This is the first John Martyn album I bought, possibly a year after it came out. I got it out of a delete bin for 50 cents. People who know me well get tired of me saying it's the best 50 cents I ever spent. He was an incredibly talented guitarist/singer/songwriter who effortlessly mastered any number of styles - folk, rock, blues, jazz, reggae and who knows what else. This is still possibly my favorite of his albums. Sadly he wasted his talent due to alcohol and substance abuse and his later stuff never worked nearly as well.

This is the second album of the trilogy (along with Swordfish Trombones and Franks Wild Years) that mark the start of the second phase of his career. It's when the influence of his wife Kathleen Brennan starts to be felt. He switches from his old blues/jazzbo style to incorporate influences from everywhere in a much more experimental sound. Tom has been my favorite artist since I first heard Heart of Saturday Night back in the early 70s. This album is quite possibly my favorite (although that varies from day to day). There isn't a bad song on it. I really believe that when the history of 20th century music is written years from now that Tom will be recognized as one of the seminal figures. So many artists are indebted to him for the way he opened the doors to try new things.

Wanker music. Example of some of the egregiously self-indulgent pap produced during that time.

This and ACDC are the kinds of bands that give rock and roll a bad name. Absolutely pointless juvenile crap. Took a great Kinks song and maimed it.

He isn't bad but to me was never the icon everyone considered him. A reliable rocker but never really had that swing. Could probably have profited from listening to Mink DeVille back in the day.

Not my cup of tea. Overly produced and I'm not wild about the timbre of her voice.

Some classic Lenny tunes - not my favorite but still a great album.

Great stuff. I can see how this is a classic of the genre. Not normally a big rap fan but these guys stand out.

I can see why people like it, just not my style.

Great stuff - there's always been something special about John Fogerty. He makes unforgettable music that get inside your head and stick.

Not my style at all.

Yet another band from back in the day that didn't stand up over time.

Classic Muddy Waters.

Historically interesting but not really my style.

This and ACDC are the kinds of bands that give rock and roll a bad name. Absolutely pointless juvenile crap. Took a great Kinks song and maimed it.

Generic pop. The last few choices haven't left me with a lot of confidence in this person's album choices

My favorite album from one of my favorite musicians. Truly a gifted artist at his best.

Screaming vocals, hackneyed guitars.

A brilliant debut though they got much better later.

Wanker music. Example of some of the egregiously self-indulgent pap produced during that time.

I have a soft spot for these guys. Never my favorite punk band but still good.

Best of the best. Incredible musicians and Joe Strummer's political convictions. The very best punk has to offer.

Sounds a bit like Morcheeba in places.

Not really my thing but I can appreciate the talent.

Hadn't heard this one before but I went out and bought it. Has a very Kinks kind of vibe.

No so much.

The vocals sound a lot like Radiohead. I liked it enough to order the album.

My second favorite Dylan album.

Pretty good late punk stuff.

Pretty good but I prefer the solo work of Sylvain Sylvain.

One of my favorites by him.

Interesting but not something I'd go out of my way to listen to.

The vocalist's voice really grates on me.

Good voice but not something I'd listen to much.

They actually had some decent stuff on their first couple of albums (Hush, Kentucky Woman, Hey Joe, River Deep Mountain High) then they started their metal nonsense. Screaming instead of vocals, stupid lyrics, juvenile guitar solos. Smoke on the Water is right up there with A Horse With No Name as the stupidest song ever recorded and that every bar band in the world played.

Pretty good stuff. Not sure I'd listen to it a lot but I did enjoy it.

Love me some Pogues. This is not their best but still pretty good.

I never warmed to this guy. Just no substance or heart to him at all.

Brilliant. This along with Kill City are my favorite Stooges albums.

Pretty good.

Not bad just not that interesting.

Never cared for this genre

Not bad.

Guy always irritated me. Good voice but just something grates.

ok

Arguably his best album (though it's hard to choose).

Admire the hell out of the guy. He really stood for something but not my style.

Always found these guys too precious.

interesting but not enough to rush out and buy it

Brilliant musician who died way too young. I've owned all his albums since they were released and he is in the first rank.

Great great artist, just not a style that appeals to me.

Great artist but always a bit too airy for me.

Pretty lame form of jazz.

Some absolutely classic stuff from one of the all time great bands. I still like their second one better but what a debut.

I can recognize the talent of the voice but I really really dislike the arrangements.

Pretty good.

I've never liked metal in any form.

Kind of a combination of Los Lobos and Gogol Bordellol.

I've never been able to stand U2. They take themselves so seriously it's hard for anyone else to. Absolutely no joy or humor in their music. Plus I can't handle Bono's faux progressive nonsense.

My favorite of their albums.

Meh. At first listen these guys sound promising. But they just don't sound real. A little too contrived and calculated. They remind me of the Strokes in that regard. Kids trying to sound like someone from their big brother's record collection.

Never cared for these guys - wimp rock.

Never cared for him - soulless soul, soggy rock and triumph of production over content.

Not their best but still pretty good.

Classic Van from before he was eaten alive by his ego.

I don't like being screamed at.

Just awful - the person who created this list has an unhealthy fascination with all forms of metal. Black Sabbath has a lot to answer for.

This is the kind of stuff that if I hear one song in a movie soundtrack I go - that sounds great. A whole album of it doesn't work as well.

Good enough that I'll be giving it another listen.

Good voice but not my style.

Worth a couple more listens at least.

He isn't bad but to me was never the icon everyone considered him. A reliable rocker but never really had that swing. Could probably have profited from listening to Mink DeVille back in the day.

Class Pixies. Brilliant originals.

Possibly their best album, either this one or Shake Some Action. I'm not usually a big fan of covers but these guys are really good at it.

Classic garage band and Patty Smith's hubby played for them.

This one took a while to grow on me but I really like it.

This is the first John Martyn album I bought, possibly a year after it came out. I got it out of a delete bin for 50 cents. People who know me well get tired of me saying it's the best 50 cents I ever spent. He was an incredibly talented guitarist/singer/songwriter who effortlessly mastered any number of styles - folk, rock, blues, jazz, reggae and who knows what else. This is still possibly my favorite of his albums. Sadly he wasted his talent due to alcohol and substance abuse and his later stuff never worked nearly as well.

I found the vocals so irritating that I only listened to half the album.

A little too soft and diffused for my tastes.

This is regarded as the first album in the second part of Tom's career, also the first of what is considered a trilogy followed by Rain Dogs and Frank's Wild Years. It marks the beginning of his changeover from the Louis Armstrong-ish, bluesy, wild living phase into his much more eclectic sound pulling influences from wherever he could find them. I've been a major fan since I first heard Heart of Saturday Night in 1974. I sincerely believe that when music history is written years from now that he will be recognized as one of the most important musical figures of the 20th century. I just wish he had one more tour in him since he is one of the most electric acts ever live.

Classic jazz from my favorite period.

Pretty good groove.

I've never quite understood the hype for Springsteen. To me he's always been kind of a journeyman rocker without much humor or feel for any kind of groove. This album got so much praise and it eludes me entirely. Somehow, mumbling with minimal instrumentation is supposed to make this an authentic and interesting album - it doesn't.

OK but not my favorite of his. A little too much country twang and not enough rootsy Americana.

Excellent newer blues.

Very early Miles, I like this era.

Probably still my favorite of his (along with Exodus and Burnin') from THE reggae singer.

Pretty good - I'll listen to this one again.

Pretty good - some nice rhythms.

So irritating I only listened to the first 7 or 8 tracks.

Although I love their politics I found them a little too one note.

My favorite of hers. I'm not as big a fan as many but I do enjoy this album.

Great album from a great artist

Not my favorite of theirs but still pretty good.

Elvis had one great album in him and he got it out of the way with My Aim is True. After that he got eaten by his giant ego and pretty much everything else he did was pap. It's not that his stuff was terrible, it was just kind of mundane. I always wondered what would happen if you got Elvis's and Van Morrison's egos together - probably some kind of fusion chain reaction that could destroy civilization.

Not really my style but ok.

Peak Neil & Crazy Horse. So many classic songs on here. Powderfinger is one for the ages.

Just not my style though I can recognize the artistry.

I like it but I've never been as impressed by him as his diehard fans.

I liked him but they were never the most talented band from that era. Loved their politics, so so on their music.

Has a couple of good tunes.

Brilliant debut. They went on to make better albums but what a first effort. Nobody does rhythms like David Byrne.

I really tried to give Prince a chance. No matter how often I hear it, I find his music (particularly the guitar parts) banal and tired. Plus I really don't care for his voice.

Interesting stuff.

Interesting cover - I thought it was the inside sleeve for Spinal Tap's Smell the Glove. More strangely it bears no resemblance to the cover on the cd I have for the album. These guys are kind of cotton candy. They sound good the first time you hear them but there is no substance to them. Bunch of posers - though it's reasonably pleasant.

Good album from a pretty good band.

I've never been all that enthused by these guys but this one sounds better than I remember. I will have to give it a few more listens.

My favorite Zappa album. I've always liked his humor (though it does get kind of nasty sometimes) but this album he shows his musical chops.

Music as product. We're all just consumers and stuff like this is the latest toothpaste being marketed to us.

I was never a impressed with this album as my contemporaries. Has a couple of good songs but mostly is too sweet. Much like their work with Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young's contributions stand out and Stephen Stills is horrifically bad.

Guy has amazing range. This is one of my favorite of his.

Did not age well. Very indicative of the sound at the time.

Classic Roxy - Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera and of course Bryan Ferry vocals. A great band that helped spawn incredible solo careers for all of these guys.

They should have quit after In the City - one great album followed by bunches of pablum.

Classic Miles.

Holds up amazingly well. It's hilarious to think how raw and out there The Stooges were at the time. Anyone now can't possibly understand how radical they were given everything that's happened since.

Eno's first solo album after leaving Roxy Music. A one of a kind artist, can do almost anything.

Some classic tracks on here.

Interesting retro style. Cool but not enough to listen to a whole album.

I really don't understand the fuss about these guys. I listened to the whole album - it's not actually horrible, it's just kind of flat.

Always something of interest in a Bowie album.

Brialliant.

This is the second album of the trilogy (along with Swordfish Trombones and Franks Wild Years) that mark the start of the second phase of his career. It's when the influence of his wife Kathleen Brennan starts to be felt. He switches from his old blues/jazzbo style to incorporate influences from everywhere in a much more experimental sound. Tom has been my favorite artist since I first heard Heart of Saturday Night back in the early 70s. This album is quite possibly my favorite (although that varies from day to day). There isn't a bad song on it. I really believe that when the history of 20th century music is written years from now that Tom will be recognized as one of the seminal figures. So many artists are indebted to him for the way he opened the doors to try new things.

Meh.

I liked this album when it came out (I was probably 16 at the time). Sadly it was the birth of metal music so Ozzie has a lot to answer for. Faux scary/intense emotion with really loud hackneyed guitars - that's all metal not just this album. We'll give it a pass though because it really was one of, if not the, first.

Found this really irritating - only listened to the first 6 or 7 tunes.

Interesting but I won't rush out and buy the album.

Not bad retro stuff.

Not my favorite Tricky but still pretty good.

Irritating.

My second favorite Dead album after Workingman's Dead.

One of those bands that people either love or hate. I've always been a big fan. I like the way Morrison puts it all out there. He was never afraid to take musical chances and risk looking foolish if it didn't work. This is not their absolute best but still got some great tracks. Riders on the Storm is an absolute classic which still gives me shivers.

Their best shambolic, fuzzy, cacophonous album. Still has the power to disturb.

Interesting stuff - I'd never heard of these guys but they were doing some very cool things.

She had a couple of songs I didn't mind but this album is awful. By trying for interesting effect instead of just singing she has created a complete mess.

One of my two favorite albums of theirs (along with Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots). Classic Flaming Lips.

Not their best but still pretty good.

I liked it enough that I'm going to give it another listen or two.

Interesting stuff.

This is the first album by the National I heard and is still my favorite. Everything about their sound comes together perfectly.

Meh - kind of harmless plinky MOR with a few "experimental" bits thrown in to try to make it edgy.

Pretty typical of the country rock of the era. Some of it worked. This one doesn't.

My favorite of theirs.

My second favorite (after Sergeant Pepper's). There is some validity to the criticism that it's too much Paul and not enough John, but it has some absolute classics "Here Comes the Sun", "Something", "She Came in through the Bathroom Window".

Pretty good.

My favorite of hers. She had a unique and distinctive sound in her early stuff that she went away from in her later work.

Classic stuff.

My favorite album of theirs. Brilliant stuff.

Lots of great music came out of the late 60s British psychedelic/folk scene (notably Fairport Convention that gave us Richard Thompson, Sandy Denny and Ian Matthews, as well as Pentangle and others). Sadly, this band doesn't fit into that description. Terrible stuff - just because you're following an older folk tradition doesn't make your music interesting.

I hate the Eagles with an abiding passion. Their music was always banal and the worst part was that they were unavoidable - everywhere you went back in the day, there they were.

Meh. Too soggy.

The Bends and OK Computer are close to works of genius. Everything since then leaves me cold. This one sounds like he's boring himself to sleep. If I ever feel the need to get depressed I'll spin this one.

Pretty good punkish type effort.

Not their best but an early indicator of where they were headed. Still has some great songs but they played them far better live (Stop Making Sense) than the studio versions.

I can appreciate the skill involved but it's not a genre that I've ever been able to enjoy.

Interesting album. The recording is so murky it's hard to listen to.

meh

Not bad but nowhere near the best in this style.

A whole genre that I always found a little too wanky and precious.

Good voodooish stuff.

Pretty good.

Kind of sounds more like Simon & Garfunkel than anything alt country.

I always wanted to like him but he was a bit too soft.

Maybe it was just a bad day but I found this really grated on me - I didn't like the music or the vocals.

A brilliant debut. I saw her on this tour opening for Bob Dylan. She was wonderful, Dylan sucked.

Kind of gimmicky but not bad.

Absolutely brilliant debut album. Sadly it's also the high point of their career so far. Their second album was very weak, followed by a string of very good to excellent albums. Their most recent is awful - preachy and irritating. Not a good look when you consider the trouble Win Butler has gotten himself into.

A few great tunes but nowhere near their best effort

I never really cared for his vocals.

The debut album by a brilliant but troubled artist who died away too young. It is breath takingly beautiful. His vocals, guitar work, arrangements, song writing are flawless. This is probably my favorite of his 3 albums.

Great new wave album. Their best.

A little too fluffy for my taste, not enough substance.

Never cared for these guys - take themselves way too seriously. Plus Bono is a faux progressive. Hanging around rich people and politicians doesn't quality you as a progressive.

Pretty good. Not good enough that I raced out and bought the album, but pretty good.

A landmark album very close to perfection. My favorite album by a seminal band. There isn't a weak song on the whole album. Whispering Pines is one of my all time favorite songs.

pretty pretty good

Some songs OK and some kinda irritating.

Pretty standard 70s punk. Not the worst of its kind but nowhere near the best.

Pretty great stuff. Not sure I'd buy the album but it is really interesting and fun.

A pretty good generic rocker. I've never understood the hype attached to the Boss. He's good enough but there were lots of better acts out there during his ascendancy.

Definitely not for everyone. If you're a Beefheart fan (and I am) this is a great album. He eventually quit making music and changed to being a visual artist because (supposedly) he could never get the musicians to play the music the way he heard it in his head.

Seriously irritating.

Nowhere near their best but not bad.

Really irritating. Style without substance.

A beautiful haunting album. In the right mood this album is lovely.

I always found these guys kind of wanky. They wanted to incorporate jazz into their music but they never had the chops. Plus their lyrics were nonsensical and I don't like the vocals.

I was never all that impressed with Lou Reed. He always struck me as a wannabe whose reputation for being a bold innovator was unearned. The real genius behind the music of Velvet Underground was John Cale who had to drag Lou along to do the stranger things that VU did.

I made it through about 45 seconds of the first song and 15 seconds of the second. Just awful - a genre I've always hated.

Tied with Beggars Banquet as my favorite Stones album. Not a weak song and a whole bunch of absolute classics.

Always interesting but he's never really moved the needle for me.

Not my favorite of theirs