My User Albums Journey

User Albums Journey

Exploring beyond the book, one album at a time

View 1001 Albums Summary

105

Albums Rated

3.21

Average Rating

Rating Distribution

Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

1970s

Favorite Decade

Punk

Favorite Genre

Top Origin

Wordsmith

Rater Style ?

5-Star Albums

1-Star Albums

Breakdown

By Genre

By Decade

By Origin

Albums

You Love More Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Ocean Avenue Yellowcard	5	2.92	+2.08
Operation Ivy Operation Ivy	5	2.99	+2.01
Fear Inoculum TOOL	5	2.99	+2.01
Funeral Dress Wussy	5	3	+2
In Between Dreams Jack Johnson	5	3.19	+1.81
Lateralus TOOL	5	3.38	+1.62
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Various Artists	5	3.46	+1.54
Gotcha! Gotcha! Gotcha! Gotcha!	4	2.48	+1.52
METAL FORTH BABYMETAL	4	2.6	+1.4
Savage Sinusoid Igorrr	4	2.74	+1.26

You Love Less Than Most

Album	You	Global	Diff
Bon Iver Bon Iver	1	3.32	-2.32
Portishead Portishead	2	3.51	-1.51
Version 2.0 Garbage	2	3.42	-1.42
Contra Vampire Weekend	2	3.31	-1.31
Speak & Spell Depeche Mode	2	3.19	-1.19
Keep It like a Secret Built To Spill	2	3.15	-1.15
People Watching Sam Fender	2	3.08	-1.08
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino Arctic Monkeys	2	3.03	-1.03
Emotion Carly Rae Jepsen	2	3	-1
Piano Bar Charly García	2	3	-1

Artists

Favorites

Artist	Albums	Average
TOOL	2	5

5-Star Albums (7)

View Album Wall

Popular Reviews

Exile On Coldharbour Lane

Alabama 3

4/5

I was expecting some Southern, Country-fried twangy stuff. This completely caught me off guard. Good stuff!

2 likes

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Various Artists

5/5

A masterpiece of camp, androgyny, debauchery, and good wholesome fun.

2 likes

Singles

Future Islands

3/5

Weird, Post-pop music for the tragically hip. I kept getting essence of Neutral Milk Hotel for some reason. Not my bag.

2 likes

Autobiografia

Duncan Dhu

3/5

Kind of neat Spanish soft rock that went on waaaay to long. Fun, but it eventually just turned into background noise.

1 likes

Espers

3/5

Weird, unsettling, and darkly seductive.

1 likes

4-Star Albums (29)

1-Star Albums (1)

All Ratings

Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum

Tally Hall

4/5

Tally Hall has always been a fun band, and this is no exception

Spirit of Eden

Talk Talk

3/5

This one was kind of weird, ethereal, and at times haunting. Not sure how I feel about it just yet.

Yellow & Green

Baroness

3/5

another kind of oddball album. Interesting, but I can't exactly explain how or why.

Gotcha! Gotcha! Gotcha!

Gotcha!

4/5

Fun album. Had never heard of these guys, so it was a nice surprise.

Gordon

Barenaked Ladies

4/5

Barenaked Ladies have often been written off as a sugar pop or humor band, and nothing is farther from the truth. These guys make amazing music that may seem innocuous on the surface, but hit with the power of a thousand suns when you're not ready for it.

Penguin Eggs

Nic Jones

3/5

It's a folk album, pure and simple. If that's your thing, you'll dig it.

Contra

Vampire Weekend

2/5

I don't understand the appeal of Vampire Weekend, and I doubt that I ever will. Don't take that as a condemnation of their music, I just don't get it.

Operation Ivy

5/5

Progenitors of 3rd wave Ska. This is a seminal album in one of the best genres ever created.

Djarimirri

Gurrumul

3/5

Blind from birth, Gurrumul wove together an interesting pastiche of musical styles and themes. Thought provoking, but not something I can really see myself listening to again.

Bloody Kisses

Type O Negative

3/5

You never know how to take Type O Negative. If you take it seriously, then you're mocked for being too involved with the persona. If you take it as tongue in cheek, you're labeled a poseur.

10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

4/5

a very tasty album of blues songs and standards.

Being Funny In A Foreign Language

The 1975

2/5

I'm not sure what I was expecting, so you would think it would be impossible to be disappointed, but you'd be wrong.

Autobiografia

Duncan Dhu

3/5

Kind of neat Spanish soft rock that went on waaaay to long. Fun, but it eventually just turned into background noise.

Singles

Future Islands

3/5

Weird, Post-pop music for the tragically hip. I kept getting essence of Neutral Milk Hotel for some reason. Not my bag.

Espers

3/5

Weird, unsettling, and darkly seductive.

1, 2, Kung Fu!

Boy Azooga

3/5

British dream pop that will probably appeal to fans of the Lemonheads.

How to Operate With a Blown Mind

Lo Fidelity Allstars

3/5

Electro dance from Britain. Not my thing, but it's enjoyable enough.

Tales Of Mystery And Imagination

The Alan Parsons Project

3/5

Interesting take on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Seems totally on brand for the Alan Parsons Project.

Super Ape

The Upsetters

4/5

Fun dub album from one of the progenitors of the subgenre. Well worth a listen.

Y Ahora Qué?

Reincidentes

4/5

Punk rock from Spain? Heck Yeah!

Dogrel

Fontaines D.C.

4/5

Irish Post-punk. Tasty, but almost niche.

Savage Sinusoid

Igorrr

4/5

I don't know if it's fair to call this music. It's more like an aural assault from multiple angles at the same time. I can imagine seeing someone like Charlie Sheen saying "This is why you don't take Ketamine and LSD at the same time. It's like you're simultaneously sodomizing and being sodomized by goats."

10,000 gecs

100 gecs

4/5

Not really sure what to make of this, but I enjoyed the heck out of it.

Exile On Coldharbour Lane

Alabama 3

4/5

I was expecting some Southern, Country-fried twangy stuff. This completely caught me off guard. Good stuff!

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Various Artists

5/5

A masterpiece of camp, androgyny, debauchery, and good wholesome fun.

The General Electric

Shihad

3/5

This went way harder than it should have, but still felt pretty tame. Not a bad band, but not one that I would necessarily seek out again in the future.

Lateralus

TOOL

5/5

While not their crowning achievement (IMHO, it's 10,000 days), Lateralus pull no punches, expects no quarter, and makes no demands of it's listeners - but it will change you; regardless of if you want it to or not.

Fine Line

Harry Styles

3/5

Not even remotely close to my preferred genres, but Styles has an easy flow to him that I sometimes find cloying. However, he keeps a quick pace, and lays down infectious beats that are hard to ignore.

Out of the Blue

Debbie Gibson

3/5

Ah, Debbie Gibson. Gen X heartthrob for many young men (and women) that grew up during that time (Personally, I preferred Tiffany, but that's because I've got a thing for redheads). If you ever watched "How I Met Your Mother" Gibson was one of the main influences for "Robin Sparkles" and listening to this album, you can almost smell the comingled scents of hairspray, deep fryers, and denim.

Carrie & Lowell

Sufjan Stevens

3/5

I can see why Sufjan Stevens is such a popular artist, I just can't groove to his stuff most of the time. I have a desk shaped dent in my head from dozing off while this was playing today, and I don't know how long it will take to fade.

Quebec

Ween

3/5

Ween is an interesting band that by all metrics I should love. Unfortunately, their stuff just doesn't grab me. Still, It's a decent album.

Year of the Cat

Al Stewart

4/5

Al Stewart always seems to be written off as an effective "One-Hit Wonder" (not true, he had several hits), but I find his voice and musical style rather soothing. Gentle enough that it slips into the background, but it doesn't get lost. An enjoyable album.

Not Animal

Margot & The Nuclear So And So's

4/5

A quiet, haunting album that is much like eating a bag of MSG. Filling, but doesn't last very long, and the memory has a hard time sticking around. I had to listen to this a second time to remember listening to it at all.

Psychic

DARKSIDE

2/5

Not my jam. I can see how people may enjoy this album, but the inherent conceit and mellowness bored me.

Version 2.0

Garbage

2/5

I get it, Garbage is a big deal in certain circles, and it doesn't hurt that the lead singer is nice to look at. Brit pop either runs hot or cold for me, and this one is cold. Not in the realm of Radiohead, but definitely not something I really enjoyed either.

The Best of The Hot 5 & Hot 7 Recordings

Louis Armstrong

3/5

Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential artists of his time, and it's impossible to ignore his impact. This album just didn't do much for me.

The Universe Smiles Upon You

Khruangbin

3/5

Fusion Jazz? I don't know. It was over before I could really get a feel for it.

Funeral Dress

Wussy

5/5

Had to listen to this several times.

No Balance Palace

Kashmir

4/5

Didn't know what to expect from this - I was expecting some sort of trap or drum and bass sort of music. Boy was I wrong. While not a band I would actively seek out, this was surprisingly fun and quite enjoyable.

A Salty Dog

Procol Harum

4/5

As my only other exposure to Procol Harum was "A Whiter Shade of Pale", I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Not that I don't enjoy that song, I just wasn't expecting a whole lot from them,

McDonald and Giles

Ian McDonald

3/5

Interesting album from King Crimson alum. Not exactly sure how I feel about it. Definitely fascinating, but I think I have to be in a certain mood to really appreciate.

Alexisonfire

2/5

Never been a big fan of screamo. I can appreciate the genre, but I miss the appeal.

Souvlaki

Slowdive

4/5

Shoegaze is one of those genres that I never really explored, but if this is any indication, I'm in for a deep dive.

Join Us

They Might Be Giants

4/5

It's difficult to not enjoy They Might Be Giants (unless you're an absolute fuddy dud), and this one is no exception. A lot of fun, toe tapping, head bopping tunes to be found here.

Emotion

Carly Rae Jepsen

2/5

Not my thing. Jepsen is a competent and accomplished singer, but her musical stylings just don't connect for me.

Alive Or Just Breathing

Killswitch Engage

3/5

Metalcore is niche enough that you either really enjoy it, or you don't. Either way, it's liable to make your ears bleed. I Dig a lot of Metalcore, but Killswitch Engage just isn't one that holds my attention.

An Empty Bliss Beyond This World

The Caretaker

3/5

Fascinating and unnerving album that feels less like music, and more mood.

La cagaste... Burt Lancaster

Hombres G

4/5

This one caught me completely by surprise - Wasn't sure what to expect, and I'm still processing what exactly it is. Definitely 80s pop, but with a Castellan bent. I did learn a new phrase that I am attempting to integrate into my lexicon. La cagaste Burt Lancaster (You screwed up, buddy). four stars for the linguistics lesson alone.

AmarElo

Emicida

3/5

Brazilian rap. It's got some good hooks, and if I understood what he was saying, I might like it more, but rap really isn't a genre that I listen to.

Café Tacvba

3/5

This album didn't know what it wanted to be, but I don't think that's a bad move. Definitely outside of my standard listening zone, but well worth a revisit.

Ocean Avenue

Yellowcard

5/5

Sadly lost in the annals of time, Yellowcard is a brilliant band that has done so much for punk.

Frengers: Not Quite Friends But Not Quite Strangers

Mew

3/5

interesting. different. worth a second look.

A Deeper Understanding

The War On Drugs

4/5

In another universe, maybe even two or three doors down the hallway, this would have been the gold standard for music in the late 'teens. In this universe, it's a hidden gem.

Speak & Spell

Depeche Mode

2/5

I like a fair amount of Depeche Mode, but this album just didn't do a whole lot for me.

Songs Of A Lost World

The Cure

4/5

The Cure still manages to amaze me after so many years together.

Get Fucked

The Chats

4/5

Aussie Punk. For some reason, puts me in mind of Leftöver Crack, D.O.A., and MDC.

Portishead

2/5

I get that Portishead is an influential band, and they are beloved by many listeners. It's just not my jam.

The Animal Years

Josh Ritter

3/5

Not really an album that I would listen to.

I Am

Earth, Wind & Fire

4/5

It's a shame that there wasn't more Earth, Wind, & Fire on the original list. This is good stuff.

Loss

Mull Historical Society

3/5

Interesting jangle-pop-esque music. Wasn't bad, but not my thing.

Pop Art

Transvision Vamp

3/5

I don't remember a whole lot about it, but I know I didn't hate it. I'll have to give it another listen.

Human Racing

Nik Kershaw

2/5

Everything about this screams mid-80s power pop. I feel like this would be part of the soundtrack for a Haim/Feldman vehicle that has aged like milk in a hot car.

Tragic Kingdom

No Doubt

4/5

An absolute classic of new wave pop-ska. Fortunately, it was not a portent of later endeavors, and remains a timeless jam.

Blink-182

blink-182

3/5

Blink-182 was cute when they started out, but the schtick tends to wear thin early on. By every metric, they are an incredibly accomplished and competent band, but constantly and consistently going for low hanging fruit will eventually leave one wanting something else.

Suzuki

Tosca

3/5

Techno/house music is not really high on my list of genres that I enjoy, but this one bordered on bearable.

Bob Mould

3/5

Interesting. Can't tell you much about the album, but it's definitely worth a listen.

This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This!

Pop Will Eat Itself

3/5

Transatlanticism

Death Cab for Cutie

3/5

DCFC is an influential band, there's no doubt about it, but their stuff just doesn't connect with me as well as it probably should.

Goat

The Jesus Lizard

3/5

While they hate the term "noise rock" I think it sums up their style pretty well.

Get To Heaven

Everything Everything

3/5

Much more entertaining that I had anticipated.

Comfort To Me

Amyl and The Sniffers

4/5

Funk as puck Australian band. Well worth a listen.

When Smoke Rises

Mustafa

4/5

Thought this might be some sort of rap of gansta style music. Instead, I found a haunting, soulful album that was over quicker than I had anticipated.

Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

Arctic Monkeys

2/5

I couldn't tell you anything about this album aside from the fact that it blended seamlessly into the background to the point I didn't even realize it was over for at least 10 minutes.

Racine carrée

Stromae

3/5

Not really sure how to classify this aside from French. It was surprisingly catchy and worth a listen.

Deep Down Happy

Sports Team

3/5

Peppy, catchy, post-punk garage rock.

Fear Inoculum

TOOL

5/5

Is this Tool's best album? No. Is this an incredible showcasing of their talent and ability? Arguably. Is this the capstone to witnessing their growth and development from Undertow? Absolutely.

Atrocity Exhibition

Danny Brown

3/5

Not even remotely my thing, but understandable why this album would be selected. Brown knows what he's doing.

Diary

Sunny Day Real Estate

4/5

the intersection of punk and emo starts here. Good album that was really overlooked at the time (in my opinion).

Metallic K.O.

The Stooges

3/5

Allegedly the concert that signaled the fall of Iggy and the Stooges. Great for Punk historians or fans of the band, but otherwise, it's nothing really special.

Jaco Pastorius

4/5

Pastorius played the bass like a fiend. It really makes you wonder if he would have been as influential and iconic if he had access to the treatments available today.

In Between Dreams

Jack Johnson

5/5

Jack Johnson has such a beautiful way of expressing emotion in a gentle, yet firm way. Played this for my middle kid when they were first born, and I like to think it has made a world of difference.

Geography

Tom Misch

3/5

Nice little prog-jazz album that found me bopping my head and tapping my toes from time to time

Last Splash

The Breeders

3/5

I could never get into The Breeders, but I do have a newfound appreciation for their work.

Has A Good Home

Final Fantasy

2/5

Feels very self-important and pretentious. It's not a bad album, per se, just not one I particularly enjoy.

World Of Echo

Arthur Russell

2/5

Really unimpressive. I just finished listening to this album, and I can't tell you a single thing about it.

Are You Shpongled?

Shpongle

3/5

Dreamy, ethereal electronic. If I was 30 years younger, and chemically altered, this would be a mind expanding experience. As it stands, it's a passable album, the title is good for a laugh or two, and the cover works well as a reaction meme.

Moa Anbessa

Getatchew Mekurya

4/5

Fascinating Ethiopian melding of Jazz and Punk. While Ska adjacent, it's not Ska, two-tone, or dubstep - it's something more, and I don't know that there is the proper lexicon to describe it.

METAL FORTH

BABYMETAL

4/5

It's freakin' Baby Metal. If you don't think that's the tightest sh*t, then get out of my face.

Keep It like a Secret

Built To Spill

2/5

Meh. Built to Spill is for a specific style of fan, which I'm not.

God Shuffled His Feet

Crash Test Dummies

3/5

Crash Test Dummies are a lot like The Barenaked Ladies; Canadian, much more talented than they're given credit for, and highly underrated.

Somewhere In The Between

Streetlight Manifesto

4/5

A perfect example of ska-punk.

Hammersmith Odeon, London '75

Bruce Springsteen

3/5

It's difficult to go wrong with Springsteen, especially his early stuff. Still, it's a live album, so points off for that. However, you can tell the boss is really in his element, and this is a beautiful example of just how powerful Clarence Clemons was on saxophone.

Puzzle

Biffy Clyro

3/5

Not sure how I feel about this album.

Piano Bar

Charly García

2/5

I couldn't tell what genre this was, and it really didn't do a whole lot for me.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Vince Guaraldi Trio

3/5

A solid, traditional holiday album

Don't Throw Stones

THE SPORTS

2/5

This was like a fart in the wind. Jarring, a little discomforting, but quickly dissipated and forgotten.

Ida Con Snock

Michael Hurley

3/5

cute little folk album. Not much else to report about.

Piñata

Freddie Gibbs

2/5

feels very much like late 90s, mid 2000s rap that vacillates between being street and Casanova.

People Watching

Sam Fender

2/5

Interesting, but not enough to hold my attention for more than a minute or two at a time.

Bon Iver

1/5

This did absolutely nothing for me. Music, even if I don't like it, will elicit some sort of response in me - this was literally no different than no music at all.

Forced Witness

Alex Cameron

2/5

Another album that feels like it would be found on Temu or Wish. Not impressed.

WE ARE

Jon Batiste

3/5

Enjoyable, but not something I would normally seek out.

St. Jude

Courteeners

2/5

Seemed good? Listened to it 20 minutes ago and I can't remember much of anything about it.