Been meaning to explore the Pixies for years, and never gotten around to it. Before this, "Where Is My Mind?" (thanks, "Fight Club!") and "Here Comes Your Man" were essentially the only songs of theirs that I knew, and they're not exactly super-similar stylistically, so I wasn't sure what this album was going to sound like. It's much rawer than I expected; it's easy to picture them banging these songs out in a garage. "Something About You" had a little ska flavor, which was a surprise, as was the fact that Kim Deal had the lead vocals on "Gigantic"--I thought she basically stuck to chorus/background vocals (until her Breeders days, obviously). "Where Is My Mind?" feels like the standout track here (and not just because it's the only one I was familiar with), but "Gigantic" also got my attention, as did "Bone Machine," and I thought "Cactus" and "Tony's Theme" were an appropriately playful pair to follow the heavier "Where Is My Mind?" I could have done with a little less instrumental ramblings in the middle of "Vamos (Surfer Rosa)," but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. Overall, I really enjoyed the album. Not sure how many of these songs will end up getting thrown into my regular rotation, but "Gigantic" will definitely be one of them.

Thoroughly unremarkable.

When it comes to the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the cool and calm master assassin. He rarely leaves the shadows, but when he does you can be sure that he's going to murder the mic, and won't break a sweat while he does it. They don't call him the Genius for nothing. This album features RZA, GZA's cousin, in full control of the production (as well as lending his distinctive lyrical stylings on "4th Chamber"). RZA defined the Wu-Tang style: layered (often eerie) samples, and dialogue from kung fu films. Unfortunately, RZA's one flaw is putting long bits of dialogue at the beginning and/or end of tracks, rather than featuring them as between-track skits. Yes, they're an essential part of his work, but most of the time you just want to listen to the tracks, not wait through 1:19 of dialogue (as is necessary with the title track, "Liquid Swords"). Despite the lengthy dialogue, "Liquid Swords" is one of the strongest tracks on the album. Other highlights include "Gold," "Labels," and my personal favorite, "4th Chamber." (What can I say? I'm a sucker for Ghostface, and RZA's medieval beat is the perfect match for Ghostface's "Why is the sky blue? Why is water wet? Why did Judas rat to Romans while Jesus slept?") An easy 4 stars, bordering on 4.5

Gotta admit that while I'm familiar with the album's three most popular songs ("War Pigs," "Paranoid," and "Iron Man," obviously), I wasn't familiar with the album as a whole. Now that I've listened to it in its entirety, I can confidently say that it's about as solid as a rock album gets. It's hard to beat Ozzie's vocals and Iommi's guitar-playing prowess (and Butler and Ward aren't exactly slouches, either). If I'd heard someone say, "Yeah, we're starting the album with an 8:00-minute-long song," I'd have thought they were crazy. Don't you usually throw something that long into the back end of the album to make sure you don't lose people right off the bat (huh-huh)? Not if you're Sabbath, and not if that song rocks as hard as "War Pigs" does. And then immediately following that up with "Paranoid," and "Iron Man" two songs after that? Fuggedaboudit. Those three tracks alone make this album well worth the price of admission. "Rat Salad" is a throw-away track as far as I'm concerned, but the rest is top-notch, especially "Electric Funeral" and "Hands of Doom" (the latter of which I've officially fallen in love with). Old school metal doesn't really get better than this.

Been meaning to explore the Pixies for years, and never gotten around to it. Before this, "Where Is My Mind?" (thanks, "Fight Club!") and "Here Comes Your Man" were essentially the only songs of theirs that I knew, and they're not exactly super-similar stylistically, so I wasn't sure what this album was going to sound like. It's much rawer than I expected; it's easy to picture them banging these songs out in a garage. "Something About You" had a little ska flavor, which was a surprise, as was the fact that Kim Deal had the lead vocals on "Gigantic"--I thought she basically stuck to chorus/background vocals (until her Breeders days, obviously). "Where Is My Mind?" feels like the standout track here (and not just because it's the only one I was familiar with), but "Gigantic" also got my attention, as did "Bone Machine," and I thought "Cactus" and "Tony's Theme" were an appropriately playful pair to follow the heavier "Where Is My Mind?" I could have done with a little less instrumental ramblings in the middle of "Vamos (Surfer Rosa)," but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. Overall, I really enjoyed the album. Not sure how many of these songs will end up getting thrown into my regular rotation, but "Gigantic" will definitely be one of them.

I've never heard of The xx, so I had no clue what to expect from this album. I found the "Intro" pleasant enough. The guitar feels sorta '80s-ish in the vein of the Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?" or maybe something from U2. The fact that it's the most-streamed track on the album didn't bode well, though. Turns out that concern was valid. The album has a seriously low-key sound, almost ambient at times. It didn't make much of an impression on me, other than making me wonder why there was little to no percussion throughout large swaths of it. Thankfully, the percussion wasn't MIA in "Heart Skipped a Beat," which might be the track that stood out most to me (apart from the intro). Or maybe it wasn't. It was like picking out the shade of beige that stands out the most from other shades of beige. Gotta admit, I'm puzzled by the fact that this album was so well-received. It feels like the sort of unobtrusive music one would throw on just to fill some aural background space. I didn't hate it, but it's definitely not for me.

Much like The xx, I hadn't heard of these guys before. Or at least, not that I'm aware of. A song or three felt vaguely familiar, but that might be because they sound like Radiohead and Oasis got together and spawned a less talented baby. There wasn't much here for me to latch onto. "As You Are" had a brief guitar solo that caught my ear, but that relative bright spot was quickly dispelled by the saccharine "Driftwood" and cheesy harmonizing of "The Last of the Laughter." "Turn" seems to represent Travis in microcosm. They're competent musicians, but are lacking when it comes to lyrical prowess (singing "turn" over and over again isn't much of a chorus). This feels like the kind of music that seems profound when you're young and just had your heart stomped on for the first time, but which loses its luster once you grow up a little and find far more talented musicians to listen to. My favorite part of the album was when it ended. I immediately listened to "Hand of Doom" as a palate cleanser.

When I think of early punk, I think of four bands: the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Misfits, and the Clash. They all have different approaches to punk, and each band is the master of their particular variation. But I think the Clash created a broader sound that revealed punk's versatility. "White Riot" is prototypical punk, a fast and dirty anti-establishment wall of sound that wouldn't feel out of place on a (or should I say "the only"?) Sex Pistols album. "Garageland" is similar thematically, but with a (comparatively) softer, more melodic tone reminiscent of the Ramones. But the unmistakable influence of reggae and ska is what really sets them apart. "Police & Thieves" is a cover of a reggae song by Junior Murvin, and it's my favorite track on the album. Give the original a listen, and you'll get an appreciation for how the Clash stood reggae on its ear and created their own unique brand of punk. And while they did it, they paved the way for one of my other favorite punk bands, Rancid. No Clash, no Rancid. And I'm sure we can say the same for a host of other bands.

"Do I Wanna Know?" and "R U Mine?" are basically the only Arctic Monkeys songs I know, and every time I hear them, I think "I really need to look into these guys more." This album proves I should have followed that instinct before now. Two things struck me right off the bat. First, the less polished, almost punk-like feel to many of the songs (no surprise, since the aforementioned songs I know are from their fifth album, "AM"). Second, the fact that Alex Turner's delivery reminds me of Matt Schultz from Cage the Elephant. But Cage came after the Arctic Monkeys, so I guess it's the other way around. Either way, I think it's the varying tempo of his singing--he'llrunabunchofwordstogether andthen slow ... things ... down. Can't say why, but I dig it, and the Sheffield accent adds a little something extra to the effect. Thoroughly enjoyed this album, especially "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor." The "whoa whoa whoa dadadada..." bit in "Still Take You Home" bit could have sounded cheesy, but somehow doesn't, and "Mardy Bum" and "When the Sun Goes Down" were surprisingly playful. Not sure I can give this a 5, but I'd give it a 4.5 if I could.

It's been a while since I had him in regular rotation, but I love me some Fatboy Slim. Obviously, one's enjoyment of Fatboy Slim and similar big beat/electronic music is contingent upon one's ability to enjoy its repetitiveness. If you're cool with it, then this is a solid album; if not, its quality is irrelevant. Other than "Right Here Right Now," "Rockafeller Skank," and "Praise You" (all classics), I was unfamiliar with most of this album. My favorite track I'd never heard was "Kalifornia," and "Gangster Trippin" was a pleasant surprise as well. The only real throwaway track was "Fucking in Heaven;" calling it sophomoric is probably kind.

I've heard of the Eels, but I'm not familiar with their stuff. In an odd coincidence, I *just* heard "Novocaine for the Soul" yesterday. I remember the opening lines catching my attention, but I can't say the same for the rest of the song. It's possible I heard it back when it came out, but if I did, it obviously didn't leave much of an impression. The spoken word bits of the album remind me of Nada Surf's "Popular," which apparently came out a handful of months before this album, so that's an interesting bit of synchronicity. "My Beloved Monster" has a whimsical charm and "Mental" isn't bad either, but the rest literally just blended into the background as I went about my morning. Feels like the answer to "What if Beck had less personality and was trying way too hard?" It's a shame we can't give half-stars, because I liked this album more than the ones by The xx and Travis (both of which I gave two stars), but I can't bring myself to give it three stars. 2.5 stars feels about right.

Playing catch-up after a distracting weekend, so keeping this short. Right off the bat, I'm seeing that most of the album is unavailable on Spotify, which is too bad. Kinda defeats the purpose of this exercise, but whattaya gonna do? What they did have was either fine to decent, but nothing really knocked my socks off. Giving it a generous 3, but it's probably closer to 2.5 stars.

"Brown Sugar" is an all-time classic track; undeniably D'Angelo at his best. Sadly, the same can't be said for the album of the same name. It's fine, but only three other tracks stand out, "Cruisin'," "Lady," and "Higher." "Cruisin'" is a Smokey Robinson cover, so of course it's good. So that really leaves three D'Angelo originals out of nine that caught my ear. All that said, a mediocre album by D'Angelo's still a solid R&B album.

Guess I woke up on the unforgiving side of the bed, because this Teen Dream was a bit of a nightmare. But it's as advertised; it's sung in the key of "maudlin teen." Personally, I'd rather listen to Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" on repeat than listen to this album again. It's a no from me, dawg.

While I'd heard of Womack before, this was the first time I'd actually listened to one of his albums. "The Poet" was apparently his thirteenth album, and I gotta admit, it feels like he was getting a little long in the tooth at this point in his career. He's leaning hard on the force of his personality in this album, and his propensity for directly addressing the listener leaves him sounding like a lounge act at times. Not sure how many people other than Barry White can get away with that without sounding a little silly. "Stand Up" was funky AF, though, and "If You Think You're Lonely Now" is a classic, although I have to admit that I prefer K-Ci's cover. Regardless, those songs get him two stars, and I'll give him one more for being an R&B OG.

I tried to give this album a fair shake, but this was rough. They should let Fleming handle the lead vocals alone, because yikes, Thorpe's vocals are awful. His falsetto is this album in microcosm: affected and cringey. The hardest of hard passes for me.

Great album. Worth it just for "Rio," "Hungry Like the Wolf," and "Save a Prayer," but I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the album, especially "New Religion," which was surprisingly funky. If you like new wave, then this album's for you (but you probably already knew that).

I was disappointed with this album. "Freedom! '90" might just be George Michael's best song, and "Praying for Time" is fine, but the rest of the album left me unmoved. Sorry, George.

I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that "Our House" was the only song by Madness that I was familiar with before listening to this album. Given that small sample size, I wasn't sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn't a concept album. Artistically speaking, it's an interesting album. I love the horns, the piano has an old-timey saloon feel to it that I appreciate, and the influence of reggae and ska is readily apparent (especially in "Tiptoes"). What's striking me as I listen to it is the change in tone that begins with "Our House." Before it, the album has a kind of "Sgt. Pepper's" meets "The Wall" weirdness to it, and it's got an almost dystopian vibe. The "Our House" pops in and blows that up. There's still a dark undercurrent to the album after that, but the sound is noticeably lighter. As far as listenability is concerned, it's obvious why "Our House" was the song that got everyone's attention. It's the best song on the album, and the only one that makes sense outside of the context of the album, with the possible exception of the jazzy "Madness (Is All in the Mind)." Unsurprisingly, those are the only two singles released from the album. "The Rise & Fall" was an interesting journey, and I'm glad I got a chance to listen to it, but I won't be adding any of these songs into my regular rotation. "Our House" will suffice for my Madness needs.

Not my bag. If I'm going to listen to something in a language I don't understand, it better be good enough to transcend language barriers, and this doesn't clear that bar for me. I'd rather listen to "Ça Plane Pour Moi" by Plastic Bertrand, or "Soy Yo" by Bomba Estéreo, or "Zaharila" by El Michels Affair and Piya Malik.

I didn't give this the attention it deserved the first time around, so I skimmed through it again before writing this. My initial impressions were correct: Roxy Music is weird and wonderful. Honestly, I was thrown from the get-go, trying to come up with some sort of context while listening to the first track, "Re-Make/Re-Model," and I finally landed on "the Stooges meets Talking Heads." Granted, the Talking Heads came came after Roxy Music, but Ferry's vocals have a David Byrne feel to them at times. Things only got weirder and harder to categorize as the album continued, but this is clearly some high-level '70s rock, heavy on the glam. There's some fantastic guitar in here--and fantastic everything else, too. Discovering the Brian Eno was a part of the band at this time certainly explained some things. There's a lot to process here, and I'm going to dive in again in the near future. I'm impressed.

Another band I'm unfamiliar with. Love discovering new stuff. I'm finding that with unfamiliar bands, I'm reflexively comparing them to bands I am familiar with (a pretty common impulse, I'm sure). The cover had me expecting punk, but I was way off. This album is '80s to the bone; my best comparison is INXS meets Oingo Boingo. They've got a full sound, with plenty of horns, some harmonica, and even the occasional violin (I think), all mixed with '80s staples like synthesizers and drum machines. I dig it. My pile of new bands to explore continues to grow.

LOVE me some Wu-Tang, and Ghostface might just be my favorite member. In a group with no lack of hip-hop titans, Ghostface still manages to grab the spotlight and throttle it like it stole something from him. The man's a poet, plain and simple. "Supreme Clientele" gets a lot of attention (and rightfully so--it doesn't get much better than "Apollo Kids" and "Cher Chez La Ghost"), but "Fishscale" is my favorite Ghostface album. The skits are utterly skippable (ranging from the mildly amusing "Bad Mouth Kid" to the cringey "Heart Street Directions"), but basically every track is worthy of a place in my regular playlist rotation. And it's no wonder. Not only is he a master storyteller, but his fellow Clan members back him up regularly on this album (most notably on "9 Milli Bros."), and the tracks are produced by hip-hop greats like Pete Rock, J Dilla, and MF DOOM. I could list my favorite tracks, but it'd basically just be two-thirds of the track list, minus the skits. That's how solid this album is. Casual hip-hop fans might find this album a little inaccessible, but for those who appreciate the Wu-Tang style "Fishcale" is solid gold.

I'm a huge Beatles fan, and as far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as a bad Beatles album. So when presented with a Beatles album in this context, the question boils down to "Does this album deserve four stars or five?" In this case, it's four. The title track is obviously a classic, as is "Can't Buy Me Love," but there's much more to like here. "Tell Me Why" and "Any Time at All" are prototypical early Beatles, and "I'll Cry Instead" has a slight (but pleasant) country twang. Those who lean toward the McCartney side of the street will enjoy "And I Love Her" and "Things We Said Today, and Lennon fans may recognize "You Can't Do That" as a spiritual precursor to Lennon's "Jealous Man" (that latter of which is covered to perfection by Donny Hathaway, BTW). I tend to every-so-slightly favor their later, more experimental stuff, but this is a fantastic album. An easy four stars.

"Song 2" was the only Blur song I was familiar with before listening to this album, so my biggest exposure to Damon Albarn's music is his stuff with Gorillaz (which I enjoy quite a bit). I knew this album would be nothing like that stylistically, but I was expecting something similar with regard to creativity. Instead, I got a middle-of-the-road pop rock album. If you'll forgive the pun, the entire album kinda blurred together, with the exception of "Advert" and maybe "Coping." It was fine, but I'm not in a rush to listen to it again. I'll stick with Gorillaz. Giving it a generous three stars.

Jazz is hit and miss with me. Some of it is enjoyably thematic and evocative (Duke Ellington's "Caravan" and Teddy Wilson's "Jungle Love" spring to mind), some of it is meandering, and some is just plan abstract. I prefer the former to the latter two. Unfortunately for me, Brubek's "Time Out" leans toward the meandering. "Take Five" is rightfully a classic, and "Kathy's Waltz" had a jaunty energy that I enjoyed, but the rest of the album just doesn't push my buttons. That said, the talent displayed on the album is undeniable, and I can't bring myself to give it any less than four stars, despite my personal jazz proclivities.

There are flashes of brilliance on display here, but the adjective that most sums this album up is "overproduced." She's got a great voice, as is clearly going for an ethereal, trip-hoppy sound, and sometimes it works. "Two Weeks" is sultry fire, and "Video Girl" grabbed and maintained my attention; they were definitely my favorite songs on the album. "Lights On," "Hours," "Pendulum," and "Give Up" all have their moments, but there were times (especially during "Pendulum") when I wished she and her producers would just get out of their own way and let it rip. This is a debut album, so I'm hoping that she's since learned to ditch some of the gimmicky aspects of it and trust her voice to carry more of the weight. Giving this three and a half stars for what's here, and another half star for the undeniable potential.

If one wanted to be reductive (and I do, because I'm feeling lazy this morning), one could say that the Go-Go's are the answer to the question "What if the Runaways were nice, wholesome girls?" The Go-Go's straddle the line between new wave and pop rock, and do it with style. "Our Lips Are Sealed" is an undeniable classic, and "We Got the Beat" is arguably the best song they ever recorded. The rest of the tracks were unfamiliar to me, but "Skidmarks on My Heart" caught my ear because of the Dick Dale/Centurians-like guitar riffs. Once again, I find myself wishing I could give half-stars, because three and a half feels right. But I've always loved Belinda Carlisle's voice, and they're a Hall of Fame band, so I'll round up to four.

This album taught me that I know more Simon & Garfunkel songs than I thought I did; I just didn't know their titles. This isn't surprising, given how influential they were, and how they straddle the edge of my wheelhouse. This album exemplifies my ambivalence perfectly. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is a gorgeous song. It's also emblematic of the type of S&G song that I don't go out of my way to listen to. Too soft and melancholy for my tastes. I listen to music to feel things, and my natural serotonin deficiency means I've got plenty of endemic melancholy on my plate. No need to go looking for more. And that's what separates the songs I favor on this album from the songs I don't. Give me uptempo S&G all day. "Cecelia" has been a favorite of mine for decades (and inspired my favorite Venn diagram: one circle represents people who are breaking my heart, the other people who are shaking my confidence daily. In the overlapping area: Cecelia, of course). I also enjoyed "Keep the Customer Satisfied" and "Baby Driver." I've got to imagine that the latter is about as close to a Beach Boys song as S&G ever got. And I wouldn't I kick "Why Don't You Write Me" or "Bye Bye Love" out of bed. The rest of the album isn't likely to end up on one of my playlists. But there's no denying the artistry here, and I just can't justify giving it anything but five stars.

I tried to give this album a fair shake, but gave up after twelve tracks. The album oozes "'90s college rock," and not in a good way (yes, it was released in 2000, but there's always a stylistic lag when transitioning between decades). It appears that Damon Gough wrote all the songs and played a bum-ton of different instruments on the album, so he's clearly got talent, but his work isn't for me. Bottom line: this album bored me, and that's never a good thing.

First impression: these guys sound like the Anti-Nowhere League. Second impression: there's some good guitar and bass playing in here. Third impression: it all kinda runs together, and the vocals are often hard to understand. This feels like an album of unmet potential. 2.5 stars rounded down to 2.

My immediate knee-jerk reaction was "meh, another so-so '90s Brit rock group." Thankfully, that first impression was incorrect. There's some quality music on here, much of it pointedly aimed at the frivolous and out of touch upper class. "Common People" was the first song to get my attention (and is probably my favorite song on the album). The line "I took her to a supermarket" was what tipped me off to Pulp's sense of humor. They're theatrical and the album tackles a key inequity in the modern world, but they're not taking themselves too seriously, either. That's a combination I respect. Sonically, they sound like sort of a precursor to The Killers, but they're not afraid to dip into whatever genre suits them. "Disco 2000" was obviously inspired by Laura Branigan's "Gloria"--it's not every band that says "Hey, let's do a disco track." But it fits the album and their self-aware sense of humor. Not sure how many of these tracks will end up in my rotation, but this was a surprisingly solid album.

Is there talent here? Yes. Do I want to listen to more of their music? Nope.

I'm inclined to categorize this as Ramones-style punk. Less raw, more polished than, say, the Sex Pistols, and their has the late '50s-early '60s rock vibe that the Ramones' often has. Depending on the song, the lead vocals might be handled by Exene (whose banshee-like wailing is unmistakable) or John Doe (or even both), and they make for a good combo, giving their music more versatility than the average band. But the standout aspect of their music is Billy Zoom's quick, clean, and precise guitar playing. Personally, I'd have liked to hear him get a little more time in the spotlight, but the results are pure rock n roll whether he gets it or not. Standout tracks include "Universal Corner," "Some Other Time," and "Beyond and Back" (which has a pleasing rockabilly flavor to it), but the entire album's solid. I could happily listen to the entire album without skipping a track. I wouldn't go so far as to give it 5 stars, but 4.5 feels right.

A solid album that leans toward typical mid-'60s rock ("So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star," which has a nice bit of trumpet in it and "Have You Seen Her Face," which features some fine guitar playing) and more hippy-oriented fare ("Time Between" sounds like it could be a Grateful Dead track), with a little flirtation with the psychedelic thrown into the mix ("Thoughts & Words," & "Mind Gardens"). Not bad at all.

My initial reaction upon seeing today's album: "Ugh, the Carpenters." Despite a deep desire to just skip it, I decided to embrace the spirit of this exercise and skimmed the album instead. My knee-jerk reaction was justified. This album should have been titled "Music for the Soulless." I'm a white guy. I go out into the sun and I burn within approximately 8.3 seconds. And when the pain and suffering caused by my third-degree burns are over, I return to a mirror-like shade of white. No tanning involved in the process. Despite that, this album is *way* too white for me. It's so white I need sunglasses to protect my eyes from the glare. It's whiter than an albino Mormon eating mayo on white bread in a snowstorm. It is the epitome of every "white people have no soul" stereotype. Tower of Power sang about people catching honky pox, and this album was surely the vector that infected Patient Zero. I literally listened to "Soul Vaccination" after skimming this album, just to be safe. If you need proof of this album's violent blandness and mediocrity, look no further than their cover of the Beatles' "Help." They've turned an incredible song into saccharine schmaltz. It is an atrocity. A crime against humanity so abhorrent that they should have been tried at the Hague for it. It makes one wonder what the world might have looked like if Karen Carpenter had used her vocal talent for good instead of evil. Regardless of the answer, it's ultimately just a fantasy. The reality that cover--and the rest of the album--represents will haunt my dreams for the rest of my life.

This isn't for me. These tracks sound like they're straight out of a musical and I'm just not a musical guy. Lemper has a fantastic voice, but I keep expecting to get accosted by giant anthropomorphic cats, and it's making me jumpy.

Classic reggae, especially "Legalize It." I've always thought that it was pretty savvy of him to speak Capitalism in the song: "Legalize it and I will advertise is." Nothing like appealing to the greed of those in power. "Brand New Second Hand" was the only other track on this album that I was familiar with, but the entire album's solid. "Burial" is nice and funky, and "Why Must I Cry" has a pleasing little guitar solo in it. The only track I didn't particularly care for was "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)." Everything else was great.

Yeah, nope.

Disappointed with this one. "Nothing Compares 2 U" is amazing (thanks in no small part to the guy who wrote it, the obscure musician known as Prince), but O'Connor's fantastic voice couldn't save an otherwise unmemorable album. Both stars are for Prince.

Thoroughly unremarkable.

I actually own this album, and have always been impressed by the Avalanches' ability to create music using almost nothing but meticulously layer samples. It's almost an aural analog to pointillism. Very cool.

Seemed like this was going to be a decent album at first, but it quickly descended into a self-indulgent "art project." A look at Wiki shows me that "Something Wicked This Way Comes" was featured in David Lynch's "Lost Highway," and that pairing seems perfect: two guys who spend way too much energy trying to be different rather than just getting on with things and entertaining people.

I know MC5 for one reason: the Presidents of the United States of America covered "Kick Out the Jams" on their debut album. The Presidents' version is far more polished, which is hardly surprising given how raw MC5's original is. And that raw sound—which borders on amateurish at times—defines the entire album. But that's not criticism; it's what makes the album quintessential proto-punk. The fact that it was recorded live emphasizes the lack of polish and allows their personality to shine. I was originally set to give this three stars, but then I listened to it again ... and again. And a little more. And it holds up. The track that stands out the most is "Motor City is Burning," not necessarily because it's better than the rest, but because it's the bluesy eye of the sonic storm, providing a stark contrast from the proto-punk chaos that surrounds it. But I'm not seeing a throwaway track here. They're all solid. The album's loud and dirty and imperfect, and that feels just about perfect.

I've always been pretty indifferent to the Doors. Sure, Morrison's voice is distinctive, and they've got a few classic songs, but overall ... *shrug* I was hoping that listening to this album would enlighten me, but my opinion remains unchanged. They're fine, but my life wouldn't be any different if they'd never cut an album.

Throw the Ramones, Sex Pistols, and Clash into a blender, add a dash of Bryan Ferry's vibrato, then blend away, and I'm pretty sure the resulting concoction will be the Undertones. I don't know how this is the first time I've run across them, as this album is fantastic. This is top-notch old school punk*, and the last time I was this excited about a new (to me) band was when Roxy Music's debut album popped up a few weeks ago. I found a 26-track version of the album on YouTube, and there's a lot to love here. It starts off strong with "Family Entertainment," and while "The Girls Don't Like It," I sure do. "Teenage Kicks," "Get Over You," "Listening in," "Emergency Cases" ... So many good tracks. And a special shout-out to "Mars Bars," which is quite funny. Honestly, 26 tracks and I had no desire to skip any of them. That's the dream right there. *Except for "True Confessions," which starts with the line "Don't look so surprised," which amused me because it *was* a surprise, and came out of left field with a Devo-like new wave flavor that caught me completely off guard.

While I'm not surprised to see a Bowie album crop up, I *am* surprised that it's an album from 2013. Sadly, this album feels like the work of an aging artist who's lost his edge. There wasn't a song on this album that caught my ear, and I have to imagine that there are at least 1001 albums out there better than this one. The fact that it's Bowie doesn't automatically mean it belongs on the list.

I love me some '70s-style funk and soul, so this album was right up my alley. "That Lady" is a classic, but it was the only song on the album I was familiar with, minus the original versions of "Listen to the Music" and "Summer Breeze" (they do justice to the former and improve on the latter). My favorite track was "What it Comes Down to," which is '70s soul to the bone. Good stuff.

This entry exposes an inexplicable hole in my personal collection. I know the Foo Fighters. I enjoy their music. Yet, out of over 37 days worth of music on my computer, I have a grand total of three FF songs ("Big Me," "Everlong," and "Learn to Fly"). What the shit is that about? I can't explain it. This album proves to me that I need to fill that gap. It's undeniably classic '90s rock. But what's truly mind-blowing to me is the fact that Dave Grohl wrote and recorded this entire album by himself (minus some of the guitar in "X-Static"). I knew he was a well-rounded musician, but that's exceedingly impressive. With regard to the actual music, I think the album drags a little toward the end, but who cares? Given how good the album's good bits are and the fact that Grohl essentially did this by himself, this is an easy four stars (and a reminder that, seriously, I need to get some more damn Foo Fighters in my collection).

When it comes to the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the cool and calm master assassin. He rarely leaves the shadows, but when he does you can be sure that he's going to murder the mic, and won't break a sweat while he does it. They don't call him the Genius for nothing. This album features RZA, GZA's cousin, in full control of the production (as well as lending his distinctive lyrical stylings on "4th Chamber"). RZA defined the Wu-Tang style: layered (often eerie) samples, and dialogue from kung fu films. Unfortunately, RZA's one flaw is putting long bits of dialogue at the beginning and/or end of tracks, rather than featuring them as between-track skits. Yes, they're an essential part of his work, but most of the time you just want to listen to the tracks, not wait through 1:19 of dialogue (as is necessary with the title track, "Liquid Swords"). Despite the lengthy dialogue, "Liquid Swords" is one of the strongest tracks on the album. Other highlights include "Gold," "Labels," and my personal favorite, "4th Chamber." (What can I say? I'm a sucker for Ghostface, and RZA's medieval beat is the perfect match for Ghostface's "Why is the sky blue? Why is water wet? Why did Judas rat to Romans while Jesus slept?") An easy 4 stars, bordering on 4.5

Meh. Nothing here really got my attention. It's fine. Don't love it, don't hate it. 2.5 stars.

A lot of these songs are progressive, DJ-friendly tracks with long intros and outros so they can transition slowly between songs, but "DJ-friendly" often means less palatable for casual listeners. If you're willing to go with the flow, there's a lot to like here (see "Break & Enter," which has some truly fantastic bits in the middle). For the less patient, tracks like "Voodoo People" and "No Good (Start the Dance)" get to the point more quickly. Other highlights include "Poison" (which reminded me that I really need to find a copy of the Pump Panel Reconstruction Remix of New Order's "Confusion," which many will recognize from the blood rave in "Blade"), "One Love," and "3 Kilos" (which sounds like the bastard child of "Low Rider" and an acid trip). It's not as good as "Fat of the Land," but it's still a solid offering by the Prodigy.

I haven't explored their discography in a systematic way, but I love the B-52's so damn much. This isn't their strongest album, but "Planet Claire" and "Rock Lobster" alone are worth four stars. I assume we'll be seeing more of their albums in the future, and I look forward to it.

"Block Rockin' Beats" and "Setting Sun" are classic big beat tracks, so I had high hopes for this album, but found it a bit underwhelming. Maybe I should give it another listen, but for now, I'm rounding up from 2.5 stars.

The larger the sample size, the stronger the evidence: I just don't like indie. Rounding down from 2.5 stars.

Is "Rubber Soul" the best Beatles album? No, but it's still fantastic. This is the album where the Beatles start to get a little weird, and music as a whole has been better for it ever since. You can hear the influence of their burgeoning flirtation with Eastern philosophy and music in "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," which prominently features the sitar. "Nowhere Man" is a bit of a trip, and feels psychedelic-adjacent. "What Goes On" has the country twang that Ringo seems to favor (see also: "Act Naturally" and "Don't Pass Me By"), "Michelle" is classic understated McCartney, and "Think For Yourself" features Harrison's signature desire to shrug off this world's baser impulses and frivolities. My favorite track of the album is "Girl," which is the perfect vehicle for Lennon's pathos. That tortured/obsessive intake of breath in the chorus—like a self-destructive man surrendering himself to the drug he knows could someday kill him—is peak Lennon. *chef's kiss* "Rubber Soul" may not be their best album, but let's be clear: that's a high bar, so there's no shame in falling short of it. Falling short or not, it's fair to say that it's the beginning of their transcendence of the bands they emulated in their early days. From here on out, they were more than mere pop sensations that hit the scene in the right place at the right time. They were artists in their own right, and were beginning to shape the musical world—either because other artists wanted to be like them, or because they *didn't* want to be like them. Either way, the Beatles were now the musical benchmark.

Look up "overproduced" in the dictionary and I'm pretty sure you'll find a link to this album. It's a wall of sound that lyrics only occasionally burst through (and when they manage the feat, they're still nigh-incomprehensible). Maybe it'd work if it were stripped down and remastered ("Sometimes" seems salvageable), but as is, it's not for me. Feels like some serious hipster catnip, though. Giving this a generous 2 stars, rounded up from 1.5.

I was introduced to Roxy Music when their debut album popped up a few weeks back, and it blew me away. I gave it a four at the time, but now I'm thinking I should have gone the whole five stars because while it's maybe a less well-rounded album than "Country Life," the songs I like are better. Nonetheless, I can't see myself giving this fewer than four stars. "If It Takes All Night" is probably my favorite track, with "All I Want Is You" and "A Really Good Time" rounding out the top three (Or maybe "Out of the Blue" deserves to supplant one of them? Hard to say). What can I say, other than that Roxy Music's been the biggest gem 1001 Albums has introduced me to so far.

"Born to Run"? "Thunder Road"? "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"? All on the same album? You son of a bitch; I'm in.

The list of Smiths songs I like begins and ends with "How Soon Is Now?" Otherwise, they've never appealed to me, so went into this album with an open mind and and the hope that I was wrong about them. Turns out I wasn't, really. "How Soon Is Now?" aside, I seem to prefer uptempo Smiths, so "Vicar in a Tutu" and "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" were okay. But "Uptempo Smiths" seems to be a rare creature, and I'm not sure what to do with the rest of the album. Am I supposed to be taking lyrics like "And if a ten-ton truck kills the both of us..." seriously, or is there a comedic layer to it? I have no idea, but it it's the former then wow, dude, melodramatic much? I think it just boils down to the fact that I don't like Morrissey much. I don't think of him or the Smiths as goth, but he's definitely got that South Park goth kid gloomy navel-gazing vibe. I feel like he'd be exhausting to hang around. Find an antidepressant that works for you and buck up, my friend.

Meh

No thanks.

Had no idea what to expect with this one, but if I hadn't looked at its release date beforehand, I suspect I would have mistaken it for a punk and/or new wave album from the late-'80s (at least until they started singing about Rudy Giuliani, anyway). The first track, "Deceptacon," knocked me on my ass. The instrumentation is pretty simple (which can be said about the majority of the album), but Kathleen Hanna's vocals are raw and forceful and just about perfect. It's easily my favorite track on the album, which, sadly, isn't as consistent as I'd hoped it would be. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed "The The Empty" and "Let's Run," and "Friendship Station" ain't bad either (it's got a great beat). One thing's for sure: after enjoying Hanna's vocals so much I'm definitely going to give Bikini Kill a go, who I've heard of but never gotten around to checking out.

My streak of not enjoying country continues...

I know of Fugazi, but never heard their music before this. My life would be unchanged if that remained true today.

For me, it takes something special to get over the language barrier. This didn't clear the bar.

Oh my God, that's some funky shit! I didn't even need to listen to this album to give it five stars, but I did anyway, because it's not only a fantastic album, but a well-rounded one to boot. It's got classic tracks like "Sure Shot," "Sabotage," "Get It Together," and "Alright Hear This," plus some of their best instrumental stuff, like "Sabrosa," "Shambala," and "Transitions." And let's not forget <insert basically any other track here>. It doesn't really get better than this.

Nick Cave's one of those artists I've meant to check out but never gotten around to. The only song of his I really knew before this was "Red Right Hand," which is pretty cool, so I had high hopes for this album. It was not at all what I expected or wanted. Too slow and morose for my taste. Bummer.

What is it about '90s Britpop that bores me so much? Maybe it's just its utter mediocrity? I can't say for sure, but every time I hear it my mind immediately shuts off. Maybe it's a defense mechanism. Maybe I should harness this phenomenon for good. When my anger or anxiety starts to get the better of me, I can just throw on some Ash or Suede and let the banality wash it all away. It's worth a shot.

I feel like I'm supposed to like Joni Mitchell, but I just don't. I guess that means I need to continue my emotional education.

I guess I now know why "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is the only Iron Butterfly song I know. The rest of the album is fine, but unremarkable. It's certainly far less remarkable than the 17-minute (!!) "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (all praise the radio edit!). This gets two stars for being serviceable Doors-style psychedelic rock, and another for (the shorter version of) the classic "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida."

This is a solid punkish/garage rock album most notable for Karen O's distinctive vocals, but three tracks stand head and shoulders above the others: "Date with the Night," "Black Tongue," and "Maps." The latter is likely their most well-known track, as it charted in the US. That said, it sticks out like a sore thumb on the album—stylistically, it's more polished and ... I don't want to say "tame," so let's go with "accessible" instead (hence it hitting the charts). It's a fantastic song, but the rest of the album's wilder in comparison, which is likely to disappoint more pop-oriented music fans. "Black Tongue" is more representative of the album as a whole, and a joy for those who love the rawer sound. Karen O's in fine vocal form, and the instrumentation is simple and a touch dirty. While I can't pick out a song I don't like, but I wish there was another song or two that I outright loved. It wouldn't have hurt for them to have thrown "Bang" (from their debut EP) onto the album, just to give it a little more kick. But that's quibbling. This is a great album.

Whenever a publication makes a "Greatest Albums of All Times" list, "Pet Sounds" is inevitably in the mix, and it getting picked #1 isn't unusual. I've listened to it before, but didn't really get what all the fuss was about, so I dove into the Wiki page for context as I listened to it. And then I listened to it a couple more times. And you know what? I wouldn't go so far as to call it the best album ever, but it *is* excellent. Judging the album as a cohesive whole rather than just a bunch of songs slapped together on the same hunk of vinyl helped (and that's what we're doing here, right?). And getting some of the background from Wikipedia helped contextualize it. As for individual songs, "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "Sloop John B," and "God Only Knows" were my preexisting favorites, but new favorites include "That's Not Me," "I'm Waiting for the Day," "I Know There's an Answer," and "Here Today." I definitely slept on this album, but no more! These pets make great music.

Folk has always been hit and miss with me, and it's more miss than hit. I've never particularly cared for "American Pie" (the song), so I didn't have high hopes here. My (lack of) expectations were justified. The best I can say about this album is that if it didn't exist, we wouldn't have Weird Al's "The Saga Begins." That'd be a damn shame, so thanks for the assist, Don.

Feels like this album's title should be "The Beach Boys Try To Be The Beatles." Spoiler alert: they do a poor job of it. According to Wiki, "Surf's Up addresses environmental, social, and health concerns more than the group's previous releases. This was at the behest of newly recruited co-manager Jack Rieley, who strove to revamp the group's image and restore their public reputation following the dismal reception to their recent albums and tours. His initiatives included a promotional campaign with the tagline 'it's now safe to listen to the Beach Boys...'" And that's exactly what this album sounds like: a management-driven attempt to rebrand themselves and remind everyone that "Hey, man, we're still hip and relevant!" There isn't a single song on this album that I'm even remotely tempted to listen to again. I'm embarrassed for them.

It was okay.

A week after giving '90s Britpop shit, I get a Britpop album I actually enjoy. Maybe it's because this feels a little more rock 'n' roll than the others I've gotten thus far? Maybe it's the fact that the album's full of legitimate existential musings rather than treacly, angst-ridden love songs? I honestly don't know. One thing I do know is that "Bitter Sweet Symphony" is a fantastic song. It's Britpop done right, and one of the defining tracks of the '90s from any genre. At the time of its release, it was played, overplayed, then overplayed some more, and while my interest in adding it to my playlists may have waxed and waned over the years, I enjoy it thoroughly every time I hear it. As for the rest of the album, the biggest surprise for me was "The Drugs Don't Work." I first ran across the song on Ben Harper's "Live from Mars" album, and thought it was one of his own songs. Discovering it on this album was definitely another point in the Verve's favor. The rest of the album didn't exactly knock my socks off, but I think I need to give it another listen or two. It appears that Richard Ashcroft is a talented songwriter, and I suspect I'll find more to enjoy if I pay closer attention. Gonna give this three stars, but I wouldn't be surprised if I listen to it some more and end up thinking it should have been four.

I was familiar with the song "Heroes" before this, but the rest of the album was new to me. The instrumental tracks are what really grabbed my attention. Despite preceding the movie by a good five years, "Sense of Doubt" wouldn't feel out of place on the "Blade Runner" soundtrack, and "Neuköln" is equally moody and dark. Sandwiched between them is "Moss Garden," which has an ambient, meditative vibe to it (reinforced by Bowie's use of the koto). Interestingly, the track begins and ends with what sounds to my ears like rocket engines. Apparently the track "V-2 Schneider" is about Kraftwork's co-founder, but surely it's not a coincidence that the V-2 rocket was the first ballistic missile. It's almost as if the "Moss Garden" is a tranquil getaway from the dystopian locations the surrounding tracks represent. You hop on a rocket, get a little peace in the moss garden, then it's back on the rocket to return to the hellscape from whence you came. As for the rest of the album, there's artistry there (as one would expect from Bowie), but I don't see myself listening to anything other than "Heroes" with any kind of regularity.

Solid psychedelic rock. The highlight of the album is Barry Melton's guitar playing. I'm surprised I've never heard of him (or the band as a whole). Gets a littler weirder than I'd prefer at times, but that's par for the course with psychedelic stuff.

Not my style.

First things first: Van Halen was never the same after He Who Shall Not Drive 55 replaced David Lee Roth. For further information, please refer to Nerf Herder's "Van Halen." Now that that's out of the way, anyone with at least one working earhole should recognize the greatness of this album. Not only are "Jump," "Panama," and "Hot for Teacher" my three favorite Van Halen songs, but they're seminal '80s rock tracks, period. All on the same album. They're worth 4.5 stars themselves, and we can just round up the rest of the way to five on general principle.

I was expecting to love this, but I merely liked it. Gets a little too weird and meandering at times for my taste. But they're still incredible.

I was pleased to see this album crop up, as Joy Division is one of those bands that, every time someone mentions them, I think "I really need to check them out." But then I never get around to it, and the cycle begins again. I was *really* hoping to have my noggin blown by this album, but it just wasn't. It appears I'm not too into Ian Curtis' vocals, which sound a bit flat to my ears. None of the songs really jumped out at me, with the possible exception of "New Dawn Fades" and "Interzone," the latter of which features vocals by bassist Peter Hook instead of Curtis. In fact, the only thing that truly caught my attention was Hook's bass playing, which I found intriguingly unpredictable. (Oh, and the album cover, which is a classic.) I don't know. Maybe I'll appreciate it more if I give the album another listen or two, but I'm not in a rush to do so.