Longstanding fan of everything up to and including Dookie. But nah, there's easily 2002 better albums to listen to this. Never listened before because I was fully done with them by this point. Heard the singles and thought nah. Maybe It's ok. Maybe I just stopped liking new Green Day stuff when I stopped being a teenager when they came out. It's a theory. Wait, what? The second track is 9 minutes long. Who are this band? Starts off aping the Beach Boys and then segues into All the Young Dudes. Actually quite funny how all over the place it is. What the hell, the next track is 8 minutes. Ha, Bush sent them mad. Ok I'm on board now. Might get 3 stars just because of how ridiculous it is. Yeah boulevard is still as dull as it always was. I see what's happening here, they've just removed the space between separate songs. Nah, too long and too many mediocre songs. 2 stars it is.

Well this is already great. Previous knowledge of Can was basically all of Tago Mago and Vitamin C. But this is Can chilled out and spaced out. Real head music, as they say... So glad I've got another go-to record by them now.

Have never listened to these. Or The Black Crowes. Or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. I have listened to Black Sabbath. Anyway, yeah, this was alright! Kind of forgettable first listen though. But enjoyable enough. Tighten Up sounds like a million other things that were out around then and can't say I like that sound. Fake old, with modern production just fucks me off. Ahaha, the next song is that Glitter Stomp one that was the Heardle the other day I didn't get because I guessed Gary Glitter over and over because that's what it was. The longer this album goes on I can tell I'm not going to take it seriously because it's not my thing. Next song sounds like late 90s Lenny Kravitz. I think I'm out, there's nothing interesting for me here, kinda average 6music fodder, fine but that's it.

Put this on again recently around Andy's untimely death. Absolutely terrific album, some of their greatest ever songs, an easy 5. Also the Depeche Mode album I think which most influenced the glorious Turrican and Turrican 2 soundtracks.

The JAMC pop album - I think universally acknowledged as not as good as Psychocandy but still pretty great. There's some foreshadowing of JAMC-do-Billy Idol-'Head On' here. And more stuff that sounds a bit like Just Like Honey, rather than a drill boring directly into your soul. These are not necessarily bad things, there is a place for both, and how do you top the debut?

One of my favourites, know it inside out

Longstanding fan of everything up to and including Dookie. But nah, there's easily 2002 better albums to listen to this. Never listened before because I was fully done with them by this point. Heard the singles and thought nah. Maybe It's ok. Maybe I just stopped liking new Green Day stuff when I stopped being a teenager when they came out. It's a theory. Wait, what? The second track is 9 minutes long. Who are this band? Starts off aping the Beach Boys and then segues into All the Young Dudes. Actually quite funny how all over the place it is. What the hell, the next track is 8 minutes. Ha, Bush sent them mad. Ok I'm on board now. Might get 3 stars just because of how ridiculous it is. Yeah boulevard is still as dull as it always was. I see what's happening here, they've just removed the space between separate songs. Nah, too long and too many mediocre songs. 2 stars it is.

Apparently obligatory Big Lebowski reference. With that out of the way, I can't really argue with Take It Easy, oh well, until the banjo kicks in, fuck off man. This album came up early and I skipped it for months because it's The Eagles. Came back to give it a fair crack now. If Witchy Woman is representative of the better songs, then this isn't going to be fun. Shite. I didn't have high hopes for a song called 'Chug all night' and those expectations were realised. Following that with Most of us Are Sad is actually hilarious. The vocal harmonies are very nice. There are some songs I can tolerate... (Train leaves...) And heck, these obviously influenced Midlake and other stuff I like. But, well - Ok I'm just going to say, it's not for me. 1 star for an imagined version of Take it Easy with no superfluous banjo, and 1 star for being in some way responsible for Van Occupanther.

Just a joy. Love a bit of this. Mambo!

Will be the first listen for me. Only really heard the title track and the Triple H entrances. Need to listen to more Hawkwind as well. I mean it was never going to be a surprise was it. Loads of amazing, meaty guitar solos. Jailbait, well, yeah..hmm. Listening to an album like this first 40 years after its already influenced your musical tastes vicariously for years, can sometimes be a touch underwhelming. So, not blown away for those reasons. But there's no doubting it's a fantastic album.

It's energetic isn't it. So this is what my mates were listening to at school. I was happy with Faith No More. Does sound pretty much exactly like I imagined it to. Apparently massively influential, so again the curse of I've heard loads influenced by it but not the thing itself. All good metal, not massively my thing, I think I prefer my metal slightly less noodly in, always space for some of this for me but more likely in small doses. Mind you the solos and rhythm guitar for the second half of Lucretia are excellent.

Nope. Selling loads doesn't mean i have to listen to it, I heard all the identical singles 1001 times, that's plenty. Babylon is a place where this doesn't exist.

Very nice. Not my thing particularly, but would happily stick on a Sunday afternoon.

A pop classic from the off. Such style, an iconic record, not much point writing more. Launched a lot of inferior rips, but not their fault.

I kind of expected to hate this, so I put it off. I didn't initially hate it, kind of irrepressible, big daft late 80s rock. To little me, this and the Run DMC track was what Aerosmith were, I had no idea of the 70s stuff until I heard REM cover Toys in the Attic and realised oh, they've been around since then? And Sweet Emotion is a banger. But this is Pump. Love in an Elevator has aged badly, as has most of this really, it's very dated. Side A really isn't very good. The Other Side though, is still very good, as it goes. That and My Girl I would still listen to. As the album goes on, it does get more interesting, it has to be said. The guy wasn't wrong in referencing Led Zep in Voodoo Medicine Man, wowsers. I waivered from 1 star all the way up to 3 whole stars. It should think itself lucky though. Actually, no, thinking back to that side A, it's getting 2.

Superb album that gives the lie to the idea that records after long hiatus are never good. This is excellent. Such a lush and glorious sound. It's not quite as good as Loveless, but MBV albums are so rare that doesn't matter. Finishes off with a wonderful cacophony as well.

Another one I skipped because I wasn't in the mood. Doesn't sound nearly as 80s as I expected it to in 2022. maybe if i played it through my mum's kitchen radio then it would. It's a very nice sound - but it doesn't take long to fade into the background. samey. Frankies first affair was good. As was I will be your friend. Not very likely to come back to this often but it was good.

So this might be the greatest hip hop album of all time, but it's not my favourite. I was pretty ignorant of it though, wasn't into much besides the Beasties and old school 80s rap at this time. My tastes developed but I didn't go back to this. Hearing it now, I can see why it's loved and admired, and Nas has great delivery, but it's not really my thing. Definitely decent. ... That's what I was originally writing anyway, then, song by song, this just got it's hooks in me. What a great album. Are those sleigh-bells in Half-time? Is this Nas' Xmas song about smoking weed and staying alive on the streets? Anyway, I'm bumping up to 4 stars because of that incredibly strong run of tracks through the middle. Tracks - NY State of Mind, The World is Yours, Half-time, Memory Lane, Represent.

I bet this has aged terribly.

Well this is already great. Previous knowledge of Can was basically all of Tago Mago and Vitamin C. But this is Can chilled out and spaced out. Real head music, as they say... So glad I've got another go-to record by them now.

WHO TOOK THE BOMP FROM THE BOMPALOMPALOMP, WHO TOOK THE RAM FROM THE RAMALAMADINGDANG!? Love Le Tigre. Love this album.

Ha, excellent timing to give me this during Jubilee week. Not listened because I played this to death growing up so it's indelibly marked upon my psyche, I can play it to myself whenever I want.

Both Eminem albums? 1 year apart. Nah. Surely you drop this one to make room for something new and groundbreaking. Still, when I look at what's on this it's hard to argue against. Bought it, like everyone else when it came out, same as the debut. Kind of not interested in listening again though.

The title track doesn't feel like 8 minutes. Always liked Vincent, but mainly for punk covers by the likes of NOFX. I will say I prefer the cover, like the godless heathen I am. Crossroads is quite beautiful and understated. I do not like Everybody loves me baby. The other tracks washed over me.

This is what I'm doing this for. Love a bit of Afrobeat and well aware of Fela Kuti's legend (and of course Ginger Baker's) but not got around to listening to many legendary albums. The groove is alive. Oh my god, the drumming. Superb

1997, great year for music. I listen to this all the time, but probably only discovered it about 10 years ago. One More Hour, right in the feels. Oh you've got the darkest eyes.

Not fond of the title track, the late 80s production really leaves me cold, and Santana's guitar coupled with this just feels easy listening. In the Mood is more the blues sound I was expecting and much better. Not a big Bonnie Raitt fan though, have a feeling this isn't going to be for me. The Canned Heat one is pretty good, decent groove. The George Thorogood one is excellent. Rockin Chair just John Lee on his own is great. Some really good tracks here then. As a whole album though I'm underwhelmed.

So, fan of the Undertones but only really heard those singles. This is all good fun, none of the first 5 are really getting their hooks in me before they're already finished, but hey that's ok, another one will be along in less than 2 minutes. And I guess that's the point. Feargal sounds a bit like Hugh Cornwell on Jump Boys in places, the first song that stands out for me. Here Comes the Summer is fantastic obviously. In, shake it all about, out, done, in a minute and a half. Bosh. True Confessions really stands out from the jangle pop that surrounds it, great stuff. And after that, more fun, fine but fairly forgettable pop punk. So there's 5 terrific tracks here in the middle for me.

My assumed position is Led Zep 3 is the best but the first 3 tracks here, you know, you've got to question it. Absolutely love the Battle for Evermore. And I mean I like the lord of the rings and everything but if anything that takes away rather than adds from it, I just love it as a thing. Never particularly understood the obsession Stairway to Heaven gets. Also don't recognise it in anything Wayne plays in the guitar shop. But hey it's a good song. Misty is loads of fun. Going to California, oh my heart. Yeah, at When the Levee Breaks and it's confirmed. Stairway is the only song on this album I don't absolutely love.

A really nice album. Like her stuff generally but hadn't heard this before for some reason. Silver globe and Amber are really great. Lots of gentle motorik beats all over this.

Being 8 when this came out the singles unsurprisingly surrounded me. I liked the title track of course. Less bothered by the others. Into the Groove is fabulous but not on this album, which I've never listened to before now. I was not aware of the Prince duet, which is a lovely little nugget to add to my library. The deleted track Supernatural is also going in. Exception on the singles, Dear Jessie I had completely forgotten existed and reminds me a lot of Erasure on The Circus. Nice.

Another band I've always liked but it occurs to me I've never listened to their albums. I've listened to more Style Council albums it turns out. Not really a fan of any of Weller's solo work. First impressions are that this is nowhere near as immediate, or spiky as I would expect from The Jam. So will it reveal itself from repeated listens, maybe so. After the first 3 fairly nondescript tracks, the following three are terrific, I'm really settling into this, In The Crowd a brilliant closer to side 1. The lyrics are predictably interesting. Musically not much arrests me on side B until the big single that sends us home. Probably a grower.

Had a couple of late 80s albums this week taking me back to my youth. But really striking how contemporary they sound these days, ten maybe 15 years ago this would sound as dated as hell but not now, aside from the odd scratch noise. This sound is everywhere in modern music. All time bangers front and centre, it's a blast at the beginning. I drift off halfway through as nothing can compete with the absolute classic singles particularly, but it's still a great, fun, pop album.

Serie A, Channel 5, John Barnes! Will forever associate Phantom pt 2 with that one season that happened. Another fun album, possibly more fun and zippy than Daft Punk were, but admittedly not as good. I can see this one getting displaced by better stuff down the line but you never know, there's some weird choices in the list. Even so, this is one I come back to semi-regularly. D.A.N.C.E, Phantom, New Jack, The Party, Stress all obvious highlights.

Not usually a fan of country but there are exceptions, I went into this with an open heart. First track I thought hmm. 2-4 I'm genuinely enjoying it, perhaps for the novelty, perhaps they're standout. I can see it's good, but after that I'm tapping out tbh, I just lose interest. Weird that there's absolutely no Lee Hazelwood in this book. Stuck Nancy & Lee on immediately afterwards to cleanse my palate.

What can you say, one of the great Dylan albums. Subterranean is outstanding, 115th Dream is still hilarious, Tambourine, Eden, Only Bleeding and Baby Blue still some of his all time best songs. The first side is great, but side B is pure gold. Not a duff song on here and the best was still to come.

The first album that's no longer in the book as of 2021 edition (app must have missed this). It was always weird that The XX's 3rd album was ever included, but that's gone too. Feels slightly harsh on the debut which is pretty good, although from memory there were only about 4 songs on it that were standout, being generous, and they very much capture the moment around the end of the 00s. Immensely parody-able, listening to it now, and tbf the overtly stylised nature of the band meant they always were at the time. The rest of the album just sort of maintained the mood, meandering without doing anything special. But the standout songs were good, some not as good as I remember, and sometimes we're just in Chris Isaacs territory... I always found the bloke annoying. In the end agree with the decision to ditch from the 1001.

Only vaguely heard of this guy but I knew the French love their hip hop, never explored before. This is pretty great, love the title track. I love 80s hip hop and rap but I kind of got off the bus somewhere early to mid 90s and never truly got back on. Always got time for exceptions like Dave and such. I don't like the ragga one, I'm not target audience, but I won't hold it against the album as a whole which is well worth a listen. This has a lot to like about it, much genres covered, and some of that early 90s production that works great for some things (this) and terribly for lots of other stuff. Kind of doesn't matter that I haven't got a clue what he's rapping about, it's a great soundscape.

Up against a deadline at work this morning and this is precisely what I needed to keep me motivated. All killer no filler.

Yeah Ok, so i have to say most of it washed over me somewhat as nice enough folk noodlings at first, until Do You Hear me jumped out, and enjoyed "Ramblings..." The guitar playing is obviously excellent throughout. Casbah is superb. Went back to relisten to Needle of Death. Am getting it now, need to settle into it, it's not a one listen wonder. Can see how influential this would be, as a big Robyn Hitchcock fan I knew the name, but had never heard before.

The book has it right, this is a low key, brilliant album. Unquestionably their best, and most consistent. Been a fan of these since Losing My Edge turned up on a label sampler my friend had, thought that was cool, then heard the amazing, blipping, squelchy Yeah and the New-Order-on-amphetimines Beat Connection and I was sold. The debut was good with some obvious high points but I found myself listening to the familiar disc of pre-existing singles much more. This is a fully formed album from the off, opener Get Innocuous dismissing any fears they'd spaffed most of their best ideas before even releasing an album. The weaker songs 'time to get away', 'watch the tapes' and the title track are still full of hooks and good enough to keep the vibe going. 'Weaker' being a relative term, as compared against the delicious joyful-mournfully celebratory 'Someone Great' and ultimate anthem to nostalgic wanderings through lost weekends and togetherness, 'All of My Friends'. Far and away the 2 best songs here, and the latter probably the best the band ever did. After that Us V Them is an admirable attempt to combine their best bits from other songs and does a good job, 'New York...' sends us home tripping up the first two stairs on our way to bed with a crashing indie rock jam. It's a great album.

This was my favourite Stevie album, until I got into Inner Visions. Wonderful

The first Neil Young album to come up in my journey, suspect I may feel similarly about all of them but we'll see. Have never particularly got Neil Young, despite following lots of artists and bands who sing his praises to the moon. Generally, all nice and good for a Sunday afternoon but it just doesn't grab my attention.

Great

Used to love these as a kid, but only ever had two different Best of albums. Naturally much of this was on it. So I never got around to listening to any of their albums proper, here we go. You've got to love that bass. Kicks off with a song about smacking your girlfriend around, nice. I knew there was always this edge, with Peaches obviously, who knows if it's sincere. Had a feeling the lyrics wouldn't age well, but the sound is wonderful. Grip was always one of my favourites of there's and it's my favourite on this album. Absolute stone cold banger. I don't think there's anything else here quite up to that high standard, but it's good. To be fair though, I will probably go back to the best ofs next time I need my Stranglers hit. Need Strange Little Girl and others.

Magical

Why is Little Wing so short. It's just getting started and it ends, I want more. Patchier and scratchier than the debut certainly but still some stonkers here.

All I understood ZZTop to be was this incredibly 80s, incredibly American sound. So I look forward to hearing Le Grange etc for the totally different sound. Never a huge fan of the singles, though they're obviously big old pop songs and you can't fault the craft. Tbh I think only Gimme all your Lovin had a serious impact in the UK. For me anyway. Great for any time I'm feeling in the mood for big daft rock such as this - not in anyway to denigrate it, those times and places do happen.

If you ignore Suede (who aren't really Britpop) this is pretty inarguably the best, most consistent Britpop album. The absolute peak, and a lovely old evisceration of the somewhat vacuous culture that surrounded it. That the 90s are now looked upon by many as the good old days, tells you everything you need to know about the absolute state we are in now, in 2022.

Haha, nice. I never did listen to song that The Man Don't Give A Fuck sampled. But Showbiz Kids is a cracker.

Yeah, can't be arsed with this one. Enjoyed it back in 2007 or whenever, but not a single one of their records since and the Alex Turner hero worship that followed is kind of annoying. But mainly I just didn't like the music. This is clearly the best one though and obviously the lyrics are clever. Blah

Ahh FFS. He's actually good isn't he. Not consciously avoided him but have somehow got this far without listening to him or much awareness at all besides the daft shite he gets up to in public life. But this is bloody good. Never Let Me Down is pretty special. Have tried tracks on their own in the past and just shrugged. Maybe I was never in the mood. This is ridiculously good actually. Surely one of the all time greatest debuts. Guess I'd better check the other good ones.

All time classic.

Well very nearly, 2 days before the 25th anniversary this comes up. Lovely. It does sort of feel its age to me this one, I guess because I lived through it and heard it lots at the time but not much since. This is the last Scream album I listened to in great detail. The 90s big beat style is front and centre. Medication is a hangover from when they thought they were the Rolling Stones and sounds a lot like 'Rocks', I can take or leave that one. Still, it's a very good album. The dub stuff is great, Long Life is great, Burning wheel is up there with the best things they've ever done, and Trainspotting stands up well, probably the one song on this album I have heard the most down the years in fact.

So having only ever listened to one Queen album, The Miracle, when I was a kid, this will be interesting, I recognize zero of the song titles here. Thought BR would be on it given the cover, but nope. Ok. So yeah this sounds like Queen (apart from the exceptions below), except you just haven't heard the song eleventy billion times. Oh and sometimes it's batshit crazy (ogre battle). My favourite song by a distance is one that doesn't sound like Queen and instead sounds more like quiet Led Zep, Some Day One Day. In fact, Billy Corgan 100% knows and likes this song, whatever he says, basically half of Siamese Dream (an album I love, but credit where it's due) is this song. The Loser sounds even more like Led Zep, loud version this time, creditable Robert Plant impression from Roger Taylor taking over vocals. Funny How Love is sounds a lot like good era Beach Boys so that's good. So, more tolerable, but mostly sounds like Queen, so I'll pass thanks. Appreciate Queen for what they were and there is a lot to like but it's not for me. Overall did enjoy the listen but probably will only listen to the Smashing Pumpkins one and the Beach Boys one again.

Interesting, so yeah, I am of the incorrect culture to know this guy, or anything much about Rai in general. So going in more or less blind, it's a lot of fun, a lot of variety of styles (funk, samba, samba accordian, sir?) so you're never bored. Do skip over the cover of Imagine though as that is an abomination. Track 3, man, really? Do you want people to listen to your long long record, or not? The persevering explorer however will be rewarded with a good time. I could do without a second soft rock version of C'est la nuit though.

Smooooooooth. Niiice! Grrrreat Schmoking! Mmmm, nice. Wonderful! Suuuuuperb.

Most of this isn't on Spotify anymore, but I listened to what I could. After getting Ice Cube the previous day, the contrast for me is stark. As much as I loved that, this just leaves me cold. Never been a Snoop fan, or a Dre fan particularly. I get what he does and that it is good, it's just not for me. A few decent tracks here but I find I'm appreciating them rather than enjoying them, it's just literally not for me.

What a record. Very nearly 30 years old. Terrifyingly little progress in some quarters in that time since the Rodney King riots. Righteous anger and vitriol ripples through this. Today was a Good Day, obvs one of the best rap songs of all time, even if I sort of blame it's success for Puff Daddy trying to repeat the formula over and over again for years with boring results. But this album is just really high quality the whole way through.

Big fan of Odelay and Vultures, I've been a sporadic fan since. One of those artists I keep intending to get through their last few albums but I never quite do. So, um yeah, this one took me almost 20 years to get around to. Oops. Woah, Paper Tiger. Getting his Serge on. Ooh, it's sad Beck. Okay. Lush production on Lonesome Tears. Gorgeous song. Some of the quieter ones I think are going to take a few listens to appreciate. At the end, yeah, rating this after one listen feels fraudulent. But I will definitely revisit this.

Listened to Air recently which I loved for the Stepney/Reich vibes in equal measure. That's nothing like this, I've only heard bits before, enough to know that Air was a departure, and that they released music faster than I could keep up. This is pretty wonderful. Never stays the same, never dips in quality. Fully justified inclusion, hopefully will withstand the brutal culls that more modern albums suffer with each new edition.

Often heard about them when reading REM interviews in the music press way back when, but pre-streaming/internet I would never hear them. So I guess now I'm going to hear them. The full album is on A***on Music, which trump's Spotify's pitiful offering of missing tracks. And, well, it's beautiful. Of course I was going to like this as a lifelong fan of REM, particularly their early stuff, of which this is most reminiscent, or vice versa. You can absolutely hear the Replacements too, and stuff like the Green Pajamas. Yes the production is loose as fuck, but for me thats all part of the charm. There's great tunes here, that vary between up tempo freak outs (You can't Have Me) and quietly devastating (Holocaust). Kanga Roo feels like a precursor to shoegaze in places and is absolutely wonderful. Anyway I'm a sucker for the mythology around 'lost' records like this, and 'Smile', with tracks scattered around all over the place, where noone can agree on the running order. Then someone finally does, decades later. Love it.

Absolutely wild, I never heard this before. What an amazing good time gig. What else can you say about Sam Cooke. Who knows if this would be the peak of his powers. Absolute tragedy that 18 months later he'd be killed.

Well, this falls into the category of yeah I can see what they're doing, but I'm not going to suddenly like Dire Straits after all these years. Aside from sultans of swing I'm not really feeling anything. I got really really bored towards the end.

Bring the scuzz, properly dirty. Lovely. In N out of Grace is epic

Very much a toe dipper in the world of Nick Cave, I like what I hear but not delved into the albums. So why not start with a double album, yeah. First track is surprisingly raucous, though I know he's got that side clearly, Birthday Party, Grinderman. And it's great. Few tracks in, loving the vibe. Oh my god, There She Goes my Beautiful World, how have I never heard this before, this is fuckin ace. Nature Boy I have heard and it's fabulous. This is so great. Second half sounds different but still has some bangers, Spell being the most obvious, just wonderful. So at the end of it, happily knew several tracks so I've not been totally missing out, but what a great, warm album, altogether. Going on the list.

Funny one this. Came to Floyd for the Syd Barrett stuff, via Robyn Hitchcock, I have no real love for later iterations and that's always been my position, despite mates and the entirety of society insisting it's one of the best records ever made. Certainly one of the best covers. So let's see. There's some obvious classics here, Breathe, I wish was as long as Money (see below), 2 minutes is a waste of that lush sound. Great Gig, is obviously stratospheric. Aside from that, On the Run is some fun noodly noises, fine, Time is nice in a cross between the previous two tracks kind of way, so far we are all good for playing on a hot day. Money, I just do not care for that much. I enjoy the odd time signature, that's good, but other than that it's just a blues rock song, which is fine, I just don't feel it. Us and Them is the centrepiece I warm to, that's great. I like that the rest of the album bleeds into eachother and Eclipse is a good finish. So ok, it gets a 4 - mainly because of the classics. will I listen to it often, no.

Sounds nice and sounds like Willie Nelson. It's just not for me.

It's a Jurassic 5 record. Day at the races, What's Golden, I Am Somebody are sublime. The rest is merely great.

First off, go to YouTube. Ignore the Spotify version which is not good. This is pretty magical, all told. The last track is gorgeous. It's a shame you have to faff with YouTube and VLC and whatnot as otherwise I can see me sticking this on more often.

Didn't listen this time but it's a classic, probably their best, most consistently great album.

The The are great. I think I might like this one more than Soul Mining. Not sure. Obviously the production has way dated now, but they're still great. Mrs sat next to me says it really shows how much INXS ripped them off and by god she's right.

Dunno why but I just get put off listening to this one - The best songs are not the singles (although Sway is great, if that counts) - Can't you hear me knocking probably my favourite, superb riff. Moonlight Mile. There's some nice blues and stuff. I much prefer Townes Van Zandt's version of Dead Flowers. It's a good album no question but I've never completely understood why it's vaunted by many as the best Stones album.

Great lyrics, great voice. Ultimately not my thing though. Fast Car is timeless obviously. Behind the Wall sadly still totally relevant. Baby Can I Hold You utterly tarnished in my mind by the ubiquitous Ronan Keating bloody version.

Summer of 69 and On a Rope don't get old. Love the horn section. It's a blast. Come see Come saw is basically Jumping Jack Flash, but hey the whole album is a gas gas gas.

It's a good indie rock album. Mad that it's nearly 20 years old and there really haven't been many good indie rock albums since. Not hugely surprised it's left the book as for all it's qualities, aside from Take Me Out it's not that outstanding/noteworthy in this context. Michael and Darts of Pleasure my favourites.

Bossa Nova. Tick.

It's Curtis Mayfield.

Listened to this a bit before but only a bit. Love the rhythms and fusion. Boyz is great, Jimmy is spectacular. Wasn't sure 20 Dollars worked as a lifelong Pixies/New Order fan, but on repeat it's a banger. XR2 is parp-tastic Paper Planes is a classic. But it's sampling the Clash so of course it is. It's a great record. Shame about the whole antivax bullshit, but you can't have everything.

App deleted my notes. Anyway. This is good. Looking forward to the other two given the fuss made of Kevin Rowland in the music press if this is the worst one.

Probably his best album. Automatic 5 stars.

Friends have banged on about Mick Head's bands for ages now, I've heard this and thought it was alright but I'd already been listening to Teenage Fanclub for years so just hear that in it. I'm told Shack had that sound first, I don't know, but Sparky's Dream existed for years before 'Comedy' and I can't help but hear the exact same chorus. Although, that is a delightful song. Beta Band vibes on the backing vocals of Captain's Table. Streets of Kenny is really great. With a really weirdly abrupt ending. So, to my ear nothing original, and tbh, after Streets of Kenny nothing really holds my interest (except Since I Met You). But it is really well done. Had I heard this back in 1999 I would very likely have been all over it.

Almost as good as The Soft Bulletin. Do You Realize is one of their greatest ever songs.

Immediately exiled from the book after one edition! That's harsh, and somehow symbolic. The world doesn't care, but likes to appear that it does, then quietly undo everything when people aren't looking. And so many garbage albums that outlived their relevance years ago remain. Yes, David Grey. Anyway, this is really good. To be fair, there's quite a lot of excellent desert blues and whatnot floating around these days if you listen out for it. Which is a great thing. This is a good example of it.

Yeah it's nice and that. I'm always just left a bit cold by Neil Young. Obvs there's more variety here because there's Stills too. And some other people! And it's late 60s flower music, groovy and stuff. It's good, but nothing really stands out for me and I just can't see me sticking it on again.

So many ideas. Ex lion tamer and Mannequin fantastic pop punk. Strange I heard the REM cover first. Short, stabby, songs everywhere else. No need to write much here it's so massively influential. The longer it goes on the better it gets. Fabulous album.

Bar a few songs, not a Metallica fan. I like my metal but they just bore me. So here we go. 1 track in, in danger of bouncing off immediately. Played to perfection, just not particularly interesting. Title track appeals to my Prog-livities, much better. Eye of Beyolder- meh. One, lovely intro. An intro as long as several Wire songs. One is one of the few Metallica songs I already like going into this and it's obviously one of the greatest metal songs of all time, Billy Corgan also obviously loves this song and Siamese Dream very reminiscent of it. So, moving on, what's after that? Lots more meh, it turns out. Was literally mind wandering then I heard the line "loss of interest, question wonder", ha. I think this is getting a 2 because I need to like more than 2 songs in an hour of music. But One deserves more than that on its own. Shame it brought it's mates. Ah, damn. Dyers Eve is good, right at the end. Still though, I like less than half the album so it's gotta stay a 2. Went back to Megadeth to remind me thrash could be fun.

It sounds great. Obvs hugely important. Judging it as an actual record - Most of the album tracks are, well, a bit shit aren't they. 6 great tracks ranging from really good to all time classics, 6 shite tracks. 6.5/10

A glorious racket.

Got this the day after The Birthday Party. It's funny how people's definitions of 'unlistenable' vary so radically. This is such a slog. Although it regularly meanders into the background, so easy forget it's on. A bit like all the singles did when they came on the radio in the kitchen in the 80s. But also overlong. Half the album is just twinkly nothing. And I'm sure you could do the prog intro to Money For Nothing and still close out the rest within 5 minutes. 8 and a half? Get out. The first album in project I have to give a 1 to, I just dislike all of it. It is absolutely not necessary to listen to this before you die.

Wasn't surprised on looking up to see this has gone from the book, it's a fine, decent indie dance genre-hip-trip-hopping album but 20 years later (eek) I don't exactly think of it as earth changing. We are also slap bang in the era of too-long albums from bands who feel they must squeeze all the space out of a CD. Not many of these tracks are what I'd consider essential, either. There's a couple of surprises though, the smokey Latin Simone saunters in towards the end and steals the show for me. I have no memory of this at the time. 19-2000 holds up well. Slow Country was nice. The band was a fun gimmick, giving Jamie Hewlett a paycheck after Tank Girl, which is nice. The Clint Eastwood remix at the end is, and always was, hella annoying.

Have floated around Roxy all this time but never truly dove in for whatever reason. Daft because I would clearly love it. This is one of the albums I've never even listened to once. Well, this is great. Thrill of it all, and Out of the Blue, both superb. The whole last half of the album.

Bounced off these for so long because of the horrible populist noise they became in the Invisible Touch era. Despite knowing they're prog behemoths under Peter Gabriel. But anyway, how could I like the Flaming Lips and not like this, is I guess. There's still lots to find annoying, and it's partly the stuff here that's pisstake-worthy (see The Battle of Epping Forest's singular ridiculousness) and the worst excesses of Yes that I blame for my not realising how much fantastic music there was to discover in the prog genre until way late in my musical journey. But if you put all your preconceptions aside, and just give in to it, this is a joyous record.

It's Blonde on Blonde.

Oh Christ. This is going to test my commitment more than Brothers in Arms did, isn't it. Ok, I listened. It's toss. Actually a shame, an album full of left leaning, anti-capitalist lyrics including a massive smash hit taking the piss out of Reaganomics at its absolute height, you just want it to be good. A Talking Heads cover, as well. To be fair, Come To My Aid has a decent track struggling to get out with decent Orange Juice/Smith's guitar work but Hucknall smothers it by being annoying all over the top of it. The rest is cod lounge-jazz crap. Or the worst kind of 80s mainstream electro rock. With Mick Hucknall being really annoying all over the top of it. I was softening slightly thinking about the good points but then Open the Red Box happened and sealed the 1/5.

It just sounds epic. Listened for the first time only a few months back. Couldn't believe I'd left it so long. I would watch the imaginary stage show that all these songs are taken from, and have a good cry, I'm sure. The Kids is a real tough listen.

Removed again. Yeah fair enough. Felt Mountain is obviously great, Black Cherry is possibly even better so if a 2nd Goldfrapp album is going in it's 100% that one, I love both those albums and regularly go back to them. I stepped off though at Ooh La La because it sounded just like Train but without the character so I thought, ah, out of ideas. So I never listened to Supernature - I think I may have listened to Seventh Tree once as it cropped up in year end lists but it definitely didn't leave an impression on me at the time. So, here goes... Will this be another lush, sumptuous album you could just drown in... or not? And the answer is.... Well the first track is certainly gorgeous. More than a hint of those sweeping John Barry strings that have always hovered around their sound. To be fair, it stays good. Not the same impact as those two albums but enough to encourage me to check out their later stuff and give this a listen again.

Riffage. Not really ever going to be my thing but it's fun. Classic case this of me having absorbed 40 years of culture influenced by it but never the source material. For instance can't hear Ain't Talkin About Love without wanting it to go the way Apollo 440 took it. I wish the tunes were as good as the guitar work. I can bet this will go down better with me than the 1984 one, but will have to wait and see.

My brother is always banging on about Bridge Over Troubled Water, I gave in an listened a few months ago and thought it was good, but, you know, not amazing. So I was a bit surprised to enjoy this as much as I did. Simon not quite decided on his sound, between the absolutely gorgeous folk, and the somewhat sub-Dylan stompers (Simple Desultory...), it's also somehow steeped in the politics of the time. Scarborough fair is just absolutely lush. Obviously Homeward Bound is one of the best songs ever written. But besides this, everything is gorgeous, even Feelin Groovy's slightly twee sound in 2022 doesn't spoil the mood. The juxtaposition of Silent Night and the swirling chaos of the mid 60s news is particularly effective. A flawed masterpiece.

This contains one of my favourite Nick Caves. Also, it's 25 years old this year, another 1997 classic. Into My Arms. Oh god... Just stunning. The ultimate spiritual love song for unwashed heathens such as myself. (Although 'There is a Kingdom' does confuse this somewhat) The rest of the album is great, understated, sad. Doesn't quite hit those early heights again for me but a good listen.

50% solid gold 60s teenybop bangers Beach Boys, 45% Pet Sounds gold Beach Boys (plus 5% withering Beach Boys recorded for all time for some reason at the end) What's not to like? Apart from that last bit.

Another daft hole in my music listening history (I was listening to Orbital when in these moods instead, so far from a total loss). Wonderful.

Kicking off with Now My Heart is Full, instantly nostalgic and remembering a time when it was OK to like Morrissey, because he wasn't obviously a terrible cunt at this point. Also, remembering that Morrissey really did used to be terribly good. Hold on To Your Friends, words to live by as you get older and it gets harder. Lifeguard Sleeping is great too, really unique on the record. This is a terrific album, and easily his best solo effort, for me.

When Chris Bailey died earlier this year I was inspired to dig into The Saints, thinking I didn't know them - but obviously I did, they wrote stone cold classics. Starting with I'm Stranded off the debut. Know Your Product is an absolute banger. The rest of the album is solid, well produced, is it post-punk? I mean some of this could have come out this year, people are still going for this sound, it feels oddly contemporary.

Another prog band I wasn't into because I'd been lied to that all prog was bad. Constantly skipped past Rush in record shops while looking for R.E.M. 12"s. Only Rush song I heard until relatively recently was something about trees, and I was not a fan. Tom Sawyer is fucking ace. Strangely first got into this by playing it on Beat Saber after Neil Peart died. So that very much dates my lateness. Love the shifting rhythms. Geddy Lee's vocals are going to be the sticking point for me here I think, because they're pretty annoying. Can not argue with his bass work though. YYZ is epic. Ungh, couple of tracks later I've got to admit I'm drifting off. I think I'm very much hit or miss with Rush. Witch Hunt grabbed my attention back, decent. Now there's some sort of Sting reggae shit going on. Ah, the last track. Ok, overall, not for me, but some great individual tracks. Not an entirely unexpected reaction, to be honest. Ha, everybody got mixed feelings. You are correct.

Yep! Time to find out finally what these were all about. So it's not Krautrock. I like half of the first track, very atmospheric. 2nd track could be the soundtrack to Dune. Ok, all of that was so wonderfully chilled, I loved it. Was starting to feel pretty aggravated before I listened and now I feel much better.

My partner likes John Martyn, or rather, she really likes Solid Air, I'm not sure I've heard her play anything else tbh. I like that kinda, it's not really my thing but it's nice and chilled. So, expecting more smokey, chilled and timeless acoustic stuff, the first track here was a bit of a surprise. It sounds much more dated to me, sadly. Nah, I'm really not feeling this. Even the more chilled, acoustic ones just seem...busy, somehow.

Yeah it's a great album, justified selection, changed the face of pop music for a good few years. Some wonderful, heart-wrenchingly open lyrics. Would never really choose to put this on because I've heard half of it more than enough times just by living life. It's genuinely good, but I'm done with Rehab, thanks. Tears Dry on Their Own has always annoyed me by not being Ain't No Mountain High Enough, you don't have to rip the whole thing and then leave us hanging, the rest of the album shows that, and all this technique does is remind me constantly of a far, far superior song. More durable however are the title track, which is easily one of the greatest songs written this century - I'll never get tired of that. Also Love is a Losing Game, another timeless Bond theme that never was. The album tracks are consistently good but nothing truly arrests me like the above. Wake Up Alone or Addicted probably best of the rest.

A decent hip hop album. Most of it faded into the background though while I was working. Some tunes jumped out (Sacrifice, Water, Something in the way of things). Some I found annoyingly reminiscent of 90s soul (Break You Off) which I guess in 2002 is perfectly fair but I don't have to like it. Overall, good.

Is this the best Dylan album? Maybe, maybe not, but it's top 3.

Absolutely love this as an idea. And as it turns out, also in its execution. The first Bjork album I didn't pay attention to when it came out, I think after 4 absolutely fantastic albums, I felt I had enough to be going on with and checked out other stuff. Came back to this recently ahead of going to see her at Bluedot. Triumph of a Heart is spectacular (watch the video), Who is It, Oceania also excellent. This has gone from the book but Vulnicura remains, which I find harder to like and find less noteworthy really because of the unique (lack of) instrumentation here. I want to argue with people who think Bjork only makes mental music, get to the point where they're willing to listen to examples to back up the argument, then play Ancestors to them and run away.

Any excuse to stick this on. Also it's the 25th anniversary of its release next week. First heard 6-7 years after its release, and then went mad for the sound, grabbing compilations of Compay Segundo and Omara Purtuondo's stuff. It is, obviously, wonderfully transportative music that could lift any mood. Just great.

Gave this a few spins when it came out but didn't quite land for me, and I haven't been back until today. I think it started with them just cutting off the really great opening track as soon as it really gets cracking. Feels like setting out to make it an uncomfortable record to listen to for no good reason. Not many of the following tracks do anything much for me, not like the 1st two albums. Nice little motorik bit on The Rip. We Carry On is the standout track for me, absolute monster. Machine Gun is certainly arresting and interesting, do I want to listen to it much? I'm not sure. In fact, I could say the same of the entire album. I much preferred the Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man record from a few years earlier.

Of all the original punk bands, Buzzcocks wrote the absolute best singles, that's just a fact. Apart from the Damned's New Rose. So, none of those singles are included here because it's those days when you did that. There's still some great thrusting bangers here, but initially I was itching for the hits. Then side b kicks in and you know why they let the album stand on its own, fantastic. Will be giving it repeat listens.

Yeah, Janes Addiction. Enjoyed clocking the PWEI sample of the yelp in Ocean Size for Get the Girl Kill the Baddies. What a yelp Perry has on him. Not that familiar with Jane Says, must not have been that big over here, always immediately think of Been Caught Stealing. I don't listen to JA much but I like what they are.

Loved the Longpigs the Sun is Often Out back in the 90s, this is very not that. Had this recommended a year or so ago from someone who seemed to love everything and anything that came out of Sheffield. Anyway. This is a nice, huggly sound. Kind of sounds like fellow Yorkshireman Chris Rea except good. But will I think to listen to it more than the two times I now have? Questionable. The archetypal 3/5 for me, nothing stands out, nothing to dislike. Actually a few tracks in, I realised the problem. It's really nice and cosy for a track or two. After that though, I'm bored rigid. This is on the list when something else more interesting isn't. 2/5

Certainly an important album because of what it kick-started, and those singles, but not as sure it's an essential album in and of itself. This production sound is almost as era-defining as the Stock, Aitken and Waterman sound was for the couple of years before it. And, well, despite anything else I say here I know which one I prefer. Erm, why is African Dance followed by the same song with less flute and more talking? Just don't stop, carry on. Kind of responsible for the explosion of artists I wasn't into, like, I dunno, the Brand New Heavies and stuff. It's aged in a way that Bjork's Debut hasn't (though nowhere near as much as some here are making out imho), although they both remain extremely transportative listens to their times.

It's a bonus Chic album. There's even an argument to say it's the best Chic album, high praise indeed. You know how songs get overplayed on the radio, you love them for decades and then get sick of them? Well that's not possible here, as these are some of the greatest pop songs even written. Hearing them in their full glory, 5-6 minutes long, just adds to the joy. Annoyingly only the 7" version of We are Family is available on Spotify, you need the record or YouTube for the majestic full 8 minutes (only this one link seems to have the correct tempo) which needs to be experienced. The bass work is simply out of this world. https://youtu.be/FLRvVZ_Q1Iw If you don't like disco, even just a little bit, I just don't think we're going to get along. Absolutely stunning. One of the easiest 5 ratings in this whole project.

Can't hear Love is A Stranger now without thinking of the LCD song that massively ripped it off (I Can Change). They're both great though, the original, and the pretender which took the ball and ran with it. Never listened to them beyond the singles but their value is obvious. The big synth sound is great. Probably wouldn't listen again given I don't have the nostalgia pulling me back in, but no doubt it's a decent and important record.

Have never listened to these. Or The Black Crowes. Or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. I have listened to Black Sabbath. Anyway, yeah, this was alright! Kind of forgettable first listen though. But enjoyable enough. Tighten Up sounds like a million other things that were out around then and can't say I like that sound. Fake old, with modern production just fucks me off. Ahaha, the next song is that Glitter Stomp one that was the Heardle the other day I didn't get because I guessed Gary Glitter over and over because that's what it was. The longer this album goes on I can tell I'm not going to take it seriously because it's not my thing. Next song sounds like late 90s Lenny Kravitz. I think I'm out, there's nothing interesting for me here, kinda average 6music fodder, fine but that's it.

Put this on again recently around Andy's untimely death. Absolutely terrific album, some of their greatest ever songs, an easy 5. Also the Depeche Mode album I think which most influenced the glorious Turrican and Turrican 2 soundtracks.

Loads of fun.

Well. 4-5 songs excellent, the rest I don't really care for. Mother's Lament is incredibly annoying. Clapton is a massive clanger also.

First listen to a Sinead album, the first song pulls me in gradually and subtly. Then there's a very 1990 hip hop sort of thing. Then we're back to the gorgeous stuff. Then a sort of MOR pop song. The standout track, obviously. It's a mixed bag but in glad I listened to it.

It's Dusty Springfield, she was a hero.

I found Rust In Peace energetic and quality but ultimately not for me. So I don't know why, if it was just my mood, but I'm finding so much more to enjoy here. Absolutely balls to the wall, don't give a fuck, and so good. Good Mourning/Black Friday is simply immense. Peace Sells, Wake Up Dead, obviously ace. There's only a couple of tracks here I don't completely love. Will have to revisit Rust in Peace. I remain unconverted to Metallica yet, but we'll see.

Wonderful album, his masterpiece. Easy 5.

I said Exile was probably their best, most consistent album. I'm still not sure if that's right. There's some real stonkers on here and the potential of the band is really showing. A cracker of an album.

My Steely Dan education continues... Definitely falls into the 'troublesome 80s production' category - this is ridiculously smooth - though I can find value here. IGY overcomes the initial aversion to the sound, gently dragging me in by just being good for 6 minutes. The next two don't manage this. Green Flower Street, is it quite a song? What key is it in? I'm so confused. The Nightfly is also good, just can't shake the Smooooth, MOR 80s film soundtrack vibe for most of the album sadly.

Coyote is so gorgeous. All of it is gorgeous. I think I start to lose interest towards the end around Black Crow.

Kinda annoying faffing between spoti-tube. The funk ones are the best, particularly Runaway Child, 9 minute banger. The Motown stuff is still good though, particularly towards the end (don't let him...)

The cover looks like a meme. "Past Van Morrison tries to make sense of future Van's ramblings" Annoyingly, considering how much of a massive bell end the guy is, this is absolutely fantastic. "Throughout my career I have always preferred to let my music speak for me" he said in 2015. You what mate? Tell the last couple of years you. Anyway. Yeah, great record. The horns! The soul! The, erm, the clavinet! It's just great.

Hmm, yeah. Good. Not outstanding, but definitely good. Never heard of these before. Getting Bright at Night is pretty excellent. I love a good 9 minute epic that goes in directions. White Devil, singer doing a massive Black Francis impression which actually isn't bad.

The only ones of The Only Ones I knew was Another Girl Another Planet, which is one of the greatest pop songs of all time, so a good basis. You do fear though what you're going to get when bands are only famous for one song. But what a song. The Libertines owe these guys their entire career, and did the heroin to boot. A lot of Violent Femmes here, but less angsty. It's good, nothing stands up to the obvious highlight, but it does feel like a record that will grow on you with repeated listens, fair few tracks with a lot going on. The final track, Immortal Story, is a banger.

Utterly fabulous. Stevie Nicks in particular is epic on this album. Buckingham's stuff at its best with the slow grooves - Walk A Thin Line - rather than the jittery stuff that peppers the rest of the album, although that does break stuff up and successfully keeps me engaged. Exception that proves the rule however is Tusk itself which is wonderful.

The golden age of hip hop. Never heard this before but it's pure gold.

If you're not the kind of person who gets a kick out of the lyrics in Kingdom of Love, then it's going to be more difficult for us to become friends. I wanna destroy you, insanely jealous, queen of eyes, underwater moonlight, these are all total bangers. Hook it up and feed it directly into my veins. On a sidenote, I love all these innocent wet behind the ears types who somehow think this album is genuinely 44 songs long.

Nope. An album so massive and so good you were only ever allowed to hear one snippet of one song. But in every advert break for about 6 months. So I eventually stuck it on, but it didn't surprise, I have no real memory of it. Inoffensive though. 2 stars.

Haven't yet managed to get on board with Bitches Brew, but my tastes have developed since I last listened to it, so we'll see. Anyway this seems a great bridge to it, it is exactly the kind of thing I like right now, gentle waves of groove, that don't even necessarily have to be going anywhere. Have just been listening back to NEU! on its 50th anniversary, there are strong shades of this that have carried across to some of their work, particularly the second track. Great multi-purpose music. You can have it on in the background, or you can stick the headphones on and surrender yourself and drift away on its tides.

Again, it's Dusty. But this time the songs are even more consistently brilliant.

Funny how despite the legendary status and even now we have radio stations that play album tracks, I still haven't heard anything other than the two obvious classic tracks at the end here. Most of the rating goes to that, genre-defining. Mention also to Scorpio. The 'Expanded edition' deleting the wheels of steel though is a weird move given it's the second best thing here.

I liked Pocahontas. The rest meh. Especially towards the end. Welfare Mothers is especially dire. Into the black is very good though. Never got Neil Young, tried many many times.

The JAMC pop album - I think universally acknowledged as not as good as Psychocandy but still pretty great. There's some foreshadowing of JAMC-do-Billy Idol-'Head On' here. And more stuff that sounds a bit like Just Like Honey, rather than a drill boring directly into your soul. These are not necessarily bad things, there is a place for both, and how do you top the debut?

Kinder Murder is something else. Not an album I'm familiar with, but I recognise some of the songs. Some of this sounds very 1994 but not too dated and still unmistakably Elvis Costello. Together this seems to work very well. Probably a bit overlong. Enjoyable.

Very lovely. Never heard this. Amusingly had a later Elvis Costello album yesterday so it's a before and after Shipbuilding here, which is fun. Absolutely love Little Red Riding Hood the first, and Alife. I'm obviously going to love this with my NEU! predilections. Drink it in. Also this has Ivor Cutler on it at the end. 5 big stars.

Personality Crisis is obviously a banger. I've never latched on to another Dolls song in quite the same way, big points for influence and legacy though, fun album. Trash is the most obviously memorable one, and probably most influential. Frankenstein is about 3 minutes too long. I get it, it's a frankenstein.

Jeez this takes me back. Some fun tracks but by God it's so 1991.

With 3 hours of music, it's inevitably a mixed bag. The constant being Ella's unimpeachable legendary voice, and the jazz orchestra always on point. I'm more than happy to stick some Ella on from time to time. Some of the songs though. Treat me Rough? Clenched teeth emoji. But the gems are worth wading through this. Love is Here To Stay. Embraceable You. Boy What Love has done. I'd pick more out if I were in a better mood. You kind of still should listen to the whole thing, as it's a historical document. It'll keep you warm in the winter.

App deleted my review. Here's what I remember writing. Any excuse to stick a bit of Peej on. Really solid debut with some proper bangers on it. She goes from strength to strength and she's one of those artists who whatever she does you know it will be interesting. You exhibitionist!

It's good, but tbh none of the songs really hit the spot for me. This Year's Model is great though.

Belting. Janis Joplin and that guitar tag team.

Kicking off with easily one of the best pop songs ever written, but would I ever have listened to this had it not been in this book? Even as an A-ha fan as a child? No. I remember when A-ha had their own cartoon strip in Look-In magazine. At least I know I'll like 2 of the other songs. Well... Ironically Hunting High and Low sounds much more like a bond theme than their bond theme. It's not very good though. Sun Always Shines On TV is still another slice of pop brilliance. The rest is perfectly competent, if edgeless, 80s synth pop. The Blue Sky probably stands out among those, sounding a bit like contemporary era Depeche Mode. This shouldn't be in the book, the only reason it's important is Take On Me and Sun.

Which idiot at Spotify ordered it so the bonus tracks come immediately after the previous take from the original album? Surely it's not ordered like that on the CD. Anyway, after a quick playlist sort, this is a delight. Really enjoy a bit of jazz but I admit I'm mostly ignorant of many of its greats, so not an album I knew. But yes, superb. Fantastic stuff.

Maybe a cold autumn Sunday evening after getting back from an uninspiring draw at Old Trafford is the ideal conditions for listening to Born To Run. Whatever the case, I definitely enjoyed this a whole lot more than I ever have listening to Springsteen for any extended period before. I'm not about to memorise all the lyrics and mime-scream them at my girlfriend anytime soon, but yeah, very good. I have no idea how the title track crams quite so much epic into 4.5 minutes. The song is really 8 minutes long, you have been tricked. Don't love all the tracks, but the good ones are so good it makes it. By the end of Jungleland, I definitely understand the Meatloaf comparison, the difference is this guy has more tunes.

She cracked, I'm sad, but I won't.

I occasionally wonder what the person who can't see any value in stuff like Devo actually likes musically. My brain screams 80s Phil Collins, but perhaps that's reductive. Plainly not for everyone, but love em, they ripped it up and started again.

So, a fan of The Specials but really all I know is the debut and the big songs. Therefore all I really know from this is the wonderfully raucous Enjoy Yourself. The Specials are never bad, but the second half here is... unexpected. Yelling James Bond films. Moving into some sort of Western that devolves into dub? Very different, an interesting listen, not sure I'd choose to put it on that often though.

Love Leonard Cohen, but admittedly I 'm not a frequenter of his albums, and there's plenty I've left undug. Including this, so this was welcomed. Avalanche is just an incredible piece of work. Unsettlingly atmospheric guitar and strings, gripping songwriting and delivery. Anyone unaffected, by this, I don't understand. Last Year's Man is as mournfully beautiful as Avalanche was unsettling. The vitriol in Dress Rehearsal Rag! It seems pointless picking out further individual tracks, they're all of such high quality. Obviously, Famous Blue Raincoat, well, words can't express. Cohen at his best outstrips Dylan, and he does so here. This is the best album this project has presented to me in quite some time. Glorious.

Marginally more engaging than the last Eagles album, but nah. After committing to listening to 2 Eagles albums, I still only vaguely like 2 Eagles songs, and they both kick off their respective albums. Plus I prefer the Gipsy Kings version of one. Pass.

Hugely enjoyable is correct.

Roxy Music at their best. One criticism, I'm not sure the first 6 minutes of the bogus man have enough going on to justify the length.

Not the best Public Enemy album however it is a Public Enemy album and therefore at least four stars.

This was kind of exactly what I expected it would be, Suzanne is very good at what she does and this is a good listen. Definitely feel like it spawned a million inferior knock offs with a less varied sound, of which I'm far less tolerant.

I don't expect to like every album in this book, that's fine, but I don't expect them to annoy me - this is an exception. One of most egregious inclusions on this list given how comprehensively the 70s classic and blues rock is already covered from first time around. Why would I listen to this in 2022 when I already have Exile on Main Street, or Led Zeppelin II? May have been essential listening in the 90s when there were just the several other bands rehashing Rolling Stones' 70s sound, Lenny Kravitz, Primal Scream's boring period, etc. Except at least they had the grace to include a couple of great songs, I'm not arguing with Rocks off, massively unoriginal, but certified banger. There's no tunes here. 9 helpings of meh and 1 annoying song from an advert. Also, Hard to Handle when played in Manchester indie clubs in the 90s would signal the music was about to turn shite and would invariably be surrounded by other bands doing pale (and also somehow infinitely annoying) comparisons of good blues rock. Reef, Kula Shaker, all that terrible shite. So yeah, please, take this away.

As an indie kid starting my own journey of musical discovery in earnest in the early 90s, I was surrounded by people worshipping at the altar of this particular album, friends, the NME etc, it was hailed as a work of genius. Obviously, I'd heard the big single as everyone who was ever alive has heard that. I borrowed my brother's copy and eagerly stuck it on. Maybe it was the intensity of the hype that left me a bit disappointed. I've just never quite got it. It's a great 90s indie album, no doubt, Lee Mavers said it was "a pile of shit", the truth is surely somewhere in between. Feelin' is one of the better songs, but that just repurposes the riff from Paperback Writer without any attempt to hide the fact. Way Out is good. I'm not even sure what Freedom Song is, it's not good. Looking Glass is great. I just haven't latched onto why this warrants such high praise when compared to its contemporaries.

A fucking brilliant Tom Waits album, one of his very best no doubt. Getting this on Halloween weekend also really works for me so cheers for that. Just so much fun. Jockey Full of Bourbon is something else. As is the title track. Marc Ribot is tremendous. All of it is something else. The stories! I feel sad for anyone who just can't enjoy this. But they almost certainly hated Devo too. Phil Collins...

Absolutely love this, just pure bliss. It was a happy day back in 1997 when someone pressed this into my hands at uni. Obviously had some familiarity with Orbitals before that but it didn't extend much further than Chime, The Box and Satan. I didn't even know Belfast at that point. Anyway, got a hold of this work of genius and I didn't look back. Walk Now... is admittedly annoying, but the rest of the album is basically perfect, so despite not liking one track it's getting 5 because of all the bellends giving it 1.

Yes, very nice. This is something you have to properly listen to though, I guess it's not the best sign that Spotify played 3 or 4 other similar tracks by different people after the album finished before I noticed.

Wasn't sure what I'd make of this as I've always found Billy Bragg hit and miss, and I've never latched onto Wilco either. Woody Guthrie, obviously, is a legend for good reason, so I was very intrigued. It well and truly won me over, a really warm and engaging, and unique record. I love a musical project that brings artists together across decades, and borne out of love. Wonderful stuff. There's at least 2 other volumes of this which I will have to check out.

So here we are, the other Rush album. I should be less predisposed to this on reading it was inspired by Ayn Rand, but I think I've already made my mind up about Rush multiple times already. I see the ability, I see why a lot of people love them, it just doesn't hit the spot for me. Bits of it are great. Most of it just isn't for me. The little stings in passage to Bangkok are hilariously bad and strongly remind me of Spinal Tap.

Never heard this as was fiercely resistant to this generation of hip hop in 1994. Opened my mind later but it does mean I don't have nostalgic memories of thinking this was the greatest record of all time or whatever, I didn't even know who he was when I heard he had been killed. I still can't imagine a time when I want to kick back and listen to someone rap about bitches and guns for over an hour, and however good this is for other stuff, that's what this mostly is. Stuff like Things Done Changed, Everyday Struggle and Juicy are best. But yeah the album feels like it goes on forever, and I don't have any residual fondness for tracks, so not for me.

What to write. Pure genius. Sealand is fucking incredible. Funnily enough I am currently working my way through a Depeche Mode challenge from start to finish and this just blows everything they were up to until about 5 years later out of the water. I'm only sad I only got around to listening to this about 5 years back, as I've been missing out, one of the best records ever made.

Could give this a 5 for Some Weird Sin and Success alone. Plus all the bonus Bowie content. A classic.

This is here for the big songs isn't it. And sort of fair enough, though it's not a classic must-hear album, rather, Buddy Holly is a classic must-hear artist, and this is his only album. There's way better consistently good rock and roll than can be found here, but this is not the era of the album, it's the era of the hit single. So what are you gonna do?

Absolutely no prior knowledge of this but what an album. Another gem from indisputably the golden age of hip hop. This sort of stuff is why I can't say I don't like hip hop, I'm just very selective.

He died the other day, the crazy wrong 'un. This is meant to be 37 minutes long but only 22 minutes is available on streaming, not even YouTube seems to have it. So god knows what's on there. Hound Dog is one of them. Review: I believe the word is 'rollicking'.

I like Jazz, but I'm not well versed in it. I tend to err towards the out there, or improv stuff. First impressions of this are pretty inoffensive coffee shop jazz, from accomplished musicians. Does it grab me? Well Mandela didn't particularly, but I was much more into Song for Sathima. Near the end now and yes, it's nice enough, not the kind of thing that will live long in my memory though. And I would hardly call it essential listening amongst the vast pantheon of jazz out there.

A good 90s grunge album. Hadn't listened to all of this, but had heard Jar of Flies before so had an idea what to expect. Don't think it has particularly aged well and since I wasn't a big AIC fan at the time (was big into Nirvana, Pumpkins, Pearl Jam and more besides however so unclear why not) I don't have the nostalgia factor. It's decent enough, but barring a couple of tracks I can't see me ever coming back to this. I have my favourites when it comes to grunge, nothing old/new is going to break into that now.

Allways up there among my top 3 Beatles albums. Not much you can write about this that hasn't already been written.

Having refused to rate A-ha highly because the album was shit but it had 2 amazing songs on it, I'm going to do exactly the opposite here. I don't really care much for any of the rest, although they're fun enough. Simple Man stands out. But by god, those two songs. Fuck me. I will say it's not completely hypocritical, because these are two of the best songs ever written, really. Also, they make up about a third of the length of the album, and it's a good job.

It's Roxy Music's debut. Banging. This is the album I've actually listened to properly. Reading these reviews I hadn't realised how little cut through Roxy had to the (presumably) American market. Side A is absolutely impeccable. Every song, 6/5. Genuinely one of the best records ever.

Oh Christ. I can't imagine I'll ever be in the mood for an entire album of Abba. The odd song here and there of irresistible pop glitter, sure. Even though Dancing Queen is in the top 5 most overplayed pieces of music ever created, it's still somehow enjoyable, once you get over the initial "oh god, this again". The other singles also very good, in an Abba way. Knowing Me... and Fernando, and the odd other Abba song that isn't here I genuinely like, so I'm not a hater. And hey, let's be honest here, some Madness songs sound like Money, Money, Money, and we like Madness don't we? Yes they do, go back and listen again. There's some shocking shite elsewhere on here though. Dum Dum Diddle can get tae fuck. That's Me is actually pretty good right up until the cringe chorus refrain Carrie-not-the-kind-of-girl-you-marry. Unggggh. Why Did It Have To Be Me reminds me of The Beach Boys after Mike Love decided to take one of the greatest bands ever and make them the worst. Tiger is fine I guess. Fernando isn't really on the album, which is a shame for its rating because that's one I like. Overall, 10 songs, 3 great ones, 5 average and 2 absolute toss. Earns it a 2/5

Stone cold soulful grooves. Could give it 5 for the definitive version of Summer Breeze, I don't want it to end. Although the original is pretty fine as well. That Lady, what it comes down to, not every song here is 5 star classic - but most of them are.

While it isn't the best ever Beatles album, it still has some of their greatest ever songs (and song fragments). Maxwell's Silver hammer can fuck off into the sun. That aside, lots to love. I Want You (she's so heavy). Two of Georgie's Best. Because. I Want You (she's so heavy). Remembering watching Ringo and George working through Octopuses Garden in its infancy on Get Back. Oh Darlin. The medley! I Want You (she's so heavy)!!!! Seriously that song is just the best.

Nostalgia. All the indie kid girls I was friends with at school fancied Evan Dando, and who can blame them. Really enjoyed this today. Enjoy Juliana Hatfield popping her head in with the backing vocals.

Muddy Waters playing the blues.

Superb. She's amazing.

I've always enjoyed The Cure's big songs, don't know if they're all singles but have never fell in love with a whole album. I like both early goth Cure and pop Cure, this is obviously the former. Though people bang on about Disintegration and I'm the same with that, just the big songs please. The atmosphere created here is the first thing to hit you. The bass, Smith's voice, the lyrics, the repetitive slow drums. Doom, doom, doom. I think if it carried on like Side A I'd have to turn it off as it would be too much. But with The Figurehead and Strange Days the mood lightens just enough, musically.

Every Velvets album could be a completely different band, and they're all absolutely 5 star. This here is Understated Velvets, and it's the absolute best Understated Velvets album ever made. I love every song. "There are problems in these times, but woooooergh none of them are mine!", still makes me laugh.

Not my scene. Although this seems to lean more on the folk side of country, which explains why I'm more receptive to it. And anyway a great song is a great song, regardless of genre. Hello In There, Far From Me and Sam Stone are truly great. And today I learned that Cop Shoot Cop by Spiritualized has a direct reference to this song. I can understand the Dylan comparison particularly on songs like Pretty Good. The novelty songs leave me cold, but there's some wonderful stuff mixed in here. By the end, really won over. What a great album.

One of the greatest garage rock albums of all time, as is Easter Everywhere, you could include either. This has more straightforward bangers on it than EE but that Dylan cover... Man. The debut probably loses a bit of steam towards the end. Adore Splash 1, and Don't Fall Down, both of which show they had more about them than freakouts and playing a jug. What the authorities did to Roky and the band is a disgrace.

I like it but do I love it? This period of The Who's output always feels like a series of connected big moments in a song, rather than fantastic songs through and through. Which I guess is kind of prog, and there's a lot of prog around the edges here. Which I like, but it makes this neither one thing nor the other, or that's what it does for me. Like not love.

Oof. Mixed. I remember Walk from Jilly's Rockworld and Ritz Mondays, class. This Love is epic. No Good Attack the Radical is decent musically with problematic lyrics. People say it's "beyond racism" whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean. "You blame oppression and play the role of criminals". Yeah. Hmmm, nah, fuck off mate. Rise, is another cracker that seems to espouse free thinking but when they guy has done a Nazi salute and shouted 'white power' on stage, well, that does inspire some thoughts. By Demons... is decent. Hollow is sub-Nickelback shite until the metal part starts. Separating the politics out of it, some bangers, some I'm less fond of without even paying attention to the lyrics, so it's going to be a 3.

"There ain't no devil it's just god when he's drunk." "The girls around here all look like Cadillacs" "Swinging from the rafters in a brand new tie" "I shot the morning in the back..." Swordfish era Tom Waits gets all the plaudits usually but I'm a massive fan of drunk guy at the diner Tom Waits, equally if not more so. Man, can this guy write a song. I still just prefer Small Change, but this is a great album, Tom can do no wrong.

The Hole pop album. After the grimy riot grrl Hole album and the grunge catharsis in Hole album. All three are great in their own way, although I loved Live Through This so much (and still do almost 30 years later) I was always going to be disappointed when this followed it. Some undeniable bangers here though. Title track, Awful, Malibu, Northern Star all among the band's best work, and Billy Corgan appears to have poured the last bits of his talent into his contributions to 2 of those. Not too many good Pumpkins songs after 1998. For me this is album with obvious highlights, and the rest perfectly serviceable if not particularly remarkable pop rock. Some of it sounds like The Go-gos. Not a bad thing, but the Go-gos already exist. There's no duffers. It's not an album I ever reach for, but it's an enjoyable listen. 3.

I'm just a symptom of the moral decay that's gnawing at the heart of the country. I felt that Infected had dated musically I seem to remember. You could argue the same here but it's just too good for it to matter. Full of songs with a poppy feel but unusual chorus-less structures. Jools Holland at the ending of Uncertain Smile is fantastic. The slow build groove of Giant to close out. Terrific album.

Whenever I go back and listen to Steely Dan it's usually to try to understand the two major schools of thought about them. They're either revered as geniuses of classic 70s rock, or everything that was wrong with the music that punk kicked against. I can sort of understand both, although personally I never have a strong reaction to them either way.

Sailed under my radar for years and years until I discovered music Twitter goes absolutely batshit for this. I've tried it a few times and like several tracks but don't revere the whole album as others seem to. It's still getting a 4 because it's great but I'm leaving wiggle room for stuff I like more. Could be a case of loving the influenced before hearing the influencer, a huge fan of Godspeed and Mogwai both of whom arrive several years later and owe a lot to this record certainly, though I think in general they are the ones to push the sound to the next level where it gets REALLY good. Both bands which are notably absent from this book as well which is an oversight. Exceptions, Breadcrumb Trail, and the deliciously understated Washer, plus Good Morning Captain, which are fantastic and fully realised.

I enjoyed it but not mad on it. I like Reggae but I don't love it, I prefer the up beat of Ska or more of the dub style. It's got to have that dirty great bass running through it. This album felt a little polished really, which reading about it is the studios fault, not the bands. Would be interested to hear the original mix. So the one I enjoyed the most was the most dub, Red gold and green.

The last Prodigy album that's ace from start to finish. My CD copy of this always used to skip like buggery at the 3 song suite at the end, it's nice to listen to it without having to regularly get up and batter the hi fi.

Really enjoyable listen, he's a fabulous singer. I love Ole Man Trouble. slight nagging feeling through several of the songs as I find myself enjoying them slightly less than other versions of the same song. Possible exceptions being Rock me Baby and Satisfaction. But yeah, really good.

There's too much Elvis Costello in this list, but this feels like one of his better albums. I kind of get along fine with just This Years Model and select few other tracks though.

Come into this thinking I like two DIV songs, and prefer Dirt which isn't here. Aisha is decent, and ahead of the curve slightly in that Iggy Pop later turned up doing this sort of thing for everyone from New Order to seemingly countless others. Am immediately reminded that I also like Dirge, not sure I knew it was them. I saw the sub-screamadelica criticism which makes sense for Soul Auctioneer especially, Death Threat as a track is completely pointless, should be a 90 second coda, tops. Most of this, though, is decent and an enjoyable listen, however I'm not sure it's essential. Better than David Holmes solo work.

I can't read about why this was chosen because as an album made in the 2000s, it's not allowed to stay in the book. The National have always been a blind spot for me, failing to understand what's so great about them - also was late to them, but this is the one album of theirs I tried to get into when it came out. I gave it several listens at the time, but just bounced off. Don't know what it is. First track fills me with hope that I'm going to finally GET IT, genuinely very good, uplifting and driving. Then the album goes on, and it just... doesn't really go anywhere? Most of these other tracks just don't grab me, so I'm left just drifting in and out of it. Later highlights that at least held my attention, Bloodbuzz Ohio, England and Runaway. I keep being told to go listen to Alligator, maybe one day I will, but people also say High Violet is one of their best so I don't hold out much hope.

Although I’ll probably always turn first to Inner Visions or Talking Book for my classic Stevie fix, good god there are some classic bangers on this wildly ambitious, genre-spanning album. Right from the off, and right to the end. As a double album its always going to be accused of being a bit bloated and filler, and well, there is some. I can live without Contusion, a technically fantastic freakout that feels oddly out of place here on an album ostensibly made up of many of the most popular songs of Stevie's ridiculously high quality canon, With Contusion I forget I’m not listening to Magma or something. So, when I say I can live without it, I just kind of want to have the Stevie freakout album separate. The only songs that aren't completely five star smashed out of the park are maybe Ordinary Pain, and If Its Magic. But this is followed by two of the greatest circa-8 minute songs ever made, As and Another Star, neither of which feel a fraction of their length. I don't think I've ever heard the EP before, but Saturn and All Day Sucker are up to this standard, the other two I can take or leave. I’m splitting hairs because the vast majority is killer and this is obviously getting five stars.

1001 album a day tries to kill me with a Stevie double album followed by a Georgie triple album the next day. It's a bloody good job they are both fabulous. Very much enjoyed the 50th anniversary thing last year, especially after watching Get Back recontextualised the whole thing. Watching George working on several of these songs during those sessions, entirely reasonably floating the idea of breaking off to do some solo stuff and then coming back to the band, because at this point he was bleeding well busting with classic songs. The first 5 songs are of such unbelievably high quality, you do understand why Maxwell Silver Hammer gets mauled, taking the place of one of these beauties, and they were struggling for songs to put on Let it Be. Erm? I would respectfully suggest anyone who thinks this is sub-Beatles stuff go back and listen to the Let It Be album again. I think of the Apple Jam sessions as bonus material, much like the EP in Songs in the Key of Life, so I'm entirely unbothered if it's just jam noodles. Also, the jams are good. It's true that while they're all good, not all the tracks are of such high standard as the first 5 tracks, both brilliant versions of Isn't It A Pity, the title track, Hear Me Lord and Beware of Darkness, but an album with such a high hit rate of five star tracks, gets five stars. That's it, that's the rule.

Ah that goes in there, and that goes in there, and that goes in there, and that goes in there, and that goes in there...and then it's over. So, my favourite Pulp album His n Hers didn't make the list, but I'm happy this did, played it continuosly on release and no every word to most of the songs. The Pulp hangover record, the first half is so relentlessly (but wonderfully so) depressive and nihilistic, thank god there was a slight uplift in the second half or I might not have made it out.

Grace Slick! Not just White Rabbit, Somebody to Love, Today and some other songs, although that would almost be enough. Those songs tower. DCBA 25 is also pretty great. Feed your head!

Never heard any Jay-z beyond New York State of Mind, which is great, obviously. Takeover is good but to be honest I'm just enjoying Five To One. Izzo sampling the bit from I Want You Back just before the chorus opens out, means for me the rework never takes off. 3 tracks in, unless something radically changes, this falls firmly in the camp of 'I can see why people like it, but nah'. Not my style of hip hop. Girls girls girls is a better vibe, but again, just makes me want to go listen to the source material. I sense a theme here... Hola Hovito is the closest I've got to enjoying a song so far. Heart of the City drove me straight to Bobby Bland, and well, fair fucks, this is the first time I've thought Jay-z has done something to the sample which makes his songs stand on it own. Both songs are great. Never Change and Song Cry, similar to a lesser degree. If this record was massively influential then I now know why I was turned off hip hop for over a decade. There's two or three decent songs in the second half here, but ultimately I don't really dig the style.

Yeah, what The Beatles would have sounded like if they were The Who. Alternatively, what The Who would have sounded like if they were The Beatles. The main songs which are obviously ripped by Tommy is The Journey, and I See You. However there's a fair bit which sounds like offcuts from the Sgt Pepper sessions, just with more drugs. No surprise given that's where the producer had just been, but man it shines through pretty loud on half the album. That's not to say it's not great, because it is. As a fan of Syd Barrett, Robyn Hitchcock and obviously the Beatles, I was going to enjoy this. Once again, I can't review this fairly because I'm too familiar with stuff it influenced and not familiar with itself. However Piper at the Gates preceded this and I hear Syd's influence a lot here also. Superb in places, would listen again.

Yeah, The Stooges. This is the album of theirs I return to the most. I love the crazy skronk on side B. 1970, Fun House, yeah!

I like Boy George as a person but always found Karma Chameleon, and Culture Club's musical output annoying as a kid. That hasn't changed. Obviously never listened to an album. The female singer with prominent backing vocals on a few tracks is the best bit. Reminds me of that Simply Red album I had to listen to in places. Most of the other stuff isn't as annoying, (although some of it is) and is fine I guess but it's not for me.

Slick 80s Soul. Yeah its good, but doesn't do anything for me at all. It's not Across 110th Street.

Shite. Awful, unremarkable shite. Another one from the Black Crowes or the Black Keys school of why am I listening to this, all the influences are already in the book and it's shite at that, nothing new. I don't understand it, there's just nothing here. And then there's all that shit about the man himself. Take it away.

Ah, good. Always been a fringe can of Sonic Youth but only really ventured into two albums, this one and EVOL. Both great. Glad to see I'll be visiting a few more on this project. Teenage Riot is fabulous, obviously. First half of this is packed full of 7 minutes long masterful tracks none of which feel overlong. I won't lie though I start to tire on the second half, however good it is. The end though, is an absolute beast.

Ah yeah this, I remember this. Stolen Car is better than I remember, more than just the radio-friendly indie folk it appears to be on the surface. I seem to remember a lot of artists tried to emulate the success of this but they were rubbish. Never listened to the rest of the album. Well, I'd stick it on ahead of Richard Hawley, that's for sure. It's nice enough.

It's Curtis Mayfield. It's fabulous. I'm a little unsure why Curtis and Roots aren't also here given the preponderance of some other artists. Maybe one or two fewer Steely Dan or Neil Young albums? I mean, we get it. I raise once more the existence of a David Grey album in a list ahead of Curtis.

Block rockin beats was so massively overplayed in the indie clubs I frequented 25 years ago that I'm no longer very excited to hear it. Although it is great. This is really good, but ultimately if I'm going to have a bit of nostalgic chems listening I am far more likely to reach for the debut, the big songs on which trigger that sweet sweet memory hit. A couple of tracks here are pretty average, or just run together without anything particularly distinguishable happening - Elektrobank, Piku, It Doesn't Matter, Don't Stop the Rock etc. when I think about it this is one of my least favourite Chems albums to be honest, I'm talking myself down to a 3. Private Psychedelic Reel though, is a different story, I fucking love that. In fairness the last 3 tracks are decent, in contrast to about half an hour of meh that precedes it. Amusingly I forgot about the Beth Orton track at the end, had her album yesterday.

Perfect pop song after perfect pop song. Sure, it's radio friendly, sure I guess it's kinda M.O.R. but, there's just something about Crowded House that means this doesn't matter. They stride above such concerns. Must be the quality. So it's either this or Together Alone which is their best album, I have a very strong soft spot for Together Alone as it just came out when I was buying album after album, but this is a very close second for me.

Barely listened around the fringes of these but my memory suggests I am fonder of them than other 90s metal bands. This is banging. Ratamahatta is absolutely ace. As is Born Stubborn. I'd say the Nu-metal songs are less good, but Lookaway is epic. 72 minutes is far too long, so tracks to drop - Straighthate, Dusted maybe? Itsari feels like a natural end point, then there's 4 more, admittedly good, songs. There's no bad tracks, it's just too long. Ah, the last track is 13 minutes of, well, canyon jamming, I guess. Which is great but I'm obviously not listening to it all every time I stick this on. So that takes this down to a tight 59 minutes.

Not my favourite Bowie album (Bowie albums I love more: Low, Young Americans, Hunky Dory, Ziggy, Station, Aladdin) though it indisputably contains one of if not his greatest ever songs. In terms of the Bowie albums with two halves of pop songs and instrumentals, Low is lightyears apart for me on both fronts. That said, it's a peak Bowie album, and is spectacular in its own right. I just have to leave myself somewhere to go. Favourites - Heroes, Neukoln, V-2 Schneider.

Scrolling through the reviews, people giving this 1 star seem to be mostly bell ends, or under this mad self-hate craze they've got running riot in the states. Or maybe they want all their music to have 'perfect' production with all the edges knocked off and unadventurous. Which is a valid choice for some. Sure it's not for you, nothing is for everyone, 1 star should be reserved for the truly bad, 2 stars for me when I just don't like something but can see why others would. That said I can understand why this album would be polarising. Newspaper, For Her, the title track. But if an album is polarising opinion, that can be a sign of something truly special. I remember the reaction when it came out, universal praise, Pitchfork's fabled full 100 score, that kind of thing and wondered if people were going overboard. I think they probably were, but just a little, this is a great album. I think I prefer the idler wheel, and I was never a fan of her 90s stuff, so I'm far happier when she's experimental. Regardless, I'm obviously going to add a star and give this a 5 just to undo one of those 1s that should be a 2. Faves - Fetch the Boltcutters, I Want You to Love Me, Rack of His, Cosmonauts

Hugely enjoyable listen in places, the opening of Instinct of Survival just kicks your face off. Very noticeable the change in make up of the band half way through. I think in general I find the first half better, or easier to tell the songs apart, but they both have a distinctive style. If you read the lyrics it's actually possible to pick out the words from the first guy, the second guy, you're fucked. Played some of the second half to my 11 year old when I got home. She said she liked it and it was inventive. Among other things. Faves, Instinct of Survival, Siege of Power, Born on Your Knees, CS, Pseudo Youth, Moral Crusade. Afterwards, the girl said she wanted to listen to mice. So I searched Spotify and found a band called Mice Parade, who seem to be pretty good!

Lol ok so it's not random. The best Xmas album ever made by a distance, Christmas (baby please come home) is the best Xmas song ever made. All the Darlene Love and Ronettes ones are stone cold timeless bangers. Oh and The Crystals. Well, all of it. Merry Xmas everyone.

Complicated relationship with this one. Well, not that complicated, it's just not my favourite of theirs and I struggle slightly with the concept that this is an all time flawless album. This is kind of more, the Led Zep "that's an impressive fret-wank (or equivalent) album". I appreciate Whole Lotta Love rather than love it, fun effects and stuff but too stop start ultimately. It's not high on my favourite led zep songs. Same goes for the Lemon Song. That said, there really isn't a song here that's less than very good. Ramble on and Heartbreaker are fantastic, they just don't fuck around (well, Ok, they do a little bit). Sounds like I only want straight ahead rockers from Led Zep which is not true at all, since I've been loving you on 3, the song remains the same, love all that shit. I also love their folksy shit, which again is more evident from 3 onwards. I love Led Zep 3 so much more, I like Houses of the Holy more, and Led Zep 4 is better than this. Based on gut feeling and memory, we'll see how I feel when they all come up, as I'm sure they will.

I've still somehow never seen The Exorcist (who someone on here seems to think was directed by Roman Polanski). Tubular Bells II came out when I was a kid though to a big buzz so this was everywhere for a while, I believe I may have listened to this in full once or twice then, and not in fact the maligned sequel. After the famous recognisable part is over... Well it's more prog rock isn't it, but is it good prog? I'm not sure it is really. For large swathes the ideas come thick and fast and then he's done and moved on. Of course there's a Mellotron in there, which is kinda fun as usual. It's basically one big solo jam session. Not my kind of prog either, mostly. There are high points though obviously, usually when he sticks with an idea for more than one minute, who knew. So the beginning, and the end of part 1 are both obviously great. Anything redeemable about part 2? Er, well not from the first half. The second half, with the Klingon and whatnot, erm, no. The very end of the album is good - nice, noodly and chill. Which is then ruined by him launching into Barnacle Bill - whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Overall, a very mixed bag, which is an entertaining enough listen as a one off for this but can't see why I'd put it on as a whole piece again.

It's the Go-Go's. Yep, great fun, poppy bangers throughout. Another nice one to get to send off Terry Hall into that long goodnight.

Hmm, not sure where I sit with this as I listen for the first time. Was just thinking, don't really get these, seems like sub-prog rock without really going for it, same as how I feel about most Steely Dan I've heard so far. Then Hotel came on and my ears pricked up, ideas all over the place. Probably headphones are necessary. But then you do also hear the ouch racist lyrics. Also this brought home the very obvious influence they had on the band Field Music, who I like, and who I particular appreciate for their adventurousness, so perhaps I should like this? Ah... Godley and Creme are from this band. Not that I'm mad on any of their songs particularly either, though. But, based on one listen - and after the first two songs left me stone cold - I'm coming down on the side of enjoying this. I like people to try stuff. My god, Field Music sound so much like these, especially on the first album or so. However as the album goes on I can also hear Surf's Up/Smile era Beach Boys and Briand Wilson's influence too. Yep, a winner. Faves, Somewhere in Hollywood

This was good fun when it came out, though it's pretty much textbook inessential, doesn't belong in this list, that's for sure. One or two genuinely great songs dotted around the Foos' career (maybe not on this one though) , and Dave seems a lovely bloke. Nice to get the lyrics sheet and have it confirmed after this time that the lyrics to This is a Call are a completely random list of non-sequiters. Foo Fighters albums just got more and more inessential, but not bad, as they went along. They hit on that formula early and by god they opened the factory. Because of that, and this being the height of my Nirvana-fandom, this is the Foo Fighters album I'm fondest of. It also sounds the most like Nirvana (Easy Target, Weenie Beanie), which makes sense since most of the tracks were written back then. For All the Cows sounds like Green Day. But ultimately, it's still just good to average, perfectly serviceable rock. And when In Utero comes around it's clearly getting 5 stars, so as someone who likes this, you have to consider - is it really just one star better than this? No. Faves - X-Static, This is a Call, Alone + Easy Target.

Ha, well I got this on New Year's Eve. 3 months after her death. Not a big country fan by any means but I have softened in my aversion to it in recent years. And, well, this is terrific really. What a voice. RIP.

Another golden age of rap/ hip hop record, and another I haven't heard before. Nice.

Definitely sets a mood! Since I'm listening with my daughter we dissolved that mood by singing the categories of Top Trumps Dogs to eachother in Marvin style as we played. I won in the end, kept getting the Doberman. Best songs for this game: Keep Getting it on, You Sure Love to Ball. Good times.

Growing up in Manchester I also obviously grew up with The Smiths and New Order, and it was the perfect counter soundtrack to the shite on the radio from the mid 80s onwards. I listened to this one less than TQID or Hatful of Hollow mainly, and they might have more straightforward classic Smith's songs, but this pushes the boat out musically and atmospherically, Death of a Disco Dancer being a prime example. Last Night I Dreamt... (surely one of their greatest ever songs). And there's still the pop, Girlfriend in a Coma, Stop Me if you think etc. Unhappy Birthday. The lyrics are great and affecting as ever. I'm beginning to get more comfortable separating 80s Morrissey from whoever this is now, and really enjoy the genius of what they created together back then. Anything else is pure self-denial. Some magnificent stuff here.

Removed from the book as a post 2000 album, obviously, we can't dislodge David Gray. I kept meaning to listen to this album back in the day, Christ it's 15 years old already, I am old. Anyway I never did really, apart from the 3 main songs on the radio, until years later. When I finally did I don't think I latched on. I remember a big fuss being made about Congratulations as well but I did the same with that. It's quite funny how different most of the album tracks are to the singles, there's a couple of decent pop-psych songs in a similarly interesting vein and then there's this kind of cod-Bowie/Bolan stuff. A little bit of the more interesting stuff feels a logical progression of what 10CC and others were messing about doing in the 70s. I'd say about 70% of the album is really good and enjoyable.

Ooh. Delightful. I don't have the musical vocab to say anything interesting about a classical tango album but this is very, very nice. I have one other touchstone in this ouvre I guess which was the soundtrack to Waking Life by Tosca Tango Orchestra, which was also slightly offbeat in places but more generally unsettling than this. This is lovely. I particularly love the longer tracks as they wend and wain.

Um... Well obviously Cult of Personality is a stone cold banger that's reverberated down the ages, welcomely popping back up in Grand Theft Auto (Vice City??) and again smashing it as CM Punk's entrance music. So, the rest. I did worry it was all going to be shit after the second track. Well it's not baad bad, I'm just not sure why I'm listening to it. Desperate People is probably the only song I'd be interested in if CoP didn't exist. Late shout for Glamour Boys. It says here that the album has aged well, that's debatable I think. The vocal style is incredibly of its time, cock rock/hair metal, maybe except on Memories Can't Wait, where he's trying his best to ape Mike Patton (without his ridiculously wide vocal range). I get why it's here, and I like that an all black 'metal' (it's not metal is it, let's be honest, who is calling this metal? I'll accept hard rock) band broke through in the 80s, and the messages in the lyrics. But aside from that one great song this isn't for me.

1-2 Oh My God! So much of this takes me back to Monday and Wednesday nights at the Ritz. Jumping off the stage to Sabotage (that video!), plus Root Down, Get it Together (Q-Tip!) and of course Sure Shot, which I got a second life from when I later discovered all the Blue Note stuff they'd pilfered from to genius effect. Jeremy Steig's Howling For Judy, is just an absolute gem. Such variation. Love the funky jams in the middle like Futterman's Rule. That said, the album does wander considerably far from where we were during the first 9 tracks at that point and doesn't come back for a while. Then it wanders away again. Essentially two different albums smooshed together. We're back red hot with Flute Loop. I'm a sucker for these jazz samples. Also enjoy the throwbacks to their start out as a thrash punk outfit. So, it suffers a fair bit through the classic CD era failure to edit. I'd drop Alright Hear This, The Scoop and a couple others to a B-side personally. Not Ricky's Theme though, that is low key ace. As is Bodhisattva Vow. Not sure you need the whole 3 mins 40 of Shambala as a lead-in to it. Mind you that is very good, but this is the issue with too long albums, you're kind of done with stuff like that by the time it comes around. Overall though, excellent, and aged well.

Hmm. Well it's accomplished pop, but I've heard a fair bit of pop in recent years that is really outstanding (Self Esteem, King Princess, Tove Styrke). I'm not really getting that here. I heard Tilted along with everyone else so checked out the rest of their stuff hoping to love it but was left cold really. I'm having more or less the same experience here. I've already got Off The Wall. Using the same production tricks is fine and everything but I'm not sure what's he to push this album into the stratosphere on its own merits. Doesn't Matter was good. Goya Soda was good. Feels so Good was good. A few songs were very average. Obviously I'm not going to listen to the same album again in French straight afterwards, therefore the 'Too long' criticism is unfair. Unless the songs were all so unmemorable to those people that they literally didn't realise this was happening, in which case that's not good, is it.

Karmacoma was literally everywhere when it came out, as such I'm a bit sick of it. But could never hear Protection too many times, wonderful song. I was never particularly taken by Tricky's solo stuff, aside from Black Steel (which is kind of a rock cover of Public Enemy anyway). Anyway yeah, played this to death during my uni years so will always be evocative of that particular era, plus the sound is very much of its time, hello also to Leftfield. A mix of melancholic but beautiful songs, swooshing instrumentals and modern dub. I had no idea it was made amid so much turmoil for the band. Nevertheless, it still stands up. Best tracks: Sly, Protection, Spying Glass, Heat Miser.

Well this is just loads of fun, especially when McLaren isn't speaking. You've got the Art of Noise, you've got Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens (massively not cool that they were uncredited - wtf), you've got Thomas Dolby, you've got the pirate DJs the Supreme Team all smooshed together by Trevor Horn and the gang. There's so much to love. Keith Haring cover art as well. It's so ubiquitously 80s, it's kind of wonderful. Even if McLaren comes across as one of the creepiest dudes ever, and most of this album is magpie-ing shit from everywhere - and although that is kind of the entire point, see above, pay those people! They made half the record pop. Also love happening upon another PWEI sample (end of Merengue = end of 88 Seconds...and still counting) Man From Delmonte stole the Makgona Tsohle Band sound (specifically on Water in My Eyes which I still love) and mixed it with Marr/Orange Juice guitar, and although no-one seems to have heard of them these days I still like them. This album sent me off on a journey of listening to all of the above over the course of the day. Therefore, inspirational.

Spent the whole album waiting for Number of the Beast and specifically Run to the Hills, just hoping something, anything would stack up to those two absolute classics. Sadly nothing really did. Also one too many 6+ minute tracks that don't do enough to justify the length. I suppose the 2nd half of Acacia Avenue was decent. But I was really trying to like something by that stage so who knows. My feelings confirmed when the 2 aforementioned finally come on and absolutely blow everything else away. Well RTTH does, NOTB is merely great. Maybe its unfair, how can anything compare to Run to the Hills, one of if not the greatest metal song ever written? Fact is they are on the same album as it, and that's that. It towers above everything else though, what a song. Muscular closer Hallowed be Thy Name is an exception to all my comments above, but just reading this being referenced as one of the greatest metal albums ever, I can't have that. 3 fantastic songs, the rest isn't meh, but it's nowhere near good enough for that accolade.

When this came out I was all about Arcade Fire, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and all that. The biggest most recent wave of sad boy indie guitar, it was everywhere. Now I've moved on obviously, but still have to pop back to Funeral from time to time, which remains superb. I haven't felt drawn to this in the same way over the years, although it definitely has some of their best songs on it. Honestly if this album was around 48 minutes long it would probably be getting 5 stars. As it is, it's just too long and as others have said, in hindsight drags in the middle. Songs that make it too long while not really adding anything: City with no Children, Half Light II, Month of May. That said, it does an expert job of creating a consistent mood, you can really visualise the subject matter and imagine yourself wondering around somewhat soulless, humdrum and empty cookie-cutter neighbourhoods as you listen to it. Favourites: Ready To Start, Sprawl II, Suburban War

Don't get any big ideas. Probably my favourite, most enduring Radiohead album? The other classics, my opinion is clouded slightly by 90s nostalgia and I was never a Kid A Stan. I've grown to love it over the years but it's not the same. In fact Hail to the Thief brought me back on board after leaving for a while, and In Rainbows re-cemented my love and encouraged me to try Kid A again. So I love those albums. But In Rainbows - well it's retained its freshness somehow. I guess we will see in 10-12 years if I feel its as fresh, but in my memories clearly it's attached to a very different stage in my life than the bends or ok computer. Love every bit of this. That moment in Reckoner, you know the one. Johnny's guitar merging into the backing vocal melody in Jigsaw Falling into Place. The skittish, irrepressible energy of Bodysnatchers. The beauty of Faust Arp. Nude.

Hmm. Where to start here. I'll listen to arguments about why live albums should be included, I don't think they should be dismissed out of hand. Especially when the artists haven't released a truly great studio album but have great tracks, and are notoriously good live, which I think is fair to say of The Who. But then why are 4 studio albums in this book. I'll get to the other 3, but I didn't think much of Who's Next. I liked it but didn't love it. Secondly, this is a release that's been fucked about with, app links to an hour and 17 minutes version but the compiler is referring to an original 6 track live recording. I haven't got all day, so, after Can't Explain I'm skipping straight to Young Man Blues, then after Happy Jack I'm skipping to Summertime Blues. A compromise. Happy with my decision. Actually I deviated and skipped through Happy Jack and went to Amazing Journey from Tommy. I think I'm going to enjoy Tommy, I remember enjoying the film, and was disappointed with most of The Who's output post-1969. I just find them very hit and miss. But they can definitely hit. Was windmilling between 4 and 5 but the medley starting with My Generation just blew me away. Can't argue with the assessment that this is The Who at their best, and how they should be heard. Bin off the albums, just come here.

00s album, they only keep 3-4 per year in the book so can't read the write up. Never listened to these at the time. Heard various artists I respect saying it was good, just never got around to it. I guess I was listening to Devotchka instead. With that and Devo, that was the allocation for DEV taken up. A really gentle, indie folk album which was perfect for a Sunday afternoon. Lovely finger picking guitar. His voice and singing style strays occasionally towards the annoying, but mostly stays on the right side of that particular boundary. It's also crucially not sad indie folk, which seemed to be everywhere at the time. Some of it is good but too much was definitely a bad thing. Sufjan Stevens being the most obvious example of the good. I think I'll listen to this again in quiet moments.

All killer no filler from the Queen of Soul.

First thought - well, the cover is extremely reminiscent of the graffiti you come across in the Last of Us, but particularly the TV iteration, the 1st of which we watched last night. To the music - Wonderful. I love this, and I was caught unawares. Never listened to any Fairport Convention to speak of (I guess I'll look forward to that when they come up). The vocals, the instrumentation, the songs, the lyrics, all pretty much perfect. I listened to it twice on repeat. I think getting heavily into Richard Dawson in recent years, and into this kind of folk in general, has primed me for this little masterpiece. Faves - Title track, Calvary Cross, Has he Got a Friend For Me, End of the Rainbow.

The king of the swingers! This is already a favourite. Absolutely bags of fun, and a great pick me up. Every track might not be quite as good (often re-using licks - but again, what licks) as the ultra-highs of just a gigolo, jump jive n wail, oh Marie, buono Sera, what it definitively is, is a bloody good time. Tight.

Now this is an album that deserves to be here. We are on a good run. Discovered this only a few years back. Criminally overlooked it despite already loving She's not There. I honestly think I assumed Time of the Season was by The Bryds or something. Care of Cell 44 is wonderfully Brian Wilson-esque. That chorus just absolutely POPs out of the speaker. Brilliance. I believe it was A Rose for Emily being played at the end of every episode of the podcast series S-Town that finally dragged me to this album. Doubtless I'm not the only one, so I'm very grateful to that. There's plenty of Pet Sounds influences here (which is enough by itself to draw me in) but there's lots more to love besides. There's hints of Nick Drake's Bryter Layter here too in Hung up on a Dream (which of course was slightly layter). A glorious and faultless 60s psych-pop album. Definitely one of the best records ever made. Best - Care of Cell 44, Time of the Season, This Will Be Our Year, Hung Up on a Dream.

Another classic. I am due SUCH a run of duffers. As a long-time Tropicalia convert, I'm surprised I only stumbled across this album last year, through some random conversation. But that's what happened, and now it is a staple. I adore the Quarteto Em Cy cover of Tudo Que Você Podia Ser, did not know it was a cover before hearing this album. But what a trip we go on listening to this. Can't adequately explain how good it is. A journey in every song. Absolutely wonderful. I like the story of the two kids on the cover too. “I was eating a piece of bread that someone had given me, because I was starving. And I was barefoot. But I never knew I was on the cover of a record. My mother will be thrilled. We never had a photo of me as a boy.” Faves, Tudo Que Você Podia Ser, Clube Da Esquina No2, O Trem Azul, Um Gosto De Sol, Nada Sera Comp Antes.

One of my all time favourite albums. Adore the first track. Hate the fact that the Elvis "Can't help falling in love" infused version has replaced the original more pure version on all streaming sites. Should be an extra track. It's lovely, but when I listen to the album I want the version I fell in love with. Every song builds beautifully. Talk about going on a sonic journey into the space in your mind. I have the CD that came in a prescription blister pack, and cardboard with the inlay notes written on a patient information leaflet and instructions for dosage, etc. Genius design. Absolutely wonderful album though. I got this in 1997 then went back and bought Pure Phase and Lazer Guided Melodies and the three of them soundtracked my uni years and plenty more besides. Saw the band live a couple of times around this time, absolutely spectacular each time. The live album released a year or so later is a great example of this. Could always be relied upon to do something special and different in a live version, songs such as Electric Mainline and Shine a Light are completely brilliant in a different way to the studio version. Broken Heart, off this record, the harmonica is just incredible, heartbreaking live version. The studio versions are fabulous also. Broken Heart is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. So sad on the face of it, but the arrangement is so warm, and ultimately feels so full of acceptance, and strength to move forward. Like Hope in the Dark, this song is an axe I often reach for to break down walls. Stay With Me's gently shimmering brilliance, Come Together's muscular gospel rock, I Think I'm in Love's laconic build. The freak outs. Electricity continuing the Beefheart/OMD run of songs called Electricity being fucking excellent. After all that, Cool Waves is a blissful salve, before Cop Shoot Cop blows your socks off again. It's just perfect. I'm only really now getting into Spacemen 3, Sonic Boom's work with Panda Bear helps. Will always love this album and frequently return to it. Faves. Title track (original), I think I'm in Love, Stay With Me, Broken Heart.

Never listened to an actual Elton album. Obviously I know all the big songs, so it's just a question of what the rest is like. Nice to listen to the proper version of Candle in the Wind instead of the incredibly mawkish rework. I forgot how terrific a song it genuinely is. Benny and the Jets is obviously magnificent, and the title track is plainly one of the greatest songs written by anyone, ever. Weirdly I heard the Beastie Boys slightly daft (but still faithful) cover of the former before I heard the original. Saturday Night's alright for fighting, likewise, absolute cracker. So to the rest. Grey Seal is great. Jamaica Jerk off is not great. Everything else is good, very good even, but it's not really classic. It's unfair to compare them to 4 of the best songs ever written but they are on the same album so here we are. Also, this is a double album, which needs to have extra classic bangers to score top marks. (It's only 6 minutes longer than the Spiritualized 'single' album I just gave 5 to, but hey ho)

The midway point between two Blurs. I don't ever recall being that in love with this record, I enjoyed it and played it a lot, but I'm never compelled much to go back and listen again over the years. A fan since the first album, I enjoyed the experimentation on the Great Escape, which was critically panned, but well received on this - for me it just feels less...warm. Or maybe it's just that the tunes aren't as good, generally. I've not much time for the 'old' Blur songs here MOR, On Your Own, Look Inside America. They're fine but stick out, out of place. Beetlebum is still great. Song 2 is massively overplayed. Theme From Retro and Death of the Party still manage to sound vaguely Margate Pier underneath the weirdness, the chorus of the latter is the most Great Escape sounding thing here. Graham Coxon the solo artist is announced on You're So Great. The sludgy groove on Just a Killer For Your Love is excellent. A record I admire for the change in direction rather than love for the music on it.

I like metal and I'm not sure if I'm just not feeling it this morning, but I'm not feeling this. Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight aside, a lot of the songs seemed to go on too long, even though they were only 4 minutes. I was getting bored and wanting the next one on after about 2. Good riffs and energy but just... not enough tunes.

Hmm. Do I like this? Not sure. I like large bits of it certainly but it's very long for a continuous jam, even for my tastes, and I fucking love a big song that build and builds. I guess this doesn't necessarily do that though, it stops for a snooze now and then. Also I think we need to blame them for Phish, contractually? But then we wouldn't have had the Analyze Phish podcast with Harris Wittels, and both before and after that I haven't been impacted by Phish, so, net positive. So I am enjoying Calvary, which actually seems to suit the album cover. As a whole I think this goes in the 'enjoyable listen, glad I heard it, not sure I will ever put it on again ' section.

Yeah it's Bryter Layter, five stars. Some notes though. Belle and Sebastian seem to have pinched their template from a couple of tracks here, Hazey Jane II and suchlike. Love the soulful jazz of Poor Boy as it gently soars. One of These Things First and Northern Sky are particularly excellent. Some of the rest feels a little twee at times but seems to somehow stay on the right side and remains delightful, instrumentals included. Always a great listen.

Enough has been written about Bob Dylan. This is really good.

Eno! Ooh what to do? Not a sausage to do. Bags of fun, and so much inventiveness, I love it. By This River is gloriously beautiful. Spider and I is also gorgeous, extremely reminiscent of his work on Bowie's Low in the same year. I maybe don't love this album as consistently as Warm Jets or Another Green World but I still love it. All of Eno's albums in the 70s are fabulous.

Ah, this. Was absolutely everywhere and I didn't buy it for some reason. But I did listen to it A LOT. And it's all wrapped up in the memories of watching it at the time. Kurt's mohair jumper. Dave looking all prim in a pony tail, and those brush drumstick things because he couldn't physically hit the drums lightly enough with anything else. Who are these fellas, the what puppets? It's basically perfect. Was also into Bowie but it took me years to dive into his earlier back catalogue, so Man Who Sold the World joins the list of songs I heard the cover of first. For many years this was the definitive version for me. Only just twigged it's not actually unplugged, that's an electric guitar! Obviously. Kurt really loves The Vaselines, that's 3 covers now. Where did you sleep last night is chilling.

I'm not sure how arsed I am about this kind of Jazz. I know I really liked Kind of Blue, bounced off Bitches Brew when I tried them both 10-15 years ago, but I didn't go to this. Be interested to see how I react to Brew with several years more musical maturity. Anyway, this is enjoyable but I'm not really picking up enough variation to keep me massively interested.

Real good. Will be adding to my King Crimson rotation along with Crimson King and Red, the latter of which I was compelled to stick on after I listened to this.

Aw, too soon! Only just had ladies and gentlemen, hoped they'd space them out a bit. Ha. Pun not intended. Anyway, love this most low key Spiritualized album. Sometimes even more than aforementioned masterpiece. Certainly Shine A Light is one of the best songs they ever did. Everything builds so gently and beautifully, gliding into a blissed out haze. Elsewhere, both If I Were With Her Now and Take Your Time's one-paced, effortlessly rolling groove take some beating. Angel Sigh blows your socks off, Sway is simply gorgeous. This album starts and finishes so strongly. I'm not as fond of I Want You and the reworking of the Velvet's Run, Run, Run, but they're both still fun. Plus you get to have a little sleep and a float in the breeze in the middle of the album.

If you only listen to one Fleet Foxes album, you should listen to... Helplessness Blues. Well, actually I haven't given Crack Up or Shore enough of a listen but HB is a really great record. Better and more interesting than this one, which while a great debut and announcement of the band's somewhat memeable yet distinctive sound, trails off a bit towards the end. Great songs up front, a bit forgettable at the end. This is definitely something the band fixed on the follow up. Almost not worth mentioning the incredibly obvious influence of Simon and Garfunkel, and the Beach Boys vocally and Brian Wilson musically, but I will. Particularly in Quiet Houses, the standout Ragged Wood and the instrumental Heard Them Stirring. I also get a huge Red House painters vibe from Taking Tiger Mountain Peasant Song. Very accomplished debut, but better, more expansive music as they grew into their own sound was to follow.

So good. Demands close listening.