If nothing else, this sounds like nothing else that had been put on record at that time. A real mix of styles, from Weeping to AB/7A, I love all aspects of this album. You could say AB/7A owes a debt to Kraftwerk, but Hamburger Lady sounds unlike any other artist (thankfully). In equal parts uplifting and downright scary, this is not an album I would sit down and listen to very often, but certainly one that has had a massive influence in my subsequent musical taste.

The sound of optimism in the future. I find this album very uplifting and enjoy hearing the full version of the title track. Sound so ahead of its time, and this version of the album cover has to be one of the most iconic sleeve designs ever.

An excellent album, which still sounds like the future, despite being released over 40 years ago. Standout track is Neon Lights - it’s almost-waltz like time signature somehow only serves to make it sound even more futuristic. Everyone should own this album.

This album keeps the misery of the blues without any of the accompanying spark. Everything is over-played, probably to hide the lack of much else. The riffs seem endless, and not in a good way. Just because you CAN play it doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Turgid.

Beyond a couple of early singles, I have never understood the interest in The Who. This album is far from a classic, and sounds like a really bad hangover from the Sixties. Lumpen rock with no soul or even meaningful lyrics. There is nothing ‘mod'ern about this, even for the time. Even Townshend’s guitar playing - so often discussed and admired - doesn’t really stand out as being either virtuosic or particularly original, to these ears. Next!

A new one on me and loved it. Has proper country music titles like She Never Met A Man (She Didn't Like). Favourite track was Travellin' Man. Really uplifting album.

An excellent album, which still sounds like the future, despite being released over 40 years ago. Standout track is Neon Lights - it’s almost-waltz like time signature somehow only serves to make it sound even more futuristic. Everyone should own this album.

This album keeps the misery of the blues without any of the accompanying spark. Everything is over-played, probably to hide the lack of much else. The riffs seem endless, and not in a good way. Just because you CAN play it doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Turgid.

Great album, from the opening sound effect to the closing crooning of Wild Is The Wind. Every time I play this I choose a different favourite, but this time it’s the funky Stay. Arguably one of Bowie’s more coherent albums in terms of a consistent tone throughout. Highly recommended.

This starts off much more psychedelic than I expected. Some interesting effects with the synths, edits into other tracks and ‘field recordings’. It feels like there a concept in there, but I am not sure what it is. None of the tunes (beyond Mrs Robinson) really grabbed me. It does pick up a little after that and Winter is a bit more lively, but the album is generally bit bland for me.

Not the greatest PE album, but it's still Public Enemy. Shut 'Em Down is among the finest from the group, and the I love the way the beat and the lyrics flow from the beginning to the end of this album. You can dip in and out starting with any track, but it also benefits from being played right through from start to finish. The production is super heavy and I love this album a lot.

I have enjoyed Lorde songs in the past (Royals) so was expecting more from this. It sounds like generic modern electronic pop with a slightly quirky voice. Bland, shiny production and lyrics that really don't speak to me. The sound is monotonous in both the backing and Lorde's voice - there's some variation in mood and tone in Hard Feelings, but the voice doesn't really change. Not sure I am the target audience for this album, to be fair.

The sound of optimism in the future. I find this album very uplifting and enjoy hearing the full version of the title track. Sound so ahead of its time, and this version of the album cover has to be one of the most iconic sleeve designs ever.

This album was new to me, although know It Was Good Day very well. The rest of the album seems in a similar vein, if a bit less laid-back. Solitary samples looping most of the way through each track with Ice Cube rapping on top. Enjoyed some of this more than others, and by the time it got to Good Day it was feeling a bit monotonous for me. The sound (and lyrical content) is very much of its time, but an interesting reminder of that time, nonetheless.

This album was new to me, although know It Was Good Day very well. The rest of the album seems in a similar vein, if a bit less laid-back. Solitary samples looping most of the way through each track with Ice Cube rapping on top. Enjoyed some of this more than others, and by the time it got to Good Day it was feeling a bit monotonous for me. The sound (and lyrical content) is very much of its time, but an interesting reminder of that time, nonetheless.

Beyond a couple of early singles, I have never understood the interest in The Who. This album is far from a classic, and sounds like a really bad hangover from the Sixties. Lumpen rock with no soul or even meaningful lyrics. There is nothing ‘mod'ern about this, even for the time. Even Townshend’s guitar playing - so often discussed and admired - doesn’t really stand out as being either virtuosic or particularly original, to these ears. Next!

All the beats are here. This was a really fun listen. Don’t think I had ever listened to this right through before, but recognised so many of the beats and breaks littered through the entire history of hip hop. Some of the instrumental sections - notably Last Bongo - sound of their time, but the beat is uplifting and forward-looking throughout. Kiburi, Pt 1 with its vocal section was a find for me. Incredible indeed.

Another album that seems to rely heavily on samples of well-known songs by other people. It has its moments (Izzo, for example), but I find Jay-Z’s voice monotonous by half way through. Missed this at the time and wouldn’t really miss it if I never heard it again.

I quite enjoyed this. Hadn’t heard it before, but was what I expected from a Merle Haggard album, in a good way. Am not averse to a bit of country, but I tend to err on the Johnny Cash / rockabilly side, generally. Some great country titles and lyrics here though, and I particularly enjoyed Drink Up and Be Somebody.

Not usually a fan of singer-songwriter material. Always feel that the songs will be nice when they’re finished. And Phair’s voice sounds a bit strained in places - even from the start. But I do quite admire the no-holds-barred lyrics and subject matter. Not my usual style of listening choice but warmed to it more as it progressed, especially when other instruments got involved, such as the extra guitar on Mesmerizing or the synth loops and doubled vocals on Flower. 2.5 stars

Another new album - and artist - on me. Seems to have a lot of rock tropes within its tracks - Spike Island feels like a US take on U2/JAMC. I don’t mind the overall sound in small doses, but on first listen the lyrics didn’t really grab me and the voice seemed to fit well without having much individuality. The Suicide-inspired Meatmaker is the most interesting track but also the most different from the rest of the album. Overall, the sort of thing I want to like more than I actually do.

Love this album. Minimal punk perfection with a great dynamic range, from the repressed anger of Mannequin to the beautiful Strange. So different from its contemporaries, this album should be vaunted alongside the first Ramones effort for its succinct and focused energy. A masterpiece only surpassed by what came next from the band. 10 stars.

This did not start well. I have a real aversion to that soft blues style. And have never heard a Santana song that I like. But this got better, at least in places. In The Mood is such a classic that it is hard to ruin it. Although give me the original version any day. The songs near the end, where it is just the man himself and his guitar still sound good, but as a whole this album seems a miscalculated attempt to reach a ‘modern’ audience and takes out much of the energy and directness that makes John Lee Hooker one of the original greats.

This is one of those albums that I loved at the time but forget exists. Really enjoyed hearing it again. It’s a very specific mood, but they do it so well. And there are some great songs on here - particularly VCR. Reminds me to check out some of their other tunes / albums. A nice nostalgia trip, and one that still sounds fresh.

I expected to like this a lot more than I did. I had heard ‘Stillness...’ previously and liked it so much it made the cut on my Christmas podcast that year. But it turns out that that track was an outlier, especially as it had a different singer. I really don’t like the main voice: whiny and emotionless. The backing is more interesting in places, but the rest of the album (other than Stillness…) just felt quirky for the sake of it, and lacking in focus and much melody. Would not recommend.

I know Sam Cooke but had never heard any live recordings. This is an absolute belter. An amazing band and his voice is sixties soul perfection. Had to play this twice as didn’t fully focus the first time and wanted to make sure it really was that good. This is how music should be - full of energy, emotion and refined talent let loose on great tunes. Loved it.

I keep thinking I should get more into Zappa. Or at least give him more of a listen. But everything I hear seems to be music for music’s sake. And this album does little to change that perception for me. Everything seems overthought and overplayed and lacking much spontaneity. I feel this album tries to be too clever but fails. Even the wonderful Don Van Vliet vocals on Willie The Pimp (nine and a half minutes long? Really?!) can’t change my mind that this is indulgent and flabby throughout.

Just because you can play guitar doesn’t mean that you should. Everything about this made me feel miserable. Even the ‘humour’ of calling a minute and a half of guitar w*nk ‘Eruption’ could not lift the mood. I’m just glad that The Kinks are all still alive, otherwise they would be spinning in their graves. Dreadful.

Love this album. Is kind of one mood broken into lots of different moods, starting with the soaring Isi. It helps that I played it on a Monday morning as I sat down to start work. You can see why / how Bowie was so inspired by this band.

I tried to like this but all I could think of was Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da. Except that had better social commentary and a catchier tune. I find McCartney’s melodies too saccharine / obvious and the lyrics (‘Let Me Roll You’ repeated ad infinitum, anyone?) banal. Jet is at least catchy, but not when repeated again at the end. And the words are nonsense. I wanted to like this but failed. 1 star for Jet.

So good I played it twice in quick succession. A beautiful album. I know *of* Burning Spear but this was a lovely deep dive into an album’s worth of his work. Need to listen to lots more I think. Particularly enjoyed Tradition on first spin. The harmonies throughout are fantastic. And that voice…excellent. This is how music with a message should be done.

A rosey glow of nostalgia from this one. This was everywhere when it came out, and I liked it mainly because I loved the bands they were copying, such as Josef K. Now much further removed, there’s another sense of nostalgia for the time I first heard this. This time I enjoyed the energy of this from the start. And always loved the "It's always better on holiday, so much better on holiday.That's why we only work when we need the money” line as it reminds me of the office jobs I had around that time. But the energy did dissipate towards the end, or rather my enthusiasm for the songs. Some great tunes, and they never did anything as good. But, like the album itself, the idea seemed to run out of road fairly quickly.

Enjoyed this more than I expected. And evoked nights of waiting for the grindcore racket to stop on John Peel's show when he played this stuff. Thankfully the tracks were and are mercifully short. Not a genre I normally choose to listen to, but do love a bit of early Sabbath, and this was punchy and focused enough to work in the same way. Although the vocal style isn’t really doing it for me. However, I didn’t really notice that it was two different bands. Without much that I noticed in the way of dynamics (it seems to be start - make a noise - stop throughout) my attention had drifted by that point. So much so I got a few tracks into the random Spotify suggestions after the album before I realised it had ended. Interesting, and one I MIGHT revisit. Or not.

Not much I can say about this that hasn’t already been said. Amazing voice, musicians, production and songs. Uplifting and joyous with a slightly bitter-sweet edge. Love the fact you can hear everything so clearly. Knew a few of the songs already, but need to give the whole album a spin again soon.

Not sure an album about hard-drinking, gun-toting Americans is reading the room well right now. This album had no redeeming features for me and I really hope I never hear any of these songs again.

Really enjoyed this. Knew a couple of songs (A Mina Mehnina & Bat Macumba) but great to hear the whole album. This demonstrates just why Sgt Pepper is cited as such an influential album. A lot of the sounds, styles and even the cabaret wackiness are all borrowed from that album. Particularly the horns of Panis. The Beatles’ previous works, particularly Revolver’s staccato fuzz guitars can be heard here too. All this is filtered through a Brazilian sensibility, taking it somewhere else entirely in places. The album sounds like it was a lot of fun to make, and a great example of world psychedelia of the time, and just how big that genre's influence was.

This passed me by at the time. Quite enjoyed it hearing it now, but the ‘take a hook from a classic song, loop it and rap / sing over it’ thing is very much of its time. I tried to take note of the lyrics, but must admit my attention kept wandering. And I didn’t feel that the voices were that different to what I had heard elsewhere, Lauren Hill notwithstanding. It’s also quite long - too long for me.

Bit of a nostalgia trip in this one. This is one of those albums that does what it does very well. Feels like a dumbed-down Cramps / Pussy Galore / Hasil Adkins, but Jack White clearly managed to capture the zeitgeist of the time with these tunes. As Seven Nation Army’s ubiquity attests. Another on I drifted off from after a few tracks, but catchy in places.

A classic album, and you can still hear its influence in a lot of current music. Don’t know what else to say about this really - love it.

I was quite looking forward to playing that I knew of the Lemonheads but had never listened to an entire album theirs before. Every day’s a school day and all that. However, I didn’t really find anything in this to latch on to. I’m not even sure how I would describe it if someone asked me. “mature 90s alt rock” maybe? Feels very much of its time and place, but it didn’t grab me in the way I had hoped.

The Undertones are more of a singles band than an album band, imo. But this album does have one of the classic singles on it. Not just by them, but of all time. My Perfect Cousin and Wednesday Week are excellent examples of punk pop perfection, both in the lyrics and the melody. Great version of ‘Boardwalk’, too. Some of the album is a bit filler, but I love this band, and album, for proving that punk didn’t always have to take itself too seriously.

I was hoping that I was going to like this more than I did. The album starts off quite funky but turns rather too smooth for my taste very quickly. And the synth noodling at the end of All About Love sounded like someone practicing. It picks up a bit again after that, but I can’t see myself listening to this album again by choice. Africans perks things up a bit but I like my funky soul with a bit more edge. The edges have mostly been polished off here.

Considering where this band got their name, this album was rather a let-down. I’m not quite old enough for this stuff to be nostalgia-triggering, and I don’t find much about this that I actually enjoy. Bland tunes, a voice I barely noticed and lyrics that didn’t really grab me. My Old School put me in mind of Minder and it’s theme tune. That’s about all I can remember about this, tbh. Countdown to the end of the album, more like. Not for me.

I know the famous singles, but not this album in its full form.Monday, Monday is a great start to any week’s listening and any album. Clear sixties production and separation of instruments, great musicians and those amazing harmonies really made this for me. Some lovely songs, too. The slower numbers didn’t really suit my mood and Do You Want To Dance does tip into cheese territory, but the voices still (mostly) carry those songs too. Really enjoyed this.

Great voice and I love the title track, but the rest of the album sounds like 80s American sitcom theme tunes.

I was looking forward to this, never having knowingly heard Mingus before. But this just washed over me, and nothing jumped out from it. I guess I just don’t really ‘get’ jazz.

I guess this is party music. Hard to get in the party mood while at work on a rainy Wednesday morning. Some of the more hip hop tinged tracks sounded okay, but overall too eclectic for me.

Didn’t mind this. Some interesting beats, but sounded a bit of a mish-mash in terms of style and production, so didn’t really hang together as an album played end to end.

I can hear that this holds together both as an album and a story, but I think I am a bit old for an hour and a quarter of wall-to-wall “guns and b*tches”. The backing generally flows well but I have to say I actually find ol’ Notorious’ voice a bit monotonous and emotionless after a while.

Really enjoyed this. Heard various tracks before and clearly just wasn’t in the right mood. Love the feel of it as a while album and the interplay between the music and the other sound textures. One to play again.

Another one I’d listen to again. Love the desert blues sound from beginning to end, with nice variation in mood throughout. Amazing voice and arrangements too.

I love their first single, a proper slice of messy punk pop. But I have never gotten along with their country-tinged later work, despite endless plays on the John Peel show. I was hoping this was a chance to change that, but I remain unmoved. The ‘looseness' of their earlier work is still there, but it sounds to me that they have sucked both post-punk and country dry, and this is what was left. And poor Hank must be turning in his grave at the karaoke-style closer.

Beautiful album, with a lush and (mostly) appropriate production. Not sure about the ‘chilled beats’ on Tragedy, but other than that, this was a tasteful ‘repositioning’ of Emmylou and her amazing voice. If I didn’t know otherwise, I’d assume this was a ‘new’ artist, but that voice betrays the years of experience that have gone into these songs. Definitely one to revisit.

This album has some great moments. Crosstown Traffic, for instance, is not only the best thing Hendrix recorded, but one of the best tracks EVER recorded. And there are some interesting sounds and techniques on here, notwithstanding Hendrix’s playing itself. But this doesn’t really hang together as an album, and there is too much extend jamming in places for my taste. There are too many different styles and the production doesn’t pull the tr=hreads together well enough. Hit and miss, and would have made a much better, selectively-edited, single album.

I REALLY want to like Talking Heads, and love both Tom Tom Club and some of Byrne’s other work, such as Bush of Ghosts. But I just feel like they are trying too hard to be ‘quirky'. None of the tunes grabbed me here, particularly. Was pleasant throughout, without really grabbing my attention at any point.

Thom sounds very sad here that Nirvana are no more. I didn’t realise at the time just how influenced early Radiohead were by the US Grunge wave. A style that passed me by at the time, and still leaves me cold now. I am not a fan of Thom’s whiny voice, and the heavy rock feel of a lot of this doesn’t do it for me. A couple of okay tunes, but they could have used a bit more subtlety in their execution.

Bit of a greatest hits for what I didn’t realise was Elvis’ first album. Never been a massive fan but these are good tunes and they have the pull of nostalgia too. The production doesn’t sound as punchy as I remember it but that may be my speakers. Alison a highlight here, both lyrically & musically.

Not my favourite Bowie ‘set’ but so much to love about this. The cover, Panic In Detroit, Drive-In Saturday, Jean Genie. Enjoyed playing this again very much, especially as a whole set of songs. Never been a Mike Garson fan (the piano dominates too much in places) but other than that I love it.

Gave up on this before the end. I can hear that she can write a song or two, but the piano and voice just went on and on in the same tone and with the same dynamic throughout. And it all sounds so seventies. Guess I’m not really a singer-songwriter kind of person. Even when the band joins in it doesn’t really take the songs somewhere else.

Really enjoyed this. I wish I could follow / understand the lyrics, but really enjoyed the mood and energy of this throughout. Will definitely play again.

I didn’t realise the actual ‘Message’ album was quite so eclectic. Love the title track. Love Scorpio, but the rest is a bit cheesy for me, either in the soul stylings (not what I expected) or the fairly basic use of samples in places (Nasty). Still worth it for The Message itself, but would have made a better four track ep.

An inauspicious, hesitant start to this album. I am never sure if I like PJ’s work or not. I think the truth that I like some and not others. I do like her voice, but find parts of this set a bit turgid. I remember when I first heard tracks like Dress and Sheila-Na-Gig and thinking they sounded very different to what was around at the time. The stripped-back rawness works on those songs, but I think I prefer her more ‘arranged’ songs, in general. The follow up - Rid Of Me - has superior songs, and more of them. Not bad, but a bit hit-and-miss for me. Which would also be my summary of her career generally.

I was expecting to enjoy this more than I did. I mean the guy was in the Velvet Underground, after all. I could see (hear) that this hangs together neatly as a body of work, but none of the songs grabbed me much, or were familiar. I would have liked a bit more experimentation - this sounded like standard '70s rock ballad fare, to me, with none of the smarts that Cale’s playing for VU displayed. Black Angels Death Song this is not..

I got more than enough from The first few songs. Bloated 70s rock with no discernible tune. Not my thing at all.

Enjoyed this much more than…checks notes…the other Talking Heads one that was AOTD recently. I particularly like Drugs. Probably as it’s under Eno’s influence more than other Heads’ output. Parts of this - unsurprisingly - put me in mind of Bush Of Ghosts, which is no bad thing. I played this twice and enjoyed it both times.

Quite enjoyed this. Passed part of a Spring morning rather pleasantly. A name I know without being able to name any of their songs (although I recognised the hit single when I heard it). Jolly and well-crafted, but not sure I would play it again out of choice. Not enough variation to grab my attention throughout. May dig into some of their earlier work, however.

I grew up around folk music and folk folk, so have a natural aversion to anything that leans too much in that direction. but I actually quite enjoyed parts of this, which surprised me. The middle section of A Sailor’s Life / Cajun Woman put me in mind of the early demo versions of some of the more extended VU & Nico songs. Maybe it was the violin, and the rockier edge to it. The rest of it kind of washed over me. Not sure I understand either the title or the family photo on the cover (even after Googling), which doesn’t help. Not too bad in places but unlikely to play it again.

Found this very depressing. Can’t imagine being in the sort of mood where I would enjoy this. As another miserable git once sang: It says nothing to me about my life

Got as far as Smoke and bailed.

I really enjoyed this. Mike Ladd was a new artist to me. Like the Afterfuture concept throughout, and lots of interesting and inventive ideas here. Reminded me of stuff like Anti Pop Consortium in places (who I love). Only downside was I felt the album is a little long and I lost focus a bit for the last few tracks.

Wasn’t a huge fan at the time of this, and it feels very much of its time. I like the more 60s / psychedelic influence, but the voice at times puts me in mind of Oasis and this really put me off. The songs didn’t really grab me. Quite liked the last track if I had to choose one.

Prefer this to their studio / ‘plugged’ recordings. Nice version of Man Who. But find the angst of their own songs a bit hard to listen to. I guess you had to be there but they don’t really speak to me. Also not a fan of Cobain’s voice.

A bit bland for me, and the heavy rock aspects definitely not my thing.

Got a minute in and bailed. I really don’t understand this kind of band. Repetitive and clichéd.

As with Massive Attack generally, I love about half of this album. Most notably their work with ‘guest’ vocalists Tracy Thorne and Horace Andy. Some great grooves and samples in there. The album in parts sounds very much of its time, production wise, but the songs that work really work. Spying Glass has always been the standout track here for me.

I like Chic, and Le Freak is a stone-cold classic single. And I love I Want Your Love. But some of this album felt a bit same-y, and songs like At Last were too cheesy for my taste. A great singles band, imo. 3 stars for the classics that are on here.

I started this one off and heard the already-familiar version of Summertime Blues, and thought, this might well be fun. However, by four songs in, it all started sounding the same: screaming guitar and wailing vocal. I must admit I drifted off and then started being mildly irritated by the incessant noise. I can see what they were trying to do and appreciate that they probably did a lot of it first, but they should have stopped after Summertime.

This album did little for me at the time, as it seemed a bit of a let-down and a re-tread after their debut. Listening to it now the well-known tracks sound great. Some great tunes and I love the energy. It flagged a bit in the middle, with whatever the cost-reggae intro track was, but overall I enjoyed this a lot more than I did at the time. 3.5 stars.

A great set and love the atmosphere and the musicianship. Music that takes me on a literal journey and away from the grey of London Town. I think I have seen the film but enjoyed the album more as it’s all about the music.

Was aware of the name but none of the music before this. It all sounded good and I enjoyed it, but nothing particularly jumped out at me. The title track was possibly my least favourite. Probably need (and hope) to give it another listen at some point and try to take it all in in a bit more detail.

“A live double album recorded in 1972” is probably all you need to know about this one. I skimmed through this and whatever they were taking clearly took it’s toll on their creative faculties. Repetitive and indulgent.

Don’t really know Mercury Rev. I knew Holes but was only half-aware it was by them. And from the voice on that track, I assumed they were a comedy / pastiche band. And I still have that feeling as I listen to the tracks after Holes. The melody of Tonight It Shows made me initially think it was a cover of Stairway To Heaven. And I just don’t like that voice (sounds put-on). The high register (which in places sounds like someone playing a saw) and the fragments of popular and throwaway tunes do nothing to change this perception. I don’t find the album offensive, and it does have a old time Hollywood movie / dreamy quality in places. But call me a misery - music is music and this type of silliness is not what I look for in a band or album that I would choose to sit down & spend much time with.

Didn’t mind this but it washed over me somewhat. Feel like I know it, even though I probably have not sat down and played this album as a whole before. Music from another time and place. Probably wouldn’t play again.

Quite enjoyed coming home and playing this after a long Monday at work. An amazing voice and interesting arrangements. It really makes me think of fllm soundtracks of the time (1960s). No bad thing.

Budget Daft Punk.

Soul perfection. The Reverend does have the most beautiful voice, and this album showcases it perfectly from start to finish. The backing never intrudes, supporting the main attraction, and the backing vocals lift Al’s vocal up further. There is nothing about this I don’t love - beautiful songs, arrangements, production and of course THAT voice above it all.

Didn’t mind this, but it feels like I have been here before and is an update of a style from another time. Perhaps it’s timeless, but I didn’t feel it was anything new. Can’t Let Go jumped out from this set, maybe because it’s a bit more rocky / angry, but generally, this was a pleasant enough backdrop to doing other stuff and not much more.

I don’t really ‘get’ this. The songs don’t speak to me and the music doesn’t grab me at all. Sounds like someone practicing guitar and humming along at one point (Know).

I know it’s fashionable to dislike Jamiroquai, but after all these years I didn’t find this that offensive. Or stimulating. Why you would listen to this by choice, rather than anything by Stevie Wonder, is beyond me. Cheesy wine bar music from the 90s.

Awful. I imagined it to be much noisier than it was. Lumpen, repetitive, and really not my thing.

Not really a fan of country rock. This was okay but nothing really jumped out at me. Pleasant.

I guess this might be called post-grunge? I never got into grunge as it seemed to take all of the macho posturing of punk and none of the more interesting bits. So an after-the-fact version of that definitely is not for me. The band’s Wikipedia entry, which mentions "Krautrock and electronica influences”, makes them sound much more interesting than I found this album. Didn’t enjoy the backing, the lyrics or the voice, which doesn’t really leave anything here for me to admire. Stoner rock, nein danke.

This started off okay but my attention soon drifted off. Not a big singer-songwriter person, so wasn’t really following the lyrics. Got to the end but unlikely to play this again. Seems of another time, and not one I feel particularly at home in.

I was tempted to just leave my review at “It’s Elvis". Even at his lowest ebb (and this is far from that) he still has that voice, that spark, that…thing. This is a pretty good set of pop rock and roll songs of the time, and the backing is stripped back enough to really showcase the man himself. Not his best, but certainly not his worst , this is where he was perhaps starting to fit into the style of the time, rather than blazing his own trail. Such A Night is the standout here for me, but I love it all. It’s Elvis, after all.

Reading the Wikipedia page for this I was hoping for at least some Missy Elliot, but that track is not even on the album. Skipped through this. Mariah couldn’t Carey less, for me.

I tried. I wanted to like this. I read the lyrics and the Wikipedia back story. But I didn’t hear this at the time and now I feel it is too late. Perhaps I am missing something, but I don’t really feel that I missed out. And am not a fan of the voice. I can see what they are trying to do (I think) but it doesn’t really speak to me and I don’t find the music particularly original or moving. So Young is an okay start (maybe partly because I recognised it from the radio) but for me it chugs along with variations of the same theme for the rest of the album, with diminishing returns.

Really enjoyed this. Was sort of as I expected, given what I have heard in the past from their Loveless album. However, I like the variation here - not all of the songs were full-on guitar drones. The keyboard-led tracks had the same woozy feel and didn’t feel out of place. Makes me want to play Loveless all the way through (not sure I have ever heard it from start to finish) and would definitely play this again.

Lovely album and I love Q Tip’s voice. Having said that, there wasn’t a track that jumped out here - it just flowed smoothly from beginning to end. Well-crafted, but neither earth-shattering or offensive. If I hadn’t heard Q Tip previously, I would have loved this, but as it stands, it seems like another accomplished album to add to his discography.

If nothing else, this sounds like nothing else that had been put on record at that time. A real mix of styles, from Weeping to AB/7A, I love all aspects of this album. You could say AB/7A owes a debt to Kraftwerk, but Hamburger Lady sounds unlike any other artist (thankfully). In equal parts uplifting and downright scary, this is not an album I would sit down and listen to very often, but certainly one that has had a massive influence in my subsequent musical taste.

Never been a huge fan of Madonna, and this clattering production hasn’t aged that well. Some if this is quite pleasant, but it’s no Hamburger Lady.

Quite enjoyed this, and loved the singles (Kids / Pretend) at the time. Catchy but with a twist, and quite like the lyrics too. However, there’s something a bit too knowing / deliberately quirky in how they write and present their songs. And most of the other songs don’t seem to compare for quality to the singles. They did seem to be trying something new, though, and I did like it for that. 3.5 stars.

Plodding 90s rock songs about the break-up of a toxic relationship (apparently). With more of those sub-metal vocals that were so popular at the time. Not my thing at all.

I love Missy Elliot, and love this album most out of all of her work. The nod to early hip hop while also sounding brand new really works here. I am not sure about a couple of the more smoochy numbers, but Ain’t It Funny is a standout here with the layered vocalists and buzzy synths over a pop construction. The best from one of the best.

There’s the odd interesting idea in here (the fuzz bass on Hell Of A Life, for example), but I found this monotonous after a while. Even with the various guest stars sampled or roped in to perform alongside Mr West. I also found a lot of the rhymes quite awkward, starting with "Look like a fat booty Céline Dion/Sex is on fire, I'm the King of Leon-a Lewis”. Seemed like wordplay for the sake of it, rather than telling me anything new. I lost interest about half way through, and when I picked it up again near the end, nothing seemed to have changed in terms of tone or pace. Dark & twisted, yes; beautiful? No.

I loved JAMC when they first started out, and saw them live around the time this album was released. But they never seem to have captured that initial noisy soundscape by the time they started making records. They have since written some great rock n roll tunes without all the feedback, but this seems to fall between both stools - none of the whirlwind of sound of their early live stuff, and no standout tunes on here to compensate. This washed over me, I’m afraid, which was a bit of a surprise. I expected to enjoy this more.

Reminded me of watching John Wayne movies with my Nan. Not offensive but also seems very much from another time.

I thought Aphex Twin was the cutting edge of left field electronic dance music. This sounds a bit like background music for a moderately successful tv show. It probably sounded more out there at the time but I think things have moved on since then.

Bland stadium indie-by-numbers.

Not normally a grunge fan but actually quite enjoyed this. Somehow it seemed a bit bouncier and playful than, say, Nirvana. I liked it in the same way that I like early Sabbath - the band revelling in the noise they can make. The lyrics weren’t terrible either, from what I could make out. I think the original 22 minute version of this is probably enough for one sitting, but I left the Deluxe edition running just to hear their version of Halloween. Good stuff.

Considering how much I love The Kinks, I’m surprised I haven’t really got into the weeds with many of their albums. The was greta fun. A snappy set of songs with great melodies and a bit of variation in pace and feel, with the odd attempt (not completely convincingly) at psychedelia. Session Man was a highlight here, and reminds me how much of an influence this band have been, especially on Mark E. Smith.

This was pleasant but nothing really jumped out at me. A bit too smooth and background music for my taste.

Enjoyed this - happy, positive hip hop and really like the lyrics too. Could have been a little shorter, but a great listen on a sunny day. 3.5 stars.

Didn’t mind this. Sounds of it’s time, although not exactly Elvis. Probs has a very distinctive voice, and the songs are quite dramatic. Unlikely to play again, though.

Slightly disappointing. I expect so much of OJ based on the excellent singles on here.I also really enjoyed the Highlife-y second track and the one that sounds like Josef K, but this album seems to lurch from style to style and the production of each song sounds different. And none are as polished as the two singles on here (which are two of the greatest pop songs ever created). So 3/5 for the two singles, but this is a very inconsistent collection of songs.

Didn’t mind this. Some pleasant melodies and the whole set flows as an album nicely. The singles are the standout tunes on here, and the only songs of theirs I knew previously. But the lyrics feel a bit mannered / contrived in places, with the abundance of ‘references’ liberally (ahem) peppered through the tracks.

I was expecting to hate this, but it had a few interesting production bits and some experimentation in places, which surprised me. Still a boring-sounding bloke singing not very exciting songs with his guitar, at the end of the day though, so not one I would ever revisit.

A great album, especially the title track. Not sure what else to say. Really enjoyed the flow of the second side on this listen. Not Bowie’s best, but close.

I got 3 tracks in and couldn’t believe I wasn’t near the end of the album. This is inoffensive but I wouldn’t sit and deliberately listen to it again.

A fantastic album from a fantastic era in hip hop. Has a great flow throughout and hearing Tribe always lifts my mood. As does Q-Tips distinctive voice. It did feel a bit long towards the end, but better too much than not enough. A classic.

Beautiful desert blues - love the voice, the backing and the feel of this. Took me somewhere else for a while.

This has it all. An iconic performance, social commentary, humour, audience interaction. And of course, some great songs. Not least San Quentin, penned for the occasion. But in some ways the high point for me is the tender duet, accompanied by the under-rated Carl Perkins, on Darling Companion. You can hear the warmth, both on and off stage. An all time classic.

I love Jurassic 5. And I love their albums. But this one sounds like the others, and so after a while I found it hard to focus too much on any specific track. The overall feel is great, but I do feel if you’ve heard on you’ve heard them all.

Not generally a fan of The Who. I find them too bombastic and a bit lumpen in general. But this was fun, as it changed mood rapidly, and works as a concept. Some of the experiments with sound production were really fun too. Not a fan of the songs themselves, but the idea of tuning a radio dial kept it interesting. Surprising.

Meh. I do like early ‘Sabs’, and this was okay, but I feel like it is not as focussed as some of their earlier albums. I guess musically they were branching out, but it's the heavy metal thunder that I love about this band andd their early albums.

Didn’t really get this. Late sixties singer-songwriter stuff. The doo-wop one was pleasant but the rest didn’t do anything for me.

I remember quite liking Red Snapper at the time, but this is very much of its time - pure Shoreditch 90s wine bar music.

Amazing album, and new to me. Love Curtis’ voice throughout, and the backing carried it all along nicely. Not as uptempo as some of his other work, but no less engaging for that.

I really want to like Bruce. Plenty of people that I have a lot of time for have a lot of time for him. But this album just sounded like someone belting it out over a pub rock band for the most part. I found myself humming along to the title track, but that is probably due to its pleasingly familiarity. The rest of the songs left me rather non-plussed. She’s The One just made me want to go to the source and bust out Bo Diddley. I keep trying with Springsteen, but I have the feeling that if I don’t get it by now, I probably never will.

Meh. Played this and didn’t get it. Played it again to check, and still didn’t. Feels very of it’s time and doesn’t speak to me at all.

How this made it onto this list is a mystery. Cliché-ridden hard rock riffs with an equally ‘innovative’ singing style. Played the first track through then skimmed a couple of others. Turgid.

Indulgent nonsense.

Amazing album, an all-time classic. I love the punk energy and the ska attitude working together. I find the whole thing very moving, reminiscent of a time when music tried to change things (if only peoples’ minds) and be a force for good. Hard to pick a standout track, but have always loved the closing time feel of You’re Wondering Now.

A real mash-mash of styles. The Chic one. The Nirvana one. None of it really grabbed me. They always came across as playing at being a punk band, and this album did nothing to disabuse me of that notion. Stodgy riffs with pseudo-meaningful lyrics and whiny vocals. The musical equivalent of Banksy - one dimensional and dogmatic.

I used to think this would have been better as a single album, but listening again I can’t imagine a song to miss off from this set. The energy, the passion and the nous of this album is hard to beat, and often mimicked, Each play I have a different favourite, but enjoyed singing along to Spanish Bombs most this time. I wish most, if not all, tried so hard to make people think while also singing along. An all-time classic.

I prefer the lighter Pulp sets circa Disco 2000. But Help The Aged gave me a good chuckle. I don’t feel that either the songs or the feel of this album show the band at their best, but it’s still Pulp and Jarvis. A little too dark for my mood perhaps? Good, but not their best.

Didn’t mind this but also don’t remember much about it. Middle of the road punk with no standout songs or melodies.

I love Ray Charles, and he was indeed a genius. But the title of this sounds more like a compilation or a pushy sales job than a serious album release. There are some lovely songs within this set, and Charles’ voice is superb throughout. I was however craving a bit more variation of tempo and tone by the middle of this. Probably more of a Sunday afternoon than a Friday morning at work selection.

Bailed after 3 songs. Utter drivel.

I liked some of the more fractured musical parts of this, but the voice grates quite quickly and the lyrics are awful. Not just bad, but actually just grim. I get that ‘Yeezus’ is playing a character, but it’s hard to divorce this from his overblown public ego. With decent (pun intended) lyrics, this could have the makings of a good album. More queasy that Yeezy, unfortunately.

This is clearly the sound of a band running on empty creatively. There is very little on here that reaches the previous heights of The Beatles. A hotchpotch of Lennon’s vague rock mysticism and McCartney’s middle class Chas ’n’ Dave workouts, the standout in terms of craft and effort is Something. Not a favourite of mine, but it works all the way through as a proper song and sounds like it has had time spent on putting it together. The rest sound like ideas at the early stage which escaped too early. “I know, let's write a song about someone called Maxwell who goes around hitting people on the head with a silver hammer’. Eleanor Rigby it is not. The medley on the second side is a bit ‘Stars on 45’, Macca’s football chants spliced with Lennon’s unfinished riffs to create the sound of dysfunction right there in the grooves. Overall, the album left me feeling a bit sad that they didn’t have the energy or the will to polish this stuff up to the standard of earlier work. Beatles by numbers.

Blimey. Eighth album. It kind of shows, as feels quite polished, a bit tired and rather miserable in places. The singles had the recognition factor, which made this an easier listen, but I didn’t like them at the time and time has not changed my mind. A mid-level moody rock band. None of the songs really grabbed me and the music washed over me.

A lovely collection of songs, and perfect phrasing and timing from Ol' Blue Eyes. The songs are too familiar for this to feel like an exciting new discovery, but songs like I’ve Got You Under My Skin don’t comae along very often. A masterclass in songwriting and understated arrangements, performed by a champ.

One of the all-time classics. And Reed’s best. Bowie’s involvement in this is probably no coincidence. A distillation of his best late Velvets sound with some superbly crafted rock n roll songs.The fact he also sidesteps this with songs like Perfect Day and Walk On The Wid Side make this album far from a one-trick pony. I love the different moods and tempos, but it all hangs together beautifully to evoke New York life and style at the time. And Satellite Of Love is one of those recordings that can’t fail to make you feel better, no matter your mood when it starts. A 10/5 for me.

Interesting chose after Transformer yesterday, what with both having a Bowie connection. However, this seems to have more of Bowie’s thumbprints all over it, sounding in large parts like one of David’s albums from around that time. Iggy himself feels a bit swamped here. The opener and closer are fantastic. As are The Passenger and Some Weird Sin, which sounds a lot more like Iggy than much of this set. But the other half of these selections suffer from not sharing more of the Stooges gene pool. I love Bowie, but this is not meant to be a Bowie album, and I feel like I am missing out on something as a consequence.

I was quite taken with this album when I first heard it. The lyrics of Fake Tales are still hilarious and When The Sun Goes Down and A Certain Romance are wonderfully-observed slices of life. But coming back to this now, the lumpen backing sounds even more so now. The band aren’t really pulling up any trees. I’d love to hear those songs with a more interesting band behind them. It’s all a bit one-dimensional. Worth it for the words of Fake Tales alone, and the songs pick up a bit towards the end, but it’s all pretty straight ahead for much of this album.

This sounded quite revolutionary to me when it came out. Listening again was a nostalgia trip, and Express Yourself is still a certified classic. But I don’t feel that this has aged that well, production-wise, musically or lyrically. I get that it was meant to be offensive to everyone at the time, but the casual misogny and homophobia just feels a bit ick, to put it mildly.

I didn’t like Queen the first time around. Chucking them in a blender with a bit of The Strokes and a little U2 makes me like them even less this time around.

Didn’t do much for me and Without You made me think of Peep Show, but quite enjoyed the rhythm section and riffs on Jump Into The Fire. That’s about it. Seventies indulgence.

Didn’t get this at all.

Wanksta indeed. This was okay but doesn’t really speak to me and is way too long.

Reading about this album I was quite intrigued. Sadly the songs themselves don’t deliver: overproduced modern R&B with nothing that really stands out. Another one that felt too long by about halfway through.

Not necessarily their best, but certainly my favourite Beatles album. McCartney’s saccharine sweetness works here in tempering the darker, weirder edges of these songs. And the sinister undertones temper the silliness in a way that doesn’t happen with Sgt Pepper, for example. I usually avoid double albums, but this one is the perfect length. Eclectic, bonkers, silly and dark, all in one beautiful package.

I really like There, There as a standalone song, the rhythm and the way the guitar punctuates the voice and the beat. I think they were trying something new with this at the time, but for me it hasn’t aged well. And old Thom’s voice just doesn’t do it for me - is too monotonous and whiney for a whole album of listening.

This is some dumb*ss sh*t.

The term 'folk punk’ would normally strike fear into my heart, but I have always loved this album since I first heard it back in the day. The lyrics may be a bit juvenile in places, but this a fantastic set of songs (other than To The Kill, which seems to be trying too hard) and they flow together as a good album should. To me, it’s definitely more punk than folk, but the harmonies help take this away from the punk formula, whilst retaining that same energy. And Gone Daddy Gone is a bonafide hit-single-that-never-was.

In all of my mis-spent youth listening avidly to Birthday Party, I never imagined there would be such a thing as a Nick Cave ambient album. I didn’t mind this, and probably should have focused more on the lyrics, but I just let it all wash over me. Nothing really jumped out, sadly. Wasn’t terrible, but it’s no ‘Sonny’s Burning’.

Very slick, too smooth for me.

That’s a lot of piano. Some might say way too much.

Didn’t mind this. A happy album to me through the day but there was no feeling of discovering a ‘hidden gem’. Was kind of what I expected it to be from the title.

This feels like a time capsule. I do love The Beach Boys, but found this too washed-out and whimsical for my taste. And I found it hard to hear the lyrics in a lot of places. And where I could hear them, he was going on about vegetables. Having given the whole album a spin, I then had a listen to the ‘original’ Smile Sessions. I MUCH prefer this. I mean how can you even try to improve on Good Vibrations? The Smile Sessions are just as bonkers, but also feel much more layered and, importantly, in context of the time. It’s a shame it never got finished. Just say no, kids.

I made it to the start of Sulphur and bailed. I sort of admire the full-on assault of this, and it reminds me of my youthful Peel listening featuring Napalm Death, but it’s not for me. One song was fine, but then it was just relentless and monotonous.

I wasn’t expecting a cod reggae opening track. Bland. Didn’t do much for me.

My best friend at secondary school used to make me Maiden tapes. I tried to like them then, and I thought I would try again, l see if I like them any better now. I don’t. Not the worst metal band I have ever heard but that isn’t saying much. Lots of guitar, none of it of much interest to me.

Not listened to an album by The Jam all the way through before, as far as I know. I know the singles. Some I love, some I like. I tend to prefer the later, more soul-tinged stuff. I didn’t mind this but I found Weller’s voice a bit same-y after a while, and the constant bass/drums/guitar/vocals configuration runs out of steam for me after a while. The singles still sound great and Weller is without doubt a great lyricist, but I didn’t hear any undiscovered gems in the unknown (to me) album tracks.

Really enjoyed this. Such a mix of moods and styles yet still all hanging together well as an album.

I love this album. Much preferred to Unknown Pleasures. This sounds much darker and more sombre because it lacks the heavy metal flourishes of the first album. The light amplifies the shade here. It feels more exploratory and inventive, whilst maintaining the mood throughout. For obvious reasons much closer to the broader influences and less rock-influenced stylings of New Order. Again, unlike it’s predecessor, not a duff track on here. It’s always a thrill to hear those haunting opening bass notes of Heart And Soul. A unique masterpiece which - to these ears - hasn’t dated.

Another artist I mainly know from the ‘greatest hits’. And so many of those are crammed in here. And with the different production styles this doesn’t feel like an album, but more of a compilation . However, is was revelation. Some great tunes here that were new to me, and even for a guitar-solo-sceptic such as myself, there is more than enough invention to make this irrelevant. I have probably heard Third Stone before, but it was good to hear it in amongst the rest and sounded fresh to these ears as a consequence.

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Too mellow for me. And a bit too ‘considered’. Not enough spontaneity for me. Like a less melodic Beach Boys in places. Soporific.

Too ploddy for me. I was looking forward to giving this a virtual spin, as I only really know the first album. Which I must say has much better tunes. I found the mixing of religious allusions with S&M imagery of the lyrics in places a bit hackneyed, tbh. And Pimpf is verging on prog pomposity. Overall a rather sombre experience and not one I would intentionally repeat.

Bailed after the intro to the title track. Terrible.

Quite enjoyed this but it felt very nostalgic. From an earlier time when indie bands (or at least singers) weren’t espousing questionable views and tried to write erudite and witty lyrics. I loved the Smiths when I first heard them but their albums haven’t grown with me. The band are okay and fit the songs, but not as inventive - to me - as others seem to think they are. Listening to this when I did made me sad, but it was a wistful wishing for the simpler times when I first heard this band, rather than the music itself, I think.

Quite enjoyed this. Another bit of a nostalgia trip. Was never a big fan, but reminds me of listening to Peel waiting for the Cocteaus tracks to finish to hear what delights were in store afterwards. Some nice tunes in here (Iceblink especially), but I found the nonsense poem lyrics bit wearying by that point. And the warbling vocals, if done by Mariah Carey would have put me off right off the bat. As mentioned, some good tunes, but the 80s flange & chorus all over everything really dates this album.

I’m with Brenda from Bristol on this. About as entertaining as the other one that’s already been from this list.

I really want to like Talk Talk - and do love their eponymous Mod-ish single, as it’s quite upbeat. This started off okay but started to feel same-y and sombre after a few songs. I get that there is a bit of musical invention here but for me it all feels too mannered and too polished. No rough edges to contrast with the sheen. And Hollis’ voice is distinctive, but not in a way I like for a whole album. Maybe this mood works better at night, but I was a tad disappointed.

Didn’t mind this. I can see what they were trying to do - mixing heavy rock riffs with techno to make techno for people who don’t like dance music. But the stadium techno thing works much better on Fat Of The Land, and with a singer. The sampling and production sounds dated here. NIce to remember how they started, but prefer where they ended up. Awful cover ‘art’, too. Poison is still a banger, though.

I really enjoyed half of this (Over Under, I Can’t Make My Way) but the other half seems to be fairly generic (for the time) sub-Stones R&B. The sound seems to vary from track to track too. So much so that I checked to see it was a contemporary album and not a compilation of tracks from various years. Am not really a guitar-hero kind of guy, so Beck’s involvement here left me cold, but a few okay tunes here as mentioned. Very silly title, too.

Despite not liking Metal as a genre, I do love a bit of Sabbath. They did it first, and best. Iy’s easy to forget that tis album was released in 1970. Paranoid is a fantastic tune, but I found my attention wandering after the first half of this album. War Pigs is great too, so maybe I just love the ‘hits’? Still a great album though.

From my relatively limited experience of Blur, the weakest album of theirs seems to have been the one to make this list. None of the songs grabbed me particularly and this passed me by in a bit of a - ahem - blur. Supposedly an epiphany, this was just a bit like modern life, as far as I was concerned.

The ‘dialogue’ made me interested to see what the film was about, but the music was too indulgent / prog rockish for me.

Perfectly pleasant ‘thoughtful’ 90s indie rock. Made me think of the odd occasion I still tuned into John Peel in the 90s. Nothing really jumped out from this set. Six tracks is probably a couple too many, given their length. 2.5.

I avoided this at the time of its release, as it seemed to be everywhere, but actually enjoyed this more than I expected, but another one that I got a bit sidetracked with by about halfway through. It starts off well with Boy In The Bubble, but I couldn’t really tell you what happened by the end. Pleasant enough, but I felt the more personal lyrics didn’t speak to me so much.

Not sure what to make of this hearing it again. I quite enjoyed it, but it sounds fairly pedestrian now.Especially compared to what they did after this. At the time it seemed forward-thinking, with it’s idea of combining catchy rock riffs and dance beats. Some of it sounds like wallpaper now (Higher Than The Sun especially), but that may just be familiarity with the genre / style. Movin’, Come Together and Loaded all still sound great, although it seems telling that these are the ones that seems most easily traceable back to their Rolling Stones roots.

Love this album. Not every track, but Know Your Product / This Perfect Day justify its existence alone. A great step forward from their first album, maintaining the punk energy but with a bit more variation in tempo.

Didn’t mind this, but more from a nostalgic viewpoint. I remember hearing this at the time and thinking it sounded energetic and the lyrical content seemed different to anything else around then. Found it a bit wearing after a while - I think my tolerance of sustained loud angry music is fairly low these days, but there are some great songs on here.

Dreadful. I skimmed though a couple of tracks, got as far as Second-Hand Woman, looked up the terrible misogynistic lyrics to check I wasn’t mishearing them and bailed. Bland 80s anti-music.

I started this and thought - meh, another 70s balladeer. Then about halfway through I started to enjoy it a bit more. Then my interest tailed off again. Couldn’t say why I liked it in parts - not really my thing, but I guess it’s interesting, in the kind of ‘career-tailed-off-still-trying-to-have-a-profie’ way. Although I am not sure Seventies Spector on production is something to recommend this. Not likely to play again, but not as bad as first feared.

A great album. McCulloch is a gifted writer and in many ways the Bunnymen embody the *spirit* of the Beatles that still hangs around Liverpool (& music generally) better than most others. This is not the mimicking of the sound and melodies that bands like Oasis indulge in, but a distillation of that essence somehow. It starts with the orchestration of the first track and carries on from there. I don’t love every song on here - to me Bunnymen are a perfect singles band (sacrilege, I know) - but as a body of work it’s a huge, swaggering statement.

I found this about as cheerful & engaging as the other Radiohead one on this list so far. This one a bit less grunge-inspired, but a similar mood and left me feeling the same, ie not sure what all the fuss is about. Nothing stood out here for me particularly.

One of THE great albums. Loved it at the time and I still love it now,. The voice, the sparse arrangements, the mood. There is a lot in here, from the heavy dub of Numb to the lounge stylings of It Could Be Sweet, but it is all so well put together, and no element overstays its welcome to keep the listener on their toes. Wonderful.

I just don’t ‘get’ Prince. Kiss and Sign o' the Times are great pop songs, but a lot of his work (including this) just seems unfocused and indulgent. Parts of this made me think I was listening to Van Halen or some other rock guitar noodling. I get that there are some quirkier moments in there too, and his lyrics are somewhat risqué, but this isn’t enough to make me feel this is something special or unique. It sounds of its time, and for me hasn’t aged that well. There may be some good songs in there, but they seem buried in layers of instruments and a dated production that - for me - covers up any of the songs' possible merits. Just because you can play 27 instruments, doesn’t mean you have to. And certainly not all at the same time.

Didn’t mind this - a mellow mood for a Tuesday morning. But have to say that nothing else on here reaches the heights of A Forest. Worth a listen for that track alone, but sounds like a band trying to find their feet after what was a stunning debut, and before they moved into their darkest phase. Of all of their albums to choose from for this list, this seems an odd choice, other than for the fact it contains their first big hit.

Finally, an album by The Fall makes the list. Not their finest album by any stretch, but still a great piece of work. This album was the start of their stint at trying to be more ‘commercial’, and sadly the lyrics suffered somewhat in comparison to other albums. The album before this - Wonderful and Frightening - is just as polished but with much better songs, both lyrically and musically. There’s a lot of repetitive phrases here that pass for lyrics - I Am Damo Suzuki, My New House - but still enough pithy humour to stop this sounding like any other band. The group sound tight, if not at their most inspired, and lines like "I'm not saying they're really thick / But all the groups who've hit it big…” tell you Mark Smith is not your usual rock lyricist. Parts of this are great (Paintwork, What You Need, Quantifier); others not so much. Not even in my top 10 albums by The Fall, but is definitely in my top 10 of albums in the 1001 Albums list (so far).

This was perfectly pleasant, as Friday evening wind-down after work, accompanied by a cocktail. An amazing quality of recording, Vaughan’s voice is beautiful, and everyone seems to be having a good time. Lots of jazz standards here, if that’s your thing. It’s not really mine, and this album hasn’t changed my mind. An interesting document, but not music I would put on again by choice.

Smart, inventive, playful, positive, and unlike anything that had gone before. And the sort of album that couldn’t be made now in this age of strict sample clearance, as I am sure the almost-bankrupted De La would attest to. Which is a shame, as the samples are used creatively and with love, but there you go. One of the greatest albums ever made.

It’s mad that this is the second of only two albums of hers, given her relative (pun intended) overexposure. Maybe due to the familiarity, I love the singles, but wasn’t so sure about the other half of the album. The reggae-lite of Just Friends, for example. The familiar tracks sounded really fresh at the time, despite the bleakness of the lyrical content, embracing the 60s girl group sound and bringing it up to date. Some great break-up songs, but probably not an album I’d play otherwise. Plus points for the Dap-Kings, but there’s something about Mark Ronson that really irritates me. Personalities aside, this is half a classic, with the other half feeling a bit ‘filler' - or at least ‘samey’ - in places.

Some interesting bits (I was quite excited by the promising opening for about 10 seconds) but this doesn’t half go on. Bloated 70s over-production and trickery hide any traces of what may or may not be good songs. I don’t think his name is why he isn’t loved. Pompous and unnecessary, for the most part.

Good Times is a great tune. As attested by the various (improved, imo) versions that have used that bassline. But the rest left me feeling like what I imagine a night at Stringfellows might sound and feel like: cheesy, sleazy and feeling a little queasy.

Wasn’t sure what I would make of this, as it’s a name I know a bit but not much. Quite enjoyed it. The tempo and instrumentation was varied enough that it didn’t all sound the same. Not a big fan of Martyn’s voice, but it was interesting and different. This didn’t bowl me over, hence not having much to say about it, but I did really enjoy the live track at the end. Had a bit more oomph and was a nice close to proceedings.

Not usually my thing, but I quite enjoyed some of this. The guitar posing I expected was there, but it didn’t seem so in your face as other Santana songs I have come across in the past. And some of the songs here quite enjoyed, most notably Incident At Neshabur. The style straddles the 60s and 70s neatly, and the percussion throughout the album helps lift this away from the usual rock guitar fest a little. It’s not going on my regular playlist, but I did enjoy this in patches more than I expected.

The pop Sonic Youth album. Some interesting songs on here, but they seem to keep the tunes and the noise very separate, unlike other albums. SY were never great ones for lyrics, so take away the experimentation and you’re left with some hummable rock tunes about stuff that people cared about at the dawn of the nineties. Kool Thing is just that, but the Chuck D cameo, which should be fun, sounds like it was recorded BEFORE they wrote the song and then dropped in afterwards. Not bad, but not great either.

I love a bit of country, but you can have too much of a good thing. This doesn’t need to be a double album and is probably too long even for one album. I bailed after the first disc. There are some okay versions of some classic songs here - some of which I only know from versions by Johnny Cash - but I must admit I gravitated towards the songs I already knew, as I find the sound of this a bit samey after a while. Worth it for Tennessee Stud and Dark As A Dungeon, but my attention did wander after a while.

Really enjoyed this - the fun side of sixties over-indulgence, certainly in terms of the results. I can’t remember any specific songs, but I’d definitely check out more of The Byrds, based on this. An interesting mix of styles, and some lovely harmonies and melodies.

This album was one of my gateways into hip hop. A classic, with a star-studded cast. This listen through I found the eclectic nature of the various styles a little jarring in places, but it sounded revolutionary at the time. I’d give this 5 stars just for the joyous bounce of Double Dutch, but this is still a great listen and a hugely influential album.

Four massive hit singles and a lot of cheese. You can very much hear that this is a Chic album in everything but name. The singles are great, but some of the schmaltz was a bit of a chore to wade through. Lost In Music is the banger here, and almost as good as the version by The Fall. 3.5 stars.

THIS is what seventies music should sound like. Focused and flowing. Amazing tunes, amazing band, and funky as all get-out. A perfect length for an album too. Prefer side one, but I like the fact the two ‘sides’ feel different.

I bailed on this after about 3 songs. Not my thing at all. Not really a fan of singer songwriters, and I much prefer John The Revelator.

Bearing in mind my antipathy towards singer-songwriters, I didn’t mind this as much as I expected. It was pleasant and unobtrusive as I did my afternoon work shift. However, nothing really jumped out at me (except for one bit where Mitchell or the producer messed with the sound to make it appear that it was coming through a megaphone or similar). By the end it was all a bit 'same-old, same-old’ for me, though. The only songs I remember was a bit of River as it had a Christmas jingle lobbed in there, and the one about going to Spain up a dirt road for a bit and then going back to California.

‘Folk rock supergroup’. There is nothing in that phrase that would be of interest to me, and the album affirmed this. Plodding and indulgent. Got three songs in and had enough.

I would put this album along side Dexy’s Searching or the first Specials album - genre-bending and game changing. I don’t listen to a lot of Pogues these days, but I love d the rebel spirit of this at the time. There are some absolute classics on here, not least The Old Main Drag, along with a couple of duffers (Jesse James, for one). But they save the best for last here. And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda is one of about 3 songs I can name off the top of my head that makes me teary every time that I hear it. I am not a folk fan - far from it - but I absolutely love this.

Super Blurry Animals! I had heard a few of these songs before but had always assumed they were by Blur and was never that intrigued to check. This is all very jolly, but to me sounds very derivative.

I quite liked We Used To Wait and Ready Stop Start when they came out, but the rest of this album all seems the same note throughout. I can see the anthemic feel they are going for, but for that to work, you need light and shade. There’s not a lot of variety to what AF do. And of course a lot has happened with the band / Butler since, so it feels kind of wrong to be listening to them at all now (given I was not a big fan in the first place). In summary, they have the odd good song here, but it all feels a bit formulaic and as if they are telling me how I should feel.

Fun, fun, fun. They don’t make ‘em like this any more. Mainly because it’s not worth the hassle of clearing that many samples these days. I really like the juggling of pop sophistication with other, more down-home, pop culture references. An excellent pop album. Only ‘Swallow’, which seemed to really go against the prevailing mood and was a little jarring to these ears in context, stopped this being a full 5 stars.

A new one to me and I enjoyed this. I am less familiar with these songs, so need to play this again to give a meaningful critique, but generally enjoyed the flow and the feel of it. A big range of style and moods here, swinging from the full-on feedback noise of Exp straight into Up From The Skies. One to revisit.

I used to love the Beastie Boys. And this album has a uniqueness that came partly from the time it was made - another where the sample clearance would just be too much work to even attempt now. There are some fun tunes here, but having seen the recent Apple TV-funded ‘TEDTalk’, Beastie Boys Story, it all feels a bit more contrived than it seemed at the time. And a lot of the credit surely has to go to the Dust Brothers? Long story short: I used to think this was great album, but it’s become a little tainted by hindsight.

I remember some of these songs from the time. I avoided Ash then and nothing much has changed. It’s pleasant-enough indie rock, and I get the Dinosaur Jr. / Teenage Fan Club comparisons, but Buzzcocks and Sonic Youth? Although I can hear a smattering of the latter in their flirtation-with-corporate-grunge-rock Goo / Dirty phase, I guess. I am sure they had fun doing this stuff, but it washed over me as nostalgia for a 90s I managed to swerve.

Another album that passed me by at the time. I loved The Smiths when they first appeared all over Peel, but my interest waned over time, as they felt a bit same-y after a while. I didn’t mind this, but the songs did sound like Smiths songs, for good or ill. I checked out the lyrics as this played, due to Morrissey’s reputation as a wordsmith. Not bad, but he did / does have somewhat of a preoccupation with death, it seems. The fact he is a first class ar*e these days has stopped me re-evaluating this band and to be honest, this feels to me to be of it's time. A lot of the values and feelings that Morrissey tries to capture and sum up here seem long gone, not least in Morrissey’s ever-narrowing world view. The cabaret version of His Latest Flame didn’t do much to convince me either. I quite liked the closing, title track until the squeaky voices came in. For me, a mixed bag.

The first great Beatles album. If I never hear Drive My Car, Michelle or Norwegian Wood ever again it will be too soon. And Nowhere Man? Argh! But the rest of the songs on here are playful, inventive and beautifully crafted. The harmonies here are joyful. The Word is one of many under-rated tracks here. And What Goes On may be one of Ringo's best contributions outside of his drumming. Timeless and of its time simultaneously, I love this album, despite the over-exposed songs mentioned above.

A very consistent and coherent album, which I personally don’t often feel was the case with other Bowie albums. Feels of its time and timeless somehow. Love the songs, the voice, the arrangements and the sparse nature of it all. Everything is where it should be and nothing is here that shouldn’t be. Bowie’s work needs years to grow on you and I haven’t played this as much as I probably should have, but I would say this may turn out to be one of his best, and a fitting and moving last work.

Didn’t mind this but it did feel like I had put on an album of sixties theme tunes at one point. I found the history as the start of Latin Jazz interesting, especially how when something that sounds of its time as much as this was once fresh and new. Not the worst album I have had to listen to recently. but nothing really stood out.

Had this playing while I was in and out of the room. At times it sounded like someone practicing synthesiser / keyboards. Indulgent and uninspiring. If this is them ‘live’ I’d hate to hear them not live. Not for me.

Not a fan of the songs, the voice or the style.

This was way too long, About an album too long. I enjoyed the first album - some nice tunes, and interesting arrangements. But if anyone tells you how great a lyricist Cave is, just remember that here he rhymes ‘hysteria’ with ‘wisteria’. The second album dragged in comparison, and was the more sombre mood I expect from Mr Cave. Didn’t mind the first set, but it's no 'Junkyard’.

Amazing. Am already a massive Cash fan (and disagree that this is his best work, although it is amongst the best). But this series builds beautifully on his legacy. The song selection, the story and the performances all work together beautifully. And that’s before we even start on THAT voice. Uplifting and moving, this has one of the most compelling closing tracks on any album. First Time probably my favourite here, but Cash has even made Sting sound good, which takes SOME doing. Top drawer throughout.

I get the idea of this, but the constant guitar noodling over everything was too distracting after a while. It was all I could hear. I have never really been one for guitar solos, especially through the whole of every song. I played it through but got very distracted by said soloing, so not much else I can say about it.

F**k music. Can’t stand it. It always sounds like someone caricaturing themselves, with the vocal mannerisms particularly. Nothing about this grabbed me. I tried.

Not what I expected. Imagined this to be much more psychedelic, and thus more interesting. I played it on Friday and cab’t really remember much about it. Sofer and more folk tinged than I was hoping for is what I remember.

Really bland. Pleasant enough to start off with but got really bored by about halfway through. And the Clapton-esque sign off finished me off, too. Would not recommend.

There’s a fine line between Radiohead and prog at times. I am not sure that this album always strike that balance right. I get that there’s a journey with Radiohead, from sub-Nirvana indie rock to Apex Twin electronic, but that album just feels indulgent. And over time, Yorke’s miserablisms just make me weary after a while. Some okay songs from the time here, but I think my days of enjoying Radiohead may well be long gone now.

Not my favourite Eno album, as it falls between his more prog-glam Warm Jets material and the full-on flotation tank later ambient works like Music For. And growing up in the UK, the Arena music (title track) feels very dated now. So it falls between two stools and for me takes the less interesting aspects of each style - there’s no full on energy of tracks like Third Uncle and the ambient stuff is still a little too busy. But an interesting document of the move from one phase to the other.

There’s a lot that I like about Mr Michael as a public figure, and the opening track is a great pop song. However, about 4 tracks in I felt it was all a bit Prince-lite. Soul pop is really not my thing, and the songs here did nothing for me. I don’t think I really need a ‘grown-up’ Wham! in my life. Bland and uninspired.

It's all a load of ballads. Don sounds like quite a nice guy, but nothing here really grabbed me. Seventies schmaltz.

Beautiful, with just the right feeling on this snowy Winter morning. Not songs I know at all, but have always loved the voice. A voice all others should be judged against. Made me want to delve deeper and play this again, to get to know the set better.

This seems a bit of a mish-mash. Folk, psych, rock. Doesn't really hang together as an album. Eight Miles and Hey Joe are both great songs but the rest just jumped around too much. Am sure this was very innovative at the time, but it sounds dated now.

Best soundtrack of all time? Probably. Musical genius, and I love the different moods here. Never get tired of this.

A classic Sixties pop album. Not sure what else can be said about this that hasn't been said already. Some great songs, and those harmonies...so good I played it twice (Spotify has the mono and then the stereo version in one reissue). Caroline, No was the surprise here, having passed me by before. Love the ambient sound at the end. Very evocative.

The singles are perfect pop, but some of the album tracks are a bit filler. I quite enjoyed the Banana Splits inspired tune, but this felt like something I would have loved a lot more as a teenager. There's nothing innovative here but Blondie were a great pop band on their day, and Harry's voice is distinctive.

Judging by this, The Beatles were definitely greater than the sum of their parts. I found this pretty bland, the songs largely plodding inoffensively. Generally, the covers of these songs that I have heard are much more developed than these originals - Roxy’s Jealous Guy and Shockabilly’s Oh Yoko!. I knew of How Do You Sleep? but had never really heard it, and for me this is the standout track here. Focused and impassioned, it may not be the best song here but is definitely the most convincing. Overall, not the quality that I would expect from one half of The Beatles’ main songwriters.

I had high hopes for this, as I knew the name but had never delved into the back catalogue. But I must admit by the third track I was shocked to realise that the album wasn't almost done. Not really a Jazz person, and this put me in mind of 70s US tv themes as much as anything.

Loved it at the time for the hardline stance, despite the slightly ill-informed lyrics in a few places (Meet The G, for example).. This perhaps doesn't sound as innovative given their previous efforts, but the cut-up nature of the tracks and selections here, and the balance of Flav's humour with Chuck D's more serious lyricism make for what musyt be one of PE's releases. Worth 5 stars for the title alone, but Can't Do Nuttin' for Ya Man still makes me chuckle every time. Timeless AND of it's time. A classic.

Costello just makes me feel sad. Maybe it's the voice. Another one I was hoping to enjoy and immerse myself in, but the mood just didn't work for me. It's fine for 'Shipbuilding', but I feel like I am past the point in my life where I enjoy suites of sad love songs. This is no doubt a very accomplished album, just not one for me.

THE Christmas album. From the time before Phil Spector was stomping all over The Beatles and also ended up in jail. This is perfect pop music and worth all of the control freakery in the studio. I dig this out every Christmas and give it a good few spins. There is nothing that I don't love about this album, even (not so) old Phil at the end wishing everyone a very Merry. Brilliant.

A lot of these songs were new to me. A classic of sweeping soul: the vocals, the band and the arrangements all work together beautifully. A proper album, eg a suite of songs that all work together, and both tell one big story and are individual vignettes. Not one I would play all of the time, but still an amazing piece of work.

I get why people love this, but I just don't actually 'get' it. The mix of styles in the production and the change in sound (most notably on 'Why..?') didn't help the flow, for me. Felt like a compilation rather than a single album. Maybe the mood just didn't fit mine, but this is so earnest without any feeling of a lightness or change of mood. Understandable, but it left me a little disappointed.

Having first heard JAMC live and on the Peel session prior to this, Psycho Candy actually sounded quite quiet at the time and was a bit of a disappointment for that. I wanted that wall of noise to translate to the studio on this album. However, there are some great tunes on here, under the muted, hazy feedback and you can still see what they were TRYING to do. And Never Understand is a classic tune without without the noise. But check out that first Peel session if you haven't heard it.

I wasn't really enjoying this when it started. Was wondering why it was even in this list. But t got a lot more interesting from Heartbreaker onwards. There's still of core of sappy indie songsmithing in there, and am not a huge fan of the vocalist (although the vocals do fit with the band rather well in places), but some of the instrumentation is lovely and really not what I was expecting after the first two tracks (& that single). I really like the kosmische feel of some of the backing (although it does get a little prog in places). Not consistent enough for me to give it any more stars, but as I say, was pleasantly surprised overall. And an extra star for the cover of Iron Man. Although given the heavy metal influence in the band, this makes total sense.

Obvious take alert: this would be a great single album. Silver Rocket, Teenage Riot and Eliminator Jr are all immense. It starts and ends in great style. However, the middle of this ('sides' 2 and 3) is not their best work, although it does point towards their more commercial Geffen material / phase. Generally not a fan of the Ranaldo vocal tracks (on any SY album), and that holds here with Hey Joni. Half an excellent album, so 2.5 stars.

I was excited to give his a listen (although was sure I'd heard it once years ago off the back of loving On The Corner). It started off well enough but I must admit the noodling along after a while made me drift off. Perhaps would have got more out of this if I had sat down to listen intently rather than working simultaneously, but for me this lacked the focus and groove of 'Corner' and I didn't fins anything to pull me in and make me listen. Possibly worth another listen at some point, and I like the fact it was just two long tracks, but this didn't get me that excited in the end, sadly.

Prince is usually all a bit too much for me. Too much going on, lots of instruments (and layered voices) seemingly fighting for your attention. So this - apart from the odd Zappa-esque flourish, such as on ‘Sunshine’ - works much better for me with its minimalist grooves and (relatively) stripped down sound. The title track is a classic pop single, and I also love Hot Thing, for similar reasons. And, for me, these are some of his best tunes generally. Probably the only Prince album I would feel the need to listen to again, although it did start to drag a bit at the end with the slushy and live filler tracks. A bit Mariah Carey with all that warbling and vocal gymnastics.

Quite enjoyed the more funky / energetic Stand Up, but the rest of this early Eighties soul set just wasn't for me. All a bit too polished for my taste. At least this was 'normal' album length at 39 minutes, unlike some of the recent double album endurance tests of late.

This felt a bit 'washed-out'. A kind of 'morning-after-the-night' before feeling. Not a bad set of songs, and the idea of the band reinventing themselves is interesting, However, the material that works best (Don't Go Near and the title track) sounds pretty much like the Beach Boys of 'old'. The arrangement of Surf's Up itself feels a bit more thought-out than some of the other tracks, and works as a consequence. One to investigate again at a later date?

Gave up on this after about 3 tracks. No idea what "Didn't want to be your ghost" means, but this seems to fit that genre of big-budget "indie" albums - made to sound meaningful, but really just all about the dramatic and over-blown production. See also Arcade Fire. Feels soul-less and a bit empty, for me. I don't like the voice, the music seems a bit templated and the songs are nothing to write home about. Deep and meaningless.

This album put me off Bob Marley and reggae for a very long time. Not his finest 50 minutes, by any stretch. Just find the whole thing a bit thin, in terms of songs and energy. I know it was meant to be a toe in the water for the non-reggae audience, but it had the opposite effect on me. Bland.

I don't 'get' Morrissey. He sounds so unhappy. Who would have thought that such a misery would turn out to be a massive misanthrope? I find the music here formulaic, and a little ploddy (apart from the chainsaw bit, which woke me up). As much as I feel I should try to follow Morrissey's wordplay, I am so put off by him as a person that I just don't have the energy. The Smiths were interesting and different at the time, but 10 years later, surely the shy, awkward young man had moved on? As I never fully bought into him at the time, it seems easy to walk away and devote time to people who have a bit more interest in the world outside themselves. We cannot cling to the old dreams anymore. Apparently.

Enjoyed this. Hadn't realised quite how much there was a torch singer influence through these songs when I heard this back in the day. I appreciated the voice much more this time around. Fine and mellow indeed. Found myself wanting a little more oomph in a few places, just to mix it up a bit, but not bad.

Didn't mind this but it didn't shift my opinion of them as a band: quirky US college pop rock. I like the image and 'vibe', but it feels more of a homage than an update of those styles - see Deee-Lite for a more successful and interesting take on this, at least visually. 'There’s a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)' sums up the intellectual level of the album neatly enough. Style over substance, for me, albeit a style that I usually quite enjoy. I won't be moving to Planet Claire any time soon.

A huge part of my early musical education. It was the right thing at the right time when I was in my early teens. And probably consistently my favourite album of theirs. Some Clash albums have better songs, but this is great throughout (with the glaring exception of Police And Thieves, which has *always* felt a little awkward and is not a patch on the original, although I get that their heart is in the right place). Playing this again I knew every single word, and shouted along joyously whilst pursuing my Career Opportunites. Favourite song changes every time, but have a particularly soft spot for What's My Name? Exemplary.

I sometimes forget how good The Cramps were. THIS is how to do retro with a twist. Homage, covers and originals all in one seductive seditious package. And with a dash of humour to top it all off. Had to play Sunglasses and What's Behind the mask several times each, and they made me chuckle every time. This formula got a bit threadbare later on, but this is loud and lewd, without taking any of it all that seriously, and I LOVE it.

Someone got a synthesiser for Christmas that year. This might make an okay film soundtrack, but this all sounds rather overblown to me and didn't really draw me in and make me want to listen closely.

THIS is the album by The Fall that everyone should know (rather than Saving Grace). It has some of the best lyrics, and tunes, of any of their later albums. And possibly their best cover version in Lost In Music. Glam-Racket, Paranoia Man, A Past Gone Mad are all up there in the canon of great Fall songs. And this would be worth 5 stars for Service alone, one of sadly few wistful and poignant MES lyrics, made even more so by the janky House piano that tries to drive it along (and almost makes it). The nineties production is one of few reservations here. At the risk of being one of the 'lookback bores', these songs really would have benefited from a bigger sound, similar to Hex or Saving Grace. Or even the lo-fi clanking of Grotesque. This seems to fall (ahem) between pretty much every (bar) stool, soundwise. Oh, and Light/Fireworks could have been left off the end and everyone would have been much happier, I suspect. For better versions of many of these songs, The Twenty Seven Points live album shows what they could have sounded like. There's not really such a thing as a bad Fall album in my book, and this is one of the best. I just wish they'd beefed the sound up a bit.

Classic pop. Funny, sad and uplifting in equal measure. A few of the tracks I didn't know (and let's face it, most of this was played a LOT when it first came out) I wasn't so keen on, but maybe it's the lack of familiarity. I can see what they were trying to do with I-Spy, but it isn't as pithy as, say, Disco 2000. Some amazing slice-of-life observations, and you mostly feel like Jarvis is on your side in all of this. Stands the test of time, even if the nostalgia and yearning brought a little lump to my throat in a couple of places.

Didn't mind this, but also it didn't grab me. Psychedelic folk rock is not something I would normally listen to, and I doubt I would deliberately play this again. Very much a time capsule, especially Broken Arrow, which seemed to drag on a bit, too. Good Time Boy stood out, partly due to the soul edge which isn't there in the other tracks.

Wrote a longer review on the tube in to work but it seemingly didn’t save. Psuedo-cosmic drivel with a couple of the tunes having a bit more oomph (Season & Supergirl). I bet he wowed the ‘crowds’ at parties. At least he chose guitar rather than bongos.

Was looking forward to this, as was completely new to me. I put it on while working and have to admit that - sadly - nothing really jumped out at me. Should give it another listen sometime. Was pleasant enough.

Another one I was really looking forward to. But am worried I am becoming one of those people who only knows the hits. I loved side 1 of this - Remake & Virginia Plain have an amazing otherworldly every, yet are still somehow pop. And the atmosphere of Ladytron is also something else. But I found the flip side of this disappointing. It felt too indulgent and laboured, with an almost-Big Bopper rockabilly show band vibe thrown on top in places. Half an amazing album. 2.5 stars.

The Specials, My Perfect Cousin, Banana Splits, Pixies, B-52s...it's all here. Maybe you spot the magpie tendencies of these riffs because of the band's well known 'borrowing' of other songs, and the tunes are mostly quite familiar. Having said that, I actually enjoyed this more than expected. A punky pop romp all over the face of Britpop. I much prefer the energy of this to some of the other Britpop crew, and the sparse, harsh sound suits these songs. There are a few duffers (esp Indian Song), and pruning down to 30 minutes or so would have helped, but still plenty of catchy sing-along tunes here. 2.5 stars.

A great album. Or should I say albums? A really interesting set, with lots of big name guests. I didn't realise these were two solo albums - they do work well together and I am not sure I could choose between them. Although if Andre 3000 delivered Hey Ya! then I guess he wins? A classic pop song. Two hours is a long time to hold focus, but I enjoyed dipping in and out of this as the tracks played through, and no single track outstays its welcome.

I was hoping to like this as I quite liked Late Registration, and assumed his reputation came from these early albums. But then the good stuff on LR was by Stevie and Curtis. The fake 'rebellion' while rapping about expensive watches, 'Benjamins' and b*tches. I don't find the vocals / flow that interesting. This was disappointing. And, again, too long. Ye-awn.

One of those bands I forget about, and I have no idea why. This is an absolute punk classic, chock full of great riffs, incisive lyrics, focused righteous anger and plenty of humour too. I sniggered at Too Drunk (not on here, I know) as a schoolboy, and the serious point was a little lost on me at the time. But Kill The Poor as an opener shows the message behind these songs, and the album starts as it means to go on. So many great tracks here, and I have always loved the version of Viva Las Vegas, amping up the craziness behind the hazy American Dream that was Elvis' movie stint. Love it. A lot.