This is a joke, right? No way this is real. These guys took mics to Haus Depöt and started recording everything on the plumbing aisle. This shit sounds like a “10 HOUR INDUSTRIAL BLACKSMITH FACTORY AMBIENCE” youtube video. Honestly though, I can dig abstraction and distorted electronica, but you always need something for the audience to latch on to. At times this is cool, but if this plays at the discotheque, I’m leaving because you can’t even try to dance to this shit

Parts of this are dated, and I don’t like this album as much as Dookie, but I’ll be damned if Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Holiday aren’t just as great as they’ve always been. I will say that the second half feels like a bit of a letdown, at least musically.

Half this album is Beverly Hills Cop II and the other half is FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA’S APOCALYPSE NOW (1979). four stars

as far as dated dance music goes this was pretty good

This is one of the first jazz albums I’ve listened to all the way through, and I liked it pretty well! Percussion is really fun and the songs all groove.

This is an album in which Hov both talks the talk (he REALLY loves to brag), and walks the walk. The production and sampling are immaculate and diverse, and Jay and Co. rap at the top of their game. Still not sold on Jay’s constant “uh uh uh huh” ad-libbing though.

This album sounds like it belongs in a Jon Bois video - and not in a good way. Outside of a few moments, this album really wasn’t fun or exciting.

I can really only imagine how this must have sounded to white people when it first came out: this is a really solid album that lays the foundation for some of Elvis’ best work later on. The hits are great, and his version of “Blue Moon” is a surprising lo-fi knockout.

I absolutely believe this album was released in 2010 - a few cool beats here and there, but they’re buried under all the cursive.

I think my friend Leah would call this “angry woman music”: high marks from her. Pretty good stuff, I like the edge but I prefer the rawness of Veruca Salt and Bikini Kill a little more.

Not nearly as cool as New Order, but not terrible. I could get down to this if I was a moody 80s teen.

Some good stuff here but it’s hidden in that god-awful contemporary pop production. I guess my beef is more with that then with Taylor. Oh well

dudes rock

chicks rock. I knew right away this was a 5-star album: this record starts great and doesn’t cease until the end of the last song. Lucious, diverse, joyful, passionate; it’s like if the Beach Boys made Pet Sounds in 1979.

Half this album is Beverly Hills Cop II and the other half is FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA’S APOCALYPSE NOW (1979). four stars

These songs maybe be well produced, and Jeff Lynne may occasionally be a genius, but this is still wuss rock. 3 stars

Parts of this are dated, and I don’t like this album as much as Dookie, but I’ll be damned if Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Holiday aren’t just as great as they’ve always been. I will say that the second half feels like a bit of a letdown, at least musically.

Trick managed to somehow make a Public Enemy cover that’s better than the source material… so much cool stuff here

coffee shop record store ass music

Heartbreaking: The Most Insane Rapper You Know Was The Producer On A Great Album

Yeah this bass track is sick, let’s add the worst fucking singing you’ve heard in your life. There isn’t a song on here that another artist hasn’t made a better version of. Kids Bop: Pink Floyd

these vibes transcend ethnic boundaries

This is the kind of album that makes me wish you could revisit old albums on this thing? On my first listen, this album appeared to be a bit too much at times, a little too unfocused. And yet, Bowie’s haunting voice lingers, and I feel like one day I’ll really recognize this album as a masterpiece. 3.5 stars for now

rap sections: 5/5. sublime. dated 80s vocal sections: 2/5.

It sure was a Randy Newman album

keith emerson should have been tried and imprisoned for his keyboard crimes against humanity. it’s like if black sabbath added a slide whistle player

Maybe I’m only giving this a 5 because of the mystique and fame of Miles Davis, but this is a damn good album. It’s weird yet cool; disjointed and chaotic yet laser-focused; extravagant yet perfectly efficient; imperfect and human yet otherworldly.

Lauryn Hill’s insane vocals and production skills make The Score one of the all-time great hip hop albums. 5 stars

Enjoyed WAY more than I thought I would, I was kind of expecting weird weenie rock and got sick jams and great production.

Solid LP and great work by Janis. Side 2 is much better and has higher stakes than side 1.

Whatever he’s selling, I’m buying. 4 stars

yeah okay all AC/DC songs are in four and are all about having sex but have you considered dudes rock

eh, good songwriting

isaac hayes is cooler than me and he knows it

BOY this was a good record. I like “The Boys Are Back In Town” just as much as the next guy, but the power and gravitas of this one blew me away. Phill Lynott sounds so fucking cool on this album

this album would get 4 or 5 stars if morrissey wasn’t a racist wanker

most people don’t know this but spotify actually made this album to replace Neil Young and Joni Mitchell

don’t care

this is hardcore? more like this is a guy who really likes david bowie

“this is a slay!”

Y’know at first I was skeptical because of old Bobby’s voice, but this album won me over! Great songwriting and arrangements. 4.5 stars

Is it lyrically complex, meaningful, or anything other than stadium rock? No. Is it still enjoyable? Yes.

imagining a guy who’s favorite band is jethro tull

i fell asleep to this album but in a good way

as far as dated dance music goes this was pretty good

A more earnest, if less interesting version of the Smiths

You go girl!!

Solid disco album

Pretty good stuff, good lyrics and fiddle playing - but would it kill this guy to have a backing band?

If you’re gonna try to be Sinatra, can you at least try to have an ounce of charm?

All around great album: this song has great Latin stuff in Oye Como Va as well as bluesier stuff like Hope You’re Feeling Better.

I swear to god if I have to listen to one more album of a British guy trying to be a 50’s crooner

zep is zep.

I keep going back and forth on this one! I LOVE CCR, and the singles on this are amazing: “Bad Moon Rising” is “Bad Moon Rising”, and “Lodi” might be my favorite CCR song. With that said though, the non-singles are somewhat filler and don’t have the same energy as the hits. But hey, even a filler CCR track is great. 5 stars

This album is the epitome of “3 stars”: fun at times, but it’s still inoffensive 80s rock. I get that the synths and the singing is cool, I don’t see this as some new-wave masterpiece.

This is the second Bowie album I’ve gotten on this and I don’t think I’ve quite figured him out? It’s really good music, I love the instrumentation and the singing - some of these songs really groove - but I’m not yet to the point where I can look at a record like this and say, “this is one of the greatest albums of all time”. Maybe I’m just a singles guy, or maybe I’m not listening to the lyrics close enough.

Good stuff, not my favorite Doors album but still great

Kind of surprised this one is on here, but no Jolene. Good album, but few standouts outside of the title track.

Another day, another white boy alt-rock album. 3 stars

REM wiggles it’s way into my heart yet again. This is ALMOST as good as Document: Murmur is just missing a second iconic song. 4.75 stars!

For some reason, Leonard Cohen and Anthony Bourdain are the same person in my head. 3.75 stars: impressive songwriting, but a lot of the songs just kinda blend together. Suzanne a banger tho

I was expecting something a little more introspective and subtle? 3 stars

who let these white boys freak it?

Try as I may, I couldn’t think of a reason to not give this one 5 stars. Great production, hypnotic vocals, and superb songwriting. She’s no Ronnie Spector, but she’ll do.

It’s a shame that this album is solely remembered for its title track because the rest of the album is truly “all killer, no filler.” Every single song is a carefully-crafted, passionate masterpiece that showcases all the different flavors of love. Tracks like “I Should Die Tonight” are inescapable representations of passionate and unconditional love, and songs like “Please Stay” are of course musical sex, but it’s songs like “Just To Keep You Satisfied” and “Distant Lover” that really make the album for me. The former is a complex goodbye song, and the latter synthesizes this heartbreak with the rest of the album’s longing: you can hear both the longing and pain in Gaye’s desperate pleas at the end of the song. This album perfectly sets the indescribable intricacies of love to music.

forget Guns n’ Roses and Cyndi Lauper, THIS is real 80s music

Pleasantly surprised by how funky this album was

pleasantly surprised by this album! while it lacks punchy singles and occasionally loses focus, it’s a great hazy listen through and through.

Solid album. Should be listened to as a whole album, not as a collection of songs because the “Byrds sound” gets old after a while. It’s no Sweetheart, but it’ll do.

Elton John 🤝 Randy Newman Writing songs that kind of have slurs in them In all seriousness tho, solid album. Earns a 4 just for “Tiny Dancer”, but the rest of the album is pretty good as well.

His own health aside, anything Gram Parsons touched was gold. While I don’t think anything can top Sweetheart of the Rodeo, this is one of the defining alt-country albums. It’s a blast to listen to, and the songwriting is excellent throughout. There are too few country records like this on the list!

Clapton and some other white British guys can technically play the blues here, but there’s no emotion in it.

This album makes me feel like I’m wandering around 1950s Manhattan

The ultimate doomer album. I’m amazed by how ahead of it’s time this album was; it’s as relevant and fresh now as it was 20 years ago.

They may be white boys, but they have a little swag.

Solid record; these are polished Elvis tunes, but it’s nothing amazing? I have to wonder why this album made the list over Aloha from Hawaii or any of Elvis’s stellar gospel music.

the ramones have like 1, maybe 2 sounds on this record. it’s good, but a lot of the songs blend together.

Fifth album I own on vinyl, and one of only 2 Willie Nelson records on this list. Personally I think that Phases and Stages should have been included at minimum, and other candidates could be Shotgun Willie, Willie and the Family Live, or even Waylon and Willie. But anywho, I do love this record, but the more I listen to it, I notice that Side 2 tends to meander. I don’t care as much for those songs. But this is nevertheless a really good LP. 3.75 stars

not a huge electronic/club fan but this shit made me feel like I was in blade II.

Solid album but I can definitely see why Kid A gets all the attention. Amnesiac is good in it’s own way, but it lacks punch and tends to meander at times.

decent I guess, they sound pretty good live. if this was a studio album I would like it a lot less.

The singles are amazing, but the rest of the album isn’t quite as good as Off the Wall.

Not quite my thing, but I can’t deny that this a very well performed and produced album.

man oh man is this a good record. every song is so emotional and well-sung, but How Can You Mend a Broken Heart is basically perfect. bee gees who??

It sure was a jazz album! While this is certainly a musically competent record, I was expecting something more “Miles Davis-y”? I didn’t really feel anything outside of “Moon Dreams”. But for 1957 this is good.

I mean, c’mon, what can I say here? Superb album that incredibly complex yet entirely accessible. Saxophone is god

Easily one of the best rap albums of the last few years. The production especially shines through it’s use of actual instruments. Each song feels unique in it’s own way. My one knock is that Simz uses the same British monotone cadence on every single song. I think it holds the music back a bit. 4.25 stars

While it’s definitely the most commercial Metallica album - the “edge” of their brand of thrash is dull at times - “Metallica” is still a great listen. You can hear it a million times on the radio, but Enter Sandman is still Enter fucking Sandman. 4.25 stars

FINALLY I get a Beatles album; FINALLY I get a record I actually own on vinyl (because I live in the US however, I have to listen to it on two separate albums because Capitol was run by a bunch of greedy bastards). Revolver was really the first Beatles album I became intimately familiar with as an adult - as a kid, you know the hits, but you’re not old enough to understand how each album functions. Revolver wasn’t the Beatles’ first great album, but for me, it’s the first one that was truly revolutionary. Songs like “Taxman”, “I’m Only Sleeping”, “She Said She Said”, “And Your Bird Can Sing”, “Doctor Robert”, and of course, “Tomorrow Never Knows” cement this album as on of the greatest and most musically-progressive albums of all time. I don’t think this is the “best” Beatles album, but it just might be my favorite.

If the Eagles had actual musical talent but didn’t get any chicks this is the album they would have made. Every song on this album has one silly part. Sometimes it’s the piano, or a ragtime horn section. Sometimes it works, sometimes it’s jarring.

For some reason, this was my favorite Springsteen album growing up. I loved the hushed emotion and storytelling on the record, and I loved that if I wanted to, I could fall asleep to these near-lullabies. The first two tracks are absolute perfection. Bruce’s singing on “Atlantic City” is desperate and powerful, and the production on “Nebraska” is so wonderfully purposeful. I love it. The second half of the album is a little bit of a let-down (outside of “My Father’s House”), so I unfortunately give this 4 stars, but if we’re really counting I’d say 4.5.

One one hand, this album does sound pretty good. There’s an urgency to it that I think is missing in other glam rock albums (looking at you, Transformer). It sounds good, and it’s occasionally creative. On the other hand, there is a cloud of unoriginality and douchiness over this whole thing. It just feels really masturbatory and I don’t really give a shit. 3 stars I guess.

Probably didn’t give this one a fair shake (it was on in the background while I was working) so I should revisit it, but it was still really good. Guitars and vocals both good. 4 stars

This is a joke, right? No way this is real. These guys took mics to Haus Depöt and started recording everything on the plumbing aisle. This shit sounds like a “10 HOUR INDUSTRIAL BLACKSMITH FACTORY AMBIENCE” youtube video. Honestly though, I can dig abstraction and distorted electronica, but you always need something for the audience to latch on to. At times this is cool, but if this plays at the discotheque, I’m leaving because you can’t even try to dance to this shit

Shame this one isn’t on Apple Music because I love Funkadelic! George Clinton was just such a genius - he was excellent at finding perfect roles for every instrument. Really cool record that only gets 4 stars because of its unavailability and because it isn’t quite as good as Maggot Brain.

“Oh the first song is actually really good, I like the arrangements” *checks credits and sees The Divine Comedy and Nick Cave* I’m so tired of this silly ass esoteric music! Who is this for!!! Who listens to this? Imagine you’re in the car and one of your homies grabs the aux and starts playing “Die Driegroschenoper”. That dude is walking home.

Tough one to rate here. This album has been a staple of rock radio for the past 20 years because it is at times legitimately fun to listen to - it has really energy and sounds a million times better than Limp Bizkit or any other garbage like that. It is however pretty dated and corny: the rock stuff works, but whenever they try and rap it’s SO bad and it’s so obvious how out of their element these guys are. 3 stars I guess. I wish I had the heart to rate it lower, but it reminds me of my childhood.

So I knew this was gonna be great, obviously. After all, we’re talking about Aretha singing her greatest hit here But a part of me was a tiny bit skeptical: I generally think that Motown got better the closer we get to ‘72 or so. Take Marvin, one of Aretha’s contemporaries, who didn’t really make his best work until 1970 (though his ‘60s resume was immaculate nevertheless). Boy was I wrong. This is a great record that hasn’t aged a day. This is one of the albums that elevated not just Motown, but American popular music as a whole from good to great. I think 1965-1975 might be the greatest decade in popular music, and this record is right in the upper pantheon.

This is the third album I’ve gotten that I have on vinyl, and boy is it a good one. DSotM is SUCH a meme, and liking it is so incredibly common, but it’s just so amazing. It sounds so fucking good, and it has one of the top 5 rock vocal performances of all time (maybe the best if it wasn’t for Merry Clayton). I first listened to this album in a painting class my freshman year of college. A lot has changed since, and this album has only gotten better with time.

4th album I own and second huge album in a row? I know it and you know it: IV is an unimpeachable, amazing 5 star album. I get really tired of “Black Dog” and “Rock and Roll” because they get ridiculously overplayed on the radio (these songs do nothing for me anymore), but songs like “Going to California”, “Misty Mountain Hop” and even “Stairway” get better with age. I don’t think this is Zep’s best, but that’s a story for another day.

Classic Megadeth right here. Love the thrash and love the cover art even more.

Really enjoyed this one! I put it on while working and I must have listened to it front to back 3 times. Very accessible but still throws in some free jazz at times to keep you on your toes. I’m giving this 4 stars because I’m worried I’m inflating the value of 5 stars? Like this was a great album but my gut tells me to slow down 5 star distribution. Oh well

Listening to the album was like putting on your favorite, well-worn jacket: it’s familiar, warm, and reminds you of all the good memories you’ve made while wearing it. I really could hear my childhood while this was spinning: my parent’s CDs, adult contemporary radio from the early 2000s, and a million movie soundtracks. I really enjoyed hearing this again. I know people levy the (valid) criticisms that Coldplay is boring, inoffensive pop music, but this isn’t “Journey of a Lifetime” Coldplay, this is “height-of-their-powers” Coldplay. Lots of interesting things going on the first half of the album, and I really enjoyed listening to this again.

Well, it’s about what I expected. I respect Byrne’s music and artistry, but this just isn’t my kind of music. I love “This Must Be The Place” as much as the next guy, but I don’t really dig 77’s thirty-nine minutes of yodeling.

Given that the Beach Boys are neck-and-neck with the Beatles for the title of my favorite band, I think it’s an absolute TRAVESTY that there isn’t another BB album on the list. Today is supposed to represent the BB’s early work, but in reality it’s a transitional record. I think that Surfer Girl or even Summer Days… And Summer Nights should have made the list as well. Anywho, I thought I was going to give this only 4 stars because on every pre-Pet Sounds BB record, there’s like 5 beautiful songs that make you want to cry, and 5 of the dumbest novelty songs you’ve ever heard. Yet even the songs on side one are amazing! I enjoyed “Do You Wanna Dance?” just as much as “Please Let Me Wonder”. Brian and the boys earned their five stars here.

Modern R&B isn’t really my thing but this was a solid album. Vocal harmonies were really nice.

Album number 6 I have on vinyl! I can’t begin to express how much I love this album. It was incredibly revolutionary and progressive for the time, it tore down barriers, and it’s probably Ray’s best or second best album. Holy shit it’s such a joy to listen to. While some of the songs aren’t as perfect as “Bye Bye Love”, “You Don’t Know Me”, or “You Win Again”, I enjoy listening to every single one of them. No filler or bloat whatsoever. If you don’t like this album, I don’t even know what to say to you. I should note that I’m only writing about Volume 1 here, but Volume 2 is equally perfect (if not better).

Breaking: Swag Discovered In Iceland

Sidleds wild for this one lol. The Smiths present a challenge to my practice of rating sus musicians: Morrisey got 1 star for a solo album, and the 2 Michael Jackson records I’ve gotten were fairly rated despite his actual crimes. I guess there’s no rhyme or reason, so the Smiths will get a normal rating as a group but any future Mo album gets 1 star. Anyways, great stuff right here. Super catchy and worms it’s way right into your heart. 4 stars

Finally the real man’s Green Day album. These songs sound so “Green Day” if that makes sense? This is the high water mark of this sort of sound.

Syd Barrett’s Guitar Pick 🤝 John Bonham’s Kick Pedal Being annoyingly audible in their music In all seriousness though, I loved the first half but was really weirded out by the second. It wasn’t till I read up on Syd and the album that I found out why. :/

Yet another late-career Bowie album I just can’t wrap my mind around… Bowie’s singing is amazing on this record, but the arrangements just feel kind of tacky. I don’t know. I’ll figure it out one day.

I think this is album I own #7? And what I record it is! This was probably the first Springsteen album I came to love as an adult, mostly because of its complexity. It sounds so different from the Boss’s other albums, and the songwriting is immaculate. People sleep on “Something in the Night”!

Very funky - this music is ALIVE! Good stuff, 4.5 stars

I feel bad that I’m giving this one such a low rating? There are SO FEW country albums on this list, and I love Dwight, but to say this is one of the few great country records is ridiculous. This is maybe Dwight’s 3rd or 4th best album. I think Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc… would have been a much stronger inclusion, because unlike this album, it’s songs are distinct and well-written. “Streets of Bakersfield” a banger tho

A little disappointed in this one? I love Booker T, and I love the song “Green Onions” even more, but the rest of the songs on this one just felt very uninteresting and inoffensive. 3 stars.

Another banger from the Stones! 5 stars for “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Street Fightin Man”, but one star revoked for having somewhat unmemorable non-singles.

As a big Neil fan this album was a huge disappointment… there’s some good stuff here but it just feels really uninspired. 2.5 stars

robert dimery be like including more than like 5 motown/blues/country albums: ❌ including 200 boring british alt-rock bands: ✅

At last, one of the 3 (THREE) Cash albums on this list, and I believe this is the 8th album I own. Absolute travesty that there’s that few. Cash’s career is littered with hugely influential and critically acclaimed records like Bitter Tears, His Hot and Blue Guitar, Ride This Train, and many others, so it kind of sucks that the only ones on the list are two live albums and a late career masterpiece. Anyways, solid stuff here - “Boy Named Sue” and “San Quentin” are perfect - but the record is held back by its song selection. Do yourself a favor and listen to the full uncensored version, as this release leaves out a lot of great songs (yet leaves in 2 versions of “San Quentin”??).

GREAT vocals, but the production and songwriting get a little schmaltzy at times

FINALLY I get a Bowie album I can get down to. I love both the funky, proto-New Wave stuff on side 1 and the Blade Runner soundtrack on side 2.

It sure was a Kraftwerk album! Not terrible, I was into it. 3.5 stars

This album isn’t perfect; some songs are better than others, but MAN this album is years ahead of it’s time. Could have been released today and it would be just as relevant. “The Big Ship” a banger.

I’m giving this one 4 stars, but not without hesitation - this is a genuinely great album. “Band on the Run”, “Jet”, and “Let Me Roll It” are spectacular singles; songs I listen to all the time. The rest of the LP is all that keeps it from getting 5 stars: Paul’s “granny music” is on full display and it just doesn’t feel super coherent.

Gotta admit, I thought for sure I’d hate this because I don’t really care for super esoteric music, but it wasn’t too bad! I liked the dichotomy between the sleazy guitar songs and the heartfelt piano ballads. Bonus points for “Jersey Girl”.

Was not expecting the mid-album switch to hip-hop! 3 stars

Finally got some K Dot! While TPaB isn’t my favorite Kendrick album, I can’t deny it’s a brilliantly constructed collection of hip-hop, funk, jazz, and spoken word poetry. Different songs on this record have had different meanings for me growing up, be it loud locker room music or even songs that represented negative emotions. An absolute classic of the genre. If you “can’t get into this because it’s rap” or because he mentions money and women, I hate to break it to you: you have no critical thinking skills. Phooey.

Reading this album’s reviews and I’m baffled this has a 2.85 rating. I’m even MORE baffled by all the 1 and 2 star reviews simply titled “Country sucks!” or something like that. I understand why country is i totally off putting - I myself used to despise everything it stood for. At some point, I started listening to Cash, and that softened me, but SotR is really what blew the whole thing open for me. It’s just so fucking brilliant. For all of his yuppie Harvard money, Gram Parsons was a musical genius. This record perfectly personifies the word “twang” while borrowing equally from psychedelic and rock music. From the opening punch of “You Ain’t Goin Nowhere” to the satirical gospel of “The Christian Life”, this is all killer no filler. If you write this one off because it’s “country”, you are doing yourself a HUGE disservice. Don’t be so cynical!

Serviceable motown stuff, nothing crazy but it gets the job done.

Buddy Holly kinda sounds like somebody sped up an Elvis song but only by like 10%. 4.5 stars

Probably my least favorite of the 3 REM albums, but that’s more of a testament to how good the other ones are. “Man on the Moon” always bangs but I can’t listen to “Everybody Hurts” without laughing.

TFW no Astrud Gilberto I like Frank (In The Wee Small Hours is an all time favorite) but this is just not working.

I hate myself for giving this one 5 stars… Clapton is a huge wanker but man this is a good record… anything Duane Allman touched was gold I guess

I like the funkier stuff on this album, but to be honest, songs like “Californication”, or “Other Side” fall into the same category as “Jump” or “We Are The Champions”: I’ve heard it so many times on the radio that I no longer feel any joy or positive connection to the song.

Can’t believe I’ve never heard of these guys! Really cool blend of thrash, punk, alt rock, and funk. I can really see how these guys must have been huge influences on 90s bands.

Really went back and forth between 4 and 5 stars on this. On one hand, it’s an all-time classic that’s excellently written and sung, but on the other hand, I thought a lot of the non-iconic tracks were forgettable. I guess I’ll do a high 4 stars for this.

Usually I can’t stand “glam rock” but this was really good! I really liked the bluesy feel that spans the whole record.

Such a special album. Maybe I’m talking out of my ass here, but this reminds me a lot of the Beach Boys’ SMILE: the songs on the album are less individual songs, but rather short musical phrases that can be rearranged or combined to form longer musical sentences. There’s like 43 songs on DNotD - most of them are very short and unrefined. I think if the band took any one of them and polished it, you’d have an individual song of popular music, but they didn’t. The songs instead flow together, creating different moods and emotions. I don’t mind that they’re short! I love just putting this on in the background and sinking into the music.

The angry, grunge-funk tracks are great (see Cult of Personality), but the 80’s pop sections are not. Still love this album tho

I kind of would just rather listen to Phil Collins’ or Peter Gabriel’s solo music… prog rock is so hard to get into

Not too bad, I enjoyed a few songs.

God I really don’t know where to start with Pet Sounds. I got really into the Beach Boys maybe 2 years ago? I don’t remember how it started, but I was immediately drawn to Brian Wilson’s vocals and production style. Every song these guys made was full of emotion, longing, sadness, and joy. The Beach Boys’ first 6 or so albums possess some of the most beautiful vocal harmonies you’ve ever heard. Makes the Four Seasons sound like a bunch of yelping cats. Anyways, Pet Sounds is absolutely their magnum opus, and it’s visible as soon as the first track, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, a wonderfully wistful song about being young and in love. There’s not a song on hear I don’t love: the long vocals on “You Still Believe In Me”, the wonderful interplay of Mike’s lead vocals and Brian’s falsetto on “That’s Not Me”, the psychedelic “Don’t Talk”, the songwriting of “I’m Waiting for the Day”, the percussion on “Let’s Go Away for Awhile”, and of course, the ever-happy “Sloop John B”. Side 2 is just a perfect: “God Only Knows”, Brian’s visible soul on “I Know There’s An Answer”, the silly “Here Today”, the camp sadness of “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times”, the sleigh bells on “Pet Sounds”, and of course, the beautifully sad (yet too short) “Caroline, No”. I fucking love this album. I’ve listened to it a billion times, and it always gets slightly better every time I do. Probably my favorite album of all time.

Randy Newman but with more swag

PLEASANTLY surprised by the Go-Go’s! I was worried this might be a bit too new-wave for my taste, but I really enjoyed the record and listened to it all day. 4 stars instead of 5 because I think it’s a little inconsistent outside of the big songs.

3.5 stars mostly for “Heart of Glass”. The rest of the album is pretty good? Nothing crazy though. I wish it was more punk.

I bought this blind in a record store and was in no way disappointed! Total punk masterclass; all killer, no filler.

It sure was a U2 album. Kind of enjoyable, but nothing special.

DAMN… maybe all those stranger things nerds were on to something…

Good stuff but I’m guessing this isn’t their best album? Sound is a bit unrefined at times. 3.5 stars