Short live album but demonstrates how much of an impact James Brown will have had on multiple musical genres. Brown’s voice and the band are great.
Was not familiar with this band. Had occasionaly listened to another German band - Tangerine Dream. Much preferred British prog-rock from the same time period.
Country Life is an intricate and classy album by the 70s British rock band Roxy Music. Bryan Ferry, the lead singer / songwriter, has a very unique singing style. You will hear great guitar work by Phil Manzanera and how many rock bands have a resident oboeist (Andy Mackay)? Cool Album!
Was never much into Jazz, although I can appreciate the improvisational aspect of the style. Some good tracks here.
In my humble opinion, this is one of the greatest Rock albums of all time! I remember falling off my chair over 50 years ago when I heard Baba O'Riley for the first time. " The Song Is Over" is absolutely beautiful. Pete Townsend is a genius, writing most of the tracks and playing guitar, synth, organ, and singing vocals. John Entwistle and Keith Moon are brilliant. Roger Daltry has one of the most iconic rock voices in history. Every song on this album is a classic. I would be remiss to rate this anything less than 5 stars. Oh, did I mention the boys are British?
Was never into Ryan Adams. Gold has quite a few songs on it, with various styles including folk, rock, and county. None of the songs were memorable enough to want me to listen again.
Just felt this album was difficult and tedious to listen to
i thought this was a very complex and interesting album. Give credit to Brian Eno and his production expertise in helping to put this together. There are so many merging musical sounds and styles, and it works. One aspect I read that I thought was unusual and amazing was that while the music was recorded in the Bahamas, the lyrics were not written until after the band returned to the US. David Byrnes' lyrical style is immediately identifiable. My favorite tracks were Born Under Punches and Once in a Lifetime, although the entire album is very good.
Who doesn't know Madonna? While I am not a pop music fan, this album shows why Madonna's music has been a mainstay in this genre. Some good tracks here, but I can't see myself going out of my way for another listen.
What can I say - not a Mariah Carey fan. She does too many runs with her singing. it makes every song sound similar and it is annoying.
Listened to this alone in the car on my way to a meeting. Glad it was only 32 minutes long. Appreciated some of the percussion and bass, but not much else.
Have not listened to The Lemonheads a lot, but I liked this album, especially the title track. Nice, clean guitar work and vocals, sometimes that is all you need. The album rocked, but i did I appreciate the acoustic and slide guitar that appeared, however minimally.
Great bluesy, metal rock album by one of the most recognizable bands of the 1980s. Four singles were released from this one album, the most successful being "Legs." Billy Gibbon's guitar style is fun to listen to, while his addition of synth and drum machines make these songs rock even more.
This was definitely a memorable album and was an obvious inclusion on the list.
This is a flat out amazing album. Bernie Taupin and Elton John make up one of the most prolific songwriting teams of a generation. If you are interested in the songwriting, apparently Taupin wrote all the lyrics for this double album in 2 1/2 weeks and John wrote most of the melodies in 3 days! My wife and I had the pleasure of seeing Elton John on his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour, and, as you can imagine, a number songs from this album were performed. John and Taupin run the gamut of musical and lyrical styles in this production. This is one of the best on this list thus far.
Honestly, never listened to this and was not familiar with Funkadelic. That said, I was impressed with this album and Eddie Hazel. Hazel's guitar work, especially on "Maggot Brain" and "Super Stupid" was very good.
The Byrds is another band I grew up with and loved. Memorable Bob Dylan covers included My Back Pages and Mr. Tambourine Man. Fifth Dimension is the first Byrds album that did not include a Dylan cover. However, it does include some traditional songs such as Wild Mountain Thyme and John Riley. The progression from the traditional songs to songs like Eight Miles High and Mr. Spaceman is what makes this album stand out. The Byrds' experimentation and innovation may have helped generate the Psychadelic Rock genre. However, they always kept their folk rock roots. The harmonies of McGuinn, Crosby, and Hillman are beautiful. It is no wonder that Crosby, Stills, and Nash followed with great harmonies. Finally, McGuinn's 12 string Rickenbacker adds to the signature sound of the Byrds and is in evidence on this album.
I was familiar with "Only Happens When It Rains" and "Stupid Girl." Had completely forgotten about this band so was glad to see it included on this list. Liked some of the writing, vocals, and guitar work, although several of the songs were too much alike.
Never listened to this band before, and not familiar with "trip hop." That being said, I thought this was another innovative and interesting album on this list. There was quite a mixture of musical styles and rhythms from soul, hip hop and electronic. While this is certainly not in my wheel house, it was worth a listen.
Had some trouble locating this entire album. There are so many covers of different segments by muliple artists, which just says volumes of Jarrett's performance. I found his techinical skill and improvisational ability to be amazing. This is some beautiful music.
Goldfrapp is another group I had not listened to before now. Apparently, Goldfrapp was a duo who performed, produced, and mixed this album with a slew of guest artists. While i appreciated some of the production value, this album did little else for me.
Some people may have thought it a risk for Ray Charles to record a Country album. Obviously they were very wrong. Partly because this really isn't a Country album. Charles thought that the lyrics and overall feeling of Country songs were similar to R&B. It was ingenious for him to put this album together - a combination of Country, R&B, and even Big Band. It was a pleasure listening to this music. Charles was definitely ahead of his time in combining genres. My favorites were "You Are My Sunshine" and "Careless Love."
I was familiar with "The Way You Move" and "Hey Ya." Not a big fan of hip hop and thought this double album was too long.
How do you record 21 tracks on a 37 minute album? You make a lot of short tracks. Thirteen of these tracks are 1:30 or less, and six of those are less than a minute each. I found myself waiting for songs to develop only to have the track end and another begin. Although the band purposely took a minimalistic approach in writing this album, I found it a little unnerving.
I had never listened to this band before and liked some of the songs on this album, like "Quiet Heart." This is more folk-rock than I had expected and I appreciated the acoustic guitars and violin. There was nothing, however, that was really memorable.
Where do I start here?? Obviously, one does not listen to Tom Waits for his voice, just as one does not listen to Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen for the same reason. Waits is a wonderful and unique poet, His lyrics on this album paint a picture of a down and dirty city life. One of my favorites is the sad but beautiful "Time." Waits is also a musical craftsman, putting sounds together unlike any other artist. The song titles Rain Dogs and Bride of Rain Dogs made me think of Frankenstein and the Bride of Frankenstein. I see the similarity in that Waits takes parts from different bodies (of work), sews them together, and brings the result back to life in strange and unnatural ways.
Decent musicians and vocalists, but the songs really didn't do much for me. How Spin Magazine voted this "Album of the Year" in 1991 over Nirvana's Nevermind is beyond me. Am I missing something?
This is definitely a classic album by a classic pop rock band. I remember the first DS song I heard on the radio was Sultans of Swing. I was mesmerised by Mark Knopfler's guitar work. That continues on this album. This is one of the most popular albums of all time. Great sound and writing, although I still cringe at some of the lyrics.
I have an issue with the screaming, but I do believe Kurt Cobain was a very talented artist. He bascially wrote this entire album. Each song is unique. After Nevermind, Cobain wanted to produce something different, and he did. I am not a huge Nirvana fan, but I do feel that this album is an important chapter in the history of American rock. "All Apologies" is one of my favorites.
I was never a fan of the New York Dolls. I thought their style and persona made them more popular than their musical ability. Looking back at early punk, I think the Velvet Underground with Lou Reed and John Cale were much more creative and talented.
I have not listened to this in a while but it still resonates as a breakthrough album by three rock legends, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker. Most people have at least heard "Strange Brew" and "Sunshine of Your Love". There are many other great songs on this album that move seamlessly from the band's blues roots to more psychedelic rock. Love "Tales of Brave Ulysses." It was a pleasure listening to this again as it is an all time classic for me.
Sorry, this is just not for me. Noise rock? I really tried and "Freak Scene" was not bad but "Don't" was, well, not good.
Willie Nelson has one of the most unique voices in Country Music. I thought this dialed back production of these American Standards suited Willie's voice well. That being said, I was not crazy about these renditions.
Word is that you have to listen to this double album six times before it doesn't sound terrible. While I can appreciate the creativity and difficulty in producing this unique work, it might take a while for me to appreciate it.
Trout Mask Replica was added to the United States National Recording Registry for the year 2010 by the Library of Congress. Wow. I may have to check back with an update at a later date.
The singer / songwriter genre has always been one of my favorites. Cat Stevens plays and sings well. He writes personal and emotional songs like "Sad Lisa" and the heartrending "Father and Son." While I don't consider him on the same level as some others like Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, or Bob Dylan, Stevens is a wonderful storyteller and I have always enjoyed his music.
After listening to Cat Stevens, I felt like I was participating in the ice bucket challenge again - someone pouring ice water over my head with Mudhoney. While I can appreciate the band's use of Super-Fuzz and Big Muff pedals, listening to the same dirty guitars on every song was a little much for me on this particular album. I was not crazy about the lyrics either.
This was a pretty good one. I see that there were quite a few musicians who contributed to this album. There was a mix of Irish, Scottish, country, folk, and Rock and Roll. I think the diversity is what drew me in here. One of my favorites was "And a Bang on the Ear." I learned something new about the Irish vernacular with this song.
It is crazy how many hit songs are on this album. Granted, a hit song is not necessarily a good song. However, in the soft rock / pop genre, these are great songs. I agree that this album should be considered one of the greatest of the 1970s. I have always liked Fleetwood Mac's writing. I also like the idea of having three lead vocalists - all of them pulling their weight on different songs and making this album so enjoyable.
Although I am not a Bon Jovi fan, I can appreciate the importance of this band and album in the history of pop Rock. Some of the band's most successful songs appear on this album.
Of course I remember Ravi Shankar playing with the Beatles, and teaching George Harrison how to play the Sitar. Although there are more and more Indian influences on modern music, I don't think the Sitar's fusion with western Rock music has been as successful as Ananda had hoped.
Really liked the sounds and rhythms of this album. I have to admit that my scant experience in African music has come from artists like Paul Simon, specifically his Graceland album. Loved the African music sensibility of Graceland and was happy to listen to Koffi Olomide for a lesson on what real Congolese Soukus music sounds like. I particularly liked Koweit Rive Gauches and Desespoir.
I see a lot of praise regarding this somewhat autobiographical album by Kendrick Lamar. I gave it a shot but it is just not my thing.
Always liked the raw, bluesy rock of CCR. I like John Fogerty's raspy voice and lead guitar work. Of course, Born on the Bayou and Proud Mary are the big hits, but there is some nice work on Graveyard Train, and Keep on Chooglin, even though those two songs are a bit too long. CCR did a good job of covering Good Golly Miss Molly. Liked Fogerty's harmonica, too.
Brian Eno likes to experiment with sounds, melodies, and lyrics. Of course, there is a significant element of risk to write and produce an album this way. I do think the risk was worth the effort, and I really like this album. One of my favorites is "On Some Faraway Beach." The song begins with very simplistic piano notes. In the background, however, a soft instrumental and vocal collaboration grows into a vast production that reminds me of Phil Spector's work in the 1960's. The lead vocals don't appear until very late in the track, which is very unusual. Very artistic album worth a listen.
Glad this one was only 21 minutes long. I understand that there are many hardcore punk fans out there, but there are numerous other genres that I would rather listen to.
I think what I like best about Elvis Costello is his writing His lyrical style can be dark, sardonic, sometimes funny. This is not one of my favorite EC albums, but it still shows some sharp, stinging perspectives that are solely ECs.
I never really listened to The Smiths but I did enjoy this album. I thought it was well written and especially liked the tone and feeling of the lyrics.
I have always felt that this power trio successfully bridged the gap between classic rock and prog rock. I liked both sides of this album but have to reserve my 5 stars for a limited few. Otherwise, this is a solid rock album with three exceptional performers.
Here we have another Prog Rock trio, this one much different than yesterday's (Rush). ELP, along with early Genesis and Yes, are my three favorite Prog Rock bands. Keith Emerson has been mentioned as one of the best, if not the most technically accomplished keyboard player in rock history. This live album, of course with no overdubs or retakes, is a great example of the talent, creativity, and imagination of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. The trio plays a tight adaptation of a classical piece by Mussorgski. The pipe organ, multiple synths, acoustic guitar, bass, and drums all contribute to this impressive work.
I liked this album more than I thought I would. While it was frustrating having to turn up and down the volume depending on the song, I liked Iggy Pop's vocals and Williamson's guitar work. Obviously, there were issues with the mix, as sometimes you could barely hear the lead guitar or even the drums as the distortion on the other guitar was too prominent. Overall, a solidly written and performed rock album.
I do like some country music but was not crazy about this album. I thought "Streets of Bakersfield" and "I Sang Dixie" were ok, but not something I would return to listen to again.
Without a doubt, the Beach Boys created their own niche and are one of the most important and influential bands in American Rock history. Listening to this album, however, I felt that the band tried to recreate itself. While I think style and story variations within an album are important, I thought this album may have gone a little too far in that respect.
What can I say, Aretha Franklin was a generational talent, well deserving of the title "Queen of Soul." This album plays like a greatest hits album with "Chain of Fools'" "A Natural Woman," "Since You've Been Gone," "Ain't No Way," among others. I always loved Aretha's powerful voice, her vocal control, lyrical phrasing, and range. Incredible!
Thought this one was pretty good - a mixture of hard rock and prog rock, although some of the synths sounded too much like video games. I guess that complements some of the lyrics and why some people tagged this as "Space Rock." Liked Supermassive Black Hole.
Tom Waits is a masterful poet and storyteller. While I know that one of his influences was Captain Beefheart, but, to me, the two are very different. Waits' songs make sense to me. I totally enjoyed this album. "In the Neighborhood," "Swordfishtrombones," and "Johnsburg, Illnois" really hit the mark. "Johnsburg, Illinois, although short, is a beautiful, bittersweet song, maybe about Waits' wife. The piano, until the end of the vocals, matches the feeling of the lyrics, sad, but sweet. Once the vocals end, the piano becomes discordant, maybe how Wait's feels without his wife. I would definitely listen to this one again.
Other than the first track that almost gave me a migraine by bouncing the sound back and forth between channels, i thought this was a very pleasing album and a refreshing change of pace.
This one is a sleeper and brings back memories of the 60s. While there are some vague similarities between the Zombies and The Beatles, the only real connection is that both bands recorded at Apple Studios. The big hit on this album was "Time of the Season," but others deserve mention, including "Care of Cell 44," "This Will Be Our Year," and "Butcher's Tale." Nice album.
Was never a George Michael fan and this album did nothing to change my mind.
While I can appreciate the relevance of this album, it is not something I would listen to again.
Pleasant but nothing new or innovative
Classic album with some great tracks
I never thought any of the Beatles’ post breakup songwriting came close to the magic of the group’s. I did like some of Harrison’s post Beatles work more than McCartney’s.
I think this is one of those albums that is hard to listen to out of context of where The Velvet Underground were at the time. I watched a Todd Haynes documentary on the band on Apple TV and have a renewed appreciation, especially of Lou Reed and John Cale (who is not on this album). This album is slow but lyrically interesting and exhibits some of Reed's experimentation after asking Cale to leave the band. I am looking forward to seeing more of Reed's and Cale's work on this list.
Without a doubt, in my opionion, this is one of the best and most influential albums ever produced. Almost every song on this album, correction - DOUBLE album, is a classic. The diversity and pure but simple production, make it easy for one to find a song (or more) to connect to. Not only do we see Lennon and McCartney's genius, we see Harrison coming into his own as a wonderful songwriter. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is one of my favorites. Lennon once said that "Dear Prudence" was the best song he ever wrote, and it is a beauty, also one of my favorites. Blackbird is one of McCartney's acoustic gems. I could go on and on. The album is a 5+ for me.
I recognized Janelle Monae from the album cover as an actor. Was not familiar with her as a singer / songwriter / musician. I was pleasantly surprised by this album and thought it was well rounded and diverse. Well done.
A masterpiece by one of the quintessential prog rock bands of the 70s.
A classic album that never gets old!
Always loved this album - classic folk rock / psychedelia, especially the contributions of Grace Slick and Jorma Koukonen.
A well deserved Nobel Prize winner in Literature, Bob Dylan is more than a singer songwriter, he is a poet laureate and the noted conscience of a generation. There are so many great songs on this album but I have always been drawn to Shelter from the Storm.
I have been waiting for this one. Without a doubt, Sgt. Pepper's is one of the most (if not THE most) innovative and influential albums of all time. Everything from the songwriting, sound, production, and even the artwork, was like nothing else I had seen at the time - even from the Beatles themselves. The Beatles had a voracious appetite to learn. You can tell that by listening to the boundless variety in the songs on this album. The musical metamorphosis of the Beatles from "Please Please Me" (1963) to Sgt. Pepper's (1967) was unparalleled. Finally, the band had the innate ability to absorb their daily experiences and beliefs and translate them into the most creative music and lyrics. Just amazing, or maybe just A Day in the Life.
John Martyn led a tumultuous life and suffered from substance abuse for a good part of it. That being said, he was an extraordinary and innovative acoustic guitarist. I saw John Martyn in person could not have been more impressed by his style, technique, and ability. On Solid Air, his improvisation and collaboration with other musicians, especially the great Danny Thompson, was magical. I remember hearing Martyn play his guitar through an Echoplex for the first time - he brought a progressive influence to acoustic folk. Martyn achieved commercial success (23 albums), and when he didn't play solo, opened for many great bands and artists at one time or another, including Eric Clapton, Traffic, and Yes.
