Journey Complete!
Finisher # to complete the list
680
Albums Rated
2.83
Average Rating
62%
Complete
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
82
5-Star Albums
101
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon
|
5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
|
Guitar Town
Steve Earle
|
5 | 2.81 | +2.19 |
|
Fly Or Die
N.E.R.D
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
TV On The Radio
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
|
Signing Off
UB40
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Felt Mountain
Goldfrapp
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
|
5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
|
Sister
Sonic Youth
|
5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
|
Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
|
5 | 3.03 | +1.97 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tapestry
Carole King
|
1 | 3.91 | -2.91 |
|
Hot Fuss
The Killers
|
1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
|
Pearl
Janis Joplin
|
1 | 3.73 | -2.73 |
|
Funeral
Arcade Fire
|
1 | 3.56 | -2.56 |
|
Frank
Amy Winehouse
|
1 | 3.45 | -2.45 |
|
Aqualung
Jethro Tull
|
1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
|
The Fat Of The Land
The Prodigy
|
1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
|
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
|
1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
|
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
|
1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
|
A Girl Called Dusty
Dusty Springfield
|
1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 5 | 4.6 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 5 |
| Tom Waits | 3 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 3 | 5 |
| Sonic Youth | 4 | 4.5 |
| Neil Young | 3 | 4.67 |
| Johnny Cash | 2 | 5 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| Beastie Boys | 2 | 5 |
| TV On The Radio | 2 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 5 | 4.2 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Alice Cooper | 2 | 1 |
| Kanye West | 2 | 1 |
| Ice Cube | 2 | 1 |
| Hole | 2 | 1 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 3 | 1.67 |
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 1.5 |
| Dusty Springfield | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elvis Costello | 2 | 1.5 |
| Rufus Wainwright | 2 | 1.5 |
| Randy Newman | 2 | 1.5 |
| Dinosaur Jr. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Slipknot | 2 | 1.5 |
| Scott Walker | 2 | 1.5 |
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 2 | 1.5 |
| Pet Shop Boys | 2 | 1.5 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 3 | 2 |
| Björk | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Arcade Fire | 5, 1, 1 |
| Everything But The Girl | 4, 1 |
| Van Morrison | 5, 2 |
| Amy Winehouse | 1, 4 |
| Madonna | 5, 2, 2 |
5-Star Albums (82)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
On the one hand, this Southern fried album has a lot of great tracks that I remember from growing up and listening to it in the South. On the other hand, it's hard to ignore the rift between the band and Neil Young (though he would later come to temper that somewhat). But Neil was spot on that the band was racist and rocking the confederate flag at their shows. After everything that has happened in our country since this came out, I can honestly say, it's hate not heritage-- and that makes it hard to want to hear.
20 likes
Metallica
2/5
Hearing tracks like "One" on this album bum me out because it shows that Metallica has the talent and the capacity to make more interesting music but just generally chooses not to, instead focusing on the monotonous every track sounds the same except for one or two on every album. Technically super talented band.
15 likes
Madness
2/5
Just ok. Our House, obviously a terrific song. The rest of it? What am I even listening to. Just okay.
10 likes
1-Star Albums (101)
All Ratings
Eminem
5/5
I remember exactly where I was when I heard this album from the first time. The album had just dropped a few months before maybe and I was transporting a foster child for the Agency I worked for. He asked if he could play a cassette inn the car and it was this. So we checked it out over the long drive and he was WAY into it. Eminem was a complete departure from anything that had come before. And these songs are ballads for the lost and forgotten and the hurt. To see it through the eyes of that foster child as my initial taste of Eminem earned me as an early fan, and I still think he's terrific. A master.
Eurythmics
1/5
That first track has the weirdest background noises that I am pretty sure are the same as Legend of Zelda II on the OG Nintendo NES! Hahah. Track two brings on the flute bounce which is pretty stressful. Anyhow, overall, I think if I never heard Annie Lenox sing to me again, that would be fine. Glad she's out there and I hope she made someone happy.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
It has taken me some time to find a day where I could commit to a 42 song album. They certainly were generous with. music length and I think a price should be given for that alone! This is, of course, a classic bluegrass album that came closer to any other to making bluegrass standards mainstream than any other effort I am aware of. NGDB was certainly a part of the soundtrack of my childhood and these songs, many of them old, have been played throughout Appalachia for time immemorial. I am a fan, but can't say I will often seek this one out in the future. Good to hear.
Johnny Cash
5/5
This is one of the greatest live albums ever made. What Cash did in this album to a higher degree than I have ever heard is that he spoke to the prisoners from *their* point of view as peers. Listen to the humor, the politeness, and the anti-authoritarian comments. And the crowd responds incredibly because it was so rare for anyone to treat them this way. I've listened to this album scores of times over my life. It is one of the greatest examples of artistic empathy I know. I love Johnny Cash and I definitely love this album. I bet a lot of those guys were seeing June Carter on the back of their eyelids as they fell asleep that night. Worth going to prison for to see this performance? Maybe.
Taylor Swift
4/5
It's catchy, but doesn't have nearly the depth of her more recent albums which I find excellent. She's developed a ton since this was dropped in 2014-- and I think for the better.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
This is kind of a monotonous and brooding album, but it is totally listenable in the background. Not much breaks through the hum. It is exactly what I think of when I think of this band.
Coldplay
4/5
I vacillate between thinking they are one of the greatest bands of my time to thinking that they are completely devoid of meaning and have an overly simulated sound. It's wild, but I've never really settled that internal debate. I loved this album when it came out and I think I was completely awestruck. I still think it sounds great.
Rush
4/5
It's very hard to listen to the album without thinking back on the Fall of 1994. I was a freshman in a dorm living in Arizona when I met a quirky bright Brooklynite named David. He had grown up playing chess in Central Park and somehow made it his mission to teach me. So every night, I'd head down to his room and we'd play chess. And he taught me everything. He was constantly talking and always high strung. I didn't realize immediately that he was high on crystal meth. Anyhow, to the sounds of this album more often than not, I learned chess over a period of months. Finally I beat David at chess and then that was it. He never spoke to me again and he dropped out of school shortly thereafter. This is a long way to say that it's impossible for me to really judge the album on its own merits. But the gift of learning chess that came along with it is a debt I will always owe David-- and Tom Sawyer.
Brian Eno
4/5
This is extremely relaxing, pleasant, comforting. I enjoyed this a lot more than ever I have Brian Eno. Not sure I'm a convert yet, but it is very good. Perhaps this is because of my recent experiences reuniting with the Hearts of Space radio program which serves up weekly ambient music now online whereas it did so when I was a kid on the radio once a week. When it's done well, ambient music can really head straight into the heart and move you.
Paul McCartney and Wings
2/5
There are the two well known and one slightly less well known radio songs on this album. Other than that, not much to tickle the brain here. I certainly respect McCartney, but probably wouldn't have gone to see him live even with free tickets.
Tina Turner
2/5
Out of the slot, down and dirty with a little kink in the gravel vocals that pop way higher than the drum machine or the syncopation of the brassy guitar. I mean when this dropped in '84, I was 8. So some of this is seminal, emotional music that still hits me so deep. When I hear her voice, I am right back there on the edge of my seat watching Mad Max or waiting for Mom's aerobics class to end. These early tracks are etched deep into the silicon of my motherboard. Her cover of Al Green is one that put me of two minds. The drum machine is not enough for this song. The synth falters. But her voice. It does carry. The Beatles cover on Help is sort of awful. Ball of confusion earns its name and hmm there are a bunch of songs in the middle that aren't good at all. I feel that all the way through the most of the end. This is one I want to fall in love with again, but just can't.
Duran Duran
4/5
I had this album as a little kid so it is heavily intertwined with my memories. Some of the saxophone is a little saccharin, but the keyboard and vocal sound characteristics seem timeless-- especially in light of the advent of new synthpop over the last decade especially. Hungry Like the Wolf and Save a Prayer were the ones that I remember most singing with friends on the bus or loving at the school dance. HLTW is still a windows-down, crank it up song while all the kids at the red light are desperately Shazamming it.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
This is a great example of an artist and an album that is a pillar against time. This sounds as fresh to me as it must have when it was released. Her voice is so unique and so powerful that nothing can topple it. Nearly all the artists I hear held up as "queens" of music today pale in comparison. Bluesy with a little rasp and a superb range with the most comforting angels of accompaniment and a smattering of horns. The piano rich and full of butter. I Never Loved a Man is a standout to me, but there isn't a bad track on the album. It's perfect.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
What a great album and sound. I definitely hear resonance with Kate Bush and The Innocence Mission. Even The Cure. I really think this is outstanding and enjoyable. Unique vocals, solid dark guitar and very nice strong basslines.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
I've listened to this many times, but finally taking the time to review it. This album is so American. Springsteen is often said to be at his best on this album. I can't disagree. While it's not my favorite, it might very well be his best. Overall, it feels sad. Life coming up short. Getting older.
The Saints
3/5
27 songs seems a bit much. This album is extremely cohesive-- or maybe monotonous depending on your point of view. Personally, I like the vocals and I like the horns and the hard driving beats here. But ten songs might have conveyed the point as there isn't a very wide range of the sound. I read this album as solidly punk-- and it's pretty good for the genre. So the problem is me. I just have a somewhat limited appetite for the album length in this genre by almost any punk band. A Minor Aversion is the exception here, but it's just not enough, especially because the vocals are very consistent no matter what and where.
4/5
Everything about this. The slide guitar. The fantastic honky tonk riffs. This album is top notch. This one wants me to fire up the big rig and get those 18 wheels truckin down I-10 into the arms of a stranger. It's a lullaby for cheaters and broken hearts. Fabulous piece of Americana and it was lovely to hear for the first time.
The Blue Nile
3/5
Sort of a fascinating album with 80's Peter Gabriel vibes. Really really like the track Heat Wave. Totally palatable album with outstanding vocals.
Suede
3/5
Sleeping Pills stands out for this band that has echoes of Bowie. The Next Life though is the best song on this album for me. Overall, echoes of Bowie on this album with a somewhat stronger English sound.This album doesn't outperform expectations, but does not underwhelm either. It's worthy even if I didn't find any tracks to add to my favs.
The xx
5/5
I remember when this dropped it absolutely blew my mind. I still think that is the case. Heart Skipped a beat is the best track and it is still just white hot for me. There is something so seductive and sexy about this whole album, its spare angsty duets. Shelter is another track that I just LOVE. The lyrics, her raspy voice. It's all a treat. The minor piano chords, the pacing, the tension. You can cut it with a knife.
Pink Floyd
5/5
The soundtrack of my early teenage years. I've certainly watched the film as well. I think there are still things I'm coming to terms with with this album. Aspects I do not understand. It is one of the most complex and rich albums of all time. You could teach a semester on this album.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I think of this as a central album of my growing up. It was an album I'd hear in the middle of the night and find my mom alone, maybe sipping some Grand Marnier in the Baroque barley twist chair, more often in the dark with a little fire going in the fireplace. It is a critical piece of American music, and I was filled with joy to see Joni take the stage again last month. It is somewhat difficult to talk about the songs individually. I've spent so many hours listening to this over the years. Blue is a particularly challenging song. More than anything, it encapsulates all the hardest parts of my childhood with solace and revery. Complicated. Rich. Shattered. I'm not so emotional these days as I once was, but poignant 'River' still does it. It has all the feels about the things I hoped for, still hope for, but also all the losses and the things I had to say goodbye to. I made my baby cry. We all want to skate or run or fly away from the challenges and the difficulties. When I hear it today, I hear its flaws, but also I think this album is valid. It is full of excellent points and sentimental but truthful lyrics. If you cannot respect Blue as an album, your heart is not open. Joni still has it. ❤️.
JAY Z
5/5
Hard to believe this is 2 decades old. Every song on this album is a masterwork and a breakthrough for rap that changed the game and level set the bar up into the sky. Triumphs. Ain't no love in the heart of the city is one of my favorites. All the references and shoutouts. Marvin Gaye, Jim Morrison, and many hauntingly beautiful samples I didn't know before I looked them up like Bobby Glenn's 'Sounds Like a Love Song'. The Blueprint is an album in my general rotation even today that I listen to when I'm feeling frustrated by everything and I want to rise above the chaos. Renegade is awesome. Eminem fits right in. Girls, girls, girls is the weak link in the album that I don't think will stand the test of time. Beasties did it on License to Ill and it doesn't hold up.
Elton John
3/5
This album has some real gems, but also has some carnival music that gets a bit well, overexuberant. Elton is one of the highest grossing musicians of all times, but not all of it is great. Candle in the Wind, This Song has no Title, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and I've seen that Movie Too are all songs I can listen to fairly often. The rest I've got no patience for. Solid middle of the yellow brick road 3.
Rod Stewart
4/5
It's such a sweet album. I think only because of all the memories listening to it on vinyl as a kid, it gets a 4. All my single mother's occasional heartaches come back in waves listening to Reason to Believe.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
This is an album that is of the highest significance. Although less harmonious than the rest of the album, I credit Living for the City for helping me as a child to be sensitive that life was less fair for others than it was for me, and to realize how scary that must be. I think it is one of the most important songs of the 1970's. I personally have a very small collection of vinyls that I retain and this is one of them. All in Love is Fair is the lowest point for me, but it's still extremely good. Near perfect album.
Daft Punk
3/5
Quite a few great songs on here, but also a collection of dull repetitive ones. I like all the hits and I sort of dislike the rest save for a few sleepers like Alive. Daft Punk hit with a sound of their own that was exciting and emulated in the clubs at the time. This music got a ton of asses shaking.
Pink Floyd
5/5
The walking blues in Shine on You Crazy Diamond as you hit the cold mechanical noise of Welcome to the Machine is a high point for me. I find Welcome to the Machine to be one of the most alienating and terrifying songs of all times, but then you are in it after a few seconds and you know they've been waiting for you. Have a cigar takes you into the dilapidated excesses of capitalism and says oh these machinations are fine, you're one of us. Ugh, but do I wanna be!?? Then when you hit Wish You Were Here for real, all of it gets stripped bare and laid to the simple acoustic. It is not only the namesake of this seminal album, but also one of the more endearing songs that Pink Floyd put out. It's the one where you know you are quietly with the tribe. A little sadness. A little nostalgia. Your heroes for ghosts. Hot ashes for trees. Hot air for a cool breeze. It is a salve and also a mourning for what we've lost to the organized and dominating machinations of power that roll over us, the quotidian proles. Shine on. It is an excellent one.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Tell me a greater album in rock history. There is no low water mark. This is 100. Every single track.
Goldfrapp
5/5
I have CLEARLY missed out on this band for far too long. Headed for a deep dive this weekend! Lush and sensual. If I were in an intergalactic spaceship, we would have this on the intercom all the time. This could also be the soundtrack to parts of a James bond film. Oompah Radar is a little too lost in the funhouse and not even in a good Twin Peaks way. They lost me a bit on this one-- but only in the weird parts.. But with Utopia, we are right back on the space ship headed for Planet Xenon as we should be and everything is right with the galaxy The final track, Horse Tears is really far too good for the world we live in. It is a musical masterpiece. Opus.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Really an impressive and interesting album that is hauntingly familiar. Someone must have played it at a party or it was in a movie or something when I was a child. In particular, there are a few notes in Autopsy that come sweeping in as near perfect. The fact that Richard Thompson was involved comes as no surprise, because it reverberates with the Richard and Linda Thompson album Bright Lights (I like Linda's voice better)! Quite pleasant overall with a few jangly tracks and an album I would not mind revisiting once in a while.
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
This is a terrific album. She's fairly mainstream at this point, but I do like that she breaks with the Team 'Murica country set. Not quite Outlaw Country which is most to my liking, but trending that way and I like it. Great voice. Great lyrics. Just about every song on this one is solid straight through.
Dire Straits
3/5
This album has been popular for a long time and Mark Knopfler's voice and those screaming guitars are the reason why. I think there are better Dire Sraits songs elsewhere, but there are still a couple of tracks here that are my jam. Without the title track though, the album would come up short. I love Brothers in Arms specifically. The mournful notes before the swinging and soulful drop with its tempered drums. Finally, that Hammond B-3 that comes in is just terrific. Take me to church.
Paul Simon
3/5
This was truly an exciting album when it hit. I feel like Paul Simon's album here was the siren call to usher out the nastiest parts of the 80's-- the unfettered capitalistic republicanism that threatened to destroy America. And for a brief ebullient moment, Simon put is in touch with out hearts. This album gave love and human kindness a reason to hope. the album reminds me of my long deceased best friend from childhood and weekends at my Dad's house. Cool.
That said, it is not the best Paul Simon album in my opinion. That honor goes instead to the lesser known album 'Hearts and Bones'. And if you don't know that one, please go give it a listen.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
I had high hopes at the outset because the opener hits pretty hard. Then it got a bit formulaic for me.
The War On Drugs
5/5
When you're great, everyone wants to dim your shine. Sure, they can call it Dad rock or whatever. They can say it's derivative. They're all wrong. The haters.
I've seen Under the Pressure played live. And it has evolved from this early album. It is much glossier now than this bare bones version. "I'm in my finest hour. Can I be more than just a fool?" Yeah man. You are alright. The Haunting Idle is a truly epic intro and then, it leaves you there idling like a chef who uses the precisely correct amount of salt and leaves you hungry. And then Burning comes in like Rod Stewart in Young Turks and I am second guessing my defense of their originality, but then it meanders elsewhere..
Technically some of the most persuasive guitar sounds and crisp drum work from a currently working band. War on Drugs will be a band our children will know and respect. They will listen to it to try to understand who we were. This album is a great example of why I love music.
Traffic
4/5
That instant at the beginning when the tapping starts. Do you remember where you were the first time you heard it? I definitely do. It was a crazy time in town. They said in the summer of '91 some of the local kids were going nuts (wasn't me), staying up late and doing wild things. Lock your doors at night they were saying. And that muted trumpet and the tonguing of the sax that emerges full on is all *yeah*.
It occurs to me that this is possibly the only flute album besides Carlos Nakai that I like.
It occurs to me that Empty Pages is a straight up JAM!
All of disk 1 reminiscent of some kids and their wild days of footloose and fancy free (certainly not me).
Disk 2 jumps right in there with that little Greg Allman style riff and takes off from there. The second version of JBMD is the better of the two and it is amazing. Solid folk and a lot of finger picking too.
Medicated Goo is a definitive low point. And the second disk does drop off a good bit, but it's not enough to negate the accomplishment of the first disk. This is a significant and important album that was the soundtrack of a lot of wild shenanigans (definitely not mine).
Bob Dylan
5/5
This album can be hard for me to listen to sometimes, and not for the usual philistine bullshit complaints about Bob Dylan. It's written in the language of an America that our country mostly forgot how to speak. And it's the only language I know, so it makes me feel somewhat lonesome because there's no one left to talk to most days. This album is so good and so close to home for me, it's painful to listen to it.
Tangled up in Blue is easily a song I've listened to hundreds of times. I long for her and miss her as he tells me about this love affair that won't let him go across time and place with the coolest woman in the world. Just devastatingly unrequited love. Man, I get it.
Simple Twist of Fate keeps up the melancholy reminisce for me. Just gorgeous. This is Dylan at his finest. Lush and spare at the same time.
"Time is a jetplane. It moves too fast."
Some of the jingly harmonica songs aren't as good. I can listen to them, but they do detract from the overall quality of the music and they seem tone deaf next to the *masterworks* that also include: Meet Me In The Morning and If You See Her Say Hello (will you please say hello from me as well?), and Shelter From The Storm AND of course, the inimitable Buckets of Rain.
Buckets of Rain frequently moves me close to the point of tears. I mean, Buckets of Moonbeams in my Hands. I've seen pretty people disappear like smoke. These lyrics, as many many times as I've heard them, are always fresh and always cut right to my spirit and remind me where to place my feet in the neverending pursuit of the righteous path of love.
Nirvana
5/5
From the minute it drops. You know. This album is going to rick and it just changed everything about music. I'm right back there with my first girlfriend in her mom's basement. Her black hair, smelling like apricots. We had such high hopes for Cobain right out of the box and somehow we wound up with Hole as the consolation.
That baseline on Teen Spirit. If that doesn't make your sap rise, are you really born in the 1970's? Hello hello hello.
Come as you are is the ultimate. You wanna drive. You wanna do stuff. Still a jam and hits hard today. I've been really careful not to listen to this album for years so that when I do, I can jump in a time machine and it isn't worn out. This is music at the core of our generation.
Love it!!
Fiona Apple
1/5
Oh no. This is like listening to a Yoko Ono album. Terrible lyrics, maddening transitions, painful vocal noise. Sounds like near the rock bottom drug spiral album or maybe like the midlife crisis album. Or maybe this was an album intended to stick it to a bad contract with a record label. If I could sum it up with one word: alarming.
Peter Frampton
2/5
All I Want to Be and Wind of Change were the low water mark for me on this album. Baby I Love Your Way is sounding schmaltzy now though it was definitely the stuff of slow dances in middle school. I Wanna Go to the Sun is pretty miserable. Money, Shine On is the same. The Only song that stands for me is Do you feel, and honestly I feel it's gimmicky.
Roxy Music
2/5
Wildly different from my expectations. I kind of think of RM as the band that brought me my favorite 80's song, "More Than This". Imagine my surprise to find this weird rock amalgam album. Not unpleasant, but also not the hoped for new hidden personal anthems.
N.W.A.
3/5
This is a major album because it was a huge departure for rap. NWA came out swinging and every PTA in the country was freaking out. It was like Black Sabbath all over again but black. That said, it was a huge album also because it started to say the things that needed to be said and nobody was saying loudly enough (or no one was listening). Kudos to Ice Cube, EZE, and Dre for starting a conversation about Los Angeles that was a catalyst for change and has ultimately set into motion the many other changes in our country like taking down the statues and police reform. This album changed music putting Gangsta Rap on the map setting the stage for later major albums like Fear of a Black Planet. Awesome.
Yes
3/5
I dug in and enjoyed it. I consider Yes to be a sort of minor band in my pantheon, but it was enjoyable and melodic. Everything I expected and the hits I love, especially I've Seen All Good People were cool to revisit.
The Cure
4/5
This album is great! A Forest, M, and At Night are songs I already know and love. But Secrets and Your House are totally new to me and I love these!!! All those discordant notes and minor chords are just excellent. I did not know that there were songs this good by The Cure I had not yet heard. I always thought I was an early adaptor having started in with the Cure with the vinyl of Three Imaginary Boys which dropped in 1979, just barely ahead of this. Somehow I never heard this one!!
Robert Wyatt
2/5
This album is a bit of a euphoric hot mess. So many minor chords and weird noise. Not really my thing, but sort of harmless and interesting. It seems like something composed by someone who spent too much time alone.
Linkin Park
2/5
This was definitely a breakthrough album that gave voice to the feelings of teenage gamers surfing waves of Mountain Dew and Red Bull and eating fireballs in basements across America. The middle of the album By Myself and the obvious In the End are both great anthems to hopelessness. not for me, but I fully understand that this was the kickoff of a needed genre.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
There are so many little short songs! Loved the intro to "Roller Coasters", the psychedelic surf rock vibes really lead you down the spiral alongside the other deeply laid background effects. Singer taking a background to this and the ephemeral tempo shifts are very very enticing. That said, this music that my parents would have dug, for me had its moment and while historically important isn't compelling.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Mr. Soul is a killer intro. I love NY and this song never disappoints. Hippy hippy shake guitar solos just shredding. Expecting to Fly is so evocative and makes me think about the inevitable loss of love. Songs like Hung Upside Down don't hold up too well and seem pretty threadbare. By the time you get to Sad Memory, ugh, it's like everyone left the party except me, this guitar, and this bottle of booze and a little smoke rising from a nub of incense. Overall, this is a familiar album that has not endured the years as well as other Neil Young efforts have. Broken Arrow is possibly an exception where his voice is straight and true and rises high. I love that one.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
The headline in the LA Times says all I can say about Clapton (including 'Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs' at this waning stage of his career.. "Vaccinated but anti-vaccine, Eric Clapton tests positive for COVID-19". Perhaps a 'Lost Sailor', his contributions are fading into the mists of time on this 42 year old album. Some of the backup vocals do stand the test of time. Thanks for the add to the group.
-neurorocker
Steely Dan
3/5
The last time I heard this album deeply was in 1996 when I was dating a girl from Tulsa whose daddy was a CEO at a big pharma company and now just as then, the music and the girl left a lot to be desired. A studio band a girl that were a veneer of what you hoped. Vapid. Light on content. Superficial.
Joy Division
3/5
Not an album I've ever heard before. In the past I've felt about Joy Division the way many people feel about Morrissey (I like most of Morrissey). I always hoped that Joy Division would contextualize for me and have their moment knowing how influential they are. While I'm not a huge fan of the sound of Curtis' vocals (like a less talented Ian Asbury), I discovered some bass-lines and guitar I enjoyed more than on prior forays into the Joy Division catalog. Occasionally, the guitar was as good as some of the best Cure songs (Twenty Four Hours).
Judas Priest
3/5
When I think back to Judas Priest, I feel like everyone called it heavy metal, and maybe it is, but it just seems like a hardworking rock band to me now. The album and the band were much better than I remembered. The relentless pounding rhythms in Steeler were excellent. There were a few popular tunes like Breakin the Law that I remembered with some fondness. These were counterbalanced by the dreck of United and Red, White & Blue which were both difficult to chew through. Not sure I would be up for a deeper dive of JP, but it was interesting to hear some of the sounds countering my internal narrative about this band.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I remember when this band was pretty hot and I couldn't find the glory in it then. I gave it a shot again this morning and I'm still a no. This polyphonic sound wall is not for me.
Destiny's Child
1/5
Best part is the guitar homage to Eye of the Tiger on Bootylicious. Other than that just wracked my brain to determine which auto-tuned keyboard song hurt my ears most. Brown Eyes was the one I finally landed on. That song seems like the soundtrack I would need if I took up full time inspiration porn on my Pinterest board. Happy Face was a very close second. I struggled to dislike one more than the other. The spoken word xian gospel lyrics were just salt in the wound.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
They tried to warn us.
I remember the exact moment when I first heard this album. I was on a bus bouncing through the back roads of the South San Juan Mountains of Colorado. This was the last album I heard before 24 days of hardcore alpine mountaineering with a crew of five dudes, ice axes, lines, and brand new boots. Hundreds of miles and weeks later and the lyrics were still bouncing around in my brain as they had all along the trail.
The album stands. It was way ahead of its time. Probably is still ahead of its time and inaccessible to a lot of Americans who will never understand. Game-changer.
Elliott Smith
5/5
The first notes are so melancholy and moving. A worthy start for one of the most talented American performers, taken from us way too soon and so tragically (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/mar/19/popandrock.elliottsmith). I'm trying to remember which ex-girlfriend it was that introduced me to Elliott Smith. Might have been Sasha or maybe Erica. Probably it was Jen. But it was a long time ago, and the love affair with this music went on far longer than the relationship with her ever did (somebody that I used to know). Individually through the magic of Napster, I have quite a few of the individual tracks if Figure 8 in my collection, but there are unheard tracks here.
Junk Bond. This is new to me and it swings. Guitars like church gongs in the first stanza. Easy Way Out = 💔. Damn.
It's very hard not to like an Elliot Smith album. I've never heard anyone say oh I hate Elliot Smith. I think that's because you have to love music to even get introduced to Elliot Smith. And since anyone who really loves music loves Elliot Smith, no one really dislikes his music.
A very quiet massive figure and this album is beautiful. Top notch. Bye.
Depeche Mode
4/5
This is a solid Depeche Mode album. Not something I would listen to frequently, but it definitely has its time and place.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
This has to be the best band with the worst vocals I can think of in this genre.
The Sonics
1/5
This is an album that has expired. I get that this is the basis of rock and roll, but it's just all bleached bones to me now to hear. My Dad would be tapping his foot!
Nick Drake
5/5
The opening is regal with the strings and acoustic. A lush, calm, and exquisite entrance. Second track definitely feels like Drake songs I know, sets a quickened pace and we are off. I love the sax in Chimes of a City Clock, a track I've loved a long time. It is a very mature sound far from the reckless abandon of 80's sax. Perfectly understated and not saccharin. I'm sure I am not alone in thinking that 'Fly' is superb. I feel the early notes of 'Poor Boy' are the weakest section of the album, the melody getting lost a bit with over-complex transitions. The angelic background singing pulls it all back together, however, and then this triumph rises to a completely harmonized sonic tunnel that gives way to a just slightly dirtier sax outburst and I'm all in! Northern Sky is excellent and an all time favorite. The album ends on a low note for me as it barely averts drifting into 70's schmaltz.
Cream
2/5
It's one of these major albums that changed music. Clapton is a person who I have so many personal disagreements with that I find him a bit hard to stomach and I think his dangerous opinions will ultimately dilute his popularity as a musician.
Morrissey
4/5
This was a pretty solid Morrissey album. I have a limited subset of his songs in my general rotation and none of these are them. Mostly rock and with predictable rhythms, but with that trademark voice that I like and the rambling and the weird noise that I also like. Overall, just a solid album. My favorite part was the piano nod at the very end to Sing me to Sleep, a great song and worthy of the musical hat tip.
R.E.M.
4/5
Love all the old classics, didn't hear a lot that I hadn't listened to extensively here in the past. There was the one exception though, loved 'Oddfellows Local 151' which is a song that if not new to me I've not often heard!! Great track. Solid album, great band. I recall partying in Athens and hearing the locals down there rave about what great guys they are. Always amplifies a band in my opinion if they're good people.
Pulp
2/5
In 1998, I was graduating from college. I was 21 and the world was full of promise. This album was barely a blip on my radar at the time and failed to rise above the many other outstanding albums that were coming out. I was deep into downloading and accumulated much of the incredible library I now enjoy. Still not doing it for me.
Foo Fighters
5/5
Just a solid rock album through and through for every song. Thoroughly enjoyed this Friday "full send" album that gets the work done!
Def Leppard
4/5
Nice to hear a Def Leppard album. The only time I saw the band was in 2006 or so. I was in the front row and center with a buddy and ended up partying in the hotel room with one of the guys from the band in New Orleans. It was an epic and unforgettable night. I enjoyed this album quite a bit!
Arcade Fire
5/5
This is a fabulous album. The driving beats and the excellent guitar work perfectly tuned to the vocals all combine for an absolute smash. Something about this music makes me feel comfortable and at home in my skin. I'm so psyched to go see two nights of AF later this year!
Beyoncé
2/5
It's a huge evolution that we see on this album against the Destiny's Child album heard recently. And, I appreciate the changes. It's clear that Beyonce grew as an artist between the two albums. That said, songs like 'Rocket' still sound like they are in church, and I really dislike that vocal style. Overall, not for me, but maybe the next one??
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This is top shelf rock. Funny thing about this album by the greatest rock band of all time. The first track sucks. But after that... We are off and the redemption is immediate with The Rover. In My Time of Dying is a slow start and then leaps into the tight little guitar spins and quick tempo interchanges. Drums are slammin. Eventually we wend our way to Kashmir which could very well be my favorite song by my favorite band. It's an anthem and I love the Tolkien imagery as well as the strings. Legendary stuff of rock. Disc 2 is off with a bang as In the Light hits us with the heavy guitars and the total optimism halfway through. This song brings hope. Bron Yr Ar takes me back to my early teenage years, eyes full of hope and trepidation. And we swing into the hazy lazy Down By the Riverside. Ten Years Gone reminds me of my dead best friend (we used to listen to Zeppelin all the time for years before he was swept away). The backs of so many cars. So many basements. Campfires. All the excellent nights. "Rivers always reach the sea".
Neil Young
5/5
I'm so glad to see this album! This is one of the best Neil Young albums and almost no one knows it well. The best part of this album for me is that I discovered it myself later in life (in my 40's), so it isn't intertwined with complex teenage memories. I know every inch of it and love it so much. That Wurlitzer on See the Sky About to Rain combined with the slide is just... too perfect. The banjo on For the Turnstyles is just classic and portends banjo on later songs like Old King. Good thing I have this album in my collection since Neil Young is *still* way to good for Spotify!!!
Talking Heads
4/5
This is such a funky and fun Talking Heads album. Classic Byrne bouncing around, seemingly having fun, but technically sound!
Sebadoh
2/5
Sebadoh is kind of like Pavement. I know they are out there, I know people love to listen to it, but mostly it doesn't do it for me. I always feel like I must be missing something, and indeed sometimes a band will suddenly contextualize for me, so I'll just say, I'm not quite ready for Sebadoh if this album is representative.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
I just didn't like this one at all... :(
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
CCR managed to always give the Southern fried rock served up without the racism. This album is a solid one packed full of the hits that defined the band and got radio play for decades. Liked it, even if the sound is becoming a bit tired and dated. Lots to be nostalgic for and a good tight album with many important songs.
The Go-Go's
4/5
Our Lips are Sealed was one we had on 45 with We Got the Beat! I distinctly remember the family dancing to it. So, it was very nice to revisit this album that came out when I was 6! It is even better than I remember it. The sound has actually not only held up, but sounds incredible keeping pace with some of the hottest music. It's still edgy, tight licks, and hot chicks. The guitar on Lust to Love is especially kick@$$.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
This was much better than I was expecting! I really enjoyed all of it! Lots of cowbell.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
I have actually listened to a couple CB albums in the past. I liked that opening track which was a classic. Despite the funky name, this band is pretty conventional with a whiff of the 60's psychedelic style into Zig Zag Wanderer. That whiff turns into a full odor by the time you get to Dropout Boogie. I'm Glad makes a complete shift to RNB and that's kind of weird. By electricity, we are back to the gimmicky psychedelic soul replete with therimin. Is that what I'm hearing?? Anyhow, the last ten songs seem to blur together into an ooze and others overheard this and said, that must be the worst music I've ever heard!
Bob Dylan
4/5
Maybe it was growing up to him on the warm sound of spinning vinyls. Maybe it was people spontaneously singing the lyrics around me. I'll always have a home for the too often reviled Dylan. This album is a masterwork. A lullaby by its end and so many of the greatest hits are on it. Dylan is indeed a prince and an American icon. That said, I finally went to see him at Jazzfest one year. The swamp was so hot that I ended up 10,000 miles away from the jumbotron smashed between de-shirted frat bros, and it made me reconsider. All of those images were in my head as I enjoyed some of the lesser known tracks. Stellar artist and a great example.
Richard Thompson
5/5
Don't tell anyone about this album which is by far and away one of the greatest kept secrets in music. I have listened to it hundreds of times and it just never lets me down. It was like revisiting an old friend with whom you never quarrel. The transition to Calvary Cross has to be one of the greatest in modern music history. Try not to cry when the existential wall hits you and you now know there is 'Nothing at the End of the Rainbow'. I always want to know more. Who were the Thompsons? Why were they so good? How come they never got famous? But I decided a long time ago intentionally NOT to open any of those boxes and potentially spoil the music. So dense and each song standing so alone that every song is like an album. If I was trapped on a desert island and could only have five albums, this would probably be one of them.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This is an album that should mean so much to me as a red-blooded American, but doesn't There is a track or two that is excellent.. Okay, Born to Run is excellent. The rest is just okay. If there isn't a freight train runnin through the middle of my bed, it just isn't Bruce enough for me. Just okay.
2/5
When I was a kid, this was a 5. I knew every word and we often sang songs from it on our many drives between Washington DC and home shuttling between parents. I think now it has faded for me, possibly fueled by angst and resentment. lol. #overshare.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Mid-college album for me in Northern Arizona enjoying the Southwest and definitely finding all the clubs between Houston and Phoenix. This album was highly relevant for a couple of months in '96 starting in Texas for me and then carrying on for a few years. And a lot of events occurred with its birth that were terribly exciting. It calls up girls in leather catsuits and limos and other things that won't now be transcribed in detail from the thankfully analogue experiences of then to the digital AI superstructure of now. Needless to say, a wonderful pacifying album for some extremely interesting times. I know every song of this like the curves of Schnebly Hill Road or the vintage 70's couches of East Flagstaff or the Kingfisher's bar in Tucson. Mmm.
This was a ground-breaking album that erupted and shattered the late grunge era of that year with a fresh sound. And this sound has basically persisted for decades in some genres though never as good as the first time. There is no bad song on this album.
Wrong is my favorite with wherever you go I will follow you, but also Mirrorball is a hot track. Bringing back almost a bit too many memories!!
The The
2/5
I did not find this particularly to my taste and I really love 80's music and had high hopes.
Minutemen
3/5
There were like 800 songs on this album! It was a fun punkstravaganza. Several quiet or thoughtful tracks alongside the more traditional fodder.
Miles Davis
2/5
I love Kind of Blue. Though I've slogged through this album any of a number of times (and even studied it in college), it just has not contextualized for me yet. Really respect Miles Davis, but this one is very difficult.
Gil Scott-Heron
2/5
It was a groovy journey with a few tracks that rose above. Bit too much flute for my taste!
Bad Brains
3/5
I've always struggled with Bad Brains even though people I deeply respect love this group. So, I always try to dip in and try them periodically. So glad I did. This was way better than previous engagements. She's Calling you was the highlight. Lots of very tight timing changes.
Merle Haggard
2/5
Tonight the Bottle Let me Down is surely the best track here and portends the better music that Haggard made later in his career. Just kidding, that's not on this album. Haggard, usually a country star favorite of mine from the early outlaw subgenre is music I usually love, but this album was just too early in his development to give me much to get excited about.
The Damned
3/5
A very solid Brit punk album from a band I did not know. Overall, it is a classic. I still have my top favorite punk albums and this won't be in it, but I can see why this band is considered highly innovative. The driving drums combined with the various singing styles were the highlight for me.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Is it RNB? Am I on a spacecraft? Is this an opera or is the orchestra tuning up their instruments? Somewhere in between?? Although I really dislike RNB, I found myself somehow entranced by this album which passes somewhere from this halls into another intergalactic dimension and it held my interest. I feel like I could give this one a few more listens as it was pretty fascinating.
Tom Waits
5/5
It's a stunning and beautiful album. Many of the songs I know very well, but others are new to me. If Tom Waits is new to you, I am so sorry you didn't grow up with it on the record player as I was so lucky to do then and now too. His voice and his sound are embedded into the soul fabric of my music heart. I love to hear it. If you've never seen it, please watch this Tom Waits video as it will make you laugh and just shows his range, his depth, and his humor! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9NWUqR5w_A
New York Dolls
3/5
Kind of a fun trashy punk 'n' hair band. I can see why this album has some swag and I really enjoyed it for the most part. Some of the lyrics are a bit top heavy on sniffing glue, but otherwise, I surprised myself by enjoying and humming a long to it more than I expected! The clean interludes on 'Vietnamese Baby' were technically great. 'Subway Train' was catchy.
Little Richard
3/5
Of the many things I love about Little Richard, these songs aren't any of them. I think this is certainly where I must have first encountered this interesting and electrifying persona, but probably not the one I remember most. If you aren't watching him do his thing in a video, the music just cannot fully convey his entirety.
Incubus
2/5
This is that edgy over-produced sound that just has bro time in the Jeep Wrangler off-roading reverberating out of every melody. Not as good as 311 or Daft Punk, but just sort of nipping at their heels.
The Jam
3/5
The Jam is great and this album has most of the songs by them that I remember and like. I always think of this as New Wave, but Wiki calls it punk perhaps owing to the undefinable but totally recognizable vocal sound. So English. Great album.
Alice Cooper
1/5
The title track definitely runs away with the album and then you hit a string of WTF. Blue Turk is like an awful Doors song would sound if you had your head under water. I deeply regret that I had to listen to this twice to pen these conclusions.
Van Morrison
5/5
This album got played to death when I was a kid-- and it sounds pretty wilted to me today. I was not happy with his recent forays as described on a recent Reddit thread, "Van Morrison released his new album 'Latest Record Project' and backlash immediately followed. The album included anti-lockdown and antisemitic lyrics. In the song 'Where Have All The Rebels Gone?' he sings about how rockstars should appose the coronavirus lockdowns. In 'They Own The Media' there are lyrics relating to conspiracy theories of Jews secretly running the media(Jews aren't specifically mentioned but it is pretty clear what he's implying)." This is probably the last time I'll intentionally give one of his albums airplay. What a d**k.
Air
5/5
This is by far and away the best album produced by Air that I have heard. Listening to it is like watching a movie-- so cinematic and dreamlike in its dialogues. I've heard it a thousand times and briefly entered a period of my life when I listened to it repeatedly. Air has other great albums as well, so if you are a newcomer to their sound, I definitely encourage exploration!
Taylor Swift
4/5
By the time we get to this album, Taylor Swift has been through many changes. She got out from under the thumb of her original management, and has matured incredibly. And it's not just that I'm friends with her bass player, Amos (humble brag), but I do think the music shows her maturity and her willingness to grow far from the place where she started. This album is haunting, well made and has terrific guest vocals. The lyrics are surprisingly powerful. I've listened to it quite a few times prior to Friday, but continue to enjoy it quite a bit.
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
When it dropped, I felt very let down. I had wanted a reprise to Pretty Hate Machine, an album with outsize influence on my probably owing to all the time I spent with girlfriend Joanna listening to it. But in this album, they seemed to lose the melody with the exception of 'Piggy' which is a terrific song, but with lyrics that for some reason offended me then. I like that sound now, words and all. Nothing can stop me now. Closer on this album is pretty epic and definitely was an important early college song that got a lot of air time at parties etc. Hurt left me feeling shattered. Still does. I leaned on that song in hard times and I still do. It's an important one. When Johnny Cash did it, I felt like Gen X had been fully vindicated by the aging boomers. It was a nod and a passing of the torch. It's a gorgeous empire of dirt.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
On the one hand, this Southern fried album has a lot of great tracks that I remember from growing up and listening to it in the South. On the other hand, it's hard to ignore the rift between the band and Neil Young (though he would later come to temper that somewhat). But Neil was spot on that the band was racist and rocking the confederate flag at their shows. After everything that has happened in our country since this came out, I can honestly say, it's hate not heritage-- and that makes it hard to want to hear.
CHIC
4/5
It's a brief but comfortable ride into the disco funk vibe and I dig it. The horns in 'I Want Your Love' was the high water mark for me. Technically solid and tight-- a tasty jam. I seem to remember Le Freak as the standout hit from the album, but overall, it was unfamiliar to me otherwise and underplayed.
Gillian Welch
4/5
This album is a heartsong that speaks to the places I emerged from: slow, rural, earthy. It is interesting to read her story as an adopted child born in NYC and then being raised in L.A., finally landing in Nashville. I was somewhat sorry I did because I always thought her voice came from the kind of place I did, but it turns out that's not the case. That created a dialogue about authenticity for me, but nonetheless, an album like this by a woman whose biological mother may have grown up in the mountains of North Carolina still feels like she never left those blue hills. Or maybe has strived so hard to find them. I know the feeling.
Muddy Waters
2/5
I know this is one of those that I should enjoy but don't. Father of the blues and all that. I'm a nope for Muddy Waters.
Massive Attack
3/5
Excellent album. Loved the vocals with Tricky and whoever that is that was in Everything But the Girl. I could listen to this one quite often.
The Smiths
4/5
It shouldn't be controversial to say that Morrissey has one of the best voices of his era, but apparently it is for some. The Meat is Murder album is not my top favorite Smiths albums but has a lot of melodic songs that take me back to the early 90's when I was listening to the Smiths on repeat. It's hard to believe this album dates to 1985 and is only their second! Morrissey had really hit hist stride here and the driving tinny drums and groovy little guitar riffs way behind the vocals that form the mechanics of the trademark sound were already falling well into place. It is an excellent album that would blend well with almost any circumstance. Well I Wonder seems to be the best track on the album, because it has a more thoughtful rhythm, more melancholic passion, and lots of transitions and drops to keep it interesting and multi-dimensional. Overall, excellent.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
This is a wonderful album. I was right on this the minute it left Glasgow way back and once upon a time. There were other albums made, but this was the one that got me. Dylan in the Movies is the one I loved most. We were listening to it at the deluxe parties at the house on Park Street. You can't say it rocked, but it was different and alluring and it was luxurious to see all those drop dead gorgeous women vibing to it. Wish I could go back to one of those parties and hear it all again, once more, for the very first time.
The Magnetic Fields
1/5
I'm actually now dead inside. Someone resuscitate me. Like Ween had a lovechild with Peter Paul and Mary and had no sense of humor. Or like 72 acquaintances were like, hey everybody write a song that sounds completely like it should be on its own album and we'll turn it into an album that goes on forever and ever. I have deep regrets having exposed myself to this. I think this is a strong contender for the absolute worst album of all time! Perhaps that is its significance. Give me the worst of Frank Zappa. Give me Grateful Dead space all day. They Might Be Giants studio outtakes. Anything but this.
Okay, on disk 2, perhaps it is telling that I fell for the track "No One Will Ever Love You". This is a great piece of music.
By the time we get to Washington, D.C., I'm actually feeling a little offended. Honestly, how can you canonize my beloved city in such an audibly destructive manner? Rough.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
OG album. What's not to like!?
Adele
4/5
Just a tour de force. It was my kids that got me listening to Adele in the last few years. They are always excited to hear her so by extension, so am I! This album is the best I've heard and it is a stable around us.
Jamiroquai
4/5
A favorite. This is arguably the best Jamiroquai album when they were really at their peak. The music had smoothened from the earlier albums and was more authentic than the later ones. Sometimes the rhythmic juxtaposition and transitions aren't very listenable and I think that's heard the most on 'Hooked Up' and 'Whatever it is, I Just Can't Stop'. 'Too Young to Die' and the flirty 'Blow Your Mind'. Nice album to revisit. Always pleasant, enjoyable and fun. Great driving album.
Circle Jerks
1/5
I could not distinguish this album from all the other punk albums out there.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I enjoy the depth and tenor of Nick Cave, but there are very few songs that he performs that I enjoy. I found none that wanted for a return listen on this album whatsoever.
Michael Jackson
3/5
This is an album that represents the launch of an entire era of music. It is highly significant in that context and some songs were a massive departure from everything before and landed solidly in the late 80's-- particularly Bad, Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, Smooth Criminal, and Leave me Alone exemplify this. Off the Wall and of course Thriller had set these wheels in motion, and in many ways, it is Thriller that is the standout for originality and shapeshifting music thinking. But it's also really important to remember that by the time this album had come out, a lot of the 80's sounds had already been codified. And Michael Jackson had been playing quite a long time and had witnessed firsthand the role of the black American musician that started in RnB and rock and roll in the 50's push into these new areas-- and Jackson was able to move with it transcending the chorus of voices of his siblings into the rockstar and international pop sensation-- something unparalleled in black music at the time. Bad is a solid album although it is not as pleasing to hear now that so many years have passed and styles have frayed.
The Cure
4/5
This album was terrific! Although it is not my personal favorite group of Cure songs (for example, I could listen to All Cats are Grey all day), it is very good. I think almost any Cure album is a four for me! Having seen them live in the last couple years, it now brings back memories of that wonderful evening outside listening to some of my very favorite musicians.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
The album drags hard until you hit 'Let Me Love You Like a Woman'. This song hits the velvety regal character that I have come to expect from Lana. It loses momentum again on 'Wild at Heart'. She's a dead ringer for Joni Mitchell on "For Free" which is a neat trick and not easily done. I'm actually a huge fan, so it pains me to rate it this way. What happened here?
Arcade Fire
1/5
This album is so smooth, you probably wouldn't notice if it let your daughter in backstage and took advantage of her age and power dynamic. Oh wait, that's Win Butler, not the album. Super hard not to intermingle the uncoolness of the recent allegations against Butler by four fans aged 18-23 versus the album. Butler's statement to Pitchfork is pretty pathetic: "I’m sorry I wasn’t more aware and tuned in to the effect I have on people - I fucked up, and while not an excuse, I will continue to look forward and heal what can be healed, and learn from past experiences." So for that reason, I say boycott AF. And just in case that seems flippant, I recently refunded two nights of tix for their DC show.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Solid album. About as close to the best American band of all time as I have ever found. Greatest musical regret is not seeing them live. Gallow's Pole, Tangerine, it's hard to pick a favorite. Maybe That's the Way is the one. Hats Off to Roy is the weakest track and it's still pretty good based on originality alone. Easy 5 for me.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Slips in with a characteristic droning sound though I've never heard it before. Immediately like the downbeat vibes. Second track lightens up and then Kim Gordon starts whispering to me. I feel like I could listen to her voice in conversation for about 100 years. Everything about it I like, even when she's screaming or just falling apart a la, "Can I have the car keys.. I wanna go for a ride" on Drive which is an absolute turn it up to 11 favorite from the album Dirty. Shadow of a Doubt is sweet with just a little hint of chaos. Starpower is really good. Gordon is kind of singing around you, not to you on this one. In The Kingdom sounds like a less-deep-fried Southern Culture on the Skids. A big bad voodoo Cadillac headed right for the edge of the cliff and we're just gonna go ahead and keep the gas all the f*****g way down. Secret Girl is like a haunted house and someone is playing a toy piano in the attic. You're not gonna hear this kind of music anywhere else but in a SY album. Just so singular and authentic. Minor chords, crisp high hat, far away singing, heavy heavy guitars, and all manner of unexpected chaos. Can't be a 5, but I absolutely love it. Gorgeous.
The Byrds
2/5
Meh.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Delicious, smooth and soothing album! I love music like this album and I think it has stood the test of time far better than other genres. Some of the slow ones are a little cheesy.
Ute Lemper
1/5
I find this kind of saccharine high drama symphonic music really grating. Her voice dos nothing for me. I think this album may be geared toward the German Musical enthusiast set. The only thing worse are the terrible lyrics. Anything with Tom Waits association I always figured I would love, but I suppose rules are made to be broken. Blech. Excuse me while I bleach my earholes.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Moments on the verge of greatness, but mostly an album full of misses and a little too much cheese. Synths are dated and the cadences and changeups are a little bouncy.
Ride
3/5
This is great. Kind of like Smiths meet Coldplay and The Cure.
Solomon Burke
2/5
This album was a touch early in the evolution of rock / RnB for me. Very tough to relate in any meaningful way.
The Cars
3/5
It's a classic 80's album that got a ton of airplay in my childhood. It was so light-hearted and surface that it made a weird soundtrack to the young Gen X'ers growing up. I'm in Touch With Your World is the worst of it quickly followed by Doncha Stop which is also bad. Bye Bye Love has stood the test of time better than others, but then the guitar riffs and keyboard in the beginning of Moving in Stereo are still also pretty epic. This is a solid and outstanding 80's album. All Mixed Up should have been left off the album.
Ghostface Killah
2/5
This is okay. Kind of like Jay-Z with way more gratuitous swearing. Parts seem very interesting with good samples, but I don't quite see how this is a breakthrough in music.
Mj Cole
1/5
If this album has a redeeming quality I could not find it.. Disappointing to have to suffer through not one but two disks.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
2/5
'The Sound Of Someone You Love Who Is Going Away And It Doesn't Matter' is the clear standout on this album and also its redemption. It's no wonder at 11:46!! That keyboard is just a delight tickling all the keys in your brain and 'strings make everybody feel everything'. It's a gorgeous and lush song--until they drive it off the god damned cliff 7 and a 1/2 minutes in. Hugebaby is also good and they manage not to fuck it up. Chartered Flight is fair. I could do with less standup bass plucking.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
2/5
It was very hard for me to discriminate as to why this is a standout probably owing to my lack of deep exposure to this genre. To me it sounded like every other album of the type that I've heard at restaurants and clubs. Pleasant, but nothing special.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
This is one I grew up with on vinyl and eventually bought my own copy on vinyl. It is a very important and solid album. The Wind Cries Mary is my personal favorite as it's a little more harmonious than some of the others. That's my favorite Jimi.. The man who gives us his luxurious voice accompanied by groovy guitars. I resonate more with this Jimi than the screaming guitars and feedback or the quickfire pace of Manic Depression or Third Stone from the Sun.
I once had a very serious head-on collision to Watchtower and to be honest even though I have nothing against it, I really haven't listened too much to his music since that time-- at 15. Just because it brings back that horrific crash.
Queen Latifah
1/5
Hated this one.
Jane's Addiction
5/5
This is primo. The top grade Gen X mainline critical. A near perfect album from the cover art to every lyric. You can reject him for the unique voice or the words, but honestly who besides Cobain and Vetter caught the zeitgeist better than this? Top stuff.
Arcade Fire
1/5
Technically terrific album. Plenty of talent and a great sound. But I'm a no. I'll side with against this-- again.
https://www.mcgilldaily.com/2022/11/a-reckoning-within-the-arcade-fire-fandom/
Beck
4/5
It's probably my least favorite Beck album which is to say still pretty awesome and certainly a portent of the incredible magic which has followed this amazing creature and his band. Beck is a wizard and a joy to see in concert. As an aside, I was pretty impressed when he sided with principles instead of money and cancelled Arcade Fire by leaving the tour.
Dire Straits
5/5
Top album. Water of Love, Sixblade Knife, and Wild West End are some of the least mainstream yet most slammin' Knopfler tunes. Sultans of Swing is worn out from the radio burning it down, but a great tune.
I remember way back in the day having one hell of a love affair with a gorgeous woman whose favorite tune was Wild West End. Ha! That one conjures some memories! I'm a pretty unabashed Dire Straits song. The guitar alchemy of it all.
Grant Lee Buffalo
4/5
I feel like I may have heard Grant Lee Buffalo a handful of times as a teenager and blown it off. I was mightily impressed to hear it with a more mature outlook. The vocals were slightly reminiscent of Bowie and I think it is a very rich and unapologetic album that stands pretty tall. I gave it two listens, because I am always intrigued with artists that I truly hear for the first time and genuinely like! This sounds authentic and technically pleasing.
Beatles
4/5
Abbey Road is an album that I bought on vinyl one summer in Croatia. It was a cheap pressing, but I certainly loved it and played it often. Nice to revisit songs like Maxwell's Hammer, Come Together and so many other classics. You Never Give Me Your Money is by far and away my favorite track though not the most popular one. Still a great album.
Can
2/5
This is funky and weird. Just a few songs, but woah that last one is erm.. long! But that last one does indeed have the best sound as it diverges from what is otherwise kind of a strange offshoot of prog rock or something. The chugging guitar licks and the weird distant vocals all come together to make something pleasing. Still think this is the last time I will ever listen to this album, but kudos for that last anthem.
The Pogues
3/5
This is the one Pogues album I've listened to extensively. I had a little Pogues love affair as a teen. I left this album behind in the wastebin of a misspent youth, but still kept a bit of the spirit and the dancing which is like the antidote to the dark and stormy Dropkick Murphys. Turkish Song of the Damned is sounding great with the dust knocked off and Fairytale of New York is, of course, the one track I've carried all these years and kept in my Xmas rotation sometimes getting misty of the days gone long with my first girlfriend, Jane and my great friends Lauren and Raphael. Cars big as bars and rivers of gold. Thousands are Sailing is noteworthy. Lullaby of London hits certain note sequences that also bring forth the wellspring of sentimentality. Worms is easily the low point and I assume offered up for humor.
As an aside, if you've not been, please hurry and go see Ireland. They are the kindest and most compassionate people in the world. From a cultural and humanistic standpoint, it's the greatest country in the world.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
I mean this is close to the highest great of American music that I can think of. Every damn song is a masterpiece. Git it, Mic!! I did notice how extremely ahead of its time Monkey Man is with that crisp and delicate piano. What a great intro! A surprise every time. You Can't Always Get What You Want. The lovely choir and the bittersweet message for me, because what if you can't get what you need either..
I dipped into this album deeply in grad school as my good friend, Dana, the half mad genius bartender at Pat O's in the French Quarter only wanted to hear the Stones. So we played it and played and lolled around the FQ for many a long night of admiring the scenery and the night blooming jasmine. Good days in NOLA with the Stones, and this album for a lot of it.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I don't necessarily like musicians just because they are well loved which I know Leonard Cohen is. My belief is that Everybody Knows is his only palatable song in spite of the cheesy keyboard. But we're not here for that. We are starting off with Bird on a Wire..I have to admit I've never heard this version of a song I associate strongly with Johnny Cash. Immediate reaction is that Cohen must've been extraordinarily young on this album as he hasn't attained the deep raspy voice of his later songs. The Story of Isaac.. this old Biblical tale. The story is old and tired and the song isn't much better. That's a hearty 'meh' from me.
The Partisan is better, mostly owing to the accompanying French female vocalist.
When people who hate Bob Dylan (not me) describe his voice, it reminds me of how I feel about all the vocals on this album which easily overpower the music and don't show much talent. This is maybe worse than that. Depressing. Underwhelming. I could've done without it and I still don't get Leaonard Cohen.
Supergrass
3/5
Interesting album. I've never been exposed to this one. I find this catchy, and as the album progressed, began to like it more and more. Definitely could see rolling down the highway to this one all alone in the desert. The vocals are unique and interesting. Drums were notably good and drive the power of the band. Guitar on She's So Loose and the song overall is very attractive and kept me in. Great chord progressions and cadence shifts. Overall, I really like this album and it was much better than I expected!
Stereo MC's
2/5
First track is the one I remember from when this dropped in 92. Second track way better than I remembered. Third track is a little so-so, the female vocal accompaniment is a little fomulaic and bouncy. The next couple are similarly poor. We pick back up with the groovy All Night Long. Here the accompanying vocals are excellent harkening back to 70s funk scene call and response. Quick and tight little piano riffs and the overall lack of lyrics help this song immensely. Step it Up is one of the tracks that got more play time when this album was hot. Still holds up pretty well. Nice sax solos, but I could always do with less flute (Jethro Tull ruined all flute for me). Pressure is way too cheesy. Chicken Shake is another nice instrumental (except for the flute flirting in and out). The next few tracks suffer from repetitive and boring beats and by now we've heard the accent of the lead vocals to the point we're getting annoyed. Nice tempo shift on the last one, but it's just not enough to overcome all the flaws. By the time I listen to is, I'm feeling pretty grateful it's the end.
Sister Sledge
4/5
Slammin'. I bet watching this album live was so hot hot hot.
Fatboy Slim
2/5
This is one of those albums that made sense to some people at a certain time. It got huge air play for the couple of catchy songs it has, but overall, the album is boring and the two songs are played out.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Pleasant album with enjoyable sounds throughout!
Madonna
5/5
It was about July of 1989 when I heard this album and I remember exactly where I was. I was in the Finger Lakes region of New York with the people of my childhood hero, Karl Johnson. We were waterskiing and tubing in the lake by day, but by night, the kids of a variety of ages would gather on the dock and listen to tunes. Like a Prayer was the one that hit and hit hard. It was a truly singular song and it was tremendously exciting. I still just love it. Perhaps because of those warm nights in New York, but probably just because Madonna is amazing. To this day, I follow her Insta and she's awesome.
Tonight when I revisited 'Oh Father' again, it hit me so differently. I have a friend that says we all love strings because they make us all feel the feelings. that can be said about this intro which I had to rewind and listen to about 16 times today. It's really excellent. Probably TMI as usual but the song now, today, is so much more relatable with my own relationship with my father that has shattered the false golden haze of childhood and has now become so diminished. And I realize his shortcomings.
Pray for Spanish Eyes is also an underrated Madonna song. Go to 2:01 and listen to what she does with her voice. It's nuts. It's organic. It just spits into a million shards and I think that is just the raw amazing power of Madonna-- before auto-tune y'all. Nothing but pure talent. We don't have singers like this today. Not really.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Ah, another Belle & Sebastian album. This one lacks all the associated memories compared to the other one we reviewed. So good, catchy, but not great for me personally
George Michael
3/5
I was surprised that I liked this at all. It was much more enjoyable and had more depth than I expected.
Portishead
3/5
The first time I heard this was late night watching the 1995 movie Tank Girl which features the song "Roads" in a truly magnificent shower scene. I have no idea how the movie holds up today, but the Portishead song stayed with me as one of the best timed songs with great keyboard, spare beats, and a singular voice. I immediately bought the album and loved it. it Could be Sweet is a solid track as well. Wandering Star. There are quite a few nice ones and they are cohesive and flow well together. Portishead is no longer a sound I long to hear often, but there were a couple years when I certainly played and heard this album a lot. The talent is obvious.
The Jam
2/5
I really wanted to like this because there are some The Jam songs I like a lot, but I couldn't get into it. I like the vocals, but the lyrics and the general cadence didn't seem exciting.
Super Furry Animals
1/5
I don't think I'll often say this, but I didn't finish this one. There were elements, small elements that I liked, but overall the annoying parts really outsized the minor parts I liked.
The Adverts
4/5
Oh wow I am liking this a lot! I guess this is kind of that English punk new wave sound, but a band I've never heard. Like it right in there with the Specials and the UK Subs. Band totally fits the time. Overall, the sound is perfect, harmonious and not to gratuitously angry, good lyrics, sweet guitars, short songs, and more than one chord per song. Baseline for 'On Wheels' is pretty sick. What a great band. Nice to find a new one I actually like!!
Van Halen
4/5
No weak tracks on it. It is a legendary near-flawless ode to rock heaven.
"Nobody rules these streets at night but me!"
Eddie Van Halen comes in strong on this initial album and showed us who the god of rock was. Technical talents-- near classical music level-- had never been applied to heavy rock before this. We had never heard this level of control and peacocking despite earlier heavy bands like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Molly Hatchet. Overwhelmingly, the VH sound was positive, but with a ton of hot dogging and sexual innuendo, and probable misogyny.
I remember parents hated it and it was controversial. The boomers could not hang with VH.
We had this album on vinyl, and I know I had it on tape later. It was an absolute staple. As a boy, 'Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love' was a top favorite, particularly for the "I've been to the edge..." segue. Still love it.
Alex Van Halen was also a technical master and this is suddenly evident on 'Show Your Love'. Imagine, the very first album arrives and Alex and Eddie are rocking this hard this consistently on nearly every track.
As for the elephant in the room, David Lee Roth is awesome. His funny light-hearted stage strutting in tights will never be forgotten. His voice was powerful and very California and like nothing we had ever heard. He was in it for fun and it showed and it made hard rock fun for us too!
Femi Kuti
4/5
Wow. Incredible. I loved this album. Never heard this band. I've heard a lot of African music but this is way more listenable than most! I'm excited to find this one!!
Carole King
1/5
This album is so hugely popular. My mother played it almost constantly. I'm probably going against the grain to say it, but I just hate her voice. The best songs on the album are the covers, but I mean, how you going to outdo Aretha? How you gonna beat the Shirelles? James Taylor did You've Got a Friend so much better. Everything that King sings is like she jumped the shark.
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
I felt like this was a weird redux of Grandmaster Flash. Didn't do a lot to me, but some of the Go Go stuff was pretty enticing. Maybe with a couple more listens, but I wasn't super excited about it.
Neil Young
4/5
Neil Young is a musician I admire a lot. I think I got started with CSNY and then worked my way through many of his very fine albums. I've seen him live when he opened for Dave Matthews. I have discovered a lot of his albums over the years, but I definitely don't think I've heard his entire expansive catalogue. For example, I just really started enjoying 'On the Beach'. This album was new to me, but I found it really terrific. Another reason to be a fan is that Neil Young is always on the side of ethics. He told Spotify to stick it to protest their promotion of Joe Rogan's insane COVID conspiracy theories. And he stuck to it. That's exactly the correct place to be. I don't like live albums generally as much as studio albums unless I was at the show, so while some of his albums are fives for me, this one is a four.
Steely Dan
3/5
Solid Steely Dan album with lots of the hits. I found myself bopping along to it.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Tight little album by CCR with most of the best hits and a few solid tracks you didn't grow up to on the radio. CCR always brings the big Southern rock sound that they pioneered and did so much better than Lynyrd Skynyrd (who suck in the plainest of terms).
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Very impressive album with some far out creative sounds that make you feel like you really missed out on something special when this was going down in 1976. I mean can you imagine dancing to this live in '76? I bet it was hot hot hot!!
Beach House
3/5
That intro guitar is off to an incredibly great start! I'm familiar with Beach House which jumped onto my radar from the dreck in the last couple of years only but had not heard this particular album.
I like this atmospheric band that has slight echoes of MGMT in certain places but seems fresh and new in their approach. It's a good album but not necessarily one I will seek out again.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Slammin'!! A tour de force. Wow, what a great voice with terrific instrumentation. Piano Joint came on with a strong Bill Withers vibe, yet it was completely unique. Sparse piano, quiet background vocals, and strings ornament the luxurious voice of Michael Kiwanuka. Can't really say enough good about this one. I'm excited to find a 5 from an act I've never even heard of!!
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
I didn't like English psychedelic rock the first time around, so this is like a shit sequel to that. Not really a fan of this sound.
Amy Winehouse
1/5
I don't really have anything of substance to say about Amy Winehouse. Never got her appeal, still don't. To me, this is a musician who is not noteworthy.
Solange
1/5
I heard the first note and immediately dread and regret the fact that there are 21 tracks of what I now expect will be modern RNB-- my least favorite genre. Some of those tracks are less than a minute, so there's no need to have a defibrillator on site. I mean honestly, if I wanted to go to church, I wouldn't be an atheist. That's really my bone to pick from RNB that I can't parse it out of gospel church music since both are so steeped in the same tradition. At one time, RNB had its own identity and then those lines at some point inexplicably blurred and the genre expired.
All the Interludes were the best part because the singing wasn't very present, but even these weren't very interesting and didn't lift the album above the static. Junie and Don't Touch My Hair were the low points to me. I was surprised Q-Tip would associate with this project. Terrible for me.
Minor Threat
2/5
Look Back and Laugh was quite good! The rest sort of blurred past me. Not a huge fan of this album based on one listen.
Yes
2/5
The good songs were played out on classic rock stations for years and years and the rest is pretty ho hum. Definitely not a fan. Somewhat difficult to revisit. Not earbleed painful, but not great.
Keith Jarrett
5/5
Before diving in, it really is worth understanding the extremely adverse circumstances under which Jarrett performed that cold rainy night in 1975. Because understanding this underscores just how grand an accomplishment it is. You should read the Wiki.
To hear the Koln Concert is to hear one of the greatest live piano concerts that has ever been recorded. It is bursting with complex emotion and poignant melodies. Jarrett is a master and this is his undisputed magnum opus and his long-lasting gift to the world.
I've heard this and many other Jarrett albums hundreds of times (this is his best). I sometimes turn to this album in times of great emotional distress like nearby deaths. And I usually listen to it on vinyl. It is so evocative that you can hear the plaintive laughter and cries of those in the room uncontrollably and numerously accenting the piano. Don't ignore those voices. That's the accompanying instrument to Jarret.
Honestly, if this album does not evoke in you a powerful emotional response, you should be worried!
It was nice to hear again. And for what it's worth, thank you, Keith. For the gift you gave.
The Zombies
2/5
Her peppermint smile and autumn eyes with flowers in her hair buttoned up for the frisky air. Um, no thanks. I think this album shows the bias of having all English reviewers. Truly. It's predictable and doesn't do much for me except being okay background music.
The Doors
3/5
I don't quite understand consciously why the Doors and Jim Morrison sort of became persona non grata in the music pantheon. But I too have drifted away from this sound which I listened to so much as a pre-teen. I recognize the musical skill and ability, but don't vibe with it much now.
The Yardbirds
2/5
Well, the timing of this was certainly amazing to coincide exactly with the death of Beck. That said, it really did nothing for me personally.
Saint Etienne
1/5
Kicking off with that Neil Young cover was a very turbulent start. Completely tone deaf as to the original-- and not an improvement in my opinion. It didn't get any better from there. This one wasn't worth it for me.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
If I'm being honest, I find Elvis Costello to be so cool with one of the most unique voices, a great personality, and fascinating lyrics. But besides Allison, Watching the Detectives, and Veronica, he doesn't really have any songs I enjoy actually listening to. Conceptually I'm a fan, but in practice not really.
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
The voice of Sarah Vaughan was a favorite of my mother. So I have a bit of a sweet spot for her. The sound is incredibly pleasant and makes you want to curl up on a New Orleans porch with a book and a tall cold glass of iced tea.
The Replacements
3/5
Nice album. Gritty and determined all the way through. It wasn't the tenor of my day, but I did enjoy hearing it. First time for me!
Willie Nelson
3/5
In part, I come from a family of Eastern Colorado farmers and they all love Willie. In fact, when we buried my Uncle a few years back, we played Willie Nelson to send him home. It's not without emotion that I enjoy a good solid Willie album and I love what he stands for. He did an awful lot of good for the farmers with Farm Aid. Awesome guy.
Iron Maiden
3/5
I sure do remember some of their wild album covers which I've never revisited-- though this was the first time I've seen or heard this one. Still such a totally wild and gnarly band doing the things that they do, accented with the spoken word. Found it to be innovative, fairly cool, and a lot less intimidating as I did as a small child listening to Iron Maiden in my older brother's room.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
Probably the only RNB album I like. I don't like it much, particularly when she takes you to church and gets into the praise Jesus vibes, but I have to stay a real standout in the genre.
Def Leppard
4/5
It was a DAMN HOT night in New Orleans the night I got to see Journey and Def Leppard play the Superdome with D---, the cosmopolitan bartender from the FQ. He had scored tix because a girl and her ex-supermodel girlfriend had come into the bar and said they needed us to go with them-- because the one was *dating* one of the members of Def Leppard and the other just went through the big D. So there we were, Row 1 and Center for two bands I'd heard a million times. They played most of these songs. And we had a ton of fun. So now when I hear it, I revisit that absolutely wild and beautiful night that went back to the hotel with the band and then all the hot bars of the Quarter until the morning birds were singing. And those are just the parts we can talk about now. I'm worried I might've signed a late night NDA for the rest. Great band if you wanna party. And yes, I do have the photos to prove it!!!!!
Ok this album... I mean awesome 80's right? It's the trash hot party dumpster fire anthems that fucking MADE the 80's. We're on a ski trip and slipping a flask of Jack onto the pow pow. We're outside the school dance and we're smoking clove cigarettes. We're sneaking out late at night to meet our girlfriends. It's the hot making out music from our oldest wildest nights that's now wired into the silicon of the hard drive whether it was any good or not. It's Friday at chapel and we're looking at the girls in their plaid kilts. It's Saturday and we're under the train bridge drinking Nattie Lights and breaking bottles...
Thanks for all the nights that we kept on the DL (Def Leppard).
Gorillaz
3/5
This is okay. Overall, I like Gorillaz. The ones I like on this album I've worn out from years of abuse. The ones I don't like aren't my faves.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
4/5
What a great album. It was like discovering another early Grateful Dead I never heard of. Must have been a wild party in those San Fran days!
Blur
3/5
This was overall a lot better than I remembered it. There were a few weak songs, but there were some pretty solid tracks beyond the one or two I grew up hearing on the radio. Certainly has a strong English sound and I'm not sure it would've been singled out if it was American.... But, enjoyable listen.
Madness
2/5
Just ok. Our House, obviously a terrific song. The rest of it? What am I even listening to. Just okay.
Blondie
3/5
What a star Debbie Harry was-- is maybe-- I think she's touring right now. All the songs that were great still are and the ones that weren't a part of her greatest hits album were better than I expected. It's fun to imagine what the scene must've been like with Harry in the Green Room for a show of this album. Bet it was wild!
Rush
4/5
The year is 1994. I'm living in Flagstaff in a dorm and I meet David from Brooklyn. He's a terrific guy, a Jew, new York to the core, and we hang every night. He's teaching me chess-- he learned in Central Park-- and he's a baller. Short, fast talker, and basically like hanging out with the cousin incarnation of Adam Yauch. Well, anyhow, I had heard Rush, but it was his superband, so he was always playing it and I really don't hear it without thinking about that Tom Sawyer. We had some adventures out in the desert for late night desert business. Oh, but eventually, I beat David in chess.
The next week, he dropped out of school and left Arizona for New York. I always felt like it was my fault, but I did remember how to play chess and I taught my kids how to play also.
2112 seems solid and hits all the Rush notes I wanted to take me back to those wild nights smoking cigarettes and watching David Rush through all the moves.
Metallica
4/5
This is probably my favorite Metallica album that I have listened to in depth. It brings back a lot of memories of cheap bourbon and riding around in other people's Mustangs. This album is the most relatable because it has some down tempo and more melodious tracks to balance out the dunh dunh dunh tracks. Overall, always worth a consideration-- as in, is this the direction I need to go today? Am I feeling this mad and hateful toward the world. And once in a while, the answer will be yes and Metallica will slip into your DMs and be just perfect at that moment.
The Kinks
2/5
This is one of those albums that seems to have been included just because of English bias in the process. I'm sure it may have been great at one time, but I'm calling it a has-been with an attractive song or two.
Korn
3/5
So this album was way better than I would ever have thought it would be. I'm actually pretty shocked as I had heard it when it came out and thought it was way too hardcore for me. All these years later, it sounds reasonable. Would have gone four, especially with the rap star cameos, but for the overuse of 'faggot' throughout the album which makes them sound like a likely bunch of bigots. So 3.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Terrific album that I have listened to numerously. Blue Ridge Mountains is the clear standout for me as I grew up a good part of my childhood at the base of Afton Mountain in the Blue Ridge. The album is a peaceful one with noteworthy harmonies. It brings calm.
The Stooges
3/5
What a fascinating and cool album. Really a different early punk(?) sound. We Will Fall was the standout for me. Just weird and like chanting monks meet Apocalypse Now. I thought the album was definitely worthwhile.
The Who
2/5
A true has-been album probably inserted into the list, once again, with the British bias of the survey. The history of Townsend is troubling too. I can't in good conscience give this one any better than a 2 star rating. Musically, it did very little for me then or now and has never been a group that I found very inspiring.
Meat Puppets
2/5
Plateau, Oh Me, and Lake of Fire. Maybe I heard it mentioned at some time when Nirvana was hot, but really had no idea this was MPs as I just think about Nirvana when I hear those songs. They must have had a huge influence on Nirvana. I understand MPs did get to play with Nirvana some. This version of Plateau stands out and the guitar is outstanding in the middle. Guitar in Aurora Borealis is similarly outstanding. A strong weird track. Songs like New Gods and I'm Not Here are just too busy for me-- like a frenetic Zappa song with no sense of humor. Teenagers smells like Sonic Youth a touch.
A lot to like here but also some filler and things that don't work for me.
Radiohead
5/5
I was really thinking when I clicked the button it was gonna be like a Yardbirds album, but nope!! We got Amnesiac instead. This is some of the very best music in the world. The best band of our generation. The paradigm schism. What else can I say. Everything is basically perfect. I kept thinking about all the styles and all the instruments on this one album and how masterfully they are orchestrated. Just tip top.
5/5
I didn't really grow up with Bowie as many people did and so I have been slow over my life to appreciate his genius. This has been quite nice because it's trickled into my life now for decades. This album is certainly top notch and deserves all the accolades. Starman is the one I like the most from this album.
Boards of Canada
4/5
It's an excellent album. I've listened to this one quite a few times previously as my buddy Todd who I respect a great deal always wanted to make sure that Boards of Canada was in my brain. High water mark for me is Aquarius and that song has been in my playlists for a seeming eternity. Orange!
Green Day
4/5
This was a totally groundbreaking album. Perhaps that's why, I went to see them play it in 1994 at Lollapalooza in Phoenix. It was a crazy day, particularly when everyone bumrushed the stage for the Breeders. I remember ending up near the bottom of a massive pile of people and I was so grateful that I locked my elbows as I hit the concrete. When Green Day came on, I was looking forward to it, but I have to admit that when he dropped trow and exposed himself to the crowd and started spitting on the front rows, my enthusiasm was dampened. Still, a great album and a real departure. Longview is a major song, as is Welcome to Paradise, Basket Case (my fav), She, and obviously When I Come Around. Lots and lots of strong songs and the lesser songs are very listenable.
Mercury Rev
3/5
I was not surprised when I went to Wiki to see if this band was an iteration of The Flaming Lips to see that there is cross-pollination between the bands. Album is quite audibly lush, though the vocals aren't really to my taste.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
This is an album whose importance is hard to understate. OG pimp hustler tunes with the luxurious 70's horns and strings alongside the screaming guitars and sometimes wacka wacka pornt track guitar vibes. Tabla style drum beats. Give me a cane, a glass of brandy, and a fur coat with my lowered Eldorado and I'll see you at the scene.
Death In Vegas
4/5
I never even knew that an album of this caliber that I somehow hadn't heard was lurking out there. This is amazing. Best old new to me album I've heard in quite a long time. Hot damn!
Tears For Fears
3/5
This is one of those albums where there were a couple of tracks I was digging, but they were the same ones I've been digging for decades. Overall, alongside that phenomenon is a lot of sound that is so played out.
Queen
3/5
Mercury's voice is a gift alongside the screamin' guitars. There were several songs on this one that I had not heard and was fascinated with. Also, there were a couple of tracks that were in a completely different style sort of like when Fleetwood Mac does that other thing. Overall, an entertaining album.
The Black Keys
3/5
Spotify only had the first disk. I know I should love this bluesy rock band, but I just haven't been able to find love for it yet. It is a down and dirty sound that reminds me of a late night bar in New Orleans somewhere near the river. There's something rough and raw about the sound and I know, that's the appeal. To me, it's just not smooth enough. Why do I want Jack Daniels when I can have Pappy van Winkle? Too legit for me!
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
This is one of my father's favorite "Rock-n-Roll" albums. Perhaps because it was played to me relentlessly as a very young kid, I sort of love the vocals. From a critical standpoint, Not Fade Away is the really important track on here, although Jerry Garcia did a much better job with it (did Holly write it?). Overall, it's fun to briefly revisit this album and I do think Holly was a major innovator in the birth of "Rock-n-Roll". Dead far too young.
The Stranglers
5/5
Killer album through and through. Peaches had been on the soundtrack of Reservoir Dogs maybe(?). Anyhow, it was in a movie some time back and I had thus found entry to this album a while ago and had found it lackluster, but apparently my tastes have improved or degraded...And I loved it. It's that gritty English sound and a very unique one. Love.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
1/5
So long ago, so dated, so much ear bleeding.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
So, this is cheesy. This is desperate. But what a voice! I love this big crooner voice and to be honest, except for some whack lyrics about if you were a horse etc.., I sort of got sucked into the album while cooking dinner. Interesting orchestral sounds and it wasn't until the last song that I was kind of fully put off by the cheese.
Beatles
4/5
This album is of course a total classic. Every song on it is a well known and beloved Beatles song. I know the whole album by heart word for word and I have had this on vinyl from my earliest days. What else can I say? Here, There, and Everywhere is a particularly poignant love song that I still resonate with and still think is one of the best written love songs. Harmonies are top.
Alice In Chains
5/5
I was in it the minute this album dropped. Fall of '92, my junior year of high school, brought with it wave after wave of delicious grunge. This album was divisive and weeded out the poser yuppies as it straight up drove a fuckton harder than any Pearl Jam or Stone Temple Pilots album. Like a bunch of old world rock vikings, Alice in Chains just fucked it up on track after sick track. If you forced me to, I'd say Down in a Hole, Rooster, and God Smack are the top trax, but it's hard to pick. Tell us how you really feel, Ivey. Yeah. I could listen to this album every day. It was there for some of the best and hardest and tumultuous days of my life. The parties. The cries alone. Dirt will always be remembered as one of the greatest. I saw them at the anthem and there is one original band member left. I went alone and stood in the crowd and loved every single second. Important piece of work here. If you hated it, pour yourself a double rye, put on some headphones, crank that shit up, and try again. Repeat until you get it. PS spell check says God Smack is wrong, but it's obviously right.
Buzzcocks
3/5
This was a spicy little number. I never listened to this band, but absolutely thought it was great. Would listen again!
Stan Getz
3/5
An album I grew up with and probably heard one time to many, yet the samba does still retain some charm..
Manu Chao
2/5
Emblematic of my early 20's. I certainly remember bumping through the jungles of El Salvador listening to this one and spending a lot of time with my friend Matt listening to this and probably driving a little fast in his VW. Not one I voluntarily revisit.
Alice Cooper
1/5
Gross.
The Pharcyde
5/5
Pharcyde rode in on a new wave of more intellectual hip hop that was kicked off by the debut of Digable Planets. But they brought along with the little jazz motifs a lighter, funnier, and freakier side. Although it is super creepy, I've always loved the track 4 better or 4 Worse. Great melody and then the absolutely bizarre lyrics. Officer is also their trademark tune and I think the most popular on the album because it's hilarious. Ya Mama is classic Pharcyde bringing in a slew of disses that take us back to the block where this was the pastime. It's a great hip hop album and belongs in the marbled halls with De La, Digable Planets, and Jazzmatazz / Guru who were cranking out these awesome tracks in the early to mid-90's.
Kanye West
1/5
With it's elegant and romantic lyrics, perhaps best exemplified by the line "I wanna f**k you hard on a sink.. Step back can't get spunk on a mink" it's no wonder that the world has seen fit to pay Yeezy billions of dollars for the gift that he is to planet earth. Combine that level of romance with the his striving for racial equity and treatment of women in both his lyrics and his personal life and then tack on his clear mental acuity and evolved spirituality and we have the recipe for an international superstar sensation. Wow. This is literally the first time I've listened to a Kanye album. I had no idea it could be like this. Ok back to John Prine now.
Barry Adamson
2/5
This was a weird one and I couldn't quite get my head around it. I like a lot of the spooky lyrics and interludes. Quite a bit better than the worst we've heard!
Bee Gees
2/5
I was pretty stoked about this album as I think of myself as a pretty big Bee Gees fan, but I must say, this album was bleak and hard to chew through. I was hoping for the disco tracks we used to roller skate to, but instead, this was something else completely. Some good harmonies, but nothing like their disco!
Sam Cooke
3/5
Sam Cooke was an immensely talented soul, doo-wop, and occasional shout singer-- and an early pioneer for black music in America. You really cannot understate how fine a voice he had. And while it will make my step grandfather roll over in his grave (doo-wop and early RnB's greatest fan), I rarely have a need of Sam Cooke and this music is just not something I ever listen to. I've heard most of the songs before and I totally get why they were highly important. Bring it on Home (both versions) are the high point for me.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Aw yeah, that opening riff is sick and just puts you on notice that you are about to go deep down in a funk hole straight to the center of funky town. And we all know this first song because it was in commercials for makeup for years and years. Oh, track 2, better known by me for the James Taylor version on his Greatest Hits album. This one just pulls the rug out from under me. It started raining. Oh no, those are my lonely tears. Track 3 and oh thank God, I'm trying my eyes and we're back in funkytown with those sick keys and harmonies. It's pretty obscure and let's be honest, the lyrics aren't great. Listen to the Music is an interesting and arguably better cover of the Doobie Brothers song because it cuts out the southern twang of the original. Highways of My Life was the worst track and I was definitely soaking up a few pats of blood from my ears. Summer Breeze is that other track we've all heard a million times on the radio. I never liked it much then and I'm not sold on it today.
If I were to register a complaint it would be the one I have for a lot of funk. Sometimes there is a disconnect between the vocals and the music. When it's right, it's so good but there are times where the vocals drift off the rhythm or it gets over-syncopated a bit and things don't mesh well-- especially when the vocals are at a way slower tempo than the music.
Everything But The Girl
1/5
Amazing that the Walking Wounded album they dropped in '96 was apparently this same group in the 80's. Completely different sound in that it was an excellent album with strong lyrics, top synth for the era, excellent rhythms. This one, which I had never heard, was a tough listen and fell flat on all the things that did better later. Could not figure out why this album was selected over Walking Wounded.
Mekons
2/5
Hard to Be Human Again seemed the most familiar right out of the box with a pleasing melody and solid vocals. I definitely liked all of the dialogues that were mixed into the music, particularly on Psycho Cupid as I particularly enjoyed the face forward female sounds and the subdued but wild accompanying music. Abernant didn't work for me at all as I wasn't able to bridge the discordant sounds across the vocals. I wondered if there was a connection to David Lynch's Lost Highway or if that was (probably) just a coincidence. Interesting and weird one overall that I won't likely be reaching for any time soon-- I don't think.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Solsbury Hill is certainly a song that has survived remarkably well with its cheerful and bouncy melody. Boom, boom, boom. It's a song that of course is familiar, but I haven't personally played to death. That stands.
I could do without Excuse Me and Waiting for the Big One and I often wonder why musicians pollute albums with songs like these.
Humdrum was a high point for me as I'd never heard it and I liked its sound, lyrics, and especially the quavering keyboards in the background, eventually opening up into a polyphonic sound cathedral. Gabriel at his youngest and with full potential and power. I am positive this sound has surely inspired generations of important bands of today directly and indirectly.
Epic guitar solo on Slowburn
Down the Dolce Vita has echoes of Bowie and I like it a bit.
2/5
Much of the music of Yes is phrenetic and this one was too. Hard to groove to it because it bounces all over the place. Yes just isn't my style.
DJ Shadow
5/5
I would argue that this is the best hip hop album ever produced. I do not believe this album has ever been rivaled-- and if it has, I impatiently wait for the day when I will hear its successor. For me, this album is musically perfect. Each carefully timed track, and all of its samples are elegant and magnificent. Every time I hear it, it's new, and I'm careful not to listen to it that often because I don't want to ruin it.
If I was forced to pick a favorite track, it would be Organ Donor. In that track, Shadow samples and reorganizes organ sounds making them so far out beyond the churchy instrument that it's shocking. As an aside, I once played that track to a British church organist in his 90's. Unsurprisingly, he hated it and it did not translate well.
In summary, greatest hiphop album of all time. Unparalleled.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Edgy and bedraggled all at once because of the edgy crispy little guitar riffs, snappy drums, and sweet keys and bedraggled with the spent last night in the gutter vocals. Amazing that these musicians washed into the Cars and Talking Heads-- such major bands.
I liked it.
Overall, a cool album
Christine and the Queens
2/5
This was quite an interesting album. I was somewhat surprised that given the extraordinary critical acclaim of this artist that I was not aware of him. The music is catchy and of course interesting that it switches languages so readily. I can see why it would be very exciting to the French many of whom are facile in both languages. I found the language switching somewhat challenging from a listening standpoint because my French is fairly weak. Lots to like hear and lots of interesting sounds. It sounds both new and a little 80's.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
I thought it was terrific. I've been a long-time fan of Stevens though probably haven't heard every album. I had to revisit my fandom as an atheist when a musician friend said, yeah, but he's in a cult. I've never found anything to back that up. That said, he is apparently an avid Christian and likes to combine his Christianity with his sexuality which is weird. I can overlook it. Stevens has an incredible voice, fantastic lyrics and this album is no exception. I found myself absolutely blown away by every aspect of the bizarrely named song, "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!". Everything about this song is fantastic: bassline, backup vocals, strings, and of course the voice of Stevens soothing and interesting as it ever is. For once, a two disc album that didn't piss me off.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Overall, this was a pretty typical blues album for me, but the augmented surprise that set it apart were some of the collaborators, especially Bonnie Raitt who is a total blues assassin.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Rife with memories of a time of my life where I was young and living for the night. This album reminded me to carpe diem and get everything out of every day. I still do that. This was one of the albums I took to Colorado one summer very much left to my own devices on a farm near the foothills of the Brazos as a kid with a Walkman. I know every strum of it and I love it. It's hard to revisit in a way because of all the days now gone. I like all the songs, but Sail Away has a lot of meaning to me.
I met Neil Young years later once out on a hike in Colorado. I had been out in the wilderness for several weeks and was nearing a town and found him alone in the woods smoking a hand rolled cigarette and wearing a porcupine quill necklace on a blanket. I hadn't smoked in weeks. I asked him if I could have a cigarette and he looked me dead in the eye and said flatly. "Nope." I turned around to walk away and I heard a little giggle and he said, "But you can have two." He gave me a light and I thanked him and walked off. My friends were freaking out and I had not recognized him and they were all like, dude do you know what that was?!! One of the more memorable moments of my life in retrospect.
I've seen him live quite a few times. Lifetime fan of one of the greatest living American musicians.
Culture Club
2/5
Wanted to love it, but I'm pretty so so. There are catchy little parts, but a lot of it feels dated and stale.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Fabulous album. I love the sound of Kim's voice on this one. Lots of memories.
The Avalanches
4/5
I kept wanting to hate this album, but then it would just reinvent and reinvent and draw me back in. I had never heard it or really of the band at all and I was just fascinated by it particularly because I didn't and haven't read the back story about who they are. Just enjoyed it cold and was pretty impressed. Great collaborators as well. I thought this one was pretty cool.
Tori Amos
3/5
I'm personally a fan of her voice although I know it can be a little divisive. I think she's smart and cool and writes terrific lyrics. This album has several of my favorites like Crucify and Silent All These Years, and Winter (with its giant strings and sleeping white horses). Great tracks.
Metallica
3/5
Metallica was always way too hardcore for me as a kid. Still find it pretty intense for regular listening. All the peaceful interludes and instrumentals are pretty amazing and do attest to the technical chops of the band. Overall, gratuitously performative with advanced skills.
Sabu
2/5
I was pretty so so on this one. I just didn't find it terribly interesting and probably missed the whole purpose. the instrumentals were great, and at least in concept I found some resonance with the call and response.
John Martyn
2/5
I thought the vocals were odd but the instrumentation was pretty groovy.
John Cale
2/5
This album is bouncy and fun. I keep thinking of what to compare it to and then realize I can't think of much except maybe Richard Thompson. I love that warm and friendly blonde Wurlitzer in Antarctica Starts Here.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Clear contender in my opinion of the best album about social justice ever produced. Gaye, a beloved son of Washington DC, was taken away far too young in the tragic shooting by his father. Who knows what he may have achieved and it is a poignant reminder that sometimes those who burn the brightest also burn the shortest.
There's nothing I can say about this album that won't have been better said elsewhere.
One thing I will mention is that Gaye's family released a new album posthumously called "Your the Man". It truly is worth your time to go and give *that* album a listen if you haven't heard it. Really beautiful and there are some showstoppers on it, especially 'Piece of Clay' if you have time for only one song with its piercing guitar and glorious organ. In that song, he speaks of the relationship between a father and son with respect to the false expectations of a father. Heartbreaking.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
That opener of Beyond Belief is one of my favorite Costello songs with all the hallmarks: great lyrics, bouncy guitar and a warm-up to a quickened pace. Of all the Costello songs that are out there-- many of which simply do not work, this is a great one especially because the vocals are tight and restrained.
Almost predictably, the second track takes us to a Costello song that doesn't really work and isn't pleasant. And this is the big problem where the vocals-- all excellent-- don't seem to align with the accompanying music. Like, why did you opt for that wonky rhythm for these vocals where they are both operating at completely different tempos.
Almost Blue is a great song and does come together nicely.
Human Hands could be one of the worst songs I've ever heard. Like a haunted circus soundtrack on fleek.
...And this album leaves me as every other album in his catalogue does, wanting so much to like him, but finding myself hating it.
Ice T
3/5
This album dropped as a shock to worried parents and was rapidly embraced in my circle as a great album. Ice-T brought the hardcore sound of West Coast rap nationwide and it was a wild thing to see this opposing style from say, Public Enemy. There are a lot of songs on here that I absolutely still vibe with, especially Midnight and Body Count, the former being sampled gorgeously by Dj Shadow. Ya Shoulda Killed me Last Year is amazing and I can remember we just dropped our jaws to hear him tell everybody to f**k off.
Tom Waits
5/5
Classic Tom Waits, surely America's greatest lyricist with his esophagus full of gravel and whiskey surrounded by a cloud of unfiltered nicotine. Easily one of the most important musicians of the 20th-21st centuries. I grew up to his vinyls spinning quite often, usually late at night, and usually turned up loud. He was there for the hard times and he still is. Hold On is my go to when everything comes apart at the seams. Mockin Bird was the one I sang to my babies. Those songs aren't on this album, and this album isn't one I know as well as much of his catalogue. But asking me if I want to hear a Tom Waits album is sort of like hey do you like chocolate? Well f**k yes I do! Fun fact. He uses it now, but for like FOREVER YEARS, tomwaits.com just loaded a black page with nothing. I thought that was genius and just so HIM!!!
James Taylor
3/5
Great album and a great musician. Just that I've heard all these songs so many times that the album is mildly annoying and cloying.
Nico
2/5
I just can't with Nico. I really want to love it, but between the flute and her voice, I just can't. Honestly, her best work is with Velvet Underground. I've listened to this one several times over my lifetime, and it always leaves me with mild regret.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I'm so excited. I've waited and waited for this to happen.. That the 1001 would change my opinion about an artist I hate and convert me. Well, today was the day. I've always loved Cohen's voice. It's right up there with Tom Waits for gravel and grit. I've always loved his lyrics-- pure poetry. But I've always hated his stupid melodies and accompaniments. This album is different. Sparer and sparse. It's fabulous. So now I like Leonard Cohen-- sort of.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Surprised myself at how much I liked this album and how many memories came back. Their album covers were all insane, but the music is just basically hair rock with a death wish. Pretty cool and was a definite breakthrough.
Heaven 17
2/5
This is the most 80's album I've never heard of. Wildly 80's.
The Divine Comedy
1/5
This was painful and difficult. I have to be honest to say I only made it 2/3 of the way through this album.
Ramones
3/5
Outstanding album and one that I disliked when younger, because it seemed to 'hardcore'. It's funny to me how the sound of albums like that has mellowed in time and possibly when placed in context of how heavy music later got. Anyhow, I love the sound of just about every song on here, even the seemingly trite ones like Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.
Mudhoney
1/5
This isn't my fav. I didn't find much about to get excited about. Not really a fan!
The Fall
3/5
There is something about putting an English accent behind some punk or New Wave that just makes it sound amazing. I had never heard of the fall, but they are excellent. Guitar work and drums are super solid, catchy, and thrilling. A lot to like here overall. perfect album to ride the motorcycle around the living room to.
Sonic Youth
4/5
That first track is awesome. It comes in and you're just surfing that groove SY wave right away. Nice and clean, like welcome my friend we were waiting for you (but we aren't gonna tell you what's comin even though we know...). Second song is like, let's keep going, but we're gonna grind a little and we're gonna break up the pace a bit and throw in a couple gnarly pieces of distortion sound wall. Oh ok, yup, this is SY.
Oh and then Kim is gonna come in and make it a little bit sexy with her 'more more more more'. A couple more tracks with her singing is a treat. She's just singing at me and hitting my emotions in waves.
Later in the album, we get their classic breakdown and knuckledrag heavy rock guitar like on Total Trash. I kind of get this kind of sound from them, but if I'm being honest, sometimes it seems a little much like they are just making a sound demonstration and this if anything is my criticism of SY.
Joni is just straight rock.
And then we get art noise with Providence.
And then we get sweet relief with Providence because every SY album has to have a reprieve. It's gonna be edgy, but it's organized and transcendental. Lovely hard edge flowers.
And then they just beat it up for the rest of the album.
The Temptations
2/5
Pretty groovy little album. Not one I'd reach out for in the future, but it was a pleasant time spent. Melodious. Great vocals throughout and some familiar and enjoyed tunes.
Eagles
2/5
I sort of like the Eagles for nostalgia reasons, but this one wasn't so great. To be honest, I was never a huge fan, really just a Greatest Hits and radio songs sort of listener. There's some to like here. But then there were some really low parts too like Witchy Woman and especially Most of us are Sad.. Earlybird was my favorite; great intro with the plucky banjo and then nope. Sigh.
UB40
5/5
While not known for much more than Red Red Wine by novice reggae listeners, the music of UB40 is highly significant to most serious reggae listeners. When they emerged in Birmingham in the late 1970's with this album leading wave after wave, suddenly a new alternative to Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and other early pioneers hit the scene. And while reggae is often accused of "all sounds the same", it isn't. The sound of UB40's Signing Off, the lyrics, and the overall originality of its ideas have led it to be a major stand out above many lackluster reggae albums out there in the universe.
For example, the keyboard sounds that lead 'King' are unique to this song and as far as I know aren't on any other band's reggae albums to date. The waves of baritone and the tight rhythms are in constant play across the album and work very nicely together.
We had this album at least by the early 1980's and it got a lot of play in the house. A lot of it is instrumental and the spare words mean that the focus here is on instrumentation and rhythm, the two things that UB40 did very well. The timing too is excellent. 'Tyler' at 1:39 is a very good example of the genius of their timing.
For the record, Red Red Wine is their absolute worst song. That song is kind of UB40's Touch of Grey if that resonates.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
More than a Whisper is tremendous. Don't we all need that? Griffith has a uniquely American sound with more than a touch of twang. I. had never gone deeper than her Greatest Hits so this was a treat. I found myself drawn in by her lyrics which seem to speak pretty universally to the human condition.
Boston
4/5
Great classic rock album that I like more that I am older than I ever did when these tracks were all on the radio.
The Darkness
1/5
This album raised two thoughts.
1. Hair band born too late. 2. Why are you screaming at me?
Overall, really disliked the album, particularly the vocals which are like a cacophony. Instrumentals are not bad-- a solid rock band backing the cat in a washing machine vibe of the singing.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Ah, we hit a Brian Wilson album. Brian Wilson was an unparalleled American musical genius. If you've ever listened to their studio chatter, you instantly begin to realize why. He was incredibly meticulous, often directing the band to a new take at the littlest variation that went against his vision. I liked this pre-Vegetables album because it was Brian Wilson before he went bonkers.
The only cringe I had was the slightly cringy references to teenage girls (see: I'm So Young) that probably wouldn't be well accepted in today's context, especially considering Wilson was 23 at the time of the album. Kiss Me, Baby is my favorite of the tracks.
Jethro Tull
1/5
What's the worst part of this album? Is it the screechy lyrics? Or maybe the 'we all live in a European shire' vibe? Or could it maybe be the Ron Burgundy flute loops? Nope. It's all of the above. I've actually never gotten through this album in its entirety but I did yesterday and I am still wading through a tide of regret. One of the worst so far for me.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Interesting band. Whiskey Woman was a high point for me. It's got a kind of Neil Young vibe that I dig. Overall, this is a talented early rock band that is surprising for the fact that they didn't make it bigger. Seems like chance and circumstance and bad management controlled their destiny. The low points were the Bee-bop-a-loula and other early 60's nonsense throwbacks. These are just a bit old for my interest and fall more in the generation of my father.
George Harrison
3/5
Nice album and not without its highlights. I kept hoping I'd uncover some Harrison tune that I'd never heard that I would absolutely fall in love with, but that wasn't meant to be. Lots of solid little rock tracks in there. I thought Johnny's Birthday or whatever was the low point and I didn't finish that track. Kind of a no for me.
Songs like Out of the Blue, My Sweet Lord are already old favorites.
Red Snapper
2/5
This is a funky weird cool album that went way deeper than I initially expected it to. Just spiraled down down down into near art noise. Sort of loved it, though maybe not for everyday use. Definitely was fascinating and I see why this one made the list.
Spacemen 3
3/5
Much better than I had remembered Spacemen 3 when I had initially run into them in the mid-1990s. This album was enjoyable overall with a few parts that got a bit overbearing for me (e.g., Che Maracas Mix). I probably wrote this band off too soon!
It really isn't what I'd call an accessible album. And it is quite long. But for 1989, they were way out in a place of their own experimenting with edgy sounds and beats.
May the Circle Be Unbroken was my clear favorite, mostly because I love the song so much and it was a very surprising take on this old spiritual.
Jean-Michel Jarre
5/5
Highly significant.
The drop in 'Oxygene, Pt. 2' at 1:41 is still one of my favorite muscial moments of all times. Pt. 3 uses a similar device of a drop/emergence. Pt. 4 is about freedom and lightness. Pt. 5, 5:23. Listen to how he pulls you out of the ship and takes you to the dizzying heights of earth consciousness and then leaves you on the shore with the waves slamming against the beach amongst the seagulls. Pt. 6 is my least favorite track, but it's still pretty damned good.
This album, which came out the year I was born, was probably a no-brainer for my mother, a francophile, who had at one time in the 60's lived in Paris. I am certain it was played in the house in the early months of my life. I rediscovered it later, as a 12 or 13 year old, pawing through my mother's dusty cassettes. And I remember the moment then when I REMEMBERED having heard it as an infant and how moved I was-- moved to tears in fact. I listened to the album off and on probably until I was about 20. It is fun to drift those old constellations and dwarf stars in my mind today.
Jarre has also been a near constant featured on the Hearts of Space radio program hosted by Stephen Hill weekly since 1973 (still broadcasting online) which was syndicated in about 30 cities, my hometown being one of them much to my good fortune.
This is 'space music' at its finest. If you know, you know. It's going to be fun reading the reviews of folks who are hearing this for the first time.
Astor Piazzolla
1/5
This one was not for me at all!
Madonna
2/5
Tracks 1-2 and 4-8 are quite weak. The final track, track 9 is pretty nice with outstanding vocals by Madonna and great accompanying strings. Track 3 is excellent and worthy of being the title track.
Spiritualized
4/5
Oh fascinating! An album and band I've never heard of and have little to no frame of reference for. At first blush, I notice it's got a slightly English vibe and I'm not surprised to read that it is in fact from England. I get a slight Oasis-ey undertone, but not a lot there. I'm loving the weird and lengthy dreamscapes that for once aren't filled with unpleasant noises-- Symphony Space I'm looking at you. This album is an interesting take on Space Music as we discussed earlier in the week regarding space music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre. This is obviously very different, but attempts to meld more traditional 90's English rock with space music. I think the result is appreciably nice!
Woah, Shine a Light is a really gorgeous intro and a lovely sound!
Other tracks are like with their orchestral and massive guitars. Really a special album!
The Charlatans
1/5
I'm so-so on this. Kind of like a bad Oasis album.
2/5
That is some serious hippy hippy shake straight out of the Summer of Love. I think I heard a bit too much of this sort of thing as a child hanging out on a commune. No need for me at least to revisit.
Simply Red
1/5
Simply horrible.
Soundgarden
5/5
Chris Cornell = Automatic 5.
It's fair to say that seeing Temple of the Dog play at the kickoff show November 4th, 2016 in Phila. not many months before his tragic and untimely death was probably the best show I've ever seen-- and I've seen some good f******g shows. What a damned legend. This album rocks.
Watch the Phila. show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OJAhB5Cark
The Soft Boys
3/5
I found this to be a completely fascinating sleeper of an album (for me at least). It's god just enough Pink Floyd sprinkled into the gumbo to make it pretty interesting.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
1/5
Typical blues album where every song sounds the same, like death metal.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
The extensive use of the Hammond breathes new life into what would otherwise have been merely a traditional jazz album. The organ lends a huge amount of funkiness and I liked it.
Bert Jansch
3/5
This album has both feet solidly in the American folk genre. Beautiful, near-classical (Windham Hill-ish at times) acoustic guitar takes you into this journey beset by A Mighty Wind. The vocals ranged and at times were really hospitable and at other times less so and feeling a bit obsolete.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
I have a crazy headache. Not sure it's this album, but there's a pretty good chance. This reminds me of Southern Culture on the Skids. It has a trailer park rockabilly vibe that definitely rocks, but for me not in the right ways at all. At song 8, I was disappointed to look ahead and see I was only halfway.
Weather Report
2/5
This album should be titled "Band Nerds Found a Bag of Weed", because that's basically what it sounded like. I had a weird feeling that I'd heard it before, but really couldn't say for sure. Generally found it dated and not that useful.
Mariah Carey
1/5
Clearly, this album was written for someone, but unfinished emotion and the technical ability to hit a wide vocal range of notes does nothing for me. I am firmly in the camp that feels that Mariah has some, but not enough ability to create music that is intellectually and creatively important.
Depeche Mode
3/5
This was a pretty classic Depeche Mode album and it was great to revisit. Stjarna was the low point, but there's not too much to dislike in the frantic and dark synth waves of the 80's bouncing over you. Somehow, the very 80's synth sounds still sound pretty fresh to me.
Gram Parsons
1/5
I had to pop an extra Lipitor this morning from consuming all the cheese in this album.
Johnny Cash
5/5
It is a wonderful album. The American series albums always seem to me about a man who knew his final chapter was being written and who was determined to show his depth and scope. Tear Stained Letter is the low point, but it's not that bad and the rest is simply so good, that it really can't be denied a 5. Hurt is the track that amazes. I know it well from Pretty Hate Machine, an anthem from my adolescence. Personal Jesus and In My Life are also incredible. This album reads like a love song for Gen X, and I appreciated that a great deal. It's been in my rotation since it was released and I listed to it often.
Fever Ray
4/5
I loved this weird norse viking invader music. I know the female lead vocalist from some other project and I've been trying to put my finger on it since the second I heard her sing on this album. I basically loved this weird awesome and sparse album. Totally enjoyable and weird.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
A delightful album with a very unique sound. Enjoyed this one thoroughly. I am uncertain about what distinguishes it within its genre, but only because of lack of experience and knowledge on my part.
Neneh Cherry
1/5
Way too much drum machine. Basically a deep cut 80's RnB album. I don't get the inclusion of this at all.
Raekwon
3/5
Much better than expected. I enjoyed all the Kungfu samples and the samples in general. The vocals otherwise feel sort of lackluster, but the production is so high that this album is cohesive and keeps the attention.
Public Enemy
3/5
Yeah boyee! This is a super album. I remember having it on cassettes. And yes, a real time commitment to sit down and listen to the whole thing. I'm not sure I ever did that, instead usually opting for one side or maybe two of a tape. But it was a walk down memory lane to hear all these tracks once more. The album still stands as one of the greatest rap albums.
Pink Floyd
5/5
It's so rich with memories, so full of talent, and such a masterwork that it can be difficult to revisit. The memories were full of joy, so much so that I miss them now.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
She has that one song though.
Slade
2/5
Nice old school rock album. Little monotonous.
Elvis Costello
1/5
This album is like every other EC album. 100% for creativity and instrumentation, 0% for execution. I find the constant tempo changes to be totally jarring. I wish for once he would pick a tempo or two and play it throughout the whole song rather than constant tempo switching. Love his voice, lyrics, everything, but I can't get past this. The songs that have gained the most popular success for Costello have been songs like "Veronica" that limit the tempo switching and have a smoother overall sound. So, want to love it, but kinda hate it.
The La's
3/5
This was okay with the one hit song and then everything else was fine. Not exciting. Listenable.
Soul II Soul
4/5
It's 1991 and we ride to the Blue Elephant in a noisy Bajaj all the way down Galle Road. The man at the door looks doubtful-- we're 13, but after presenting our diplomatic ID's and a little coaxing from a local friend on the inside, we are in with big Lion Lagers and hitting the floor. Soul II Soul is on and the party is bumping and we are dancing close in the room with the AC blasting.
Objectively, it's not the greatest album of all times, but we were rocked by it and it has a place inside me.
Metallica
2/5
I would place this album with the TransSiberian Orchestra or whatever. I like some orchestral music. I like some metal, but some fusion experiences aren't great. I don't like fish and ice cream. That's kind of where my head is at on this album.
The Verve
2/5
I listened to it once full through when it came out and then again this week. That was enough for me!
M.I.A.
1/5
An album where every song is a seizure.
Wild Beasts
2/5
The instrumentation was good, even quite good in parts but the falsetto vocals were just a little too weird for me to vibe with.
David Crosby
3/5
Crosby has his place in the cannon of American music. I'm not sure his solo work represents his best work which I think was really more with CSNY. This album is puzzling for importance. Listenable, but nothing stands out from any other solo Crosby stuff, at least to me
KISS
1/5
I had always thought that the entire KISS apparatus was a joke, and as a result I had never really sat down and listened to an entire album, every single song to give it that critical listening appraisal. I have now done that and can definitely say the entire KISS apparatus is a joke.
Janis Joplin
1/5
OMG I hate it so much. Everything about her. I know people love her, but just no. She had no regard for her own life, so why should anyone care about her music.
Björk
2/5
I want to love her because she's so weird and cool, but I don't find anything that makes me think I'd like to have this album in rotation. There was a brief moment, and definitely not with this album where I fell in line with what she was doing, but every track here just is not approachable to me now. I feel some pang of regret to rate it so low, but here we are.
Frank Zappa
1/5
I forced myself to do it but it's such a cacophany. Zappa was a genius, but it's rare when I have a taste for it.
Pixies
5/5
Pretty hard to argue with such an important album as this one is. I learned today. I always think of The Pixies as kind of punk, but Wiki says I'm wrong and they are "alternative rock". Anyhow, Where is My Mind is the high point for me personally, but the driving drums, the strong basslines, and of course the epic male and female vocalists on one album (always a great choice, think The XX, Sonic Youth etc..) make this a terrific choice. Bone Machine is great too. Broken Face is my least favorite, but it isn't dislikable enough for me to tax it a star. It's ot my favorite Pixies album, but I mean, what a band. What a sound.
The Who
4/5
It's a solid album and you can really feel their energy as the superband that they were/are and their excitement about playing at home during a time when music in general was on the advance. I can't find fault in it and there were actually a lot of songs I did not know at all.
Lots of blues sounds, grinding of axes and classic classic rock.
King Crimson
3/5
Such a fascinating band full of twists and turns and unexpected sound. King Crimson has been on my radar for a very long time-- though not this album. I thoroughly enjoyed although, of course, they have some WTF noise moments..
Goldfrapp
3/5
Goldfrapp seems to endlessly reinvent themselves. I listened to this album with interest since I didn't know it, but I have to say, it doesn't come close to the power of 2000's release of 'Felt Mountain' whose song "Horse Tears" has captivated me for the better part of a year (a discovery for me). If you were nonplussed by this album and are fairly new to this band, don't stop here, because there is a lot of variability between their albums.
Seventh Tree lacks that kind of power and seems like an interim album until something more brilliant comes from their wellspring. Listenable, pleasant, but none of the earlier power.
Magazine
4/5
Really interesting and very English sound. I like it because it seems like the proper evolution of punk. More settled more melodious, but full of plenty of surprises and defined drums. Vocals are just classic British punk, raw and emotive.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
Unrelenting monotonous noise, but 'Longstockings' does break out and is pretty nice until it too devolves into trash noise! 'Wonderful Rainbow' (the song) hints at something magnificent and then vaporizes. Overall, I get it, but I don't want it.
King Crimson
5/5
Buckle the f**k up. Court is in session. The opening breaks are raucous and cacophonic. You think you know what it is, but then Schizoid fades into Talk to the Wind and the (probably best on a modernish album) flute floats melodious with what is that (clarinet and some starry keyboard?), and you find you don't really know what is going on-- yet. On the third track, the kettle drum rolls thunder and the strings come in and you think, how many instruments do these guys play?? The vocals are a little more pointed and the strings carry you soaring above the mountains while the completely unique guitar pierces through the void and injects salve. Finally, sweet release and the acoustic guitar takes a role stepping aside only for the somber and somnolent clarinet and still thunderous drums.
Moonchild swings in like an old sad friend. It seems simple, familiar, predictable. But is it? What sort of hobbit journey are we on and when have you heard anything remotely like this before? Was it in a dream? At the end, we get like 7 minutes of call and response jazz chaos in fits and starts and might be tempted to think, is the album ending here? Going to sputter out?
And then the title track comes swooping in, organs and drums, guitars and then into the quiet little hamlet voice. I wonder at this stage briefly, why do I hate Jethro Tull so much?? Oh because it is totally derivative of this album probably with none of the originality, lyrics, or talent.
Overall, this is a brilliant piece of work. I met this album at age 13 and it was way beyond my comprehension at the time-- still on the edge. My dear dreadlocked pal, Troy played it for me on vinyl and it was old then. Somehow it stands even taller and is even more fascinating. A musical pillar.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
This is odd coming on the heels of King Crimson, because we're back at the shire. It's just that it's a lesser one.. Better than Jethro Tull's shire, but still derivative and weird.
Rufus Wainwright
1/5
This is the worst Radiohead album ever.
Ozomatli
3/5
This album is the hot mess we've grown to love from Ozomatli where Latin vibes and hip hop lyrics blend with DJ music. This album is fun and lively and has the protest movement themes of their other music. That said, it doesn't touch the 1998 break out self-titled album which is a truly groundbreaking one, especially for the time. If you ever get a chance, go see them. They throw a good party.
Elton John
4/5
Very solid album by one of the greatest musicians. I could have done without "Indian Sunset", but otherwise excellent!!
3/5
Rife with nostalgia. I can only now revisit a little the place that this album was, but I will never appreciate now what it was then. I don't feel the scorn that I hear others have for Bono and for this band. Must be hurtful to him. Sure, there were missteps that they took. Who hasn't. The album is still a technically and emotionally good one. I say it stands.
Randy Newman
2/5
The music was nice, but the vocals were off-putting.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Interesting to listen to such an early album! How far this band has come from the blues and early rock that is played here. It's a bit too early in the evolution of rock form my personal tastes, but it was quite fun to hear the seed of their greatness.
Jack White
3/5
When I think about Jack White and after listening to this album, I feel that I am listening to a great showman. And having seen him live last year, that assessment is reinforced. Lots of high drama and attention seeking noise. It's sort of the Barnum and Bailey of modern music where Jack White is the ringmaster and everything revolves around him. In that sense, I find the music selfish and contrived for likes.
The Stooges
2/5
Good quality punk/rock album, but mostly I didn't like it. I recognize why the Stooges are so loved.
SZA
1/5
This album has no place in my repertoire. Meh.
Lucinda Williams
4/5
This is a beautiful album from the title track Car Wheels on a Gravel Road to the excellent 2 Kool 2 B Forgotten and the Louisiana soliloquy of Lake Charles. I actually first encountered and fell in love with this Williams album while living in Louisiana and it slides right in there under most circumstances. Just really pleasant.
David Bowie
4/5
Several songs like Heroes carry the album, but wasn't a fan of all the sax.
PJ Harvey
2/5
I got the sneaky feeling that saying I love England 65 times on an album will get you on this list. The album seems like a love song or elegy to jolly olde England. Certainly listenable and at rare moments the vocals break through the surface to become nearly radiant. Nice to hear the combination of male and female voices singing together.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Excellent rock album. I can certainly remember parents being super worried about kids listening to Sabbath as a boy and that it was creating super scary satanic worship. So laughable now where it basically sounds like a rock album and not even all that hardcore by today's measures. Really enjoyable and talented. What an entrance to the music scene this was.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
I was hanging in there and vaguely interested until the aptly named "Don't" when I was asking myself Don't you want to turn this off? Don't you question why this is useful to anyone? Don't you want to not listen to this again?
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
This ranges from highly sensitive and sophisticated jazz to little numbers that sound like the moment in the 70's movie when the bombshell looks at the suitor and says, "It's time I slip into something more comfortable." Really, there are parts that are very strong and the technical skill with which, particularly the horns are played is outstanding. Yet there is that aspect of cheesiness that haunts with a pervasive aura.
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Gee whiz, it's rock 'n' roll and it's here to stay. Groovy guitar and keyboard.
Mylo
3/5
I thought this was a really good electronic album well beyond it's time by an artist I'd never listened to. Nice to get something like this because it's so interesting to know that there are still new things out there. Guilty of Love was the low water mark and this one was terrible. Muscle Cars was the best. Light and fluffy.
The Cult
3/5
It's funny, I know one album quite well by The Cult, but only one. I've never heard any of these before. You have to say the guitar is slammin' and just a great rock sound throughout alongside the driving drums. This is a hard partying, hard working band. But, it lacked the emotion of songs like "She Sells Sanctuary" for me. Were the ones I love better or just attached to memories. I can't say for sure.
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
I mean for a Zappa album, this is better than many. You know the father of Dwezel and Moon Unit is gonna bring the weird and this one has it in spades. The odd conversational chatter really stood out to me. Overall, it's like art at a museum where you look at it and think Well I wouldn't want it in my house, but I'm glad it exists. Like that.
The Beach Boys
3/5
There is a certain inevitability of this album being included in the pantheon. Wilson, yes a genius, produced this album widely considered his best work. I must say though, as a fan, I like the Studio Sessions best as you get to hear how Wilson talked to the band and produced the music in the many Studio Chatter sessions. But, Pet Sounds has its place and still stands. Innovative, interesting, and fun.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
I was with this album right when it dropped and remember Comfortably Numb as the standout track--listening as I was to a lot of Tiga at the time. Overall, there is a lot to like here and the band was bringing some new representation to music. A lot to like here still, big orchestral electronic sounds, good sense of timing, and agreeable vocals.
The United States Of America
1/5
Two moments stood out and not in a positive way. The first was the lyric, "Reality is only temporary." And the second was the sampling of carnival music on track 10. Those two things really personify this psychedelic madness, this kind of music that was the worst thing that came out of the 60's protest movement that ultimately discredited the thinking. And it exemplifies the self-indulgent freakout that probably set us back for decades.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Baaba Maal is a powerful vocalist and one I am already familiar with though not this album. I found myself enjoying it overall and leaning in to the welcoming world vibe, but a little disappointed that it lacked some of the stark power and originality of a track like 'Call to Prayer' from his 1989 album Passion Sources: (https://open.spotify.com/track/6HZUz12ZVCjWey8at477Qq). I find the starkness of that album's second transporting me to another space with its slight flute(?) accompaniment. This album is more approachable, but seems to curtsey a bit to Westerners.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
This was ok. Strong vocalist, but didn't love the music.
Maxwell
1/5
Cheesy RnB is like my kryptonite.
Ryan Adams
3/5
Pretty typical sound out of Ryan Adams for me, and perhaps because this is the only album I've ever heard in the past. He has those tracks that stand out and rise above the rest which just sounds like a dull hum. Totally listenable and pleasant with a few especially useful and impactful songs-- New York etc..
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
If anxiety was an album this would be it. I found this album stressful and under threat. Nope for me!
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
You think you've heard it all and then you find yourself listening to Throbbing Gristle. There were a few scant glimmers of hope in this album, but it was mostly an ocean of unpleasant more or less experimental noise. It was chewy and hear to get through but I slogged it out. Hope not to ever experience it again!
Tom Waits
5/5
Just outstanding. Best American lyricist. Love his gravel voice and that swing. Tom Waits is the king of his land.
Michael Jackson
2/5
You really, based on memory alone, would probably say that every song on this album is a jam. And that is so true until you hit 'Girlfriend'. And then you hit 'She's Out of My Life'. And then you hit 'It's the Falling in Love'.
And then it hits your memory that Jackson reached a settlement with the accuser's family, reportedly for millions of dollars, and no criminal charges were filed. The settlement was later used as evidence by the prosecution during the 2005 trial to suggest a pattern of behavior. In 2005, Jackson was charged with multiple counts of child molestation, administering an intoxicating agent, and conspiracy to commit child abduction, false imprisonment, and extortion. The allegations involved a 13-year-old cancer survivor who had spent time at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. And while he was acquitted, it's pretty creepy. It basically turned me off of his music and made playing it feel questionable to me.
Japan
3/5
What a fascinating album by a band I haven't listened to very much at all! Just a great 80's sound, terrific vocals, and all of the condensed sounds of this era-- if that's what you're looking for. Usually, I'm not and when I rarely am, I generally lean on the radio hits that fueled my childhood. That said, a really interesting band and I hope to listen a bit more to their catalogue. Great to discover!
The Doors
3/5
Instantly recognizable for every single track. I find it so interesting that the Doors are really no longer listened to. You will almost never hear a Doors track played anywhere. This album is so iconic that I doubt I can add anything to the probably widely available critiques.
The Beta Band
2/5
That first track really swings and I love how it samples the 1969 track of 'Daydream' by the Wallace Collection. If it seems instantly familiar to you, that's why. It took me a little while to hunt that down. Excellent composition.
Second track is far less appealing. And so it goes for the rest of this bouncy atmospheric album... It's fairly typical of other works by Beta Band that I have heard previously: pleasant, not exciting.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
This album was very important to me at 13. It's kind of an oldie but a goodie and certainly reminds me of my first girlfriend as we listened to it alone slacking around in our bliss. Dark, moody, emotive. Lots to still love here. There have always been a couple tracks I didn't get, but the most are still sounding good. Timeless.
Beastie Boys
5/5
What a joy. Like a hug from an old friend. Hasn't lost a thing in all the years since we had the posters up on our bedroom walls and celebrated the sound of these B-Boys from Brooklyn.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Homey and blessedly short, this little album surprised with 'Cocaine'. Elliott is a good lyricist and is a slice of hardscrabble American history.
Miles Davis
4/5
Really, this is the only jazz album I like. Just one I grew up hearing over and over. It's masterwork.
Paul Simon
2/5
Paul Simon is Paul Simon. Sort of steadfast and never-changing since this early album. He seems like an old friend here and that's the part I like. When he does what I call his caricature songs, I like those the least. Those are the ones with the lyrics like, "Hello my name is Samantha and I'm 15 years old in the Bronx...My mother never buys me garbanzos".
Tim Buckley
2/5
Everything was going fine, but Gipsy Woman was about 11 minutes too long. I didn't have a great deal of love for the album, but I'm glad it existed in the space and time when it did.
The Shamen
2/5
This must have been such a new sound when it hit the club scene where it hit. I had trouble finding my way into it and had to try and appreciate it for what it must have been in the moment.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
This band kind of reminds me of the Cult and I liked it. Floodland was n album whose vocal style really appeals to me with a little bit of a gothy twist.
Eric Clapton
2/5
For me personally, there are two outstanding tracks on this album. Please be With Me and Let it Grow are truly durable songs. And I actually listen to Please be With Me on a near weekly basis. It's one of the only Clapton songs that has that treatment for me. Two songs don't make an album, but they are very good.
There's no doubt that Clapton is highly talented guitar player who benefited greatly from songwriters like J J Cale and others throughout his career to become the rock legend he once was. He's a complicated man and from what I've heard him quoted throughout his career about science and race, he's a pretty appalling person and not one I admire much. I can only say that I loved his music before I knew all that and there are some memories attached to a couple of his songs. His best work is actually on the Rush Motion Picture Soundtrack. I've struggled with this concept of personality throughout the project, but yeah, I think it hurts the music. If your server made a huge belch while delivering your meal would it impact your dining experience? Yeah, I think it does-- and it should.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
By any measure, this is an incredibly innovative album, one of the few that I own on vinyl. That said, it is relatively new to me. I only discovered ELO in the late 90's as they were just ahead of the time or the curve of my childhood music listening. It's pretty terrific and musically complex and well put together. As orchestra would suggest, many disparate parts come together to make this music and composition (as well as harmony) are at the fore. It's pretty impressive. And I mean, album art is a 10.
The Beach Boys
4/5
What a fascinating album to revisit. Wilson here showing his stripes as insane/genius, especially on songs like Take Care of Your Feet or whatever. The title track is pretty incredible. It's hard to say things about the harmonies and melodies which really have not ever been rivaled. It feels like peak Beach Boys if you've spent much time listening to them at all. That is particularly true if you've ever listened to the many disks that make up the studio sessions and listened to the many "studio chatter" recordings to hear Wilson's process. He was meticulous sometimes taking dozens of takes to lay down a track. He must have been impossible to work with, but when you hear the final polished tracks, you realize the sheer amount of work and skill that went into it.
The KLF
1/5
This was like if C&C Music Factory and Ace of Base had a child. No thank you.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
I had never listened to this album except catching the odd track here or there in public. It's catchy. I'm not sure it merits the fame, but it's definitely catchy. I'm probably too old for this?
The Clash
4/5
This was a lot of fin to listen to. I've always liked the Clash, though probably not to the extent of listening to their catalog album by album. So I had not in fact hear this album which presumably is their first. Many songs I knew, but some I didn't. It's classic Brit punk through and through. While not my favorite band of the genre, it still delivers a rotten down under the bridge with this mohawk huffing paint kind of experience.. Just perfect for when you're feeling pissed at the authorities that hold you down.
fIREHOSE
2/5
Slow start to the album with crappy vocals and *off* timing that wasn't even in a good syncopated way. I really didn't enjoy the album, but the Spotify algorithm kept rolling and did eventually play a song of their I liked that wasn't on this album: Time With You is really good.
Napalm Death
1/5
Life is just so full of moments where you aren't sure what to do. Like, I'm meeting my prospective employer for lunch. Or What about I'm opening a posh brunch restaurant? Or even the old conundrum.. What should our first dance be at the wedding? And at all these kinds of moments, the same nagging question comes up. What should I play?!?
Well fret no more, because 'SCUM' is here for you. With such diverse sound influences such as drowning a family of racoons in a bathtub full of Drano all the way to automotive collisions, Napalm Death brings us something truly unrivaled. With the lyric and vocal sounds that really fit every one of life's most meaningful moments. The melodies and the consistent chords and drumming that won't upset the applecart so to speak. It would seem you can always count on Napalm Death to deliver that warm embrace you've always been looking for. That sound that so adroitly blends heroin, violence, sweat, and daddy issues so lushly.
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Quite simply, this is an extremely unpleasant album that proves that bizarre is not always noteworthy.
The Zutons
3/5
Really an interesting album! I had never heard of this and found it pretty likeable! This music has its own vibe and is unique among other British bands of the time. Great vocals and instrumentation throughout. Mostly, it was just an album that was consistent and listenable across all the tracks. I bet this was an awesome live show.
2/5
Not too much to say about this one. Certainly, it escaped the Gilberto style samba albums and brought some new atmospheric sound. It wasn't terribly exciting to me.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Somehow in the more idyllic moments of growing up I believed we as Americans had our worst problems behind us. Our parents had solved civil rights, equality for women, and war was in the rearview mirror. And if there was a soundtrack for the resulting internal peace, this album was it. I first heard this album as a young child, owned it as one of my first records and played it pretty ceaselessly probably up to the time of the first Iraq invasion (perhaps coincidentally). It's hard to listen to now, as an adult facing a much different world for my children than the one I was given. It's like the soundtrack of what might have been.
AC/DC
4/5
What can we say. Epic rock legends with the songs we know and love. Hard now to believe it was "hard rock" as it sounds like classic rock to hear it again today. Nice to hear, a staple band and one I'm pretty much always up for the way some dudes like Metallica.
Wilco
2/5
Such a lazy insipid album. I'll never understand the adoration of Wilco fans for this music. Poor Places seems like the highlight of the otherwise lackluster album. But even here the vocals seem uninspired and everything is just downbeat and dreary.
Neu!
5/5
I completely understand that this album was not met with popular success based on the brief band bio on Spotify. That said, holy shit. This is an amazing album which I've listened to 3 times in the past two days. To say I'm impressed is an understatement. Everything about this sound is incredible. Atmospheric, electronic, cryptic, drum heavy, guitar driving. Absolutely loved it. I found that first track to be loaded with compassion and enthusiasm.
Grateful Dead
3/5
I'm a fan overall of the Dead and these are classic older Dead songs played in the legendary Fillmore venue. 1969 must have been an amazing year to see this and to hear these songs. My favorite era of Dead is later, but still there is a beauty here. Turn on Your Love Light and Dark Star are stand outs that Dead fans continued to love for decades.
The Libertines
1/5
This is pretty lackluster stuff. Hard to get excited about it. From the bio it looks like they're barely excited to play with one another and it shows.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Break out the hairspray and get ready for the album that is Finnished before it barely started. Ha. This is okay and it does feel like the picked up where Motley Crue stopped. Nothing really stood out about it except everyone asking me what are you listening to??? I had a roommate who was in a hairband that probably opened up for bands like this and got all the tea about what that era of music was like and it was hilarious. Kind of like the pro-wrestling of music but at the end of the day, they really did deeply care about their craft.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
New You was the track I liked the best on the album. With the distortion turned down to like 8 it was much more approachable than the rest which hits like an unflinching sonic affront. Not saying this track is amazing, but it's pretty good. Very hard to like this band then and still hard to like it now.
American Music Club
3/5
I'm a little uncertain whether or not I heard the whole album on YouTube, but what I heard was melodic and pretty characteristic of a classic Indie album. Small production, not a lot of frills. Lyric heavy and harmonious.
The Associates
2/5
I was kind of excited for some influential 80's band I'd never heard, but then found the vocals to be truly insufferable. At its best, there is an almost Bowie likeable quality, but at its worst, neighborhood dogs howl in pain. I was down for all the drum machine and keyboards. That singing though.
50 Cent
2/5
"Back Down" was the high spot for me on the album. Overall, there are some very solid tracks here and the collaborations are excellent. Eminem, Snoop, these are rap world heavy hitters and speak to how respected 50 was when he dropped this album. That said, it's a violent album with none of the humor of similar albums by these collaborators that could have helped to soften the harder lyrics. The album doesn't seem to have a lot of awareness beyond self-promotion and that makes it a little boring. The first time I heard this, I was working in the foster care business and one of the kids played it for me. They were very excited about it and I could see how for someone who was growing up in a very desperate situation this album had huge appeal.
Joy Division
2/5
Huge band. Huge following. I've heard this album many times as it was played by a sibling a lot. Just never got the taste for it. How do I love the Smiths but hate Joy Division? These are the mysteries of the universe.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
This album is totally fun! Mostly Bollywood, but also with a little jazz and latin vibe thrown in. Just a little bit of everything. Somewhere somehow it felt familiar even though I couldn't specifically remember it. Worth a listen and just fun. Won't be going back for more.
Kate Bush
2/5
It's easy to see from the first time you hear Kate Bush that her voice is singular. But besides Running Up That Hill (not on this album BTW), how much does that singularity translate into importance / listenability. I don't think very much. I want to love an album like this, but just can't get past the same thing that probably makes her fans love her so much-- that voice.
Lambchop
3/5
Really enjoyed this one! Don't have any specific comments, but it was a great album and I'd never heard it.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
It's a badass album and one I really enjoy listening to because it basically never gets old. I like the humorous interludes particularly on the skit where the red dots are on the dudes heads and on "Fuck Me" which is pretty hilarious. The huge hits like Big Poppa are the closest to being worn out as they have been played so much. It's an original sounds that manages to be enjoyable because the samples on tracks like "respect" (informer) and the overall sprinkles of humor offsets some of the brutal language. The album slips on Friend of Mine and Unbelievable and really trails off for the remainder of the album..But the beginning 14 tracks are solid. Always will be a classic.
Metallica
2/5
Hearing tracks like "One" on this album bum me out because it shows that Metallica has the talent and the capacity to make more interesting music but just generally chooses not to, instead focusing on the monotonous every track sounds the same except for one or two on every album. Technically super talented band.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
This album was huge for black hip hop drilling much deeper into the American psyche than its predecessors like Grandmaster Flash. All these songs still sound pretty catchy after all this time. Love the cowbell and all the beats.
Marty Robbins
3/5
For its genre, this is a classic. I have actually surprisingly heard this album once before and several of the songs I've heard numerously. There was a time when I was questing for this cool Western sound a la Nancy Sinatra 'Bang Bang'..
Talking Heads
3/5
It's hard to hate on David Byrne because he is so authentic and so interesting. This particular album is not really one of my favorites, but I do enjoy aspects of it, particularly the drums and his signature vocal style.
The Vines
3/5
Interesting band and an interesting album. I had never really given much attention to The Vines. Parts of this are very enjoyable. I noticed in the blurb about them that they had been compared to Nirvana. That seemed apt at some of their best moments.
Deee-Lite
1/5
So this album has a song on it. It was a rump shaker with all the ladies back in the day. But what else is there? Sort of a one hit wonder album with the title track literally being the worst-- absolutely dismal sound and lyrics.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Although the album didn't start out with much room for hope, 'This is What She's Like' was a nice twist as the second track. It's got a bit of the old Come on Eileen vibe but is entirely unique. Muscially, the horns and piano work very well here even though the spoken word throughout made it feel like a hot take or just studio chatter.
'One of Those Things' seems very derivative of Warren Zevon grabbing the melody of 'Werewolves of London' in part. The repeated line: "They all sounded the same." is a little ironic here. Again with the chit chat which by now is becoming a little wearisome.
Once we hit 'Reminisce', the spoken word vocals have become really intolerable. All the elements together make you wonder if there was a plan here or just that someone hit record on a garage jam session.
'Listen to this' gets much better, again with terrific horns and piano masking in part the less agreeable moaning vocals.
By the time we drag ourselves across the finish line, it's like someone (the lead singer) has finally drained the last drop from a massive bottle of gin and is nearly about to pass out.
Overall, displeasing with pops of niceness.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
An elegant album with a crystal clear voice made by the queen of country. Emmylou Harris is an elegant woman too. I once had the honor of having breakfast at her table on one cool and clear Colorado morning. She is the most beautiful and refined person. Charming and full of grace. She has shaped country and bluegrass music now for decades paving the way for relative newcomers like Allison Krauss. Her voice on Red Dirt Road as in many of her albums will echo long in the marbled pantheon.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
This album could be about eight tracks shorter to address some of the songs that suck. That said, between Sara, Tusk, and Sisters of the Moon, the album is still anchored into importance.
A very fine start with the first track and then we hit...
'The Ledger'. What the hell is that?! Sort of one of the most terrible yet most bouncy songs I've ever heard. Is this supposed to be fun? 'Think About Me' is a more traditional FM song, though somewhat uninspired guitar that sort of spills out in measures. 'Save Me a Place' enters and exits like badly wilted lettuce, never reaching its intention.
Then boom, 'Sara'. Arguably one of the greatest example of FM's fine vocals. Spare musical accompaniment is pitch perfect and the scant brushes on the high hat. It makes you wish you knew a Sara-- or wish you knew THIS Sara. when you build your house, call me has to be one of the most romantic lines ever.
How they ever talked themselves into 'What Makes You Think You're the One' on the heels of Sara is just beyond me. Why anyone else besides Stevie Nicks is allowed to sing on a FM is like ludicrous. WTF thought that was a good idea even?!
A few lackluster tracks follow until we hit 'It's Not That Funny' which actually is not funny at all and is a real travesty for the ears. I was unable to determine which was less funny: the vocals or the keyboard.
What an inconsistent album
'Sisters of the Moon' brings us back to life. Damn that slow steady intro with Stevie Nicks howling at the moon is launching me into the stratosphere. This is a jam and I've never even heard it before. Drums are fire. Guitar is fire. Stevie is hot as the sun. Damn I could not like this more.
There are a number of tracks that follow that aren't standouts to me until we hit the title track. There are so few lyrics here, it's just so hard to believe how powerful it is. Always loved this track. Witchcraft.
Traffic
3/5
An interesting album. Some of the lyrics were truly bizarre. I had never heard any of these songs which must predate the Traffic albums I did listen to quite a bit. It lacks most of what I think of as their signature style, but there is a kernel of the power band they would later become.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
I listened to as much as I can. Audio assault comes to mind. This was a chewy one, and not very enjoyable. Anyone in earshot had questions about this.
Doves
4/5
Great to revisit the Doves as I had not tuned in lately. I think I played them so much when they hit the scene that I had to take a break and never went back. That said, it sounded pretty fresh again and I truly enjoyed it. I think this is a band whose music made a real difference and had a sound that was widely influential.
Norah Jones
3/5
It's hard not to like the soothing sounds of Norah Jones' vocals on this album. She rolls a little too soft for me, but I could see where if I was in a really bad place in my life, like experiencing the death of a close loved one that this album might be really useful.
Rod Stewart
2/5
I'm no superfan, but having heard his greatest hits album dozens of times I'm sure, this one came as a bit of a shock. It's just so surprisingly bad compared to some of the songs he would go on to write and perform. I couldn't point to a single song here and say, "But that one is terrific". Just a lackluster album that is amazing in that he would later burn so brightly!
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
Wow. When the first song hits it's like you are hearing Ice T for the first time and it surprised me to hear it for the first time. My best guess is I was out of the country when this dropped and missed it the first time around for that reason. Overall, the lyrical style and the beats as well as the overall (albeit important) social themes get fairly redundant. It's a common complaint about rap/hip hop, but I would say overall I'm much more open to this genre than many. Point being, I felt it truly was redundant even for the genre. Glad I heard it, not sure I'd be up for it again any time soon.
The White Stripes
3/5
I can certainly appreciate the album. Jack White is a talent. He has a plan. He has a persona. A ton of energy and he has been prolific and captured the imagination of his fans everywhere.
Simple Minds
3/5
Whatever version of this I belatedly found had four discs which was about three too many. That said, I was very surprised to find sleeper tracks that I liked an awful lot. Somehow, I started asking myself how this album would sound if the lead singer was replaced by the Swedish Chef and it fit a little too well, so that did spoil it a bit. Anyhow, the first ten of like 70 songs was worth it and I would like to check it out again some time.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
This is the second time I've heard this album in its entirety. Honestly, my opinion when I heard it the first time was that it was one of the best suicide notes ever written. It really feels like a long goodbye.
Musically, I don't enjoy most of it, but there are some standout tracks. The incredibly sad "Time" with its spare piano and haunting lyrics hits. And "Farewell my Friend" is to me the best song on the album. His swan song in fact.
It must have been hard coming of age in the face of the giant personality of Brian.
Janet Jackson
1/5
Ugh.
Beastie Boys
5/5
By the time this album came out, the B-Boys were no longer just a couple kids from Brooklyn. They were still young and they were international stars. They started to experiment here, sampling and playing elements of metal and other world music sounds. The production costs of this compared to their earlier albums was huge building on their prior explosive low budget success. Were they sellouts we wondered at the time? It turned out no, not really. This dropped weeks before I graduated high school and it really carried over into college. I owned it myself and heard it at countless house parties.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I am of two minds on the album. I mean it's the Boss, so right away expectations are high. The thing is, though, I haven't ever been able to get my brain to latch onto his non-mainstream songs the way I have with the ones that have deep hooks in me. So, I love the vocals and the instrumentation, but it's tough to really want it because compared to some of those other tracks that are part of my core music mainframe, there aren't any like that.
Sepultura
1/5
I'm glad this album exists for someone who needs it. Itsari was unique. Otherwise, not for me.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Amazing to think that Washington DC's native son, Gaye, dropped this album just one year after the incredible album "What's Going On". It goes to show how productive he truly was with a huge amount of energy and creativity. It's not exactly my favorite of his music, but it is way up there. Easy to listen to, with just a little cheese, it's an album I probably should listed to more. Keep Gettin it On is a highlight with a still fresh sound. Strings and orchestral accompaniments are all hallmarks of this period of his music and I am basically here for all of it.
Slipknot
2/5
I found myself grooving to songs like Gehenna that are probably inspired by the vocals and guitars of Alice in Chains etc. But then the Red Bull Speedball drums and the growly reak vocals don't do anything for me. The lyrics are pretty terrible throughout. Amazing to see all the accolades this band has pulled. I just find a lot of it actually isn't that innovative.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
So many great songs on this album. I listen to this one fairly often. Big fan of Raitt.
The Beta Band
3/5
I think I ran into Beta Band years ago as they show up on at least one Air song. It's a weird and interesting band that I overall like but don't love. This album is no different with its tight little chug along grooves. Totally adequate.
Mike Oldfield
1/5
I've encountered this album once before, attracted most likely by the cover art. It's weird and the songs are too long. And weird. Just can't get in the groove on this one at all.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Hard Headed Woman, Wild World, Father and Son are highly significant. Where do the Children Play also is quite good. His voice on this album is about as clear and lucid as he's ever had it. It's a highly significant album. I've been listening to it for 35 years. The middle songs aren't nearly as good..
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Our second at least Costello album and here we are again.. It starts out so strong with the album's biggest hit-- excellence will happen. And it is excellent, mostly because it's rhythmically cohesive with logical transitions. The lyrics are catchy and Costello is on point. This is peak Elvis Costello. And now, I'm sure, will be the other take regarding the rest of the album.
Senior Service starts to get a litte syncopated and circusy. Like six songs in one.
Take the time to read the truly bizarre lyrics of Green Shirt. Wild!
And yes, generally another weird Costello album full of jarring tempos, intelligent but nonsensical lyrics etc.. Everything you'd expect.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
This is an artist who eventually won me over because of her talent and her persona. Initially, I really didn't like the sound of her voice because it sounded contrived-- like a 50's sound. That's to say, I think I'm finally seeing what everyone else already saw.
Rehab is my most familiar and least favorite song on this album.
If she wasn't singing about the weed dealer and fuckery and all, this album really could've been a 1950's RnB album, so that's weird. But her voice is strong here. The instrumentals and accompanying vocals are really just window dressing or her powerful voice and often strong lyrics. And her voice is pretty lush even when it's singing about darkness which it often is.
Bad Company
4/5
It's one of the greatest classic rock albums of all time. What I never knew until last week was that they're British! Honestly, to hear their voices, I had no clue! Ha!
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
This felt more like a musical than an album. The dramatic and performative nature of it wasn't to my taste. I haven't found my stride with Nick Cave, though I know he is pretty widely appreciated.
Stephen Stills
2/5
It tries to recapture the spirit of CSN, but comes up short. A lot of songs with a fairly monotonous sound across the album. I can't quite come up with it, but the album is missing enough elements, that it doesn't rise to significance for me personally.
The Waterboys
3/5
It's a pretty long album and when I first heard it as a young man, it did not hit as well as it did today. I really enjoyed the vast majority of it, except for the sort of whaling songs or whatever you call them. Great instrumentation, consistent timing, and appealing vocals throughout. Pretty timeless.
Laura Nyro
1/5
I'm not gonna lie, Nyro's voice irritates the hell out of me. Some of the lyrics are not bad, but that voice and the sort of jazz derived rhythms are grating and difficult. It's like a completely opposite take to someone like an Eva Cassidy whose voice is in a very similar notal range and jazz derived style, but instead is completely soothing, lush, powerful, and gorgeous. In short, I can see why Nyro never was met with the success that she felt she deserved. Now do yourself a favor and listen to Cassidy absolutely NAILING a jazz standard: https://open.spotify.com/track/3k42wvwwogIJyZ4HK5YswY?si=bf6e381748e7423a
Fairport Convention
2/5
This one is okay. Some of their other albums I prefer to this. I don't have a lot to say about it. The vocals are so unique for FC.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I fell deeper and deeper into this album as it went on even though my immediate reaction was negative. By the end I made a decision to listen to it again. Initially I felt the name of the album was odd- not seeming very LA. But then, what do I know about LA in '72. Just a boogie down album, mama.
Anything after Zooropa doesn't do it for me. I had a thought while listening to it. I mean the lyrics. The word salad lyrics almost sound like they were written by ChatGPT. Does anyone here these words and think, oh man, that's deep?
Elbow
5/5
The beginning of this live album was so orchestral (replete with kettle drums) I thought I might hate it. Spotify calls it cinematic. Yes, it is a huge and spacious album, lush and verdant like a forest protected in a cathedral. The incredible instrumentation including strings, horns, etc.. which frequently give artistic nods to classics like "Summertime" are very seductive. Vocals are excellent. Understated, humble. Eventually I realize how I'm shocked I've never heard of it. It may be one of the greatest live albums I've never heard. Just cohesive and exciting on many levels. Finding albums like this is the primary reason I joined this project. Powerful and moving.
Doves
4/5
The Doves made a great album and this is it. If this was something I had never heard until yesterday, it would probably be a 5. But this one was in my rotation basically from the minute it dropped. It's an innovative sound throughout, big and fearless. I almost thought it was like the sound Coldplay wished they could achieve at the time. Various tempos, landscapes. Great lyrics throughout. I listened again yesterday though I know it well enough I could have rated it blind.
Laibach
2/5
Yikes. This is a band that has clearly spent all of their time thinking about power structures. The sounds blur the lines between music and an anti-political movement. My hope is that they are making a mockery of power structures of all kinds and sort of forcing listeners to question their own relationship with nationalism and power structures of all kinds. Obviously, that's not clear and may be be too hopeful. Also, it would seem, part of their point. The industrial sound pairs perfectly and is relentless and cold. The song 'Great Seal' is especially problematic as it's really inviting and attractive. You're listening along and like oh this is somewhat pleasant. Then you're like oh shit, I'm humming along. And then, oh wait, am I liking this? And I hope, I really hope that's their main desire. Make us question ourselves. How do we relate to power structures? How do we associate or further the cold and calculated sources of power to be inhuman? If that is the case, I would call the music important. In fact, self-reflection is certainly needed now, at this moment in history around the world.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
When this album dropped, I had just embarked on a degree in creative writing, poetry specifically. I remember the lyrics of that first song on JLP and how they hit. And how they hit now-- about the same. I remember being so frustrated that the writing was so BAD. So there was something very off-putting by that very first impression of Alanis and I pretty much wrote her off from the moment go. Like, this is the dumbest music ever and I can't believe people are digging it when the writing is this terrible. Fortunately, she did more.
Hand in my Pocket hit just like that first track. Terrible lyrics. I'm drunk but I'm sober... I mean okay. She did more.
And on and on.
This was a huge success, and I heard it a ton in college, but I largely dismissed it. Still do. But that said, I've come to really respect her as an artist as she did more. And I really respect her as a mother. Particularly with what I see as her greatest moment so far on "Ablaze": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t30glqwNDec&t=110s
I'm sure it was set up, but I thought it was beautiful. She is a whirlwind of love here and the lyrics, finally, are great. Glad she did more. This album was a good place to start.
John Lennon
5/5
Above the many many memories I have about this album and the title track was it being played at my childhood best friend's funeral. It's hard to listen to it without thinking of Frank.
I choose to love the album and John Lennon.
Leftfield
3/5
This album was so much more interesting than I expected! It's easy or an electronica album to become dated because of the extreme innovation in this genre, but for the most part, this one held up. I recognized one of the vocalists! And they quoted it from the first album by The Orb.
I loved the vocals on the second track. Just wild.
Would definitely listen again.
Neil Young
5/5
Fine fine album!!!
Ministry
4/5
I saw Ministry on this tour at Lollapalooza August 14, 1992 when I was 15. This day was insane as it also included Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Porno for Pyros. I probably was not fully aware of just how significant this lineup was when I jumped into the back of a car with a bunch of friends blasting L7 Bricks are Heavy.
Ministry was wild in concert and the played most if not all of these songs. It was right at the edge of my limits for hardcore-- and still is. But, the nice thing about this album is that it has a pretty mainstream guitar track over top of the hardcore drums and more metal guitar. This has the effect of making it far more listenable. It's like Alice in Chains on fleek. I remember owning this CD and only busting it out on close friends. I wasn't meeting a lot of people who had heard it at the time. It's not like it was on the radio and we didn't have the internet.
Radiohead
5/5
A truly magnificent and exceptional album.
The Strokes
3/5
I liked it better than I thought I would. Catchy, bouncy, and infinitely listenable.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
4/5
I had to listen to this about three times and started to like it more and more as I did. Hard to believe this pretty terrific album was written more or less alone in the basement of a Scottish country club, but here we are. Fabulous lyrics throughout and even with a low budget vibe (drum machine), I found myself loving it.
Robbie Williams
3/5
I feel this album is just okay. I couldn't find much to distinguish it.
Brian Wilson
3/5
Oh, Brian Wilson. What can we say? Parts are genius, parts are weird. It's everything you would expect from an album that took Wilson like 3 decades to compose. Some of the harmonies are fire.
CHIC
3/5
Except that there are a couple of weak tracks, this album is pretty smokin. I bet the dance scene at a live show on this tour was on fire. I would definitely listen to most of it again and it is thoroughly enjoyable. Disco vibes and great vocals and lyrics.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
This one was a little too performativ with the razzle dazzle for my tastes. Not well understood by me and hard to contextualize. Lyrics pretty blech and the instrumentation was banal.
The Human League
3/5
It's got that one song!
Throwing Muses
2/5
Not that well acclaimed I would guess as I could only find it on YouTube cobbled together as someone's obsessive project of an album. Nonetheless, it was pretty wild and interesting and as one commenter mentioned so before its time. Glade I heard it, liked the vocals, but not dipping my toes back in any time soon.
Deep Purple
2/5
I mean this is what I think if when I think of classic rock. It's the epitome of the most generic classic rock sound I could even imagine.
Missy Elliott
3/5
I actually enjoyed it way more than I thought. So nasty, so saucy. Loved the guest vocalists on this one.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Loved everything about it except the lyrics, vocals, and accompanying music.
PJ Harvey
2/5
I've tried to do PJ Harvey before, so this isn't the first swing and a miss for me. It's not hardcore enough to be punk, not mellow enough to be enjoyable. There's no space in my world for something like this. Everything about it is grating for me personally.
White Denim
3/5
Ok, so this one was pretty interesting. At its worst, you get the Jethro Tull vibes, but at its best some crazy prog rock throwback sounds. Definitely a taste of classic 60's psychedelia mixed in. So, there are a lot of elements at play and it's all a bit difficult to qualify. I liked the last track Street Joy the best. That was very well put together and consistent and ticked all the boxes for me.
Bob Dylan
4/5
A more recent and I think superb Bob Dylan album. It's love/hate with BD, but I am a fan. I like much of his work and this album isn't an exception. Not Dark Yet is by far and away my favorite track. It's a masterpiece and one of Dylan's best songs in my opinion.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Though I have listened to a fair amount of Fela Kuti, I had no idea about the political events which are major hallmarks of his career and who he was as a person in Nigeria. Overall, from what I gleaned, this isn't about music-- it's about fomenting political change and creating a movement. And it came at quite a cost apparently causing even the death of his mother.
Given that, it's hard to criticize someone speaking knowledge to power and fighting against oppression.
Horns, lyrics, rhythm. What's not to like?
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
What a sleeper album. Really enjoyed this and I know it is only one of the many Springsteen albums that got little radio play and thus I never heard. Really excellent through and through.
MC Solaar
1/5
This album was a total nope for me. Even the sampled Marvin Gaye couldn't save it. I don't even mind French rap so much, but the vocals, and especially the cheese ball accompanying sounds just made it impossible. Terrible album, wouldn't do it again.
Björk
2/5
I am far from Bjork's biggest fan, but this album is better than most I've listened to. The sympathetic strings and pleasant accompanying sounds do a better job of cushioning her voice than in many other albums. She's also moderated the harshness of her vocals to a large degree here. She wears orchestral pretty well.
Ms. Dynamite
1/5
Nah.
Moby
3/5
I have to give credit where credit is due, I remember the first time I heard this and how it made me feel. This was a special album in its day. Today, it probably sounds like bad Coldplay and could be criticized for that or whatever, but I still hold a certain fondness for it remembering those very good years. The song I discovered almost for the first time was 'Guitar Flute & String'. It's probably a track I skipped back in the day, but now interestingly found to be the best song on the album.
Richard Hawley
2/5
This crooner of an album would be a great one to sort of take a nap to on a rainy day. Peaceful and generally harmonious. Some of the lyrics are a little odd!
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
The description says that this was a wildly popular techno band in the UK, and I am not going to believe that at all. Overall, it seemed like a clownish and amateur effort that yielded a truly painful to hear album. Really a disappointment to me.
Kanye West
1/5
I have never and won't now listen to the music of this person.
Morrissey
3/5
I had never heard it, but as with most Morrissey albums, I enjoyed it while knowing that there are probably lots of people who just hate it! Hahha!
Ananda Shankar
3/5
What a classic album from the talented Shankar family vaults. I've listened to this album a handful of times and there are several tracks that I like a lot here. Bridging the gap between Indian traditional music and Western music is something that was certainly popularized by the Beatles, but the Shankar family continues doing this work. Just last week, Anoushka Shankar released the beautiful single New Dawn.
Björk
2/5
It was certainly my debut with her all those years ago. A couple of tracks are still nostalgic a bit and make me remember one particular season. Otherwise, I'm a no-go on Bjork. She had so much promise, and she delivered something important to someone, it just wasn't me.
Beatles
4/5
I find this album hard to listen to, mostly because of all the memories. It was among the first couple of albums I purchased and I listened to it quite a lot, though even then I remembered struggling to some of the songs (now I struggle with even more!). Mother Nature's Son is a favorite and it inspired in me a deepening of my own love for nature as a boy. Overall, an incredibly important masterpiece of music. Certainly groundbreaking and important.
Todd Rundgren
1/5
This one wasn't that interesting. I'd rather bang on the drum all day.
TV On The Radio
5/5
I was lucky to get to see TV On The Radio in a very small club in Lafayette, Louisiana on this tour. They pretty much blew my mind with these songs. They still do. Such a great band, such a great album. These guys play so tight and super nerdy, worth your time!!
Dwight Yoakam
1/5
This album was perfectly crafted for a bunch of fat white dudes eating queso in a Tex-Mex restaurant in LA (Lower Alabama). It somehow balances cultural misappropriation and misogyny in a perfect blend accented with just a hint of Grizzly chew. On the track "What I don't Know": "What I don't know might get you killed / Death row in prison don't look half as bad" to the girl he thinks is cheating. Or on "Buenas Noches": "In the dark morning silence / I placed the gun to her head" for the girl who decided to date someone else. WTAF? Why not go full racist on "I Sang Dixie": "Said way down yonder / In the land of cotton / Old times there / Ain't near as rotten / As they are / On this damned L.A. street"? The land of cotton. Are you fucking serious right now? Oh crap, I forgot the veiled anti-semitism in the opening line of another: "I had to buy back damn near everything I own / From a little man whose name is Saul / And has a lot of money to loan". Oh, I see what you did there. Lovely anti-union sentiments just as a footnote.
Even for the cheeseball era of country, this stands out as perfectly atrocious. Would not listen again and do not recommend. How do I do less than 1 star for this asshole?
Billy Joel
5/5
It's a classic. It is full of romance and New York. My wife loves it, I have come to love it. This album is a part of our childhoods, our lives, our romantic evenings at home. Great. I got to see Joel play many of these songs not so many years ago. Terrific.
David Bowie
3/5
While I actually don't love David Bowie much except for select songs, I always try to approach his albums with my mind completely open knowing how many people I love love David Bowie. So I did that and I found a few songs here that were really interesting and enjoyable. I think I need to sit down and hear this album several more times. Really interesting.
The Monkees
2/5
What are there like 47 songs on this? Ha. You know, I had always hated the Monkees from watching their stupid TV show occasionally back in the day. And while I'm reluctant to admit it, there were a couple of tracks here that weren't so terrible.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Full of nostalgic classics, I certainly enjoyed visiting the album with many of the individual songs familiar to me. Willie Nelson is not my favorite country voice. But I will say this, the farmers who are my forebears out on the plains hold him in the highest regard. So much so, that Nelson is played at their funerals where many men still wear cowboy hats and boots.
Many of the songs on the album are covers, and this only increases the overall familiarity. All that said, I'm not a fan of the sound of his voice. Huge respect for the man, but I don't care for the music.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
On this album, I primarily like the energetic vocals. It was nearly something I was very excited about, but fell just a bit short on creativity.
Van Morrison
2/5
This was more enjoyable than I expected. Due to so many memories, it had been a long time since I listened to any VM. Nice easy walk down memory lane.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Although I don't care for it, this fairytale album is the best of Nick Cave that I've heard so far. It's less self-serving and less performative than his other work. I keep asking myself, what occasion calls for this album?
The Fall
4/5
Some of the beats are awesome on this album, an example being "It's a Curse". The vocals seem to sing completely counter to the rhythm and almost never synch up. That feels super punk. The songs don't even conform to themselves.
What a wild and crazy fuckin party of genius misfits this is. I mean pour out a triple scotch and let's go! These were the seeds of so many superbands and it shows. It's like they're not even trying, just doing it for fun.
David Ackles
2/5
I was not surprised to read that the artist wrote musicals. It really listens like a strange musical whose plot is consistently unclear. Kind of like a more melodious Cats.
Kings of Leon
3/5
This is quite nice. KOL has a unique vocal style that is very provocative even on the remainder of the album that was not a radio hit. This is a lot better than I remember it. Seems like a classic.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
I mean, it's our Cindi Lauper. We just want to have fun right? Nothing heavy, nothing fancy. It's Cindi Lauper.
David Bowie
5/5
Bowie is in his power on this album which is completely new to me.
Some attributes I found very attractive:
-Baritone sax a la Morphine is super deluxe.
-Strong percussion
-Strong guitars
-Strong lyrics
-Strong cohesive melodies
-Big cathedral sounds
-Varied and cohesive
-New to me
FKA twigs
3/5
This is a serious album and it shows a high degree of intelligence. There are real highs here and there is real innovation here. I don't love it, but I am impressed by it. The biggest challenge it doesn't overcome for me personally is that it's a female vocalist with R&B vibes. That formula has never been winning for me personally and has never had a home in my ears. Besides that, this one is very interesting, and worthy of praise.
Sugar
2/5
Seems kind of like angsty adult garage rock. Nothing in this one for me personally.
Coldcut
1/5
Absolutely terrible.
Duke Ellington
3/5
I'm. ot a huge fan of patriotic songs, so that first one doesn't do much for me. The remainder of this album was clearly innovative and felt like the kind of thing I might have listened to with my grandfather on the porch sipping sweet tea on a summer afternoon. Really enjoyable.
The Police
4/5
Solid, tight, high energy, and a lot less overplayed than some of their other albums.
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
This is the first punkish album to sting this good in my earhole for quite some time. I actually really liked this a lot, which is a rarity in a sea of punk albums I find pretty boring. Also, I guess I know now where legend, Wesley Willis got his inspiration for his track, "Scream Dracula Scream"!! Or wait, did these guys rip it off from Wesley Willis!!?? Wiki confirms, they DID GET THE ALBUM TITLE FROM WILLIS! "The album's title was taken from the lyrics of a Wesley Willis song." Barely a nod to the schizophrenic genius of WW (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Willis).
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
I mean, it doesn't get much better than a seminal BMW album. Still relevant. Still fresh. Still important.
Beatles
4/5
OG album for Beatles. This was actually the first vinyl I ever owned. 4 stars for nostalgia.
Django Django
4/5
Terrific! I listened to it twice. This one is really worth your time. One of the best albums I have 'discovered' from the project so far. Just quite an interesting and talented sound overall.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
I remember thinking this was cheesy when it dropped, but it actually is better than I remember it. Overall, cohesive and listenable. Not great, but pretty good vibe. Vocals and guitars are chill.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Very hard not to like this album. Driving guitars, strong drums, pleasing vocals. Tight.
R.E.M.
3/5
The drums are always good with REM, but they really stand out on this one! On Moral Kiosk, they are really crisp! I like REM's slow songs the least, so Perfect Circle is the one that's a bit of a low spot. The songs feel a little too vulnerable when they are slow an moody.
Shivkumar Sharma
1/5
Such a peaceful album with its strings and flutes. It made me wonder what the spiritual practice behind the album was. Overall, it's not a useful album for me personally, but pleasant enough way to while away the time!
Deep Purple
2/5
Man, this one is just a straight up classic rock album that feels like it got a lot of air time in like Cincinnati and Detroit. Maybe upstate NY. Some tracks are definitely iconic and made it to me coming along like Smoke on the Water. But a lot of it escaped my interest. The hard driving guitars and precise drums with the vocal howls make this perfect for driving fast down the highway. Not to my taste.
Beth Orton
4/5
It's a great album. I first became aware of her listening to a radio show called Acoustic Sunrise which was a pre-dawn show of acoustic music on WNRN (probably still happening). And this is a great commercial free radio station to stream BTW. Anyhow, her vocals are an acquired taste that I just so happen to enjoy-- because they are unusual. The title track and the one electronica style song are the real show stoppers and earned her applause. All her albums are great. Worth a deep dive.
Arrested Development
3/5
This album was such a major departure! You know, it opens and you think this is gonna be a rap album with a Public Enemy vibe and they keep you guessing. As the album progresses, of course, we realize this has nothing to do with rap and is a style unto itself. All of it is pretty listenable. Some of it is funny. And there are a few well known standout tracks that stand quite well. I think I might like this now more than when it dropped.
Adele
4/5
I was not a fan of Adele initially and I'm now pretty unsure as to why. Sometimes when I hear something unique, my instinct is to dislike it I think. Anyhow, it was a couple of years before she won me over with the lush power of her voice and I now think she is probably one of the best current female vocalists out there. It's a towering and staggering sound that she brings. Every time I hear this album, I find something new. This time it was "Water Under the Bridge" that really hit. It spoke to my experiences and I found the lyrics pretty moving emotionally. I hope we get a lot more of Adele in the years to come.
N.E.R.D
5/5
NERD is a great band that is hard to categorize. It has a touch of rap, rock and jazz. There's a technical genius in this music as well as a casual vibe ("Every once in a while there's that same asshole / Try to swing and hit, 'cause the things he can't control"). I'm an old fan of this band and this album and it's a pleasure because it never gets old.
Soft Machine
2/5
That first track is pretty cringe and is somewhere between acid jazz and noise. Moon in June is outstanding! Definitely an off the beaten track album that was not played for a currently existing audience but might have made a lot more sense in the psychedelic scene where it was birthed out in the shadow of Pink Floyd. Hey, these guys are still playing!
The Clash
5/5
An album of which I know all the words. It's a near perfect early London punk sound that surfs the hard edge and polished enough for anyone. Especially now that our hard rock levels have all been blown out to 11. From this era, I still prefer the less acclaimed, but amazing UK Subs, so I want to get a plug in for that band as well!
The Byrds
2/5
Folksy spirituals, Christian adulations, dewy mountain laurel fiddle sounds, and CSNY style harmonies.. This album just doesn't work anymore for me. It's not bluegrass enough to be bluegrass, and it isn't anything else but a whisp of smoke to me.
Hawkwind
3/5
This reminds me of falling asleep on giant pillows at the commune as the wild dancing parties rocked late into the night as a boy. The album is too long. I'm not too tolerant anymore of disconnected music, but this is just cohesive enough that I can hang on and like it. I The driving drums are really necessary and hold together the spoken word sections, bizarre sounds, and psychedelic guitar. Kudos for this one. I've probably heard this before, but I may have been dreaming. This definitely has whispers or seeds of Black Sabbath and White Zombie.
Brian Eno
2/5
Eno and Byrne. I expected it to be weird and outside my comprehension. It was. It was more engaging than I had expected in some songs. Particularly like the bass guitar.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Every Led Zeppelin album is gonna be a 5. This is no exception. The only issue is that it's only 5 songs. Your Time is Gonna Come is incredible. This album is nearly perfect and I could literally listen to it anywhere, any time.
Spiritualized
4/5
I had to listen to it three times to be sure. I had never heard of this project although unfortunately, I had heard Spacemen 3 in college. I found this to album to tick all the boxes. Innovative, listenable, interesting. So for me, a really great sleeper album.
2/5
When I Touch You is wild as it begins and is very reminiscent of Pink Floyd-- you know that song that stars with the ducks. But there's mostly trashy 70's truckstop rock. This gives the album a pretty underwhelming feel, even with the Chicago style horns section.
Elis Regina
1/5
Could not listen. Not on Spotify.
Morrissey
3/5
Unlike more than half of you, I'm Morrissey positive. So, this is a pretty good one though there are weak tracks. Suedehead is excellent in my opinion and a really cohesive track.
Tom Tom Club
2/5
L'elephant was super annoying! As Above So Below was also super annoying with the high pitched noises etc.. Actually, except for Genius of Love, it's all annoying. But, I'll go with two considering the excellence and innovation of that song.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
I saw them on this tour. It was a kickass live show and the album stands. Every song is solid. And having seen the energy they brought-- in an era before auto-tune, I can say it is a favorite album still just for the memories.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Nothing stands out and nothing stands out. And THEN you hit Extended Souvenir. Such a great track. Just perfect OMD, great synth, vocals are tight, awesome lyrics. And I'm 6 again. But there's just one track like this. It's special, but the rest of the album really sags.
T. Rex
1/5
I so hope this is the last T. Rex album I ever have to listen to. They just suck so bad.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Indisputably fine. There has never been a female voice to equal Aretha's. Unrivaled. The accompanying music is angelic. Sit my ass down on the screened and porch, give me the lightning bugs, and a sweet tea-- and this album and let me close my eyes for a while.
Slint
3/5
This whole album has a Henry Rollins vibe and you are just expecting it to go off because there is so much tension. It doesn't. That is until the final track that REALLY seems like Rollins. I liked it. Overall. Particularly that last track.
Moby Grape
2/5
Just a couple of the tracks were available on Spotify. Groovy 60's music. This one didn't do too much for me. I didn't hate it, but the vocals and guitar tracks and overall thinking about music seems tired and played out.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
I'm not really sure how to think about this album. It's weird. Fun at times. Fodderstompf is quite weird and interesting. I'll confess that I didn't listen to the entire one hour long interview at the end. Just not appealing enough.
Queen
3/5
It's not the Queen that I personally know well! Guitar is so hardcore in places! Mercury's voice rises above it all and the breakneck transitions that so highlight what Queen was legendary for. Pretty good. Not my fav.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Although it isn't my favorite Neil Young album, it's still a Neil Young album! Cowgirl in the Sand is as solid today as it has been my whole life. Just great.
LL Cool J
1/5
Unpleasant and always was. Poor writing, poor execution. Not for me.
Basement Jaxx
1/5
It's one of those bands that has a great name, but whose songs inevitably disappoint and are never enjoyable.
The Birthday Party
3/5
Super weird album that I basically enjoyed! Something along the lines of Southern Culture on the Skids. Rockbilly freak out psychedalia. Heavy voltage.
Guided By Voices
1/5
Absolutely terrible. This should have been a single, let alone 28 songs. Great band name. Seems like Guided by Nothing would have been more apropos.
Scott Walker
1/5
The cheese is piled on so high and deep you could cut with a knife.
Echo And The Bunnymen
1/5
This is not great. The piercing note that seems endless on Pride was pretty much the offramp. Really uncomfortable.
Nirvana
5/5
It is a crucial, seminal Gen X album. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking this is the album where Kurt really touched the most people. Nevermind was huge, but this gave an entry point by softening up the grunge. I think even our parents found themselves humming along. It's indispensable and set the stage for other epic acoustic albums like Alice in Chains etc.. An obvious 5.
Motörhead
2/5
This is pretty painless. It comes at you quick and just rocks the whole way through. It has a kind of Meatloaf on speed quality. Don't love it. Don't hate it. Would not dip in again.
Pet Shop Boys
1/5
Starts out promising enough, but soon blends together becoming monotonous and dated.
Pentangle
1/5
Her voice is just irritating for me personally I don't know what you call this high tone, but it's a real kick in the ear.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Not bad not great. I've heard from some in my network that they love this band, but so far they've yet to really grab me. The album depends heavily on whether you like the vocals. I find them a bit weak, monotone and high pitched. The accompanying music wants to be synthpop almost, but isn't anywhere close to the good stuff.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I took a plane to a taxi and a taxi to a train. Oh man. I grew up steeped in Mitchell, including this album many times. It's emblematic of her voice and poetic style, but not her best album by a few.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
This album is familiar mostly for Killing Moon which still stands and is pretty nice with its funky Kyoto style guitar. The remainder has not really stood the test of time. When they are singing about cabbages and cucumbers, that's the poorest section of the album.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
It's Tom Petty, so it's pretty good. I. kept hoping there might be a sleeper on this album that was earlier than I started listening to him. I found that late in the album on "Luna". That's a song I never knew before and liked here. Starts out slow and clambers into itself, before striking a very deep and strong footing. Not an every day song, but nice to find.
Queens of the Stone Age
1/5
I mean. Not a very interesting or creative album for me. Redundant, repetititve and derivative.
Steve Winwood
3/5
I wasn't all that excited about this until I hit the sick 80's jam of Night Train. This is some boogie down busy guitar, rattle the keys groove. Steve Winwood has his place in the pantheon.
Tortoise
3/5
Very innovative album full of surprising things! It was a lot more listenable than I had remembered of the band. Earlier things I have run into seemed kind of dinky or not serious enough. This is one of the few albums in the project that I hope to revisit in a bit. Quite fascinating.
Harry Nilsson
2/5
I mean, the cover says it all. The familiar songs are still the familiar songs and the rest is the rest.. Ennui...
The Undertones
2/5
Punk, but with softer vocals. So I think this is kind of like punk light. Guitars are running strong and excellent sound quality. Drums are on point and timely. Overall, well received and enjoyed. They probably could have done it in 15 songs instead of 18.
Bobby Womack
2/5
Romantic one. Most of the songs were unavailable, but what I heard was both new and familiar. Old standards in a voice new to me.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
Ugh. Gross.
Little Simz
3/5
Fascinating album. This is filled with surprises like a litt shop full of vocal treasure, a new thing at each turn. I liked the London character of the vocals, the lyrics instrumentation and all of it. Very unexpected!
Kraftwerk
3/5
This was so much better than I was expecting-- some of their work has a little too much Kraft cheesiness for me. You sort of have to figure out that there will be one or more Kraftwerk albums buried in this list and it did not disappoint. All the weird robotic electronica you could want packed into a single old school album. I'm a fan.
Slayer
2/5
The one great thing about this album is that most of the songs are fairly short. For a metal album, it is pretty good. The problem is, for me, that I don't think metal is avery good genre. Hard to love.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
It's an album I know so well that really showed up a lot in my freshman year of college. So much still to love here. She inspired me and raised me up, and to this day, I still sometimes listen to certain songs on this album. It's a good one.
2/5
A little too aggressively avant garde for my taste.
Supergrass
2/5
This grew on me a little for the second play, but not much. I don't really get the appeal or interest. Just feels like a generic rock album to me.
De La Soul
3/5
I love 'Buddy'. I could listen to that forever. 'Say No Go' is also very good with its extensive sample from Hall & Oates. Overall, this album is a walk down memory lane, but a lot of it falls somewhat flat.
Liz Phair
3/5
I certainly remember listening to this with a friend who was really trying to figure out a lot of things during college. We played racquetball hard every day and fell down laughing more often than not. But enough about Erica.
Phair saves the two best songs of the album to mid way and toward the end. F and Run and Stratford on Guy are the clear favorites.
Her guitar throughout and discordant vocals pepper all the songs and make for good listening-- and post racquetball bliss.
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
I hated this when it came out and it's aged to be worse. Dumbed down lyrics and repetitive guitar tracks. Nah.
James Brown
3/5
It's CLASSIC James Brown, but I'm hard pressed to say it's the best of James Brown as there are obscure albums of his with amazing cuts, better audio, and less crowd sounds.
Britney Spears
1/5
Oops. I meant to post my Prunes review here... Sorry Prunes.
I'm glad this album exists for the people who love it. I'm just not one of them. It was painful earbleed music.
The Electric Prunes
1/5
I'm glad this album exists for the people who love it. I'm just not one of them. It was painful earbleed music.
Talking Heads
4/5
Excellent early album with lots of their huge, wildly popular songs alongside a few lesser known tracks (the first three tracks aren't at all well known to me). I think in the last few years, the genius of the Talking Heads will continue to unfold similar to the path of Bowie who had a somewhat similar trajectory to eternal star.
5/5
This is a long winding road with many of the songs that you already know and love Bob Dylan-- American vocalist whose sound is love/hate for many people. With Dylan, if you like the sound, it's probably love. It is for me.
Beck
2/5
Guero is among my least favorite albums by Beck-- and I love Beck. But I specifically like the quality of Beck to evoke emotion. Guero is pretty skin deep, feels lighter and more self aggrandizing than many of his albums that I prefer. Songs like Earthquake Weather really rub me the wrong way. Beck here is like a person where you know from experience they have the capacity to be so kind and special but they choose to ruin it by being an a-hole, and fail to live up to their potential. Probably the only album I would 2 star by Beck.
Tito Puente
3/5
Happy, fun, and lively, this album feels like it's straight out of the 1950's. I was surprised it was from '91! Really easy to listen to and short. Not one I would revisit, but it was fine for a one off.
Kings of Leon
1/5
Like Jack White, it just sounds performative and inauthentic, contrived.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
Kind of a sweet little twangy hippie album. Fine for what it is.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Certainly a high energy, large enterprise recording. The crowd sounds huge and enthusiastic. Many of the sounds are unpleasant and experimental for their time.
Talk Talk
3/5
New to me! I thought the album was great. Strong vocals and good instrumentation. Some songs sounding morose (Chameleon Day, for example). Definitely worth a listen if only for the vocals.
a-ha
2/5
Pretty lackluster. Not sure of the significance of this album. Maybe it had to do with the timing of its release and impact on 80's music? I can't say. I did not find this very enjoyable at all-- and I love 80's music.
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
Another one of these old hippie albums that lives right next to the Flying Burrito Brothers. Haven't we hear enough of this entire genre? It's hard to deny that it was probably fueling a lot energy at the time, but now all the results look like false promises. So too was this album.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Their genius is on full display here. As always, I'm drawn like a moth to the powerful voice of Kim and the insane tapestry of beautiful uncompromising sound. The guitar on PCH is tops. This is completely authentic to me. Mad respect.
Eels
2/5
Hard to get through an Eels album. It's both the hygienic post alternative sound and the lyrics, as well as the weak samples. Sputter Out I've heard so many times it doesn't have any gas left in the tank. This album is one you want to like, but the elements of the raspy vocals and the off-putting beats with those post alt guitars don't mesh well.
Dr. Octagon
5/5
I first heard this album in a house on a steep hill nestled among the Ponderosa pines of Flagstaff probably around the time it dropped in '96 with a dude named Kurt who was a niche mountain biker (he practiced bike hopping in the boulders near there).
The album is revolutionary using completely disassociated words. This is the Pooty Tang of hiphop where only the feelings lend much to the incredible lyrics. Kool Keith, the badass vocalist who has been in so many incredible projects (Princess Superstar anyone) is at the top of his game here.
Earth People, Halfsharkalligatorhalfman, and the most mainstream (if you can call it that) Earth People are all personal favorites. Controlled by gamma light. Ugh. The samples, the lyrics, just next level. Probably one of my favorite ever albums, only made better when later combined in a mashup with Wesley Willis for 'Northwest Airlines' (god damn).
This album is so unique that it can be disorienting the first time you hear it. Welcome to the fifth dimension, newcomers.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
A stunning tour de force. Some of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs and a couple I was not as familiar with but loved. What can we say about the music of this man whose voice carries love, compassion, sorrow, kindness and the full range of human emotion in words of poetry. A master.
Talvin Singh
4/5
Easily my favorite Talvin Singh album-- he's made several good ones. I love the traditional sounds balanced by strings, tabla, and then the bass beats. Overall this is where traditional meets drum and bass or something like that. I dig it.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Hard not to like this album that starts out on an extremely solid footing and tapers off a titch from there.
Radiohead
5/5
It's a stunning masterpiece that never fades.
3/5
This is a nice little funky War album with none of the radio songs, but entirely listenable. I found this a pleasure. Totally in keeping with their style.
Thelonious Monk
2/5
I'm not way into jazz as I once was. Overall, I can only say that it's pleasant.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Classic early 1950's Ravi Shankar album in his wandering style that influenced everything musically-- consider the Beatles. This is enjoyable, but the later albums have songs that I prefer as he continued to evolve.
The Gun Club
2/5
This is a pretty typical rockabilly album. Good lyrics, repetitive, shredding guitar, wailing vocals. I like it. Don't love it.
The Prodigy
1/5
Hate The Prodigy and still feel like it's gross garbage music. Not much could dissuade me and listening to an entire album has just cemented that. Bad boring and repetitive lyrics. Machismo and toxic masculinity with no humor to offset it. I could have done without this one entirely. It's funny, with better instrumentation and more creative music, the lyrics could work way better.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
As their wiki says, so consistent. Another way to say it is wow, this album is so monotonous and repetitive. Without any of the PSB hits that we love, this album seems lackluster and overall pretty boring. I like the sound of the vocals to be honest, so I can't go one star. But it's definitely no better than two. :(
Ice Cube
1/5
I must have missed this one in 92. Pretty terrible still. I had to wait until everyone was out of the house to play it.
Black Sabbath
3/5
The older I get the more I can lean into Sabbath and abandon the pearl clutching of the boomers who scared so shitless of this band. It sounds more aligned with Led Zeppelin to me now than as some death metal or whatever they labeled it. Really it is a lovely and well paced album. Enjoyable rock.
Pink Floyd
5/5
One of the most important albums I know. I first heard it with my friend, G Mouse carpooling to high school in 1993.
It takes an extreme departure initially with Lucifer Sam which is an outrageously good song capturing the zeitgeist of 1967 and then walking you right into the other end of the looking glass. By the time we get to Flaming, we realize we may be peaking with the completely irrational pacing and of course the fuckin bonkers lyrics. OMG who am I? Pow R. Toc H. leaves us still deep deep in the thick of it but chooses to mindfuck us somewhat more gently until dissolving completely into mad chaos at the end. Once Interstellar Overdrive hits, we realize that when we thought we were peaking a couple tracks in, that was just a ledge on the cliff we are climbing into complete and total mind melt. The Gnome brings us back a bit-- in a way to normalize this bizarre world we now inhabit with a sweet little song about a fuckin gnome. And finally, all gas and not a brake in sight, we close on Bike. This is quite possibly the best song that ever came out of the Pink Floyd catalogue and I don't think it's even close to being as lauded as it should be. Listen closely to the lyrics which are a celebration that not only have we recklessly abandoned all sense of normalcy and fully embraced a massive hallucinatory universe, we've also decided a.) we're staying here and b.) we love it here and c.) dude, those ducks. They're ducks right?
Hole
1/5
This album is the salt in the wound we were expected to absorb in place of Kurt Cobain, the true voice of our generation. Hard to listen to this dumpster fire of an album on so many levels.
Mike Ladd
3/5
I almost wrote it off. I hate the macho style of hiphop vocals that the album leads with. That said, woah, it goes in deep-- sometimes sounding derivative of Kool Keith. But then finally leveling out with some truly innovative sounds and some really deep long tracks. Overall, worth a listen and I can see why the album is included. It's a weird and interesting one.
Jacques Brel
1/5
This one was not of any interest to me. I'm more of an Air fan.
John Lennon
4/5
The Beatles were the family's favorite band growing up as we spent many weekend hours shuttling across states for visits with my father. And across those miles, we sang the Beatles songs from songbooks as the farms rolled by.
It's no wonder that I have a deep relationship with John Lennon's voice. At this album we find him deeply in love with Yoko and spinning out the songs at the beginning of the end of the Beatles. The album's Mother, Working Class Hero, and Love are important songs that have lived way beyond the time of their writing-- this album is almost 55 years old now. Amazing.
Primal Scream
2/5
Weird album with a lot too much drum. machine and synthetic house beats for my liking. Occasionally it slipped into something interesting, but mostly seems washed up and unpleasant and regrettable.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
Way too much drum n bass for me to enjoy and not enough purported space voyage. This is pretty dated and not doing much for me today.
Digital Underground
2/5
Well, Sex Packets. What can we say? I mean, this must have brought enthusiasm in its day from the hip hop community? Young dudes of its era? We all remember the Humpty Dance, but it goes so much further than that. Lots of content that wouldn't be exciting for many today, but must have been important at the time. It is a fact that you can hear some echoes of this work in more recent hip hop bands like maybe a Jurassic 5 or something. Otherwise, meh. Why?
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
This album sounds like someone got a new guitar pedal and then just played grunge spaghetti through it over and over. There's just nothing there for the audience and it's all for the band.
Madonna
2/5
I had visited this album at least one time before to look for something beyond the one radio hit. Revisiting it now, all these years later, presented me with the same profound disappointment at what was hopefully the low water mark of Madonna's career. Paradise is the one exception. It hit me last time and it hit me now. Unlike the rest of the album, it seems to convey a feeling. And there are lyrics as well as instrumentation. For such a great artist who has been so important to Gen X listeners for decades, this one is tough. A single point of light in that one song, depressing as the song is.
Hüsker Dü
1/5
Hmmm. I don't have much to say about this one. I slogged through it and found regrettable at best. No water in the well for me here.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
Oh this is so painful. TWO DISCS. Back in the Day hurt so bad. Like she starts naming some of music's greats and reading them off-- as if she even a toe inside the pantheon with Otis Redding, James Brown, Louis Armstrong, Coltrane.. Marvin Gaye FFS. At that point I tried to enter into a fugue state so that it wouldn't consolidate as a memory in my brain infecting my inner library. You never gonna get it from me..You can't touch. Blech. Get me some gasoline so I can pour it down my earholes and exorcise the demons with fire. Oh Mother explains a lot, if true. F.U.S.S. seems to talk about how the person who wrote a lot of her music walked away from her. That explains a lot. Still Dirrty gross. Keep that nasty freak side right up under a rock. Enter the Circus seems like it should be her genre, a big nasty drama circus. Seriously, there's never a good time for circus music. Nasty Naughty Boy with the tired old voulez-vous couchez avec moi line. Again, gross, keep your funky sharpened press on nails and your fake everything away from me. The disgusting saccharine sop of a song called Hurt. Just awful. I'm begging for mercy at this point in this album. It's like having your ass caught in a bear trap that just keeps tightening. And the next song, is of course, Mercy on Me. I'm out of favors with the gods now. I'm in the middle of the Gobi pounding my fists at the sky and begging for rain. Overall, this rates as sub-1 star. Horrible vocals, horrible lyrics, deplorable instrumentation throughout. Not one redeeming track. Hope to never hear any of this again in my life.
Kate Bush
3/5
I recall trying this on in 1995 or 1996 maybe following a girlfriend telling me how much she loved Kate Bush. I never thought about it much until Stranger Things hit and brought R.U.T.H. roaring back. I like Kate Bush personally. I think she has a cool personality and is a woman of substance. Her music too is a serious effort. I didn't think much of the rest of the album back then, but Under the Ice hit for me a bit this time. It's pretty good. I love how it flows so beautifully into the piano transition of Waking the Witch, a song that takes a surprising turn with its manic second half. Hello Earth is also an excellent effort and I really like it. Overall, I see this as maybe a weirder Tori Amos album. Listenable and enjoyable even if it isn't a top favorite.
The Style Council
2/5
Catchy and jazzy. A few songs very likeable. A few not so great. Truly a hodge podge of an album with different tempos and vocal styles. This one is kind of an odd bird.
Julian Cope
3/5
If The Cult, Morphine, and Frank Zappa had a love child. Really a serious effort and well worth listening to. This has been one of those albums where I'm listening along and thing yep, that should be on the list. In fact, I thought this project would have a lot more of this kind of album and a lot less Christina Aguilera.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Such a great album. First few tracks are dubious, but there are so many great ones toward the latter half. I recall hearing this first in about 2000 as it was one of the favorite bands of a friend of mine who always has the inside track on music! It's been in my rotation ever since. Songs of note for me are Man (The Journey) and Cruise (Don't Stop), and admittedly, a good bit of this album does now sound a little muzac-y, I still feel that NOW has their place in the portfolio. Great background music with some standout sounds.
Kings of Leon
3/5
I liked this album substantially more than their "Only by the Night" album. This is full of originality and is unique among peers like maybe Jack White. Guitar is tight throughout and drums are right there to match. I don't love all the guitar riffs and some of them border on annoying. I'm of two minds for KOL in terms of the vocals, but I'm inclined to vibe with it more than dislike. It is a very unique sound, and maybe an acquired taste. You can hear those vocals almost isolated and pure on "Milk", an excellent track in its own right.
Love
3/5
This is a cool little 60's psychedelic electric blues album. Fascinating instrumentation. Voice gets a bit wearisome-- especially on that last track that lasts an eternity!!
The Specials
3/5
An excellent and new to me early album by the Specials. Quite a blend of sounds and a fascinating mix.
Lorde
2/5
If this album was a girl, you wouldn't want to be friends with her. She'd borrow your car and hit a tree and she'd steal your favorite t-shirts while saying the world was out to get her and she was jinxed. Nothing's her fault and everything happens to her. Blech. Hard to listen to, but also hard to turn off like a train wreck in slow motion.
The Pretty Things
2/5
Wailing guitars, hippie shake. All par for the course here. It's one of those classic psychedelic rock albums that wasn't loved enough to make the band a household name in spite of it being their 8th(!) album. This is okay.
3/5
This album really encapsulates the New Wave sound coming out of the UK in the 80's and I'm pretty much here for it. The vocals real you in as completely emblematic of the times. Really a great example and I can see why it reached such high critical and popular acclaim when it hit!
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
What can we say? If we don't like this are we even Americans? It's a classic. You've heard it a million times from the prairie farms of the heartland to the Golden Gate Bridge to the Statue of Liberty. This is the monster release by The Boss.
Beck
5/5
When a friend of mine lost his father, I drove by his house, picked him up and parked in a dark street. Not talking much, we drank a six pack and listened to Sea Change. He later told me that it had been a profound experience-- a healing one. I find it the same and it was the reason I shared it. This is probably my favorite Beck album. It is a powerful one with lyrics of grief and loss and recovery. I absolutely love it. Best of the best.
Dusty Springfield
1/5
Okay, so here's an album that combines every song that I hated from the era but had no idea who that was that sang all these songs. Really great that they are all packaged up together on one album so that I'll never step on this musical landmine again.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
It's a beautiful album rich with memories and beauty. Hard to think of giving it less than a 5. I do think this is Stevie at his best!
Pere Ubu
1/5
Sweet! Pure chaos meets anxiety attck.
Barry Adamson
2/5
This album runs the gamut from atmospheric to chaotic. It's kind of like Mancini meets Pink Floyd with a Tom Waits instrumental side hustle. Just wild and i think the film written to accompany it would be scary. Everything Happens to Me is pretty stunning. Swinging Detective is that dark dirty sax that I think is really underused and makes you think of seedy corners of NYC in the 80's. This is not casual listening for me, but definitely should be used in film.
Funkadelic
4/5
Interesting. I've heard Maggot Brain the song many times, but never bothered to listen to the whole album. This is great stuff. I've been lucky enough to see Clinton in a venue small enough to reach out and touch him. Profoundly interesting human.
Big Black
1/5
Terrible. There's just no circumstance where I would want or enjoy listening to something this hardcore personally. If it had more character (e.g., Ministry) maybe. But I just couldn't find anything enticing about this.
3/5
I get the feeling this is a better live show than an album. Every Muse album seems derivative of the last-- or the next. Dramatic, tense, anxious music on this album. I don't necessarily gravitate toward this, but I'm agnostic about whether the concert would change my mind. Overall, this was fine.
GZA
3/5
Okay, so I never really got all the kung fu stuff with these guys, but from a strictly technical standpoint, it's great rap and it has terrific flow. I really don't consider it hip hop, primarily because of the heavy use of the n word and the constant swearing. Hip Hop to me, does not really on this, but instead relies on instrumental samples to make its point. Really good album and it's about the 5th time I've listened to it through. It has grown on me.
Elvis Costello
2/5
All the EC albums are the same. You want to love them, but the album is not lovable.
The Thrills
3/5
A pleasant album that comes off as positive and bouncy. Nice sounds, nice vocals, nice lyrics. Easy.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
This album is tense. Raspy lyrics, driving drums, relentless power guitar. Absolutely not a fun album, but it has its place. The only other band that it kind of reminds me of is maybe Astral Pariah but it's not a great comparison. I enjoyed this one.
Pantera
1/5
Pantera gonna do what Pantera gonna do. True to the album name, it is in fact a vulgar display of power. I don't understand the motivation to make music like this, but I know it has appeal with disaffected humans whose mothers didn't love or protect them (see: "Got shit on, pissed on, spit on, stepped on"). Screaming guitars, pounding drums, and growling lyrics with none of the charm of say a White Zombie. The album is sort of like getting stabbed repeatedly with a fork.
Slipknot
1/5
The one blessing about this album is that the songs are short. This album is as horrible as I remember it. Unless I've given up all hope of living and have fully entered the end times of apocalypse, there's just no moment where I would want this. It's like a soundtrack for insanity, death and destruction.
Tangerine Dream
3/5
This is pretty good! Kind of a space odyssey of pulsing nebulae. Cool. Blast off and zone out.
Silver Jews
2/5
Kind of a clonky album that had me immediately thinking about Pavement. Oh funny, I read the bio as I was writing this review and I guess this band is strongly tied with two members to Pavement. So that made a lot more sense. I don't particularly like the weird "low-fi" sound particularly of the vocals in Pavement and now this band. I really don't find the lyrics profound or even interesting. Is it supposed to be ironic? Melodic? Really falls quite flat though it's not the worst!
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
It's cool to hear Guru out of the box on 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' which is huge street cred for this collab since Jazzmatazz was a true early hip hop innovator when they dropped Vol. 1 also in 1993-- an album that forever forged a new path and split rap much more distinctly into rap and hip hop. That was impactful for me as a listener because I took that divergence seriously and forever took the offramp to hip hop *against* rap-- a lower form of music. It also shows how hot the scene must have been up in Brooklyn The Planet God Dammit.
I hate the repeated tone in Mental Stamina which sounds like a truck backing up. It's a very annoying sound and I can't help but wonder what producer thought it was a good idea.
Da Bichez [sic] really bends towards the innnovative hip hop of the era, but crosses the red lines of mysogyny and obscenity. These two traits are notably all but absent in other important hip hop related bands of the era like Brand Nubian, Arrested Development, Digable Planets, Jazzmatazz, Pharcyde, and of course legends, ATCQ none of whom really needed the crutch of toxic masculinity to absolutely crush. In that sense, just this song fails the album's sniff test for me.
R.E.M.
4/5
Truly ground-breaking album that was able to rise above the din of the pantheon of already existing legendary albums that were flooding the earholes of Gen X. It forced us to think about music differently. It was kind, it was gentle, it was compassionate. And we liked it. Still do.
Ice Cube
1/5
I actually owned this on cassette the year it came out. What can I say? Listening to the album again, I find that regrettable. It is an album that should be forgotten. Ice Cube was an influential rapper, but it's unclear now what the appeal was. I winced and grimaced my way through the lyrics and the whole thing.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
Bjork was so sensational, I think intriguingly different in her vocal style. I never knew the Sugarcubes, but from what I gather this was an early colab just before her wave crested in the US and worldwide. I can understand how groundbreaking she was for Iceland, for women, and for creativity. That said, although I've listened to her many times, I have never been able to fully embrace her music. This album is right there. The sharp fractured singing is hard for me to process and enjoy.
2/5
Interesting and not what I'm used to from XTC. Much more orchestral and cinematic. Sort of a weird odd musical type of album.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
I was like fifteen minutes in and thinking the album must be almost over and then realized I was still on the first Mt. Everest of a first song. This album has clear influence ties with Yes and similar bands. A sort of has been or maybe never was been kind of album chock full of old tricks that don't work anymore.
3/5
Well, it's Devo.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Hard not to like this album with some of country music's greatest vocalists! This is a legendary trio!
Pavement
2/5
What an odd and somewhat creepy album!
Os Mutantes
2/5
Not a huge fan of this. It's another weird one!!
The Residents
1/5
To be honest, I skimmed this and found it really a challenge to enjoy. It's like the soundtrack to a mass murder or something. Blech.
Dr. John
3/5
This was a much weirder sound than I had become accustomed to hearing Dr. John on the speakers of bars around New Orleans. I like it, but it's super funky. I will say one morning, the day of Mardi Gras I ran into him early walking a deserted residential street and he was nice enough to say good morning. Definitely made me think more highly of him.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
The vocals dominate the sound with scant piano, flute, and strings there to accompany and not much more. This album has a gentle sound. I saw one reviewer describe it as fragile and I thought that was quite a good explanation. Not being a huge fan of vibrato and finding the vocal range not to my taste, she's not an artist I will find myself running to. But, I'm glad it's out there.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
I'm not in the mood to go down the rabbit hole of insanity with crap like this today.
Khaled
3/5
Cheerful, light-hearted and fun music. Don't believe I have ever hear of this important singer or this type of music, so it's good exposure.
Scott Walker
2/5
Saccharine strings at such a high pitch that never seem to cease are subdued by the crooner of a voice. This music was a moment in time that is well past now.
David Bowie
4/5
Great stuff! Bowie is a welcome joy and empathetic voice as ever. His songs never get old. Life on Mars is my favorite Bowie song and that really flavors my thoughts about this important album.
1/5
I could not find this one, but as I recall, this must be jazz and I probably wouldn't have liked it anyhow.
Steve Earle
5/5
I met Steve Earle once. There was a guitarist that everyone in the music business knew named Danny Gatton. He made solo music, but also was very well known as a session guitarist on everybody's albums. A virtuosic and beloved guitar player. And then he suddenly died young in 1994 leaving young kids behind. So Steve Earle showed up to create a benefit concert to help pay for his kids' college. And I, a young twenty something with my brother got to wrangle cable for the film crew that made a documentary about it a few feet away from the performances of numerous musicians. It was the first time I had heard of Steve Earle, and it's still my understanding of him. The guy who shows up. A living treasure. This album is no different. We need him now more than ever.
U2
4/5
Before U2 had completely sold out, they sounded pretty good. That said, since probably before they dropped Zooropa, they pandered to the mainstream so hard that their authenticity got lost along the way, jumping the shark with adding their album to everyone's iphone! Anyhow, the drums here are ace, driving and full of life. Guitars are great. And Bono as at peak. The band still had rebellious lyrics and some of these songs about the Troubles and the need for freedom and sovereignty are hitting pretty hard right now once again. Wish they could have stayed on this trajectory.
Bauhaus
2/5
I sort of knew that an artist called Bauhaus would sound like it does. I found the whole sound offputting and anxiety producing. Hard to "enjoy"? Awkward.
The Doors
4/5
Wow. This brings back some hot long summer nights at 13 discovering many of the best parts of life for the first time. I never understood why Jim Morrison did not stand the test of time with the American public as so many of the best bands of the era did. We listened to him all the time back then. Still really like the best songs on this album: Peace Frog, Queen of the Highway...
Aerosmith
2/5
All the attitude of Mic Jagger and none of the talent. Yes, there are a couple of tracks like Janie's Got a Gun that still harken back the memories of early MTV videos, but really, this is a 'Big Hat No Cattle' kind of album with the low point being the crass Love on an Elevator or whatever. Meh.
Carpenters
1/5
It's hard to believe that a time or place called for such saccharine music because this more than just a little too sweet. I had to buy eight boxes of crackers to process all the cheese on this album.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
In one sense this is better than I expected and I went in basically cold as I had no notion of what this would sound like. Timing is good. Drums are solid. I found the guitar to be pretty monotonous and the vocals are a little too hair band for my liking. If you played me the whole album and then played me one track again, I couldn't identify it against any other track on the album.
Baaba Maal
3/5
This is a really fine album by Baaba Maal and I found it way more approachable and enjoyable than his more political (also important) albums. This was a great one characterized importantly by his amazing voice. What a treasure.
Morrissey
3/5
I love Morrissey and the Smiths, but if I'm being honest this one went on a bit too long for me. Still, there was a lot for me there to like of this singer who makes many cringe but I really enjoy. Worthwhile though long.
The Bees
4/5
I found this extremely good and although I feel I have listened to this band's catalogue, it felt entirely new and fresh as I began my Thanksgiving cooking. Not sure what else to say about this one except it's excellent and highly creative and I hope to revisit it again some time soon!
Justice
2/5
Some of the sounds on this album are killer. That said, you don't get to pick and choose which samples or tracks you hear on a song, and there are also a lot of parts that aren't great like most of the vocals and the anxiety provoking noise. This was a one and done.
Ash
3/5
I fell in love with this one a little by the end. A really hard working rock album that reminded me a little of Weezer. Pretty good in every respect from guitars to drums to vocals.
Talking Heads
4/5
The first movie I ever saw in the theater was Stop Making Sense. In spite of that early exposure, I've never sat down and listened to the Talking Heads entire catalogue. So, this album is new to me except for Psycho Killer of course. It's quite lovely and Byrne is honestly almost at his best here in many places. Vocal range, vocal strange, fun lyrics, and happy bouncy beats.
Hole
1/5
I'd rather have Kurt.
The Triffids
2/5
To produce a long album like this you've really got to be firing on all cylinders for anyone to actually want to listen to it from start to finish. This is inconsistent. Parts of this English crooner sounding album are excellent even if a little dated. The lyrics stick out like a sore thumb on some tracks and are really unlikable. Probably would have been unlikable in their day as well. Jerdacuttup Man is in a class by itself for crap lyrics.
OutKast
5/5
Love this album though it is incredibly long. Funny, hardcore at times, groovy, gentle. Incredibly creative with amazing guests. God is probably my favorite track.
Sparks
1/5
Hate this band so much. It's like Yoko had a love child with Abba and the writer for Cats the Musical.
T. Rex
3/5
I've gone through stages with this album since I first heard it at 13. Initially, it took me by surprise and I didn't understand it. Still don't in some ways. Then I decided I hated it and I really never listened to it for many years. Cosmic Dancer is rife with meaning. An amazing song. Planet Queen, Cosmic Dancer both very pleasant. Songs like Rip Off are still pretty unpleasant to me. Vocals on Planet Queen are so unique and characteristic of no band but T Rex.
David Gray
4/5
This album is full of memories as I listened to it quite a bit the year I fell in love during a very overall tumultuous and wild time. Lots of memories in there. Still like it since most of the memories are so good.
Scritti Politti
1/5
This was a sort of innocuous 80's album that stood out not at all to me. One or two tracks seemed vaguely familiar. I sort of hoped it was an album that had barely made the cut...
Syd Barrett
3/5
Feels so early and this album is just as you would expect. Filled with quirkly lyrics and bouncy little instrumental moments. Seems familiar and foreign at the same time. Such a fascinating change in music as it entered into the psychedelic era.
Faith No More
1/5
This band was never for me because of the nasally whiny vocals. Nothing changed on this listen at all.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
I can see where this album probably influenced the Beastie Boys, and the sample by Eminem is obvious. It's quite a strange and intriguing album.
Portishead
3/5
I had stopped listening to Portishead by the time this album came out, though they had gotten their hooks in me deeply with the soundtrack from the cult classic film of the 90's 'Tank Girl' in their earlier years. Some of the first tracks don't hit that hard, but 'The Rip' seems to be a very important song. I found myself putting that on my favs list and wanting to hear it over and over.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Great horns on Kevin Carter! But the vocals are hard to hear. Something about the quality of the voice doesn't work. Blind Melon pulls it off, but MSP don't on this album even though the quality is somewhat comparable. Generally dislike the album-- and the band finding it lacks interest and appeal.
Donovan
3/5
This album is clearly important as a very important departure of everything that had come before. While today it seems dated, at the time it was HIGHLY innovative and important. I'll give it that! Season of the Witch is the most recognizable as it was still getting radio play even into the 80's.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
This is a sentimental and morose album full of songs I've never heard and likely won't again. Frank's voice is silky smooth like an old Scotch spilling out in tears.
The xx
4/5
Once again, the intimacy level of this album by XX is 11. They make me feel I've been invited to hover etherial over their bedroom as the conversations of loss and pain and love and passion are floating by me. Absolute delicious observatory of love.
TV On The Radio
5/5
Legendary album and so innovative. Great sounds, unexpected lyrics, vocals on point. This is one of the truly great ones.
Eminem
4/5
It's an outstanding album that seems to get better with time. The lyrics were prescient about the hopelessness of the world to come where a handful of people call all the shots for average people.
MGMT
4/5
When this album dropped, I was in grad school in New Orleans and I think I heard it about a week after it was released. Instantly loved it and played it to DEATH! Time to Pretend, Kids are the standout hits, but most of the album is very good. Lyrics are strong, and vocals are wild and unique. Lots of new things on this album that hadn't been done before. It still sounds quite innovative. Very impressive and a lot more worthy of this list than many.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
All my friends that grew up listening to this band bought combat boots and became goths. Anyhow, I like it alright, but it isn't that great. Never got its hooks in me and today wasn't its day either.
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
Overall, this is an album that feels cobbled together from unrelated over-orchestrated bits and pieces. Really like the calmness of the first track and it makes the opening of the second one much more jarring and unpleasant. America still a lovely song and S&G's rendition is a good one (I've been enjoying the Courtney Marie Andrews version of this song lately). The discordant notes in Old Friends are truly unpleasant and unneeded. Nothing new here worth knowing for me.
Bob Dylan
5/5
An epic and legendary albums with many of Dylan's finest works. Always a joy to revisit and timeless. I always discover something new in his words which are the main reason to listen to him.
Paul Simon
5/5
This is Paul Simon's lesser known, but best album. Better than all of S&G and way better than Graceland in my opinion. I was lucky enough to grow up listening to this one a lot and know all the lyrics by heart. Every song on the album is an accomplishment, but for me it's The Late Great Johnny Ace. Still makes me well up every time I hear it thinking about what John Lennon may have achieved if he hadn't been stolen from us all.
Hookworms
3/5
This was pretty innovative. I dug the hard driving beats that felt like they were never going to stop.
Serge Gainsbourg
4/5
Whenever I listen to Gainsbourg, I have to remind myself that it was consensual on my part so I don't feel violated by his raspy too close to the microphone voice (J/K). At any rate, I think it's fair to say that the reason he escaped France unlike countless others is the overall sexiness of his vocals paired with similarly hot French female vocals. You don't need to speak French to know that this is seduction and the instruments are just garnirs to the singing. I think this album is cool, cool, cool. Bet it would have been amazing AF to be at some underground live show of Gainsbourg's back in the day. Unabashedly sexual music without a bunch of hangups or inhibitions and I'm basically here for it.
The Fall
3/5
This is a hard driving punk album that is perfectly adequate to satisfy our base aggressive needs for edgy rock.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
I've seen this band live a few times-- they came and did a show for my elementary school in the 1980s! I found then as now that the music is beautiful and comforting but not something I would generally reach for.
Buck Owens
2/5
Little bit hokey, but the album makes me reminisce about my Eastern Colorado family who loved to listen to music like this driving down the roads out there. Lot of standards on this album that I've heard many times by other artists. Worth hearing.
Randy Newman
1/5
Like show tunes for no show. I strongly dislike this melodramatic and overly performative style. For me, this music has very little about it that's worth listening to and I hope not to hear Randy Newman again.
Parliament
5/5
Yeah!!! This is their best one.
Donald Fagen
2/5
Over many years, the appeal of Fagen's vocal style faded for me although at one time I was a solid fan of his work with Steely Dan. On balance, I see the appeal of this album and how it fit in so nicely with the era when it was made, but I generally find the jazzy little riffs to be a little to clever, and the vocals with just a little too much easy cheese.
LCD Soundsystem
2/5
This is a band I vaguely dislike and listened to again today to see if the album might awaken a new perspective. This was not the case, and I still felt a tepid disdain for every song on the album. Just not what I'm into at all.
Burning Spear
4/5
While I had a copy and frequently have listened to this album, I had never bothered to read about Marcus Garvey which reframes the exact context of the album beyond just its sound (which is technically brilliant). It certainly aligns as a very cohesive idea around the philosophy of black power and the nationalism of Jamaica from a collection of songs. I was lucky to see Burning Spear in 2022 in the front on Rodney's recent tour after he broke his touring hiatus of so many years. This album is well known and loved by reggae enthusiasts worldwide.
Suede
2/5
I like Suede. I believe we reviewed their album The London Suede not too long ago. This album seems to lack a lot of the power of that album and comes off as pretty flat and disorganized by comparison.
Le Tigre
3/5
I discovered this album the year it dropped while deep in a music exploration phase, but only the first song was available to me at that time. It feels like the album fed off of Liz Phair (Fuck and Run) and L7 (Shitlist) and came out morphed like this and passed on the favor to Bikini Kill (Rebel Girl). This band is really appealing and I bet they were awesome live. The vocals are strong and effective.
Shack
2/5
There is some good in this album, but there is also a lot of mundane alongside it. It's a blend and it often strays into almost amazing. Some or maybe most of the lyrics aren't great and some of the effects are pretty meh. But some of the guitar is excellent and innovative and the drums are reliable and enforcing.
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Innovative, groundbreaking in its day. This, unlike recent events, is what made us fall in love with the Dogg. Great album. Still sounding pretty good after all these years.
John Prine
2/5
John Prine has several songs that are very dear to me and that I think are important to the American song book. For me, they aren't on this particular album.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
This was a staple of my teenage years. However, after a serious car accident while listening to Hendrix, I rarely if ever play it. Today is not an exception. I'm glad this is out there, but I can't bring myself to hear it.
The Who
3/5
I realized as I listened to this that I probably hadn't ever heard the whole thing before or that much of it wasn't that memorable. Sure, there are the big songs we all know from the radio, but there sure are a lot of less consequential songs here. I know this is a legendary album, but I found as much I wasn't impressed with alongside those overplayed hits from our Gen X childhood classic rock stations. Combine that with the kiddy porn charges agains Townshend and I gotta be honest it's probably my last listen.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Certainly one I grew up listening to quite a lot. Joni has a forever home in my memory.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Obvious 5. I was interested to recently learn that Sandy Denny is the backup vocalist on Battle of Evermore. So cool.
Eagles
4/5
Simply based on the historic nature of the album and the staying power of the songs, this album still holds water.
Hot Chip
4/5
This is pretty good! Hot Chip is a unique sound with a heavy electronica backbone and clever lyrics. For me this is mostly happy, bounce around music. Seems like this would be a pretty excellent live show.
George Jones
2/5
This is a fabulous album filled with painful memories. It's a hard one to listen to, but that's me personally. I think Jones has that singularly sweet voice loaded with reminisce for "the good ole days" and lyrics to match.
The Killers
1/5
We have so many examples of people who have become financially very successful even in the face of their woo woo beliefs-- and who then used that commercial success to springboard into highly influential and insane public policy making positions that f**k America. So I can't knowingly support a person or a band with the potential to morph into some bullshit like that. So yeah, because of their stupid woo woo beliefs and religion, I'm a hard no on the technically excellent band, The Killers. Come correct or kick rocks.