Well I guess you shouldn't believe everything you read or hear about a band. I was under the impression that the smiths were a downbeat, moany, depressing group - Now i realize that's mostly from people completely focusing on Morissey all the while letting his wit and sarcasm go way above their heads. While it's true Morissey tackles heavier subjects and can come off as a complainer, I think that's largely a misrepresentation of what he's doing. To me, it seems obvious the whole point is to have a juxtaposition between his angsty lyrics and the gorgeous music underneath him. That's only strengthened by his quirky, unconventional vocal melodies and the odd surreal lyric. Coming back to the music; it's just fantastic. The sweet, intricate guitar lines are beautiful, the basslines are catchy, the keys dreamy and the drum rhythms driving. I want to give extra credit to marrs unique and vibrant guitar playing but every time I forcus on him I notice that the music around him is what elevates him so much - so extra credit to everyone i guess. Always remains light, fun and just delightful to listen to.

The punkiest post-punk i've heard. Took a bit of adjusting to, but the reliably dancey, punchy bass lines that this genre needs are here in spades and scratchy guitars, angry vocals and political lyrics are all here too. I feel like this has an edge and energy that often has scarified for the moody atmosphere of other bands in the genre - and there is a tradeoff, because Entertainment certainly is less absorbing and immersive than a joy division record, but It's a cool side of the genre. standouts: damaged goods, return the gift

One of the best albums ever made and the album that got me into hip-hop. even the opener skit is one of the best skits ever made. razer sharp flows, inventive rhyme schemes, dusty beats and some of the best storytelling in music history. Nas basically became a GOAT contender right out of the gate. Of course the all star cast of boom bap producers played a huge part in the seamless, timeless quality of this record too

Full of grooves and energy. Love the biting tone and just how infectious every track is on this record - its got that punk attitude and lyrical content, but it's paired with riffs and a musicality beyond a lot of the genre. Granted this is post-hardcore, which has plenty of musically flashy artists, but the rawness on here is seldom kept with such distinct guitar playing and focus on grooves

A really solid Queen album. I definitely prefer the following 2 albums, but there are some belters here. It lacks cohesion and feels like a collection of songs rather than an album.

1. Beautiful and ethereal opener. 2. much more funk to the second track. 3. countryish - lovely textures 4. more upbeat folk sound with beautiful breaks 5. rock with psych organ sound 6. more intimate and folksy again 7. sun kissed keys add a lot to this one 8. extremely sweet vocal harmonies and melodies 9. large swing, again more rocky 10. maybe the slowest song on here. love their finger picked acoustic work 11. more upbeat - but very much folksy and pretty. focused storytelling here and employs a speak sing type of delivery. 12. odd ending - piano led cover of silent night with social critique. It is pretty thought provoking, but feels at odds with the general tone of the album Overall a very beautiful and delicate album of folky pop. The guys have wonderful synergy with their vocal tone and always seem to pick the sweetest harmonies to use. The guitar playing in general is a standout too, with intricate finger picked playing. The few times S*G step outside of their genre comfort zone the quality dips - I'm mostly impressed by the folk. I will relisten to dig into the lyrical content

hyper energetic and eclectic alt metal. Its really really hard to combine funk with more metallic sounds and have it not end up a trainwreck but faith no more really do thread that needle. Sure, it's got some synth design and guitar tones that are very much from their era, but the actual songwriting here is pretty unique. I listen to a lot of metal and alternative music and can't really think of many artists who sound like this.

knocking 80's percussion, bold synth leads and driving, funky bass lines. All under a drole english delivery. it's interesting new wave.

It's not quite "the british pet sounds" but it is very fun, nicely written psych tinged pop (sometimes psych heavy pop). General vibe and atmosphere is nice, with a few detours which are great on their own but I don't know how well they fit into the album itself.

The 90's really were a haven for miserable angst. I'm astounded that something as abrasive and unforgiving as this album not only breached the mainstream but actively thrived in it, but reznor tapped into a collective rage and disillusion with society at large on this album, and with NIN in general. The Downward Spiral isn't just angry. it's misanthropic, bleak and searing; containing all the melodrama and self loathing of an outcast teen but with the sincerity of an enraged anarchist. The vocal performances cut right through you, and compliment these colossal and primal industrialized rock pieces.

blistering performances of some of lizzys greatest hits. Soaring harmonies, punchy bass, swinging drum lines and phil's iconic snarl and grimly poetic lyrics all recontextualized in a live setting. It's excellent.

I wasn't too into this album when it initially dropped in 2017 - "i dunno about the hype here. Kelelda doesn't really do much different to my ears - maybe im just jaded with alt RnB as a whole now. Too many clichés here" - and I haven't really been swayed after listening again. Not sure why this is on the 1001 albums list over the dozens of other FANTASTIC contemporary RnB albums out there

This has always been my favorite michael jackson record, but on relisten.......man did it always sound this plastic? The sega mega drive/genesis comparissons aren't even exaggerations. On the other hand - i love the genesis sound chip. It has forgettable songs, but it's still got MJs highs peaks. Pretty torn on this. But I think the decade defining bangers make me overlook few filler tracks the dated production - which lets be fair sounds dated becauzse this album WAS the culmination of 80s pop music. This is as 80's as it gets, for good and bad.

The title is obviously a banger, but none of the rest of this album is sticking with me at all, and I really like 80s synthpop. Everything after sweet dreams feels so anemic too and just plods along

The punkiest post-punk i've heard. Took a bit of adjusting to, but the reliably dancey, punchy bass lines that this genre needs are here in spades and scratchy guitars, angry vocals and political lyrics are all here too. I feel like this has an edge and energy that often has scarified for the moody atmosphere of other bands in the genre - and there is a tradeoff, because Entertainment certainly is less absorbing and immersive than a joy division record, but It's a cool side of the genre. standouts: damaged goods, return the gift

This is fine. A lot of pretty standard and relatively catchy glam rock that's lost its edge due to the passage of time.

Well I guess you shouldn't believe everything you read or hear about a band. I was under the impression that the smiths were a downbeat, moany, depressing group - Now i realize that's mostly from people completely focusing on Morissey all the while letting his wit and sarcasm go way above their heads. While it's true Morissey tackles heavier subjects and can come off as a complainer, I think that's largely a misrepresentation of what he's doing. To me, it seems obvious the whole point is to have a juxtaposition between his angsty lyrics and the gorgeous music underneath him. That's only strengthened by his quirky, unconventional vocal melodies and the odd surreal lyric. Coming back to the music; it's just fantastic. The sweet, intricate guitar lines are beautiful, the basslines are catchy, the keys dreamy and the drum rhythms driving. I want to give extra credit to marrs unique and vibrant guitar playing but every time I forcus on him I notice that the music around him is what elevates him so much - so extra credit to everyone i guess. Always remains light, fun and just delightful to listen to.

Solid indie/folksy brit pop. It's better than it doesn't go into britrock because they start sounding too much like the era that was dominated by oasis. It's not a bad record at all, but doesn't really leave much of an impression

A really solid Queen album. I definitely prefer the following 2 albums, but there are some belters here. It lacks cohesion and feels like a collection of songs rather than an album.

One of the best albums ever made and the album that got me into hip-hop. even the opener skit is one of the best skits ever made. razer sharp flows, inventive rhyme schemes, dusty beats and some of the best storytelling in music history. Nas basically became a GOAT contender right out of the gate. Of course the all star cast of boom bap producers played a huge part in the seamless, timeless quality of this record too

Full of 90s attitude and style. Really like all the shifting grooves and noisey center to this album, but it remains catchy. The guitar tone is very indicitive of mainstream 90s rock but it sits well with the other instrumentation and vocals throughout. A tad too long however.

everything, even the catchiest hooks, are drowned and enveloped in a layer of noisy fuzz, thumping toms and crashing cymbals. It creates a really cool, edgy sound that you'll hear ripple throughout alt rock during the 90s. Sonic Youth hit the right balance of playful and dark. Some of these riffs sound almost like metal riffs, and then some boarder on pop punk and indie. The vocal melodies toe this line as well with grunt punk shouts and more welcoming bright vocal melodies. Whether it's angry or upbeat, there's always a relentless energy that is at the core of every track. This album is long as hell, but never ever stops moving; it's constantly propelling forward with noise and drums and riffs and raw, kinetic punk soul - and that can probably be attributed to the post-punk present here. It's relentless angsty, but approaches it in a unique and artistic way.

Morrison is a charismatic front-man, and this album has some really quality psych rock. I think this is a bit inconsistent or at least not as appealing as some of the other psych being done at the time but the doors had a really wild yet refined style to them. The singles pop out here, even the ones i didn't know were singles, and the rest kind of fall by the wayside. Not that they're bad songs or anything but from the opener to light my fire to the closer the famous songs really cast a show.

So much of this album is style over substance. The guitar work here is genuinely way ahead of its time and extremely impressive on a technical level, but it always gets rolled into these generic cock rock songs that sound more dated than ever.

The smooth Fender Rhodes electric organ all over this album is absolutely intoxicating. Beautiful warbled textures from start to finish executing deeply soulful cascading chord progressions. Of course Gil Scott-Heron's poetry over the top only adds to the alluring atmosphere here.

A neoprog classic. Frantic guitar riffs and drumming are littered throughout this one, all setting a stage for the electrifying vocal performance. Mars volta really caught lightning in a bottle on this album - it's progressive but not indulgent or plodding. Technical without being wanky. A lot of sonic and tonal shifts and inventive songwriting.

I thought I would enjoy this more but the overly synthetic 80s synths undercut all the fun boppy tracks that springsteen came up with, aside from the title track where they create a clever juxtaposition between the shining, proud synth line and the cynical nature of the lyrics. I prefer his heartland rock stuff over this by a lot.

Full of grooves and energy. Love the biting tone and just how infectious every track is on this record - its got that punk attitude and lyrical content, but it's paired with riffs and a musicality beyond a lot of the genre. Granted this is post-hardcore, which has plenty of musically flashy artists, but the rawness on here is seldom kept with such distinct guitar playing and focus on grooves

A lot of really charming and endearing songs here. An album centered on singing sweet nothings to your love over loungy vocal jazz arrangements. As pleasant as that is, this album does feel like its stuck in the one place for its entire runtime and the sweetness gets a bit sickly by the end.

It's a classic set of banging house beats and sample work. I prefer daft punk's later work as this is just a really good album that sticks to fundamentals of its genre, but it's great.

really quite chill psych rock and folk, but leaving very little impression on me. Its pleasant to listen to and has a lot of warm, soothing textures but some of the songwriting here is meandering.

You can tell they were young here, as their songwriting is exceptionally kiddish and musical performance amateurish. There is very little interesting about this album outside of it being a historical curiosity. While a short album, it's still bloated with covers that are inferior to their originals, and the originals are fairly tepid pop songs about young love.

Anthemic, triumphant and heartfelt. As overblown as this album gets at times, I can't help but feel bruce's enthusiasm and charisma in his performances

quirky, upbeat, vibrant and catchy art pop from the early 70s. Didn't expect this one to be as good as it is, but between the constant sonic shifting and the endless catchy melodies it's really grabbed me. Off the wall for now, let alone the 70s

It's hard to believe this was released when it was considering you hear echos of noise rock, experimental, drone and a whole host of other genres that didn't properly form for another 2 decades. Of course experimentation and influence don't necessarily mean something is great, luckily however this has Steller songwriting throughout. the sweet poppy songs are as intoxicating as the drone songs or the gritty, dirty rockers. Nico and reed kill every performance.

Not hard to see why this is such a legendary album - to create such hypnotic electronic beats this long ago must have been mind blowing at the time, and I particularly like how long and progressive the title track is. simplistic yet layered synth work that slowly builds and falls. I can't say the rest of the album really stuck with me though, and even the title track felt somewhat sparse at points. I appreciate the influence a bit more than the music here.

Full of energized instrumental performances that are steeped in blues rock, with plenty of moving parts and intrusions from new timbres. All of this is of course overshadowed by Janis' amazingly distinctive voice and her scorching performance on this record. While she's obviously a talented singer when it comes to hitting notices and doing quick runs, the beauty of her vocals are the rugged imperfections imperfections that fit middle america blues rock like a glove.

One of my favorite modern RnB albums ever made, though it's becoming less and less modern. Timeless production with detailed, scifi inspired beats that incorporate art pop into old school funky grooves and bass lines. All tied together by janelles eccentric performance and infectious energy.

Beautiful, warm, sunshine soul that is extremely romantic and heartfelt. I love all the orchestral string work on this album, and Al Green's vocals are full of character. It's a joyous album centred on love

Very warm and intimate country by Dolly here. I don't think musically she ever really broke the mold, but she makes up for that by having really relatable lyrics, cosy music and a sparkling vocal performance.

Excellent blues filled guitar leads dominate this record but in usual Hendrix fashion the guitar acrobatics seldom ever get in the way of the songwriting, which is the real heart of the music here. There's lots of energy here but, moreso than the debut, there is also a lot of beautiful ballady type songs. Something like little wing is so delicate yet so intricate in its composition, but it doesn't just linger on the expressive guitar work and also gives room for Jimis gruff vocal delivery.

dreamy, slow moving, hazy, spacey. As I was listening to this I though "Sounds like spiritualized" only to find out this is the previous band of the spiritualized frontman! Though I don't think this has the tonal and instrumental variety of that band. It's a vibes album

relaxing, meditative, twangy guitar work and chanted vocals. A bit one note

80 minutes of very impressive but ultimately unmoving blues improvisation. The core songs here don't do much for me anyway, but extending them out to 20 minutes of noodling just made the whole fade into background music. It's better than other souther blues rock, can't deny how well these guys do it, but it's too long.

Reading up on this album, it's so odd seeing people say it's one of the most depressing albums ever made. Sure, the story itself is incredibly bleak - just the kind of gritty story that lou reed excells at - but the music on this thing is so hilariously made-for-theatre that is lessens the impact of the lyrics. I still really enjoy the music though, but I end up viewing it through the lens of cheesy rock opera rather than harsh dipiction of underprivileged domestic violence. It's both, I suppose, and only Lou could have such a juxpatosition and it still have any impact at all.

I'm a huge Priest fan, but I never found this one more than simply good. That balls-to-the-wall heavy metal sound that everyone loves on breaking the law? yeah, that mostly only exists on that one song. The rest of this album is much closer to stadium rock than heavy metal. It's because it's a foundational album to the genre, but that doesn't mean it's an exceptional one. In the end this feels more sanitised for a larger audience than the albums that preceded it and lacks the power of the albums that succeeded it.

Not really sure why I'm seeing so many people claim this album is homogenous or just vibes. While the delicate and dreamy atmospheres definitely play a huge part in the sonic identity of Seventh Tree, it's the core songwriting that shine through for me. There are also quite a few moments where Goldfrapp lets go of just creating serene vibes and comes out with some banger synthpop beat which really set this one apart from other albums in the same genre. Not at all boring.

Pretty bland. I like Americana but this style of 90s alt-rock just isn't appealing, or at least Buffalo's implementation of it feels entirely hollow. Everything tries to have an edge but it is marred by pristine production and showy instrumentation. Nothing on this album stuck with me other than the grating guitar tone.

The vocal performances here are great, the musicians hold it down and the songwriting is what you'd want from good swing tunes: catchy, jittery and upbeat. If this is your genre then I totally get why this is a classic, but this isn't my genre. It's not bad I just wouldn't opt for this type of pop music (and let's be honest, that's what it is) over other types, and I certainly wouldn't put this on if I'm in the mood for jazz. It's good, but it's not for me.