A depressed man sings 7 in-differentiable sounding melancholic, nostalgic songs (plus 3 instrumentals) while strumming an acoustic guitar to a pretty but generic easy-listening background.

An OK psych folk album, but there is just no reason to have 5 (!) The Byrds albums on this lyst, considering the criminal number of omissions.

bleat [bleet] noun 1. the cry of a sheep, goat, or calf. 2. any similar sound (the bleat of distant horns). 3. foolish, complaining talk; babble (I listened to their inane bleat all evening).

Not a Beatles fan, but if forced to choose, would say I prefer their later work. This one however is way too long and with too much filler and an abundance of the usual Beatle corny-ness. Stylistically inconsistent, soulless attempts at blues, rockabilly, surf rock are particularly jarring. Second disk better than first, overall a work with potential if only was more focused and trimmed of the fat. Best tracks; While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Helter Skelter.

The musical equivalent of supermarket sushi.

My first Lou Reed album. Really enjoyed the guitars and piano, vocals a bit bland, and overly ordinary, though with interesting and poetic lyrics. Production reminiscent of Stooges meet Bowie, but lacking the edge. Really feel like I'm missing some edge here. Vicious and Satellite of Love are possibly the best tracks. Would be rated higher, but gets significantly weaker towards the back-end.

Not a Beatles fan, but if forced to choose, would say I prefer their later work. This one however is way too long and with too much filler and an abundance of the usual Beatle corny-ness. Stylistically inconsistent, soulless attempts at blues, rockabilly, surf rock are particularly jarring. Second disk better than first, overall a work with potential if only was more focused and trimmed of the fat. Best tracks; While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Helter Skelter.

These queens don't miss, I tell ya hwat boy!

Whimsical, self-assured, undeniably ambitious, features elaborate harmony and melodies. Unfortunately too often grating and irritating. Feels like it's trying to bite early Zappa, but comes up woefully short. A VERY generous 2/5, only for the ambition and the relatively unique sound. Best tracks; Mrs. O'Leary's Cow and I want to say Good Vibrations, but the original Beach Boys version is better.

Solid debut album, catchy, enjoyable post-grunge songs, nothing revolutionary or ground-breaking, but impressive how Dave Grohl played every instrument on this, probably the peak of his post-Nirvana career. Best songs; Big Me, Alone, Weenie Beenie.

If you were to make a movie set in the 70's about a mid-western stripper and her dysfunctional guitar playing, whiskey drinking boyfriend looking to strike it big as a pro darts player, while being on the run from her trucker stepfather, and also dodging the law along the way, breaking up, getting back together, finally riding off into the sunset together, this might be the soundtrack for you.

AC/DC isn't really an album band for me, as every song sounds essentially the same, power chords, basic lyrics screeched loudly, intense guitar solo, back to the chorus with some back up harmony this time. It's fun and it's energetic, but I could easily play "You Shook Me.." 10 times on repeat, and get more or less the same experience.

An OK psych folk album, but there is just no reason to have 5 (!) The Byrds albums on this lyst, considering the criminal number of omissions.

For when the ol' man lets you borrow the Cadillac to take your sweetheart out to the malt shop for a cherry cola, then the local dance (as the cover states, this is suitable for listening AND dancing) and maybe she'll let you get to second base, cause girls were made to love after all.

James Taylor is that guy who brings his guitar to a camp fire, and starts playing just when you're in a middle of a really lively conversation. And of course everyone has to stop talking and listen politely, cause he's pretty good after all, better than any one of us that's for sure, but what we really want to do is drink and talk shit, not feel all sad and nostalgic over cliches like empty country roads and lush green pastures and sunny skies.

Fake British accent aside, a fun collection of catchy pop-rock singles. All These Things that I've Done is the standout.

Starts off really meandering, then picks up for a moment, only to plunge back in to some sort of wistful, breezy cacophony of stupor. And just when I'm ready to write it off completely, seems to pick back up again with a catchy sample or neat melody, only to then throw me back into it's lazy, hazy swamp of synthesizer goop.

They sound like a local garage rock band that you might find entertaining 30 some odd college stoners in a run down bar on a Tuesday night. Which is an awesome and important role to have, but doesn't mean this poorly produced and entirely forgettable album belongs anywhere near a list like this.

Some solid singles interspersed with mediocre filler material and extremely cringy interludes. Red Light Special is the stand-out. Andre 3000 feature on the last song an unexpected surprise.

They call themselves Orange Juice, but this aged like milk.

Excellent production all around. Drive, Man on the Moon - 5/5 The Sidewinder, Ignoreland, Nightswimming - 0/5 The rest 3/5

My first discovery that I've really liked on the generator. Incredibly well-composed synth-pop with passionate vocals and intriguing lyrics, and catchy as hell.

Ai meu deus, this is not good. This may have been the first fusion album, but it does not work nor hold up well. Sinatra and Jobim sound like they were recorded in different studios. The most basic of bossa nova rhythms arranged with outdated (in 1967) strings do not fit, Sinatra's voice does not fit the faux bossa nova vibe. Overall sounds like an attempt at Brazilian music for gringos.

Ambitious work, but after multiple listens it's just not clicking, maybe it's the overuse of auto-tune or the weak lyrics.

Early psychedelia tinged with sitars and tablas. You can practically smell the daffodils, marigolds, weed, and unwashed hippy feet.

The musical equivalent of supermarket sushi.

Beautiful vocal harmonies. Enjoyed the seemingly random (probably wouldn't seem random if I could understand the lyrics) interjections of laughter, exclamations, rolling r's, small shouts, etc. Wish there were more of that to break up some of the monotony. Interesting, esoteric, unique.

People giving this a 1 while criticizing the artist's past transgressions, at the same time handing out 5s to albums with Lennon, Paige, Bowie or James Brown, I see you.... If we manage to separate the art from the artist, we get a lively, upbeat, infectious, dance-able record that serves as the de facto representative of soukous music on the list. I don't know enough about the genre to judge weather it serves as a fair representation, but I do know that Congolese music as a whole is very much worth in depth exploration.

There's so much going on here musically, I feel this would be perfect for listeners with shorter attention spans. So many different ideas all held together with some epic, aggressive metal riffage. In all, a fun, testosterone fueled, scattered record, though I don't think this is SOAD's best. Standouts: Know, Sugar, Peephole

+2 stars for curing my insomnia, -1 cause I woke up flaccid and depressed.

As the title suggests; completely forgettable.

Had low expectations going into this one, based off the terrible artist name, and the even more terrible album cover, but was pleasantly surprised. Highlights include Across the Great Divide, which plunges you right into this 44 minute jambouree, Up on Cripple Creek is a funky jam ahead of it's time, and the album finishes off strong with the fun and lighthearted King Harvest. The rest of the material is solid and varied enough to keep this hoedown rollin'.

This is arguably the strongest lineup the Family Stone has featured, including but not limited to such big names as Bobby Womack, Ike Turner and Larry Graham. The sound of this album hangs in the air, like a cloud of weed smoke on a hot, humid evening. It oozes soul. It massages your nerve endings. It'll sweep you away into it's abstract vision of a concrete jungle, down alleyways filled with stoners, mothers with infants, children playing, couples making out, hustlers hustling, and all the while demand nothing but a slight bop of your head along the journey.

Not sure what this behemoth of an album is trying to be or what to make of it. It seems to be pulling a bunch of influences from the past, but doesn't do much to move the sound forward. There isn't much coherence or consistency, aside from Julian's lackluster vocals and instrumentation that can best be described as adequate. The end result is an OK album, nothing to be irritated about, but also nothing to get truly excited about. Never heard of Julian Cope prior to today, and I suspect will never hear of him henceforth.

For listeners of 90's alternative radio (already a limited demographic), Screaming Trees would have been a palette cleanser between the songs you actually wanted to hear.

Metallica at their youthful, angry, energetic best. But as others have said this album could definitely use a remaster/re-mix. Guitars have the signature Metallica sound, but the drums are so flat and the bass is m.i.a.

What a strange work this is. Blues inspired pop-rock meets occasional bursts of flamenco, folk, country, surf, and more, spliced with a healthy dose of Monty Pythonesque sense of absurdity and quirkiness that the British love so. Best songs are title track and Wicked Annabella. 2.5/5 rounded up cause it's a Sunday.

Cringy lyrics, annoying vocals, not worth your time.

I think the author of the book took the "before you die" part of the assignment a little too literally.

Generic country music but with some nice orchestral arrangements.

The muffled, whiny vocals are so irritating. Instrumentals are kinda ambitious with the accordions and and violins spliced in, but it feels like they're just there for the sake of some novelty, rather than being a solid part of the ensemble. I'm probably not hip enough for this hipster orgy.

Like listening to a musical mad-libs.

Amazing energy, Chuck D has the flow and the lyrics. Some dope beats and samples. The influence of this album must also be acknowledged. On the downside, it does sound a bit dated 30+ years later, some of the cuts are redundant, and Flav doesn't always carry his weight alongside Chuck D. I would have liked to see a KRS-One album included on the list instead of 2 Public Enemy albums.

Been a while since I heard this. Voice is still nasal and shrill. The singles are pretty catchy though.

Sleepy folksy ballads, although performed passionately. The musicianship is good, but suffers from a lack of direction and arrangement. Found myself tuning out most of the album, with the exception of "The Way Young Lovers Do" which was a much needed pick me up.

I think Sylvester Stallone would love this.

Keep my BRUEGEL off your FUCKING album cover!

A decent assortment of musical ideas ("Stop!" and "Then She Did.." are pleasantly grand and bombastic) performed admirably by a capable band, unfortunately soiled by the steaming pile of doodoo that are some of the laziest lyrics ever sung by what sounds like Screetch from Saved by the Bell.

Rough around the edges (in a good way), an enjoyable listen, although no real standout tracks.

I'm as big a Bob Marley fan as they come. But even I can't justify including 3 of his albums on this list, when so many reggae greats were snubbed. And as wonderful as this album is, of the 3 on this list (Catch a Fire and Exodus being the others), it is probably the weakest one, though still a great intro to the man's music.

A perfectly fine album of perfectly good songs, plenty of originality too, but.. it just doesn't get me excited in any way.

First time listening to PJ Harvey. "Big Exit" was a promising start and had me excited for what was to come, unfortunately, with the exception of "The Whores Hustle..", the rest of the album was a letdown. The songs were either too poppy for my taste, or lacked the energy of the two aforementioned tracks. Not bad overall, but two good songs do not an essential album make.

My mascara started running, I think I got too much hair spray in my eye.

Iron Maiden album covers remind me of the ol' Goosebumps books series, both using the same formulaic palette of not-too-scary cartoonish skeletons and occult imagery that appeals to pre-teen boys (12 year old me would have loved this cover too). The music is predictably formulaic too, but it's a formula that works for them. Still, the guitar riffs and solos are bitchin', and the songs are performed with enough vigor and aggression to keep the 39 minute run time fairly enjoyable.

Can one truly know despair if one has never known happiness? This is my first time listening to The Wall in it's entirety, having only heard snippets before. It is a gargantuan, ambitious work, a rock opera following the story of a young man (rock star?) who proceeds to whine to us about all the struggles in his life. Listening to this album felt like being a shrink with a clipboard, listening to a patient tell their miserable life story. Daddy left me to fight in the war. Teachers at school were mean. Mommy was overbearing and overprotective. My wife cheated on me, while I was out trying to shag groupies. On \"One of My Turns\" the protagonist sings \"Nothing is very much fun anymore\", which made me do a head turn. At which point so far in the album has anything been fun? And so it goes, through suicide attempts, drug induced hysteria, depression, flashbacks of war, flirtations with fascism. Each of these are a brick that get added to the proverbial wall that the protagonist erects around himself to protect himself from the cruel world. Eventually the protagonist is put on trial and forced to take down the wall for the crime of showing human emotion. This must be some sort of commentary on British stoicism. I dunno. Musically, it's a well produced, painstakingly made album. There are some great moments, especially with the heavier guitars on "In the Flesh" which I wish were present more throughout the album, some very nice, emotive guitar solos throughout, and dramatic climaxes like at the end of "Waiting for the Worms". The harmonized ooohs and aaahs really got on my nerves though, and in general the vocals were very hit and miss (mostly miss). Lyrically, we got edgy jams like; "If you wanna find out what's behind these cold eyes, You'll just have to claw your way through this disguise", the ever so seductive "Ooooh, I need a dirty woman. Ooooh, I need a dirty girl.", and lets not forget the incredibly deep "When I was a child I had a fever, My hands felt just like two balloons", followed later by "I can't explain, you wouldn't understand." How could we? A child with a fever? The poor soul! Conclusion. There are 2 songs I enjoyed, "In the Flesh" (including the redux) and "Hey You". The album would easily get a 3 for those 2 songs alone, along with the generally excellent instrumentation and production, but there are too many annoying, self-indulgent, boring or at best forgettable songs, and they do bring the score down. For those who want to enjoy a good rock opera, I recommend Zappa's Joe's Garage, released just a month before this, it has a more humorous story, wider range of emotions, much more scathing social commentary, and yes, better guitar solos.

Tracks 1&2 Is he crushing on a mermaid? Track 3 Seems backwards looping tracks were all the rage in the 70s. Oh blimey, mercy me, woe are we. Dig the jazzy horns and bass though. Tracks 4&5 When he said "Nit nit folley baloley", I felt that. Dig the jazzy piano and drums though. Track 6 Is this what the English call 'taking the piss'? Dig the strings, etc. I like the jazzy soundscapes. Lyrically, I can see the influence on modern wordsmiths like Daft Punk and Lil' Pump. Still can't see the dead moles, but I'll try again in a few months.

Good album, not a must hear, not the top of the Pixies discography. Best songs; Cecilia Ann, All Over the World, The Happening

Never heard of Faces, nice album title, shit cover, let's go! Seems this band has two lead singers, the raspy-voiced simpleton sounding Rod Stewart, who strikes me as an asshole by his lyrics (the part about kicking a poodle on the first track didn't go down well, and he never recovered). The second is a mellowed-out dollar store Dylan sounding Ronnie Lane, who honestly should have been featured on more of the songs. The music is (surprise, surprise!) bluesy rock played by a British band. Pretty average overall. Most of the songs needlessly accelerate the tempo towards the end that just turns them into a sloppy mess. Noticed that Memphis is a Chuck Berry cover (who inexplicably is missing from this list, and not for being a sex offender and pedophile, as there are plenty of those on here). Gave the original a spin. My god, they managed to take ALL of the nostalgia out of the song! Tried hard to find a redeeming aspect, but couldn't. Into the 1-star pile you go.

It has now been 8 out of 9 albums in a row from the UK. I'll explain below exactly why that's a problem. First, as far this album goes, we have the anthemic title track the album and indeed The Clash are so known for, that sounds VERY different from the rest of the album. What follows are two disks worth of second-wave ska and rockabilly. As others have said, the songs feel samey and different at the same time. For me they range from very good (Jimmy Jazz, The Guns of Brixton) to the skippable (Spanish Bombs, Koka Kola, Lover's Rock). There is enough quality here for an easy 4, but I think this may be a case of too much of a good thing. The second disk just drags a bit too much. Now for the UK problem, I really dig 2-nd wave ska, and indeed 3-rd wave too, but how is it possible that this list completely ignores ANY and ALL 1-st wave? Don't go searching for The Skatalites, they're not featured. Jimmy Cliff? I checked, not here. Toots & the Maytals? Prince Buster? Desmond Dekker? Forget it! A shame, a downright shame.

Now THIS is a great album cover. Sets the mood perfectly for what's about to come. Let's go! After listening, it's a very nice live performance, the couple of blunders that were kept on the final cut where a refreshing touch, something you won't likely see on a modern live album. Particularly liked the slower, smoother numbers like September in the Rain and Stairway to the Stars. Wish there was one or two more emotional songs thrown in, but I guess it would have ruined the mood. Also would have liked the trio to be louder in the mix, especially during the instrumental solos.

A candidate for the best album of the 80's. Instead of writing out superfluous praise, I want to list some of my favorite moments from the album. - The moment Prince sings "It's silly no? When a rocket ship explodes.." on the title track gives me goosebumps - Prince describing being seduced by Dorothy Parker - The opening of "Starfish and Coffee" - The tasteful brass flourishes on "Slow Love" - The canned synths on "Hot Thing" is pure sex - The duet with Sheena Easton on "U Got the Look" is hilarious, especially the "Let's get to rammin'" line - When the kick drum comes in on "The Cross"

Occasionally lush instrumentals with the vocals of a bored crow and the excitement of a lukewarm glass of water.

A depressed man sings 7 in-differentiable sounding melancholic, nostalgic songs (plus 3 instrumentals) while strumming an acoustic guitar to a pretty but generic easy-listening background.

A highly flawed album with redeemable qualities. I'll go through it song by song. Brown Sugar - They are really walking the tightrope here between celebrating rape and slavery, and simply commenting on it. The diehard fans might side with the latter argument, but I fail to see it. A shameful, tone-deaf song that sounds annoying even without the controversial subject matter. (-2) Sway - Straddles a middle ground of mediocrity, a commercially produced, radio friendly amalgamation that can't decide if it wants to go full on soulful blues, or full on edgy hard rock, so does a bit of both half assed, though finishes with a very nice crescendo. (±0) Wild Horses - A very pretty ballad. Nice guitar work. (+1) Can't You Hear Me Knocking - A lively tune about what sounds like a drug addict trying to break into someone's house. Would be a forgettable song on it's own, but the saxophone and guitar solos that follow make it easily the high point of the album. Not a coincidence that it's also the longest stretch we have without hearing Jagger's voice. (+1) You Gotta Move - Mick Jagger is back attempting a molasses paced traditional gospel blues number. Not the worst thing we'll hear today, but not exactly memorable. Props for crediting the original author *cough* Led Zeppelin *cough*. (±0) Bitch - The brass backing on this track is fantastic and lively enough to make this worth listening to, despite Mick Jagger's struggles to stay in tune. Harmonies are annoying. (+1) I Got the Blues - Slower numbers seem to suit Jagger much better. Nice horn flourishes. Organ solo was dope. (+1) Sister Morphine - Once again Jagger proves that laid-back numbers are more up his alley. Beautiful guitar playing, overall an atmospheric song. (+1) Dead Flowers - Thought the album was over, and YouTube auto-play algorithm shifted me onto some generic country. Nope, still the Stones. The worst of them in fact. Fake southern drawls, out of tune harmonies and uninspired crooning. (-1) Moonlight Mile - Shoulda ended the album with Sister Morphine. (±0) Final tally +2

Never properly listened to Brian Eno. Minimalistic cover seems to suggest some minimalistic music, but after another stretch of mediocre UK based boomer rock, I'm just hoping for something different. Let's go! Well this was an assortment of unfinished musical ideas, some more interesting than others. Meh.. on to the next one.

Seems unlike most of the reviewers on here, I haven't heard most of these songs. Fairly boring and almost painfully redundant, like a more glammy AC/DC, but I guess I can see the reason for it's inclusion as a token hair metal album.

Sigh, another Leonard Cohen spoken word album. This time with shitty synth loops. I swear I remember most of these beats from the drum presets on my 80's Casio toy keyboard. I'm your Man was #7. Wanted to give this a 2 for having the ambition to attempt a song in 3/4, but then Jazz Police came on, and it was a wrap. They sentenced LC to 20 years of boredom, and he tried to do the same to us.

I might have gone with Understanding instead of this album, but this here's a tight, solid work, the grooves are fantastic, without a single weak track.

It's alright, decent for a mid-tempo workout, could do without the rapping. Decidedly not a must hear album, but not a bad hour spent if you relegate it to the background.

Delightfully smokey.

If you name your album "Bat out of Hell", then put a naked Fabio on a flying motorcycle decorated with a dead horse head, bursting out of a haunted cemetery, you're not going for subtlety, and your music better reflect that. Luckily, from the opening moment to the final note, the music here goes aptly balls to the wall. No compromises and no disappointments. Best song is the epic Paradise by the Dashboard Light suite

No one brings a song to a climax quite like Nina. Fun fact, she attended the Juiliard for piano NOT singing!

A bit inconsistent and yet redundant at the same time. Songs are all over the place. Not a must listen, but I guess it's ok as a UK garage token album. Best tracks: Rough Out Here and Slum King

A completely inconsequential album. The musicians are fine, and there are even some nice moments, but the lyrics are almost painfully vapid, cliche and shallow, and the singers voice is fine for a song or 2, but too monotonous to carry a whole album. This was gonna be another 1-star, until Mental came on, if they had only pursued the sound they had on this song and maybe pushed it even more, this would have been a much more memorable album.

Everybody is rightfully enamored over the guitar solo on the title track (the best ever post Hendrix), but it must be mentioned how Eddie Hazel absolutely rips it again on Hit It and Quit It and then again on Super Stupid. Just an incredibly talented group of musicians, amazing production and a timeless sound all packaged together perfectly by Dr. Fukenstein, the only physician who could pull off such a creation. More power to the pussy! More pussy to the people!

When I was a kid, I was riding a bike when I got caught in a crooked rain, I ended up slipping and ripping my knee open on the pavement, blood and shredded skin everywhere. Anyway, I'd rather relive that experience than listen to this snoozefest of an album again. "I need to sleep" sings the vocalis on the last song, boy do I have an album for him!

The punkiest of all punk albums. What other band could have this much influence and make this much noise with just a 39 min discography?

A well-crafted pop album, good production, expertly composed, but somehow, the whole thing feels.. toothless. Lyrics are interesting, but need an annotated companion to decipher. Won't be coming back to this one.

Take it for what it is, a collection of club singles to be spun, mixed and danced to, not a coherent album to listen to with undivided attention. Not a bad piece of music, but maybe it's a bit misplaced on this list.

Mr. King brings the blues, the purples, the yellows, the magentas and the salmon pinks. How Blue Can You Get alone is worth the price of admission. Which was probably 20 cents at the time. Only complaints are how they splice two separate concerts together and it impacts the continuity a bit, and also the ending is much too lackluster for an album that kicked off this hype.

Arcade Fire again? Why? WHY? Well I'll give them credit, their music does capture the malaise of suburban life. This album reaffirmed a few things for me. 1) I don't like the suburbs. 2) I don't like music about the suburbs. 3) I sure as hell don't like Arcade Fire

Why does he sing like he's getting his balls stepped on at random intervals?

Talk about a cover and name that don't inspire any confidence or anticipation for what's inside. As most people here I suspect, I haven't heard of this band before, let's go! Track 1 - What in the Eliza Doolittle? We doing satire music now? Have a feeling this is heading straight for the 1-star pile. 2. Identity - OK, this is kinda lively, no idea what she's saying, but there's some kinda toy wind instrument in the background, and at least the adolescents are having fun with this one. Already this is miles better than The Smiths. 3. The Day the World Turned Dayglo - Still no idea what Eliza Doolittle is shouting about, but appreciate the vigor. And the toy wind instrument turned out to be a saxophone - go figure! 4. Genetic Engineering - I think I picked up a bit of German at the beginning there? The sax player (Steve "Rudi" Thomson) is starting to establish himself a bit more, go on then! 5. Art-I-Ficial - This is my second listenthrough, and I JUST realized that the name of the band is X-Ray Spex, and the album title is Germfree Adolescents, thought it was the other way around. Anyway, this song slaps! This is by no means a 1 star album. 6. Plastic Bag - "My mind is like a plastic bag" declares Poly Styrene, the lead singer. OK, I finally pulled up the lyrics, not as dreadful as I expected, this band keeps surprising me. They seem to be complaining about the over-saturation of media and advertising in 1977, are they in for a surprise when they cross into this millennium. 7. I Am a Poseur - Another bop. Maybe the best so far. Wow, this band just keeps racking up stars. 8. I Live off You - He might be closer to a random high school band member than Sonny Rollins, but this song is evidence that a sax makes a great addition to any punk band (see also The Stooges). 9. Lets Submerge - Just when I mentioned The Stooges, Miss Styrene goes all out channeling her inner Iggy. Another star earned? Another star earned! 10. Obsessed With You - This is actually supposed to be the 2nd track on the album, but YouTube seems to have messed up the order, or following a different release version. Oh well, this album will be getting plenty more rotation, in the correct order next time. 11. Warrior in Woolworths - Woolworths is a clothing store? Seems like there's something deeper here than just the surface lyrics. 12. I Can Do Anything - 12 songs deeps and the energy is still high. Not getting tired of this at all. Dig those rolling rrrs, and I think I'm finally starting to understand what Eliza Dool.. I mean... Poly Styrene is saying. 13. Age - Bonus track? Why not! 14. Highly Inflammable - Another bonus track, nice change of pace from the rest of the songs so far. Conclusion - MASSIVELY surprised and impressed by this one. Make sure you find the version that starts with Art-I-Ficial, as that is the original and imo best album opener.

Another artist I've never listened to before. The intro was absolutely awful, just all over place, a smattering of scattered musical ideas. Then the shrill vocals came in. We're treated to a multi-part opus about a dystopian world where the citizens are forced to listen to Rush by their religious zealot overlords (or that's how I understood it). With the despotic torture over, we move on to Thailand Express, where the lads demonstrate their acute knowledge of geography as they reminisce about the best cities to light one up. The rest of the songs are mercifully brief (relatively speaking), but no less torturous. Tears being the only exception (see what happens when your singer actually tries to sing instead of doing a shitty Plant impersonation?), just barely salvaging a second star for this slog rock mess.

First time with this album. Some thoughts. Best listened to with a few pints of room temperature English ale and a basketful of gooseberry tarts. Major points for the scathing social and political commentary, that is still very much applicable today, and not just in Britain. Musically a bit too jangle pop for most of the time, I know The Kinks are capable of rocking a bit harder, and I would have liked to see them do that here more. Overall a good album that I don't see myself returning to all too often.

This must be the precursor for those generic 6 hour ambient electronic atmospheric early afternoon morning coffee while you study while you code while you spark a j while you take a shit chill out vibes for late autumn strolling cold winter afternoon at home by the fire meditation yoga contemplating the meaning of life outer space traveling the universe zoning out and finding inner peace mixes.

Here we have a concept disco album by the Swedish band Abba. We follow a tale of a promiscuous high school girl who gets kicked out of school for sexually assaulting her math teacher. She becomes a stripper and is fairly popular with the guys, she tries to have a romantic relationship, but just ends up getting her heart broken, realizing that no one wants a stripper girlfriend. Devastated she quits dancing, but now she is struggling with her bills, alone and broke she spirals into a pit of depression. One night as she's being followed home by a stalker in a tiger outfit (probably a furry), she realizes she's had enough, so she packs her bags and moves to Hawaii, where she meets a man named Fernando, and they live happily ever after. Musically this album is annoying as hell, the repetitive saccharine melodies are particularly painful. The lyrics are stupid. The story is stupid. I hate everything about this. This needs to remain in 70's Sweden. You know those people who use phrases like "someone's got a case of the Mondays"? They're the only ones who listen to this. And only in the presence of others. Because they want to torture you. Abba is shitty torture music. Stay away unless you have masochistic tendencies.

Don't let the absolutely horrible album cover deceive you, the music here is prime Dylan, that is to say, top notch Americana folk-rock. Considering there are 7 total Bob Dylan albums in this book, the fairest way to rate this, is relative to all of the other Dylan albums. Which makes it a solid, middle of the road 3. Best song; Memphis Blues.

Songs are excellent, Tim Buckley's voice is.. well... I was hoping the back up singers would be more prominent. This record is like a buffet, seems to offer a little bit of everything, but nothing that's unique to it. Might come back to it if the mood is right.

An album from a one-hit wonder, and it doesn't even have the hit. Apparently this is the first of 3 Dexys albums on this list! Overkill much? Anyways, the music is alright, kinda upbeat, it's nice that they went with a horn section, but the horns just sound so flat on most of the songs, like, they're missing that spunk. And the vocals, I realize the whiny crying type voice was all the rage in the 80's (ala The Cure, Soft Cell, etc.), it just, one or two songs are fine, but do you have to fucking weep over every song? Even the upbeat ones? I'll wait for one of their other albums where the band comes into their own a bit more to properly appraise them, I really struggle to see what makes this a must listen.

I'd choose Joe Rogan too over this.

To call this dad rock would be an insult to dad rock everywhere. To call this suburban mom who used to be quite wild back in the day rock would be an insult to Queen.

Two thousand twenty two the number, another summer, sound of Public Enemy to kill your slumber, Music hitting half as hard, cause you know it got old, Once dangerous, hey, hey! Now a critics darling y'all, Flav's yappin' while Chuck's rappin', Saying like he mean it, Meanin' when he say it, While Terminator X spinnin', These beats he be killin', Insert generic line here, Insert generic line there, A true relic of hip hop history, But no one's bumping this recently.

If Otis Redding covers your song, there is a real risk that it'll become an "Otis Redding song" for all of history ¹, and you'll need the likes of Aretha Franklin if you want to get it back ². ¹ "Ole Man Trouble", "Respect" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long" are the only Otis Redding compositions on here, the rest are covers. ² "Respect" was infamously covered by Aretha Franklin, and her version is now considered to be the definitive one.

It's as if an AI was tasked to listen to some 90's alternative/brit-pop radio, and then make an album based on what it heard.

Well, well, looks like this album features none other than ol' Robert Wyatt (of the ''nit nit folley balloley'' fame), on 'Submarine' and 'Oceania' no less, still looking for that mermaid you old sea dog? I should have known our paths would cross again, after all, it may be a list of 1001 albums, but it's only like 50 artists. But enough about falsetto Bob, let's get to the star of the show, also known as the human beatbox - Rahzel. Ok, maybe not the star, but on a mostly acapella album, his beatboxing provides some indispensable grounding. The tracks that don't feature him suffer for it. I actually think just an album with just him and the Icelandic choir would have been interesting. Bjork could play the triangle or something. Half kidding. Speaking of the Bjorkster. I've had the occasional pleasure and occasional misfortune to hear her music before, but this album is a first for me. And for the most part it's a combination of pleasure and only occasional uncomfortable squirming (Ancestors stands out in particular). But for 45 minutes of Bjork, it is pretty damn tolerable. I feel compelled to comment on the lyrics. Some are in English, some Icelandic, still others appear to be just gibberish. As I don't speak Icelandic, and Bjork's English prose is of the a million monkeys on a million typewriters variety, it's all equally incomprehensible to me. I'm not sure how to appraise it, I respect the artistry of it, but giving it a 4 would not be consistent with my rating system so far. So a 3 it is, leaving plenty of room for her to impress me with her other work. Best songs: everything with Rahzel (But especially ''Where is the line'', also featuring Mike Patton and the human trombone Gregory Purnhagen).

Some iconic hits, but also plenty of filler. The poetry is indeed stupid, but only noticeably so on The End.

Not this shitty band again. I gave them a generous 2 stars last time, but my generosity has run out. Yeah, they don't sound like any other band of that time, maybe there is a reason for that?

A marvelous sophomore release, on which Badu explores a wide swath of emotions and themes, from closing yourself off to outside ideas on "Penitentiary Philosophy", to self-acceptance in the face of the prevalence of superficiality in society on "Cleva", infidelity on "Booty", police violence and racial profiling on "A.D. 2000", the weight of emotional baggage on "Bag Lady", from pure unadulterated romance on "I'm in Love with You" to jealousy with a touch of self depreciating humor on "Green Eyes". An album that is consistent in it's musicality, well written and understated lyrics and excellent production. Speaking of production, it serves as a good introduction to the producer J Dilla, whose classic "Donuts" is (surprise, surprise!) missing from the list. This one may be a grower if neo-soul isn't your bag, but give it a few spins, it's one of those records that not only has a timeless quality, but also infinite replay-ability.

Lulls you to sleep. Wakes you up with a sudden beat change. Rinse and repeat. Lots of Dust Brothers vibes. "Machine Gun" the only standout.

Whats with the WB logo? Thought this was a movie soundtrack at first. Turns out just more indie pop-rock. Let's see... Wimpy vocalist singing through too much reverb ✅ Ambiguous or irreverent lyrics that purposely lack any emotional depth other than melancholy ✅ Everything awash in reverby synths ✅ Music that's just catchy enough to be accessible, and just creative enough to be called artsy (but only minimally so on both ends) ✅ Yep, this is your good ol' generic indie pop-rock. The only redeeming aspect of this album is some very interesting musical passages and melodies ("The Gash" is best I'd say), but unfortunately the singer really ruins every song. And the lyrics don't help none.

Smoother than Chef's bald head. 4 epic songs that embody the peak of 60's soul. To those complaining about the length, you can't build up to a proper crescendo without putting in the time. And Isaac Hayes crescendos are in a class of their own. Expand your short attention having, Tik-Tok binging minds a little, and just let the music wash over you. Get comfortable. Maybe have a drink. Let the music settle in and seduce you. Think of it as foreplay. You wouldn't cut your foreplay short, would you? Hot take, these songs could have been even longer if it wasn't for the format limitations of the time, and I would have been all for it. Final thoughts, the piano solo on the second half of "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" gets me every time.

bleat [bleet] noun 1. the cry of a sheep, goat, or calf. 2. any similar sound (the bleat of distant horns). 3. foolish, complaining talk; babble (I listened to their inane bleat all evening).

A band that demands to be heard, but ultimately has nothing to say.

"Dad! I want an R.E.M. cd!'' ''We've got R.E.M. at home.'' R.E.M. at home:

Without being superfluous, "Never Had No One Ever" is one of the worst songs I've ever heard. UPDATE, OK, we have a new contender with "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out". The rest of the album, well, it started off better than Meat is Murder, but nosedived pretty quickly after that. A reluctant 2 stars, for the clearly evident attempts at musical variety, and deviation from standard pop formulas. No standout songs though.

A tale of two albums. The first - two disks of roughly 90 minutes of demo material (i.e. songs that weren't good enough for John and Paul, but in actuality would have been improvements over some of the dribble and filler they routinely pushed out) on which George mostly tries to recreate the sound and success of either "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" or "Something". 3 Stars because at times he makes you feel like he just might pull it off. The second (titled Apple Jam) - roughly 30 minutes of bluesy acoustic studio jamming and a truly annoying birthday song. If the first album is full of b-sides, than these are equivalent to f sides. 1 star deducted. Overall, very listenable but hard to make a case for essential.

Well this was a really cool discovery. Nice blend of melodic tunes balanced well with some grit and trippiness. Sounds bit dated sure, but for 1966 very much ahead of it's time, and certainly predates many similar sounding yet much higher acclaimed artists.

This album made me question my comprehension of the English language. These are all words I know, I recognize them, I use them regularly, but strung together by Mr. Tull, what the hell are they supposed to mean? I don't like it when I need Genius to figure out what every song is about. OK, I might make an exception for Bob Dylan and Mars Volta, but these guys are not on that level. They open each side pretty well ("Aqualung" and "My God" respectively), then it's as if they gradually run out of steam, and the music just declines, steadily, linearly, unmistakably.

Just yesterday I typed in my Aqualung review how Mars Volta is one of my exceptions where I can ignore the obscurity and abstrusity of the lyrics. And here they are on my doorstep. What makes them different then? Maybe it's the conviction with which Cedric belts out his cryptic lyrics. Perhaps it's Omar's beautiful guitar work that accompanies the whole thing. Or the fact that they really just throw you into the deep end of their fucked up fantasy world with no life preserver, while other prog bands offer you the occasional respite in the kiddie pool. You either learn to swim and love it, or drown, but you're never going to find yourself surrounded by a bunch of kids with pool noodles splashing and peeing in the water (peeing in the water is my analogy for prog bands that get a little too sybaritic). In other words, I appreciate that Mars Volta have their vision, and go all the way with it, holding nothing back, no subtlety, no pandering, this music is theirs and on their terms. And damn if it doesn't sound great! As much as I dislike this ugly cover, and don't want to see it muck up my flawless summary page, I can't deny that this is as good as prog-rock gets in my book. 5 stars!

Between the cringy lyrics and the sex doll looking woman on the cover, this might be the ultimate incel album. Well, at least my skip button got plenty of action.

A solid debut from an all time great hip hop group. They would come into their own more later on in their career, so I would argue this album is more for the heads than the average fan or first time listener. Still, some very good material on here and no real weakness, other than the absence of Busta Rhymes, who should really be considered an honorary member by this point. Odd to have this album included instead of \"Midnight Marauders\" or \"We've Got It From Here...\". I guess the author has a propensity for listing debut albums when possible, I can understand that. If either of the aforementioned albums were on the list though, that would have pushed my rating down to a 2, but as it stands, a 3 is a fair score for the groups 4th best work.

Love him or hate him, Eminem is honest almost to a fault, and seems to have no qualms about bearing his soul, his trauma, his perversions, thoughts, feelings, fears, humor, no matter how corny or juvenile or primitive, he doesn't hold back, and I can respect that. How does the end product hold up? This is music for angsty adolescents by a man who isn't very far removed from being an angsty adolescent himself. And a man who has clearly been through some shit, but hasn't had a chance to fully mature yet. A lot of the references are very time specific and hence aged poorly. A lot of the humor is corny and redundant. But the classic cuts are iconic enough to validate the entire jumbled mess. And as much as I hate Em's hooks, his flow and lyricism on here are undeniably original and unique. Belongs on the list but doesn't warrant repeat listens.

It puts the lotion on its skin, or else it gets the hole again.

Mr. Mediocre and Ms. Monotonous had a baby and gave it a mullet.

Elementary school dance vibes. Had a sudden urge to ask my wife to dance, but inexplicably was too shy and nervous to go through with it. Oh well, maybe next album.

Historic, influential, inventive. Meanders at times but finishes strong.

The tone of his voice is almost the same on every song, regardless of the subject matter. Makes the whole thing sound unconvincing and uneventful. I will give Merle a second star however, because apparently he's an ex-con who actually lived through most of what he sings about, unlike many other artists who talk the talk, but never walked the walk.

We could plant a house, we could build a tree.

This was a fun listen.

Alright, another artist I've never heard of before, let's go! 2 songs in. OK, this is some 90's Seattle grunge scene stuff. Like Nirvana but twice as goofy and a quarter as talented. A quarter of Nirvana is still worth a couple stars though.

Look, writing a song is hard. You need to make a catchy or compelling melody to hook the listener in, or at least grab their attention. Compile some interesting lyrics that fit with the melody, and hopefully have something worthwhile to say. Consider rhyming schemes and syllable counts and all that to make the song flow in a pleasing or interesting way. Well Joni Mitchell does away with all that nonsense here. I sincerely hope that this entire album was one big improvised jamming session, because that's the only excuse for the complete lack of thought put into the "writing" part of any of these disjointed, lazy, messy songs. I mean, the band was solid enough, and most of the instrumental passages were fine, but Joni sounds as if she's making the songs up as she goes along. What's more, her voice has all the excitement and range of day old cold oatmeal.

On here Dusty does adequate justice to 12 cover songs. I have nothing negative to say, her voice is good, the arrangements are fine, there's just nothing extraordinary about the album as a whole, and even the book doesn't really clarify what about this is essential listening. Also, Harry and Lloyd's version of "Mockingbird" is superior. Fight me!

A few nice riffs, some decent production. Singer's voice barely tolerable. Managed to make it to the end only by tuning out most of the songs.

I was ready to write this album off, but "Mr Guder" caught my attention. The backstory is it is aimed at a certain Vic Guder who was their supervisor at Disneyland and would scald them for playing requests from the park visitors (including "Light My Fire" of all things! Can you imagine?) instead of "Disney approved" material, eventually firing them. The result is hilariously the softest, fluffiest diss track ever, and though it doesn't have the ferocity and rebellious spirit of say MC5 or even CCR, never would I have imagined something like this coming from The Carpenters, and just for trying to stick it to Disney and corporate cow-towing culture, I have to give them a certain amount of credit. Because we've all had to deal with a Mr. Guder at one time in our lives.

There's not enough coffee in the world to keep me awake through this unhappy, meandering, arpeggiated bullshit.

I get that Elvis was highly influential and popular back in his day, but not in 1969. Take a look at the list of albums released in 69, 68, 67.. Surely there are other, earlier works from him that are more essential. These songs are fine, but 1001 albums you must listen to should set the bar a bit higher than 'fine'. In 1969 Moondog released his highly acclaimed self-titled album of experimental jazz/classical and minimalist fusion. It's avant-garde, spacey, yet strangely accessible. More importantly it's significantly different from anything else on this list. Moondog is not on this list. Go listen to Moondog instead. There are 2 other better Elvis albums on here anyway.

Although it was a little behind the times for the year this was released, it's an excellent assortment of original cool-jazz compositions. Ibrahim's piano is surprisingly sparse on here, but he sounds like a composed and stern father, who speaks up only when needed, and only as much as needed, to keep his somewhat wild, ambitious (and incredibly talented) children (the other musicians) in line. Speaking of the other musicians, dig the crazy bass on Manenberg Revisited, the unusual drum rhythms on Tuang Guru, the silky smooth saxophones on the title track and Song for Sathima, the wistful trombone on Sameeda, the self-assured flute on The Mountain. Only 2 slight critiques, the recording isn't as crisp as I'd like, and sounds more 50's than 80's, and the way all the songs finish with the same flourish is anticlimatic. OverallI, I'm really glad to have heard this and will be listening to more Abdullah Ibrahim in the future.

Really Robert? Coldplay? Really? This is the equivalent of when Apple automatically included that U2 album with every copy of itunes. Like, thanks for the generic recommendation of this shitty band that already gets a disproportionate amount of airplay.

Radiohead - the act of giving a blowjob while humming a song as illustrated by a recipient of "radiohead" on the cover. Radiohead - a band which makes dreary music for millions of pretentious, humorless college kids, who think discovering this band somehow elevates their music tastes above the rest. The latter are unlikely to experience the former. Jokes aside, My Iron Lung was a good song. The rest? The way the singer moans he might as well have a dick in his mouth.

Has a rock band with a more flawless catalogue ever existed? This is an excellent album, but you already knew that. Not so fun fact. Frances Farmer is the most famous of at least 5 well-known songs by various artists dedicated to the ill-fated actress from Seattle. Fed up with media frenzy and the excesses of commercialism that surrounded her as a result of her fame (sound familiar?), she behaved erratically, was eventually committed to a psychiatric institution where she was allegedly raped, drugged and tortured. The experience led to her struggle with addiction and caused a severe worsening of her mental health. Kurt and Courtney supposedly had a strong fascination with her, and unsurprisingly connected with her story on a personal level.

A lot more musically subtle than Can's previous releases and a lost less reliant on vocals. Overall an excellent piece of music, filled with countless moments of beauty, as is the rest of their catalog, and though this maybe a controversial opinion, but I'd put Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi above this album.

This is one of those 1-star albums that isn't inherently bad, but it's just not clicking for me, and try as I may, I can't find anything that would earn it a second star. Also, I can't quite explain it, but Dolly's voice sounds weak and fragile here, and not in a good way.

Appreciate the energy, but.. whose idea was it to write whole songs entirely out of ad-libs?

Gonna track by track this bad girl. 1. Busta's Intro - One of the most underrated rappers out there. The Coming deserves a spot on this list. The verse he delivers here unfortunately isn't his best. Still, he sets the tone nicely by rhyming Missy with 'pissy', 'sissy' and 'kissy²'. 2. Hit Em With Da Hee - Lil' Kim contributes maybe the best verse on the album on which she rhymes Missy with 'pissy', after which Missy Elliott comes in with a softly sung bridge, and after 2+ minutes she finally delivers her first short verse. 3. Sock It 2 Me - Beats remain solid. Chorus is the catchiest on the album, Da Brat fails to come up with a solid Missy rhyme. 4. The Rain - Trippy, futuristic vibes. Too bad the lyrics are kinda lame. Still a classic, nice use of the Ann Peebles sample too. 5. Beep Me 911 - A nothingburger of a song. 6. The Don't Wanna Fuck Wit Me - An off character song compared to what's come so far, not really vibing with this one. Timbaland rhymes Mis' with diss, while Missy chocked an opportunity to come up with a rhyme while referring to herself in 3rd person. 7. Pass Da Blunt - Weak ass Musical Youth remake and weak ass verses. Well all the verses have been weak so far, although Missy drops some surprisingly agile holorhymes with kissin' and piss (me off). 8. Byte our Style - Interlude. Missy and Timbaland's style so superb. Have you heard? 9. Friendly Skies - A super laid back, stoned out slow jam. All singing on this one. One of the better cuts on the album. 10. Best Friends - Kinda dull despite Aaliyah contributing vocals. I'd say Aaliyah is more deserving of an album on this list than a lot of the mediocre shit included. This is another no rapping slow jam. 11. Don't Be Comin' In My Face - Double entendre? Cringey song, skip this. 12. Izzy Izzy Ahh - Another stoned out weak ass bragging track. Filler at best. Missy is woefully bad at boastful rapping. 13. Why You Hurt Me - Loosie Bootie is the protagonist of a story warning young women about the danger of promiscuity. TLC did it better with "Waterfalls". 14. I'm Talkin' - "I'm such a good rapper". LOL. Embarrassing. 15. Gettaway - Haven't had a good 'Missy' rhyme in a second. Space Nine saves the day with 'pissy'. Then Missy drops a 'sissy', but forgets the 3rd person reference. Another missed opportunity. 16. Busta's Outro - Busta Rhymes thanks us for taking the time to listen to this particular LP. 17. Missy's Finale - Short shout out from Missy. Final Missy rhyme count (including variants): pissy - 4 kissy - 3 sissy - 1 diss - 1 Busta Rhymes wins with 4 total instances of 'Missy' rhymes. As for the album, a few dope songs, lots of filler, chill vibes, not a must hear, but far from the worst thing on this list.

What a sweet, smooth little funk/soul album! So chill, I could listen to this over and over. Might have been a 5 with a human drummer. https://www.reviler.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/shuggie-otis-dog.jpg

This is the second pleasant surprise in two days. Very unique album with some 80's new wave/proto-industrial vibes mixed with some jazz, noise and ambient. Not the most groundbreaking material, and not without some weak moments, but overall this is good shit. Come Together and Cop Shoot Cop are my favs here. The generator is on fire! Can we make it 3 in a row? Here... we.... go....

All the songs are kinda samey, singer has a decent voice though. Some songs I knew from hearing their covers. Nothing I'd get excited about.

Epic songs but not particularly memorable.

Singer's voice is annoying, songs are lame and dorky. People are calling this funky? This is as funky as Weezer is heavy metal. FOH.

Inoffensive laid back r&b that instantly fades into the background and does it's best to stay there. Production is solid, but Kelela's vocals are on the bland side.

Feel so Different - It kinda sets a moody tone, but just drags on too damn long. I am Stretched on Your Grave - That break beat isn't working with Sinead's voice and this song. At all. Three Babies - The video of triple headed Sinead reminded me of The Real Slim Shady, and now I can't unsee it. The Emperor's New Clothes - A new wave type beat coming out of nowhere. Sinead must have learned her dance moves from Michael Stipe. Or the other way around. Black Boys on Mopeds - Back to another slow ballad. I don't know if it's just YouTube, but the mix is all over the place on this album, and has absolutely no consistency. Another meh song. Nothing Compares 2 U - Sinead is decent, but Prince's version is better. I'll die on this hill. Jump in the River - Another jarring transition, but actually the best song so far. If only the guitar riff was less repetitive, and the punk vibe was taken up a notch, this could have been a banger. You Cause as Much Sorrow - Back to a slow ballad. Pretty but dull. The drum machine is really distracting. Last Day of Our Acquaintance - zzz I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got - Like listening to grass grow. Night Nurse (bonus) - Had to look this up, as I love the original version. TBF, Sinead's rendition is passable. Final verdict. She has a very good voice and some solid ideas for songs poorly executed. With a more well defined direction, more dynamic instrumentation (human drummer), better mixing and more fleshed out musical ideas, this would be something I'd actually enjoy listening to, but as it stands, I remain a distant and completely indifferent observer.

Never heard this album before, but knew Queen from their stadium anthems and obviously Bohemian Rhapsody, which I always thought was a kind of tongue in cheek novelty type of song. Well this album is like one big Bohemian Rhapsody, only less polished, less proficient, less fun, less in every way. Since Night at the Opera is already on the list, including this album as well is redundant. My rating reflects that redundancy, not necessarily the quality of the music (which if it did, I'm not sure would change much).

Frank Ocean frustrates me. Sure he has a great voice with a knack for melody and expressiveness, but he also seems to have an allergy to rhyming and flow and catchyness in his lyrics. Hence I find his songs challenging to enjoy fully. It's either labored listening, or background listening for me. "White" and "Pink Matter" are the stand-outs.

I never got the appeal of 'break-up albums'. I get that it may be a therapeutic release for the artist, but it's really a toss-up as to whether it will translate to the listener, since every relationship and hence every break-up is a unique and personal thing. In this case, as in many others, I believe it doesn't work. So we're stuck listening to Marvin airing his grievances and pitying himself and whatnot. Do his smooth, sultry vocals and subtle, groovy instrumentation rescue the work? Somewhat. But there are already 2 excellent albums by him on this list, I think this one sorta taints the man's legacy.

That's two break-up albums in a row from the generator. This one is some generic pop. I paid nothing to hear this album, but still I feel I got ripped off for my time.

Second Bjork album for me from the generator, and I must say.. Bjork blue-balled me. The Bjorkster blue-balled me big time. The opening couple of tracks were so fire, and then she just had to go and turn into.. well.. quirky dorky Bjork I guess. I give this 2 swollen, aching love spuds.

More than just a one hit wonder, the rest of the album has some solid 80's new wave songs, and sticks to a fairly consistent vibe. Interesting juxtaposition of depressing themes and upbeat music. I give this 3 adult VHS tapes out of 5. 📼 📼 📼

Mellow, bland, dull, boring. I guess I'm just not hearing what everyone else is hearing. But reading the reviews, and the book entry, I still haven't found anyone who was able to articulate exactly what makes this essential listening. One confused shoulder shrug. 🤷‍♂️

The backstory behind the album is a lot more interesting than the music within. 2 cut-off arm sleeves turned into headbands out of 5.

The debut album from the infamous music thieves. For posterity's sake, I decided to listen to every song on here, followed by the original version where applicable. Let's goooohoohooohooohoooowoowbabybabybabyooohowowoo..oo...o...0o....0....0.........o.......... 1. Good Times Bad Times - Whaddayaknow, an original Zep tune, not really feeling this one. 2. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (original by Anne Bredon, Led Zeppelin covered the Joan Baez version) - Bredon's version has a cold, detached immediacy, she's leaving you and she doesn't care, Baez is more emotionally invested, bearing her soul, Plant sounds like he's parroting Baez but singing like what he thinks an emotionally distraught person is supposed to sound like, while injecting about 100 too many "baby"s. Be forewarned, this is going to be a recurring theme on this album. Flamenco guitar is kinda nice though. Personally the Baez version is best. 3. You Shook Me (original written by Willie Dixon, performed by Muddy Waters) - So they slowed the original waaay down. Like almost absurdly slow. And added some unnecessarily long solos. Another L for the Zep. 4. Dazed and Confused (original by Jake Holmes) - This is the best song on the album hands down. As with all the songs so far, Jake Holmes has more raw emotion and feeling and the better lyrics, while the Zep cover relies a bit more on production gimmicks and effects, but they do some pretty interesting stuff with their version, so I'll call this a draw. 5. Your Time is Gonna Come - Side B opens with another Zep original. And it shows. Stick to doing covers lads. 6. Black Mountain Side ("inspired" by Bert Jansch) - Listened to both and.. Zep just took the guitar riff and played it over some tablas (?) in a different key without the vocals. Neither version is worth much more discussion or bandwidth. 7. Communication Breakdown - 3rd and last original composition on this album. They're starting to formulate their own sound a bit. Plant's vocals are annoying though. 8. I Can't Quit You Baby (original by Willie Dixon) - This might have the biggest gap between the original and the cover. Seriously. Go listen to Willie Dixon's version. Robert Plant is not in that man's league. 9. How Many More Times (hodgepodge of blues inspired bits and pieces) - I'll actually give LZ a break on this one, anything they may have "borrowed" to make this song has been transformed sufficiently and legitimately made their own. And as a song, it's actually pretty damn good, that is if you manage to ignore the "school girl" line. Final verdict; can't be too hard on the lads, it's a debut album after all, and they did introduce me to Jake Holmes, so major props for that. I rate this 2 court orders - one to pay all royalties to deserving musicians, and one to stay at least 500 m away from all schools. 🧾 🧾

It was ok, inoffensive guitar driven sad-boy songs with some nice production and interesting melodies popping in and out. Not for me though. I award this two tissues to be used for wiping tears, snot, or the residue of a lonely wank.

Guitar riffs as catchy as chlamydia. Bass lines as solid as a teenager's first time at a strip club. Swirling, mad, intense vocals. And most importantly - the whole thing is fun. Even when it's manic and bizarre and a bit nasty, it's still fun. I give this 4 cheeky sexual innuendos out of 5. 🍑🍆🍌🌮

There are at least a dozen guys outside at least a dozen subway stations in at least a dozen cities that sound just like this. In many cases at least a dozen times better. I give Nick Cave a single dollar in his upturned hat and move on. 💸

The most demanding album I've come across so far on this generator. 1. It demands to be listened to with headphones. 2. It demands to have your undivided attention, while doing very little to grab it and hold on to it. 3. It demands you stay awake throughout the album, which too is no easy feat. 4. It demands you look up the English translations and make an attempt to decipher it's cryptic lyrics to follow the themes and stories. 5. It demands that you be in a certain type of melancholic, vegetative mood, but again, do not drift off to sleep! I'm sure for the listeners able to meet the above 5 demands, it would be a very rewarding listen. Unfortunately for me, I could only really meet 2/5 on any given day.

I guess he's called Echo because he likes repeating the same melody and the same shitty lyrics ad nauseum. He should also get that stutter checked out. I guess he's called Echo because he likes repeating the same melody and the same shitty lyrics ad nauseum. He should also get that stutter checked out.I guess he's called Echo because he likes repeating the same melody and the same shitty lyrics ad nauseum. He should also get that stutter checked out.I guess he's called Echo because he likes repeating the same melody and the same shitty lyrics ad nauseum. He should also get that stutter checked out. I give them one broken, skipping record out of five.

The way these dudes finish each other's sentences is adorable and demonstrates real chemistry. Reminds me of my grandparents. I give them 3 pairs of fresh Adidas kicks. 👟👟👟

If "1001 albums" is still being published in 2026, 5 years after this album's release, will it still make the cut? I doubt it. I award this album 1 well watered plant, courtesy of your friendly local music exec. 🪴

I jumped up and down to "Favorite Thing", I laughed to "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out", I cried to "Black Diamond", I rubbed one out to "Gary's Got a Boner". I give this album three teenage emotional roller-coaster rides out of five. 🎢🎢🎢

https://open.spotify.com/album/1DIr8JMRBnm1cZMYIGKb8t This is the link to the compilation album that inspired Paul Simon to make Graceland. Give it a listen, it's quite good. As for Graceland, there are some very strong arrangements, but Simon's wishy-washy vocals and 'poetry' don't add much, and in most cases detract from the music. 2 metaphorical blood diamonds plucked from the shoes of a South African musician. 💎💎

As with all 7 Bob Dylan albums on this list, I'm rating this relative to the other Dylan albums on here only. As such, this work has some of his best poetry, and the acoustic side in particular has some very impactful songs, but musically there are much better Dylan albums out there, and of course much worse. 3 lamp posts with folded arms out of 5.

It's alright as a historical record. 2 glow sticks out of 5.

Brilliant indeed, also challenging and cerebral. Monk's playing is sublime, and the contributions by the rest of the musicians are solid too. Pannonica and I Surrender, Dear are personal favs. I award this four mirrors, to help reflect Monk's radiant smile to the four corners of the world. 🪞🪞🪞🪞

Big Pink is what I call my willy. It doesn't make music though. So I guess The Band's Big Pink has me beat. Two pumps for these chumps. ✊✊

Surprisingly not bad at all. Instrumentation, harmonies, all consistently solid and a sound that perfectly encapsulates the infatuation of young romance, in all it's glorious cheesiness and over-the-top adoration. 3 cupid arrows out of 5. 💘 💘 💘

Whispery vocals and identical sounding songs and completely ordinary and forgettable melodies and what makes this one of 1001 albums I need to listen to? Oh that's right, it made a small and brief splash in UK in the early 90's. I give it one pebble tossed into a pond with the utmost indifference. 💦

Some fun and funky parts, but the mediocrity.. lord the mediocrity. Won't be listening to this again. 2/5 horns 🎺🎷

Second album for me from the auditory impaired felines. Hair metal was at it's peak in 1987 when this album was released. However, only a short 3 years later the genre would be swept off with derision into irrelevancy, to never re-appear or be resurrected in any significant way, except on a list of 1001 must listen albums. Other genres that similarly died out after over-saturating pop culture such as disco, new wave and punk, did eventually see somewhat of a resurgence in recent years, and continue to exert a viable influence on today's music, but not hair metal. That's not to say the genre didn't produce some legit and worthwhile music (mostly limited to G 'n R though), but I believe a list curated by professional music critics should do a better job of separating out chaff like this that may have topped the charts in it's time, but now is little more than nostalgia for those who once enjoyed it in their youth. Chart topper =/= quality. I'm too young to have lived through the hysteria of Def Leppard, and for that, I'm infinitely grateful. 1 glass of water to wash down the sugar rush. 🥛

There are certain songs that hit you so hard, that you'll never forget when and where you were the first time you heard them. Despite already being well familiar with M.I.A., "Bamboo Banga" was one of those songs for me. And as if that wasn't enough, she follows it up with 40+ minutes of the freshest, hardest beats that anyone was making at the time. The lyrics are equally hard hitting and shine a light on the injustices of the world that we in the west often turn a blind eye to. Her flow may be simplistic, but it suits her style and her beats so damn well. 15 years later, and this album has not lost it's freshness, nor unfortunately, the relevance of it's message. 5 burner phones out of 5 📱📱📱📱📱

For when you find yourself having to DJ a Pacman themed party. Choice cut - Are We Here? 2/5 dots 🟡🟡

Bangers On Bangers Bet On Big Boy Bosses Of Bounce Better Off Blazed Bump On your Boombox Bass On Board Bring Out the Booties Broadcast Over Borders Big Ol' Beats Best Of the Best 5 drop top 'lacs 🚗🚗🚗🚗🚗

Just like Bob Dylan, David Bowie has 7 albums on this list. So just like with Bob Dylan, I'm going to evaluate every Bowie album relative to the other Bowie albums only. This particular album started off strong with the title track, the band is on point, the instrumentals are tight and exciting, Roy Bittan on the piano in particular is outstanding throughout. Bowie's lyrics and vocal melodies however are kinda lazy and seem overly self-indulgent. As the album progresses, it feels like Bowie becomes complacent, as the energy of the first song is not only never matched again, but is often diluted by songs that sound similar but just not as good. The band remains solid, but the funk grooves don't compensate for the middling songwriting. The cover of Wild is the Wind is adequate at best considering who he's covering. Overall, I'd say this album is more for diehard Bowie fans. Two lines of nose candy out of five. 🏔🏔

Was sorely disappointed with the lack of woofs, purrs, chirps, growls, barks, bleets and hisses on here. Meow the Jewels remains the superior Pet Sounds album. Three disgruntled kitties out of five. 😾😾😾

I don't use the word 'iconic' lightly. The opening guitar riff on here, then the saxophone line and of course Fela himself are all the epitomy of iconic. And countless iconic moments abound. This is easily one of my most frequently played albums. The two bonus live tracks on the deluxe edition are not to be missed. Rate it 5/5 soldiers, knowing not what or who they fight for, knowing not they're already as good as dead. 🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️🧟‍♂️

More like Averagegrass

On the one hand, this was revolutionary at the time, the concepts, the flow, the persona, all sent shock-waves throughout the music industry. But as a comprehensive work, it's long and daunting, and the jokes get stale, and the filler is bloaty. I give it 2 farts out of 5 💨💨

The lesson here is, whether you're making music or starting fires, be terrific at what you do. 5 terrific brachyuras out of 5 🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀

So here's the deal. I'm gonna do what the editors of this book failed to do, and trim some of the fat. What we got here in this book is 4 Pink Floyd albums. Not as over-done as some of the other artists, but still a bit much. Something has got to go, and this album is the one, as it's just bog standard psychedelia that probably 100 bands were making at the time. And listening to this while not on drugs, is like being completely sober and watching a bunch of strangers tripping out, you feel sad for them, and awkward for yourself. Now for the question of what I would replace this with. The late 60's and the psychedelic rock genre are already absurdly over-represented in this book, but I think a good replacement would be Gal Costa. Let's go with her self-titled sophomore album from 1969. You still get a heavy dose of psychedelia with a lot more mellowness, a lot less self-indulgence, a sweet Brazilian vibe, and infinitely better vocals. And you don't need drugs to enjoy it. As for this wank-fest, I give it one absentminded garden gnome warbling obnoxiously while being panned too aggressively from left speaker to right and back again. 🧙🏼

Ohhh... Witch-ay Woman...

This album was heading for a 2, for being mostly inoffensive, laid-back, if overly boring folk. But then Welfare Mothers came on, and I could no longer claim this album to be inoffensive or laid-back. I don't know if it's the live recording or the band just sucks, but their half-assed attempts at 'rocking' on the next track Sedan Delivery were downright embarrassing. The redux of Hey Hey My My has a weird conflict of guitars that are trying to sound rough and rugged, but with Neil Young's wishy-washy, dainty vocals the whole thing becomes unconvincing and farcical. I award Neil 1 dumbell, so he might lift it to get his testosterone up a bit, or maybe tie it around his nutsack, so that his balls might finally drop. 🔩

With each of their albums AiC seemed to slip further and further in to darkness and depression. Dirt finds them beyond their catchiest and most accessible, but not quite at their darkest yet, as that would come on the self-titled third (and imho their best) album. Still, there is plenty of top notch content here, and I could see the reason for choosing Dirt for this list, for nothing else than being their most critically and commercially successful work. A different album selection would have garnered a higher rating from me though. 3 empty, bottomless pits of despair out of 5

Started off well enough. I would even go so far as to say that if you swap out the obnoxious "Oh, Darling" and the monotonous "I Want You" for the slightly more dynamic "Because", you'd have a superior A-side. But alas, starting from "You Never Give Me Your Money" onwards, the album devolves into utter nonsense, most of it bordering on unlistenable. The Beatles are a grossly overrated band, and the unfinished, thrown together mish-mash of songs on the B side here is perfect evidence of that. I award this album two pairs of silver hammers, to knock the pomposity out of each of the member's heads. ⚒⚒

Some very creative melodies and well done instrumental parts, but the singer really sounds like he doesn't want to be there. I give Tweedy 2 tickets to somewhere warm and sunny, so he can refresh and cheer up a bit, and hopefully come back sounding a bit more... alive. 🎫🎫

Good music, but there's better and more iconic stuff out there from The Doors, which is already found on this list. A better psychedelic option from the same year that should REALLY be on this list is the self-titled album from Exuma, an enigmatic artist from the Bahamas, combining some wild elements from junkanoo, calypso, blues, rock, New Orleans jazz and more into a wonderful and exciting cacophony of trippiness and mystique. Won't be crashing at the Morrison again, unless out of necessity. 2 pillow mints out of 5

Love the bass on here. Fun shit. 4 nicely tanned nudists out of 5

Music for people who like white bread sandwiches, consider mayonnaise spicy and view mac and cheese as exotic international cuisine. I give this 2/5 old crackly speakers playing this at an inoffensive volume at an empty mid-western Greyhound bus stop.

The A side was a complete throwaway for me, but the B side was decently redemptive. No idea what Bowie was trying to do, some sort of space spiritual mumbo-jumbo I imagine, but it sounded pretty good. Makes sense as this was a sort of a post-drug redemption arc point of Bowie's career. 3 sets of prayer beads out of 5 📿📿📿

Apparently these guys are a spin-off from the relatively unremarkable group The Byrds, because of course they are. The latter have 5 albums on here, so what's one more? Anyways, it's fine for what it is, they did manage to get me to sit through a country album until the end, but they certainly didn't have me pining for more. Unlike real burritos, of which one can never get enough. 2/5 avocados 🥑🥑

Much like "Low" from 2 days ago, but decisively less interesting. I did not enjoy Dave's unmelodic crooning, nor his flimsy attempts at saxophone. The title track is not in the top 10 of Bowie songs, and personally I wouldn't put it in his top 20 either. So what are we doing here? God this list really could use some variety. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HasaQvHCv4w

Things from Australia I'd sooner experience than listening to this mediocre paint by numbers band and their nails on a chalkboard voice having lead singer again: - a kick to the balls from a kangaroo - a Vegemite enema - being a practice dummy for the national rugby team - sharing a small bathtub with five Tasmanian devils during mating season - giving Robert Murdoch a food massage while listening to him talk about ethics in media One broken electric plug out of five 🔌

Better then expected new wave pop. Went Crazy was the best song. Now where is my keytar?

This is exactly the kind of album this project should have more of. From the opening song, it sets a certain mood, makes you feel a certain way, and then sticks to that mood throughout. It was a refreshing change from all the filler augmented one hit wonder albums I've been getting lately. Also of note, it doesn't sound like every other album made around it's time. Four glasses of whiskey out of five! 🥃🥃🥃🥃

This album has some very nice moments, but it struggles to really maintain or develop them. Like a joke without a punchline. Like a firefly without a light. Like a ship without a rudder. Two sad dogs without a bone. 🐕🐕

I'm gonna do something I haven't done before and cast a spite vote. At the time of reviewing, this Krautrock gem is sitting at an average score of 2.86, below such piles of steaming crap as "Gentlemen" by the Afghan Whigs, Def Leppard's "Hysteria", that awful collab by Sinatra and Jobim, and sooo many others. 5 spiteful middle fingers to all you shitty music taste having plebs. 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕

Not an album but rather a collection of repetitive singles and half-cooked club tracks, some of which capture a short moment in music history when Fatboy Slim was relevant. I award this one jump rope. You figure out why. 𓀪

Some absolutely monster beats on here. But unfortunately not free of filler, and lacking consistency. Not bad, but a perplexing choice from The Roots discography. Standouts: !!!!!!, Thought@Work, The Seed2.0 Liked the cerebral lyrics and the moments of experimentation. Three brains out of five 🧠🧠🧠

Respect the garage rock vibes and the energy. Many of the songs are covers, and though they're done justice, they aren't really improved upon. Skip the bonus tracks - those are awful. 3/5 gold rings 💫💫💫

Not a fan of the stretched out ceremonial good-byes, and this one just would not end. Two ruby slippers for the nice arrangements. 👠👠

I feel like this was psych-folk done right. Although the vocals weren't that great, the instrumentals were engaging and atmospheric. 3/5 daffodils 🌼🌼🌼

I'm not a country listener, so I'll try to approach this with an open mind. Some of the arrangements are surprisingly pleasant, and Lucinda's voice is certainly capable and soothing, when she doesn't try to put on an exaggerated twang like she does on "Concrete and Barbed Wire". The lyrics read like a geography lesson of southern U.S. (I counted 21 locations referenced, but there may have been more). Songs like "Kool 2 Be Forgotten", "Joy" and "Can't Let Go" are good enough to make me want to explore modern country more, but then the rest of the songs push me in the opposite direction. I give this 2 maps so I can look up where all these places she sings about are. 🗺️🗺️

Solid debut from the great-uncles of punk. But I feel they're holding back somewhat on the record. Live versions of the songs sound more convincing, more alive, more exciting. I award them 3 safety pins to be used as piercings, for attaching patches to a leather jacket, or pinning a necktie to a shirt when interviewing for the next career opportunity. 🧷🧷🧷

The Good - Ambitious approach to album making for it's time. A thoroughly thought out plot that is worthwhile and original. Some very catchy and musically interesting moments. Clearly influential. The Bad - Overly long, struggled to pay attention, especially during the instrumental passages. The lack of musical interest made the plot difficult to follow. Not a fan of the singer's falsetto. The Ugly - Controversial opinion time. I HATED the drumming on here. Understand that Keith Moon is regarded as a legendary drummer and whatnot, and maybe on another album he sounds better, but here the drums just sounded flat yet excessive and at times disruptive to the work as a whole. Summary - Respectable and important work, that alas is not for me, and I have no interest in revisiting. 2 pinball machines out of 5. 🕹️🕹️

The passionate "Can't Nobody Love You" and humorous "You Can't Love em All" stand out from the batch of good but slightly bland songs. Specifically, Solomon's voice is exceptional, but the back-up singers did nothing for me on most of the songs. I award Solomon three sweethearts to love, hopefully they'll last him the length of this album. 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️

One star for putting this out as a pay what you want album. One star for 15 Step, one of the band's best songs. Half star for Bodysnatchers. I'm out of stars to give, and I'm rounding down because there are too many Radiohead albums on this damn list.

Some bops (Early in the Morning, Down, Let the Good Times Roll) mixed in with some duds (Gotta Get Up, Coconut). Overall very deserving of a listen. 3 cups of coffee out of 5 ☕☕☕

Kinda underwhelmed with this one. Also a candidate for one of the worst album covers ever. Two broken hearts.. I guess... 💔💔

The singer's mumbling doesn't always work, but I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt and let it grow on me. The reason I want to do that, is the band on this album is superb and the arrangements are lively, interesting and diverse. The double bass, the organ, so tasteful, so subtle yet effective. This all coming from someone who is not a fan of this kind of mellow folk-rock, but John and the band won me over. Dreams By the Sea in particular is just a wonderful song. I award John 4 devils to help him get his woman back! 😈😈😈😈

The glittery guitars where pretty. I wish there were some heavier moments to to add some tonal and timbral variety, but far be it for me to dictate to artists how to make their art. The singer's whiny speak-singing was middling at best, normally this kind of vocal affliction would irritate me, but he wasn't too bad. Overall it's good, but lacking that "wow" factor for me. Three shiny, glimmering moons 🌕🌕🌕

Rock and Roll if it was made by spastic drama club rejects. 2 hands cause at least this is something different. ✋✋

"Son of a Preacher Man" is an all time classic. The rest of the songs are fine but aren't particularly memorable. This should have been the only Dusty album included on the list, and the other one should have been cut. 2 dust bunnies out of 5

Feel like I'm going crazy here. THIS is the 6th highest rated album on this site?!? Had high expectations going in as a result, but to say it was a disappointment.. this was like biting into a twinkie and finding a turd inside. No words. Between this shit and Radiohead you people must really love droning synths. At this point I should just record myself taking a shit and layer it over some synths and it'd probably break the top 100 on here. So the album starts with some guitar noodling that doesn't go anywhere, which leads to incessantly vapid lyrics sung as if by a teenager who's afraid of being heard through the walls of their room, as they should be, because these songs are embarrassing. Then we're treated to a Kenny G saxophone solo. Great! The shit storm just keeps coming. Transition to the next song. More cringy lyrics with gratuitous sound effects this time. Make it to the title track. More guitar noodling. More eye-rolling lyrics. More lazy compositions. Whoever is playing the synths on here sounds like me when I first got to touch a keyboard as a kid and just wanted to try out every effect and modulator. Last track. More guitar & synth wanking over 70's porn bgm. Appropriate I guess. Redux of the opening theme, complete with another Kenny G. solo of course. And. It. Just. Would. Not. End. One of the most obnoxious things I've ever heard. 1 steaming turd out of 5 💩

Apparently this was removed from the most recent edition of the list - good call that.

Melvins, Car Seat Headrest, Yo La Tengo, The Shins are just some of the slacker-rock/stoner-rock bands that deserve a spot on the list over this shitty band, with their allergic to melody singer. Instead Pavement gets TWO FUCKING albums? Another lazy entry from the editors.

Another album from the underwhelming Nick Cave. To give credit where it's due, this one has an interesting theme running throughout, although executed rather haphazardly. He really sounds like a tryhard here. Two very generous bloody knives for you Nick. 🔪🔪

This was a fun listen, full of grandiose excess and catchy rhythms. Some parts got a bit redundant, but overall I enjoyed it. 3 Hollywood stars out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐

I put this on, an my computer started to overheat. 4 blushing cheeks out of 5.

Music for staring absentmindedly at a blank wall.

Steven Tyler looks like a giant grouper.

Chock full of classics. Didn't care for the android tour guide though. Four sticks of butter. 🧈🧈🧈🧈

Not the wildest thing I've ever heard, I'd say too restrained for my liking, but still good fun. Singers were a bit amateurish sounding even for punk. 3 savagely wrapped presents out of 5 🎁🎁🎁

Here's the the thing, some of the the musical ideas and riffs here are very catchy and inventive. The the horns and synths are a nice touch and the the piano solos were fun. Overall reminds me of a poor man's Mr. Bungle. It's just that the the execution is lacking and the the overall sound is unexceptional, also the the weak music videos don't help. 2 the's out of 5

I buried Jeremy alive in a deep hole under my porch. Blood didn't even flow from his black eyes once I removed them with my garden shears. Why go through such oceans of trouble, just to release some tension? Listen to this album to find out.

Although I shit all over the first Runners' album I got, this one was a pleasant surprise and went a long way towards redeeming and legitimizing the band in my eyes (ears). To note, it's upbeat, raucous, fun and creative. 3 wailing fiddles out of 5 🎻🎻🎻

Nyce album cover, but unfortunately, Y'm not gyvyng out stars for album covers. The fyrst song was good enough, but what followed was medyocre and contryved attempts at country musyc. How many rodeos have these cyty slyckers been to anyway? One brand new, shyny, never broken yn cowboy boot out of fyve. 👢

Another low quality, low effort Soundcloud level project recorded in some random rural British basement. I'm thinking the same people who did the Teenage Fanclub album cover did this one as well. Makes all my other one star reviews seem almost unfair. One thumbs down is all I can give this. 👎

Lou Reed seems to be one of the go-to's from the predictable and annoyingly limited roster of musicians this list repeatedly pulls from. Hence this is already the 3rd album with him that I've received, but admittedly it's the best one so far. Very impressive musical arrangements and performances, the jazz influences seeping through here and there, the proto-punk vibes, the dramatic rock-opera theatrics all contribute to the listening experience, even if thrown together somewhat haphazardly. Unfortunately Lou's monotone speak-singing does less than nothing for me. I award this 3 meters of Berlin wall for Lou to sit and listen to guitars by.. 🧱🧱🧱

The cuíca is a type of friction drum where the pitch is changed by adjusting the tension on the head of the drum. It has a high pitched squeaky sound and is often compared to a laughing monkey. This instrument is ubiquitous in samba music and is featured heavily on this album. It's sound is unique and instantly recognizable, so keep an ear out for the cuíca player on here! Overall, a great assortment of songs, that instantly invoke the feeling of chilling out around Lapa, drowning in caipirinhas while having not a care in the world. 5 Taj Mahals out of 5 🕌🕌🕌🕌🕌

Another week. Another album from The Byrds. Another box checked.

I've been known to be a bit of a dizzee rascal myself after a drink or 7, so I def vibe with the kid. I'M YOUR FITNESS INSTRACTAH...

Listening to this album feels like being poked gently with a dull object for 55 minutes and 55 seconds. At first it's just kinda irritating. Then as you get used to it, it's not so bad, you start to tune it out. Then there are actually moments where the poking feels invigorating, almost like a massage, but not quite as pleasant. And you almost feel sad and empty when the poking finally stops, like an integral part of you just disappeared. And then it hits you - you were sitting there letting someone poke you for almost an hour, when doing just about anything else would have been more enjoyable. 2 gentle pokes out of 5 👉👉

I approached my second Rush album on here with trepidation, after all 2112 didn't leave me feeling very optimistic. My overall verdict is that they are an incredibly talented band (minus the singer), that too often make unfortunate choices with their music. Most of this album is decently listenable, and then YYZ just goes way harder than it has any business doing, that song single-handedly earns these Canucks 3 maple leaves. If only all their songs were instrumentals... 🍁🍁🍁

This album smells like stale urine and tastes like a sweaty prostitute's armpit and sounds like despair and feels like coming off a heroin high. And I mean that in the best way possible. 4 assaults on the senses out of 5

This has some good songs, but I'm really getting Bowied out. 🎀🏹🙇 I swear if I get Ziggy Stardust tomorrow...

Curtis Mayfield may not be the flashiest singer out there, he may not be the most memorable, or the most awe-inspiring, or the most emotional. But what he brings to the table, is consistently great music. You know what you're getting with a CM record, it's gonna be groovy, it's gonna be chill, and it's gonna have an insightful and honest sociopolitical message, but it'll never be heavy-handed or sanctimonious. Curtis Mayfield is reliable. He's the Toyota Corolla of music. He's the Nokia phone of music. He's gravity personified. 4 rolls of duct tape out of 5

Unfortunately the CD bonus tracks on here performed in the band's native Slovenian were the best part for me. The opening was strong, but most of the middle tracks didn't impress. The English version of "Leben heißt Leben" was especially unnecessary. The bonus tracks come from another Laibach album titled "Krst pod Triglavom: Baptism", so moving forward I'm going to listen to that album instead, but since it's not on the list, I'll credit those tracks to this album anyway. Drei Stahlhämmer von fünf 🔨🔨🔨

The only worthwhile songs here happen to be covers. In such cases, I always try to listen to the original and any other notable versions. So let's break these down. "Summertime" from Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" has no shortage of memorable versions. Amongst them, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, and most notably Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (how is he NOT on this list??) all surpass the BB&THC rendition. "Piece of My Heart" originally by Erma Franklin. Not much between the two versions, in such cases I'd go with the original. Erma's voice is a little more palatable too. "Ball and Chain" by another absolutely criminally excluded artist, Big Mama Thornton. No contest with this one, Big Mama's is the definitive version. And there we have it, there rest of the songs are alright, the band is alright, the singer is a bit of a tryhard though. 2 sore throat lozenges out of 5 🍬🍬

Superb beats, mid flows. 3 dinosaurs 🦖🦖🦖

I prefer the broads of Canada

What a liar Neil Young is, not only is he not young, but his song Round & Round (It Won't Be Long) was the longest 6 minutes of my life. 1 pair of pants, burned to a crisp. 👖

There are often discussions about what music from Earth we should broadcast out into space, to share with any intelligent life that might be out there. Well the intelligent life out there that shared this masterpiece with us, certainly made the right choice. 5 UFOs out of 5 🛸🛸🛸🛸🛸

Solid indie nerd rap, but I'd rather have DOOM on here. 3 octagons out of 5 🛑🛑🛑

On his deathbed, Dave fulfills his bucket list of all the things he wanted to do musically, including dropping a few bars apparently. Some of it is interesting, most of it is for the hardcore fans. 2 black stars out of 5 ★★

◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️ ◼️ ◼️ ◼️ ~ W A N T E D ~ ◼️ ◼️ 🛡️ DEAD or ALIVE 🛡️ ◼️ ◼️ _____________________ ◼️ ◼️ ◼️ ◼️ 👨‍🦱🧔🏻👩‍🎤👱🏼‍♂️🧔 ◼️ ◼️ ◼️ ◼️ ✴ The Cardigans ✴ ◼️ ◼️ ◼️ ◼️ For the crime of butchering ◼️ ◼️ the song "Iron Man" ◼️ ◼️ ♢ ◼️ ◼️ Last seen on VH1s ◼️ ◼️ One-Hit Wonder show ◼️ ◼️ ◼️ ◼️ REWARD: 2 Gold Bullions ◼️ ◼️ 🧈 🧈 ◼️ ◼️ ◼️ ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️

We've had the Leonard Cohen offering, we've had the David Bowie offering just days ago, and now the tour of death-bed, making peace with the life I've lived albums concludes with the one the former two were clearly inspired by. It can not be understated how exceptional Rick Rubin's production is here. Johnny Cash's performance is dignified, solemn, and honest. The songs are all covers. Some hit the mark (Hurt, First Time Ever..), some miss it (Personal Jesus, Give My Love to Rose). A worthwhile listen, but not one for the regular rotation. Three grim reapers out of five

First two songs were bangers, the rest of the album was kind of a... blur...

Finally, a band I've never heard of before.. let's go! Half way through the album. This is EXACTLY the type of album that makes this project worth it. Top notch discovery incoming! After two full listens. This is easily the best discovery I have made so far on the generator. In other people's reviews, everyone has a different opinion on who this band sounds like, or who they've clearly influenced. Obviously, the extent of their influence stretches pretty wide. But beyond that, this is a very solid, exciting assortment of songs. The album is well balanced, well paced, there are no weak tracks, there are no weak links within the band, just great music all around. 5/5 defiant fists in the air ✊✊✊✊✊

Ask yourself this, if you were to introduce someone to Bob Dylan, would this be the first album you'd go with? The second? The THIRD? No? Me neither. It's not bad, but kinda generic blues, and most importantly it's not a good representation of it's time period, of it's genre or it's creator. I gives it two dusty old jukebox spins out of five

There is a fine line between wistful melancholy and apathetic boredom. BPB straddles that line pretty intently, but too often leans towards the latter. Scratch that. BPB dives head first into a giant tank populated with I-couldn't-give-a-flying-fuck-fish, don't-care-a-damnselfish, shut-the-fugguppies and a great trite shark. This album has all the excitement of sitting next to your filled up bathtub with a fishing rod, trying to catch any floating hair for an hour. And it's equally pointless. One useless, flaccid fishing rod out of five. 🎣

I'm a Wu fan, but Raekwon while good has never been among my favorite. On this album he is consistently outshined by the features. RZA's beats are solid but not among his best. 2 plates of pasta for the Mafioso wannabe. 🍝🍝

Wonderful tension build ups and releases. Miles shines while the rest of the group hold their own. The music meanders seamlessly between themes and moods, along a winding, peaceful road, never straying too far from the way, but not restricting itself to a straight and narrow path. We are taken on a playful adventure, where we're invited to dream, where we can explore in a fantastical world, in all it's glory and intricacies, in a meditative state of mind, in a silent way. 🤫🤫🤫🤫

Personally I prefer her album "Aretha Now" from the same year, but there are no faults to find with this work, except that the original mix isn't that great, even with the remastered version, some of the hard panning is a little hard on the ears when listening on headphones. Aretha kills it as always though. 3 foolish chain links out of 5 ⛓️⛓️⛓️