User Albums Journey
Exploring beyond the book, one album at a time
245
Albums Rated
3.42
Avg Rating
19
5-Star Albums
Rating Speed
7
Per Week
244
Days Active
Reviews
245
Written
100%
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vs Global
0.38
Avg Diff
3.42
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1960s
Favorite Decade
Folk
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0
1-Star Albums
5-Star Albums (19)
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You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Of Echo | 5 | 2.51 | +2.49 |
| People Who Eat People Are The Luckiest People In The World | 5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
| Is Ellipsis | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
| The Mantle | 5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
| Penguin Eggs | 5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toxicity | 2 | 3.63 | -1.63 |
| Dimanche à Bamako | 2 | 3.28 | -1.28 |
| Geography | 2 | 3.09 | -1.09 |
| Deep Down Happy | 2 | 3.04 | -1.04 |
| Melt My Eyez See Your Future | 2 | 3.01 | -1.01 |
Popular Reviews
Swans
4/5
I don’t really know why but I had a different expectation of what Swans were. I thought they were one of the Gallagher’s bands after Oasis. No idea why I thought that. Turns out I was wrong. Who knew?
I enjoyed some compositions more than others. Sometimes I thought it was brilliance and sometimes I thought it was noise.
I did it a disservice and listened to it on my phone and not my main system. I’ll have to try and use a bigger sound next time. This needs another listen or too before I really know how it lands.
6 likes
Mogwai
5/5
Another example for me of how you listen matters. I had hear of them before and listened to this record probably 3 or 4 years ago and thought - meh. Well, at that time I would have most likely listened to it through my little Bluetooth bose speaker. This time I made sure to listen to it through my main system. Wow. What a difference.
This time it grabbed me from the opening right through the final note. I was blown away by the dynamics in this record. The distance between the lows and the highs, the soundstage the imaging. Wow. Just wow. And the songs grabbed me and I found myself waiting for what was coming next.
My wife did say and one point for the upstairs “what the heck is that noise”. I think that’s the sign of a different and interesting sound in a record.
Anyway, all this to say, listen to this on the best system you have at your disposal. And my system isn’t amazing by any stretch but it is able to be able to pick out the above. I’d love to hear this on a real audiophile grade system (whatever that is).
2 likes
Harmonium
4/5
Listened to a couple of their records when I did a top 100 Canadian records list a while ago. I remember enjoying them then. I still enjoyed in.
2 likes
Agalloch
5/5
When this popped up I had no idea what it was. I looked on Wikipedia and said to myself- oh no not today wrong mood.
Turns out my fear was all wrong. From about 30 seconds in I was intrigued. I’ve never heard anything that could be described as atmospheric metal. I loved it. I will definitely seek out more of this.
I am sure it is something that will be very mood dependent for me. But in the right mood I think this will be the perfect soundtrack.
2 likes
The Tragically Hip
4/5
This was my suggestion for the list. I have often thought with records on here that I would like to know the why behind them being suggested. So I’ll do that here.
I chose this one not because it is the greatest album ever. You’ll see I only gave it a 4 as a rating. I added this because of the importance of The Tragically Hip in Canadian music and in Canada in general.
The Hip were our band. They never broke into the broad scene outside of their home country but in Canada they were everywhere. One of the only bands who regularly included the Canadian experience in their lyrical content.
Courage (for Hugh MacLennan) who was a Canadian novelist best known for Barometer Rising about the Halifax explosion in WWI which was the largest mad made explosion to that time and destroy much of the city killing thousands. More import MacLennan’s Two Solitudes coined a term that would be used to describe the speakers of Canada’s two official languages.
Fifty Mission Cap is about Bill Brilko a Toronto Maple Leaf who after scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime disappeared on a fishing trip that summer. The Leafs would not win another cup until the year they discovered his body nearly a decade later.
Wheat Kings is a reflection on the wrongful conviction of David Migaard and is laced with references to “pictures of our Parents Prime Ministers” and “ a late breaking story on the CBC” and “a nation whispers we always knew that he’d go free”.
Looking For a Place To Happen is filled with references to early discovery of Canada by Europeans with lines like “Jacque Cartier right this way”. I do reference Europeans specifically above as Canada was a fully populated space upon their arrival. Gord Downie the lead singer became involved in many causes in his life include a haunting book and album Secret Path telling the story of 12-year old Annishinaabe boy Chanie Wenjack who tried to walk home after escaping a residential school and died alone of exposure on the trip.
The Hip got elevated to a space no other Canadian band has with their final tour. After lead singer was diagnosed with an inoperable form of brain cancer they embarked on farewell tour of the country. The final show was shown on the CBC with an estimated audience of over 10 million watching live and uncut representing a full third of the country. It was a moment of watching a Canadian band in its final performance with its dynamic frontman clearly suffering form the effects of the disease that would shortly take his life. It was an amazing celebration.
So I included this record not because it pushes the boundaries of music forward. Nor because it’s the best example of its type of rock. I added this to the list as it is a great example of music that tells unashamed stories of Canada and its people.
2 likes
All Ratings
Richard Dawson
4/5
My first optional album after having completed the full list. If this is the quality of what people are putting on here it will be a good bonus list. This was a little bit out there while still being strongly rooted in tradition. Good listen.
The Mountain Goats
5/5
Found this record early in the pandemic. Not sure how I missed them before then. Quickly fell in love with their music. From here I’ve explored many more bands. Lots of things I dislike about Spotify, but the radio play after this record was part of an opening up to new music that got me out of just the 90s (although my heart will always be firmly planted in that time).
I’ll always consider this an important record in my musical journey.
My Chemical Romance
3/5
I’ve tried listening to this more than once now. Just not my thing.
Slowdive
3/5
I’ve really tried to get into this over the years but it’s never taken hold.
Dave Matthews Band
3/5
I think this is the first time listening to a whole record of his. It’s well done. Well recorded. Well produced. It just doesn’t grab me.
Amyl and The Sniffers
4/5
Came across them with their newest record. I hadn’t listened to this one yet so it was good to hear. Nice to hear a current band with something interesting in their sound.
Billy Squier
3/5
Straight up rock record. Enjoyed listening to it. Had heard of him before but didn’t know his stuff.
Great Big Sea
5/5
I was so happy to see this on here. I was in high school when this came out and saw them on the tour for it. The energy the vibe everything about this is a lift in the spirit.
Jóhann Jóhannsson
4/5
A little more than a week into the user generated list and I think I am enjoying this as much as the main list.
I loved the sound on this. I listened on my phone speakers based on when I was able to get time to listen to it. I need to come back to this with my main system one day.
Garbage
3/5
I had not listened to this record in a really time before it came up here. I enjoyed it, but I felt like it was pretty one note throughout. So it got a little tiring for me.
Marillion
3/5
This is why I keep listening to these lists. An artist I hadn’t heard before who I put on and end up enjoying. It’s not really my thing so I doubt I will put it on again. But I enjoyed the time I spent with it.
Hikaru Utada
3/5
When a record is in a language that I don’t know I try to seek out an aspect to grab onto. Maybe it’s the vibe, the music, sometimes even the production. In this case they didn’t do it for me.
The Chats
3/5
Enjoyed that.
Garmarna
3/5
Interesting listen. It was too electronic for my tastes.
Café Tacvba
3/5
Not in a language I know so always struggle a bit in rating. I nearly turned it off during the second song, but I persisted. A lot of different things happening with a lot of different sounds and styles. You never knew what would be coming next. I can see how if you are more familiar with the style that this would be a five. However, as I am not familiar for me it was a three.
Daniel Bélanger
3/5
Enjoyed it enough.
John Martyn
3/5
I enjoyed this. I think k need more listens as I have a feeling it will get better as you get more into the lyrical content.
TOOL
4/5
I loved Undertow when it came out. But after that I kind of grew away from the band. When these records came out I just wasn’t interested. Turns out I’ve been missing out.
Stromae
4/5
My French is not very strong so can’t really comment lyrically. However, I found myself bopping along to this one. Not typically the sound that will do that for me. Found myself surprised with how much I enjoyed this.
Steven Wilson
4/5
I enjoyed this. Well played. Well recorded. Interesting songs.
Angelo De Augustine
3/5
Enjoyable. Nothing grabbed me to take it to this next level but enjoyed listening to it.
Valerie June
3/5
A nice listen.
Martha
4/5
I’ve been doing the user contributed list for about three weeks now and this is the first band I hit the follow button for on Spotify to make sure I come back and listen to another record. Something about the sound really resonates with me.
Backstreet Boys
3/5
Too many negative associations with this for my youth to give it a fair shake. I would give it a 1 but I think that’s disdain for the style that is unfair.
Bon Iver
3/5
I’ve started to get into his works in the last little bit. However this one hasn’t grabbed me as much as some of the others.
Amon Düül II
3/5
Enjoyed the listen enough.
Procol Harum
4/5
I am glad this was on here. I’ve never listened to any Provo Harum other than Whiter Shade of Pale. Very good record. I enjoyed.
Fontaines D.C.
3/5
I’ve tried to get into this band for the last few years. I enjoy the songs enough it just hasn’t grabbed me enough to end up in regular rotation.
Jimmy Eat World
4/5
Listened to this properly on my main stereo system. I’ve always enjoyed what I have heard from Jimmy Eat World but I haven’t sat down to a full record before. This was a really great listen. Great song writing. Well recorded. Well produced. I’m giving it a four at the moment but has potential to be a five after some more listens.
blink-182
3/5
These guys came on the scene as I was hitting the end of high school. I didn’t really get into them at the time. I found it a little juvenile. That hasn’t changed. I tried. I gave it a good shot. Just didn’t do it for me.
Joe Jackson
4/5
Enjoyed that.
Mylène Farmer
3/5
When something is in a language I’m not strong in I try to focus on other aspects. I’ll listen for vibe in the music, overall flow or vocal emotion maybe for production quality. This record just didn’t hit it on any of those for me.
Harmonium
4/5
Listened to a couple of their records when I did a top 100 Canadian records list a while ago. I remember enjoying them then. I still enjoyed in.
Status Quo
3/5
Had never listened to a Status Quo record. It was a good time.
Courtney Barnett
4/5
Started listening to her at the start of the pandemic. Really enjoy this record.
Snarky Puppy
5/5
I’ve seen the name before from a local music venue I follow. Never knew what they were. Great record. Would definitely consider seeing a show.
Igorrr
2/5
Sorry. Wasn’t my thing.
Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera
4/5
Really enjoyed this one. Nice to hear an album in his genre that isn’t the usual suspects. Seemed to hit all the right notes for me.
The Cure
5/5
I played this when it came out last year and it grabbed me right away. I’ve never been the biggest Cure fan in the world. I’ve enjoyed their stuff and appreciated it but it never grabbed me. This did. One of the best late career records I’ve heard. Well written, well performed and well mastered. Do yourself a favour and listen to this on the beat sound system you have at your disposal.
Arthur Russell
5/5
After starting this one I went to look at my Last.fm and lo and behold I had heard the record before. However I had zero memory of it. I listened to it when I did the NME 500 best albums.
This record is one of the reasons why I always am a little hesitant about the ratings. One listen is rarely enough to properly judge an album. Further to that the way you listen to a record is important. Given what Last.fm told me I most likely listened to this on a small Bluetooth speaker. This time I played it on a proper sound system.
This time I was blown away by the record. Really well recorded. Really well produced and mastered. Really interesting approach to sound and the songs. From the opening track to the end it had me hooked and excited for what came next. So glad someone put this on the list or I would still be missing out.
Also makes me think about other records I was indifferent to and what another exposure or tweaks to listening environment would bring.
The Caretaker
4/5
Really interesting concept behind the record. Also really well executed. I like the use of all the pre-WWII music to build this. Thank you to whoever suggested this for the user list.
Operation Ivy
4/5
Love this style of punk but don’t listen to it enough.
The Upsetters
3/5
Enjoyed that. Love the flow of the record.
The Angelic Process
3/5
Interesting listen. Hadn’t come across this previously.
Charli xcx
4/5
It has had so much hype that I have toyed with listening to this before but never got around to it. It was really for me. However, I did like that the songs were all different. I have teenagers and so have a reasonable exposure to what they listen to and most doesn’t have the diversity of sound on any given album that this does. I can see why it had a lot of buzz. Still wasn’t for me. But I can see it.
Boy Azooga
3/5
It didn’t grab me.
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
3/5
It is one I’ve seen around but never listened to. Not going to be a favourite I listen to on repeat but well worth the listen.
Fontaines D.C.
3/5
I should love them more than I do.
The Jesus Lizard
4/5
Good record. The vocal style is one that I don’t have a tolerance for very long. I am good with it in short bursts, but it does prevent me from coming back to it too often.
Type O Negative
4/5
I don’t know why I wasn’t listening to this high school. Good record.
5/5
I came to start listening to them in probably a less common route. I saw Buck Meek open for Jeff Tweedy. His sound and style was so different from other performers that I started looking into what else he did. Of course in this band he’s not the singer, but the uniqueness of approach continues with that band and goes in its own direction. Added to greatly by Adrianne Lenker and the rest of the band.
I really enjoy this record. Captures what they are doing perfectly.
The Posies
4/5
If you had asked me before I would have sworn this was on the main list. Just has the feel of a record that would have been there.
Glad this was put on the user list.
Adam Green
3/5
Enjoyed this.
Carly Rae Jepsen
2/5
Approached it with an open mind. Just didn’t do it for me.
Sampha
3/5
Really liked the first few songs and the way they sounded. Then it kind of started to sound the same. Strong star that didn’t carry all the way through for me.
The Beautiful South
3/5
Enjoyed listening to this.
Jimmy Eat World
3/5
Enjoyable.
TOOL
4/5
Really good album. I just find it a little long. It’s rare for me that a record that is over an hour does leave me feeling it’s too long.
Cluster
3/5
Another record in place in the category for probably not coming back to, back glad that I’ve listened to. This user list has been great for providing records in this category for me. Enjoyable from front to back.
Avenged Sevenfold
2/5
Unfortunately this is the type of metal/hard rock that doesn’t really do it for me. While it’s not my primary genre I have seen bands like GnR, NIN, Maiden, Slayer, Anthrax live. There is just something about this harder music from this time period I just can’t get into.
Vulfpeck
4/5
I surprised when I see a live album from MSG and don’t know who the band is. On quick research they were the ones with the infamous silent album on Spotify. Enjoyed this record.
Stars
4/5
Another band I came across in the pandemic. I am always a sucker for bands that have both male and female singers. I find they get to do a lot together and explore spaces that just on singer can’t do.
Phish
4/5
Obviously a legendary band from a touring perspective. I never explored them as they were building their thing. At this stage I’ve thought about listening to them but it feels like starting a long-running TV show in the 6th season.
I appreciated this being on the list as I think it was the right way to exposed to them. I am glad I played this on my main stereo system. I think a lot would have been lost if it was on small speakers.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
3/5
Two live jam band records in a row for me. I can see why people enjoy it. Maybe I’ll check out a jam band show one day.
The Decemberists
4/5
I love the depth of the music. There is a bigger than a rock band sound to them. I find this one sounds a little different to me than a lot of their other work. Can’t put my finger on why as it’s not a huge leap.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Before I started listening to 1001 and other lists like Rolling Stone 500 and NME 500 I had never listened to a full Pink Floyd record. I had heard songs and never really saw the need to go deeper. Having now listened to all the classic albums a couple of times I will say that for me this one and Meddle are my favourites.
They have a great deal of interest in the layers of sound without being over powered by the lyrics and vocals which for some I know reason I don’t love.
Freestylers
2/5
Unfortunately not for me.
Men I Trust
3/5
This band has popped up on my Spotify algorithm from time to time. I haven’t explored them much before this. For some reason I thought I was going to be hearing something more pinkish in style. Don’t know why I had that expectation. That is very far from what the album delivers. It was an enjoyable record but hasn’t grabbed me to dive any deeper into their catalogue.
Kayo Dot
3/5
Having read the Wikipedia I thought this would be one I should listen to on my main sound system to give it the best go. I thought it was all recorded and liked the sound but overall it didn’t really grab me.
Ty Segall
3/5
Enjoyed it enough.
Death
3/5
Death came on my radar with some YouTube reviewer who sang their praises. I had put another one of their records on my to listen list and therefore was very happy when I saw them come up here.
I enjoyed this listen but the style isn’t really my thing.
HELLYEAH
3/5
Judged the book by the cover and was not looking forward to this as it started. I was wrong. I found myself bopping along to several of the tracks. It’s still not a style I am likely to come back to but I am happy I have had the chance to listen to this.
Mary Chapin Carpenter
3/5
The main list is definitely short on country music. This list has been short on it as well. I am glad someone put this on here. It is not my genre but part of this is hearing stuff outside your comfort zone. This won’t become a regular but I’m glad I’ve heard it.
Sports Team
2/5
Unfortunately didn’t leave much of an impression on me.
David Baerwald
3/5
I feel this one may grow on me with more listens.
Karnivool
2/5
Something about the vocal style doesn’t do it for me.
Primus
4/5
I’m surprised this wasn’t on the main list. I really thought it would have been. I prefer Pork Soda, but that is probably because it was the way I found them as a teenager. There is no one like Primus.
Oingo Boingo
3/5
A surprise for me. I’ve heard of them forever but avoided as not a huge fan of the 80s sound. I sat down and listened properly to this one and enjoyed it. Thanks for adding it.
TOOL
4/5
I really enjoy Tool records and the layers and the various sounds, etc. I just find them too long for me.
Gang of Youths
4/5
Not a band I was really familiar with. Really enjoyed this one. I’ll be coming back.
System Of A Down
2/5
I didn’t like it at the time. I listened through it all. Still not for me. That Numetal thing was just not for me.
That Handsome Devil
3/5
In the category of I won’t listen to it again, but glad I have listened to it once. Although it wasn’t for me it definitely had its own sound and is well written and recorded.
4/5
Not my style of music but really glad I got to hear it. It seemed like on I should listen to on my main system and I wasn’t right. Very well recorded and produced and a lot of interesting things happening in the sound. That aspect would have been lost on Bluetooth speaker.
Wishbone Ash
3/5
Had never heard of this band. Enjoyed it enough.
Scraping Foetus off the Wheel
4/5
I love hearing the early things in industrial. Enjoyed the listen. Definitely needs to be heard on a good sound system.
Sunny Day Real Estate
3/5
On of those bands I’ve known of forever but didn’t actually know their stuff. It was a good record.
Daft Punk
3/5
For some reason that I can’t put my finger on I didn’t enjoy this as much as the studio albums. It’s still fun and well executed it just didn’t grab me as much
Al Stewart
3/5
Good enough.
Tame Impala
3/5
I have tried a few times to get into Tame Impala. I just haven’t been able to do it.
Titus Andronicus
5/5
So glad this was on here. Spotify has fed me these guys from time to time on random playlists. Never really took note of them. I guess what I needed was to sit down and listen to this record front to back to get it.
Listening to this record shows a cohesive whole that shines.
Gotcha!
3/5
Didn’t really grab me, but enjoyable enough.
Yeasayer
3/5
Different from other things out there. Enjoyed this.
The 1975
3/5
I saw them live on the tour for their second album I think it was. I listened to this once before this go when it first came out. Enjoyed it enough.
TOOL
3/5
The Tool fans are out in force. I feel between the main list and this side list I’ve had all their records in the last few months except Opiate. They’re all good records and I enjoy them. I just don’t know if they all need to be on here. Which one I would remove - I don’t know.
The Avett Brothers
3/5
One of those artists that shows up on my Spotify algorithmic playlists that I’ve never really taken the time to dive into. I enjoyed this listen and will likely go back and try and hear some more.
Rachel Stevens
2/5
Wasn’t really for me.
Korn
4/5
When they first came on the scene I didn’t really have any time for them. I think I’ve been missing out. I enjoyed this.
Death Cab for Cutie
5/5
This definitely benefits from listening straight through with focus. I’ve heard it and songs from it over the years and enjoyed it enough but didn’t get it. A proper focused listening has changed that. Great record.
Talk Talk
3/5
Enjoyed it enough.
Jeff Rosenstock
4/5
For me his music will be forever associated with the pandemic. Didn’t know of him before that time but Spotify fed me him on the algorithm and I really enjoyed his work.
Great record.
Pedro The Lion
3/5
It was fine.
Tori Amos
5/5
An album I have loved for years. I love the gloomy feel throughout.
MF DOOM
4/5
Not my style of music but really glad it’s on this list. If the main list is criticized for not having enough rap/hip hop etc then the user list seems to have even less. This is the first I think I’ve had in 100 recommendations.
Chris de Burgh
4/5
When this popped up I had a moment of panic as I did not want schlocky love songs. What a pleasant surprise this record was. The narrative arc and stories reminded me a little of Ogden Nut Gone Flake. Not sure why that is but it did.
Childish Gambino
3/5
I will need to listen to this again. Maybe he’s an artist I’ve built too much up in my head. My expectations were that it might be a life changing record. Turns out it was good but didn’t hit at the extent I was thinking it would. Probably some more listens might help.
Ian McDonald
3/5
Enjoyable enough.
First Aid Kit
4/5
Funny how it works sometimes. The day before this generated I said to myself I hadn’t listened to a First Aid Kit record in awhile. So I listened to Palamino. Glad this came up the next day. Really enjoyable record.
The Dear Hunter
3/5
Interesting concept. I think I need to spend some more time with it.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
What a great recording. I would have loved to see him live in his heyday (but hey I wasn’t born for another 4 years after this show). I have gotten to see him live in ‘03 and ‘24. Still does a great show.
Childish Gambino
4/5
So I had another album of his show up a few days ago and commented that I was excited to hear it but was let down. So my expectations were not as high for this one. Turns out this one was better for me. This grabbed me the way the earlier hadn’t.
Times New Viking
3/5
Enjoyable Lo-fi.
Jack Johnson
3/5
Another artists who I feel I should love but for some unknown reason I don’t. I have nothing negative to say. Just hasn’t grabbed me.
Sparks
4/5
Only started to hear about this band in the last couple of years. Really neat stuff.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Great record. Not my usual sound, but I found my toes tapping along to this.
THE SPORTS
3/5
Had never heard of them before. It was an enjoyable listen.
Beyoncé
3/5
Second time with this one. Grew on me a little. Still a ways to go to get to the greatness others see.
GAS
3/5
Not sure how to rate this. I think I need to give it a second listen on my main system. I had to listen to it on AirPods which probably doesn’t do it justice. I think the more complete sound of the big stereo would benefit it.
The Lumineers
3/5
Another band that pops up my algorithm but I’ve never dove into. I should spend more time with them. There is something there.
Mull Historical Society
3/5
That was a nice surprise. Went in with no idea what to expect and I enjoyed it.
Enjoyed enough.
Johnny Winter
3/5
Wasn’t really for me, but I was glad to hear it. I like records being on here that are stylistically a little different from the others. It’s 1001 albums you must hear not always 1001 best albums. This lands in a I’m really glad I’ve now heard it category.
Wussy
4/5
Really enjoyed that. Spotify feeds me Airborne with some regularity but I haven’t explored further. I think after hearing this I will spend a bit more time listening to this band.
The Postal Service
4/5
I really enjoyed that one. They have been on my radar but I haven’t sat down to a full album before this. It seems to push forward in all the right places. Not too out there but somehow different.
Chet Baker
4/5
I really enjoyed this one. My appreciation of jazz has been growing with age. I’ve enjoyed what I have heard from him before and this added to my appreciation.
Bloc Party
3/5
Enjoyed more than I thought I would. Should listen to some more.
Vampire Weekend
4/5
Enjoy every record I’ve heard from them.
Screaming Females
3/5
I’ve heard them a few times on the Spotify algorithm. Never really sat down to a listening session before. I enjoyed this. I will likely dive in a little more to their discography.
John Coltrane
3/5
I’ve been starting to get into jazz in the last year or so. I have started with instrumental jazz and haven’t yet made the leap into jazz with vocals. Clearly this is a very good version of that music. For some strange reason it doesn’t do anything for me. I’ll keep making small forays into this world maybe one day it will click.
Calibro 35
4/5
I am really glad someone added this to the list. I knew nothing about them but it grabbed me from almost the first note. Will definitely come back to hear more of their stuff. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the track that had a lot of vocals. Definitely preferred the instrumental tracks.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Enjoyed this.
Yo La Tengo
4/5
This is one that if you had asked me I would have said was on the main list. Definitely an oversight from that list. Love the variety of what you get out of this record. It never gets to the level of worship for me that I think it might for others. Still a great record.
Josh Ritter
4/5
Enjoyed that.
Sam Fender
4/5
I enjoyed this and my check out some more. Just not sure if I know what lands jt as a must hear other than being a must hear other than being recent and good. I’d love to know more.
Frightened Rabbit
4/5
Every time I listen to Frightened Rabbit I think I need to listen to more Frightened Rabbit.
Chloe x Halle
2/5
The first track or two had me thinking I might enjoy this one. But then I slowly lost that feeling and ended up back in the realm of not for me.
Jon Batiste
4/5
I was happy to see this pop up. I remember him getting a lot of buzz a few years ago at the Grammy’s. I did really enjoy this. I thought there was a good variety of sounds going on. At first I was listening off my phone but then I was enjoying it enough that I switched over to my main sound system. Very glad I did.
Courteeners
3/5
Good record. Enjoyed it. For me it landed in the category of good record but not sure what would push it onto a 1001 must hear list. Still, glad I got to hear it.
Rita Ora
4/5
I will admit this is not the type of music i usually enjoy and was therefore not looking forward to this when it popped up.
I can’t say why, but I was so wrong. Nothing about this lands in my usual listening profile but I enjoyed it. I’ve tried to figure out why so maybe I could try a little more with those elements. Couldn’t do it. Just don’t know why I liked this.
Mogwai
5/5
Another example for me of how you listen matters. I had hear of them before and listened to this record probably 3 or 4 years ago and thought - meh. Well, at that time I would have most likely listened to it through my little Bluetooth bose speaker. This time I made sure to listen to it through my main system. Wow. What a difference.
This time it grabbed me from the opening right through the final note. I was blown away by the dynamics in this record. The distance between the lows and the highs, the soundstage the imaging. Wow. Just wow. And the songs grabbed me and I found myself waiting for what was coming next.
My wife did say and one point for the upstairs “what the heck is that noise”. I think that’s the sign of a different and interesting sound in a record.
Anyway, all this to say, listen to this on the best system you have at your disposal. And my system isn’t amazing by any stretch but it is able to be able to pick out the above. I’d love to hear this on a real audiophile grade system (whatever that is).
Manchester Orchestra
3/5
Enjoyed this.
Louis Armstrong
4/5
Thank you for putting this on. This is the type of record I like being on here as a step in understanding the evolution of music. Often times I hear the user list and ask myself I wonder why the person chose to put it on the list.
I really wish people could have their own caption on why they put it there. Often records just feel like ok it’s a good rock recording, but what make it must hear. This one doesn’t suffer from that syndrome. I clearly belongs and I am very glad to have heard it.
Kaizers Orchestra
3/5
Wish I knew the language. I feel I might have really enjoyed it. As is I still enjoyed.
The Amazing Devil
3/5
Did really do it for me.
INXS
5/5
Another one in the category of I would have sworn this was on the the original list. I can’t really fairly rated this one. It came out when I was in junior school and had been with me ever since. I owned it on cassette and then on CD. Puts a smile on my face every time I hear it.
Marillion
3/5
Second one on the list. I think I liked this one more.
They Might Be Giants
3/5
Enjoyed it.
Salif Keita
3/5
Enjoyed this.
Psyche Origami
5/5
Not my usual style. Unlikely to come back to. However, Wow!!! That was awesome. Musically interesting. Lyrically interesting. Captivating flow. Great production.
Refused
3/5
Enjoyed it.
Killswitch Engage
3/5
I may have enjoyed this more on a different day. Wasn’t really the style I needed for when I listened to it.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
5/5
Had to find it on YouTube as they have pulled their music from most streaming platforms. I am so glad that I did hunt it down.
I find on this list there are a lot of records that seem to be just good rock records without being clear why someone would call them 1001 to hear before you die (I would love if as submitters we had a paragraph of why we thought it hit 1001 worthy). This one was obvious to me. Content, sound, recording quality all of it interesting and different. I would not call this just another rock record.
Spose
3/5
Not sure what to say about this. Seems very obscure. I did find it to be an interesting project. Worth the listen.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
3/5
Another band on my list of bands I feel I should love but somehow don’t. I’ll keep giving them a chance. I’m sure one day it will click.
Touché Amoré
4/5
Enjoyed that one. At first I was neither here nor there on it. But it clicked for me at some stage.
Ex-Easter Island Head
3/5
Interesting record. Enjoyed it enough.
Jason Isbell
4/5
Really good album. It’s one where I would love to know why the person chose to put this forward. What pushes it from being a good album to 1001 must hear.
Os Mundi
3/5
Definitely belongs on this list. Different sound and a bit of a challenging record. Enjoyed it.
Gurrumul
3/5
Never would have come across this on my own. Glad to have had the chance to hear it.
Yoko Ono
2/5
Well, know I know why Yoko Ono is always portrayed as caterwauling in comedies.
Biffy Clyro
3/5
Enjoyable enough.
100 gecs
3/5
There is something there. Interesting.
Roky Erickson
3/5
Good listen.
Lady Gaga
3/5
Not my usual style so I wasn’t looking forward to it when it popped up. Turns out as I got into it I found myself enjoying it. Eventually it did transition to being a bit same between the songs and fell a bit more into the background. All in all better than I expected but I lost steam on it.
R.E.M.
4/5
Another one that I would have sworn was on the main list.
Amadou & Mariam
2/5
Sometimes these ones that are far beyond my usual listening I end up hearing something really interesting to me. This one I didn’t get that. Just wasn’t for me.
Chucklehead
3/5
Not my usual style. Enjoyed the listen.
Dead Boys
4/5
Another one I thought was on the main list. Classic punk record. While I don’t put this on often I do enjoy it when I do.
Boredoms
2/5
That one was unique. Had to hunt it down as it was no longer on Spotify.
Metric
4/5
A record I really enjoy. It’s in my semi regular rotation.
Freddie Gibbs
3/5
This one I struggled with. I am not the target market and as a result there is a lot of a particular word I am not comfortable with. I find when an album is heavy on that usage it reduces my ability to enjoy it. I think I really liked the overall sound and vibe. I probably would have given it an extra star had it not been so prominent.
Koritni
2/5
Didn’t do much for me.
Transvision Vamp
3/5
Glad to have listened to this. I knew Tell That Girl to Shut Up but nothing else from them. Interesting sound from a specific moment in time on this one. Well worth the listen.
Ani DiFranco
4/5
At the time is was a teenager and Ani DiFranco was not something I would give the time of day to. Now that I am in my mid-40s I am starting to realize how good her music is. I hadn’t listened to this one as a whole record before. I really enjoy listening to the sound of the record and what she has to say. Glad it was on here.
Alex Cameron
3/5
Enjoyable listen.
Polvo
3/5
Enjoyable enough.
The Tragically Hip
4/5
This was my suggestion for the list. I have often thought with records on here that I would like to know the why behind them being suggested. So I’ll do that here.
I chose this one not because it is the greatest album ever. You’ll see I only gave it a 4 as a rating. I added this because of the importance of The Tragically Hip in Canadian music and in Canada in general.
The Hip were our band. They never broke into the broad scene outside of their home country but in Canada they were everywhere. One of the only bands who regularly included the Canadian experience in their lyrical content.
Courage (for Hugh MacLennan) who was a Canadian novelist best known for Barometer Rising about the Halifax explosion in WWI which was the largest mad made explosion to that time and destroy much of the city killing thousands. More import MacLennan’s Two Solitudes coined a term that would be used to describe the speakers of Canada’s two official languages.
Fifty Mission Cap is about Bill Brilko a Toronto Maple Leaf who after scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime disappeared on a fishing trip that summer. The Leafs would not win another cup until the year they discovered his body nearly a decade later.
Wheat Kings is a reflection on the wrongful conviction of David Migaard and is laced with references to “pictures of our Parents Prime Ministers” and “ a late breaking story on the CBC” and “a nation whispers we always knew that he’d go free”.
Looking For a Place To Happen is filled with references to early discovery of Canada by Europeans with lines like “Jacque Cartier right this way”. I do reference Europeans specifically above as Canada was a fully populated space upon their arrival. Gord Downie the lead singer became involved in many causes in his life include a haunting book and album Secret Path telling the story of 12-year old Annishinaabe boy Chanie Wenjack who tried to walk home after escaping a residential school and died alone of exposure on the trip.
The Hip got elevated to a space no other Canadian band has with their final tour. After lead singer was diagnosed with an inoperable form of brain cancer they embarked on farewell tour of the country. The final show was shown on the CBC with an estimated audience of over 10 million watching live and uncut representing a full third of the country. It was a moment of watching a Canadian band in its final performance with its dynamic frontman clearly suffering form the effects of the disease that would shortly take his life. It was an amazing celebration.
So I included this record not because it pushes the boundaries of music forward. Nor because it’s the best example of its type of rock. I added this to the list as it is a great example of music that tells unashamed stories of Canada and its people.
Baroness
3/5
Not my thing. But I enjoyed what they did here. I liked the scope of this. Usually a double record puts me off. That was my first reaction when I saw it come up. I think they executed it well.
Shania Twain
3/5
Classic Shania. It was everywhere at the time.
Khruangbin
4/5
I really enjoyed that.
Ozzy Osbourne
3/5
I’ve never been a big Ozzy fan. I will listen to his stuff when it comes on without skipping tracks but I never seek it out. I’ve listened to his Sabbath stuff through these lists but this is the first time I’ve sat down to a full solo record.
It didn’t change my mind. I just don’t love the way he sings. Which I now lots of people do. I can see why if you like his style this would be a top 1000 album for you. Just not for me.
Paul McCartney
4/5
Another one in the category of I thought this was on the main list. I think this is my favourite thing that McCartney did post Beatles.
John Mayer
3/5
For whatever reason his music has never connected with me. It isn’t love, it isn’t hate, it’s just indifference.
With this listen that overall feeling didn’t change but I did gain and appreciation for how well played and recorded his music is. He is clearly a great musician and it’s nice music to have on. It just doesn’t grab me on an emotional level. I can see how it would for others.
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
Good record. Not sure why I don’t listen to more of them.
David Allan Coe
3/5
That’s country alright. Good country.
Agalloch
5/5
When this popped up I had no idea what it was. I looked on Wikipedia and said to myself- oh no not today wrong mood.
Turns out my fear was all wrong. From about 30 seconds in I was intrigued. I’ve never heard anything that could be described as atmospheric metal. I loved it. I will definitely seek out more of this.
I am sure it is something that will be very mood dependent for me. But in the right mood I think this will be the perfect soundtrack.
Joan As Police Woman
3/5
I enjoyed it.
Kashmir
3/5
It was good.
Les sheriff
4/5
This has the sound of the type of punk record that I enjoy listening to. I really wish my French was a bit stronger. Sung this way I just can’t keep up.
Mustafa
3/5
I recently came across his when he was a guest at a Dua Lipa concert. She talked about how many great artists come out of Toronto and this big build up and hype and then brought this guy out. That was the biggest collective letdown I’ve ever felt at a concert. You could feel the audience all be like who the heck is this guy. Then he came out and did a rather boring song with her. It took a solid 4-5 more songs before she was able to reestablish the energy.
As for the record which I’ve now listened to it was as bad as I had feared from the experience. Actually interesting folk in there.
Deltron 3030
4/5
Not my usual style. However, this is the type of rap that I enjoy. I like the theme through the album. The clever use of skits to bridge between songs and sections. When I come across records like this I enjoy them way more than a rap record that is just a collection of songs.
Thank you to whoever put this on. Good choice.
The Burning Hell
4/5
I feel I have let myself down in my musical journey. Canadian indie band of this quality that I didn’t know makes me sad. Great record.
Various Artists
2/5
I’ve heard that people listen to video gags me soundtracks but I never have before. I am guessing you need to love the game to really get into it.
Ookla The Mok
3/5
Had never heard of this band. It was an enjoyable enough listen. I won’t be rushing to put more on, but enjoyed the time with it anyway.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Definitely not my style. But I am pretty sure it is a decent example of what it is supposed to be. I am interested in why this particular Dolly Parton record was chosen out of the very large number she created over the years.
Chappell Roan
4/5
I have teenagers so I have been exposed to a lot more of modern pop than I otherwise would have. I find myself liking this more than most others. I think it is because the songs are distinct and unique. A lot of pop records are very one note to me and this is not. There are risks taken and different areas explored. Much better than a lot of its contemporaries.
Nic Jones
5/5
This came out of left field for me. Knew nothing of it. I have a soft spot for very old style folk music. I think it was due to the presence of Great Big Sea and Spirit of the West on Canadian radio and Much Music as a teenager. As a result I have an appreciation for this style of music. I really enjoyed and will likely come back to it in the future.
Tom Misch
2/5
Really wasn’t for me. A combination of elements to styles that I don’t really enjoy.
Swans
4/5
I don’t really know why but I had a different expectation of what Swans were. I thought they were one of the Gallagher’s bands after Oasis. No idea why I thought that. Turns out I was wrong. Who knew?
I enjoyed some compositions more than others. Sometimes I thought it was brilliance and sometimes I thought it was noise.
I did it a disservice and listened to it on my phone and not my main system. I’ll have to try and use a bigger sound next time. This needs another listen or too before I really know how it lands.
Comus
3/5
Interesting listen.
BABYMETAL
2/5
Yeah. Didn’t love this one. The vocals sounded like they floated over top of the music as opposed to being integral to the music. I enjoy female singers in metal bands like Jinger. In those cases the music and vocals are very much intertwined.
Denzel Curry
2/5
Not my thing. It had a lot of elements I don’t enjoy in rap / hip hop in it.
Dream Theater
3/5
First record I listened to using lossless on Spotify connect on my main system. Never explored them before but I know the name. Enjoyable listen. Well recorded.
Modern Life Is War
3/5
Add one more to my list of I enjoyed this. Thought it was a good record but I’d love to hear from the person who put this on the list the why behind adding it. Other than being a good record what pushed it over the top to be 1000 to hear record. Because I thought it was good. I enjoyed it. But I feel I’m missing something that others have seen.
Joe Cocker
4/5
I was happy when I saw a Joe Cocker record show up as I don’t really know his stuff other than With A Little Help of My Friends. Then I looked at the Wikipedia article and saw it was a live record and got a little worried. Then I saw it was a single show and got excited again. I really don’t like compilation live records but usually enjoy single shows. I find the compilation ones lose the flow which is what I am usually after.
This one delivered. A great performance. A great setlist. Wonderful energy through out. This would have been a powerful show to be at.
Thanks for adding this one.
Spinvis
4/5
That was a good suggestion for the list. Not my language at all so I didn’t understand a thing sung. However, from listening to it you can tell it seemed awesome. For some reason for me it evoked with a Sparklehorse or Eels at times.
Vampire Weekend
3/5
I enjoy this record and while Vampire Weekend isn’t really a band I seek out very often whenever I do listen to them I enjoy them. Having said that this is another for my I would love to know the person chose this for a 1000 record. What moved it from just being a really good record to a 1000 must hear before you die.
The Notwist
3/5
Good indie rock record.
Daft Punk
4/5
Not my style of music at all but I always appreciate a Daft Punk record.
Jai Paul
3/5
Parts I enjoyed. Parts not. I can see why someone put this on the list.
Chuck Berry
4/5
I really enjoyed that.
Jaco Pastorius
4/5
I really enjoyed that.
New Model Army
4/5
Never heard of them. Really enjoyed this.
Duncan Dhu
3/5
Not really my sound or style. Enjoyed it but was longer than its ability to hold my interest.
Susanne Sundfør
4/5
I enjoyed that. First song or two I thought it was nothing special, but as it progressed I found it more and more interesting.
Rodríguez
5/5
I first heard about him through a co-worker who was from South Africa. I had no idea who this guy was talking about. A few years later the Searching for Sugarman movie came out and I was able to piece it together.
Since I bought that soundtrack I have really enjoyed his music. I love what he writes about, how he writes it and how he performs it. Just great.
Arca
3/5
Not my sound. However, I was listening to it my main system and did enjoy the production quality and sound.
3/5
Enjoyed parts of this. However it’s another that falls into a little bit too long for me.
Noname
3/5
I liked this more than I thought I would. It did feel poetic.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
3/5
Not a big blues guy so I enjoyed the breadth you had with this record. Well worth the listen.
CAKE
3/5
It’s one that didn’t appeal to me at the time. The band still has a lot of staying power with its base which is great. It’s an enjoyable enough record but still not really my thing.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Only my second time listening to them (first being on the official list). I enjoyed this. Thought it was well conceived and well executed. Interesting throughout.
Quicksand
4/5
So glad this was on here. It’s one I listened to back when it came out when I was a teenager. Somehow it had faded from my memory and as a result probably haven’t listened to it since the 90s. I’ve been thinking recently I should give it another go. So I was very happy to see this on here.
Great post-punk record.
Olivia Rodrigo
4/5
I have a teenage daughter so have way more exposure to music from younger mainstream artists. To me her music is much more interesting than her contemporaries. More anger / rage and a greater diversity of sound. It’s not the same song over and over again. I can appreciate that.
Robyn Hitchcock
4/5
This was a great selection for this list. I’ve always known the name and have had songs play on mixes etc but I don’t think I’ve spent time sitting down to many albums. I feel I’ve heard one on a list somewhere but it didn’t stick with me.
This time I devoted my attention to it properly and it was great. Loved the writing and the changing sound. Great listen.
Nightwish
3/5
I think I need to spend an evening with someone who is a huge fan of this type of music and have them geek out about it while playing different examples of bands.
I enjoyed the listen but I am just not able to tell why one is better or more standout than another.
Warren Zevon
4/5
I came to know Warren Zevon later in my musical life. I remember seeing Springsteen the day that he passed away and Bruce started his show with a Zevon tune.
Since I started to listen to him I have been really glad that I did. His song writing I find very unique and interesting. The lyrics are key to what made him who he was.
This is a great example of who he was and what he did.
This belongs on the list for sure.
Daft Punk
3/5
I don’t really listen to Daft Punk yet every time I do I enjoy it. This was no exception. Although it wasn’t as amazing as the others I have heard from them.
Recently I listened to the new Tron soundtrack by NIN I enjoyed that one more.
So glad someone added this. One of the things I enjoyed about the pandemic was playing music while I was working. For some reason during those times the Spotify algorithm determined that I needed to start listening to folk punk. It was so right. I did need folk punk in my life. Since they I regularly play a wide variety of the genre.
This is a great example of the style and hopefully a gateway to people listening to more.
Björk
3/5
Always enjoy a Björk record.
Shpongle
3/5
Intersting. Probably would have enjoyed it more if it was under an hour.
Turnpike Troubadours
3/5
Not my genre so I would really love to know why the person chose to put this one forward. What make this more special than others in its space.
Thee Oh Sees
3/5
I think on a different day this would have hit me differently.
Yellowcard
3/5
Wasn’t really my thing. But enjoyable enough.
Anaïs Mitchell
5/5
Wow. That was really something else. I knew her name and I knew Hadestown was a musical but I didn’t know that this is where it came from and this came first. While I had heard of the musical I had never heard the musical so this was a first for me. I really enjoyed getting sucked into this world.
Brand New
3/5
Wasn’t really my thing. Wasn’t bad. Just didn’t excite me.
Mac Miller
3/5
Not my style.
Final Fantasy
4/5
Didn’t know him or his stuff. Enjoyed the listen. Probably will give some of his other stuff a listen.
Alabama 3
3/5
Enjoyable enough listen.
Lift To Experience
4/5
This was a great surprise. When it popped up I will admit I judged the book by the cover and recoiled a little. Next I read the Wikipedia article but all I really took in was that this was over an hour. Almost every time I see that I have to steel myself for a record that just feels too long.
Well, my reactions were wrong. Great use of different sounds and dynamics throughout. Kept me interested and excited all the way to the end.
I’m giving it a four, but it has potential for a 5 given additional listens.
Screeching Weasel
4/5
Enjoyed that.
The Who
4/5
Excellent record. There is a reason it’s a classic.
Tally Hall
3/5
Worth the listen.
Charly García
3/5
Never would have listened to this without it being on this list. It was enjoyable.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
4/5
So glad this is on here. While not my favourite record of his (that would likely be Dare to be Stupid) it is where it all started. “Weird Al” has a special place in music that I don’t think anyone else will ever have.
Floating Points
3/5
I made sure to listen to this on my main stereo system. I think that was the right choice. I enjoyed the experience.