I forgot how great this record was, the crown jewel of the Britpop genre. Feel like these guys never fully made it outside of the UK, there’s a lot of bands that I will never understand how they didn’t become huge worldwide, Blur is one. I guess Damon Albarn finally got his due with the Gorillaz but really this should’ve been the album that made these guys gigantic stars. Sadly only in the British Isles…
Another favorite! Had a bootleg German pressing of this that fetched me some nice $$$ when I sold it. Minimal, dark and brooding. The sound of depression. Ian Curtis’s suicide note set to music. Meant to be listened to in its entirety. Highlights: Disorder & She’s Lost Control
You Gotta be kidding me, this is a top 10 hip-hop classic for me. Right up there with Illmatic, 36 Chambers and Low End Theory. Banger after banger on this Jawn. Straight fire!
Before it was called trip hop it was called acid jazz which frankly is a huge turn off. I always liked Mezzanine more than this but this really kind of started off a whole genre. Shit is fire. Really inventive stuff, kind of mashed up a bunch of things that was swirling around the UK club scene at the time. Although they did it better later with the aforementioned Mezzanine, and Portishead is really the gold standard of the genre- you can look at this album as the most influential in trip hop.
One of my faves- minimal and sparse at times, other times jagged and claustrophobic. Always driving rhythms and progressive. Still listen on the reg. Pulled me out of a really bad headspace at Bighorn 100, mile 72-ish. Highlights: Mind, Air, Cities, I Zimbra
Another favorite! Had a bootleg German pressing of this that fetched me some nice $$$ when I sold it. Minimal, dark and brooding. The sound of depression. Ian Curtis’s suicide note set to music. Meant to be listened to in its entirety. Highlights: Disorder & She’s Lost Control
OK, this is one you will always see in a bargain bin at a record store. Can’t say I’ve listened to it in its entirety, I’m wondering what big Janis hits are on this one. Will definitely listen to it and report back! EDIT: pretty good record, has a lot of Janis’s big hits. But it’s that kind of standard late 60s early 70s blues rock stuff a la Paul Butterfield, John Mayall, etc. miss Joplin had a huge voice and even bigger spirit and is probably the first huge female rockstar.
Oh, shit yes! This is some funky stuff as I recall. Much darker and introspective than “Stand!” which is probably Sly Stone’s magnum opus- I actually prefer “There’s a Riot Goin On” because it has an edge. This is some seriously funky stuff. The lineup on this album is absolutely spectacular, it’s like a 1970s “Who’s Who” of funk legends.
I have not heard this yet, looking forward to it. Upon first listen it’s a pretty good recording for a live show from 1960. This obviously influenced all of the British invasion bands, more than half the songs have been covered by the Stones, Zepplin, The Who, etc. and while it’s not terrible, It’s not my cup of tea.
You Gotta be kidding me, this is a top 10 hip-hop classic for me. Right up there with Illmatic, 36 Chambers and Low End Theory. Banger after banger on this Jawn. Straight fire!
Oof- yeah I’m probably gonna skip this one. It’s a rock opera from the late 70s, about a decade too late for relevancy. I mean, Meat was a great singer- my dude has some RANGE but this shit is corny AF. You know it. I know it. You know I know it. Let’s just walk away from this…
GAZ! I remember these guys, they had a big hit with “Alright” kind of like a second wave Britpop invasion. Pretty good record deserves more listens!
Okay… I have to admit, that I have slept on Rod Stewart. I always thought he was kind of cheesy- like the kind of guy who made songs for weird middle-aged women. But this album actually freaking rocks, the instrumentation is fantastic. I always thought Rod had a really good voice, kind of gravelly and great for rock music but a lot of his radio hits are kind of schmaltzy. I can totally get his appeal and I think there’s a lot of singers like him that dudes hate because women love him. So I probably had some misplaced jealousy towards Rod. Yeah this album actually is really good will definitely listen to it again.
YES! Bon Scott last record with AC/DC, this is their magnum opus in my opinion. All of the fucking Bangerz are on this Jawn. Kind of the archetype for 80s hard rock, don’t know if that’s a bad thing or a good thing.
OK, I do not know this one- this is not one of their big ones. I’m assuming Rumours and Tusk is going to be on this list as well, maybe even some early Peter Green-era stuff too? I guess I have to give this one a spin today… duh, THIS IS TUSK. I’ve never seen the actual cover. Okay- I remember a few songs from this, but I didn’t realize it was so heavily back loaded (meaning the best songs are all on sides three and four). It’s a double record, and it was kind of the last big thing Fleetwood Mac did. Stevie had a pretty good solo career after this and they kind of faded into relative obscurity.
Awesome, SFA are the best band out of Wales, Manic Street Preachers are really the only other I know… It’s really a fantastic record, Gruff Rhys is a genius. So many styles from acoustic ballads, techno beats to metal screaming it’s all here.
when you hear the stuff you know why George was called “The Frank Sinatra of Country”. It’s OK, this “Nashville Sound” stuff from the 70s is so schmaltzy, so slick and so over produced. George has a great voice and sings with a ton of emotion but I’m more of an outlaw country kind of guy.
Oh post-prog, dammit. So weird that this is only two years after At the Drive-in‘s Relationship of Command. So from the ashes of that band came this band, and just like that was an incredible record and pushed the post Hardcore genre up to another level this album kind of does that too. I feel like I would need to sit down with the lyrics and really give this and attentive listen to find out what is truly going on.
There’s a Bill Evans record I really like, I think it’s with his trio right around this time. For the life of me I can’t remember what it’s called, I want to say Impressions? Any way this is okay, great playing but not groundbreaking.
Would give this six or even seven stars, just one of the greatest albums ever written. No skips
A top-five of all time for me, the soundtrack of my middle school years. This has all of the best songs, and stylistically it’s the most diverse of all their albums.
I feel like this album has become such a part of the musical wallpaper of the last 30 years that it’s almost impossible to talk any shit on it. I will attempt to do that however, as I can still remember when this album came out- it felt like it ripped off all the right bands in just the right way. There’s Sonic Youth in here, there’s Jesus Lizard, there’s Mudhoney, there’s Soundgarden, there’s the Dead Boys- it’s like their influences have become so in twined in their music that you could no longer tell they’re ripping all those bands off. I guess that’s what makes an album A classic. As much as it pains me to say, this is an undeniable classic…
It’s easy not as good as treasure probably deserved a few more lessons I’ll give it three stars for now
Holy shit, this is some of the weirdest crap I’ve ever heard; field recordings of military speeches, spoken word, harsh tones and dissonant noise. Had to go look these guys up, they’re from Slovenia and this is a type of industrial music I’ve never heard before. Like super severe, I guess it supposed to be satire of the 80s fascist Soviet bloc regime they all lived under? It’s interesting end definitely deserves another lesson
Actually surprised how good this is- pretty sure this was recorded around the same time they made the Some Kind of Monster which is literally the cringiest shit I’ve ever seen. Metallica with a symphony. Pretty damn good.
Alice Cooper, by definition is the epitome of “butt Rock” that is to say while the music on this record is not that bad and the content is OK, it’s the over-bloated, overproduced over-everything of the 1970s. I have not looked it up yet but I would not be surprised if Todd Rundgren produced this record, Todd is the man and produced a lot of great stuff from the 70s; but if they’re going for scuzziness a la NY Dolls on this record it does not sound scuzzy at all. Just cheap.
This is one of, if not THE underrated classic of the 1970s. It’s basically Crosby stills Nash and Young without stills plus the Grateful Dead plus Jefferson airplane. I even think Greg Rolie and a few other Santana guys are on this thing too. It’s fucking amazing!
Yo this jawn is fire, haven’t listened to it in a long time but Sen Dog, B Real and DJ Muggs made an absolute classic here: banger after banger. Some of the best old-school hip-hop production you’ll ever hear is on this record… straight fire
Oh, I was wondering when Bob Dylan was going to show up on this list. Off the top of my head I don’t quite remember what’s on this- Will definitely give it a few spins today. OK, this is definitely one of Bob’s better albums. Memphis Blues, Visions of Johanna, Leopard-skin Pillbox Hat, Just like a Woman and then the opener, the ubiquitous Rainy Day Women #12 and 35.
OH MY GOD. My favorite piano record of all time! Completely improv’d- I believe this is still the highest selling solo improv record of all time. Absolutely stunning, Keith knows his way around 88 keys better than just about anyone.
I’ve never even heard of this, and it’s not terrible. I thought I knew all the deep in the cut underground hip-hop? It’s kind of like a poor man’s Kool Keith Dr. Octagon mashed up with Masta Ace’s Disposable Arts. It looks like it came out right between those albums too; so dare I call it the missing link? Anyway, I’m having a harder time connecting to this album then say those two above albums I mentioned. I don’t think I’ll listen to this again, even though it’s got some straight up legends on it, like El-P.
Oh, a newer Nick Cave album? I’m looking forward to checking this one out. It’s achingly beautiful- I did not know his son died in 2015 a d this is essentially a eulogy to him. So heartbreaking and amazing. Definitely going to get more spins…
I have not listened to this since probably 1997. My sister had the CD and I can remember driving around smoking weed in her purple Chevy that she flipped over in Oklahoma. Ice cube used to be super relevant. What happened my dude?
This is the first song I ever listened to the first time I ever smoked weed.
Definitely not “black metal” so I’m guessing this is the first known use of the term? More like proto thrash hard rock. Meh.
I forgot how great this record was, the crown jewel of the Britpop genre. Feel like these guys never fully made it outside of the UK, there’s a lot of bands that I will never understand how they didn’t become huge worldwide, Blur is one. I guess Damon Albarn finally got his due with the Gorillaz but really this should’ve been the album that made these guys gigantic stars. Sadly only in the British Isles…
Hmmmmm okay? Welp, I’m a douche bag this is actually really good. Lana has an amazing voice, kind already knew that but it’s the first time I actually seriously listened to her, like really listened. She has a lot going on lyrically some of it’s cringe, some of it’s weird, some of it’s really confessional but overall she’s a pretty good songwriter. Musically it’s really sparse and allows her vocals to take over the mix. Surprisingly good one of the better albums of 2021 I must say
So many of these songs I know- maybe from early 80s AM radio? Probably from movies, shows, etc. anyway Karen has a lovely voice but dang those strings get old song after song. Pure schmaltz.
Before it was called trip hop it was called acid jazz which frankly is a huge turn off. I always liked Mezzanine more than this but this really kind of started off a whole genre. Shit is fire. Really inventive stuff, kind of mashed up a bunch of things that was swirling around the UK club scene at the time. Although they did it better later with the aforementioned Mezzanine, and Portishead is really the gold standard of the genre- you can look at this album as the most influential in trip hop.
Oh, iron maiden self titled debut album! I think I listen to this later at the gym. OK, this is hard rock and it’s not Bruce Dickinson it’s actually not that good.
I got about six songs in, really not my jam. Overproduced synths and drums sound kind of cheesy. Meh
Thank you! One of my favorite albums of all time, five stars hands-down. This album has been there for me during every tough part of my life for the last 22 years.
Oh wow, another super grass record. I’ll check this one out today
Can’t believe I waited for 6 years to listen to this… Sounds like Bowie has zero F’s left to give went out 100% on his own terms.
Yes this album is wonderful, it’s been a while since I listen to the whole thing but it’s just as good as I remember.
Relax, don’t do it! Whoever has made this list is really into this British synth pop stuff from the early 80s. I got to say not my favorite genre
Take the roof off the sucker take the roof off the mother
Not terrible- wouldn’t put it up with their best or even second tier stuff but it’s a good pop rock record