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Mon Apr 11 2022
Five Leaves Left
Nick Drake
uncomfortable cafe chairs and sweet coffee, drifting out to sea, classical guitar, folk tale with strings, blackbird but if it were eleanor rigby, crocuses in the rain, lesser harrisong uplifted by flute, ooh jazz!, weird metaphor over beautiful chords, swung mccartney.
overall a really beautiful album with a unique vibe — not one i can see myself returning too often, but once every few months when i’m in the mood, i’ll really enjoy this album. feels like a sunday afternoon.
5
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Tue Apr 12 2022
Marcus Garvey
Burning Spear
the first reggae album i’ve ever really listened to. i cant super judge it, but i really enjoyed listening to it, and it was super political. felt it dragged a bit on the late first side, but there are some really excellent songs.
5
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Wed Apr 13 2022
Forever Changes
Love
this was a real stinker. lyrics were either nonsensical or inane, music was forgettable. just not very good.
1
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Thu Apr 14 2022
Grace
Jeff Buckley
the vocals are way prettier than i expected, there’s some really cool stuff here. i feel like it drags a bit at the beginning of the b side and i dont love this hallelujah, but otherwise a really solid record.
4
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Fri Apr 15 2022
Blue
Joni Mitchell
a very Joni Mitchell album. honestly dont know how to rate this — really liked some songs, thought others were boring. it didnt feel that cohesive, i guess, though that doesnt make much sense.
4
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Mon Apr 18 2022
The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
really pretty album, especially the nature songs.
5
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Tue Apr 19 2022
Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
not really sure how to rate this honestly, some of the songs were really good, others i just didnt get. giving this a 3 as a baseline, i guess.
3
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Wed Apr 20 2022
The Yes Album
Yes
sank into this in a really enjoyable way
4
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Thu Apr 21 2022
The Lexicon Of Love
ABC
wasnt expecting orchestral disco, but this was quite good. really liked the b side, especially theme from “mantrap”. the a side had a few songs with awkward lyrics, but overall was fine.
4
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Fri Apr 22 2022
Floodland
Sisters Of Mercy
synth pop!
3
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Mon Apr 25 2022
25
Adele
wow i liked this a lot more than i was expecting.
4
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Tue Apr 26 2022
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
this was very 2000s singer-songwriter, but with meh lyrics and boring instrumentals. very disappointing
1
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Wed Apr 27 2022
Quiet Life
Japan
ehh. not particularly impressed.
2
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Thu Apr 28 2022
Unhalfbricking
Fairport Convention
always in for some folk rock, this was quite nice
4
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Fri Apr 29 2022
Apocalypse Dudes
Turbonegro
first song was solid, the rest of it was ehh to bad.
2
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Mon May 02 2022
Let It Be
The Replacements
sounds like it was literally recorded in a garage and i absolutely loved it
4
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Tue May 03 2022
Queen II
Queen
this is definitely one of the queen albums of all time. some good songs, some boring songs. ehh
3
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Wed May 04 2022
MTV Unplugged In New York
Nirvana
this was great tbh, i really want to get more into nirvana and this was a good intro
4
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Thu May 05 2022
Colour By Numbers
Culture Club
karma chameleon and the next song were great, rest was ehh to bad
2
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Fri May 06 2022
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
these were some lovely soundscapes
4
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Mon May 09 2022
The Renaissance
Q-Tip
this was great! really good production, really good lyrics, enjoyed it a lot.
5
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Tue May 10 2022
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
this is one of the best rap albums of all time and i love the lyrics, but it also isnt the most relistenable album.
4
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Wed May 11 2022
The Only Ones
The Only Ones
this one just really couldnt keep my interest, i’m not sure why
2
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Thu May 12 2022
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
there were a ton of songs on this album. some were great, but some were bad and a lot were forgettable.
3
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Fri May 13 2022
New York Dolls
New York Dolls
i’m kind of burnt out on punk at this point, not sure i took the time with this album that i should have
2
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Tue May 17 2022
Private Dancer
Tina Turner
i didnt really vibe with the synth-soul stuff, i feel like it didnt mesh really well which is odd bc i’ve heard synthy-soul-y production on rap tracks before and really liked it — maybe a feature of how old this record is?
2
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Wed May 18 2022
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
this was really great! i liked the production more than the other public enemy record we listened to
5
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Thu May 19 2022
Loveless
My Bloody Valentine
one of the legendary shoegaze albums, it’s just incredible
5
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Fri May 20 2022
O.G. Original Gangster
Ice T
i was surprised at how much i liked this. the production is largely simple but good, and T has some real lyricism here.
4
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Mon May 23 2022
Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
i’m surprised more of these songs didnt become popular, this album has a distinct radio feel to it. not really my cup of tea, but some good stuff here
4
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Tue May 24 2022
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
not really sure how to rate this so i’m giving it a 3, but it’s an album i could see myself coming back to after i learn more about jazz
3
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Wed May 25 2022
Tidal
Fiona Apple
ehh. her voice was good, but this just doesnt do it for me
2
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Thu May 26 2022
Either Or
Elliott Smith
this was fine i guess?
3
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Fri May 27 2022
Transformer
Lou Reed
lou reed’s best solo album, this is just excellent — it’s produced by bowie and mick ronson, and you can really tell, they combine with reed’s songwriting incredibly well.
5
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Mon May 30 2022
Dry
PJ Harvey
ehh. wasnt interesting to me, didnt enjoy listening
2
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Tue May 31 2022
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
Ray Charles
man i just love a ray charles album, this was really nice
5
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Wed Jun 01 2022
Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock
heyyyyyyyyy, watermelon man!!!!!’
this album is great.
5
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Thu Jun 02 2022
Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
man these guys really like leonard skin nerd, huh?
i didnt like this. the songs were individually bad, and the story of the album wasnt particularly compelling
1
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Fri Jun 03 2022
Diamond Life
Sade
i thought this was pretty good! not sure if i’m gonna come back to it but it was a fun listen
4
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Mon Jun 06 2022
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
very good album, didnt love my first listen but it’s really grown on me. feels oddly similar to the avalanches
5
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Tue Jun 07 2022
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
yeah this album is just incredible
5
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Wed Jun 08 2022
Guitar Town
Steve Earle
i’m always down for some nashville country, but this album didnt really speak to me. it was fine?
3
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Thu Jun 09 2022
Pieces Of The Sky
Emmylou Harris
i liked this album, but i’m not really sure about it — this is a high 3, could be a 4 under other circumstances
3
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Fri Jun 10 2022
The Stranger
Billy Joel
tbh i was slightly disappointed by this — it’s still good, but i felt it dragged in a couple of places.
4
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Mon Jun 13 2022
Urban Hymns
The Verve
the first song i like a lot but the rest weren’t very interesting to me.
2
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Tue Jun 14 2022
Berlin
Lou Reed
i really enjoyed the instrumentation here, which imo made up for some weak lyrics from lou reed.
4
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Wed Jun 15 2022
Actually
Pet Shop Boys
this was disappointing to me, a lot of the songs felt similar and not very musically interesting.
2
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Thu Jun 16 2022
Bright Flight
Silver Jews
the fact that two of the guys on this album were also in pavement isnt surprising, but i feel like this lacked something pavement had. didnt enjoy it
2
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Fri Jun 17 2022
Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Pavement
yeah this is basically what i expected from a pavement record. it’s fine, not super memorable
3
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Mon Jun 20 2022
Halcyon Digest
Deerhunter
this feels like an album i’m gonna revisit in a few months and really like, but right now i don’t really _get_ it.
3
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Tue Jun 21 2022
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
i really couldnt get into this. i think the mixing is weird enough that it just didnt work for me, i didnt enjoy it
2
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Wed Jun 22 2022
Our Aim Is To Satisfy
Red Snapper
i liked this! i always somewhat drift when listening to electronic music like this so i dont really have specific likes and dislikes, but i enjoyed it
4
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Thu Jun 23 2022
Bad Company
Bad Company
“vapid midcentury rock”
2
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Fri Jun 24 2022
Treasure
Cocteau Twins
really liked this album, you can see the direction the group is moving in and how they were pioneers of dreampop. this has some flaws, it’s no heaven or las vegas, which is why it’s a 4, but it’s a very high 4
4
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Mon Jun 27 2022
Sticky Fingers
The Rolling Stones
this was really refreshing, i’d never heard any of these songs before and enjoyed the album a lot
4
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Tue Jun 28 2022
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
David Bowie
this is a legendary album for a reason, i’ll never not listen to it if given the chance.
5
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Wed Jun 29 2022
Greetings From L.A.
Tim Buckley
some real good tracks here, this album is one you can really sink into. didn’t know anything about tim buckley except for his son, going to check out more of his music.
4
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Thu Jun 30 2022
Live At The Regal
B.B. King
this is the greatest live album of all time. just perfect. i could listen to it any time for any reason and be happy.
5
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Fri Jul 01 2022
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
i’d heard a bunch of the songs before, but this was my first time listening to the album as a whole. despite some awkwardness, this is brilliant and you can see how it influenced hip hop in the 2010s so well.
4
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Mon Jul 04 2022
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
i always find myself disappointed by coldplay albums. it feels like there’s a potential for something really interesting there, and then 2/3 of the songs sound the exact same.
2
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Tue Jul 05 2022
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
i really didnt expect to enjoy a meat loaf album, but this was excellent. it was apparently adapted from a musical, and you can tell — it feels like a movie. some songs (paradise…) were extremely long, but none of them felt like they dragged. surprisingly excellent all round.
5
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Thu Jul 07 2022
Scott 2
Scott Walker
this was one of the most prototypical “wall of sound” albums i’ve ever listened to, and i think i understand what that means way more now. it was musically interesting, though i grew a bit bored midway through when it felt like we were getting the same themes over and over again. the lyrics made up for this, they were really funny in places, though some haven’t aged well. i don’t usually notice lyrics at all, so this was a welcome surprise. a fun listen, though i don’t think i’ll come back to it anytime soon.
4
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Fri Jul 08 2022
Yeezus
Kanye West
one of my favorite albums of all time. great lyrics, but genuinely perfect production. i dont think we’ll ever see an album like this again, hold my liquor and bound 2 are top 5 and blood on the leaves is top 1. to get the most out of it, play it over headphones and turn it up until the bass plays through your whole body. this listen i great to appreciate i’m in it a lot more, assassin is so good on his feature, i’m shocked i havent listened to anything of his before. this album is quite divisive, and for good reason, but to me it’s a true masterpiece. my favorite album we’ve heard so far, will likely be in my top 5 for the entire list.
5
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Mon Jul 11 2022
Horses
Patti Smith
there’s something compelling here, but i found it hard to focus on the lyrics and didnt love the production.
3
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Tue Jul 12 2022
Everything Must Go
Manic Street Preachers
i really vibed with this, something about it just spoke to me.
4
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Wed Jul 13 2022
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
i’d only heard money for nothing off this album before, and the rest was pleasantly surprising. the instrumentation was excellent, the lyrics were generally good, but there were some really heinous ones which knock this down to a 3. would be a 4 otherwise.
3
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Thu Jul 14 2022
Butterfly
Mariah Carey
mariah has an incredible voice of course, but the production and songwriting just isnt there. feels like i would get the same enjoyment listening to her perform a book of vocal etudes.
2
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Fri Jul 15 2022
Debut
Björk
really enjoyed this, great mix of musical styles but was super listenable throughout
5
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Mon Jul 18 2022
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
this felt like nothing, just overdone synths and label-provided lyrics. i felt nothing new during or after the album.
2
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Tue Jul 19 2022
Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye
this is a classic for a reason. it vibes the whole way through, and marvin has an incredible voice. i just didnt feel much emotionally from it, and some stuff felt the same.
4
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Wed Jul 20 2022
Here's Little Richard
Little Richard
this album is legendary, but tbh i dont think i’m going to come back to it very soon.
4
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Fri Jul 22 2022
NEU! 75
Neu!
i love weird albums and this was weird, but the vibes were really good.
5
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Mon Jul 25 2022
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
oasis is trying to do a beatles-stones crossover thing and they end up being worse than both, but this album is still very listenable. very much of its time, but it’s of its time because it inspired a lot of other people. not my favorite but solid overall
4
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Tue Jul 26 2022
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Byrds
this gets knocked down a point because it’s all covers, but the harmonies were really good
4
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Wed Jul 27 2022
Doolittle
Pixies
yes. fun and fruity
5
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Thu Jul 28 2022
Disintegration
The Cure
this one didn’t land for me, not really sure why. giving it a 3 for technically good music, but wasnt my jam
3
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Fri Jul 29 2022
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins
took me two full days to listen to, i kept getting bored and moving on. like the white album, i dont think an album this long can ever be _great_, because there’s bound to be some stinkers on there. this had some good songs and some bad, but if it was half the length with only the good songs it would be so much better
3
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Mon Aug 01 2022
The Wildest!
Louis Prima
this is just pure fun. cant help but love it
5
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Wed Aug 03 2022
Shaka Zulu
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
5
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Thu Aug 04 2022
Deja Vu
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
it’s csnl so you’re always guaranteed some quality music, but this wasnt anything special.
3
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Fri Aug 05 2022
Meat Is Murder
The Smiths
there’s absolutely an element of nostalgia going into this review (my mom loves the smiths), but i really enjoyed this. morrissey is morrissey, but johnny marr has some amazing work on this album. every song sounds similar, but they all sound great so i’m fine with it. the meat is murder track is wild, super into it.
5
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Mon Aug 08 2022
That's The Way Of The World
Earth, Wind & Fire
i’m probably being harsh here, but i expected a lot more from an earth wind and fire album. this was totally fine, everything was solid, but there wasnt anything that really stood out to me
3
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Tue Aug 09 2022
Pump
Aerosmith
i can never listen to stuff like this without thinking about woodstock ‘99 and the whole “rock for white dudes only” movement. yes it’s technically good, but man you can really see why grunge was needed right after this.
2
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Wed Aug 10 2022
Ace of Spades
Motörhead
i dont think i’m ever going to be a metalhead, but this was a fun album. not to my taste, but you can see how it influenced people
3
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Thu Aug 11 2022
Tarkus
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
really fun, super listenable, this is my new favorite album to listen to while working.
5
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Fri Aug 12 2022
The Wall
Pink Floyd
this is one of the easiest 5’s i’ve given so far. just an amazing album in every respect
5
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Mon Aug 15 2022
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
ehh. very much ehh.
3
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Tue Aug 16 2022
American Idiot
Green Day
this is a Good Album by a lot of measures but i felt let down by it. still enough to get a highish grade, but not what i remember it being
4
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Wed Aug 17 2022
Being There
Wilco
didnt really enjoy this. i think wilco just isnt for me
2
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Thu Aug 18 2022
Pink Flag
Wire
i think i’m just burnt out on punk at this point
2
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Fri Aug 19 2022
Made In Japan
Deep Purple
i stopped midway through. at some point i’m sure i’ll smoke and listen to this, but not rn.
3
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Mon Aug 22 2022
Kid A
Radiohead
sublimely weird. i loved it
5
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Tue Aug 23 2022
B-52's
The B-52's
gloriously weird. incredibly fun. a little less than a 5, but a solid 4
4
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Wed Aug 24 2022
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
i dont think i’d ever listened to a full michael jackson album before this, but wow. the hits are the best, but every single song has something great about it.
5
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Thu Aug 25 2022
Third
Portishead
i feel nothing about this.
2
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Fri Aug 26 2022
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
this was fine. didnt particularly care for it.
2
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Mon Aug 29 2022
The Joshua Tree
U2
i’ve never been a fan of u2, and this album signifies why. It’s just not good.
2
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Tue Aug 30 2022
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
It's genuinely heartbreaking that this album isn't on any streaming services, because it means that De La Soul has fallen out of the conversation of greatest 80s and 90s hip hop groups. This album, their debut, is absolutely brilliant. Funny, corny, listenable. It influenced so many modern artists, and I didn't realize before hearing it how much my favorite albums (such as Wildflower, by the Avalanches) are based on it. I can't identify a favorite song or moment, because they're all so good. This is an instant 5/5 for me, and it's by far the best album on this list that I'd never listened to before.
5
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Wed Aug 31 2022
Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
this is fine. it’s just fine.
3
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Thu Sep 01 2022
Young Americans
David Bowie
i was slightly disappointed by this album, and i’m not really sure why. bowie is always good, and i liked his use of soul music, but there was something missing. i didnt love the beatles cover, even though that seems to be the focal point of the album. it’s a 4, but a weak 4 for me
4
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Fri Sep 02 2022
The Undertones
The Undertones
i found this really fun! there’s an earnestness to it that’s been missing from a lot of the punk from the same era i’ve gotten before. i think part of it could be that it’s a belfast band playing during the troubles, which lends a real authenticity to everything. it can’t be a 5 because it’s musically too simple, but it’s a solid 4.
4
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Mon Sep 05 2022
Home Is Where The Music Is
Hugh Masekela
this was really nice! i dont really know anything about jazz, but i found this great to listen to.
5
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Tue Sep 06 2022
The Marshall Mathers LP
Eminem
i’ve always struggled with eminem. the production and actual rapping are genuinely brilliant. the lyrics are terrible, and i just really cant get past that. i don’t think i can go below a 3 just because of the technical proficiency here, but with better (less heinous) lyrics this could easily be a 5.
3
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Wed Sep 07 2022
Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water
Limp Bizkit
genuinely unlistenable. 90s nu metal was a dark period in history
1
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Thu Sep 08 2022
Tellin’ Stories
The Charlatans
yeah. whatever.
3
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Fri Sep 09 2022
The Dreaming
Kate Bush
this was weird but in a great way.
4
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Mon Sep 12 2022
The Queen Is Dead
The Smiths
man morrissey really called it. anyways, this album is excellent and i’m always happy to have an excuse to listen to it
5
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Tue Sep 13 2022
Coat Of Many Colors
Dolly Parton
short and sweet, just like the queen of country herself.
5
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Wed Sep 14 2022
S.F. Sorrow
The Pretty Things
i didnt really get the concept part of it but individual songs were good
3
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Thu Sep 15 2022
Ill Communication
Beastie Boys
i’m definitely biased here, i’ve never been a fan of the beastie boys. giving this a 3 because i don’t think i can fairly rate it and the technical aspects are solid
3
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Fri Sep 16 2022
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Soft Cell
this was disappointing. tainted love is of course excellent, but there guys really needed to steal some lyrics for the other songs. boring synth pop
2
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Mon Sep 19 2022
C'est Chic
CHIC
this was my introduction to chic — i found it really fun! lots of great instrumentation, i didn’t really focus on the lyrics so i don’t know what those say.
5
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Tue Sep 20 2022
Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
i kind of loved it? hadn’t heard any of the songs but solisbury hill, and that banged, but i didn’t realize it would be so weird. gonna check out more peter gabriel now
5
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Wed Sep 21 2022
Parachutes
Coldplay
probably my favorite coldplay, but i still just feel almost nothing about it. giving it a 4 because it’s better, but it’s a low 4
4
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Thu Sep 22 2022
Songs For Swingin' Lovers!
Frank Sinatra
listen, it’s sinatra. you know what you’re getting, and it’s going to be great every time.
5
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Fri Sep 23 2022
Master Of Puppets
Metallica
not my jam. the technical aspects are all excellent, but i just can’t get into these long songs, i felt bored after 2 minutes.
2
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Mon Sep 26 2022
High Violet
The National
disappointed in this. i like some songs from the national, so i expected to like this, but it just felt so disconnected, and the individual songs didnt really stand out
3
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Tue Sep 27 2022
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
you can really see brian eno’s influence on this album, and it feels like exactly what i want from the talking heads.
5
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Wed Sep 28 2022
The Sun Rises In The East
Jeru The Damaja
i think i’ve been spoiled by the legendary 90s albums because even though this was great for the time, it fell flat to me.
3
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Thu Sep 29 2022
Ctrl
SZA
this is the newest album we’ve gotten so far, and you can tell why it was included. amazing production, great features, and sza is an excellent vocalist. very solid 5
5
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Fri Sep 30 2022
Metallica
Metallica
legendary album, but not really to my tastes.
4
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Mon Oct 03 2022
Hail To the Thief
Radiohead
this feels like a step backwards for radiohead given what i know of their earlier work. it’s….fine. 2+2=5 is solid, but everything else is meh.
3
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Tue Oct 04 2022
Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi
it’s exactly what i’d expect from bon jovi, which isn’t much. organ was fun
2
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Wed Oct 05 2022
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan
5
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Thu Oct 06 2022
British Steel
Judas Priest
this is about as highly as i can personally rate a metal album. it’s good, but not for me
4
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Fri Oct 07 2022
Untitled (Black Is)
SAULT
i can’t believe i’ve never heard of this group before. they’re on my list now, this album was excellent.
5
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Mon Oct 10 2022
OK Computer
Radiohead
this is just amazing. this album was my introduction to radiohead, and i still absolutely love it
5
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Tue Oct 11 2022
2112
Rush
when i was 12 and heard a rush song for the first time (tom sawyer), i wanted to listen to more music of theirs, so i looked up their scifi rock opera concept album. at age 12, i thought it was self-important, boring, and a bit fascistic. my opinion hasn’t changed. it’s higher than a 1 because of the technical skill, but only barely. fuck you geddy lee.
2
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Wed Oct 12 2022
Safe As Milk
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
i liked this a lot! have been recced beefheart before, i’m gonna listen to more now
4
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Thu Oct 13 2022
All Hail the Queen
Queen Latifah
lyrics and flow are truly excellent. production is mid to bad, mixing is terrible. makes sense that this is a debut album, but with some better choices this could be a strong 5. it missed a bit
4
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Fri Oct 14 2022
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
this was really excellent. a mix of classic flaming lips song styles and some delightful weirdness. i thoroughly enjoyed it
5
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Mon Oct 17 2022
Africa Brasil
Jorge Ben Jor
this was great! no idea about the lyrics, but everything else was genuinely excellent
5
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Tue Oct 18 2022
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
this was kind of nothing to me. couldnt really focus on the songs
3
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Wed Oct 19 2022
Vanishing Point
Primal Scream
another reviewer described it as “background music” and i feel that
2
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Thu Oct 20 2022
If I Should Fall From Grace With God
The Pogues
this mashup of punk vocals and very country instrumentals shouldn’t work, but it really really does. that’s ireland for ya. not a 5 because it wasnt very polished
4
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Fri Oct 21 2022
Ray Of Light
Madonna
i generally really like it when pop artists go in a totally different direction, so i was quite disappointed that this fell so flat for me. madonna’s vocals are just uninteresting, and this feels like an album which was either ruined or salvaged in the edit. either way, it’s just not very good.
2
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Mon Oct 24 2022
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
Every time I listen to good kid mAAd city it brings me back to the first time I heard it. It's like nothing before it and nothing since. Someone once described this album to me as a visual movie, and that's always stuck with me. It's a concept album executed perfectly, Kendrick's memoir. Beyond that, every single song has something amazing about it, and the density of great songs is higher than any project I've heard except for TPAB. As with any album I love, every time I listen I find a new song to appreciate even more. This time it was Compton, which makes sense as I've been on a bit of a Dre kick recently. Just excellent, the easiest 5 I've given on this list. I know taste differs, but I can't imagine anyone who actually listened to the entirety of this album rating it less than 4.
5
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Tue Oct 25 2022
Back At The Chicken Shack
Jimmy Smith
this was lovely, i listened at work and it just flowed really well.
4
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Wed Oct 26 2022
Paul's Boutique
Beastie Boys
this album is pretty symbolic of my general feelings about the beastie boys — excellent production and technical skills, ruined by bad flows and lyrics. rating it a 3, and i think that’s about as high as i could go on a beastie boys album.
3
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Thu Oct 27 2022
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
i didnt really get the oasis-beatles-stones comparisons when the only song i knew was wonderwall, but i can totally see it now. this was a really cool album, one i know i’m going to come back to a lot. it’s not perfect, but i enjoyed it
4
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Fri Oct 28 2022
Rust In Peace
Megadeth
wow. didnt think i liked metal that much, but this was excellent
5
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Mon Oct 31 2022
Illmatic
Nas
there’s a reason this is commonly cited as the best rap album of all time. incredible lyricism, great production, all around just excellent. couldnt imagine rating it less
5
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Tue Nov 01 2022
Hysteria
Def Leppard
this is the prototypical def leppard album. this sort of hair metal will never be my thing, and i really dont vibe with the singles. cant give this a 1 because of the technical quality, but i didnt enjoy the listen
2
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Wed Nov 02 2022
Brilliant Corners
Thelonious Monk
this list has really forced me to listen to some excellent jazz albums, i’ve found a real appreciation for the genre i wouldnt have expected. i still feel like i dont know enough to critically rate jazz, i just sit back and enjoy it. i really sat back and enjoyed this album though.
5
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Thu Nov 03 2022
Cheap Thrills
Big Brother & The Holding Company
genuinely didnt know that janis was in a band before listening to this album, but it’s excellent. her vocals are, of course, amazing. the instrumentation falls a bit flat for me at parts, but it’s an album i’m going to come back to
4
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Fri Nov 04 2022
Pelican West
Haircut 100
5
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Mon Nov 07 2022
The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Pink Floyd
this is mid-tier floyd which is still pretty great
4
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Tue Nov 08 2022
A Night At The Opera
Queen
i’ve somewhat soured on queen in recent years, but this still goes so hard.
5
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Wed Nov 09 2022
Automatic For The People
R.E.M.
apparently i’d entirely forgotten that this album was in the background for the majority of my childhood, so thanks mom! i’ll fully admit to bias here, but i just love this album a lot.
5
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Thu Nov 10 2022
Superfly
Curtis Mayfield
yeah i mean this is incredible. no notes
5
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Fri Nov 11 2022
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Ice Cube
it’s a legendary album for a reason. it does have some of the misogyny 90s hip hop is famous for, but it’s also the best album from one of the best artists of all time.
5
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Mon Nov 14 2022
Garbage
Garbage
apparently grunge is a big gap in my musical knowledge because i’d never heard of this group, but this was really excellent. lyrics are fine-not-great but i didnt come for the lyrics, and everything else was really grimy and somewhat trippy. i really liked it.
4
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Tue Nov 15 2022
Sea Change
Beck
i’m just never going to be a beck fan, i always find him unbearably corny
3
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Wed Nov 16 2022
Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo
MC Solaar
with the obvious caveat that i dont know what the lyrics are saying (though the title of this album is a delightful pun), this is truly excellent. sounds really ahead of its time, perfectly matched samples and excellent mixing, and the flow was just super nice and pleasant. all around really good listen.
5
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Thu Nov 17 2022
Shadowland
k.d. lang
this was.. perfectly fine and pleasant. nothing really stood out to me, and i dont think i’ll revisit it, but the vocals were good and the instrumentation was fine.
3
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Fri Nov 18 2022
Mask
Bauhaus
3
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Mon Nov 21 2022
3 + 3
The Isley Brothers
bit weird of a listen because this album has been sampled so much, i’m not sure if that’s bringing my score up or down. overall good, but not super special
4
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Tue Nov 22 2022
In It For The Money
Supergrass
ehh.
2
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Wed Nov 23 2022
Shake Your Money Maker
The Black Crowes
we all know i love some country, this is nothing too special but it’s pretty nice
4
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Thu Nov 24 2022
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
2
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Fri Nov 25 2022
Born To Be With You
Dion
4
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Mon Nov 28 2022
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
5
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Tue Nov 29 2022
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen
beautiful, sad, everything i’ve ever wanted from leonard cohen. i cant believe his voice sounded this good at his age, truly aged like a good wine.
5
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Wed Nov 30 2022
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
this feels like it should be a greatest hits record but just isnt. not sure what’s going on here, but i was disappointed
2
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Thu Dec 01 2022
Hot Fuss
The Killers
as a certified hater of mr. brightside, i was pleasantly surprised by how much i liked this album as a whole. not perfect, but quite good. very cohesive 2000s pop punk, which is about all you can ask for
4
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Fri Dec 02 2022
Bone Machine
Tom Waits
this was…significantly better than i expected. i havent enjoyed tom waits before, but i really liked this.
4
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Mon Dec 05 2022
Live At The Harlem Square Club
Sam Cooke
5
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Tue Dec 06 2022
Nilsson Schmilsson
Harry Nilsson
meh.
2
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Wed Dec 07 2022
Dear Science
TV On The Radio
3
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Thu Dec 08 2022
Before And After Science
Brian Eno
5
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Fri Dec 09 2022
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
4
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Mon Dec 12 2022
The Slider
T. Rex
3
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Tue Dec 13 2022
GREY Area
Little Simz
it’s not as good as her latest, but still an excellent album.
5
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Wed Dec 14 2022
Come Find Yourself
Fun Lovin' Criminals
simply too 90s for its own good
2
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Thu Dec 15 2022
Viva Hate
Morrissey
i’m absolutely a biased sucker for morrissey. i accept that. this wasnt my favorite of his, but still quite good imo
4
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Fri Dec 16 2022
Amnesiac
Radiohead
honestly this is disappointing for radiohead. still totally fine, but i expect more from them
3
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Mon Dec 19 2022
John Prine
John Prine
man i love vintage country so much
5
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Tue Dec 20 2022
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
3
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Wed Dec 21 2022
Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
tbh i’m kind of just sick of this genre of sadboy britpoppy punk
2
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Thu Dec 22 2022
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
3
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Mon Dec 26 2022
A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector
Various Artists
2
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Tue Dec 27 2022
Rain Dogs
Tom Waits
5
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Wed Dec 28 2022
Dookie
Green Day
4
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Thu Dec 29 2022
The Band
The Band
5
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Fri Dec 30 2022
Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
2
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Mon Jan 02 2023
Protection
Massive Attack
very mellow, stoner music at its finest. i enjoyed it, but tbh i think it fails in the way a lot of mellow stuff fails — you have to be high to listen to it. it’s a strange album to try and rate, but i’ll do my best.
3
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Tue Jan 03 2023
Eternally Yours
The Saints
this felt soulless which, more than anything, is unforgivable if you’re trying to make punk music.
2
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Wed Jan 04 2023
Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
james taylor is a bit of a musical blind spot for me, and i wish he wasn’t, because this is excellent. great vocals, great guitar, the bit with the horns was super cool. just a great album.
5
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Thu Jan 05 2023
Sex Packets
Digital Underground
disappointing. i’m often very into early 90s hip hop, but that’s mostly because i only listen to the best from that (great) era. this is not the best. the samples are badly chosen, the flows are super basic and boring, and (of course) there’s a ton of casual misogyny.
1
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Fri Jan 06 2023
Honky Tonk Heroes
Waylon Jennings
some real genuine classic country. very much a product of its time and place, but solid nonetheless. short and sweet, which is what i like.
4
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Mon Jan 09 2023
In Utero
Nirvana
i don’t think i can give this album less than a 5, though it’s the hardest nirvana album to listen to. still nirvana though.
5
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Tue Jan 10 2023
Dance Mania
Tito Puente
i mean, what else could you want? this is excellent.
5
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Wed Jan 11 2023
Kala
M.I.A.
i’ve always loved mia. this is clearly her best work, and it’s one of those albums where i wouldn’t change a single thing. perfect sound, perfect production, perfect lyrics.
5
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Thu Jan 12 2023
Wild Gift
X
this was, frankly, boring. i’m not very interested in another 80s rock-pop-punk thing with uninteresting lyrics. it gets a 2 because it’s listenable, but really didn’t make an impression.
2
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Fri Jan 13 2023
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
i mean, this is a legendary album for a reason. truly excellent soul/hip hop, amazing lyrics and sound, and a great listen. tbqh, i don’t love the density of interludes but that’s just a feature of the era, can’t do much about it. clear 5, if this isn’t a 5 then nothing is.
5
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Mon Jan 16 2023
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
one of the bigger differences between title and sound i’ve heard. great album
5
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Tue Jan 17 2023
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
yeah. perfect.
5
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Wed Jan 18 2023
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
5
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Thu Jan 19 2023
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
4
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Fri Jan 20 2023
Like Water For Chocolate
Common
2
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Mon Jan 23 2023
Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
4
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Tue Jan 24 2023
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
3
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Wed Jan 25 2023
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
5
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Thu Jan 26 2023
Kimono My House
Sparks
4
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Fri Jan 27 2023
Dust
Screaming Trees
2
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Mon Jan 30 2023
The Bends
Radiohead
5
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Tue Jan 31 2023
Fun House
The Stooges
5
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Wed Feb 01 2023
Surrealistic Pillow
Jefferson Airplane
didn’t know i needed jefferson airplane in my life but wow. this kind of blew me away
5
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Thu Feb 02 2023
Pearl
Janis Joplin
this was quite solid! janis of course has an iconic voice, but i found the instrumentation to be a bit lacking in parts. a lot of legendary songs, though.
4
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Fri Feb 03 2023
Achtung Baby
U2
absolutely biased here. i’ve never liked u2, and this doesn’t do anything to change that for me.
2
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Mon Feb 06 2023
Let England Shake
PJ Harvey
wow. an incredible album. the lyrics, of course, were excellent, and i love the timbre pj sings with on this. the standouts were, of course, the sax and autoharp. not much else to say, a really excellent album.
5
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Tue Feb 07 2023
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Derek & The Dominos
it’s clapton, so the guitar is of course technically incredible. i didn’t really feel anything emotionally from this, however, and it feels kind of soulless. the guitar is good enough to get it a 4, but it’s a low 4
4
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Wed Feb 08 2023
Green River
Creedence Clearwater Revival
some really good ccr! it’s one of their better albums, but nothing blew my mind
4
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Thu Feb 09 2023
The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators
apparently this was the first album to ever use “psychedelic” in the title, which is a cool fun fact and (i assume) the reason it made the List. musically, it’s… not great. some interesting ideas, but not really enough skill to execute them properly. disappointing, bc i usually love psych rock.
3
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Fri Feb 10 2023
Paranoid
Black Sabbath
this is one of the most groundbreaking albums of all time, and i feel like those albums can go two ways — either they sound a bit tired because everyone following copied them, or they sound incredible. this is easily in the latter camp, it holds up amazingly well today. not much else to say. great album 🤘
5
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Mon Feb 13 2023
Clube Da Esquina
Milton Nascimento
some really lovely brazilian music — not knowing portugese, i had to rely on wikipedia to tell me about this album, but i’m reliably informed it’s very important. i don’t think it’s particularly relistenable for me, but i’m glad i listened to it once
4
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Tue Feb 14 2023
Vivid
Living Colour
this runs into the issues a lot of these types of albums from this era do, where it all feels a bit fake, but unlike those other albums this didnt even have the incredible guitar to drag it up. a solid meh from me
2
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Wed Feb 15 2023
Smash
The Offspring
i’ve been very underwhelmed with this type of album recently. not really sure why it made the list, i feel basically nothing about it
3
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Thu Feb 16 2023
Welcome to the Afterfuture
Mike Ladd
this felt like it could have been great but was hamstrung by subpar production
3
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Wed Mar 08 2023
Blood On The Tracks
Bob Dylan
i somehow has avoided this album entirely before this, and i was a bit worried about that. i shouldn’t’ve been. it’s excellent
5
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Thu Mar 09 2023
Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
this was… fine. very much an elvis costello album, which isn’t really a good thing. getting a bit sick of this era
3
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Fri Mar 10 2023
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Aretha Franklin
i’ve always been torn about albums full of covers, but i totally get it now. these are all well-written songs, and the greatest singer of all time is performing them. the easiest 5 i’ve given so far
5
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Mon Mar 13 2023
Guero
Beck
this is definitely one of the lesser beck albums. fine, but not what i expect from
him
3
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Tue Mar 14 2023
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
Devo
a very Important album in music history, which isn’t always a good thing with this list. I’m always gonna love some Devo, though
4
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Wed Mar 15 2023
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
every single live album we’ve gotten so far has been excellent, and this one is truly amazing.
5
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Thu Mar 16 2023
Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
this was pretty great! just weird enough to be interesting, just poppy enough to be listenable, just ambient enough to work to. really scratched an itch for me
5
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Fri Mar 17 2023
Cloud Nine
The Temptations
i enjoyed this! never thought the temptations could go this deep on an album, feels like they were still a bit tied to their formula in places but they definitely did something new
4
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Mon Mar 20 2023
In A Silent Way
Miles Davis
just great. i’ll always appreciate some miles davis, especially on a weekend album when i had time to really sit with it
5
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Tue Mar 21 2023
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
an absolutely incredible album, one of my favorites of all time. another excuse to listen to it was lovely. easy 5
5
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Wed Mar 22 2023
Black Metal
Venom
every time i listen to metal i wish i could appreciate it more, but i’m just not able to.
3
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Thu Mar 23 2023
Deloused in the Comatorium
The Mars Volta
yeah this is exactly the type of music i don’t like.
2
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Fri Mar 24 2023
Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)
Bob Dylan
just perfect. every dylan album we’ve had has been excellent, every live album we’ve had has been excellent. this combines all of that. i wish i could give it a 6.
5
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Mon Mar 27 2023
The Visitors
ABBA
i can’t believe i’ve never listened to a full abba album before. this is just excellent, i’m going to listen to more now
5
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Tue Mar 28 2023
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
just an excellent album. some great hits and some songs i didn’t know about, and everything was amazing.
5
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Wed Mar 29 2023
The Stooges
The Stooges
I’ve been disappointed by the majority of “influential” albums we’ve gotten so far. Very happy to be surprised here — it’s entirely listenable, and even though it’s not my ideal thing, a really cool album i wouldn’t’ve encountered otherwise.
4
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Thu Mar 30 2023
The Clash
The Clash
just a great album.
5
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Fri Mar 31 2023
Second Toughest In The Infants
Underworld
not my thing
1
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Mon Apr 03 2023
Close To You
Carpenters
mostly (over)sweet love songs, helped a lot by the karen’s voice, which is great. the cover of help is… heinous. really really bad. took this album down a whole point.
2
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Tue Apr 04 2023
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
very much in my wheelhouse for a band i have no memory of! excited to hear more, this was great
5
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Wed Apr 05 2023
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
as with all velvet derivatives, this doesn’t do the original projects justice but is still quite good. missed the discordant violin, though.
4
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Thu Apr 06 2023
Bryter Layter
Nick Drake
we started this journey with a nick drake 5, and this album is even better. beautiful orchestration, great lyrics, easy 5.
5
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Fri Apr 07 2023
Fear and Whiskey
Mekons
i’m not against the concept of alternative rock country, but this just falls flat.
2
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Mon Apr 10 2023
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
i was very pleasantly surprised by this! didn’t know i liked pj harvey but really enjoyed it
5
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Tue Apr 11 2023
Machine Head
Deep Purple
funkier than expected, which is always enjoyable. otherwise very emblematic of the era. i didn’t particularly enjoy it but there were some fun solos
3
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Wed Apr 12 2023
16 Lovers Lane
The Go-Betweens
meh. aggressively meh
2
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Thu Apr 13 2023
One Nation Under A Groove
Funkadelic
yeah i mean this is exactly what it is meant to be
5
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Fri Apr 14 2023
Songs The Lord Taught Us
The Cramps
when i saw the description i was worried about more bad 80s punk but this was quite good! very pleasantly surprised
4
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Mon Apr 17 2023
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
this album is the first of the softer, gentler velvet underground and marked the major shift in tone after john cale left the group. while i do miss the discordant violin, and this is a clear third in my VU ranking, i’m still happy to have an excuse to revisit it. after hours remains one of my favorite songs ever, it’s just so perfectly sweet.
5
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Tue Apr 18 2023
Odessey And Oracle
The Zombies
very much a product of its time and place — sounds like if brian wilson taught the beatles how to harmonize, and then the result was slightly worse than either. still a really good album, though. i really do love early psychedelia
5
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Wed Apr 19 2023
Crocodiles
Echo And The Bunnymen
i’m generally exactly fine with echo et al, and this album isnt any different. i liked some stuff, i didnt like other stuff, i’m a bit sick of post punk.
3
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Thu Apr 20 2023
Arise
Sepultura
i almost feel bad rating this, because i’m just not a metalhead and feel like i can’t appreciate it fully. with that being said, there were some really cool moments here
4
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Fri Apr 21 2023
The Next Day
David Bowie
not the most cohesive album, which is a bit of a disappointment from bowie, but the individual songs are pretty great. i think i’m underrating this because i know he can do so much better
4
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Mon Apr 24 2023
American Beauty
Grateful Dead
i was a bit disappointed — i’d always heard that this was the dead’s best album, but i’ve preferred others. still solid tho
4
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Tue Apr 25 2023
Heroes
David Bowie
somewhat disappointed. the title track is one of my favorites, and i had hoped for more out of this album. still good, but not _all time_ good
4
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Wed Apr 26 2023
Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)
The Kinks
basically the median kinks album — still solid, still impressive, but nothing mindblowing. i liked it, though!
4
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Thu Apr 27 2023
BEYONCÉ
Beyoncé
yeah this is one of my favorite beyonce albums for a reason. just hit after hit, and some really great producers doing some of their best work. also, it alone is the reason why albums release on fridays now instead of tuesdays, which is a fun fact.
5
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Fri Apr 28 2023
The Age Of The Understatement
The Last Shadow Puppets
This was a genuine revelation. Orchestral instrumentation and production combined with Alex’s grimy voice wasn’t something I expected, but I really loved it. Has the vibe of an actor in full sci-fi makeup chain smoking on set. Calm like you was particularly excellent, though every song had something great about it.
5
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Mon May 01 2023
Parallel Lines
Blondie
I’ve been a Blondie enjoyer since I was a kid, but I somehow never realized all my favorite Blondie songs are on the same album. This was very solid — there were some downs to complement the ups, which is the only reason this isn’t a 5.
4
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Tue May 02 2023
Songs In The Key Of Life
Stevie Wonder
the best 50mins of this is the easiest 5 so far, the worst 50mins is probably a high 4. it averages out to a 5, but i wouldve preferred just a single album. still tho, stevie is stevie
5
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Wed May 03 2023
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
this is a really nostalgic album for me, and i’m absolutely biased here, but it couldn’t be anything less than a 5. also, fuck paul ryan
5
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Thu May 04 2023
Smile
Brian Wilson
i first listened to this right after watching love and mercy, and i was so excited because the soundtrack of that movie includes all my favorite beach boys songs. this album, however, was a massive letdown. it has a few good moments, but otherwise it feels like a parody of itself more than anything real. it’s a shame, because i feel like wilson had the ability to do something really great.
2
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Fri May 05 2023
Honky Tonk Masquerade
Joe Ely
this album has the distinction of the least spotify listens of any we’ve had so far — the final song has only 1,033 total. for all that, i was expecting something terrible or transcendently great. this is… solid. there are some nice moments (cornbread moon), but also some really bad ones (i’ll be your fool). Overall, a totally fine country record
3
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Mon May 08 2023
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
brian eno’s debut album, and a surprise for me. it feels experimental but more listenable than i’d expect — you can feel the bones of ambient here, but with sparkly glam flesh. this metaphor may have gotten away from me. anyway, this album was great.
5
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Tue May 09 2023
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin
i feel like i’ve always liked zeppelin but as i’ve gotten more experience listening to music i’ve appreciated them even more. this is a great album
5
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Wed May 10 2023
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
our second zeppelin in a row, and this is just as good. incredible for a debut album, it feels like the band just appeared fully formed with all their later trademarks. a great listen and an easy 5
5
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Thu May 11 2023
Central Reservation
Beth Orton
completely new artist to me, and a real revelation. i love the folk-electronic anachronism of the whole thing, and combined with a lovely singing tone and really beautifully bleak lyrics, this was just great.
5
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Fri May 12 2023
Moss Side Story
Barry Adamson
one of those really cool ideas in theory that just doesn’t play out very well. closest to ambient music, but lacks the ability to appeal to multiple attention levels — there’s exactly one that works, everything else is either incredibly boring or incredibly distracting. for all that, this is an incredible swing, and the fact that it’s a miss doesn’t take away from it being very cool. i just don’t really like listening to it
2
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Mon May 15 2023
Aqualung
Jethro Tull
this was a totally fine and somewhat good album as a package, but i can’t see myself ever revisiting any of the songs, and i’d be shocked if i listened to the album again.
3
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Tue May 16 2023
Blackstar
David Bowie
transcendent. a perfect capstone to david bowie’s life. it is at once experimental and grounded, perfectly and nothing like anything before it
5
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Wed May 17 2023
...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
the title track and lead single is an incredible debut song for any artist, maybe the best of all time. a shockingly influential album, but beyond the singles there isn’t much here. the singles still go hard, though.
3
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Thu May 18 2023
Songs From A Room
Leonard Cohen
the best lyricist of his or any generation. the instrumentation is unobtrusive, letting you really revel in the poetry. the partisan is one of my favorite songs ever written, and bird on the wire is also up there. i can’t name other highlights here because every song brings something new and tragic and beautiful.
5
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Fri May 19 2023
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
i cannot believe this performance is entirely improvisations. it’s hugely impressive technically, and just good to listen to. really great
5
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Mon May 22 2023
At Mister Kelly's
Sarah Vaughan
another great live album. great band, sarah sounds amazing, really chill vibes.
5
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Tue May 23 2023
So
Peter Gabriel
some really great moments (in your eyes especially), and a technically great album. it dragged a bit in the middle, but overall was still quite good.
4
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Wed May 24 2023
Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine
Cee Lo Green
cee-lo is a great vocalist, but that’s the only thing that really stands out here. i found myself bored, which is very bad for a soul album.
2
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Thu May 25 2023
If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears
The Mamas & The Papas
i knew i’d like the hits, and expected to be disappointed with the rest. that was true, but the rest was better than i expected. the vocal harmonies are often lovely, sometimes boring. the songs have a nice variety, but still relied heavily on covers. overall, a high 3 to low 4. i’ll bump them up to a 4, but it’s close
4
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Fri May 26 2023
Dire Straits
Dire Straits
i’d avoided this album in the past because i didn’t love sultans of swing — man was i wrong. this is great; great guitars and very dylan lyrics and tone. really fun listen, and i ended up enjoying SoS when it came up!
5
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Mon May 29 2023
Low-Life
New Order
i’m very much not opposed to genre-bending bands in general, but i didn’t love this from new order. it’s them trying something totally different in vibe, and making something less good than what was (and is) available. still listenable, but not my favorite
2
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Tue May 30 2023
Hotel California
Eagles
the title track might never get old to me, it’s so good every time. everything else was quite good as well! didn’t expect to enjoy it but i really did.
5
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Wed May 31 2023
Faith
George Michael
this was pretty disappointing. there’s some good instrumentation but the lyrics are unbearably horny and it sounds generally pretty generic. i still have nostalgia for faith but that’s about it
2
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Thu Jun 01 2023
Stripped
Christina Aguilera
if this album was 30-40mins long it would be a solid 4, i think — there’s enough good stuff that you’re pleasantly surprised when it shows up, but it’s surrounded by really bad naughts pop, and it’s a Lot of really bad naughts pop
2
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Fri Jun 02 2023
Opus Dei
Laibach
the exact type of band (and album) which makes me really happy we started this project — dadaist yugoslavian industrial music including a queen cover (and they also did a full album that’s just industrial covers of the beatles’ let it be???? more please). just incredible all around. viewed as an art piece, it’s one of the best i’ve ever seen. it’s also pretty listenable!
5
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Mon Jun 05 2023
Abraxas
Santana
i’m always down for a santana album, and this is one of my favorites. i own it on vinyl, i listen to it all the time, easy 5
5
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Tue Jun 06 2023
Sheer Heart Attack
Queen
this was great! killer queen is one of my favorite songs ever, but the rest of the album was surprisingly good as well! when queen is on, they’re one of the best bands ever, and this is all four doing some of their best work
5
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Wed Jun 07 2023
Seventh Tree
Goldfrapp
i feel like there’s a lot of better electronic music that could have been included here, and i don’t even like electronic music that much.
1
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Thu Jun 08 2023
Damaged
Black Flag
while the wiki for this album says it was very influential, there’s just not much special about it to me, and i’m fairly burned out on punk recently.
2
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Fri Jun 09 2023
Tanto Tempo
Bebel Gilberto
i have basically no bossa nova knowledge, but this album was really lovely! good vibes all the way through, really enjoyed the use of electronic music
5
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Mon Jun 12 2023
Blur
Blur
this album feels like the best of britpop — blur incorporating some alternative sound into it, and while the two don’t mesh perfectly, it generally works. i tried to ignore how overplayed song 2 is, and it was pretty good. there were some boring moments, but overall a quite good album.
4
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Tue Jun 13 2023
Moon Safari
Air
a really lovely album, and a surprise — all the french electronic music i’ve heard before has been very club/industrial, so this was a great change of pace. everything here feels very intentional, and this is an album i’ll come back to for sure
5
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Wed Jun 14 2023
Maverick A Strike
Finley Quaye
this feels different from the reggae we’ve had before in that it’s boring. totally fine album, but not very interesting
3
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Thu Jun 15 2023
Abbey Road
Beatles
the easiest 5 i’m going to give this entire list, this is perhaps the perfect album. not much more to say about the project itself, but i really enjoyed the alternative takes on the deluxe edition — really nice to hear the boys experimenting in the studio, i really wish those sessions were fully recorded like get back was.
5
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Fri Jun 16 2023
Stankonia
OutKast
one of the best rap albums of all time, and the reason rappers cite andre as the best to ever do it. always technically perfect, really thought-provoking lyrics (and some hits), but the real standout here is the melodies — nobody had done it before, and it took until kid cudi before anyone would do it again. any album that predicts music a decade in the future while also staying listenable deserves a 5.
5
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Mon Jun 19 2023
The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
i’ve always had an irrational dislike for arcade fire and i feel like it was justified here. uninteresting both musically and lyrically, feels like it was designed in a lab for gen x to feel nostalgic towards
2
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Tue Jun 20 2023
Graceland
Paul Simon
a strange album — paul seems to be hovering around a political point (and truly the whole album is political) but he can’t write it genuinely so he uses layers and layers of metaphors, which leaves the lyrics a bit tortured (eg graceland is odd any way you slice it). the instrumentation is where it shines though — the mix of african and western music is fabulous (those horns!!), and there wasn’t a moment i was bored. if he had dylan write the lyrics, this would be nearly perfect. instead i have to give it a 4, but a very strong 4. i’m going to absolutely revisit it.
4
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Wed Jun 21 2023
Moby Grape
Moby Grape
a real distillation of 60s psychedelia, but you can tell how this influenced a lot of the 70s, especially the west coast scene. not a perfect album, but innovative and listenable.
4
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Thu Jun 22 2023
Signing Off
UB40
another great album from a band and genre i have basically no experience with. this list can be bad sometimes but when it’s good, it’s excellent. reggae is always political, but this was really political in a way i love, and you can also vibe to it.
5
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Fri Jun 23 2023
Highway to Hell
AC/DC
it’s an album i’ve listened to dozens of times through my childhood, so there’s some nostalgia here, but i was disappointed. of course the songs are well done and the singles are pretty great, but it feels a bit soulless — not sure if it’s just because it’s so iconic, but there’s no “there” there. still solid though
3
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Mon Jun 26 2023
Electric Warrior
T. Rex
i don’t like glam rock much but this album was solid! the hits are hits for a reason, and the rest of the album is fun as hell
5
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Tue Jun 27 2023
Green
R.E.M.
this is imo the median rem album — nothing super special, and even then they’re a 2-4 band for me basically always.
3
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Wed Jun 28 2023
The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
this was…. messy. i think it’s clear what the rest of floyd did, without them it just doesnt sound good
2
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Thu Jun 29 2023
Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Adam & The Ants
normally i like weirdness but it was unevenly dispersed across this so it felt not great to me. still some really funny moments, but felt like it could have used some revisions
3
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Fri Jun 30 2023
Fred Neil
Fred Neil
i’m always in for some 60s folk but this felt kind of bland. better than a full cover album but not as good as the top tier of folk from the time
4
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Mon Jul 03 2023
A Love Supreme
John Coltrane
yeah this is just perfect. can’t ask for more
5
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Tue Jul 04 2023
Moondance
Van Morrison
just a great album. everything meshes perfectly, it feels like nothing should be added or taken away. really enjoyable listen, and i’m gonna come back to it many times
5
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Wed Jul 05 2023
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot
slipknot is not really ever going to be my thing — i hate their general aesthetic, and i feel like a lot of the vibe flows from the aesthetic. with that being said, this album is very technically good. it’s just not enjoyable for me
3
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Thu Jul 06 2023
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
i’m a sucker for neil young, this isnt my favorite album of his but it’s still pretty excellent
5
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Fri Jul 07 2023
Bummed
Happy Mondays
it’s disappointing how such an interesting backstory can result in such a boring album. this is replacement level 80s pop.
2
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Mon Jul 10 2023
All Mod Cons
The Jam
it’s disappointing how such an interesting backstory can result in such a boring album. this is replacement level 80s pop
2
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Tue Jul 11 2023
The Specials
The Specials
some solid early ska! not my favorite genre but there are some really cool ideas here
4
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Wed Jul 12 2023
Antichrist Superstar
Marilyn Manson
yeah this music is bad and marilyn manson is also a bad person. easy 1
1
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Thu Jul 13 2023
Inspiration Information
Shuggie Otis
this is so sick! funky but also weirdly shoegazey? for an album from the early 70s it sounds shockingly modern but also extremely old. really really great
5
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Fri Jul 14 2023
Space Ritual
Hawkwind
doom metally psychedelia? i’m in no questions asked. this has some really amazing instrumentals and really strange lyrics, the fact that it’s a live performance is pretty incredible
5
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Mon Jul 17 2023
Violator
Depeche Mode
i knew i’d like the hit but wow the rest of this album is even better. i’m gonna listen to more depeche now
5
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Tue Jul 18 2023
Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
yeah what else could you want. instant easy 5, i’ll take stevie any day
5
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Wed Jul 19 2023
Stardust
Willie Nelson
willie has a solid voice and the instrumentation is pretty good but it feels lacklustre because it’s a willie album full of covers.
3
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Thu Jul 20 2023
Medúlla
Björk
a triumph. impressive in every way, really really really experimental but in a way i love. not particularly listenable but definitely entrancing
5
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Fri Jul 21 2023
Me Against The World
2Pac
this is a hard listen knowing what happened to pac about a year later. it’s so personal, so intensely about his experience getting shot. regardless, it’s (of course) technically perfect lyrically and production-wise, and emotional on top of that. really excellent album
5
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Mon Jul 24 2023
Toys In The Attic
Aerosmith
wholly uninteresting. only a 2 because it’s not bad enough for a 1, which is honestly worse than a 1
2
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Tue Jul 25 2023
Blunderbuss
Jack White
really cool instrumentation, if the lyrics were even a little bit better this would be a 5, but they’re just not particularly good
4
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Wed Jul 26 2023
Rip It Up
Orange Juice
really shockingly funky for a scottish band. has poppy lyrics, punky drums, and thundercat-esque bass. fundamentally strange, and yet every element feels necessary
5
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Thu Jul 27 2023
Real Life
Magazine
meh. this doesn’t mesh the way i feel like it should — there’s either too much or too little dissonance and nothing is individually good enough to hold it up
2
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Fri Jul 28 2023
Kollaps
Einstürzende Neubauten
i’m interested in industrial generally but this felt a bit lackluster? like there’s something interesting here, but i just can’t get at it. giving it a default 3 because i dont think i understand it
3
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Mon Jul 31 2023
Eliminator
ZZ Top
this feels boring in a way i find everything zz top does boring. i think they’re just not for me
2
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Tue Aug 01 2023
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
i’m a genuine sucker for both neil young and folk rock sung in a kinda weird voice. this is both, and it rules. also the lyricism
5
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Wed Aug 02 2023
Back To Black
Amy Winehouse
amy really is one of the best vocalists of all time, and this album is just great all around.
5
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Thu Aug 03 2023
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
an eno project, and it really sounds like it. there’s something here but it all feels a bit like a mediocre movie soundtrack. you can tell exactly who it inspired (big thief i’m looking at you) but on its own it’s a bit lackluster
4
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Fri Aug 04 2023
Licensed To Ill
Beastie Boys
this really hasnt aged particularly well sonically. the hits are still good but the rest of it really isnt. also, the combination of rock and rap has rarely ever been anything but bad, and this serves for a reminder of that. there are some interesting lyrics but i can’t get past how bad the flows are. why did people ever listen to the beastie boys over nwa et al?
2
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Mon Aug 07 2023
Figure 8
Elliott Smith
I can’t really connect to this album the way i feel like i should. it’s definitely well done but emotionally i’m just not feeling it. solidly above average but it feels like it should be a 5 for me and just isnt? idk it’s strange
4
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Tue Aug 08 2023
Green Onions
Booker T. & The MG's
the original songs are amazing, and the covers are quite interesting, though they fall a bit flat for me. it’s squarely in the realm of a medium idea executed extremely well. ends up better than i would expect but not perfect
4
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Wed Aug 09 2023
Crazysexycool
TLC
shockingly good, a really perfect distillation of the era. left eye is ofc great, and the production is perfect. i dont remember tlc being this horny but it vibes well honestly.
5
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Thu Aug 10 2023
The Grand Tour
George Jones
wow. this is an incredible album, where everything just fits perfectly. emotionally it’s exactly what i didn’t know i needed. gonna be listening to this a lot, and for a while
5
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Fri Aug 11 2023
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
i was surprised that this album was from 1981 because it feels about a decade ahead of its time — the lyrics/vocals are the weakest part of this, and they’re not particularly weak. there are some songs i wouldn’t want to listen to again, which is why this isn’t a 5, but it’s pretty close
4
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Mon Aug 14 2023
Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby
Girls Against Boys
more boring than i wanted it to be — nothing terrible, but not much great either.
3
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Tue Aug 15 2023
Power In Numbers
Jurassic 5
really excellent production holding up occasionally shaky lyrics (the perils of a large group, probably). whenever the lyrics aren’t shaky, however, this is pretty much perfect. the melodies especially are fabulous and way ahead of their time. great vibe and a great listen. the rare 5 which has distinct errors, because the rest of it is so good.
5
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Wed Aug 16 2023
On The Beach
Neil Young
another great neil young album, this one melancholic and political. i only wish this was on spotify so i could listen to it more often.
5
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Thu Aug 17 2023
Country Life
Roxy Music
essentially disappointing. i’m pretty bored with this genre now
2
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Fri Aug 18 2023
Time Out Of Mind
Bob Dylan
Another incredible Dylan album. It’s most comparable to Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker in terms of theme, but Dylan made it 25 years ago. Of course the lyrics are perfect, and Dylan’s voice maturation is so interesting, and it has excellent instrumentation. Just an all-around great album.
5
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Mon Aug 21 2023
Joan Armatrading
Joan Armatrading
this was fine, but not for me.
3
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Tue Aug 22 2023
Rumours
Fleetwood Mac
Rumours has a solid argument for being the best album of all time. It lives up to and surpasses its reputation, which is the best compliment i can give it.
5
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Wed Aug 23 2023
Kilimanjaro
The Teardrop Explodes
I’m a bit tired of all the new wave on this list, but this is a solid example. The instrumentation is pretty great at times, but the album as a whole falls somewhat flat. between a 3 and 4, i’m rounding down because i can
3
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Thu Aug 24 2023
A Northern Soul
The Verve
A solid 80s alternative album. The instrumentation is quite nice, though I found the lyricism and tone kind of lacking. Overall fine, and certainly not too boring.
3
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Fri Aug 25 2023
Vauxhall And I
Morrissey
I’m biased, but I’ll always love a Morrissey album. The lyrics are unsurprisingly brilliant here, and they’re combined with some really nice instrumentation. I’m probably ignoring some flaws here because I have nostalgia for the british prick, but to me it’s great.
5
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Mon Aug 28 2023
Permission to Land
The Darkness
if you had told me people were still making glam rock in 2003, this is exactly what i’d expect. that’s a bad thing.
1
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Tue Aug 29 2023
Maggot Brain
Funkadelic
not as funky as it could have been, but still incredibly funky. if it were a true funk album rather than a funk-rock album it might be a 5, but it’s just not funky enough for that. final verdict: funky, but needs more funk.
4
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Wed Aug 30 2023
1999
Prince
absolutely perfect. maybe a hot take but this is my favorite prince album — it just goes so hard
5
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Thu Aug 31 2023
Savane
Ali Farka Touré
wow. was completely unfamiliar with this album and artist but it’s really excellent. going to listen to this a lot in the future
5
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Fri Sep 01 2023
Nowhere
Ride
a perfectly fine rock album, but nothing particularly special. better than average, but not by much.
3
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Mon Sep 04 2023
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
a disappointment, honestly. i only knew blister going in, and i only want to know blister coming out. some solid instrumentation keeps this from the basement, but i just couldnt get over how bad the vocals were
2
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Tue Sep 05 2023
Teen Dream
Beach House
one of my favorite albums of all time. perfectly captures this desolate, nostalgic vibe. perfect lyrics, perfect instrumentation, perfect album.
5
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Wed Sep 06 2023
Freak Out!
The Mothers Of Invention
i’m always interested in 60s psychedelia, especially if it’s experimental like this album is. this fell a little flat for me, mostly because of the lyrics, but was still a fun listen
4
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Thu Sep 07 2023
Slipknot
Slipknot
yeah this is exactly what i expected from the slipknot fans i knew in high school. that’s not a good thing
1
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Fri Sep 08 2023
Truth And Soul
Fishbone
goddamn this goes so hard. it’s an education in itself of the relationships between funk, ska, punk, and metal, and it also bangs. really really fun listen, everyone on their a game hitting the perfect notes. slow bus movin is a highlight in an album full of highlights.
5
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Mon Sep 11 2023
Beggars Banquet
The Rolling Stones
there are some great songs on here (maybe the most legendary intro to a song/album?) but the misses are real misses. i can’t go below a 4, but this reminded me of why the stones have never been my favorite — they’re just really inconsistent
4
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Tue Sep 12 2023
Ten
Pearl Jam
the final song was incredible, and there were some other really nice moments here, but i went in with high expectations and was disappointed. i’m really not sure what it was but i just wanted more from this. technically pretty solid, just very much not as good as it could be.
4
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Wed Sep 13 2023
21
Adele
a defining album of the 2010s, just filled top to bottom with huge hits. the songs that aren’t hits are worse, but that’s genuinely a minority here. the production is a lot better than i expected, though it has some unfortunate hallmarks of the era (probably unavoidable but the weirdly aggressive bass hits just annoy me now). the lyrics are what they are, but broadly i was pleasantly surprised. a strong 4 to weak 5, and i’ll round up because i have some nostalgia here.
5
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Thu Sep 14 2023
Electric Music For The Mind And Body
Country Joe & The Fish
eh. i wasn’t hooked, and struggled to get through this. it’s technically fine, but doesn’t seem to have anything going for it, and i’m really not sure why it was included in this list.
2
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Fri Sep 15 2023
A Seat at the Table
Solange
a really fabulous album, her voice is of course excellent, the production is perfect, and it has a real emotional heart to it. solange has always been underrated.
5
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Mon Sep 18 2023
Rio
Duran Duran
i love to be pleasantly surprised, and this list has given me a lot of that. i thought the title track, having heard it mostly through my mom’s tinny car speakers, was bad before. i was pretty shocked at how good it was, especially how deep the production went. score one for headphones! other than that, a very solid duran duran album but nothing super exceptional.
4
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Tue Sep 19 2023
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
some lovely soul, really nice vibe for a monday morning
5
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Wed Sep 20 2023
Rum Sodomy & The Lash
The Pogues
certainly better than average for the genre and period, and i’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the pogues, but fundamentally nothing particularly special. the politics are good, which is nice
4
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Thu Sep 21 2023
Countdown To Ecstasy
Steely Dan
i’ve never really gotten steely dan, and this isn’t an exception, but it was solid in its own way.
4
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Fri Sep 22 2023
Autobahn
Kraftwerk
wow. just incredible, i’d fully believe this was released recently. just shockingly ahead of its time, and an amazing album regardless.
5