1001 Albums Summary

Struck me for how original it is and the songs are thoughtfully composed. I’ve always loved “Lullaby” and “Pictures of You.” To be honest though, some songs make me sleepy and I look forward to them ending.

Great singing and good energy, but just can’t get fully behind the butt rock genre.

I’ve long loved this one but haven’t listened to it in years. Great reminder, especially of more obscure songs like “Pigs in Zen.”

What a voice, but I was ready for it to end about three songs prior to it ending.

I’ve long been a fan of this album and this band!

Solid collection of catchy hits!

Couldn’t get through this one.

Solid album that’s a pleasure to listen to.

Fugazi and Sonic Youth had a sweet baby with this one!

I went in planning to give it 4 stars to make room for “Blue” to be ranked higher, but that’s only because I forgot how amazing this record was! It’s right there with “Blue,” I’d say.

Few can make a sax sound cool on a rock album, but by jove Bowie’s done it!

Love the lyrics and rapping, but wish the background music was less monotonous.

I never owned this one but always wanted it. I realized listening to it that I must have accessed it at some point because every song was familiar. Beautiful production (such clarity) and it’s definitely unique and fresh.

Went in wanting to like it, but got bored quick. Good background music.

This album made me smile, and I’m not a fan.

Nice atmosphere; love the singer’s voice; this album has a vibe I am digging!

Listened while working and just can’t imagine listening in a more direct and attentive way.

Started out really strong, but I got less enthusiastic as it labored on. I think small doses of Pet Shop Boys works best for me. First couple songs: great. “It Couldn’t Happen Here”… well ultimately I wish that one couldn’t, and hadn’t.

It was better than I expected, but expectations were low. Some good singing and there was certainly some heart put into it.

Wish it wasn’t so repetitive, but you know if this album’s playing I’m taking Anita out on the dance floor to BOOOOGGGGIIIIIIEEEE!!!!

A masterpiece! Great energy; great instrumentation; great creativity.

Awesome record. Love the moodiness and psychedelic guitar riffs.

An epic undertaking and David Gilmour is a master guitarist. Standouts include: Another Brick in the Wall, Mother, Young Lust, One of my Turns, Hey You, Comfortably Numb, Run Like Hell, and Waiting for the Worms. I might be getting loose with the 5 star ratings, but an ambitious project like this with so many infectious songs is worthy, I think.

I enjoyed this very much, but like so many jam band albums I know, the songs lacked a distinctiveness that’s needed in my mind for a 4 or 5 star album. There are exceptions of course (Voodoo Chile, for instance, and I was captured by 1983…(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)).

This album is a big reason I’m doing this project: to discover an album/artist I didn’t know that is good. Great is better, but good is good, and I think Grant Lee Buffalo’s “Fuzzy” is pretty darn good. Major Bowie vibes at times, but set against more rootsy music. I listened to it once and then half of it again in the evening because I was still intrigued!

I wish I could have been there live, but I wasn’t digging the recording because the singing just never stopped. Would have liked some space in there so instruments could shine. Cooke’s voice is outstanding but too relentless.

I listened to it while working and totally enjoyed it. Honestly, hearing Anita talk and rave about it and how unique it is among jazz albums elevated it in my mind.

I want to like Massive Attack so much, and I totally dug the start of this album, but I ultimately got bored.

I dug it. Need to give it another round where I’m able to listen to lyrics closer.

Much grittier than I was expecting. Liked the energy and the chaos of it, but stopped it before all the bonus tracks were done. At some point, I was done.

I need to give it another listen. I definitely dug it and was close to giving it four stars.

An awesome unplugged grunge show only to be rivaled by Alice In Chains. Loved the covers they did.

Gotta hand it to them: they know how to write a catchy southern song.

I loved loved loved this! Super creative and interesting. Great performance. Super bold and it just never let up in its awesomeness!

A nice sound (great voice) but not my jam.

I was way into grunge in the 90s but heard so much Nirvana on the radio unsurprising never got their albums. This was my first listen to “In Utero.” Great intensity and overall solid, but I do prefer my grunge with more guitar leads and harmonies.

The songs all sound the same to me and while I’ll dig any by itself, I’m not a fan of the album.

Nice album to work to. High Tide or Low Tide a stand-out surprise!

Glad I listened to this. Not my favorite genre, but I appreciate it.

That was a joy!

Gorgeous album, and I can understand why my dad calls contemporary music mere “noise.” This album breathes!

I loved song #1, and then the album fell apart for me. It was like Velvet Underground and The Rolling Stones had a baby, and it was one of those babies you look at and cringe. It has value: it’s a baby, after all. But good lord!

Love the feel, love the poetic verse and voice, but can’t do more than 3 stars because I was very ready for it to end by the time it did.

I haven’t listened to this one in a while but my first band’s guitarist was obsessed with Roxy Music and this album particularly. Bryan Ferry’s vibrato is legendary! This album is a pleasure for me.

I went in thinking I would love this more than I did. A couple gems and I love this band, but the album didn’t blow me away.

I need more Nick Drake in my life. Lovely guitar and vocals. Solid album.

Creative, atmospheric, unique, but ultimately boring.

Felt like a disaster of an album to me, right from track 1 (and I don’t hate funk).

Nope.

Awesome album. I was disappointed with LA Woman and I’m not sure this record is all that different, but it just struck me as more solid. Jim’s voice is legendary.

Loved it. Super dark and gritty. Never heard of this band before!

I enjoyed listening to my first Madonna album front to back. The hits are great, and the B-sides are surprisingly interesting.

A trip into Brian Wilson’s mind…as I expected, it was interesting, weird, super creative, and surprising. Not the kind of album I’d spin most days, but I appreciate it for the art that it is.

Too many drugs were consumed in the making of this record.

This was the perfect album to have recommended to calm my nerves before a job interview with my employer Clark College.

I enjoyed this quite a bit! Great voice; good vibe; solid set of songs.

Solid collection of great folk tunes. Bob’s got a gift!

All in could hear on every song was “Come On Eileen.” What should recognizable voice. Overall fun album and band, but not one I’ll revisit much or at all.

Particularly dug the “In Love With You” duet with Stephen Marley. This album is solid front to back.

Loved it. Smooth, well written songs!

Gave it two spins in a row cause it’s been a while and it’s so refreshing. It was better than I remembered it being, and I remembered it being very good.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Loved the slide guitar and rootsy feel.

I enjoyed this one. I could hear how they influenced artists I really like, but I kept thinking that the artists I really like took what this band was doing and made it better, which is why 3 stars is the most I can give.

I didn’t give this one the attention it deserves. I loved hearing it as background music to grading papers and cleaning house. I will come back to it happily, which is evidence for me that it’s a 4 minimum.

One of my all time favorite albums. This one opened up a world to me.

A great collection of catchy songs that fail to move me emotionally but do keep me listening (and happy).

5 stars, only cause there’s no option to give 6. I’ll always remember showing up at Target before the store opened, getting in at opening, grabbing the disc, playing it in the parking lot, discovering the secret book tucked underneath the CD holder, and just soaking it all in.

I really liked 3/4 of it. Great energy and creativity. Not a 4 cause the 1/4 I didn’t like, I really didn’t like.

There’s a formula they stick to, for sure! Loved “Love Hungry Man.” Pretty sure the last vocal on the album is the lead singer hurling.

I’m familiar with another album from Travis (“The Invisible Band”) which I liked much better. This one was alright.

I gotta say, I was often impressed!

Not my style. I appreciate the abilities of the musicians, and hence the two stars.

I know this album well and listened to it on earphones this time around. It’s a masterclass on creating atmosphere.

This album had so much energy and originality I feel bad not giving it a 4 or even 5, but I couldn’t emotionally connect and I don’t expect to listen again (but who knows), so alas a three.

Loved hearing the songs I’d never heard, like the Andy Warhol song!

Appreciating the poetry, but a bit monotonous for my taste.

This album checks so many boxes for me, but somehow I just couldn’t get into it.

Really dug the “Reason to Believe” and “Help” covers.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. A great album to cycle to!

Great collection of songs! This one brings me back a ways!

Well that was epic and awesome!

A grunge masterpiece. Every song memorable. “Would?” is the perfect ending!

Saw it in London in ‘96. Loved it then; love it now!

There’s enough cringy stuff on here to cause it to fall short of a five for me, but there’s just as much inspirational stuff and the music is darn good. I enjoyed this!

So much to love!

The hits hit hard! The non-hits are cringy are times. Overall, quite enjoyable.

Stellar live album! What a voice.

It was alright.

Solid set of tunes, but nothing that got me out of my chair.

Loved it! Serious Oingo Boingo vibes!

What a gem! Glad to have heard it! Beautiful voice, guitar, recording.

Haunting. Freaked over “Lilac Wine” and the last two tracks were awesome.

Beautiful performance. A bit to monotone to keep me coming back, but it was nice to work to and listen in intently every once in a while.

Masterpiece

Love the singer. Songs are decent.

Nice tunes, but nothing really leaped out at me. In fact, I can’t remember a single song just 30 minutes after listening (albeit I was working while listening, but a 4 or 5 star record will at least distract me at times from that work).

As hard hitting now as when it came out.

Great collection of songs! “Strange Brew” is of course outstanding!

Listened to it all. Ambitious undertaking with many perfect moments.

Nice sound. Good music to work to for sure.

First time hearing it. Hit machine. Only criticism is that there’s a formula they never ever stray from, so feels repetitive. They even say something to that effect in FOB: “Let's nuke the bridge we torched two thousand times before.”

Liked it but didn’t love it. “Sunny Afternoon” was a clear favorite.

And I now know where “There She Goes” came from! Enjoyable set of tunes.

That was…a lot. Not my cup of tea, but I do appreciate the spirit of the record! Scott Walker had a unique vision and he went the $&@# after it!

Dang, that jam at the end of “Loving Cup”! Delicious! I like how you feel like your in a garage with these guys, listening to them play. I never listened to whole Stones albums before this, and I’m grateful!

I like them best when acoustic. Felt major Costello vibes at times. Overall, liked it fine but it doesn’t excite me.

I liked it a lot. My criticism is that most of the time there’s so much going on with the music it’s overwhelming.

This one brings back old and very strange memories of traveling from San Diego to LA to record bass in a studio for a guy I never met and who showed up extremely late and very inebriated (I think). Deep into the night we played and recorded Tim Buckley songs live that were on this album. The session was trash and I never heard results. I drove home VERY late (2, or 3am), fell asleep for much of the following day and vowed never to do such a thing again. As for the album, it’s very pretty.

Powerhouse of a voice. I got pretty excited by track 1, but then couldn’t find another track to match it. Some close contenders include “Fly By Night” and “Lookin’ For The Time (Workin’ Girl)”. So close to giving it a Four, but it’s lacking some quality that distinguished my favorite albums of this genre.

That was quite enjoyable! It appears I need more Iggy Pop in my life!

I’ve long lived this record. Perfect on those rainy days. Beck is versatile and amazing.

Love the sound of The National. I’ve heard them before and I actually don’t quite understand why I don’t keep coming back to them. Whatever that reason is, it’s why I give this a 4 and not a 5.

I kept thinking over and over again: “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

There were some moments (for instance, on “On A Rope”), but not many. Overall, meh.

I liked it and learned that “China Girl” was co-written by Iggy Pop and David Bowie. This album is dark and moody and I found myself digging it generally. Still, it didn’t incite the excitement I got from “Lust For Life.”

Definitely some great jams on this one.

Some lovely chaos, but ultimately lacking memorable hooks and rifts I crave in music of all genres. “Tarpit” was a highlight.

Fabulous. Was on the road to five stars when suddenly “Jamaica Jerk-off” came on and I thought, “No Sir Elton, you have to be penalized in some form for that.”

Just not feeling it. Bored mostly. Started out great with their hit, and then waned on.

After multiple listens this weekend, I’m concluding that this album that I’ve been meaning to listen to for decades is absolutely wonderful!

Loved the first half more than the second. Power, followed by All of the Lights followed by Monster was the highlight for me.

I got excited during tracks 1 and 2, and then was thoroughly bored for the next 50 minutes. It’s painful when s as seven minute song never goes anywhere, and much worse when they’re lined up one after another.

Some sweet jams. Nice to work to.

The last song was good enough to almost change my mind, but I don’t see why this album is on the list. The set of songs are decent enough, but it didn’t strike me as particularly special.

Dug it! It was like Sleater Kinney met up with Phoenix and had a sweat little baby.

Great album but doesn’t hit the way “Abbey Road” does.

It struck me that the album starts like a Tool album, if Tool had only chimes to work with. I got through half of track one and just can’t spend my time on this one. I see the value but it’s not my thing.

Quite a few hits, so I’ll give them that, but in my opinion: dull.

So many moments causing so many shivers down my spine. If ever there was a masterpiece…

“One” is the bomb, and the rest is good.

Beautiful atmosphere. This album made me a fan of the band, and in my opinion their best work came after this gem.

I wanted to like it, but it dragged on and on and I was quite happy when it was over.

Loved it. Knew the hits but didn’t know they played “Long Black Veil,” a song I love and forgot about.

My god the mood this man creates…

Nice to revisit this one. They were definitely syncing on this one.

Groovy and fun, but the Stevie Wonder tribute kind of killed this one for me.

Loved much of it, and particularly “In My Bed.”

Found myself digging these songs more than the last Black Sabbath álbum assigned.

Heard a few tracks, which was enough to appreciate the vibe but recognize it’s not my jam.

I enjoyed the heck out of this! Only thing making it a 4 and not a 5 in my view is that some songs lasted about 1 to 2 to 4 minutes longer than was warranted. (But I also get that the band was jamming.)

Nice and catchy; exactly what I expected. Lacked that quality “Pet Sounds” has and so good but not amazing.

Independent, rule breaking, punk AF, majestic voice. I get it and love it.

If every song was “Hotel California”: a 5. However, every song is not “Hotel California” and the band is just too sleepy and reserved for my liking.

Brilliant in every way: song writing, palpable energy, performance of every instrument, vocals for the ages. This album and band have long been an obsession!

Caught my attention right away and I enjoyed it. However, it dragged on with similar-sounding songs. I think I’d like this band best in short spurts.

I was underwhelmed after hearing “A Night at the Opera.” This album’s production was problematic for me. The instruments and Freddie’s voice often sounded muddled. But the songs also felt less than special. I think Queen’s brilliance hurt their rating from me: I compared the to what they can be, and on this one they fell short of their own excellent standard.

Catchy, of course.

Came in biased (love Billy Bragg!). A nice, predictable set of tunes from the union man.

Nice ending. Nice and consistent all the way through.

Weird stuff, man.

A masterpiece I’ve long relished from start to finish!

That’s was great, and it’s clear how influential Black Sabbath was on Alice In Chains!

A collection of great pop songs. A couple album fillers, but overall a gem! Favorite line: “Sex is natural, sex is fun, sex is best when it’s one on one.” Good lord.

Awesome sound. Iconic voice. More please!

Nice melodies and a nice album to work to. A pleasant surprise!

My first Taylor Swift album. Nice sound and some good originality. I did get bored, though. Close to a 4, but I’m not quite there.

I enjoyed this. Would have loved some added instruments and vocal harmonies.

I can see how they were influenced by Midnight Oil and influential on EMF, but Midnight Oil and EMF are so much better I can’t justify anything more than a 2.

Great originality and energy. I came in wanting to love it, but the style just doesn’t grip me, so I came out liking it.

Nice to work to and I imagine pretty rad in a club.

Easily one of the most important albums in my musical education. I was a big Radiohead fan from their start (Pablo Honey). I adored The Bends. But it was OK Computer that elevated them to Gods. What a masterpiece!

I love this album. Following OK Computer? Wake me up, I think I’m in Heaven!

I really enjoyed this, and I’m thinking now that I need more Kate Bush in my life.

Love the variety, the energy, and of course the grittiness.

Some good moments; liked when it was jazzy; don’t expect to come back to it.

Great energy; loved the hard rock elements.

Serious Rolling Stones vibes. Good stuff.

That was so, so bad. Painful and awkward.

A masterful double album. A masterclass in weaving between heavy and tender. And so many hits!

Dug it. Great playing and song writing.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Smooth vocals.

This album’s a GEM!

Dug it!

Predictably solid.

Wow, so many of the Xmas tunes that come up on a holiday playlist came from this album. Gotta give it all the stars, despite its producer being a murderer.

Can’t believe I’d never listened to this before. Now that I have, I get it!

Fantastic, start to finish!

This album just did too much to define a musical movement, a generation, to get anything less than a 5. My favorite has long been “Mary Jane,” with “Ironic” and “You Oughta Know” close behind. I loved revisiting this album and I played it loud in the car as nostalgia washed over me.

Nice energy and much fun!

I was recently turned on to this album and so this is my third or fourth listen. It’s awesome and gritty.

I like the feel and the singer’s voice. Just wanted it to be a bit better. I suppose I was craving more memorable hooks.

Not bad to work to but also not my thing. I appreciate it but wouldn’t turn to it when I want to listen to music.

Nothing great here. I perked up only after the album ended and Spotify played something like it.

Great album! Would have been a Five if (1) it ended differently, and (2) there were a couple more songs that had a vibe similar to tracks 1-7.

Loved it loved it loved it! What a voice!

Oof, not a fan.

Album is full of positive messages and a good beat. It’s community wisdom in song, built for sharing. Respect.

I dig it, but too much repetition for my taste. Chic is perfect for a wedding and I can imagine they’re fun live.

I’ll admit: first time listening to this album from start to finish. Came in grumpy (can’t give The Beatles all the stars just cause they’re The Beatles! Grrr!). Then songs like Happiness is a Warm Gun, Julia, and Helter Skelter kept coming on and I thoroughly loved it and I’m giving it all the stars.

Nice vibe. Great to work to; great for ambiance. There’s only a few tracks I can imagine myself sitting down and focusing on.

A great album through and through! I love The Clash for their vocals, rhythms, riffs, and garage-y sound.

I loved it, and especially when the whole band was jamming and getting delightfully bluesy!

Dug it!

I had totally forgot about “Three Days,” one of my favorites. Great album!

I am so thankful for this 1001 album project for the way it’s got me listening to Ella Fitzgerald.

Can’t do it. Recognize its energy and it does have its merits, but at the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, most songs are annoying and the lyrics are stupid.

Enjoyable but nothing grabbed me.

Excellent from start to finish. One of my favorite all time albums. A game changer in my life (but not the first U2 album I heard: looking forward to giving Achtung Baby all the stars too!).

Enjoyable and seemed a bit more raw than other BB records I’ve heard.

Found myself enjoying this much more than expected, and if every song was “She Bop,” it’d be the easiest five star rating of my life.

Super strong start but I soon lost interest. There was a certain formula that kept repeating itself that caused me to lose interest even as I appreciated the musicianship.

I love Repeater and guaranteed every time I listen to a Fugazi record I think, “dang the bass and drums sound so goooood!”

Joni is hit or miss, and this one misses. I think I need clear structure, with a memorable verse and chorus, and I never found it on this record.

Had its moments, good musicianship. Ultimately…not feeling it.

Found myself liking it (in particular, liked working with it playing). Nice energy.

The only way I can explain why I’m not into Yes, but I love this record is: Peter Gabriel.

Creative, exciting, nerdy. I like it!

I like how it starts and how it ends, but just couldn’t get swept up in everything in between.

Really dug “As” and “All Day Sucker.”

Nice set of songs. An enjoyable listen.

So good! Great recording and energy! My one hang up is a hang up I have with all blues records: I love them off the bat but the songs end up sounding the same and I’ve grown tired by the end.

Like many grooves. Lyrics leave a lot to be desired, especially when the “sex packets” that are referenced over and over and over again seem to be done kind of date rape drug.

Always original, but not my favorite from Queen.

This one replaced Rain Dogs as my favorite Tom Waits album!

Some real gems on here. Took me right back to high school!

Found myself enjoying this more often than not, and I particularly like the last instrumental track.

Never heard of this group and it was definitely a pleasant listening experience.

A classic through and through!

Something about this reminded me of open mic nights at various coffee shops in the middle of the week in the early 2000s.

Nice and smooth (operator).

Friend of the Devil is definitely the highlight.

There’s a lot to live on this record (and a lot to be bored by on the B-Sides).

Catchy. Listened to some tracks twice, which is characteristic of a four star rating from me.

Glad to be reminded of this band and this very solid record.

Great closing track. Love this band’s sound, but was a little surprised I didn’t love this album more than I did.

Never heard of John Cale and enjoyed this album.

I listened while doing yard work, so I was admittedly distracted, but I wasn’t grabbed by this one.

Nice to work to.

I found myself being pleasantly surprised by the lyrics (including on “Wake Up”), but I just can’t get behind the background music.

First listen and I’m better for it. I had to struggle through track 1, but right after it the album sucked me in. Loved the horns!

Nice sound. Did my due diligence and listened to both the English and the French 1.5 hours of music, which is a testament to its being enjoyable.

Ambitious and inventive and weird at times. I liked it, and there’s no denying the dude’s got a great voice.

So, so good. I must return to this!

Beautiful album with many of my favorite Joni songs!

Nice! Full of bangers. I particularly loved “Use Once & Destroy”.

There’s so much talent on this record, and I think I would have liked it much more when I was younger, just as I loved “The Eminem Show,” but times have changed for me. There’s too much glorification of domestic violence, murder, and homophobia to get behind it.

Really nice and surprising album. Loved the psychedelic synth. Teetered between three and four (started to lose me in the middle but got me back with “The Architect”). Landing on a four because it was memorable and unique.

Wow! Loved this! Such awesome bass, among many other highlights.

Pretty surprised by the instrumentals at the end, and then the disco finale. Bowie is always surprising! Loved the first and last tracks. Liked but didn’t love everything in the middle.

Worked with this as background music and I think I now know what it’s like to work as a receptionist in a primary care doctors office.

Very nice, just as I expected.

Catchy and some memorable tunes. I like it.

Gritty AF. Glad to learn about Nick Cave’s roots. Boy he got A LOT better with age. The gem on this one was “Several Sins” but most was hard to endure.

Nice easy listening. Evokes a strong 60s vibe.

Original and was surprised by the sudden presence of Norah Jones.

I’ll admit it wasn’t a super close listen. What I heard was pleasing but I never had a “wait!” moment that drew me in. Reminded me of The Rolling Stones a bit.

It grew on me more and more as it went on. I don’t love their sound enough to give 4 stars, but I do like this album.

Definitely dreamy. Freaked out a bit on “Lover of Mine” for how dang close it is to Vampire Weekend’s “Unbearably White.”

I liked this one much better than the last Beastie Boys album assigned. Was digging “Bodhisattva Vow.”

I have to a knowledge the artistry and production. Many songs made me feel uncomfortable, which makes an album stand out.

Had the good fortune of having this one on vinyl. Very nice, solid, pleasing record.

Smoooooth!

A solid REM record! I forgot about “King of Birds” and how much I love it!

Such strong Cure vibes on “Sunrise”! Interesting thing: as I listened I just kept thinking of what other great bands they sounded like. That means they were epically influential or they were riding a wave. Not sure which, but ultimately I like the bands they remind me of more than them.

If you like song one, you’ll like them all. There’s great consistency in this one. Maybe a little too much. Some variation in sound would have been nice.

I expect to come back to this one for closer and closer listens. Very nice production, layers, vocals, and more.

A wall of constant, unyielding noise. Couldn’t wait till it was over. The only positive: I can imagine rearrangements of some songs being performed by other bands coming out decent.

There’s no doubting the talent of the band’s members or the uniqueness of their sound. Just lacks the needed edge to match my tastes.

I love the iconoclastic attitude, and liked the songs that evoked Bowie, but I mostly found this album to be work to get through.

Had me at “The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get.” Love me some Morrisey!

Much to like. Pretty dark and relevant today (thinking especially of “Living in a World They Didn’t Make” and it’s ending).

I can’t figure out if this is a 2 or a 3! The ballads kill me, but the high energy stuff (and the occasional slap bass) is pretty good. 2.5.

I can’t explain it, but I was sort of dreading listening to this one. I’m a Beatles fan, but not a solo McCartney fan. That said, in the end the album was not as painful as I expected. It was mostly pleasing. And I’m also glad to move on.

Forgot about “The Long Day is Over.” Goosebumps.

Nice jamming. I enjoyed it.

What a bizarre album. It’s a tale of two halves, with the second half being much better than the first and nearly redeeming it. Overall, not my jam.

That was surprising and delightful!

Spun the vinyl. Side A is good (3 stars). Side B is brilliant (5 stars), starting with one of my favorites: Wooden Ships.

“Don’t You Want Me” is a classic, but I found myself mildly annoyed and agitated through the rest.

Plenty to like, but I just can’t get excited about The White Stripes in the same way I can other Jack White projects.

I loved this collection of songs!

Full of hits I recognize, appreciate, and like but don’t love.

It started so good (Shining Star) and ended so badly (See the Light). Love the hits but just can’t hang with the rest.

As much as I want to give members of Talking Heads all the stars, I can not. Decent to work to, but kind of repetitive and boring.

I just can’t get behind this style of butt rock.

Gave this one two listens, as the first was while driving and I couldn’t hear everything as closely as I would have liked. I was thinking three stars at the time, but a few songs grabbed my attention and made me want to give it a closer listen. So, got home and spun the vinyl (inherited from Anita’s mom) and I’m glad I did. This is a solid record with some lovely songs beyond the great “Tusk.” I anticipate more listens in the future.

Always interesting. Loved the hits, but also quirky tunes like “Moods for Moderns.”

I’m so torn on this. After track one I was thinking, “oh wow, this’ll be a five!” Later I was down to a four, and ended thinking three. I love the voice and instrumentation and creativity. Just think ultimately I like it in small doses.

What a clear and memorable voice. “Can I Sleep In Your Arms” was a highlight.

An extra star for track one but the rest…ugh.

A lot to love beyond the hits - most notably the album opener. They were certainly on fire as a band when they recorded this.

I’m not a big fan, but I love unique creative expressions, and this was that.

The orgasmic moaning in “Girl” made me even more uncomfortable than the droaning synth on every track. Ugh.

Very nice!

Great to listen to on a bike ride. Not sure I’d dig it as much if I was only listening. The last song is one for the ages - hilarious.

Enjoyed working to it but not something I see myself returning to.

Couldn’t find this exact album on Spotify, so I listened to “Fats Domino Swings” and enjoyed it quite a lot. In particular loved “Ain’t That A Shame.”

Everything came together for the great “Superstition,” but the rest of the album sounded like a jumbled mess to me. So much going on musically, but the instruments weren’t working together in my mind. For instance, “Maybe Your Baby” drove me nuts for the fact the drums were not driving it along and there were so many instruments soloing at the same time. It could have been so much better! The rest didn’t drive me nuts because I didn’t hear the great potential; it was simply an unpleasant experience.

I appreciate the creativity but I just can’t get into this at all.

A beautiful and haunting record from start to end.

An excellent way to listen to Metallica! I enjoyed the whole show, appreciating the symphony parts throughout.

Reminds me of Shakey Graves, with less energy. Very nice and I’ll be listening to more.

Great energy, as I expected.

Great album! Loved the piano snd recording quality.

Much to like and they kept reminding me of other bands I like, which might speak to their influence on 80s rock.

Spun it on vinyl and it sounded oh-so-good!

Very enjoyable. Loved the singing and instrumentation.

Wow, I enjoyed the heck out of this album. I anticipate more rotations!

I didn’t want to listen, and took days to hit play, but then immediately liked it.

I liked it, but was mostly struck by how much better they got.

Nice sound. Fun to work to.

At times I felt Nick Cave vibes, but never as good. I appreciate this record, but I don’t anticipate another listen.

Interesting and unique sound and vibe. I enjoyed this.

I didn’t give this the attention it deserved, but 1 1/2 rounds in the car as background while I chatted with Leo makes me confident that it’s a solid three. I hope to return to it on some future day and listen more closely.

Wow, I really disliked this album. It made me angry that no band I was ever in got a record deal.

Súper good and a great 1001 connection as I discovered the song “Sin City” on a previously assigned Billy Bragg record and loved it.

I never heard of Wire and I immediately recognized how influential they were. When I heard “Three Girl Rhumba” I immediately thought of Elastica’s “Connection.” I was shocked to hear “Strange” and realize this was not an REM song. They covered Wire! I’m a fan now!

I’m thankful every time I listen!

Just fantastic.

Very nice. Loved the production/sound. Excited about the song “Hero”.

Some shocking stuff-notably “Gang Bang.” First half beat the second, and I mostly enjoyed it.

Good energy.

Solid album, although not my favorite by them.

The band was definitely on fire for this record. I was delighted to be reminded of the song “Highway Chile”!

Nothing like the awesome “Reintarnation,” but some good, well performed tunes.

I recognize the talent but just can’t get behind it. Just wanted it to end, mostly.

Enjoyable.

Smooth as usual. Was delighted by “Unchained Melody.”

Nice and smoooth!

Love Iggy’s energy and the subversive nature of it.

An easy 5 stars. A pivotal album in my youth.

I never heard of them and I admit I came in skeptical, but this band captures a lot of what I love about 60s music: poetic lyrics, good vibes, harmonies, creativity, harpsichord… I enjoyed it!

Very nice live performance!

Consistent and there’s much to like.

Great album and of course a fantastic ending.

I liked the first half. The second half was quite unpalatable for me.

Thought #1: initially enjoyed the fuzzy sound of the instruments, but the album wore on me quick. Thought #2: if Golem from Lord of the Rings ever had a chance at being a singer in a band, it was with this band.

As with all Eminem records: great wordsmything but juvenile as hell. This one started to grate on me a bit more than others.

So many gems! Easy 5 from me.

Such a voice. Many great songs on this one.

Boy you hear the seeds of Sleater Kinney on this record! I was immediately excited by what I was hearing, but it started to wear on me as it went on. I’ll love this one in spurts!

Loved it. I can’t believe I missed this band in the 90s. It’s so up my alley!

I love Ice Cube’s voice. Oddly, more than once the album triggered thoughts of a rap duo I listened to as a kid: Kris Kross. Where that was G rated, though, this was R. Looking into it, Kris Kross did sample Ice Cube’s music in their own.

Gotta give it credit for being a major hit machine. Problem for me is I find these hits a bit boring for the most part. I’ve long appreciated this album but also have not gone back to it since I first heard it, until it came up on this list.

Spun the vinyl. So beautiful.

I mostly enjoyed it: the oddness of it, the lead singer and background vocals, the weird drumming. It was unique and had quite a few fine moments. Definitely an attention-grabbing rendition of “I Heard it through the Grapevine.”

There’s a lot I like on this album and some cringy elements as well, for sure.

I’m trying to figure out why “Stick With Me Baby” is so very, very familiar! That was a highlight. Overall - pleasant album.

Consistently good, and great trajectory with its “Watching the Detectives” finale.

A classic! Love the atmosphere.

A rock solid album from Morrissey. I knew the hits and am grateful to now know the album. I’ll be returning to it!

I recognize the shredding talent, but good lord I just can’t. At least not alone in my house. I could see this being fun live.

Well that was an exciting 15 minutes.

Can’t get me enough Smiths! Love the bass on “Barbarism Begins at Home.”

Two words: butt rock.

Very nice, and “I Shot the Sheriff” is a superb cover song.

Trying not to think about the Pink Floyd tie which would likely increase the stars I give. With that, I’m not impressed with this album. Nothing really grabbed my attention.

A blast from the past for me. It holds up!

Loved the concept, loved the performance, loved the closer written by an inmate. A unique and landmark live album.

An album with a lot of creativity, energy, and talent.

I nearly made it through the 3+ hours, but I’m taking a break from working and I think I’m done with this one.

An onslaught of greatest hits until you hit the second to last song, “Oh Daddy,” which is also awesome. This is a great record (and yes, I spun the vinyl for this listen).

It had its good moments, but overall this one was a flop for me. I found the repetitive vocals annoying along with at least half of the guitar solos: a bad combo for this genre!

Smooth voice. Maybe I’m grumpy today but I just wasn’t feeling it. Second 2 score today I’m issuing.

That was unique and powerful and angsty and I wish I’d listened to her from the start (kept hearing about her in music mags but never sought her out). Great album!

Many of these songs were on the “Best Of” album I had, including me favorite Crowded House song, “Weather With You.” In the end-good, solid, and also not mind blowing.

So glad to see this gem on the list. So many amazing songs.

I got excited for a moment because I thought the great BAND Idlewild was assigned. Turned out this was the kind of music I was relentlessly subjected to back when I worked at Rite Aid.

There’s much to like on this one. Dug the tempo changes and the smooth vocals.

The background tracks were atrocious in my opinion, with “Mr. Sandman” as an example of a particularly terrible one.

As expected, haunting and good.

Solid.

I found myself intrigued and enjoying this. I’m glad to know about this band now. Very creative and gritty.

Any album with “Everyday Is Like Sunday” and “Suedehead” is a four minimum. The rest was good but not enough to bump it to a 5.

A super tight metal album with memorable songs (haven’t listened to it in over ten years and remembered just about everything).

Starts with an absolute banger and then a string of mostly boring (while pretty) ballads.

I think my favorite from Mr. Waits. Such grit!

Great voice and some standout beats/vibes, but not my thing.

I feel a mix of excitement over the energy trapped within this record and annoyance that all the songs sound so similar to one another. I was pretty into the first half but then lost interest, except when the great “Anarchy in the UK” played, of course.

Enjoyable to work to. I dug the cover of “Listen to the Music.”

I found myself enjoying this much more than I expected. The instruments sound really good tonally and the performance is tight. Single tracks contain multiple tunes which is interesting. Well done Green Day.

I’ve long loved this record, but I will admit it starts to lose me towards the very end. The gems on the front end push it to four stars in my book.

Sleepy rock. At times I got an alt-country vibe that I appreciated. I liked the first half more than the second. The lead singer’s voice started to bug me.

More of this please. Love the voice, the horns, the grooves.

I did it, I did it! All 69, all 2.5+ hours. Am I better for it? Not really. The songs are mediocre, which made me kind of mad. What hubris to put out almost three hours of mediocrity! There were great moments and ultimately I wish this was boiled down to ten stellar songs. As it is, a harsh rating for the sheer audacity of this project!

Spun the vinyl. Side 1 is decent but not great. Side 2 is mostly magical. It’s not my favorite Police album but does contain my favorite Police song, “King of Pain.” Overall - mixed review, so “3”.

One of the best albums of the 90s, I think. It struck me as I revisited it that the songs are very much stadium anthems, but delivered in a way that makes them sound so strange and alternative and non-anthem-y, if that makes sense. I think this album stands out too for its production: compressed so extremely that it comes off as quite loud, which makes its quiet moments all the nicer. I love Siamese Dreams and was so happy to be reminded of it on this list!

Enjoyable and rootsy but nothing really pops out at me. I can’t remember the tune of a single song 15 minutes later (which might be a result of my own superficial listening, but even when I’m listening while working, the great albums will slap me across the face and make me *listen*).

That was pretty cool. Nice bass, nice energy. I was pleasantly surprised!

I was often surprised by this record and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. It has soul and style.