875
Albums Rated
3.24
Average Rating
80%
Complete
214 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950
Favorite Decade
Folk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Curator
Rater Style ?
86
5-Star Albums
26
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Highly Evolved
The Vines
|
5 | 3.03 | +1.97 |
|
Heartattack And Vine
Tom Waits
|
5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
|
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
5 | 3.08 | +1.92 |
|
Vespertine
Björk
|
5 | 3.16 | +1.84 |
|
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
|
5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
|
Selling England By The Pound
Genesis
|
5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
|
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
|
5 | 3.19 | +1.81 |
|
Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Fiona Apple
|
5 | 3.2 | +1.8 |
|
Being There
Wilco
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
|
1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
|
Street Life
The Crusaders
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
|
Nowhere
Ride
|
1 | 3.02 | -2.02 |
|
Copper Blue
Sugar
|
1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
|
Signing Off
UB40
|
1 | 2.97 | -1.97 |
|
Tical
Method Man
|
1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
|
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
|
1 | 2.87 | -1.87 |
|
Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
New Wave
The Auteurs
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Destroyer
KISS
|
1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 5 | 5 |
| U2 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.67 |
| Miles Davis | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.14 |
| Wilco | 2 | 5 |
| Arcade Fire | 2 | 5 |
| Björk | 2 | 5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Fiona Apple | 2 | 5 |
| Coldplay | 2 | 5 |
| Johnny Cash | 2 | 5 |
| Metallica | 4 | 4.25 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bob Dylan | 5 | 4 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 4 |
| Tom Waits | 5 | 4 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| The Who | 5, 3, 5, 2 |
| The Velvet Underground | 5, 2, 3 |
| Joni Mitchell | 5, 2, 5, 4 |
5-Star Albums (86)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Lucinda Williams · 2 likes
5/5
So glad to see this gem on the list. So many amazing songs.
Adam & The Ants · 2 likes
4/5
Loved it! Serious Oingo Boingo vibes!
Beck · 2 likes
5/5
I’ve long lived this record. Perfect on those rainy days. Beck is versatile and amazing.
Nanci Griffith · 1 likes
3/5
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.
Run-D.M.C. · 1 likes
2/5
I found myself being pleasantly surprised by the lyrics (including on “Wake Up”), but I just can’t get behind the background music.
1-Star Albums (26)
All Ratings
The Cure
3/5
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.
Kanye West
4/5
Judas Priest
3/5
Great singing and good energy, but just can’t get fully behind the butt rock genre.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
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.”
George Michael
3/5
What a voice, but I was ready for it to end about three songs prior to it ending.
Talking Heads
4/5
I’ve long been a fan of this album and this band!
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Solid collection of catchy hits!
The Teardrop Explodes
1/5
Couldn’t get through this one.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Pixies
4/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Solid album that’s a pleasure to listen to.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
The Stranglers
3/5
The Pharcyde
2/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Slint
4/5
Fugazi and Sonic Youth had a sweet baby with this one!
Joni Mitchell
5/5
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.
David Bowie
4/5
Few can make a sax sound cool on a rock album, but by jove Bowie’s done it!
Jurassic 5
3/5
Love the lyrics and rapping, but wish the background music was less monotonous.
Eels
3/5
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.
Massive Attack
2/5
Went in wanting to like it, but got bored quick. Good background music.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
This album made me smile, and I’m not a fan.
Suede
4/5
Nice atmosphere; love the singer’s voice; this album has a vibe I am digging!
Bad Company
2/5
Listened while working and just can’t imagine listening in a more direct and attentive way.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
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.
Culture Club
3/5
It was better than I expected, but expectations were low. Some good singing and there was certainly some heart put into it.
CHIC
3/5
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!!!!
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
A masterpiece! Great energy; great instrumentation; great creativity.
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Awesome record. Love the moodiness and psychedelic guitar riffs.
Pink Floyd
5/5
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.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
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)).
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
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!
Sam Cooke
3/5
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.
Miles Davis
4/5
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.
Massive Attack
3/5
I want to like Massive Attack so much, and I totally dug the start of this album, but I ultimately got bored.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
I dug it. Need to give it another round where I’m able to listen to lyrics closer.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
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.
Animal Collective
3/5
I need to give it another listen. I definitely dug it and was close to giving it four stars.
Nirvana
4/5
An awesome unplugged grunge show only to be rivaled by Alice In Chains. Loved the covers they did.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Gotta hand it to them: they know how to write a catchy southern song.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
I loved loved loved this! Super creative and interesting. Great performance. Super bold and it just never let up in its awesomeness!
Bobby Womack
2/5
A nice sound (great voice) but not my jam.
Nirvana
4/5
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.
Van Morrison
2/5
The songs all sound the same to me and while I’ll dig any by itself, I’m not a fan of the album.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Nice album to work to. High Tide or Low Tide a stand-out surprise!
The Fall
3/5
Glad I listened to this. Not my favorite genre, but I appreciate it.
4/5
That was a joy!
Ray Charles
4/5
Gorgeous album, and I can understand why my dad calls contemporary music mere “noise.” This album breathes!
The Stooges
2/5
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!
Leonard Cohen
3/5
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.
Roxy Music
3/5
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.
The Doors
3/5
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.
Nick Drake
4/5
I need more Nick Drake in my life. Lovely guitar and vocals. Solid album.
Air
2/5
Creative, atmospheric, unique, but ultimately boring.
Funkadelic
1/5
Felt like a disaster of an album to me, right from track 1 (and I don’t hate funk).
The Triffids
1/5
Nope.
The Doors
4/5
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.
The Icarus Line
4/5
Loved it. Super dark and gritty. Never heard of this band before!
Madonna
4/5
I enjoyed listening to my first Madonna album front to back. The hits are great, and the B-sides are surprisingly interesting.
Brian Wilson
3/5
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.
The United States Of America
1/5
Too many drugs were consumed in the making of this record.
Brian Eno
4/5
This was the perfect album to have recommended to calm my nerves before a job interview with my employer Clark College.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
I enjoyed this quite a bit! Great voice; good vibe; solid set of songs.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Solid collection of great folk tunes. Bob’s got a gift!
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
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.
Erykah Badu
4/5
Particularly dug the “In Love With You” duet with Stephen Marley. This album is solid front to back.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Loved it. Smooth, well written songs!
The Smiths
5/5
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.
Rod Stewart
3/5
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Loved the slide guitar and rootsy feel.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
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.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
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.
Wilco
5/5
One of my all time favorite albums. This one opened up a world to me.
Beatles
3/5
A great collection of catchy songs that fail to move me emotionally but do keep me listening (and happy).
Radiohead
5/5
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.
OutKast
3/5
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.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
Minutemen
4/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
AC/DC
3/5
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.
Travis
2/5
I’m familiar with another album from Travis (“The Invisible Band”) which I liked much better. This one was alright.
Boston
3/5
I gotta say, I was often impressed!
The Byrds
4/5
The Jam
3/5
The Cure
3/5
MGMT
4/5
Supergrass
3/5
Röyksopp
3/5
Chicago
2/5
Not my style. I appreciate the abilities of the musicians, and hence the two stars.
The Verve
4/5
I know this album well and listened to it on earphones this time around. It’s a masterclass on creating atmosphere.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Anthrax
4/5
Frank Black
3/5
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.
David Bowie
4/5
Loved hearing the songs I’d never heard, like the Andy Warhol song!
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Appreciating the poetry, but a bit monotonous for my taste.
Joy Division
3/5
This album checks so many boxes for me, but somehow I just couldn’t get into it.
Carpenters
3/5
Really dug the “Reason to Believe” and “Help” covers.
Steve Winwood
3/5
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. A great album to cycle to!
The Offspring
4/5
Great collection of songs! This one brings me back a ways!
Yes
4/5
Well that was epic and awesome!
Alice In Chains
5/5
A grunge masterpiece. Every song memorable. “Would?” is the perfect ending!
The Who
5/5
Saw it in London in ‘96. Loved it then; love it now!
Common
4/5
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!
Tina Turner
2/5
Arcade Fire
5/5
So much to love!
Guns N' Roses
4/5
The hits hit hard! The non-hits are cringy are times. Overall, quite enjoyable.
B.B. King
4/5
Stellar live album! What a voice.
Lou Reed
4/5
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
It was alright.
Neil Young
3/5
Solid set of tunes, but nothing that got me out of my chair.
Adam & The Ants
4/5
Loved it! Serious Oingo Boingo vibes!
Milton Nascimento
4/5
What a gem! Glad to have heard it! Beautiful voice, guitar, recording.
Nina Simone
3/5
Haunting. Freaked over “Lilac Wine” and the last two tracks were awesome.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
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.
Queen
5/5
Masterpiece
Simple Minds
3/5
Love the singer. Songs are decent.
The Byrds
3/5
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).
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
As hard hitting now as when it came out.
Cream
4/5
Great collection of songs! “Strange Brew” is of course outstanding!
OutKast
4/5
Listened to it all. Ambitious undertaking with many perfect moments.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Goldfrapp
3/5
Nice sound. Good music to work to for sure.
Green Day
4/5
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.”
The Kinks
3/5
Liked it but didn’t love it. “Sunny Afternoon” was a clear favorite.
The La's
3/5
And I now know where “There She Goes” came from! Enjoyable set of tunes.
Scott Walker
2/5
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!
The Rolling Stones
4/5
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!
The Lemonheads
3/5
I like them best when acoustic. Felt major Costello vibes at times. Overall, liked it fine but it doesn’t excite me.
Michael Jackson
5/5
Public Enemy
4/5
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.
Tim Buckley
3/5
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.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
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.
Iggy Pop
5/5
That was quite enjoyable! It appears I need more Iggy Pop in my life!
Beck
5/5
I’ve long lived this record. Perfect on those rainy days. Beck is versatile and amazing.
The National
4/5
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.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
I kept thinking over and over again: “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
Rocket From The Crypt
2/5
There were some moments (for instance, on “On A Rope”), but not many. Overall, meh.
Iggy Pop
4/5
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.”
The Yardbirds
3/5
Definitely some great jams on this one.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Some lovely chaos, but ultimately lacking memorable hooks and rifts I crave in music of all genres. “Tarpit” was a highlight.
Elton John
4/5
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.”
Stereo MC's
2/5
Just not feeling it. Bored mostly. Started out great with their hit, and then waned on.
The Beach Boys
5/5
After multiple listens this weekend, I’m concluding that this album that I’ve been meaning to listen to for decades is absolutely wonderful!
Kanye West
4/5
Loved the first half more than the second. Power, followed by All of the Lights followed by Monster was the highlight for me.
Primal Scream
2/5
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.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Some sweet jams. Nice to work to.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
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.
Le Tigre
4/5
Dug it! It was like Sleater Kinney met up with Phoenix and had a sweat little baby.
4/5
Great album but doesn’t hit the way “Abbey Road” does.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
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.
Doves
3/5
Steely Dan
3/5
Quite a few hits, so I’ll give them that, but in my opinion: dull.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
So many moments causing so many shivers down my spine. If ever there was a masterpiece…
Metallica
3/5
“One” is the bomb, and the rest is good.
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Beautiful atmosphere. This album made me a fan of the band, and in my opinion their best work came after this gem.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I wanted to like it, but it dragged on and on and I was quite happy when it was over.
The Band
4/5
Loved it. Knew the hits but didn’t know they played “Long Black Veil,” a song I love and forgot about.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
My god the mood this man creates…
4/5
Nice to revisit this one. They were definitely syncing on this one.
Burning Spear
3/5
Black Sabbath
3/5
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
2/5
Groovy and fun, but the Stevie Wonder tribute kind of killed this one for me.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Loved much of it, and particularly “In My Bed.”
Peter Tosh
3/5
Black Sabbath
4/5
Found myself digging these songs more than the last Black Sabbath álbum assigned.
Orbital
2/5
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Elvis Presley
3/5
The Soft Boys
3/5
Tangerine Dream
2/5
Heard a few tracks, which was enough to appreciate the vibe but recognize it’s not my jam.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
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.)
The Beach Boys
3/5
Nice and catchy; exactly what I expected. Lacked that quality “Pet Sounds” has and so good but not amazing.
Patti Smith
4/5
Independent, rule breaking, punk AF, majestic voice. I get it and love it.
Eagles
3/5
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.
The Mars Volta
5/5
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!
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
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.
Queen
3/5
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.
Beatles
3/5
Catchy, of course.
Billy Bragg
3/5
Came in biased (love Billy Bragg!). A nice, predictable set of tunes from the union man.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Nice ending. Nice and consistent all the way through.
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
Weird stuff, man.
Björk
5/5
A masterpiece I’ve long relished from start to finish!
Black Sabbath
4/5
That’s was great, and it’s clear how influential Black Sabbath was on Alice In Chains!
George Michael
4/5
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.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Awesome sound. Iconic voice. More please!
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Nice melodies and a nice album to work to. A pleasant surprise!
Taylor Swift
3/5
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.
Paul Simon
3/5
I enjoyed this. Would have loved some added instruments and vocal harmonies.
Happy Mondays
2/5
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.
Bauhaus
3/5
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.
The Prodigy
3/5
Nice to work to and I imagine pretty rad in a club.
Radiohead
5/5
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!
Arcade Fire
5/5
I love this album. Following OK Computer? Wake me up, I think I’m in Heaven!
Kate Bush
4/5
I really enjoyed this, and I’m thinking now that I need more Kate Bush in my life.
Tom Waits
3/5
Love the variety, the energy, and of course the grittiness.
The Style Council
2/5
Some good moments; liked when it was jazzy; don’t expect to come back to it.
Public Enemy
4/5
Great energy; loved the hard rock elements.
New York Dolls
3/5
Serious Rolling Stones vibes. Good stuff.
Soft Cell
1/5
That was so, so bad. Painful and awkward.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
A masterful double album. A masterclass in weaving between heavy and tender. And so many hits!
Santana
3/5
Dug it. Great playing and song writing.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Smooth vocals.
Screaming Trees
4/5
This album’s a GEM!
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Dug it!
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Predictably solid.
Van Morrison
4/5
Various Artists
5/5
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.
The White Stripes
4/5
Can’t believe I’d never listened to this before. Now that I have, I get it!
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Fantastic, start to finish!
Alanis Morissette
5/5
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.
T. Rex
3/5
Nice energy and much fun!
Tom Waits
4/5
I was recently turned on to this album and so this is my third or fourth listen. It’s awesome and gritty.
The Replacements
3/5
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.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
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.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Nothing great here. I perked up only after the album ended and Spotify played something like it.
Tears For Fears
4/5
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.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Loved it loved it loved it! What a voice!
KISS
1/5
Oof, not a fan.
Arrested Development
3/5
Album is full of positive messages and a good beat. It’s community wisdom in song, built for sharing. Respect.
CHIC
2/5
I dig it, but too much repetition for my taste. Chic is perfect for a wedding and I can imagine they’re fun live.
Beatles
5/5
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.
3/5
Nice vibe. Great to work to; great for ambiance. There’s only a few tracks I can imagine myself sitting down and focusing on.
The Clash
4/5
A great album through and through! I love The Clash for their vocals, rhythms, riffs, and garage-y sound.
4/5
I loved it, and especially when the whole band was jamming and getting delightfully bluesy!
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Dug it!
Jane's Addiction
4/5
I had totally forgot about “Three Days,” one of my favorites. Great album!
Ella Fitzgerald
5/5
I am so thankful for this 1001 album project for the way it’s got me listening to Ella Fitzgerald.
Beastie Boys
2/5
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.
Pavement
3/5
Enjoyable but nothing grabbed me.
5/5
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!).
The Beach Boys
3/5
Enjoyable and seemed a bit more raw than other BB records I’ve heard.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
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.
Elton John
3/5
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.
Fugazi
4/5
I love Repeater and guaranteed every time I listen to a Fugazi record I think, “dang the bass and drums sound so goooood!”
Joni Mitchell
2/5
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.
Yes
3/5
Had its moments, good musicianship. Ultimately…not feeling it.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Found myself liking it (in particular, liked working with it playing). Nice energy.
Genesis
5/5
The only way I can explain why I’m not into Yes, but I love this record is: Peter Gabriel.
King Crimson
4/5
Creative, exciting, nerdy. I like it!
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I like how it starts and how it ends, but just couldn’t get swept up in everything in between.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Really dug “As” and “All Day Sucker.”
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Nice set of songs. An enjoyable listen.
Muddy Waters
4/5
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.
Digital Underground
2/5
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.
Queen
3/5
Always original, but not my favorite from Queen.
Tom Waits
5/5
This one replaced Rain Dogs as my favorite Tom Waits album!
Sheryl Crow
4/5
Some real gems on here. Took me right back to high school!
Richard Hawley
3/5
Found myself enjoying this more often than not, and I particularly like the last instrumental track.
Django Django
3/5
Never heard of this group and it was definitely a pleasant listening experience.
Depeche Mode
5/5
A classic through and through!
Paul Weller
2/5
Something about this reminded me of open mic nights at various coffee shops in the middle of the week in the early 2000s.
Sade
3/5
Nice and smooth (operator).
Grateful Dead
3/5
Friend of the Devil is definitely the highlight.
Moby
4/5
There’s a lot to live on this record (and a lot to be bored by on the B-Sides).
Taylor Swift
4/5
Catchy. Listened to some tracks twice, which is characteristic of a four star rating from me.
Pulp
4/5
Glad to be reminded of this band and this very solid record.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Great closing track. Love this band’s sound, but was a little surprised I didn’t love this album more than I did.
Germs
3/5
John Cale
3/5
Never heard of John Cale and enjoyed this album.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
I listened while doing yard work, so I was admittedly distracted, but I wasn’t grabbed by this one.
DJ Shadow
3/5
Nice to work to.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
I found myself being pleasantly surprised by the lyrics (including on “Wake Up”), but I just can’t get behind the background music.
David Bowie
4/5
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!
Christine and the Queens
3/5
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.
John Grant
3/5
Ambitious and inventive and weird at times. I liked it, and there’s no denying the dude’s got a great voice.
Otis Redding
5/5
So, so good. I must return to this!
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Beautiful album with many of my favorite Joni songs!
Mylo
3/5
Hole
4/5
Nice! Full of bangers. I particularly loved “Use Once & Destroy”.
Eminem
2/5
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.
Jane Weaver
4/5
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.
Donovan
3/5
David Bowie
5/5
Wow! Loved this! Such awesome bass, among many other highlights.
David Bowie
3/5
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.
The Crusaders
1/5
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.
Bob Dylan
3/5
John Coltrane
3/5
Very nice, just as I expected.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Catchy and some memorable tunes. I like it.
The Birthday Party
2/5
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.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Nice easy listening. Evokes a strong 60s vibe.
Q-Tip
3/5
Original and was surprised by the sudden presence of Norah Jones.
Television
3/5
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.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
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.
Beach House
3/5
Definitely dreamy. Freaked out a bit on “Lover of Mine” for how dang close it is to Vampire Weekend’s “Unbearably White.”
Beastie Boys
4/5
I liked this one much better than the last Beastie Boys album assigned. Was digging “Bodhisattva Vow.”
Kanye West
3/5
I have to a knowledge the artistry and production. Many songs made me feel uncomfortable, which makes an album stand out.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Had the good fortune of having this one on vinyl. Very nice, solid, pleasing record.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Smoooooth!
R.E.M.
4/5
A solid REM record! I forgot about “King of Birds” and how much I love it!
New Order
3/5
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.
The Undertones
3/5
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.
Deerhunter
4/5
I expect to come back to this one for closer and closer listens. Very nice production, layers, vocals, and more.
Sugar
1/5
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.
Steely Dan
3/5
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.
Blur
2/5
I love the iconoclastic attitude, and liked the songs that evoked Bowie, but I mostly found this album to be work to get through.
Morrissey
4/5
Had me at “The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get.” Love me some Morrisey!
Janet Jackson
3/5
Much to like. Pretty dark and relevant today (thinking especially of “Living in a World They Didn’t Make” and it’s ending).
Skunk Anansie
2/5
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.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
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.
Leftfield
3/5
Norah Jones
4/5
Forgot about “The Long Day is Over.” Goosebumps.
Frank Zappa
3/5
Nice jamming. I enjoyed it.
R.E.M.
4/5
Dr. Dre
3/5
Todd Rundgren
2/5
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.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
Led Zeppelin
3/5
The Pogues
4/5
That was surprising and delightful!
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Spun the vinyl. Side A is good (3 stars). Side B is brilliant (5 stars), starting with one of my favorites: Wooden Ships.
Paul McCartney
3/5
The Human League
2/5
“Don’t You Want Me” is a classic, but I found myself mildly annoyed and agitated through the rest.
The White Stripes
3/5
Plenty to like, but I just can’t get excited about The White Stripes in the same way I can other Jack White projects.
Bob Dylan
5/5
I loved this collection of songs!
The Cars
3/5
Full of hits I recognize, appreciate, and like but don’t love.
Earth, Wind & Fire
2/5
It started so good (Shining Star) and ended so badly (See the Light). Love the hits but just can’t hang with the rest.
Tom Tom Club
2/5
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.
808 State
2/5
Deep Purple
2/5
I just can’t get behind this style of butt rock.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
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.
Pavement
3/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Always interesting. Loved the hits, but also quirky tunes like “Moods for Moderns.”
Joan Armatrading
4/5
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.
Willie Nelson
3/5
What a clear and memorable voice. “Can I Sleep In Your Arms” was a highlight.
The Strokes
4/5
a-ha
2/5
An extra star for track one but the rest…ugh.
Coldplay
5/5
A lot to love beyond the hits - most notably the album opener. They were certainly on fire as a band when they recorded this.
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
I’m not a big fan, but I love unique creative expressions, and this was that.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Suicide
1/5
The orgasmic moaning in “Girl” made me even more uncomfortable than the droaning synth on every track. Ugh.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
Very nice!
Prince
4/5
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.
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
Enjoyed working to it but not something I see myself returning to.
Fats Domino
4/5
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.”
Stevie Wonder
2/5
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.
Electric Light Orchestra
2/5
I appreciate the creativity but I just can’t get into this at all.
Elliott Smith
4/5
A beautiful and haunting record from start to end.
Metallica
5/5
An excellent way to listen to Metallica! I enjoyed the whole show, appreciating the symphony parts throughout.
Devendra Banhart
4/5
Reminds me of Shakey Graves, with less energy. Very nice and I’ll be listening to more.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Great energy, as I expected.
David Bowie
4/5
Great album! Loved the piano snd recording quality.
The Jam
3/5
Much to like and they kept reminding me of other bands I like, which might speak to their influence on 80s rock.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Spun it on vinyl and it sounded oh-so-good!
Sabu
3/5
Very enjoyable. Loved the singing and instrumentation.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Wow, I enjoyed the heck out of this album. I anticipate more rotations!
Al Green
3/5
I didn’t want to listen, and took days to hit play, but then immediately liked it.
The Clash
3/5
I liked it, but was mostly struck by how much better they got.
Haircut 100
3/5
Nice sound. Fun to work to.
Julian Cope
3/5
At times I felt Nick Cave vibes, but never as good. I appreciate this record, but I don’t anticipate another listen.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Interesting and unique sound and vibe. I enjoyed this.
The Police
3/5
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.
ZZ Top
3/5
Big Star
1/5
Wow, I really disliked this album. It made me angry that no band I was ever in got a record deal.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4/5
Súper good and a great 1001 connection as I discovered the song “Sin City” on a previously assigned Billy Bragg record and loved it.
Wire
4/5
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!
The War On Drugs
4/5
I’m thankful every time I listen!
Johnny Cash
5/5
Just fantastic.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Very nice. Loved the production/sound. Excited about the song “Hero”.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Some shocking stuff-notably “Gang Bang.” First half beat the second, and I mostly enjoyed it.
The Adverts
3/5
Good energy.
The Black Keys
3/5
Solid album, although not my favorite by them.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
The band was definitely on fire for this record. I was delighted to be reminded of the song “Highway Chile”!
k.d. lang
3/5
Nothing like the awesome “Reintarnation,” but some good, well performed tunes.
Mariah Carey
2/5
I recognize the talent but just can’t get behind it. Just wanted it to end, mostly.
Herbie Hancock
3/5
Enjoyable.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Smooth as usual. Was delighted by “Unchained Melody.”
Stan Getz
3/5
Nice and smoooth!
The Stooges
3/5
Love Iggy’s energy and the subversive nature of it.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
An easy 5 stars. A pivotal album in my youth.
Traffic
4/5
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!
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Very nice live performance!
GZA
3/5
Consistent and there’s much to like.
Prince
4/5
Great album and of course a fantastic ending.
Michael Jackson
3/5
I liked the first half. The second half was quite unpalatable for me.
Napalm Death
2/5
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.
Eminem
2/5
As with all Eminem records: great wordsmything but juvenile as hell. This one started to grate on me a bit more than others.
U2
5/5
So many gems! Easy 5 from me.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Such a voice. Many great songs on this one.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
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!
Pixies
4/5
Loved it. I can’t believe I missed this band in the 90s. It’s so up my alley!
Ice Cube
3/5
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.
Carole King
3/5
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.
Miles Davis
5/5
Spun the vinyl. So beautiful.
The Slits
3/5
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.”
Korn
3/5
There’s a lot I like on this album and some cringy elements as well, for sure.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
I’m trying to figure out why “Stick With Me Baby” is so very, very familiar! That was a highlight. Overall - pleasant album.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Consistently good, and great trajectory with its “Watching the Detectives” finale.
Sigur Rós
5/5
A classic! Love the atmosphere.
Morrissey
4/5
A rock solid album from Morrissey. I knew the hits and am grateful to now know the album. I’ll be returning to it!
Megadeth
2/5
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.
Circle Jerks
3/5
Well that was an exciting 15 minutes.
The Smiths
3/5
Can’t get me enough Smiths! Love the bass on “Barbarism Begins at Home.”
ZZ Top
3/5
Two words: butt rock.
Eric Clapton
3/5
Very nice, and “I Shot the Sheriff” is a superb cover song.
Syd Barrett
2/5
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.
Beth Orton
3/5
A blast from the past for me. It holds up!
Johnny Cash
5/5
Loved the concept, loved the performance, loved the closer written by an inmate. A unique and landmark live album.
Aimee Mann
3/5
An album with a lot of creativity, energy, and talent.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
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.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
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).
Blue Cheer
2/5
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!
k.d. lang
2/5
Smooth voice. Maybe I’m grumpy today but I just wasn’t feeling it. Second 2 score today I’m issuing.
PJ Harvey
4/5
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!
Crowded House
3/5
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.
Lucinda Williams
5/5
So glad to see this gem on the list. So many amazing songs.
Everything But The Girl
1/5
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.
Laura Nyro
3/5
There’s much to like on this one. Dug the tempo changes and the smooth vocals.
Method Man
1/5
The background tracks were atrocious in my opinion, with “Mr. Sandman” as an example of a particularly terrible one.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
As expected, haunting and good.
Klaxons
3/5
Solid.
3/5
I found myself intrigued and enjoying this. I’m glad to know about this band now. Very creative and gritty.
Morrissey
4/5
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.
Pantera
4/5
A super tight metal album with memorable songs (haven’t listened to it in over ten years and remembered just about everything).
Don McLean
3/5
Starts with an absolute banger and then a string of mostly boring (while pretty) ballads.
Tom Waits
4/5
I think my favorite from Mr. Waits. Such grit!
Beyoncé
3/5
Great voice and some standout beats/vibes, but not my thing.
Sex Pistols
3/5
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.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Enjoyable to work to. I dug the cover of “Listen to the Music.”
Green Day
4/5
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.
Dire Straits
4/5
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.
The Thrills
3/5
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.
Ray Charles
4/5
More of this please. Love the voice, the horns, the grooves.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
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!
The Police
3/5
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”.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
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!
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
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*).
Justice
3/5
That was pretty cool. Nice bass, nice energy. I was pleasantly surprised!
Christina Aguilera
4/5
I was often surprised by this record and I enjoyed it much more than I expected to. It has soul and style.
David Ackles
2/5
Quite theatrical. At times I felt I was listening to a musical. Mostly though I just wasn’t feeling it.
The Young Gods
3/5
Wow, pretty intense and creative and recalcitrant. Great in your face recording. Consider me a fan!
XTC
2/5
I was unimpressed and all ready to give a 2 and then a favorite 80s song comes up as the last track: “Dear God.” Then I was all confused and not sure what to do! I’m sticking with my 2 but it’s really 2.5 for it’s fantastic ending.
The Specials
3/5
3/5
Dr. Octagon
3/5
Not a big fan of the lyrics but the music was good and there was great originality in this one.
Roxy Music
3/5
Original and very often catchy. This was a joy.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
That was a painful struggle to endure. I think their name got me a little too excited and it all came crashing down immediately and I was pining the whole time for The String Cheese Incident for some reason.
Marty Robbins
4/5
Memorable, smooth vocals, great melodies, classic!
Nick Drake
4/5
That goes down as my favorite Nick Drake record. Lovely.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Baaba Maal
3/5
Great voice. Nice sound. I enjoyed it.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Fresh and kept me on my toes.
Supergrass
4/5
Solid album from accomplished musicians.
Small Faces
3/5
Soft Machine
1/5
Ugh. Besides a couple decent moments, always involving woodwind instruments, I found this annoying and really hard to get through.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Ash
3/5
Blast from the past! I owned this album and listened to it a fair amount when I was young. Still, I don’t see why it’s on the list. 3 stars, and that’s with a bit of a nostalgia bump.
Beatles
5/5
What a great album. The closing medley is just magnificent!
Radiohead
5/5
The leap from Pablo Honey to The Bends was incredible. This album is packed with gems and revisiting it was pure pleasure.
Lambchop
2/5
Nope. Didn’t enjoy. But didn’t hate it so much I had to turn it off, so 2 stars.
Elliott Smith
5/5
Just fantastic!
Joan Baez
4/5
Always happy to be immersed in Ms. Baez’s world.
The Doors
5/5
Madonna
2/5
Talk Talk
3/5
I was immediately intrigued. A lovely sonic experience on earphones and I love the Bryan Ferry-esque vocals. The ballads were unfortunate but luckily there were only a couple. Very close to a four for me. 3.75!
D'Angelo
3/5
Marilyn Manson
3/5
Kate Bush
4/5
Weird and so often cool. Kudos for originality and killer vocals.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Billie Holiday
4/5
Beautiful, and so appreciated after an hour of Deee-Lite.
Deee-Lite
2/5
I was excited to see this one at first because I owned this CD when I was young and was looking forward to the nostalgia. But oof, this was a flop. I didn’t know it then, but I know it now.
Mudhoney
3/5
I should have listened to this ages ago but for some reason didn’t. Nice grunge. Moments of five star rock, but in the end a 3 for me and I think the main reason was minor sloppiness in playing and songs sounded the same enough that I was ready for it to end when it did.
The Fall
2/5
I was not digging this and it made me appreciate how unique and special The Clash is. Couldn’t wait for The Fall to finish.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
Isaac Hayes
3/5
The Damned
3/5
Nice punk record. I remember Offspring’s cover of Smash It Up on the radio when I was young. Now I know where it came from.
Daft Punk
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Loved it and hated it. Some song (Paint It Black) are outstanding while others (Going Home) are annoying AF.
Kings of Leon
3/5
A cool vibe and energy.
The Sugarcubes
4/5
So great! I didn’t know Bjork was in this band and hearing her vocals in the background of track one perked me right up. Superb singing and instruments were consistently “off” in such a delightful way. Dug it!
Black Flag
3/5
Great energy and I’ve been meaning to listen to this band for a long time. Glad to experience the rawness and grit.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
An interesting stylistic turn for the band and this album is the best of this augmented sound.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
I’ve long liked their sound and listening to this album was a treat!
Lorde
4/5
Loved it. Enjoyed the sound front to end.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
High quality and some instant classics.
Ray Price
3/5
Nice deep voice with a lot of power to it.
Parliament
3/5
Missy Elliott
4/5
This one captured my attention right away and held it.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
I thought the singer sounded familiar and then BOOM, a song took me right back to my days working at Rite Aid Pharmacy!
FKA twigs
2/5
Artsy but lacked a hook to pull me in.
Alice Cooper
2/5
Not my jam, but I appreciate the theatrical nature of it.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Grit, creativity, masterful performance, perfection.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
I don’t think they were going for high marks on this one.
Funkadelic
3/5
I couldn’t for tge life of me find this, so I listened to “One Nation Under A Re-Groove” by The Clinton Administration and it was awesome. 😎
Meat Puppets
3/5
There are some real gems on this record. Meat Puppets rock!
David Holmes
3/5
I checked out Wikipedia and learned he’s scored some movies I like. Respect.
Dr. John
2/5
Why do I feel like I just got unwittingly indoctrinated into a cult?
The Who
3/5
Solid, consistent, enjoyable.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
Intriguing double album that at one point had me looking up info on George Wallace.
Jeff Beck
2/5
Couldn’t get past his voice, which sounds like Rod Stewart. Liked the instrumentals most.
Gram Parsons
3/5
Great tunes and I love hearing Emmylou’s voice. The record just a bit too nice and smooth for me to go past three stars. I like a big of grit in my country.
Thundercat
3/5
Intriguing. I grew a bit tired towards the end, but “Them Changes” is great and I enjoyed the sound and unique vibe.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Had its moments, but nothing really stood out to me or smacked me and yelled, “listen!”
Barry Adamson
4/5
This one grabbed my attention right away and held it. Dark, jazzy and industrial. Pretty delicious.
Little Richard
4/5
Consistent, great performance, fun. Gotta love Little Richard!
White Denim
3/5
Never heard of them. Nice throwback sound. Sweet jamming. I dig it.
Fela Kuti
4/5
Very nice vibe, sound, performance. Really enjoyed working to it.
The Avalanches
2/5
Nice to work, but when I hear an album like this I think about all the amazing albums I know that are not on the list and I scream into the heavens, “Why???”
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
Nice voice, creative songwriting, but sort of forgettable too.
Venom
3/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
A lot of gems here. Great trajectory: I enjoyed it more and more as it went on.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Gotan Project
3/5
Nice to work to, but when the work stops, the stop button is pushed.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Jethro Tull
4/5
Classic and the guitar and flute hit hard!
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Trying not to be biased by the Mott the Hoople reference from one of my favorite bands, REM, but I think I genuinely enjoyed this, especially when they channeled Bowie.
Gillian Welch
4/5
Beautiful, as always with Gillian Welch.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
That was very nice. I kept thinking about Beck’s Sea Change album, thinking he must have gotten some inspiration from this record!
Minor Threat
3/5
Nice, energetic, gritty.
Caetano Veloso
2/5
Not feeling it.
David Crosby
4/5
Loved it.
Spiritualized
3/5
Meat Loaf
3/5
Creative, unique, but not as amazingly good as “Bat out of Hell 2”.
Miles Davis
5/5
Beautiful, haunting, perfect.
Manu Chao
3/5
Nice and recognizable sound.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Very enjoyable music; not down with messages though.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
The Who
5/5
That was solid end to end.
Cheap Trick
2/5
Good butt rock, but butt rock nonetheless.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
“Little Girl in the 4th Row” gave me Beach Boy vibes.
Coldcut
3/5
Mudhoney
3/5
“The Rose” was a highlight. I consistently liked this album and it’s grit and energy.
Pearl Jam
5/5
Ten out of ten for “Ten,” but alas, there are only five available.
Shack
2/5
This one does not deserve to be on the list, I’m afraid.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
M.I.A.
3/5
Fresh and consistent. I enjoyed it. “Paper Planes” is of course fire.🔥
The White Stripes
3/5
Nice and rootsy. I enjoyed it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
So haunting and intense.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
X-Ray Spex
3/5
I enjoyed the energy, singing, and saxophone!
Turbonegro
3/5
Constant energy, which I appreciate. Started to feel a bit monotonous though.
Gary Numan
3/5
Saw him live cause a friend invited me. Finally listened to this great record!
Billy Joel
3/5
Appreciate the talent and really love “The Stranger.”
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
I liked it a lot. Nice drumming. Good vibe.
The Bees
3/5
I never heard of this and it was chill and enjoyable, but also forgettable.
2Pac
3/5
Living Colour
3/5
I appreciate the energy and the Talking Heads cover, but it’s just a bit too cheesy for me.
The Youngbloods
3/5
Dolly Parton
4/5
So lush, those voices harmonizing!
Red Snapper
3/5
Destiny's Child
3/5
Surprised by how religious the ending of the album was. From bootylicious to godbewithus!
The Darkness
4/5
So good. Love this group.
Mike Ladd
2/5
I appreciate its iconoclastic nature, but I just wasn’t feeling it.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
It’s alright. Often pretty, but overall meh.
3/5
I liked the energy and creativity.
Bad Brains
2/5
Two stars for their influence on the punk scene, but I did not like this record.
Liz Phair
3/5
A lot to like here. Original and raw. I dug it. Close to a four for me.
Sebadoh
2/5
“Homemade” saved this messy garage band album for me, but there’s still the rest to deal with.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Wild and crazy! I have to say, I found myself enjoying it much of the time, especially when there were horns in there. Similar to feelings I get listening to Primus.
System Of A Down
4/5
So good. Leaving off a star for Toxicity, which is better.
The Who
2/5
Nico
2/5
I can hear its influence all over (for instance, the tribute to Lenny Bruce had me thinking about Stone Temple Pilots “Kitchenware and Candy Bars”) and I love “These Days,” but overall this just isn’t my jam.
Holger Czukay
4/5
Consistently interesting and the performances were great. This was a nice surprise!
William Orbit
2/5
Do eighties and so so so.
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Descent folk tunes. Not bad; not great.
Faith No More
3/5
Talvin Singh
3/5
Just what I expected after 30 seconds of play: nice to work to but not an album I must hear before I die.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Such good performance and energy.
Pulp
4/5
Súper cool álbum and it was nice to be reminded of “Like a Friend,” which was on a compilation disc I had when I was young.
Scott Walker
3/5
I mean, the guy has a smooth voice, and that’s not going unappreciated. But this record doesn’t do much for me.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Listened on earphones while cleaning. I can definitely imagine getting really excited for this while high. Good to work to too (for me, listening while cleaning house), but to be honest I couldn’t wait till it ended about 45 minutes in.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Sure, it had some moments.
Supertramp
3/5
Definitely interesting. Kept getting Pink Floyd and The Who vibes.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
I mean, what a voice!
Dolly Parton
3/5
Enjoyed it as I expected to.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
My initial thought was I really don’t need an hour and 17 minutes of Thin Lizzy in my life. The album confirmed it.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Yeah!
The Beta Band
3/5
Solid album. Interesting moments.
George Jones
3/5
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
Not feeling it but do recognize its influence. Spotify played Suzanne Vega right after and it tracked with this influential artist.
New Order
3/5
New Order is great, but songs start to sound monotonous. Driving forward always, but a little too similar from one to the next.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Dramatic and surprising. I nice find!
Stephen Stills
3/5
4/5
As a Mars Volta fanatic, I approve of this message.
Soul II Soul
3/5
Well that took me back to a different version of myself.
Slipknot
3/5
I wanted to like it more than I did. It was tiring to listen to straight through.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Shuggie Otis
3/5
I listened to a double album. I think the first disc was Inspiration Information anx it was 2-3 stars. The second was Wings of Love and it was darn good, 3-4 stars. So, going with 3.
Brian Eno
3/5
I have this on vinyl and hot this great reminder to spin it (it’s been a long while). It was better than I remembered it being and I will make it a bigger part of my vinyl rotation!
Nick Drake
3/5
Pretty, but Nick Drake songs start to blend together and sound the same in my opinion.
Talking Heads
4/5
I’ve always liked this one and it sounds oh so tasty on vinyl.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Sonic Youth
3/5
A lot to like. “Mildred Pierce” almost knocked me out of my chair!
Bert Jansch
3/5
Radiohead
5/5
Yes, Radiohead, yes.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Britney Spears
2/5
Cheese. And oof, clearly some dude in a weird fever dream wrote “Born to Make You Happy.”
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Meh. The parts I liked were when they sounded like The Rolling Stones.
Metallica
4/5
They were on fire for this one.
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Nice and melancholy.
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
Matched my mood and vibe today. I loved it!
Wild Beasts
3/5
The Modern Lovers
2/5
There were moments where I was thinking, okay, as a Talking Heads fan, I can get behind some of this. But it’s not Talking Heads and I was over it quickly.
Death In Vegas
3/5
“Aisha” is a banger. This was good to work to.
Einstürzende Neubauten
2/5
Rough. Energetic. At times exciting. But oh so tiring.
Neil Young
3/5
Mostly gems but a couple disasters (A Man Needs a Maid!).
Ride
1/5
That was so hard to muscle through. At times I got REM vibes, but I love REM and I hated Ride. Just couldn’t wait for it to be over.
Big Black
2/5
“Kerosene” was a banger, but I wasn’t feeling this on the whole.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
So dark, so intense, so so good. I’ve long been a fan of this record. Gold.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Some delightful melancholy tunes like “Standing in the Doorway” and “Not Dark Yet.”
Steely Dan
3/5
Pretty standard Steely Dan: smooth, skillfully executed, boring-ish.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Many classics. The boss was on fire for this one.
Dead Kennedys
3/5
Buck Owens
4/5
Duke Ellington
3/5
Slipknot
3/5
Good one to work to. I enjoyed it.
Bee Gees
2/5
If I had to describe this album with one word, it would be “boring.” Couldn’t wait for it to end. Two stars rather than one because it was palatable enough that I got to the end.
Beatles
4/5
Heaven 17
2/5
Annoying.
The Associates
2/5
Two days, two very annoying albums I’ve listened to.
ABBA
3/5
The Coral
3/5
Fun with good performances. A new band for me.
Bill Callahan
3/5
Deep voice, mellow vibes, part special, part boring.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Always love the lead singer’s voice and the band’s originality, but this record was missing something I can’t put my finger on.
Sparks
3/5
Interesting, spirited, fancy!
John Lee Hooker
2/5
Lightning Bolt
1/5
I liked the intensity and I have no issue with the thrash, but songs were so repetitive I lost interest and looked forward to it ending.
Aerosmith
3/5
Buzzcocks
3/5
Borderline 3; 2.8 rounded up. A little bump for punk cred.
Queen Latifah
3/5
I found myself often tapping my feet and moving from side to side.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
Interesting, creative, fresh.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I got a lot out of this one. Some Court and Spark vibes with some more experimental moments.
Soundgarden
5/5
Perfection!
Pink Floyd
4/5
So so trippy. A lot of brilliance in this one.
UB40
1/5
Oh so boring. I can hang with a greatest hits compilation (a short, 30 minute one), but I can’t hang with “Signing Off.”
Tom Waits
4/5
Great story telling; a special live album.
The Beau Brummels
3/5
Joanna Newsom
4/5
I’m not 100% sure I listened to it all, but Bjork-style music utilizing harpsichord is a sure-fire win in my book!
Sonic Youth
3/5
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Nice vibe. I enjoyed this from start to finish.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Love that honky tonk. Nice sound on the recording too.
Louis Prima
3/5
TLC
3/5
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
I’m partial to this kind of music. Soothing.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
I liked hearing Sinead O’Connor lead things off. I was shocked when doing my research and discovering that Jah Wobble had connections with the Sex Pistols.
The Libertines
3/5
Fresh and a nice sound.
Steely Dan
3/5
Fred Neil
3/5
Girls Against Boys
4/5
Nice and gritty and dark.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Track one got me really excited, but it was kind of downhill from there.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Big Star
3/5
A nice listen but mostly forgettable. Nothing really grabbed me.
The Byrds
3/5
This band jams so well. Enjoyable!
Randy Newman
3/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Japan
2/5
I found it boring and I looked forward to it ending (both bad signs).
Brian Eno
3/5
Kings of Leon
4/5
I’ve always liked this one. They were definitely gelling in the studio.
Slade
3/5
Gang Starr
3/5
I appreciated the rap about education and the references to mysticism, but this style also just doesn’t do for me what it did when I was a kid in the 90s.
Calexico
3/5
Recognized one song from a Robert Plant/Allison Kraus record and got so excited!
The Specials
3/5
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Dark, disturbing, 90s gold.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
John Prine
4/5
The B-52's
3/5
Seeing them live was one of the stranger rock moments of my life. Listening to this was a weird experience, and I dug some of the deep tracks I was not familiar with.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
U2
5/5
A profoundly important album for me growing up. It holds up and is awesome!
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Sister Sledge
3/5
Nice vocals. The first listen to “We Are Family” the song was pleasant. But their “Extended Version” album rolled into remix after remix of the song and it took me a moment to set aside my work and realize what was happening and just how agitated I was! Almost ruined it for me. 🤣
Coldplay
5/5
A solid, often times lovely, album.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Wonderful!
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Nice! Hoppin’!
Sepultura
3/5
Goldfrapp
3/5
Haunting and lovely.
Love
2/5
It ended strong, but this was not a good album.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Gotta respect performance like that!
Neu!
2/5
Confused how this got on the list, honestly.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
Pretty, quiet, peaceful. “Sweet Jane” continues to hold up.
Primal Scream
2/5
I don’t really care for the out of tune singer, and not because they’re out of tune (I love Jane’s Addiction). Something about this singer irked me. So, I’ll take the instrumentals over the songs with singing, but mostly I’ll leave this one behind and never revisit it.
Hot Chip
3/5
Pixies
3/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
I liked this abrasive record and I was really appreciating Sonic Youth’s warm, fuzzy sound.
The Kinks
3/5
Fun and enjoyable and strange.
Ramones
3/5
The Hives
3/5
Energetic and fun, but they are not my new favorite band.
Rush
4/5
Predictably great instrumentation, and a fun set of songs. I consider myself someone who doesn’t like Rush, but I admit to liking this.
10cc
3/5
Fun, good performances, but too cheesy for my tastes.
The Cure
3/5
Dark and moody and includes “A Forest.” I like but don’t love it.
The Young Rascals
3/5
The Beta Band
3/5
Chill, enjoyable.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
I’m not totally sure I listened to the right album, but I’m glad I had a listen to this one that appears to have come out the same year as “Water From An Ancient Well.”
Dion
3/5
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Gang Of Four
3/5
Baaba Maal
3/5
Goldie
2/5
I just can’t get into this genre.
Anita Baker
2/5
A soundtrack for all the drug stores out there.
The Kinks
3/5
Fun. Quirky.
Fleet Foxes
5/5
So many layers, so lush, the Pet Sounds of my generation!
Femi Kuti
3/5
3/5
Creative and pleasing.
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Fast Car is such a GEM!
M.I.A.
4/5
Well that was exciting and awesome!
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
High energy, but kind of annoying.
Dagmar Krause
1/5
As soon as it started I thought, “noooooo.” Then I grinded through it as I have so many times through this process.
Neil Young
4/5
Doves
4/5
Something special about this one.
Linkin Park
4/5
Mekons
3/5
Slayer
3/5
3/5
I want to be a man who hates this, but I am not that man and I couldn’t help but tap my toe and despise myself as I enjoyed this record.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Gave me Jesus Jones vibes.
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
Os Mutantes
3/5
Strange and enjoyable.
Buena Vista Social Club
3/5
Pentangle
3/5
Simply Red
3/5
This was a seesaw for me. I immediately hated it, and song 2 was “Sad Old Red,” which I know and appreciate. Back to hating, then a Talking Heads cover. And so on and so on. Wanted to give 1 or 2 stars most of the time, but the periodic gems (“Holding Back the Years” and nostalgia from working at Rite Aid) pushes it to 3.
Cypress Hill
4/5
Brutal lyrics and so enjoyable.
Motörhead
3/5
I dug the sound for the first couple tracks but then it just kept going on and on as if the whole record was one unending song.
Jack White
4/5
Loved it.
Morrissey
3/5
Traffic
3/5
The Killers
5/5
Full of hits and such a great opener. Loved it!
N.W.A.
3/5
Many references to rigor mortise.
Guided By Voices
2/5
A half-baked record from a fully baked band.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Excellent from beginning to end.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
That voice!!!
James Taylor
3/5
Smooth vocals, good acoustic guitar playing. Also kinda dull.
Lana Del Rey
4/5
Lovely, moody, unique…always love me some Lana Del Rey.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Smooooooth.
Portishead
3/5
Ian Dury
3/5
Steve Earle
3/5
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
3/5
Impressive jamming for sure.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Spun vinyl for this one. A well worn record that is very good!
Afrika Bambaataa
1/5
Not for me. I’ll take Rage Against tge Machine’s “Renegades of Funk” any day, but I could have done without this album.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
Is it a 2? Is it a 3? It’s got “Relax”… Cmon, it’s a 2.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
Lovely voice.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
I’ve always liked this band’s sound, so I was surprised to not like this as much as I thought I would.
The Monkees
3/5
It had its moments for sure. I like “Randy Scouse Git.”
The Cramps
2/5
Ute Lemper
3/5
Dramatic.
Richard Thompson
3/5
Fairport Convention
3/5
Beatles
5/5
A great record!
Iron Maiden
3/5
Kraftwerk
2/5
Kinda cool and kinda annoying.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
De La Soul
3/5
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
Skills!
Merle Haggard
3/5
Solid country album but nothing that blew my mind.
Fishbone
3/5
Fun.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
A truly wonderful record!
Rush
3/5
Silver Jews
3/5
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
The Temptations
4/5
Tim Buckley
3/5
Barry Adamson
4/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Moody, broody.
The Louvin Brothers
4/5
Muddy Waters
4/5
George Harrison
3/5
John Lennon
4/5
3/5
The Vines
5/5
I’ve long loved this record and was excited to see it on the list. What a ride to listen to it again after so much time!
Gene Clark
2/5
Boring.
Wilco
5/5
Oh yeah!
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Madonna
2/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Janis Joplin
5/5
I can’t get enough of Janis.
Solange
3/5
Deep Purple
2/5
Butt rock.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
Talking Heads
4/5
The ending always bothered me, but everything leading up to it is amazing.
Skepta
3/5
Harry Nilsson
3/5
5/5
Fugees
4/5
Elvis Presley
4/5
Pretty nice live recording.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Ooh, had me from the first sung line. Tense.
Blondie
3/5
The Byrds
3/5
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Joy Division
3/5
It kind of dragged on and on for me, cool as those bass lines were.
Aphex Twin
3/5
Radiohead
5/5
They are masters! You know it’s good when you haven’t heard it in years, but it’s all so familiar when you play it again.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
I’m not that into this kind of music, but tge quality is clearly recognizable.
T. Rex
4/5
The Stone Roses
3/5
Alice Cooper
2/5
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Adele
4/5
Beastie Boys
3/5
I’m not big on these guys, but I liked this one better than the last one I heard.
Donald Fagen
2/5
Starting from song #1: oh, that’s where half those songs came from when I was working at Rite Aid!
Faust
3/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
The Cardigans
4/5
The Dictators
2/5
Missy Elliott
2/5
Prince
3/5
Disc 2 was in my mind far superior to Disc 1. Disc 1=2; Disc 1=3.5.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Love Monk. Solid 4, I think.
Magazine
3/5
Metallica
5/5
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
I’m always excited when I’m tasked with an album I own a vinyl record of. Always a pleasure to spin some Sufjan Stevens!
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Stephen Stills
4/5
The The
3/5
Ozomatli
4/5
Rod Stewart
3/5
Pere Ubu
2/5
Cat Stevens
5/5
One of the great musical days of my life was buying almost all of Cat Steven’s records at a record store for like $5.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Scritti Politti
1/5
Oh my lord what a pity.
Tito Puente
4/5
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
The Fall
3/5
Elis Regina
3/5
Bon Jovi
3/5
The KLF
1/5
I was going to be generous and give it a 2, but the last song is unforgivable and sent me over the edge.
David Bowie
3/5
The Shamen
2/5
Duran Duran
4/5
Sonic Youth
4/5
Paul Simon
5/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Neil Young
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Adele
5/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
The Black Crowes
5/5
The Monks
2/5
Brian Eno
4/5
The Residents
1/5
Tori Amos
4/5
David Gray
3/5
Air
3/5
A solid album but the song “New York” has always irked me. It’s so bad!
Joe Ely
2/5
4/5
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Brian Eno
2/5
American Music Club
2/5
TV On The Radio
4/5
John Lennon
4/5
How did I not listen to this before??
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Raekwon
2/5
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Mj Cole
2/5
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
That was very calming.
Gene Clark
3/5
Scissor Sisters
3/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
The Only Ones
3/5
Some pretty good jamming (guitar and bass).
Queens Of The Stone Age
4/5
Paul Simon
3/5
Peter Frampton
2/5
John Martyn
1/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
The Auteurs
1/5
Björk
5/5
The Pogues
3/5
The Roots
4/5
The Cult
3/5
Always have a soft spot for The Cult. If this album had “Fire Woman” on it I’d be forced to give star it.