album a bit tiresome.

L.A. Woman

The Doors

3/5

I don't really get The Doors. The slow and thick psychedelic sounds don't impress me a lot. But I knew and liked some of their bluesy hits - most notably "People are Strange" and one of the singles from this album, "Love Her Madly." This album is described as the band's "most blusey," so I think it'll be good. Aaaand... it's not that bad. It has two distinguishable sides, the LA Woman side and the Riders on the Storm side. The LA Woman side is bluesy. I like the first three tracks. And the last track, the title track, is pretty okay but the lengthy build-up bored me. The Riders on the Storm side is pretty interesting. It's a much trippier than the previous half. And while it has the slick psychedelic sound that I disliked, its interesting at some parts. The iconic closer is chill and trippy, and I guess that's why a lot of people love the band. But personally, it's pretty boring. Overall, pretty good and interesting. Btw, was that really Jim Morrison? His voice here is much rougher than I remember.

Marquee Moon

Television

4/5

It's been a while since I had fun with a television. And it's been a while since I heard a great guitar driven rock, let alone a good punk album. A pleasant surprise.

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire

3/5

NOSTALGIA Inspired by their upbringing in a suburb of Houston, Texas. Nostalgia. Did it worked on me? Yes, because I also have my own experiences of living in a suburban area. Some elements of '80s synthpop and '90s alt-rock all mixed with the notably soft and indie rock sound. Nostalgia. I think this IS what nostalgia sounds like. Bittersweet, but it's just a sugar coating that covers the fact that it was just a mundane experience in a freaking suburb. This album nailed that character of nostalgia. It's boring, but the sounds and the instrumental build-ups create this sweet nostalgia flavor. Album cover of a generic photo of a suburban scene. Edited so it looks like faded and unreal, yet familiar at the same time. Nostalgia. Perfect album cover, it tells us that nostalgia lies. And perhaps that's why it sounds and feels so sweet. Overall, it's basically a nostalgia album. It worked on me most of the time, because again, I have my own suburban experiences. But I think other people who never lived in a suburban area, or even anyone who observed the sound closely, will see this album's sound naked: a boring indie rock sound.

Me Against The World

2Pac

3/5

Slick and R&B-ish productions, highly masculine rap delivery, chorus composed of a single phrase followed by a hook, over an hour long... This is the most stereotypically '90s rap album that I have heard so far. Not that surprising, considering the fact that 2pac is one of the most popular figures of the genre. And it's not that bad either, just predictable and loooong. The theme of this album is apparently 2pac's reflection on his bad experiences, which is better than the usual look-I-am-rich-I-am-misogynist theme of gangsta rap. Overall, not bad, just forgettable.

Dusty In Memphis

Dusty Springfield

4/5

A '60s pop album with orchestra instrumentals and classic soul-ish vocals. Definitely dusty. But not without pleasant surprises. I enjoyed this thirty minute jam, despite the 60 year old dusts. While it isn't the finest wine around, it still aged like one.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple

4/5

Fetch the Bolt Cutters. Apparently, it refers to freeing oneself from oppression. And I think that it's also a statement for us listeners to try something that us outside our comfy zones. And that's how an industrial rock percussion driven pop album is made... just a couple of years ago. Tbh, however, it's not something that I would listen to casually. It's an experimental album, and it's the best experimental album that I have ever heard so far. I love how it is lo-fi (a so-called "bedroom pop" which basically means that it's recorded inside their home) yet it sounds sophisticated. It's chaotic, it's cathartic, and as the hype-induced critics put it: it's human. Overall, it's enjoyable. Love the chaotic mess of angst, humor, and heartbreak. Perhaps I'll enjoy it a lot if I were a teenager. Is it wrong if I assumed that this album, like any pop album, is made for teenagers? Perhaps.

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

5/5

Weird. Messy. And most importantly, mind-blowing. These experiences are why I signed up for this project. This is a unique, unusual, and beautiful discovery for me. It's not easy to describe its sound, but I think the cover art tells a lot about it. Two seemingly hipster men on a beach, which is painted in a vibrant scheme of blue and purple. That perfectly sums up the album. It's hipster-ish, as some less enthusiastic people put it, yet it's oddly moving. It was like walking along a surreal beach built by those synth (?) riffs. It was like musical psychedelic trip, with a nice uplifting build-up. What happened to this type of music when artists like LANY and The Chainsmokers brought it to the mainstream in early 2010's? Whatever, I'm still glad that I discovered this gem. It might not be one of the best pop albums of the recent times, but it sure is the most mood elevating album that I have ever heard so far.

Illmatic

Nas

4/5

This is a lyrics-focused album. The beats and the samples are minimal, making the listeners focus on the lyrics, on what the album is narrating. Which is apparently his life in the rough areas of New York City. I love everything about this, the sampling, the vulnerable and not the usual machismo-driven lyrics, and the overall solid length of 30+ minutes. Definitely a classic.

Nowhere

Ride

4/5

Somewhere between the mountainous figures that are grunge, punk, and electronica, a delicate subgenre lies: shoegaze. And what exactly is it, gazing at a shoe until you hallucinate? Something like that. Do valleys have summits? It's weird to call "Nowhere" the summit of this curious valley, but it is. Wooshy guitars, dreamy vocals, trance-y drums... it's a perfect background music, but it can be more than that. This album is the best representation of the genre. A ride across nowhere, but a ride nonetheless. PS. Just listen to the original first 8 tracks. The bonus tracks dragged the album A LOT, and those tracks are the reasons why I disliked this album at the first listen.

Caetano Veloso

2/5

Brazil the "tropical paradise", revolutionized by the "tropicália" movement. Combining the traditional and the popular, as well as the foreign and the local, the mentioned movement changed the culture and even the politics of Brazil. One person deserves respect for igniting such movement: Caetano Veloso. Did his self-titled album captured at least the beginning of this movement? Perhaps. But I don't get it. Chill vibes, psychedelic bossa nova, decent voice... it didn't clicked with me. Maybe a couple of lessons in Portuguese and Brazilian history might help. Still, I appreciate it. I didn't enjoy it, but I respect it

Blood And Chocolate

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

Napoleon Dynamite, isn't it? Nope, it's just Elvis No. 2, and just like Elvis No. 1, he apparently makes bland, uninspired albums (despite the fact that he is playing at a freaking stage volume inside a room big enough for an orchestra). But this one specifically does have a few hits, most notably "I Want You". Thank god Elvis No. 2 lives during the times where great singles are also included in albums, unlike Elvis No. 1. Oh! And the two Elvises have a pretty different, albeit generic, sound. This one is pretty grunge-like. I wonder if his voice is great in ballads. Like Elvis No. 1, his voice is annoying when he's singing rock.

Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Aphex Twin

3/5

The background music of the old mobile game "Smash Hit", where you destroy triangle shaped crystals with metal balls. That bland music that is played in a seminar venue when the seminar has not yet started. A background music for exhibition arts, or a smartphone screensaver. You know, the type of show that only consists of lines and shapes. Elevator music but for airports. This is apparently ambient techno. IDM (EDM but with I for "intelligent", perhaps because it makes you feel smarter, or whatever. Fun Fact: Aphex Twin himself hates that term). It's a decent background music when working or doing homeworks. That's what this 70 minute whopper is. An interesting background music. Nothing more, nothing less.

Phrenology

The Roots

3/5

Get the generic '90s gangsta rap. Then replace the background sounds with jazz and soul. Tell them (ANGRILY!) that you will ROCK them. Add a punk interlude. And let it build-up. In the middle, bangers and nice instrumentals will spawn. "Thought @ Work", "The Seed (2.0)", "Break You Off", and the ridiculously long "Water". At this point, you just ROCKED them. Nice. After it, you can go back to the generic gangsta rap with soul background. But this time sprinkle some more soul on top. Congrats. You just created 70 minutes worth of a so-called"progressive rap" album.

Femi Kuti

3/5

I took a deep breath and I can smell the earthly scent of this beautiful continent. Afrobeat is a nice upbeat genre that conjures images of festivals. This album nailed that festive energy. Most of the songs are a bit overlong and I'm not a big fan of those vocals. But still, I enjoyed the overall vibes of this one. Definitely deserves spot in that thousand and one sized list.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

Eurythmics

3/5

A weird and boring electronica fiddling with interesting synth riffs, a decent opening, and a kickass title track.

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

2/5

A double album that is described as "experimental", Rolling Stone Magazine compared it to the Beatles's "White Album". Not only that, this album is very messy, mostly due to the band's own internal conflicts. The result? A long, boring double album that is definitely not Rumours 2. Congrats Buckingham, you did it. Among the sparse mess of this overall unimpressive album, I find Stevie Nicks's songs great. Kudos for carrying this 70 minute whopper of an album, Nicks. Love your voice.

Sound of Silver

LCD Soundsystem

2/5

Alternative dance in 2007? Well that idea conjures a series of nostalgic scenes. We all know that there's a dance electronic band that ruled the 2000's. That's right, I'm talking about The Black Eyed Peas. Wait, what? LCD Soundsystem? Who are they? Oh, The White Stripes trying to make electronic music? That's interesting. So... people used to DANCE to this? Lmao. I think they could make a kickass punk album, but of course, it was already 2007 and they had to touch at least one music trend at the time such as EDM. They did it horribly, btw, or maybe I'm just biased against the personally boring EDM music.

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

While the return of RHCP's impressive guitarist definitely influenced their turning point album, "Californication", I think the irresistible groove and kicks of it should be credited more on the amazing and now one of my favorite bass player, Flea. And of course, I am expecting the single that boasts that infamous video game themed music video. It's as good as I remember (although "Otherside" is personally better). Aside from being a nice title track, the song "Californication" is also the last great song in the entire album. I could consider the closer "Road Trippin'" decent, but anything between it and the title track is personally monotonous and uninteresting. That is disappointing because as I listen to the first five tracks, I thought that I'll have another five star album. Still, I love the unique funky flavor of it. I get the hype around these guys. But if I would listen to it again, I would stop right after the title track.

Entertainment

Gang Of Four

2/5

One of the many punk albums that has interesting riffs and a highly monotonous and ugly sound. Of course, that's the point of punk ,or post-punk, or whatever subgenre of punk /post-punk is this. Thats closing track though.

Untitled (Black Is)

SAULT

3/5

Peak 2020, I guess? Not necessarily for everyone, but for black Americans. So, how did SAULT delivered the rage, the pride, the sorrow, the frustration, and the joy of the black experience in the USA? Particularly in 2020, when the infamous murder of George Floyd sparked protests and even riots across the globe? Boring, monotonous electronica beats, of course! Sprinkle in some little speeches that sounds like ads for a beauty soap bar to reinforce the message. I mean, I respect it. It has great beats, and a (hopefully) genuine cause. But it gets boring very quickly. It felt bland and emotionless, but I guess it's minimal emotions mirror the experience of many common black people in the USA. It's decent, genre bending too I guess, bit it's not as revolutionary as for example, Kendrick's "To Pimp a Butterfly", released four years before this, and maybe Beyonce's self-titled too, released even earlier. In 2020? Imo, it can be overshadowed by Run the Jewel's surprise album, "RTJ4". Still, I enjoyed listening to this, but it made me want to revisit the intoxicating frustrated energy of the mentioned albums - which are about the American black experience too.

Licensed To Ill

Beastie Boys

4/5

The solid force of metal. The raw energy of punk. The fiery vigor of hard rock. And the angsty fuel of hip-hop. All combined in one punch.

Kenya

Machito

2/5

Did I, a non-music major who knows zero things about music theory and jazz, let alone the difference between Latin jazz, African jazz, and American jazz, appreciate Machito's landmark album that brought Latin jazz into the mainstream? Yes, I guess. And did I, a man who claims that he listens and enjoys "every genre" and is currently participating in the fun journey that is listening 1000+ albums to discover more new music, enjoyed this? I'm gonna be honest: no.

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

3/5

Reminds me of those times when we used to play the FM radio with a keypad phone every night before sleeping. It usually requires a headset jack to function as an antenna, but that particular phone has a built-in antenna. We would play the radio every night, because not aside from a built-in antenna, that phone also has a beast of a speaker. Our favorite radio channel mostly plays '80s songs, some of them are familiar, some are not. That's what this album feels like. An '80s radio channel. Overall, it has a great sound. But just like any double album that tries to explore as much sound as possible, this album is only enjoyable if one is in a mood for a musical adventure, or an occasionally familiar background music.

Life's Too Good

The Sugarcubes

4/5

I never thought that Björk was actually a member of a band, let alone a post-punk band! Ans she's on fire here, carrying an incredible vocal energy while staying in the post-punk territory. The instrumentals, while generic at some places, are great too. Love the drum beats on some tracks. Overall, with such volcanic vocals and cool instrumentals, this slightly exotic album is equivalent to a little walk in one of my favorite countries.

A Northern Soul

The Verve

3/5

Shoegaze-ic Oasis. Love the psychedelic bits in some otherwise generic tracks, and I also enjoyed the surprisingly moving "History".

Birth Of The Cool

Miles Davis

2/5

The "Birth of Cool". It's cool jazz, which is still jazz, the only music genre with double 'z', because it can make you go zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

If I Could Only Remember My Name

David Crosby

3/5

Apparently, there are so much contributors in this album that David Crosby forgot his own name (what a terrible album name, even for a '70s album). So he looked up in the sky as the sunset paints it red, and at last... he now has a perfect album cover for his new album! (also a terrible album cover, it's hilariously corny). But despite the bad album name and cover (and also the personally bad vocals), it's actually a decent album that many elements (most of which are psychedelic licks) that tries to distance the sound from the stereotypical country music sounds. I enjoyed the psychedelic efforts in the first half, most notably the eight minute "Cowboy Movie". The second half is mostly chill and moody, a series of efforts that became boring from "Song with No Words" onwards. Overall, it's an easy listen. It has a few surprises (though I think it might be due to me underestimating it based on its name and cover).

Songs From The Big Chair

Tears For Fears

4/5

I find the '80s synthpop sounds boring, I also find slow pop-jazz boring, But the struggle between the two in "Songs from a Big Chair"? Surprisingly enjoyable. PS. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" sounds familiar. It's popular, but it's not that great. PPS. Slow pop-jazz won. Hence the boring latter half. Not that it'll be better if the synthpop elements engulfed it anyway.

That's The Way Of The World

Earth, Wind & Fire

4/5

If "September" make one dance in September, then this album makes one dance in the other 11 months. While I'm curious, I don't really care now why there is no "Water" in their name. It doesn't change the fact that these guys craft some of the most irresistible grooves, especially in this classic feel-good energy infused funk-soul album.

Shaka Zulu

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

3/5

Just a beautiful, calm acapella. I've got nothing more to say besides that, tbh. I wish I know the best mood listen to this again, perhaps a nice vacation morning or something.

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

4/5

So, he "changed his name to Elvis after Elvis Presley and adjusted his image to match the then-rising punk rock movement." This Wikipedia sentence tells pretty much everything about this album. So he IS Elvis no. 2, and his debut album is much better than the mess made as Napoleon Dynamite. Like Elvis no. 1, it's consistently dull yet for some reason irresistibly catchy. It's like a cheap candy. Enjoyable, but not remarkable or anything. I could say that if his "aim" is to make a punk version of Elvis Presley, then he hit it. His aim was definitely true, whatever that means.

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

2/5

A probable link between '90s grunge and '80s new wave. Apart from the sweet guitar riffs and some decent alt-rockish hooks (which are only in the first half, btw), this album is neither interesting nor enjoyable as a whole.

Chris

Christine and the Queens

3/5

This is French singer Héloïse Letissier, with a stage name of... Christine and the Queens? At first I thought it was a band, but it isn't, Christine and the Queens is a single person. Weird. So in her second album, Héloïse Letissier aka Christine and the Queens reportedly cut her hair, stood up, you know like a typical woman-gone-badass movie trope, and said "just call me Chris". Aaaand... I don't think synthpop is the best medium to deliver some messages in 2018. It sounds like somewhere between '80s synthpop and the minimalist R&B of the '10s. It has some great moments, but overall, it's pretty boring and monotonous. I guess the music scene in France is a bit different, of course it's different. Still, it's a pretty nice and accessible effort by her to spread awareness and share her journey as an LGBTQ+ member.

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

4/5

A product of Fleetwood Mac's internal turmoils, "Rumours" is hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time. It's in the top 3 of this generator's global stats, and it apparently contains some of the radio staples in the Western world. This is my second time listening to this. My first time was a long time ago, I remember enjoying the trip as a whole, especially "Dreams", which is perhaps the greatest pop-rock song that I have ever heard. None of these are an overplayed radio track in my country, where every radio station is obsessed with '80s ballads. So listening to it now, it's fairly fresh to my ears. It's not as mind-blowing as some put it, at least for me. It's just an incredibly easy listen, one that would make your feet tap and head bob along the melodies. And it has some interesting instrumental outbursts too, the buildup in "Chain" being a notable example. It's pretty cool how this band, having two couples, were able to translate their conflicts into great music, let alone a pop classic. Truly a masterpiece, not something that I would adore, but it's something that I definitely respect.

Live Through This

Hole

5/5

Another proof that a little bit of melody can turn the angsty punk into an alt-rock beast. Released a week after Cobain's death and carrying a considerable amount of suicide references, I'm not surprised that this album created a buzz during that time. But whatever happened between Love and Cobain, these few things are clear: Courtney Love is a kickass singer, and this album can definitely compete in her husband's musical field. One of the best punk albums I have ever heard. "Feminist" punk that actually works.

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

5/5

Finally! Some Beatles! It was of course a fun listen. And... er... rating it is pretty tricky. The thing is, "A Hard Day's Night" was one of my least favorite albums by the band. Yes, least favorite. And yes, "was". Although "And I Love Her" is the very first Beatles song that I love, as well as the reason why teenager me dived deeper into their discography despite the geo-blocks on YouTube during those times. Listening to it again, it's much better than I remember. Considering the fresh sounding tracks with infectious melodies and simple structure, it's not hard to see why these boys set the music scene on fire during their time. "A Hard Day's Night", their first all-original album, written while constantly touring and making non-music projects, is probably the epitome of their early works, their early musical force at full power. Their early works are pretty tricky to rate. But regardless of how I approach this, it doesn't change the fact that early Beatles albums have this kind of raw, infectious energy that I love. Those albums, including this one, have a few minutes of fillers and are not as mind-blowing as their later works, but I will keep on coming back to them to just sit back and enjoy some music. And because of that, I guess this album deserves a five star. Two classics and two five stars in three days, what a nice week!

Slipknot

4/5

A vocalist whose main objective is to destroy his throat. A drummer who probably wished he has four arms. And of course, everyone is very angry about everything. This album is basically one satan reference away from being the most stereotypically metal metal album. But it does rock. Those speedy drum fills, heavy riffs, and mad vocals hype me up. It's so energizing. I don't hate the world, but I gotta admit that this is a perfect work-out album. Another heavy metal album that I actually enjoy.

Dig Your Own Hole

The Chemical Brothers

5/5

Wow, this is next level electronic music! I enjoyed every second of it, despite the ridiculous loudness (loudness war?) of it. I love the beats and the hooks (is that "Tomorrow Never Knows"? they even nailed the guitar wails in it) and how the album as a whole doesn't sound like a mobile game that involves polygons. I never knew electronica could be this good. What an experience. Another highlight in this 1000+ day project.

The Boatman's Call

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

TIL folk albums are (personally) more enjoyable as background music. I enjoyed this 52 minute set of moody songs. I guess it's so calming after listening to heavy metal and rave music in the past two days. I love the great voice, and the generic piano thingy. Another entry in the short (2 entries long, to be exact) list of folk (?) albums that I actually enjoyed.

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Arctic Monkeys

3/5

A profile picture of a man smoking, in a dark monochrome. A caption that goes like "whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not". Yep. This is definitely a Facebook profile of a millennial trying to be "edgy". And weirdly, this association sums up the album.

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

Ice Cube

3/5

"Mediocre beats will work if they're loud enough." -the golden rule of gangsta rap, probably

LP1

FKA twigs

2/5

Mouth-wateringly interesting multi-layered productions with R&B vocals. Not that enjoyable as a whole, it sounds messy, formless, and repetitive. It made me want to listen again to Taylor Swift's "reputation", not because it's a good album, but because it's one of the albums in this domain that I actually enjoyed once, ahhh good ol' 2010's. Overall, it basically sounds like a hifi version of vaporware.

Stankonia

OutKast

4/5

Fresh. Futuristic. Aware. These guys crafted such a timeless rap classic as the new millenium arrived. In terms of tracks, the funkier/softer ones are among the best rap songs I have ever heard. Those beats are on a different level. The skits and the rock-ish tracks are skippable, imo. However, the album as a whole is a pretty solid 70+ minute epic. Apparently, the duo tried to be more melodic, explored new musical influences, and worked with new producers to capture the colors of their times. Geez, the 2000's feels like a mirage now. Overall, while it's not something that I would listen from start to finish, it's definitely a solid modern classic.

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

3/5

Swamp rock, isn't it? It's fun as a listen, it's full of jams and grooves. I can see why many love this band. It explores blues, rock, and country. And the bluesy tracks are the best imo.

Out of Step

Minor Threat

2/5

Okay I get it. You put your ears in a blender and you power it with angst and rage for around twenty minutes. I get it. But that doesn't mean that I enjoy it. Still, it's remarkably better than the Circle Jerks album that I got a while ago. And that closing track is a beast!

Another Music In A Different Kitchen

Buzzcocks

2/5

Annoying voice. Repetitive melodies. And generic instrumentals (not without some interesting bits, however). It has everything I hate about punk.

Like A Prayer

Madonna

1/5

I never took Madonna's music seriously. And after listening to this album... I still don't take her music seriously.

Eliminator

ZZ Top

3/5

Not a big fan of cars, but I guess that shiny red eliminator is pretty fascinating. That's how I felt throughout the entire album. It's an interesting and fun take on blues rock in the '80s domain. The singles are great, but it has a considerable amount of fillers. Synthesizers and drum machines are so good at turning music into noise that the entire second half became boring. Still a fun album, but perhaps just outdated.

Actually

Pet Shop Boys

4/5

Holy cow, this is TOO GOOD for a synthpop album! What a fun gem!

Here's Little Richard

Little Richard

3/5

How to Make a Dozen Songs Using the Same Three Tunes. by the great powerhouse of a rock-'n'-roll singer, Little Richard. (Includes "Tutti Frutti"!)

1989

Taylor Swift

5/5

Why would I give this a 5? Modern pop music sucks, right? Taylor Swift sucks too, right? So what if those modern-twisted '80s inspired hooks are catchy? Most of the tracks so overplayed listening to it again hurts right? And the moving atmospheric tracks such as "Out of the Woods" and "Wildest Dreams"? Erm... Not that good right? I mean Taylor is probably not the first one who did that. Oh, and the second half are pretty boring already, huh? So what if those soft tracks are so goood? It ultimately drags the album... I'm only rating this album a very little bit too high because nostalgia. Yes. Those nights with my kid siblings. Watching MTV. The smell of fried potatoes. The way pasta compliments the taste of softdrinks. Father going home from work. It's only nostalgia right? This album is overrated, so I would not give this a 5.

Scream, Dracula, Scream

Rocket From The Crypt

2/5

WAAAAHAHAHGHHDHHDGGGHGH They all screamed. They danced like worms sprinkled with salt. They made a big mess in the massive mansion. But Dracula didn't scream. He just sat there, unmoved, bored as hell. Should I go out at the next sunrise and end this misery? He thought. He looked back at those men. Still hammering the floor to the same tune. It was disappointing really, they were impressive at the beginning. I miss terrorizing humans, he thought. But I must do what is best... And at that night, Dracula migrated to Hotel Transylvania.

Mermaid Avenue

Billy Bragg

3/5

Mermaid Avenue is apparently a road that connects the traditional folk rock sound and the contemporary colors of sounds brought by Bragg. The first half of it is fun. It shows how this avenue is full of colors. It's lively, yet it has a fair share of gloom. But Mermaid Avenue is just like any other avenue. Mostly uninteresting. But I guess seeing the way those traditional and contemporary sounds travel along the road is enough reason for some to include this in their must-visit-before-I-die list.

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

4/5

I always knew that the day will come. Out of 1000+ albums, why wouldn't I encounter at least 1 folk album that I'll genuinely enjoy? This album, with its jazz infused upbeat folk, by a nice voice and a good set of accompaniments, is one of the first folk albums that I actually enjoy. Kudos! Unfortunately, most of the songs felt overlong. Because of that, it has some boring moments. And apparently, those are enough to make me hold back those sweet fives. Anyway, I look forward for more of Nick Drake. Him and S&G are some folk artists that I enjoyed discovering.

Raw Like Sushi

Neneh Cherry

3/5

As the outstanding "Buffalo Stance" plays, I was impressed. I was like, woahh no wonder rap replaced '80s pop! - hiphop goes well with synthy drums! And next tracks kept the flame, they're enjoyable too, albeit not as good as the opener. This album is basically a better version of Madonna. Definitely '80s, but tolerable. Then we got to "The Next Generation". I mean yeah, next generation, the future of the nation. It's a genuine message, but the way it was delivered sounded like it's a parody rap. Personally, not something one would take seriously. Then it's alllll downhill from there.

Ctrl

SZA

4/5

Synth drums: check R&B elements: check Multilayered productions: check Sexually explicit lyrics: check Big names as guests: check A TikTok single: check A stereotypical "modern music" album. But whether or not you agree that "modern music bad", this particular work is surprisingly well done.

Home Is Where The Music Is

Hugh Masekela

2/5

The first two songs are perhaps the most enjoyable jazz that I have ever heard. The rest are instrumental fiddling that I wouldn't even want to play as background music. In other words, if "JA" represents the moments where I enjoyed it and "ZZ" represents the moments where... not so much, this album is: JAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Garbage

2/5

Very woooooshy. Tracks "Queer" and "Only Happy When It Rains" are pretty nice, but even those are soft hits. Not so long later, I will remember 0 things about this album, or maybe just one: the name.

Repeater

Fugazi

3/5

Early '90s rock is such an interesting mess. The entire thing felt like a hit and miss. This album's opener, "Turnover", and closer, "Shut the Door" are absolute hits. The rest are pretty okay, I guess. The album as a whole has the rage and grittiness of punk, but it is damped by the wooshy noise of noise rock. That's post-hardcore I guess. Fascinating stuff.

Peggy Suicide

Julian Cope

2/5

This entire thing sounds like a fever dream, in a bad way. Still, the brilliance of "Hanging Out & Hung Up on the Line", "Safesurfer", and "If You Loved Me at All" saved this 70 minute whopper from a 1 star.

The Clash

3/5

In the alternate universe where I actually like punk, I probably gave this a 5. The gritty attitude, the dirty riffs, the vocals, and the overall sound of this one are peak punk. Not to mention those delicious bass lines. I can definitely see why this is considered a masterpiece in the genre. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of punk. I felt that most songs are same-y. Still, this album slaps.

Bone Machine

Tom Waits

2/5

The music: 🪨🦴🐵 The atmosphere: ☠🌑🗻 The lyrics: ⭐🌟✨ The album as a whole: 😲😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😐😲😴😲😴😲😴😴 What a ride.

If I Should Fall From Grace With God

The Pogues

5/5

🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧 🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧

Celebrity Skin

Hole

4/5

I have a hypothesis as of now: Every band that releases "hardcore" or "heavy" songs will always eventually release "softer" and more melodic songs. Either it will work or not. In Hole's case, they did a pretty decent job in fully embracing the alt-rock sound in their final 90's album, "Celebrity Skin". I can hear the female led alt-rock bands in the 2000's in this album. It's okay, but not as good as their punk-ish "Live Through This".

Nighthawks At The Diner

Tom Waits

2/5

Tom Waits? Aren't you the same guy who made the oonga boonga music in "Bone Machine"? Wow. While he vividly simulates 10000 B.C. or whatever in "Bone Machine", he also succeed in doing the same with pubs and jazz clubs in this album. It's tempting to say "Hey! Why don't you just make real music? Look at your voice in the chorus of 'Better Off Without a Wife', it's pretty good." But I guess it will be a generic and an equally boring effort. Both "Bone Machine" and "Nighthawks at the Diner" are interesting yet boring. Not to mention looooooooong. But I enjoyed "Bone Machine" more, mainly because it has fun singles, while "Nighthawks" is basically 70 minutes of spoken poetry/story over a jazz track.

Inspiration Information

Shuggie Otis

2/5

Once upon a time, a man used a drum machine for his soul album and pretty much everyone was hyped about it

Kenza

Khaled

4/5

Surprisingly neat bangers. Feels a bit dull on some places especially towards the end but still an ear-refreshing treat.

The College Dropout

Kanye West

4/5

Love me some nightcore rap

Coat Of Many Colors

Dolly Parton

3/5

Sentimental yet down to earth. The most easy-listen type of country music. Pretty chill.

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Richard Thompson

3/5

I enjoyed the first half a lot. Folksy tunes with some upbeat elements (which are apparently shanty elements). The second half is the usual slow folk that is so boring I decided to just give this a 3 instead of a 4. Still, it's another one of the few folk albums that I actually enjoy.

If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle & Sebastian

2/5

It's like a stock photo. I might agree that it's well-done, great even. But I'll forget about it after an hour.

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits

3/5

Like "Bone Machine", but better. My third Tom Waits album in a span of like two weeks? An interesting guy. This is his best that I've heard so far, and I think a little more exploration in his discography (particularly the '80s part) might get me into his sound. Apparently, this is the second part of a trilogy. But as of now, I have to dust off the sands in my ears first.

Spiderland

Slint

5/5

Post-punk, post-rock, post-hardcore, shoegaze... they might be different, but it feels like they lie next to each other together in one messy spiderweb-y mass. I've never been a fan of these kinds of music, they often feel like something beyond boredom. The void lack of attention so solid it gives me a headache. But this one, this one blew my mind. With just six songs and a runtime of barely 40 minutes (in contrast to the 70 minute epic, "Peggy Suicide" for example), it managed to create a sensation of being trapped in a gigantic cave. It has the woosh and the otherworldly licks that seems to stretch through time, but without sounding like a tv static. I also love how they used dynamics (loud/soft parts) to paint their greyscale sound. In short, it's not boring, it's awesome. Perhaps I liked it because it's more basic than it's peers, but nonetheless, it's a rare gem of post-something music.

Blue

Joni Mitchell

2/5

The lyrics is probably a poetic masterpiece but why would I care? It sounds boring as heck.

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

3/5

With an album cover like that, I expected it to be a grandiose or at least an adventurous folk album. But it's not. It's a sparsely produced folk album with only a guitar and (great) vocals that runs for less than 30 minutes. And while I wasn't really drawn that much with this minimalist approach (the fact that I'm not a fan of folk compounded this), I can definitely say that it has depth. It's dark, melancholic, and just sad especially when you know the background. I don't mind revisiting this one, but as of now, it's safe to say that I find the experience a decent one.

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest

4/5

"We've got the jazz. We've got the jazz. We've got the jazz..." They proudly chanted this in the intro of "Jazz (We've Got)", one of the album's highlights and a personal favorite. And they didn't yelled it like an extroverted MC in a night club, like most rappers do, but they almost whispered it. That's what this album is. With such a laidback sound and a minimal/more subtle use of vulgar words/topics, this is a easy listen. Very easy for a hiphop album. They used the jazz elements professionally, creating a light and easy atmosphere. The rapping is fine, and the lyrics admired for it's "social awareness", whatever that means. It is no surprise that this is one of the most respected albums in hiphop. It can draw anyone, whether they like jazz or rap or something not as harsh as gangsta rap. A classic. . . . So why does it sound monotonous at some point? Well, perhaps because it appears that the tracks are centered around a variation of a single drum machine beat.

Midnight Ride

Paul Revere & The Raiders

2/5

If '60s rock is a class then this album is that one kid who nobody remembers after graduation. PS. Is it just me or are '60s singers a bit too fond on calling women "little girls"? I guess it's another '60s feature that got mixed in this generic album.

Moving Pictures

Rush

3/5

Never knew that the sound of '80s rock could be turned into a progrock journey. Rush particularly did this well in their famous "Tom Sawyer". The idea of using synths to amplify a spacey atmosphere is not that new (probably, this was 1981 after all), but I never heard anyone did it as well as Rush. "YYZ" is also a notable mention. This instrumental track reminds the listeners that they're still a progrock band, with top-tier instrumental prowess. It's rhythm is apparently inspired by the morse code of "YYZ". dah-dit-dah-dah dah-dit-dah-dah dah-dah-dit-dit. Can you hear it? The rest of the album is okay. It got some occasional WOW moments. But overall, the album sounds like a complex version of '80s mainstream rock. It's just okay. I dunno, maybe it's Lee's voice.

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

5/5

Wow. This is some Pet-Sounds-Sgt.-Pepper level psych rock! I can hear a lot of influences here from their peers. It's very '60s, might even be the most definitive '60s psychedelic rock album. I mean, just look at that cover

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

OutKast

4/5

Both discs start put strong. With bangers after bangers. Yet it losses steam after a while. In the latter half, it's pretty boring already. So, what happens when two of these get stacked in one H U G E album? It's quite an adventure, ngl. But maybe if they stripped down this 134 minute whopper of a double album, it would've been a solid 5/5 album. Still, it's a great album. I'll come back to most of its songs. But not on the whole album. Sorry Run the Jewels, but I think I have a new favorite hiphop duo now.

Soul Mining

The The

3/5

post-punk... WITH COLOURS!!!

Bossanova

Pixies

5/5

The slick noise of postpunk. The wooshy riffs of grunge. And the irresistible grooves of alt-rock as a whole. It has everything that I love about '90s rock. Whether it's a wild experimental rock album or an early catalyst in the '90s alt-rock tsunami (released a year before Nirvana's "Nevermind"!), this album is an adventure from start to finish.

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

4/5

The Beach Boys are truly a different beast to The Beatles, and what a beast they are. Still, it's pretty tempting to refer to this album as their "Revolver" and the unfortunately removed "Good Vibrations" as their "Tomorrow Never Knows", both in terms of greatness and music style changes. Overall, "Pet Sounds" made me go "wow!", but not "WOW!!!" as most people claimed they did. Most of it are two minute pop songs with great instrumentals and incredible productions. It's great, albeit generic at some places. I enjoyed it, though not as much as I enjoyed "Surf's Up".

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

5/5

Amazing vocals with no whiny or pompous quality of a glam rock star. Instrumentals breaks that does not intimidate but falls down like a snowflake on a quiet night. Short lyrics that is deep but not deep enough to be ironically self-indulgent. Here is a non-Floyd progrock album that legitimately blew my mind.

Aja

Steely Dan

3/5

Another proof that complexity and flawlessness doesn't guarantee an enjoyable listen. I mean, it's great; jazz rock fusion, incredible production, nice instrumentals... it's an easy listen. But I don't think I will come back to it. I can see why it's considered awesome, but ultimately, it felt bland as a listen.

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

1/5

At first, folk and punk seems like genres lying on two opposite extremes of music. So what should we expect in "folk punk"? Well, folk and punk still have something in common: politically charged tracks. And Billy Bragg pushed the poetic storytelling of folk and the energetic angst of punk to create this album. The title itself summarizes this attempt. It's a genuine attempt, I guess, but it's a weak one. The tracks felt flat and shallow. Also, I don't think weaving those political proses with such an annoying voice is a good idea. DEFINITELY a difficult album.

90

808 State

3/5

Six minutes of the same beat looping doesn't seem so long if you're on the dance floor. Because as some poets or whatever said, time slows down when one is dancing. But what about when someone is listening to it while crunching numbers in his laptop? Well, it made me realize how long 3 minutes can be. Time is such a thick dimension. Still, the beats are nice. No wonder it set the country on fire.

Fifth Dimension

The Byrds

4/5

Mom can we listen to The Beatles? We have The Beatles at home. The Beatles at home:

Young Americans

David Bowie

3/5

David Bowie's exploration of the soul genre is a pretty fun journey. It has the glam, but not mainly because of the production and Bowie's charisma, but because of the soul and R&B elements, happily driving the beats and melodies. Unfortunately, it felt dry and overproduced at some point. I guess Bowie himself wouldn't have called it "plastic soul" for no reason. In particular, the last acts of the tracks often felt monotonous, Bowie is usually repeating the same phrase here, while the background is repeating the same grooves. Again, it's a pretty fun journey. But not something worth revisiting tbh. PS. Perhaps the reason he got away with that terrible "Across the Universe" cover is because he was a friend of John Lennon during those times. The former Beatle even helped him make the album's most popular track, "Fame". Still, it's pretty amusing, how Bowie uses Beatles influences. Take note for example the "A Day in the Life" lyric sample bit in the title track.

Dance Mania

Tito Puente

4/5

Latin music is really something else. It's that kind of art that never fails to paint a smile on my face and give a mood-elevating energy to my soul. I don't dance especially with those nonsense electronic beat loops, but with this music? Hell, let's murder that dancefloor now! What a fun listen.

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

Mudhoney

3/5

Punk but the guitar gets a considerable exposure to spotlight. And I guess that's how grunge is born. Those "grungy" tracks are the best in the album, "Generation Genocide", "Thorns", and "Broken Hands". The rest are, to be honest, just mediocre punk.

High Violet

The National

3/5

Wikipedia described this as "post-punk revival", but it sounds more like dream pop or noise music. Hell, I even think shoegaze is a more appropriate genre for this. But while it doesn't really matter, I think it reiterates my observation that post-punk, shoegaze, or noise pop are lying in the same dank territory of music. But perhaps the reason it's so wooooooshy is the weird obsession of modern indie rock bands to replicate the sound of TV static. It's... ok. Most of the time it felt like it's about to achieve something, something that will at least poke my bored ass, but it never reached anything worth listening. The whole project sounds... weak. It felt like a timid little noise pop wannabee that tries and fails to make great sounds. The wooshy attempts are interesting sometimes, enjoyable even. But this isn't the harsh and otherworldly dreamy music that they strive to be. It has a lot of potential, but it has a weak sound, and it is therefore boring.

Mothership Connection

Parliament

5/5

Now this IS what good music is. Takes you somewhere else. I wasn't even ready to cream my pants when those incredibly high funk energy swayed me across astronomical distances. Solid 10/10.

Microshift

Hookworms

2/5

The beats and the hooks are nice. But they cranked the volume up to 11, then whooshed it out with the classic indie rock TV static noise, at the top of that, there's these fever dream-sy vocals that only amplifies the monotonicity and messiness of the overall sound. These guys know how to make great sounds, but they probably got carried away while producing.

m b v

My Bloody Valentine

3/5

This album was lying underground for more than two decades. Unearthed. Then released. This intimidating wine blew my head into pieces then threw it in a hazy hyperspace. What a freaking punch. Shoegaze is something else.

Queens of the Stone Age

3/5

Straightforward stoner rock, done in late '90s. Not too outdated eh? Guitars are interesting and the overall atmosphere is heavy. But I don't think slithery spacey guitar solos are new during those years. Overall, it's surprisingly unremarkable. I expected more than just rough riffs and spacey solos with weak vocals.

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

2/5

In the cover, Elvis 2.0 is wearing a formal attire, gesturing with a camera in front of him, staring at his subject: us. It was a clean shot, like a stock photo. Without context, I don't think anyone would assume that it contains punk. And it's not the punk that I know, the classic young rebels chair-breaking messy punk. No. It is a "punk" where men in formal suits occasionally slapping the table (not too hardly because the champagne glass on it might spill). Perhaps that's what they call "new wave". What happened between "My Aim is True" and "This Year's Model"? The former is a great album, but this sounds bland. I don't think it's the introduction of The Attractions. Their instrumentals are actually good here. Perhaps it's overproduced, which is weird considering critics described the production as "stripped off". Whatever is this, it sucks. Not that I'm a big fan of angsty punk, but I just hate whatever type of over-sanitized music this is more.

Odelay

Beck

5/5

It's like every existing genre in the '90s got together and threw a party. This mess has no business being this good! PS. The deluxe version's cover seems more fitting for this album.

Black Holes and Revelations

Muse

5/5

It's like fake grass. SILVER fake grass, just like the grass in planet K-69420. It feels artificial. But it's undeniably fun to play on once in a while.

Scott 2

Scott Walker

2/5

** furiously watches "Shrek 2" **

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

5/5

Latin music really turns the elevator-ish jazz into an explosive monster. I felt every note in this album. The struggles and build-up of the drums, the wailing of the violins, the Tom and Jerry-ish flow of the wind instruments... All of these sound so chaotic and human. And because of that, every second of this is such an adventure. That's the epitome of a musical experience. This is probably how jazz sounds to jazz fans. Not a boring, lengthy musical fiddling but an experience beyond words. I'm not a big fan of jazz, but I freaking love this bad boy.

Street Signs

Ozomatli

3/5

Sprawling and interesting. It slaps, but at the same time it sounds generic and overblown, which I think is crazy. "Santiago" seems to be a good song, the best on the album, but it's freaking non-existent online.

Crosby, Stills & Nash

3/5

Okay, if I'm not mistaken, this album introduced folk rock to the mainstream, steering away from the loud guitar driven blues rock of the decade. In 1969, bands like Led Zeppelin was storming the scene by pushing the loud blues rock aesthetic into its limits. While these guys formed a supergroup to chill around, look back to their folksy roots, and release this. Okay, I might get a lot of things wrong there, but I'm pretty sure that it's a compelling alternative. As a hard rock fan myself, I find the softer ballads, most notably, "Helplessly Hoping", enjoyable. The psychedelic rock and country sprinkled bits are generally a careful hit-and-miss. It's still very '60s sounding, even to the point that it sounded generic. Overall, it was an easy listen. Nice guitars, nice harmonies. But it's pretty unremarkable as a whole.

Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth

4/5

Noise rock is a tough sound. It's loud, it's heavy, it's wooshy. It's easy to get bored or annoyed by it. But when used right, it can evoke powerful emotions and create a mind-blowing journey. Sonic Youth nailed it here, in "Daydream Nation". Their brand of indie rock driven by grotesquely distorted guitars and heavy noises, it's quite a ride. It might be very loud, confusing, and wooshy. It's also interesting, fun, and uplifting. For me, this mess is what good music is. Takes you somewhere you've never been before.

Clandestino

Manu Chao

4/5

Is the second half really boring or is it just the effect of post-nut clarity that I got in the first half? Freaking Latin music.

Crime Of The Century

Supertramp

2/5

Take the blandest thing about most popular '70s bands, like Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Rush, 10cc, Eagles, and Led Zeppelin. Mix it all together and now you have a hit-and-miss album, most of which are misses.

Different Class

Pulp

5/5

Released in 1995, "Different Class" is the best and most fun rendition of '80s synthpop I have ever heard.

World Clique

Deee-Lite

4/5

This cheap cake filled with repetitive lyrics and terrible puns is surprisingly enjoyable. It's fun, the beats and the hooks are nice, and it's very '90s.

Penance Soiree

The Icarus Line

4/5

I've always wondered how did punk evolved into post-punk. Now, I know. This 2000's garage rock bit topped with layers of noise seems to answer my questions. It's harsh and angsty, like punk, and wooshy, like post-punk. Too much noise and too loud, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

There's A Riot Goin' On

Sly & The Family Stone

4/5

Never knew funk could be so dark. Truly a beautiful genre.

Gasoline Alley

Rod Stewart

2/5

With a name like Rod Stewart, a raspy voice, and a rowdy personality, Rod Stewart is very rock-'n'-roll. I discovered him as a soft-rock figure, however. Kinda like Barry Manilow and Elton John. I discovered his popular live videos in Youtube such as his versions of "I Don't Wanna Talk About It" and "Sailing". This album is his second. Early Rod Stewart. Bland and generic Rod Stewart. To be fair, I didn't really expect anything surprising when I saw that cover. I expected it to be boring, and it is. Country-folk covers of "rock-'n'-roll" (according to critics) tracks. A few interesting instrumental feats here and there. Rod's raspy voice. I didn't find it captivating at all. It's dull, it's uninteresting, and I could die without listening to this album.

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road

Lucinda Williams

4/5

As a country album, it's an equivalent of a white bread. And... I liked it. Being a perfectionist, Williams reportedly released this album six yees after her previous one. While conflicts does contribute to this delay, I can still observe the sanitized feel of the album. I love her voice. It's soothing and when used well, it carries emotion like it's a wave. But even that is generic. Not even the admittedly nice interaction with the male backing vocals made it a unique voice. The instrumentals are pretty good. Everything is in the right place, but ultimately, it becomes a bit predictable, and therefore uninteresting. The production is neat, but again, generic. The critics were praising her songwriting skills. Judging by the tracks' titles, it might be interesting but I don't want to explore it further. Again, this is like white bread. That mass produced, generic commodity that one can find in the local store. Her perfectionism might have made her album overtidy and uninteresting, but I've got to admit that she still did a great job crafting its overall sound. I unashamedly enjoyed this white bread, and I don't mind consuming it again... after a while.

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

4/5

Golden Age of Hiphop? More like Golden Age of Sampling. That was my first impression about this album. It's not bad. And I know that sampling is one of the foundations of most great hiphop sounds. The opener is a beautiful sound collage of samples. I heard some familiar tunes and some soundbites. This is basically the entire album. Samples. In the so-called Golden Age of Hiphop, they can sample as much music and soundbites as they want without getting sued. Public Enemy did a great job using these samples to create a rich sound. They aren't like other rappers/producers who stack up layers of samples and beats like it's lasagna, but they painted every note with a piece of sound to push the overall atmosphere. It's one hour of dense beats, deep lyrics, and complex commentaries. That being said, it's dense. It's a pretty demanding listen. I didn't enjoy most of it, especially the second half, where it became monotonous. But I respect it. I like the popular singles, and how the samples are used. Apparently, they used jazz, soul, and R&B - elitist music - without leaving their humble roots. I know Public Enemy transformed rap from a fad to something revolutionary. Something that even requires social consciousness. This album really proved it for me. A classic from the Golden Age of Hiphop.

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

2/5

Swamp rock? This sounds too clean for a "swamp" rock. I'm surprised at how boring this albums turned out to be. It sounds like they're trying hard to steer away from their blues/country roots or influences but at the same time they stick to the same formula. Ultimately, it felt uninspired and uninteresting.

A Night At The Opera

Queen

4/5

Cool! Now let's see what's the hype is all about... Update: Basically glam rock but the musicians are actually very talented. But this particular album is pretty playful. They don't take themselves too seriously. It's kinda fun, carefree even. An opener that seems to trash on someone? A song about a loving cars? Together with monster hits like "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "Love of My Life"? Clearly, this isn't an ordinary night at the opera. As of now, it's a 4. Maybe I'll appreciate it more if I come back to it.

All That You Can't Leave Behind

U2

3/5

It feels like their sound is tied up in a chair and forced to perform at gunpoint. I don't know what's missing in their sound. I like the guitar and production bits in some places, but overall the atmosphere tries hard and fails to connect. They're apparently trying to portray nostalgia or something, yet it comes out as emotionless. I think they should be a bit more carefree and maybe leave behind their past. I enjoyed their hard rocking "Elevation" for example. I love how they used their signature echoey sound in the electric guitar driven chorus. Some mellow tracks are pretty good too, but again, they didn't connect with me. Overall, whatever is that thing that they can't leave behind. They should probably leave.

Brilliant Corners

Thelonious Monk

2/5

Elevator music with great drums.

Tea for the Tillerman

Cat Stevens

4/5

A folk rock album that is well produced without compromising the natural folksy quality of the genre thanks to Cat Stevens's skill as a storyteller. His character here reminds me of a grandfather who gives stories and advices to his grandchildren. In general, he's a man getting old amidst a rapidly changing society. I love how he portrayed it without sounding like a typical technophobic person. It's sentimental, it's delicate, and it's sincere. Great folk.

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

5/5

The muscular riffs and angsty vocals saved this goth rock album from being a cheesy fad that's only listenable during Halloween. It's compelling and the fun never wears off as one goes deeper into the gothic mansion. Perhaps one of the best things that came out of post-punk, as well as the best ones that came out of the '80s music scene.

It's Blitz!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

5/5

I love the synths melting and enveloping into the rock sound like a butter on a toasted bread. It's so delicious and mood uplifting, like a good breakfast on a peaceful morning. Those kinds of morning where one tries to think about their life decisions with a hint of nostalgia. It's another oddly sad yet happy indie rock from the 2000's. I dunno what exactly drives them. Hope? Nostalgia? I dunno, but I love it. It's one of my favorite parts of the '00s music scene. Karen O has such a sweet voice. And I love how she drives the energy of the synths and the emotion of the album's tracks. Overall, it's an indie perfection. Inconsistent, but that only made it better. It felt like the musical version of "finding yourself". It's so soothing and mood uplifting. Yes, the BLITZ! title with an egg being... squeezed in the cover seems misleading in terms of sound, but it nailed my reaction to the album. It's freaking BLITZ!

NEU! 75

Neu!

3/5

NEU! For those who don't know, it's the German word for "NEW!". Imagine walking along a record store and seeing a black album with the word "NEW!" proudly sprawled across it. It's a bit of a clever name, I guess. Aaaand... it's probably new back in '75. An album with ambient in the first half and protopunk on the second one? That's pretty new. At its best, however, it's just interesting. The exploration in protopunk and the ambient bits are both nice and chill. But they are only fine together if one sees this as an exploration of sound. Otherwise, it would be an inconsistent, boring trip. It's very unlikely for me to come back to it. There's Kraftwerk and Brian Eno if I want some ambient music, and there's The Stooges if I want some good protopunk.

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell

3/5

Not as sexy as they claimed it is. That voice alone can kill any sane guy's sex drive. The faster first tracks are actually a nice jam, but the latter, slower ones are pretty bland and boring. Overall, it's mostly soulless computerized soul. Not recommended for sexy sessions. Enjoy the vibe of the first half and stop as soon as it gets too slow.

Graceland

Paul Simon

4/5

It's fun and mood elevating. Great folk, as I expected from Paul Simon. Yeah, I'm aware of that it's basically an appropriation of African music (done in Apartheid era South Africa!). I can definitely hear it in the tracks. They sound like pop-infused, at some point even country-ish. Furthermore, I don't understand the hype about "You can Call Me Al", this '80s pop infused African fiesta thingy annoys the hell out of me. What's funny about this experience is that I don't actually enjoy African music. I mean, yeah I respect it, but after a couple of world music rolls in this generator, I figured that I'll have a hard time trying to get into music like that. However, I liked the less pop-ish tracks in the album, most notably the acapella "Homeless". In conclusion, "Graceland" is basically African music for the mainstream. Another Elvis Presley-ish appropriation. This issue isn't unimportant of course, but if one sets it aside for a while, they can see that it's definitely an impressive feat.

Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

Public Enemy

3/5

It wasn't long since I heard "Fear of a Black Planet". The mentioned album is driven by a rich multilayered array of samples. Released right after that, "Apocalypse 91" creates an immediate impression that Public Enemy used much less sampling here. It wasn't intentional probably, because they apparently lost a bunch of tapes that they've been working on for years. The stripped-down sound reveals Public Enemy in it's purer, angrier form. They still delivered complex and timeless political commentaries, most of the time looking inwards into the violence and other problems in America's black community. As a listen, it's not as exhausting as their previous, but personally, it's less enjoyable. Very '90s gangsta rap despite the social consciousness not usually incorporated in the subgenre. But again, it's Public Enemy and they put political awareness in the usual gangsta rap fad of their time.

At Newport 1960

Muddy Waters

5/5

I only knew Muddy Waters as the guy who brought us "You Need Love", the blues song that became a foundation for Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love". And boy how ignorant I was in Muddy Waters's impact in the world of blues. Not a big fan of live albums, but I think this one captured the energy of blues and Waters's irresistible grooves and charisma. A gem in the top of the godfather of all modern music.

Time (The Revelator)

Gillian Welch

2/5

Great voice. But country folk.

Marcus Garvey

Burning Spear

3/5

Roots reggae. Reggae as a socio-political movement. Reggae made by an actual Jamaican. It's actually nice and chill. Reggae at their purest possible way without losing commercial potential. I love the vocal sounds and the instruments. But in it's thirty minute journey, it tends to get monotonous. The beats are similar and the formula of the tracks are the same. Still, an interesting reggae album. Perhaps among the few reggae ones that I listened to, this is my favourite.

Fuzzy Logic

Super Furry Animals

4/5

That's what I like about indie rock. It's so adventurous and pure. Fuzzy Logic in particular sounds like a pastiche sometimes. I caught stuff from '70s rock to the britpop sounds of the '90s. But it didn't come out as unoriginal nor uninteresting. In fact, it's the most adventurous and fun indie rock album that I heard for a while. It can be messy and all over the place, but it's great rock nonetheless.

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

2/5

Now this is interesting, a bad indie rock album. Or maybe it's just me. Apparently their third best, after the debut and "The Suburbs". I already heard the latter and I thought it was decent, just a bit colorless. I described it as a plain rock album dressed up with nostalgic sounds. It's pretty neat. I also learned that Arcade Fire is a pretty popular band. I agree that this album is worse than "The Suburbs", but I don't think it's that great. It doesn't have the melancholic atmosphere of "The Suburbs". So the sound is there, in its pure, plain form. But not without special toppings though. This time, they put so much synth it turned into an '80s pop album. Not my vibe, I'm afraid.

New Boots And Panties

Ian Dury

3/5

The opener is such a slick banger. A nice intersection between disco and punk. After that track, however, he slowly descended into Elvis Costello lite. The riffs and the overall atmosphere might be interesting, but it's pretty bland especially when compared to the opener. Near the end, he made a turn and became full pledged punk. Compare the explosive noise of the genre to the chill vibes of the opener. This album is quite a rollercoaster ride.

With The Beatles

Beatles

4/5

The Beatles. Nearly a decade of great songs. One of my favorite bands ever. Yet sometimes, some questions linger in my mind as I revisit their music. Have they ever made a bad song? What about a bad album? Why does a song like "Little Child" exist, in a discography of a band like The Beatles? What's is about "With the Beatles" that it felt bland at some point? Why "With the Beatles" and not the arguably better "Please Please Me"? But whatever the answer to these questions are, it's always easy to get lost along their music. And even in their early works, there's several gems to enjoy, despite their cheapness. Overall, this album is like a bubblegum. Sweet, but gets bland pretty quickly.

Headquarters

The Monkees

3/5

You know it's another Beatles riff off when it's a '60s boy band with a misspelled animal name as a band name.

Liege And Lief

Fairport Convention

2/5

Love the instruments. But not a big fan of the vocals, for some reason. Not a big fan of the repetitive formula, either. Imagine the "Free Bird" solo but the first couple of riffs are looped over and over again. It felt like that. Almost epic at first, then it quickly became annoying. I can see why it's a must listen. But I won't pretend that I enjoyed it. It's folk rock after all.

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

3/5

It's 80 minutes long, but it wasn't an exhausting listen. Of course, that's because I listened to it in two sittings, one per disc. It's pretty dumb, but I figured it's easier that way. However, it only felt appropriate not because it's a double album, but because the two discs have a clear distinction to each other. "Abattoir Blues" is quite enjoyable. I loge the gothic undertones and the Tom Wait-sy energy. It sometimes gives me a Celtic folk rock vibe. While "The Lyre of Orpheus" is as poetic as its title. It also has the Tom Wait-sy vibes, in fact, it's stronger here. The sound is stripped down and most of the punch comes from the lyrics and the way it is delivered. Overall, fascinating at its best. It can be boring, but it's not annoying.

Crazysexycool

TLC

3/5

Mediocre '90s hiphop R&B.

Urban Hymns

The Verve

3/5

My first encounter with this band was "A Northern Soul". I described that album as "shoegaze-ic Oasis". I didn't think that they're an Oasis riff off. But after hearing this, I changed my mind. But that doesn't mean that it's worse than "A Northern Soul". In fact, this is more enjoyable, despite the cheap britpop vibe of it. It's much more popular. But in terms of sound, it's more basic and therefore less interesting. I really can't decide which of the two albums are better. But between Oasis and The Verve, it's clear which.

Amnesiac

Radiohead

3/5

What a trippy and slick electronica. It's too interesting to be compared to an elevator music. It's quite fun and great in some places. A hit and miss. But that's the point of experimental rock right? I knew it's the "sibling" of their beloved album, "Kid A", but personally, it doesn't have the "outtakes" vibe. It's an album on its own, and a slightly boring one.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

2/5

The cover. The name. The music. Everything about this is generic.

Tidal

Fiona Apple

3/5

Fiona Apple's debut. It's quite far from her 2020 hit, "Fetch the Bolt Cutters". It's not as chaotic and unique. "Tidal" is mostly piano based ballad. Perhaps the great thing about this is how her voice is presented at full force here. I haven't appreciated it much in "Fetch the Bolt Cutters", but here it's evident that she has a nice voice. As a whole however, it's a hit-and-miss. At its best, it's a fascinating look at early Fiona Apple.

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

2/5

Instantly recognized the purple cover of Kate Bush lying down with a couple of dogs. It's the one with "Running Up That Hill". It's currently a hot track because it appeared in the Netflix series, "Stranger Things". My sisters loved the show. Apparently, it was set in the '80s. "Stranger Things" also featured other '80s artists including The Clash and of course Metallica. But Kate Bush's popular single is the most Tiktok friendly. So unsurprisingly, it took storm in the internet. Personally however, I didn't really care about it. Once when my sisters and I were hanging out, we tried listening to the whole song. Halfway through, one of my sisters said it was longer than she thought. I agree, it's quite long. Only it isn't. It's 5 minutes long. And even after listening to it again now, I still don't care about it. Sure, it has a decent sound, but it's still a mildly annoying '80s synthpop song. And that's the album as a whole, boring '80s pop. This album is decent. It's well-produced and it has some great sounds. I don't really see anything interesting about Kate Bush as a singer. Her voice is shaky (idk if it's distorted or it's just her or both) and a bit generic. As a whole, it's quite boring.

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

3/5

Out of all the '70s rock parodies that I've listened to, this one (or at least the first half of it) is my favourite. It sounds like David Bowie but crazier. It's a shame the second half is a soul-infused mess. I don't think the entire second disc is even necessary. With chaotic outburst-y sounds like this, it's safer when it's short. Like a joke, it gets worse over time.

This Is Fats Domino

Fats Domino

4/5

While that name conjures an image of a pizza movie night for me, I know he's great considering how he made a Spotify playlist for himself in the '50s. Not to mention that the half-hour jam is composed of songs with freaking "la la" and "oh oh oh ooh" as choruses. Pure bluesy good vibe energy here. I loved it.

Pretenders

3/5

Clean punk that is surprisingly ahead of its time.

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

Cold and dark. It sounds like Tom Waits but without the rough, reptilian energy. This one is smooth yet thick, like blood. It's a bit boring in some places, but overall, it's quite a ride.

Exile In Guyville

Liz Phair

2/5

Interesting at its best

Heavy Weather

Weather Report

4/5

Today's a cool morning filled with a heavy rain. The weather's heavy, you might say. And while I don't think a jazz fusion album suits such a day, this one didn't ruin the mood. I love the stormy energy of the instruments and the smooth flow of it all. Some tracks are quite boring, but as a whole, this album is a decent listen. Another great jazz.

She's So Unusual

Cyndi Lauper

3/5

My heart sank when I learned that today's listen is another '80s pop. Another synth infused, generic, disco-pop, I thought. But it surprised me, at the beginning at least. Cyndi Lauper has an energy and personality like I've never heard before. Those carefully produced synths, that clean voice, the overall let's-drop-everything-for-a-while-and-just-dance atmosphere are all the things that I'm looking for an '80s pop song. Don't get me wrong, it's still as terrible and outdated as its peers. Generic synth-infused '80s pop. Not to mention how those explorations in the rock territory fell flat. But it's still pretty decent, especially the first half. Of course that might be because I have low expectations. Still, I'm confident that between Madonna, Kate Bush, and Cyndi Lauper, only Lauper is likely to grow on me. She's definitely unusual to some degree, I guess.

Kilimanjaro

The Teardrop Explodes

1/5

When I first encountered the name "Kilimanjaro" (it is the tallest mountain in Africa for those who don't know), I thought it was a kickass name. One of the names that I would consider when I form a band or something. It's a shame that the name is given to a terrible trumpet-infused '80s psych-rock parody.

Second Toughest In The Infants

Underworld

2/5

As an inhabitant of the underworld, I can confirm that we always listen to techno beats that could've been decent if they aren't overlong and unnecessarily repetitive. As for the "Second Toughest in the Infants". It's not really as brutal as it sounds. It's just something about a kid's experience in a nursery school in the UK. Of course, a good bunch of us know what kind of underworld nursery schools are.

Rock 'N Soul

Solomon Burke

3/5

"Rock 'N Soul" is exactly what it sounds. A rock-'n'-roll soul album. For some reason, the tracks are shuffled in Spotify. I don't know why, and I haven't realized it when I listened. But began with the amazing "Cry to Me". I love the bluesy energy with the smoothness of soul in Burke's personality, especially in this track. Unfortunately, the rest of the album lacks the pure rock-'n'-soul energy of that track. A few tracks are pretty fine, but overall, it felt like generic '60s pop riff offs. I guess it's a must listen since it's the bridge between soul and rock-'n'-roll. But much of the vibes here can easily be blown away by its peers.

Countdown To Ecstasy

Steely Dan

4/5

Yes, I definitely find this ecstatic. I'm someone who... enjoys instrumental fiddling. Unfortunately, the ecstasy fades away after a while. And I'm pretty it's not the post nut clarity. Not "countdown to ecstasy" but "countdown to the end of ecstasy".

Bad Company

2/5

Carefully calculated and thoroughly sanitized rock. A set of radio fillers with decent riffs and annoying vocals. Generic hard rock for malls.

O.G. Original Gangster

Ice T

3/5

It's fascinating how "O.G. Original Gangster" is described as the pioneer of gangsta rap. It's as if Ice-T described himself as the "original gangsta" before gansta rap or gangsta aesthetic in general blew up. Or maybe the culture is already on fire in 1991. Still, I can definitely see how raw and sincere it is. It really felt like the beginning of something, a new genre. It has the vibes and energy of Public Enemy. And of course, this isn't as revolutionary as the mentioned group. But I still get it. Apparently, Ice-T realized that writing "party-rap" like everybody else is worthless, so he started writing about the realities in his rough life in Los Angeles (?). But perhaps the only thing that truly interested me here is how he used rock/hardcore music. And he was true about rock (or rock-'n'-roll as they refer to it) originally coming from black people. I guess that little rap vs rock thing has a race dimension. Although I wouldn't say that the rock elements are very great, they're still fascinating as a listen. In "Body Count", he introduced his band of the same name. The metal-ish track caught me off guard. It might be out of place but it broke the monotony of the album. The band will eventually release the controversial "Cop Killer", which would inspire N.W.A.'s "Fuck tha Police". Also, RATM would release their debut in the same year. Influential, I guess. Although Bestie Boys did a hard rocking rap rock album half a decade ago. Btw, "When the Levee Breaks" is better with "Sweet Leaf" than it is with "Black Sabbath". Still, "Midnights" is also a fascinating, monotony-breaking, rap rock track. Overall, quite decent. Just too long and too monotonous. But that's just gangsta rap, of course.

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine

4/5

Ahh yes, dream pop that actually sounds like a dream. Still not sure if it will grow on me, but I can definitely tell that the next listens will never be the same as the first time.

Face to Face

The Kinks

5/5

Unique name. Some unique elements in the sound. Same casual atmosphere. Definitely the same vibe at The Beatles. But definitely not a riff-off. Far from that, it's a different beast on its own. A not-so-common gem of '60s rock.

Black Sabbath

4/5

Amazing guitar-driven storm that ravaged the music scene in the 1970 and haunted it ever since. I know a lot of heavy blues and dark sounding rock that came before this, but after listening to this, I decided that yes. "Black Sabbath" is definitely the evil growl that triggered the avalanche of heavy metal in the music scene. The first thing that I heard are thunderclaps and rain, then the iconic tritone riff. I love the doomsy vibes of it, but my favorites are the wilder ones. Those riff-driven hard rocking tales really turned this album from slacky blues to a total dark storm. I love it as a whole. However, I have mixed feelings some parts of it. Ozzy's vocals is a big debate among the listeners. I was never a fan of that one, although I agree that it has a personality that fits the theme. I don't think it will be the same with different vocals. Another is the instrumentals, especially the last ten-minute track. I know it is driven by riffs from Iommi, whose damaged fingers gave way to their signature sound. But it mostly sounds like a demo. Of course, an album created out of a single twelve hour session could sound like that. But I don't think it means that the album needs a 10-minute demo session of random riffs. It has some good parts though, and maybe if those riffs were developed into a couple of songs, it would've been better.

At Fillmore East

The Allman Brothers Band

2/5

If Muddy Waters's Newport album taught me anything, it is that blues - especially live performed blues - requires personality. Muddy waters have this charisma that instantly connects with audience as he sing. And if Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains the Same live show taught me anything, it is that live performances that are driven by loud and hard-rocking instrumentals and goes at as long as twenty minutes requires much more than generic blues fiddling. Nahhh, I lied. I realized these when I listened to this album. I learned it in the same way a bad book teaches a lot of stuffs that are useful for authors.

Here, My Dear

Marvin Gaye

2/5

I'm a huge fan of minding your own business. So I don't really meddle in my neighbors' personal lives, nor do I take interest in celebrities' shenanigans, nor take pleasure in afternoon TV shows involving real life love affairs or late night TV shows involving fictional love affairs. So, the vouyeristic nature of Gaye's "Here My Dear" didn't hit me. In other words, I don't care about his divorce. I guess I appreciate the fragility and the sincerity of it. But that doesn't mean that I enjoyed thus one hour messy soul jams. There's a reason why it was panned when it's released, and it's simply because it sucks.

1984

Van Halen

4/5

No, Mr. Orwell, there were no telescreens, thoughcrimes, and Big Brothers. Not yet. It will be long before that. As of now, we got glam metal! Intense guitar-driven synth rock. Isn't that great? Oh, yes it will NOT age well, but we got Van Halen and their guitar. It will keep it alive and relevant like a cheap preservative.

Violent Femmes

5/5

Pure, raw, angsty teenage energy right here.

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Public Enemy

2/5

Ahh yes, Public Enemy's first masterpiece. Hip-hop's blueprint ever since its release. Not as dizzyingly full of samples like "Fear of a Black Planet" and not as slick as "Apocalypse 91... thr Enemy Strikes Back". This is raw, chaotic, and just monotonous. I mean, I get that the main appeal of this is the lyrics and that the samples are intentionally used to make the tracks more messy. It probably represents the present state of black Americans in their country. That being said, everybody knows how revolutionary is this. Socially conscious rap album that launched hip-hop into the ears of the public and the critics. But listening to it is a bit exhausting. It's not as enjoyable as the next two albums, which of course are just albums built upon this gem. Hell, almost every hip-hop album after this is built upon it.

Every Picture Tells A Story

Rod Stewart

1/5

See that picture of Rody singing with a vintage something as background? That's right, that bathroom corner colored photo. Like any pictures, it tells a story. A story about the most generic album of 1971.

The Blueprint

JAY Z

2/5

You deserve every diss that you've got, Kanye lite.

Joan Baez

2/5

I love that voice. But this particular type of pure folk has something in it that turns every intimate story into an annoying drone.

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

3/5

Not that awesome nor terrible. Overall, it's decent. Typical '80s synthy pop. Each track has some interesting bits. And some beats are even catchy. Rest is pretty generic. Still, it might grow on me.

Too Rye Ay

Dexys Midnight Runners

2/5

"Too Rye Ay" is among the worst album name that I have ever encountered. Some people speculate that it came from an Irish lullaby with a nonsense part that goes "too ra loo ra loo ra". If that's the case, why didn't they just used it? This unnecessary additional element made it more annoying, in the exact way those trumpets turned this new wave album into a terrible mess.

Freak Out!

The Mothers Of Invention

3/5

They sound like a bunch of monkeys trying to create music, both in a good way and a bad way. It's a mess that is while inventive, mostly annoying to listen to. I didn't freak out throughout the hour long journey, but return of the Son of Monster Magnet? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Franz Ferdinand

4/5

No, there had never been an Archduke Metallica. It was Franz Ferdinand and apparently his name "sounds good" so that particular band adopted the name. Lame choice, not gonna lie. But boy how their punk-fuelled indie rock hit hard like a thick history book.

Another Green World

Brian Eno

5/5

There's another green world. The world of snake guitars, desert guitars, choppy organs, spasmodic percussions, uncertain piano, and of course unnatural sounds. Observe those critters in the strange world. Sombre reptiles, little fishes, spirits drifting... trying to create something. A formless, directionless sound. But I'm telling you, everytime the sound gets full and complete, it's sublime. It's otherworldly, you might say.

Roxy Music

4/5

When I saw the cover and heard the vocals, I grunted and thought of how unsexy this is. But then I heard the instruments. j i z z z

Melodrama

Lorde

3/5

Far from the minimalism of the incredible "Royals", the only Lorde song that I know, but the elegance is still there. I love the production and the feels -- young person energy -- but it's ultimately generic as far as these "sad girl" pop songs go. And I say this as someone who is currently obsessed with such songs lately.

Ready To Die

The Notorious B.I.G.

4/5

Straightforward, down to earth, and fragile. Literally B.I.G. in every sense of the word. This IS gansta rap.

Odessa

Bee Gees

2/5

It is a common belief that most artists go through two major stages: copying-what-everybody-else-does stage, and coming-up-with-something-original-or-groundbreaking stage. Of course, not every artist went to the second stage. That being said, it is clear that while Bee Gees did reach the second stage, "Odessa" showcases them at the first stage. Good name, promising opener, but ultimately a pompous '60s rock pastiche. Hardly a surprise. After all, they're disco stars, not concept album weavers.

Fragile

Yes

3/5

Finally! What goes after all these "to be continued" memes are revealed! And it's basically what happens when an acoustic guitar tries to do something prog. Ambitious yes. Complex and nice musicianship yes. But enjoyable? Naaaah.

(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

4/5

It's too tempting to call this "generic", but this album has a knack at hitting the right tickle-spots. Making the familiar '70s country rock sound not an annoying but a cozy one. And they didn't stop there, there are also parts where the guitar-driven epicness caught me off guard. Perhaps that's the one that separates them from their peers.

Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan

4/5

This is so sly in many levels. Usually, deciding to "go pop" is a recipe for disaster, but Steely Dan managed to make such catchy tunes without sacrificing musical complexity. Too bad their perfectionism sucked all the energy of it, but I can definitely say that it still has the colors.

Club Classics Vol. One

Soul II Soul

3/5

Basic hiphop beats on a basic soul track. That's exactly what you would hear in a typical jeepney with music here in the Philippines. That's what this album basically is, a groovy background music. Tip for future listeners: once you hear a male vocal, SKIP THAT TRACK.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Iron Butterfly

4/5

Exotic, weird, and confusing. In short, it's psychedelic. But it isn't the sophisticated trippiness of the likes of The Beatles and Beach Boys, nor is it the solemn and dark compositions of the likes of The Doors, despite the slight similarity of the sound. It's the wild and feral psychedelia of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd and Dr. John. It's like getting lost in the middle of an unfamiliar jungle, with all those unfamiliar creatures and tribes around. Of course, this type of psychedelic rock isn't necessarily better than the respected classics of the genre, nor is it worse. In fact, it's a completely different domain. Apples and oranges. I agree that this is the most difficult to get into, but I can't deny that this is the psychedelia in its purest form. It's messy, chaotic, and exotic. I mean, what could be purer a psychedelic track than a song performed when they were so high it goes on for 17 minutes?

Forever Changes

Love

2/5

Definitely not a Beatles riff-off, of course they aren't, their name isn't a misspelled animal name. But are they enjoyable? Personally, not really. Actually, they sound more like The Kinks. And while it is a skeptical take on the "hippie" movement of their time, I didn't really caught the dark undertone in their sound. It's in the lyrics. But still, the meat of this album is more on the sound. Great strings, great bass, great beat. But sadly, it didn't really captivate me. Perhaps the sound came out more of an uninterested than a skeptical view of all those colorful movements. It sounds colorful and bright, but the colors are a bit bland.

Throwing Muses

5/5

One of the many things I discovered in this journey is how much I actually love female driven punk. I mean, as a former enjoyer of Avril Lavigne's emo pop-punk, I should've seen that coming. This album carries the female punk energy that I love. But it's sound is quite sonic and atmospheric despite the chaos. It's more post-punk than punk. Still, it has just the right level of grittiness and filthiness from punk. It hit all the right spots in me.

Ingenue

k.d. lang

3/5

I don't think there's anything special about this. Even the country twang added no spice in this carefully produced standard pop album. Except, of course, her voice. And somehow, it's enough.

Winter In America

Gil Scott-Heron

2/5

Absolutely boring. The jazz background is bland and the singing is uninteresting.

Something Else By The Kinks

The Kinks

4/5

I like The Kinks. They have a unique flavor in their '60s rock sound. This is the third and probably the last Kinks album that I will hear in this generator, and my overall impression with these guys is yes they're not a Beatles riff-off, but much of their songs are hit-and-miss. "Something Else" is really something else. It's not as cohesive as "Face to Face" and "Arthur". It's all over the place and a lot of people LOVE albums that are all over the place. Unfortunately, I don't. But "Something Else" still has the charm and string driven ear candies. And I guess that's enough for a great Kinks album. Not as good as its amazing predecessor, "Face to Face", but still decent.

Foxbase Alpha

Saint Etienne

3/5

In the '90s, electronica was trying hard to sound like hip-hop. It made many new subgenres. And of course, not all of them worked.

Imagine

John Lennon

3/5

I was never a fan of the song "Imagine". I discovered it when I was in high school. During that time, I made slogans and reaction papers and essays about all those things about the environment, the society... you get the picture. That being said, I'm basically sick and tired of all these MAKE PEACE and SAVE THE EARTH and all those BLAH BLAH BLAH as if people would listen to fifteen year olds. Not that I don't care, it's just annoying. I feel like a clown writing all those slogans not because I genuinely care but because it's a school requirement. Everything feels synthetic when the school forces you to do it. So when I discovered "Imagine", it just passed as another MAKE PEACE blah blah blah. And listening to it now, it still is. The lyrics are frankly shallow and even naïve, and while the minimalist piano sound is a nice touch, it's not really a captivating tune. But that's the main appeal of this album. The simplicity and the straightforwardness of it. Personally, there's nothing really special about it overall, except perhaps that it's made by a former member of a popular rock band. The ballads have a pretty nice sound, they have better instrumentals then "Imagine". "Jealous Guy" might take a couple of relistens and a dozen articles about him apparently beating his wives for me to appreciate it though. I enjoyed the Beatles remants in the rock tracks. The bluesy "Crippled Inside" and the slightly psychedelic "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier" are nice surprises, although they're still pretty weak. Overall, this album is decent, albeit cheap. It only suffers from the fact that it's overhyped AF and that it's rooted in John Lennon's personal musings, and John Lennon and his personal musings are too easy to hate.

Since I Left You

The Avalanches

5/5

2000's music has an odd tendency to sound like nostalgia. Maybe it's the new century, a transition that baffled even computers during that time. But I felt that this IS what nostalgia actually sounds like. Snippets of familiar sounds that creates comfort despite the chaotic flow of the music as a whole. This really created a new perspective on sampling, leading to a number small movements later in the century. I can hear them here, the lo-fi hiphop, the EDM, even the nightcore. The cover art, which is apparently from a painting by Fred Dana Marsh called "Sinking of USS President Lincoln, 31st May 1918", was also "sampled" and turned into a dreamy painting showing two boats across a big wave. It really defined the album as a whole, sampling and reinterpreting many music and movie snippets to create such an emotional wave. It's been long since an album blew my mind. A new favorite right here.

Tres Hombres

ZZ Top

3/5

1. Make a riff 2. Add lyrics 3. Give it a guitar solo 4. Repeat this 9 more times *also for some reason end the album not with an epic guitar solo but with an annoying repetitive chanting instead.

GI

Germs

3/5

This is actually quite good, as far as these "hardcore punk" albums go. I like the riffs and the angsty energy delivered in the vocals. But there is a reason their peers didn't go beyond 16 minutes, with individual tracks seldom reaching 3 minutes. Hardcore punk songs are basically straightforward bursts of energy. make it a little too long and it turns into noise. PS. That's a pretty odd cover. I though it was an ambient-electronica album at first. I like it, it's not corny or pretentious like other punk album covers.

Gorillaz

4/5

I'm excited to finally hear this popular cartoon band, and I'm not disappointed. It's fresh and unique, an elegant mix of hip-hop and rock. It's not hip-hop and rock in the same way as the exploding nu metal scene of their time with bands like Linkin Park, and definitely not the earlier hard rocking sound of RATM. Unlike those, Gorillaz are chill and carefree, without much angst. And of course it doesn't end there, they also explored more territories such as electronic and punk. As a whole, it's a compelling album with many surprises, albeit inconsistent. On my way to listen to "Demon Days".

Maverick A Strike

Finley Quaye

1/5

☑ Terrible coverㅤ ㅤㅤㅤ ☑ Terrible voiceㅤㅤ ㅤㅤ ☑ Terrible instrumentals Kudos for the worst reggae/reggae+ album that I have ever heard.

Bright Flight

Silver Jews

4/5

I, too, wanna be a water if I can. Because water 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑛.

Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

Terence Trent D'Arby

2/5

No. This is no Sgt. Pepper, this is no Mozart, and this is not the best of the decade. Not a huge fan of Michael Jackson but everyone would agree that he can easily blow this away. This is generic '80s pop. With zero special things in it. Hardly a must listen. Also, why didn't he just name it "The Hardline"? Isn't the unnecessary length of this album the reason he thinks it's in the level of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"? But don't get me wrong, it's decent, and it's getting a bonus star for that.

Selling England By The Pound

Genesis

3/5

Nice keyboard and guitar bits, "Firth of Fifth" has such a compelling buildup that only progrockers can pull out. I would've love it as a whole, too bad I'm never a fan of all these glam rock-ish sound driven by such a charismatic voice.

New York Dolls

2/5

Wait, so does this album imply that overproduced punk = glam rock? No wonder both genres can be annoying.

3 + 3

The Isley Brothers

3/5

3 (that rubbery guitar) + 3 (the rest of the band)

Pink Flag

Wire

3/5

As pure and loud as punk can get.

Happy Sad

Tim Buckley

2/5

Experimental folk, aka interesting instrumental noodling that is constantly eclipsed by some annoying vocals.

Gentlemen

The Afghan Whigs

2/5

Chaos and angst without emotions are just noise. Also, wtf is that cover art?

Either Or

Elliott Smith

3/5

This is so lo-fi it's reeking of dust and musky dead wood smell. I love it. The quality of the guitars, the drums, and the vocals gave it a sincerity and vulnerability that I've always admired with folk. Too bad it's too easy to make this sound boring. It has incredible highlights, but the listening experience as a whole was quite a daze. Perhaps I need a couple of relistens.

Dear Science

TV On The Radio

4/5

Stellar post-punkish build-ups. Generic electronic fiddlings. 2000's indie rock at its funkiest.

Whatever

Aimee Mann

2/5

Music for distilled water enjoyers.

Elephant

The White Stripes

5/5

With a striking 3-color aura and a ravaging blues-punk elephant of an album, The White Stripes is one of the most prominent acts of the 2000's.

John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic

3/5

John Barleycorn is the personification of barley, according to Scottish and English folklore. The events leading to his death are incorporated with the production of beer or whiskey. So that's why poor Johnny "must" die, for us to have booze. It's already evident in the title how much does this album cultivates from folk. It was a captivating work of folk-jazz, but it eventually succumbed into a generic '70s synthrock in the second half. Something died with John Barleycorn halfway through. Still, I understand that a fully instrumental album filled with all those jazz-folk jams would've be exhausting. Like John Barleycorn's journey, it has to go to the next stage. Ultimately, the booze hits pretty quickly, but dies down as quick as it hits.

The Rising

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

A few days after the 9/11 attacks, a stranger in a car reportedly told him: "We need you now." I guess that stranger was right. At times like that, America needs their charismatic rock star who made the anthemic "Born in the USA". Yes, the mentioned track was misinterpreted as patriotic, and yes it was released in the '80s. But I can still see why some American folks would love this kind of music during those times. Today, however, this album, and Bruce Springsteen in general I think, sounds like Christian rock sans Jesus. Some tracks might uplift one, but the 70 minute track is overall a generic mess. Corporate feel-good energy. We don't need it as much as we did in 2001, and we definitely don't need to hear it before we die.

Remedy

Basement Jaxx

2/5

Unfortunately, no matter how much human flesh is stuffed in the cover art, the music stays as robotic as it is.

Frank

Amy Winehouse

4/5

So warm, cozy, and soulful. Like a glass of wine in the solitary comfort of one's home. In short, it's Winehouse.

Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago

3/5

Had to double-check to confirm that yes, they're the ones who brought the '80s ballad "Hard to Say I'm Sorry". The radio staple is far from the jazzy rock sound of their debut album. And it's surprisingly decent, considering I'm not a big fan of jazz. The tracks are overlong, however. A daring move for a debut album, tbh. Strip it down a bit and it'll be a nice eclectic jazz-rock album.

I Am a Bird Now

Antony and the Johnsons

1/5

You don't sound like a bird, you sound like a frigging kettle.

Cafe Bleu

The Style Council

2/5

Sir, this is a Café Bleu. I mean seriously, wth are you doing?

Hunting High And Low

a-ha

2/5

Unfortunately, they're right, A-ha is a one-hit wonder. Fortunately, that MTV staple will always have a special place in me.

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

The 13th Floor Elevators

2/5

I actually liked the electric jug. My main issue with this is the fuzziness of the mixing. I mean it's very fuzzy I had to check if my headphones are broken. Setting it aside, I almost believed that the electric jug stuff is the only notable thing that this album did. But alas, it apparently invented psychedelic rock itself. So, kudos for that I guess.

16 Lovers Lane

The Go-Betweens

3/5

Quite generic. But hey, it's indie rock. And it's not as synth-infected as other '80s albums. So plus points for that.

The Last Broadcast

Doves

4/5

Somewhere between the colorful '90s britpop and the grey, melancholic '00s indie rock, this album lies with its epic pitch black indie rock goodness. But I don't know if it's the relatively outdated sound, or the whiny vocals, or simply the self-indulgence of it that turned me off towards the end. A more developed and concise version of this would've been a 5. Still, a pleasant surprise.

1977

Ash

3/5

Somewhere between "Child Abuse" and "Corporate Record Company Bullshit Wank", "1977" brings a punk-pop sound that is so strikingly '90s that listening to it felt a bit nostalgic. Judging by their opener, "Lose Control", they could've made a good punk album.

Funeral

Arcade Fire

5/5

Far from the generic nostalgia sound of "The Suburbs" and the synth infused "Neon Bible", "Funeral" is a masterpiece. Unlike its successors, this album achieved the genuine emotion-driven epicness, and perhaps that's what they've been trying to do again since. Never been a fan of Arcade Fire but this album is so beautiful.

Let's Get It On

Marvin Gaye

2/5

One day in 1970, Marvin Gaye was like: "SEGGS!" Then, everybody turned to look at him.

B-52's

The B-52's

3/5

It has quite a unique vibe that I love but it doesn't hold well for long. Also, it's freaking hard to find online which pmo

Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson

2/5

Michael's little sister basically portrayed the world in the '80s, particularly the crimes, wars, drugs, poverty, and the weird pop obsession to synthetic drums. Only the last one is portrayed well.

Palo Congo

Sabu

4/5

I've never thought I needed a freaking conga driven Cuban rumba for my morning but here we are.

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

4/5

Not a big fan of reggae but this is definitely among the best one that I heard from the genre. I love the revolutionary lyrics (although I'm not a fan of that ignore-problems-and-just-dance philosophy), and the flow here is great and not monotonous. Bob Marley is such a gem of the genre.

Os Mutantes

5/5

I'm a sucker for Latin music. I'm a sucker for psychedelic rock too. I'm also a sucker for weird experimental stuffs I haven't heard before. This is literally a treat.

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

The Byrds

2/5

I get that they're trying to show that a bunch of hippie rockers like them can make a country music. They definitely can, but that doesn't mean that their generic and character-less set of country covers are enjoyable.

Shake Your Money Maker

The Black Crowes

3/5

"Shake your money maker" is a pretty weird slang phrase. Of course I'm saying this as someone who doesn't live in a culture that uses such phrase. Still, I was a bit surprised at how generic it was. It's a pretty decent blues-rock album, but I'll probably remember 0 of those riffs. Maybe this shake your money maker thing is not as weird as I think it is. Is this what they call "dad-rock"? Christian rock sans Jesus? Maybe. Kudos from being a non-boring, energetic dad-rock of an album though.

american dream

LCD Soundsystem

4/5

It's an interesting mess of 3 genres, which are of course, not mutually exclusive. I like the Brian Eno-ish ambient bits, probably because I'm enjoying the recently discovered Brian Eno himself. I won't actually mind if they go full Brian Eno lite. The disco grooves and the synths gives it a unique character. Then we have those small rock or punk stuffs. It's actually lots of fun, punk with electronic-dance grooves. Quite an experience. Lastly, we have electronic dance. Not a big fan of this one, I'm afraid. It's ironic considering this is the one that gives colours to the other two in this album. Overall, a nice adventure. My kind of mess.

Third

Portishead

5/5

This album, with the plainest name and plainest covert art, is packed with interesting sounds and grooves. It's been a while since I head their debut, "Dummy". While the elegance of that is still evident here, the soulful samples and the chill, seductive atmosphere are stripped down. Making this a dark and anxious album. The messiness and the overly loud drums made it more ominous and uncomfortable. And I freaking love it. For me, the antidote for the robotic genre of electronica is to make it portray the mess of human emotions, dark or otherwise. Portishead's music is such a wildly adventurous one.

Seventh Tree

Goldfrapp

2/5

Another attempt to sing like a bird that ended up sounding like a kettle. Apart from the nice buildup in "Little Bird" and the folksy summer sound of "Clowns" (what the heck are those vocals though?), this album is a bunch of terribly sung folk tunes over forgettable electronica beats. So, yeah, the mentioned 2 tracks basically saved this from a 1 star rating.

Solid Air

John Martyn

3/5

Less concise than "One World" but less boring too. The opener is such a beautiful jazz-folk track. And how it instantly degraded into boring folk-blues or whatever that was is annoying. These mediocre albums with great openers are the worst, it makes me feel bamboozled. Have you ever watched a TV show with a nice pilot episode but turned out to be terrible? It was like that. Still, it's not offensively boring. I agree that "One World" might be better, but at least this album doesn't sound like a long boring trip across the ocean.

Heroes

David Bowie

4/5

As cliché as it sounds, everything he touches turn to gold. The charismatic and glamorous personality is more evident here than on "Young Americans". Whether it's good old rock, or Brian Eno's ambience and slick electronica, or even that weird oriental rock tune, it's packed with such tight stellar-ness that I enjoyed a lot. Quite ahead of its time for a 1977 album.

Superfuzz Bigmuff

Mudhoney

3/5

At this point, grunge seems to be a U-turn from punk in a sense that they are bringing back the thick riffs and guitar noodling from rock that they despised and avoided. For starters, proto-grunge album "Superfuzz Bigmuff" is barely 23 minutes long, but with tracks being as long as 5 and a half minutes (Why can't you just show the original, non-deluxe album, Spotify?). But if one thinks about it, it might just be a perfectly logical evolution of punk. As some pointed out, they derived the muscular sound from metal, particularly Sabbath metal. Noting that metal and punk are born out of the rejection of the bright and noodly psych rock, it's logical that they may be mixed and work together. As an album, "Superfuzz Bigmuff" did show the formation of the Seattle sound from punk. I like the energy and the guitar sounds. Hints of Nirvana-ish sounds are already present. Overall, it's decent. But perhaps it's only an enjoyable listen if one is interested with its background and influence. We already have Nirvana ffs. But of course, while Nirvana raised grunge, bands like Mudhoney conceived it.

The Wall

Pink Floyd

5/5

The Wall. The most popular album by my favorite band Pink Floyd, which is funny because this is basically a Roger Waters solo album in disguise, with Gilmour and producer Ezrin helping, and the rest of the band contributing a little more than nothing. The first thing that one will notice with this album is it's immensity. To begin with, it's a 26-track, 80-minute long double album. It has a lot of styles ranging from acoustic jams to disco-ish tunes. It covers a lot of emotions and atmosphere, after all, it encompasses the character Pink's entire life. Above all this is the denseness of its message. It's pretty deep and bursting with meanings. Dante's "Divine Comedy" comes to mind. Of course, "The Wall" is far from the epic poem. But I've only experienced the dizzying yet stimulating nature of "Divine Comedy" with "The Wall". In short, "The Wall" is not comparable to "Divine Comedy" but it blew my mind in the same way that "Divine Comedy" did. In fact, this album is my big turning point. It's my introduction to Pink Floyd, now my favorite band, and it's also the one that made me see what music can be in a whole new level. Of course, I can definitely see why some might not enjoy this dense story driven album. And I also agree that this is self-indulgent to some degree. As mentioned, it's a Waters solo album. And given the enormity and personal nature of this album, it seems that Waters wanted so bad to be taken seriously. This is evident on how he experienced the tours that they made. He was often irritated at their noisy fans, so much that he once spat on a bunch of them. Fortunately, his collective efforts with his bandmates and producers produced something that is worth taking seriously. "The Wall" has a knack at making the listeners experience the story and the journey of Pink. A demanding listen, but a worthwhile one. PS. > "Another Brick on the Wall Pt. 2" is far from Pink Floyd's best and is one of the most overrated rock songs of all time. The lyrics are shallow, the beats are cheap, and not even Gilmour's solo can save it. > "Comfortably Numb" will never fail to give me goosebumps. > One can ignore Waters's political views. But that doesn't change the fact that there are anti-semitic views fictionally expressed here, and that one of the songs has the old British equivalent of the n-word in it. > Definitely overhyped and even a bit overrated. Not among the band's Top 5 best album. Still, it's a 4.5.

Here Are the Sonics

The Sonics

4/5

This album is so much fun from start to finish, albeit in a dumb way. Here is a '60s band who don't take themselves too seriously. Of course, that leads to lots of potential problems. In this case, we got mediocre covers and way too much "WAAAAHH!". Either the mixing, the recording, or both are freaking bad. Though I like it, it gives the album a raw, no-bullshit atmosphere. Despite all these, it's one dirty and fun rock album. I enjoyed the experience.

White Ladder

David Gray

2/5

"White Ladder" eh? What kind of album name is that? The album cover did not help. It's among the worst one that I have ever seen so far. Here we have a mundane scene of behind some sort of iron fence. In front there's a black square with a glowing diagonal line in it. What the heck is that? It tells a lot about the music itself. Mundane and annoyingly generic. My heart sank when I learned that I'm listening to another "folktronica" album. After that Goldfrapp album, I knew mixing folk and electronica is a bad idea. I enjoyed it a bit more though. I like the electronic tunes in some places, particularly in the moments where emotions can be felt. However, that does not necessarily mean that it's better than Goldfrapp's "Seventh Tree". The mentioned album is more inventive and less generic than this. This is some well-produced folk pop for malls, and it's evident with that voice. In conclusion, David Gray's album is, well, gray. I can accept the first track, but as a whole, it's another proof that the robotic electronica and the emotional, human folk is at least very difficult to marry.

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

4/5

[Wesley's Theory] The album opens up with some reggae-soul sample that goes "Every n**** is a star..." then suddenly hits with some beautifully complex array of beats. I get that a lot of people will be dazzled by such display of complexity, and maybe even the rampant use of the n-word. But this is a nice introduction to the album, a complex, dark, and exhausting album. I already heard this album a lot of times, and this is my introduction to Kendrick. Yet even now, it's still among my favorite songs of his. Far from the chill vibes of the rest of his discography, but still mind upliftingly good. [For Free?] This interlude is not something that I would casually listen too, but still, it's very fascinating. Here, we got a string of obscenities and profanities over a jazz track. Setting aside the humorous element of such contrast, there's a number of possible interpretation for this. But I'll focus on how Kenrick, the so-called "savior of hiphop", is pushing the genre to its limits. "For Free?" is far from the average hiphop track, song or interlude. It's some fascinating effort to explore, not to represent the genre. [King Kunta] A lot of first-time listeners, including me before in fact, unsurprisingly cites this as their favorite track off the album. It's no surprise, "King Kunta" is akin to MBDTF's "Power" and DAMN's "HUMBLE". It's popular, not necessarily because it's better than the rest, but because it's less demanding of a listen. Being less complex, it's easy to get tired of this song after a few listen. Personally, it may just be a demand for the album to take seriously, both in terms of buying it obviously, and in terms of listening to the rest of it's dense 80 minute runtime. [Institutionalized - Complexion] A huge chunk of the middle of the album. This is the meat, where most of the message comes from. Unfortunately, this is the section that I find hard to get into. While some songs stand out, it feels like every song is just the same Kendrick-rapping-with-a-weird-voice-over-the-same-soul-track thingy. Not a big fan of Kendrick's peculiar vocal style either. "Loving you is complicateHHHE!" is personally among the worst verses he ever did. The hooks are not that great either. I remember the thing about shit not changing "until you get up and wash your ass" and the stuff where Kendrick is babbling "BOOBOO!", in a bad way. "Alright" is a unique song in this period, although I'm not a fan of that repetitive rock-ish tune. I can see why it became an anthem for the BLM movement though. [The Blacker the Berry] Damn, this track is so good. I wonder if my relistens would include the whole album if it wasn't for this highlight. Basically, this is the album at its most emotional, the climax. A mind blowing masterpiece of his. [You Ain't Gonna Lie - i] The cool down after "The Blacker the Berry" is somewhat the same vibes as the aforementioned middle of the album. For some reason though, I liked these tracks. Perhaps it's the more positive nature of these tracks. [Mortal Man] Finally, the album ends with this complex 10-minute closer. Here, he finally finished the thematic poem that was being recited throughout the album, after that, he had a fictional chitchat with TuPac, effectively explaining the whole idea of the album. The conclusion, one might say. Whew! Pardon for such lengthy review, I decided that writing my mixed feelings about this complex masterpiece is easier done track-by-track-ish. As one can see, it's an exhausting, complex, demanding album. But it's art, enjoyable for me or not. A modern classic. Still, I will rate it based on how I enjoy it. After all, I'm here to listen albums, not to be a critic wanabee. Will it eventually be a 5? Perhaps, but as you can see, even now I'm still intimidated by this mammoth.

Bad

Michael Jackson

2/5

No, employing more production elements does not mean that it's "edgier". I don't really see it as a mover outward from the phenomenal "Thriller". Apart, of course, from the fact that it sounds like the filler tracks of "Thriller" being stretched into an album. As trite as it sounds, it's indeed bad. Basically the groovy "Smooth Criminal" and the rest is filler.

OK

Talvin Singh

3/5

K

The Renaissance

Q-Tip

2/5

For the last time, overproducing an album does not make it sound "futuristic". Or maybe it does if one's perception of the future is where everything is robotic, colorless, and smells like bleach.

Document

R.E.M.

2/5

TIL just because it's called "college rock" doesn't mean it's suitable to listen to while doing lab exercises.

Elvis Is Back

Elvis Presley

4/5

Surprisingly good. I have a weak spot for all these 50's-60's generic pop blues sound and Elvis managed to hit it in here, despite the usual lack of singles.

American Idiot

Green Day

3/5

Punk rock opera. It's such an interesting phrase, and one that fits Green Day's massive album, "American Idiot". Apparently, more than just signing with a major label and being one of the biggest "pop-punk" act of the early 2000's, they made a CONCEPT ALBUM. With tracks as long as 9 minutes, complex structure, and big guitar and production tricks. Perhaps the only common thing between Green Day's sound and punk's general sound it the political and teenage angst dimension of it. That being said, it's a more demanding listen than I expected. Some tunes and lyrics are fire, but some are too messy to follow. I might listen to it again with more focus, but as of now, I'm not in a mood for some overblown punk rock.

Risque

CHIC

3/5

Popular music owes a lot to disco, especially this album. So I guess it deserves the respect that it gets now. As a listen though, it's quite overlong and repetitive. Of course that's understandable if my guess that the practice of making lengthier pop songs began here. The story goes that disco DJ's find it hard to quickly switch discs since songs usually ends after 2-3 minutes. They need more time to find the next songs' discs. So the songs need to be longer. And how can a 3 minute song transform into a still danceable 6 minute whopper? By repeating the hook over and over again of course. It's hard to think that such a generic disco album is so revolutionary, but it is. Packed with irresistible grooves and carefree atmosphere, it's still an enjoyable listen and a quintessential disco album.

Chirping Crickets

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

3/5

The thing is, almost nothing about its sound is new to me. I already heard all of these blues, ballad, and rock-n-roll tunes. And I don't really mind, as I'm a sucker for pop songs of this age. The problem is, "Chirping Crickets" is a big hit-and-miss. I see the appeal: those guitars made me feel sunny no matter how rainy it is today, and that voice has that urgency that I always like with blues and rock-n-roll. But some of the songs unintendedly border into being a parody or a cheap copy of other tunes. And even if these tunes came after this album, it doesn't change the fact that they are at least more preferable to listen to. So kudos for the influence I guess, but I'll only come back for a handful of tracks.

Rattlesnakes

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions

2/5

Folk rock: like rock, but boring.

Master Of Puppets

Metallica

5/5

It's tempting to refer to this as the sibling of "Ride the Lightning", better sibling even. Not really because it sounds like Lightning 2 but because it sounds like Lightning version 2. Lightning but more complex, more polished, and more epic. But that may only be because of Metallica's conservatism, making the albums follow the same pattern of tracks. Not to mention the overlapping themes. On top of that, the tricks and thrill of Lightning and Puppets are almost the same. Nice headbanging riffs, aggressive vocals, melodic section that catches one off guard, power ballads that ravages like avalanche, epic instrumental track, etc. So which one is better? The epic Lightning in bright blue? Or the wild Puppets in fiery red? I think it doesn't matter, because both equally blew my mind.

Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan

4/5

The first folk album that blew my mind. I know that folk artists are basically poets, but here Bob Dylan is on another level. I love the images and narratives that he conjure with the lyrics, and I regretted not focusing on them much. Maybe next time when I am not too busy. As for the sound, we got some delicious harmonica fiddling. Some tracks are bluesy and some have rock elements. I enjoyed it a lot and I know that this is something special. So while it tend to be boring sometimes, I think it will grow on me after a few re-listens.

Dare!

The Human League

3/5

Surprisingly good and inventive for a synth-pop album. The synths, and the songs in general actually, are a bunch of hit-and-miss. When they did hit though, it's very nice and groovy, they have the haunting synth sounds that I love about '80s pop. It's definitely a daring, albeit monotonous, synth-pop album. The popular tracks hit it, and they hit it well.

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

4/5

Sci-fi and futuristic themes in cute colors such as pink. I don't know what kind of aesthetic is this but I think I love it now.

Superunknown

Soundgarden

1/5

Rating of each track (based on personal enjoyment of course): 01: 1 02: 1 03: 1 04: 1 05: 1 06: 1 07: 5 08: 1 09: 1 10: 1 11: 1 12: 1 13: 1 14: 1 15: 1 mean = 1.27 median = 1 mode = 1 standard deviation = 0.998 FINAL SCORE: 1

Faith

George Michael

2/5

Without the sax, "Careless Whisper" boy is no different from other '80s pop-soul acts. Generic, pompous, and ironically not as sexy as they think it is.

At Budokan

Cheap Trick

2/5

Live albums suck, why do they even exist? I may like it if it appears to expand the tracks and give the audience/listeners a new experience with it, but they did not. These tracks are just the louder version of their studio counterparts, and apparently, critics liked it because their "energy" is apparent here. In other words, their studio songs probably suck. Also, while it has some decent, headbanging moments, the sound as a whole is still that annoying, generic, glam rock nonsense. Can't believe it's preserved at the Library of Congress. Some say that they pioneered hard rock and maybe power pop. Which is wrong, Led Zeppelin introduced hard rock to the world around a decade ago, power pop is associated with '60s acts such as The Who, while glam rock is seen as a fruit of some early '70s art rock acts such as David Bowie. Apparently, what they did pioneer are live albums, and like I said, live albums suck.

Foo Fighters

2/5

I like Dave Grohl as a drummer in Nirvana. As a one-man band, however, he is... impressive. The energy in Nirvana is here in its raw form. But let's be real, this is kinda bland. I understand why it can be cathartic after Cobain's death, but it sounded like grunge is lost and is finding a new direction here.

Goo

Sonic Youth

2/5

Expectation: "Daydream Nation" but more mainstream. Reality: Not even close to "Daydream Nation".

Elastica

2/5

Punk but chill.

Billion Dollar Babies

Alice Cooper

2/5

Shock rock? This is just glam rock with edgy lyrics.

Purple Rain

Prince

4/5

Finally, '80s rock that actually works.

Back To Black

Amy Winehouse

4/5

'60s pop soul married with '00s R&B. What more could one possibly ask for?

It's A Shame About Ray

The Lemonheads

2/5

Imagine being Ray. Being kicked out of school for so many times you not only made it in the newspaper but also inspire a generic alt-rock album.

Time Out

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

4/5

No surprise that it became commercially successful. Not because it employed unconventional time signatures but because it is a jazz album that knows how to weave pleasing tunes. Chill, easy to digest, and complex, it's another jazz album that I genuinely like.

The Hour Of Bewilderbeast

Badly Drawn Boy

3/5

Massive yet easy to digest. Perhaps because it sounds cheaper than it should be. Or because it's overlong. Or because it's kinda bland in most places. I don't know exactly, but I do love some indie folk rock nonetheless.

Debut

Björk

2/5

Woahhh, looks like Björk is into electronica after all. Too bad I'm not.

My Generation

The Who

3/5

Blues but LOUD!

Rapture

Anita Baker

4/5

Soul and R&B saved '80s music.

Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

Spiritualized

4/5

: What happens when you inflate shoegaze so much it gets overblown? We TRANSCEND I'm telling ya, we TRANSCEND! Because you see, we're just floating in space!!! : You're just high, Susan, cut it out.

Casanova

The Divine Comedy

4/5

Ngl, the sound and the production are quite stellar. But I don't think a man who takes himself THAT seriously would seduce a woman. It's pretty good as a listen, but the pompous-ness is kinda distracting.

A Short Album About Love

The Divine Comedy

2/5

2 albums from this guy? Why? Good thing this dropped on holidays so I had an excuse to skip this and just rest. I don't think I can handle two days of this self-important boy. Anyway, "A Short Album About Love" is indeed a short album about love. That's it.

Fleet Foxes

4/5

It seems that folk or country/pastoral are the only genres that sound good when overblown. This is a pleasant surprise, like an accidentally stunning rural landscape. Almost a 5 if it didn't drag in the end.

Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

Frank Sinatra

2/5

The coolness is there, but personally, Frankie is not for bossa nova. It's already clear in its opener, their (bad) version of "A Girl from Ipanema". Even I was surprised at how boring this was, overall. He's a great singer, but again, bossa nova is a different field. So nice try I guess.

Ritual De Lo Habitual

Jane's Addiction

4/5

The singer's girlfriend died of heroin overdose, and his mother died by suicide when he was 4. The latter event connects him to the guitarist, whose mom was murdered when he was a teenager. Seeing all these as background, I expected this to be dark, and hoped that it's not exploitative. As a listen, I was a bit surprised at how interesting it was. And perhaps it's because such non-pompous and energizing flavor of hard rock is rare. It's quite fun, despite the generic-ness of it all.

Emergency On Planet Earth

Jamiroquai

4/5

Appropriation aside, they definitely got the groove.

Street Life

The Crusaders

2/5

I'm knee-deep in funk right now, and I don't think I need half an hour of pointless, generic, fiddly funk.

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

4/5

One day, Aretha explored the domain of soul. She conquered it ever since.

Led Zeppelin

5/5

Woah. Looks like I got the perfect firecracker this new year!

Talking Book

Stevie Wonder

4/5

Glad that I got this a few days after getting Jamiroquai, which are described as Stevie Wonder riff-offs. I enjoyed them though, and that being said, I expected a lot from the OG dance funk star himself. And my expectations are met. This is amazing. I love the keyboards and Stevie's personality. Unfortunately, this album still has a considerable share of fillers. But I can definitely say that this is much better than Jamiroquai's appropriated stuff.

Siembra

Willie Colón & Rubén Blades

2/5

Despite my interest in Latin music, salsa ain't for me, apparently. I can't follow anything as I listen. It's kind of confusing. Not my kind of groove.

Pelican West

Haircut 100

2/5

Interesting instrumentals, but too new-wave for my taste. The band name and the album name sounds like they were generated by an AI lol. Quite generic, overall.

Moss Side Story

Barry Adamson

3/5

Like trip hop, but worse.

Achtung Baby

U2

3/5

Less synths, more rock. That's a good decision, U2.

Goodbye And Hello

Tim Buckley

3/5

OMG, a sadboi album lol. "I never asked to be your mountain" What???? Interesting sounds though, as far as these folk rock albums go.

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

4/5

Mmmmm... delicious dreampop-ish Radiohead with light-mode on.

Exit Planet Dust

The Chemical Brothers

4/5

Digging holes or exiting some planet. These brothers are the only ones who managed to create electronic music that blew my mind.

In A Silent Way

Miles Davis

5/5

Is this really jazz? This is too good.

Protection

Massive Attack

4/5

A bit too wild for a trip hop album, but nice nonetheless. That "Light My Fire" cover is annoying btw.

3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...

Arrested Development

4/5

A bit too hippie and dated, but still quite enjoyable. It's not that uplifting and good for me to revisit it often though. I appreciate that they started something, and that they set the hip hop world on fire, albeit for a while.

Maxinquaye

Tricky

4/5

And I thought Massive Attack's "Protection" was wild lol. Basically pushing trip hop to its limits. Most of the time it's good and surprising. But I've got to admit to it sounds like a trip hop parody in some places. Perhaps he took himself seriously, after all he wanted to prove a point: that he has some nice ideas for Massive Attack's trip hop sound, even if he doesn't know how to properly sample.

All Hope Is Gone

Slipknot

4/5

It's not really as inventive as the critics claim it is. It's still the usual Slipknot. Same tricks. same themes, same sounds. But I do appreciate how well-produced and organized this is. Love it or hate it, this is Slipknot at their best, imo.

Honky Tonk Heroes

Waylon Jennings

4/5

Minimalist, straighforward, and down to earth. Mr. Jennings knew what he was doing here.

Sound Affects

The Jam

2/5

A Paul McCartney inspired punk. Sounds fancy, yes? In reality, it's just mediocre punk with good bass.

Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A.

5/5

Hiphop at its edgiest, cringiest, and most provocative. To be fair, the beats slaps hard despite the surprisingly shallow lyrics. Some claim that they portray the raw "reality" of living in such a place, and some would claim that they are tapping on the real societal issues. In reality, it's just a series of raps marketed for edgy teenagers of their time. Again, the beats and the production is quite stellar despite all that. Basically Public Enemy but edgier. Still, I would lie if I say I didn't enjoy it. It's no surprise they brought gangster rap to attention with this album. This isn't the first time I very much enjoyed an album which I know has flaws so why withdraw a star right?

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

3/5

I think 1 hour is more than enough to prove that you mastered the art of sampling and that you can now make compelling beats and loops. Congratulations. However, I suggest you stop shouting. Seriously, I already dig it in "License to Ill". Even the i-word is retained here, lol.

Duck Rock

Malcolm McLaren

1/5

Fun fact: It seems that nobody likes world music until someone appropriates it for them.

Highway to Hell

AC/DC

3/5

Driven by generic, power chord riffs. Themes of sex and partying peppered with "satanic" imageries. And of course, an energetic lead by a singer who would soon drink himself to death. Arguably, this is the most "rock'n'roll" album ever.

Sea Change

Beck

3/5

Could've been the most beautiful sounding folk rock album I've ever heard if it wasn't so overdone and overlong. I get why others would love it, but it got boring after the first few (amazing) tracks.

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

3/5

Applauded as genre-defining as well as a mark of a career turning point. Apparently, this is the beginning of Stevie's matured songwriting. For some reason, I found it less interesting than its predecessor, "Talking Book". While this is undeniably deeper and more mature than the mentioned album, this album is also more restrained and more "standard". The grooves and the great voice are there, but I find it droning after a while. Don't worry, it's probably just me and my terrible new earphones.

Play

Moby

5/5

Okay class, so today we learned that: 1. Acoustic blues based electronica does exist. 2. It's sublime.

Tonight's The Night

Neil Young

3/5

Dark, sad country... or is it rock?

Beautiful Freak

Eels

4/5

soft grunge :3

Is This It

The Strokes

4/5

Minimalist, young person energy driven punk-ish album. On top of that are such delicious basslines. This is quite hot.

Veckatimest

Grizzly Bear

3/5

As catchy as a pop album. As adventurous as an indie rock album. And as intimate yet boring as a folk album. Pretty nice.

OK Computer

Radiohead

5/5

Is it the intimate, non-pompous spin of the "we live in society" trope? Or the surprisingly fresh guitar-based sound? Or maybe just the general, oddly comforting yet dark atmosphere of it. What else can be said about one of my favorite albums ever? Instant 5. And for the last time, no I'm not depressed.

Run-D.M.C.

4/5

Now, that IS how you make a hardcore rap.

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Incredible String Band

3/5

Apparently, to make folk "fun", one has to put a lot of drugs in it. It was indeed fun.

Scott 4

Scott Walker

2/5

Orchestra rarely improves the minimalist, intimate folk. It makes it sound pompous, cheesy, and even more boring.

Music From Big Pink

The Band

3/5

These guys are given a chance to have a band name so that they are not referred to as "Dylan's backing band", and they chose THAT name? lol. To be fair, it's as generic as '60s psych-rock can be. A bit too generic if to be honest.

Giant Steps

The Boo Radleys

3/5

I've got to admit that such creamy guitars and shoegaze-ish vocals turned this britpop tune into some nice jams. But come on, who the heck would want an hour of britpop? Basically Smashing Pumpkins but worse.

Mr. Tambourine Man

The Byrds

3/5

So apparently, they popularized folk rock by covering Dylan songs. Nice feat, I guess.

Buffalo Springfield Again

Buffalo Springfield

3/5

The more I listen to folk rock, the more I realize how generic it is. It doesn't really dare to make new feats (or maybe it does in the form of interesting guitar licks). It plays safe and stays where it is. That's quite boring imo.

Electric Warrior

T. Rex

3/5

It's hard to believe that a janglified Elliott Smith inspired glam rock, punk, and new wave.

I Against I

Bad Brains

3/5

Perhaps the most metal sounding punk album that I've ever heard.

British Steel

Judas Priest

2/5

NWOBHM striked me as too uncomfortably close to glam metal. Too much bright, too pop, and too standard. And no, I'm not a metal purist who insist on making the genre edgy, extreme, and underground. I don't like this subgenre simply because it sucks. This album in particular sounds like AC/DC fans trying hard to sound like Queen (it IS inspired by AC/DC after all). Not something I would expect from the band who made "Painkiller". That song introduced me to this band. Everyone there was at their prime. Tiktok hit "Breaking the Law" on the other hand, while undeniably a banger, is a pretty soft hit. So... kudos for bringing NWOBHM into the mainstream, I guess?

James Brown Live At The Apollo

James Brown

3/5

'60s soul always get me. And a live album by James Brown shows it in its raw glory. Decent at it's best.

Raising Hell

Run-D.M.C.

3/5

blah blah ~Oh! A Tiktok hit, I did not expect that at all! blah blah blah Is that an Aerosmith cover? blah blah blah blah blah Oh God, why the raspberry blowing sample? blah blah blah blah Wow, "You Be Illin'" is surprisingly groovy. blah blah blah. Oh, it's over. What a surprisingly underwhelming work, especially considering how mind blowing their debut was. I guess it's undeniably influential though.

Station To Station

David Bowie

3/5

Bowie himself said it best: devoid of spirit, but fascinating.

The Slider

T. Rex

4/5

Damn. What a leap from "Electric Warrior".

GREY Area

Little Simz

4/5

Little Simz, eh? What a surprising treat this is. Not that I think modern rap = bad but it simply slaps. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B could never.

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

4/5

Woah, they really have to use an actual religious image huh? Anyway, this record sent me to space.

Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra

4/5

Every song in this albums sounds the same: it sounds good.

Kind Of Blue

Miles Davis

3/5

"Blue in Green" is indeed blue. Very blue, in fact. Mind-blowing, transcedental experience inducing blue. The rest... well, the rest is just kind of blue.

Broken English

Marianne Faithfull

3/5

Right after Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra, and Miles Davis, I got some new wave. Gotta love this random algorithm.

Oedipus Schmoedipus

Barry Adamson

5/5

What's that cover? Am I listening to black metal today? Oedipus Schmoedipus? This must be weird AF. Maybe weird for the sake of being weird. Oh. Experimental music. I'm excited. I expect to hear some bells and electric drills and shit. A soundtrack to an imaginary movie? I heard something like that before... Was that a Barrett-era Pink Floyd cover? Wow. Wait a minute. It says... pelvis. So it's trip hop but it's actually trippy. A Miles Davis impression? Daring. A bit scary sometimes, ngl. Lol. I've never had an album that constantly surprises me for a while. What an experience. What a treat.

Siamese Dream

The Smashing Pumpkins

5/5

As sweet as that cotton candy that my siblings and I ate in that carnival back then. As creamy as the pasta that we ate that weird but fun night where me and my family went the a park a long time ago. As enjoyable as the games and roleplays that my playmates and I used to create when we play in the streets. And as sad and longing as the nostalgia that incorporates all of these.

Under Construction

Missy Elliott

4/5

This is tons of fun and consistently enjoyable. Well produced, nice collabs, and solid flows. It doesn't really sound like it's "under construction".

461 Ocean Boulevard

Eric Clapton

3/5

Generic whitewashed blues.

Disraeli Gears

Cream

2/5

Yet ANOTHER generic whitewashed blues... but this time with headache-inducing guitars.

The Beach Boys Today!

The Beach Boys

4/5

Whiny '60s rock which is a bit of a hit-and-miss. But its The Beach Boys so the hits are spot-on and the misses are at least inoffensive. A fun and easy listen overall.

Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park

4/5

It's nice to revisit my teenage obsession. Well-produced, but kind of predictable and even synthetic as a result. Still, the pop structure is probably what launched them into popularity back then. Some of the riffs are, while simple, memorable at least for me. I can smell the 2000's air with that iconic "In the End" riff. Of course we have Chester whose voice and screams can tickle any adolescent angst. And Mike who flows well with Chester, although I do agree that his rapping is mediocre at best. Overall, a fun listen. Partly because of the nostalgia that it brings. I hate being that guy but life really felt better back in those days. As an album, it's pretty nice still. Its predecessor, "Meteora" might be more solid and more polished, but this album still have the angsty early LP vibe.

Modern Life Is Rubbish

Blur

3/5

As far as I can tell, Blur's brand of britpop is rock-based. Heavy riffs, fast paced, and wild sounding. This is in contrast with their rival Oasis's brand, which I think is pop-based. I don't really want to pick a side, because both are the same: promising at some places but falls flat as a generic pop-rock instead. Britpop in general, it seems, likes to play safe.

Blur

3/5

I swear this generator is messing with me. Yet another 2 consecutive albums from the same artist! Well, at least it's easier to compare and assess the artist's progress that way. Blur in particular seem to actually dive right into the rock territory in the beginning. "Song 2" in particular is an almost metal-ish banger. They do not shy from other areas as well, like punk, art-rock, funk-rock, etc. This isn't necessarily a good thing, however. Because as a result, this debut is quite messy and much less concise than "Modern Life is Rubbish". It has great moments, but as a whole, it sounds like a typical generic pop-rock like most britpop albums do. At least they clearly improved later on.

The Idiot

Iggy Pop

2/5

Figure 1: Iggy Pop describing his rough Bowie-assisted parkour from proto-punk to post-punk.

Real Life

Magazine

4/5

I never thought that synthy punk can be this good.

A Grand Don't Come For Free

The Streets

1/5

So this is what happens when British people try to rap, huh?

Private Dancer

Tina Turner

2/5

There are many enjoyable grandma pop stuff around, this isn't one of them.

Idlewild

Everything But The Girl

2/5

It hit all of my expectations, which are low.

Swordfishtrombones

Tom Waits

4/5

I think it's time to give Mr. Waits the rating he deserves. This is probably the last album from him that I'll get from this generator, which is sad considering he's one of the artists that I look forward to. Anyway, "Swordfishtrombones" is notably Tom Waits. Weird, full of gravel, and hard to digest. So to avoid another regretful rating, I digested this one slowly. And hell it's quite good. Brings me to places I never knew I'd enjoy being in. Perhaps not as good as "Rain Dogs" or not as inventive as "Bone Machine", but it still has all the surprises and tricks one would expect from Tom Waits. Arguably the most interesting artist on this list.

We Are Family

Sister Sledge

2/5

Catchy, yet repetitive and outdated. Of course this isn't a surprise for a standard disco album.

Reggatta De Blanc

The Police

1/5

A rampant appropriation of reggae. A rock-based, generic, new wave album. A minor album from a one hit wonder.

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo

Devo

2/5

A parody, a satire, a statement. Apparently, devo is a shortened term for "devolution". These guys believe that the American society is devolving. They made sour tunes based on punk and accidentally started the terrible synth epidemic in '80s pop. Kinda surprised this was produced by Brian Eno. In short, it's fascinating, it's fun, but unfortunately, it's new wave.

Moondance

Van Morrison

2/5

Basically someone who wants to please Dylan a lot.

The Genius Of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

3/5

Great voice, but the band in the background is distractingly loud. The second half is better. Mostly piano based ballads which let his sound shine well. Decent overall I guess.

Bert Jansch

3/5

Not in the mood for folk rn but damn those guitar works are fire.

Fisherman's Blues

The Waterboys

4/5

Happy folk is nice folk.

The Sensual World

Kate Bush

2/5

Now I know where in the '80s did Taylor Swift got those atmospheric pop thingy stuffs. Still, this album is as fuzzy and boring as an '80s pop album can be. Not a fan of Kate Bush and listening to two of her most influential albums didn't change my mind.

Rocks

Aerosmith

3/5

Wait, Aerosmith did something other than "Dream On" in the '70s? That's... interesting. Especially knowing that it's hard rock and not power ballad as I expected. Still, not as impressive as it is fascinating. Decent, but quite generic.

Hotel California

Eagles

2/5

"Hotel California" is a masterpiece of classic rock with lyrics, guitar works, and tunes that I'll never get tired of. Still remains as one of my favorites of all time. I'm talking about the song, not the album, btw.

The Chronic

Dr. Dre

4/5

Aside from having such an edgy lyrical content, the nice synthy production made this album a behemoth of rap. Not as good as I expected as a listen, but still enjoyable on a somewhat shallow level.

Movies

Holger Czukay

3/5

Sounds like an overly complex ambient-electronica album. Like most experimental music, it's quite interesting and it has ups and downs. A notable up is of course the surprisingly charming oriental inspired "Persian Love".

Junkyard

The Birthday Party

2/5

Taking the worst things about post punk and amplifying it in this mess.

Faust IV

Faust

2/5

It's exactly what I expect from an experimental rock piece. Interesting, yet boring.

Kick Out The Jams (Live)

MC5

2/5

When you can't noisily throw random generic rock-'n'-roll stuffs in the studio so you made your debut album a live album...

Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan

2/5

I think I get it now. While I dislike folk rock in general, I'll enjoy one with a good, intimate instrumental works and a nice voice. Dylan has none of them here.

The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett

2/5

The thing is, I've always been a huge fan of the Barrett-era Floyd. I adore the whimsical, childlike, and colorful nature of it. It's weird, but not weird for the sake of being weird. It's sad that Barrett is only seen as "that guy who went mad". While it does add a drama to the story, I think it tends to ignore the "genius" in his Pink Floyd works. This album did not help. Entitled "The Madcap Laughs", it capitalizes on Barrett's situation. It does not have the colors and the soul of his works in Pink Floyd. While it has interesting instrumental parts, it's overall a mess of noise. Did Barrett really devolved into that? A tragic story, I guess, but for some reason it made me angry.

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

3/5

An attempt to make a progressive space rock album by disco-fying Bowie's sound.

Sister

Sonic Youth

3/5

Sonic rock from Sonic Youth.

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

4/5

I love the gothic tunes of it, but it tends to get boring after a couple of minutes. It sounds good but that doesn't mean that it can go on for minutes. Quite lazy and monotonous imo.

Black Metal

Venom

3/5

It's much more listenable than I expected. Instead of ridiculously lo-fi speedy riffs and intelligible high pitched vocals, I got some proto-trash riffs with an ok vocals (by extreme metal standards). I realized it's all about the lyrics, which of course explores satanic themes. Overall, surprisingly decent for such an anti-commercial album.

Clube Da Esquina

Milton Nascimento

4/5

A consistently interesting one hour that was. I love the instrumentals in some places. And while the singing doesn't interest me most of the time (not to mention I don't speak their language), it still has nice highlights.

Zombie

Fela Kuti

4/5

Such a dark, bloody background for such a level of groove.

Ghosteen

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

1/5

The sound is as boring and pompous as its cover art.

Wild Wood

Paul Weller

3/5

Another album that sounds potentially good in the beginning but sags in the middle as if it ran out of tricks. And another album that would probably be better if it's half as long.

Stripped

Christina Aguilera

2/5

Christina Aguilera is one of those people whose name is familiar to me and nothing else is. I mean... I know she's a '00s icon but how come I don't remember a single song from her? But I do know that she's the one who sang the (boring) bridge of Maroon 5's "Move Like Jagger". Fun fact: that's her number 1 song in Spotify lol. And OH! She's the gal in Pitbull's "Feel this Moment"?! Interesting. I do like her performance in that song. The nostalgia in that cheap EDM spiced song lol. Anyway, "Stripped" shows the probable reason why I don't remember her: she sounds generic. She didn't even care to put any of those cheap glams associated with '00s R&B and I guess that's something. I don't hate it, it's just uninteresting. Although the rock-based "Fighter" was surprisingly nice. Also, I didn't know she sang "Beautiful". I thought it was decent, but unfortunately, I associate it with beauty product ads with "advocacies" nowadays. Not that it's her fault though. But thinking about it, it's nothing beyond decent.

Felt Mountain

Goldfrapp

4/5

Idk what is that sonic synthy rubbery whistle thingy but I liked how it's used here.

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

3/5

Damn, what a voice.

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

2/5

There is too much Neil Young on this list. It didn't help that his music is mostly generic country rock.

The Colour Of Spring

Talk Talk

2/5

Ditching the synths was a smart move to get away from the dark valley of new-wave. Unfortunately, that grating voice drags it back down. Doesn't sound like spring at all, it would've been a perfect album for this time if it was.

Alien Lanes

Guided By Voices

2/5

Forty minutes of Oasis outtakes.

First Band On The Moon

The Cardigans

2/5

This is what I imagine Sonic Youth would sound like without the distortions lol. The vocals are annoying most of the time, although it sounds nice sometimes.

Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Derek & The Dominos

2/5

Layla and other generic rock songs..

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John

2/5

Apparently, Elton only sounds good if he's doing ballad.

Let Love Rule

Lenny Kravitz

3/5

An ok hard rock. Neat but completely forgettable.

Live At Leeds

The Who

3/5

Completing the week-long string of mediocre albums, I got a freaking live album today. Hooray.

Double Nickels On The Dime

Minutemen

3/5

I mean, there are albums that are worse than 80 minutes of punk. And the instrumentals are a bit interesting in some places so I guess it's fine. I'll probably never listen to this again.

Cut

The Slits

2/5

I was having a bad day and the last time I needed was an amateurish reggae-punk nonsense.

Mama's Gun

Erykah Badu

4/5

I enjoyed it much more than I expected. Fresh sounding soul that foreshadows much of the R&B scene in the 2000's and the 2010's.

Hail To the Thief

Radiohead

3/5

Perhaps Radiohead's most political album. But despite the anger, they still managed to hold on to their signature whiny sound. This is in fact the intersection of all their biggest sounds. The guitar-driven rock of OK Computer, the mesmerizing electronica of Kid a, and even the relaxing yet explosive build-up of In Rainbows. Tbh, it's a bit of a challenge getting into this one, not necessarily because it's super weird, but because it's deceptively generic. Maybe after a few relistens, I will appreciate it more.

The Marshall Mathers LP

Eminem

5/5

Well first of all, we notice that it's named after himself, instead of his notorious alter-ego Slim Shady. It's definitely more personal than Slim Shady LP, making this even nastier. Another is the cover, the dark and bland color scheme it has which is a sharp contrast to the comical bright blue cover of Slim Shady LP. It's darker and edgier. Because of this, The Marshall Mathers LP is quite a ride. It has Eminem's signature violence, the misogyny, the homophobia, etc. It contains much of his biggest overplayed hits like "Stan" and "The Real Slim Shady". And of course we get the stellar Dr. Dre driven production on top of it. Mixed feelings overall. But I can definitely see why this is considered as Eminem's best and a classic. Maybe the production piggy-backed it all, it's Dr. Dre after all. How could you kill him and lock him in your basement, Marshall?

Live At The Regal

B.B. King

3/5

I've always thought that I have a weak spot for blues live albums, despite my hatred against live albums in general. But this one kinda washed over me. It just droned on and didn't catch my attention much. Quite underwhelming considering how hyped this is, but still pretty decent.

The Who Sell Out

The Who

2/5

Generic '60s sound. The only unique thing they did apparently was putting ad jingles in it, but come on, everybody hates ad jingles.

The Bends

Radiohead

3/5

The void between Pablo Honey and OK Computer. It has great moments, but overall it's a generic mess reminiscent of Pablo Honey.

Teenager Of The Year

Frank Black

4/5

It's almost ridiculous how this experimental sounding rock is so catchy.

Take Me Apart

Kelela

2/5

Beyoncé but without character.

Back to Mystery City

Hanoi Rocks

2/5

Uninteresting, bland, generic glam rock.

Pictures At An Exhibition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

4/5

I never thought that I'd enjoy a progressive rock live album but here we are. I love the keyboard fiddlings fueled with drums and other instruments. I also like how the songs are loosely wrapped in some sort of a plot. These guys can probably make a fire video game soundtrack.

Dry

PJ Harvey

4/5

It has the authenticity and energy that I love about indie music and at the same time, it has the dirtiness of early grunge. Quite nice.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

3/5

I just wished today's weather was rainy enough for me to appreciate this melancholic rock more.

Rattus Norvegicus

The Stranglers

3/5

It's notably new wave, complete with a terrible band name and irritatingly generic vocals. But I think they deserved recognition for being quite interesting despite all that. Some keyboard and guitar driven moments are amazing. Overall, I can say that it didn't annoy me as much as other new wave albums did.

Here Come The Warm Jets

Brian Eno

3/5

I've always thought that his efforts in Roxy Music and other art rocks acts are nice. But as a solo artist, Bian Eno have always been the "ambient guy".

Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Pavement

3/5

ok alt-rock

Jack Takes the Floor

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

3/5

Well, his voice does not grate my ears, the guitar works are nice, it's not overblown or overproduced. So while it sounds a bit generic, it's pretty good for a standard folk album.

Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter

3/5

Lo-fi indie. the sound is too fuzzy in some places, making it a bit boring. But I can see the hype.

The Bones Of What You Believe

CHVRCHES

5/5

This made me feel so real, so big, and so alive. It made me want to run barefoot across a dewy field with all my energy until I get tired. It made me want to conquer the sky. It made me want to aggressively put positive energy in myself while commuting.

Transformer

Lou Reed

3/5

Transformer. Sometimes it's a nice, heartfelt rock. But sometimes, it transforms into a boring, generic noise.

Vulgar Display Of Power

Pantera

4/5

Pantera reminds me of that uncle who regularly visits the gym, shares cringy Facebook quotes about being "a street smart tough guy" or "an entrepreneur", and owns a huge-ass SUV with political stickers all over it. He is probably a bit racist/sexist and secretly calls himself "alpha male". But despite this, I think that uncle is a pretty cool metalhead chad that I would definitely smoke with (as long as we don't talk about politics of course). So yeah, this album is filled with so much groove and testosterone. Rarely can an album make me bang my head this much.

Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches

Happy Mondays

3/5

As we can see in that awful cover art, it's quite a hodgepodge. A hodgepodge of rock tunes.

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

4/5

Miles Davis at his most metal.

Tical

Method Man

4/5

That cover art made me wince. It looks like every 40 year old hiphop fan's musky smelling T-shirt. And it sounded exactly how I expected it to sound. Despite this, it's consistently nice. The beats are decent and the rapping okay. It never annoyed or bored me, so I guess that's quite a feat for a gangster rap album, even for a 40-minute long one. To be honest, I think rap albums shouldn't exceed 1 hour.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

Raekwon

4/5

Gangsta rap in general is pretty cringe. Nowadays I often associate it with 40+ year olds with alcohol and/or cigarette issues trying to act "tough". But that doesn't mean I avoid such territory. It's like the town's rough neighborhood, it definitely has some gems in it, but you gotta explore it with caution. Anyway, the best thing about this album is the production. The beats felt like they sit in the slick sweet spot between gangsta rap and Dr. Dre's G-funk beats. Fortunately, I'm one who focuses more on the sound than on the lyrics, so I enjoyed this album more than I cringed.

Who's Next

The Who

2/5

At this point, I'm convinced that "Behind Blue Eyes" is the only Who song that I enjoy. Maybe "Baba O'Riley" too. The rest, while I appreciate for being such an energetic and unique brand of rock, is pretty annoying and generic to me.

The Rolling Stones

2/5

It's hard to assess the Stones without thinking about the Beatles. It's clearly no "Please Please Me", it felt like another iteration of a bunch of boys covering classic blues tracks. Still, their sound which is in a different territory from the Beatles', is evident here. More folk and country based than pop-rock. I think much of their appeal stems from such direction of sound.

Eli And The Thirteenth Confession

Laura Nyro

2/5

Generic and uninteresting soul. Kinda reminds me of soap opera songs.

Lost In The Dream

The War On Drugs

3/5

It has all the charm of indie rock that I've always loved. But tends to drag and get monotonous after a while.

Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones

4/5

Well, the epic opener did overshadow the rest. But overall, it's still a charming set of blue-based tunes.

Kala

M.I.A.

3/5

I'm gonna lie if I said I enjoyed the whole thing. But I greatly appreciate its uniqueness and its daring attempt to incorporate Indian and African sounds into electronic-dance music. It's quite a refreshing and adventurous album and I love it for that.

Colour By Numbers

Culture Club

3/5

I was like "ew another new wave" when I saw the oversaturated cover which with some Japanese characters thrown in for... aesthetics? (a move which I've always thought is cringe, even for the '80s). But setting those aside, this is '80s new wave at its poppiest and catchiest. While I'm not a big fan of those very British vocals, I like how it's handled here and I also like his personality. Overall, while it's just some generic new wave with some decent singles, it still surprised me in a pleasant way.

Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo

MC Solaar

3/5

Wow. Unlike the British, the French can actually make decent rap.

The Message

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

3/5

Perhaps the funkiest and most soulful hiphop had ever been.

All Hail the Queen

Queen Latifah

3/5

This is only enjoyable in small dozes. She's definitely fire, but only for a quick listen.

The Libertines

3/5

I love indie rock, but this is mid as heck. Which means that it's not that good but it made me happy listening to it anyway.

evermore

Taylor Swift

2/5

I was never a fan of folk, even if it's made by Taylor Swift. So when she released "folklore" and "evermore", I didn't hopped into the hype that much. I do appreciate the songwriting and the cozy 2020-era quarantine vibes. But there are more enjoyable and quarantine-friendly albums out there. I even prefer "folklore" itself over this. But I guess this is picked because this is where she got comfortable with the genre after exploring it in "folklore", in pretty much the same way with "Red" and "1989" with pop. Overall, I can see the hype, but it's not for me.

Mama Said Knock You Out

LL Cool J

2/5

About the title track: How can I take it seriously if he's like "BOOM EXPLOSIONS!" and only wants to knock me out because his mama said so? Btw, that's the best track.

Smash

The Offspring

1/5

Sounds like Motörhead for some reason but without the tightness. The sound of "Smash" is loose, loud, and annoying. Like an electric drill. It's an interesting take on punk/grunge, but the overall sound made me want to... you know, SMASH something? It does feel harsh giving it a 1, but I really hated this album enough to do it. The annoying chugging-train sound of punk plus the grating grunge voice? I hated it, I'm sorry.

Basket of Light

Pentangle

4/5

Cozy yet adventurous. This is what quality folk sounds like. I felt rural AF as I commute across the busy city.

Walking Wounded

Everything But The Girl

2/5

Fun Facts: 1. You don't need to hear 2 freaking albums from this band (or any album at all), before you die 2. Using Japanese kana for no reason is cringe. 3. If you hear this right after it was released (1996), it would still feel outdated for at least a decade.

Endtroducing.....

DJ Shadow

4/5

It sounds like if lofi hiphop had a caffeine-induced 3 AM inspiration to do something which sounds like big beat and did it. And it's great. Surprising form someone who I discovered from Run the Jewels' "Nobody Speak".

The Holy Bible

Manic Street Preachers

3/5

Somewhat similar to The Offspring's "Smash" which I suffered through a few days ago. It's also a heavier, almost metal-ish, approach in punk/grunge. The difference is that this album embraced all the pretentious elements of rock that I love. The instruments are also nice and tight unlike the loose energy from "Smash". So it's easy to be blown away by this album, especially by some ravaging bangers in it. But it's still a somewhat mid alt-rock overall, and not even the aforementioned bangers can save it that much.

McCartney

Paul McCartney

3/5

Not a big Lennon fan but now I think that he had a better career than McCartney, despite the pompousness of some of his songs. While Lennon successfully conquered the area of ballad, McCartney, at least in this album, seem to get lost in the area of folk (?) or something. Two minute songs are cool and all, but such dullness and aimlessness made them sound like outtakes. It's surprisingly mid, overall. The instrumental tracks are the most interesting ones imo. Those were the parts where I felt like he's actually forming an artistic statement.

Rubber Soul

Beatles

5/5

Good. Love me some real Beatles folk rock after listening to McCartney's messy self-titled effort with folk. A lot of people describe this as their "turning point" or "start of maturity as songwriters", making it seem like a mere stepping stone from one artistic area to another. But in reality, this sounds like a whole, well-developed, and amazing artistic statement.

Modern Kosmology

Jane Weaver

5/5

Rock peppered indie album from 2017? My God this blew me away!

Chemtrails Over The Country Club

Lana Del Rey

3/5

Decent, I guess. I do listen to a lot of recent music made for moody teenage girls, they have this melancholic element that I love. But... it's easy to do such things wrong. It's easy to turn it from melancholic to boring, or at least droning. There's a lot of similar sounding but better music out there, but I guess Lana's name is big enough to get picked for this list. Maybe she even pioneered such sound. But why would I care, it won't change the fact that this album is pretty boring.

Guero

Beck

3/5

Like "Sea Change", only the first couple of songs are good. The rest are droning genericness. It's interesting how different the two albums' sounds are though. The raving rock of "Guero" and the melancholic folksy "Sea Change". Of course, we wouldn't forget his masterpiece, "Odelay", which showed how good an experimental rock can be. For some reason, "Guero" is also described as experimental. But in reality it's nowhere as colorful as "Odelay". Is this the last album that I should listen from him before I die? I hope so. Then I can summarize his major releases now: interesting, but a big hit-an-miss.

The Last Of The True Believers

Nanci Griffith

2/5

Me: *looks at the genre* The genre: country folk Me: *sighs* oh boy *makes the sign of the cross*

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

2/5

It did surprise me a little, because of my expectations, which is as low as that Titanic submarine. Her voice is nice and the guitar works okay... in the beginning. Reminds me of the local acoustic poppers here. But damn, I could only take a little of this white bread pop. I think I need something to purify myself. Black metal or death metal, maybe hardcore punk or big beat even. Come on generator, you can do it.

Killing Joke

3/5

Wow. The generator DID give me something to purify myself from the torturous mellow pop of the recent days. Album sounds like punky Black Sabbath and it's kinda nice. Like Sabbath, much of the weight of the songs are centered in their great riffs. Decent punk right here.

Smile

Brian Wilson

2/5

Vocal harmonies are impressive, but only listenable personally when driven by other musical components. Like... you know, psychedelic surf rock-ish guitars and bass, or maybe some dumb pop beat... Folksy arrangements driving the signature Beach Boys harmonies are great and I can see why people would love it. But in my case, it gave me more earache than wows.

I Should Coco

Supergrass

3/5

Britpop-punk sounds promising but turned out to be quite a mediocre variety of alt-rock.

The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

2/5

The Kinks at their most generic imo. The riffs are nice and their signature baroque charm emerges here and there, but it's pretty dull overall, especially when compared to their other efforts.

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

3/5

Sounds nice and quite a jam if they weren't stretched into overambitious lengths of 7 minutes and even reaching 19 freaking minutes.

Screamadelica

Primal Scream

3/5

It's interesting how it rocks while emanating such energy and groove of electronic dance music. This is the most '90s album that I have heard for a while.

Technique

New Order

3/5

It's a surprise that it's from the late '80s. I can hear the goth rock and the synthy pop stuffs, but the overall electronic groove of it is quite ahead of its time.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

3/5

I really love the sounds and tunes, but its another album that I couldn't listen from top to bottom. Two hours of country? Come on.

Life Thru A Lens

Robbie Williams

3/5

Corporate britpop

Little Earthquakes

Tori Amos

2/5

Was expecting some relaxing acoustic folk but got an '80s pop knockoff instead. I guess the "Little Earthquakes" refers to those unnecessarily loud snare booms. Never judge a book by its cover.

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

3/5

Professionally mediocre

I'm Your Man

Leonard Cohen

2/5

Finally! A Leonard Cohen album with a real title. unfortunately its probably his worst that I've heard. It has great moments but overall it sounds like edgy David Bowie.

Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room

Dwight Yoakam

2/5

The only good things about this are the short length and the nice clean guitars. Other than that, it's pretty boring.

Heaux Tales

Jazmine Sullivan

2/5

Kinda overrated. While I support the cause, the production sucks and the delivery boring. This is not even close to Miseducation.

Rip It Up

Orange Juice

2/5

'80s British new wave. Complete with a terrible band name, synths, and annoying vocals. What else would I expect but crap lol.

Very

Pet Shop Boys

2/5

I'm starting to think that they just accidentally made a good album with "Actually".

Unhalfbricking

Fairport Convention

2/5

Reminds me of why I hate folk. This genre contains some of the most boring music there is.

Toys In The Attic

Aerosmith

3/5

I've always thought that I like hard rock, but as this journey goes on, I'm realizing that I just like Led Zeppelin and thought I would like any generic version of their sound. "Walk This Way" is a gem, though.

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

1/5

Okay, I appreciate them pioneering not just punk music but the rebellious punk culture in general. However, I can't deny the fact that it hurts my ears listening to this. It's basically 30+ minutes of an annoying British boy shouting at you over aimless guitars. It's punk AF yes, and I don't like it. What a load of bollocks.

Buena Vista Social Club

4/5

A bit inconsistent but it has the best Latin songs I've ever heard.

Yank Crime

Drive Like Jehu

2/5

Decent, could've been amazing if it wasn't distractingly loud and occasionally overlong.

Antichrist Superstar

Marilyn Manson

5/5

To be honest, Marilyn Manson is the only person I know who mastered the art or "being edgy". Trent Reznor's brand of industrial metal is already dark, Manson took it and brought it to a deeper layer of hell. Using the word "anti-christ" during such a time is already quite a statement. He explored satanic themes and it came out genuinely disgusting instead of fad-ish. He scared a good bunch of kids and adults. Especially those people who wince at the mention of Satan, those people who cringe at anything associated with youth's culture, and of course the iconic ones who would actually blame music instead of gun control and mental health support for youth suicides and school shootings. I mean, I'm not defending this guy's actions, whatever they are. He may or may not be a bad person, but his music is absolutely filthy... and I love it.

They Were Wrong, So We Drowned

Liars

3/5

This kind of music is not the most enjoyable ones, but this album deserves praise for its originality, depth (apparently, it tackles a struggle between a village and some alleged "witches: as well as the Walpurgisnacht legend which states that one of the ways to drive a way witches is by making noise), and overall interesting adventure that it packs. It may not be pretty, but art doesn't have to be pretty.

Immigrés

Youssou N'Dour

3/5

Not my kind of music, but I admire how well-produced and boppy it is. "Pitche Mi" in particular is amazing.

Teen Dream

Beach House

4/5

Much less consistent than I would like it to be. I love indie dream pop but this one occasionally slides into the boring territory. Still, they made the dreamiest and most mesmerizing synth driven pop there is.

Hot Fuss

The Killers

4/5

While the melodies are a bit generic, it got the best riffs I have ever heard for a while. A nice, grungy combination of Pulp and P!ATD.

The Predator

Ice Cube

3/5

Some angry guy with loud drums.

Dog Man Star

Suede

3/5

It's glam rock, but like... dark, and a bit hard to digest.

Time Out Of Mind

Bob Dylan

3/5

Actually interesting and a decent listen for me, who finds Dylan boring most of the time. I like his take in folk rock, although the blues fiddlings are pretty boring.

Closer

Joy Division

2/5

A boring, more gothic version of The Doors.

S&M

Metallica

3/5

It wasn't really the unlikely combination of metal and symphony, real symphonic metal albums can make the same point but with a much better execution. For me, I think it's more about making live albums and compilation albums. This album is basically a live, compilation album. But what I liked about it is that they reimagined their hits and put new colors in it, instead of just recording a stage version of those songs. That's how you do a live album. But despite the cool bits of it, it still has a lot of misses. It's freaking two hours long after all, and its live!

Medúlla

Björk

1/5

I never thought that a cappella-based trip-hop could be so irritating. I guess it deserves praise for the production and its apparent influence, but I won't pretend that her voice doesn't grind my ears.

Tubular Bells

Mike Oldfield

3/5

80% background music 20% weird throat noises

Scum

Napalm Death

4/5

Straightforward and brutal, like a punch in the face.

Tragic Songs of Life

The Louvin Brothers

3/5

Ngl this is among the most beautiful sounding duo I have ever heard since Lennon and McCarthney from early Beatles. Not that I listen to a lot of duos, but amazing harmonies they had. Unfortunately, this album is incredibly monotonous. Listen to one track and you heard it all. Very country, which is not bad per se, but again, monotonous. Nobody likes half an hour of the same tune.

Ray Of Light

Madonna

3/5

While it works like charm a lot of times, its nonetheless a hit-or-miss. The true star here is the amazing production. The electronic beats are more often than not, nice. As a listen, I only enjoyed it to some extent. It's fascinating at its best, but it doesn't have the charm of '80s Madonna or actual trip-hop like Portishead. This album sits in a valley between those two sounds and moods.

Talking Heads 77

Talking Heads

2/5

American new wave doesn't sound much different than British new wave. Generic, mediocre, and annoying.

In The Wee Small Hours

Frank Sinatra

2/5

I've always thought that Frankie can make anything sound good. I was wrong, he sounds as boring as '50s pop can be when he's heartbroken. Still an incredible voice though.

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Stevie Wonder

4/5

Even his "bum bum bum diti bum" has character.

Southern Rock Opera

Drive-By Truckers

3/5

Perhaps the most grand and ambitious "southern rock" has ever been.

Permission to Land

The Darkness

2/5

This is brimming with rock-'n'-roll-ness and I liked it. The vocals, however, ruined everything with its high pitched whines.

Close To You

Carpenters

2/5

The only merit of this is Karen's voice, it has a nice soothing quality that works well with soft rock. However, the album "Close to You" is a pile of boring, bland tunes that doesn't interest much. The title track, while iconic, is not even that good. The Beatles covers are quite annoying as well. The only song that I enjoyed is "Mr. Guder", I like the folky elements sprinkled in it. Unlike actual carpentry, music sounds more interesting when the artist takes risks (like in "Mr. Guder") instead of playing safe.

Honky Tonk Masquerade

Joe Ely

4/5

Kudos for being the boppiest and most interesting country album I have ever heard since "Honky Tonk Heroes".

Elephant Mountain

The Youngbloods

3/5

That guitar is so rubbery, I like it. It's mediocre, though. generic '60s psychrock.

The White Album

Beatles

5/5

I'm a young Beatles fan and I've been avoiding this album for years. It's a double album with masterpieces such as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Blackbird" cramped together with goofy songs like "Ob-la-di Ob-la-da" and meme songs such as "Revolution 9" and "Wild Honey Pie". It's a bit intimidating to dive into the world of Beatles at their wildest and most experimental. After listening to Pink Floyd's "Ummagumma", their most experimental album, I reckon listening to such adventures need a bit of energy to do so. Today, however, this album blew my mind, as many Beatles albums usually do. Side-A is an absolute masterpiece. I didn't even care about "Wild Honey Pie", all of them are bangers in their own unique ways. Side-B is a bit more challenging to listen to. It has more aggressive and heavier songs like "Helter Skelter" and the one of the many amazing gems I've just discovered, "Yer Blues". "Revolution 9" is not that bad imo, it's a nice albeit poorly executed sound collage about human history. Overall, I can see why this is many Beatles listeners' favorite. It's a glorious mess of many styles and moods. It's an adventure to listen to. I've always thought that they like it only because it's "experimental" or has "many styles". But it turns out it's an absolute banger of an album.

E.V.O.L.

Sonic Youth

3/5

Kinda boring, but an interesting turning point towards "Daydream Nation" nonetheless.

American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash

4/5

His covers may be worse than their respective originals, but they aren't bad. Johnny Cash's brand of country sure is among the most charming ones. Great album.

The Score

Fugees

3/5

The production is amazing and clean, but the rapping in general mostly didn't catch my attention. Boring most of the time but perhaps this is another one of those albums that I will eventually enjoy and regret giving the rating (looking at you, "Illmatic"). Lauryn Hill's voice is amazing at "Killing Me Softly", btw. I wonder what can she do if she went full R&B. Maybe she already did and I'm just sleeping under this rock of mine.

Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette

3/5

Decent, but my issues with this one would be the generic-ness of the deep cuts and the weird, probably exaggerated, accent of hers. Nonetheless, it's a charming ode to the day when my late mother and I would blast female-led alt-rock at home.

Peter Gabriel

2/5

Some messy mix of Genesis, David Bowie, and Steely Dan. Why is '70s rock full of fillers?

Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

Bob Dylan

1/5

They realized they can get money from the bootleg, so they sanitized it and stripped it of all the things that makes it "bootleg-y". The background and historical context of this one and a half hour live album is much more interesting than the music itself.

The Doors

4/5

Among the most unique flavours of rock, with its existential and dark organ-driven take on psychrock.

In Utero

Nirvana

4/5

I dunno how to word it, but it's more raw and slick than "Nevermind" and I love it.

Music For The Jilted Generation

The Prodigy

4/5

Big beat is perhaps the boppiest subgenre of electronic music. It may be repetitive, but the loud and explosive sounds of it is interesting enough for me to stay.

Berlin

Lou Reed

3/5

Quite sad. The crying kids in "The Kids" in particular is artfully disturbing. I really don't like to hear kids crying. Other than that, it's folky and has a bombastic production and a nice melody. Just what I expected from Lou Reed.

Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

3/5

Well, at least they sound more interesting than most of their '80s synth-pop peers.

Fishscale

Ghostface Killah

3/5

Thanks to its fantastic production, this gangsta rap album sounded fresh despite being released in 2006.

Trafalgar

Bee Gees

3/5

Still in their lame, pre-disco era. But at least it's more interesting than "Odessa".

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

4/5

Surprisingly nice. This live album fairly captured Cash's signature grooves and voice. I also liked the audience interaction and the clean, raw sound of the guitars.

Sunshine Superman

Donovan

5/5

Minimalist and mellow compared to other psychrock efforts, which are usually explosive. Yet it's groovy and rich in colours. Perhaps the most elegant piece from the psychrock era.

A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse

Faces

3/5

Generic, boring country with occasional blasting epicness.

War

U2

3/5

Their most interesting effort that I've heard, imo. Love how the synth-pop and the rock flow together. It also doesn't sound constrained and tense like their other popular albums. I guess "commercialization" messed with their sound and direction for a bit.

The Real Thing

Faith No More

3/5

Definitely among the top 10 voices that make me want to punch someone, as well as the top 10 albums that sound like nu metal but aren't.

Machine Head

Deep Purple

3/5

Kudos for being one of the foundations of metal, but I have an irrational hatred at this brand of hard rock.

Django Django

2/5

Contains half-baked yet well-produced beats, whine-some harmonies, and an overall vaguely boring atmosphere that tries hard to be cheerful.

White Blood Cells

The White Stripes

3/5

Less ravaging and explosive than "Elephant" but surely more punk.

Now I Got Worry

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

4/5

Not sure what everybody else thinks, but this is my idea of a good punk.

The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monáe

3/5

The second half has some good stuffs. I like the rock elements and how more experimental it was. It was, however, an overproduced and over-polished album overall.

Tuesday Night Music Club

Sheryl Crow

2/5

Well, it's not as bad as I expected. Still bland, but again, not that bad.

Third/Sister Lovers

Big Star

3/5

As mid as the names and cover art suggest.

Hms Fable

Shack

3/5

More alt-rocky than other britpop albums that I've heard, but not necessarily better.

Sail Away

Randy Newman

2/5

Kind of like Frank Sinatra lite.

Abraxas

Santana

3/5

Surprisingly lacking in terms of the grooviness of Latin music. But the electric guitar driven sound is interesting on its own.

C'est Chic

CHIC

4/5

This is actually quite good for a disco album. Love how catchy and groovy it is, without being too long or too monotonous.

Tellin’ Stories

The Charlatans

3/5

Not gonna lie, this is great for a britpop album. Grungy, short, and not pompous.

Slippery When Wet

Bon Jovi

3/5

Ahh yes, hair metal. Metal for kids (like 12 year old me, for instance), grandmas, and ladies (it's actually documented how the subgenre finally got women into "metal"). I can see why Bon Jovi would be the champion of the subgenre. They're loud, catchy, and not as crude as other bands in the subgenre such as Guns'N'Roses. But Bon Jovi suffers the same problems as the other hair metal bands. First of all is of course the voluminous cheese all over it. Another is the fact that's it's more pop than rock/metal. It doesn't age well, it's predictable, and it's generic. Eventually, Bon Jovi, like their peers, would explore power ballad, then disappear, as if they ran out of tricks. Overall, Bon Jovi is as good as hair metal can get, and I still find myself vibing to their hits. But in addition to the subgenre problems mentioned above, Bon Jovi didn't make any daring feats (like GNR or Pantera). They just played it safe.

Joan Armatrading

3/5

Pretty cool for a folk album.

Arise

Sepultura

4/5

An unexpectedly kickass blend of thrash metal and groove metal.

Da Capo

Love

3/5

Better than I expected from them. Quite experimental too, even for a psychrock album.

Sincere

Mj Cole

3/5

Listening to this in the middle of a heavy traffic on a rainy day was quite an experience. Not great, but not bad either.

Want One

Rufus Wainwright

4/5

It turns out that the most charming baroque pop that I've ever heard is something from 2003.

...The Dandy Warhols Come Down

The Dandy Warhols

4/5

Space rock and shoegaze have their own unique and irresistible charm. This album managed to bridge the 2 decade long gap between the two, creating it's own charm in the process.

Hunky Dory

David Bowie

2/5

Isn't this supposed to be his first breakthrough? Considered by many as his best? Why does this suck then?

Teenage Head

Flamin' Groovies

3/5

Noisy blues. Reminds me of The Sonics' debut, released 6 years before this. Compared to that, it's more modern, but definitely not better.

Songs Of Love And Hate

Leonard Cohen

2/5

Another folk album from Leonard can't-make-a-good-album-name Cohen. I can't really bring myself to enjoy this guy's music. I mean, I get folk. It's about the lyrics. I know that song is rooted in poetry, but that doesn't mean that you can recite poetry over a generic instrumental and expect me to enjoy it. Heck, there's even some enjoyable folk out there. Singers with better voice than him, musicians with more interesting instrumental talent than him... maybe it's just the lyrics.

Haunted Dancehall

The Sabres Of Paradise

4/5

It's bland and most of the time pointless BUT it's musically absorbing, at least for me. It's much more interesting than a lot of other electronic albums that I've heard. In short, it's more interesting than enjoyable. I liked it, though.

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

2/5

What could be more overwhelmingly pop than an entire album that literally ended with a fade out? It feels poppy as heck, added with some unnecessary elements (which make it "dream pop"). I can dig those elements - the distortions, the drunken vocals, the synths... but it's too easy to overdo those things. A pop album that's not even as catchy as a pop album should.

Green

R.E.M.

1/5

This annoyed me and I don't know why. Maybe I was expecting too much, maybe it's the blandness of this album. For me, R.E.M. works with dark and sad themes and atmosphere. I really like "Losing My Religion", "Fire", and their album "Automatic for the People". "Green" on the other hand tries hard to be "green". To be a feel-good alt-rock piece. It's mostly major key, instead of minor. It didn't work for me, but again, maybe it's just me and my irrational disgust against feel-good alt rock stuff. They feel like corporate rock; "live, laugh, love" in the form of guitar riffs and upbeat lyrics.

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

3/5

Stevie's masterpiece. I respect it but I didn't enjoy it as much as I would like. Maybe if it's a bit shorter i would've liked it more.

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

3/5

A great voice and a striking personality are needed if you want to appropriate music from other culture. Elvis Presley had both. Dusty Springfield too.

The Healer

John Lee Hooker

4/5

Blues always has this wood-like charm that I've always loved. And this album is the bluesiest that I've heard in a while.

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye

3/5

Timeless masterpiece and I can totally see why. Music cannot heal the world, but it is a powerful way to say what is needed to be said. That being said, I didn't enjoy it as much as I would like. Maybe because I wasn't a fan of that funk sound that I've already heard for many times. Again I respect it. It does have a big place in music and history, but not in my ears apparently.

Aftermath

The Rolling Stones

2/5

I did not expect this to be THAT cringe. It wasn't like early Beatles, who would blow me away with their harmonies and simple guitar licks. Early Stones on the other hand has this edgy rock-'n'-roll persona that they bring out. It may be cool and more rock-'n'-roll-ish than The Beatles, but it didn't age well.

Nevermind

Nirvana

3/5

Among the most explosive breakthrough ever. I like my Nirvana slick and less edgy though. Didn't see the hype if this one that much.

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

Pink Floyd

5/5

Syd Barret era Floyd is an absolute psychedelic masterpiece of a discography. Too bad is not too commercial especially when compared to their prog-era, or even when compared to its other psychrock peers.

Metallica

3/5

Metal becoming pop is always seen as a tragedy, and maybe it is. Although we can't deny how it skyrocketed Metallica's fame, as well as the popularity of metal itself. The overplayed classics in this album are among the songs that got me into metal. But of course, it is a tragedy because of how bland it can sound. It's unlike hair metal, which covered the genre in so much synth and sparkles that its nauseating. Metallica's approach here was to take their masculine riffs and angsty lyrics and execute them in a basic, predictable way. It worked. It didn't work. Depends on who you ask.

Melody A.M.

Röyksopp

3/5

They took trip hop and removed its dark and moody atmosphere. They also took electronica, and removed the urgent and explosive energy in it. As a result, they made something that lacks the charm of both.

Lust For Life

Iggy Pop

2/5

Well of course we all know about this edgy brand of rock made by men who are into sixteen year olds. Ew.

Survivor

Destiny's Child

1/5

This is incredibly bland and annoying, even in 2000's R&B pop standards.

Phaedra

Tangerine Dream

2/5

What is this? Some sort of a progressive-electronic-ambient album?

Good Old Boys

Randy Newman

3/5

When somebody says country music sucks, this is what I imagine they've heard.

Abbey Road

Beatles

5/5

The most iconic album of all time, do I have to elaborate? This thing blew my mind the first time I heard it. I was like 15 or something. Highschool. It was among the first albums that I've heard from start to finish. Introduced me to albums, to this band, and to good music in general. I would say that it changed my life, at least in terms the way I perceive music. And I'm pretty sure that's what happened to the music world too when it was released half a century ago.

Signing Off

UB40

3/5

Both reggae and electronic music easily get monotonous. So what happens when the two were combined? Yay, an hour of the same beat! The instrumentals/production are good in some places though.

Stardust

Willie Nelson

4/5

I'm aware that these are all covers. But I have a soft spot for this brand of country. Quite good, actually.

Talk Talk Talk

The Psychedelic Furs

1/5

"Talk Talk Talk" No. Stop talking. As this album has interesting instrumentals, but is utterly ruined by that voice. It activates my fight and flight response.

The Age Of The Understatement

The Last Shadow Puppets

3/5

It's interesting in some places, but overall its mid.

Hypnotised

The Undertones

3/5

Just some generic punk. But its vocals are not that annoying so I guess that's a plus.

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

2/5

Happi metal. Fun to listen to, but the trope falls apart quite easily.

Paris 1919

John Cale

2/5

It's interesting in some places, but they didn't make up for the boring-ness of the rest of the album.

Fred Neil

3/5

Most of the time, folk rock is basically rock but boring.

Aha Shake Heartbreak

Kings of Leon

4/5

there's just something about 2000's alt-rock that I love. They can sound fresh, despite being released in such a time, while employing sounds that were at least a decade old. This album in particular has amazing guitars and bass, as well as irresistible grooves.

Music in Exile

Songhoy Blues

5/5

My first exposure to desert rock is Mdou Moctar. There's just something so metal about desert rebels wielding an electric guitar. And Moctar's music is certainly what one would expect: epic, electrifying, and explosive. "Music in Exile", however is different. Instead of erupting in mind-blowing electric guitar driven fire, they instead took it easy and just created the grooviest brand of blues I have ever heard. The guitars are amazing in their own way, and the tunes are spot-on. Instead of powerful rebels making stormy statements in the middle of the desert, they created an image of a community channeling their emotions into danceable grooves, letting the energy build up and take them somewhere spiritually uplifting. A down-to-earth masterpiece of the genre.

I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail

Buck Owens

2/5

This album is as country as it can get, in a bad way.

Exile On Main Street

The Rolling Stones

2/5

Isn't this suppose to be one of the greatest albums of all time? It sounds like another iteration of that generic blues rock sound. There are occasional nice riffs and tunes, but overall, it's underwhelming to be honest.

Music Has The Right To Children

Boards of Canada

2/5

Without any interesting sounds or emotionally evoking parts, electronic music will be boring, no matter how atmospheric it is.

Want Two

Rufus Wainwright

3/5

The second installment of Rufus Wainwrights baroque pop efforts. With such a lush red color in the cover (as opposed to the first one's deep blue color), I expected it to be more passionate, more baroque, and perhaps more pompous. Instead it's a less constrained effort, exploring in the territories of rock and folk. The increased emphasis in his vocals are also notable, I have a mixed feeling about it. Overall, it's less enjoyable than the first one. It's a baroque pop album with lots of Radiohead vibes in it. Without the interesting instrumentals of Radiohead though, it can get quite boring. The standouts, "The One You Love" and "Old Whore's Diet" are my personal favorites among the songs from both two albums though.

Pornography

The Cure

2/5

"Hey dad, I'm buying this Pornography record" "What do you mean pornography? Don't buy it, it's terrible!" "No, I mean the record by The Cure." "Exactly."

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

George Michael

2/5

Did he really think that making "socially conscious lyrics" would make listeners take him more seriously? This pop album telling you to "listen without prejudice" did not age well. Today there is no volume 2 released, and George Michael is chiefly remembered for a sax-driven song used for fucking. So I guess that answers my first question. Wait, what was that? "Freedom '90"? That song has zero hooks imo, and his voice grates the bland beat of it.

Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes

3/5

Mostly meh, as far as '60s psychrock go. It has a few gems though. I also liked the echoey mixing and the interesting instrumentals, however there are other better pyschrock albums with those elements.

Leftism

Leftfield

4/5

At first it sounded like another one of those background music albums, but it actually slaps. Hard.

Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals

3/5

I'm pretty sure there are other projects that made a better job at combining electronica and britpop.

Suede

2/5

Unlike their second album, "Dog Man Star" which boasts an abrasive, dark iteration of glam rock, "Suede" is a much less interesting and more generic take on britpop.

Meat Puppets II

Meat Puppets

3/5

It starts out strong, with a brutal, almost metal-ish punk track. Then as the album went, it stretches and stretches into the country territory, with nice guitar stuff. Overall it's pretty mid, but it's interesting enough to be worth a listen.

Scissor Sisters

1/5

Awful. The vocals instantly annoyed me at the beginning, and the monotonous beats didn't help. Their brand of dance-pop doesn't have the colorful charm of '70s disco, or the glam of '80s synth pop, or the electrifying energy of '90s rave. It's just some robotic beats with terrible vocals. There are some more danceable and less annoying stuff in the '00s. EDM. R&B pop. Not this terrible Bee-Gees impression over generic beats. Oh, and that "Comfortably Numb" cover? My God. I guess that's the 2000's version of hearing songs like Bohemian Rhapsody in Tiktok nightcore remix in the 2020's.

Parallel Lines

Blondie

4/5

Songs that barely go beyond 3 minutes, new wave and disco elements that are not annoying, nice voice... this is pop perfection. No wonder their hits remain popular today.

La Revancha Del Tango

Gotan Project

4/5

One rainy dinner evening at a tropical resort, complete with a reddish-brown hue that hits well with light alcohol and a bunch of expensive dishes... oh, and that was the first time I have seen an arapaima gigas. That fish was crazy huge, slowly vibing in the pond next to that restaurant. That evening, I couldn't forget hearing something like this. Tropical, Latin, and quite catchy. It's as if the atmosphere was set by it. And that's what this album reminds me: the way Latin music's unique beats humanize electronica is exquisite.

Moon Safari

Air

5/5

As fresh, chill, and unique as electronic music can be. This is a masterpiece of the genre.

Nothing's Shocking

Jane's Addiction

2/5

Look, to naked women with burning heads, an abrasive glam rock-ish sound with zero hooks, that annoying victory-carrying vocal style... Yeah, nothing is indeed shocking.

The World is a Ghetto

War

3/5

Instrumentals are interesting at some places, but it's mostly boring, which is a big thing for a funk album.

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

4/5

Mindblowing jams from the legendary trio, as expected. It's just a bit inconsistent and hard to digest sometimes, but of course that's a common thing with rock double albums.

Infected

The The

2/5

Without the color and inventiveness of "Soul Mining", "Infected" is just another filler in the '80s pop/rock scene. It doesn't have the bloated synths and the annoying vocals of such things though, so I guess kudos for that.

Chore of Enchantment

Giant Sand

3/5

Driest folk rock I have ever heard, but it works on some places.

D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle

Throbbing Gristle

2/5

There are two types of albums that one can find in the global lowest rated list: (1) daring, experimental albums that are not suitable for parties or the radio but are more interesting that at least half of the entire 1001 albums list. And (2) albums that are so bad they couldn't be called music. This one is on the latter camp, trying hard to be on the former.

Konnichiwa

Skepta

4/5

I'm generally dismissive of grime and UK rap in general after discovering some of the most horrendous rap I have ever heard from those genres. But this one actually slaps much harder than I expected.

Armed Forces

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

2/5

The name is "Armed Forces" and the cover is a bunch of ravaging elephants... yet the music itself bear no weight whatsoever.

Surrealistic Pillow

Jefferson Airplane

3/5

I'm surprised there isn't much psychrock led by women. Grace Slick has quite a voice and energy here. Rock needs more of that and less of Beatles copycats.

Meat Is Murder

The Smiths

2/5

So this is what vegans listen to, huh?

Deloused in the Comatorium

The Mars Volta

3/5

Not my vibe, but it has decent vocals, has interesting sounds, is not dense, and is overall fun. These things are pretty rare in OG prog rockers from the '70s. I still have mixed feelings about the vocals though. Not always a fan of that loud and thin vocal style. It also feels overproduced, which I guess is a common problem with 21st century rock. And the lyrics... lol. Perhaps if they didn't take themselves too seriously and let themselves loose like they did when they were writing it, it would've been more fun.

Oxygène

Jean-Michel Jarre

2/5

Ambient music can be interesting. Especially when it portrays emotions and other abstract things, or when it brings you to a different place. But most of the time, ambient music takes its name too seriously. It takes a form of a monotonous background music that can barely take your attention. You gain nothing when you play it. It's just that: ambient. Air. Just a bunch of oxygen, I guess. It's vital, but come on, it's already all over the place.

Tanto Tempo

Bebel Gilberto

3/5

Not my style. But what a gorgeous mix of bossa nova and electronic music.

Low

David Bowie

2/5

Idk what I'm missing, but I find this quite boring. I just don't know what the hype is all about. The production is nice and the instrumentals are good. But overall, I didn't enjoy it as much as others.

Blood, Sweat & Tears

2/5

Just some typical late '60s rock but with lots of horns.

Fever To Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4/5

As filthy, chaotic, and fun as the covert art suggests. Karen O's sweet yet abrasive voice is perfect for their sound. Cool album, overall. Although it's not as consistent as I would like, especially when compared to their other album that I heard in this list, "Its Blitz!". It's weird that I liked that album more, but I like their punkish sound and style in "Fever to Tell" more.

American Pie

Don McLean

2/5

Meh. just as boring as any folk album can be. Sorry, but not even the 8 minute hit was enjoyable for me.

Virgin Suicides

Air

3/5

Lacks the electrifying energy of their amazing album, "Moon Safari". If that one is an intricate effort made with LED lights, this one is a different effort using oil lamps. But hey, one can still make interesting, trippy shadows with it. And they certainly did so here.

Liquid Swords

GZA

3/5

Kinda like MF DOOM's sound but more gangsta and less trippy.

Dirty

Sonic Youth

3/5

Well, as the name suggests, it's dirty. A decent roll of that brand of dirty alt-rock.

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

4/5

The unique charm of this one is the organic energy in it. It's a well-done live album, complete with Cash's usual, charming brand of country.

Automatic For The People

R.E.M.

3/5

The softer songs are pretty nice. Overall quite decent.

Arular

M.I.A.

4/5

Among the most unique and fresh grooves I have heard for a while.

2112

Rush

3/5

As epic as they claim to be. Too bad I got an irrational hatred to that kind of voice.

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin

5/5

She can electrify you along the bluesy grooves. She can also blow you away with those slow, winding ballads. Truly among the greatest voices in music.

Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

The Pharcyde

4/5

I love how it reeks of immature '90s teenage energy yet so well-done.

Make Yourself

Incubus

2/5

Another one of those meh albums with one good, popular track. That cover art tho. It looked like it's a poorly generated AI pic.

Slanted And Enchanted

Pavement

3/5

As whooshy as I liked it to be.

Dookie

Green Day

2/5

Underwhelming af. I expected much from the supposed cornerstone of '90s rock/punk. I think Green Day works best with 2000's sad emo-ish rock songs, not necessarily this brand of punk. Or perhaps I just don't like this brand of punk.

Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington

4/5

Best jazz I have heard for a while. Can be groovy or slow but most of the time, it's intense.

Lazer Guided Melodies

Spiritualized

2/5

It's boring AF and no amount of noise of distortion can help it.

It's Too Late to Stop Now

Van Morrison

2/5

A double live album of generic white boy blues yay.

21

Adele

3/5

Incredible voice. Too bad she used it for some of the most mid pop-ballad songs there are.

Bongo Rock

Incredible Bongo Band

3/5

Basically a bunch of bongo-fied rock songs. Pretty nice.

The Contino Sessions

Death In Vegas

3/5

A wooshy flavor of electronica. I'd like it more if it is not as aimless and inconsistent as it is.

The Poet

Bobby Womack

3/5

I'm starting to dislike this genre. I mean it's nice, but it gets repetitive and generic quickly. The formulaic and over-sanitized quality made it worse. It's pretty bland for me, actually. I feel like an asexual.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

3/5

The instrumentals are lush and elegant in some places and I love it. It's a bit inconsistent and bland though, and the hippie anti-war theme didn't age well imo. That Bob Dylan parody tho, lol.

Five Leaves Left

Nick Drake

2/5

The most boring album I have ever heard for a while. Which is a shame considering how much I enjoyed his other albums despite disliking folk.

Arc Of A Diver

Steve Winwood

2/5

Sounds like an annoying, sanitized version of Japanese city pop.

At Mister Kelly's

Sarah Vaughan

4/5

I don't even care if it is generic or monotonous, or if it is a freaking live album. I could listen to this all day and not be bored of it. What a voice!

Legalize It

Peter Tosh

4/5

Not sure about the exact connection between reggae and marijuana, and I'm too ignorant to talk about it. What I'm sure is that this marijuana-sprinkled piece is the most whimsical and psychedelic reggae I've ever heard for a while. And I love it.

Isn't Anything

My Bloody Valentine

3/5

Just some mid alt-rock with lots of reverb.

Your New Favourite Band

The Hives

5/5

I do agree that it's weird to put a freaking compilation album here, I thought it's not allowed. Anyway, The Hives are pretty bold to tell me that they'll be my new favorite band. But after hearing their hits here, I think it might be true. With a fun, rocking punk that is not annoying, this album is among the few punk albums that I enjoyed from start to finish. Anyway, it's a 5/5 experience. I don't really care if it's not supposed to be here, it's not the album's fault.

Destroyer

KISS

2/5

I do listen to some glam metal, but the genre sure can create the some of the blandest brand of rock/metal.

Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

Small Faces

4/5

Folkiest psych rock I've ever heard and it's fun.

The Modern Dance

Pere Ubu

4/5

With a punk energy, explosive inventiveness, and a natural sounding chaos, it has everything I love about experimental rock.

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

Limp Bizkit

4/5

With a name and album cover like that, what could one expect? It's juvenile testosterone - the album, and I like it.

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

2/5

Unique, yes, but still annoying.

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

David Bowie

4/5

The concept and story are amazing. The production and instrumentals are nice. The length is concise and the content is easy to digest. His voice...

Floodland

Sisters Of Mercy

4/5

I never realized how '80s goth music is until I heard this. Its tracks harder than it should be. Tho gets monotonous after a while, as both goth music and '80s music usually does. Still an enjoyable experience.

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Dead Kennedys

2/5

I can't deny that it's the punkiest punk that punk can get. Perhaps it is if sounding annoying is a feature of the genre. I appreciate the concept and the punkiness, but I wouldn't listen to it again.

Vauxhall And I

Morrissey

2/5

I've always thought that his whiny voice is tte worst part about The Smiths. So without the magical synthy instrumentals of the band, we are left with this boring, slightly annoying album.

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

Perhaps the hottest funk I've ever heard for a while.

Beach Samba

Astrud Gilberto

4/5

It's hard to get wrong with bossa nova, especially with such a vibe.

Savane

Ali Farka Touré

2/5

I don't get it. Where is the groove that I've always heard with desert blues?

Vivid

Living Colour

3/5

The guitars, the bass, and even the drums are really nice at some places. But in general, it gives off a "Pearl Jam lite" vibe.

Duck Stab/Buster & Glen

The Residents

2/5

As the title suggests, it's like watching a duck being stabbed. The weird-for-the-sake-of-being-weird show can be interesting, but in the end, you'd ask yourself of what the fuck did you just witness.

Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche

Koffi Olomide

3/5

It's crazy how it reeks of '90s cheese even as an ndombolo piece. Still, it's as groovy as African pop music can be.

Architecture And Morality

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

3/5

Quite impressive with how it sounds atmospheric and grand for a synth-pop album. I swear some bits can pass as an ambient-electronic album. The cheese is there, but it's at least tolerable.

Mask

Bauhaus

3/5

So you're telling me that goth is basically gloomy punk???

Quiet Life

Japan

2/5

Japan makes the best '80s synth pop, often dubbed as "city pop". Japan, on the other hand, is just another annoying, unremarkable snippet of the genre.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

4/5

This album is simply beautiful. R&B/hiphop soul at its purest.

Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey

3/5

Pretty good but quite underwhelming, considering the hype about her. More "commercial" and accessible than "Dry", but consequently more generic and bland. Just another iteration of that brand of '00s alt-rock.

More Specials

The Specials

3/5

Sounds like a wilder, reggae-infused version of The Kinks. It's ultimately less catchy than The Kinks, but at least it's more fun than their self-titled debut.

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

2/5

Well, the guitar fiddling was fun at some places but I'll be damned if I have to listen to 70 plus minutes generic '70s hard rock. LIVE RECORDINGS of generic '70s hard rock.

Smokers Delight

Nightmares On Wax

2/5

I'm too sober for these overlong, plain beats.

Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin

4/5

Contains some of their best riffs and most explosive popular songs.

Trio

Dolly Parton

2/5

Lots of corn, but it's like, topped with smooth honey.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen

5/5

Reminiscent of the trippy '60s psych rock and the inventive '70s art rock. This album is a melancholic, dreamy, modern rock masterpiece.

Back to Basics

Christina Aguilera

2/5

Was she that big back then? So much that we need to hear at least 2 of her albums before we die? I don't think so. There are more popular, and better-sounding, and more influential 21st century pop than her, which aren't included in the list.

Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts

The Adverts

3/5

Poppiest punk I have ever heard for a while, and I kind of dig it.

Shalimar

Rahul Dev Burman

5/5

The grooves are slick and irresistible. And the singers involved are all incredible in their own ways. Who knows a soundtrack of a Bollywood film from the '70s could slap so hard? Unique, refreshing, and fun experience.

Sheer Heart Attack

Queen

3/5

While they did made glam rock sound cool and timeless, they didn't manage to take out the generic-ness of '70s hard rock in this effort.

In It For The Money

Supergrass

3/5

Grungy and loud, it sounds surprisingly fresh for a britpop album.

Hearts And Bones

Paul Simon

3/5

So this is what happens when '80s synthpop infects Paul Simon's sound.

Something/Anything?

Todd Rundgren

3/5

The "Bouquet of Ear-catching Melodies" (Side 1) hardly has anything catchy imo. "The Cerebral Side" (Side 2) is more inventive and interesting. But as the title suggests, it's more experiemental than listenable. I like it though. In "The Kid Gets Heavy" (Side 3), the music indeed got heavier. But while there are elements of hard rock thrown in, which I enjoyed a lot, its overall vibe is still that of a folky basket. Like you know, those flowers in the cover art. It even ended up with a piano based snoozer. Finally, we get to the part where's there's a baby who "Needs a New Pair of Snakeskin Boots" (Side 4). Here, they went full David Bowie with vaguely experimental parts and an overall generic rock vibe. Overall an interesting yet bulky double album.

You're Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr.

5/5

Mmmmm... wooshy guitars. Mmmmmm lofi recordings. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm the most delicious type of noise.

Go Girl Crazy

The Dictators

2/5

Crazy how this glam rock album lead to punk. I can't hear any punk here, just annoying whiny rock.

Wonderful Rainbow

Lightning Bolt

4/5

I didn't think it was physically possible for a noise music to slap as hard as this. What a treat. Also, it's hilarious that it's called "Wonderful Rainbow" while it sounds like it's raining concrete blocks.

Viva Hate

Morrissey

3/5

It's actually pretty decent. Not as annoying as he usually sounds. It's still overall another mid '80s synthpop though.

New Wave

The Auteurs

3/5

Sounds '80s and '90s at the same time.

We're Only In It For The Money

The Mothers Of Invention

2/5

Too nerdy to be a parody. Too wacky to be a satire. To a casual listener, it offers nothing but a bunch of what sounds like poorly made aimless "experimental" tunes. I guess it's only a "must-listen" for its statement.

Shleep

Robert Wyatt

3/5

Well, I guess something can be boring and interesting at the same time.

Exodus

Bob Marley & The Wailers

3/5

This is their third entry on this list. And as usual, it's groovy, well-produced, and a bit monotonous.

The Next Day

David Bowie

4/5

David Bowie is generally a hit-and-miss to me. But this one? This one is definitely a hit. I don't really hear the "aging Bowie" or whatever they're saying. It's as fiery as Bowie can be.

Sulk

The Associates

2/5

I appreciate the synthy melodies, they're fun despite being so distinctively '80s. Those vocals though... one of the worst I've ever heard. Who hurt that boy?

Peace Sells...But Who's Buying

Megadeth

2/5

Speedy riffs, solid vocals, and cool instrumentals. All of those yet it still came out a bit bland.

Live At The Star Club, Hamburg

Jerry Lee Lewis

3/5

I have a soft spot for blues/rock-and-roll but this one is among the most generic and dull rock-and-roll I have ever heard.

Cupid & Psyche 85

Scritti Politti

2/5

Budget Wham!

This Is Hardcore

Pulp

4/5

It's a clear statement of maturity, a move from the jolly and fun sound of "Different Class" to a darker, deeper atmosphere. It can be seen in the title, using the word "hardcore". The cover art portraying a half-naked woman in a black-velvet red color scheme. The general sound, which is rockier and less poppy than "Different Class". And it worked. Not as good as "Different Class", but an elegant follow-up nonetheless.

Revolver

Beatles

5/5

My favorite Beatles album didn't really blew me away in an explosive sense that albums like "Abbey Road" did. Instead, "Revolver" is deceptively plain and simple. Yet it quickly grew on me. It has beautiful harmonies and melodies, as well as trippy sections which effortlessly blend with the classic rock sound. It's a brilliant and sneaky move towards their psychedelic sound, and maybe the psychedelic sound of '60s rock in general. Amazing, beautiful album overall.

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Soft Cell

2/5

It's the average '80s British pop experience of mildly interesting synths and obnoxious vocals. Pretty bad. Everyone is talking about "Tainted Love" (which I think became a meme) but personally, the jazzy "Seedy Films" is the best one from here.

Copper Blue

Sugar

2/5

The most awful mixing I've ever encountered so far I think. I think it might be good, but I can barely conceive anything over the overblown drums and guitars.

Beauty And The Beat

The Go-Go's

5/5

Now this is how you do an '80s pop masterpiece. Vocals that are actually good. Melodies that are actually catchy. Instrumentation that has character - I love the surf rock overtones in it. Most of all, I love how they don't take themselves too seriously. One of the most charming surprises I had from this list.

Atomizer

Big Black

5/5

A blunt approach on disturbing topics. A carefree atmosphere and a playful aesthetic (the comic cover art, for example). Guitars that feel like knives to one's ears. And a harsh noise/industrial sounds. In terms of sound, one might not consider it punk. But for me, it's ballsy, artsy, yet carefree, which makes it among the most punk album I've ever encountered.

Step In The Arena

Gang Starr

4/5

Amazing jazzy beats with some quirks. Combined with decent rapping, it's a truly compelling 50-minute listen.

Olympia 64

Jacques Brel

3/5

It's apparently a French poetry thingy. It's a big hit-and-miss. Jacques Brel's half-sung half-spoken verses are pretty annoying at some places, but he does have a great voice when he actually sings. Overall, it's hard to appreciate it since if one doesn't know any French. I had a mixed impression with the instrumentals too, though it's interesting most of the time. I still appreciated it though. Though I wonder if it's a good introduction to the so-called "Chanson". Well, I know that Jacques Brel is considered as master of the genre but still... One of the most amusing albums I've ever encountered.

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe Called Quest

5/5

Never did I thought a hip-hop album can make me feel like I'm floating. A Tribe Called Quest is truly among the jazziest hip-hop artist ever, making them a powerful figure against gangsta rap.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins

3/5

A massive, daring, and expansive follow-up to the masterpiece, "Siamese Dream". It's basically about two hours of them exploring sounds beyond their usual creamy brand of grunge. Experimenting with different instruments, including salt shakers and scissors. They would put as many as 70 guitar tracks in one song. Corgan reportedly played the guitar until his fingers "saw blood", and turning up the amp so loud the whole thing was on the verge of exploding. The resulting tracks range from acoustic melancholies to heavy pieces that almost qualify as metal. Overall, it's a sprawling experience that is more exhausting than uplifting, personally.

Metal Box

Public Image Ltd.

2/5

The instrumental is interesting, almost industrial. Lyndon's voice ruins everything though. Even in Sex Pistols, it's my number 1 complaint. Not a must-listen, overall. Hearing this artist's debut is enough, imo.

Hot Rats

Frank Zappa

3/5

Jazziest rock album ever. Or is it the rockiest jazz album ever?

Central Reservation

Beth Orton

2/5

Lacks the soulful beauty of folk and the spacey, atmospheric capabilities of electronica. In the end, it sounded more like a bland pop album than either folk or electronica.

Follow The Leader

Korn

4/5

Not a huge Korn fan but they're arguably the most defining nu metal act ever. They made a masterful blend of hiphop, rock, and industrial. They didn't focus too much on conventional poppy structures. And of course, they turned teenage angst up to 11. Overall, my inner teenage self is happy to hear this.

Nixon

Lambchop

4/5

The year 2000 has yet another surprising gem with this album, showcasing a charming blend of country and soul.

Vulnicura

Björk

2/5

Björk is a great performance artist, as well as a brilliant musician who makes interesting and daring projects. I now know it. If only it is as enjoyable as it is interesting...

Come Find Yourself

Fun Lovin' Criminals

4/5

More unique than I expected. Such an effortless combination of rock and rap. Ignoring the rash and aggressive aspects of both genres, while keeping their different grooves. The jazzy elements are cherry on top. A surprisingly compelling album.

The Visitors

ABBA

4/5

I don't consider myself an Abba fan but boy they do make the most timeless '80s pop. And I think they proved it in it album more than they did with their other more popular ones.

London Calling

The Clash

5/5

The rumours are true. This is the pinnacle of punk rock.

Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan

3/5

This made me think that Dylan can probably be a good rocker.

Fear and Whiskey

Mekons

3/5

Beautiful cover art. A quick scroll in Spotify shows that this band makes amazing artsy cover arts. And while their sound is equally artsy, I have mixed reactions with it. It's amazing yet terrible, and overall daring. That's experimental rock for you.

Germfree Adolescents

X-Ray Spex

4/5

Either I'm starting to appreciate punk or I'm just getting great punk albums lately. Either way, I enjoy this recent array of unique, daring punk albums. This one boasts a delicously messy brand of saxophone sprinkled, female-lead punk.

My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts

Brian Eno

3/5

I already know that Brian Eno can be artsy, but this is arguably his artiest work I have ever encountered. Naturally, this experimental album will be a wacky mess. I didn't appreciate the African and/or oriental music appropriation, but the track "Regiment" redeemed it by being such an uplifting banger. The only worth-listening song in the entire album, tbh. The rest is interesting at their best.

Hot Shots II

The Beta Band

4/5

Quite a charming combination of 1970's and 2000's rock. I love how strangely familiar yet fresh it is.

Destroy Rock & Roll

Mylo

4/5

This overly-serious record can never beat rock-and-roll and its crude, fiery, human energy. But its still possesses the strangely engrossing and world-transporting characters of a drug.

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

3/5

The hits are great but it's definitely among their weakest. If they insist on putting 5 of their albums in the list (which I don't mind), I would put "Houses of the Holy" instead of this.

Stand!

Sly & The Family Stone

4/5

This is probably what happens when psych rock is filled to the brim with grooviness. Funk perfection.

Bandwagonesque

Teenage Fanclub

3/5

Not a big fan of Nirvana's "Nevermind" but there's no way this generic alt-rock effort can be better than that.

Opus Dei

Laibach

4/5

The most political, militaristic-sounding, hard-hitting Rammstein (sic) album ever.

Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Bill Evans Trio

2/5

A nice reminder of how boring jazz can be. It's a live album but you can barely hear the audience in it. It's probably because they all fell asleep.

Nilsson Schmilsson

Harry Nilsson

4/5

Refreshing to see a singer-songwriter who doesn't take himself too seriously. This album is surprisingly fun in a dumb way.

The Grand Tour

George Jones

4/5

With amazing voice and surprisingly compelling grooves, this is in fact among the most fun and chill country album I've ever heard.

Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Wu-Tang Clan

4/5

I may or may not appreciate the Kung-Fu theme loosely thrown in, but I enjoyed it for being a rap album with personality. It felt like watching a '90s Kung-Fu action movie, yet it's not brimming with aggressiveness. It's instead a journey paved with smooth, soulful beats.

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Animal Collective

2/5

Features wacky and trippy sounds and an overall chaotic structure. All of these on top of the Beach Boys-ish melodies. As interesting as modern psychedelia can be. But it's too messy to be an enjoyable listen for me.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

RHCP's sound is interesting enough: a groovy mix of funk, rock, and even hiphop. This album is definitely their most defining. Full of energy and funk, despite the dullness at most moments. The 2 or so hits are awesome, but the rest of the 70+ minute trip is slighly boppy at their best.

Psychocandy

The Jesus And Mary Chain

4/5

"Psychocandy" is deceptive. It sounds like a droning, boring, generic rock effort. But if one pays attention, it actually packs a dark, brooding brand of rock topped with extreme, deliciously wooshy distortion that made me think it was from the '90s. Apparently, it was from '85. These guys are quite ahead of their time.

Everything Must Go

Manic Street Preachers

3/5

Mid alt-rock. Not even distinguishable as a brit-pop imo

Future Days

Can

4/5

As fun and interesting as krautrock can be

Dirt

Alice In Chains

2/5

A lot of grunge albums personally felt bland at first but quickly grew on me. This one however will probably not.

Your Arsenal

Morrissey

3/5

I've got to admit, I thought that the hard rock-ish ones are decent. Probably because it takes the spotlight away from his whiny voice and to the basic yet nice instrumentals. That's one of the things I like about The Smiths but unfortunately this is just Morrissey.

The Man Machine

Kraftwerk

3/5

01000011 01001111 01001111 01001100

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

3/5

Bro put all his rejected Beatles ideas into one mega-album. Tbf it has some nice treats.

Hysteria

Def Leppard

4/5

Finally. Glam metal that works.

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

4/5

I did not expect a chicken shack to be as chill as this.

School's Out

Alice Cooper

2/5

Reminds me of rock operas like "The Wall" but instead of hard rock-ish sounds it's dominated by glam rock which I personally find bland most of the time. It's surprisingly boring overall. But I gotta give it credit for being surprisingly interesting tho. I like the proggy jazz vibe in some places.

Parachutes

Coldplay

3/5

YouTube shorts-core

Connected

Stereo MC's

4/5

Very '90s and didn't age that well. But it slaps pretty hard nonetheless

Boy In Da Corner

Dizzee Rascal

1/5

Literally the most obnoxious rapping I have ever heard in my life. He sounded like he's turning up the "American gangster rapper" stereotype to 11. The overly angry delivery combined with the British accent and his nasal voice is painful to listen to. Top all of that with bland drum-and-bass beats that sounded like aneurysm in some places.

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

3/5

Very early 2000's. Didn't age that well, tbh

Live / Dead

Grateful Dead

1/5

Hooray! I finally listened to a bunch of dudes aimlessly noodling with synths for 70+ minutes, now I can die.

Bubble And Scrape

Sebadoh

3/5

I would eat up most of that wooshy '90s alt-rock sound that felt like maladaptive daydreaming while on road trip on a cloudy day. At the first few tracks, I thought this one is, but it turns out it's just a mildly interesting '90s indie rock effort. There are some punkier, messier, and more interesting albums than this for sure.

Songs The Lord Taught Us

The Cramps

4/5

Love me some goth punk

Hard Again

Muddy Waters

2/5

It actually sounded what muddy waters would feel like. And that isn't a compliment.

Brown Sugar

D'Angelo

3/5

Either my brain is fried, or I'm not horny atm, or that it's actually a dull and generic soul wankery. Either way, it all just washed over me. But I guess I did bop with it a bit.

Van Halen

3/5

To be honest, I've always thought Van Halen is the only one who did glam metal interesting with his atmospheric, virtuous, powerful guitars. But listening to this made me realize that they took themselves a bit too seriously, and this is a big move against glam metal's just-have-fun aesthetics. Of course it's not their fault I labeled them glam metal. Genres are funny. But I guess we can all agree that it is definitely a powerful guitar-driven album, despite being a bit uninteresting and "glammy".

Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

TV On The Radio

3/5

Definitely among the weirder bits of 2000's indie rock, and I appreciate that. Maybe the wooshy theatrical sound will grow on me.

Truth

Jeff Beck

3/5

Beck's guitar works carried much of the album imo, but of course I wouldn't discredit Rod's vocals here. Together they created quite a noodly yet down-to-earth hard rock project

Vanishing Point

Primal Scream

4/5

Who knows a '90s alt rock album could be so psychedelic? Delicious space flavored rock

Woodface

Crowded House

3/5

Decent but I'll definitely forget about its existence after a while.

Autobahn

Kraftwerk

5/5

It actually sounds like I'm in an autobahn! The long, boring cruise through the highway. The smooth and cool feeling when speeding across it. The oddly melancholic feeling of it at night. Amazing. A really artful, immersive album overall.

Night Life

Ray Price

3/5

Perhaps the most soulful country I've heard for a while.

Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

Dexys Midnight Runners

2/5

What's with the British music scene in the '80s that they looooved vocalists who sound like men suffering from severe menstrual pain?

KE*A*H** (Psalm 69)

Ministry

4/5

Despite all the impressions the word "industrial" conjures, it still remains as among the genre with most interesting sounds, as well as one with most personality. This is my first time listening to actual industrial metal - at least if you don't consider Rammstein and NIN metal - and it freaking slaps. I love the balance of seriousness and sense of humor that only a mix metal and industrial can achieve. I love this little bad boy of a genre.

Djam Leelii

Baaba Maal

2/5

Quite underwhelming, but I guess this roll of Senegalese music is too un-rockified for my expectations.

Tapestry

Carole King

4/5

An easy listen that doesn't get boring. Quite a nice oldie pop right here.

The Sounds Of India

Ravi Shankar

3/5

"Yeah, I had a sitar-driven lesson about Indian music somewhere in my 1001 albums journey. It's pretty neat, though I zoned out in at least 50% of the time"

The Band

2/5

Exactly what I would expect from a self-titled album by a band with such a name. Generic rock without much character.

Disintegration

The Cure

3/5

The Cure delivered with their signature dreamy synth works that is imo among the epitome not only of mainstream goth but also '80s synth pop. Speaking of '80s synth pop, the vocals sound like it came straight out of it. Annoying whininess and all. At this point, I can conclude that their strong suit is their instrumental stuff.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

Rockier than I expected but I guess they wouldn't be called "folk rock" if they aren't. Didn't know that The Vamps's "Cecilia" was a cover, I've got to admit they did butchered it a bit. It kinda gets draggy in the latter half but it's a banger of an album overall.

Tago Mago

Can

4/5

The most interesting and hard hitting krautrock I've ever heard so far. It's a quite a trip. Too long a trip but quite a trip nonetheless.

Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)

Loretta Lynn

3/5

Was expecting some smooth Patsy Cline-ish country but instead I got the usual country rockish tunes and vibes that didn't age well.

Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel

2/5

Quite a wild and daring project from these folk boys. Didn't dig it that mich I'm afraid

Groovin'

The Young Rascals

3/5

A pretty soulful entry in the Beatlesque trend of the '60s.

Orbital 2

Orbital

3/5

Could've been interesting if it isn't too monotonous and if the hooks aren't overlong.

Eagles

3/5

Surprisingly mid country-rock for such a big band.

Highly Evolved

The Vines

4/5

Amazing. Alt-rock craziness turned up to 11.

In Our Heads

Hot Chip

4/5

I freaking love modern indie pop and their artsy looping beats. Still, I couldn't deny that this area of music suffers from sounding oversanitized. Creating a rather cerebral sensation of being in a museum of "modern art" with all its white walls and stuff. I appreciate it, but I'll surely enjoy more if it feels like a paint gun festival or a laser disco rave vibe instead. I want the colors that it shows on its cover.

Bug

Dinosaur Jr.

3/5

A pretty disappointing follow-up to "You're Living All Over Me". Here, the creaminess is gone, as if all the milk curdled up. The result is basically an extra wooshy mid alt-rock.

Iron Maiden

4/5

Not a big Iron Maiden fan but this is pure 🔥

Rum Sodomy & The Lash

The Pogues

3/5

I somehow enjoyed it less than I enjoyed "If I Should Fall From Grace With God", but I can tell that's it's definitely The Pogues at their artsiest, wildest, and most daring.

Greetings From L.A.

Tim Buckley

2/5

Soulless, wild, and full of sin. I guess that's '70s LA for you.

Happy Trails

Quicksilver Messenger Service

2/5

The last track is unironically my favorite, not only because it's the only track that delivers what it should deliver, but also it's the shortest one. This is in stark contrast with the rest of the album, composing of excruciatingly long instrumental noodling. Psychedelic people doing this should have known that it only works when it is interesting.

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

2/5

They're so overrated. They're just another one of those '70s-'80s British bands with annoying half-moaning-half-singing lead vocals. They have rock-ish instrumentation but it barely made them listenable.

From Elvis In Memphis

Elvis Presley

5/5

I stand corrected. Elvis did actually made a good album. The production, the choir, his delivery of the songs... it's perfect, despite the usual lack of singles ("In the Ghetto" is its only single, while his masterpiece "Suspicious Minds" is actually a bonus track).

Trans Europe Express

Kraftwerk

2/5

Was excited because I thought "Autobahn" was an immersive masterpiece and I definitely love trains more than highways. Quite a disappointment for it's mostly repetitive electronic fiddlings. Instead of an immersive train ride, it turned out to be a nerdy stare at a train machinery. Nice wires and beep boops I guess?

Younger Than Yesterday

The Byrds

3/5

Not as fun as most psych rock but pretty decent nonetheless

Oar

Alexander 'Skip' Spence

3/5

Sounds like another generic folk but it actually has some pretty interesting instrumental bits. It made the entire listen fun.q

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

4/5

Surprisingly fun and an easy listen. The upbeat tracks are especially nice. They're quite unique among other '80s rock acts for not having terrible names, not having annoying vocals, and not having shitty synths ruining the entire thing. Kudos for that!

Electric Music For The Mind And Body

Country Joe & The Fish

3/5

Not as electrifying as they claim, nor is it a mind-and-body stimulating piece. But it's still pretty fun, despite being a bit generic. Mid psych rock.

Two Dancers

Wild Beasts

5/5

Another life-affirming gem from the 00's indie scene. Got a mixed reaction with the vocals but the ethereal instrumentals and the overall dreamy vibe made it a totally fun experience.

Music From The Penguin Cafe

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

3/5

Exactly what you would expect from the "Peguin Cafe". Chill, cartoonish, and artsy.

Kollaps

Einstürzende Neubauten

2/5

I was excited because yay another industrial but I forgot boring industrial albums exist too

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Beatles

5/5

Before the albums became available in Youtube, the beatles were just a '60s boy band singing cute pop songs with their bell-sounding guitars and impeccable harmonies. The live performances in particular are always packed with screaming girls in the background, so loud it drowns out the music. Then the albums became available. It all changed. "Sgt. Peppers" and "Abbey Road" made me experience what Beatles fans in the '60s probably experienced back then. They blew my mind, and made it open to all the possibilities in music. I might even say I won't be here treading the list if it wasn't for that.

Water From An Ancient Well

Abdullah Ibrahim

4/5

Not too long or complex. Making it an incredibly easy listen, yet still packed with interesting bits. Another jazz album I enjoyed.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

4/5

A bit underwhelming considering how hyped this is. Especially when you compared it to albums like the debut (which should've gotten a 5 from me), "Master of Reality", or "Heaven and Hell". But hey, at least it has 3 amazing hits. You know what they are.

Space Ritual

Hawkwind

3/5

It captured the essence of the outer space. The crazy psychedelia of it, as well as the ridiculous size. I have mixed reaction about the latter, like why is it so long and repetitive?

All Mod Cons

The Jam

3/5

It's pretty decent, but it sounded like a lighter version of bands like The Kinks, The Clash, or The Stooges.

The Nightfly

Donald Fagen

3/5

Very easy listen. This commercially "jazz" piece can be and is probably a coffee shop staple. I wonder why it reminds me of Steely Dan a lot. It turns out that the guy IS from Steely Dan.

G. Love And Special Sauce

G. Love & Special Sauce

3/5

I appreciate its unique and refreshing brand of '90s music. Kinda reminds me of mag.lo and Cheekface. I didn't feel it as much as the mentioned artists tho.

Sweet Baby James

James Taylor

2/5

Why is everyone complaining about how too sweet it is? It's freaking bland af. All the sugar in it tasted artificial.

The Stooges

4/5

The Stooges deliver that delicious raw energy as usual.

Kid A

Radiohead

3/5

Every song is either an ethereal electronic masterpiece or a droning snoozefest. Never in between.

São Paulo Confessions

Suba

3/5

It's actually a bit more than just some tropical bar music. I love the slick glassy beats that reminds me of urban crime movies, though it can get monotonous at some places. Interesting overall.

Myths Of The Near Future

Klaxons

3/5

Surprising that it's released in 2007. I thought it was from the '90s. Surprisingly generic, especially considering the epicness of the title. "Near future" in 2007, it could've been interesting.

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

4/5

What a fun album. Led Zeppelin at their tightest. Could've been a 5/5 if the second half wasn't as sloppy as it is. Still a solid album nonetheless.

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

Joni Mitchell

3/5

I like her voice but the overall music felt pretty dull

Beyond Skin

Nitin Sawhney

2/5

It's a 3 because it's mid, but the annoying, uninspired insertions of random oriental music brought it down to a 2.

So Much For The City

The Thrills

3/5

wooshy steely dan

Get Rich Or Die Tryin'

50 Cent

2/5

I'm genuinely surprised at how bad this is. I hate the bland vine-boom driven beats and the way 50 Cent raps.

Rising Above Bedlam

Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart

2/5

Sounds like they just took snippets of Indian music and indiscriminately mixed it up with their brand of electronica. The result is a hot mess.

Brutal Youth

Elvis Costello

2/5

Elvis Costello's voice is definitely among the top 10 voices that makes me want to punch someone.

The Pleasure Principle

Gary Numan

4/5

What a surprise! Apparently, the missing trick with '80s British synth-pop is to sound like Kraftwerk.

Feast of Wire

Calexico

4/5

I underestimated it so much knowing it's a country album with an ugly cover art. It's just so surprisingly good.

The Dreaming

Kate Bush

4/5

More artsy and daring than the standard Kate Bush. Pop premium right there

No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)

Motörhead

2/5

Why do live albums exist? Especially if there's nothing musically interesting in it?

Rust In Peace

Megadeth

3/5

The riffs on this one are legendary... and that's about it ://

Aqualung

Jethro Tull

3/5

I hate concept albums with samey tracks. It's supposed to be a ride of different sounds imo. I love the flutes tho. It does have a place in rock.

The Notorious Byrd Brothers

The Byrds

2/5

This is like the fifth Byrd album I got from the list? Somehow, their entries get steadily worse over time. Maybe going through 1001 Albums just made me sick of mid psych rock.

Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival

3/5

Bluesy rock. It's pretty good in small doses

You Are The Quarry

Morrissey

2/5

Pseudo-political whining over mid pop-rock. Do we really need to hear 4 damn solo albums from this guy before we die?

A Walk Across The Rooftops

The Blue Nile

2/5

Just had my weekly dose of mid '80s British pop. Thanks 1001 Albums

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

3/5

Disco era MJ isn't that interesting tbh

Like Water For Chocolate

Common

4/5

Politically charged yet chill. How does one achieve such vibe?

Larks' Tongues In Aspic

King Crimson

3/5

🧙🏻‍♂️🍄 gnome 🍄 music 🧙🏻‍♂️🍄

The Velvet Underground

4/5

These are like candies to my ears and I loved it. It'll probably grow on me after a while but rn it's a 4

Kimono My House

Sparks

3/5

Kudos for the unique sound and the quirky vocals. It's a shame the annoyingness of '70s synth rock is this there.

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

What could be more funk than creating such beautiful and dark tracks.

The Soft Bulletin

The Flaming Lips

4/5

Kinda surprised it came before the Yoshimi album. It sounded more refined and more rock-ished, albeit less heartfelt that that one. Pretty nice.

Who Killed...... The Zutons?

The Zutons

4/5

I freaking love 2000's rock. They generally sound overly refined and yet they sound crazier than say 1990's rock. What an awesome surprise.

Punishing Kiss

Ute Lemper

2/5

Sounds like a boring musical.

Snivilisation

Orbital

3/5

Both electronica and ambient can do something more than just being a background filler. Clearly, they just played safe here, creating such an unremarkable work.

Rage Against The Machine

5/5

Slim yet powerful, RATM's discography is among the ones where I Iike every song. They rock hard with their half-shouted vocals, their simple yet head-banging riffs, and their slick guitar that almost sounded industrial. The lyrics are pretty solid too. Repetitive and powerful, like protest slogans. I love how they're particular and universal at the same time. Overall, they're one of my go-to artists whenever I want to bang my head, raise my fist, or do both. This album in particular is not really my favorite but it's still packed with their most beloved singles.

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

4/5

Totally what I expected from an album called "green onions". It's fun and pretty cute

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

3/5

I hope this is the last Neil Young off this list. I mean his songs are decent but there's nothing new to look forward to with his other songs. It's all the same.

Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

Bill Callahan

4/5

Idc I freaking love modern country. It's basically regular country with good production lol

Post Orgasmic Chill

Skunk Anansie

4/5

What a pull!! This is what I wanted off this list. Some relatively obscure and unique project. I love the energy of it and the powerful vocalist. I guess this is what much of 2000's pop-metal is trying to be.

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

3/5

Kinda interesting to see Paul's musical force at full energy here.

Suzanne Vega

2/5

I'm afraid this is quite boring to me, at least musically. The instrumentals are uninteresting and her voice doesn't shine in it's captivating glory like in "Tom's Diner". The lyrics may be a poetic masterpiece but I wouldn't listen to it that much again.

System Of A Down

5/5

There's a handful of things "Toxicity" is better at than this one: Serj's better vocals, a more accessible pop-ish structure, clean guitars spitting out thrash-like riffs and surprisingly good solos, and overall better influence and popularity. However, no album inside and outside their discography ever beat the rawness, craziness, and darkness of "System of a Down". My favorite SOAD and an often overlooked masterpiece.

The Atomic Mr Basie

Count Basie & His Orchestra

4/5

Still disappointed that plutonium jazz isn't a real genre, but I guess this explosive statement is close enough in terms of vibe

25

Adele

2/5

It's hard to believe that 2015 is almost 10 years ago until you hear the generic pop songs from that time.

Red Dirt Girl

Emmylou Harris

3/5

What a mid work. Other modern country and folk albums showed how much interesting things one can do with modern production. It's already decent but she could've been more daring.

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

3/5

Fourth Talking Heads album from this list and I still think they're just another mid new wave who just happened to be overhyped. Still, "Fear of Music" is the most interesting one I've heard so far. The tunes have a character and carry that beloved new-wave energy. The vocals are still annoying but at least it's not as spotlighted as it was in their other albums. I would say this is my favorite from them, I guess.

Steve McQueen

Prefab Sprout

2/5

It was promising at first. There were interesting melodies at some places and the vocals are not as annoying as I expected. Still, it turned out to be boring overall. Never trust a "sophisti pop" album I guess. That genre name sounds so pretentious I get a knee jerk reaction everytime I read it.

White Light / White Heat

The Velvet Underground

3/5

Despite the title, it's dark, damp, and murky like a basement corner. And I kinda like it.

On The Beach

Neil Young

4/5

A refreshing walk on the beach is not what I would expect from Neil Young at this point. What a surprise!

Music

Madonna

2/5

Apparently, this is the last Madonna I'll encounter in this list. Crazy that I didn't have to hear any stuff from her dance-pop era. Instead, I mostly got her wonky attempts at electronic music at least a decade after her prime. What a disappointment.

Queen II

Queen

3/5

I did not expect to be underwhelmed by a Queen album, but it's still quite an explosive and fun early effort.

Dummy

Portishead

5/5

Most of electronica sounds robotic and cold. But albums like "Dummy" - especially "Dummy" - are different. "Dummy" is deeply human. Darkness, beauty, emotion and all.

Maggot Brain

Funkadelic

5/5

Delicious funk with guitars holding biblical powers

Deserter's Songs

Mercury Rev

4/5

So lush yet so down to earth, like a subtly magical forest.

Heroes to Zeros

The Beta Band

3/5

It's like... funk but without soul.

Damaged

Black Flag

2/5

Annoying British men whining over unremarkable guitars and it's "hardcore"?

Nick Of Time

Bonnie Raitt

2/5

Incorporating rock music only works if it wasn't treated like a wounded pigeon. One should smash her head in it. Sell her soul for it. Channel her deepest inner turmoil in it. Rock works if one is sincere and daring.

Cross

Justice

3/5

Nice production and interesting hooks despite suffering from sounding-robotic-ism. Maybe it'll grow on me.

Bummed

Happy Mondays

2/5

Yes, I'm definitely bummed that today's entry is yet another mid British '80s synth pop thingy.

...And Justice For All

Metallica

5/5

This album is like straight out of a hospital's surgery operating room. It's chillingly cold, dry, and delicately intricate. But amidst the alcohol smelling vibe is a dark and visceral core which dominates the entire room. The cover art alone tells it, I just love how Metallica's cover art looks exactly what it sounds like. Been avoiding this album for a while but man this kicks as hard as their other early stuff.

Sex Packets

Digital Underground

1/5

Sorry, but not even the fact that it's about a space orgasmer packet made it any less boring.

Live!

Fela Kuti

3/5

Grooooooovy. But some live albums sound more fun if they're... live.

Only By The Night

Kings of Leon

4/5

Yk that controversial brand of '00s rock reminiscent of Nickelback and Creed? That, and topped with delicious production. Unironically enjoyed it.

Let England Shake

PJ Harvey

3/5

Decent rock. Tbh I would be surprised if I heard this before knowing that it's from 2011.

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

4/5

Elliott Smith rocks harder than I expected.

This Nation’s Saving Grace

The Fall

4/5

What a kickass brick of chaos

Low-Life

New Order

2/5

Is the '80s a huge try-not-to-use-synths-challenge- impossible era in pop music??

Among The Living

Anthrax

5/5

Metallica = earth Megadeth = wind Slayer = fire ...and Anthrax would be water 💦 Just experienced them all yay. Did I got it right?

Grievous Angel

Gram Parsons

2/5

The only reason I won't forget about this album is because of its interesting background. Other than that, it's boring.

Reign In Blood

Slayer

4/5

Best songs to play on a flaming guitar

Mott

Mott The Hoople

2/5

I don't like glam ig

S.F. Sorrow

The Pretty Things

3/5

Decent psych

Born To Be With You

Dion

3/5

Like listening to grandpa's radio on a Friday night.

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

4/5

As usual, we have those guitars that tickles, those feathery vocals, and the damp production. It's pretty good but it's quite overhyped.

Homework

Daft Punk

2/5

Daft Punk's big problems are that they don't know how long is too long and that they can't really make compelling build-ups. Still hard to believe they're one of the biggest electronic acts out there. Even their hit, "Around the World" is a snoozefest and is probably only popular because it's a meme.

The Gilded Palace Of Sin

The Flying Burrito Brothers

3/5

It's generic but the vocals hit

Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

3/5

There are some nice tunes here from the band. Surprisingly listenable for a typical '80s synth-infused rock.

Roots

Sepultura

4/5

Solid grooves and solid concept - with Brazil's marginalized indigenous people as its central theme. The sole issue of this album, and Sepultura's music in general imo, is that their riffs and tunes change only a little across songs. Sure there are different breakdowns in some, but in general, it makes the album feel much longer than it is. Still, it's really good and perhaps the best of mainstream groove metal.

Stephen Stills

3/5

Bro does pack some nice guitar stuff

Being There

Wilco

3/5

Decent but forgettable indie-ish country rock

American Gothic

David Ackles

2/5

What a snooooooooooooooozefest

Sunshine Hit Me

The Bees

5/5

A sweet sweet combination of lofi indie, modern psych rock, and classic funk.

Warehouse: Songs And Stories

Hüsker Dü

3/5

Love the backroom-sy covert art and the punk-ish sound.

The Rise & Fall

Madness

2/5

of a midwest princess?? oh mb it's just Madness.

Astral Weeks

Van Morrison

2/5

A bit interesting but definitely not astral lol

Get Behind Me Satan

The White Stripes

3/5

Mostly that soft variant of '00s rock that I'm not a fan of. But the parts where they unleashed their punkiest sounds slap hard.

Fever Ray

2/5

I usually eat up experimental electronic stuff released in this era but this one ain't it. The beats are dull and the vocals devoid of emotion.

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

5/5

pure happiness in album form

69 Love Songs

The Magnetic Fields

1/5

I can barely bear 6 of em let alone 69

Pieces Of The Sky

Emmylou Harris

2/5

Very standard and uninteresting country.

Penthouse And Pavement

Heaven 17

3/5

Groovy ahh '80s synthpop. Kinda liked it in some places

Truth And Soul

Fishbone

2/5

Apparently, I don't like ska

#1 Record

Big Star

3/5

Some parts does hit it but it's buried amidst a lot of fillers.

Peter Gabriel 3

Peter Gabriel

2/5

Quite a boring listen personally, no matter how innovative it is.

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

4/5

How daring yet how commercial. This album can be generic yet it still slaps. This balance alone is quite impressive tbh. That being said, I still believe that GNR is a singles band. They made legendary singles, but their deep cuts and albums? Kinda mid.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

5/5

I swear we're not glazing. This little art rock album about modern society and human madness is definitely the epitome of music. Give it a try for it IS a must hear before you die ://. It changed my life and I wish I could hear it for the first time again like (probably) you.

Supa Dupa Fly

Missy Elliott

3/5

Decent beats and rapping but it gets boring after a while.

The Man Who

Travis

2/5

Amidst all the rich sounds of '90s and '00s rock we have these guys playing safe, producing works that are blander than even bad britpop albums.

The Infotainment Scan

The Fall

3/5

Lacks the wow factor of "This Nation's Saving Grace" but a decent post punk nonetheless

Rejoicing In The Hands

Devendra Banhart

4/5

I love fairy autumn-ish folk. They're like bedtime stories for adults <3

New Forms

Roni Size

2/5

First of all why is it so freaking long? The beats are interesting in some places, but lacks catchy melody. It's a boring background music.

Boston

2/5

So this is what Bon Jovi sounds like to non-Bon Jovi fans, huh?

Electric

The Cult

3/5

Yet another glammy rock. Except this one is actually quite decent.

The Only Ones

4/5

Rockified 70s-80s British pop often slaps, especially this one.

Our Aim Is To Satisfy

Red Snapper

4/5

I'm indeed satisfied ^.^

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

5/5

This is THE album you must hear before you die. I have been experienced, and I believe everyone should be experienced, and I want to be experienced for the first time again.

Gold

Ryan Adams

2/5

I swear everything about this is generic.

Kings Of The Wild Frontier

Adam & The Ants

2/5

Ok, maybe rockified 70s-80s British pop isn't always a banger...

Heartattack And Vine

Tom Waits

4/5

Rooted in blues, this is perhaps his most normal sounding album. Despite that, it's still very Tom Waits and has quite a vibe.

2/5

Unremarkable glam.

The Lexicon Of Love

ABC

2/5

Ew another generic '80s British pop

The Cars

4/5

This is what I expected from something called "The Cars": An irresistibly road-trippable version of Pulp.

Yeezus

Kanye West

4/5

Damn. Imagine if Kanye is an ordinary electronic artist instead of a rapper with dumb shenanigans.

The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails

5/5

Heard more than a thousand albums but this one still remains as the darkest of them all. Deeply carnal, unapologetically heavy, and lacking any sugarcoat, this album is a disturbing masterpiece and perhaps the epitome of industrial music. Overwhelmingly machine yet very human.

Lam Toro

Baaba Maal

3/5

I wish I'm musically nerd enough to be interested in all the quirky stuff of this album.

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

4/5

Expectation: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! Reality: ооооооооооооооооооооооонннн...

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

5/5

My favorite Kendrick (yes, over TPAB), boasting his finest beats and top-tier storytelling. Feels like a movie about someone's home, dirty laundry and all.

Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

Nebraska can't be *that* boring. Music needs a little more spice ig.

Triangle

The Beau Brummels

2/5

Crazy how boring psychedelic rock can be.

Guitar Town

Steve Earle

2/5

Country rock is a huge hit-and-miss. If they're playing it safe, it's a near guarantee of a miss.

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

4/5

I freaking love Janis Joplin and I'm stoked to see an actual rock album lead by her.

Bringing It All Back Home

Bob Dylan

4/5

Actually quite fun and interesting, despite the slight inconsistency.

Fly Or Die

N.E.R.D

3/5

Surprisingly fun Black Eyes Peas-ish album.

You've Come a Long Way Baby

Fatboy Slim

5/5

Fatboy Slim sure knows how to make a repetitive beat interesting all throughout. Nice build-up, nice production, banger tracks. That IS how you do an electronic album.

Coles Corner

Richard Hawley

4/5

Surpassed my expectations. 2000's production really does something to these type of music, yeah?

Locust Abortion Technician

Butthole Surfers

4/5

It's not even funny but it definitely sounds better and more interesting than a lot of synthpop and psych rock on this list.

Doggystyle

Snoop Dogg

4/5

If it sounds like Snoop Dogg but better, then it must be Dr. Dre song. If it sounds like Dr. Dre but worse, then it must be a Snoop Dogg song. Idk still slaps a bit.

Millions Now Living Will Never Die

Tortoise

5/5

Beautifully cinematic yet tight ambient-ish album.

For Your Pleasure

Roxy Music

4/5

You know how pleasure works. A slow build up to an explosive climax. Plus a requirement to not take it too seriously. Most of them did hit the spot.

Queen Of Denmark

John Grant

3/5

Interesting and nice enough to be a fun listen

Don't Stand Me Down

Dexys Midnight Runners

2/5

Eughhh that whiny vocaled synth infected British pop againnn. Did not even notice this is the third one. Hopefully it'll be the last.

Traffic

2/5

Nobody likes traffic brooo

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon

3/5

Listening to a man going through a therapy isn't really enjoyable ig

Ananda Shankar

4/5

sitar rock!!

Rid Of Me

PJ Harvey

4/5

Her best one off this list, probably. Packed with grungy goodies.

KIWANUKA

Michael Kiwanuka

4/5

Beautifully crafted modern soul

The Coral

3/5

Decent but was genuinely surprised it was from 2002. Unlike say King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, they didn't put much freshness on the psychedelic '60s sound.

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

3/5

I've heard more interesting sampling feats but I got to admit that the sampling here is quite a flex.

Violator

Depeche Mode

3/5

Apart from not having annoying vocals, they sure know how to squeeze out the dreamy capabilities of '80s synth pop. It's surprisingly listenable.

Strange Cargo III

William Orbit

4/5

It's a banger it almost made me not mad about the unnecessary cultural appropriation in the cover art.

Tarkus

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

3/5

It's surely not as neat and interesting as its album cover.

Miriam Makeba

3/5

Stunning voice. Certainly not the best album to listen to while commuting. Maybe next time...

Dust

Screaming Trees

4/5

Surprisingly a good wave from the tsunami of grunge and alt rock from the '90s.

All Directions

The Temptations

4/5

Impeccable grooves as expected

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean

5/5

FINALLY! A SURPRISE! At first I thought it'll be another generic modern hiphop/R&B but it just gets better and better over time. By the time it ended, my mind was blown and is fully believing that the happiest color, orange, can be overflowing with heartache. What a modern masterpiece.

Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

Bland despite being overproduced. Or maybe bland because it's overproduced.

I See You

The xx

3/5

Like dreamy Alan Walker.

Talking Timbuktu

Ali Farka Touré

3/5

Now I do hear the grooves. I hear them for too long in most places.

Let's Stay Together

Al Green

4/5

Has more colors and emotions than just green.

Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby

Girls Against Boys

4/5

I was bamboozled when I heard the songs and learned that it wasn't a feminist riot grrl pop punk but instead a bunch of middle age sounding dudes singing a wooshy version of Creed. But oh boy do the wooshy version of Creed slap hard. I wonder why they named themselves "Girls Against Boys". AND I also wonder why did they pick such a pretentious shitty name. AND AND I also wonder how did they look at that abomination of a cover art and thought, yeah that will do. Thank God it doesn't sound as bad as it looks.

Fromohio

fIREHOSE

2/5

Sounds like a bunch of unfinished unpolished songs made on a rush and was put together in an album.

Tommy

The Who

3/5

It may be the OG "The Wall" but one of the things I learned in this 1000+ list is that the OG aren't always the best, especially when it comes to music.

Diamond Life

Sade

3/5

"Sophisti-pop" songs with saxophone :')

Le Tigre

4/5

Explosive riot grrrl record 🔥

Crocodiles

Echo And The Bunnymen

3/5

Quite neat and sounds dark that it almost sounds like goth. Overall tho, it's just another '80s British pop that I'll forget about after a while.

Morrison Hotel

The Doors

3/5

Reminds me if being drunk for some reason

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

4/5

Kinda crazy how fun and laidback early rap sounds.

So

Peter Gabriel

2/5

Quite boring but I guess it's neater than most of '80s pop.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

3/5

He knows how to make good country that's for sure

The Sun Rises In The East

Jeru The Damaja

4/5

Packed with fire beats and decent rap, it's quite a vibe

Lost Souls

Doves

3/5

Amazing effects and stiff and I wished they developed it more. Almost sent me to space but it didn't :/

Blunderbuss

Jack White

2/5

blunderbuss ain't blunderbussin

Murmur

R.E.M.

3/5

Quite boring. Do we really need to listen to 4 albums from them before we die?

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

3/5

Decent glam rock as expected from Bowie

Shadowland

k.d. lang

2/5

Great voice but an overall generic, forgettable country

Close To The Edge

Yes

3/5

Like an over complicated elevator music

Playing With Fire

Spacemen 3

4/5

ACCURACY REVOLUTION PURITY LOVE ... SUICIDE??! sounds like a space cult and it somehow slaps hard

Frampton Comes Alive

Peter Frampton

2/5

Live albums shouldn't exist. Not especially live DOUBLE albums

Done By The Forces Of Nature

Jungle Brothers

3/5

The jungle-y vibes is pretty nice but an hour of it felt a bit too much

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

Genesis

3/5

Genuinely wondering why does no prog rock work on me as a huge Pink Floyd fan. These records are missing something I don't what.

xx

The xx

5/5

It's giving cozy dark indie rock and I love it!

En-Tact

The Shamen

4/5

巧

No Other

Gene Clark

4/5

Surprisingly vibe-ful country

Rock Bottom

Robert Wyatt

2/5

Aimless and chaotic in a bad way.

The Seldom Seen Kid

Elbow

2/5

Interesting melodies but overall an absolute snoozefest

...Baby One More Time

Britney Spears

2/5

My expectations were high because it's Britney hello?? Girl was slaying since the late '90s with her singles -- which I actually like. But I guess she's another one of those great-singles-but-terrible-albums artists ://

Getz/Gilberto

Stan Getz

5/5

Yooo, who is shipping Getz and Gilberto? O.o Stupid jokes aside, this is yet another delicious bossa nova album. Kudos <3

MTV Unplugged In New York

Nirvana

3/5

It's quite a statement. A live album with minimal production. Even to a casual listener, it's interesting to hear the slick versions of those songs. I still prefer the studio versions tho.

Back In Black

AC/DC

5/5

Love em or hate em, they sure know how to rock hard!

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