998
Albums Rated
3.18
Average Rating
92%
Complete
91 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960s
Favorite Decade
Post-punk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
109
5-Star Albums
50
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Bottom | 5 | 2.39 | +2.61 |
| Third | 5 | 2.43 | +2.57 |
| Suicide | 5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
| Shleep | 5 | 2.5 | +2.5 |
| The United States Of America | 5 | 2.61 | +2.39 |
| Yank Crime | 5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
| Scott 4 | 5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
| Ys | 5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
| D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle | 4 | 1.88 | +2.12 |
| 16 Lovers Lane | 5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back In Black | 1 | 3.86 | -2.86 |
| Get Behind Me Satan | 1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
| 25 | 1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
| You've Come a Long Way Baby | 1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
| If I Should Fall From Grace With God | 1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
| Shake Your Money Maker | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| Homework | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| Eagles | 1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
| S&M | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| Rum Sodomy & The Lash | 1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 4.86 |
| Radiohead | 4 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 5 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.57 |
| David Bowie | 9 | 4.44 |
| Sonic Youth | 5 | 4.6 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| The Cure | 3 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.5 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.5 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.67 |
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 3 | 4.67 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 4.67 |
| Joy Division | 2 | 5 |
| Pavement | 2 | 5 |
| The Velvet Underground | 2 | 5 |
| Elliott Smith | 2 | 5 |
| John Lennon | 2 | 5 |
| Portishead | 2 | 5 |
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 5 |
| Brian Eno | 5 | 4.2 |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Stooges | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Doors | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.33 |
| Neil Young | 3 | 4.33 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 1.25 |
| The Pogues | 2 | 1 |
| Fatboy Slim | 2 | 1 |
| Elvis Costello | 2 | 1.5 |
| Dexys Midnight Runners | 2 | 1.5 |
| Christina Aguilera | 2 | 1.5 |
| Orbital | 2 | 1.5 |
| Kings of Leon | 2 | 1.5 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 2 |
| U2 | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Metallica | 1, 3, 5, 4 |
5-Star Albums (109)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Mom, can we have David Bowie at home?
No, we already have a David Bowie at home
The David Bowie at home:
44 likes
The Bees
2/5
Hey buddy, you could have just releases "200 albums you must hear before you die" if you knew you were incapable of finding more essential albums than that.
29 likes
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I can hardly justify whi this album is included in this list when their two previous albums are already featured. It's a good album, but it brings absolutely nothing new to their sound. To me this was a diminishing return and I'm sure there are far more deserving albums that could have been representend in the book instead of this one.
22 likes
1-Star Albums (50)
All Ratings
Jethro Tull
2/5
Miles Davis
4/5
Jane's Addiction
2/5
The best part about Jane's Addiction is Dave Navarro's eyeliner.
The Young Rascals
3/5
It was a pleasant listen but I don't remember any of it to be honest. I guess I'll have to go back to it to have a real opinion about it. Spoiler altert: I probably won't.
AC/DC
1/5
I'm beyond tired of hearing the singles and I felt that the other songs were mostly fillers, but the truth is that I'm not a fan at all. 40 minutes of AC/DC is just way more than I can take. Maybe one day I'll become some 55 years old dude having fights in dive bars and then I'll change my mind about them.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
My knowledge of country music is close to none. Even the ones I know and like (Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Cash) has more folk in them than Emmylou. This is country front to back, and while I can't say that I was crazy about it, it's easy to see why people would like that one. Emmylou has a great voice and most of the songs have a bright, uplifting vibe that is comforting. From what I gather this is mostly covers, but I didn't really recognize the originals except for For No One, which was kinda nice.
Ray Charles
2/5
Meh Charles
Nick Drake
5/5
Close to perfection. Pink Moon gets all the praise but I'd say that it's just as good in many ways. It has the beautiful arrangements of Bryter Layter and the automnal, introspective mood of Pink Moon. Best of both worlds, really.
Love
4/5
The Kinks
4/5
Starts and ends in a perfect way. There are some fillers along the way but the good tracks are strong enough to warrant a 4 overall.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Nothing mindblowing, but I understand why it became an important piece of the cultural landscape in hip hop. I'm glad I heard it, but I doubt I'll ever return to it.
Massive Attack
3/5
Very good and obviously an important record for trip hop, if not the first one. There are a few weaker spots here and there, but it's mostly solid. I'm glad I listened to something else than Mezzanine for once.
Radiohead
5/5
Let' get this out of the way: I am an unabashed Radiohead fanboy. So it might not come as a surprise that I'm giving their first classic album a perfect score. But the truth is, how was I supposed to give it a lower score with songs like Fake Plastic Trees and Street Spirit?
R.E.M.
2/5
I feel that giving it 2 stars might be a bit harsh, but at the same time I thought it was really boring overall, save for one or two songs. They've done much better before and after that album so it's a bit surprising to see this one here.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I can hardly justify whi this album is included in this list when their two previous albums are already featured. It's a good album, but it brings absolutely nothing new to their sound. To me this was a diminishing return and I'm sure there are far more deserving albums that could have been representend in the book instead of this one.
The Specials
3/5
Such a fun and varied album. It loses a bit of steam in the last half but there's no real bad moments here.
Ray Price
3/5
I love that kind of music. Nothing truly stands out for me after the first song, but it's all about that nostalgic, deeply American atmosphere anyway.
Doves
3/5
I love this band and this is a good album, but there's just no reason for it to be included here when Lost Souls exists. There are far more deserving albums out there.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Not a huge fan of live albums in general, but this one feels special.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
I get it, it's a pretty daring record for 1985 and I can see why it's praised. But even at under 40 minutes, it got a bit tiring and samey in the second half.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
Possibly the best album featuring a toilet seat on its cover. Huge classic nad much more than just California Dreamin'.
Nick Drake
4/5
Another masterful album by Nick Drake. It's easy to see why he cared deeply about that one. People always rave about Pink Moon (and rightfully so) for its mystique and melancholic feel, but this one's just as important. This is what he wanted to do. The lush arrangements and warm production makes it something really special.
Air
4/5
This shouldn't work as much as it does, but it does. What a trip. Playground love is the obvious highlight, very Air-esque in its sexiness, but all the other songs have that hypnotic patterns that are way more dark and anxious than anything else they've ever done. Great stuff.
Charles Mingus
5/5
Those orchestrations are miraculous. No one sounds like Mingus and his blend of experimental big band, classical music and the so-called world music. Most importantly, he kept pushing the jazz genre forward while still bopping hard. This album is a testament to his genius.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
Really great stuff. I don't listen to Zappa/Mothers as much as I should. I think that's because I find his vast discography a little bit intimidating. I'll get to it eventually.
Metallica
1/5
The Thing That Should Not Be indeed
The Beach Boys
4/5
I don't know about this being one of their most essential releases, but it's still great. I feel that giving it a 4 is a bit much, but since there's no half stars I feel that it's closer to my appreciation than a 3.
The Stooges
5/5
To me, this is the quintessential rock album. This is the album that broke with Zeppelin's epicness and glitters to go back to its basic, more dangerous roots.
Cat Stevens
3/5
A good album with a few real standouts but with some weaker spots here and there. Still, it's easy to see why it's considered a classic.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
Jumping Jack Flash with sitar is still Jumping Jack Flash.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Not bad, but as a newcomer I failed to see what is supposed to be so exciting about Alice's music. I'll try again with another album.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
First real discovery that I make with this challenge and it's a real good one! Quite atmospheric synthpop with post-punk undertones, I love it and I need it on vinyl now.
Black Sabbath
5/5
All six first Sabbath albums are absolute classics in my book.
Pearl Jam
3/5
Hey, I don't hate Pearl Jam as much as I thought I did!
Iggy Pop
4/5
There's only a few Iggy albums that I really like, and this is one of them. Turn Blue is the only low point here, the rest of the album is filled with bangers!
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Not one of my favorite bands by any stretch of the imagination, but there are some really good moments here. The last three songs prevents this from getting a 4.
Can
5/5
50 years later and it still sounds like the future.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
It was not offensively bad, but it was offensively boring, juste like everything else I've heard from this guy so far.
Billy Joel
3/5
Not bad, there was some nice songwriting here, but I doubt I'll ever return to it. Still better than Springsteen.
Laibach
3/5
In equal parts quirky and unsettling, this sounded like what I thought industrial music from the early 80's would sound like. I'm not sure if this was an essential listening, but you can't try to get this book's logic.
The White Stripes
3/5
The White Stripes are the kind of band that a greatest hits would be more than enough for me. Some really great songs mixed with some rather dull ones.
The Byrds
4/5
Not my favorite from them, but it's a great feel-good album. Lots of Dylan covers as usual, so that doesn't hurt. Nothing groundbreaking, just great rock music.
Stan Getz
4/5
I'll have a glass of whiskey with my cigar, please.
Metallica
3/5
AN album that made history blablabla don't let me hear this ever again.
John Prine
4/5
Great, great country album that mixes humor, politics and melancholy without falling into the cheesy category that so many albums of the genre gets trapped in. And to think this was his first album is quite impressive as well. I have to check out his later stuff.
Garbage
3/5
Way better than expected. Shirley Manson has a lot of charisma and Butch Vig does a great production with this more electronic approach. I think it's the kind of album that I would have on rotation if I had known it at the right time, but it's still cool to discover it now.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Rudimentary folk/country music from the late 50's. As a whole, this felt like a mess and even at 30 minutes it was a bit of a drag to get through. Sorry Jack. I do love your 2009 comeback though, so I'm still willing to hear your other albums.
Blur
3/5
Never really understood why people love that band so much, and I still don't. Some good songles here and there, but mostly boring in the long run. Maybe a greatest hits would be more suited for a casual like me.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I will give this a 4 despite the second half being much weaker than the first. "Girlfriend" and "She's Out of My Life" kills the mood a bit for me, but I have to concede that the first side is some of the best disco pop you'll ever hear in your life.
Madness
2/5
Our House and 12 Other Boring Songs
David Bowie
4/5
One of his best, that's for sure. Mark Garson's playing steals the show on this one, especially on the title track. Honestly, this would be very close to a perfect album if it wasn't for that uneventful Rolling Stones cover.
Taylor Swift
2/5
I guess I'm not the one to judge of her work because I'm not part of her fanbase nor am I a fan of this kind of pop, but I found this album painfully linear. Well produced but very cold in her delivery. It's just not for me, at least I can confirm this now.
Justice
3/5
Really fun album
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Well, I've listened to Stand! a few times and liked it a lot, but I was surprised to see how this one is different, especially considering it only came out two years after it. Riot is much more hypnotic than Stand!, it's also more serious. I'm used to hear funk that's uplifting and optimistic, but this one's feel cynical, and that gives the album an emotional depth that I've rarely heard in that genre before. This is a unique album that is fully deserving its spot in this list.
Norah Jones
2/5
The thin line between listening to music and falling into a coma.
3/5
It sure is a country album made in the 60's.
The Replacements
4/5
One of the great "I'm an angry white American young man" albums out there. "I Will Dare", "Unsatisfied", "Androgynous" and "Answering Machine" are absolute classics, but the whole album is great. It was also ahead of its time both for the lyrics and the music. Grunge bands obviously took notes from The Replacements. I could go on for hours about that album, a real gem.
JAY Z
3/5
Considering that I've never been a fan on his singles that I would catch on the radio sometimes, that was way better than expected. You can see that this had a lot of influence on Kanye and that he indeed surpassed the master pretty quickly, but the beats are still great for the most part.
Supergrass
3/5
Great britpop album with a bit of a theatrical delivery. In that way they are closer to Blur than Oasis, which might explain why I enjoyed it.
Dr. Dre
3/5
Huge classic, there's no doubt about this, but it's never been one of my favorites to be honest. It sounds good obviously and there are some awesome tracks here, but as rappers, Dre et Snoop both sounds a bit too lazy to keep me interested for 1 hours straight.
Joan Baez
2/5
I wish I enjoyed her music, I really do. But I can't stand her voice. I totally understand why people find it beautiful, like I said I hope I can get my head around it someday, but for now now her tremolo and use of dynamics are just giving me a headache. I'm sorry Joan.
Miriam Makeba
2/5
Great voice, subpar songs. Also that laughing guy in One More Dance was unbearable.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Well, that was incredible. I knew other Siouxsie albums and really liked them, but I had never really heard this one before. This has to be her best album, great goth/post-punk with menacing riffs and of course haunting vocals. This one goes in my wantlist.
Van Morrison
3/5
I don't know what to make of this. This wasn't bad but I already can't remember any of it. I kinda just felt like 40 minutes of Van wailing. I'll get back to it eventually, but my first impression isn't that convincing.
The Byrds
4/5
The Byrds are the kind of band that I like but from which there's no albums I'm totally crazy about. This one's a good example, extremely pleasant and a really nice transition from their more psychedelic first years, but in the end nothing from it will really stick with me. I'll be really glad every time I hear it, but it won't become a personal classic.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Shut up Elvis
Taylor Swift
3/5
Better than Elvis Costello
Billy Bragg
3/5
A few good songs here and there, especially on Wilco's side, but I find most of the album to be pleasant but uneventful. The idea of giving old Guthrie songs to younger musicians is really great, and Wilco are obviously having fun with them, while Bragg mostly sticks to his usual serious "union on strike singer" delivery.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Admittedly, I'm not Stevie's biggest fan. I mean I love his music and hearing his big singles is always fun, but on whole albums I tend to find his brand of smooth soul a little too... smooth. Or gentle, let's put it this way. That's why I prefer the tracks that has a little more edge, like Living for the City. But having said that, it's obviously a classic and I can only admire his work even if it's not the first thing I'll want to hear when I want some soul.
Paul Simon
3/5
Some good tracks, some boring ones. Nothing bad, nothing extraordinary either. Just there.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Great soft rock album full of energy and humor.
The Black Crowes
1/5
That's a cute little blues rock cover band you've got here, do you often get requests for "Freebird" when you play weddings?
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Swing the pain away
Beatles
4/5
I've listened to this album 10 000 times and I still can't remember anything about Long, Long, Long.
Miles Davis
4/5
Much more rhythmically driven than what I remembered. It's crazy to witness how that guy was ahead of its time at such an early stage of its career. He would release a lot more challenging records in the future but this one's too cool to be ignored.
Paul Simon
3/5
Don't tell Alex I didn't enjoy as much as he wanted me to. I just don't think that the slick production goes really well with the "world music" it wants to incorporate, but maybe it's just me. There are some solid compositions though, but considering its reputation, I gotta say that I was expecting more from that one.
Funkadelic
3/5
Started really strong but I thought it was quite spotty after that. This is the kind of album where I'll choose 2 or 3 songs to put in playlists and be happy with just that.
Primal Scream
2/5
Never understood the hype around this one, still don't.
The Who
2/5
This is not the album that will make me a Who fan, that's for sure. A few good tracks here and there, but also a lot of filler, which is to be expected for an album that long. I guess seeing the film would help, but I'm not in a hurry to hear those songs again.
The Doors
4/5
One of the most consistent Doors albums, I think. But while it has no real filler, it also kinda lacks in truly glorious and magical moments, save for the two first songs.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Pretty good, pretty smooth. I don't have much to say about this. Obviously it's good music it all kind of blends together for me at one point.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Great soul album, incredible soul singer. I should check her other albums one day.
Missy Elliott
3/5
I thought it was better than Supa Dupa Fly. The feats were more interesting and the more modern production by Timbaland suits her music best. But for the love of our Lord the Rock Lobster can you tell me why there are two of her albums in this book? This is ridiculous.
T. Rex
4/5
Comparing T. Rex to Bowie is futile because they just weren't going for the same thing. Bowie was using glam rock as a tool in a far wider musical spectrum that he had in mind. T. Rex embodied glam rock with a sense of sensuality and a grittiness akin to Iggy Pop. This guy just rocked with passion and that's precisely why I love him so much.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
I'd write something about this album but I'm way too busy dancing to its amazing beats! No ok, I'm not really dancing. I'm not even standing up. I'm on a chair, I'm always on a chair. My back hurts.
Willie Nelson
3/5
For something called "outlaw country" I thought this was pretty soothing, which is not a bad thing. I actually liked it. It started to feel a little bit samey during the last half but the overall mood was really pleasant.
Simply Red
2/5
Maybe I'm too harsh with this album? I don't know. Just give us better albums and it won't happen again.
Arcade Fire
4/5
My favourite. Pompous but with a purpose. I think they really did it right with that one. No dead weight like on the other albums that would follow.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
The dreamiest of the dream pop albums. The washy guitars hovers over the dreamlike production while Elizabeth Fraser's voice carries the whole thing. I suspect that some compositions would reveal to be weaker than it seems if they weren't drenched in such a soothing atmosphere. But for each song that may be a little less memorable, there is one absolute classic like Cherry-Coloured Funk, Frou-Frou or the title track.
Spacemen 3
2/5
I had high hopes for this, but it turns out that it's just pointless guitar loops drowned in delay. I try to avoid that term when I talk about music but I think this one's massively overrated.
David Crosby
3/5
Started really strong and it stays pleasant all the way through but some songs are sadly more uneventful than others.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
It's nice to see where Björk comes from and this is rather good but let's be honest, nobody would care about it if it wasn't for her. Musically, this is standard post-punk that owes everything to Björk's fabulous voice and personality. More of a "for fans only" album than an essential one, me thinks.
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
I don't know what to make of this album. On one hand, I quite like the idea of having a patchy album from Fleetwood Mac. It gives us the chance to hear them stretch out a bit. But on the other hand there are a lot of filler in there, and not the funny filler kind. Maybe I'd enjoy it more with subsequent listens, but I doubt I'll ever return to it.
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Great psychedelic pop mixed with britpop. And Gruff Rhys was in that band?! I didn't even know! I will definitely check out their later albums.
Joy Division
5/5
Decades might be the saddest song of all-time. Of course I'm giving it a 5.
Parliament
3/5
It was alright I guess. I'm just not a huge fan of that kind of funk.
Gang Of Four
4/5
Entertaining!
Coldplay
3/5
I like Parachutes quite a bit, but I never took the time to listen to their followup outside of its singles. One could argue that it's just as good as their first album and I wouldn't say a thing, but I personally prefer the more stripped back version of the band. Not to mention that I am absolutely sick of hearing Clocks, so that doesn't help. I know it's cool to hate on them but this is pretty good for what it is.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
I guess it's good for what it is, meaning 90's techno with a larget-than-life bass sound and a sh*tload of breakbeats. But turns out I'm really not a fan of 90's techno with a larget-than-life bass sound and a sh*tload of breakbeats.
Mike Ladd
3/5
I may have been a bit overenthusiastic while listening to that one. It's really good and it makes for a nice surprise since I didn't know Mike Ladd at all, but there are some flaws. The MC is rather generic and the album os too long for its own good. The last 3 tracks were a bit too much for me. Still, there are some really great ideas on that album, the atmosphere is great, really reflective of the 2000's sound but with a jazzy touch, thanks to the cello parts. So yeah, I like it, it's good abstract hip hop that certainly deserves more recognition, but I'm not sure if I would say it's an essential listen.
The Charlatans
3/5
I really feel like britpop has little to offer outside of the big classics (and Doves' Lost Souls). I mean, this one's not bad, it even has some great tracks. At their best, they channel the baggy sound of the Stone Roses. At their worst, they sound like they're aping Oasis, which is something nobody should ever do under any circumstances.
Buck Owens
3/5
Very good electric country, really dynamic, thanks to its backbeat.
CHIC
3/5
Yeah, it has that hit that you always hear in your grandmother's basement during Christmas parties. You're probably sick of it, I know I am. But the album as a whole is much more than that. It has really nice grooves and the instrumentals are really impressive. This is pure disco but with some funk and soul undertones. Next time ask your grandma to put another song from that album instead of Le Freak.
Nas
5/5
Old school hip hop doesn't get any better than this.
Haircut 100
2/5
First two songs are nice and I suspect they're the only reasons why the album is in that book. The rest of the album is not that bad but most of it sounds really generic and surprisingly limp for a new wave album with so much percussions.
The Auteurs
3/5
In one hear and out the other
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Some nice songs, some boring ones. Johnny Marr and Badalamenti are on this?
Joy Division
5/5
They have only made two albums, but it was two perfect ones.
Beck
4/5
"I got two turntables and a microphone". Iconic line for an iconic album. So much creativity and energy. It still feels fresh more than 25 years later.
Ice T
2/5
There's a few real standouts on this, but certainly not enough to justify its length. Half of the tracks could have been easily removed and it would have made a much stronger album.
The Go-Betweens
5/5
One of my most cherished albums. The bittersweet emotions you feel when you're going through a nasty breakup are perfectly balanced on this album, linking it to Dylan's Blood on the Tracks in some ways.
The Go-Betweens were one of the greatest jangle pop bands to come out of Australia, and people like Courtney Barnett clearly owes to them.
I'm glad this album was included in this book because it's a perfect case of a somewhat less known album that actually deserves attention.
Ramones
4/5
1, 2, 3, 4!
Guns N' Roses
4/5
One great album of a genre that I generally despise. There are some undisputed classics on this though, as well as some tasty deep cuts like Nightrain and It's so Easy. But this album has also its fair share of fillers, much more than what I remembered to be honest. The B-side is basically useless, save for the overplayed Sweet Child O' Mine and Rocket Queen. So yeah, it's a classic and it's by far the best Gn'R album, but its impact is greater than its content.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Yeah, take this 3 and get out of my way.
Elvis Presley
4/5
I have a lot of respect for Elvis, but I can't say that I'm a big fan. This is really fun to listen to, but I feel no real connection to his music. It's more like something I will enjoy hearing as background music than an artist that I will obsess over. But yeah, this is pretty good and this is freakin' Elvis so I can't give him less than 4 stars.
Aimee Mann
1/5
Whatever indeed
FKA twigs
3/5
Great art pop album with a tasteful production that is leaning on the atmospheric side of the spectrum. I was thinking of Arca while listening to it and I wasn't surprised to learn that he produced this. I wish it went harder a little bit and used Arca's weirdness to its full potential, but I get it that it's not what she was going for, so it's a minor complaint. Her second album is even better apparently, so I'll make sure I check it out shortly.
Miles Davis
5/5
Everybody's first jazz album. And for good reason! That's also how I've discovered Bill Evans, my favourite jazz pianist. This isn't the Miles album I'd put at the top my list, but that's only because he's made so much and that I'm more attracted by his adventurous side. This one feels like a standard now, and its constant mellow rhythms makes for a good introduction to accessible jazz with great dialogues between musicians. This is the quintessential jazz album in many ways
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Way, wayyy too long for its own good. Billy must have thought he was a genius after Siamese Dream because he went all in and did a two-hour album about... I don't know about what. Now, I think this album has a lot of great songs. The singles are incredible and shows Billy's talent (see what I did there) for writing engaging songs. Their mix of alternative rock, dream pop and heavy metal is rather bold, especially considering it was rather uncool to be this pompous and metallic at that time. When the magic sticks, this album becomes one of the best of its era. But it's two hour long. Of course there's gonna be fillers. And while there are no really bad moments to be found, there's plenty of unremarkable songs though. Which makes me wonder why Billy thought it was a great idea to put out an album this long. For that reason, I prefer Siamese Dream (and even Adore), but there's no denying this is one of the most iconic alternative rock album of the 90's.
Rush
4/5
I love Rush. I rarely see a band live more than once but these guys, I've seen them 3 times and I regret not seeing them more often. It's really easy to see why this is this album is one of their biggest hit, if not the biggest. It has an arguably perfect A side filled with immortal classics. I'm not as enthusiastic about the B side to be honest, but it's still very good. Just not as legendary as the first one. Rush forever.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
Great mix of post-punk and new wave. It's really dynamic, most of it sounds playful but there's a subtle eerie vibe that goes through it that I really appreciate. Nice discovery, I'll certainly go back to it.
Randy Newman
2/5
Rednecks was a good song but I kept wishing the album would finally end right after that one.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
This one has a bigger sound than I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, thanks to the addition of horns and strings, but I think it's really similar in terms of quality. The songs are great and Arethas's voice is phenomenal, what more could you ask for?
Beastie Boys
4/5
Out of the first five Beastie albums, this has to be the one I like the least, but I like it very much nonetheless. This one sets the table for what was to come so yeah it's a bit primitive compared to the incredible talent they would display in the next few albums, but it's still really fun and it's definitely one album everybody should hear once in their lives.
Kanye West
4/5
Kanye has never been an impressive MC but man, those beats are great. And this album is so much fun, full of life and ambition. In my book it's way better than anything Jay-Z ever produced, that guy must have been in shock.
Yes
4/5
As in a lot of revered prog bands/albums, I seem to have a problem with the theatrical and high pitched singers they often end up with. I have to get used to Jon's slick vocals, which are sometimes impressive but they also sound cold to me at times. Anyway, what they do have going for them though are, other than the expected virtuosity, some hard hitting beats that merges so well with the complex song structures they adopt. I find them to be at their best when they let it all out.
Carole King
4/5
An album that I've seen so many times in thrift shops and used record bins but somehow its content never made its way to my ears. I'm glad it's done now. Feel-good soft rock with folk undertones that is just as good as any of the great records of the same genre that were released around that time.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
I'm not a swingin' lover and even I could appreciate this album.
Air
4/5
Right when big beat was the thing in France and the UK with acts like The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers and of course Daft Punk with their electro-disco, Air offered a more mellow version of electronic music, more in line with Portishead or Massive Attack without the darkness. It's great, the first half is arguably flawless and even if it gets kind of blurry near the end, it remains enjoyable all the way through. I know this one's their classic, but I personally prefer their Virgin Suicides score and particularly their Premiers Symptômes debut, which remains my favorite.
George Jones
2/5
Have I listened to this? Because if so I already forgot all about it.
Beck
4/5
Beck is sad so he trades his two turntables and his microhpone for an acoustic guitar and lush string arrangements. Nigel Godrich does an outstanding job behind the board, to the point where his production actually outshines Beck's compositions on some of the last tracks of the album. Up to that point, this was the first time that Beck showed a more personal side of him so Sea Changes is notable for that. Also the songs are mostly really good, particularly the first five.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
It has a lot of that tropical instrument that I can't name but that is often featured in comics or whatever.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Born to avoid this album.
Linkin Park
2/5
In the End is a great single and some other songs has that crossover potential that other bands like Evanescence exploited to great effect, but all in all I think the album is really weak and hasn't aged well at all. I guess you can see value in it if you were into them when you were a teen, but listening to it out of its time context is just awkward.
GZA
4/5
So good I listened to it twice in a row. Easily my favorite Wu-Tang related project. GZA sounds so smooth in his flow, everything is kind of lo-fi and straight to the point and I think that's what I like about it. Nothing but great rap songs.
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Really beautiful indie pop with lively orchestrations. I feel like cutting it to a 45-50 minutes album would have given it much more impact, but maybe a few more spins and I'll get why it needs to be one hour and fifteen minutes long.
Sabu
2/5
Look, I love Afro-Cuban music and percussions in general, but that one in particular got tiring real fast. Sounds like they had a lot of fun doing it, but it also sounds like I had no business listening to it.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Good jazz fusion but it's too damn long. I completely lost interest along the way but it's still quality music.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I love Bob Dylan and I love this album. Very much.
The Saints
4/5
Eternally Good
Suede
2/5
I'm not sure what the hype is all about for that one. Sure, this is some competent modern glam rock carried by the beautifully melodramatic voice of Brett Anderson, but most of the album feels clogged with syrupy ballads that you can't easily distinguish from one another. Also the last three tracks are weak and that's all I can remember about that album now.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
Great old school hip hop album with lyrics charged with politics and anger. The beats and use of samples are also great, it almost sound like industrial hip hop at times. That guy isn't the best rapper around though, his monotonous delivery drives the album a little on the linear side, but all in all this is good stuff.
Milton Nascimento
5/5
Probably my favorite album coming from Brazil
Rod Stewart
2/5
Sounds like The Rolling Stones for retired people
Brian Eno
4/5
Awesome album. Sounds like Talking Heads mixed with Bowie and John Cale. What more could you possibly want?
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
I actually enjoy Bollywood music and I was excited to hear this because... well, if I'm supposed to hear it before I die it must be good, right? But I was disappointed. The score was good, but it was to a drag to get through the rest of the album.
Gene Clark
4/5
I liked this a lot, can't believe I didn't listen to this before.
Wu-Tang Clan
5/5
I used to hate this when I was a teenager, but that was just because I was a stupid metalhead that was too stubborn to give it a real chance. This slaps, of course, and this was pretty much my real introduction to hip hop. I think it holds perfectly well to this day, a timeless classic.
Blur
3/5
Blur goes Pavement, kinda, and like most of their albums, the highs are great but there are too many lows for me to really enjoy this. I think this is the kinda band that owning their greatest hits would be more than enough for me.
Jacques Brel
3/5
French Chanson always gets me nostalgic of an era that I haven't actually known. This music smells like drama and wine, but this particular album didn't do much for me. I mean it's good but this is far from being one of my Brel favorites.
Sex Pistols
3/5
Better than what I remember, but the vocals still grates me. I understand the cultural shock it must have been at the time, but musically speaking I'm more interested in US punk or stuff like Wire and The Clash. But yeah, it sure sounds like a revolution and I respect the album for that.
OutKast
3/5
Really strong first half, more pop but they do it really well, but unfortunately the albums starts to drag in the second half. It felt like I was listening to bonus tracks near the end. Not bad, but clearly not as good as ATLiens and Aquemini
The Smiths
4/5
I like The Smiths, but I've never been a huge fan either. Listening to Louder Than Bombs from time to time is more than enough for me. That being said, it's still a great album, no real flops and some incredible highs.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Like most musicians of their generation, Buddy Holly & The Crickets were geared towards singles much more than proper albums and it shows here. Four great timeless singles, some really good deeper cuts and a B side (minus the first song on it) that is still good but far less exciting than the rest of the album. This is still really pleasant to hear, but I'd rather spin my greatest hits than this if I have the choice.
Fugazi
4/5
Incredible album, incredible band, incredible everything
LL Cool J
3/5
Good old school hip hop that gets kind of samey as the album unfolds.
Iron Maiden
5/5
What a badass classic this is. This must have been so exciting to hear this right when it came out. This was, and this is, the pinnacle of NWOBHM, I think. It's not even my favorite album by them, but I recognize it as one of the most important pieces in heavy metal's history
Moby
3/5
I find Moby to be at his best when it does that atmospheric synth thing over some gospel samples or whatever, but some of these songs are not aging so well, I think. Th emore upbeat stuff sounds out of place for me, and the album is kind of messy because of it.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Graveyard Train kills the momentum built by the first two tracks, but it picks up again for the last two songs. I'm not a huge CCR fan and this isn't one of my favorites by them, but it's still enjoyable.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
That was good, thanks.
Neil Young
4/5
Out of all his biggest classics, this must be the one I like the least. Let's be honest here: Are You Ready for the Country and There's a World brings this thing down a bit. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of the orchestral tracks, I can see why people like them but songs like A Man Needs a Man ends up getting on my nerves. I'd rather hear acoustic versions of those tracks. This is still a great album obviously, I just don't think it's one of his best.
Beyoncé
1/5
For a pop album, I thought this one was painfully boring. I have nothing against Beyoncé but holy sh*t that was a chore to get through that one.
The Specials
2/5
I just don't love ska. Just like the other Specials album that we had to listen to from this book, first song was alright and then it got boring until the end.
The Beach Boys
4/5
The Beach Boys are so much more than just Pet Sounds. This one and Sunflower might be less recognized as classics, but I think they both have some of the best music they've ever recorded.
The Birthday Party
4/5
I mean, it's Nick Cave and it's nasty post-punk/punk blues played in the noisiest style, so of course it's good. Not to mention that it largely paved the way to so many bands in Australia so there's no denying that this and Prayers on Fire are essentials. It's not the biggest classic for me but I have a lot of respect for it and when I need dirty post-punk this certainly gets the job done.
The Only Ones
3/5
Pretty good. Kinda reminds me of Television and Modern Lovers a bit, but in a more new wave way.
Aerosmith
2/5
I just don't like Aerosmith at all. They have a few good singles here and there, but they don't have an album that I'd recommend listening all the way though
The Beach Boys
5/5
Admittedly, this isn't my favorite Beach Boys release but you have to recognize the genius of it. The vocal layers and sound samples are absolutely magical. Sometimes they overrun the song itself but most of the time it's perfect.
Leonard Cohen
5/5
It took me a while before I could appreciate Cohen's work, and this is the album that finally made me a fan. Avalanche is one of my favorite songs of all-time and the whole album has a dark and cynical feeling that I really like.
The Louvin Brothers
3/5
This is undoubtly one of the album of all-times.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
It's all about the first side, of course, but the side B shouldn't be slept on. It has a lot of good moments. Last song is bad and kinda makes me wonder if everything that came before was just a dream, but that's the only real low point.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
Yeah, it's good. Pop baroque with some country undertones from time to time. It's not amazing or anything like that but I could see myself returning to it from time to time.
The The
4/5
I wasn't expecting anything but this was great. Now I need to check out their other albums.
Elton John
3/5
Tony Dancer is a huge classic obviously but nothing comes even close to it on the album. Levon and the title-track is cool, but that's about it. Nothing bad either, just unremarkable.
Traffic
4/5
Woke up wanting to listen to that album again. That's a good sign. Oh yeah and there's some tasty organ in there.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Mom, can we have David Bowie at home?
No, we already have a David Bowie at home
The David Bowie at home:
3/5
Classy synthpop, not a lot of standouts but I had a good time nonetheless.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Great voice, boring songs. It all blends together in a kinf of unpleasant way in the end.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Yeah, I'm sorry but I can't get into that album at all. The production is surpringly cold for an album that seemingly wants to show a lot of depth. The fretless bass doesn't help with that. I'm still giving it a 3 because it's Joni and the compositions are mostly good, but I hate how this album sounds.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Amy had a great voice obviously and some of these tracks are really outstanding. For something that was clearly meant to showcase Amy's voice, the instrumentation is often impressively deep. Not something I would necessarily return to, but it's a fine album.
Def Leppard
2/5
hahaha
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Some songs are rather nice, if not a bit faceless. Others are deep in generic blues rock structures and that bores be to death. I just dont' care for that genre at all.
Eric Clapton
1/5
Bad blues, bad raggea, bad everything. I honestly can't understand why people actually put up with that guy's solo work. One of the most annoying albums I've ever heard.
ZZ Top
3/5
Not as bad as I thought it would be. Yes it's blues rock but it's so energic that it finally gets to you.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
Nothing fun or lovin' about this, but they sure are criminals for wasting my time like this.
Gillian Welch
3/5
Really intimate americana with a live feel that is pretty engaging. Not something I'll necessarily go back to often, but at least I'm glad I know who she is now.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
"Ninwouuuni chaba chaba tolseeeee" Beautiful.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Biggie had a really great flow, really convincing in his stories about death and sex. He also likes to talk about his penis a lot. Unlike it though, the album is just too long and there are 4 or 5 tracks that could have been easily removed to keep the album tight.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
This had so much influence on the 80's that I must agree that you have to hear that album at least once in your life. As with most single-driven pop artists, there's a fair share of filler here, mainly in the latter half, but that's part of the game.
Depeche Mode
3/5
World in My Eyes is very good and Enjoy the Silence is a masterpiece, but I gotta say that I didn't really care about that album outside of that. I respect them and all, but I don't really enjoy listening to them that much. Maybe the older albums will be more in line with my taste.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
I love Teenage Fanclub. Their updated version of Big Star appeals to me and I just think they're a great power pop band. That being said, this isn't my favorite album by them. Sure, it has The Concept which is a fabulous track, but the rest of the album isn't as strong as Grand Prix, in my opinion. Still a good album, I was glad to see it here.
Venom
4/5
For an album that spawned one of the most vicious music ever created under its name, Black Metal is a lot of fun. Maybe it's because we have a lot of hindsight on it, but it's kind of surprising how seriously this album was taken by the generation that would create the second wave of black metal. To me it's just a fun metal album with great riffs and some clumsy execution. But since BM is my favorite metal subgenre, I can only be thankful that Venom (and Bathory) helped creating some of the best music out there.
Led Zeppelin
2/5
Lots of hits on that one, but I can't stand these guys. Their sound and attitude are annoying me to no end. I kinda enjoy their later albums more, mostly because their blue rock schtick is kept under control. But this one's not it.
Pixies
4/5
The band that put an end to cheesy 80's rock and made things dangerous and funny again. The album takes a dip in quality right after Cactus but the first half is classic after classic. Not my favorite Pixies album, but there's no denying everyone should hear this at least once.
Talking Heads
4/5
Music from the future, even to this day
Björk
4/5
Many will say that this is where Björks music started to collapse under the weight of her concepts/character and I can see why, but I think this one still has a lot to offer, both musically and emotionally. The album was made to explore the possibilities of the human voice and as such, I think it succeeds to demonstrate how strong, fragile and diverse our voice can get. It's also less catchy than anything she'd done before, but I think this one is supposed to talk to the heart instead of the feet.
Gorillaz
3/5
I thought this wa svery good, but a bit too long for my taste. The last 2 remixes are completely useless and they drag the album down a little. But yeah, their sound was really interesting and somewhat innovative when that first album came out. They would do even better with the following one, Demon Days.
ABBA
2/5
I honestly have no idea why this album was included in this book. Is it because Abba were a europop band that "matured" into a more adult contemporary pop trajectory? I don't know. All I know is that it was boring.
Thundercat
3/5
Really good neo-soul album that has an excentric edge like Flying Lotus, but much more focused on the grooves. I really like this kind of deconstructed music where parts of many styles are glued together in a more or less chaotic way. This feels highly satisfying to me.
Jamiroquai
2/5
The idea of having a modernized funk album in the early nintenies is rather bold and refreshing for the time. My problem with Jamiroquai is that he sounds phony, you never know if he takes his approach seriously or if he's tongue in cheek, and that bothers me. That and the fact that his compositions gets redundant after a few songs. Always the same melodies, rhythms, this album could use of some dynamics.
Meat Loaf
3/5
You have to take it for what it is, a fun an flashy album yhat doesn't take itself seriously. The title track is the most over the top of the album and by far the best one. There are some other good moments on it too but honestly we're here for that bombastic rock opera schtick
Björk
4/5
She made good music after that one, but this was her last (and arguably her best) masterpiece. Immensely touching, with a deep, warm and detailed production that makes you go back to it and discover new things after each listen. Vulnicura wishes it was as intimate as this one.
Neil Young
4/5
Another great album from Neil, kinda underrated if you ask me. But maybe not since it's included here. Albuquerque, Mellow My Mind and Tired Eyes are my favorite songs on this, they're all really touching, but I also like the rawness of the more rock songs. So yeah, great album.
Chicago
3/5
Music to sell aluminium to.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
For some reason, I haven't listened to that one as often as the other big Neil classics of the first half of the 70's. That's certainly not because the album isn't as good. On the contrary. There are no lesser moments on this, this is Neil Young at his absolute best. The onyl reason why I wouldn't spin that one all the time is because he has so much great material to choose from. Flawless.
The Pharcyde
3/5
Trip Hop is a genry that got old pretty quickly and most of it was kind of just forgotten by everybody, except for the real masterpieces that struck out like that first album by Tricky. Like Portishead and Massive Attack there's a certain sexiness to Tricky's music that contrasts with the dark, sometimes industrial beats that goes with it. It's like you're neevr sure if you're on the verge of getting some sexy time or just about to die in a horrible manner. Maybe it's both.
The Doors
4/5
A logical successor to Morrison Hotel, L.A. Woman brings the blues a notch further and adds a more contained, mature sound. There are some absolute gems on that album: The Changeling, Love Her Madly, Hyacinth House and L.A. Woman are all really strong and has nothing to envy to the rest of the Doors' discography, in my opinion. Riders on the Storm is their best album closer since Five to One and still sounds magical after all these years. Unfortunately, some other tracks brings the album down a bit, like Car Hiis By My Window and particularly The WASP with its clunky drum solo. The dark, jazzy live version that can be found on In Concert is way better and would have fitted perfectly on the record.
Tricky
3/5
This ain't Pharcyde
Talking Heads
5/5
"And you may tell yourself, this is not my beautiful new wave
And you may tell yourself, this is not my beautiful afrobeat"
OutKast
2/5
Well that was long
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Realy good funk/soul album with some really interesting instrumental parts. I will definitely listen to that one again.
The Modern Lovers
4/5
Kind of a crossover between Velvet Underground, The Doors and New York punk from the 70's. Of course it's good! Jonathan Richman sounds like an addicted crooner that longs for its past glorious days. Awesome.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Awesome psychedelic rock album. White Rabbit and Somebody to Love are the biggest tracks on this but it would be a mistake to think that they're the only ones worth hearing.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
It's near impossible to listen to this album without thinking where Jeff would have gone from there, had he lived longer. But all we have as a completely finished product is this, and this is frankly enough to give him is place in rock's most important artists. He's been influential for many bands like Radiohead and Coldplay, Jeff himself apparently wanted to go a "dirtier" and more lo-fi road after that first album, so he might have fitted perfectly in the 90's indie rock scene that was shaping up. The album's not perfect, but it does contain some perfect songs, as well as the best Hallelujah cover ever.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
Shut up Elvis
Raekwon
3/5
This and Liquid Swords are usually regarded as the best Wu-related solo albums. It's really good, but I personally prefer GZA's album over this one. Still good though.
Hole
2/5
Hating blindly on Courtney is lame, but that being said that album just isn't really good to me. What I liked about Hole is all gone on this one and they went full pop-rock while leaving their edge way behind. You can hear Billy's touch on a lot of these tracks and to be honest some of them are well done, but I just feel like there's no power to them. From a commercial standpoint I guess it was a huge success, but I don't think this is what Hole will be remembered for in the end.
Dead Kennedys
3/5
I know it's a classic, I even know it's good. But Jello's voice just gets on my nerves like crazy. Way too theatrical for punk, at least for my taste.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Big hits. Admittedly, the first half (minus Get on Top) is great, but the album takes a DEEP nosedive after the title track. The Red Hot are just incapable of making an album that is good from beginning to end. This isn't an exception. Great singles though.
Minutemen
3/5
A lot of things happened
M.I.A.
2/5
Good for what it is, but definitely not for me.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
I know these guys are highly regarded and all, but to my ears it just sounded like polished britpop with hooks that are entertaining but that I ultimately didn't care for.
Billie Holiday
3/5
Without a shadow of a doubt, she has a special and unique voice. However, the music is so generic/average easy listening jazz that it spoils all the emotion behind Billie Holiday's interpretation. So, I don't know... 5 stars for her, -2 stars for what's surrounding her.
Television
5/5
One of the very few albums that I consider to be perfect from start to finish. The guitar work bewteen Verlaine and Lloyd is absolutely unique, there's no no other that sounds like that.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
She sure has a nice voice, and her intriguing blend of dreamy folk and pop makes for a nice listen. I think it aged quite well actually, maybe it's time to bring back her music to the forefront.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Obviously a great duo but man this music is so easy listening that I can't really say it's a standout or anything. It's there and it's kinda good, now where's my cigar?
Slipknot
4/5
Maybe the ultimate nu-metal album? Or is it Toxicity? It's up there with the best of the genre, at the very least. This one dropped like an atomic bomb when it got released, building a bridge between more extreme metal riffs and all the nu-metal characteristics, like a scratch and vocals acrobatics that shifts from agressive to emotional. That spoke a lot to a young and angry generation that weren't finding Marilyn Manson edgy anymore or death metal cool enough.
Various Artists
4/5
My favorite Christmas album made by a crazy murderer. Or is it my second favorite?
Rage Against The Machine
3/5
The system grrrrrrrrr. Some really great songs on this, not all of them being big singles, but unfortunately I get tired of their sound very quickly. Two or three songs at a time is more than enough for me.
The Temptations
3/5
Papa Was a Rolling Stone and a bunch of other tracks
Manu Chao
3/5
It was almost impossible to avoid this album if you went to college in the late 90's. They were playing it in the cafés, you could hear it in partys and that girl that just went back from Barcelona with dreadlocks always had a copy of the CD in her bag with a Che patch on it. I personally never cared for it, but Je ne t'aime plus is really good, almost makes me think of Jean Leloup and I gotta say that it now holds a certain nostalgic value for me. Deep down I hate this, but I can't give it less than 3 anyway.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
I started my jazz journey with Bill Evans. His playing was like no other, even if I can't really explain it. Miles Davis said that he was playing "underneath the music" and I can understand what he's saying. He made every standard his own, rendering them more intriguing, almost avant-garde in a way. Each note mattered and when can clearly feel it when we listen to him play. Add Scott LaFaro, surely one of the best bass player around, and you've got an instant classic. I think I prefer Waltz From Debby, which comes from the same concerts, but they're all mandatory as far as I'm concerned.
Jeff Beck
2/5
Truth is, this isn't good
Fiona Apple
4/5
Out of all the piano-driven female artists to come out of the 90's, Fiona Apple must be the most interesting. This album is especially good, it feels intimate while being inventive. The orchestrations are particularly great.
Julian Cope
4/5
Immensely captivating album with really strong tracks amidst this huge album that can get kind of patchy at some places but we're used to it with double albums, aren't we? I was shocked to enjoy this one as much as I did. I won't get into the music because like most Julian Cope, it's really hard to describe. Like psychedelic rock with some moments sounding like Nick Cave or even The Birthday Party?
John Martyn
3/5
I think I liked it but I can't remember much of it to be honest. I'll have to get back to it but yeah, good but unmemorable.
King Crimson
5/5
Imagine releasing this as your first album.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I always thought that the Stones were incapable of making an album that was great from beginning to end. This one is no exception. While the first 4 tracks are amazing, it does have some filler here and there. Not as much as on Beggars Banquet, but still. This is a really good album and certainly one of the best for the Stones, but I still maintain that's it better to listen to them via compilations than with proper albums.
Alice In Chains
3/5
Maybe the darkest and, um, dirtiest grunge band/album? I'm not a fan of their blend of stoner/metal and hard rock that would eventually lead to an army of annoying post-grunge bands, but I have to admit that these guys done it right.
Judas Priest
3/5
I love Judas Priest but this is far from being one of my favorites from them. There are some great track in there, including the classics Breaking the Law, Rapid Fire and Living After Midnight, but there's also some lukewarm moments that prevents it from being a classic in my book. Also United is just terrible, a poor attempt at making an anthem that everybody would shout in concert.
Red Snapper
3/5
Not bad, but one has to wonder if it's really worthy of being included in this book. This sounds like typical typical trip hop from the early 90's, except it's a little bit more varied (and inconsistent) by including some hip hop and jazzy arrangements. On that front, I have to say that I'd rather listen to a band like Lamb than this, simply because they made it better.
John Martyn
3/5
This one was better than the other album we had to listen from him here (One World), but I thought it was still unmemorable for the most part. This one has a jazz/folk feel, sometimes channeling the warm and melancolic moods of Nick Drake, but with a cleaner production and an overall lighter vibe.
Machito
2/5
Ok for background music while sipping on a daiquiri but I wouldn't see myself listening to this again on purpose.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Even on their biggest hits like I can't understand the hype surrounding them at all. They sound way too gentle for me, they sound tame and emotionless. I just can't get into them.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Admittedly, I only knew EBTG for their mega hit "Missing", which I liked but not enough to make me want to check a full lenght LP. It's done now, thanks to this book. And it's really good! For a genre that is not known for aging so well, I thought this one held the test of time admirably. A really nice and varied mix of downtempo, some drum and bass and some gold ol' late nineties trip hop. I'll have to check out their other albums.
k.d. lang
3/5
Honestly not bad for the genre, it was rather pleasant all along, but it's just not for me.
The Byrds
4/5
Great album, the last I've heard from The Byrds and easily their most country one. They still have that magic touch when they cover Dylan songs, although there's only one of them here.
Megadeth
5/5
That album was so important to me in my discovery of metal music. I still think it's an absolute masterpiece to this day. It has a punky and nasty vibe that the rest of the Big Four never had. We can feel that Dave was pissed off and he made the most raging record of his career. Better than anything Metallica has recorded, in my opinion.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
It's easy to hear that this one comes from the heart. Joan is obviously passionate about the music she makes and th emessage she wishes to deliver. That being said, it still sounds like generic 70's folk rock that is heavily polished. Not for me.
Gang Starr
3/5
Really cool old school hip hop with laid back beats and a rapping that manages to stay sharp while being smooth all the way through. Their avantages are also their flaws, because it all can seem a little bit redundant towards the end. At least for a 50+ album. Still great though.
Ryan Adams
2/5
Bob Dylan for Urban Outfitter shoppers.
5/5
Look at those smartass with funny hats making some of the most advanced new wave music you will ever hear. I love those guys.
The Yardbirds
4/5
I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did, but even in the blues numbers they manage to keep that garage vibe which makes the whole thing rather exciting.
U2
2/5
Well, you know, they're U2. So you know you're gonna get big pompous choruses, tryhard vocals and The Edge's schtick. If you're a fan it's not a bad thing I guess, but I think I only liked two tracks on this and they were the last two. Everything is big with U2, but it's really annoying to me, there's something fake, or should I say distant, with Bono's presence, almost like if he was concentrating hard to play a rock star instead of being one. Anyway, I'm not a fan and I actually prefer Zooropa over this one.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Check Your Head/Ill Communication will always be the Beastie Boys' golden age for me. They had found the perfect balance between hip hop, punk and tasty jams while toning down their goofy approach just enough to show they were really serious about their craft. What a talented bunch these guys were. As with all of their albums, this one has its fair share of fillers in the second half, but in their case it doesn't really matter because it stays entertaining and fun all the way through. Their energy is infectious and it's hard to imagine someone completely disliking them.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Three really great tracks, five completely forgettable ones. I'm still giving it a 3 because Tuesday's Gone, Simple Man and Free Bird are amazing.
Bobby Womack
3/5
So smooth you'll wish you were in your satin bathrobe
Pink Floyd
5/5
This band has so many masterpieces it's almost unbelievable. This is one of them. Perfectly crafted mood, a nice balance between long atmospheric pieces and more straightforward numbers. This is Pink Floyd at their peak.
Talking Heads
4/5
They haven't fully developped into the totally alien new wave entity that they would become, but they're getting there. But the songs are strong and Eno's presence already indicated that they would become something really special.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Bummer
Barry Adamson
3/5
Really interesting album, probably the most experimental one I've encountered here so far. It has elements of dark jazz and tape music and it plays like a soundtrack to a movie that never existed.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
Sometimes it sounds like Devo if they only made bad decisions. They're trying to be quirky but they end up being irritating in a way that I've rarely felt before. More than one hour of this? F my life.
Paul Weller
1/5
Incredibly generic pop rock that goes on for way too long. I don't even want to talk about it, I'm too upset you guys made me listen to this.
3/5
There are some really good tracks on this one, espacially Starlight, Map of the Problematique and of course Knights of Cydonia. As usual, their ballads are pompous in a cheesy way sadly not really interesting. There are some other hollow moments here, like Exo-Politics and Hoodoo which drags the album down. In retrospect, it marks a transition for Muse, where their energic compositions would lead to their current "big" sound and where the concept would crush the songs themselves.
Soft Cell
2/5
Imagine being in the studio and say "yeah, let's record Sex Dwarf"
Deerhunter
3/5
I liked it. Not mindblown or anything, but that was good. Sounded like a 2010 album alright.
Heaven 17
4/5
This would be a 3.5 but for the purpose of this challenge I'll give it a 4. Note sure if it's an essential but I'm glad I listened to it. Quirky synthpop with lots of irony and... well, synths.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I have a lot of respect for Joni but her music rarely connects with me. I'll be happy to hear her albums whereever they are being played but I likely won't spin one of her records on my own.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Looking back, it's crazy to think about how hyped this band/record was. They were really sold as the future of rock and while I'll admit that this is a pretty solid debut, it's not necessarily the revolution people wanted it to be. Still, it's a fun rock record and I can understand that it gathered nostalgic value for most of its listeners.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
Truth is, I've never been a fan of Dan the Automator's work. I mean, it's probably not is fault that this album gets meandering in the second half, but I always find his productions to be cold, almost detached from any emotions. I know it's considered as a classic, it was probably the sh*t in 1996, but I can't say that this has aged very well.
Common
4/5
I was really suspicious about this one since I had heard Be a few years ago and didn't like it at all. But this one is a whole lot different, being much closer to jazz rap like The Roots or Mos Def. It really changes my perspective of Common so I'm glad I listened to this.
Mekons
3/5
I normally don't like this type of music, but this one is just sloppy enough to appeal to me. It's closer to Meat Puppets and The Waterboys than it is from The Pogues or whatever, which is a good thing.
Coldplay
4/5
Some songs borrows so much from Jeff Buckley it's distracting. Shivers in particular sounds exactly like something that would be on Grace. Anyway, this album was huge when it came out and it marks the turning point where britpop started to fade to become something more atmospheric and, dare I say, Radiohead-esque. Like Doves and all that. Radiohead had left for more experimental pastures and so the indie rock throne was vacant, Coldplay clearly wanted to redeem that spot and it succeeded, they went on to beome one fo the most popular acts of the early 00's.
The Lemonheads
3/5
There are 2 or 3 singles on this that I actually enjoyed a bit, but overall I just never understood the hype around this one. Sounds like pretty standard power pop done in a typical 90's fashion to me, which isn't necessarily a bad thing but everything just kind of blurs together after a while.
Fela Kuti
5/5
Revolution has never been so danceable
Pavement
5/5
To me, this is nothing less than the quintessential 90's album. They've toned down their The Fall influences from the last album and mixed them with that slacker approach that they've come to embody. Malkmus' lyrics, which often sounds like they are improvised, are more concerned by how the words sound than by what they mean, yet he manages to deliver them in a way that makes them sensible and evocative. This is one of my favorite albums of all-time and listening to it never fails to make me happy.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
No sir, I don't like it. It's like they took the worst parts of neo-psychedelia and britpop and sewn them together for maximum displeasure.
The Who
4/5
I've never been a huge fan of Roger's voice but you gotta love those tasty riffs.
David Gray
2/5
Music for people that has a Brad Pitt poster in their room.
Public Image Ltd.
4/5
I have always seen Lydon as a bonehead that made history by accident more than by talent. But I had to change my mind on him after I discovered PiL because you obviously need a strong artistic vision to come up with that sound. I guess you could classify this as post-punk, but its experimental nature and its blend of dub and repetitive pattern makes it unique. This one has to be the most accessible of the first three but it's still weird af, I love it.
Madonna
3/5
Madonna's take on the whole downtempo/trip hop movement that was going on at the time. I get it that it's considered to be one of her better albums and I'll admit that it's extremely well done, but Madonna's emotionless delivery makes it less exciting than the other great albums of the genre. Still good and if you're a Madonna fan well you're already sold.
Cee Lo Green
1/5
I was about to give this guy a 2 until I heard his "I don't fuck around" outro. Yeah, it's better to just know him for his Crazy single with Danger Mouse.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Before Nirvana made it big and finished the job, Sonic Youth had caught the eye of majors and started the death of the glam rock era. The release of Goo made them one of the coolest bands around at that time and it still hold up really well to this day. It may not be as brave as Daydream Nation, but their gentle dip into accessibility definitely helped building the 90's musical landscape.
Tori Amos
2/5
While I understand the appeal, Tori's music is just not for me. Her vocal gymnastics gets on my nerves pretty quickly and I find the production to be a bit corny now. I guess she's a good songwriter but I'm just not into her art.
Prince
3/5
I don't know a lot about Prince's music, but I liked listening to this one. I might even come back to it. I still need to figure out why he is considered like a true genius though.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Easily their best album for me and one of my favorite road trip albums. A perfect balance between bittersweet and playful melodies, I just love it.
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
Look me right in the eye and tell me this is one of the best 1001 albums of all-time. That's right, you can't.
The Strokes
4/5
Great rock record. All the songs sounds the same and it's awesome.
Elvis Costello
2/5
My Disdain of Elvis Costello Is True
Shack
1/5
I try to be open-minded about the choices this book makes that I don't like, but this was a litteral waste of time. There is no way that this album deserved a spot on this list. No chance. This is the bottom of the barrell of generic britpop and my life would have been better if I had never heard it. I hate this book.
Boston
3/5
Good ol' classic rock. The last 2-3 tracks are mediocre but it's mostly fun.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Understated
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Nick Cave let go of his sombre persona for the first time and goes sentimental on us. This marks the second phase of his career, where his music would be increasingly based around piano melodies and a more "mature" approach overall (this is excluding the Grinderman albums of course). This is also his first album with Warren Ellis, which would slowly take the place of Mick Harvey as his sideman. The Seeds would never be the same anymore with him on board, and for the better I think. That being said, this isn't his best album and I think it is slightly overrated mainly because it's some sort of a breakup album. Still, the first half is magnificient and the fact that I'm not including this in my top only goes to show how strong this man's discography is.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
I'm not a huge fan of Bob Marley but I will willingly admit that he played a crucial role in putting reggae at the forefront of popular music. It's well done and all, it just does nothing for me.
Throbbing Gristle
4/5
Disturbing and strangely soothing at the same time. Those looking for songs will be disappointed but as a collection of industrial atmospheres, this does the job really well.
Radiohead
5/5
I feel that this is a cliché to say this about Kid A but that album is so important to me. This was my introduction to electronic music, krautrock and experimental music as a whole, genres that means everything to me now. So britpop peaked and while everybody was racing to get to the throne Radiohead just went "f*ck it" and did a 180 by releasing an atmospheric record that wouldn't have a chance to get so much attention if it weren't made by one of the most popular alternative band of its time. As we all know, britpop collapsed soon after and Radiohead went on to have one of the most interesting and fruitful career any band could ever dream of. And it all started with this album in particular. One of the most treasured records of all-time as far as I'm concerned.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
A direct sequel to The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots keeps the grandiose psychedelic pop approach of its predecessor while being more subtle and atmospheric. As a result, Yoshimi feels less immediate than The Soft Bulletin but it is extremely rewarding with repeated listens. In the end, I think it's just as strong as TSB and has every right to be considered a classic.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Sounds nice enough but it has no staying power outside the first 3-4 tracks. I've never been a fan of this indie folk thing and by the time this got released I was already tired of it. Not bad, not just something I'd ever recommend to someone, let alone put in a book about the 1001 most essentials albums of all-time.
Cheap Trick
3/5
So this is supposed to be a huge live classic and I can understand why: this is a hard-hitting take on what you can find on their studio albums. You can hear the fun they had playing this and you have fun hearing it.
Roxy Music
4/5
As a glam rock album, I think this is as refined as the genre can get. The melodies doesn't immediately jump at you, you have to let them sink in with repeated listens to fully appreciate the intricate Eno atmospheres and of course Bryan Ferry's eccentric and suave vocals. This is really good, you can hear how influential this band was for the post-Smiths UK rock.
Hot Chip
2/5
This hasn't aged well and I don't have time for this
Marilyn Manson
4/5
This was my soundtrack to my teenage angst so it's hard for me to rate it objectively. It's kind of funny to think how disturbing this album was when it came out, people were shocked by Manson and the little me was heavily drawn to its themes of anti-capitalism, anti-religion, anti-herd mentaly, anti-everything. I think it still holds up fairly well musically speaking, its production is still intriguing, thanks to Trent Reznor, and its spooky vibe is still intact. It is way too long though, this wouls have been a much stronger record if they had cut a good 3-4 songs in the middle of the album. I will rate it high because I can't deny how important that album was to me, even though I still think Mechanical Animals is his best.
John Lee Hooker
2/5
Out of all the JLH albums this is the one you choose? You guys are helpless.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
I'd drink that
The Prodigy
3/5
Probably a "you had to be there" situation, because listening to this today, while it has some exciting moments it'a also very long and the whole things sounds dated. Without any nostalgia value attached to it the impact is less apparent.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I just don't think this album is that great to be honest. Salt of the Earth is nice, Sympathy for the Devil obviously and I actually enjoy No Expectation quite a bit, but to me most of this things is no more or less than blues rock that wouldn't even get noticed if it wasn't released by the Stones.
Hole
2/5
Violet is kinda fun but I didn't care for all the other tracks. Courtney's screaming gets annoying pretty quickly.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
While they would soon become more ambitious both in scope and in sound, I think this is where SP peaked as a rock outfit. I love how these guys were influenced by a lot of things that were so unhip in the early 90's, like metal and prog/hard rock. It made for a unique and "big" sound when everything was about seeming modest at the time.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Ok so that's where that Beastie Boys sampling comes from
The Who
3/5
Two big classic and some great tracks as well. I just love that guitar tone.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
That was good but rather linear. The second half didn't grab me as much as the first half did.
Sepultura
3/5
I never fail to be mindblown by Igor's drummer. What a beast, easily one of the best from the thrash era. While I really like Arise, I find it to be a bit less memorable than its counterpart, Beneath the Remains. Don't get me wrong, there are still riffs for days in there, but they don't stick with me in the same way Beneath does. First 3 tracks + Altered State are awesome though
Talking Heads
5/5
Not as cohesive and maybe not a cultural statement as strong as Remain in Light, but Fear of Music makes up for it by throwing us some of the weirdest and most paranoiac new wave you'll ever get to hear. This sounds so fresh even to this day. Life is still as stressful as these songs wanted to portray.
Van Halen
2/5
Jump is obviously overplayed and Hot for Teacher is a fun but dumb single that has long lost its charm on me, at least there's still Panama. Rest of the album is juste fillers, I just don't care about that album.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Sublime
The Streets
3/5
Ain't bad mate innit
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
I forgot all about this even while I was listening to it
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Modern hip hop doesn't get much better than this. I'd say it's about as good as TPAB honestly.
The Smiths
3/5
The Smiths are always good, but still kind of overrated. This one might be my least favorite (but still good nonetheless).
Saint Etienne
2/5
A few good moments here and there but overall I thought this one sounded dated in a bad way
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
tssk smooch trrrrrr
Butthole Surfers
4/5
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Despite being very (very) long, this thing just doesn't let up. Amazingly strong from start to finish, with some Wonder's most adventurous compositions I have heard yet.
CHIC
3/5
Some good moments and not just because of Good Times. This is good disco but was it really necessary to put two of their albums in here?
Willie Nelson
3/5
Ok so Willie goes back to American standards and reinterprets them in the smoothest manner possible. The arrangements are lush and the whole thing feels wholehearted, obviously nothing is groundbreaking here but as a cozy album of countryfied standards it works well.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
tries a little bit of everything that was cool in 1989, fails in almost every aspect
Blondie
4/5
They put the fun in "that new wave album is fun"
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Bernard Derome titititideedeedou
The Crusaders
2/5
Your call is very important to us
Eurythmics
2/5
It's all about you know what song which is good but I'm really tired of hearing it so this album's just useless to me.
Kanye West
4/5
It lost me on the last 2-3 tracks but I gotta say that it was generally great. I didn't know Kanye did such a stripped down, industrial hip hop record. Coming right after My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I'd say it was a rather bold move to release something so abrasive.
Michael Jackson
3/5
I prefer Off the Wall by a considerable margin but having such big singles in the same album is quite the accomplishment, I'll give it that. Too bad that corny duet with Paul McCartney kills the momentum otherwise that would have been a pop masterpiece.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
There is no other album like this. Sure, indie rock with an orchestral edge wasn't new or anything, but the Lips made it sound so genuine, without any sense of the pretension that's often attached to that approach. There's a lot of details but it all seems so effortless, almost as if those sounds were coming on their own. One of the most beautiful albums I know.
Green Day
4/5
Maybe the ultimate pop punk album, at least for my generation. I love how nervous that album is, it sweats the typical teenage energy with its relentless flow of songs. They're also great musicians, we rarely talk about that but they're a really tight unit, Tre and Mike's rythmic section is awesome
Bert Jansch
3/5
Good traditional folk album, albeit a little bit homogeneous but that's to be expected with this genre. Bert's playing is the real draw here, with his impressive fingerpicking and overall dynamic style. Nice but not much more.
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Some intricate hooks in the first half, but overall I don't really get why this is so well-regarded.
Louis Prima
3/5
That was wild
MGMT
3/5
Of course Kids and Time to Pretend holds great nostalgic value for any millenial that went to a house party around 2008. And I gotta say that the rest of the album is mostly good, but nothing touches the 3 mains singles (the other being Electric Feel) and I think I'd rather reach out for those when I need my early 00's indie pop fix instead of the whole thing.
Fats Domino
3/5
Fun album but not something engaging enough to make me want to come back to it regularly
Circle Jerks
3/5
Not the most interesting punk album I've heard, but I guess it fulfills the promise of what a hardcore punk record should be.
3/5
This album just made me reconsider my appreciation of Blur. I always had a hard time with those guys, some songs I really liked but for the most poart I always found their albums to be pointless. Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed that one. Maybe because it's pretty simple and goes straight to the point: making great power pop tunes.
Sister Sledge
3/5
That kind of disco isn't my thing but my in-laws were visiting and they actually liked the music I put on for once, so thanks for that.
David Bowie
5/5
For my money, this is Bowie's best alongside Low. This is not his most innovative or excentric record, but he did manage to make one of the best glam rock album out there, filled with melodies that gets stuck in your head forever. It has the simplicity of just being fun to listen to but there's a dark twist that is implicit to those songs. I don't know, I just think this album is particularly exciting.
Rush
4/5
It's all about the first side obviously but side B is just as good as what they were doing in that era of the band
2/5
I'm still unsure if I liked this album or not. In case of doubt, let's say I did not.
4/5
I would like to be one of those guys that says they prefer The Kinks over The Beatles or whatever, I actually tried to be that guy, but I can't get myself to fully commit with that band. When they it the right spot, they're absolutely magical. Take Victoria, Yes Sir No Sir and Shangri-La from that particular album, this is some of the best rock music you'll ever get to hear in your life. But sadly I don't think they have an album that keeps that magic from beginning to end, and some of their songs sounds kind of generic to me, like I can't even remember after repeated listens. But yeah, there are some outstanding moments on this and it's worth listening to it for those songs alone.
Daft Punk
1/5
Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World Around the World
Beatles
5/5
This is Abbey Road by The Beatles
Green Day
4/5
A pop/punk/rock band makes a concept album and it doesn't suck? I didn't see that coming.
Little Richard
4/5
Great early rock n' roll. It must have been a blast to hear this thing for the first time in 1957.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
After his decent comeback with Freedom, Neil teamed up with Crazy Horse again and made everything louder. It's such an energetic performance that it doesn't really matter if there aren't real classic tracks on this thing. It rocks and Neil just does these endless solos and it's awesome.
Beck
3/5
A return to his "two turntables and a microphone" after the lush and weepy Sea Change. But something has changed since Odelay, Beck sounds cleaner, tighter, more conscious about what he's doing. He sounds less exciting. Even with the Dust Brothers at the sliders the production lacks punch, I'm always wanting the songs to hit harder, but they rarely do. That being said, the first half is really good, it's great to hear Beck having fun again and the album is mostly good but it's far from being a classic in my book.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
This album just gave me ass hair
Jurassic 5
3/5
Much better than what I anticipated, kinda sounded like proto-Gorillaz at times. Am I crazy?
Fever Ray
4/5
Yeah they're great
Morrissey
3/5
I'm not a Smiths fan enough to be really interested in Morrissey's solo career, which just sounds like a less interesting version of his old band to me. It's not bad though, just... not something I'll want to return to.
The Band
4/5
The Band enter's Dylan Big Pink and record timeless tunes with and without him. A lot of the best tracks are written by Dylan, but The Band is almost fully formed on that debut (The Weight is just as good as anything Dylan wrote during that period). They would eventually get even better and reach their peak on their next album, but this is a nice piece of history that everyone should hear at least once.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
One of the most bitey garage rock revival album from the early 00's, that's for sure. That doesn't mean that I enjoyed it though, as Karen O's vocals are usually getting on my nerves and the thin, noisy production gets tiring pretty quickly for me. Not bad, just not really for me.
The Who
3/5
Great singles obviously but I've never been really fond of that band as a whole. I always found Roger's vocals to be kind of weak, especially on the slower songs, his generic tone makes his meleodies hard to remember sometimes. Drumming's incredible though, maybe too good for that band.
The Stone Roses
5/5
This has no right being this catchy. This is everything britpop could only have dreamed of becoming and that's even before britpop was a thing. Just the right amount of post-punk, jangle pop and british rock, this thing is just perfect
Erykah Badu
2/5
Too long, too smooth
Fugees
2/5
A few good odd tracks here and there, but for the most part it sounded like a Diet version of Wu-Tang mixed with reggae and neo-soul, but not in a good way.
Johnny Cash
5/5
This is Folsom Prison encapsulates all that Johnny Cash is about. Absolute classics
Radiohead
5/5
So this is supposed to be a bunch of throwaway songs that didn't make the cut for Kid A? I'm so glad to live in the same timeframe as Radiohead.
Lorde
3/5
I feel like it's unfair for me to rate this one because I'm clearly not the target audience of Lorde. It's objectively really well-made but it just doesn't connect with me in any way.
Faust
4/5
I love this kind of whacky album so much. While "Krautrock" is obviously the centerpiece of the album, the other songs show a playful experimental side that sounds like a mix between Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Throbbing Gristle. Jennifer is avant-garde without being too dense and Picnic on a Frozen River shows the band in psych rock mode, probably the most conventionnal you'll ever get from them. So yeah, there's a bit of everything and every bits are highly enjoyable.
Mylo
1/5
Spoiler alert: that extremely mid album didn't destroy rock & roll.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
I know it's Janis and all but I didn't really enjoy that album to be honest
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Dire Straits
3/5
Much more atmospheric than what I remembered. Less interesting too.
Basement Jaxx
1/5
This can't be real
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Get the hell off my lawn Joni
Beastie Boys
5/5
This album gets better every time I listen to it. And I listen to it a lot.
Elliott Smith
5/5
I will always have a soft spot for his Kill Rock Star years and this is my favorite album he released on that label. I love the intimate, lo-fi (the drums on Speed Trials) vibe of this one. It's so beautiful, probably sad too I guess but the best kind of sad
Stephen Stills
2/5
Some good moments scattered on this inexcusably long album.
The Sonics
3/5
WOUAAAAAOW
The xx
3/5
Don't get me wrong, I love nocturnal dream pop just like the next guy and they do it fairly well here, but it does get tiring after the first 4-5 tracks. The weak vocals are not helping them either.
R.E.M.
3/5
Say what?
Miles Davis
5/5
Magical
Cream
4/5
I am obviously familiar with a bunch of Cream song but I think it was the first that I listened to the whole album. Good times.
Janet Jackson
2/5
A bunch of interludes thrown in between songs that are so samey you'll be thinking about what's for dinner before the 5th track begins.
Crowded House
2/5
Some nice hooks here and there but not enought o make me want to return to this in this lifetime.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I don't know much about Elvis' discography but that album I've always enjoyed quite a bit.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Sonic Youth had been more noisy in the past and they would also be more noisy in the future, but they've never been so monumental. A true masterpiece of noise rock.
System Of A Down
4/5
Great first album from SOAD and easily one of the best thing to come out of the nu-metal craze.
Le Tigre
3/5
A really fun dance-punk record with Kathleen Hanna's usual gritty lyrics. It often sounds like a direct successor to bands like ESG , Gang of Four and A Certain Ratio, which is a great thing of course.
Morrissey
3/5
This is the best solo Morrissey album I've heard so far, but it still fails to grab me like any Smiths album does. His melodies are really good on this one but I find his backing band distractingly boring.
Public Enemy
4/5
Way more dense and experimental than what I remembered. This had to be ahead of its time when it got released and it still sounds challenging today. It matches the politically charged themes of the album really well, but it also demands repeated listens before you can really make your way around it.
Ice Cube
4/5
I was expecting to get AmiKKKa's Mot Wanted here but I'm glad I discovered that one too because it's almost just as good. It's less hardcore than his last two, but there are plenty of great beats here and his delivery is just as sharp as he is on his two previous albums.
The Stooges
4/5
Not as good or as dangerous as Fun House, but 1969, I Wanna Be Your Dog and No Fun are so mandatory that it justifies its inclusion here. I just can imagine hearing this for the first time in 1969 and think "this is my life now".
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Wait, am I actually enjoying a double album from Led Zeppelin? I've changed, man.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
This jazz has no right to funk like it does.
Neil Young
5/5
My favorite Neil Young album, I love its mellow, bittersweet melancholy vibe.
Bob Dylan
5/5
This has been my least favorite of his "electric period" for a long time, but I now think it's his pinacle. It just has more of everything and in this particular case, more is better. It's ambitious but lazy, it's chaotic but focused, it's cocky but passionate. It's everything.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Not the psych treasure some people claim it is, but a pleasant enough garage rock album that has enough energy to keep things interesting despite the sometimes average songwriting.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Tim goes less weird. Tim goes white funk. Time goes good but not great.
John Coltrane
4/5
Yeah it's great, but I am yet to fully understand why this is Coltrane album that always gets mentionned instead of his other, most adventurous work. Maybe it's a contextual thing, I don't know.
Johnny Cash
5/5
It's Johnny Cash live in a prison singing for prisoners. How more badass can you possibly get?
Steely Dan
3/5
Much more pleasant than what I had anticipated. It's like yacht rock but with some intricate playing, and I'm down for that.
Motörhead
4/5
For a record that came out in 1980, it's quite impressive to hear such speed and such energy in a hard rock record. They really changed the game with that one, as you can clearly hear that it paved the way to what would become speed/thrash metal with bands like Slayer and Metallica. So while it's highly influencial and it rocks as all hell, I gotta say that it's not really something I want to return to very often. I still give it a 4 because it rips.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Who knew jangle pop could give you amnesia
Iron Maiden
4/5
This album is just as exciting to listen to as it was when it first got released. I've always loved the punk edge that Paul brought to Maiden's music. This and Killers aren't perfect but they're total classics in my book.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
I obviously have a lot of respect for Hendrix but I've never been a fan of his music. A lot of people consider Electric Ladyland to be his masterpiece and while I will certainly ackowledge that it's an ambitious album, it does get tiring after a while. It's still mostly blues rock with a production and effects that hints at psychedelia, but I don't find the mix to be particularly successful to be honest.
Slint
4/5
Such a unique take on post-rock, sparse and dark atmosphere with crunchy guitars and bursts of drums that makes you think you're listening to hardcore for a second. This is where this genre began and pretty much peaked imo
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
I don't know what to make of this. On the one hand I was really impressed with the guitar interplay between Carrie and Corin, the riffs are really exciting and there's a real urgency that jumps at you right from the start and it just doesn't let go. I'm writing this and it makes me want to come back to it, but I must admit that I got exhausted by Corin's (or is it Carrie's?) vibrato voice toward the end. I guess that makes it a real punk rock record.
Peter Tosh
3/5
I don't know reggae very much, I'm more inclined to listen to dub with Augustus Pablo and stuff like that, so I was glad to finally get to hear another artist beside Bob Marley. Sadly, this didn't do much for me. It's a little too easy on the ear, almost like a reggae version of easy-listening. I didn't mind having it playing in the background but you know, once you're passed the fun of hearing songs about weed this one doesn't offer much more than that
The Roots
3/5
Some brillant moments this album is so scattered and chaotic that it's hard to take it all at once. It will demand some more spins before I can truly apprectiate it.
Magazine
4/5
I love this kind of "out there" post-punk so much. And this is one of the best from the bunch. And with members of bands such varied as PIL, Buzzcocks, Chameleons (on that album at least) and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, I'd say this is one of the most exciting lineup in the history of rock.
Mj Cole
1/5
Painfully soulless and anonymous dance album that gives this book a bad name.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Nice
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Snoop has never been one of my favorite rappers but you can't deny that this one's a classic. It kinda gets repetitive as the albums goes on but it's so much fun that it doesn't matter.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is the definition of art rock to me. Really great album from Brian Eno, even if it's a little scattered. It's part of its charm.
Franz Ferdinand
2/5
Take Me Out is great and a few other tracks has a little something going for them but this is mostly tame post-punk that was poised to become a footnote in dad rock history.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Ah, the pop music of the late 50's/early 60's. There's something fascinating about pre-Beatles music, it's almost like some kind of naïveté got lost when the Fab Four came around. It sounds old, charming and upbeat. Not something I'll often go back to, but I certainly won't mind whenever I hear it.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Good but a tad overrated in my books. You can hear they were going for something really ambitious with this one with all these arrangements and the bombastic darkwave production, but some it comes across as a little awkward for me. It sounds big, but the songs themselves aren't really impressive, they're only sugar-coated. Anyway, there are still plenty of good moments to be found here but I don't think this is the monument some people claim it is.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Really strong debut from MBV. All the elements are already there, and I think this one would have been be enough to propel the band at the top of the shoegaze food chain pyramid, but they took things so much further with Loveless that it's impossible for Isn't Anything to not be shadowed by it. But it's a really strong debut, the first side in particular is absolutely fantastic.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
As far as 90's industrial rock goes, I think this is the quintessential album of the genre. Even at that young age Trent knew how to make his music sound big and profond. It's also really filthy, even to this day this album embodies perfectly the sentiment of self-hatred and mal-être that one can get. I personally prefer The more ambiant The Fragile over this one, but there's no denying that The Downward Spiral is a masterpiece.
The Human League
3/5
I appreciated that one much more than I would have imagined. Synthpop that's on the sugary side, but the melodies are great and the whole thing reeks of spray net.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
More cowbell please
The Pogues
1/5
Don't bother me with that kind of music unless I'm at my 5th pint of Guinness
Steely Dan
2/5
Well I liked the first one that we had to listen but this one just passed through me without being noticed at all. A little bit too easy on the ear for my taste.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Baby
Frank Ocean
3/5
Not bad, but far from great. Sounds like standard modern r&b to me. Am I missing something?
X-Ray Spex
4/5
This album encapsulates all that is fun about being young and rebellious: the rage, the creativity, the energy, the music! Poly Styrene is the one making most of these things happening, with her ferocious voice and her protesting delivery. But the music is great too, especially with the inclusion of a sax in the chaotic and somewhat primitive punk rock the band is playing.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Sonic Youth were already well-established when the whole grunge/alternative craze erupted, and most the prominent figures of that scene looked up to them. If anything, SY's sound was more adventurous than their contemporaries in 1992, so it's not surprising that they distilled their ethos a bit to have a shot at the scene they helped spawned. Dirty sounds like an édition raisonnée of everything Sonic Youth has been and everything Sonic Youth would eventually become.
As such, it is their most direct album to date, the noise is still there, but it's even more structured than Goo was. Sometimes it works in their favor (100%, Youth Against Fascism, Sugar Kane), sometimes it makes them sound like a tame version of themselves (Shoot, Crème Brûlée). If all the lesser moments would have been cut, this would have been the classic it aimed to be. But the album sadly feels too long for its own good, and I think it would have worked much better if they had cutted 3 or 4 songs from it. That being said, there are also a lot of strong points to that album, mostly placed in the first half of the album. Theresa's Sound-World has to be one of my 10 best SY tracks, and 100% is up there too.
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
Beautiful and unique. And sad.
Arcade Fire
4/5
They would eventually get biger in sound and in ambition, but never quite as good as this.
Radiohead
5/5
You can tell an album is a classic when it's just as relevant today as it was 26 years ago. Social anxiety, technology anxiety, performance anxiety, consumerism anxiery, this is as 2023 as it could possibly get. The album that made britpop peak and then die. Revisionnists may be trying to downplay its role in the alternative rock landscape, but I think it is one of its milestones.
The Thrills
2/5
So Much for an Average Indie Rock Album Aping Teenage Fanclub With Some Indie Folk Influences Thrown In
The Fall
4/5
I don't know much about The Fall to be honest, only 3 or 4 albums, but what I've heard I really liked. No one sounds like The Fall and Mark E Smith's delivery is so uniquely defiant.
Laura Nyro
2/5
I just can't with her voice, I'm sorry.
The Cure
5/5
My favorite from them. This music feels like walking blindly through a dense fog.
Kate Bush
4/5
Genuinely original
The Coral
2/5
Yet another horribly awkward and subpar indie rock from the early 00's that tries to go all over the place make up for their abysmal songwriting
3/5
U2 has always been heavily concerned by their image and this is the peak of the era where they wanted us to see them as a profound band whose art could heal the world. This album is so pompous but that's what they wanted and I have to say that they achieve it really well.
B.B. King
3/5
I obviously have a lot of respect for B.B. King but at the same time I fail to see how this is supposed to be special. This sounds like any other standard electric blues album I've ever heard in my life.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
So much has been said about this album so I won't say anything
The Blue Nile
3/5
They put the sophisti in the sophistipop
Les Rythmes Digitales
1/5
I think I don't want to listen to music anymore
This thing is so pompous I'm gonna throw up
Ozomatli
2/5
Just because you put a latin twist to mediocre music doesn't make it any better.
4/5
Dude took Ornette's music and made it even crazier. That's saying something.
William Orbit
2/5
Generic and overlong downtempo music. I get that he migth have worked with Madonna and whatever but his résumé doesn't make that album any better.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
An interesting twist to the indie sound of the late 00's, but not something I will want to return to.
3/5
Pleasant all the way through but I wish it would go harder from time to time.
George Harrison
4/5
For his first solo album, George gave everything he had and more. It must have felt so liberating to release these songs without having the pressure that was coming with the iconic Lennon/McCartney duo. And to be honest what George releases here is stellar, pretty much everything is on par with his latest Beatles compositions like Here Comes the Sun and Something. But there's two things that prevents me from giving it a 5: the cute but ultimately pointless jam side and the fact that he could have trimmed the album a little. He could have saved some of the songs to release them on a followup album instead of laying everything he had all at once. But it's still indeniably a classic and easily one of the very best solo albums from a Beatles member.
James Brown
3/5
Great early set by James Brown. You hve to love hearing interactions with the crowd though.
Paul Simon
2/5
You can hear some of Simon's warm melodies in there, but they're mostly buried under a frankly outdated production and an overall linear presentation. He did much better than this.
Solomon Burke
3/5
I love me some Solomon. I love his take on soul, he's so passionate and warm in his delivery. But at the same time this is the kind of music that I have a hard time to pinpoint highlights, so it's like a pleasant but ultimately unremarkable album. A greatest hits would do the trick just fine for me, but this album's good too.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Well I'm just as ignorant as any other white boy doing this challenge so of course my only reference point will be Ravi Shankar.
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
Not bad per se but way too smooth for my taste.
4/5
I always avoided listening to Oasis because they were so much overplayed everywhere in the 90's that I was sick of them before even hearing one of their albums. But now's the time and I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised! The songs are simple and catchy, but the band's ambition covers that simplicity by adding arrangements and an energy that can only come from a young band on the verge of conquering the world.
Napalm Death
3/5
This album is important because it's basically the birth of grindcore so I understand why it's included here, but the fact is that they've made much better albums right after that one.
Tom Waits
4/5
I'm not the biggest Tom Waits fan but I think this album is remarkable. It shows Tom the way I like him the most : dark, twisted but vulnerable at times. This has to be my favorite of his.
Tina Turner
2/5
Sometimes she sounds like she could be in a hair metal band or something. Anyway, much respect for Tina but I don't care for her comeback records.
Big Star
4/5
Incredibly messy and a bit of a downer in the best way possible, 3rd is far, far from their power pop glory days. It serves more like a drugged out Nick Drake or a more stable Syd Barrett with some baroque pop à la Kinks thrown in. It's a mess and it's incredible.
Cornershop
2/5
So this won a Mercury Prize? Hey, we all make mistakes.
Kate Bush
3/5
A little bit too adult contemporary for my liking, her previous two were more out there and better for my taste.
Frank Black
3/5
The most frontloaded album of all time.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Not as engaging as I would have thought it would be, but the first and last couple of tracks are really great.
Meat Puppets
4/5
If there's a cowpunk album you've got to listen to, it's that one. So much fun.
The Black Keys
2/5
I can get why they're popular, but I don't get why they're loved
Jack White
2/5
Surprisingly decent first half, expected boring blues rock on the second half. Why is this album here again?
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Much more entertaining and fun than I would have thought.
3/5
The talked intro was the best thing on this.
Massive Attack
3/5
Well, this one didn't age as well as Mezzanine for me. It starts strong with the first two tracks but I didn't care for most of the other tracks to be honest.
Slade
3/5
Just like MC5 predicting punk music, this Slade album is supposed to be some sort of proto-glam or something. But all I hear is generic hard rock with some subtle Bowie touches here and there. That's no T. Rex, that's for sure.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Great debut that doesn't contain so much classics but her racous energy is the only thing that matters here.
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
Great energetic set, probably the only thing you need to have from Jerry Lee
5/5
In which PJ tones down the anger a bit and goes for a more mature-sounding record. And the results are fantastic. You still get some bangers like Big Exit and Kamikaze but the real draw of this album for are the more introspective tracks, like You Said Something and We Float. It's not a sad record but much like its cover suggests, it has a vibe of feeling alone surrounded by people. Walking at night in a pensive mood while everybody around you is having a good time. This is what this albums makes me think of. Oh and there's This Mess We're In and Beautiful with Thom Yorke which are moth majestic of course.
John Lennon
5/5
This album deserve his classic status just by having Imagine and Jealous Guy on it, but I think the rest of the album is really strong too and gets kind of overlooked in a way. To me it feels like a natural bridge between the more primal aspect of Plastic Ono Band and the more tender/dreamy side of Lennon that we all love. One of the best solo albums from a Beatle, that's for sure.
PJ Harvey
3/5
I get why people love early PJ with her destructive punk blues but her repeated quite/loud song structure kind of gets on my nerves after a while. I prefer her debut.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Admittedly, I know next to nothing about salsa and I have no real grip to judge is one album is better than the other. They all kinda sound the same to me, but it's still a pleasant sound it's all good.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Good but way too linear to justify such a length.
Blue Cheer
3/5
Good but another album that is more important from an historical standpoint than by the actual music it contains.
De La Soul
3/5
It's good but it's not a favorite of mine. In the old school hip hop department I'd rather listen to stuff like A Tribe Called Quest or Pharcyde, which are both more engaging for my taste.
Steve Winwood
2/5
How on earth did this album end up here? Boring, boring, boring.
Talvin Singh
2/5
Typical electronic album that was made at the time. This reminds me of a better version of these annoying Buddha Bar compilations that you would find everywhere.
The Associates
2/5
Too fruity for me
Public Image Ltd.
4/5
I really like the experimental aspect of PIL's music, but I feel that a few songs toward the end could have been left out and it would have made a stronger album. Still, I really enjoyed it.
Pantera
2/5
Music to lose custody of your child to.
Megadeth
4/5
An album packed with thrash attack that still maintains the punk-ish attitude of the debut. One of the best Megadeth albums for sure.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Great iconic voice, ok songwriting
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I don't know, I guess I'm the one who's missing something but save for 3-4 tracks, I thought this was rather uneventful art pop.
Tim Buckley
4/5
I like Tim when he's at his weirdest and he's not quite on the same level as Lorca here, but this is a really good baroque pop/folk album that has hints of his unhinged musical approach that he would later develop. Kind of a best of both worlds situation. Really good.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I mean, it's cool to have James back but this is still the weakest LCD album so I don't know why it's included here.
Soft Machine
5/5
Sometimes the best albums are the ones we can't figure out
Faith No More
4/5
It's crazy to think how far Mike Patton would go in terms of creativity using only his voice. But for now, he was just this killer vocalist that helped Faith No More to reach unexpected highs with their blend of funk metal.
Orange Juice
2/5
Some of it reminded me of 80's Bowie, but we don't need another 80's Bowie, do we?
The Slits
4/5
Everyone is raving about how The Clash brought reggae to punk but I think the Slits did it better. Somehow they managed to be more serious about their dub influences without losing any of their punk ethos.
Britney Spears
1/5
I know that we've been rehabilitating Britney as a pop icon of late and I'm all for it but boy did this age badly. I'm not even a pop hater or anything, I just thing these songs are abysmal.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Anthony Kiedis is such a bonehead. I hope he's calling his band everyday to thank them for allowing him to leave this life despite having so little to offer.
AC/DC
3/5
I don't like AC/DC but I like the energy of this album. It was obviously a lot of fun to make and they play their songs like they mean it. Yes the album is really samey but this was before they would become copycats of themselves so we can forgive them. It's just good dumb fun.
Brian Eno
4/5
I think this album has been surpassed by so many ambient artists now but you've got to respect the elders, man. To make an ambient album with minimalist choral work was a rather bold move for Mr. Eno. He took what was once reserved for artists like Arvo Pärt or Penderecki and made it his own. This isn't as revolutionary as it once has been, but this is still highly enjoyable.
Underworld
2/5
First of all, it would have been better if it was an instrumental records. Dude's voice is painfully mediocre and his lyrics are even worst. I'm not a fan of 90's techno in general but I have to say that this has some nice passages here and there. Not enough to make me want to listen to it ever again though.
Queen
3/5
I just don't like Queen, but I think it's cool to be reminded that before going all opera rock on us, they actually rocked for a while. I still think that most of the songs are rather by-the-numbers 70's hard rock but with Freddie Mercury's exceptional voice. Stone Cold Crazy must be the wildest Queen track.
Ute Lemper
2/5
Impressive roster of writers, but her delivery grates on my nerves. She sings those songs but she doesn't immerse herself in them, she's just so... distant. All it made me wish was to hear these compositions made by the actual writers. The Scott Walker one is bonkers though.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Such a chill jazz rap album. I always thought it was kind of linear except for a few really standout tracks, but it doesn't matter here because the vibe is so cool.
Paul McCartney
4/5
Paul at his most spontaneous and free. The off the cuff approach that permeates these tracks is making this album feel alive and vibrant after all these years. This is almost slacker rock before its time!
The Soft Boys
5/5
This album has everything I like about rock music in general. It's a wild ride where post-punk riffs, power pop melodies and jangle pop rhythms all coexists in this hazy production that boasts exuberance, a strange sexiness, youthful energy and... fun. Above all this is a fun album, the kind of album that you only want to hear really loud. Also Kingdom of Love is one of my favourite tracks of all-time.
The War On Drugs
2/5
I can understand the appeal but for me it's stuck in an awkward middle zone where it's not rocking enough to make it entertaining, nor is it moody enough to make it past the surface level. Kurt Vile would go on to make a better version of this.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
1/5
Ok now you're just trolling us.
King Crimson
4/5
The Clash
4/5
You can't fault The Clash for not trying things. It's like they took every ideas they had and gave them a fair try. And for the most part it works! I wouldn't even consider it a punk rock album per se. Maybe more something like new wave with strong reggae influences.
The Jam
3/5
These guys just never clicked with me. Nothing bad or anything, I just fail to retain anything from it when I'm listening to it.
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
Cool psych rock with some garage thrown in for good measure. They're not one of my favourites or anything but they're fun to listen to.
Nico
4/5
Nico would soon find her own voice and become a true original, but for now she's making her way from VU by delivering a beautifully sombre chamber folk album. Her friends from her former band are all here to lend a hand, including John Cale who would remain a cherished musical partner. Her Dylan-esque acoustic guitar melodies are often dressed with tasty arrangements, sometimes more daring than others. It Was a Pleasure Then even sounds like what could have happened if VU was fronted by her. But for the most part it's beautiful chamber folk that distinguishes itself by her characteristic voice and presence.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Really fun country album about people dying in the Wild West. I guess its themes are what is making that one so popular because musically it's also really good but rather on the smooth side for an outlaw country album.
Dire Straits
3/5
Some nice moments and Knopfler is clearly a great guitarist but this is not something I would want to hear regularly.
Pixies
3/5
I like the Pixies but this one has always been the one I like the least from the classic era. There are some bangers and The Happening is one of my favourite Pixies track but the 3-4 last songs brings to the album down a bit. Also there's some kind of a morose vibe that I can't quite put my finger on it, I don't know if it's the production but this one's a little bit darker than the others but it makes them sound tired instead of heavy.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
There's often a nice atmosphere to her songs but it just doesn't speak to me at all. I guess I'm just too old.
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
As bloated as it might be, I gotta say that I actually enjoyed that one quite a bit. But you know, I'm a sucker for concepts revolving around some romantic sad bastards trying to understand love. Musically it has a bit of everything indie, at times sounding like some lightweight Nick Cave, some other songs reminded me of Belle & Sebastian or even Silver Jews. Of course it's too long but I felt drawn in anyway. I'll actually return to it someday.
Björk
3/5
Breakup albums always tend to be overrated and I think this one is no exception. Björk's delivery and lyrics are heartbreaking and Arca's sharpened production are the two real strong points of Vulnicura. Björk has never sounded so passionate and honest since Vespertine, which ironically is her love album dedicated to the same man. Having said that, the song themselves are too meandering for me and things start to all blend together after a while. There are still some amazing moments in there, but in the end I found it a bit tiring to get through it.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Really great psychedelic soul that I should listen way more often than I actually do
The Pretty Things
5/5
How have I been living so long without this album in my life? Some of the most intricate songwriting I have heard on a psychedelic rock album. It's all twists and turns, mind bending.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Hey hey, My my, This album can never die.
The Style Council
1/5
This is one of the worst album I've ever heard of my life. Not only it was boring, but also annoying, out of place and made with bad taste. What the hell? I can't believe this album was actually made. Lame jazz meets unpleasant pop with their friend, the uncomfortable rap song.
Seriously, I can't believe at what I just listened.
Barry Adamson
4/5
I love me some Barry Adamson. I love his style, I love how he blends dark jazz with lounge and trip hop in cocky, too cool for school attitude. I think I slightly prefer Moss Side Story over this one, but they're both a lot of fun.
The Fall
4/5
Great rudimentary post-punk that would go on to inspire everybody, from Pavement to Protomartyr. Not their best but I really like the amateurish aspect of it.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
What's Going On? Not much honestly.
Baaba Maal
2/5
There's a lot of problems with this album. First of all I find the production really inappropriate for the genre. It's like they tried to make his music "exportable" by using a thin pop production that was typical in the early 90's. Also the albums is way too long and way too samey. Nothing works.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
So the YYY decides to give a shot to the dance-punk sound that was all the rage a few years prior. Bands like Death From Above and LCD Soundsystem were already well-established and admittedly much more interesting than what the YYY are doing here. I'm not saying that it's bad, but the songs do tend to blend together at some point. It's like a more commercial, less exciting take on a sound that was already starting to wear off by the end of the 00's.
Slipknot
3/5
Everybody knows that Slipknot peaked with their self-titled and Iowa, two albums boasting with youthful rage and hatred. Those are the albums that changed the face of metal by bringing the much ridiculed nu-metal tag to a more extreme level. While those aren't the only good albums that Slipknot made, they are arguably their most important. An album like All Hope Is Gone feels really anecdotal compared to them, so I can't for the life of me explain why they would include that particular one here. Anyway.
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
Kinda sounds like if Elvis Costello decided to do an Hüsker Dü record. In my case that's not a good thing.
U2
3/5
First side is good, even great at times. Second side is mostly meh.
Mudhoney
2/5
Nothing really sticking out on this one. It has an energy more akin to garage rock than grunge if you ask me, but that's not enough to make it really interesting.
Throwing Muses
3/5
Good, not great. Sometimes it sounded like a gothy version of PJ Harvey, other times it sounded like PJ Harvey playing Martha Wainwright
Fairport Convention
4/5
I was so ready to despise this. The British Folk tag doesn't sit well with me in most cases, but as it turns out I had a lot of fun listening to it. It has that pastoral vibe that I was expecting but it sounds heartfelt instead of sounding corny. It also has some really good progish, almost experimental moments on the longer tracks. I'll return to this one.
Kraftwerk
5/5
To me, the suite on the side B is the greatest thing Kraftwerk has achieved. I love this album so much.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Good but clearly his less essential of the "Songs Trilogy". The guys who made this book should have made room for another album than this one.
Fatboy Slim
1/5
Why does every big beat album insists on being one hour long or more? It gets really tiring toward the end.
Bob Dylan
5/5
The Dylan album that has it all: the folk songs, the rock songs, the protest songs, the surrealist songs. Is it the best Dylan album? I don't know about that, but it's certainly one of his most exciting.
The Cardigans
2/5
I liked 1 or 2 tracks but most of it just flew over my head.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
It's Stevie so of course it's good but it's probably his less impressive album of his classic run.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Even more ambient than Skeleton Tree, but less experimental and less dark. This is Nick grieving at the same time that he opens himself to love. That being said, as poignant as some of these songs can be, I don't think it's as interesting or consistent as its predecessor.
John Lennon
5/5
God has changed my life. The song, not the dude.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Some good rockers on this monumental record.
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
Album go brrrrrrrrrrrrr
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Sometimes it sounded like Pulp if they were a 80's band. Pulp are better.
Wild Beasts
2/5
Generic indie rock that band that is lucky enough to have a unique singer.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Cohen experienced some kind of revival when Old Ideas came out. His humour and sense of self-awareness made him relevant again. You Want It Darker is certainly the best of his three most recent albums and a fitting way to say goodbye. But outside of two or three tracks, Cohen just fails to capture my attention and nothing really sticks with me. The biggest advantage this one has over his other albums is that the production is actually nice for a change.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Not bad but too gentle and ultimately unremarkable.
Madonna
2/5
I like Madonna just fine, but this is a big letdown after the more atmospheric Ray of Light. She's still going for that mature approach but this time the songs are really disjointed from one another. Sometimes she's doing that vague acoutstic/country thing that doesn't really work, and at other times she goes back to the electronic sounds of hger previous album. What It Feels Like for a Girl is really great though.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Pleasant all the way through but never really exciting.
Björk
3/5
Fun but also kind of boring at times.
Supertramp
3/5
I don't care.
Deee-Lite
2/5
Isn't this supposed to be 1001 ALBUMS You Must Hear Before You Die? Because judging by this choice it sure looks like it's 1001 One Hit Wonders You Must Hear Before You Die.
Bee Gees
3/5
Somewhat decent baroque pop but this album is wayyyyy to long for what it has to offer.
The Beta Band
3/5
Everybody knows that the only Beta Band album anyone needs is the Three EP's compilation. This isn't too bad but it isn't anything special either.
TV On The Radio
2/5
Insanely forgettable
Tom Waits
2/5
Some yuppie yapping over generic jazz.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
Some parts I loved, some parts I didn't like. I don't know what to make of this. This sounds like noise rock but with a hardcore singer.
James Taylor
2/5
Sure grandpa, let's get you to bed.
The Pogues
1/5
I just can't stand The Pogues
Primal Scream
2/5
Never understood the love for this project. To me this sounds like Neo Psychedelia with annoying trip hop influences.
The The
2/5
No
Prince
3/5
I'm not a Prince fan but I'm open to discover him under a new light. This album won't make it, however. It failed to keep my attention all the way though.
fIREHOSE
1/5
Boring
Sonic Youth
5/5
My favourite SY album. Not as ambitious as its famous followup, Daydream Nation, but just as strong musically speaking. Schizophrenia has to be one of their best songs.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
Terrible
Beatles
5/5
Catch you with another band and that's the end, little girl
Prince
4/5
Much better than 1999 in my opinion, the songwriting is more intricate, Prince is crazier, flashier, just like I think he should be.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
A prog version of The Nutcracker? Give me a a break.
Van Morrison
3/5
Van Morrison is the kind of artist that I wouldn't choose to listen to on my own, but that I won't mind if it plays on the radio or whatever. First song was great.
Scritti Politti
2/5
This is what 80's music sound like to people who don't like 80's music
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
The folk bits are kinda forgettable but the title track, The Ballad of Lucy Jordan and Why D'Ya Do It are all dark and snarky new wave. Her ashtray voice only adds to the decadent vibe this album has.
2/5
Not bad for what it is, going for a late career resurgence with a "mature and sophisticated" art pop sound, but it's also goofy at times. Your Dictionary is shameful. I don't know, seems overrated to me.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I can't say that I'm really crazy about Iggy's solo career, including his two classics Lust for Life and The Idiot. And out of those two, I prefer Lust for Life. I get the appeal though, its dark proto-New Wave songs with Bowie's metallic production gives it a particular atmosphere, but most of the songs just fall flat for me. Good, but not great.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
My favorite from the first era. Melodic, noisy, chaotic, melancholic. It has it all.
The Byrds
3/5
I love The Byrds in general but they never really blow me away. This one is no exception.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Not bad but it feels like when you're in an office meeting that won't end because some nerd won't stop asking questions. Maybe multiple listens would justify its lenght, but for for now it seemed long just for the sake of it.
Scott Walker
5/5
I'm a simple man. You write a song about the movie The Seventh Seal, you get 5 stars.
a-ha
3/5
Three strong singles, the rest is mostly forgettable. Just like most 80's synthpop albums.
Morrissey
3/5
To me, Morrissey's solo output has always been vastly inferior to what he did with The Smiths, but this one's ok I guess. I wouldn't call it a classic or an essential listen though.
Muddy Waters
2/5
Not so hard
Steve Earle
3/5
Cleary not my preferred style, but I kind of enjoyed it.
The Jam
3/5
Kinda sound like a cross between The Clash and The Kinks. It's good.
The Killers
4/5
I kind of ignored them at the time, I thought that being drilled by their two big singles was more than enough for me, but I'm surprised at how good this is. There's no dud on this, I had underestimated it, I'm sorry boys.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Ms. Dynamite is a wet squib.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Too goofy for me
David Bowie
5/5
Don McLean
2/5
The Mars Volta
5/5
Christina Aguilera
1/5
Some beats are actually decent on the first disc, but they're sadly wasted by Christina's agonizing voice acrobatics. Second disc is useless.
Khaled
2/5
How nice of them to choose Algerian music that is so influenced by Western Pop that it mostly sounds faceless.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Doesn't get more old school than this. I love how it is equally dark and fun at the same time.
Bauhaus
3/5
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Good but nothing memorable
The Monks
4/5
Deliciously weird garage rock that hints at a lot of sounds that weren't even in place yet.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Echo and the Bunnymen had such an interesting trajectory on their first few albums. Always post-punk at heart but taken from different angles from album to album. This one's more experimental in a way, with arrangements that goes all over the place and with Ian's vocals that are kind of weird. I love it.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I'm Your Meh
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Much better than what I expected. Few bands/artists can pull off that kind of indie rock where all the songs feels more like vignettes that are all over the place, like Wowee Zowee for example. But this guy does it really well. Kind of makes me think of Grandaddy mixed with Beta Band or something like that.
Joanna Newsom
5/5
Gorgeous and unique, the kind of album that you just follow as it unfolds, without really knowing (or caring) where it's been or where it's going. You just go with the flow, and the flow is magical.
Gram Parsons
2/5
There are some decent moments here and there, mostly his duets with Emmylou Harris, but I fail to see what's so great about this one. Seems like a fairly standard country album filled with covers to me.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Awesome Dylan is awesome
Yes
4/5
A good album for prog newbies to grind their teeth to. Which is fine by me because I'm actually a newbie.
Gary Numan
4/5
So good. You can obviously hear Kraftwerk's cold approach to electronics, but mixed with some really nice atmospheres that reminds me of Brian Eno at times.
D'Angelo
3/5
Maybe I just don't know neo-soul enough to enjoy one of its most revered artists. It was pleasant enough but honestly I couldn't really find what was so special about it.
Elvis Costello
1/5
Having SIX Elvis Costello albums included in this book is embarrassing in itself, but having this one in particular is downright stupid. Come on, Weezer's Blue Album released the same year isn't even there but this boring ass album is? I hate this place.
Public Enemy
4/5
They sure began with a bang. This album is filled with revendicative rage and passion. Chuck D's lyrics are stealing the show for that reason because they are thoughtful, provocative and revolutionary. As with a lot of old school hip hop albums, I tend to find the music a bit samey in the long run, but those beats are great so who cares.
2Pac
4/5
Very good albeit repetitive in the end. I would also take a little bit less of these syrupy choruses but some of these tracks are so strong that its flaws are easily forgiven.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
The last third of the album is more suited for my taste. More mellow, even psychedelic on the last song. But the middle of the album is so boring and uneventful that I can't give it more than 2 stars.
The Fall
3/5
There are a few The Fall albums that I would consider an essentiel listen. This isn't one of them.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Sure Joni, now let's get you to bed
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
Way too syrupy for me
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
I've never been a huge fan of The and Mary Chain and Psycho Candy is probably their classic and only "must hear" album, but I've always preferred that one over it. Even if it's less daring and its predecessor, at least it's more consistent.
The Monkees
3/5
I should hire people to write that review for me.
XTC
2/5
I just don't get the appeal for this project. Some arrangements are nice enough, but I always fail to retain anything from their albums. Maybe some day it'll click with me.
Metallica
5/5
Not my favourite Metallica album but I think this is their most important, and probably the best of the big thrash albums that came out in 1986. The first side in particular has some of the best songs the genre has to offer.
Hookworms
2/5
Fairly average and dramatically unessential synthpop with some krautrock undertones. At least it's not another Morrissey album.
The Waterboys
3/5
Ahoy mates!
Eminem
4/5
Loses steam toward the end but there's no denying this is a big classic. Probably the biggest album of 2000, at least from a popular culture perspective. Some beats got a bit old but mostly in a charming way, like Old Snoop Dogg albums or something.
New Order
3/5
I'm mostly familiar with their Substance compilation which I think is brilliant, but much to my surprise this is a drastically inferior offering. I don't know if I missed something, but this wasn't really good.
Eminem
4/5
Loses steam toward the end but there's no denying this is a big classic. Probably the biggest album of 2000, at least from a popular culture perspective. Some beats got a bit old but mostly in a charming way, like Old Snoop Dogg albums or something.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
Shut up Elvis
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
This isn't the only good Dave Brubeck album (it's not even his only claasic), but this is his legacy. Blue Rondo is timeless.
Donovan
4/5
It took me a long time to enjoy Donovan but now I like him very much. It's playful psychedelic folk songs are often discreet to the point of passing for a filler or a dud. But repeated listens reveal its true charm. He's a bit underrated, I think.
The Cult
2/5
In some countries they'd hang you for making that cover of Born to Be Wild
1/5
Fred Durst has to be the biggest bonehead in the entire history of music. And that's saying something since Anthony Kiedis also exists.
Tom Waits
4/5
I'm here for Marc Ribot's playing
Grateful Dead
2/5
This album has som..zzZzzZzzzzZzz
Aerosmith
2/5
I know most of the big hits and I pretty much hate them all. Yet I thought this album was... ok. Not as offensively bad as I was expecting at least. There's nothing great either but there was one or two songs that weren't half bad.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
I wanted to like it and I liked that a lot of things were happening, but at the same time nothing really sticked.
Kid Rock
1/5
Truly embarrassing.
Patti Smith
4/5
I love Patti and I respect her art so much. I truly admire her, to the point that Just Kids is one of my very favourite books of all-time. But to be honest, I think I'm more drawn to what Patti represents as a cultural figure than what she has done musically. Sometimes it's great, other times not so much. All of her albums are worth it for a few good songs and Horses even has some iconic ones, but all in all I am more inclined to read her than to listen to her.
Sugar
3/5
Coming from an Husker Du guy, I wasn't expecting something so catchy, so power pop. There's a few standouts and the whole thing is fun to listen to, but I can't say that I was blown away either.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Let England Shake felt like a true renaissance for PJ. It had been since 2000's Stories From the CIty, Stories From the Sea that she gained so much attention for an album, and I think it also attracted a new generation of fans for her music. And rightfully so. With this album, she completed her shift towards a softer approach initiated with Uh Uh Her in a tasteful way. It feels like this album has a purpose, maybe because of the newly political themes that it touches on. This was a really great comeback that she hasn't surpassed yet.
Dr. John
4/5
Much better than what I remembered. Great atmosphere, sounds like a Tom Waits from the South at times, how love how weird and nocturnal this album is.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Two outstanding tracks, two pretty good ones and the rest felt like filler or at least really underwhelming to me. By this point Jackson was more of a cultural phenomenon than a musical one, maybe.
Nirvana
5/5
I was thirteen at the time In Utero got released, and this album truly was everything to me. It played such a huge part in my teenage years that I can't possibly be objective about it. As cliché as it is to say, it defined who I was at the time.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Title track + some other songs for some, but for me the whole thing is really enjoyable. I love how experimental and playful this album is
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
It was inevitable that Bruce would make an album about 9/11 right after the events and that's understandable that he would play it really safe. As a reaction and a call to unification after such a tragedy, I think he did pretty good even if I personally don't enjoy his music at all. But now that we're more than two decades apart from the events, its flaws are more prominent and it actually was a chore to get through it all.
The Undertones
3/5
At first I liked it, but got tired of it midway through. Still decent.
David Bowie
5/5
It took me more time to appreciate the first rock side than the second ambient one. Why? Because those songs kinda felt undercooked to me, almost like demos at times. Of course, I eventually loved them for that very reason and now it's my second favourite Bowie album.
Queen
3/5
I respect Queen for what they did and it was fun to hear something else than the same hit singles for once, but this band just fails to click with me.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Music to grow through puberty by
Goldfrapp
2/5
There's nothing really wrong with that album but there's nothing really distinctive to it either. This kinda sound like any other folk pop album out there.
Drive Like Jehu
5/5
Easily one of the best post-hardcore albums I've ever heard
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Yeah she sure screamed
Pulp
2/5
If this is hardcore, I'd rather go vanilla.
Röyksopp
2/5
I can't even remember if I actually listened to this
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
The ultimate greatest hits band. Like all of their other albums, there are some magical tracks here alongside good but not great ones.
Coldcut
2/5
Kinda fun at times, kinda annoying at other times
Elbow
2/5
An album I will seldom listen to
The Velvet Underground
5/5
I used to be on the fence with the Nico songs but they're among my favourites now. I love how it touches on every indie genres that would bloom decades later. This band was truly special.
The Clash
4/5
Somewhat better than what I remembered but I still struggle to understand why they're the so-called "only band that matters"
Sam Cooke
4/5
The best live albums makes you wish that you were there, that it was a unique, magical moment. This is on of those albums.
Oasis
3/5
I think Slide Away is an amazing song, but I'm afraid that I don't really care for the rest of the album.
Klaxons
2/5
Total Mercury Prize-core. I wish the guys behind this book didn't rely so much on those awards to choose their entries.
Anthrax
3/5
Talk about not being able to choose a good singer for your band
Roni Size
2/5
New Painfully Linear Forms
Travis
3/5
Writing to Reach You is really good and I liked some other songs as well, but there's also a lot of corny moments (that song with the chorus sung in french genuinely made me laugh in the worst possible way. I guess I just don't get British humour.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I keep forgetting most of this album. It's not bad but I much prefer their followup, Bridge Over Troubled Water. Like all of their albums though, there are some amazing songs to be found here.
Burning Spear
3/5
Blame it on my ignorance, but I'm having a hard time to differentiate good reggae from bad reggae. I think it was good, probably a classic because it's so politically charged.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This sounds like an 8 year old on acid with a recorder. Masterpiece.
The Damned
3/5
I'm still not sure I like that this albums is all over the place or if it just annoys me.
Big Black
4/5
This album makes me want to fight someone
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
Not amazing but it does have some really original ideas. All in all this is a decent psychedelic folk album.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Sounds like The Rolling Stones but a little bit harder.
T. Rex
4/5
Not quite as good as The Slider in my opinion, but the first three songs and of course Bang a Gong makes Electric Warrior its timeless classic.
Orbital
2/5
How many UK techno albums will you guys force me to listen to?
Boards of Canada
4/5
Apocalyptic yet luminous. I don't see it as a collection of songs, but rather some themes worked around a specific atmosphere. Definitely a headphones album.
Bad Brains
2/5
Some of these songs are downright laughable
The National
4/5
For best results please listen drunk on red wine and sad about entering your 40's
Alanis Morissette
3/5
You just couldn't escape the singles from the album when this got released. I still think they're good, but I have to take my Alanis in small doses because her delivery is tiring after a while.
The Residents
4/5
Weird, funny, somewhat scary
Van Morrison
1/5
Yes, it's unfortunately too late to stop this damn challenge.
M.I.A.
2/5
Imagine making a book about the 1001 most essential albums of all-time and you end up putting two M.I.A. albums in it. Not bad, but come on, this is so lazy
Tom Waits
3/5
Not bad but far from being one of his best, not even one of his best from his beatnick era. So why this one in particular is included here is baffling.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Never understood the love for this band, as opposed to other guys like Nickelback for example. Sounds like the most generic "grunge" music you could come up with.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Well that one just flew right by me. Not bad but so inoffensive it's barely there
Tangerine Dream
4/5
It's like krautrock but solely played by synths. This could be boring but the songwriting is excellent and it's quite the trip
Joe Ely
2/5
Sounds corny most of the time, but there are a few instrumental moments that gets interesting here and there, mainly the use of a moog, which I don't really remember hearing on a country album
Spiritualized
2/5
Big sound, no songs
Arrested Development
2/5
Crazy to think this sold millions of copies and now it's almost nearly forgotten by all. I'll give them that there are some original ideas in there, mostly how they approach beats with different instruments. But most of it just sounds goofy now, this has aged terribly.
The Who
3/5
Good album by The Who, but I'm not sure I would consider it essential
Mudhoney
4/5
Great pre-Nirvana grunge, full of energy and without the blues/hard rock elements that would characterize the genre a few years later
The Prodigy
3/5
I'm incredibly far from being a big beat fan but I gotta say that this album is an exception. It still gets tiring for my old ears after a while but I love the industrial vibe that comes with the crazy bass beats.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
Nice voice, cheesy music
Queen Latifah
3/5
She sure likes to remind that we're listening to a Queen Latifah album. Not bad old school hip hop but like a lot of its contemporaries it gets redundant pretty quickly
The Rolling Stones
2/5
By that time, The Beatles had already released Rubber Soul and Revolver was on the way. Meanwhile the Stones were writing songs like Doncha Bother Me and High and Dry.
Bonnie Raitt
1/5
Maybe I don't like music after all
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Two big songs with a whole lot of generic blues rock sandwiched in between. That's the Stones' way.
The Bees
2/5
Hey buddy, you could have just releases "200 albums you must hear before you die" if you knew you were incapable of finding more essential albums than that.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
Ah yes, the big years of the chillout/lounge craze. A moment in time that we didn't need to remember, let alone to go back to in a book supposed to be about the most essential albums of all time. This isn't essential, this is a gimmicky downtempo album that uses hindustani music to try to mask its blandness.
Beatles
5/5
People tend to underlook The Beatles' early albums, but it's crazy to hear how far ahead they were from their contemporaries. I mean, let's be real, albums like The Kinks' debut or the Stones' 12x5 might be good, but they're clearly not in the same league. It's also a big leap forward from the rather disappointing With The Beatles. Really fun album, this and Help! are among my favorites.
Guided By Voices
4/5
I love this kind of fragmented album where almost every song could have been a classic if the band didn't rush nervously through it. There's still some classics in there, but pay attention because they're going fast. Really fun and exciting to listen to.
Skepta
3/5
Kinda sounds like a UK version of Run the Jewels. Or at least the best moment of the album are like that. But that's like 1/3 of the album, the rest is rather boring, sadly
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Much more serious and badass that I remembered. These guys helped to elevate the genre into a legitimate art form.
Ray Charles
2/5
Not terrible but way too smooth for me
Robbie Williams
2/5
Bubblegum pop artist goes solo and tries to hop on the Oasis/britpop bandwagon. How was this supposed to be good?
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
I love the laidback vibe of the album, "Kick, Push" is paticularly satisfying. It was way too long for what it has to offer, though.
The Undertones
3/5
The cover is the best part of that album. Honestly this wasn't bad but it's certainly not as good as their first, so having this one here is astoundingly useless.
Tito Puente
3/5
And here I was thinking that Lou Bega invented mambo
Pink Floyd
5/5
This album is so linked to my childhood that it's impossible to judge it without all the nostalgia that comes with it. The movie, the posters on my bedroom wall, the drawings that I made in class. I liked Pink Floyd as a whole but this album was more than music to me. The whole imagery around it, but of course the songs themselves, were constantly occupying my brain. It had been so long since my last spin that I actually forgot how much I loved it.
Sade
3/5
She has a nice voice and everything is nicely done here but this is just way too soft for me
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
Excuse me sir, but I think I'm in the wrong challenge? I was supposed to do that 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die experience but I think I'm doing the 1001 Albums That Are a Chore to Go Through instead.
Sebadoh
3/5
I prefer my Sebadoh when they show a little vulnerability and they don't act like it's all just a joke, like on the first and best track of the album, Soul and Fire. Unfortunately, they don't make a lot of these on that album, but I guess that's what Bakesale is for. I mean, I love slacker rock but you don't have to act like you're not trying at all.
Duke Ellington
4/5
Some of these songs are going incredibly hard and that proto-double bassdrum solo is insane.
Brian Eno
4/5
The extravagant funkiness of The Talking Heads through religious chants made by robots.
Roxy Music
4/5
It has moments of absolute brillance but the album as a whole sounded inconsistent to me. It's like they gave it their all right from the start but they've gradually lost their energy song after song. Still a really nice listen but I don't know if I would have picked this one as their essential release.
The Temptations
2/5
Not bad, first song was cool but I gotta say the rest of the album just went one ear and out the other. Well except for that Gravepine cover which was really lame.
LTJ Bukem
1/5
A 2 hours and 19 minutes drum and bass album.
Stereo MC's
2/5
Fairly decent beats, they're a one-hit wonder band but pretty much all the songs are on the level of Connected, I think. Totally unessential listening.
Mercury Rev
3/5
Some really nice orchestral indie rock with a few sublime songs, like Holes (one of my favourite songs of all-time), Goddess on a Hiway and Opus 40. There are other good moments here but unfortunately some others are either lacking or a bit too cheesy in a bad way. I wish it was better because I really like the vibe of this album.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
Not bad but painfully inoffensive. Sometimes it seems that the singer is trying to channel James Brown and CCR at the same time but while singing melodies that could pass for children music.
Mariah Carey
1/5
I tried to approach it objectively, fully knowing that this isn't the kind of music that I enjoy. But I just can't. Her vocal acrobatics got on my nerves after 1 minute, and it all sounds so samey. The ballads were especially excruciating. I don't want to hear another Mariah Carey album ever again.
The Verve
3/5
Surprisingly decent and adventurous UK psych/space rock, if not a little repetitive towards the end.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Nothing can touch The Killing Moon, but it's far from being the other great track here, especially Nocturnal Me and the title track. In other words, I prefer when they go all with their majestic songwriting. Some of the more straightforward songs may be a bit weaker, but this is a really great album nonetheless.
New York Dolls
3/5
I've been fascinated by the Dolls' story as well as the whole proto-punk scene of the New York underground in the 70's, but musically speaking they never were one of my favorites. They're glam in style but for the most part this is pure rock n'roll played so hard this passed for punk.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
This has a nice vibe and it's way more musical than what I had heard from Gil prior to that, but I can't say that it's something that really interest me.
Soul II Soul
1/5
This Shouldn't Be in the Book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Vol. 739
Common
4/5
A really bright and fun album from Common, thanks in part to Kanye's lively production and Common's hooks. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
This is how it feels to chase a wild turkey for two hours
Frank Zappa
5/5
I love Zappa here will always be a moment or two that will put me off a little on most of his albums, but not this one. Everything just feels right on Hot Rats.
Sparks
4/5
Back when men dressed like real men
Gotan Project
3/5
I was expecting some Buddha-Bar level inoffensive lounge music but this is slightly more interesting than that. Not by much, but sometimes the tango elements blend well with the electronic music background.
John Cale
3/5
This is interesting for the most part, some art rock with classical influences. But I can't say that it especially hooked me in any way.
The Verve
2/5
There are still their spacey, psychedelic jams of past albums, but this time it's coated with britpop slickness, surely to get their share of the craze that was going on at the time. There's nothing inherently bad here, but it's way too long for its own good and a lot of songs just aren't that interesting.
Kraftwerk
5/5
Bleep Bloop
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Kind of a peak Cave record for me. The perfect balance between his post-punk days, his more atmospheric side that was about to bloom on his later records, and it also has hints of the experimentation that would take place in his music has his relationship with Warren Ellis would grow stronger. And most importantly, Cave's songwriting is in top form here. It truly has it all.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
The Decent, The Mediocre and The Boring
Kings of Leon
2/5
How can anyone think this album is a crucial listening in any way? Stupid album, stupid band, stupid book.
Rod Stewart
2/5
This just shows that you may have as many talented songwriters on your album, that doesn't mean you'll be able to do these songs any good.
Jungle Brothers
2/5
Some of these beats are really nice but the delivery is so limp it gets boring really quick
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
Who could possibly want a 25-minute jam cover of Who Do You Love?
Sepultura
2/5
Some interesting ideas with the mixing of metal and tribal music, but it would have been much better if they had done this while maintaining the Chaos AD sound. Their turn towards nu metal doesn't work so well and there are way too many filler.
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
There are some decent jams on the last two tracks, but the generic blues melodies kills it for me.
Death In Vegas
2/5
Uneventful
Nirvana
5/5
The soundtrack to my early teenagehood. It still holds up spectacularly well! I used to spend more time thinking about how angry and loud was this album, but now I like to discover how actually melodic it is. You can hear the Pixies influence, but mixed with dirtier, lo-fi elements and this album sits right in the middle of that. Iconic.
Doves
5/5
Elegant, evocative atmospheric rock (or post-britpop, as some may want to call it) that would have been a classic if there was any justice in this world.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I love the bittersweet feeling of this album. You can feel that the duo's relationship was really falling apart but for all the melancholic vibe this album has, there's still enough of their trademark folk/pop gems to make it seem like everything's gonna be alright. The Only Boy Living in New York is an absolute masterpiece in my book, one of the best song of all-time. Just for that one alone I think it deserves its 5 stars but the whole album is great in a slightly chaotic way.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Decent funj but nothign mindblowing
Richard Hawley
2/5
So is this a Christmas album?
Shivkumar Sharma
4/5
Really good, relaxing but there's enough stuff going on that it can also be an engaging listen if you pay attention.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
I guess you had to be there. Wait, I WAS there! But I guess you had to be there and care about the Fugees and Lauryn Hill, which I didn't at all. This is isn't bad, in fact she has a nice voice and she does that neo-soul thing pretty well. But musically it starts to blend together preally fast, and the album is REALLY long so I lost interest after a few songs.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Probably my third best E&TB, after Heaven Up Here and Ocean Rain. It has no business being included here but I won't complain since it's really good and at least it's not some UK third rate downtempo as usual.
Otis Redding
4/5
Most of the covers here are better than the originals. And the originals are better than the covers that people made of them.
Aphex Twin
4/5
At first I was thinking it was some old techno for background music, but a closer listen revealed some intricate atmospheres behind those beats. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Nice voice, ok songs
Deep Purple
3/5
Highway Star is great, Smoke on the Water, I can't listen to it anymore but it's legitimately a good song. Space Truckin' is nice too, but I can't say that I was really blown away by any of the other tracks. Also, is it me or Ian Paice is incredibly basic as a drummer?
Dolly Parton
3/5
Fun album
The KLF
1/5
So cheesy it made me lactose intolerant
Pretenders
3/5
Some fun, energetic rockin' songs with a lot of charisma
The Triffids
2/5
This is what I imagine people who hate The Go-Betweens are hearing
Def Leppard
2/5
I listened to this album and now I can only make jokes about how I hate my wife.
The xx
3/5
Better than I thought it would be, given the low ratings I've seen everywhere. It certainly has no place in the 1001 albums you must hear before you die, but it wasn't too bad.
Brian Eno
5/5
This is so so good, this guy just invented art glam or something like that and I'm thankful for it. Thank you Brian. Maybe my favourite of his "rock" albums.
Ride
4/5
Great, muscular shoegaze with some of the best gems the genre has to offer, like Vapour Trail, Dreams Burn Down and Kaleidoscope.
Method Man
4/5
Pretty good, gets a little bit more experimental in the second half. There aren't a lot of moments that I would deem a classic but it's mostly great thorough.
Incubus
1/5
A mix of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More and Limp Bizkit in the worst possible way.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
Probably the best thing Clapton ever did, and I'm saying this in a derogatory manner.
Hüsker Dü
3/5
No real standout tracks, no real duds either. Kinda like a punkier version of REM, ok but too long
Calexico
3/5
Interesting mix of the styles, but it's not something that I can really connect with. The kind of album I'd put for background music while drinking whiskey and smoking cigars.
Carpenters
3/5
Really smooth pop that has its charm but not all the songs are interesting
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Sometimes they will start a good riff and you'll think this will actually be fun, but then they'll do the corniest chorus you'll ever hear in your life and you will count the minutes until the album ends.
The Adverts
3/5
Fairly fun UK punk rock from the 70's, but there were a lot of better bands around at that time.
David Bowie
4/5
Side A is sublime, side B is so disappointing, especially with that horrendous cover of Across the Universe. Still giving it a 4 because the first side has some of Bowie's best work on it.
The Youngbloods
3/5
That wasn't bad, some kind of mix between jazz rock and folk with some interesting interplay. But at the same time most of it sounds rather generic and this is way too soft for my taste.
The Icarus Line
2/5
Hard to believe this made a buzz when it got released. I guess labels were pushing for anything "pure" rock after the Strokes' craze. This one sounds like a tame version of The Stooges. Pass.
Devendra Banhart
4/5
Much better than what I remembered. This isn't quite freak folk but it's kinda close. Let's say it's weird folk for hippies that spend a lot of money on their clothes.
Supergrass
4/5
I think Supergrass is one of the best britpop bands out there. THeir first two albums are great and this one is especially exciting, with unrelenting rhythms and such an energic delivery. Awesome stuff.
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
I got a dick for a brain
Christine and the Queens
2/5
I suppose they could have been a very welcomed figure in the pop world for marginalized people, but musically speaking this just doesn't do anything for me.
Deep Purple
3/5
Deep Purple jamming
Lucinda Williams
3/5
Not bad but honestly all the songs just blended together to a point where it ended up being background music. I don't know much about americana/country but I know that this is way too slick for my taste. I had the feeling of being in a Parasuco tv ad.
Culture Club
2/5
Making us listen to the whole album just for that one hit is just cruel.
Dion
2/5
I get it, they included this album because this was supposed to be is big comeback and they even had Phil Spector for the occasion. But nobody cared about this album, it wasn't good and Dion failed his comeback. So why should this album be here? Because the intentions behind it are more important than its actual content? Album sucks.
Christina Aguilera
2/5
I don't even hate her but having two of her albums in this challenge is just ridiculous. At least this one is a bit more justified since it was at her peak of popularity.
Elliott Smith
5/5
In which Smith expands his instrumentation to new heights and goes all in with his Beatle-esque melodies. This is a triumph and it's just too bad that we'll never get to hear where this could have gone from here.
Weather Report
2/5
If someone told me he hated jazz and this was his only reference, I would understand. To me this is jazz fusion of the worst kind. Still some decent chord progressions saves it from a 1
KISS
2/5
I honestly don't understand the appeal of this band. Some riffs are decent but the rhythmic section is so hollow it's distracting. There's almost nothing to save here.
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
That Trans Europe Express sample onthe first track was fun, but it gets tiring right after that. I honetsly don't know why this is supposed to be noteworthy
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Poor man's Beck
Portishead
5/5
Not only the best trip hop album of all time, but one of the best albums, period.
American Music Club
2/5
Gets a little bit better as it goes, but that was too little, too late for me.
Duran Duran
3/5
I wasn't really familiar with Duran Duran outside their overplayed hit Hungry Like the Wolf. Title track and Save a Prayer are fantastic pieces of synthpop, the rest of the albums ranges from good to okay. I wouldn't listen to the album again, but I'll keep those two songs for my playlists.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
Some kinf of mixmash with shoegaze, power pop, neo-psychedelia and britpop spread across one+ hour. The ingredients are there, but the recipe just doesn't work most of the time. You'll get some good songs or at least some good moments here and there, but it's all lost in the flood of all the other uneventful songs that clogs the album.
Finley Quaye
2/5
Insanely bland pop reggae that has no hooks whatsoever.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
1/5
That guy may come from PIL, but what he did on his own is terrible. I'm baffled that this album made the cut to this book.
Adele
3/5
Incradible voice, incredible production, but there's just too much ballads and they don't always have a lot to offer. At least for me.
Orbital
1/5
Techno I know I can't stand
R.E.M.
3/5
I have a lot of respect for R.E.M. but unfortunately their music has never really connected with me, save for a few songs on each albums. On this one it's Nightswimming and Find the River, which are both beautiful and evocative.
Q-Tip
3/5
No real standouts but pretty fun thorough.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Blues music on acid
Richard Thompson
3/5
Not a favorite of mine but it has its moments. I particularly enjoyed The Cavalry Cross and The End of the Rainbow
Pavement
5/5
Great debut for this band that defined the 90's for me. Just a little bit sloppy but still hard-hitting. These guys tried to make us believe that they didn't care, but nobody this disinterested would be able to write such awesome songs.
Muddy Waters
3/5
The fact that it's recorded at Newport gives it some kind of magnitude, but it's in fact another set of good ol' Chicago Blues that doesn't really set itself apart from his other sets.
Slayer
4/5
Angel of Death and Raining Blood are obviously some of the best thrash songs of all-time, but what's sandwiched between them never really did anything for me. Some songs are better than others, but in general I'm not a big fan of King's chest-pouding approach. Still a classic.
The Hives
2/5
AFter the first song you've heard them all. There's almost nothing to keep from that garage rock revival of the early 00's.
Goldie
1/5
Stop giving me your toughest battles
Turbonegro
4/5
Big dumb fun
David Holmes
1/5
Insanely boring, overly repetitive beats. I can'T believe this album made it here.
Animal Collective
2/5
I just can'T understand the hype around this band. Repetitive synth sounds filled witrh echo but not much substance. I just think it's boring.
Caetano Veloso
4/5
Extravagant tropicália with a warm, catchy feel to it. Great stuff.
The United States Of America
5/5
The fact that there are no guitars could be seen as a gimmick, but you just forget about it after like 10 seconds. It's a really fun and inventive psychedelic rock album.
The Zutons
2/5
Killed but not dead enough
The Cars
3/5
Best Weezer album
Stephen Stills
3/5
Even Stephen would probably agree that this album has ni business being here
Eels
2/5
I’ve tried numerous times to get into Eels’ music but it all sounds so forced to me. Like his voice sounds false, I don’t know how to explain this. I just think he tries to be smart and deep but it all ends being lukewarm
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Great bop album by Monk. Like all of his records this has this slightly weird, hard-hitting piano playing. Good stuff!
Metallica
4/5
The start of Metallica making overlong songs, but contrary to what would follow the songwriting is strong enough to justify their length. Never understood why everybody's freaking out about the lack of bass. It's thrash metal, do people complain about that for Slayer?
Suede
3/5
I wish I liked Suede more. They have all it takes to be a favorite of mine, but the magic only happens on certain tracks. ANd I keep trying to get into this particular album but about half of it just flies over my head. Still good, one day it will finally click with me.
Stereolab
5/5
Perfect combination of krautrock and french chanson. This band is one of the greatest gifts to humanity.
N.E.R.D
2/5
Wow, I knew modern funk rock was generally boring but this is a new low
Waylon Jennings
4/5
I didn't know any of his albums prior to this and I gotta say that this outlaw country I can enjoy. Will definitely check out some of his other releases.
Bee Gees
2/5
One or two songs stood out a bit, but for the most part this is soft rock that doesn't have much to offer other than a whole lot of cheese.
Django Django
2/5
Once again, the dude from the 1001 book just looked at whatever got nomitated for a Mercury Prize and took some album that everyone forgot about 20 minutes after it got released. Making this challenge juste made me realize how little consideration - and knowledge - went into the entries of this book.
Santana
4/5
Santana at its peak. Latin rock doesn't get more exciting than this
Funkadelic
4/5
Title track has one of the best guitar solos of all-time on it. The rest is cool too.
Nirvana
5/5
I can’t possibly have a subjective take on that album since it’s one of the first albums that made me love music the way I love it today. Outside the fact that it’s a beautiful and touching album that showed everybody that Kurt’s songs remained strong without the distortion covering them, it also introduced me to bands like The Vaselines and The Meat Puppets. Kurt was really passionate about music and this live album is the best testament he could leave us with
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
Criminally underrated album - and band. Maybe it's the lat-country tag that probably wasn't a big selling point in 1993, but it's more alternative rock than anything else, really. Like a countryfied version of the Pixies or something. Great compositions, it rocks just as much as it's touching. I won't sleep until this one gets all the praise it deserves.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Forget about The Clash, THIS is the only band that matters
Scissor Sisters
2/5
Yeah, it's energic and danceable but I didn't feel that there was much more to it. Sometimes it sounded like an updated, more disco, version of Elton John.
Koffi Olomide
2/5
I know congolese music is supposed to be pepetitive and all, but it's just not fun enough to warrant it's lenght
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
It’s okay
Fleet Foxes
4/5
You can't resist those melodies.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
So apparently this is their album where they went wild by locking themselves in a mansion doing drugs or something. Well, Sabbath did the same with much better results.
Pere Ubu
2/5
I’m a sucker for experimental post-punk/art punk, but I’ve never been able to get into these guys. None of those songs sounded interesting to me
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Yeah, that song is on it.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
There are much better Shankar albums out there, but I guess this one’s important because it illustrates the interest of the West to the music of the East. The tutorials makes it feel like we’re listening to something basic
The Avalanches
3/5
There is a lot to digest here so I would need to spend more time with it to really get an idea of my appreciation, but I like plunderphonics in general and there were some nice moments that grabbed me right away
Robert Wyatt
5/5
This album has the whole emotional palette of what a human can possibly get
David Bowie
3/5
Kind of a comeback for Bowie, but it’s not good enough to be considered a classic. Especially in light of the album that would follow.
Black Flag
3/5
Music for angry young white males. Too bad I' just old and cynic now.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Fun for the first few songs, gets a bit tiring after that
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
Great
Eagles
1/5
It’s a cliché to say you hate the Eagles, but I hate the Eagles
R.E.M.
3/5
One step further into pop territory, but there’s still enough of those buzzing, shadowy guitars
5/5
Maybe not the best live Dylan album, but certainly its most iconic. The « rock » side goes particularly hard. Too bad the streaming version doesn’t have any of the heckling and stange banters, since it’s one of the most crucial aspects of that album
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Very fun album with great melodies and intricate instrumentation. A little bit too long though.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Great voice, ok songs, painful production
David Bowie
5/5
I do prefer Low by a fair margin, but this is still a major achievement
Iron Butterfly
3/5
It’s all about getting to that last track. More important for its reputation than their actual music.
Japan
3/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Ot reminded me a bit of Roxy Music but with a darker vibe. It loses steam on the last 3 tracks but overall this was a good album
3/5
Not bas but I found it much more less exciting than Los Angeles. Where’s the punk?
The Cure
5/5
SUch a coherent, beautifully sad album. This isn't my favorite The Cure album but there's no denying this is their masterpiece
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
I know this is a classic and all but it's just too repetitive and laid back for me. Sometimes a good sample will wake me up, but that'a about it. Out of the first three albums this is the one I like the least.
Roxy Music
3/5
The Thrill of It All and Out of the Blue are amazing, but overall Roxy Music aren't really impressing me. Good but not great
Minor Threat
4/5
Like most people, I had only listened to the compilation combining their EPs, but I really liked listening to it in its original form. There's no time wasted, just pure hardcore fun for 20 minutes. Great stuff
50 Cent
1/5
I wish Dre had spent his time and energy on a more worthy rapper than 50 Cent. What a waste.
Genesis
3/5
Honey, what did you put in my tea?
Wilco
3/5
I don’t see a good reason for this being a double album, but there are some good moments scattered thorough
5/5
Only an alien could have made glam rock this good
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Incredible pianist with an incredible flow. One hour felt like 5 minutes on this journey.
Kings of Leon
1/5
Imagine putting two Kings of Leon albums in your book about the 1001 most crucial albums of all time
The Vines
2/5
Just because you love Nirvana doesn't mean that you should start a band.
White Denim
3/5
Yeah… imagine how embarrassing it would have been to die before hearing this album that no one has ever heard of
Deep Purple
4/5
Big balls of rock
The Gun Club
4/5
Great punk blues album, I bet The Pixies were fans because I can hear them in some of those songs
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Great progressive electronic with a Berlin School touch, but made by a French dude so it has its own unique vibe that differs from what was being made in Germany at that time. Great stuff
Talk Talk
3/5
Quite inventive/dark new romantic. Not my favourite but it's nice enough
Elton John
4/5
Like most double albums it has its flaws but there are so many legendary tracks on this and even the fillers are kind of fun
N.W.A.
5/5
You know when people brag about the lineup of some classic jazz album because it’s filled with incredible musicians that later defined the genre in various projects. This is the hip hop equivalent of that
TV On The Radio
2/5
Not bad, not great. Has some hints of Falming Lips and David Bowie, but not in an exciting way
Merle Haggard
2/5
Grandma’s favorite country singer
Wilco
3/5
Huge indie classic that I can'T really get into for some reason. Fantastic production job from Jimbo though.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
The album that got Nick Cave a Grammy and a wider audience. This is a good album to step in Cave's world. It's so over the top, full of humor and gruesome storytelling. Easily one of its most intense and funny albums, quite unique in his catalogue.
Fred Neil
3/5
Not so bad, last track was a nice surprise. But I can’t say it really with me
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Mostly fine but sometimes it sounds like they don’t really know what they want to do. There’s the repetitive, psychedelic songs, the britpop-ish songs, the indie slacker songs and then there’s the more ‘’experimental’’ stuff and they doesn’t always work really well together
The Young Gods
2/5
It's like Renaud and Tom Waits started an industrial band. I'm not saying this in a good way
Peter Gabriel
5/5
A true work of art that will be remembered as one of the greatest achievement of humanity
Bill Callahan
3/5
Not bad for what it is, but I thought it was a bit too lightweight to be great slowcore and a bit too linear to be great americana.
Eagles
3/5
Not as bad as I thought it would be. There are some nice melodies here, but maybe a little too soft all the way through
Sigur Rós
5/5
An album so beautiful they had to create a new language for it
The Darkness
1/5
God I despise this kind of modern ironic glam bands. Painful.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Not bad but could have been trimmed down to 40-45 minutes
Wire
4/5
Ramones for readers
Depeche Mode
4/5
To be honest I wasn'T that familiar with DM outside of their hits so I was pleasantly surprised to see how dark and atmospheric this was. Not all the songs are great but the mood is (mostly) constant. Oh and there's that curveball in the end that I enjoyed a lot.
Brian Wilson
3/5
It's good, it's beautiful, but outside of the big hits I must say that very little of Smile ends up being memorable. Big respect for finally putting this out, but I didn't hear the masterpiece some claim it is.
The Doors
5/5
What an iconic debut. Even the lesser tracks are a lot of fun. I must have heard The End more often than any other songs in my life and I’m still blown away each time I listen to it
Happy Mondays
2/5
I wasn'y happy about the Happy Mondays
Dennis Wilson
4/5
Great album, I especially liked the mellower, melancholic songs on this one
Dinosaur Jr.
5/5
Nobody was doing what Dino did in the 80's and nobody's been able to do what Dino did in the 90's. They were really unique and even if they were influencial in the grunge scene, they never really fitted with the gang because J's such a shredder.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Good but nothing too memorable
Beth Orton
2/5
This is not my type of music but there’s a variation between folk pop and downtempo that is kinda nice, I guess. This is way too long though abd ultimately way too nice for me
Serge Gainsbourg
4/5
Really interesting production-wise. Serge’s character can annoy me in the long run, but since there’s so many instrumental parts it gives me the space I need to enjoy this.
The Kinks
4/5
Maybe not their best but probably the one I return to the most. Even the fillers are fun. Ray really stepped up his songwriting game on this one.
Soundgarden
4/5
Surely one of the beat grunge albums out there. A bit too long, like a lot of albums at that time, but almost every songs are good, Chris has a great voice and it’s packed with cool riffs. I hear some Sabbath influence on some of these songs
George Michael
2/5
I guess the singles can be fun in a nostalgic way if you were around when it got released, but the other songs are a drag.
Suicide
5/5
Two guys and one synth that are more punk than most of your safety pins nose wearing bands
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Not my cup of tea but I can see why it has such a good reputation. The 80’s production make it sound dated but the songs beneath it, especially the first half, are nice enough
Pixies
4/5
Not my favorite by them but I’ll agree that it’s the one that has pretty much everything the Pixies has to offer. Some real classics on this one
Baaba Maal
2/5
Repetitive in a way that I could only handle as background music
Big Star
4/5
Not all the songs are classics, but I just really like the vibe on this one. Feel, El Goodo, India Song and Thirtheen (one of my favorite songs of all time) are all incredible and a power pop staple
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
This one had a great reputation and I often heard about it so Inwas looking forward listening to it, but I can’t say that I understand the hype surrounding it. This alt country that borderlines on slowcore without being moving or even engaging. The best song is a VU cover, so that says a lot.
Pere Ubu
4/5
Loved this one more than their classic Modern Dance. It’s more experimental and more weird than their debut, which makes it more enjoyable for me.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Better than what I expected, if not a little too gentle at times. Bands like Lush and Belly clearly drawn from this
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Not a fan of the big sound on this one but it’s a good album overall
Pentangle
4/5
Cool british folk/baroque pop with a really good vibe
Korn
3/5
Can’t deny its influence, but for me this is the least good of their first four albums
The B-52's
4/5
Not all the sonts are great but it doesn’t matter because this album is a lot of weird fun
Nick Drake
5/5
How can an album so warm be so dark at the same time? This doesn't make me sad, but it does numb me in a way that no other album can. Pure magic
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
The cliché with Bob Marley is that it's perfect music for hot lazy summer days, but it's true. I can enjoy it from time to time, but it's really just about the vibe and I don't really engage with any particular songs on it
Beatles
5/5
My favorite Beatles album, I just think this one has the strongest set of songs. A true classic
Beatles
3/5
Easily the Beatles album I like the least, but there's still a few great tracks on it. I really don't know why anyone would pick this one for an essential listening though.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This is the Springsteen album I enjoy the most, but even at its darkest there's still something "off" with his music that I can't quite put my finger on. It's like it works so hard to put me in a reflective mood but in the end I just find it well done, it doesn't really move me in any way.
Black Sabbath
5/5
OZZY FOREVER
Billy Bragg
2/5
I should have gone on strike instead of listening to this album
The Police
3/5
A side is kinda patchy after the title track, but the album picks up just in time on the second side
Johnny Cash
3/5
I know many people consider this album as a testament of some sort and it's true that it's touching to hear him sing some of those songs, but honestly I can't get behind some of the covers here. Even the ones I was most excited to hear (In My Life, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Personal Jesus) didn't do much for me. Still, there are some really beautiful moments here and his cover of Hurt has become legendary for good reason. But this is not a Cash album I'd want to go back really often.
Ministry
2/5
I'm not a fan of industrial music in general and this is no exception
The Cure
5/5
One of the bleakest album I know.
Kanye West
3/5
I don't know if it's because it didn't age well or that it's just my disgust for the guy that is having an impact on my appreciation of this album, but this is way more boring than what I remembered. There are some inventive beats and all, but for the most part it failed to impress me and it takes a lot of time for the album to pick up steam.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
The quintessential cuban album
The Offspring
3/5
The best selling independent album of all time turns out to be… ok. It came at the right place and right time, the singles were HUGE when they got released and they are also very good. Unfortunately, most of the rest of the album isn’t up to par with the hits, especially the second side that gets quite run-of-the-mill. Still brings back good memories though
SZA
3/5
Honestly, this kind of music is just so out of my loop that I can't really judge if it's that good or not.
Lightning Bolt
3/5
Must be insane live
Fairport Convention
3/5
The perfect album to drink earl grey in the countryside
UB40
2/5
Decent modern dub nothing stood out for me
Lou Reed
3/5
I feel that Lou really wanted this to be some kind of dark masterpiece about human tragedies but it kind of fall short in the songwriting. Songs like The Bed, Sad Song and Caroline Says II are really powerful and I would spend my life praising this album if all the songs were as great as these ones
Van Halen
4/5
I was shocked to like this album as much as I did. There's not that much guitar wankery as I first thought and there are even some solid tracks here.
Ice Cream Man is the only real misstep and it's not even that bad.
Genesis
4/5
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one, since I'm not that big on Genesis and even less on rock operas in general. But all the songs are great and Gabriel delivers some of his best melodies here.
Morrissey
3/5
Somehow this one didn’t bother me as much as the others
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Ali us great of course but it’s not the kind of album I’ll want to listen actively.
Works really well as background music though
Ryan Adams
3/5
This wasn’t so bas for what it is. Dude can obviously write good songs, but this is a bit too gentle for me. Sometimes it sounded like a cross between Rufus Wainwright, Wilco and Elliott Smith
Nothing amazing but pretty fun to listen to.
Alice Cooper
4/5
Not his best but the one with the biggest hit on it. All early 70’s Alice is good Alice anyway
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
I like how haunted this albums feels
Goldfrapp
3/5
Has some really nice songs and atmosphere but it also lacks consistency in their songwriting. Nice but not great
The Stooges
4/5
Not as powerful as Fun House (even with Iggy's mix, I still prefer Bowie's mix) but it's still hard rocking, noisy and messy as hell. This band knew how to make a dangerous band sound dangerous.
5/5
Certainly one of the most important albums in the history of rock, but still not the best Beatles album
The La's
4/5
So apparently Lee Mavers was such a perfectionist that he worked on this tirelessly until the label got fed up and decided to release the version they deemed to be definitive. Dude just went mad and (almost) never made music again. So there's some kind of a myth surrounding this album and I don't know what Mavers had in mind for the final product but to me this sounds like a solid proto-britpop album, with a jangly vibe taken from the early REM records and a nonchalent approach that can remind us of Liam from Oasis. Good stuff
Fiona Apple
3/5
I don'T know what to make of this album. I know this has a lot of artistic merits and I usually like disjointed art rock albums, but nothign really sticks with this one for me. Not bad, but not something I feel the need to "get"
Nina Simone
5/5
My favorite from Nina with some of her most touching songs
Adele
1/5
Nobody cares about that album. Even Adele fans.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Not the most dynamic album out there but the mood is so great I'll go back to it really soon
Tortoise
4/5
Really great post-rock album with post-minimalism influences. You can hear NEU! and Steve Reich in there, which is a combination made in heaven
Al Green
4/5
Let’s Stay Together for the Kids
Kelela
3/5
Not bad at all but I can't really judge how good it is because it's out of my musical jurisdiction
Neu!
5/5
Neu! Kids on the Block
The White Stripes
3/5
Nothing against The white Stripes, I think they were a good band and they certainly helped putting garage rock at the highest levels of mainstream culture, buy boy do I get bored fast when I'm listening to them.
David Bowie
4/5
Berri-UQAM to Place-des-Arts
Bob Dylan
4/5
Dylan fans were desperate for another classic in his repertoire and this is it for the most part. With Lanois back behind the board, Dylan delivers his most meaningful set of tunes in years, thanks to an incident that made him think about his mortal condition
Holger Czukay
3/5
Fun album but nothing outstanding
ZZ Top
3/5
Kinda fun at the beginning but it gets tiresome quickly
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Everything But This Album
Fishbone
2/5
Ska
4/5
A good recommendation? In this challenge? That’s crazy
Grateful Dead
2/5
Ok I hate hippies now
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Gentle americana with interesting modern ideas (for 2000) production wise to mix things up. But it's kind of a drag in the long run.
Scott Walker
3/5
Probably my least favorite album out of the first 4. It's good but let's be honest, 3 and 4 are where it's at.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
3 indeed
Public Enemy
4/5
I’m glad I finally took the time to listen to this one. It’s not the first PE album that comes up when you talk about their classic albums, but for me it was just as good as the first two
The White Stripes
1/5
Satan wouldn’t get behind this
The Incredible String Band
4/5
Makes me want to give up everything and go do drugs in the woods
Steely Dan
3/5
For some reason people have decided that this is the DSOTM of yacht rock
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Cohen's music is unimitable. There's such a warm vibe that collides with a sense of drama and tension that only he can deliver so perfectly.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Would you like some cheese on your cheese?
TLC
3/5
Waterfalls is genuinely good, but getting through 54 minutes of dead weight just to listen to a single is a chore
Bob Dylan
5/5
Not my favorite of its classic era but as a fan I can't deny how great this is.
Small Faces
3/5
Great psych tracks on the first side and some kind of loose concept on side 2 that I like very much despite of its narrator. Not mindblowing but really enjoyable
The Dictators
3/5
Big dumb fun
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Title track is amazing and the first two songs are great but there's not much to save from what's in between. Still a pleasant listen
SAULT
3/5
It'Sault right
Fatboy Slim
1/5
The author of this book should be put to jail for having TWO Fatboy Slim albums in it. Painful
Dusty Springfield
4/5
The songwriting isn’t always as solid as on the 2-3 best tracks here, but her voice is.
Sonic Youth
4/5
In my opinion, this is the first truly great Sonic Youth album, where they find their balance between noise meanderings and tight songwriting. It remains one of my favorites from them as well
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
Not so bad but 1h30 of southern rock is a lot to take in one sitting
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
It's alright
Pulp
3/5
I get the appeal and the singles are strong but as a whole I'm not really impressed with Jarvis Cocker's schtick
Syd Barrett
4/5
Syd keeps doing his whimsical songs from Piper but in a more deranged abd strangely sad way. Of course that would give him a cult following
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
The blues covers brings it down a bit, but the rest is packed with some of their strongest singles, really a fun album
The Kinks
4/5
If there’s one album that makes me want to live in England during the 50’s, it’s this one
The Cramps
4/5
Not all the songs are great but the attitude makes up for it
Dolly Parton
2/5
They have nice voices obviously but this must be the sappiest country music I’ve ever heard
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I don’t ser what’s so dangerous about a bunch of blues covers
Skunk Anansie
1/5
Irritating when they try to be heavy, boring when they try to be emotional.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
So much fun, politics never got that groovy. There are a couple of songs that I wouldn’t be able to sing out loud without being attacked
Peter Frampton
2/5
"Wow he can make his guitar talk!" Too bad he's not able to make it do a good song
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
Interesting in its really early experimentation with samplings, but not much substance to listen to. I’ll admit that disliking McLaren’s character is not helping
Ash
3/5
Pleasantly surprised by this one. Maybe a bit too long but I enjoyed most of the tracks here. It made me think of power pop à la Teenage Fanclub mixed with britpop and straight indie rock.
Sheryl Crow
2/5
I mean, it's a pop rock record that aims for the mainstream so of course (almost) all the hits are at the front while the rest is packed by filler songs that are just there to fill the air. But that doesn't matter because all that was needed was a couple of big hits to sell massive amount of CDs and that's what we have here. Too bad I'm not interested in the hits either.
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
I guess it’s well done and I like her grit but outside the ‘’concept’’ I don’t really get why this one is special.
2/5
There were some interesting ideas but most of them were underdevelopped and weren't really going anywhere. This was just some downtempo with a brazilian twist
Solange
3/5
At last, the good Knowles.
Portishead
5/5
Their first two albums were dark but also had some warmth and sensuality. This one is just bleak, experimental and hopeless. It’s also their best
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
This guy really hates hippies
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Lovely
Kate Bush
5/5
One of the most graceful and inventive ambient pop album I’ve ever heard
Ian Dury
2/5
For a ‘’sex, drugs and rock n’ roll’ record I thought this was pretty tame
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
Those songs aren't bad per say but they're so devoid of power and dare I say passion that they all get terribly boring. The fact that a lot of them are dragging for way too long isn't help either. I have no idea why this guy got big.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Not bad but I can’t say that any of these sonts really stuck with me
Aerosmith
2/5
I'm really not a fan of blues hard rock and I generally despise Aerosmith, so knowing this is supposedly one of their best doesn't change much for me
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
Shut up Elvis
Pink Floyd
5/5
Well, I may not feel the need to listen to it that often anymore, if ever,but it doesn't change the fact that this is an absolute classic. I've grown really fond of the deeper cuts on this, this is the kind of album that will reveal something new with each listen, forever.
Robert Wyatt
5/5
Such a unique album, moving but never sad, fantastic but never silly. Just really human and beautiful.
Arcade Fire
3/5
A drag, just like living in the suburbs
Lambchop
3/5
Not sure what this was doing here but it was alright
Os Mutantes
4/5
Maybe not the best album of the genre, but it’s so much fun that it deserves its place among the classic psychedlic albums from the late 60’s
Jane Weaver
3/5
Some kind of bedroom pop version of krautrock. Pleasant enough
Donald Fagen
2/5
Audio nerds will tell you it's amazing
Leftfield
2/5
This made me turn right
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Probably my favorite album from Jimi. This one goes really hard
Little Simz
4/5
Great UK hip hop, which I'm not even such a fan of but Little Simz knows how infuse her jazz-rap with more punchy moments.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Pretty good, I especially enjoyed the last 3 tracks where the orchestra gets more emotional, the rest is fun too but it's a bit all over the place
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
You wouldn’t get it