Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
364
Albums Rated
2.93
Avg Rating
5
5-Star Albums
33%
Complete
725 albums remaining
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1.9
Per Week
1350
Days Active
Reviews
362
Written
99%
Review Rate
vs Global
-0.32
Avg Diff
2.93
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Which era do you prefer?
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When do you listen?
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1970s
Favorite Decade
Britpop
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other
Top Origin
Harsh
Rater Style
4
1-Star Albums
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Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Born In The U.S.A. | 5 | 3.7 | +1.3 |
| Atomizer | 4 | 2.72 | +1.28 |
| At San Quentin | 5 | 3.81 | +1.19 |
| Harvest | 5 | 3.83 | +1.17 |
| Want Two | 4 | 2.84 | +1.16 |
| 69 Love Songs | 4 | 2.85 | +1.15 |
| The Stranger | 5 | 3.86 | +1.14 |
| Headquarters | 4 | 2.87 | +1.13 |
| Gris Gris | 4 | 2.88 | +1.12 |
| American IV: The Man Comes Around | 5 | 3.9 | +1.1 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Chronic | 1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
| Kid A | 2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
| Dummy | 2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
| Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness | 2 | 3.68 | -1.68 |
| Buena Vista Social Club | 2 | 3.66 | -1.66 |
| Wild Is The Wind | 2 | 3.64 | -1.64 |
| Hard Again | 2 | 3.62 | -1.62 |
| In A Silent Way | 2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
| People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm | 2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
| Machine Head | 2 | 3.59 | -1.59 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 4.67 | 3.83 |
5-Star Albums (5)
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Popular Reviews
Adele
3/5
Well, this certainly is an album containing music.
People who are capable of an intense emotional reaction to Adele mystify me. It's like being a connoisseur of porridge.
64 likes
Thundercat
2/5
My man if you're going to hit me with 23 tracks you really need something a bit more interesting going on.
17 likes
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
In historical context this album is very important for electro and hip-hop, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's still interesting to actually listen to today. One of the problems of being the genre-definer is that once everything you do has been imitated, you end up looking pretty generic. A higher rating for significance, but for my personal enjoyment I can't go above a 2.
9 likes
Madonna
2/5
Kind of disappointing. Starts strong but after 'Express Yourself' the individual tracks start to congeal into one amorphous and fairly uninteresting sound. There's a lot of praise for 'Love Song' but to be honest, once you've heard the first 30 seconds you've heard the entire song. 'Cherish' has a bit of energy to it which helps perk up the ears but then it's back to the mush. The closer, 'Act of Contrition' isn't, well, good...but it is at least a bit interesting, so that's something I suppose.
5 likes
Sonic Youth
2/5
Sonic Youth looks set to be another band I just don't get the hype for. Maybe a few relistens would improve my outlook but nothing about this album was interesting to me.
Also, if your fourteen track album has FOUR seven minute tracks then you need to start cutting.
5 likes
4-Star Albums (86)
1-Star Albums (4)
All Ratings
Steely Dan
4/5
Decently listenable but occasionally lost my interest. Favourite songs: Dirty Work & Change of the Guard
Television
3/5
At it's best, a decent bit of 70s rock. At it's worst, completely forgettable background music. They didn't do themselves any favours by starting with the two most generic tracks on the album. Definitely picks up after the title track but never really amazing.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Dr. Dre
1/5
Uninteresting musically, basically just simple beats repeated. Colourful language aside, the lyrics aren't particularly engaging either. More than anything, just somewhat boring?
The Jam
4/5
Not groundbreaking but some decent tunes. Pretty Green is a great little bop to end the album
Johnny Cash
5/5
Johnny Cash and live recordings are two things I've never really listened to much before, but I think I might be changing that. An all-round great album. You can really feel the humanity of it.
Cypress Hill
3/5
This is the funky Cypress Hill shit.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Great album, the first one from my run that I'm adding to my regular listening collection. Good to finally listen to some Springsteen - I'm a big Killers fan and their lead never shuts up about how much he loves Bruce.
Best Songs: I'm On Fire, No Surrender, I'm Goin' Down, Dancing in the Dark
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Solid and I can see the quality but not really my thing to be honest. I enjoyed The Bottle and H2Ogate Blues but a lot of this album just washed over me without leaving an impression.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I really feel like I should be rating this higher, but the enjoyment just isn't there. Can I appreciate this album's importance? Yeah, sure. Do I see the technical skill, creativity, and musical ability that went into it? Of course. Do I actually want to listen to it again? Wild Horses yeah, but probably not the rest.
Living Colour
4/5
This was a solid, fun to listen to album. Like probably a lot of people, I'd heard 'Cult of Personality' before but nothing else by these guys. A pleasant surprise to discover that the rest of the album holds up to that standard!
Suzanne Vega
4/5
I think the only Vega I've ever heard before is 'Tom's Diner' so this was a great chance to broaden my horizons a bit. Musically straightforward but remains gripping through a combination of perfectly-pitched vocals and hynotic, poetic lyrics. 'The Queen and The Soldier' was the album highlight for me.
Madonna
2/5
Kind of disappointing. Starts strong but after 'Express Yourself' the individual tracks start to congeal into one amorphous and fairly uninteresting sound. There's a lot of praise for 'Love Song' but to be honest, once you've heard the first 30 seconds you've heard the entire song. 'Cherish' has a bit of energy to it which helps perk up the ears but then it's back to the mush. The closer, 'Act of Contrition' isn't, well, good...but it is at least a bit interesting, so that's something I suppose.
Foo Fighters
2/5
It was fine I guess? Surprisingly bland for the debut album of such a massively succesful band. Not terrible, but really all blended together into one mush.
Paul Simon
4/5
Really pretty fun to listen to. Wavered between a four and a five on this but it's just not quite got enough pull to it to make me want to listen to it again and again.
Brian Eno
2/5
I don't get Brian Eno, and I don't think I ever will. He makes some nice soundscapes but they are, fundamentally, broing to listen to. High quality background music for sure but I don't think that's really a compliment. Jezebel was a nice track in that it actually had something to attach to, but the rest is just...there.
3/5
Man, I do like a bit of Loretta. It's not high art but it's solid country for singing along to and some tracks are genuinely great.
Nick Drake
4/5
I listened to the first half of this album and it was really not doing anything for me. Put it down, came back later to the second half and it was great. Is it an album of two halves, or did I just need to wake up a bit more before listening?
On a second listen, I still think the second half is stronger but its definitely a great album throughout
Napalm Death
2/5
Better than I was expecting? Definitely not my cup of tea but I did find my head nodding along in time at a few points. Side A is definitely more my speed, feels like just very heavy punk rock/metal, whereas Side B leans more into the noise and deliberately low audio quality. I don't think, by any means, I'll be seeking out any more Napalm Death to listen to. But I think there was something these guys were trying to do and they achieved it, even if that thing isn't something I like.
OutKast
3/5
Ups and downs throughout.
Lyrically its a bit hit and miss - the singles are all pretty good, as are the few songs which give the artists room to show vulnerability. When it's about a desired or despised woman though, the lyrics can get pretty lowbrow - and in an uncomfortable way, not a fun way. When its good though, it gets almost wholesome, which is not a word I expected to be applying.
Musically its much more consistent, solid beats and catchy tunes almost all the way through, which is saying something for a ~2 hour long double album. Very impressive also how the two halves feel distinct, but cohesive - no doubt a much harder balance to strike than they make it look.
This still isn't really my kind of music but I can't deny that its very well put together.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
A tentative 4, I enjoyed it while listening but this one needs revisiting I think.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
2/5
I don't want to be that guy but literally all salsa sounds the same.
Jane Weaver
2/5
Thoroughly okay, from start to finish. Not really sure why an album like this deserves a place on the list in the first place.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Favourite Tracks: Turn to Stone, Jungle, Sweet is the Night, Mr Blue Sky, Wild West Hero
I think I would have enjoyed this more listening to an odd song here or there over a few weeks. None strike me as particularly bad, but apart from a few standouts a lot of the album blends together into an amorphous blob of spacey guitars.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Defrinitiely a bit more going on than Songs Of Love And Hate, the last Cohen album I tried. I still don't think Lenny's ever going to be a favourite of mine, but at least here there's some actual music to accompany the poetry.
Cream
3/5
I think it was pretty good, but it kinda fell out of my memory after I listened? Maybe one to come back to but it didn't have the sticking power I expected.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Dated as hell but still a lot of fun.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
It's not bad but there is no way I could possibly take this seriously.
The Band
3/5
Pretty solid, I liked the Weight but nothing else really stood out to me
Tom Waits
3/5
Pretty decent but the title track is the best one by far, which ends up underselling the rest of the album.
3/5
I feel like I was meant to love this but I found it just okay. I can't explain it, but it felt somewhat smug to me?
I didn't love it but I think I just need a break from 60s-80s rock at this point.
Dr. John
4/5
Interesting stuff, not something I would have ever listened to outside of this.
New Order
4/5
Good stuff
Slipknot
3/5
Actually a lot better than I was expecting. Not high art by any means but perfectly listenable and or two actually decent tunes. Don't think I'll be coming back to Slipknot but my opinion of them has definitely improved.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
I'm surprised how negative the reviews of this album seem to be - it's pretty solid from start to finish, almost every track got me bopping along and there's enough lyrical depth to be worth paying attention without going full Cohen-level poetic nonsense.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
An all-round decent album if notone I'm likely to come back to.
Happy Mondays
4/5
I was thinking that this album was all around solid but lancking any stand-out tracks. Then Step On came on and I upgraded this to a 4 star.
Depeche Mode
2/5
The whole of the album proper is basically just very dull samey synth-guff. Funnily enough some of the bonus tracks on the deluxe/expanded editions are much better: Route 66 is actually fun and Agent Orange is weird but kinda great background music? Still can't really rate the album as a whole though.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
Strong start and end but the whole middle of the album is really just not made for a listening experience. Maybe in a club its more enjoyable, but as music to sit and listen to its just not fun.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
There's a little bit of nice ambience on here, but it wasn't worth an hour and a quarter of my listening time to get to.
Bob Dylan
4/5
24.02.22 was one hell of a day to get an album with "Masters of War" and "Talkin' World War III Blues"
Justice
3/5
EDM will never be my genre and most of this washed right over me, but D.A.N.C.E. is an absolute banger and the album was worth listening to just for that one track.
Ray Price
2/5
Thoroughly okay
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Not bad but very of its time
N.W.A.
2/5
Between this and The Chronic I feel like I've given gangsta rap a fair shake and it just does nothing for me. Dull music, unpleasant lyrics, what's the point?
Express Yourself has a good tune though.
The Stooges
3/5
1969 has a surprisingly modern sound but most of it washed over me without much impact.
Burning Spear
3/5
Outside my usual sphere but pretty good
k.d. lang
3/5
Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought k.d.lang was a soundcloud rapper.
Radiohead
3/5
Radiohead remains one of those bands where I can see the talent but just cannot bring myself to care.
The Black Crowes
3/5
Music for a sad middleaged man drinking bud light in a sports bar
Buena Vista Social Club
2/5
It's fine, I guess
Sonic Youth
2/5
Sonic Youth looks set to be another band I just don't get the hype for. Maybe a few relistens would improve my outlook but nothing about this album was interesting to me.
Also, if your fourteen track album has FOUR seven minute tracks then you need to start cutting.
Arcade Fire
4/5
Most of my listening experience swung between "hey, not bad" and "actually this is pretty good". Then Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) came on and completely blew me away. An absolutely phenomenal piece of music which really elevates the album as a whole.
ZZ Top
2/5
I have already forgotten everything that wasn't Sharp Dressed Man
Deep Purple
2/5
Kinda sick of this type of music by now tbh
Beastie Boys
3/5
Musically decent but their vocal style really grates after a while.
Gotan Project
3/5
Perfectly good background music. I'd hardly call it an essential album though.
The Kinks
3/5
One to revisit I think
Public Enemy
3/5
I think probably the best hip-hop I've had on this so far. Still not my genre of choice, but very listenable
4/5
I have, (like everybody alive), heard Wonderwall way too many times in my life. Went in really wanting to smugly hate this album so I could be vindicated but Oasis are, unfortunately, actually quite good at making music. There's a couple of somewhat 'meh' tracks but at least half the album could have been singles. The album as a whole also feels shorter than it is which I think is a good thing - better to leave the listener wanting more than leave them wanting it over.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Aretha's a great singer but half the tracks are pretty simply put together which does detract from the engagement.
System Of A Down
2/5
Not really my cup of tea. Not bad as such but it didn't really engage me.
Gorillaz
3/5
Pretty good but I didn't get that much out of it to be honest
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
In historical context this album is very important for electro and hip-hop, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's still interesting to actually listen to today. One of the problems of being the genre-definer is that once everything you do has been imitated, you end up looking pretty generic. A higher rating for significance, but for my personal enjoyment I can't go above a 2.
Radiohead
2/5
The album which convinced me I am not a Radiohead fan.
The Jam
3/5
Enjoyable but not sticking in my head much.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Very much not what I was expecting from the Beach Boys, as somebody who knows almost nothing about them. Excellent, though.
The La's
3/5
Fine, really. Nothing special and you can see why they were a one-hit wonder, but really not as bad as the reviews page would suggest. Probably shouldn't really be on this list but I'm rating by personal enjoyment so this one gets a passing grade for being completely okay.
Billie Holiday
2/5
Her voice is nice and all but the music is *really* dull. I walked away from my PC at one point and when I came back a couple of minutes later I genuinely had no idea whether it was the same song or the next one, that's how much they all sound the same
Johnny Cash
4/5
I mean it's Johnny Cash, you already know it's good. Hits many of the same notes as At San Quentin and here, as there, the atmosphere is as important as the music.
Digital Underground
2/5
It's an early 90s hiphop concept album about magic sex pills. It's not boring for sure, but did you really think it would be good?
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Pleasantly sung but not many of the songs are great material - I suppose the problem of an album full of covers. If there's any more Emmylou on this list I hope it features more of her own work.
David Bowie
4/5
A classic, obviously
Small Faces
3/5
Not bad but nothing special and I'm unclear why it's on this list
Public Enemy
2/5
It's eighties hip-hop, you can imagine the sound of the whole album just from that descriptor.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Outside my usual preferences but pretty decent. As Yet Untitled makes a better closer than the actual last track.
ABBA
4/5
You have to love a bit of ABBA. Make sure to listen to the deluxe/extended version, the extra B-sides are actually some of the best material somehow.
Mj Cole
1/5
The toast sandwich of music
Billy Joel
5/5
7/9 tracks are unmistakeably brilliant, only the last couple falling off a bit. Still an easy 5 for me, just can't believe I've gone so long without listening to this.
Billy Bragg
3/5
I'm sure this is the kind of album that's a great discovery for fans of Bragg, Guthrie or Wilco (and a dream come true for anyone who's a fan of all three), but as the first album I've listened to by any of them it was probably not the best starting point. Good music I guess, but it didn't blow me away.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Some middle-of-the-road hiphop that does at least lean more into the "Fun Lovin'" than the "Criminals", which I think is to its credit.
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
Eeehhhhh. Absolutely run-of-the-mill psych rock. I don't remember a single thing about it.
Aerosmith
3/5
Fine while I was listening but not a lot of staying power. Perhaps one of those "you had to be there" albums.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
It's weird, the more bruce I listen to the less excited I am for it. Did I just listen to my favourite work of his first? I think in a broad sense I prefer my music a little more lively and bombastic and my vocals a bit less mumbled and slurred, so this is not the Bruce which most suits my tastes. A very tenuous 4 for now , with the expectation that this will grow on me with relistenings.
Animal Collective
3/5
Interesting stuff, a few catchy bits here and there but not overall something I'll come back to.
Motörhead
2/5
Christ they just keep going. How many times can you play the same song?
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I do like a bit of Joni. Kinda washed over me on the first listen but gave it another run through and there's some really good stuff here.
The Stooges
3/5
I get the feeling this might have a bit of the Seinfeld effect. Maybe it was very influential but to me right now it sounds generic as hell. Not bad, just aggressively standard.
Willie Nelson
3/5
I've not listened to Willie before and I'm not sure a cover album is the best starting point to be honest. Sure, he's a good singerss but so are plenty of people and the performances aren't absolutely out of this world. Without any original material to elevate it, the album can't really rise above "decent".
Beck
3/5
Doesn't include the one Beck song I know so that's definitely a mark against. Interesting genre-blending but doesn't ever quite coalesce into anything really catchy or memorable in my experience.
The Cars
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Pretty fun but I still wouldn't call myself a Stones fan. Songs about wanting to sleep with underage girls are also not a great look.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Not really my kind of thing but I liked it more than I was expecting. Definitely ran a bit long though.
Gang Starr
2/5
Not bad actually, the tunes are reasonably pleasant if a bit uninspiring
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I think my favourite stones so far. A low four, still not lighting my world on fire but definitely enjoyable and a couple of songs that will still sound good a hundred years from now.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
I think I enjoyed it but I honestly can't remember a single track, which isn't generally a great sign.
AC/DC
4/5
Damn, I thought I was kinda sick of cock rock by this point, but I guess the classics are (sometimes) classics for a reason. 10 tracks, all of them good, some of them brilliant, and none outstay their welcome.
Eric Clapton
3/5
One to revisit I think. Enjoyable but it's not stuck with me.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
Well thank god that's over.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Brilliant album, such a shame there were never any more.
Björk
3/5
Weird but good
Muddy Waters
3/5
It was pleasant enough but I don't think I could distinguish it from any other blues
Carpenters
4/5
Love a bit of Carpenters, it's cheesy and sugary but it's good!
Elastica
3/5
Decent enough but nothing really stands out. At least all of the songs are short?
Dolly Parton
4/5
Dolly is just great. The album I think does drop off a *little* as it goes on, a few more upbeat tunes in the vein of Travelling Man would have done wonders to keep up the energy. Still brilliant though.
Peter Frampton
2/5
Frampton seems to be very good at coming up with catchy hooks/riffs, and very bad at turning those into full interesting songs. That won't stop him trying for FOURTEEN BALL-ACHING MINUTES though!
Kanye West
4/5
Well, I guess I had to come across Kanye eventually. A lot of people love him, a lot of people hate hi, his general conduct explains the latter and to be fair I think this album showcases why the former is true. That's not to say I'm a Kanye convert - I wasn't expecting to be but I was somewhat hoping to have the epiphany that his fans seems to experience with his music. Certainly, I find this a *lot* more interesting musically than any of the other hip-hop or rap that I've tried off this list - the compositions are complex and varied and would actually be worth listening to even without a vocal track (which is not something I would say of the earlier albums I bounced off).
That said, I think I have to begrudgingly admit that I just don't enjoy rap as a vocal delivery style. For whatever reason, when lyrics shift into that spoken-rather-than-sung register, they just do not penetrate into my brain without serious conscious effort and I'm sorry but while TCD is lightyears ahead of something like The Chronic in terms of the depth and complexity of its lyrics, I just do not think that anything Kanye says is worth quite the endeavour.
I think I've also had more than enough of 'skits' on hiphop albums. Being funny or incisive in a song is one thing but it's harder to pull off when you don't have music supporting you and you're a musician, not a comedian or philosopher. The School Spirit skits were especially obnoxious, wasting way too much time on a very belaboured, and not very funny joke.
All that said I still think this is the best hiphop I've heard and it's not really even close, though my personal enjoyment of the genre (or lack thereof) puts a pretty hard ceiling on the score. I thought long and hard before clicking 3 or 4, but gave the singles another listen and the instrumentation won me over.
Pulp
3/5
Being a total normie, I've only listened to Different Class before, so I was expecting something that developed on that kind of base. Hardcore does retain the Pulp feeling but it's overall a lot less frenetic and poppy in its sound. Probably a matter of taste but I think it's a change for the worse - not bad, per se, but I listened through twice and none of the songs really stuck with me.
Supergrass
4/5
Started with that particular sound that is typical of the punkier side of Britpop and I groaned. Then it turned out that every song was the band doing something different, and new, and exciting and generally just really really good. Alright is an absolute classic single which probably doesn't represent the overall style too well but certainly showcases the quality on display.
2/5
Fucking hell Bob, hurry it up will you?
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
Y'know, I think there's only so much I can get out of this old-style jazz. I understand the importance and necessity of it as the groundwork for everything that comes after, but taken on its own it is just so much less interesting than 90% of stuff being made a few decades down the line. Maybe when I'm old the kids will be saying the same thing about modern music, but I can only judge what I enjoy here and now.
Thundercat
2/5
My man if you're going to hit me with 23 tracks you really need something a bit more interesting going on.
3/5
Fine while listening but no lasting impact.
Crowded House
3/5
Not bad but nothing that left much impression on me.
Otis Redding
3/5
I know I should be rating higher but honestly I've got a bit sick of the old blues and soul singers.
Fugees
3/5
Honestly didn't really do it for me. Some great vocals from Lauryn Hill but most of the tracks were just not engaging.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Well it was certainly something different. I can't imagine how anyone listening to this would consider it an essential "before you die" experience though.
Big Black
4/5
I'm not sure I'll remember much of this tomorrow but it's really good fun while you listen to it. I dare anyone to listen to Strange Things and not nod their head manically along to the beat.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Really interesting stuff, shocking that this is 55 years old and still sounds so fresh.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Well, its smooth long-form organ jazz and that's pretty much the album summed up. Excellent BGM but I can't imagine ever really feeling the urge to listen to this specifically over just typing "smooth jazz mix" into youtube.
Brian Eno
3/5
Much more listenable than my previous Eno but I still can't really get excited about it. Probably would make a great soundtrack to something.
Kanye West
3/5
I think I've cracked my issue with Kanye. He's clearly an extremely talented producer and so he has this ability to make ridiculously catchy, epic-sounding tunes. But he ultimately undercuts his own genius because the size of his ego will not let him recognise that his lyricism and vocals are really quite mediocre, by far the worst part of his work (cringe-inducing comedy skits aside). I swear to god, if you just look at things like the instrumentals on "Power" or the Rihanna half of "All of the Lights" this is a four-possibly-five-star album. But Kanye is Kanye, and Kanye needs to be the centre of attention. He's made his own masterpiece tangibly worse by his need for personal glory and more than anything, it's really disappointing.
Also that Chris Rock skit is fucking awful and it's extremely shitty that he tried to rip off Aphex Twin.
Nico
2/5
Christ, what a drag.
Oasis
3/5
Much, much less interesting than Morning Glory
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
I think I'll need to come back to this one.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Pretty generic but actually quite fun
Beatles
4/5
It's the Beatles, obviously
Bauhaus
2/5
Ehhhhh. Maybe it's better if you're in exactly the right headspace.
Taylor Swift
2/5
A whole album of the lulls that a good artist would put between the bangers.
Portishead
2/5
I won't pretend to be a trip-hop expert but this was really underwhelming. Bland background noise that all mushed together.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Y'know, it's not life-changing but it is pretty decent. A lighter, ozzier Smiths with a lot less baggage.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Nothing special
Fairport Convention
3/5
I've listened to this twice through and both times I enjoyed it but I still can't remember a single tune.
The Pogues
3/5
It's the guys who did that song! And they do that song! And some other songs too I guess! It's alright.
Blondie
4/5
Goddamn, I knew Blondie had a few bangers but I didn't know they were so densely packed onto this one album.
UB40
2/5
There's only so much reggae I can listen to before it begins to blur. This is more than that amount.
Frank Zappa
3/5
I mean, it's some good instrumentation, but it does feel incomplete to me without vocals. Guess I'm just too much of a pleb to get it.
Michael Jackson
3/5
I know this is sacrilege but after the first track I just wasn't that interested.
The Monkees
4/5
Hey hey, it's the Monkees.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Been Caught Stealing is a banger but the rest is pretty unmemorable
Tom Waits
2/5
I can hear how much Tom Waits loves himself in every single syllable and I really am not here for it.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
I thought I was enjoying the first song or two, then I blinked and almost the whole album was gone and I couldn't remember any of it.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Good ol' Neil
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Pretty funky but not the sort of thing I can really get into.
Eagles
3/5
I don't mind the fuckin' Eagles, man.
The Avalanches
3/5
Hey, it's that "boy needs therapy" song! Very much not my usual wheelhouse but quite good music to have on in the background while working.
Jethro Tull
3/5
You know what, I think we need more flutes in rock music
Tina Turner
3/5
Yeah it gets a bit samey after a while, but it is very grooveable
The Prodigy
3/5
I don't get the hype, but then I'm starting to think I don't really get electronic music
Korn
2/5
Music that kinda just makes you pity the people who made it.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Not gonna lie, this would definitely be a 3 without "Layla".
The White Stripes
4/5
That's a whole lot of bangers
Elliott Smith
4/5
I think I want to come back to this one later
Caetano Veloso
2/5
Jajajajajajajajaja
The Only Ones
4/5
I expected little, but was pleasantly surprised.
Ray Charles
3/5
Ray Charles is great and all but some of these 60s albums just really make it plain how much popular music has progressed since then.
Van Morrison
3/5
Pleasantly mellow but nothing too memorable
Motörhead
3/5
Ace of spades is great but Motorhead aren't exactly a varied band. Also, 'Jailbait'? Oof.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
I feel like there's potential there but they haven't really pushed the envelope.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Eh, felt a bit like it missing something. Songs are fine but nothing too catchy and memorable.
Stephen Stills
3/5
I have yet to find a double album that really needed to be a double album. The wiki page for this one is a headscratcher too - they had 84-hour recording sessions and at one point Stills was in the studio for 106 hours(!) for...this? It's not bad by any means but it doesn't exactly scream of the wild mad genius you'd expect from that sort of production.
Don't get me wrong, it's fun in places (What To Do is probably my favourite track) but a lot of it just feels very standard. I guess that's hindsight for you.
Donald Fagen
3/5
Smooth and plesant but nothing amazing.
Miles Davis
2/5
Ten minutes in and I'm still waiting for the start of, oh, I don't know....a SONG?
This is full on wankery-style jazz and more power to you if you're into that but I'm personally not the sort of guy to dip my head in a paint mixer and say that I'm looking at art.
Aimee Mann
3/5
Fun enough
fIREHOSE
3/5
Ehhhhhh, not bad but nothing special. Who are these guys anyway?
Charles Mingus
2/5
Nothing has soured me on jazz quite as much as actually listening to jazz.
Brian Wilson
3/5
I like the beach boys and all but I feel like I just haven't quite got all the way there with them yet.
Venom
2/5
Pretty generic and uninspired.
Ella Fitzgerald
2/5
My god, it just keeps going. Look, Ella has a great voice and all but the songs are not exactly thrilling and there's *three hours* of this.
The one good thing is that this will make great background ambience for a D&D game if the players go to a lounge bar or something
The Clash
4/5
Shockingly modern, honestly sounds like it could have been released this year.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
It's the title track and then seven other songs nobody remembers.
Amy Winehouse
2/5
This was a revealing listen and not in a good way. When the songs aren't just outright mean (Stronger Than Me and Fuck Me Pumps) there's a constant, uncomfortable undercurrent of self-destructive egocentrism. Levels of self-awareness swing wildly - sometimes you get the impression that Winehouse knew exactly what she was and was riffing on it deliberately...but often the vibe is less self-reflective and more self-satisfied. Perhaps to be expected from a nineteen year-old with a major recording contract, but still.
The tunes are smooth, the vocals are brilliant, the songs taken as a whole tend to have a really good groove to them. But the bitterness in the lyrics seeps through and makes the whole thing unpleasant.
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
What is even the point of this utter nonsense? Goes beyond wankery, you almost have to wonder if they all realised they should stop about a tenth of the way through each track, but were too embarrassed to be the one to say anything.
Anthrax
2/5
Not bad but really just not my thing.
Soul II Soul
2/5
Eh, it's just generic club beats.
Q-Tip
2/5
Very meh. It's not awful but it's not even close to being worthy of the list.
Nirvana
4/5
I can certainly see why it has the stature it does. Not something that really aligns with my tastes but too good to rate lower I think.
Eurythmics
4/5
Good all through, more than just the title track.
Stereolab
2/5
Very uninteresting.
Dire Straits
3/5
Walk of Life is a great tune but the album as a whole was a bit unexciting.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Really, *really* boring.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Full album of great tunes, head banging from start to finish.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Good shit
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Mostly enjoyable but 'Slut' is a really sour note to end on.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
I think musicians like Zappa are obviously important and it's good that they exist to stop everyone else from getting too comfortable...but my god I really do not get anything out of actually listening to him.
I feel like "we made a song but instead of doing the normal thing we instead did something weird and obnoxious that makes the music really unpleasant to listen to" is a joke I only needed to hear once.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Feels very of its time, which is both a good and bad thing.
John Coltrane
3/5
Pleasant listening but I can't get too excited by this kind of thing.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
"Chooglin" is not a real word
Scott Walker
2/5
Starts off sounding like a cowboy-themed musical but by the end it's just crooning, which is much less interesting.
The United States Of America
3/5
Swings between being really quite good and being completely ruined by its own pretension.
Pavement
4/5
Pretty good actually.
David Bowie
4/5
Not a Bowie album I'd heard of before but really good throughout.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
Andrew W.K. did it better.
Fiona Apple
3/5
It was okay but I was hoping for something with a bit more punch to it.
The Offspring
3/5
Decent but if I'm in the mood for pop-punk then Blink-182 are ahead of Offspring every time.
1/5
Fuck off John Zorn. It's not big and it's not clever.
Adele
3/5
Well, this certainly is an album containing music.
People who are capable of an intense emotional reaction to Adele mystify me. It's like being a connoisseur of porridge.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
It's a little bit of decent Neil Young, and a lot of generic country. Helpless is the only track that's really great all the way through.
Steely Dan
2/5
I don't really get the point of this kind of music.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I'm not much of a Led Zep fan but this really worked for me.
The Kinks
4/5
Funky, but not *too* funky
The Verve
4/5
I wonder if you have to be British to get on with this album, there's something of the overcast skies, chewing-gum-pavement, mangy pigeon vibe to it.
In a good way.
I think.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
A few high notes but quite a bit of beige padding it out.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
You know, I don't mind this. It's a bit pretentious and a bit weird but unlike other cerebral entries on this list, it doesn't sacrifice listenability on the altar of pseudointellect.
Funkadelic
3/5
Well it's groovy and funky, I guess, but there's only so much funky grooving I can care about.
John Martyn
3/5
The vocals in the opnener are a bit rough but they mellow out as the album continues. Small Hours feels very ahead of its time. Overall not really my thing but pleasantly listenable throughout.
Genesis
3/5
This was good for the background but I think I would get sick of it if I stopped to actually try and listen through the whole thing
The Smiths
4/5
Cheeky
Slipknot
2/5
Can't believe this list has multiple Slipknot albums and no Blink182
Nina Simone
2/5
Hot take but Nina's voice is actually kinda nasal and I don't enjoy listening to it
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Pretty decent, not that much to say about it really.
Madonna
3/5
Gets a bit Gwyneth Paltrow tbh.
I don't mind it, but I don't love it.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Sonic Youth are like bad radiohead, and radiohead are already kinda shit
XTC
4/5
Way better than I was expecting. Definitely going into my regular rotation.
Van Halen
3/5
A few good singles and a fair bit of disposable guff - but the singles are really fun.
Little Simz
3/5
Not my cup of tea buit a few tracks I could sort of get along with
Coldplay
4/5
Hating Coldplay is the cool thing to do but I think they're actually pretty decent, and Parachutes is among their best stuff.
James Taylor
2/5
People complain about the list having too much obscure Britpop, but to me the real issue is too much generic American country guff.
Not bad, just exceptionally uninteresting.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Yeah yeah, lyrical genius, blah blah
Rush
2/5
I honestly can't remember if I finished listening to this album or closed the tab part way.
Mediocre prog-rock wankery.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
- Hey we invented a genre that's so dull the name is literally just staring at the floor, want to listen?
Nah I'm alright thanks mate.
ABBA
4/5
Top quality stuff
Prince
4/5
When Doves Cry and Purple Rain are probably the most famous tracks but I think the front half of the album is actually my favourite.
Tim Buckley
2/5
The worse Buckley
Suicide
2/5
Started okay, but Frankie Teardrop is fucking dreadful
Brian Eno
3/5
I don't dislike Eno's music but I just wish there was a bit more to it.
Destiny's Child
3/5
A fair number of good singles but there's not really an album feeling to the whole thing.
PJ Harvey
3/5
I like it but I don't love it
Björk
4/5
Fantastic, it took a few listens to really get into but I'm definitely adding this to my regular collection. Listen to the extended versions, Play Dead is too good to miss
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
I just don't really care about funk
3/5
Not as bad as the reviews make out, but not amazing
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Pleasant enough but not going to stick with me
Laibach
2/5
Probably great if you're a slovenian metalhead teenager with depression in the 80s.
Hole
4/5
I dunno about Courtney and Kurt but Hole definitely made better music than Nirvana
Steely Dan
2/5
What is even the point of steely dan
Nick Drake
3/5
Weaker than Five Leaves left but still very pleasant
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Entertaining for what it is
Ian Dury
2/5
I can get past weak vocals if there's some decent music underlying it, but this is a bit meh
Morrissey
3/5
Starts a bit meh but the last few tracks are solid
The Who
3/5
It's 60s rock, you already know what it sounds like
The Who
3/5
I just don't find The Who very interesting outside of the big hits.
Suede
4/5
Excellent anthemic rock
Talking Heads
3/5
I think I like talking heads but this didn't really grab me
Spacemen 3
2/5
Eh
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Started strong but didn't leave an impression
Jurassic 5
4/5
This is well outside my usual thing but it's absolutely brilliant
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
It's alright I guess
PJ Harvey
3/5
It's pretty much what you'd expect
Sebadoh
3/5
Nice but unsurprising
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Pretty decent, but the first song is definitely the high point
LL Cool J
2/5
eh
David Gray
4/5
Great tunes and it doesn't outstay its welcome
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I liked Joni's other albums but this didn't do it for me, I need a bit more musical energy to go with the poetry.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Love how these guys just occasionally introduce enough musicality to remind you that they are perfectly capable of making stuff that doesn't sound like pure misery.
Then then go back to slapping their synthesiser with a kipper and groaning.
Johnny Cash
5/5
It's weird, I love Cash's albums but I never want to add them to my regular listening. They're better appreciated as a complete package, experienced in its entirety in one go, than thrown in the general shuffle.
Joy Division
2/5
Beginning to think that when a genre starts with "post-", you can mentally substitute that with "a worse version of "
The instrumentals provide some interesting beats but they don't really go anywhere and the vocals/lyrics are very one-note throughout the album.
Sister Sledge
4/5
He's The Greatest Dancer absolutely slaps
Bob Dylan
4/5
Not typically a Dylan fan but this album has some great tunes underscoring the lyricism which is normally what I find lacking.
Deep Purple
2/5
I guess you had to be there at the time.
Through modern ears it's just too generic to give a shit about.
Eminem
3/5
Eminem's talent is obvious, but his edgier lyrics have that vibe of being serious until called out at which point they transform to satire. Most of the tracks here lack the self-reflection to be proper satire so they're stuck at the shock humour kind of level.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Some stand outs (Story of Isaac, The Partisan), but overall has the typical Cohen problem of being poems with a bit of bgm, rather than songs.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
It's not bad but it's pretty unmemorable. I put it down a few times and when I came back I had no memory of where I was or what I'd listened to.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
2/5
Big band is certainly less annoying than other jazz, but it's not something I can get too excited about.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Probably didn't need to be *quite* so long, but the gathering of all these artists feels special even to somebody who's heard of maybe one or two of them before.
Docked one point for the flags.
Ute Lemper
2/5
Songs vary a lot depending on the writers, I think the Divine Comedy tracks are invariably the most interesting and fun. Most of the rest is pretty dull and uninspired.
Keith Jarrett
4/5
I don't think I'd ever choose to listen to this but it is pretty good.
Sex Pistols
3/5
I can't shake the feeling that the Sex Pistols were actually kinda just obnoxious bores. Alright music though.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
It's fine but it does feel a bit like just another country album.
Django Django
4/5
The label "art-rock" gave me hesitation but it was actually really fun.
The Police
3/5
Message in a Bottle and his forgettable friends.
Coldplay
4/5
Hating Coldplay is NPC behaviour.
Neil Young
5/5
Neil Young demonstrating just how much he really didn't need the other three.
Van Halen
3/5
One of those "it was probably better at the time" albums.
Red Snapper
2/5
Sounds like it would make a great soundtrack to something. As music by itself though, it's a bit lacking.
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
God, jazz is pointless
Mudhoney
3/5
Standard-issue grunge
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
Not sure I listened to all the right songs but I think I got the gist. Probably really nice if you're into that allah stuff.
David Bowie
4/5
He makes it look easy
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Reminds me of Keane but more gay (this is a good thing)
Everything But The Girl
2/5
A couple of nice tracks but a lot of fluff
The Blue Nile
2/5
You can really hear the desire to be Bowie but they're just not at that level. Passable but not great.
Nick Drake
4/5
Makes me want to sit on a porch with a cup of coffee and watch the sun rise
KISS
3/5
I can't exactly call it good but isn't being bad sort of the point?
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Dusty's got some good pipes
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
Can I Kick It is a great tune, shame about the rest. There's about 20-30 seconds of good music per song, trhe rest being loops and boring vocals.
The Roots
4/5
I might be overrating because I had this right after A Tribe Called Quest, who really bored me. By contrast, The Roots give every track a distinctive and engaging tune which makes the album as a whole a pleasure to listen to even if rap isn't your preferred vocal style.
R.E.M.
3/5
I'd like to rate it higher but it needed a bit more variety and energy.
Def Leppard
3/5
I'm not sure I needed a full album of this but it's a lot more enjoyable than some other glamsludge.
Massive Attack
3/5
Not my usual cup of tea but some interesting tracks. The live closer is a bit of a weird pick, doesn't really fit with the rest of the album and is also just kinda...shit?
The Smiths
4/5
Morrissey might be a twat but the smiths still made good tunes.
The Byrds
2/5
Presumably very important historically but not exactly a thrill to listen to with modern ears
Guided By Voices
3/5
I think I would have preferred half the songs with twice the material
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Pleasant, but only a couple of songs that really had something to them. Needs a bit more jeuje.
Frank Ocean
2/5
Unmemorable
Black Sabbath
4/5
This is the kind of metal that makes me understand why my metal friends like the genre.
New Order
3/5
Missing a bit of oomph
Beatles
4/5
Side one is a five star, no question. Side two just isn't quite to the same standard.
Björk
3/5
I don't mind bjork but this was just a little bit much for me
The Waterboys
2/5
I was expecting something with a bit more oomph to it, this just feels a bit run-of-the-mill
Throwing Muses
3/5
It's fine
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
I mean yeah there's that one track, but then it's just instrumentals of other peoples' songs. What's the point?
The Human League
3/5
Enjoyable but I'm not sure I'll ever come back to it.
David Bowie
4/5
Pretty damn good
Radiohead
2/5
I've yet to hear a radiohead song which is better than okay.
Beastie Boys
2/5
As someonewith zero nostalgia for the Beastie Boys, I would have been happy with just the single.
The Police
3/5
I think I liked it but it's not stuck with me
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Sounds like the theme tunes to some obscure and kinda crappy 70s sitcoms that your uncle had a vhs boxset of.
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
It's fine but I wouldn't mind more of a tune.
Miles Davis
3/5
Just doesn't do that much for me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Sick tunes tbh
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Everyone's complaining about the distortion but I think this album's greater crime is just being really boring.
Missy Elliott
2/5
50% embarassingly bad, 50% hilariously bad.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I've never really given Marley a chance before besides the odd track here or there in the background. Really good stuff.
SAULT
2/5
Far more dull, drawn-out and worthy than it has any right to be.
The White Stripes
3/5
It's not bad, but it's a bit generic and samey
Spiritualized
3/5
Weird nonsense but I can't deny there's something there.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
A generous 2.5, carried entirely by American Girl
The Cramps
2/5
Garbageman is fun but the album as a whole is pretty bad. It kind of feels like they were trying to make bad music though. Am I playing into their hands here?
Black Sabbath
3/5
I certainly enjoyed but I don't think i'll be coming back.
3.5/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
A weak to middling 4. The singles are good, really really good. The filler is bad, really really bad.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
Self-indulgent as hell and sure, it's not 69 bangers. But there's way more quality on here than there has any right to be.
De La Soul
3/5
300-odd albums in and I think I've finally found hip-hop that I can unequivocally say I like. There's a upbeat style and a jazzy, hippy vibe which makes the record far more feel-good than most of the genre's offerings. Plus I think it helps that in every video these guys look like they've walked off the set of Saved By The Bell
Okay, I can do without the skits.
And I'm not a fan of all the weird 'half-songs' that are more than a quick bit but also clearly not a full effort (Can U Keep a Secret, Take it Off, De La Orgee etc.)
But there's a good half dozen or so solid tracks on this!
3.5/5
Turbonegro
2/5
Sounds like the public domain version of the THPS4 soundtrack.
Boards of Canada
3/5
The first album I've got that was already in my collection, I think. It's a weird one, and I can see how somebody not expecting it would be put off and rate it poorly. I think it acheieves what it sets out to do, which is ultimately more of a mood/soundscape that a typical musical experience.
3.5/5
Bee Gees
2/5
Not bad but I'm not sure it really needed to be on here.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Reminds me of Nirvana, in that both were probably much more impressive before everyone built off their base, but now look somewhat generic from a modern perspective.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Don't know if I'll reutrn to this but I enjoyed it for what it was.
OutKast
2/5
Some high notes but nothing outside of the usual paradigm.
Dire Straits
3/5
Sultans of swing is great but it feels kinda like a single with extra bits rather than an album
Chicago
2/5
Really unmemorable
Alice Cooper
2/5
Ech
The Who
4/5
Solid concept album with a couple of bangers
Goldfrapp
2/5
I wanted it to be a bit more weird and bombastic than it actually was.
The Fall
2/5
Sounds like half a song's worth of ideas made into a whole album.
Muddy Waters
2/5
Feel bad rating this down but I just can't bring myself to care about it.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I listened like three times and I still don't remember a thing
Barry Adamson
3/5
Very cool soundtrack but I'm not sure I'd choose to liusten to it by itself. I wish there were longer versions of the tracks so I could use them in my D&D game
Elton John
4/5
Good solid Elton
The Clash
3/5
Maybe more impressive in its day, but not bad
Orbital
3/5
eh
Don McLean
4/5
you already know this is good
Marty Robbins
4/5
Actually suffers a little from being listened to as an album - every song is solid but they lose impact sat right next to each other.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Lacks the oomph to be a real mega-hit but I do like this kind of thing
Joy Division
3/5
Have you ever noticed that when a genre starts with "post-" it basically means "a worse version of "?
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
The favourite album of that one guy you always bump into parties but don't really want to be friends with.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Nothing special but kinda interesting here and there.
Patti Smith
4/5
Pretty solid, definitely liked it more on a second listen.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Yeah, well it's Thriller, obviously it's good. But being really, really honest, its got three of the best pop songs ever written and then also half a dozen more completely fine but unremarkable tracks.
Violent Femmes
4/5
A few good bangers on here, added to the regular rotation
Fiona Apple
2/5
Not the worst but nothing really grabbed me. I preferred Fetch the Bolt Cutters
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Wow that whistling is really annoying.
The Who
2/5
Nothing against the Who but I don't really get all that much out of actually listening to them
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
I think it was good but also I got distracted and took a week to come back, so it can't have been *that* good.
Maxwell
2/5
So smooth it slipped right out of my brain without leaving a mark
Traffic
3/5
Didn't hate it, didn't love it.
Queen
4/5
only one of the big numbers on here, but everything you haven't heard of is still a banger.
King Crimson
3/5
I can see why it's a big deal but prog just feels a bit wanky to me
Pink Floyd
3/5
Feels kinda blasphemous to only give it a 3, but I feel like it didn't really get interesting until the last couple of tracks when it started feeling a bit more like a musical. Up to that point, it's one or two bangers and a lot of standard prog.
Love
2/5
Is an 18 minute closer self-indulgent? Yes.
Did I kinda like it anyway? Yes.
Did I stop liking it so much when the vocalist started just staright-up screaming into the microphone? Yes.
2/5
Beyoncé
2/5
Some abrasvie hip-hop, some fine if uninteresting pop, a lot of just boring nothing. I don't get the hype.
The Flaming Lips
2/5
The problem with concept albums is that the concept is always cooler than the album.
David Bowie
3/5
Needs a revisit probably
Duke Ellington
2/5
Think I just don't care about jazz tbh