196
Albums Rated
3.38
Average Rating
18%
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893 albums remaining
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2010s
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13
5-Star Albums
1
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call of the Valley | 5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
| Deloused in the Comatorium | 5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
| The Blueprint | 5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
| Sign 'O' The Times | 5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
| Illinois | 5 | 3.49 | +1.51 |
| Moving Pictures | 5 | 3.59 | +1.41 |
| To Pimp A Butterfly | 5 | 3.61 | +1.39 |
| Wild Is The Wind | 5 | 3.64 | +1.36 |
| The Low End Theory | 5 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| Hms Fable | 4 | 2.77 | +1.23 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Let's Get Killed | 1 | 2.68 | -1.68 |
| Beggars Banquet | 2 | 3.63 | -1.63 |
| Murmur | 2 | 3.42 | -1.42 |
| First Band On The Moon | 2 | 3.29 | -1.29 |
| Bluesbreakers | 2 | 3.16 | -1.16 |
| Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert) | 2 | 3.15 | -1.15 |
| Too Rye Ay | 2 | 3.12 | -1.12 |
| Pump | 2 | 3.11 | -1.11 |
| Pacific Ocean Blue | 2 | 3.07 | -1.07 |
| Hypnotised | 2 | 3.06 | -1.06 |
5-Star Albums (13)
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Popular Reviews
David Holmes
1/5
Genre: Breakbeat
1/5
I am a nice, fair reviewer, who generally doesn't have many problems with the music I'm listening to. This is my 171st album generated and listened to, and this was the first time in this exercise where I was plainly disgusted throughout the wide majority of the listen. I've listened to some bad Elvis Costello, some bad Bob Dylan, and some awfully mediocre 90s post-grunge, but this easily takes the shit cake. David Holmes' 1997 album Let's Get Killed is an exercise in dullness. A true techno dud with nothing redeeming, nothing that changes the form, and nothing that keeps you interested.
The sampling is lazy and bad, the beats are monotonous and never-changing, and the effort to give himself (a white man from the UK) any form of NYC street cred is cringy, bizarre, and almost gentrifying. Nothing progresses, nothing excites, nothing is moving throughout the entire runtime. There's a song on the album, Freaknik, that starts with a man telling a story about being kicked out of a bar for dancing. He ends his story by saying "how am I supposed to release...this...ENERGY!", and it's immediately followed by 5-6 minutes of utter nothingness, in what appears to be the least energetic followup to a man screaming that I have ever heard. Radio 7, and its unbelievably lazy James Bond sample, is among the most aggravating tracks I've ever sat through.
This is not good. A complete non-starter, not essential in any way, and takes up a spot that any other album in the universe should own. There is no purpose to have this album on this list. A waste of an hour that I will never get back.
44 likes
2/5
Genre: Folk Rock
2/5
I'm honestly sick of this man. I'm not sure what he did to deserve his legacy. He's a phony and a charlatan, and everything I hear from him is bland, lyrically confusing, and vocally inept. The man cannot sing a note, he can hardly pronounce his own lyrics, he plays the harmonica and guitar about as well as your average wayward fellow does and never to an extent that feels virtuosic, and above all that, his live shows are boring and uninteresting.
The first half of this 90+ minute experiment in boredom is Bob and a chair. The only things that kept me listening were the hilarious, once-a-minute voice cracks and the chuckles I'd get once his harmonica started to squeal. Truly sonically unbearable, and left me primed to levy my first 1 rating on an album. However, the full band does come out for the second half of the show, and brings a bit more liveliness to the program, but not enough to warrant any sort of merit. Apparently this second half was filled with boo's and jeering from the crowd, but it has all been carefully edited out in order to remove any Dylan dissent from hitting any fanboy's ears. I would've certainly enjoyed this album more if I had someone to boo along with.
This was the cherry on the shit sundae that is Bob Dylan albums in this book, and I know I still have more to listen to... But, as for this, it's an entirely avoidable album, with an entire first disc that provides nothing worthwhile to the listener. A real stinker.
27 likes
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Genre: Roots Rock
2/5
It's 1968. Rock 'n Roll is continuing to progress at an alarming rate. The Beatles are experimenting with heavier instrumentation in songs like Happiness Is a Warm Gun and Helter Skelter, forecasting the psychedelic blues movement that was about to explode out of the UK with acts like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Jimi Hendrix is breaking down the rock barriers in an even bigger way, writing and playing some of the most influential pieces of guitar music ever written and played. The Velvet Underground was also foraying into new-fangled territory: a more raw, dissonant, experimental sound that would influence musicians for ages. And then you have The Rolling Stones, who are still making songs with harmonies that sound like choo-choo trains.
Beggars Banquet is an album with one big fat, juicy single, Sympathy for the Devil, which features the aforementioned choo-choo's, and 9 other completely stale blues rock offerings that really make you wonder what the heck was going on. As the rest of the music world was progressing and moving forward, the Stones did the exact opposite, and they did it in the most bland and milquetoast way possible. The album does one thing right, it's immaculately produced and mixed, and sounds wonderful, but nothing is happening that leads me to believe this album belongs on the list besides its name recognition. Decent solos here and there, too, but really not enough to make it worth it.
Sorry to any Stones fans, this just wasn't for me.
25 likes
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Genre: Conscious Hip Hop
5/5
Hip Hop has come quite a ways since its inception. The artists involved over the years have pushed the genre to its breaking point, changing the definition of hip hop year to year, and sometimes month to month. Seismic eruptions in the game, from The Chronic to Illmatic to Aquemini, are all vital pieces of art that will be respected for years to come.
To Pimp a Butterfly sets itself apart from all of those. The sheer magnitude of what this album is doing throughout its playtime is some of the most marvelous music making we as humans have put to wax. This album does it all. From its unbelievable jazz-influenced production, its seamless use of nearly every theme hip hop has come to know and love (which, lyrically, Kendrick took to the umpteenth), all the way to its narrative flow, including a poem that grows throughout the album to eventually culminate in a facsimile conversation he’s having with TUPAC SHAKUR. It’s a true artist at work.
This album is a perfect 5/5, 10/10, 100/100. Whichever way you slice it, there isn’t a single bump in the road here, nothing to take your mind away from the overwhelming musical explosion that’s happening in front of you. Kendrick made the perfect album. Every song is a treat and every moment is executed flawlessly. Shoutout to everyone involved in this project. They did a spectacular job.
12 likes
SZA
4/5
Genre: Alternative R&B
4/5
One of modern R&B's sweetest and sexiest musical statements, SZA's CTRL is thematically introspective, and musically lush and playful. An album made for women by a woman, it's a project that doesn't speak much to the male experience, but is straightforward and honest enough to be transcendent in its message. SZA's voice is the true highlight here, intermingling with trap/R&B-influenced production throughout with style and grace, and by all accounts almost entirely improvised. Some songs here range from Neo-Soul to Indie Rock, as SZA's influences can be heard from Timbaland to The Police, and it forms a rich palate of sounds for us to feast on as the tracklist progresses.
The first half of the album is some of the best R&B the decade has to offer, with Supermodel serving as a flawless, near-psychedelic intro, flowing into Love Galore and Doves in the Wind, the latter featuring one of Kendrick Lamar's best features, which leads into Drew Barrymore and Prom rounding out the first 5 tracks with alt-pop flair and synth hits that would make anyone groove out. The album is interspersed with sweet, loving advice being given to SZA by her mother over the phone, a classic trope that exists throughout R&B and hip-hop, and is a great communicating device to flesh out themes and concepts. Overall, this project excels at being itself, and not shying away from introspection, and providing us with solid tunes full of soul, energy, and passion. A pop-R&B triumph, as far as I'm concerned.
12 likes
1-Star Albums (1)
All Ratings
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Genre: Sunshine Pop
4/5
Classic album, with great vocals, classy production, and some of the biggest songs from the 60s. Monday, Monday and California Dreamin’ are staples on nearly every classic rock/oldies station, and for good reason.
Lots of filler for the rest of the tracks, but the I Call Your Name and Spanish Harlem covers are decent, as well as Straight Shooter.
JAY Z
5/5
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop
5/5
When it comes to rap album classics, The Blueprint is one of the true icons of the genre. From the beautiful and timeless chipmunk soul production, to Jay-Z’s quick wit and lyrical talent, this album is a sure fire hit for any hip hop fan.
While I’m not sure it’s my favorite Jay-Z project, The Blueprint is still a force to be reckoned with. It became, for rap music at that time, exactly what its title suggests it is: the blueprint.
3/5
Genre: New Romantic
3/5
Perhaps an album that defined a movement, The Lexicon of Love is a new wave, love songs album. A harkening back to the days where every song on an LP dealt with loss/gain/then eventual re-loss of love.
While Martin Fry’s “Bowie-esque” vocals, the tremendous bass playing throughout the album, and Ken Horn’s keyboard-heavy production are all great, it suffers from one thing: I’m just not a huge 80s guy. 10 songs though, short and sweet, and will certainly NOT disappoint any 80s heads out there.
The Mars Volta
5/5
Genre: Progressive Rock
5/5
A debut album from a band I was familiar with by name only, from a genre I’ve grown quite fond of since I was young, and good grief this thing was an instant love for me. I had initially been apprehensive, having read that the vocals were hit-or-miss and the music itself could prove too dense for some. But, man, I was absolutely floored. And also to the harsher critics out there, there is WAY more progressive shit that you would absolutely HATE. This is almost easy listening.
In the same way you can hear Radiohead’s OK Computer write the careers of their contemporaries (Coldplay, Muse, etc.), De-Loused in the Comatorium (ugly name and ugly album cover aside, lol) is proto-screamo in the best way, and Attack, Attack, Of Monsters and Men, and Coheed and Cambria (among others), owe a huge debt to this project. Technical, talented playing, Rick Rubin’s essential wall-of-sound production, vocals that ascend to the heavens in nearly every track, and relentless pacing, this album seemingly helped forge the path for where rock would go over the coming years.
Really impressed, absolutely loved this. If you like rock music, this is for you. Sending Drunkship of Lanterns to my dad right now.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Genre: Contemporary Folk
3/5
Bob Dylan is, and forever will be, one of the most influential musicians of all time, and is considered a monarch to many in the industry. His influence knows no bounds, and his songs are loved by all ages from all ages. But for me, this all feels to me like one big show.
Let me explain. I’m a little in the Zappa camp. By that I mean this folky sound coming from somebody who doesn’t have that cultural background, always sounds a little forced, a little bland, and a little fake to me.
However, it is very easy to listen to, and of all Dylan projects I’ve listened to, this is probably my favorite. If you’re into this sort of thing, this’ll be right up your ass. For me, I’ll stick to the heavier stuff.
The Prodigy
4/5
Genre: Big Beat
4/5
Ah, the 90s. The Big Beat/Techno boom was coming, and Music for the Jilted Generation is certainly a high mark for the genre. Some prescient moments on this thing, crafting sounds that would titillate the ears for years to come. You can hear Thomas Bangalter, Fatboy Slim, and even later acts such as SebastiAn and Justice.
Overall, the music on this thing is generally high energy, fun to listen to, and a hard kick in the ass. A must listen for any techno-head’s out there.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
Genre: Pop Rock
2/5
Well, here it is: the first real stinker. I’m interested to read the blurb in the book for this one, because there was nothing truly redeemable here at all. This was almost as stale and formulaic as a pop rock album could possibly be, mixed in with some absolutely bizarre production choices.
All I Wanna Do is a fine song, but sandwiched in between cuts like Solidify, The Na-Na Song, and We Do What We Can… I shiver at the thought of listening to these again. Skip this one, if you haven’t already.
Blur
3/5
Genre: Britpop
3/5
One of the genre’s biggest records, Blur’s Parklife is a hodgepodge of gritty Britpop singles and absolute faff, as the Brits might say. Girls and Boys represents some of the best ideas the genre ever had, while the 3-song run of Badhead-The Debt Collector-Far Out is an exercise in how much they can get away with.
While Albarn’s concepts would come to greater fruition with his Gorillaz project, there’s something here for everybody to enjoy, but plenty to ignore, as well. Definitely more for fans of the genre.
Brian Eno
3/5
Genre: Art Rock
3/5
From a musical history standpoint, there are few more pivotal to pop/rock than Brian Eno, who was a big mover and shaker in the music scene. Eno was a pioneer in ambient music, something that hadn’t been truly explored in mainstream music before.
Another Green World is heralded as a masterpiece of the form, and one of the all-time greats from the decade, but to me is a little too full of itself, and a little too uneven in all the wrong ways. A few great songs littered amongst short bursts of electronic ideas that don’t fully pan out.
While I may not have enjoyed this as much as I had expected (or hoped) to, I recommended this for others who are interested in listening to as much recent music history as possible.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Genre: Chamber Pop
3/5
A decent Pop offering from a songwriter I was not familiar with until listening. While the scope of this project is quite grand, and the production is lush, expensive, and clean, its persistent melodrama doesn’t quite mix with Rufus’ near-Thom Yorke style vocals.
Agnus Dei was very intriguing, and served as a great intro, but it never quite got back to that mysterious, progressive side much again after that. This is a well-made album, with some solid ideas and good vocals, and Wainright is a very talented songwriter. Just not all one of my favs.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Genre: Big Beat
3/5
While the album itself doesn’t meet the mark on every track, they’re all sandwiched between two of techno’s biggest hits ever, The Rockafeller Skank and Praise You. Two absolute titans of the genre, two genuinely great singles, and two songs that will exist in the milieu for quite some time.
There a few hidden gems here, but Fatboy Slim can’t hide from the obvious influence of his predecessors. Prodigy, Thomas Bangalter, and plenty of house legends played a big role in the creation of this album. It’s big beat, it’s energetic, and it’s not too bad, overall.
The Specials
3/5
Genre: 2 Tone
3/5
Another brief piece of history album. The Specials was one of the UK’s most successful ska groups to come out of the country’s collective attempt to keep up with the musical times.
The music here is inoffensive (except for Little Bitch), fun to listen to and jig to, but doesn’t really offer much more than your standard reggae/ska offering may provide. An interesting look into 2 Tone as a genre, and may lead some down a rabbit hole.
Al Green
4/5
Genre: Southern Soul
4/5
Al Green. One of music’s best falsettos and a perennial favorite among all ages. His sound and production was of the times, but it was his voice, calm, soothing, and soaring with enough emotion to make anybody feel, set him apart from the rest of the Soul artists at the time.
The title track is one of his biggest hits and is a true gem, but the 6-minute How Can You Mend a Broken Heart is a knockout. No skips on this one, even those that are a bit more color-by-numbers. But it’s all good. It’s Al Green, man.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Genre: Conscious Hip Hop
5/5
Hip Hop has come quite a ways since its inception. The artists involved over the years have pushed the genre to its breaking point, changing the definition of hip hop year to year, and sometimes month to month. Seismic eruptions in the game, from The Chronic to Illmatic to Aquemini, are all vital pieces of art that will be respected for years to come.
To Pimp a Butterfly sets itself apart from all of those. The sheer magnitude of what this album is doing throughout its playtime is some of the most marvelous music making we as humans have put to wax. This album does it all. From its unbelievable jazz-influenced production, its seamless use of nearly every theme hip hop has come to know and love (which, lyrically, Kendrick took to the umpteenth), all the way to its narrative flow, including a poem that grows throughout the album to eventually culminate in a facsimile conversation he’s having with TUPAC SHAKUR. It’s a true artist at work.
This album is a perfect 5/5, 10/10, 100/100. Whichever way you slice it, there isn’t a single bump in the road here, nothing to take your mind away from the overwhelming musical explosion that’s happening in front of you. Kendrick made the perfect album. Every song is a treat and every moment is executed flawlessly. Shoutout to everyone involved in this project. They did a spectacular job.
The Smiths
4/5
Genre: Jangle Pop
4/5
Another band I’ve let sit by the wayside, but purely by accident, as I tend to listen to the same things over and over, lol. I’m very happy I finally listened to one of their albums! This is the kind of British, post-Beatles sound that I think is most akin to that era and, after reading that this is one of their *lesser* offerings, I’m now more excited than ever to continue listening to them.
The three song run of Girlfriend in a Coma-Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before-Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me is a shining moment of the genre, and sits perfectly in the middle of this very, very good album.
Certainly one to take repeated listens to. Very nice work from these Brits!
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia
3/5
The Flaming Lips are one of those groups from the 90s that always ends up in this conversations of biggest influences from that decade, this album in particular. While the music is well-produced, neatly arranged, and with some interesting compositional choices that I found interesting to follow, the vocals were a complete miss for me.
Do I like what The Spiderbite Song is doing musically and rhythmically, yes. Do I enjoy the Beatles ripoffs throughout the album, yes. Do I hate the sound of the vocalist in all of these instances, yes. I can’t get around it, unfortunately. Decent pop album, overall, though.
The Doors
3/5
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
3/5
The Doors rock, man. But this ain’t the 60s anymore, man, this is the turn of the decade. And they had just dropped, at least by their fans reception, their worst album, The Soft Parade. So, on the heels of that, this must’ve been QUITE the breath of fresh air for fans of The Doors.
However, without that context, this comes off as your run-of-the-mills blues rock albums, with touches of the drudge that made them the pioneers of psychedelia that they were. It’s good, though. Loved The Spy, and the first couple of songs are pretty great, but the back half is bland and certainly not their best.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
Genre: Pop Rock
3/5
As much as I anticipated this to be a re-run of Sheryl Crow’s album on this list, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed of this album! Heck, I was close to giving this thing a 4.
The hits are there, for sure, Ironic and You Oughta Know are classics, but what’s also present is some powerful lead vocals, some really clean 90s production that isn’t too electronic, and some decent rock ‘n roll chops throughout this thing. Way more enjoyable than it needed to be.
The Smiths
4/5
Genre: Jangle Pop
4/5
Another solid entry from a group I’ve since grown quite fond of. While I don’t find it better or worse than Strangeways, it manages to hit all of the same buttons as the last one did. The arrangements are well done, some really tremendous bass work on this, and Morrissey sounds great in this one too.
Well I Wonder is one of my new favorite songs, as well as the kickass opener, The Headmaster Ritual, and I don’t even mind the experimental title track. These guys certainly carried the torch passed along from the Beatles well. Really solid album.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Genre: Disco
5/5
I mean, good grief. Imagine 1979: a DJ slaps the new MJ record on, and spins it in its entirety for a packed dance floor. The people must’ve lost their fucking minds.
MJ and Quincy Jones team up to make the blueprint for a Disco/Pop record, and a blueprint that Michael would take from himself later to make Thriller, a better album than this if you could imagine.
From top to bottom, this thing is loaded with BIG hits, smooth production, tremendous playing, and amazing singing from Michael. He floats on top of everything he performs on, and this is the first major leap in his solo career that showed the listening public that he was here to stay.
He may not have been The King of Pop yet, but this is damn close to anything else he made in the future. A top tier album. An essential listen.
2/5
Genre: Avant-Garde Jazz
2/5
I will say this: in some fucked up way, I do feel that I needed to hear this before I died.
An absolute onslaught of noise, squealing saxophones and manic free-time drumming, sometimes so over-bearing and wild that laughter just spurted out of me, Spy vs. Spy is truly unique. It was fun playing the game, "Oh, There's The Song", where each song would start with a rushed take on an Ornette Coleman piece, go absolutely fucking crazy in the middle, then come on back to the song again, therein you'd say "Oh, There's The Song". Generally all in the course of a minute-and-a-half. And there's like 12 of them.
The last few tracks slow it down big time compared to what preceded it, giving us a look at 4 really tremendous, classically trained jazz musicians, covering songs from a pioneer of their genre. Truthfully, the whole project showcases their talents. It takes a lot of training to be able to make saxophones sound like this, but it certainly isn't rendered in any way that makes it accessible.
Put this on for a laugh next time you're in the car with someone, maybe The Disguise or Rejoicing.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
Genre: Chamber Pop
5/5
Sufjan Stevens put a lot of effort into this record, and it pays off big time, as Illinois is one of the best pop albums from the last 20 years. While I was certainly on my way to give this a 4, the album never got old, never got boring, and always sounded fresh and engaging. From the opener to the outro, this thing is chock-full of gorgeous pop arrangements, beautiful production, and immaculate songwriting.
Although Sufjan certainly had some strings/brass help throughout this project, Sufjan pulls a McCartney and plays nearly every instrument completely by himself. His bass playing alone should give you all you need to know in terms of his playing prowess, the guy can play. Shades of the Beatles, Donovan, and the Beach Boys, Sufjan Stevens used all of his influences to knock this thing out of the park. Wrigley Field, I guess.
Come On! Feel The Illinoise!, Chicago, and The Tallest Man… are some of my favs from my first listen, but I’m sure this will reward repeat listens, and a few of these songs will end up forever favorites. Really great record.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Genre: New Wave
2/5
By the time this album got to its outro, the mega hit Come On, Eileen, it had overstayed its welcome. New wave has never quite done it for me. There a bits and pieces of this thing that I enjoyed, but then it would derail and turn into a jazz break, or stop completely while the vocalist whispers for a minute only for the same bland hook to come back.
This one didn’t do it for me. It’s serviceable, inoffensive, and quite jolly at times, but the banjo usage, the overuse of Celtic instrumentation, and the total blandness of everything just makes this thing a dud for me. 80s nuts will dig it.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Genre: Funky House
3/5
Basement Jaxx’s first album is everything you’d expect from one of their albums. A few absolute bangers (Red Alert, Bingo Bango) and some big-time misses (Yo Yo, Same Old Show), Remedy represents the techno movement going on at the time, and its failings and triumphs.
The Chicago and French influences on this album are not lost, especially on songs like Rendez-Vu and Always Be There, and guide Basement Jaxx to the right place most of the time. However, too many interludes, and a little too much filler, make this one good, but unimpressive.
Ash
3/5
Genre: Power Pop
3/5
A fun little piece of pop punk/power pop/alt rock, whatever you want to call it. This feels like an incredibly random add, and I’m sure I can think of a few albums, even in this genre, that would’ve made more sense in this book, but it wasn’t a disappointing album, by any means.
The peppiness of the whole record is quite infectious, but it never gets more than good. Goldfinger and Girl from Mars were pretty good, but that’s as far as it gets in terms of standouts.
Elliott Smith
4/5
Genre: Indie Folk
4/5
Elliott Smith, who unfortunately left our world much too early, left behind one of the more influential bodies of work in all of indie music, and continues to be a benchmark of quality in the genre. Either/Or serves as his magnum opus (to most), and is an exercise in melancholy, played out in a brilliant, folk-driven way from Smith.
While this sort of tempo and tenor throughout a project can leave me wanting a bit more, this album makes up for its lack of sonic variations with its heart-wrenching vocal performances and Elliot Smith's true songwriting talent. It didn't tickle me quite as much as I had hoped, but it certainly did not disappoint.
Shack
4/5
Genre: Britpop
4/5
The quick research session for this album before my listen did very little to illicit any genuine excitement from me. Blur’s Parklife was pretty bland, and most Britpop is fairly regular in concept and execution, but these guys really did something here! The orchestration and high-class production on this thing was incredibly unexpected, and didn’t feel facile or forced at all. Quite a refreshing listen, honestly.
While the first two tracks are two of the band’s most popular, the album continued to impress, continued to have big, beautiful choruses, and continued to layer sounds in a very nice, very pleasing way. Even a song like Cornish Town, which starts rather innocuously, grows into a beautiful pop soundscape. I might be in the minority here, but I genuinely enjoyed this album!
Caetano Veloso
4/5
Genre: Tropicália
4/5
Caetano Veloso, the album and the artist, serves as a wonderful introduction for the genre/Brazilian art movement, Tropicália. Brazilian musicians took their love of psychedelic rock, baroque pop, and leftist politics, and slammed it all into one. The end product is a beautiful pop rock sound, with ample space for experimentation.
This album itself is clean as a whistle. Recordings outside of the US/UK generally mix their vocals much louder than the backing track, and that's certainly the case here. However, that doesn't take away from the quality of the arrangements, the groovy South American rhythmic influences, and Mr. Veloso's lovely singing voice. I don't understand a lick of Portugese, but that doesn't stop this from being a very enjoyable listening experience.
Prince
5/5
Genre: Contemporary R&B
5/5
Prince’s best album, Sign o’ the Times, is one of those musical archetypes that will be referenced for years to come. A la The White Album, Physical Graffiti, or Sandinista!, Prince’s double album is a mix of styles, flavors, and moods, but all of them combine to make a truly delicious, one-of-a-kind musical stew.
In a where-do-I-start kind of way, this album has highlights up and down the tracklist, from the opening title track to Hot Thing to U Got the Look to the incredible live jam, It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night. But those not listed make up an entire body of work that even some of the best R&B artists would be happy to call an album. Prince’s songwriting, his singing and his playing, and his sexy attitude throughout the whole project are infectious, timeless, and perfectly Prince.
A must listen and a must have in anyone’s musical collection.
Shivkumar Sharma
5/5
Genre: Hindustani Classical Music
5/5
In 1968, 4 Indian musicians got together and recorded some of the most influential Eastern music in modern history. While Eastern influences had already been felt throughout rock and pop music, it was this album in particular that truly transcended the standard market for this style of music. It hit with everybody, including the artists who were making their own sounds around that time, injecting lifelong gems with twists of Indian/Asian flair.
The playing, the mood, and the production on this thing is top notch. The stereo dulcimer and slide guitar dueling (NOT sitar, which is CRAZY) is tremendous, but it's when the tabla kicks in when the fun truly begins. Add in some wood flute and you've got yourself a recipe for success, driven by the same classic melodies these cultures have been playing for ages.
If you don't take the time to enjoy this one, or if you find it uninteresting and boring, then your opinion is invalid and you're probably racist.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Genre: Pop Rock
4/5
Following Rumours, a pop/soft rock masterpiece in every sense of the word, Fleetwood Mac went back into the studio and did themselves a favor by making whatever they wanted (within the general confines of pop rock), rather than go into the studio to make an album full of singles again. What followed was Tusk, a 20-song double album that, while not quite era-shaking, is a neat little assortment of some pretty good songs from these guys.
There are certainly Rumours quality songs on this project, Sara and Sisters of the Moon especially (shoutout Stevie Nicks), but there’s a little too much Christine McVie singing and a little too much filler for my tastes, especially some of Lindsay’s experiments. This album is good, but when you begin to feel an album’s length as you’re listening, it’s not the best sign. A little long in the tooth. Certainly enjoyable, though.
Turbonegro
2/5
Genre: Glam Punk
2/5
Turbonegro, a self-dubbed “death punk” group from Norway, was one of the few groups synthesizing glam rock and punk in the 90s, and this album in particular, Apocalypse Dudes, is one of the most heralded that the genre has to offer, apparently.
For me, the sheer textural blandness, the formulaic nature of nearly every song here, and the near-parodical amount of profanity, leave this album with much to be desired. While songs like Humiliation Street show that they’re not all bad, cuts like Rendezvous with Anus and Rock Against Ass end up sounding more like Weird Al than Black Flag.
Eagles
3/5
Genre: Pop Rock
3/5
Buoyed by one of the most massive singles in rock history, the album Hotel California is one of the best-selling records of all time. Along with their Greatest Hits album that had been released the previous year, another album that’s still one of the highest-selling records ever, The Eagles were flying high, and writing some of the most memorable music of the 70s.
However, after the initial headrush of the opening title track, the album leaves much to be desired. Life in the Fast Lane is another good single. The production on this is nice and expensive, as lush strings fill the empty spaces left by the sparse arrangements Helder and Walsh provide throughout the later half of this album. Wasted Times is just that, and the last half of the album wasn’t good until the last few minutes of The Last Resort. As scathing as I sound, this album ain’t half bad, but it’s certainly no crown jewel.
CHIC
3/5
Genre: Disco
3/5
Chic’s Risqué, while home to one of disco’s greatest hits, Good Times, is unfortunately just a run-of-the-mill disco/pop album, but fortunately that means it’s pretty decent. A few slow, a few speedy, but with that sore thumb of an opener that leaves everything in its wake sounding like so much less.
Nile Rodgers’ playing on this is essential to the genre, and his technique would be utilized (as well as stolen) by many different artists and producers throughout the 80s. Nile isn’t able to save the weaker cuts on this project, though, but it certainly bolsters the stronger ones.
Tricky
4/5
Genre: Trip Hop
4/5
Tricky, one of the members of Massive Attack, a group who stands as a forerunner of the Trip Hop genre, left the band to pursue his own musical endeavor, feeling unfulfilled as the member of a group. What transpired is a moody, spacey, raunchy album, full of beautifully sampled soundscapes and hushed, sexy lyrics.
While Tricky himself has declared that this is not Trip Hop, this album essentially is the entire genre in an album. From the slower, sexier Aftermath to the heavier, MJ-sampling Brand New You’re Retro, this album is an essential listen. The Gorillaz would certainly not exist without this 90s knockout. Great album.
The Band
3/5
Genre: Roots Rock
3/5
A collection of fake-Southern actual-Canadians, who used to be the backing band for a fake-Southern actual-Minnesotan, Bob Dylan, departs from their touring life and starts writing their own stuff.
The harkening back, while a little cringey nowadays (re: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down), sounds somewhat genuine here, and The Band does a good job of sounding like the olden days in their production and playing style. Not a perfect album, but makes for good easy listening. Up on Cripple Creek is great.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Genre: Blues Rock
2/5
Hm. Wikipedia says this album helped pioneer a guitar-dominated, blues-rock sound. Somebody needs to tell Wikipedia that black Americans were doing that 10 years prior to this, and that what we hear here is a cheap knockoff of one of the most important American musical innovations the country has generated.
A few decent licks from Clapton here, and a couple decent heavy blues jams there, do very little to make this any more palatable than it could’ve been. John Mayall sounds like 300 different singers who’ve preceded him, and the mixture of covers and wannabe-originals in the tracklist left me wanting much more.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Genre: Blues Rock
3/5
Another album on this list where the singles certainly outweigh the remainder of the content here. Gimme Shelter, a song that still receives airtime all year round, is one of the best in the entire Rolling Stones’ catalogue, and will continue to stand the test of time.
However, a bit of sag towards the end, and the disappointment that is You Can’t Always Get What You Want, which is dragged out to near 8-minutes on the album, brought the experience down for me. Country Honk is good, Live with Me is outstanding, Side B is certainly the weakest link here. Overall, decent album, though.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Genre: Alternative Rock
4/5
A hugely enjoyable, almost Power Pop-esque onslaught of tracks, Dave Grohl’s one-man-band debut effort was a huge step forward in the post-grunge, alt-rock scene. Dave Grohl is no technical craftsman, but the melodies and production throughout this thing are much better than demo quality, and lay the foundation for his later solo work quite well.
The whole album is full of great riffs, great drumming, and great lead vocals from Grohl. While none of these songs endure today as classics, cuts This Is a Call, Big Me, and Weenie Beenie are perfect glimpses into the future of not just the Foo Fighters, but acts like Green Day and Third Eye Blind, who are just a couple of bands that owe a debt to this project. Good shit all around.
George Michael
3/5
Genre: Pop
3/5
George Michael, in 1990, was still in his post-Wham! phase, but had already established himself as a pop juggernaut. His debut solo album had 4 US number 1 singles, and the album was a massive critical and sales success.
His second album, while not a pop masterpiece, is still easy on the ears, clean as a whistle, and George Michael’s voice is crystal clear and really does pack a punch. The setlist here is a little slow for my tastes, but there are still some solid tunes here. Freedom! ‘90 is a truly iconic and altogether really wonderful pop single.
Minor Threat
3/5
Genre: Hardcore Punk
3/5
A pivotal movement in the hardcore scene, a hodgepodge of former DC acts themselves, DC act Minor Threat put out what is widely considered one of the most essential releases in the genre. Punk rock had gone somewhat mainstream by the early 80s, but DC took it and made it heavier, louder, and more in your face. Teen angst at its fucking best.
While you certainly can hear nearly every group that came after them, whether it be other hardcore DC acts like Fugazi, or later pop punk legends like Green Day and My Chemical Romance, songs like Sob Story and Little Friend are big time, goofy highlights that show the best the genre has to offer.
However, this 22-minute barrage was a bit grating at times for me, and while I understand that’s the point, that certainly doesn’t make it more enjoyable. Essential listen, though.
Coldplay
4/5
Genre: Pop Rock
4/5
One of the albums on this list that I know almost every single note of. Coldplay’s debut, while not as groundbreaking as their second LP in my opinion, is a tremendous pop/alt adventure. Piano aplenty from Chris Martin, some really great bass playing, and solid arrangements and production throughout make this album a genuine joy to listen to.
While Coldplay’s ideas were all sort of in their infancy, and since this they’ve certainly grown into one of pop’s biggest ear sores, there are some really great songs here. The single Yellow is a big time highlight, Spies and Shiver are great too, but the album closer Everything’s Not Lost is one of my all time Coldplay favorites. Damn good album, as far as I’m concerned.
Massive Attack
3/5
Genre: Trip Hop
3/5
Rather fresh off the heels of listening to Massive Attack member Tricky's album, Maxinquaye, I was excited to 1. listen to where he was before that project, and 2. sort of see how the trip hop genre came to be. Tricky left the group on supposed grounds that he felt like his ideas weren't as openly accepted in the group. Maybe they should've accepted more of his ideas, as I found his solo venture a bit more enjoyable.
There are certain tracks here that are big time standouts, especially Unfinished Sympathy, which is a real triumph and begs to be listened to over and over. But Daydreaming, the song directly following it, feels weaker than something you'd find on Tricky's solo album. I know it's not very fair to compareone album to the album that paved the way for it to be made in the first place, but one can acknowledge its historical relevance, while also saying I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Genre: Roots Reggae
3/5
Bob Marley: a name so ubiquitous and well-known, it’s nearly become diluted. The things this man said, and the music this man made, touched millions. Positivity, unity, and peace were his only motives and messages, all bundled up with that reggae sound many had come to love.
For me, the sonic monotony does run its course. Good vibes and good intentions are all great, but this album is pretty fucking boring overall. And I don’t mean that in a bad way, more of a comment, really. The title track and the mega-hit No Woman, No Cry are great tracks, but it doesn’t keep the rest of the album from sounding exactly the same for over 30 minutes. For fans, this is a must listen.
The Cardigans
2/5
Genre: Indie Pop
2/5
Really wasn't quite sure what to expect here. The Cardigans did not make it out of the decade, except for the mega-hit, Lovefool. Upon listening, I was left uninterested, upset, and utterly baffled at how these guys are the ones responsible for said mega-hit, which is honestly one of my favorite songs from the 90s and one of the most infectious and groovy songs from that era.
The singing on this is generally good, but the arrangements are not good, guitars meander through their solo sections with complete uninterest, and everything around Lovefool feels like a waste of time. If it were the other 10 songs on this album only, there would be no purpose for this album to be on any other list other than forgettable 90s albums, which it already should be on. 2 out of 5, but only because Lovefool is that fucking good.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Genre: Folk Pop
3/5
While I'm familiar with the duo, I had never done a deep dive in their discography as this sort of folk thing, while enjoyable to listen to, just never really did it for me. Some of their songs are timeless, but amongst the songs of their contemporaries, they're left mostly unremarkable in comparison.
This album in particular does a good job of highlighting my issues with the genre. The songs are pretty and all serve their purpose in what is supposed to be a concept album (except for Garfunkel's Voices of Old People which seems like utter nonsense compared to the rest of the tracklist), but it's all together a bit uninteresting. Paul Simon does a nice job on this, with both singing and songwriting, as he was apt to do back in those days, but it's a little too formulaic. To quote a contemporary review of the time, it's nice enough, it's slick, but nothing too much happens.
Beck
3/5
Genre: Folk Rock
3/5
Beck made something nice and pretty here. Not earth shattering by any stretch, but sleak production, good songwriting, and some nice moody arrangments sold this thing pretty well. I'm not quite sure why it's in this book, it is good, but I don't see it as any thing but a continuation of pop rock of the early 2000s. It does say Beck on it, though.
First half was super strong, I really enjoyed Paper Tiger, but it all sort of blended into one as it went along. No real sense of urgency, and nothing too much in the way of challening the form. But a well-made album, overall.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Genre: Blue-Eyed Soul
2/5
My second album of theirs that I’ve received throughout this project. Out of over 1,000 albums, I’ve gotten two of three(??) Dexys Midnight Runners albums in the book. Much like the other one, I was over this long before it finished.
The horns in this are so absolutely bizarre, and so off-putting, the entire time. I could never feel comfortable throughout this entire project, as the horn flares were bound to jar me loose, and completely break me. I was laughing throughout a large majority of this.
Although I would never listen to this again, and new wave is DEFINITELY not for me, and the enjoyment I got out of listening to this was not from the music itself, this album tickled me. It’s a complete joy bomb. But it’s way too much for me.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Genre: Psychedelic Pop
3/5
What are we as music listeners without the historical relevance and inspiration provided by The Beach Boys. Songs like Good Vibrations, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, and I Get Around are pop music staples, and their discography is full of hits and classics.
But we’re post-Pet Sounds. They’re relevance has since waned, and their cultural relevance was only kept afloat by their songs of the past 5-10 years. With Surf’s Up, their 17th(!) album, the emphasis on arrangement and cohesion is quite apparent. Brian Wilson didn’t feel like doing nearly everything himself this time, a la Pet Sounds, but that’s where he went wrong. Brian Wilson provides us one of the group’s best, the title track and outro Surf’s Up, but his contributions aren’t truly felt until the end of the album, and with Mike Love’s woke-piece Student Demonstration Time, and songs like Feel Flows, which is beautiful, but never truly takes off to hit that true peak like I know these guys are capable of.
Overall, some big time songs on here, and great production, but a bit flat and inconsistent. It ain’t Pet Sounds, that’s for sure.
The Byrds
4/5
Genre: Folk Rock
4/5
This was an absolute sweetheart. The Byrds, to me, prior to listening to this, were the guys that made Mr. Tambourine Man a big time hit. A sweet little song they stole from Bob Dylan and made way better. Catchy, sweet, and pretty all the way ‘round.
But the fun really didn’t stop there. All over this thing there are great harmonies, sweet melodies, and a lovely mood throughout. I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better and Chimes of Freedom are at either end of a really great tracklist. It’s essentially proto-Crosby, Stills, & Nash: pretty folk pop, with soft rock hints, and it all makes for a very enjoyable listening experience.
Napalm Death
3/5
Genre: Grindcore
3/5
This thing is a fucking blast and a total shitshow. An exercise in absolute brutal, metallic chaos. The guitars are thrashing, the drums are blasting, and the vocals are a mix of grunts, screams, and panic attacks. It's truly a sonic nightmare, and rips conventions of popular and modern music to complete shreds.
But when these guys take the time to slow it down in between blasts, there are some kick-ass riffs, some truly nasty bass fills, and songs that sound, if massaged enough, like Megadeth or Metallica songs, especially on the first half of the album. Siege of Power, Polluted Minds, and Instinct of Survival are exercises in crazy, and are thoroughly enjoyable.
If you like rock music, turn your brain off and give this a listen. It's a riot.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Genre: Art Rock
5/5
Let me preface with this: I am not a fan of Pink Floyd. In my quest to listen to as much prog rock as possible, I blazed through their entire discography not very long ago, and I was rather disappointed with nearly everything I listened to. However, The Dark Side of the Moon is an unabashed classic, transcending genre, and is one of the all time greats. But this, in my opinion, is Pink Floyd's best album, and one of my all time favorites.
The Wall is a tight knit, pop/art-rock opera, focusing more on storytelling in short bursts of musical energy, rather than spending their time indulging in prog epics. It features some of their biggest songs ever. Another Brick in the Wall, Hey You, *and* Comfortably Numb, all genuine classics, are all present here. Roger Waters takes over nearly all songwriting, and it's all really tremendously done. Whichever soundscape he seems to choose here, heavy and drudging, light and sweet, or cold and depressing, Waters hits the mark every time.
They nearly go full Boston here. Young Lust sounds like a Tom Scholz ripoff (in a good way). Goodbye Blue Sky does the CSN sound to perfection here as well. Sitting beside Tommy and Metropolis Pt. 2, this is one of the greatest rock operas ever made.
Randy Newman
3/5
Genre: Piano Rock
3/5
I’ll give Randy Newman this: the man is hilarious. And a very good songwriter. Sail Away is that weird, goofy kid in high school turned into an album. Newman takes on all originals, including some which had already been recorded by other artists, and puts his own unique twist on things.
Once you get passed Newman’s voice, a voice which is equal parts nostalgic (sounds like Toy Story) and equal parts hilarious (sounds like a goofball), what your left with is a very well-produced, albeit unspectacular, album. You Can Leave Your Hat On and Political Science are both great, and pretty hilarious, but those are the ones where his style showcases what he does best. The rest feel pretty small in comparison. Decent, overall.
Tom Waits
4/5
Genre: Experimental Rock
4/5
A real hodge-podge, a tough nut to crack, and overall a very interesting listen. Tom Waits is another artist I haven’t had the chance to get into until now. Rain Dogs seems to be the perfect LP for it. Weird enough to suffice as experimental, but with moments of real beauty and emotion, this album is really one-of-a-kind.
Each song seems to function as its own world, with Waits’ gravelly voice serving as the narrator through a slew of fucked up towns and strange happenings. Captain Beefheart-style blues jams on one song, to soft and intricate beat poetry on the next, to Beatles-sounding guitars on the next. The soundscapes change song-to-song, giving us something new to ponder on every few minutes.
Certainly an album that will reward repeat visits. Not every song is a 10, but Tom Waits proves to be an interesting listen.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Genre: Hard Bop
4/5
Jazz. A genre so ubiquitous, and one which still so heavily influences the music of today. Truly, there's no better place to start than one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Thelonious Monk. While he wasn't akin to some of his more avant-garde, free-jazz contemporaries, Monk fits in his lane perfectly, providing technically challenging jazz, so flawlessly played that it sounds close to the sort of smooth jazz you might hear in a shopping mall. (I don't mean that disparagingly!)
Overall, this album is full of great trumpet/saxophone playing, well-played, laidback drum AND bass solos, and it's all beautifully choreographed around Monk's brilliant piano playing. Whether they're slowing it down, or whether they're doubling the time of the same song they started slow, this is a great place to start for anybody looking to see if jazz is right for them. Easygoing, accessible, and a joy to listen to.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Genre: Songhai Music
4/5
Part-tribal, part-Black Keys, Songhoy Blues is an interesting world music fusion that I did not know I needed until I put it on the stereo. While I was first rather impressed at this book including such an album, but upon research you'll soon find that there's a western mind behind the boards, Nick Zinner, guitarist for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. He does a great job of getting the best out of these boys, whether it's a ballad or a heavy rocker.
The vocals and percussion are all fairly tribal, but the added electric guitar layers prove a worthy addition to the age-old Songhai formula. Some great examples are the rocker, Ai Tchere Bele, where it rides its one chord all the way to the end, with near-experimental arpeggios behind it all. The slow and sweet, acoustic finisher, Mali, does a great job wrapping it all up sonically.
Way better than I had anticipated, and will certainly stick around in the rotation. Best blues album I've listened to so far in this exercise!
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Genre: Alternative Rock
3/5
Well, Nick Cave has certainly listened to some Tom Waits in his day. Having listened to the album Rain Dogs just a few weeks ago for this here project, this sounds like somewhat of a knockoff. The concept is fun and different, and I think the instrumentation and arrangements were all interesting, but it's almost a total ripoff of Tom Waits.
Songs like Stagger Lee take the Tom Waits growls and drunken storytelling nearly note for note, and the only thing that changes is how many times Nick Cave says motherfucker. This album is fairly star-studded (features fellow Aussie Kylie Minogue), and it all sounds rather expensive and technical, and I'm sure it was a labor of love. But this thing, while sounding nothing quite like its contemporaries, reeks of its direct influences.
If you like this, listen to Rain Dogs, and this will all sound like its weird twin brother.
The Byrds
4/5
Genre: Country Rock
4/5
An absolutely delightful treat from The Byrds once again. Gram Parsons, the country rock god who left us much too soon, joins the group for an album and the result is a gorgeous tribute to 50s-60s country, as well as a tremendous step forward for country rock as a genre.
The opener lays it all out on the table. Those beautiful soft/folk rock harmonies that we've known to love from The Byrds, but with heavy doses of pedal steel guitar to let you know this won't be your average Byrds record. The rest of the album plays out like a country fair, with beautiful steel guitar solos, the occasional fiddle sting, and sunny vibes throughout. Highly enjoyable record.
Orbital
3/5
Genre: Techno
3/5
A truly inoffensive Techno album from the 90s. Orbital, a couple of Brits, go ahead and produce some of the most boring, yet beautiful, electronic music I’ve heard in a while. A rather heavy emphasis on the ambient side of things more so than the heavy big beat sound which was becoming popularized at that time.
Lush 3-1 is good and there are a few other minor highlights, but none too interesting, and everything is all very cohesive, but the overall vibe doesn’t reach beyond a mild head bob. Maybe for a slow workout, or if you need a chill, accessible Techno album while you work, but this was much more “easy listening” than I had anticipated.
R.E.M.
2/5
Genre: Jangle Pop
2/5
Throughout the process of this 1001 Albums project, I've found that I absolutely love The Smiths. A lovely contemporary of the Jangle Pop era and a truly delightful continuation of the Beatles sound. Their American counterpart, R.E.M., does everything very similar to them, with similar structures and arrangements, but with absolutely none of the studio flair, none of the attitude, and nothing in terms of challenging the form.
This album is surely a favorite amongst most whisper rock fans, but this album, aptly named Murmur, truly murmurs along. No sense of urgency, vocals from Stipes that I can't stand, and flat out boring execution of nearly every song here. It's all well-produced, and I'm sure at the time this sounded truly unique, but upon listening with fresh ears in 2022, this album flows like mush and doesn't sound much better.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Genre: Soul
4/5
Gil Scott-Heron, a man better known as the godfather of rap, being one of the first artists to synthesize black musical soundscapes with spoken word, feauturing some of the more scathing political commentary that was around at the time, is an icon. While this album, a soul-jazz project with jazz keyboardist Brian Jackson, doesn't truly represent Scott-Heron's usual body of work, it serves as a good starting point for what should be an eventual dive into his archives.
There are some really tremendous tracks here. The intro Peace Go with You, Brother is a beautiful piece of smooth soul with some really great singing, to elegant jazz blends on The Bottle, to the song you're more apt to see throughout his discography H2Ogate Blues, a blues jam that Gil Scott-Heron floats on top of with his own unique style of elegantly worded, socially conscious, anti-government rhymes.
There should be more of this man in this book (this is it, for some reason), and I'm not quite sure why this was the selection the editors made of his, but it's still a damn good album.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Genre: Power Pop
3/5
This is the most album-ass album I've heard all week. A 90s rock album that does everything, and sounds like everything, which has preceded it. There is truly nothing very interesting, except for some fun chordplay from lead guitarist/singer Evan Dando, but the vocals are bland, and the production is as stale as ever.
This album could pass off as the CD the band who plays at the bar down the street made. A good album by the band who plays at the bar down the street, but that's really about it. Certainly does not feel like an essential listen, and not one needed to be listened to before death, but it was peppy, inoffensive, and made me tap my foot. All you can ask for in a "power pop" record. Even one as remarkably dull as this.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Genre: Pop Rock
3/5
I have to admit: this is my first LP-length sitdown with Elvis Costello. His work with Paul McCartney in the late 80s did not go unnoticed from me, as I'm a huge Macca-head, but even then I wasn't particular to the cards he was bringing to the table. It seems the man has a great sense of melody, and knows how to arrange his ideas into full-fledged songs, but his voice... I've never been a fan of it.
It's nasal, it's piercing (WITHOUT being high-pitched), and it's always so loud in the mix. The gentlemen behind the boards do nothing to hide it. It makes songs like Man Out of Time, a really nice and interesting pop song overall, sound like a parody of what they're trying to be. I've never understood why nobody told him to sing differently. It reminds me of somebody pretending to sound like a bad 80s singer.
This man certainly has his fans, and while this album was more enjoyable than I expected, with some decent 80s pop arrangements, but it was impossible to get passed his voice for me.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Genre: Art Rock
3/5
I'll give PJ Harvey, another artist I was unfamiliar with, this: the girl can sing. She can write some good songs, and she's got plenty of attitude and individuality. Unfortunately, this project fell a bit flat for me.
One big thing is this album was heavily front-loaded. The first four tracks have great energy and some interesting arrangements and instrumentation, and while the experimentation continues through out the project to an extent, nothing sounds as refined as those first four for the rest of the album. Certainly, the last four felt like they needed to get to the finish line.
Decent, overall. Not sure it deserved Album of the Year in the UK (Adele's 21 or James Blake's self-titled effort may have been more deserving). But not bad.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Genre: Alternative Rock
3/5
My feed the past week or so has been nothing but 90s alt-rock, and to be quite honest, it's fogging up every subsequent listen. The Afghan Whigs, a group no one has heard of, makes a competent rock record. Am I sure why this was included in this book? No. There is truly nothing signifying or different than its contemporaries.
The angst, the heartbreak, and the emotion is felt, but the music never lifts any of these emotional concepts above a casual jaunt. The music plods a bit throughout, but there are beacons of light. Fountain and Fairfax kicks some ass, and the title track is also good, but everything here is fairly standard fare. It's certainly "an album".
Stereo MC's
3/5
Genre: Alternative Dance
3/5
Another British album, another 90s album, and another album the internet deems alternative. Almost 70 albums in and I've run into this formula quite a lot. Hopefully this means rather than they're being an inordinate amount of them, I'm running into them early, but I won't hold my breath... I haven't even gotten any Radiohead yet.
But as for this album, beyond the title track, which is a pretty killer hip-hop/R&B sort of jam in the neighborhood of Prince, the rest all sort of meshes together into a blend of drum loops and British accents. For what it's worth it's certainly listenable and enjoyable, but lacking sonic variety. Might be a sneak hit for some people who haven't listened to a Prince album yet.
Nina Simone
5/5
Genre: Vocal Jazz
5/5
A titan of her time, Nina Simone is one of the greatest voices in the history of modern music. Wild Is the Wind is her opus, a collection of songs that truly showcase her range, and not just vocally. Nina Simone does not just sing, she performs. The power of a song like Four Women isn't just in its dark, brooding soundscape or its biting, socially critical lyrics, but Nina's raw power and genuine emotion, which is felt with every note.
Every song on here, especially the aforementioned Four Women and the album's title track, are perfect examples of the genre, but even better examples of how talented Nina was, and how good she sounded on anything you gave her. From the upbeat, near doo-wop style of I Love Your Lovin' Ways, to her classic heartfelt tearjerkers like Either Way I Lose, she just simply floats on top of the track.
An essential listen, and a perfect foray into what we now know as Vocal Jazz, a genre rife with wonderful artists with some really wonderful records.
ABBA
4/5
Genre: Europop
4/5
ABBA is like the 70s and Swedish Mamas and the Papas. Sunshine europop shot directly into your veins, with harmonies that soar to the skies, and joyful tunes as far as the ear can hear. Arrival is their best effort, compiling a more-than-decent run of songs that showcase the best of what ABBA can do, and its good vibes and sweet pop stylings are all one really needs.
Dancing Queen, the obvious highlight and one of the biggest songs ever, is a real delight, but it doesn't overshadow its album companions. Knowing Me, Knowing You is great, as well as Money, Money, Money, two great pop songs that were both also successful singles in their own right.
This is a happy album that will easily brighten your day, whether you'd like it or not.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Genre: Dance-Pop
4/5
Fresh off of back-to-back triumphs with Off the Wall and Thriller, Michael Jackson truly could do no wrong, as Bad did things no other album had ever done before. Five #1's alone from this album was a record at the time. The title track, The Way You Make Me Feel, Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, and Smooth Criminal are all here, and are all staples of not just MJ's catalogue, but pop radio, even to this day. And they're all total jams.
While this project personally doesn't tickle me as much as his first two solo efforts do, partially due to some slim pickings in between the hits (Speed Demon and the Stevie Wonder cut to name the main offenders), this is still an iconic release with some truly iconic tracks, and is an essential listen for any music fan. There's nobody in music who did it quite like Michael, and this is just another example of the absolute power he was once wielding in the industry.
Chicago
4/5
Genre: Jazz-Rock
4/5
Chicago's debut album, the then self-titled debut Chicago Transit Authority, is a really tremendous rock album. The heavy jazz influences, the soaring horns, the tremendous guitar playing, the soulful vocals, and some real expert drumming all combine to make one heck of an ensemble sound. This is a perfect blend of everything that made rock music cool in the 60s, and also serves as a tremendous starting point for the progression of symphonic rock.
Songs like the Introduction, Beginnings, and the forever jam I'm a Man, are all prime examples of what I think are some of the best pop rock continuations of the late 60s, with Chicago's own unique jazzy spin. Then songs crop up like Free Form Guitar, takes on avant-garde rock and jazz, showcasing some true sonic variety. This album is a real triumph, and I think is something that can both be an accessible, enjoyable party listen, as well as a sit-down and make-you-think project. Damn good job from these guys on this one.
The Replacements
4/5
Genre: Alternative Rock
4/5
Upon receiving yet another 80s alt rock album, I was in a rather sour mood going into this, praying that it was anything other than what I've been given so far in this exercise. To my surprise, this was a very enjoyable album, that certainly goes beyond just a standard alt rock label.
This album has quite the variety. Songs like We're Comin' Out pack a hell of a punch and include some really outrageous solo work, songs like Black Diamond which have guitar tones that sound like they were ripped from albums of the future, and songs like Sixteen Blue which is so proto-Nirvana it's scary. This album kept me entertained the entire way through. They'd throw you a ballad, then go ahead and sing Gary's Got a Boner.
Not a perfect album, but a surprisingly enjoyable listen, and one I'll certainly come back to in the future.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Genre: Pop Rock
2/5
This was a slog. Elvis Costello albums litter this book like rats in an alley. I got one 9 albums ago, and while that one was a bit more enjoyable than I had expected, this one was the most "57 minutes but felt like 4 hours" album I've listened to in a while.
The music is competent, nothing is truly offensive here in terms of its lyrical content, but it's his voice. It sticks out like the sorest of thumbs, and, especially when harmonizing with himself, it ruins each track to a uniquely Elvis Costello degree. Just pop rock mush. Not essential.
Yes
4/5
Genre: Progressive Rock
4/5
Yes is one of the most important groups in the history of progressive rock, and were one of the prog rock groups in the early going focusing their energy on symphonic arrangements and lush, orchestral style melodies, rather than the psych/prog rock stylings of Pink Floyd or King Crimson. Their third album, their first to gain any real traction amongst listeners, The Yes Album, is a perfect example of this concept and they execute it near flawlessly.
With only 6 songs to parse through, Yes gives us a manicured musical statement that goes to showcase their best work of the time. Starship Trooper and Perpetual Change are two examples of the prog epic, stretching the song form to its limits while maintaining the group’s signature symphonic tendencies. The players on this album are all virtuosos. Howe, Kaye, Squire, and Bruford provide exceptional backing tracks for another true rock legend, vocalist Jon Anderson, who sounds just as good here as any of the instrumentalists do.
A real gem, and while I don’t think it’s Yes’ best, or their most essential, it’s a classic listen that should reward any rock fan.
The Beach Boys
5/5
Genre: Baroque Pop
5/5
Ah, Pet Sounds.
One of those truly ubiquitous albums that continues to stand the test of time. It's a true pop masterpiece, an album where each song has the tender love and care that most producers and songwriters at the time would put towards just one or two singles. Along with the efforts of The Beatles, The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds is another example of how radically music was changing and growing at the time, and how the competition didn't come from the record companies (though they profited mightily), but from the songwriters themselves. Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney were trading pop masterpieces like boxers trade uppercuts.
Pet Sounds, however, certainly does sound and feel its age. It's truly all so classic, from Wouldn't It Be Nice to God Only Knows to every beautiful nugget in between, but I'm sure this album does little to the impatient listener nowadays. The Wall-of-Sound style reverb, and the classical and baroque influences throughout I'm sure turn off some younger listeners nowadays, and the mystique of this album may die with the times. But Brian Wilson here is methodically walking us through his feelings garden, and it's quite the emotional journey, with each track leaving an impression throughout the length of the album. Sloop John B, Don't Talk, That's Not Me, they're all here and they're all songs that would be other band's best song ever.
I think even if this album doesn't hit you as hard as it hits others, which isn't usually the case, it still serves as a monolith of the times. A pop project that set the bar quite high for the rest of time.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Genre: Folk Rock
3/5
My second Bob Dylan album of the book, and guess what: it's fuckin' Bob Dylan. Unlike Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, a much more "folk" album than this one here, and the other Bob Dylan album I've listened to for this exercise, he makes the decision to use session musicians here. The result doesn't make the music much better in my opinion, but it certainly gave him more freedom to record a whole bunch of new shit. We get drums, organs, pianos, oh my! It certainly makes these songs have a lot more oomph and energy, but it's Bob Dylan. It doesn't go beyond that.
Blonde on Blonde is a double album, 75 minutes of what could be mistaken as the same song for the wide majority of its length. I illustrated this in the last album's review, this guy is a phony, and is not actually a poor man singin' the blues. He's the ultimate canned version of it, and it's amazing to watch how some white people eat his shit up. I've heard rock albums that sound like this made by guys like Bo Diddley 8 years before this was made, and I don't witness the same shock and awe as with albums such as these. Does that make this album bad? No, not necessarily. Does it mean that Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat is a song worthy of my time? No.
I'm sure the Dylanites eat this shit up with just as much relish as any of his other albums, but to me, this is milquetoast folk pop at its milquetoastiest. And his voice sucks.
Can
4/5
Genre: Krautrock
4/5
This was an album I was looking forward to listening to once I RNG'd it, as Krautrock was a genre I had yet to step foot in. This album by Can, Future Days, is a real treat. This is a rock album we can truly dub as "progressive", as the remnants of early R&B are completely missing, and instead are replaced with more ambient, experimental soundscapes. There's still some guitar, there's still some jammin' (Moonshake), but it's truly a unique space that only a few bands were in at the time.
This album in particular was one of the more interesting listens so far throughout this exercise. Completely out of left field for me, as I was expecting something a bit more "difficult". I was treated to some really mellow, really beautiful ambient backdrops, with some true free-time feel. Rather other-wordly, and something I'd never really heard before. Very forward thinking in its sound (re: Animal Collective), but also borrows from contemporate symphonic rock groups at the time like Yes. The 20-minute Krautrock epic, the dreamy and ethereal Bel Air, is a very well-done piece of experimental music that I'm sure will reward repeat listens.
Brian Eno's Another Green World is a supposed ambient hallmark, a ripple in music that we still feel today thanks to his stunning ingenuity. It seems that groups like Can had already perfected this sound a few years before that, and did it way better than Eno.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Genre: Soul Jazz
3/5
Another album that I enjoyed to an extent. It's soft, subtle jazz, led by Jimmy Smith's organ and some pretty boring saxophone work, but it confuses me as to why this is in the book. This seems like some editor had this album on repeat a lot, loved it so much, savored it as a deep cut, and then found his time to be like "woooah, you've never heard Back at the Chicken Shack??"
The album is seriously tremendous background music, and there's value in that, but when it comes to jazz, I like it a bit quicker and a bit more technical. It never gets above a fluttering pace. The music is played nicely enough, but it's pretty bland. This'll be enjoyed by those who use music to study, clean, or those who use it purely as muzak.
Motörhead
4/5
Genre: Heavy Metal
4/5
Ah, Motörhead. I appreciate Ace of Spades being my first Heavy Metal album in the book that I've received, and it's a torrent of heavy playing from all instruments, and the man who crafted the perfect heavy metal scream-singing that makes this genre what it is: Lemmy. Bass extraordinaire, Lemmy, is the main man responsible for what makes Motörhead's sound so recognizable, as well as cutting-edge.
The three members of this Motörhead lineup have all sadly left this mortal world, but what they left behind in terms of material is a body of work every rock musician would be proud of. Of course, the title track and intro, Motörhead's most famous song, is a tour-de-force of guitars, drums, and full-throated bellows, regaling us with tales of gambling and debauchery. The rest of the album plays out nearly like a power pop album. Power chords a-plenty, melodic riffs, and some surprisingly happy jams. The lyrics might tell a different, less happy story, but the music is a blast, and an absolute joy to listen to. Feel good and rock the fuck out.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Genre: Pop Rock
4/5
It took 79 albums(!), but lo and behold, I finally got my first Beatles/Beatles-member release. Band on the Run, an album I've listened to all the way through without skips at least 25 times, is a decent place as any to start in terms of Paul McCartney's solo discography for a casual listener. I'm a true Macca-head, and I've listened through his discography more times than I'm willing to say on a public forum. All I'll say is that it's not his best solo album (his best solo album, Ram, isn't even in the book which is OUTRAGEOUS), but it's a damn good rock album that had some big-time hits for him and his group, Wings.
Him and John Lennon always had a musical competition amonst themselves, one would drop a hot single, another would drop a hot album with a diss track, then the other would do the same. It was an exciting time in pop music, for sure. That competition is apparent here as well. The Lennon/Phil Spector effect is felt big time, as the saxophone plays a big role here in a lot of tracks, an instrumental layer that Paul had really yet to fully dive into until this album. The product made here, regardless of sax use, is really clean and exquisite, the hallmark of a Paul McCartney production. The title track, Jet, Let Me Roll It, and Nineteen-Hundred and Eighty-Five are four of Paul's best, and they're perfectly placed throughout the album. The filler in between aren't pop masterpieces (Mamunia, No Words), but they aren't duds either.
A very enjoyable, rather unpretentious effort from Paul here. The hard work and manicuring is there, but Paul and co. are having quite a bit of fun.
The Gun Club
3/5
Genre: Punk Blues
3/5
Some standard fare punk rock, with more obvious elements and influence from blues rock and rockabilly. Nothing super exciting in terms of arrangements or production. Certainly didn't break any new ground in terms of general rock progression, punk blues seems to have been a shortlived moment in time, but it certainly was for the genre in particular. This was one of the first and more prominent albums to synthesize the two sounds to this extent.
This gave me more boring, less fun Dead Kennedys vibes, which is a group that precedes this album and, I feel, better excels in synthesizing 60s-70s guitar sounds into punk rock effectively. There weren't many standouts to me from this album, but it all had a nice driving rhythm and solid punk rock playing. A fun album, and one that may have been important for punk and will be enjoyed by punk fans, but none too interesting for me.
Taylor Swift
4/5
Genre: Synthpop
4/5
As much as Taylor Swift’s career has become a meme, and as much as Taylor Swift herself has had to be the female figurehead for “crappy pop music”, there is no denying that 1989 is a real triumph. From the Wall-of-Sound style production from Max Martin on the album’s biggest tracks, to some big vocal performances from Taylor, to the surprising sonic variety throughout the tracklist, this album is really well done. Blank Space-Style-Out of the Woods is a tremendous 3-song run to start the album off, and the album is still a hit machine after that, with songs like Bad Blood and Shake It Off being absolute mega hits for Taylor.
This is one that I’m sure a large portion of the listeners on this website will have some sort of problem with, unfortunately rooted in misogyny and reactionary behavior, but for what it is, 1989 is one of the best pop albums to come out in the 2010s. Songs from this album, whether some people would like it or not, will stick around for quite some time.
Personally, I recommend the deluxe edition, as the 3 tracks added on after Clean are real gems.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Genre: Blues Rock
3/5
For as much praise and adoration that's regularly dumped upon The Rolling Stones, their two albums I've listened to so far throughout this exercise have been rather underwhelming. Not altogether terrible, just disappointing. Let It Bleed was a project buoyed by its big singles, with the rest of the album packed with rock equivalents of doing the chores, formulaic and tedious filler. This, on the other hand, is a more cohesive project, with no one track overshadowing the others, but overall lacks that spunk and swagger that I feel a great Stones record should have.
The production value on this is apparent, expensive strings and solid arrangements all around, but this doesn't make it a great album. Brown Sugar and Wild Horses are both "standouts", but neither are high-powered jams, settling instead for a purely straight blues approach, and Wild Horses is about 2-and-a-half minutes too long. Mick Jagger sounds great, but it really does sound as if the rest of the group is going through the motions. Not a bad album, but didn't hit the mark for me. I'm excited to get one of their more psychedelic albums in the future, but for now, this is meh.
Bert Jansch
3/5
Genre: Folk Baroque
3/5
I do admit, I've never heard of the guy, and that when I got this album in my queue, I giggled very hard. Bert Jansch, while certianly not the most unfortunate name around, is certianly giggle-worthy.
Tangent aside, Bert Jansch seems to have been the dude who preceded the folk heavy-hitters. As soon as the album began, I heard George Harrison, Brian Wilson, Donovan, the good parts of Bob Dylan, and even some of what Taylor Swift has been up to over the past few years. This was a really cool listen from that viewpoint, that this is one of those albums that contemporary songwriters were clearly influenced by.
Other than that, this is fairly bland folk-pop, which is not altogether my favorite type of listening experience. What he was saying was way prettier and way less cringy than Bob Dylan, and his guitar playing was sweet and fit the mood, but it certainly lacks energy. Influential to many, but a bit too stale for my tastes. I'm sure, though, this will please plenty of listeners looking for more quiet projects. Not bad.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Genre: Symphonic Prog
3/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer, one of prog's only true "supergroups", that being defined as a purposeful conglomerate of tremendous players who've already made, or have begun to make their respective marks on the genre (Liquid Tension Experiment is the only other one I can think of), rather than just being a band that are consisting of all tremendous players with generally the same lineup (Rush, Yes, etc.). Keith Emerson, master pianist, assembled along with him bassist/vocalist Greg Lake (pilfered from King Crimson), and drummer Carl Palmer (Atomic Rooster). Together, while all being tremendously talented, it never truly transcended beyond the prog rock fan, and I think that's for the clear and obvious signs of giant, skyscraping egos. And what better way to check a band's ego than by listening to their live album, a cover of an 1800s romantic era Russian piece composed by Modest Mussorgsky...
Overall, I'm not generally against bands showcasing their mastery and talent, or even with classical crossover music (Days of Future Passed [WHICH ISN'T IN THIS BOOK, A TRAVESTY], Zappa, etc.), but this is an example of a band being truly up its own ass. When they break into the weird, like when Keith Emerson goes fucking crazy on his synthesizer, it's great and not awkward, or when Greg Lake lets his voice fly and the full band gallops along to him, it's great and not awkward. But when it's just Emerson quietly playing romantic era chord progressions on one of his many keyboards, while a few thousand of rock n' roll goofballs listen with quiet, intent ears, I cringe. This is cool, but almost totally unrelatable. Music doesn't have to be, and these guys do a decent job of arranging the music to fit some prog-rock tendencies, but I'm sure this went over a few heads that night. It nearly went over mine.
The Roots
4/5
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop
4/5
Phrenology, as a scientific term, is defined as measuring the skull to deduce intelligence and/or any other charaterisitics, all generally false or pseudo-scientific, and something that had been used against black men for years throughout the 1800s, during slavery, as well as post-slavery. The Roots take that term to title their album with, taking it for themselves and giving the term new life and new context. This album might not be a skull examination in the scientific sense, but it certainly is an exploration into Black Thought's world view, which is a trip worthy of taking. His rapping is some of the best so far throughout this exercise, although I have to admit there has been very little so far.
While the album is full of highlights (Sacrifice, The Seed 2.0, Complexity), my personal favorite on this album is the 10+ minute long, experimental rap epic, Water. Complete with a jarring beat switch in the middle, this song does the best job of showcasing what makes The Roots so good, their biting social commentary, their tremendous live musical backdrops, and their willingness to experiment and try new things. This album sounds very close to To Pimp a Butterfly's older brother, and the influence is clear. While I don't think this quite reaches the heights TPaB reached, this is a tremendous hip hop effort. Still sounds as fresh and exciting as I'm sure it did in the aughts. Great shit.
Elis Regina
4/5
Genre: MPB
4/5
This was quite the happy surprise. Once realizing this album, Vento de maio, was a sort of reissue/posthumous release of a not-as-well known Brazilian artist, Elis Regina, I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was that I'm certainly a fan of MPB (música popular brasileira). Earlier in this exercise, I received an album from the Tropicália movement in Brazil (Caetano Veloso), which I enjoyed quite a lot. This I enjoyed even more!
From Elis Regina's stunning voice, to the delightful mixture of dance tracks and ballads, to the top notch production methods utilized in these recordings, this album really took me for a spin. The title track is tremendous, with one of the best basslines so far out of the 80+ albums I've reviewed so far from this book. She can also slow it down and let her voice really take off on ballads like Rebento, one of my favorite tracks from the album. I was super happy as the album moved along, always giving me some musical nuggets of enjoyment from track to track. Really good shit.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Genre: Big Band
4/5
Count Basie, a name that's so big in the jazz world my piano tutor neighbor named her dog after him, was a bandleader/pianist known for pushing the limits of the big band sound. This was the pop music of the times. In 1958, while rock was still trying to push its way to the forefront, the music being played on jukeboxes and in living rooms around the country was the big band music and stylings of artists like Count Basie.
This is, in essence, a dance album. A 40-minute concert of sorts that'll make you want to get on the floor and swing your partner round 'n round. It moves from fast and frolicking to slow and sexy, just like a live set from the orchestra. Overall, this is a genuinely enjoyable piece of music history, and a great album to play for your older relatives to watch them go "Oh fuck yeah, Count Basie."
The Clash
3/5
Genre: New Wave
3/5
The Clash are the punk/post-punk/new wave outfit who found themselves as the figureheads of nearly an entire movement. London Calling represents something bigger than just a double LP released by these Brits, it was a ripple in music that was felt for quite some time. You can hear Dexys Midnight Runners, REM, and Green Day before they had even showed their faces, you can hear 2-Tone and other different "world" influences making their way into the music, a big time 80s trend, and you have what is one of the best rock singles of the 70s, even if it was at midnight of the decade, the title track, London Calling.
But, for me, beyond the absolutely ass-ripping opener, the rest of the album left me expecting and wanting much more. This has never been an album that I had taken a deep, deep dive into until now, and what I found upon my dive was a rather lackluster collection of semi-interesting pop experiments. I can hear why this is heralded, it hits the right 80s-listener's buttons I'm sure, but beyond a few decent tracks, this album is littered with over-long, over-produced songs that beg to be revised and massaged. I guess that's supposed to be the draw, but prior double LPs that weren't afraid of their mistakes (The White Album, Electric Ladyland, Physical Graffiti) still landed better for me.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Genre: Folk Rock
4/5
Crosby, Stills & Nash knocked this one nearly out of the park. They found the one thing truly missing from the folk pop formula, and that's neat, tight, beautiful three-part harmonies. Almost like an all-male Mamas and the Papas, CSN's self-titled album is a meadow-frolic for the ages. With nearly no skips over the run of the album, this is THE essential folk rock listen from the 60s.
While Judy Blue Eyes gets most of the attention, and is a song most people know even if they don't know the title (the doo-doo-doo's towards the end are fucking classic), it certianly isn't this album's only genuinely beautiful listen. Wooden Ships and Helplessly Hoping are both tremendous examples of their sound, as they take their vocal arrangements to near madrigal choir levels of singing. Marrakesh Express and Guinnevere, both with the heavy task of following Judy Blue Eyes, do a great job here as well highlighting what makes this supergroup work. Such an enjoyable listen.
This shit is so much better than Bob Dylan.
ZZ Top
3/5
Genre: Blues Rock
3/5
As far as this genre is concerned, this book certainly seems to enjoy it more than I do, especially all the anglicized versions of it. But, this ZZ Top album is pretty good. ZZ Top is one of my dad's favorite groups of all time. They played a cheap version of blues, but they played it pretty good, and they had the attitude and look of a group with much better chops. The long beards are an iconic look.
As far as Tres Hombres is concerned, Waitin' for the Bus and La Grange are the big hits here, the main purpose behind this album being in the book in the first place and both songs are great, but there are some decent deep cuts in here, too. Some straight blues jams are rather boringly executed at first, until all of a sudden Billy Gibbons starts rippin' a great solo. Precious and Grace is probably the best example of this. Overall, the album was short and sweet, and it does the job. Probably not essential, but the hits hit.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Genre: Folk Rock
2/5
A mid-to-late 60s UK Bob Dylan ripoff. The style is so delightfully ripped off that it became miserable to listen to halfway through. Bland, uneventful, shallow pop folk that sometimes feels like you're trapped in a renaissance fair. An album so bland and uneventful, my girlfriend and I hadn't realized that the playlist was set on repeat and the album had started over again until it was 2 songs deep again.
This is yet another example of an editor masturbating himself over a deep cut album with no merits beyond its copy-and-paste style of the times. "You've never heard Triangle??? DUDE! It's so BLAND, you'll LOVE IT!" Totally skippable, not essential, and I still can't believe Days of Future Passed is not in this book, and this Beau Brummels deep cut made it.
Neil Young
3/5
Genre: Country Rock
3/5
A big budget, Hollywood sounding country/folk rock album, Neil Young's Harvest is a pretty good album, overall. The big orchestral swells thrown in the mix was something I was not ready for, and, while not adding very much in terms of musical quality, gave some of the songs a sense of gravitas that otherwise would've been missing.
Heart of Gold and Old Man, the big hits, are both great tracks, and I particularly enjoyed the outro, Words. The rest of the album is decent country tune here, bland folk tune here. The Needle and the Damage Done is a neat little live acoustic track, but the setlist doesn't rise to the occasion as often as you'd like. But, not bad.
The Undertones
2/5
Genre: Pop Punk
2/5
Man, this thing turned into absolute mush towards the end for me. The whiny vocals want to sound like Jello Biafra so bad, the playing is fast but totally boring and uninspired, and this is another example of an album that just shouldn't be in this book.
It was 15 songs, and nearly 40 mins worth, of the exact same material over and over again. A few songs slowed it down, and there were a few covers that kept it interesting, but this album faded into the background like a ghost. Really boring, really stale, and really annoying. Will not listen to this one again.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Genre: Country Rock
3/5
Gram Parsons, one of the founding members of The Flying Burrito Bros, is the man who is credited with being one of the first artists to truly push the envelope of country music. He, along with band member Chris Hillman, took country music to a much more rockin' place, generally speaking. They never received the commercial success contemoprarily, but posthumously, Parsons is lauded by artists and critics alike.
While I thoroughly enjoyed The Byrds album that Parsons was a part of, released just a bit before this album was, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, this album almost plays like you'd expect an old country album to play like. There are some new ideas here, heavier usage of steel guitars being the main and most prominent one, but it sounds too much like its influences rather than sounding like something brand new. Enjoyable, but not groundbreaking or breathtaking.
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Genre: Jazz Rap
5/5
This is very, very, very good.
An album that sounds old-school, but with arrangements and concepts that are fresh to the ears as anything on this list, The Low End Theory is one of the best rap albums I've ever heard. The absolute vocal dominance showcased by everyone on this, especially the two kingpins, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (RIP), is truly some of rap's best. The songs that everyone has heard, Scenario and Check the Rhime, are some of rap's most recognizable singles, and still continue to influence the newest generation of rappers. Busta Rhymes' line "ra-ra, like a dungeon dragon"? Nicki Minaj made it a hook in 2010. But it's the rest of the songs on here, the sheer quality of every beat and bar on this album, that's truly something to behold.
Starting with the first track, Excursions, where Q-Tip eloquently ties together the growth of hip-hop to the growth of all popular black art, this album brings a full jazz-funk style of production that might sound like it's old hat, but for the time was a true standalone musical experiment. This is hip-hop's first full-length Jazz Rap experience, and it's a sound that really hasn't been topped since, excluding Kendrick's To Pimp a Butterfly (which takes the jazz and truly shoves it down your throat, which I appreciate). From there on out we have tracks like Skypager, a tremendous ode to the then-daily pager usage rampant among those looking to showcase a modicum of wealth and importance, especially in black communities. We have songs like Rap Promoter and Show Business, songs that vividly describe the predatory natures at play in what was, at least in '91, the Wild West, with white CEOs and men in suits looking to do anything they can to cash in on what was essentially a cultural movement gone mainstream. Then we have songs like What?, another Q-Tip masterclass in wordplay and social commentary, and a track that rewards repeat listens.
This is so, so good. I would hope those who aren't generally into rap music give this a try and truly enjoy it for what it is. This is such a great example of what rap albums can do well. Thematically, musically, vocally, this album touches on so many important cultural and political struggles of the time, while also sounding like a true love-letter to all black art which preceded it, and while STILL SOUNDING THIS FRESH. Wonderful album.
ZZ Top
3/5
Genre: Hard Rock
3/5
6 albums ago, I received the other ZZ Top album, Tres Hombres, a much more straight blues rock album with some slick lead guitar work, but overall it didn't bust my nut. I could almost copy/paste that sentiment for Eliminator, but I'd replace "straight blues" with "heavy synth". The 80s is all over this, but ZZ Top doesn't let it get too much in the way of their rockin' ways.
Gimme All Your Lovin and Sharp Dressed Man are both great hard pop rock jams, both huge hits, both dripped in synth backdrops, and both with knockout lead guitar playing from Billy Gibbons. The rest of the album was entirely formulaic, with not much to comment on, but the bass playing in Thug is essential listening and nearly each song features Gibbons lettin' loose in some way, which is always a good time. Decent album.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Genre: Folk Pop
3/5
One of my mom's favorite artists, and her favorite album from him, Cat Stevens' (Yusuf Islam's) Tea for the Tillerman is absolutely adorable and a real sweet treat. Meant to be enjoyed in moderation, as too much over a short period of time may have adverse effects, including hugging every stranger you see on the street and/or happily whistling during each of your daily tasks.
While being a total sweetheart, and an album with some big time hits on it (Wild World and Father & Son are two of the biggest tracks in the genre, not just Cat Stevens' career), it didn't quite go beyond moderate enjoyment levels for me. Totally accessible, and one of Cat Stevens' biggest triumphs overall, this is an album for the casual listener, as well as the uber folk fan, but it isn't going to blow anyone away. Decent.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Genre: Post-Punk
4/5
Siouxsie and the Banshees, one of the first groups regarded as truly post-punk, released their debut album in late 1978. The turn of the decade was nigh, and groups such as these brits right here were beginning to push the limits of rock into the 80s. This album, The Scream, was one of my favorite listens throughout this exercise. Incredibly forward thinking, heavy as hell, and clearly a major influence on the genre, this album is an album not just full of killer jams, but one that’s a big moment for rock and post-punk.
Once Jigsaw Feeling started, I knew I was in for a good time. The album continued to pump out jam after jam, with Carcass shortly following it, their take on Helter Skelter (which is quite good), and with songs like Metal Postcard and Suburban Relapse filling out the back end of the album. All of these tracks do a great job of executing their own unique style, and after the album finished, I genuinely just wanted to start it over and listen again. The vocals were wild and great, the guitars are top-notch sludge, and the rhythm section in this swings between tribal and punk styles like it’s no problem.
Really great stuff here, very pleasantly surprised!
Talking Heads
3/5
Genre: New Wave
3/5
Remain in Light by Talking Heads is one of the most highly regarded albums to have come out in the last 50 years. This album is the brainchild of David Byrne and Brian Eno, two gentlemen who have now both cemented their spaces as titans of new wave, as well as popular music in general. Critics and fans alike view this as the true turn-of-the-decade piece, a musical moment that birthed an entire decades plus of music, on either ends of the enjoyment spectrum. With that being said, I personally thought this album was just fine.
Born Under Punches and Once in a Lifetime are mega-bright spots on this album. Two songs that lay the groundwork for hundreds of songs that came after them. The entire decade that followed this album musically was effectively trying to top these two tracks, without ever reaching that peak. However, the rest of the album also fails to come close to those two tracks. The sheer amount of influence this album has is clearly enormous, each song does something that would later be borrowed later in some way by much lesser artists, and the experimental nature of what’s going on here is admirable, but I never felt, or heard, what makes this album so special in many people’s ears.
King Crimson’s Discipline borrows massively from this project, Fripp has some explaining to do, but I think that album does a better job of executing what the geniuses behind this album were trying to do here. Goofy, groovy, but with the right amount of technical brilliance. Remain in Light is good, and sometimes great, but I wasn’t quite as impressed as others seem to be.
The Prodigy
3/5
Genre: Big Beat
3/5
The 2nd of 2 Prodigy albums in this book, The Fat of the Land is no Music for the Jilted Generation, an album that was forward thinking and predictive. Fat of the Land rests on the same sort of laurels that Fatboy Slim albums do. Because The Prodigy is a great producer, he doesn't necessarily have to go 100% every trach. The albums have their bangers, but then there's about 50 minutes of the rest: okay-to-decent techno songs.
Music for the Jilted Generation was a very, very good electronic record, that really did help set the table for a much broader techno movement as a whole. This album here, The Fat of the Land, has Smack My Bitch Up and Funky Shit, but in between not too much to write home about (Firestarter is not bad). Great workout music, and could even suffice as easy listening to some of those who enjoy heavier techno music, but fails to reach the mark of its predecessor. Decent, though.
Sparks
3/5
Genre: Glam Rock
3/5
Kimono My House, one of rock's earliest forays into glam, is an absolute hoot. Our artists, Sparks, take rock 'n roll, fills it full of theatrics and bombast, and shoots it out of a cannon filled with glitter and sparkles. One of the happiest, and frankly cutest, little albums I've listened to in quite some time.
The first side, including opening highlights This Town... and Amateur Hour, does a great job of painting a picture of what the rest of the album sounds like. Quirky vocals and lyrics, sometimes spouted in foreign languages, decent pop arrangements, and a vibe that's not been replicated since. The second half of the project is where it all seems to run out of steam. Eqautor is decent, though, and ends the album on a high note. Overall, as much as I enjoyed the first half, it's a 3 for me purely for the fact that its attitude can be a bit much for me at times. Cute, fun, clearly influential (Rocky Horror, T. Rex), just not replayable for me, unfortunately. Good album, though.
Dennis Wilson
2/5
Genre: Pop Rock
2/5
Dennis certainly ain’t Brian. One of the Wilson's of Beach Boys fame, this one named Dennis, decided one day to make the most boring album he could. He had a little too much money, so he over produced it a bit, rendering it not quite as boring as it could've been, but god damn this is still pretty boring.
A lot of strings, a lot of ballads, and one good song (River Song). This hits a lot of the right buttons that you might generally expect from a pop rock album, but with none of the pizzazz. Dennis Wilson did all of this as robotically as one could, with nothing sounding original, genuine, or interesting. Very low energy and another album that exists in this book purely becuase of the fame of the man behind it, and because some editor listened to it way too much.
Go hang out with Manson some more, you weirdo.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Genre: Pop Rock
4/5
A pop rock opera for the ages, from a gaggle of gentlemen who you'd never expect to create one of the best selling albums of all time, Bat Out of Hell is rock maximalism taken to its most theatrical. Near-glam, near-musical, but all rock 'n roll. Meat Loaf's soaring tenor voice, Todd Rundgren's rich layers of guitars, and Jim Steinman's tremendous piano playing and songwriting all mesh together to make something truly wonderful.
From the 10-minute prog pop epic title track, to the catchy pop rock jam You Took the Words..., to the rock suite Paradise by the Dashboard Light, this album is full of all of the things that make great rock albums great. Great singing, great guitar playing, fun and interesting arrangements, and musicians having an absolute blast with their material. If you found a modicum of enjoyment out of this, certainly take a gander at Rundgren's solo material. Theatrical, self aware, and very good.
RIP to the dude Meat Loaf, one of the best to ever do it on the mic.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Genre: Jazz-Funk
4/5
An absolute groovefest, Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters is one of the coolest sounding jazz records around, and is a true funk fest for the ages. From the opening bassline in Chameleon to the final tinkling chords of Vein Melter, we're gifted with a full set of intricate, technically brilliant, semi-experimental jazz pieces that can hold their nose to anything else out there, old and new.
Sly, as well as Chameleon, has some of the best basswork I've listened to throughout this exercise, and not just the jazz albums I've listened to, but any of the albums. (Shoutout to Paul Jackson, bass extraordinaire). The piano playing, Herbie Hancock's handiwork, is superb. Futuristic, with lots of synthesizers used throughout, but still maintaining those classic jazz roots he's so familiar with and so adept at playing. An absolute treat, and an album that I would say goes beyond a dinner party jazz album. This is a get off the couch, shake-your-ass album. Really great stuff.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Genre: Post-Punk Revival
4/5
Another mid-aught’s British rock album that I listened till I knew every cymbal crash, and for what I believe is good reason. This is a 4 not *purely* out of nostalgia, but because I truly feel there’s an undeniable joy within this project. Franz Ferdinand is a band, and an album, that has since faded with the times, leaving little behind as a collective beyond their earth-scorching single, Take Me Out. The reality is that these guys have a fairly respectable body of work, as far as decent rock albums go, but the unfortunate reality is that they never topped their debut. A few songs later in their career are great (I’m QUITE fond of Do You Want To from the album after this one), but they did truly bust their nut here.
Starting with Take Me Out, which is probably the best rock single of 2000s (???, I can’t think of a better one), this was a tune that was both familiar, yet fresh to so many listeners. Its brilliant riff, and its distinct disco feel with punk-style vocals on top, made it immediately one of the catchiest songs of the decade. BUT, what lies within is a more-than-decent collection of similar style jams. Tight disco riffs mingle with heavy drum and bass, the vocals stay relentless, loud, and energetic, and it makes for a damn good dance party. Dark of the Matinee and 40’ are my favorites outside of Take Me Out, but cuts like Jacqueline and Michael, showcase all sides of Franz Ferdinand, showing how their particular brand of rock sounds good any way you slice it.
Really killer album that, like I said, I think may have died with the times, but this is one that I’ll play forever.
Nirvana
4/5
Genre: Grunge
4/5
A 90s rock classic, Nevermind is Nirvana at its best: loud and abrasive, yet angsty and thoughtful. Kurt Cobain and co. take their material and put it into an alt-punk blender and hit frappe. This album, famous for its naked baby cover and its massive hit Smells Like Teen Spirit, is much more than what makes it so popular. It's a collection of well-arranged, well-written, and well-played songs that play out like a live performance would, with peaks and valleys in all the right places.
While the hard hitters on this album (Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom, Drain You) are absolute jam sandwiches, Nirvana also does a decent job of slowing it down and providing us with some of 90s rock's best ballads (Polly, Something in the Way). The other tracks on this album, as well, are great little musical nuggets that any rock fan should be able to pick up and enjoy, as well as recognize. The performances on this are really a wonderful thing as well, with all 3 of these fellas really playing their hearts out. This album is a classic listen that has truly stood the test of time, and won't go away for a while.
The B-52's
3/5
Genre: New Wave
3/5
Better than your average New Wave venture, the B-52's self-titled album is one great half of music followed by what I would assume are six songs that they also tried on, but effort can't be heard, at least from where I'm standing. A few decent openers, and one mega-hit, Rock Lobster, but this is all The B-52's had to offer at this time. It makes for a semi-decent listen.
This genre can sound grating at times, but we were early enough in the process when this album was conceived that this mostly sounds like punk/power pop continuation/progression. There aren't too many ridiculous arrangement choices a la Dexy Midnight Runners, and while it may lack in the experimenation department, this is decent inoffensive pop music. The vocals can be off-putting at times, but the arrangements are pretty straightforward. Much more boring than I was anticipating.
Depeche Mode
4/5
Genre: Synthpop
4/5
Dark, ambient, and emotional, Music for the Masses is one of Depeche Mode's best albums, hitting all of the right buttons, making this one of my favorite pop albums from this decade. Eschewing new wave's more eclectic shortcomings, and opting instead for a brooding, synth-heavy production style that does a great job highlighting the passionate lead vocals from Dave Gahan, as well as forming a great basis for some solid synthpop arrangements, this album is a great example of what the 80s did well, but not something they did this well that often.
The entire first side, including tracks like Never Let Me Down Again and Sacred, is tremendously, dark, almost sinister pop music. As the album continues, Depeche Mode continues to attack the senses with harsh synth leads, electronic drum fills, and loud, passionate choruses, a formula that only these guys pulled off as well as they did. Tears for Fears tried their best, but never quite reached this. Shoutout to the entire mid-aught's rock movement, which borrows from this group more than almost any other (I'm looking at you, AFI).
The Black Keys
3/5
Genre: Blues Rock
3/5
First things first, and one thing that truly surprised me throughout this listen, is how many of these songs I knew without ever knowing them as Black Keys songs. This album is full of the songs that play in Toyota, Buffalo Wild Wings, Budweiser, and other assorted sports advertisements throughout the years. It was actually bizarre to go through this album and hear how well publicized some of these songs have become, almost to the point where it kind of takes away any of the DIY-grit that may exist in the playing and recording of this. Is it a dirty, gritty, modern take on blues rock? Or is this a song publisher's wet dream: bluesy, yet modern, music that can be abused by advertisers looking to hit certain markets with its signature low-IQ drawl? I feel it's the latter.
However, as far as rock music that has come out in the last 15 years, this is not bad. It certainly is an attempt at some sort of rock revival, but all this album did, unfortunately, was be popular enough to bring rock to a point of relevance that it gave further creedence to more contemporary "rock" acts like Imagine Dragons, and the worst parts of groups like Weezer, Green Day, and Coldplay. Songs like Tighten Up and Howlin' for You are, as I said before, commerical mainstays, and stand alone as the true highlights from this project. The rest muddles together into filtered guitar leads, plodding drums, and uninspired organ riffs. Bland, but listenable.
Cypress Hill
4/5
Genre: West Coast Hip Hop
4/5
Another solid entry in the West Coast Hip Hop genre, Cypress Hill's self-titled debut is a playful and humorous album with plenty of quick rhymes and phat, boom-bap style beats. The early 90s are littered with soundalikes and imitators, as rap and hip hop were taking over the charts, as well as the culture. Cypress Hill, however, was creating their own unique lane in the rap game, and would soon find that their sound was the one which would be copied and ripped off for years to come.
Regardless of how lyrically aggressive some of the tracks may be here (Pigs, Hole in the Head), the core of the record, and the messages behind most tracks, are engaging, conscious, and are handled with a biting sense of humor. How I Could Just Kill a Man, the big single and best song on the album, and a song which would become further popularized after Rage Against the Machine covered it, is a tongue-in-cheek look at gun violence and the unfortunate necessity for members of the black community to carry a weapon, with B-Real and Sen Dog trading witticisms like hobbyists trade cards. A tragic, yet quirky play on your average west coast hip hop album, while accidentally providing the sonic blueprint for many records which would follow. Really lovely record overall, and one I will certainly revisit.
Madonna
3/5
Genre: Pop
3/5
An album that plays out like any pop album from any decade, past and present, Like a Prayer is pop easy listening, and showcases some of Madonna's best work. The title track, opener, and lead single from this album is an absolute pop knockout punch, with its catchy chorus and flashy synths begging to be played over and over on pop radio. Unforunately for Madonna, beyond some other tracks with some high-octane features and collaborators, this project is truly a run-of-the-mill pop offering.
Prince has a song on here, Love Song, and thank god because I friggin' love the guy and had no idea he had a B-side disguised as a Madonna song. It's damn good, but really only when Madonna steps back and the music, as well as the vocal performance from Prince, takes over. But songs like Express Yourself and Oh Father are also pretty darn good songs, showcasing Madonna's emotional range, but the rest, the filler, is truly filler, forgettable and formulaic. All together, an enjoyable album from a decade I'm not a particular fan of, but it's hard not to enjoy Madonna.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Genre: Alternative Rock
3/5
As much as this album may be named Post Orgasmic Chill, there is very little of that kind of respite felt in this project. An industrial, political, almost nu-metal rock album with plenty of passion and raucous energy, and a female lead vocalist that doesn't hold anything back, this was more enjoyable than I was expecting it to be. The vocals were clearly the star here, which makes the stiffness of the arrangements seem even more stiff, as the backing track is consistently trying to keep up with her.
The intro tracks, Charlie Big Potato and On My Hotel TV, were two excellent glimpses into what this band could do well, but the rest of the album struggles to match the energy from the beginning. Again, the female lead vocals, performed by Skin, are top-notch, but she belongs in a group that is as passionate as her. Stale arrangements and industrial/electronic breaks that feel out of place are the reasons this album falls semi-flat. It has a few gems, but nothing to warrant anything higher than a 3.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Genre: Blues Rock
4/5
This was a fucking blast. Big Brother and the Holding Company's Cheap Thrills, led by the incomparable Janis Joplin on vocals, is one of the best rock albums from the late 60s, and I mean that. Once the album kicked off with Combination of the Two, a 6-minute instrumental blues jam that gets almost to Led Zeppelin territory in terms of heaviness, I knew I was in for a great time. Loud, bombastic guitar riffs and drumming, with Joplin's powerful brand of vocals (I can't believe she was only 25 when they recorded this), as well as some added production elements that makes this thing feel and flow like a live album, Cheap Thrills is one of my favorite albums I've listened to since starting this exercise.
While Piece of My Heart is the big hit from this album, and a great tune overall, it's their cover of Summertime that puts this album to the next level. All Janis Joplin does here is sing her fucking ass off, rendering one of music's most popular standards into one of the single best blues ballads I've ever heard, and one of my all time favorite versions of the song by far. And ending it all with the 9-minute blues epic, Ball and Chain, another classic Joplin put her own unique twist on, was the icing on the cake. An outstanding piece of work, and one that I assumed I'd enjoy just fine, but came out of with newfound respect for Janis Joplin and co., and also came out of it with a new album to play on a random day this summer. Really good shit.
Big Star
2/5
Genre: Pop Rock
2/5
Big Star, led by guitarist/vocalist Alex Chilton, who in his own right was a figurehead amongst many who succeeded in the 80s rock scene, made this album we have here. This particular release is a deluxe reissue, with some bonus tracks thrown in at the end, I guess as some sort of treat for us listeners. Unfortunately for us listeners, this thing is a mess. And not in a cleverly produced, well-written, White Album kind of way.
The album, which is sequenced slighty differently than it was upon its initial release, jumps between soft, gentle ballads to erratic, unfinished-sounding jams at the flip of a coin. There are moments of tranquil and beauty here, For You and Nighttime stand out, and moments where the instruments go on much more interesting tangents than what the song was originally doing, like You Can't Have Me, which had some great drum breaks. But the overwhelming majority of the songs sound like Chilton is just not giving a shit. Bad singing, inconsistent songwriting, and a project that even without the bonus tracks feels too long.
Days of Future Passed is not in this book. Albums like this remind me of that fact.
Duran Duran
3/5
Genre: New Romantic
3/5
Duran Duran's best album, Rio, is just fine, but at the same time features some of the biggest and best rock singles of the decade: the title track, Rio, and, probably DD's biggest song, Hungry Like the Wolf. Opening the album with the title track is a tremendous way to start it, and personally I think Rio is their best song. The quality of the chorus, the disco arrangment is catchy and upbeat, and Simon Le Bon's passionate vocal is very well done. Hungry Like the Wolf, a classic, is also fairly good in its own right. Bouncy, sexy, and fun.
However, beyond that, Duran Duran doesn't give us very much. The disco feel and new wave gloss is there throughout, but it's not very interesting. The last half of the album is just fairly bland synthpop with nothing much to offer. The one bizarre moment in this album was following up Hungry Like the Wolf with Hold Back the Rain, two songs played back-to-back that sound almost exactly alike. Took me out of the album a bit. Overall, though, the album is inoffensive new wave/pop rock that definitely has a couple of very good songs.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Genre: Contemporary Folk
3/5
Well, I'll give it this: this is folk music, for real. Fuck that phony Bob Dylan shit, fuck any of that goofy UK shit that followed him (except for Donovan, he's cool), this is real down-home cookin', dust bowl whirlin', foot tappin' folk music. Jack Elliott, his guitar, his harmonica, and his roaring voice, which can even be stretched to yodels whenever necessary, make for a pretty darn good little album, albeit quite dated and a bit repetitive.
This whole album felt like it was ripped directly out of O Brother, Where Art Thou. Jack Elliott is a goofball, and you feel his sense of humor throughout this album. Some of the songs stray away from your average lost-love, hard-times blues tune (Cocaine, Ol' Riley), and you get goofs like Bed Bug Blues and New York Town, which are sweet little nuggets of music that help cut through the straight folkiness of it all. All in all, really not as bad as I had thought it would be, but only because its authenticity is apparent. Good stuff from Jack.
Q-Tip
3/5
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop
3/5
For as much as I loved A Tribe Called Quest's The Low End Theory (an album I gave a 5/5), and as much as I've grown to appreciate the hip hop genre and what it has to offer, especially when it comes from legends like Q-Tip, this was incredibly underwhelming. Released in late 2008, while still sounding as if it were sonically stuck in the early 90s, The Renaissance by Q-Tip is anything but a rebirth. "The Retreading" is a bit more of an accurate title, as every song on here reeks of the past, and, beyond some hip/cool features from some more contemporary recording artists, this is clearly an album clinging to the past in hopes that the remnants of boom bap may live on.
While the production is clearly supposed to be reminiscent rather than a complete retracing, it's hard to look beyond the sonic landscapes here. With the genre growing as it was in the late 2000s, songs like Gettin' Up and Move, both decent songs in their own right, sound like fossils amidst the growing pop rap fusions of the day. Instead of harkening back, Q-Tip simply moved backwards, and what we're left with is a decent, yet unsatisfying album with plenty of forgettable lyrics and arrangements. Life Is Better is a great track, as Norah Jones saves the album to a degree with her late-aught's style crooning, but it's surrounded by musical equivalents of the "how ya doin', fellow kids" meme. Not a bad record, but clearly 15-20 years too late.
Pearl Jam
4/5
Genre: Grunge
4/5
Another 90s Seattle-based grunge classic, Ten by Pearl Jam hits all the right notes, both heavy and soft, throughout its run time. While their sound has been somewhat parodied over the years, most notably for Eddie Vedder's distinct singing style, which spawned legions of soundalikes in the genre, this album is filled to the brim with some of the most essential rock tracks of the 90s. Even after we've listened to Alive and Even Flow, Pearl Jam gives us their best from beginning to end.
Beyond the aforementioned tracks, two of the biggest rock singles of the decade, we're gifted with plenty more great tracks. The 6-track run to start the album is tremendous, with Black and Jeremy rounding out one of the best opens to an album in the entire decade. It makes the second half sound a bit stale in comparison, but it still has some pretty good jams. While Vedder is an acquired taste, his vocals aren't nearly as overbearing or annoying as a Bob Dylan or an Elvis Costello is. His voice sits on top of the hard rock arrangements like the missing puzzle piece, never taking away from the quality of the production behind him. Overall, a resounding success, and an album that'll be replayed for years.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Genre: Folk Rock
3/5
Sigh. This is my 3rd Bob Dylan album I've received so far in this exercise (4th if you count his backing group, The Band, as a Bob Dylan project), and while this was probably my favorite out of the 3, that isn't really saying much. Highway 61 Revisited, a more heavily produced project than ever before from Bob, is a folk rock album that does a good job of providing us with the usual fare, but the album features the one thing I can't stand: Bob Dylan. His style of singing, his blaring harmonica riffs, and the lack of any true authenticity makes him unbearable to listen to for me.
The album kicks off with probably his most famous song, Like a Rolling Stone, which, especially in the context of this album, doesn't sound any different than his other material, or provide anything new for us to hold on to. Even with its more distinct rock sound, we're still inundated with his voice and his lyrics, two things I will never grow to enjoy. When a song goes on and on, and it's just verse after verse with the same boring story, the near 12-minute Desolation Row is the most egregious example, it does absolutely nothing for me besides make me feel like I'm wasting my time. This sort of music is for a very particular kind of white guy, and I'm just not that kind of white guy. Good to hear a bit more rock 'n roll, but never good to hear Bob.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop
4/5
Throughout the early history of hip hop, there were certainly hip-hop collectives who may have been more technically talented than the Beastie Boys, but what they may lack in technical side of things, their attitudes, their contagious energy, and their willingness to change the form propelled them to the top. Their unique blend of punk, rap, and b-boy spirit made Licensed to Ill the first ever #1 rap LP in the history of music. Did them being white help their case here? Well, certainly! But is this album also filled to the brim with absolute classics? Indeed.
From start to finish, Licensed to Ill is a hoot and a holler. From the initial blast of Rhymin' & Stealin', a hilarious knockoff of "more violent" hip hop equipped with a group chant of "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves", we're taken on a hip-hop journey that may seem unfamiliar and strange at first, but continues to reward you as you listen. The mega hits Fight for Your Right and No Sleep Till Brooklyn are both tremendous crossovers that helped establish their "New Style" in a big way, but with cuts like She's Crafty, Girls, and Brass Monkey, we're continuously reminded of their unique sense of humor, and constantly engaged throughout the project.
I forgot how good this album was. It's one to spin on any occasion, any day, as long as you feel like having a good time.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Genre: Roots Rock
2/5
It's 1968. Rock 'n Roll is continuing to progress at an alarming rate. The Beatles are experimenting with heavier instrumentation in songs like Happiness Is a Warm Gun and Helter Skelter, forecasting the psychedelic blues movement that was about to explode out of the UK with acts like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Jimi Hendrix is breaking down the rock barriers in an even bigger way, writing and playing some of the most influential pieces of guitar music ever written and played. The Velvet Underground was also foraying into new-fangled territory: a more raw, dissonant, experimental sound that would influence musicians for ages. And then you have The Rolling Stones, who are still making songs with harmonies that sound like choo-choo trains.
Beggars Banquet is an album with one big fat, juicy single, Sympathy for the Devil, which features the aforementioned choo-choo's, and 9 other completely stale blues rock offerings that really make you wonder what the heck was going on. As the rest of the music world was progressing and moving forward, the Stones did the exact opposite, and they did it in the most bland and milquetoast way possible. The album does one thing right, it's immaculately produced and mixed, and sounds wonderful, but nothing is happening that leads me to believe this album belongs on the list besides its name recognition. Decent solos here and there, too, but really not enough to make it worth it.
Sorry to any Stones fans, this just wasn't for me.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Genre: Glam Rock
3/5
One of those bands my parents use to reminisce about, purely by name only. Mott the Hoople, a glam rock outfit from the UK, are full of whimsy, character, and attitude. The album here, Mott, easily the biggest record of their career, showcases all of those qualities to an extent. The lead single, All the Way from Memphis, is a riot all the way down to the ending sax solo, which could only be described as avant-glam.
However, that's where the fun pretty much stops, as this thing turns into your run-of-the-mill pop rock album after track #1. Unlike Kimono My House, an album I enjoyed about as much as this, which never let go of its whimsy and goofiness, Mott settles for a very average rock sound throughout the majority of this project. There are a couple of decent tracks here and there. I did enjoy Hymn for the Dudes and I'm a Cadillac/El Camino, but everything else is pretty skippable around those. Super meh, but not terrible.
Beastie Boys
3/5
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop
3/5
My second Beastie Boys album in 4 days (my algorithm is taking the piss, as the Brits would say), Ill Communication was released 8 years after their debut, Licensed to Ill. While still a great crossover project, blending rock and rap better than many other groups throughout the last 40 years or so ever did, this album isn't quite as good nor as full of energy as their debut is. While Sabotage is on here, a really great track and a huge single for them, the rest of the project flows like it doesn't really know what it's doing.
We get our usual Beastie Boys jams, Sure Shot and Root Down to name a few, but a sizable chunk of this album is filled with the three boys performing entirely instrumentally, with an almost jazz/lounge feel. It unfortunately feels more like a harsh detour than an interesting diversion. It made the run of the album feel a little more like "background noise" rather than a full-on Beastie Boys album. I'm not saying they can't change it up, just personally speaking their choices didn't hit me as well as they may have hoped. When they were rapping, however, their over-emphasis on vocal disortion made it hard to discern some of their lyrics, and hard to listen to, overall. Not a bad album, though, but certainly doesn't reach the heights of their earlier projects.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Genre: Americana
4/5
In one of the biggest surprises so far throughout this exercise, American IV is a true triumph for Johnny Cash. A man known for pioneering Outlaw Country, the kind of music men sing to pass the times while locked away (Folsom Prison Blues, Orleans Parish Prison, etc.), pares it back to his roots. Those old country folk tunes he's sung for years, as well as some incredible renditions of a few non-country folk tunes, are given new life in the shape of a 70-year old crooner fighting to keep his career afloat. Rick Rubin produces one of the most heart-wrenching records I've listened to in quite some time.
The recording sessions that birthed this album also birthed what may be one of the best covers of all time, Cash's rendition of Trent Reznor's Hurt. His voice writhes with age, but his emotions are felt with every passing lyric. A man who has lost a lot in his life, singing a song about losing it all and fighting to rebuild from the "empire of dirt" before him. Breathtaking. But that song isn't the only tearjerker in the setlist, as Cash's renditions of In My Life (Beatles classic) and Danny Boy are given the same tragic context as Hurt, a man reaching the end, pining for those he's lost and searching for life's purpose, and examining his own mortality.
There were some songs on this that didn't reach the mark emotionally or thematically (Sam Hall, Streets of Laredo), and sound as though Johnny and Rick were just having fun with it, but considering Cash died very shortly after this was released, it was probably something he desparetely needed. I really enjoyed this album, and I hope those with close-knit families and those with a little bit of heart enjoy this too.
The National
3/5
Genre: Indie Rock
3/5
The National is a group that fits very neatly in the category of "Sounds like Coldplay/Arcade Fire/Morissey". Equal parts simple pop rock, equal parts alt rock, equal parts looking for that big juicy, emotional swell. However, this is rock music that my dad likes to call "constipated rock". We almost get there, and we almost get there a lot, and sometimes we do (Little Faith, Bloodbuzz Ohio), but most of the time we're left with some fairly run-of-the-mill aughts rock.
There are songs here that are good, that I'm sure are staples on playlists of people who never grew out of 2010, like Lemonworld or Anyone's Ghost, but they never reach that next level that I feel separates indie rock from the rest of the rock umbrella. Artists like Arcade Fire have mastered the art of the indie rock orgasm, crafting the perfect angsty intro and verse, squeezing the tension for all its worth, where it culminates in a musical explosion of delight and/or sorrow. High Violet has some good verses and choruses, but it maintains a fairly mellow backbeat for the majority of the project. I was hoping for something a bit more lively, but I didn't get it, unfortunately. Not too bad, though.
Cream
3/5
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
3/5
As endemic as Clapton was to the late 60s and early 70s, and as talented as he might be with a guitar, his music has never reached my ears as strongly as his music has hit some others. Cream, his most successful musical venture amongst a group of short-lived projects he was a part of, released a few classic singles and some decent albums in their tenure. Disraeli Gears, their 2nd album as a trio, is decent, but it's pretty god damn boring considering the god-like status Clapton has attained.
Sunshine of Your Love, a massive rock single that still receives airplay to this day, is the song which overshadows the rest of the stale blues ripoffs in the tracklist here, but even in this instance Clapton's attempts at singing are not good or bluesy. Just dull and boring. The arrangements aren't too interesting, and the production is fairly muddled, but overall this album isn't offensive or grating to the ears. Just a bit bland. Anything with Clapton's name on it is bound to receive praise, but it's seemingly blinded some listeners into believing that what they're hearing is beyond reproach. To those people: listen to Bo Diddley or Fats Domino, the actual men who made blues rock what it is today. Clapton, like Dylan, is a phony.
He can play guitar pretty good, though.
Eels
3/5
Genre: Alternative Rock
3/5
Now a 3 might look like I didn't enjoy this album all that much, but I did enjoy it! Even more after recognizing one of the songs in the tracklist was in Shrek, and even a bit more so after realizing that they also had a song featured in Shrek 2, which was hilarious as those movies are emblazoned in my memory forever. Leaving that aside for now, Beautiful Freak, the debut album from the Eels, a group built by a singer/songwriter who goes by E, is pretty good all things considered.
The first 3 tracks, Novocaine for the Soul (started slow, but grows into a solid jam), Susan's House (one of the best 90s alt rock songs I've heard in a while), and Rags to Rags (another solid pop/alt rock flavored track) do a very good job of making it seem like this album would turn out to be an alt rock masterpiece. After those 3, though, it fell into what ended up being a fairly decent alt rock experience, but nothing too much to write home about. My Beloved Monster, the song used in Shrek, was very funny to hear pop up, but isn't paritcularly enjoyable. All in all, not a bad record. A gem or two short of a 4, and should be entertaining for any average rock fan.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Genre: Neo-Psychedelia
3/5
Well, thank goodness it's just these two albums from these guys. The Flaming Lips practice in self-indulgence more than a lot of their listeners realize. This album is a few things: it's goofy, eccentric, and very over-produced. It has some good songs on it, especially Do You Realize, which might be my favorite I've ever heard from these guys, and certainly is a song that's better than anything from The Soft Bulletin. However, this album feels like a big, loud mess and, while I understand that's the intention to some degree, there isn't much in the ways of very enjoyable listening experiences.
The title track, a song I've played in Rock Band 3 a lot, is the most tame song here, but that doesn't mean the synth bass isn't completely distracting or that the added production elements (glockenspiel, editing of the acoustic guitar) blend well together. Other than it all sounding like a big mess, the vocals are grating. I do not like Wayne Coyne's voice on any of the tracks here, even when draped in overblown harmonies. As hard as I'm being, this isn't a 1 or a 2, mostly because you can feel the passion here, and you can hear how this may be rewarding to some. Overall, The Flaming Lips are an interesting group, worthy of crafting a decent song here or there, but I struggle to find the high art in all of this.
Ice T
3/5
Genre: Gangsta Rap
3/5
Ice-T is one of those dudes who has certainly grown out of what some call "the hood mentality". A legitimate actor and family man, Ice-T has since rebuilt his life, leaving behind any of the real-world cultural trappings that men in his situation generally aren't able to leave behind. Before he took a full nose dive out of the culture, he dropped O.G. Original Gangster, a gangsta rap opus that spans almost 80 minutes. It's bloated, and at the same time is both repetitive and constant in its themes and musical backdrops, while also being a bit of an overall mess.
While O.G. didn't have too many big singles (the title track was successful in the rap charts at the time), it features plenty of lush, g-funk style production that provides each track with some great beats to enjoy throughout the project (Home of the Bodybag, Straight Up N***a, Lifestyles). There are some stylistic choices that make this stink of the early 90s. There are lots of skits and interludes, rap album staples of the time, but the weirdest thing here is the rap-metal crossover, Body Count. A song that isn't too weird of an experiment in its own right, but sounds totally out of place musically. Thematically, however, it's right on pitch. Not a bad album by any means, but a little too long, and a little too heavy and vulgar for your average music listener.
Bee Gees
3/5
Genre: Pop
3/5
Well, it's certainly not chock full of disco singles or pulsating late-70s backbeats, but it's the Bee Gees. Trafalgar finds the Bee Gees at a transition in their storied career. Not quite the 60s psych pop they were indulging in prior, and not quite the disco pop niche they'd fit in so delightfully later in the decade. This album is a soft rock experiment, eschewing rock backdrops for lush strings and expensive production, and it's fairly meh.
The album swings from your average pop venture, like the intro, and lead single, How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, to near prog-pop with the title track, Trafalgar, to 40s-style standards with Lion in Winter. It's all played fairly straight, nothing experimental here, and unfortunately doesn't showcase the Gibb's sweeping harmonies they'd become more known for later in their tenure. But, truly inoffensive, although none too interesting.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Genre: Heartland Rock
3/5
Tom Petty, a name almost more recognizable than any of the songs he's played or written, released his debut album along with his backing band, The Heartbreakers, in 1976. His particular brand of "American" rock was not quite so new, even for '76, as Springsteen was already beginning to hone the sound all his own. While this sound would be a mega hit with the people who lived in the country at the time, it's certainly not very exciting or very interesting anymore, at least to me. Tom Petty and co. give us 9 totally average rock songs, and one good-ass single, American Girl.
The run of tracks, from #3 Hometown Blues to #9 Luna, are absolutely unremarkable. I listened to this album just a few days ago, and I couldn't tell you how any of them sound. The first two tracks, Rockin' Around (With You) and Breakdown, were both pretty good, well-produced pop rock songs, but the rest of the album reeked of filler. As I said earlier, American Girl is a classic, and one of Tom Petty's gems, but that doesn't make up for the rest of the album's mediocrity. Stale, bland, but listenable.
Deep Purple
4/5
Genre: Hard Rock
4/5
Oh, hell yes. Rip the hair of your balls rock and roll. It's motherfucking Machine Head. A classic album with classic songs from one of UK's best, the hard rockin' supergroup Deep Purple. An album I've listened to many, many times, and one that continues to reward repeat listens, Machine Head has some of rock and roll's biggest moments ever, and not just from the 70s. The riff from Smoke on the Water is one of popular music's most recognizable licks around, which some call simple and lame, while others deem it iconic and necessary. Deep Purple's synthesis of blues and hard rock wasn't the most unique at the time, but Deep Purple's technical talent set them apart from other hard rock outfits.
Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, Ian Paice on drums, Roger Glover on bass, the classically trained Jon Lord on keys, and the incomparable Ian Gillan on lead vocals, made for one astounding rock group. Each musician enjoys their moment in the spotlight on this, as each song gives ample time for extreme noodling. The opener, another classic single, Highway Star, gives Blackmore and Lord plenty of time to showcase their brilliant playing. Space Truckin' provides time for Ian Paice to show off his solo talents, along with Pictures of Home (which even finds time for a Roger Glover bass solo!), all while Ian Gillan gives us some of rock's biggest and best vocal performances throughout this album.
Great album that'll grow some hair on your chest, and keep you head banging till the final fade out.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Genre: Folk Rock
3/5
Quick pop quiz: did you know Billy Bragg was British? Did you know he's a vocal advocate for left-leaning causes in our society? Well, you'll soon find out, pretty much as soon as Talking with the Taxman About Poetry starts. It's the 80s, and we're still singing with traditional melodies, still locking ourselves in a room with nothing but acoustic guitars and a notebook of political lyrics, still trying to craft the perfect folk rock sound. While this is far from perfect, it wasn't bad, and was fairly easy listening for the most part.
Billy Bragg's vocals are truly some of the most British sounding I've ever heard. He's not affecting it, I'm assuming, but it's so cockney and twangy that it's like a man straight out of Mississippi singing a country album. It detracts from the music a bit, but not the overall message, as Bragg advocates for youth empowerment and political radicalization in his own musical way. Help Save the Youth of America was an interesting look into how British folks viewed the state of American affairs, essentially hoping that the US can save itself from the Reagan era. Other than that, plenty of British accent, plenty of acoustic guitar and strings, but nothing else that's incredibly interesting. Decent.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Genre: Blues Rock
3/5
As much talent as The Allman Brothers Band clearly possesses, and as much fun as they're clearly having throughout these live performances, this one turned into one big, long guitar bend for me. At Fillmore East is a decent live album, but this is noodling at its most obvious. Again, there's plenty of talent necessary to keep up a 22-minute long blues jam, but if I'm not there to appreciate the performance with my eyeballs as well as my ears, then I'm just listening to some guys play music. I've never been a big "jam band" guy, and this album did little to persuade me otherwise.
Duane Allman can play, and he can play lots of notes, and he can string them all together for quite some time, and boy does it feel neverending sometimes. On the longer tracks here, with each solo we're gifted with 10+ minutes of improv that feel very long, and don't do all that much in terms of interesting, or experimental, tones and shifts. This is a dude who has played blues guitar for years, mastered the craft to a high degree, and can lick his way through basic chord progressions until his fingertips bleed. The passion is felt, but I couldn't really get into these longwinded jams as much as I'm sure others can.
Solomon Burke
3/5
Genre: Southern Soul
3/5
An album full of jukebox stuffers and sock hop bangers, perhaps maybe a few years too late (considering it's 1964), Rock'n Soul by Solomon Burke is a totally bland, yet totally sweet, little soul album. There are songs on here that I'm sure your mom/grandma may know. Back in the day, songs like these were sexy, but in today's times they sound rather dated. No harm done though, as Solomon Burke's voice does plenty of legwork to make these songs more enjoyable than they could've been.
Cry to Me, a song that sounds somewhat familiar without having heard it before, is a great showcase of Burke's vocal prowess, and the instrumental and choir vocals behind him are exactly what the title suggested: rock'n soul. Beyond that delightful song, the rest of the album sort of wades through some classic blues/soul tunes, not necessarily trying to do too much. It does the job, and it provides a great backing track for whatever you may be doing while listening to it. A classic easy listening, soulful record that should be easily enjoyed by anybody picking it up.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Genre: Rhythm & Blues
3/5
Man, back in 1962, this thing must've sounded like the coolest thing ever. The title track and opener, Green Onions - a song so injected into pop culture that people don't even know what it's called, who performed it, or where it came from - is so flippin' cooool, man. Blues guitar licks bend over a classic blues progression, played elegantly on the hammond organ. It's such a classic tune that it's hard not to absolutely love it. Through the rest of the album, Booker T. & The M.G.'s groove quietly through a collection of blues covers and originals, that range from catchy to goofy, with the line between the two drawing thinner as the project goes along.
The problem with this one is that NOTHING else comes close to the title track, Green Onions, which is such an obvious lighting in a bottle recording. Impossible to duplicate. But tracks like Stranger on the Shore and I Can't Sit Down meander about and sound like the soundtrack to a goofy cartoon, in a funny, cute way. A few songs towards the end of the setlist truly blip and blop throughout the length of the song, which made me giggle a few times at some of the random guitar or organ licks. Overall, completely and totally inoffensive, and might be worth it for the title track alone.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Genre: Rock
3/5
Nearly entirely self-made, Lenny Kravitz's debut album, Let Love Rule, is a solid, albeit rather bland, way to end the decade. No new wave, no post-punk, no studio manipulation, just all rock. Kravitz plays almost every instrument involved in this album, much like his idol, Prince, used to do. For what it's worth, Let Love Rule, the lead single and one of his biggest hits, is pretty damn good considering it's just him playing AND singing. However, it doesn't redeem everything here, as talent doesn't necessarily translate into good songwriting.
A lot of what makes this album good is Kravitz's voice. Not a true virtuoso on any of the instruments being played here, he lets his voice rip every now and again into a distorted scream, which adds a lot of emotion and flavor to some of the otherwise fairly dry rock cuts. After the title track, Mr. Cab Driver is a decent track, mostly for its social commentary on the racism faced by everyday black Americans, but it's also a not-so-bad rock song. As for the rest of the album, nothing much in terms of musical or lyrical content jumps out to me, but it's a decent project, and you got to tip your cap to the hard work Lenny put into this one.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop
4/5
A true Hip Hop album unlike any other, Paul's Boutique is an exercise in sampling that takes the tactic to the extreme. The only sounds heard throughout the album are sampled from previous materials, whether it be the drums, keys, vocal samples, it's all done by The Dust Brothers, who'd later gain fame as the guys who wrote the score to Fight Club. Each beat provides an intense listening experience when coupled with the Beastie Boys unique rapping style, filled with one-liners and pop culture references as far as the eye can see. It's an experiment that was worthy of being done, and it pays off big time.
The true stars are the Beastie Boys: Mike D, MCA, and Ad Rock. Their lyrics, while not as poignant as their conscious counterparts of the day, do have a political tinge to them. Anti-government and anti-corporate views mingle with one-liners about not wanting to be the creepy guy at the party and other social circumstances. It's all done with impeccable timing and flow, and the rhymes are enhanced with the occasional vocal sample punchline to end a verse. With samples from The Beatles to Johnny Cash to everyone in between, this project is a real treat to listen to. It sounds old school, but it does still have a genuine freshness to it, which is a testament to its individuality. The 12-minute/9-part epic, B-Boy Bouillabaisse, that ends the album is something that doesn't get enough credit for how well executed it is.
Shake Your Rump, Car Thief, and The Sounds of Science are some of the best in the Beastie Boys discography, but their big hits and early success unfortunately drown out what I think is their best work. Really good shit, and an album that should titillate any music fan's tastes.
The Kinks
4/5
Genre: Pop Rock
4/5
An album I had never listened to before, and it's truly an absolute pop rock gem. This one stands up to any other rock output at the time. A real treat from the late 60s. The Kinks, a band more widely known for their huge hit song You Really Got me, had grown out of the British Invasion sound just as much as any of their contemporaries, and The Village Green Preservation Society is a real triumph. They blend together baroque pop and psych pop influences seamlessly, and they ended up making one of the best British rock albums from that time period.
The song that I kept going back to from this was All of My Friends Were There, a part psych-folk/part waltz cut towards the end of the album, which details a performer who drunkenly stumbles through his act. While he's telling the crowd that this is unlike him, he notices all of his friends are there to witness it. And their best friends too. He hides in disguise for a few years, before utilizing liquid courage once again to go up on stage and prove he can still perform, remaking his old friends in the process. And it's all told by lead singer/songwriter Ray Davies perfectly, and he does it all in under 2-1/2 minutes. It's truly a perfect pop song, with its adult themes presented in a kitschy, relatable way that anybody can digest and enjoy.
Beyond that one tremendous song, the title track is a great little rock song, Picture Book is a delightful musical retelling of looking through old family photo albums, Sitting by the Riverside has some great psychedelic vibes hidden beneath its cutesy, old-timey, Music Hall sound, amongst some other really wonderful, well-played, and well-written songs (Animal Farm, Wicked Annabella). This is one of my favorites so far throughout this exercise, and even if a few duds sit within this 15-track album, this will be one I'll go back to many times over.
Paul Simon
3/5
Genre: Folk Rock
3/5
Paul Simon finally drops the Garfunkel that was in his way all those years, and gives us his true solo debut, self-titled and all. This album contains one of Paul Simon's biggest hits, Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, a sweet, innocuous tune that's somehow about the two men committing a crime, and getting away with it once a priest steps in and intervenes. Further proof that 1. people can't really hear what Paul Simon is singing, and 2. with this kind of music it isn't that important anyway, at least to me. Folk Rock is a vibe, the lyrics sometimes just get in the way.
This particular album, though, is nothing special beyond a few decent slow rock jams, like the aforementioned Schoolyard, Mother and Child Reunion, and Run That Body Down. Beyond those cuts I'm sure there are some gems for other listeners, but this album doesn't do very much to keep you latched on, unless this is your favorite genre to listen to. Not bad, but not very exciting.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Genre: Stoner Rock
3/5
This was disappointing. I had never listened to the debut album from Queens of the Stone Age, a group I've grown quite fond of over the years. Their albums Songs for the Deaf (No One Knows, etc.) and ...Like Clockwork (God Is the Sun, etc.) are both great rock albums, but neither are in the book, which gave me the impression that their debut was going to be something to behold. Turns out the group was still in its infancy, none of the songs have the polish that their later songs have, and what we're given is a fairly lackluster garage/stoner rock album, with some minor gems, but mostly stocked with filler.
Regular John, the album's intro, is a great little rock song, which I thought was setting up the rest of the album for success. As Avon and If Only finished, two other popular songs from this record, they were just okay. Nothing special, and nothing which would differentiate itself from the rest of the pack. As the album progressed, even through Mexicola, another big song from this project, I ran into this problem a lot. Sufficient, high energy, but overall not very exciting. It all starts to sound like one big guitar distortion-fest, with not much in the way of interesting songs. Some moments stood out, the solo in You Can't Quit Me Baby is fucking awesome, but not enough to warrant anything more than a 3. Listen to their other albums, you can skip this one.
Guns N' Roses
3/5
Genre: Hard Rock
3/5
Guns n' Roses, a group that simultaneously conjures up images of strip clubs as well as BBQs and television commercials, released their best album they ever made, Appetite for Destruction, in 1987. Utilizing tried-and-true hard rock arrangements and instrumentation, GnR made a few HOT singles, 3 of the best songs the decade has to offer (Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City, and Sweet Child o' Mine). However, the rest of the album plays out about as you'd expect, raunchy and energetic, but not very interesting.
The 3 singles from this album, though, are all great tracks. Overplayed in their own right, as they've become cultural touchstones, but they are undeniable hard rock classics. Axl Rose's voice is in peak condition here, and Slash's lead guitar playing is as good as it ever was. But songs like My Michelle or You're Crazy are total duds, reminiscent of filler you'd find in a lot of 80s rock and roll albums (Def Leppard, Scorpions, Thin Lizzy), but way worse and way more bland. Give 'em credit for 3 great tunes, and the rest is generally skippable. Not bad.
Dr. John
4/5
Genre: New Orleans R&B
4/5
Another extreme surprise, Dr. John's Gris-Gris IS a haunting, yet highly rewarding musical experience. From its true and honest New Orleans musical roots, to its near-Captain Beefheart style vocals, to its psychedelic arrangements, Gris-Gris continued to excite me as it progressed through its tracklist. The intro, Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya, an intense and mysterious tale of voodoo, featuring growling vocals from Dr. John himself, sets the tone for a real musical treat that normally wouldn't be on my radar.
Songs like Danse Kalinda Ba Doom and Croker Courtbullion are tribal trips through the bayous of Louisiana, true tributes to the indigenous history of the area. The album flows beautifully through different soul and R&B backdrops, each just as interesting as the last. The outro, I Walk on Guilded Splinters, is an 8-minute swamp rock jam, ending the album on a musical high note. I was not expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did, but this one will easily slide into the spooky albums list for Halloween play. Very interesting, and very good.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Genre: Alt-Country
3/5
Emmylou Harris, a legendary country musician, whose contemporaries include Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, has been active since the early 70s purely as a songbird. She never wrote too much of her own material, but her voice was one of the most wanted in the country music biz, and she stayed busy throughout her career, winning 14 Grammy's amongst other accolades. This album, Red Dirt Girl, dropped in 2000, changes the Emmylou mold a bit. Harris is writing a lot of her own material on this, and the music itself has a much more new-age, alt-rock flair to it, rather than a more straightforward country sound.
As far as the album is concerned, regardless of how interesting a few of the production elements are here, it's a rather straightforward country album. The instrumentation is pretty lackluster, never growing above mezzo-forte and missing plenty of low end, but that's not necessarily why we're here. Harris' voice sounds very good, especially considering her age, and it helps to elevate a lot of the tracks here. I enjoyed the title track, Hour of Gold, and My Antonia the best, but I can't really tell you what differentiates them from the rest of the tracklist, except for some particular je ne sais quoi. Decent overall, with some interesting production, but fairly boring.
Rush
4/5
Genre: Progressive Rock
4/5
Much like a warm blanket and hot cocoa, Rush is my warm comfort blanket if a rock group could suffice as such. Rush's discography spans 19 albums (and 1 EP), and contains some of rock music's best stuff, ranging from straight blues rock 'n roll to heavy, technical progressive metal. With only 2 of their 20 projects in this book, I highly recommend anybody who enjoyed this to check out the remainder of their stuff. Whatever your particular flavor, Rush is bound to have it in their catalogue. As for 2112, their biggest album at the time and a big fuck you to their record label who had asked them to go commercial, it's 1976, Rush is entering their prime, and they're beginning to fully execute the true power that the trio possessed.
Geddy Lee (bass/vocals), Alex Lifeson (guitars), and Neil Peart (drums/lyrics) are 3 musicians who showcase some of rock's most virtuosic playing available at that time, and still to this day. The title track alone is one of their greatest musical triumphs: a 7-part prog-rock epic, telling the story of a denizen in a world where men aren't able to think on their own, and is spat in his face as he tries to spread the love of music. It's eloquently crafted, lyrically and musically, and spotlights some of Rush's best work. Geddy's voice on Temples of Syrinx is astronomical, as well as his bass playing, Lifeson's solo work on Soliloquy is outstanding, and Neil's passionate performance in the Grand Finale, along with his timely, poetical social commentary that spoke to a number of musical acts looking to progress beyond the constraints of their musical overlords, are breathtaking. It's a true triumph of rock and roll.
The back half of the album plays out rather unceremoniously (A Passage to Bangkok and Something for Nothing are both very good though), and keeps this from being a perfect 5, but the title track is a can't-miss, essential rock classic that will endure the test of time. Rush rules.
Aerosmith
2/5
Genre: Hard Rock
2/5
This is an album that is ONLY in the book because of the artist's name recognition, and nothing more. Aerosmith has, of course, written plenty of classic songs, but none of them exist on Pump, the 1980s last ditch attempt to keep hard rock going. Instead of sounding like a big rock production, it all blends into one stale fart, utilizing the same mechanical and tinny production that makes most 80s music unbearable.
The single, Janie's Got a Gun, is fine, literally nothing more than that. Steven Tyler's performance on this is classic Steven Tyler, loud and more loud, and Joe Perry stumbles through his riffs and solo sections as effectively as he ever did. But the rest is absolute drivel. Monkey on My Back, My Girl, the last 2 minutes of What It Takes, and Voodoo Medicine Man are all moments of my life I wish I could relive differently, and those are just the ones I'm mentioning here. Bland, uninteresting, and totally non-essential. Skip it.
SZA
4/5
Genre: Alternative R&B
4/5
One of modern R&B's sweetest and sexiest musical statements, SZA's CTRL is thematically introspective, and musically lush and playful. An album made for women by a woman, it's a project that doesn't speak much to the male experience, but is straightforward and honest enough to be transcendent in its message. SZA's voice is the true highlight here, intermingling with trap/R&B-influenced production throughout with style and grace, and by all accounts almost entirely improvised. Some songs here range from Neo-Soul to Indie Rock, as SZA's influences can be heard from Timbaland to The Police, and it forms a rich palate of sounds for us to feast on as the tracklist progresses.
The first half of the album is some of the best R&B the decade has to offer, with Supermodel serving as a flawless, near-psychedelic intro, flowing into Love Galore and Doves in the Wind, the latter featuring one of Kendrick Lamar's best features, which leads into Drew Barrymore and Prom rounding out the first 5 tracks with alt-pop flair and synth hits that would make anyone groove out. The album is interspersed with sweet, loving advice being given to SZA by her mother over the phone, a classic trope that exists throughout R&B and hip-hop, and is a great communicating device to flesh out themes and concepts. Overall, this project excels at being itself, and not shying away from introspection, and providing us with solid tunes full of soul, energy, and passion. A pop-R&B triumph, as far as I'm concerned.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Genre: Folk Rock
4/5
And in other news obvious to everyone, Crosby, Stills & Nash (as well as this iteration's addition of Young) still rules. A total Folk Rock gem, Déjà Vu is one of the group's best, and certainly one of the genre's best. Full of tight vocal harmonies, and led by simple and effective acoustic and electric guitar arrangements, CSNY crafts a well-written and very well-produced album. While it's nothing groundbreaking in terms of sonic events, it's an exercise in pretty, and it's all executed wonderfully.
The first 5 tracks, aka the first side of the LP, is a full-blown essential folk rock experience, full of all the wonders people love to hear in this kind of music. From Carry On thru Woodstock, each member leaves their mark, especially new band member Neil Young, whose song Helpless is one of the best tracks on the whole album. My personal fav though is Crosby's composition, the title track Déjà Vu, with its triplet folk rhythm swirling throughout the entire song in an almost mesmerizing way. Our House, another one of the group's most popular tracks, is a sweetly sung folk song that should be rewarding for any general listener. This is happy music made by great musicians, and any generation should enjoy CSNY's knack for melody.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Genre: Blues Rock
4/5
One of rock and roll's all-time best debut albums, yet serves only as a brief glimpse of what was to come, and unfortunately would end too soon, Are You Experienced (UK or US tracklist) is one of blues rock's best albums ever. Jimi Hendrix, who needs no introduction, is probably rock and roll's greatest guitarist. His precision strikes mixed with his true blues groove, and an unrepentant desire for experimentation, Hendrix paved the way for every guitar god who dared follow him, while maintaining a certain degree of prowess that has yet to be met. While they're may be more technically talented shredders out there nowadays, none come close to playing with the style and grace of the late, great Jimi Hendrix.
As far as the album is concerned, songs like the relentless Manic Depression, the all-time greatest cover of Hey Joe ever, the blues knockout Red House, to one of rock's quintessential blues jams Foxy Lady, this album is chock full of some of the best rock songs from the 1960s. Flawlessly executed, and mixed and produced with a raw, live sound, featuring tremendous instrumental contributions from their bassist, Noel Redding, and from one of the best rock drummers ever, Mitch Mitchell, Are You Experienced is an absolute jam fest. A great album anyway you slice it, with energy pulsing through each track, even the slower-paced ones. Jimi was the best, and he'd only get better from here. A classic.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Genre: Dream Pop
4/5
Another unexpected surprise, Heaven or Las Vegas is one of my favorite new albums I've listened to so far in this exercise. Listening with totally fresh ears, I instantly could hear what makes this album as revered as it is. A total Dream Pop classic, and a genuinely interesting and enjoyable pop music experience, Heaven or Las Vegas is a project gleaming with filtered guitars and layered vocals. Its wall-of-sound style production is almost overwhelming at times, providing some of the most captivating listens for me up to this point.
Starting with the ethereal intro, Cherry-Coloured Funk, a song that perfectly outlines their sound and energy, and is easily one of the best songs on the album, the album continues nicely along (Pitch the Baby is another pop gem), when we're finally met with the title track, my personal favorite from the album, featuring a big beautiful chorus from Elizabeth Fraser and some really tremendous, lush, in-your-face production. I Wear Your Ring is one of my favorite vocal experiments on the album, and is another example of a song on here where the group really sounds like they're having a fucking blast, casually writing some of the decade's most influential music. A beautiful album from top to bottom, and a real joy to listen to.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Genre: Indie Rock
3/5
As a huge fan of the Arctic Monkeys, specifically Alex Turner's songwriting gift and genuinely powerful guitar work, I was happy to see this supergroup/side project of his made the book. The Last Shadow Puppets, composed of Alex Turner, Miles Kane (The Rascals), and James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco, budding record producer), all join forces to craft an almost baroque rock record. What they end up crafting is not just a blatant nod to The Beach Boys, but as a whole is nowhere near as rockin' as you might expect it to be. Especially given the roster at hand.
The first 3 tracks, the title track (The Age of Understatement), Standing Next to Me, and Calm Like You, are the best 3 they got, frontloading the album with what you'd expect to be the norm. However, they retread back to chamber and baroque pop a little too often, with a little too much emphasis on reverb for my tastes. While the album is generally well-arranged and a decent listen overall, the overproduction washes out songs like In My Room and The Time Has Come Again until they all begin to sound like Phil Spector ripoffs. A bit underwhelming, but well played and well made.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Genre: Outlaw Country
3/5
A totally adorable little country album, Red Headed Stranger is a concept album detailing the story of a man on the run after killing his wife. It's told in a decent enough way that it isn't too difficult to follow, but the story isn't the star here. It's Willie's slick baritone vocal, and the ease with which it fills up the mix. Elevating rather sparse material, it's a real treat to hear Willie's voice in this intimate setting, spotlighting what I feel are fairly underrated vocals in the catalogue of 70s music.
Overall, the country folk style of most of the tracks here can get pretty boring, and it's generally unexciting as the tracklist continues. However, that doesn't mean there aren't any highlights. The title track is a perfect example of the Outlaw Country genre, with dark, introspective lyrical themes mixed with that classic country sound. It even makes time to take some instrumental breaks like Down Yonder, with Wille Nelson's sister, Bobbie, rippin' on the piano. All in all, fairly bland, but a neat little piece of history, given its concept and its importance in the genre, and is certainly easy on the ears. Not bad.
Portishead
4/5
Genre: Electronic
4/5
Another rather pleasant surprise, and my first dip into the Electronic titans Portishead, their third album, Third, is very good. A mix of experimental electronic and rock sounds, vocalist Beth Gibbons lets rip on some of the most interesting soundscapes of the decade. Some jagged and tense, and some with brief but impactful moments of beauty, it fills up its 50 minutes of run time fully with great production and interesting and bold musical arrangements.
While the biggest hits from this album, The Rip and Machine Gun, are both very good examples of what Portishead sounds like, and what they execute well, those tracks don't come close to my favorites on this one. The intro, Silence, a 5-minute heavy, experimental rock record that grabs your attention immediately with its dark, anxious sound, is one of my favorite intros I've heard throughout this exercise. Small, another track with heavier rock influence, is another ominous track, full of great guitar work and fantastic vocals. There's no real sag in this album, as the tracklist entertains the entire way through, staying experimental all the while and providing us with some very unique musical twists and turns. Will certainly come back to this one. Very good.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Genre: Contemporary Folk
3/5
An album in which its reputation precedes itself, Joni Mitchell's Blue is what many consider to be her magnum opus, and what others consider to be one of the greatest albums ever made. Entirely self-written and self-produced, Blue is a mostly acoustic journey through Joni's life and times. While most do consider this to be a folk masterpiece, it unfortunately didn't hit my ears in the same way. I sort of see it as the Bob Dylan effect, where these sorts of melodies speak to a more rural, working class upbringing, while coming from a bit more of a privileged perspective, and that dissonance is too overwhelming for me. It renders it inauthentic.
Joni Mitchell's voice is quite unique. Part-Joplin, part-Parton, she moans and groans with passion and emotion through most of the cuts here. The sparseness of the arrangements leave her voice as the main highlight, but unfortunately it sounds badly mixed to me, scraping the boundaries of what would almost be described as clipping. It's not a texturally bland album, moving from guitar to piano to bongos as the songs progress, but it's not all very exciting, and gives the album a snail's pace.
Honestly, though, the most insulting thing throughout this process is seeing people say that this is the greatest album a woman has ever made. This is certainly not the greatest album a woman has ever made, not in this list and not even considering albums not in this list. No matter how high Rolling Stone rates this, this is a folk album with some pretty solid vocals that does pretty much nothing for me. I respect the grind, but Joni just isn't for me.
The Cure
4/5
Genre: Gothic Rock
4/5
One of the best rock albums from the 80s, and a perfect swan song for the decade, The Cure hit it out of the park with Disintegration. A real full-length gem, with dark and atmospheric qualities, heavy on brooding synths and echoey guitars. Robert Smith, whose voice and lyrics are on the album, are some of the best the decade has to offer. Themes of introspection and loneliness adds to the overall heaviness of the instrumentation. There are big choruses on every track, and overall the songs have some real influential production and arrangements, telegraphing a lot of what made early 90s alt rock so popular.
While I chose to listen to the CD version, a 72-minute, 12-track version, the only real problem that comes with this album is the general runtime of most of the tracks. As beautiful as some moments are on songs like The Same Deep Water..., with fairly standard arrangements and not too many mood or tempo changes, the 9+ minute runtime is felt as the song progresses. Nitpicking aside, the album starting off with Plainsong and Pictures of You, one of the best 1-2 punches of the decade and two Dream Pop essentials, is a real treat. Other highlights, the title track and the big hit Lullaby, make this a well-rounded experience, but the overall length of the project as a whole made it feel a little too droning at times. Very good album that I will certainly look forward to listening to again soon.
Beatles
4/5
Genre: Merseybeat
4/5
Finally, my 156th album generated is the first Beatles album I've received this entire exercise. A Hard Day's Night, while not their biggest album, and while not necessarily showcasing the best of The Beatles catalogue, it's their biggest showcase at the time of the true power that was held by the best selling songwriting duo in music history. Lennon/McCartney are the songwriters credited on all 13 songs here, a first for The Beatles and a landmark effort for Pop Rock. Not many groups or artists could boast to have written every song on their record, and certainly not many who did could point to the success that The Beatles had with their songs. A Hard Day's Night, the title track that landed them a #1 hit as well as a #1 movie, is a classic from the very first chord, and is a perfect example of the perfect pop song, right down to its iconic fadeout. The rest of the album, especially the first half (the songs featured in the aforementioned movie), are some of the best from the Early Beatles' era.
From other pop rock perfections like the other #1 hit Can't Buy Me Love, to unsung heroes like John's loner anthem I'll Cry Instead, John and Paul finely craft a genuinely wonderful and memorable collection of songs. Paul's somber ballad And I Love Her is exquisitely sung and arranged, the hard rockin' You Can't Do That features some classic 3-part harmonies from the boys, and songs like the moody outro I'll Be Back, or the simple yet effective If I Fell, serve as hints of their future forays into folk pop music. Overall, this album isn't seamless, and won't be everybody's cup of Earl Grey, but for what it's worth, this is a damn good pop rock album. The movie is truly great too, if anybody is interested. Both are very worthy of checking out. Love these Brits.
Beatles
5/5
Genre: Pop Rock
5/5
There isn't much that can be said about Abbey Road that hasn't already been said, whether it's a personal experience or a broad-stroked comment. One of the most ubiquitous rock albums of all time, and an album rife with some of the best written material the boys had ever come up with, Abbey Road is one of pop music's brightest musical statements.
From top to bottom, The Beatles give us every trick up their sleeves, and then some. George Harrison gives us his two best songs up to this point, Something and Here Comes the Sun, Paul's music hall touches on Maxwell's Silver Hammer and his blues rock jam Oh, Darling! showcase his dynamic and intriguing range, and John gives us two of the decade's best hard rock songs in the psych blues vibes on Come Together and the proto-metal rocker I Want You (She's So Heavy). Even Ringo's best is on here, as Octopus's Garden remains a cult classic to this day.
The real star here though, after the psych/art pop gem Because, is the B-side medley that finishes off the album. An 8-song prog-pop suite (9, if you include Her Majesty), touching everything from art rock to psych pop to baroque pop and back again, it's one of the best things the Beatles ever did, and unfortunately doesn't receive the modern props that it deserves. Abbey Road is the perfect pop album, with equal notes of beauty and heaviness, and ample time given to challenging the form in either direction. Immaculately produced and arranged, this is an album that will stand the test of time, and will continue to impress the generations that follow. Or, at least the generations who'll give the time to listen.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
Genre: Electro
3/5
An interesting exploration in electro instrumentals with the addition of hip hop vocals, with the song Planet Rock being one of the first singles to truly synthesize the two sounds, this compilation based around that single is a time capsule, showcasing some of the earliest rap singles around. The unfortunate context behind this album, that Afrika Bambaataa (Lance Taylor) is an all-but-jailed, quite prolific sexual offender, does sour some of what's going on. It's always difficult to look beyond sex crimes in art, especially when it deals with minors, so unfortunately this project is stained. However, the music that lies within is some of the most influential and important hip hop music ever produced, and is an essential listen in that regard.
Planet Rock, the aforementioned, very important song, is now viewed and listened to as an "old-school hip hop" track, but that does it a disservice. It's essentially one of the earliest songs that set the instrumental template for what would be a whole decade's worth of rap music. The rest of the songs play out pretty much as you'd expect, break beats with the occasional verse and hook, with nothing from the back half sounding particularly exciting. What was exciting, though, was listening to the OG Renegades of Funk, and becoming more and more impressed with Rage Against the Machine's near perfect cover of it. Other than those two big tracks, this album is rather forgettable, unfortunately tainted with nonce behavior, but it's not offensive sonically. This will probably do wonders for those who truly love instrumental hip hop and are interested in its earliest fossils.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Genre: Pop Rock
4/5
A near-perfect pop album, and clearly Fleetwood Mac's magnum opus, Rumours is a real treat. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks trade pop masterpieces, while Christine McVie tries desperately to keep up, in one of the best albums the decade has to offer. There are some of the best sounding records of all time on this record, as Dreams, a record that has since enjoyed a renewed popularity via TikTok, is still one of the cleanest sounding rock tracks of all time. Well-arranged, well-sung, and well-performed, it fully deserved its #1, and is still one of the best soft rock songs ever written.
As the album progresses (minus Songbird and Oh Daddy), every song is a treat. Never Going Back Again is casually one of the greatest acoustic guitar songs ever written and performed, so technically challenging that they needed two guitarists to recreate it live after Lindsey left. Go Your Own Way and The Chain are two of pop rock's best ever, showcasing Fleetwood Mac's knack for catchy melodies and great songwriting. You Make Loving Fun and Don't Stop, McVie's best tracks on the album, are two others from this project that are still played on radio to this day, a testament to the true longevity of these songs. And those are just the ones I'm naming. Really good shit, and an album I think everybody should love. If they don't, they're lying.
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Genre: Chamber Folk
3/5
An album that started like a soft fart and ended like a soft fart, Fleet Foxes' eponymous debut album is a soft fart. Not offensive, soft and airy, but a little stinky. This album has one constant sonic pastel throughout its run time, lush, pretentious, mid-aughts folk music, and those 16-17 year olds (plus the majority of music critics) ate it up with such relish that some were dubbing it one of music's best debut records ever... Let's not get crazy. This is some decently arranged pop music, with pretty strings and decent production, but overall a soft fart.
White Winter Hymnal, by the far the best song on the album, a choral style folk song with some beautiful vocal performances, is the biggest highlight here. Unfortunately, as it's the 2nd song on the album, it immediately goes to work overshadowing anything that comes after it. Songs like He Doesn't Know Why and Blue Ridge Mountains, both decent indie folk jams in their own right, sit in the tsunami-sized wake of White Winter Hymnal, and have no chance to come out on top. Decent, listenable, boring, but certainly not the best debut album ever made. Not by a long shot.
Rush
5/5
Genre: Progressive Rock
5/5
A total Prog Rock titan, Rush's Moving Pictures is one of the best in Rush's catalogue, one of the best rock albums of the 1980s, and one of prog's best and most complete full-album experiences that the genre has to offer. Full of 80s flair and production elements, Rush still sounds like Rush, as the 3 virtuosos play their respective instruments to absolute pieces. Geddy's voice is maturing into its middle register, and his bass sounds chunkier and cleaner than it ever has before. Lifeson's guitar work on this album is some of his best, full of catchy licks and harmonic pinches, featuring some truly compelling solo work throughout. However, the true driving force behind this album is Neil Peart on drums and lyrics. From the cymbal crashes leading off Tom Sawyer to Vital Signs' fadeout, Peart is eloquently banging the fuck out of the drums, and also providing us with some of Rush's most poignant and recognizable lyrics.
From the very beginning of Moving Pictures, we're greeted with what is easily Rush's biggest song, Tom Sawyer. While some may find it overplayed, this is a rock song that doesn't quit AT ALL throughout its run time. We're taken on quite the musical journey in just 5 minutes, as hard rock gives way to technical mastery in the form of an off-time musical break, showcasing Rush's jamming at its ultimate best, and providing us with some truly wonderful drum fills from Neil. As we move along to Red Barchetta, a sci-fi tale with a magnificent soundtrack, then to YYZ, Rush's most concise exercise in self-indulgence and a real instrumental treat, then to Limelight, another hard/pop rock gem from the boys featuring themes of introspection and fear of the unknown, we can all realize we're in for quite a treat. And that's just Side 1.
Side 2 is just as captivating. Rush's pop-prog epic The Camera Eye is a great track, featuring some of Rush's catchiest guitar riffs around. Witch Hunt and Vital Signs, two deep cuts that would serve well as some other rock group's lead singles, end the album on a high note, with tinges of tribal and disco music making its way into the equation. It's all so, so good, and a real treat to anyone who considers themselves a fan of rock music. One of rock and roll's biggest and best musical statements.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Genre: Chamber Pop
3/5
Clearly influential, and clearly sounds like an album beloved by those stuck in the 1990s, but overall not too exciting, Belle and Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister is a decent pop album all things considered. With shades of Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Donovan, and the Rolling Stones, this album sounds like what preceded it almost as much as what followed it. One of my favorite albums throughout this exercise is Sufjan Stevens' Illinois, and this is clearly an album he took a lot of inspiration from. While I can appreciate it for being influential in its genre, it certainly doesn't have the same emotional highs as an album like Illinois, and sadly stays pretty flat throughout the majority of the album.
Stuart Murdoch has a nice, melancholy kind of voice on him, and it does a lot for these tunes, as most of these folksy arrangements desperately need something to liven it up. The Stars of Track and Field is a nice intro, but about 1 minute and a half too long, and the title track is another decent track, with some great added production, that just unfortunately hangs around for a little too long. Songs like Me and the Major and The Boy Done Wrong Again never truly get off the ground, and both end up sounding like the soundtrack to a Nicholas Sparks movie. Decent overall, and totally inoffensive, but none too special.
Culture Club
3/5
Genre: New Romantic
3/5
In this episode of Bland Pop Album, we have Culture Club aka Boy George's album Colour by Numbers, an album that flew by rather gleefully. Now, Boy George's false imprisonment conviction story aside, I had absolutely no desire to listen to this, and was fully anticipating a mighty stinker. However, this remained joyful and fast-paced enough that its runtime never felt too long and nothing overstayed its welcome. Led by the mega-hit Karma Chameleon, a totally gutless, bland, but totally inoffensive pop song, it does pretty much the same thing track to track. Nonetheless, its energy and constant flow kept it pretty engaging and entertaining.
Synths and electronic drum patterns stay busy and active throughout, with the usual tinny 80s production and some standard pop arrangements, but all done flamboyantly and with a certain unwaverable quirkiness that keeps each song peppy in its own way. It's a Miracle and Miss Me Blind were two other decent pop songs, with some decent lead vocal performances from Boy George, and some uneventful, but playful synth-pop arrangements. It's no masterpiece, but it has no right being this enjoyable. Didn't hate this nearly as much as I wanted to, and while I don't think I need to revisit this again, this should provide mild entertainment to 80s heads and pop fans alike. Not bad, George.
Fred Neil
3/5
Genre: Folk Rock
3/5
Fred Neil, someone who I thought would be a total Bert Jansch, is a folk artist who never quite hit the big times until after some of his songs had big time artists cover them. He left the music scene, hating the grind of the road, and never returned to the biz, even after some renewed popularity. This album, aptly named Fred Neil, is pretty darn good for what it's worth. It's none too exciting musically throughout, except for a few interesting sonic choices, but the crown jewel that is Fred Neil's beautiful, chocolatey baritone voice outshines any of the obscene blandness. There are some real folk gems on here: melancholic, sparse, but passionately performed and expertly executed.
That's the Bag I'm In and Sweet Cocaine, two song titles that are so obvious as to what they point to that there's no real point getting into it, are wonderfully led by Neil's powerful lead vocals and mellow blues feel. The real wild time here though is the outro, Cynicrustpetefredjohn Raga, a 7+ minute Rock Raga (an ode to Eastern classical music) that is a real sonic detour with no purpose being here, but certainly gives this its own unique stamp amongst the wider folk landscape. There are some other decent tracks here, enough to keep listening to the album as it plays out, but they don't separate themselves from any other tunes you may hear in the genre, even with Neil's unique vocal stamp. A decent album overall, though! Will certainly revisit my favs from this.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop
3/5
A true fossil of what would someday become the world's biggest genre of music, Run-D.M.C.'s self-titled debut album is one of hip-hop's earliest albums of note. Featuring a few hip-hop firsts, Rev Run and D.M.C. casually changed the face of the game in one fell swoop. Rock Box is considered to be the first fusion of rock and rap, and was the first rap song to be played on MTV, as its crossover appeal proved to be massive. It's Like That is also a track cited as a hip-hop firsts, this time being one of the genre's first true "hardcore" tracks, portraying a darker, less-mainstream take on the genre.
However, as the tracklist progresses, the one big problem with this project is unfortunately how poorly it has aged. The beats and the bars sound corny and goofy as hell on a few of these. It's clearly primitive, and no one is expecting one of the first hip-hop classics to be perfect, but the overall unintentional silliness is too much to ignore. Overall, this is clearly an essential listen, but don't expect to hear polish. This is a rough draft that not only Run-D.M.C. would build upon, but an entire generation would build upon.
David Bowie
4/5
Genre: Pop Rock
4/5
A pop rock sensation and icon, David Bowie is one of the most ubiquitous names in all of the music world. One of his earliest triumphs, Hunky Dory, is a quick glimpse into where David Bowie would push his music to. Early essences of glam rock mingle with classic pop rock sensibilities in what is a big stepping stone for Bowie, and is an album where he truly starts to find his form. The light and chipper intro, Changes, is one of his best and one of his quaintest. Inoffensive, introspective, and cute, it serves as the beginning of his more mainstream phase, but he's never without his usual theatrics.
One big difference in this project as opposed to his previous ones is the emphasis on piano. Even in his more baroque pop days, Bowie was certainly utilizing the guitar more, and while it's still present in this (Queen Bitch is near proto-punk in its use of guitars), the emphasis on keyboards is felt in how laidback most of these arrangements are. The two big tracks from the album, Changes and Life on Mars?, are both piano-based and both act as tremendous vessels for Bowie's voice. While the album sags a bit once you flip to the B-side, it's a really tremendous effort, with the bumps in the road still being enjoyable. Love me some Bowie.
Green Day
4/5
Genre: Pop Punk
4/5
In an effort to exhibit full transparency, I friggin' love Green Day. My dad had a copy of one of their albums, Insomniac, on CD, and sometimes I used to listen to it until I fell asleep. In terms of their career output, anything after 21st Century Breakdown is relatively skippable, but up to that point there were very few bands that could point to the level of success that Green Day had at that time. Their biggest success came in 2004, their quasi-concept album, American Idiot, released in a time of great political turmoil in the USA, with songs on the album exploring topics such as the negative effect of state propaganda to the depressive, anxious state that many people felt locked into at that time, especially in the post-9/11 world.
As far as the album is concerned, it's certainly Green Day's biggest and most pop-oriented effort to date, and, in my opinion, succeeds in leaps and bounds. 4 tracks here were huge singles for the group, American Idiot, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, and Wake Me Up When September Ends. All of these tracks function as great examples of everything Green Day does right when they're locked in: catchy riffs, memorable choruses, and plenty of rock 'n roll energy. They were also able to squeeze 2 different punk-prog epics in here with Jesus of Suburbia and Homecoming, songs that despite their runtimes never feel drawn out, and always find a different path to take to keep it interesting.
All together, as a rock opera it's not very cohesive, but it's a damn good pop rock album that still manages to sound good, even in this day and age. Solid production and good, effective songwriting. Great album.
2/5
Genre: Folk Rock
2/5
I'm honestly sick of this man. I'm not sure what he did to deserve his legacy. He's a phony and a charlatan, and everything I hear from him is bland, lyrically confusing, and vocally inept. The man cannot sing a note, he can hardly pronounce his own lyrics, he plays the harmonica and guitar about as well as your average wayward fellow does and never to an extent that feels virtuosic, and above all that, his live shows are boring and uninteresting.
The first half of this 90+ minute experiment in boredom is Bob and a chair. The only things that kept me listening were the hilarious, once-a-minute voice cracks and the chuckles I'd get once his harmonica started to squeal. Truly sonically unbearable, and left me primed to levy my first 1 rating on an album. However, the full band does come out for the second half of the show, and brings a bit more liveliness to the program, but not enough to warrant any sort of merit. Apparently this second half was filled with boo's and jeering from the crowd, but it has all been carefully edited out in order to remove any Dylan dissent from hitting any fanboy's ears. I would've certainly enjoyed this album more if I had someone to boo along with.
This was the cherry on the shit sundae that is Bob Dylan albums in this book, and I know I still have more to listen to... But, as for this, it's an entirely avoidable album, with an entire first disc that provides nothing worthwhile to the listener. A real stinker.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Genre: Folk Pop
3/5
Taylor Swift released her mega-hit Folklore in July 2020, an album that represented a very heavy shift for Taylor in terms of her sound, fully eschewing her usual lush pop arrangements and instead utilizing sparse folk stylings. She then immediately followed it with this, Evermore, a quasi-sequel released less than 5 months apart. This album opts for more mellow and relaxed arrangements, but much like in the movies, the sequel is lackluster in comparison to its predecessor, but it's not altogether terrible.
Taylor has always had a very nice voice, and folky, pared back music like this unfortunately doesn't do it too many wonders, but her voice here does a lot of the legwork, effectively saving most of these pieces here from falling into total boreland. No Body, No Crime featuring HAIM, is a perfect example of a rather generic Americana tune totally saved by great vocal performances from all the women involved on this track. The album's outro and title track, a little ambient folk ditty that also features some song-saving guest vocal work, this time from Bon Iver. As for the rest of the album, it all plays out fairly uneventfully, but it's an inoffensive record that sounds great and feels much shorter than its 1 hour runtime. Not bad.
Anthrax
3/5
Genre: Thrash Metal
3/5
As much as I wanted to say this album kicks your balls out of your tits and makes you beg for mercy, I forgot this was the 1980s, and while some of what's here may have been considered over the top for its day and age, it pales in comparison to what metal is up to nowadays. However, Anthrax played an important part in the mainstream growth in credibility of thrash metal, and they should be recognized for that. However, if my parents look back fondly at Anthrax, I think that unfortunately means they weren't as badass as they, or we, thought.
As far as the album goes, it kicks off with its high energy title track, Among the Living, and follows it with one of Anthrax's best, Caught in a Mosh. Both are wonderfully intense examples of what thrash metal can do right, while still blending it with good songwriting and arranging. It takes a bit of a break after that, unfortunately, with Indians being the only real banger of note left in the tracklist. Regardless of its overall meh-ness, this is a record that will bring a smile to any metalhead's face, and that should be enough.
David Holmes
1/5
Genre: Breakbeat
1/5
I am a nice, fair reviewer, who generally doesn't have many problems with the music I'm listening to. This is my 171st album generated and listened to, and this was the first time in this exercise where I was plainly disgusted throughout the wide majority of the listen. I've listened to some bad Elvis Costello, some bad Bob Dylan, and some awfully mediocre 90s post-grunge, but this easily takes the shit cake. David Holmes' 1997 album Let's Get Killed is an exercise in dullness. A true techno dud with nothing redeeming, nothing that changes the form, and nothing that keeps you interested.
The sampling is lazy and bad, the beats are monotonous and never-changing, and the effort to give himself (a white man from the UK) any form of NYC street cred is cringy, bizarre, and almost gentrifying. Nothing progresses, nothing excites, nothing is moving throughout the entire runtime. There's a song on the album, Freaknik, that starts with a man telling a story about being kicked out of a bar for dancing. He ends his story by saying "how am I supposed to release...this...ENERGY!", and it's immediately followed by 5-6 minutes of utter nothingness, in what appears to be the least energetic followup to a man screaming that I have ever heard. Radio 7, and its unbelievably lazy James Bond sample, is among the most aggravating tracks I've ever sat through.
This is not good. A complete non-starter, not essential in any way, and takes up a spot that any other album in the universe should own. There is no purpose to have this album on this list. A waste of an hour that I will never get back.
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Genre: Folk Rock
3/5
A rather generic folk album considering the not-too-generic source. Joan Armatrading, born and raised in the former British colonies in the West Indies, a woman who grew up wanting nothing more than to play guitar all day, occupies a space that is usually relegated to white men. While her appearance may not be the usual that you may see in this genre, the music itself is generally pretty flat and stale, which to me is the norm in most full-length takes on Folk/Folk Rock.
As far as general highlights go, Down to Zero is a neat little folk ditty, probably the best sounding song on the whole record, but it doesn't do very much. Soon thereafter, the tracklist all eventually bleeds together into a calm and soft, yet tepid and bland, background mush. I enjoyed the outro, Tall in the Saddle, as well, but again it's not a track that does a whole lot. Glyn Johns, the album's producer, said this was the best album he was ever associated with (this is the guy who engineered Abbey Road, mind you...), and critics have made this their darling, but it all reeks of self-importance. Not to put down Joan, but for me, her music does little to add to the overall folk mix, and unfortunately music critics tend to focus on the artist's skin color rather than the content within sometimes, inflating these albums beyond what they actually are. Joan Armatrading seems like a very nice lady, but it doesn't make her music any less bland than the next fella's.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Genre: East Coast Hip Hop
4/5
Three years before his untimely murder, Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G., released one of the best rap records to ever come out of the state of New York. Ready to Die, Biggie's only album he released before he was shot and killed, is an absolute blast. A perfect mixture of lyrical prowess, crass humor, and boom-bap beats, Biggie took hip hop to exciting new places with this one. Familiar themes of cultural divisions, drug dealing, and violence intermingle with themes of introspection and suicide, with the album beginning with a hearbeat fading in and ending with a heartbeat fading away. It serves as a grim foreshadowing beyond anything Biggie does in this project, and also as a reminder to everybody listening that life is too short and too precious.
The two major hits on this album, Juicy and Big Poppa, don't make their way to us until about halfway through the album. Before we're met with the familiar, tracks like Gimme the Loot, One More Chance, and the title track Ready to Die, give us perfect glimpses into the early childhood and adult life of Biggie Smalls. Eloquent verses flow over the hottest new instrumentals the streets had to offer, with driving rhythms and loud, active percussion. Once the two mega-singles make their way to us, their impact is magnified with how magnificently they fit within the tracklist, elevating these already well-known tracks to new heights. While the 77-minute runtime may not have been necessary (even the pre-remaster's 69-minute runtime is pretty long), and while the sex skits are quite dated and a little uncomfortable, everyone involved finds new and interesting ways to keep the narrative flow going, and Biggie's artistic statement here is one of the biggest and boldest of the decade. Great record.
Mj Cole
3/5
Genre: 2-Step
3/5
Well, go figure, another white DJ trying his best to insert himself into the culture a la David Holmes. This time, though, it's done with a bit more class, and a lot better production and songwriting. 2-Step, somewhat of a continuation of the UK garage and house music fads that swept the 90s, is part-techno, part-hip hop/neo soul. Plenty of talented vocalists, all lesser known in the broad world of music, lay down some decent performances over what are essentially more ambient, more thought-out breakbeat tracks.
The title track, Sincere, was a moody, sensual track with some neat vocal sampling and good arrangements and production. Attitude was another interesting song early in the setlist that piqued my interest, but lasted a little longer than necessary. A lot of the tracks on here, enough to run for a 67-minute span, are somewhat stale representations of a genre that sounds like it has ample room for experimentation. Others are just blatant trip-hop ripoffs that sound stolen from old Massive Attack projects. A bit stale as a whole, but not bad, fairly inoffensive, and easy to listen to.
Minutemen
4/5
Genre: Post-Punk
4/5
A 45-song, 82-minute endurance test of an album, and the closest I've heard to an album that sniffs the off-the-wall, unabashed music making of The Beatles' White Album, the Minutemen's Double Nickels on the Dime is a wild whirlwind of post-punk, art punk, and experimental rock. From top to bottom, this thing is jam-packed with ideas, free flowing like the mightiest of oceans. Us listeners are flooded with different concepts, all sporting standard rock instrumentation, but with everchanging structures, song lengths, themes, and energy. From dance-punk offerings like Viet Nam, to heavy alt-country like Corona (the theme to Jackass), to funky post-punk like Jesus and Tequila, to acoustic folk like Cohesion, to avant-rock experiments like You Need the Glory, this album truly runs the musical gamut and never leaves you without something to keep you engaged.
As far as the general or "average" song on this goes, most tracks are 1-2 minute songs that dabble mostly in post-punk/post-hardcore sounds and styles. Plenty of left-wing ideology all over this thing as well, still holding on to the values that made punk what it was, but never taken to the point where it's hokey or preachy. There are also tracks like Maybe Partying Will Help and Do You Want New Wave..., where the goofiness and earnestness of the lyrics enhance the performances given by the group, and provide a lot of help for what are fairly standard punk rock arrangements. The total disjointedness of this album did make it feel like a bit of a slog, but, in some ways, it was a highly rewarding slog. This is certainly one of my favorite punk/post-punk albums I've ever listened to, and considering its vast setlist, this album will ASSUREDLY reward repeat listens.
Personally, I'd take the time to seek out any songs that online releases cut out from the original vinyl release. If you're tech savvy enough, downloads of the vinyl exist online, and I say provide the only genuine, full-album experience that the Minutemen were hoping to provide here. Just my two cents. Great album.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Genre: Afrobeat
4/5
In one of the best live albums I've listened to in quite some time, from an artist (Fela Kuti) I was unfamiliar with, featuring a drummer (Ginger Baker) who I'm rather familiar with, Fela Kuti's Live! is a recording that perfectly encapsulates the concept of Afrobeat. Born from African rhythms and jazz-funk, Afrobeat, essentially founded by Fela Kuti, is a genre rife with driving rhythms and neat, technical instrumentation. It comes together in a truly beautiful way, and all of the tracks here do something to excite you and challenge you. Ginger Baker, who shows up for the 2nd half of the album, delivers a muted, respectable, appropriate performance throughout, never becoming the highlight of the show, helping to make the feature feel genuine, and never gimmicky.
My personal favorite, Ye Ye De Smell, the track which introduces our good friend Ginger, does a great job of showing us exactly who he is. Once the full band drops out, Ginger and Africa '70 drummer Tony Allen let loose, unleashing a tremendous duo drum solo that fits perfectly in the middle of the fine performance. Black Man's Cry features a cathartic vocal performance from Fela Kuti, and only goes to highlight how little some things have changed. Overall, Kuti serves as a miraculous bandleader, keeping tone and tempo consistent on his Hammond organ, and utilizing his players to the best of their abilities. Great sax solos throughout, smart and constantly altering arrangements as the songs play along, and a real passion and energy felt through the entire show. Solid, rewarding listen.
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Genre: Pop Rock
2/5
In what was supposedly a return to form, as well as a triumphant return to pop stardom, Bonnie Raitt's Nick of Time is certainly an album of music that makes noise. Assumedly picked for this book because of its chart-topping success and long list of accolades and nominations, Nick of Time does absolutely nothing new for the genre and almost absolutely nothing for me. Its overall blandess is too hard to ignore, but it has a charm to it that's also hard to ignore, and hard to fault the album for.
From its title track and intro straight through to the end, we're gifted with just over 40 minutes of a lot of the same sounds, themes, and instrumentation. Well-produced and arranged, though, filling the mix with all of the bland textures they could possibly find, culminating in a very by-the-book, easy-to-listen-to rock album. Bonnie Raitt's vocals are just fine too, neither adding or detracting from the overall experience, but all together this album just doesn't do very much at all. Totally inoffensive, and very sweet and innocent, but non-essential.
3/5
Genre: Proto-Punk
3/5
Another decent live album from this list, MC5's Kick Out the Jams is a pretty interesting glimpse into what would end up becoming quite a mainstream rock movement: lefty punk/hard rock. Equal parts political, equal parts noise rock, this thing is a trip. The late 60s birthed plenty of good, plenty of bad, and also plenty of ugly. This particular live album does a great job of highlighting all three, although not all in the same quantities.
The boisterous, rebellious intro, outlining the radical left positions of the day (don't let the man get you down, etc.), sound a bit dated and a little forced, considering these positions weren't necessarily held by them until they were taken under the wing of White Panther, and political provocateur, John Sinclair. The songs themselves are certainly portals into the future, showcasing a raw, heavy sound that wouldn't be mainstreamed for at least another decade or more, but in its infancy it sounds a bit too chaotic. The title track is a fucking jam, but the rest of the tracks pale in comparison, and beyond the occasional political interjection, the rest of the album kind of just sounds like a heavy rock record. While I can see the place this album holds in the history and progression of punk and garage rock, I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would. But not bad.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Genre: Vocal Jazz
4/5
Nobody can do it quite like Ella. In what is essentially a 3-hour onslaught, Ella Fitzgerald flexes her vocal muscles on 46 different standards, all composed by the late great Gershwin brothers (George and Ira), and manages to stay entertaining throughout the entire length of the album. Themes of romance and passion flirt with themes of floor dancing and music-loving, as us listeners embark on a near-completete look into the Gershwin catalogue, beautifully performed by the backing bands at hand, as well as the incomporable Ella.
While there aren't any true standouts or knockout punches, the entire setlist unfolds in front of us with true orchestral perfection. Ella's mezzo-soprano takes us on emotional journeys on nearly every cut here in a full showcase of vocal prowess. It's quite hard to imagine perfectly performing this many songs, vocally or instrumentally, but they all do the damn thing. No studio manipulation, just raw musicality, and it's pretty impressive considering the length of the final product just how entertaining it all is. This might not be an album you listen to front-to-back, but, personally, any of these tunes fit perfectly on any calm, relaxing evening in. Ella's voice effortlessly carries you away as you listen, providing you a brief glimpse into a bygone era, while also providing listeners a top-notch auditory experience. Good shit.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Genre: ECM Style Jazz
3/5
The Köln Concert, a 60+ minute improvised solo performance, performed by a damn good pianist in Keith Jarrett, is pretty good. It also holds the distinction of being the highest-selling album in its field: solo jazz, as well as the best-selling piano album ever. Widely renowned, and loved by many both in and out of the genre, it has enjoyed a cult status unlike any other jazz album preceding or following it. Released by ECM Records, a label known for mainstreaming the jazz sounds of the time, it fit perfectly amongst a wide variety of releases that the general populace were beginning to enjoy. For my tastes, though, this is an album where I can 1. note how genuinely tremendous the playing is here, and how amazing it is to consider that it's all improvised, and 2. say that I enjoyed it just fine.
Ranging from near-pop vamps to smooth jazz piano licks, the entire performance spans the emotional strata, and features some interesting artifacts in the mix, including deep breaths in and out, acoustic foot tapping, and brief moans as Keith starts to really dig his own improv work. Playing on a piano in the middle of a German concert hall, it's impressive to hear the quality of performance that it is, but most of that is clearly studio manipulated reverb. No puny concert hall in Germany is that echoey. Overall, this is an album that I don't think I'll necessarily revisit, but one that I think will REALLY hit some other jazz folks well. Good listen.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Genre: New Wave
3/5
One of the happiest sounding records I've listened to from this book in quite some time, the Go-Go's Beauty and the Beat kicks some lady ass, and features one of the most iconic songs of the entire decade: We Got the Beat. A new wave classic, We Got the Beat has transcended age and culture, and has stood the test of time as a true icon in the music world. With its driving rhythm and surf-style guitars, its energy is infectious and its melody is catchy as hell.
The rest of the album is just as cute and adorable, but never goes beyond mild enjoyment. Our Lips Are Sealed, the album's opener, is a great little rock track that does a good job of kicking off the album, but unfortunately there aren't very many memorable cuts on the rest of the tracklist. A very easy listen, though, and an album that should be rewarding to any 80's heads out there. Decent.
Merle Haggard
3/5
Genre: Bakersfield Sound
3/5
Merle Haggard, one of the forerunners of what has now become known as Bakersfield Sound (country music featuring heavier emphasis on electric instrumentation rather than acoustic) alongside contemporaries like Buck Owens, Dwight Yoakam, and Waylon Jennings, is one of music's all-time legends. He's written some of Country's most memorable songs, but on this venture here, featuring the talents of the backing band The Strangers, it unfortunately never quite hits that big rock button that I was hoping it would.
Throughout the runtime, we're gifted with low-tempo rockabilly ballads mixed with low-energy country rock cuts that blurs the line between music and background music. Well-arranged and softly produced, it isn't offensive to the ears, actually quite pleasant to listen to, especially the title track and opener, I'm a Lonesome Fugitive. Unfortunately for me, the rest of the album plays out like generic country rock. Merle's got a great voice, and Glen Campbell rips a couple great guitar licks in this, but it's fairly tepid as it plays along. Decent, and I'm sure those country fans out there love it, but I'll stick to the heavier stuff.
Funkadelic
3/5
Genre: P-Funk
3/5
One of the most highly regarded P-Funk albums ever released, Funkadelic's tenth studio effort, One Nation Under a Groove, is an hour-long funk rock experience that very effectively highlights the talents of the players, but overall isn't as entertaining and as lively as I was expecting. The album ranges from straight funk to more psychedelic/prog arenas, but in both ventures they seem to be missing a certain element, at least for me. I was expecting a lot more uptempo tracks mixed in with the more groove-oriented, laidback tracks, but it was mostly pretty laidback song-to-song.
The title and intro is a great little song, with a very catchy chorus and vocal line, but the tracklist continues afterwards at a pretty tepid pace. Groovallegiance and Who Says a Funk Band... are both decent-sounding, well-played tracks, but need a little bit of a kick in the ass. P.E. Squad is one of the goofiest tracks I've listened to so far in this book, and sounds like a Zappa B-side that he threw away because it was a little too goofy, even for him. The live EP is a decent bonus, but even those live cuts are missing something. These guys can play, and it's a good time that I'm sure is quite enjoyable to some, but this almost had the feel of a pop reggae record. It had a certain background music quality to it that left me wanting a lot more, unfortunately. But not bad.
Laibach
3/5
Genre: Martial Industrial
3/5
Part-political satire, part-industrial metal, Laibach's Opus Dei is a true standout amongst the rest of the albums here, sticking out like a sore thumb both thematically and sonically. With sort of a proto-Rammstein feel, Laibach mixes straight metal with heavy, tinny instrumentation, and fuses it all together with their own unique anti-fascist politics cloaked in pro-fascist rhetoric. The music, described as Martial Industrial, sounds like the sort of music armies may march to in the battlefield, or sing alongside their compatriots in reverence of their glorious leader. It's certainly different, and sometimes it pays off, while other times it all sounds a bit too similar.
Leben heißt Leben, a cover of Opus' Live Is Life, is the perfect opener for an album like this. Loud, semi-classical synth pads mingle with sludging guitars and pounding percussion, eventually giving way to a tremendous guitar solo, hitting an emotional, musical peak that they unfortunately don't hit again in the rest of the album. Geburt einer Nation (Birth of a Nation), their cover of Queen's One Vision, is an interesting take on the pop rock classic, but retreads a lot of the ground covered by the intro. A lot of the songs here do end up meshing together into a sort of dirge of guitars and metallic production. It's all nice and loud, with plenty of energy, but a little too one note for my liking. A really interesting listen, though, and something that I at least would consider essential for anybody who is a fan of Rammstein or any form on Industrial Rock/Metal, European or otherwise.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Genre: Soul
3/5
A soul-filled soundtrack for the most famous Blaxploitation film ever made, Isaac Hayes' Shaft is a well-produced and well-manicured film soundtrack. Shaft, our movie's protagonist, is gifted with one of the most iconic movie themes of all time, and the soundtrack album that follows fits perfectly as the kind of background music a film like that should have. Unfortunately for the listener, what we're left with is a couple of really great funk classics (Theme from Shaft, Do Your Thing), and a whole lot of transitional pieces that come across as soulful elevator music.
Once the theme is over, the rest of the album is mostly instrumental pieces dedicated to scenes or transitions in the movie. These tracks obviously are perfect as background music for the film, but don't play out in much of an entertaining way as an album. With not many vocals to fill the space, these tracks kind of plod along, not in any way that would make it very exciting to listen to unless you're a big fan of the movie, or a huge fan of the genre. Overall, Isaac Hayes is the fucking man, and deserves credit for some wonderful songs, but this album as a whole isn't something I'd feel like popping on and listening to front-to-back very often. Decent, though.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Genre: Country
3/5
An exercise in bland, Emmylou Harris' Pieces of the Sky is certainly a country album. Full of very little surprises and rife with the usual substance, this album plays like your downtown neighborhood fair might play out. In all seriousness, this isn't a bad album by any measure, and it's quite easy to listen to, but its distinct lack of spice leaves this project falling short for most of its runtime.
Bluebird Wine, the album's twangy opener, is a great way to start the album off, but that's the big highlight of the tracklist unfortunately. An album mostly filled with covers, it was nice to hear some interesting takes on some old tunes. The Beatles even make an appearance, as Emmylou covers Paul's For No One, a great track from Revolver, and it's recreated quite gracefully here. Overall, this is an inoffensive album with light production and decent vocals from our leading lady, but not much in the way of exciting material. Quite milquetoast.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Genre: New Wave
3/5
In what was probably my favorite Elvis Costello experience so far (not saying much, but it's the truth), My Aim Is True, his debut effort, is a pretty straightforward new wave/pub rock experience. A lot of his early rock influences creep in here, and his voice is dialed down quite a bit than later albums, with a lot of the songs sounding more like 70s post-Buddy Holly than his 80s Costello tracks. What transpires is quite a run-of-the-mill pop rock experience, but it ends up being way more enjoyable than most other Costello albums due to classy, smooth production and its pared back attitude.
The album's opener, the quick and punchy Welcome to the Working Week, is such a great opener that you're upset to find that it's less than a minute and a half, as the album launches into Miracle Man before we get a chance to even acknowledge how good it was. Songs like the rock & roll cut Mystery Dance, or the soft soul cut Alison, provide us with some sonic variety, but not enough to keep this album from sounding like one big continuous New Wave song. Decent, though, and a lot more enjoyable than I was expecting or hoping.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Genre: Noise Rock
3/5
A first for me: a record so loud and intense that I had to take a break halfway through. I listen to music at a louder volume than most, and this was the first album in a while where the noise levels reached a capacity that was just too much for me to take. Kind of wild, all things considered. I listen to a lot of shit, so this was quite the experience. Dinosaur Jr.'s You're Living All Over Me, an experiment in raw, dissonant, and abrasive rock, rides the sonic line between beautiful and nauseating. Alt rock melodies become overtaken by monstrous, powerful rips, sending shrieks and whines up and down the mix, providing a listening experience that is quite unique.
The sonic aggressiveness that is this album is hard to anticipate, and sometimes becomes overbearing as the songs progress. Tracks like Tarpit become near inaudible behind guitar squeals and screeches, this album's version of an instrumental break. The first 4 songs, essentially the A-side, is a total barrage of noise, and proves quite overwhelming at times. While I give it props for making me feel a way I don't normally feel while listening to music, I don't necessarily know if it's a feeling I'd like to replicate. I can see why this is such a hit for some people, there are a lot of folks out there who obsess over this sort of near-avant rock, but this is an album I don't think I can listen to very often. A very interesting project overall, and one that feels more essential it sounds, but take heed.
Ice Cube
3/5
Genre: West Coast Hip Hop
3/5
An angry, aggressive, politically pointed hip hop record, Ice Cube's The Predator serves more as a tremendous time capsule than it does a great hip hop album. Falling into the same usual pitfalls that the genre would generally fall into at the time (anti-semitism under the guise of anti-americanism, misogyny, homophobia), but with none of the charm or musical excess that makes albums like The Chronic or Ready to Die work out. This is very in-your-face, and truly holds nothing back, but the album never takes the time to embellish on these themes in any sort of constructive way.
In the highly politically violent times that this was gestated in, released just a few months after the Rodney King riots occurred in Ice Cube's hometown of LA, it's not surprising that there's a lot of anger throughout the album. The lyrics often jump around innuendo and poetry, and hit right at the core of the issues without the pussyfooting. It Was a Good Day, one of hip hop's best tracks of the decade, is one of the few moments on the album where Ice Cube takes a step back, and he provides us with smooth production and introspective lyrics, something the album should've done a bit more of. Overall though, while I can empathize with the feelings felt throughout this listen, the overall sonic brutality sort of muddled the whole thing for me. Not bad, but not great.
Steely Dan
4/5
Genre: Pop Rock
4/5
An album that borrows a lot from a band that they'd lose their lead guitarist to after this album (The Doobie Brothers), Pretzel Logic is a pop/yacht rock gem that still sounds as fresh and genuine today as it probably did back then. The album has a mellow, melodic throughline, but Walter Becker and Donald Fagen's songwriting choices have the same general cheekiness and humor that one comes to expect from a Steely Dan project, and it provides a level of sonic variety that gives this album a nice, unexpected freshness. Leading off with Rikki Don't Lose That Number, a slickly produced, pop rock classic (that still receives airtime today), Steely Dan lets their listeners know that there won't be as much jazz/prog influence on this one, and a lot more pop rock flair.
The manicured, detailed pop production doesn't stop with the intro. The next two tracks, Night by Night and Any Major Dude... are two wonderful yacht rock essentials, rife with neat, tidy vocal harmonies and solid arrangements. The rest of the tracklist moves along at a decent clip, about 3-4 minutes per track, not giving the listener any time to get too comfortable as sonic palettes change nearly every track. From near-Dixieland on East St. Louis..., to piano rock stylings on Charlie Freak, to nifty blues jams on the title track, this album never bores and continuously enchants. Quite an impressive listen, and casually one of the best in the book, while sounding as light and fluffy as any generic pop record may sound like. Steely Dan rules. Great shit.
Genesis
4/5
Genre: Progressive Rock
4/5
A prog rock record I had yet to get around to, Genesis' Selling England by the Pound is just as good as any of the prog records which may have surrounded it on the shelves at the time. Yes' Fragile, King Crimson's Larks' Tongues in Aspic, and Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon were all just released, giving listeners plenty of new material to keep them happy, but Genesis' epic entry into the genre was just around the corner, featuring plenty of elements familiar to prog fans, but with a melodic, symphonic focus not omnipresent in the genre.
While Dancing with the Moonlight Knight and Firth of Fifth are the two tracks most widely known from this record, and while both are great prog journeys in their own right, The Cinema Show, the epic on the B-side, is one of the best prog epics of the decade. The track beautifully blends its symphonic elements, its folk elements, and its heavier rock elements with ease, even finding space for some really solid jamming, culminating in one of my favorite prog tracks of the decade. The rest of the album is rife with the sorts of material that would make any prog devotee happy, from the medieval and quaint, to the driving and complex. Really solid album that I'm sure will reward repeat listens.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Genre: Sophisti-Pop
3/5
Donald Fagen's post-lounge epic The Nightfly, one of the first fully digitally recorded albums ever, is a perfectionist's wet dream. Sophisti-Pop, essentially a snootier take on Jazz Pop and Pop Soul, is the perfect lane for a guy like Donald Fagen to find a niche in. His earlier forays with Steely Dan had the same markings of perfectionism, but this album here doesn't have a single click out of place. Its crunchy, dissonant chord progressions, its aggressive use of double- or triple-tracking vocals, and its penchant for full, heavy arrangements, make this an interesting listen. Unfortunately, it sits in the same sonic drivers' seat for the entire project, and doesn't step outside of its neatly constructed comfort zone at all.
The strenuous effort which was poured into the record is not lost. Hours of overdubbing and mixing are quite evident in the final product. The album sounds great, mixed and engineered flawlessly by the ex-Steely Dan-ites, but it doesn't make the music itself that much more interesting. Songs like I.G.Y. and the title track are both decent examples of what the genre is capable of, but is dripping in too much of itself, never becoming an engaging experience and only sounding of how proud of itself it is. The layers are each so thick and produced that it almost serves better as an example of what good production can sound like in a digital setting, but never quite reaches the "very-enjoyable album" mark. Incredibly slick, and annoyingly so, but not very exciting. Should interest those who are looking for what it sounds like to be this far up your own ass.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Genre: Folk Pop
4/5
I received and listened to this album very soon after I received and listened to Joni Mitchell's Blue, an album held in such high regard, some even saying it's the greatest female album ever, that I was surprised by how lackluster I found it to be. Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark is a much different experience, a much peppier, happier experience, and more pop-focused, with songs full of lush production and catchy, 70s-style melodies. In my opinion, this is a much better experience, and contains a much more diverse sonic palette.
Ranging from straight folk to near-yacht rock at times, Joni puts her writing prowess to work, crafting some really great tunes. The 4-song run to start the album off is a tremendous folk pop playlist, featuring the same sort of laidback arrangements that made her a household name in the first place. However, it's the second half that proves to be more exciting, with Steely Dan vibes on Car on a Hill, to post-Ella Fitzgerald vocal jazz on Twisted, Joni Mitchell stretches all of her songwriting muscles here, filling in the rest of the tracklist nicely. Personally, I enjoyed this far more than I did Blue. Court and Spark's pop-forward sound works very well here, and is an album I'll certainly revisit later.
Van Halen
4/5
Genre: Hard Rock
4/5
Van Halen's rip-snortin', ball-grabbin', guitar-squealin' self-titled debut album is a damn good rock album. One of the best-selling albums of all time, and featuring some of the genre's most popular singles, Van Halen started off their career with a mighty bang. From David Lee Roth's screams and shouts to Eddie Van Halen's shreds and guitar squeaks, which single-handedly birthed an entire generation of shred guitarists, Van Halen had a little of everything to offer in their debut offering, and it still sits as an icon of the times.
The entire A Side is an absolute torrent of rock. From their tremendous hit single Runnin' with the Devil, to the shred-tastic introduction to Eddie Van Halen on Eruption, to their well-known and well-arranged cover of the Kinks' You Really Got Me, and all the way down. With boy band-style 3-part harmonies, love-themed lyrics, and big, beautiful, singalong choruses, the hard pop rock crossover sound was very succesful. The B Side isn't as much of a firebrand, but tracks like Jamie's Cryin' and Little Dreamer are there to keep it movin' and groovin'. Really great rock record, and one that will continue to stand the test of time. Love these guys.
Can
4/5
Genre: Krautrock
4/5
It's 1971. Prog rock and art rock groups are pushing the envelope as far as it can go in terms of experimentation, and what we as listeners would consider standard song structures. When Can came on the scene, the true pioneers of Krautrock, the European-led music movement, heads were swiveled. Their unique take on rock and roll, articulately blending experimental rock with hints of psych, avant-garde, and even early tinges of proto-punk, catapulted Krautrock to mainstream ears. Tago Mago, Can's second album (but the first to feature Japanese vocalist Damo Suzuki), is a double LP that shocks and awes all throughout its runtime. A 75-minute record in the early 70s, especially for a Krautrock outfit, is something that was generally reserved for the big ticket sellers, but United Artists took their chance and won big.
Recorded in a castle in Cologne, Germany, Can went to work jamming and improvising, and cutting their sessions together into more complete song ideas. Czukay, the group's bassist, also functioned as their engineer, and took full advantage of the acoustic environment that the castle grounds provided. The recordings were then grouped into two discs, one disc more rock-oriented, and the second disc more focused on sound collages and musique concrète. Paperhouse, the album's psych rock intro, is one of the band's best cuts, with touches of acid and funk rock, fully utilizing the full band's potential. The rest of the first disc is classic, and a really interesting look at the infancy of experimental rock, forging many paths for many musicians to follow. The second disc is heavy on the soft, with passages of free time music, mixed with ambient sounds and studio clips. It's very interesting to hear some of the ideas presented here, but the state it's in, the music doesn't lend itself to enjoyable repeat listens, as it's a bit more difficult to get around. Overall though, Can crushed it here. The passion for experimentation is felt in spades, and for the most part, this album is a trip worth taking.
Ride
4/5
Genre: Shoegaze
4/5
Shoegaze, a genre defined by its part-noise rock/part-dream pop alignments, is not a genre I often venture towards. As much as I enjoy rock music, the more loud, distorted, reverb-heavy records of the 80s-90s are very hit-or-miss for me, and it took this album coming up in my random daily album for me to finally fully take the dive. I've tried Loveless before, My Bloody Valentine's famous LP, and Shoegaze's crown jewel (as well as one of the best albums ever made, according to critics and listeners), and I found it droning and incessant, and not in a good way. While I'll patiently await Loveless's turn on my docket, Ride's Nowhere was quite the pleasant surprise for me!
The album overall had a similar noise factor, but was also paired with a more noise pop-oriented approach, not giving into the truly aggressive sonic side of the genre, and it pays off big time. With more focus on structure and journey rather than density and loudness, Ride concocted something both accessible and challenging. The intro, Seagull, with gentle touches of jangle pop and space rock, is a prefect start to the record, and the album proceeds cautiously yet ambitously, with the first half of the album wrapping up with the dreamy and heavy Dreams Burn Down. To round out the album's second half (before the CD bonus tracks start that is), Vapour Trail is a real triumph. The track builds itself up beautifully, almost hitting the same sort of emotional high one would anticpate on a Cocteau Twins record. A really great listen, and one that I will enjoy revisiting at a later date. Real solid record.