i don't think i could hate this music more. How the hell is this on any list of albums you need to hear? Now i feel bad about giving Hail to the Thief 1 star, because that alsbum is light years better than this trash. Also, this is clearly the worst album cover of all time.

The first three songs are still thrilling. “Quiet” sounds like it could have been a Sabbath tune. I also dig “Soma.” The rest kind of bored me now, like so much of 90s alt-rock. Although his guitar tone is killer

Yeah, I dig this one. I never liked Rod's voice as a kid/young adult, but a few years ago it clicked and I went on a Rod/Faces tear. That group from 1970-2 were pretty great. I haven't listened to this album in a while. My impression going in was that it was a 5 star album, but this time through, while I still liked it, it didn't feel quite as essential. Most of these songs are amazing. A few are just OK. Maggie May is still incredible and the last two songs are perfect.

I know people love The Pogues. I am not one of them. I've tried. My low ranking is just a personal opinion based on my taste and not about the quality of the music.

This doesn't really speak to me, though it's fun to drive to and these guys sure can play their asses off. I can dig one or two Metallica songs. A whole album's a bit much, though I did dig Leper Messiah, so that was a cool new find. Sadie digs Metallica, though she said Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning were better.

I went into this blind, not knowing anything about the band, only having seen the name. I was surprised that I knew the first two tracks, though I'm not sure how. I'm not all that knowledgeable about electronic music, but I really dug this album, start to finish. Very organic, bubbly sounds. Nice melodies. Sounds like a sunrise, which has nothing to do with the album cover art. Good music to work to. 3.5 stars, but let's bump it up to 4.

I went into this only knowing the hits. I've never been a Michael Jackson fan, per se, though my kids went through an MJ period a few years ago and I came to appreciate a few of his hits. (Though Off the Wall has long been a fave.) Anyway, I was not prepared to dislike this album as much as I did. The title track is ridiculously fun. The Way You Make Me Feel is fine, I guess. The rest of it was terrible, I thought. Would be a 1-star review, but I'm giving it an extra because it's really fun to sing along to the song "Bad."

Huh. I knew nothing about this band. I've heard of Julian Cope and maybe heard a song or two by him, but had no idea he was in this band until today. I dug this, though by the end I was getting a bit tired of it. Cool lyrics and melodies and good drumming. This was a cool find and I'll def look more into other songs by them and Cope.

I couldn't even get through this album. This is where Radiohead lost me. So whiny and depressing.

i don't think i could hate this music more. How the hell is this on any list of albums you need to hear? Now i feel bad about giving Hail to the Thief 1 star, because that alsbum is light years better than this trash. Also, this is clearly the worst album cover of all time.

Fuck yeah. All-time great album. I listened to this all through college but haven't listened to it much since. It's amazing how many of the lyrics I still remember. There's not a ton of punk that resonates with me, but Pink Flag still totally does.

I enjoyed listening to this more than I expected to. It was probably the first time I listened to the whole thing, though I've certainly heard many of these songs before. I mean, it is what it is and it's kind of fun and over the top and if any of these songs ever come on the radio or a shuffle I won't necessarily turn it off. It's also not really my jam, but it was fun to hear for nostalgic reasons, I guess. Good production and the dude can certainly sing. hard to know how to rate it, so i'll go right down the middle

Right on. This is why this is a fun project. Best find so far. I mean, what's not to like? Old-school country, produced perfectly. (I just read that she convinced Owen Bradley, who produced Patsy Cline, to come out retirement.) Lang has an amazing voice. Also that opening track is pure bliss. Why did it take me so long to listen to this?

It's been years since I've listened to this and I kind of expected to not like it as much as I did in college when I listened to it all the time. But it's still great. The only two songs I've never loved are "Brand New Cadillac" and "Jimmy Jazz," (songs 2 and 3). The rest are amazing. Punk filtered through half-a-dozen different sub genres. One of the best double-albums ever.

Damn, we've been on a roll lately! The release date on this album is deceptive. These tunes were recorded in '49 and '50 in three different sessions, and these recordings were considered pretty odd at the time. It's not quite big band, not quite small combo, not quite bebop, not quite cool. It's something else entirely. ("Something else entirely" pretty much describes all of Miles's landmark recordings.) I dig this stuff, but it's definitely not my favorite of Miles's albums. For one thing, it doesn't showcase any of the individual musicians here particularly well. I mean, it's got Max Roach, one of the great drummers of all time, on 2/3 of these tunes, but you'd never know it. (For that, you'd need to check out any of the recordings he did with Clifford Brown and Sonny Rollins.) If you're not particularly knowledgeable about jazz, I don't know that this album is an especially good introduction to the genre. (Then again, there are so many different kinds of jazz, it's hard to know what would be, except maybe Miles's own "Kind of Blue.") Having said all of that, this is quality music and several of these went on to become jazz standards, so it's a good album to listen to if you become a fan of the genre. It also became massively influential with many of these guys becoming giants of the Cool Jazz movement. This is music that rewards intense listening but also works great in the background. 4.5/5

I admit I went into this album with a bad attitude. There are so many great artists and albums not represented on this list of 1001 albums, why waste a slot on this, which was created out to essentially spite his ex-wife? And after the first two songs I was still pretty bitter about it. And don't get me wrong, I love Marvin Gaye. He might be my favorite singer. But I was not feeling it on those first two songs. Even his singing felt off. But I don't know, by the time the third song came on, the music got interesting and I opened my mind up. Some of these tracks are just plain weird and maybe even bad. But some of them are actually kind of cool. And the musicianship is excellent throughout, as you'd expect from Motown. I don't know how quickly I'll be putting this back on, but it was better than I initially gave it credit for. And maybe if I listen to it more I'll give it a better ranking, but this morning I'm feeling a 2

I never really cottoned to The Smiths, and I know just enough about Moz's current political views that I had to hold myself back from groaning as I queued this up. But once again I was surprised. I dug this record, pure and simple. Great production, some killer guitar work, catchy melodies, and the dude knows how to write lyrics. At the risk of being canceled for liking this, I will definitely dive into more of his solo work.

This is another band I didn't care for when they were active. I've come to appreciate them more than like them, though they certainly have great songs that get stuck in my head for days. I admire how sneakily avant-garde they are, taking catchy melodies and dance beats and throwing all sorts of crazy sounds and discordant chords under it. Anyway, this was the first time I listened to an entire album by them, and I dug it. My one complaint was some of the songs tended to overstay their welcome, but I dug the darkness of this album. "Personal Jesus" is still just OK in my book, but the rest of it was all in all pretty great. I'm gonna give it a 3 even though I can see this one growing on me. But at the end of the day, there's something about their sound and their lead singer that will never fully connect with me. But I'm glad I heard it and Sweetest Perfection as a great new find for me.

I feel like me giving this a rating is kind of silly. I don't know from salsa. The music on this album certainly sounds good and clearly the musicians are excellent and the arrangements are fun, and I dig it, but it doesn't grab me the way jazz does and I'm not sure why. Anyway, I'm glad I heard it. I can see throwing it on for a party. But I don't feel like I need to do a deep-dive into the careers of either Blades or Colon. As for my rating, I'm giving it a 3 just because I don't know what else to give it. It's probably a 5-star salsa album, but it's a 3-star listening experience for me and that's no reflection on the quality of the music.

I enjoy the P-Funk goofiness of these guys, and they have a great gift for hooks, and Andre 3000 is a fantastic MC. But I don't know. The production of this album is really thin. And after a few songs I get tired of the frenetic pacing and delivery. Every time an Outkast song pops up on a mix I've excited to hear it. But this album, for me, anyway, just doesn't cut it. Nice to hear Killer Mike on that one track, though. Maybe we'll get some Run the Jewels on this list. Now there's a hip-hop duo I love.

I dug this and hadn't heard it before, so that's cool. I don't know that this is my favorite Fela album ever. Also, I'm not sure how much Ginger brought to the table, but hey, if it got more people to listen to Fela, then right on. Anyway, the dude's band it tight and any Fela is good Fela, so, thumbs up.

yeah, nah, i'm just not into these guys. mostly, i think i just don't like Anthony Keidis, even though he actually has a pretty good gift for melody. but i just can't stand the way he sings. At least they try different sounds and a few approaches to songs. i don't hate them the way i hate Limp Bizkit. but they're just not my jam. also that album cover is pretty bad.

I'm familiar with Soft Machine, so I had some idea of what to expect here. I'm glad this was included as it's not the kind of thing you hear very often. And once I got used to the vocals, I came to rather like this. Fans of Kid A should find much to enjoy here, though, I think I might like it even more than Kid A. I dig the pastoral vibe. And yeah, it's not the kind of thing I'll listen to every day, but some of the jams were spacey and cool. I definitely get some Meddle-era Pink Floyd vibes, which makes sense, given Nick Mason's involvement. Anyway, thumbs up.

I always felt Kravitz was a middling talent (although I dug him as Cinna in Hunger Games, and I love "It Ain't Over 'til It's Over"), though I've never had strong feelings about him. But damn, I was not expecting to actively dislike this album. I never thought he was a great singer, but there are so many moments on this album that were cringe-worthy. And his lyrics have never been strong, but that's especially true here. And on top of all that, the music just doesn't work for me. The grooves aren't compelling, the hooks are lacking. I liked the strings on that garden song, but that's about it.

I want to like The Roots more than I do. I think they're interesting, I dig how they ambitious they are, and Black Thought is a great MC. I really liked the more experimental tracks on here like "Water" and "Something in the Way of Things," and I dug the groove on "The Seed 2.0." But ultimately, I feel like there's something missing. Their hooks don't grab me, maybe. I don't know. I feel like my 3-star rating doesn't do this album justice, but that's how i'm feeling. i will give this one another shot, though.

Yeah, great stuff. The title track is still one of my all-time faves. I simply never get tired of hearing it. The album in general features Marvin at the height of his vocal powers. Dude can do it all. And I love it when he harmonizes with himself. The band is tight as hell, and this time around I was floored by the great drumming. I'd give it five stars but as much as I love that opening track, I feel like the other songs aren't quite as great. Also, I forgot what a downer that last track is. It's a good song, but for an album all about sex and love, to end on a breakup song is interesting.

I was never really into these guys and this listen didn't really do much to change that. The hits are still cool, but a whole album's worth is a bit much. I got tired of Liam's voice about halfway through. Noel definitely has a gift for melody and great hooks, though, and I still dig the strings on "Don't Look Back in Anger."

OK, this is where I get my little rant off my chest. My big problem with this list is some artists are WAY over-represented. (e.g. there are 7 Beatles albums on here, 7 Dylan, 7 Neil Young, 6 Elvis Costello, 6 Stones, and EIGHT David Bowie albums. But no howlin' wolf, of montreal, MF Doom, run the jewels, neutral milk hotel, desmond dekker, etc. etc. I mean, I love Sonic Youth, but there are 5 Sonic Youth albums on this list and that's 4 too many.) So, overall, there should be a three-album cap per artist to make room for other albums/artists. /rant As for how I feel about this album on its own terms, honestly, I don't really care for it. The title track is perfection and Fame is cool. Somebody Up there Likes Me is good, too. But that's about it. His singing really annoyed me on this one—and I'm a Bowie fan. The grooves are kind of mid and the tunes are pretty forgettable. Plus, that cover of Across the Universe is weak. (Fiona Apple FTW!) I love that Bowie stretched out and constantly tried new things. And he could always be counted on for putting out a killer song or two on each album, but this one is one of his weakest album of the '70s and I struggled to get through it.

Another gem from k.d. lang! I prefer the lush Patsy Cline arrangements of Shadowland, but I think the songwriting here is more interesting. And damn, what a voice she has. There are several moments on here when her backing vocals come in that gave me the chills. I feel like this one will grow on me with subsequent listens. Who knew I'd come out of this project a k.d. lang fan? Also, how did I miss her the first time around?

Yeah, this is a fun album and it was nice to hear it again. I like how eccentric and playful Nilsson is (e.g. the goofy bass on Jump into the Fire). And the dude can sing. His take on Without You is the best. I didn't care for Let the Good Times Roll, though. Anyway, solid album. Probably more of a 3.5 for me, but let's round it up, I'm feeling generous.

It was nice to listen to this again as the last time i listened all the way through was back in college. This used to get a lot of spins back in the day and I was surprised how many of the lyrics I still remember. Having said that, I've never loved this one as much as This Year's Model or Get Happy. The hits are still great and I really dug Green Shirt and the last three songs. But I found the other tunes a little boring, and in general, the arrangements aren't quite as thrilling as those other two albums. The Attractions are an amazing band, but their talents are pushed to the background on this one, which isn't always a bad thing, but I missed the energy they brought to those other two albums. Hard to know how to rate something like this one. Do I give it 3 stars as an EC album or 4 stars compared to some of these other records? I guess I'll go 4.

These guys fall under the "I appreciate what they're doing but they're not my jam" category. I had their first album back when it came out and I dug it OK. The sound on this one reminded me a lot of 80s-era Zappa but without the memorable hooks. They're killer musicians, and I like how they can seemingly play anything under the sun. There's a lot going on, some of which is interesting. "Freddy's Dead" was cool but nothing else stuck with me. I'm going straight down the middle with a 3.

This is why I like this little exercise of ours. Before yesterday, I'd never been able to get past the third song of this album, which is a shame because I know it's widely considered one of her best albums and I love Joni. Blue might be my favorite album by anyone. So I've always wanted to like this one, but always turned it off after the first three songs. I don't know why, exactly. Something about the sound and the rambling tunes and her Sprechstimme delivery. But this time around, I kept listening and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed Strange Young Boy and the title track and I just kept liking it more and more from there on. Maybe I've finally cracked the code on this thing. My 3-star rating might seem a little low but I'm hoping this one grows on me. BTW, the Wikipedia article for this album is worth reading. She led (is leading) quite a life. Makes me want to check out a biography of her. (Also, somewhat unrelated, but that article led me down a dark rabbit hole about Jackson Browne and what an abusive shit he was/is. And I wonder how guys like that got away with that for so long.)

In the Oasis vs Blur battle, I was definitely a Blur fan. I practically wore out my copy of this disc back in the day. But it’s been years since I’ve listened to it so I was curious how I’d feel about it today. And I still rather like it though I’d cut out about four of the songs as the albums drags a bit on side two. Having said that side two has two of their best songs (To the End and This is a Low). Anyway, the highs are still high but there’s more filler than I’d like, IMO. This is more like a 3.5, but i'll round up for nostalgia.

I was hoping, given how much I enjoyed Vauxhall and I, that I would have a newfound appreciation for The Smiths. Sadly, that's not the case. I connected with a few songs. Bigmouth is now stuck in my head for the rest of the day. But for the most part, I just found myself getting impatient.

Yeah, I'm just not into Dylan. I can appreciate the song craft, but the recordings drive me crazy. One song has an out-of-tune guitar, and, in a few of them, that harmonica was like an ice pick into my skull. I wish I could appreciate him, since the people who dig him love him so much. But I just can't do it. So I'm going with a 3 because this is the case where I just don't get it but I can tell there's artistry happening.

It's hard for me to feel terribly strongly about FF either way. A few of their songs are cool. An entire album is too much. Mostly, I want their vocals up higher in the mix so I can hear what Dave is going on about. Or maybe I don't want to know. I don't know. I like their angst-free music, but at the same time I often feel like there's a lot going on about nothing. Hard to know how to rate this. I feel like I've been giving a lot of 3s lately, but what are you going to do.

Hey, another great discovery. This is a perfect selection for this kind of list because I never would have listened to this otherwise. I don't think I've ever heard a Marty Robbins song, except maybe on a soundtrack somewhere. I loved it. The production is amazing. They really knew how to make records back then. And Robbins isn't just a great singer, but a commanding storyteller as well. I've come to really dig a lot of American music from '58-'62. The stuff you hear in David Lynch movies. It's very uncynical and uncool and kind of wide-eyed and haunting. I love it.

Well this was nice to hear again. Been a while. I forgot how consistently good this album is. Maybe not quite a 5-star, but I will be spinning this one more frequently now. If you dig this, check out Spacemen 3. more stripped-down and droney, but also great.

I like Blur and hip-hop and dub. In fact, I like all the elements that go into Gorillaz. And what's more, I want to like Gorillaz. They seem cool. But damn, I can't bring myself to like Gorillaz. This album is so dreary and bland. And for a guy who knows how to write amazing hooks (Albarn) they are all but missing from this entire album. Yeah, "Clint Eastwood" is fine, but the rest ranges from boring to annoying. I couldn't wait for this thing to end.

Back when The Who had a sense of humor and whimsy. I hadn't heard this all the way through in years, and I'm glad it showed up. Yes, some of the songs are silly, but those never overstay their welcome and I marveled at how well the whole things flows. Plus, I'm not sure I ever realized what a great song Sunrise was. I was also surprised at how much Pete sings on this one. Always love it when he sings, and having the songs roughly divided between him and Rog made for a nice change of pace. In keeping with the whole pirate radio experience, I admire how much the band was able to change its sound from track to track. Our Love Was is still fantastic, as is I Can See For Miles (which sounded better than I remember it sounding--not sure if it was remastered or if it was just given better production that the rest of the material on here.) Anyway, I dig it, though it's not quite a 5-star album for me. But I love how quirky and fun they were in the 60s.

I went on a Byrds tear several years ago, and I found that, more often than not, the David Crosby songs were my favorites on their albums. I just dug his sound and his fluid use of major and minor chords. Then a co-worker suggested this album to me, and the way he hyped it made me very very excited to hear it. Boy was I disappointed. Just seemed like endless noodling. When Crosby was in the Byrds and CSN, I think those guys really reined in his wilder instincts. This time around, I liked the album slightly more. Tamalpais was kind of cool, as was Laughing. But not cool enough.

As much as I'm a fan of Bob, this was the first time I ever listened to this entire album. I'm partial to the Lee Perry era, mostly because of how experimental it was—from before reggae settled into a formula—and I've never cared much for The Wailers' early Island records, mostly because they contained slicker (and less-interesting) versions of the Lee Perry-era songs. So I guess that's why I've avoided listening to this for so long. (Even though my first exposure to Bob was the all-Island-records-era Legend album that every dorm room in college had a copy of.) But damn if this album isn't great. First of all, the sound is phenomenal—as much as I love the Perry era, his production never sounded as rich and enveloping as this. Here, the production is flawless. You can hear every last detail. And I was blown away by how amazing the drummer, Carlton Barret, is. Even though reggae is often made fun of for how basic and repetitive it is, this dude constantly finds a way to keep things interesting while always remaining tasteful. It's amazing how many of Bob's greatest hits came from this one album. You get past the first four songs (which are great, by the way) and then it's just one hit after another. Dude was on a roll. (The last time I was blown away by how many hits came from a single album was The Stranger by Billy Joel--also from 1977.) Anyway, Bob was a true legend. He had a fantastic gift for melody and his lyrics are timeless. Perhaps more so than any other songwriter or band (maybe even more so than The Beatles), his music transcends borders and cultures. You might not like reggae (though my guess is if that's the case it's because you aren't listening closely) but not liking Bob Marley is akin to not liking the sun. Having said all of that, it's hard to know how to rate this album. It's clearly a 5 as far as an original release goes (songwriting, performances, production, etc.). But is it an album I want to pop on and listen to again anytime soon? I think it, like Zeppelin IV and Who's Next, kind of suffers from its own greatness and over-familiarity. Do I really need to hear Stairway/Baba O'Reilly/Three Little Birds again? I guess today the answer is yes, though I don't know when I'll next pop this sucker back on. 5/5

No one could ever accuse Tim Buckley of not giving it his all. Man, this is a weird one to evaluate. I like Tim Buckley, but I also think he often sounds like a parody of himself. I think his vocal shenanigans work best when paired up with equally bizarre music (as it is on the excellent Starsailor, which somehow NOT on this list?). On this album they were more distracting than impressive, even though the dude has a range most singers would be jealous of. That said, the band here is on fire and there are moments when everything comes together. I especially dug "Sweet Surrender" and "Making it Right." The other songs, though, I wish we could take the backing tracks and give them to other singers to see what kind of melodies and lyrics they could come up with. (Imagine James Brown singing "Get on Top.") And speaking of lyrics . . . well, again, I found them more distracting than interesting. Having said all of that, I was surprised to find that I was sad when the album was over. Tim Buckley's a hard guy to know how to recommend to people because he changed his sound so often. For my money, Starsailor is where it's at, but I also recognize that that album is not for everyone, even Tim Buckley fans. YMMV