From Young Americans to The Worst version of Across the Universe ever. How can such a great talent be so extremely hot or cold?

I could listen to this album over and over again. A couple songs I’d skip, but almost every one is fantastic. On the other hand, my wife absolutely hated it and made me turn it off in the car.

I love this album. Their sparse arrangements, her voice, their songs… all great and new sounding.

For bongo music this is good. But about 3 songs in I’m thinking, “Enough with the bongos already!” It’s fun to hear the samples that have been in later hip hop though.

Love the B3 and dig this record. Great for background tunes, or really paying attention in headphones.

One of my favorite albums of all time. Nothing had ever been recorded that sounded like this musically, lyrically, vocally. Pure genius.

While there are some classic tunes with the harmonies we love, I just don’t feel this is a 1001 level album. And stop it with that version of Do You Wanna Dance.

Been a long time since I listened to this, and figured I’d give it an honest try. I didn’t originally like the record, but that was placing directly next to their earlier stuff, and probably tainted opinion with Love’s public persona. I actually enjoyed it. Granted it’s a departure, but it’s a polished well crafted album. Not great, but certainly enjoyable enough.

A couple rock gems with the tight harmonies that define Queen and (now) classic Brian May guitar sonics. But overall too many songs that sound like show tunes or novelties.

Always liked this album and for more than just the great songs Hello in There and Angel from Montgomery. The storytelling and language are poignant and gritty, and even the goofy bits are somehow always OK. Because he’s John Prine, that’s why. It was a sad loss when he died.

“Desired Constellation” is OK (interesting that it was co-written), but the rest of the album sounds like experimental art school project. I like Bjorks voice, and she’s an interesting song writer, but it’s just too much.

I love this album, and it’s admittedly a bit of a nostalgia trip. The driving rhythm and urgency of Exodus to the relaxed persistence of Waiting in Vain show the masterful musicianship and songwriting that I think is often overlooked in reggae as a genre.

Always been a fan of this record and Zappa’s jazz arrangements (even still have a CD single with Peaches En Regalia / Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up). Sometimes it seems so unlikely that the same guy who created Sheik Yerbouti and Joes Garage also created Peaches, Little Umbrellas, and It Must be a Camel.

Hip hop/rap has generally been a bit of a blind spot for me. But I hear a record like this it definitely occurs that I’ve been missing something. Plus a hardcore punk song!!!!!!? I’ll be listening to this again.

I like Neil Young, but not sure why this album is included in this list. It’s a bit of a bore, buoyed only by For the Turnstiles and Ambulance Blues. IMHO. Sorry Neil.

On one hand, this is a Morrissey album with songs that just sound like most Morrissey albums. On the other, I really like Morrissey albums.

Even though he doesn’t appear in this brilliant record from Dave Grohl, it’s eerily strange that Taylor Hawkins died this same day. Love this record, love Dave Grohl, love FF. RIP TH ☹️

Prog rock may be my least favorite music style. This album helps confirm that. Sure Roundabout is a classic, Mood for a Day is nice, and a couple other listenable bits, but nah, not my thing.

Led Zeppelin is fine. Not sure I had to listen to this before I die. No denying it’s fantastic rock/blues with brilliant guitar, drums, and Plant vocals at their best. Just not my favorite music. So 3 to me, probably a 5 to those who are fans.

Despite the several songs in which her warbly trilling hits the exact resonant frequency that vibrates the pain receptors behind my eyeballs, I enjoy much of this album. But then, I grew up with folk music. I love finger picking, I love story songs. Hard to believe she was basically a kid when this was recorded.

Anyone turned on to Lemonheads with Lick, Lovey, and the Favorite Spanish Dishes EP pointed to IASAR coming once Dando had the right lineup and songwriting partners. Hatfield’s backing vocals add some sweet, sometimes sad, texture to Dando’s singing. This is a perfectly crafted indie-pop album. It’s a road-trip sing-along record that can be played on repeat. Except for one thing… when I got the CD back in the day it didn’t have the Mrs. Robinson cover. I prefer that version. It wasn’t a necessary add and it’s inclusion diminished the album a bit.

Not a big fan of Oasis, but damn, there are some gems on here, particularly the title track. Wonderwall and Champagne are played out for me, but still good songs. Solid record, but short of brilliant in my opinion (clearly not the Gallagher's).

Unlistenable. Unless… you’re in an, um, enhanced state. And at a dance party. In 1994. Or a Skid on Letterkenny.

An OK hip-hop/soul record with some overlays of spoken word. Some important messages, but musically not a groundbreaking or particularly interesting album.

Great instrumentation on most of the songs, the pedal steel countrified psychedelics, and I can listen to McGuinn play a Rickenbacker 12 all day long. Plus the harmonies! On the other hand, the stereophonic effects are bit much, but I guess a bit novel for the time or thought to contribute to mind expansion, using what I imagine were the terms in the day. There are couple misses. Moog Raga should have been cut and not used up precious studio time and recording tape.

Can't say enough about this record, so just this: I love it, and everything it led to and influenced decades down the line. It would be hard to imagine Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Wilco, Alt Country in general… without this happening first.

I feel like I really should like this more than I do. The guitar interplay and melodies are cool, but I just can’t get into the vocals.

Did Japan ever send a Cease & Desist letter to Duran Duran? Also, I’m not a fan of either, but I get why this was an influential (read: directly copied) record.

I like Air, but this is no Moon Safari. Atmospheric go to sleep music. Maybe good as a movie soundtrack but not as a stand alone record.

I can’t believe I’ve never seen the movie. Listened to most of this before quite a bit. Funky with gritty lyrics.

Ugh. I did not want to listen to this. And I can’t say I’m glad it did. However… there were a few unexpectedly decent songs that I heard and even still did not take the time to record the names of. That is all.

Such a great record. Thumping bass drum backing up brilliant guitar.

Well, it’s still not for me. I can see why it’s for others maybe. The cartoonish imagery and adolescent rhymes maybe would have been cooler/funnier if I was younger.

The beginning of the end of U2.

Not for audiophiles or the squeamish.

Love it. This can be party background music, work music, sit and listen and pay attention to every click of the organ keys music,… Positioned clearly at a point in the early 60’s because of the instrumentation and groove, but doesn’t sound old fashioned.

Some really great playing, songwriting, and a far more mature voice than would be expected for his age. Strong album and a sad loss of a great talent.

Other than Sometimes, I couldn’t listen to any song all the way through. I just couldn’t.

I can see how there were bands that maybe branched off of the Syd Barrett tree (possibly Pavement as an example, don’t laugh at me). A few songs I quite liked, and yet some of this just sounds like some guy with a tape recorder and a guitar singing nonsense.

From Young Americans to The Worst version of Across the Universe ever. How can such a great talent be so extremely hot or cold?

A masterpiece. Nearly every song is brilliant and the recording is great.

Almost all of this record is unforgivable.

I love pretty much everything about Aimee Mann. Her songwriting, tone, voice,… also she’s quite funny. I know it’s not genius or groundbreaking, but I return to her records all the time.

Ok, I didn’t hate it. I like bossa nova. Some of the orchestra and strings is a bit much for me. I like it stripped down. Sinatra has such a smooth voice and his phrasing goes well with the style. But I’d rather listen to a “real” bossa nova record.

I didn’t appreciate Willie Nelson when I was younger, but have grown to like a lot of his music. This album included.

This album falls within the category of understanding why it’s important as an artifact but not loving it from a personal taste perspective. And I really like reggae, and enjoy bits of this, but not a favorite.

This is a great album. I was very into hardcore punk when this came out and it was just… different sounding but with all the intensity and emotion.

With enough time between listens this album is great. The gravelly voice, the poetic lyrics and delivery, the stand up bass… yeah.

There was a long time that New Order was a secret guilty pleasure band for me, and this record in particular because electronic/dance was most definitely not my scene. Love Vigilantes has always been a favorite, but damn, I like the dancy bits. Maybe me, but I hear a fair amount of “The Cure” sound in here too with the guitars.

While I enjoyed this much more than anticipated, not sure I’d reach for it again. Love the guitar, horns, energy, production though.

I could listen to this album over and over again. A couple songs I’d skip, but almost every one is fantastic. On the other hand, my wife absolutely hated it and made me turn it off in the car.

Couldn’t wait for it to be over. Which felt like a very long time. But keeping in mind it was 1978, and what came after, I’ll bump it a star.

The boringest.

Hard to listen to, but not to say I don't like it, I do. A lot of it is just really difficult material. Lyrically dramatic, musically brilliant. I almost never choose to listen to rap, but I have chosen Kendrick Lamar the most in the last several years… just not without headphones.

I’m definitely a fan of Sonic Youth. Teenage Riot kind of tricks you into thinking it’s going to be departure into more radio friendly indie rock, which it partly is. But there is still plenty of dissonant noise art punk to be had.

With the exceptions of the title track and the instrumental Moss Garden, the rest of the album doesn’t impress. Maybe it was exciting in 1977, but the music feels rather generic. In the other hand, Heroes is such a brilliant song, it bumps it up a star in my rating.

I did NOT expect to enjoy this album, but damn, I kind of did! It was off to a slow start and my initial reaction was… not positive. But the music was actually interesting and far more contemporary to my ear than expected for 1973.

Fun dance tunes, a bit repetitive and would be better on a dance floor or at a party. A 90’s party.

On Gimme Shelter Merry Clayton is by far the star. And Keith Richard’s guitars are the star for the rest of the show. Jaggers vocals are hokey and clownish on Country Honk, and I know it’s intentional, but it’s silly and unnecessary. The rest of the album makes up for that in a big way though. I’m not a Stones fan, but this record is undeniably pretty fantastic.

I was surprised to like this. Again, hip hop is a blind spot and listening closely has been somewhat of a cultural awareness experience for a middle aged guy with relatively narrow social exposure.

I know it’s kind of cool to say you hate the Eagles. It there are some really great tunes here. I live Take It Easy, even as a kid I loved that song. Witchy Woman is horrible. Just a garbage song. As is Most of Us are Sad. Ok, as are a lot of songs on this album. But I do like Peaceful Easy Feeling. Which is amazing because I’ve heard it a billion times plus my dad sings a cover of it and always fucks up the chorus (seriously), and it still hasn’t ruined it for me.

Hated this album when it came out. Gave it a genuine listen and I still don’t like it and I don’t get why it became such a big deal. I can see how stitched together it could work as a broadway show soundtrack. That’s as positive a comment as I can make.

Now this shit’s genius. And it was a welcome relief after the License to Ill which I absolutely hated. I remember my buddy saying I had to give Paul’s Boutique a chance back in the day, and was immediately into it. The samples are fantastic and unexpected, it’s fun and funny, and has a timeless groove to it. Probably my favorite Beastie Boys record.

Love garage rock, love that this was so rough edged for the time. But… I think it was only an incremental progression from what Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis we’re already doing, just making it a bit “dirtier”. That said, I liked it.

I appreciate Bob Dylan, but do not like his music. Except for Rolling Stone I’m just not into it. Bumped to a 3 because of his lyrics.

Just another late 80’s MTV rock album.

Enjoyable, but I’d rather not listen to a whole album at once. I like the music/instruments, but his voice starts to grate after a bit.

I had forgotten how great an album this is. Love’s vocals are so strong, the music is dirty and raw, but often has a pop structure. This is a record to listen to from top to bottom. And it sent me off to listen to Celebrity Skin again with renewed interest, but that’s for another time…

Starting off an album with a tune about wake up sex is kind of special. There are a few great songs on here along with a fair amount of garbage. She has a very good, but not brilliant, voice in my opinion. No Easy Way Down is so good. But now I don’t need to hear any of this again. Except maybe when Jan sings Son of a Preacher Man at the baby shower on the The Office.

Better than I anticipated, but kind of repetitive. Also, and this has been said for many of the records, probably better in a club setting.

While I do like Common People (and the Shatner version is the BEST!) the rest of the album doesn’t excite me.

I guess I’m kind of a Flaming Lips fan, but never really thought about it. I like almost all those music.

Such a great record. I can see how it may have been different and new and perhaps controversial at the time. To me, though, it’s just an enjoyable jazz record I could put on while reading a book, having dinner, turning up loud and really listening to.

There are a couple of OK pop tunes here, and an interesting and fun cover of Iron Man, but overall nothing too special.

Not her greatest in my opinion, but hey, she's Billie, so an extra half star for being her. There is never mistaking her voice and phrasing, and sometimes it's amazing, others, well, not so much.

I guess I kind of like Yes. Or at least their “hits”. Love the folky acoustic stuff, and of course Good People, Yours Is No Disgrace, and Starship Trooper.

Starts out with some decent tunes, but I lost interest along the way.

The worst of Smashing Pumpkins. Overreaching, overdramatic, overproduced. Gish and Siamese Dream maybe set expectations too high for me, but this double album was just twice the let down. Yes, there are a couple redeeming songs, but not enough to save the collection.

There’s a reason she’s called the Queen of Soul. I'm not a big fan of soul but damn, this is a great record.

This slowly faded into the background as my attention waned. I liked what I payed attention to, and I’ll probably listen again. I like and enjoy some Roxy Music and Brian Eno. But mostly for, well, ambiance.

I like The Fall, but don’t love them. This album tracks with expectations. I do especially like the guitar style and Smiths “talk singing”, and can definitely hear some influence on Sleaford Mods style. PSA: check out Sleaford Mods.

Incubus is a guilty pleasure. I prefer Morning View, but like this album quite a bit. To me it was a new, unique sound. Whether they were nu metal or whatever isn’t important, and sometimes categorization can be a silly exercise. At least at the time it was something different and interesting. Also… Battlestar Scralatchtica 😄

Rating after listening several weeks ago, but I enjoyed it. But I already knew that.

One of my all time favorites. I never tire of this record. The vocals, the distinctly Boston guitar sound, keyboards, everything about this is classic rock.

Great recording, fantastic arrangements, I could listen to this all day. And I kind of did.

I had never even heard of Shuggie Otis before… why?? I really liked this record, and will definitely listen again. aAnd with a double album as an introduction it felt like a deep dive. Soulful, funky, jazzy, and… country rock blues (Black Belt Sheriff)?!

I didn’t like TOTR when I heard them originally, but I appreciated this album much more than I thought I would. But that’s not to say I think anything here is (was) new or groundbreaking. It’s good.

Genius record with all the weirdness and musical brilliance that made Devo the greatest thing I had ever heard at the time. This is something nobody had ever heard before. Catchy, fun, odd, anti-normal, punk, new wave synth, and one of the greatest covers of all time (Satisfaction) - this record packs so much into 11 tracks. It’s even more surprising today to think that Bowie and Eno were part of this. Six stars if I could.

Except for If I Had a Heart and Concrete Walls, I liked this record more than I expected. Which is not to say I liked it very much. It was somewhat interesting vocally.

I like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Karen O is such a strong lead, and while this isn’t even my favorite album by them (Fever to Tell is) I think it has enough strength to rate highly.

I’m a fan of The Jam and Paul Weller in particular. But this is not my favorite. In fact, I like what came before and after more than this record. That said “A” Bomb is a great tune, and the David Watts cover is better than the original.

Said before, I’m not a big Led Zep fan, but… No denying how great Immigrant Song is with its charging rhythm and howls. And I really like the variety of folky, bluesy, and 70’s metal guitar. So that said, probably my favorite Led Zep record if I had to pick one.

Wanted to like this much more, but it came down to only a couple songs. Papa Was a Rolling Stone is of course great. And I actually like this version of The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face even more than Roberta Flacks version. In context of the times I can see why this was an important record, and a step for The Temptations, just not my thing.

Maybe as cocktail party background, or swanky, hip hotel elevator music, but it just felt interminable. I kept checking to see if I’d finished the album and it had started over. I like the music, but I couldn’t tell one track from the next.

I like some indie folk, but I’m not much for hymnal style harmonies. So there are elements of this record I like, mainly instrumental, but overall I would never put this on to listen to.

Excellent. Nirvana playing fantastic acoustic versions of their non-hits and indie covers was nothing I expected at the time. Vaselines “…Sunbeam” and Meat Puppets “Lake of Fire” are standouts.

I don’t even really fully understand why, but… I really like this album. I know I shouldn’t. It’s just so odd it’s appealing. And I enjoy the music. Birthday is one of my favorite songs. I don’t mean just on the album, I mean favorite songs. Bjork’s vocals bridge ethereal and gutteral and it works for me.

Another “enough is enough” record. Interesting though a few songs and a kind of novelty cover, but couldn’t hold my attention further.

I’ve tried and tried, but I just don’t like Prince. Not his voice, not the music, just not for me.

A friend turned me into this album last winter. I find it to be a nice bridge of country and pop, but not of the cookie cutter, saccharine, variety centered around ‘merica, pickups, and ex’s. It blends traditional instrumentation with contemporary beats and sound, song structure, and decent (although sometimes a bit twee) lyrics. It feels like it should be a guilty pleasure, but I don’t feel guilty.

I get it. I appreciate it for what it is. It’s not my cup of tea.

Now this is country music. I say I’m not a fan of country, but sometimes I am. This is an example of what I like. Stripped down, heartfelt, expert musicianship.

Ambitious, and one can assume groundbreaking at its release. But in the end, only worth listening front to back in order to string the story together as almost no song stands on its own except of course Pinball Wizard… And maybe take the pedo stuff down a notch, too, eh?

It might be all gibberish, but I really liked the rhymes and rhythms.

Pretty straightforward rock & roll. Good guitar solos and licks, with SCoM being the standout. Progress from the 80’s hair metal, adding some grittiness. Not a fan though.

This a solid rock record. Groundbreaking? Pushing rock in any new directions? Not really. But a lot of fun anyway.

Listening to Tarkus all I could think was “how do you listen to this NOT HIGH??” I enjoyed the rest of the album well enough but I just can’t abide the big proggy organ and plodding compositions. I’ll leave the ELP to Morley…

I’m going to put this out there: I like this album. As with others, it could be nostalgia and a connection with a specific time in my life, but for whatever reason I like it. It’s occasionally a bit cheesy, twee, and dated sounding, but some of the lyrics are quite good. And they do have much better records.

You can put me down for 5 stars on almost any Lou Reed. Maybe not his best (Velvet Underground is), but man, there are some great songs on here: Vicious, WotWS, Satellite of Love,…

All great tunes. Funky grooves synth is not typically my thing, but this hits me. Love Vein Melter.

That was terrible. Just awful. The only tolerable song was the Sonny Bono cover.

I was hoping for a lot more from this considering Clark’s songwriting with the Byrds (Eight Miles High is one of my favorite songs). The opening tracks I really liked, but then it felt repetitive. I hear future Uncle Tupelo / Jay Farrar in these songs.

Yet again, not a great listening record, should be experienced in the right setting (club/house party). That said, a few tracks were good to just listen to and work with in the background: ex. Always be There, Jazzalude.

One of my favorite albums of ALL TIME. Johnny Marr’s guitar shines brilliantly and Morrissey’s lyrics are haunting, sweet, hilarious, and vicious.

Muddy Waters was my introduction to Blues when I first heard Mannish Boy, and he defines blues to me. Imagine being in the audience to hear this performance being recorded. Nothing can match the growl, howl, and beat of Waters' vocals and guitar. Brand, Hoochie Coochie, Mojo Working,... all great tunes. The only song that doesn't connect for me is Tiger in your Tank, although because it's a take on a gasoline ad popular at the time, it gets a bonus mark.

I’ll go with 5, but would be a 4.25 if possible. This is a beautiful album lyrically, musically, and impeccably produced. It also puts U2 another step further away from the energy, urgency, and pathos of War which is probably their best album in my opinion.

At first I want to just turn this off. But then I got pulled in by the tight arrangements and clean musicianship and vocals. Once was enough, but enjoyed it better than I thought I would. Zappa Lite.

Amazing record from track 1 to the end - from pure party garage rock to acoustic folk blues. I can imagine that Evil Hearted Ada influencing the psychobilly Lux Interior of The Cramps with it’s circus mirror reflection of Elvis. As for comparisons, I’d listen to this before the Stones every time.

There’s a reason this record was massive when it came out: it’s just a great live rock record. Frampton has a great voice and certainly can craft a well put together song. And that talk box 😄!

Very enjoyable. I haven’t listened to this record since it came out, but still liked it. Jones has a very smooth voice with just interesting enough phrasing to avoid being bland. But it’s really just a chill adult-contempo / jazz album, not sure why it makes the list.

“Timeless!” is not how I would describe this record. It was new and interesting at the time, but damn, this did not age well. Maybe if there was live break dancing…

Rollins gets the glory (deserved) for his explosive delivery, but Ginn and Dukowski were the fuel. Nobody plays like Ginn, not before and not since. Frantic, raw, but with one goofy tune for comic relief, this record was huge for me. Ramones were my intro to punk, Black Flag was the immersion into hardcore.

Haunting, desperate, urgent,… But not something that hooked me (no pun intended).

I like most (but not all) of the Indian raga influence on this record. And it’s just packed with such a diverse set of songs it’s almost unbelievable how they could go in so many different directions at once, and do it so well.

Held up far better than Run DMC… I’ve never listened to this record in its entirety, but I really liked it. Was never much for rap in the past, but finding it more interesting than I thought I would. Sadly still relevant.

This guy had ENERGY! Fun, good time, raucous rock & roll… I had to listen to some amped down shoegaze to regain my balance.

Stewart has a great rock and blues voice, Beck is a brilliant guitarist. So this is a very strong record. Blues Deluxe sounds like they added canned applause. And why Old Man River? Why??

I haven’t listed to record in several decades. SEVERAL. I had pretty much written off most “classic rock” after hearing this stuff ad nauseum growing up as a kid. I wasn’t looking forward to listening to this. Objectively, I gotta say this record is fucking fantastic. Rodgers vocals set the template for a rock lead: from soulful to stone hard. The backing vocals blend, support, and enhance. Ralph’s guitar is huge and heavy with solos that shine but don’t seek the spotlight. If I were to nitpick… I would cut the saxophone. But that’s a tiny distraction in a nearly flawless record that should only be listened to at speaker shaking levels. A totally unexpected 5 for me.