Jarre is one of the godfathers of electronic music, and this early album is one of his best. Its best known part is certainly Oxygène 4, but one really should listen to this album as a whole, not for individual tracks. Jarre is weaving a tapestry of ever-repeating patterns and introduces gradual over time, so it never gets boring. A classic masterpiece of electronic music. 5/5
This was Depeche Mode's bridge album between their more classic 80's synth period (Black Celebration) and their all time classic Violator. But from the album cover to the music, this album is both a classic and truly iconic in its own right. There is not one bad song on here. 5/5
Am I biased against hip-hop? - You bet I am. But this album isn't helping. 1/5
This is a highly experimental album - nearly every single instrument is the human voice. This is an interesting concept, but Björk manages to pull it off and still sound like ... Björk. This is a small hiccup for me. I have massive respect for Björk, but could never really get into her music. There is only a handful of Björk songs that I like. Luckily, one of these is Oceania from this album, in which Björk summons an incredibly amount of energy, which I find is lacking in many other of her songs. All in all, I'm a bit torn, but I'll give this album 3.5/5.
Did nothing for me. Music is good, voice is good, but it just doesn't gel to something great. 2.5/5
Tracks 1 - 6 super, danach zu viele Filler. 3/5
Love Vigilantes - nicht meins The Perfect Kiss - Disco - gute Bassline am Ende This Time of Night - Dark - nice! Sunrise - OK, plätzschert im Hintergrund vor sich hin Elegia - very nice! Sooner Than you think - OK Sub-Culture - Cool, aber Gessang schlecht! Face Up - Nööö. 2/5
More Than a Feeling ist gut. Rest ist Standard Classic Rock ohne Höhen und Tiefen. Ist OK, für mich aber nichts besonderes. 3/5
Aretha Franklin in her usual blues/gospel mode. Solid enough, but lacks variation. 3/5.
This is a great Christmas Album; especially the tracks by Darlene Love are excellent. The others are nice as well, only the Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans ones are lacking a little bit, and I could have done without the final track with the Phil Spector speech. Still, well worth a listen. 4/5.
Didn't think I would like this one as much as I did. What a surprise! 4/5
Not my kind of music at all. It may be a genre masterpiece, but my listening enjoyment says 1/5.
This is not my kind of music. At all. As such, I can't find anything I like about it. 1/5.
This is a pleasant surprise. Was expecting a punk record, but this is really a Punk/Rock/Pop/Reggea(ish) album with quite a lot variation. Doesn't blow me away, and is maybe a bit longer than it ought to be, but is a good very album nonetheless. 4/5
Run-of-the-mill late 60's rock, complete with pretentious lyrics, calls for a 'revolution' and out-of-tune instruments. Not totally awful, but boring. 2/5
The Mid-to-Late-70s-Bowie-Vibes are strong with this one, without reaching Bowie's level. The music is quite experimental here (Brian Eno's influence), but not enough tracks stand out. Nice album, which I don't absolutely have to listen to again. 3/5.
Dylan is more poet than musician. His lyrics may be deep, but his music more often than not is shallow. There are some good tracks on here, especially in the album's first half. But nothing really stands out or touches me. Also, I'm still not a fan of Dylan's voice. 3/5.
Standard mid 90's Singer/Songwriter fare with a heavy country/blues touch and a slightly annoying singing voice. Nice enough to let it play in the background, but there is not one memorable song or even hook here. 3/5
90's brit-pop meets grunge. Competent album, but without anything really standing out. But quite a bit of variation. 3.5/4, which I'll round up.
Torn about this one. I quite like electronic music. I hate hip hop with a passion. So many of these tracks get a hard pass from me. Heat Miser is nice, though. 2.5/5, which I'll round up.
Jarre is one of the godfathers of electronic music, and this early album is one of his best. Its best known part is certainly Oxygène 4, but one really should listen to this album as a whole, not for individual tracks. Jarre is weaving a tapestry of ever-repeating patterns and introduces gradual over time, so it never gets boring. A classic masterpiece of electronic music. 5/5
The title track is quite a pleasant surprise, actually. It's a blues-meets-country-and-they-go-to-a-swing-concert type of track, that I quite enjoy. I was hoping the rest of the album would be cut of a similar cloth, but alas! No. ... The rest is run-of-the-mill old style country with cringy lyrics for good measure, and I found myself fast forwarding all the way until the end. *sigh* 2/5
This is a great Jazz/Swing-Album from an artist I previously knew nothing about. It's a live recording, too, but only runs about 35 minutes. Sarah Vaughan has a fantastic voice; and the way she saved "Willow Weep for me" after having forgotten some of the lines is truly elegant and funny at the same time. 4/5
This album is more jazz than I can bear. I can hear that the players are masters of craft, but all of the tracks are endlessly meandering, with the performers playing in a very self-serving manner, as opposed to song-serving. I know this is par for the course for jazz, and I know that I don't like that. I also dislike how more than one take of the same songs needed to be be included on this album. 2.5/5, which I'll round up.
Early-70's folk/progressive rock album. Not bad, but didn't speak to me at all. Why this is on the list is beyond me. Still, 3/5.
Yay, ABBA! This is their 4th collection of catchy tunes and memorable melodies. Among others, we find classics as Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Money, Money Money, Arrival and Fernando. Of course, not all tracks are equally good, but there hardly is any filler material here. Onle My Love, My Life and Dum Dum Diddle do nothing for me, but everything considered, this is a great album. 4.5/5
No other decade could produce an album like this. Singer/songwriter, mostly with acoustic guitars only, but the chords and melodies have soaked in the full 90ness of things. First word that comes to mind is "angsty". Which isn't bad neccessarily, but I have to be in the mood to listen to this. I'll give it 3.5/5.
Hip Hop. Really?!? Sorry, could never get into it. And really, I tried listening to a few tracks here, I just can't find anything I like. 1/5.
Rubber Soul is bridging the gap between the early poppy and the late experimental Beatles. As such, we can find tunes like Drive My Car, which could have easily been published one or two year prior, and Norwegian Wood, a folky song that experiments with instruments like the sitar. There are some real Beatles classics here, like the aforementioned Drive My Car and Norwegian Wood, Michelle, and especially In My Life. Even though I much prefer their later material, this album never gets boring. It's a solid 4/5.
Pleasant easy-enough-to-listen-to songs without any real highs. I don't like the singer's singing-style - he sounds stiff and unemontional. 2/5.
This is a highly experimental album - nearly every single instrument is the human voice. This is an interesting concept, but Björk manages to pull it off and still sound like ... Björk. This is a small hiccup for me. I have massive respect for Björk, but could never really get into her music. There is only a handful of Björk songs that I like. Luckily, one of these is Oceania from this album, in which Björk summons an incredibly amount of energy, which I find is lacking in many other of her songs. All in all, I'm a bit torn, but I'll give this album 3.5/5.
Late 60's Singer/Songwriter/Folk/Country/Hippie-Album. Nothing stands out. Quite boring. 2/5.
"Oh, look, it's another blues rock album from the 60's". Expertly played, but oh so utterly boring. Yawn. 2/5.
Songs from the Great American Songbook. Billie Holidays frail voice and the orchestral arrangements do justice to these selections, but they could be a little more varied. Still a very nice listen. 3.5/5.
I liked this somewhat - this indie-rock-meets-country album somehow sounds bleak, but in the first couple of songs manages to hit the right notes for me. The songs on the opposite end aren't as strong, though. 3/5
Bowie's last album. Seven tracks, four of which I like. (Blackstar, Lazarus, Dollar Days, I Can't Give Everything Away). It was published shortly before Bowie's death, and is about that very subject matter. The music is a mixture of pop/rock and jazz, and is at times quite ominous sounding. The album is well worth a listen. 4/5
Eclectic collection of melancholy instrumental tracks that served as the soundtrack for the movie of the same name. Flows nicely, but it's nothing I would listen to more than a few times. 3/5
Did nothing for me. Music is good, voice is good, but it just doesn't gel to something great. 2.5/5
Clearly this album is a precursor to the alt-rock/grunge movement that would appear a few years later- there is this typical 90s bleakness and agression that is inherent in most of these songs. For me, this lacks variation. 3/5
This is a masterpiece of electronic pop/dance music. The undertone here is often melancholic, but even then with a hauting, yet melodious vibe. Still, there is variation between songs - listening through this gem never gets boring. We can find some well-known PSB songs from the 80s here (It's a Sin, What Have I Done to Deserve This?, Rent, Heart), but the lesser known songs are good as well, including two especially beautiful ballads (King's Cross/It couldn't happen here). This album is a classic. 5/5
This is a LONG alt-rock album. Songs are nice enough, but nothing that would give me any incentive to listen again. 3/5.
The alt-rock is strong with this one. The album tries too hard to be lound and raw, but only succeeds in becoming somewhat predictable. The obvious standout is "Where Is My Mind?". The rest? Boring. 2/5
Mellow 70s pop. - Think Burt Bacharach ... who incidentally, wrote a couple of songs on this album. (They Long to Be) Close to You is great. So is I'll Never Fall in Love Again. On the other hand, the Help - Cover doesn't seem to quite work, and there are one or two songs that are just OK. Still, Karen Carpenter phantastic voice carries this album throughout. I'll give it 3.5/5.
Country(-Rock). The album is off to a strong start with its opening track Out on the Weekend, which grooves and has full, partly electric arrangement. But the album quickly loses steam afterwards. The following songs are more sparse and generally on the weaker side. The best songs are the aforementioned Out on the Weekend and (of course) Heart of Gold; The Needle and the Damage Done is another well-known track. I'm quite indifferent about the rest, honestly. Still, 3.5/5.
This punk rock album is OK, but apart from the fact that some of the songs feature saxophone, it's nothing special. 3/5.
I generally like the that 80's sound, but the songs on this album just don't do it for me. There is an abundance of ideas and experimentation, yet without going anywhere songwise, leaving a rather messy impression. 2/5
I previously only knew Buckley'a Hallelujah-Version, which I find overrated. But with the album I was pleasantly surprised. This is a nicely flowing and varied collection of songs, which could be great for letting it play in the background. Standouts: Lilac Wine, Last Goodbye, Eternal Life. 4/5
Distortion. Extreme distortion. And, at times, heavy use of reverb. But some of the melodies are really nice. Standout: Just Like Honey. 3.5/5
Well, what is this? - "Experimental jazz meets psychedelic pop" with a strong emphasis on "psychedelic". "Alife" even resembles Jean Michel Jarres Ethnicolor from the Zoolook album, even though it's and entierely different genre. I found it strangely difficult to fast forward or skip tracks. The whole album is very trippy, in a good way. This is far from my usual tastes, but I'll give this 3.5/5.
Reggae/Ska. Not awful, but not really my thing either. 2/5.
The Who before they got really big. The sound is typical 60's rock, but the interspersed commercials give it a nice touch. Very easy listen, without any real standouts. 3.5/5
Mostly instrumental rock/metal tracks with a heavy emphasis on guitar (mostly distorted, sometimes clean). Overlaid with hard-to-make-out spoken word passages which don't change the fact that this for all intents and purposes is an instumental album. Not bad, but no standouts either, and tries a little too much to sound raw and edgy. 2/5
This is a mostly low tempo album with an excessive number of ballads. It's not overly repetetive, but I have heard better melodies from Rufus Wrainwright. Still a nice listen, but without standouts. 3.5/5
Hip Hop begone! 1/5
The album is dominated by a melancholic undertone; I got some very slight Radiohead-meets-Leonard-Cohen vibes out of it. On top of that, the singer sounds a bit like Sting at times. Still, there is quite the variation between songs, which keept me engaged. Standouts are Mirrorball, Weather to Fly, The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver and One Day Like This. I will listen to this again. - Very enjoyable 4.5/5.
This is about as classic Country as it gets. Nice flow to it; good for letting it play in the background. Not especially my kind of music, but nice enough for a solid 3/5.
Sparsely instrumented Country. I'm not a big country fan, but don't mind listening to the genre from time to time. This album, however, doesn't vibe with me. Revelator and April the 14th, Pt. 1 are O.K.ish, though. But generally I find the songs and singer's voice a bit irritating. 2/5.
Yeah, Neil Young again, this time with a heavy blues influence in addition to his trademark whiny voice. Maybe I'm jsut not in the mood for this kind of music, but I found this album tedious. A lot of fast forwarding was done. 2/5
Standard 60's poppy soul music. No real standouts here as nearly every song sounds like the every other. Plus, this contains probably the worst version of Heard It Through the Grapevine I've ever heard. Altogether, this album is not terrible, but nothing special either. Thus, 3/5.
I was pleasantly surprised, because of this album, I so far only knew the title song, which I don't particularly like. But the other songs are quite good in a Summer Vibes kind of way. Very solid 4/5.
In the everlasting question of "Beatles or Stones?" I'm firmly in the Beatles corner. This album contains some competently played Blues and Rock'n'Roll with some Country and Folk thrown in. However, it's just not my thing. I enjoy the occasional Stones song, but none of these invites me to listen again (or to the end of the song, for that matter). 2/5
The album title is fantastic. The music: feel-good-rock with a west coast vibe. It succeeds in that respect and is gernerally a very easy listen. The mood and tempo is very similar in most of these songs. Still, it's a worthwhile listen. Highlights: Lust to Love and Fading Fast. 4/5
I adore the experimental nature of Radioheads earlier albums Kid A and Amnesiac, but their sound was quite a departure from Radiohead's more rock oriented music. Hail to the Thief - In Rainbows predecessor - was a mixture of both styles, but didn't manage to hold my attention throughout its runtime and probably contained too much filler material. And then came In Rainbows. This is a return to form for the band. Its sound is less gloomy, at times very laid-back, even relaxed!!! There is not one bad song on this album. Standouts: 15 Step, Weird Fishes/Arpeggi, Bodysnatchers, Reckoner. I love it. 5/5
While on the one hand having massive respect for the Beastie Boys, and on the other disliking hip hop with a passion, this was a very strange experience. The album contains Sabotage, which I really like, and some instrumentals with an experimental rock/funk attitude that are quite nice as well (ex.: Futterman's Rule). But I just can't bring myself to like the rest of the album's many hip hop tracks. For me, this is a 2/5.
Before he was pushed in a more commercial - and very successful - direction by his record label, Mike Oldfield produced mainly long instrumental and - for the time highly experimental - pieces. This is Oldfield's earliest outing as a recording artist. It shows, in that it sounds a bit dated soundwise and limited regarding his skills a s musician. Very frequentliy, there is much meandering over one idea or the other without going anywhere melodically for quite some time. For example the guitar solo after about 6 Minutes in Part 1 is very not very exciting. Some other parts are in the same vein, sometimes even cringy - Oldfield still was to come into his own as a musician. But in spite of this, this is a classic worth knowing. 3.5/5.
Generic, late 60's proto-punk with blues rock embellishments. Not terrible, but boring. Or, to say it with one of the song titles: "No Fun". 2/5.
Aaaannd it's another punk record! But wait ... what do I hear? Could this be ... real songs, and not merely screams over badly tuned and inadequately played instruments?!? Granted, these songs sound simple, but I am pleasantly surprised how I can listen to quite a few of these without skipping or fast forwarding. I most like "One Chord Wonders". This alone isn't enough to make this a relly good record, but it isn't as horrible as I thought it would be either. 2.5/5
Early 70's hard rock/proto metal. Was innovative at the time, and still holds up today, though it sometimes sounds a bit generic to more modern ears. Child in Time and Living Wreck are good. 3.5/5
Your run-of the-mill grunge album. Pretends to be raw and angry, but is mainly one thing: boring. 1.5/5
Hip hop and mysogynistic wannabe "gangsta" rap. Would gladly give this 0 stars. But alas ... 1/5.
Listenable and competent mixture of country and rock. Think Eagles with a bit of Tom Petty mashed in for good measure. 3.5/5
I generally really like The Beatles, especially their later, experimental albums. With The Beatles being only studio album no. 2, this has nothing similar to their later work, but is dominated by their earlier Rock 'n' Roll (and at times Pop) material. The songs really are a mixed bag here. We can find strong numbers like It Won't Be Long and the early classic All My Loving. But the album also contains the very, VERY schmaltzy Till There Was You, one of quite a few cover versions that have, uncharacteristically for the band, found their way onto this collection. Much better here is their rendition of the Marvelettes' Please Mister Postman. All in all, this album contains a few bad, some mediocre, and a couple of really good songs; the latter of which were an early indication of the creative heights the Beatles would reach eventually. Still, this one is 3.5/5.
Hip Hop, you shall not pass. 1/5
Album of country/blues rock tracks, for which the 60's and 70's apparently were very fond of. It's OK, but nothing special. 3/5
I'm not a big fan of the grunge, but this album is quite nice- it even has some metal overtones. 4/5
Classic Rock'n'Roll/blues live album. Nicely played and great energy. Only problem is the lack of variation, which prevents this from being a truly great album. 3/5
The follow-up to It's My Life came with a sound change - less synthesizers were used, but Mark Hollis' characteristic voice and beautiful, moody, yet never boring songs make this still a true Talk Talk album. Standout: I Don't Believe in You. 4/5
Much noise, not-so-much substance. 2/5
Well ... the book says this album sounds "raw". Actually, the sound quality may work as a demo, but not for a finished product. At all. The same is true for the singing, production and song selection. How this made the list is beyond me. 1/5
Old school country, expertly played, but nothing to write home about. 2/5
Paul Simon is quite the storyteller, a quality that shines through in the lyrics in this collection of songs. Musically, there is a melancholic undertone in many of the tracks, but that doesn't mean that they are not listenable - quite the contrary is true. Yes, this album may not be a timeless classic, as some of the decade's more questionable stylistic choices are quite prominent. Nevertheless, it is never boring either, and deserves further listening. 3.5/5
This was Depeche Mode's bridge album between their more classic 80's synth period (Black Celebration) and their all time classic Violator. But from the album cover to the music, this album is both a classic and truly iconic in its own right. There is not one bad song on here. 5/5
For an album with that title I guess I was expecting more ... melody. Thus I wanted to like this, and I can hear that the performers are no amateurs, but sadly, this album didn't vibe with me. 2/5
Pleasantly surprised. This is a very good alternative rock album. 3.5/5
The songs are competent enough here, but there is something about his style of singing (similar to many of his late 60s/early 70s contemporaries) that puts me off. Despite the strength of some of these songs, I cannot really listen to this for any length of time. 2/5
No one can accuse AC/DC of being too experimental. You just know them when you hear them. This is the album's biggest weakness. Every track is bristling with energy from the first second to the last, and every indivudual track is excellent. The title track and "You Shook Me All Night Long" are the obvious standouts. Iconic. 4.5/5
Hip Hop - 0.5/5
After a respectable first album, Rio is when Duran Duran really got going. Everything fits well together here; lead singer Simon Le Bon doesn't always hit the correct notes, but what he lacks in intonation he makes up with tone that is uniquely suited for this kind of music. John and Roger Taylor (no relation) are a tightly locked, always grooving rhythm section - the title track's bassline is especially iconic, and John Taylor's playing is on a whole new level. Meanwhile Andy Taylor's (still no relation) very tasteful and restrained guitar playing adds some welcome rock overtones. And Nick Rhodes' keyboard parts are not only embellishment, but are totally integrated into these songs. This album more than any other defined the new romantic sound of the early 80s, and set an antithesis to the then-prevalent punk movement. Every single track here is worth a listen, but the standouts are Rio, Save A Prayer, and Hungry Like the Wolf. It's truly iconic for its era. 5/5
Latin-flavoured, mostly instrumental rock with a 70s touch. Nice flow for background listening, though I have to be in the mood for this cuban-style kind of music. 3.5/5
I had high hopes, but sadly this album just didn't do it for me. It sounds like most other glam rock albums without bringing anything new to the table. The songs themselves are pretty forgetful. 2/5
This album was a good reminder of why I find most of late 60s/early 70s blues rock tediously boring. 2/5
Good funk album with soul overtones. Have to be in the right mood to enjoy it, which I am not currently. But this is a solid 3/5.
The number of strong songs on this album is staggering: Bohemian Rhapsody, Love of My Life, '39, You'Re My Best Friend, God Save the Queen. The rest are at least very good. Among the early Queen records, this is easily the most important one. Truly iconic. 5/5
Moody soul-influenced 60s pop. A bit of a mixed bag. Son of a Precherman and The Windmills of Your Mind are quite good. The other songs to varying degrees less so. 2.5/5
Coldplay's usual piano driven pop/rock formula. Best (and most well known) track is Clocks, most of the other tracks are good, but not great. 3/5
I can stand Reggae in the right dosage. This is overkill. OK, I should have known the moment I read "Bob Marley", but still ... 2/5
Hip Hop? Check. - Overhyped artist with an inflated ego? Check. - 0.5/5? Check.
I have deep respect for Prince, and I can see that this album is very good, but I just can't feel it. Maybe it's his particular brand of funk and soul. Somehow I just don't connect with it, except for the title song. 2.5/5
Modern soul with a slight electronic/dance vibe. I'm usually not much into that kind of music, but I somehow liked this. 3/5
I'm pleasantly surprised! This is a very good rock album by an artist I have never heard of before. Musically, think Foo Fighters, but a few years earlier. Most of songs have string melodies and are extremely well arranged and produced. I will listen to this again. 4/5
I'm not a big fan of alt rock. This album is a mixed bag. Some songs are nice enough, some are plain boring. Nothing really stands out. 2.5/5
Somehow, I was expecting more, but got less. It's not bad, but not really good either. 2/5
I will never understand the appeal of 60s/70s blues rock . It's all-the-same, all the time. 1.5/5
Modern instrumental, mostly ambient world music. I kinda like this, even though it contains some filler material. All in all 3/5.
Just hearing the name Bob Marley evokes a pretty clear sonic picture in my mind of what kind of music I have to expect: It's Reggae all the way down. These expectations were met with a nodding approval by reality. And so it came to pass that I was bored. 2/5
Late 80s mainstream rock. Competent, but not really my thing. 2.5/5.
Well... yeah. Stevie Wonder. Good album, I guess. Funk and soul with lots of ideas and variation, expertly played by the masters of their respective instruments. Only problem I have is that it doesn't really speak to me. Might just not be my style. Oh, well ... 3/5.
Classic 60s soul. Mixed bag, some tracks are quite nice, some not so much. Listening to Respect from the (original) mal perspective is very strange for modern ears; I for one found the track unlistenable. The Stones Cover of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction doesn't sound too good either. 2.5/5
Early 80s pop; similar to new romantics like Duran Duran. The rhythm section is really good here, as is the production, courtesy of Trevor Horn. This is very good. 3.5/5
Alternative/post-grunge rock album that sounds too much like Radiohead's weakest album (Pablo Honey). 2/5
I have deep respect for B.B.King as a musician. Having written that, this album, for me, is just blues overkill. The genre just fails to move me in any way, no matter how masterful (like here) it is presented. 2/5.
The album started off sounding like classic Rock'n'Roll with a little glam sprinkled in (think Rocky Horror Picture Show), but ended very much sounding like the Rolling Stones. It's good, but not great. 3/5.
I like Frank Sinatra, and this is a very happy swing album, which could even be a great introduction to the Great American Songbook. Alas, I much prefer Sinatra's melancholic side from "In the wee small hours". Still 3/5
Don't know what to make of this. I don't hate it. But it's not my thing. 2/5
This is where classic swing, soul and blues meet. I liked this quite a bit more than I thought I would. Great arrangements with chorus and sweeping strings, yet with a melancholy undertone make for an irresistible mixture of music. 4/5
Reggae overkill. 2/5
Relaxing 70s pop. Flows easily in the background. 3.5/5
That's a real shame - I was pleasantly surprised at the start of the album, as I am not a Neil Young fan. The first three tracks were really good, but it got very mediocre after. As a side note: Neil Young is much better when he has a band backing him (like here), compared to there being only him with his guitar and harmonica. 2.5/5
I couldn't enjoy this album. Some of the songs start out nice enough, but as soon as Dylan starts singing, it ruins the music for me. His voice doesn't mix well with the music. At all. Even having Daniel Lanois as a producer (clearly recognizable) doesn't help. And much of the material is based on the blues, which is off-putting as well. 2/5
Very diverse, relaxed collection of tunes. The album contains pieces of country, rock, and soul among others. Nothing breathtaking, but nice enough to listen to in the background. 3/5
I hate hip hop with a passion. Yet, strangely, I can actually listen to this. It's maybe because modern rappers try too hard to be misogynistic wannabe"gangstas", or the fact that image rules over musical talent nowadays. On this album, I even like the background tracks that display some real talent and craftsmanship, albeit with an 80s vibe, which is an added bonus for me. The dual vocals sound very cool and more badass than any modern artist from the genre could ever pretend to be. So, yeah, a nice surprise here. For me, only one question then remains: When and where did Hip Hop go so wrong? But for this album I'm awarding 3/5.
Ella Fitzgerald's American Sonbook album are something special, and the Gershwin one is the best of the bunch. Nelson Riddle's lush, yet melancholic orchestration paired with Ella's remarkable voice make for an unmissable album. 4/5
Your run-off-the-mill alternative rock album. Nothing really sticks out. Hoped it would be better. It isn't. 2.5/5
70s Pop/Punk with added keyboards. The singing is par for the course for the genre - which doesn't make it particularly good. The album fails to reach me, it's competent for the genre, but nothing I would listen to again. 2/5
I like this quite a bit. This is folk with some modern instruments added. It flows nicely. I will listen to this again. 3.5/5
Blues Rock and Folk Ballads. Nothing that stands out for me. 2/5
Trip-Hop/british rap. Way better than the usual Hip-Hop rap outings. I especially like the intricate backing tracks. Still, while I can appreciate the talent and craftsmanship that went into it, this is really not for me. 3/5
Southern rock with some groovy guitar riffs. The album starts great but somewhat loses steam towards the middle. So Lynyrd Skynyrd really hat more songs than Sweet Home Alabama. Who would have known? 3/5
I don't know what to make of this. It's not bad, but most of these songs just made me shrug. The first one or two tacks were quite OK, but I couldn't get into the rest, fast forwarding my way to the end of the album. 2/5
This one is a classic of progressive rock. 21st Schizoid Man is heavily Jazz influenced with quite some guitar noodling, which is a bit tedious. I Talk To the Wind is a sweeping 60's ballad dominated by a synth flute. Epitaph is the absolute high point of the album; it's such a strong and beautiful song, with great vocals by Greg Lake. Moonchild is the most experimental (and longest) song, with even more guitar noodling - I have to be in the mood for this one. Finally, The Court of the Crimson King is a classic in its own right, for me almost on par with Epitaph. All things considered, the highs on this album are incredibly high, while the lows are only somewhat so, but still interesting in their own right. I like this album quite a bit. 4.5/5
Generic mid-80's pop/rock. There is not a single memorable melody line, and every song sounds like the other, arrangement-wise. Boring. 2/5
Boring guitar driven post-punk/rock album, with no standouts whatsoever. 2/5
Maybe I should just copy & paste my other reviews of Bob Marley & The Wailers albums... I just don't know how so many of these albums make it on the list. I could understand one (say Exodus), but so many?!? They all follow the same intricate formula: get some basic Reggae, add some more Reggae, stir, and spice it up with even more Reggae for good measure. (Evidence: Stir It Up on this very album). Suffice to say that this is not my idea of an enjoyable album. But to each their own. 1.5/5
Moody 90's pop with cringeworthy singing. What could go wrong?!? 1/5
This is one of the big two albums that really got the ball rolling for the grunge movement - the other one being, of course, Nirvana's Nevermind. However, this album is to Nevermind as Rock is to Punk. I prefer the more rock oriented sound that's prevalent here - great songs, great lyrics, great melodies, great riffs. And while I'm not a big fan of the grunge genre, this album is one of its finest momens. 4/5
I can't help the feeling that this album served as heavy inspiration for Pink Floyd's The Wall - you might even call it a blueprint. However, the Pink Floyd opus is miles better. Tommy is often called a "Rock-Opera", in lieu of the then unknown concept of "(rock) musical". But no matter what we chose to call it, it remains very mediocre. I have massive respect for The Who, but this whole album screams "concept over substance". The whole undertaking is bit tedious and self-indulgent. There is a story here, and if that manages to catch your interest, good for you. Pinball Wizard is a good enough song (which was done better by Elton John), but the rest is nothing to write home about. It's just run-off-the-mill 60s rock without hardly a good idea (or melody). Thus, I find Tommy to be severely overrated and found my listening experience to be quite disappointing. 2/5
Early Heartland Rock. Nice to listen to once, but I wouldn't neccessarily listen to most of these songs again, the exception being Born to Run, which is the only real Showstopper here. 3.5/5
This album is a good illustration of what the 90s considered catchy pop. But compared with the decade that directly preceded the 90s, this kind of pop music feels somewhat flat and uninspired, monotonous and boring even. The most well known (and best) song here is Lovefool, and Iron Man - a Black Sabbath cover, no less - works surprisingly well, but the remaining songs just fall flat. 2/5
This is Hip Hop - a.k.a. "Thank you but no thanks." 1/5
What does one of the most successful Alt.-Rock bands of the 90s do as the followup to one of the most important and successful alt rock - albums of that decade? - They make an experimental electronic album. And it's awesome. But to appreciate it, listeners needed to do one thing: forget everything they knew about Radiohead up to that point - this is Radiohead reborn. As mentioned, this album is highly experimental, but remains accessible throughout at the same time (something that can't be said about the band's later album The King of Limbs). Every track is different, there is so much to discover here. I don't like every track equally well, but this album as a whole is almost iconic, it warrants 5/5.
The first Van Halen album, containing classics like Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Runnin' with the Devil, and, of course, Eruption, which cemented Eddie Van Halen's status as hard rock's most virtuoso guitar shredder. While the rhythm section is no slouch either, Eddie and David Lee Roth are clearly the stars of the show, delivering what was to become Van Halen's trademark of extroverted hard rock with fratboy lyrics. The album keeps to this style throughout, which is very entertaining, yet maybe lacks a bit of variation. Still, this is one of the albums that really deserves to be on this list. 4/5
Aaaaaand another hip hop album. Hard pass. 1/5.
This is the kind of album I hoped I would find more often in this list, as far as variation goes. Generally, the album's style is pop/rock with some blues thrown in for good measure. The most well-known song is probably The Ballad of Lucy Jordan, which is dominated by a wobbly synth arrangement, but every single track is different here, so with every song the listener has something new to discover (unlike with so, SO many other albums on this list). This was a great find, to which I will listen again. 4/5
This could have been a great album, but it ends up a pretty embarrassing one. Let's face it: Nico couldn't sing. At all. So all what could have been a collection of beautiful songs with haunting arrangements is utterly ruined as soon as she begins to what obiously passed as singing back then. I gave up after the first half, but spot checked the second one. Same result. 1/5
Nice enough, but all tracks sound quite similar, there is no real standout. All in all a bit disappointing and forgettable. 2/5
*Sigh* This is tedious. There isn't a good song on this album, except for the cover version of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", but even this version is botched. The singer can't sing, but at least the rest of the band has a decent command of their instruments. Still, there is nothing here to warrant repeated listening (if at all). 1.5/5
This is a GREAT album (with a BAD cover photo)! It contains many of S&G's best-known songs: "Bridge Over Troubles Water", "El Condor Pasa", "Cecilia", "Keep The Customer Satisfied" and "The Boxer". These songs make the album worth anyone's time alone. The album is paced a bit unevenly, as all the big songs are to be found in the first half. The last couple of tracks fail to reach the same hights, but are a nice listen nonetheless. The track order is the problem here. BOTW would have worked much better as the final track. In it's place, The Boxer would have been a fitting opener. El Condor Pasa's ideal place would be the beginning of side two. And the weaker songs could have been mashed in between. I have seldom seen a running order that was just so wrong on multiple levels, but there it is. Oh, well, it's still a great album. 4/5
It's a real shame - the music and the songs on this album are good, but not great. It's expertly arranged and played, but it somehow misses the spark of true greatness. I guess I wanted to like this album more than I ended up doing. 3/5
Well... this album doesn't vibe with me at all. I can't relate with any of the songs, even though I can hear the craftsmanship that went into it. Strange, but it happens, I guess. 2/5
This is an excellent Rock/Punk album. I'm usually not a Punk fan, but have nothing but respect for Green Day. With this album, they outdid themselves. There is no weak track - every song is memorable with great musicianship and hummable melodies. Wake Me Up When September Ends is such a beautiful, powerful song; the real standout on this album. Other highlights include the title song and Boulevard of Broken Dreams, but, this being a concept album, the whole collection warrants repeated listening. However, for the times when you really just want to listen to one particular song, it would have been to let each individual song reside in its own track. I'm not really a fan of lumped together tracks like "Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams". But that is just a minor quibble. 4.5/5
Amy's voice is the big seller here. This album was a harbinger for the true greatness that was to come with the next album, but this album holds its own as very good. 3.5/5
I'm getting both Amy Winehouse albums on two consecutive days ... What are the chances? Anway ... I'm not the biggest Soul fan on the planet, but I can recognize quality when I hear it. This album is a huge step up from Amy's first collection. The style here is more soul than the preceding album's jazz/swing; in the style of 60's girl groups like the Ronettes and producers like Phil Spector. Every song is different here, and every one is a gem. The obvious monster hit is the title track, Rehab is also well known. But the album also shines in the more unknown numbers like Love Is A Losing game, which displays Amy's more vulnerable side. Iconic. 5/5
I have somewhat of a love/hate relationship with Jazz, and this leans more towards the latter side. Everybody knows Take Five; it's nice, but a bit boring for my taste. The album as a whole is much too cerebral. It's Jazz by the (odd) numbers, but it doesn't speak to me. 2/5
This is difficult. The album can be very relaxing, but I found myself to be annoyed a couple of times. This is probably a function of listening to it for too long. This is probably the only Indian folk album I have ever heard. It was a great influence on contemporaries like Paul McCartney and George Herrison, an influence that can be clearly heard on The Beatles' later albums. As the album is so mixed, I'll go with the middle of the road. 2.5/5
Well, if that isn't another hip hop album. Just add it to the pile. 1/5
Apart from a few exceptions, I really hate hip hop, because it usually is a cesspool of misogynistic wannabe "gangstas" without much talent. This album is a welcome step up; it really has a positive vibe. This being hip hop, I really can't listen to it for any extended amount of time, but tracks like Mr. Wendal and Tennessee were a pleasant surprise. In spite of the genre, I'm giving it 2/5.
Punk was both protest against certain trends in politics and society as it was against established trends in (especially rock) music. This is proto punk - three chords and the truth, bass, guitar, drums and vocals. You cannot get more basic than this. The whole records has a balls-to-the-wall energy, but lacks variation. It's hard to distinguish the individual songs. But this energy ... 3/5
I liked this more than I thought I would. This is ... progressive rock? New age? Experimental? All of the above? And more? I don't know. But it flows nicely. I actually might want to listen to this again. 3.5/5
Mid 60s californian rock. The album sounds pretty generic for its time, and I can't find anything that hasn't been done better by other groups. Disappointing. 2/5
The blueprint for this band's sound is the early Beatles' albums, with some sprinkles of the usual American west coast flower power sound. The songs are alright; the obvious standout is Mr. Tambourine Man, but generally this is the Beatles' playbook 101, and I can't find anything here that the Beatles haven't done better before. 2.5/5
Generic 90s dance music. I couldn't even find one track to catch my interest. It hasn't agend well. 1.5/5
I'm not the biggest Soul/R&B-fan, but this is quite nice. Standout: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart. 3/5
This is Jazz/Prog-Rock. Not bad by any means, but not really my style. 3/5
Dark and brooding early 80s rock. Very atmospheric. I like this quite a bit. 3.5/5
This album was overhyped in the book. I guess the songs are OK (though nothing special), but I couldn't finish the album. I find the singer's voice quite annoying and whiney, but the real offender is the mix. The drums are overbearing in volume with too much room ambience a lot of the time and the bass is much too soft. I really couln't get into this. Disappointing 2/5
There are people for which The Joshua Tree is U2's Opus Magnum. For others, it's Achtung Baby. I'm firmly in the latter camp, but I still can recognize The Joshua Tree as the great collection of songs that it is. Compared to its predecessors, the band's sound has evolved to become grander and more cinematic. (Though it's no sonic revolution like Achtung Baby). Songwise, apart from the usual suspects (Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With Or Without You), there are some really great songs on here (Red Hill Mining Town and One Tree Hill readily come to mind). Of course, the usual problem in much of U2's catalog, preachy Bono, is present here as well, but it somehow fits the music and is less annoying than elsewhere. This is a recommended listen. 4/5
For me, Bob Dylan is one of those "You had to be there to understand" musicians. The problem I have with Dylan is on display as early as the very first song - Dylan can't sing for the life of him. Rather than carrying a tune, it's more speaking interspersed with some very embarrasing shouting. Some of the songs are alright, but there is much too much folk and harmonica. That's how his fans like him. I don't. 2/5
To me, Anthrax are a lightly more aggressive Metallica. OK, that's par for the course in thrash metal land. The album begins with high energy and never lets up. And this is exactly the problem I'm having with it - it lacks variation. If we look at Metallica again, even on their second album they changed the tempo and mood of some of their songs, so listeing never gets boring. Not so with Antrax. The album is good, but a bit tiring and numbing, and not as interesting as similar acts in the same genre. 2.5/5
Jazz meets Tango. I'm not a fan of both these genres. While I enjoyed the first track quite a bit, i found the second one unbearable - seems I'm not a fan of the vibraphone either. But this pattern continues somewhat - some tracks are really OK, others are Jazz (with a capital J) for the sake of it; rambling on much too long without strucure or aim. At least the Montreux audience seemed to like it. For me it was a mixed bag. 2.5/5
Folk rock, directly from the early-Beatles playbook. Death of a Clown is the standout for me. The rest is OKish. No really bad songs, nothing that blows me away either. Solid effort. 3/5
Not a fan of the blues. Pass. 2/5
This is an album that really- hands down, no argument - belongs on this list (for a change). Michael Jackson, who later was dubbed King of Pop, delivers an irresistible mix of Pop, Soul and R&B. Every track grooves, every track shines due to the production work of one of the true masters - Quincy Jones. The rhythm section is sometimes human, sometimes programmed, but always grooving. There is even the famous guitar solo on Beat It, played by Eddie Van Halen. And MJ himself delivers on almost every track. The songs themselves are fantastic as well, the only odd one out is The Girl is Mine - I find both the lyrics and their delivery by Jackson on that song to be quite cringeworthy. But apart from that, this album is a true, iconic classic. 4.5/5
Not my thing. The singer's voice and the heavily folk/blues-influenced song-writing do nothing for me. I believe it's good for fans of the respective genres. For me it's 2/5.
This is a good collection of dance/pop songs, but I much prefer the Pet Shop Boys' earlier albums. True: There are some heavy hitters like Can You Forgive Her, Liberation, I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing, and - of course - Go West. But some of the other songs dont't quite feel up to par here. Plus, the sound is heavily anchored in the early 90s. Still, a good effort, and probably the last album I would count as belonging to the classic PSB era. 4/5
I will probably never not be bored by blues records. But here, the genre comes with some psychedelic sprinkles on top, which makes the music somewhat easier to bear, but not enough to really like it. 2/5
Hip-Hop. Ya know one - ya know 'em all. 1/5
This is a massive synth-pop album that contains some of the biggest genre hits of its era - Take on Me and The Sun Always Shines on TV deserve every single bit of praise they have received (not least because of Morten Harket's versatile voice). The title track, however, is something else. It's more acoustic with a cinematic breadth seldom seen in 80s pop and a breathtaking, sweeping orchstral arrangement. But that song remains the exception, as synth pop is is ruler supreme on this album. And while the highs are incredibly high, there is quite a bit of filler material here, most of which is fine. This was a good first effort for Norways most famous musical export. Many more - even better ones - were to follow. 4/5
A solid first effort for The Eagles and their trademark Californian Rock. The obvious standout is Take It Easy, and the rest of the songs are nice as well. However, it seems that that Eagles spark that dominated much of their later material is still missing here. That doesn't mean the album can't be enjoyed. It's just not their strongest collecton of material. 3.5/5
Psychedelic ... folk?!? I gues this must have been quite the rage in the late 60s, and I have to admit I was strangely fascinated upon hearing it. Still, I'm probably not going to listen to this again, it doesn't speak to me as much as to the generation it was intended for. 2/5
This album defies any genre definition. There are rock tracks, electronic synth tracks, beautiful ballads and some jazzy moments, all bound together by a gloomy vibe, not least created by Thom Yorke's voice. I like a couple of tracks (especially A Wolf At The Door), but unlike a couple of other Radiohead albums, this album doesn't quite vibe with me. I wish it was different, because I can hear that there's some high quality musicianship in there. It just fails to reach me on any emotional level. Which is just too bad. 3.5/5
This is a mixture of house and hip hop, and soundwise very much a product of it's time. Connected is a well known track which I can actually listen to. The rest is OK, not nearly as bad as a lot of gangsa rap - albums, but nothing I would neccesarily have to listen to again. 2/5
This album could almost be a the prototye for 70s rock/white-blues/soul, as it sounds so generic and firmly rooted in that decade. If you like this kind of stuff, you will like the album too. For me, this is not bad by any means, but really nothing special. 2.5/5
Hip hop. Why are so many of these albums on this list? Annoyed 1/5
I don't usually listen to Country too much, but this album is not bad. It sounds more modern than some of the genre classics, but it remains acoustic throughout, so no country rock either. The first two tracks especially stood out for me. After those, the album loses some steam, but it's still 3/5.
Ye olde run-of-the-mill 70s (blues) rock. Only good track is "Debris". The rest? - Yawn. 2/5
Classical Country with a capital 'C'. Acoustic guitars and over-the-top harmonizing vocals. I cringe when I listen to this. Not my thing. At all. 1/5
Throughout my listening of this album, the effect has always been the same: The song begins with an intro that promises a good, if not great rock song ... and then Neil Young starts to sing, and the song is ruined. Whoever thought it was a good idea to ever give Young singing duties didn't do him (or us) any favour. Young might be a good song writer and musician, but his voice is not suited for this kind of music. 1.5/5
Reggae is just not my thing, and Finley Quaye is trying too hard to be the next Bob Marley. 2/5
Based on the description in the book, I was prepared to hate this album, but I don't. This is a compilation of tracks that are totally based on sampling. Thankfully hardly any rap is to be found here. There are quite interesting tracks here, but others don't evoke any reaction or are even quite annoying. The result is a very mixed album - in every regard. 2.5/5
"If I Only Could Remember Why On Earth This Is On The List ..." Another 70s folk/rock album with flower-power sensibilities. This album is more style than substance. Case in point: Song With No Words, which is an endlessly meandering mess. Same goes for I'd Swear There Was Somebody Here. I could go on. The whole album is so overblown with self-importance that Crosby somehow forgot to include any good songs. Or - worse - thought that these, indeed, were good songs. Not a total catastrophe, but utterly forgettable. 1.5/5
I love myself some 80s synthpop. Having said that, I don't really like this album. The songs are just not there; the arrangements are fine, but there hardly is any good hook or melody. Tainted Love being one of the most overplayed 80s songs in history doesn't help. Some tracks are listenable, but the resulting song collection is very uneven and mixed. 2.5/5
I have massive respect for Tom Waits' particular brand of blues/jazz/whatever-the-rest-is. But I have to be in the right mood to enjoy his music, as his lyrics and voice go to places hardly anyone else (OK, maybe Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen) dares to venture. I'm not in that mood today, but I can recognize quality whenever I hear it. Sonically, this album is exactly what anyone who knows Waits' music can expect. Many of these songs are good enough, but not really great. But there are a couple of standouts as well: Hang Down Your Head, Time, Rain Dogs and Downtown Train are instant classics. This album deserves a re-listen. 3.5/5.
A little disappointing. Energy and power are high, the singer's voice even reminds me of Simon LeBon, but the songs are just not there. Nothing to write home about. 2/5.
Some of the grooves are nice, for example on Block Rockin' Beats, but overall this is much too repetitive for my tastes. For this genre that comes with the territory, I guess. 2/5.
Good album for having some music in the background; it's easy on the ears, but missing really good compositions. On the other hand, there hardly is any really bad song to be found. The Queen Is Dead is the best track. 3/5
This album is phenomenal. People will (finally) listen to Kate Bush again due to Stranger Things and it's inclusion of Running Up That Hill. And that's OK, because it is an excellent song. But the rest of the album is no less fascinating. It defies genre definitions: Pop meets Art Rock meets Folk meets Chorale .... (I could go on.) Among the twelve tracks on this album nearly every single one is different, and each has something new just waiting to be discovered. The first side (which includes Running Up That Hill) is slightly more pop oriented. Running... , Hounds Of Love, The Big Sky and Cloudbusting are real standouts. The second side is more of a concept album. The listener needs to pay more attention here, but is rewarded with excellent music. Forget everything you thought you knew about 80s music, this album is something else. 5/5
The second Tom Waits album within one week... As usual, Waits mixes Jazz with Blues to produce his trademark "down low" sound. And it works. Waits is one of the few white men playing the Blues that can sound authentic while doing so. Sadly, many of the songs are not that memorable per se, but it's the underlying mood which manages to sell them. The album gets really good in the ballads, most of which are quite beautiful - Saving All My Love For You, On The Nickel and Ruby's Arms are the high points here. The other songs would have benefitted from that level of songwrighting, too. 3/5
I shrugged. 2.5/5
This is 2 albums. Both hip hop. Album 1 is Gangsta Rap trash. Album 2 is a little bit better than anticipated, as it contains Jazz and Soul elements, and their probably most known song Hey Ya. Album 1: 0.5/5 Album 2: 1.5/5 Final Score: 1/5
This is around the time the 80s stopped being fun. The whole album is a forebearer to the Grunge movement, but worse. The singing here is atrocious, and the music hardly is any better. Good compositions are nowhere to be found. 1.5/5
Very good Rock (post-Grunge) album. This is a collection of very strong songs, expertly played and I was pleasantly surprised that Courtney Love can actually sing. 4/5
As far as rock albums go, this is a good first effort for Dave Grohl's Foo Fighters, but one that is still too deeply anchored in Grohl's grunge roots. The songs don't yet reach the hights of their later albums and could use more variation, but the signs of greatness are already there in the relentless energy in most of these tracks. 3/5
I was quite bored by this. It's the typical early 70s "rock" sound. The songs are nothing to write home about, except for Country Comfort, which is a cover. 2/5
The first couple or songs are typical Björk-gloomliness, but it gets better. Björk really experiments with different styles and instrumentation. Pagan Poetry and Aurora are real standouts. 3/5
In the everlasting list of dichotomies like "Tea or Cofffee?", "Pepsi or Coke? "Stones or Beatles?", there is "Sgt. Pepper or Abbey Road?". In this question, I'm firmly in the Abbey Road Camp, but not because I love Sgt. Pepper less, but Abbey Road more. Because, really, Sgt. Pepper is as superb and iconic a masterpiece as it gets. It starts with the cover photo, a psychedelic collage of famous people from all over world history, which is one of the most famous album covers ever. And that is even before listening to a single note of music. The music, then, was absolutely revolutionary on release, and still holds up extremely well to this day. The Beatles continued the (r)evolution of their sound that started on Revolver, but here they turn that aspect to 11. From a songwrighting perspective, every single song is superb. Standouts are certainly With A Little Help From My Friends, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite! and - of course - A Day In The Life. Sonically, the Beatles have gone further on this album than on any of the predecessors: Uncommon Instrumentation for a rock record (Sitar, Clarinet, ...) meets novel production techniques - tapes played in reverse, the almost infinite reverb at the end of A Day in the Life, tape loops and much more, made complete with an impeccable, great sounding production. Of the many albums that have found their way on this list, not-so-many are truly great. This one is. 5/5
Too much jazz - pointlessly meandering without ever arriving anywhere may be satisfiying for the performers, but may be less so for the listener. Case in point: me. 2/5
A perfect example of a band trying to be extreme just for the sake of it. The result is embarrassing. Sorry, I don't have time for this. 1/5
I'm not the world's biggest jazz fan, but this kind of jazz I can get behind. It sounds pleasant, good for some background listening, always with a focus on melody. Sadly, the title track is blocked on Spotify and Youtube. Still, a good album. 3/5
Alternative pop/rock with some experimentation sprinkled in. The result is a mixed album consisting of a couple of OK and some more not-so-OK tracks. Nothing really stands out in either direction - there is no really horrible song here, but nothing is particualarly good either. 2.5/5
Were all of the songs of the same quality as Shout, Everybody Wants To Rule The World and Head Over Heals, this would be a straight 5. Sadly, a couple of songs, while good, are too much anchored in 80s production values, and some of the songs don't work per se, making this album a 4/5.
Low-variation punk. Not horrible, but does nothing for me. 2/5
I love Leonard Cohen, and for me this album ist the absolute high point of his second phase, perhaps even his best overall together with You Want it Darker. The songwrighting is stronger than ever here, with every single song being different, and almost every single song being a masterpiece. (Jazz Police is so-so). The lyrics are unmatchedly deep and witty, with Cohen's dry humor shining through in most of the eight tracks. To the casual listener, it might sound like a typical 80s record, but the arrangements often are even more stripped down than that, and generally fit the lyrics pretty well. The most important instrument, however, is Cohen's voice, which is deeper here than ever. - Could Cohen sing? You can argue about that, but whatever he is doing with it, his voice is more expressive than what most other artists can muster. To quote from Tower of Song, the final song on this album: "I was born like this, I had no choice, I was born with the gift of a golden voice." 5/5
Generic 90s techno/dance album, some tracks are OK, some not. Nothing that stands out for me. 2.5/5
Another exmple of late 60s rock where white people play The Blues(tm). There are only a couple of songs that do not adhere to this formula, and in these instances the music gets better immediately. Sadly, these moments are far and between. The rest is simply boring. 2/5
I know that this particular style of mainstream pop/soul/hip-hop/rap has been extremely popular since the beginning of the century, but I just can't ... I'm sorry, no. Nothing that remotely speaks to me here. 1.5/5
This record cannot decide if it wants to be a proper New Order album or a collection of house music tracks. Both kinds of songs are there, but whenever we reach a house track, the album sounds dated. And for the new Order proper sections, the song material is quite weak. It's not utterly horrible, and Dream Attack is quite nice, but overall the album is a very mixed experience without any real highs. 2/5
If I would have to name one album that shows Depeche Mode on the peak of their talent, it would probably this one. After two excellent predecessors, this album is DM at the hight of their potential. The mood is gloomy, but embellished by Alan Wilder's intricate arrangements. The songs themselves are chef's kiss as well - on one single album we find legendary songs like Personal Jesus, Waiting for the Night, Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truth; the rest of the songs, while lesser known, are equally as good. Truly iconic. 5/5
With just over 15 minutes, this must be the shortest album I have ever heard. ... and that is the only remarkable thing about this album. This is another one of those late 70s/early 80s punk bands who have traded talent for loudness. There is attitude, but not much else to go on. What a boring waste of perfectly good 15 minutes. 1/5
This is proggy alright, but with a heavy folk influence. Of the longer songs, most are in different sections that could be songs in their own right. Songwrighting is mixed. An OK album, certainly influential for its time, but not for me. 2.5/5
What is there to say, really? This is one of the best albums ever produced. It's Pink Floyd's opus magnum, and really one big piece of music (two, if you account for the fact that the listener had to turn over the LP after The Great Gig In The Sky) that deserves to be listened to as such. Do not, DO NOT! skip around the album trying to find the obvious singles. If you don't know it, know that you ow it to yourself to listen to this album in its entirety, front to back, in one uninterrupted sitting. This album is an absolute iconic masterpiece. Really, what else is there to say? 5/5
I knew Tracy Chapman, but I hadn't heard any of her albums. This one is quite good; singer/songwrighter with a folky/rock flavour. Every body knows Fast Car and Talkin' Bout a Revolution, but for me the strongest song is Baby Can I Hold You. Chapman's voice is unique, frail but strong; and the songs are very melodic and extremely nice to listen to. Which I will do again. 4/5.
What is this? Soul? R&B? Pop? - Whatever it is, I like it. I only knew Everything But The Girld by name before, so this album is quite a discovery for me. It's a very laid back affair, the arrangements are top notch and not too rooted in the 80s. The singer has a great voice, and the songs are very good too. What's not to like? 4.5/5
The 4th album of Johnny Cash's American Recording Series, and the last one published during his lifetime, this record contains mainly sparsely arranged covers, most of which are just acoustic guitar and Cash's unmistakable gravelly voice that is second only to Leonard Cohen's. This affords Cash much room for singing, and he delivers. The album contains - for me - the definitive versions of Hurt and especially Desperado, because he sings them with an absolute authentic, heartbreaking sincerity. Sadly not every song is on that level, some lyrics are quite weak (eg. Sam Hall), and the theme of the condemned man is present in too many songs with too little thematic variation. But that shouldn't distract from how great this album is. 4/5
With the exceptions of Luka, In Liverpool and maybe Tom's Diner (all of which are not on this album) I always thought that Suzanne Vega's would be better as a poet than a songwrighter - her music sounds like poetry with some musical accompagnement rather than actual songs. There is hardly any memorable melody here, nothing that stands out. The tracks are OKish, but that's it. 2.5/5
Oh, look, it's a Hip-Hop album by Kanye West! What could go wrong?!? 0.5/5
One of the best early Billy Joel Songs. I liked it listening, but wasn't blown away, even though most of the songs are quite good. 3.5/5
Nice album, but wouldn't really call it rock. Flows nicely without any real highs or lows. 3/5
Hip-Hop. 1/5
Of course I have heard of KISS before, and I knew Beth and God gave Rock 'N' Roll To You, but this is the first full KISS album I've listened to, and to be honest I am underwhelmed. Music and songs are alright, as far as 70s (glam) rock goes, but I guess I was expecting something a little more special. But this isn't. It's OK, it's solid, but that's about it. For KISS, the packaging obviously was as important (if not more) as the music. 2.5/5
Better than Gangstarap. But that is all I can say. It's still Hip-Hop, and I still don't like it. 1.5/5
I expected a rap/hip-hop album, but was pleasantly surprised. The songs mostly are R&B and genereally flow nicely in the background. Waterfalls is the obvisous standout. There is some rapping, but it's not as annoying as on many other albums. 3/5
Overly extroverted Rock&Roll/Jazz/Blues/Easy Listening. Expertly played, but SO annoying. 2/5
Interesting instrumentation meets uninspired, brooding songs. 2.5/5
I never really could get into The Doors. Riders on the Storm is good, but many of the other songs are generic typical early 70s Blues-Rock affairs. This was obviously very influencial in it's time, but for me it falls flat. Very mixed 2.5/5
Good piano driven singer/songwriter pop/rock with some strong songs and enough melody to keep it interesting. 3.5/5
The first Bob Dylan album I can actually listen to for a bit. Didn't think this was possible. I'm still not a big folk fan, and I still think that Dylan's voice doesn't lend itself well to singing, but this is surprisingly ... OK. - Huh... Wo would have thought? 3/5
This one is a masterpiece - early minimalistic, electronic music with great hooks and rhythm. The Model is perhaps Kraftwerk's most famous song. The Robots has great rhythm and makes for a fantastic opener. And Neon Lights is just beautiful. There is not a weak track to be found. I somewhat prefer the album's German version, but the is a must-hear in any language; certainly one of Kraftwerk's best. 4.5/5
The first Iron Maiden album to feature Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals, this is one of Maiden's best ever. It contains The Number of the Beast, Run to the Hills and Hallowed Be Thy Name, all on one album, and the rest of of the tracks are great as well. I especially like Children of the Damned, a really beautiful song that is sadly often overlooked, because it is overshadowed by the aforementioned tracks. The production by Martin Birch is punchy without being overbearing; the songs are heavy but with enough melody and variation to never become boring. And Dickinson is without a doubt one of the best metal singers ever. All of this comes together to form a real classic Heavy Metal album. 5/5
I think I prefer Dylan when he's all-acoustic. That kind of music is better suited to his voice. Here the songs are extremely mixed and generally a bit boring, the only exception being Like a Rolling Stone. Tired 2.5/5
Uninteresting 90s dance/club music that hasn't aged well. 1.5/5
Good 90s rock album, but nothing special. 3/5
The album sounds good, but doesn't offer anything to write home about in the songwrighting department, making this a nicely quiet, but unremarkable listen. Still 3/5
The best song - of couse - is Heroes, but the others are lacking. I somehow liked the instrumentals. 2.5/5
"Look, we're so alternative and so edgy!!!" .... Why on earth is this particular album one of the 1001 album I have to listen to before I die?!? 1.5/5
Nice flowing, autumny vibes. I'm not the biggest fan of chanson, but this is quite good. Best track is Amsterdam. 3.5/5
Good Times is such an iconic dance/disco/funk song; if the rest of the album were as good, it would be phenomenal. But, alas, it isn't. The other songs are just OK, without anything really standing out. So between them and Good Times, it's 3/5.
This is the kind of grunge-infused, angsty rock music that could only have come out in the 90s. This comes especially as no surprise as the singer is Curt Cobains wife. But apart from this, the album is not only uninteresting, but tedious and exhausting. Every song sounds like every one else. 2/5
Well, at least no one can accuse Lana Del Rey of being to versatile. I find it hard to distinguish the songs, they all sound the same, not only from a compositional standpoint, but also production-wise. Whoever produced this must have thrown everything he/she knows about producing pop-hits on a wall to see what sticks. And Del Ray's vocal style is disappointingly similar to every other contemporary female pop singer/sonwrighter. This is one of the best albums that 2021 had to offer?!? Oh, come on ... 1.5/5
Very good rock album from the 90s that sounds like right out of the 70s. There isn't really a bad track here; songs, production, playing, singing are all equally good. 4/5
Late-to-the-game 70s style glam rock from 1983.... which I have nothing against. What I have something against is the lack of good songwrighting. Nothing here makes me want to listen to this again. 2/5
Am I biased against hip-hop? - You bet I am. But this album isn't helping. 1/5
The entry for this in the "1001 albums" book says it best: "gangsta garbage". This is a sorry excuse for an album. 0.5/5
70's rock, a.k.a. white men play The Blues (tm). There are a few tracks that do not adhere to that (e.g. Kashmir), and in these cases the music becomes better immediately, but the basic formula holds true, making this not a very enjoyable album. 2/5
Par-for-the-course 60s anti-establishment psychedelic rock without anything standing out. Never really liked Zappa. 2/5
Some interesting instrumental tracks marred by too many hip-hop ones. *sigh* Best track (by a mile): Keeping Pigs Together. 2/5
Best song is All I Know, the rest is a very competent rock album. 3/5
Good rock album; although Smith tries too much to sound like the Beatles on many of these songs, without reaching their level. But overall very nice. 3/5
Hip-Hop. 0.5/5
Get The Beatles, and take away the production value and songwrighting abilities. You'll probably get this, a very mediocre 60s pop record. 2/5
This is not Bowie's best outing, but a good album nonetheless. The songs are OK, and when I am in the mood I quite like the instrumental pieces. 3/5
Ladysmith Black Mambazo were the backing band on Paul Simon's Graceland, and this album sounds like it. ... Except for the fact, that all of the songs are a capella. It sounds nice enough, but just isn't my cup of tea. 2.5/5
90's rock. Nicely played and sung, but without any interesting ideas or hooks it's nothing special. And at nearly 53 minutes it overstays its welcome. 2/5
Soul/Funk soundtrack from the early 70s that works quite well without the movie. It's nice background music. Not sure if I'd come back to this, though. 3/5
The first couple of songs were surprisingly good, the rest of the tracks are more ... noise-based and edgy for the sake of it. I just can't get into this band. 2/5
Alternative country rock by the numbers. The album is much too long, especially considering it having not a single interesting song whatsoever. 2/5
For me, Prince is best listened to in small doses; I like only a couple of songs (the usual suspects: Purple Rain, Kiss, ...). The title song and maybe Little Red Corvette fits the bill, and altogether I prefer this album to, say, Sign 'O' The Times, but it stays a mixed bag for me. 2.5/5
The first track wasn't half bad, the rest was OKish, but nothing to write home about. 2/5
Big Band/Piano Jazz. Not really my thing. 2.5/5
Well, this is better than expected. The bongos reign supreme here, but apart from that, this is an instrumental soundscape that screams "70s" all over in a good way. The worst tracks are the two remixes at the end (which I suspect weren't on the original release). Go figure. 3/5
This tries to be Daft Punk, but, despite what the book says, fails by a long shot. I found the listen tedious. 2/5
The folk songs are alright - typical James Taylor stuff flowing gently in the background like a summer breeze. Nothing special, but something to entertain your ears. Sadly, there are also a couple of songs where he tries the White Man Plays THE BLUES(tm) routine, and as so often in these cases, these efforts fall completely flat. 2/5
Cute on a cerebral level, but does absolutely nothing for me in the enjoyment department. 1/5
Hip Hop. 1/5
Fantastic, iconic album without any bad songs, and no two songs are the same. The obivious, most-well known, monster-hit song is Hotel California, but the likes of Wasted Time and The Last Resort are nearly equally as good. West Coast country rock has never sounded better. 5/5
"Gangsta" hip-hop trash. 0.5/5
I never could get into Talking Heads, save from a few mid-80s songs. This album is more a sound collage than music. The singing is particularly atrocious. Of all the songs, only Once In A Lifetime was alright, but generally I find this album to be severely overrated. 1.5/5
This album is excellent. It genuinely covers the spirit of the latter 60s, and contains so many great songs, e.g. Break on Through, Alabama Song, Light My Fire and The End. Every single one can stand on its own. The music is fantastic, the organ solo in Light My Fire is simply sublime, and Jim Morrison's vocals and lyrics shine in every one of them. I never was a Doors fan, but this made me intersted in their music. 5/5
Pretty boring mid 90's R&B. Nothing that speaks to me at all. 1.5/5
Absolutely classic album that was my introduction to Metallica back when it came out, so I grew up with it, and it's nice to revisit it today. The album contains 12 tracks, five of which are outstanding, with the remaining seven raging from "OKish" to "actually quite nice". Clearly, I am biased, but in my book, any album that can muster tracks like Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam and Nothing Else Matters deserves a high rating. I'll substract 0.5 points for the somewhat weaker tracks, but that still leaves us with an absolute iconic monster of an album. And no, I don't care if this isn't really Thrash Metal or whatever subgenre people come up with. That's just gatekeeping. 4.5/5
Rock with a decidedly 70s vibe. Not bad, flows nicely, but nothing to write home about. 3/5
I totally respect Elivs Costello, but I can't find and song that I like on this album. They sound alright; they're just not my cup of tea. 2/5
Madonna is the Queen of Pop, even if this is the overproduced 90s electronica version of the genre. It's good, but not great, and I much prefer her earlier albums, e.g. True Blue and Like A Prayer (and Evita, but that's another story entirely). The best tracks here are Drowned World / Substitute for Love, Frozen and The Power of Good-Bye. 3/5
Bossa Nova with electronic instrumentation. Nicely done, but Bossa just isn't for me. 2/5
Still can't get through an entire hip hop album, but from what I could hear, this one is quite funny. I'm impressed. 2/5
Electronics mixed with rock and ... noise? Interesting concept, but fails to get my attention. 1.5/5
Mixture of 90 synth sounds and African music (think "The Lion King", albeit a few years earlier). Not too bad, but I'm not a big fan of this kind of world music. (which, in any case it has been done better by the likes of Peter Gabriel.) It would take a few more years before the integration of African and more western music would become somewhat more authentic - here, it sounds like an experiment. 2/5
.... nice, I guess. Just didn't pull me in. But very nice. 3/5
I never could get into The Who, especiallly on this (their first) album, which sounds a lot like typical 60s beat/rock fare. The title song is alrightish, though. 2/5
On hearing Bluebird Wine, this album's first track, I had high hopes, but was a bit disappointed to find that the rest of the album didn't live up to that song. It's not bad by any means, but just middle-of-the-road Country without anything that would make it stand out from other albums of the genre. 2.5/5
This is what you get when world music meets with slick 80s production values. Recorded in South Africa with local musicians at the height of Apartheid (and breaking a cultural boycott), this album mixes African music with Paul Simon's songwrighting abilities. The result is a mix of different styles, but all influenced by the music of the continent it was recorded on. The greatest tracks are The Boy in the Bubble, Graceland and the severely overplayed You Can Call Me Al. The other tracks can't always reach the level of these songs, but the album is very worth a listen nonetheless. 3.5/5
Why is it that in early funk tunes the subject matter of the lyrics is almost exclusively "The Funk"?!? The music is par-for-the course for mid-70s funk music, but nothing relevatory. Most tracks sound alike. 3/5
It was 1985, and Mark Knopfler was in the mood for super-stardom. The result of that (successful) endeavour is this album, one of the best released in the 80s and at the time a showcase for CD sound quality. The songs are a bit more commercial than on previous Dire Straits albums, with Knopflers guitar work rightly being the centerpiece of every track. Every song sounds different here, and there is great variantion among the tracks, so it's hard to get tired listening to this. So Far Away is a moody opener, while Money for Nothing is the obvious mega hit with one of the most memorable guitar riffs ever. Walk Of Life contains some feel-good Rock'n'Roll, while Your Latest Trick ventures into Late Night Blues. Why Worry is a nice (albeit a bit long) guitar ballad, and Ride Across the River is a synth-heavy partisan tale with a reggae vibe. In The Man's Too Strong, we find a folk/country story about the war (most probably the Falkland war; a subject that features greatly in the album's second half). One World is blues rock with slap bass; it's the only track on the weaker side, but thankfully it is also the shortest. Brothers in Arms (the title track) is a brooding, yet beautiful anti-war ballad and a great closing track to a magnificient masterpiece of an album. This is Dire Straits at their peak. They never sounded better. 5/5
A good first effort by Dire Straits, and one that already contained the mega hit Sultans of Swing. The rest of the tracks is played well, but imitates other Blues and R&B bands too much. Apart from the title track, Knopfler's song wrighting abilites were clearly in their infancy here. The guitar work, on the other hand, was already top notch. The following albums would refine things on the songwrighting front. 3/5
Not a big fan of this, though it is alright in small doses. Despite what I read a lot, this is far from Metal. It's Rock with a trying-too-hard-90s-edge, and ingredients from other genres sprinkled in. Not terrible, not great. 3/5
PJ Harvey has always been an artist I knew existed, but by whom I couldn't name any song. This album, then, was my first real exposure to her music, and it's a nice rock album. The best track is probably This Mess We're In, a duet with Radiohead's Thom Yorke. The worst song is the opener Big Exit, as I don't like the singing style on that track. The rest of the songs fall somewhere in between. I can clearly see myself listening to an album like that, but I doubt that I will ever be a big fan of this artist. 3/5
Um, sorry... just no. I can't listen to this. It's not neccessarily bad, but so far from my own aesthetics that I couldn't get through even a cursory listen. 1/5
Starts strong, but the second half loses some steam. Still, a nice album by Manic Street Preachers, even though I prefer This Is My Truth .... 3/5
As far as albums with that typical 70s sound go, this one is fine - no more, no less. I wouldn't neccessarily listen again, but wouldn't be annoyed if it was running somewhere I happened to be. First time, too, that I have heard the original version of Where You Lead, a.k.a. Ally McBeal title track. 3/5
This is essentially a breakup album. The music is competent, but the subject matter is really limited to this one theme. 3/5
Fist time I listened to this album; and I must say, I didn't know the sheer amount of tracks I had heard before. This is very good 70s California rock/folk music, that runs a little out of steam in its second half. Still, this is a worthwhile listen. 3.5/5
Not neccessarily bad, but none of the songs is doing anything for me. Morrissey is a bit full of himself, though, isn't he? 2/5
Of all the music acts that appeared in the 90s, Jamiroquai undoubtedly is one of the better ones. Their brand of acid jazz funk music grabs attention immediately, the mix of expertly arranged songs (just listen to these basslines!) and frontman Jay Kay's slick vocals make for an intriguing package. The songs themselves are good, but they would become better - truly great - on later albums. But this album is where it all began, and deserves a listen. 3.5/5
I sigh whenever I read Neil Young's name on one of the albums on this list, because I think he is severely overrated. The problem is always the same. The song might start out well enough, but as soon as I hear Neil Young's whining singing voice, I just can't stand to listen any further. Apart from that, on this particular album, I don't care about any of the lyrics, and musically, the songs are nothing to write home about. Must be a 70s thing. Classic Young. 1.5/5
The genre makes this 1/5. The artist brings it down even further. 0.5/5
Well, this is prototypical proto-prog, and all of the album's three songs sound like it, but at the same time the songs or their individual, proggy parts are not really that interesting. Seems that this the general problem I have with Yes; the playing and singing is top notch (if you like Jon Andersons voice, that is), but the music fails to reach me completely. Which is a shame. 2.5/5
Samples. Lots of Samples. But that alone doesn't make for a good album. I guess this is not my kind of music at all. 2/5
Parachutes is not so much pop as one could expect when hearing the band's name. This, their debut album, ventures into indie rock and resembles the early Radiohead at times (but with a slightly more positive vibe). Especially Don't Panic and Yellow are the standouts here, but most of the album is quite good, though it loses a bit of steam near the end. 3.5/5
Debut album for Simply Red. Much soul through an 80s lens. Good stuff, but too few real standouts. 3.5/5
60s New Orleans Folklore. Not bad by any means, but so far from my own tastes that I found listening to be quite tedious. 2/5
I don't usually listen to this kind of sample based music, but this album is surprisingly good. Especially the first few tracks pulled me in, but sadly the album loses some of its steam in the second half. Still a worthwhile listen. 3/5
Early-70s Blues-/Southern Rock without any redeeming qualities. 2/5
Oh, well, this is easy-to-listen-to 70s soul; it might have been a revelation in its time, but in hindsight it's nothing special. Just a good soul album. 3/5
I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I don't know why. There is something about this mixture of punk, folk and wave that somehow speaks to me. I couldn't recall any individual songs, but the album as a whole is a really nice listen. 4/5
This is a real classic album with some very good songs - even the worst songs here I would still call 'good.' And any album with songs like Born in the U.S.A., Working on the Highway, I'm On Fire, Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark, and My Hometown deserves a high score in my book (or 1001albumgenerator-project). What I really don't like, however, is the mix, which, in typical early-to-mid-80s fashion is quite bright, but at the expense of the low end. Granted, you can hear the bass, but it's too tame to be really driving the groove. Also, there is constantly too much reverb on Springsteen's voice. Which is a real shame. 4/5
As far as the number of tracks goes, this is a bit overkill; but even so, most songs are at least OK, if not better. There's nothing mindblowing or stellar here, but this is a solid album nonetheless. 3/5
Industrial noise ... rock?!? I somehow like this album. 3.5/5
Nice mixture of folk and punk that doesn't sound like the year is was recorded in. 3.5/5
Mid 60s psychedelic pop/rock with some other genres thrown in for good measure. Nothing spectacular, but makes for a nice listen. Best track is A Place in the Sun. Altogether 3/5.
Expertly produced, dancy album, that was a mega-seller in its day. For me it falls a bit flat, as there are hardly any songs that I would like to re-listen to. Also, the first half is very repetitive. 2.5/5
Generic auto-tune pop/r&b/hip-hop without any original musical idea whatsoever and with absolutely nothing to say. Tedious. 1.5/5
This early hip-hop album demonstrates what the genre could have been hadn't "gangsta"-rap come and ruined it all. There are some filler tracks, but that's OK. This is an enjoyable listen and a fun album. 3/5
Solid alt-rock album, but quite gloomy throughout - this record lacks variation. 3/5
Hip-Hop. 1/5
While I respect the Beastie Boys, this was too much of the same throughout, so that was quite the disappointment. I couldn't tell the tracks apart if I had to. But rap/hip hop is one of my least favourite genres anyway, so I might be biased. Still, 2/5.
Better than expected. The title speaks for itself; the album is a very relaxed affair that makes for some nice background listening, even though this is not my usual genre. 3/5
Good. This seems to be the blueprint for the likes of Tracy Chapman and others. The first few tracks are really good, but it somewhat fizzles out towards the end. Still, 3/5
Hip-Hop. *sigh* The cover looked to promising ... 1/5
Wait, this is supposed to be one of the greatest Rock albums of the early 70s? THIS?!? Granted, Stairway to Heaven is a powerful and classic (albeit severely overplayed) track, but outside of that, I hear a lot of generic white-men-playing-the-blues rambling and songs without too much variation or ideas. The Battle of Evermore is pointlessley meandering without going anywhere. The same could be said about Four sticks. Going to California is a welcome change of pace, but is too generic to be really good and sounds the same throughout. When the Levee Breaks left me shrugging. Led Zeppelin are supposed to be one of the best bands of the 60s/70s, but I've been suspecting for some time now that they are simply overrated. This is another case in point. 2/5
Sound, songwrighting and singing are all par for the course for early 80s wave music, but this is generally a pretty uneven record. Singing-wise, Philip Oakey aims for all the right notes, but misses too often. This, too, is a trademark of that kind of music, but one that I never was particularly fond of. Most songs are quite dark, but not all too memorable - except the obvious hit "Don't You Want Me". For this alone I'll raise by rating by .5 points. Without it, this album would have been very disappointing. 2.5/5.
Annoying 90s hip hop. 1/5
The only track worth listening to - because of the lyrics - is New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down (the music in this one is OK, too). The rest is just run-off-the-mill dance music without anything catching my interest. I saw this album being compared to Daft Punk one time or the other. But I don't hear that. Daft Punk are ahead of this by several miles. 2.5/5
Adele has in incredible voice, but but not all of the songs are equally phenomenal. Tracks like Rolling in the Deep, Don't You Remember, Someone Like You and Set Fire to the Rain are awesome, but then there are tracks like Rumour Has It and Turning Tables that are just filler. Still this is a phenomenal album, but not as iconic or timeless as it could be. 4/5
Well, this was better than expected; I really liked Survival, while the other songs were mostly competent as well. 3/5
I can't say much about hip hop except that I don't like it. Howeverm, to my ears, this album is a tiny notch above most of the others in that genre I got to know from this list. Can't really say why. 1.5/5
"Country singer tries his hand on the Great American Songbook and other classics and succeeds". That would be a fitting headline. The album's mood is relaxing, calm and soothing, most of the songs are expertely arranged, played and sung. Unchained Melody sadly cannot reach the origninal recording by the Righteous Brothers and should have been left alone and off this collection. But apart from this single misstep, this is really a great album. 4/5
Man, this is pretty bad. Similar attitude and, sadly, musicianship to the Sex Pistols. 1.5/5
Since knowing the big hits (Give It Away, Under the Bridge, Breaking the Girl), this is the first time I have listened to this album in its entirety. I must admit the experience has been a bit tedious. With the album consisting of 19 tracks and a runtime of nearly 80 minutes, it quickly overstayed its welcome. Combine that with most of the songs sounding very similar - a highly extroverted form of funk rock - , and you get an album that is by no means bad but really quite uneventful. The aforementioned songs are great for a reason, and I really enjoy listen to them, but the rest could have done with both some trimming and some variation. 3.5/5
I liked this. This is a collection of Rock and Pop tunes that very often sound like the Beatles, without blindly copying their formula. Most songs don't sound like the others, and I can forgive the odd white-man-playing-the-blues(tm) track if there is a lot of variation otherwise. The biggest song is undoubtedly Without You. Mostly good stuff throughout. 4/5
Mostly just noise. 1.5/5
More instructional than made for enjoying the music. And thus, I didn't. It may have been interesting for some audiences, especially for the psychedelic movement about ten years later - I can hear some of the Beatles' influences here. But that's not enough to stand on it's own as a record to listen and come back to. 1.5/5
A bit boring, isn't it? The band sounds like they have been playing guitar for not-so-long and are on a - trip - to experimentation and self-discovery. Also, they obviously have just discovered digital delay effects, overusing them in almost every song. Put all of that under the moniker of "psychedelic" or "experimental", but this album fails to reach me like others from the same genres do. 2/5
On paper, Yes should tick all the boxes for me, but in reality ... they don't. Nothing speaks to me here. There is definitely a progressive vibe, but to my ears it sounds so generic, without anything standing out. Perhaps this particular band just isn't for me. 2/5
This is supposed to be intimate, but I find it utterly tedious and unremarkable. The songs were - literally - therapeutic for the artist, and they sound like it, but they do nothing for my listening enjoyment. 1.5/5
Quite grungy and alternative. But none of the songs manage to reach me or evoke any response whatsoever. This just left me shrugging. 2/5
I seem to be on a terrible roll, because recently I've been bombarded with 90s alt.-rock albums. They all sound more or less the same, and they leave me bored. Case in point: this. I can hear it is well produced, the songs might be OKish, but there is only so much that this angsty sound can do. It might be one of the more popular albums of that style and era, but it does nothing for me. 2/5
This is just mostly white men guitar jamming on a blues scale without any song, or structure, or both whatsovever. I don't get what is supposed to be psychedelic about this one. Or good, for that matter ... 1.5/5
I'm not the biggest fan of modern pop music, but this is the epitome of that genre. It's a nice listen, not too much substance, but very well played, produced, arranged and sung. Of all the tracks, I liked dorothea best, the others were mostly OK as well. I could listen to this again, but don't neccessarily need to. 3/5.
Classic Country - not for me. 1.5/5
I think it's time to acknowledge that the Doors, except for the obvious hits, are not for me. There is nothing on this album - especially not Roadhouse Blues - that I find even remotely interesting. It's all that 60s/70s sound without anything really standing out. 2/5
Hip Hop. 1/5
I like The Fear, Glory Days and, strangely, the title track. The rest of this album, however, doesn't reach the same heights. It's not bad by any means but rather ... bland. The record seems to have been made to alienate much of Pulp's prior fanbase, without offering an alternative to pull in new listeners. 2.5/5
David Bowie albums are like a box of chocolates - You never know what you're gonna get. There have been Bowie albums that showcase his excellent songwrighting abilities. But his is not one of these albums. This is glam rock for the sake of it, without any exciting or original idea. The melodies, especially, are utterly forgettable on this one. Come to think of it, the rest really is as well. 2/5
Heavily influced by Daft Punk, but not as versatile. 3/5
*sigh* This album is another one of those pretentious mid 60's hippie folk/pop albums that take themselves way too seriously. It's not a total trainwreck, but there is nothing making me want to listen for more than a few minutes. That some of the songs are rooted in the while-men-playing-the-blues traditon doesn't help. 2/5
The album cover screams "Beatles copycats", but the music is much more generic 60s pop/rock fare, albeit with more rawness and less talent. It has been called proto-punk, but it's really too tame for that. However, not-being-punk as its only redeeming quality is not enough to make this a record worth enjoying. 1.5/5
I know, the album's title is supposed to be a pun, but the album cover is horrible. Pet Sounds was heavily influenced by the Beatles' Rubber Soul, but while the latter supported its music with an imaginative cover photo, the picture on the former is just plain silly and might have been a factor if the initial sales figures left something to be desired. Well, on to the music .... Brian Wilson set out to make a pop album with no filler, topping Rubber Soul (and probably Revolver, which had come out in the meantime). In that, he succeeded. This is the only album I know from that period that is on a similar level as the Beatles were then. There are no bad, and a couple of really great tracks here - Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B, and especially God Only Knows come readily to mind. While there is no bad or filler material, some of the tracks are not quite as good as the ones on the A list, but that shouldn't distract from the fact that this album, musically, is more than solid. And it really helps that there is not a single surfer anthem anywhere to be found. 4/5
There may be a couple of original punk bands that have brought something new to the genrel, but this band isn't one of them. It's just rehashing the old saying that in punk, you don't need talent, just attitude. Terribly boring and predictable album. 1/5
Nice for having it running in the background, but closer listening does nothing for me. 2.5/5
The first two songs were quite good, after that the album got increasingly annoying with every track. 2/5
Angsty grunge-inspired songs may have been appropriate for the time when this came out, but have nothing else going on for them. Especially not melody. Tedious. 2/5
Mixed, but altogether better than expected. I feared for the worst when I read "punk" in the book, but this is rock with an 80s sensibility production-wise. Not every song is good, but all of them are at least adequate. 2.5/5
Once in a while, you get to listen to an album of an artist you haven't had on your radar, but which, upon listening ticks all the right boxes for you. This is a perfect example and a pleasant surprise. The songs are positively old-fashioned and romantic, and Hawley delivers them with a soothing baritone voice and fitting arrangements. I really liked this and will explore this artist further. 4.5/5
Good album, but doesn't speak to me as much as I hoped. Sure, Bitter Sweet Symphony, Sonnet and the Drungs Don't Work are timeless classics, Lucky Man is quite memorable, but of the rest, not much stands out. 3.5/5
Nice enough, but nothing special. So ... OKish. 3/5
Another one for the heap ... 1/5
Crossover of carnival, industrial, rock and - at times - metal and a singer who himself is a wannabe crossover of a french Tom Waits and Till Lindemann, albeit trying too hard. The result is mixed. 2.5/5
Actually nice background, lounge-like electronic music. 3.5/5
I'm not the worl'd biggest new wave fan, but this album is really nice, with good songs, clever hooks, engaging arrangements and quite a bit of variation. I will listen to this again. 4/5
Loud and obnoxious. No melody to speak of. Probably just not my thing. 2/5
The opening track is promising ... but then the rapping starts, making this anbearable fast. The backing tracks - as far as I could make out - are a little bit better than on most other albums of the genre, but that's where the positivity stops. To sum up: Hip Hop. 1/5
I have tried to get intro Rush mulitiple times, but I have always failed. On paper, Rush ticks all the right boxes for me: rock with a prog edge, great instrumentalists, great production values. But in reality they just ... don't. There is something about their songs (at least of that era) that just leaves me unengaged. Even though I can hear their brilliance on an intellectual level, it just fails to reach or move me more directly. Which is a shame. I guess that means 3/5.
This is one of the few albums I had to listen to a second time to figure out what I think about it. I'm still not entirely sure, but I now know enough to call this very good. The first few tracks left me underwhelmed at first, but the album gets better with every track, and I'm quite fond of tracks like Opener and Shortcomings. Somehow, I find this mixture of electronica, pop and rock very fascinating, and my second listen intensified that feeling for me. I suspect I will listen to this again multiple times, and I still don't know what I like about it especially. I just do. Perhaps it's best not to overthink it. 4/5 ish
It's really nothing special, just very well made pop music, and today it hits a sweet spot for me. 4/5
Hip Hop 1/5
I just can't get into Megadeth. It may be the Thrash Metal genre as a whole, but I find Dave Mustaine's vocals especially annoying. Music and riffs are fine, but nothing to write home about. 3/5
Nothing against Jazz, but this is just Drums and Sax on speed. Utterly horrible. 1/5
For my liking, the album's title is way too much tell and not enough show. The music itself is par for the course mid 60s pop and rock music without anything standing out. It's fine enough, but that's all. 2.5/5
Always having respected the Chili Peppers while never having been a fan in particular, this album was a real surprise. There is no bad song on here - not a single one. While the first three or four songs are outstanding (especially Parallel Universe) and the rest cant't quite live up to them, all of them are at least solid. Not once hat I the urge to fast forward to skip to the next track. The songs have quite a bit more melody than previous efforts of the band, Flea's bass sound is out of this world, and the songs are an intriguing mix of rock, funk and pop. Not iconic, but very close. 4.5/5
Try-hard-with-a-vengeance-glam-rock. It's bland and fails to engage me in any way. However, it's not horrible, but that is all the positivity I can muster for this album. Try harder. 2/5
Starts of really nice with some 50s style rock/pop tracks, but loses a bit of steam on its way to the finish line. Still, it's 3.5/5
Pros: It's Leonard Cohen. Come on. The album contains the timeless Cohen classics Avalanche, Famous Blue Raincoat and Joan of Arc. Cons: The rest of the songs (except maybe Last Year's Man) are quite raw and mediocre. This version of Joan of Arc is not the best even in Cohen's own catalogue. What to do then? This being a Leonard Choen album is an immediate bonus for me, biased as I am. But there are many Cohen albums better than this, and giving this 4 or 5 would be unfair to them. So I guess it's 3.5/5, which, of course, will be rounded up.
Very old school Heavy Metal, still rooted a bit too much in the Blues for my liking. But the riffing is strong with this one, and considering the time, it was one of the best Metal records of the era 3.5/5
Indie pop with a healthy dose of electronica for good measure. I liked this one quite a bit at first, but it somehow got old the longer the album ran. Still 3/5
I like Alice Cooper, but this album is too much 70s for me. Maybe I was expecting something heavier. 2.5/5
This had its time and place on the dancefloors in the 90s, but it's not the type of music I would listen to outside of that. It sounds a bit dated and is somewhat tedious. 2/5
This is one of the better punk albums on this list, but it's still not a genre I enjoy listening to for an extended amount of time. Well, they have tried. 3/5
In my personal ranking of the (too) many subgenres of Metal, Thrash is somewhere in the middle. For my ears, this album is totally adequate for both genre and era, but fails to break any new ground. Productionwise it could have been better, the rhythm guitars especially seem to be heavily post processed and lack punch. The songs are so-so. Soooo... 2/5
In the current era of singers/songwrighters, the art of writing a good hook seems to have been lost. The songs on this album coud use some more structure, and there is nothing that could catch my interest, most tracks meandering aimlessly without a genuine great idea or melody. It's pretty disappointing. 2/5
Nice and loungey, but overstays its welcome. 2.5/5
Boring 70s wash. 2/5
Hip Hop trash. 0.5/5
Alt rock. Not bad, very OK as a matter of fact. It's a bit on the long and thus tedious side. 2.5/5
Might be a good record, but the whole Mambo genre is not for me. 2/5
Beatle wannabes mixing Latin music with the songs of their icons. While I love the Beatles, this album leaves me a bit annoyed, which may be due to the whiney delivery of many of the vocals. That may be par for the course for Latin music in general, but it just isn't my cup of tea. 2/5
I don't recall 1996 being such a dull year for music that including this uninspiring and really bland techno album in the list would be even remotely warranted. But there you go. 1/5
Pop of the worst sort - and I like well made Pop songs. But there is none of those to be found here. In fact, there are no real songs anywhere, as this is more a bunch of overproduced electronic arrangements on top of which the singer is trying to vocalise random words or sentences - I dare not call them lyrics. There is no real musical idea here, and nothing that speaks to or touches me in any way. This is an atrocious waste of time. 1/5
Not every track on this album is as good as Monday, Monday and California Dreamin' - there is much standard mit 60s Pop music here (I find Spanish Harlem especially dreadful). The Beatles and Beach Boys influences are hard to ignore, but while, most of the time, I'm missing the spark that made both of these bands stand out, altogether this album holds up well enough. 3/5
Punk-informed Thrash Metal, including lots of energy and Motörhead's greatest hist Ace of Spades. The songs lack variation, however - they all are loud and fast, which was (mostly) what the band was all about, but there is nothing setting the tracks apart from each other. 2.5/5
Classic soul by one of the genre's great artists. Nice, but sadly not my kind of music. 2.5/5
This is a great early 90s rock album, expertly played and produced with quite a bit variation between the songs. I like this. 4/5
This album starts off strong but slightly fizzles out towards the end. It's still an enjoyable listen. 3.5/5
Another one of these 90s rock albums. Being a kid of the 80s, I keep thinking that the 90s were a step in the wrong direction, but there you go. 2/5
Mid-80s stadium rock with a slick production, good players and fantastic hooks. The downside is Jon Bon Jovi, who is taking himself way too seriously, with his over-the-top singing and corny, cringeworthy lyrics. Best example for all of these points: Never Say Goodbye. Still, in the right mood, this album can be quite enjoyable, albeit in a guilty pleasure kind of way. 3.5/5
Radiohead's third album is the last one of their alt-rock phase. And it's a phenomenal. Experimentation reigns supreme here, be it in the form of song structure (Paranoid Android) or of a collection of buzz words of the 90s spoken by an Apple Computer (Fitter Happier). Elsewhere, we have depressing, yet hauntingly beautiful melodies (Exit Music (For a Film), No Surprises, or even the final part of Paranoid Android) or simply great songs and hooks (Karma Police). There is not a single bad song to be found anywhere here. This is a truly iconic masterpiece of an album. 5/5
Ahm .... Well... No. WTF? I'm neither high nor drunk enough to appreciate this. Another of these questionable entries into the list. I like the album cover that seems to move, though. 1.5/5
The first six tracks - regualar 70s style songs - are kind of garbage, but tracks 7 -10 with their dreamlike, ambient vibe are actually quite good and reminded me why Brian Eno is still relevant even today. Sadly these songs are in the minority here, since most of the album is still below average due to the first couple of songs. 2/5
Nothing to say, really, this album is not half-bad for a country record. 3/5
Classic Springsteen with solid tracks, the mix is a bit better than on Born In The USA. I liked this. 4/5
Hip-hop being hip-hop. The background tracks are unsually dance/electronica-oriented for the genre, but that can hardly save anything. 1.5/5
The songs are good, but there is something in Nina Simone's voice that I have always found thoroughly off-putting and that prevents me from wanting to spend any more time with her albums than neccessary. 2/5
Nice downbeat tracks. I didn't even mind the hip-hop vocals all that much, surprisingly. 3.5/5
This band is an early member - or even precursor - of the New Romatic Movement from the early 80s (think the likes of early Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet). The sound is all there, but the songs are not - at least not entirely. It's OK, but nothing more. 3/5
Early punk, not horrible, but without any appeal whatsoever. 2/5
Mid 70s radio-friendly rock with country influences. I guess it's nice enough, but not something I would listen to again, given a choice. 2.5/5
When reading Mitchell's name, I feared for the worst, but instead, I was pleasantly surprised. I'm still not a fan of her singing voice, but these are some very well written and produced songs - and that was not a given in the era this came out. 3.5/5
This is a fun rock/pop album. It starts strong with "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine", which is flollowed by the mega hit "Mr. Brightside" (which I never could warm up to). Another very good track would be "Andy, You're a Star", but not all of the tracks are equally strong, and the album loses a bit of steam in it's second half. No matter - this is still a record that deserves to be listened to again. 3.5/5
Some early 80s rock with punk influences. Sadly, the songs aren't quite there and Chrissie Hynde's style of singing is a bit tedious for my taste. 2/5
Beastie Boys have always been a one-trick pony, haven't they? It's a good trick, bringing us the likes of Sabotage, and (on this album) Fight For Your Right and No Sleep Till Brooklyn, mixing beats and Guitar/Bass Riffs with their own brand of high energy Hip-Hop. But for an entire album, the formula just holds up for so long - too long in this case. I found listening increasingly tedious with every track. 2/5
43 tracks?!? Wow ... Luckily, most of them are on the short side, mostly even under two minutes. Musically, the songs walk the line between rock and punk, with and most are distinct from each other. Really, the record is perfectly fine, but it somehow fails to engage me. Maybe it's just not my thing. 2.5/5
Expected the worst, but got an OKish album. It adheres to the white-men-playing-the-Blues(tm) formula, with some Reggae sprinkled in. It's really nothing special to write home about, kind of par-for-the course 70s rock music without any revelatory musical ideas. I just didn't mind it it that much today. 3/5
I respect Björk for her avant-garde attitude and no-compromise experiments, and this album is well produced. I just don't .... like it. The music fails to engage me in any way. It's more like an intellectual exercise trying where you can take modern pop music - which is fine, of course, but it's not for me.
Quite boring alt-rock. 1.5/5
This PJ Harvey record screams "Look at me! I'm still a relevant alt-rock icon!" Except she isn't and this is just pretentious. 1.5/5
Classic radio-friendly rock with a number of hits. The strongest song here is easily Jeanie's Got A Gun, but Love In An Elevator, The Other Side and What It Takes are great as well. The rest of the album ist fine, but nothing special, albeit well written and produced. A fun album that deserves to be on this list. 3.5/5
I can only listen to the B-52's in the rarest of circumstances. My main problem with the band is that all of their songs sound alike and that Kate Pierson's vocal delivery is WAY over the top, bordering on the annoying. For me, they only have two or three good songs, none of which are not on this album. 2/5
On the one hand, this is a very iconic and genre defining album, on the other hand, that genre happens to be Grunge. Which is fine, but I never particularly warmed-up to it and I'm not buying the "It's Nirvana, so it must be great" - argument. The album is not bad by any means, just extremely overrated. I'll give it 3 for the music and .5 for it's importance. 3.5/5
Glam rock/pop that started strong, but somehow lost steam as there is not too much variation between the tracks. Still interesting to hear some kind of proto - New Wave sound from 1974. This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us is easily the strongest track. 3.5/5
Had high hopes when reading the description in the book, but was disappointed. Every single one of the songs leaves me completely cold. 2/5
OK, nice, but not nice enough to warrant re-listening. 3/5
Soothing, but all songs sound alike. Still a nice and intimate acoustic album. 3/5
Hip-Hop trash 1/5
OKish rock/pop album. Best track is Why Does It Always Rain On Me?. Don't need to listen again, but wouldn't be annoyed if I stumbled over it it playing anywhere. 3/5
Par-for-the-course New Wave. Not really interesting, without any standouts or any sense of hooks or melody. 2/5
After the world, was introduced to R.E.M. through Out Of Time (this album's predecessor - think Shiny, Happy People and Losing My Religion), Automatic For The People was the band's magnum opus. The album is mostly acoustic and melancholy. The music is phantastic, no song sounds like another, and Michael Stipes voice fits perfectly here. Everybody knows Everybody Hurts, Nightswimming and Man On The Moon. Drive and The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite have been very succesful singles in their own right. Find The River, however, is something else: the quintessential song that perfectly sums up and closes this album; this is one of R.E.M's best. But really, every song is at least "good" here, and the album as a whole is truly a masterpiece. 5/5
I have never been a big Oasis fan, and this album changes nothing about that. While I like the opener Rock'n'Roll Star quite a bit, the remaining songs (except for the acoustic closer Married With Children) bring nothing new to the table and leave a lot to be desired in the variation department - especially absent are memorable melodies. This album, then, is just OK ... ish. 2.5/5
This album has a couple of very strong tracks (Plainsong, Lovesong, Lullaby), but overstays its welcome in the second half, particularly because the last couple of songs are extremely long compared to the rest. This wouldn't be a problem if The Cure managed to fill this excess time with additional interesting ideas. Sadly, they don't, making the album quite uneven. It's still very good, but misses the mark of true greatness. 3.5/5
I always found the Pixies overrated, their music sounding always a bit disjointed and at times even out of tune. This album is more of that, albeit with a darker twist. The album starts strong with Cecilia Ann, which is an instrumental dark Surfer Rock tune. The following songs are in a similar vein, but the longer the album runs, the more Pixies standard fare appears. I guess this band is not for me. 2.5/5
Mixed. Some of the tracks are quite good musically, but are marred by the presence of vocals bordering on Hip-Hop, where just the music would have made it a much better track. Case in Point: Release the Pressure. But also musically, there is too much standard dance music here to be truly groundbreaking. 2/5
Very good album, and a great mix of soul, pop and funk. 4/5
Alternative isn't really my thing, and this is as alternative as it gets. I couldn't finish it. 2/5
Not horrible but ... unengaging. As in "left me shrugging". *sigh* 2/5
Why on earth would anyone put THIS on the list?!? It may have it's fans, but this is not a collection of the 1001 best Drum'N'Bass albums. I just don't see - or hear - the significance.... 1/5
Def Leppard's trademark have always been energetic, radio-friendly rock songs with 80s songwritghting and produciton sensibilities. And this is exactly what we get here. With every. single. song. The tracks themselves aren't necessarily bad, but it's generally too much of the same during the album's 1 hour and 2 minutes runtime. It's just too long with too little variation. 3/5
Radio-friendly rock/pop meets fledgling New Wave. The songs are OK(ish), but nothing to make me come back to this album. The possible exception is (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea, which was fun. But really, the early Elvis Costello probably just isn't for me. 2.5/5
Nice enough 70s album. It starts strong with Stand!, but meanders into funk and other genres without really anything new. The 13-minute Sex machine is especially tedious. I liked the final track, You Can Make It If You Try, but as a whole this album didn't leave me wanting more, but rather a bit less. 2.5/5
I respect Miles Davis, but this kind of extended improvisational Jazz isn't for me. 2/5
This is some 60s style pop informed by 70s punk aesthetic. And while I'm not a fan of either genre, this is an alright enough album. 3/5
Electronic pop with high prodution values. It flows very nicely and even has two songs that I quite liked - Recover and Night Sky. But this album hasn't any really bad songs. The production quality is very high, too. This is what modern pop sould sound like (instead of 95% of tracks currently in the pop charts, but that is another story). 3.5/5
A live Swing album with some extended improvisational passages. The good book says that it was revolutionary in its day. For more modern ears, it's still pleasant enough for some background listening, even without being a fan of the genre. 3.5/5
This collection of folk songs would be much better if the singer didn't have that slightly annoying, thin, fast-vibrato voice. On top of that, some of the instruments are out of tune. I gues this one is not for me. 2/5
Valiant effort to recreate sounds of the past (i.e. soaring orchestral ballads of the likes of Sinatra and others) by modern means. The singer even has quite a potent baritone. But somehow the songs themselves are not really there, and without excellent songs, the project falls somewhat flat. Well, it was worth a shot. 3/5
These days, it's rare to find good pop albums. This is one of them. Lorde is has a fantastic voice, the production is top notch, and most (if not all) songs are at least listenable, if not better. Not one second did I have the feeling that I am wasting my time - something which I can't say for every album on this list. I especially liked Green Light and Supercut. This one was quite good. 4/5
Collection of inoffensive mid-60s pop/rock songs without anything special to make them stand out. 2.5/5
Elton John has released a huge number of albums, and quite a few have been excellent. This, however, is not one of them. Two exceptional songs - Tiny Dancer and Levon - stand opposite seven very mediocre ones. Even the title track doesn't really cut it. I have no idea why this particular album was chosen for the list. It's a 3/5 only because of the two first phenomenal tracks.
Mid 80s pop/rock. Not bad by any means but so, SO mediocre. It's not even about the typical 80s sound or other production qualities, but about the songs that have nothing memorable about them. 2.5/5
Bryan Ferry's voice lends itself much better to Roxy Musics later material - here it is just wasted talent. The cover photo is outstanding, but that's about it. Productionwise, everything is alright, but the one important thing missing are some good songs. You could play Where's Waldo with the memorable hooks you wish were there. 2/5
One good song (Rip It Up), the rest very OK..ish. 2.5/5
70s rock by the numbers. Neither bad nor good, no standouts. 2.5/5
Tom Waits to me has always been 80% pretentiousness and 20% art (as in: good music, especially beautiful ballads). On this album, however, there is hardly any of the latter. Whistle Down the wind is decent, but I've heard better on his other albums. I respect the man, but can't get into his art. Perhaps it's just not for me. Perhaps it's for the hipsters. Who knows? 2/5
The best songs here are - of course - Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day (albeit the former having been extremely overplayed everywhere). The rest ist mediocre and firmly rooted in early 80s music, which wouldn't be bad if the songs contained any genuinely great ideas or hooks. But they don't, and Bonos ego alone isn't enough to keep my interest. 2/5
Before listening to this, I knew this band only by name. I was pleasantly surprised - the songs on this album are really good. Nothing earth shattering, but real good songs from the rock-realm (with a pinch of pop mixed in here and there). 4/5
When I heard that Björk was the singer, I should have known what to expect. This music - sadly, as I respect Björk - is really, REALLY not my cup of tea. I had trouble getting through this. 2/5
Massive album (as in: two hours) of classic country. Some of the instrumental tracks are quite relaxing, but mostly this kind of music just isn't for me. 2.5/5
Another day, another country album. This is a collection of inoffensive, if boring, songs that can i can listen to without being too annoyed. But the album doesn't give me any reason why I should. 2/5
Very smooth and relaxed blues and folk. There is not a single bad song on this one. And while there is nothing standing out in particular, this is excellent stuff. 4.5/5
0.5/5
Heavily synth/pinao oriented pop, the sound of which firmly places it into the late 70s/early 80s. Which I usually like. But where are the standout elements? Where are the hooks? Not to mention melodies ... Without any of those, this is a lackluster excuse for a good album of that era. 2/5
Singer-songwriter stuff from the early 70s. Yes, it is exactly how it sounds: folky with some country vibe, a bit self-important and utterly uninteresting. *sigh* 2/5
This is extremely mixed - some songs are really good (I Looked Away, Bell Bottom Blues, and the overplayed Layla), but there is much too much of the usual White-Men-Playing-The-BLUES(tm) here. 2.5/5
Mid 80s soul/pop album that sounds exactly like Prince and Janet Jackson sounded at that time, but without an inkling of their respective genius. Pity. 2/5
70s southern rock with too many blues covers. 2/5
Lots of modern pop here, with plenty of funk, soul and hip-hop sprinkled in. Some of the tracks I like, but mostly the tracks have too little substance and there is nothing really standing out. 2.5/5
The first couple of songs were very good. Especially Lempers's interpretations of Nick Cave's Water Song and Kurt Weill's Tango Ballad were spot on. I didn't like some of the later trackson the album, although that has more to do with the source material (e.g. two numbers by Tom Waits). The album is expertly arranged, and Lemper is givig her all with her versatile and powerful voice. It's a pity that some of the songs are not all that interesting. 3.5/5
Bland and uninteresting. The hip-hop/rap bits were especially atrocious. 1.5/5
Classic folk album; i.e. just guitar and voice. The latter of which is quite good - Baez is famous for her clear voice, though I find it overbearing and overdramatic at times - she's using too much vibrato for my liking. Apart from that, the song selection is uninspired. Diamonds & Rust this is not. Well, maybe Rust ... 2/5
90s pop. But compared to what passes as pop today, this is high art. The first three notes of ...Baby One More Time contain more musical talent than anyhing in the pop charts today. Yes, it's a bit cheesy at times, especially the ballads, for which I'll deduct half a point. But really .... it's Britney. I mean, come on. 3.5/5
Self-absorbed hipster-trash. 1.5/5
Uninteresting 2/5
Before this, I only knew Janis Joplin by name and maybe Me and Bobby McGee and Mercedes Benz. I expected another mediocre 70s blues rock album with a rating of maybe 2/5. But this... After the first listen of the album I immediately had to listen again. This is exceptionally good. I was acquainted with Joplin's voice; but the songs are unbelievably well put together, too. It's such a shame that Joplin died before finishing this album, so that she couldn't even sing the vocals of Buried Alive in the Blues, which remains an instrumental. And a good one at that. This album comepletely hit me out of the blue, as I wasn't expecting this to be 5/5. But it is.
Par for the course Rolling Stones: Some of the songs are good (the real standouts are Gimme Shelter and You Can't Always Get What You Want), but there is too much white-men-playing-THE-BLUES(tm) noodling. The arrangements and especially recording quality leave a lot to be desired. George Martin did it better with the Beatles years before. 2.5/5
Not only in China Girl (of which the original writer's version is much superior) do we hear that David Bowie had his hands in the making and writing of this album. It's artsy, but the songs just aren't there. It's a nice enough listen, but that's about it. 2.5/5
Nice background listening, but a bit bland for the foreground experience. 3/5
Boring blues-matadors. 2/5
Loud and edgy for the sake of it. 1.5/5
In lieu of good songs, be noisy and edgy for the sake of it. Not bad, but quite boring. 2/5
This is nice. The album contains some good Soul/Pop/R'n'B/Funk tunes that make for an easy listening experience. There are no real standouts, but the whole record flows quite easily. 3.5/5
Not horrible, but also, not really for me. 2/5
Starts off nice with Jarre-esque synths, but then evolves to mediocre pop with mediocre songs. Too bad. 2.5/5
I mostly knew Manic Street Preachers from their album "This is my Truth, Tell me Yours", which contains a number of good songs. But there is none of that here. There is some nicely played (alternative) rock, and James Dean Bradfield's vocals are great as ever, but the songs are just not there - none of the tracks move me in any meaningful way, the mostly just... are. 2/5
This is essentially CHIC in everything but name. Nice, but nothing special and not much variation. 3/5