Heavy punk, a little bit more polished and poppy than I think the band intended it to be. Better musicianship than I typically associate with punk from this era, the guitar player sounded like he knew more about how to play the guitar than he should have to be a part of this band. This will definitely be both my first and last time listening to this album.
From before my generation. I knew the opening track which hooked my from the beginning. Good stereo separation for an album I don't know. Was my first album from this project. I am not used to listening to something not recorded with a click track lol! It is very interesting to listen to a legend that I know nothing about. The whistley noise in Highway 61 is something that you don't hear to often, with the exception of Van Halen 1. The out of tune instruments take some getting used to for sure.
Synth heavy! A precursor to what was going to come in the decade we all know very well for too too much extra excess. The vocals sound really far back with synths front and center. A lot of pop with some punk and too much treble on the very bright but confidently played guitar. Lack of reverb is noticeable but makes each instrument easily identifiable in the mix.
Heavier than what I usually listen to. Great voice on singer, can be so gentle then so strong. Band reminds me of something that I can’t put my finger on, but it is also a style that I don't listen to too much. Very math rock and prog, like heavier Porcupine Tree. First tune definitely hooked me.
Nice intro to Bossa Nova. I think that the title is a misnomer. The 2nd track, which is the only one that is not a cover, is kind of cheesy, in a Benny Hill sort of way. Solid playing, it is a bit unusual to hear a bright electric guitar in this setting instead of the duller, lower tone playing is usually common with this type of playing. Bright tempi for all tracks, faster than I play them. This album is making me reassess my tone choices for jazz, although I do typically play with a lower tone setting than what is on this album. Even though Desafinado and One Note Samba were the only tunes that were familiar to me, the general vibe of the album was familiar.
Great album that I was not at all familiar with. Prince's guitar tones seem to have never changed throughout his career, thanks to his consistent use of BOSS pedals. Solid, confident, aggressive playing throughout, by a new group that was not The Revolution. This is after Purple Rain, it was very noticeable that there were far fewer hits (none) on this album than on Purple Rain. This album is definitely more raw and has less synth than what he did in the past and what most people typically associate with the 80's.
Fun classic hip hop. Has strong Beastie Boys vibe with regards to instrumentation and rapping style. Hints of the rock/rap collaborations that would take place in the future weee evident on this album.
Soothing, warm, welcoming voice. This is the first album by him that I have ever listened to. Playing and instrumentation reminds me of old Disney movies as well as any movie or TV show from the 50s. Considered to be one of the first concept albums, which I enjoy, especially The Wall of course.
Great combo of hip hop beats, and good pop/rock playing. The language is authentic but may turn some people off from this album. She is an amazing talent and more people should know about her.
I was really looking forward to listening to this album. Started slower than I expected, I’m used to big strong songs opening an album. Tons of hits that I recognized. Some of the tunes were longer than I expected with more extended jams than are typical these days. The fusion tunes were a surprise. The variety of styles was a surprise as well. I look forward to exploring more SW in the future.
Reminds me of acoustic Nirvana. Nice unpredictable key changes and melodies with interesting twists with out being unlistenable for a pop listener. Great music that is an approachable accessible combo between sad, happy, and confused. Nice contrast between his gentle voice and then pain you know that he experienced in his life.
Dark mood and sound. Nice 70’s indie pop style. Long songs with many verses that tell stories. Interesting chord progressions that meander in and out of different keys in an unpredictable way. Calming and soothing like Sufjan’s acoustic tunes.
Average 60s hippy pop with fuzzy guitars, lots of reverb. Psychedelic. Tremolo on guitars. Style is familiar sounding from old movies and tv shows, but I am no at all well versed in 60s psychedelic pop rock.
Fun music! Awesome guitar playing with great tone, pop melodies with complex jazz harmonies. Enjoyable if you like pop or jazz. Lots of deep cuts. Creative orchestration dependent on piano.
Fun party pop punk pop lite. This album has a dark edge with contrasts of hope and light. Guitar is much heavier and distorted than I would have expected. Many surprises on this album. Hints of 50s pop and show tunes can be heard in some tracks.
Dry mix that is well known for having bass guitar, but not bass drums, way too low in the mix, aggressive but catchy songs, part of the end of the MTV generation of metal and rock music being as popular is hip hop is in the 2020s. Tight, scooped mid guitar tones. I had never realized how good of an album this was, but I definitely like Master of Puppets much more for both tunes and recording style. This album could use more bass and a touch of reverb, but the lack of reverb helps to showcase the virtuosity they had on this album by making the mix far less muddy. This genre appealed to me much more when I was a teen. I didn’t give this album as much of a chance when it came out as I should have.
Angry dark album. Supposed to mark the end of the fun and all too brief grunge era. Recording marred by excessive drug use and guitar player quoting during session. The distorted vocals add a nice edge to the dark. Great guitar playing and use of feedback as an effect. Super crunchy guitars that are very prominent in the mix. The cover art, dissonance, and horror like mood of this album would have been nightmare fuel for me as a kid.
Traditional electric blues instrumentation. Was a big influence on many electric blues on rock players. Traditional yet super clean. I love how in blues tunes they talk about their problems, but they don’t usually ever get resolved. Makes for an easier tune to write for sure. Will listen to more Muddy Waters in the future for sure.
Something is missing compared to the classic hits by The Beach Boys that I know so well and I can’t put my finger on what it is. It still has the tight and unpredictable harmonies that The Beach Boys are known for.
Reminds me of early Weezer with untuned guitars and Peavey practice amps for the guitar distortion. Loose, jammy tunes with wandering tempi making for a very live performance recorded in the studio sound. With no click track feel. I will check out more of this band in the future. They have an interesting sound that I am not familiar with, reminds of early Indie Rock.
Amazingly clear vocals that really cut through the live mix. Excellent right band that really starts grove by the end of the opening tune. You can hear how good he would have been as a performer just from the vocals. Guitar is clearer than typical for this era, especially for a live recording.
Nice 1980s New Wave sound, darker than a lot of the other pop that was in the radio at the time. Has strong Cure vibes. Very listenable and pleasant even on the first listen.
Old school electronic from before I had ever heard electronic music. Less monotonous then current electronic music for sure. My ear needs to hear changes for this type of music to keep me interested, and for the most part, this album supplies that interest, even if it is just one instrument changing, providing a bit of ebb and flow in a sea of sameness.
Great album! Super energetic, clear lightly crunchy bass tone, retro 80s sound while not sounding dated. Vocals are an unusual but very listenable style. Good hooks. Will listen to more Killers in the future. Nice guitar tones that rock without being overly distorted.
Great guitar playing on this British interpretation of American Blues that was a part of a movement in the 60s that went on to become a heavy influence on guitar playing at the time and to this day. Very listenable album that will be a big part of my rotation going forward, this album is a keeper for sure. I don’t know Clapton as well as I should, but this has some early Zep vibes for me for sure.
Hooked from the first tune. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of this artist. Sufjan meets Enya meets Pink Floyd, hints of The Beach Boys and the Beatles, with a little bit of indie edge sprinkled in. Pleasing reverby vocals, synths from every era, cool key changes.
Great old school classic rock. Nice slide playing, traditional song structures, unfamiliar songs with a familiar vocalist from his other projects.
Very funky, nice mix of rap and jazzy funky pop with jazzy pano chords and prominently features effect laden guitars, which for me makes for the most listener friendly rap. Light use of samples make for an authentic yet accessible album.
Interesting tones that are definitely dated. Album intro definitely longer than any than I can remember with vocals coming in super late. Super fun tunes with guitars high in the mix. Strong show tune vibes are ever present. The back up vocals add a ton to the texture. I would love to see these guys live for sure.
Definitely not my cup of tea. Very clear Medieval Manor vibes on this album. Probably one of the picks that may have been big in England but never caught on in the US that some people have mentioned in reviews of the book. Sounds like movie/tv/musical theater tunes from the 70s.
Awesome guitars played with reckless abandon while being conscious of making listenable melodies instead of carpet bombing us with notes. Retro synths galore! And of course, Freddie Mercury. Amazing and big vocal harmonies and creative, unpredictable chord progressions. Makes me want to listen to more Queen, I only know the hits. Hints or Beach Boys, and reminds me more than a bit of Radiohead even though they are very different and from different eras. The drums would sound great a bit bigger and with more modern production, but it is similar to the production of other albums of the era. This, and some of the songwriting sound experimental and dated, but nothing else sounds like Queen, and they were definitely trendsetters.
Very cool mix of Latin and African rhythms, and Jazz. Reminds me of something I would hear at the International stage at Montreal Jazz Fest. Definitely very cool, and I will revisit this album in the future.
Great use of open tunings on the guitar. Nice calm vocals, does not at all sound dated or like it is from the seventies. Piano adds nice color to the mix. Has a Sufjan Stevens or Elliot Smith type vibe to it that I really like.
Nice acoustic style guitar playing on what sounds like a hollow body guitar. Nico’s voice is too deep for my liking on first listen. String arranging reminds me of Eleanor Rigby. Nico didn’t like the strings and flute in her recordings, and i don’t blame her one bit. The songs would be much cleaner without the strings. The album grew on me as it progressed, I got more and more used to her style by the middle of the album. Interesting uses of electric guitar that I had never heard before were present in a few tracks.
Cool mix of Enigma, Chaka Khan, Sade, and SiSe. Easy to listen to from the first play. I enjoyed hearing different singers on different tracks.
Sounds like it was recorded when synths were tens of thousands of dollars. Definite Epcot Center or Boston Museum of Science Commercial vibes to the synth patches. Much too dated sounding to become a part of my regular rotation.
Chill summer classic rock. This my first time listening to one of his albums front to back. Solid playing and vocals.
Great album that I have never listened to, I’ve only heard their hits. Solid power chord driven rock with intricate bass lines. Many of the e bands I enjoy listen to list them as an influence, so will give more of their albums a listen for sure.
Surprisingly sophisticated playing. Awesome vocals and production. Nice synth sounds that are retro but sound like they were ahead of their time when this album came out in 1981. Definite musical theater vibes from this album.
Decent old 80s new wave. Very creative, maybe to creative for more radio airplay back in the day. New and familiar at the same time because of the genre that I grew up listening to. The instrumental was a nice surprise. It reminds me of a tune I might hear in a dance club scene in a movie like Scarface.
Not the Genesis I thought i knew from the 80s. This album doesn’t do much for me. Pink Floyd meets musical theater meets sleep depravation. Amazing musicianship for sure though.
Arena rock at its best, cars and girls accompanied by Gibsons and Marshall stacks. Well crafted songs, amazing solos, and vocals that are instantly recognizable.
Strong Sopranos soundtrack and Springsteen vibes, but without all of the hookiness. Simple bluesy instrumentation, dark and sad vocals. Worth another listen for sure, but will not be put into my regular rotation. This is my first experience listening to Tom Waits.
Interesting combo of big fuzzy guitars and 60s style song writing and drum playing. Will give another listen in the future for sure.
Fun old school music. Sound like organ trio jazz but far bluesier and poppy. I could listen to this album a thousand times, will be in my rotation for sure. Clear guitar but not offensively loud.
Lush vocals, wish I had hear of this artist before, great energy. Retro but not too retro indie synth pop.
Pleasant 70’s easy listening. Decent songs, album, and playing, but it won’t stay in my regular rotation.
Interesting tunes, genre I am totally unfamiliar with. Creative use of dissonance in a lot of the songs on guitar. Reminds me of The Police. From my favorite era, yet I only know the biggest hits.
Calming, island/African sound, jazzy tunes. All of the songs are quite short. Great album to listen to if you are cooking breakfast on a Sunday morning. I definitely will give this album a listen again in the future.
Great playing, but has an extremely dated and out of style vibe to it. Amazing musicianship for sure. The fact that these guys beat out Metallica for best heavy metal album in 1989? leaves a very bad taste in my mouth for this band.
Eclectic mix of sounds. Started very loud and aggressive, yet the vocals had a big contrast with the guitars. Indie feel to the album, just indie enough to not be pop, but definitely has some of the songwriting hallmarks of pop. Great album that will go into my rotation in the future, this is my first time listening to this band, but I have heard of them before.
Opening track was frightening compared to what I usually thought of as music from the 60's. More distorted than what I am typically used to from that time period. Loud, aggressive, early version of what I consider punk.
This album is a masterpiece. Hit after a hit, and The Edge wrote the textbook on using delay on his guitars. Great songwriting, great hooks on all of the tunes. Definitely an album that you can play front to back without any filler material. Super tight and accurate playing by the entire band.
Heavy punk, a little bit more polished and poppy than I think the band intended it to be. Better musicianship than I typically associate with punk from this era, the guitar player sounded like he knew more about how to play the guitar than he should have to be a part of this band. This will definitely be both my first and last time listening to this album.
I never listened to this band, and I see know how I always heard about them being a big influence on 80’s hair metal. Very similar stylistically to Crue and Poison in the way the songs are written and the playing style of the guitar. This album definitely has more of a punk edge to it though than the bands that they influenced.
Soul baring and honest album. The piano is almost used as a weapon. Nothing is held back in the playing or the lyric writing. Amazing template on writing from the heart. She is my age, so it is interesting to hear her view of the world on how it is similar and different from mine.
Uneventful acoustic 70's rock with a bluesy jazzy edge.
Nice vibe, but kind of boring. Vocals a tad high in the mix. Decent 70’s acoustic singer-songwriter tunes.
Reminds me of listening to King Diamond when I was a kid, which both scared and intrigued me. This album would definitely scare most religious parents. Drug and horror movies and comics definitely contributed to the writing of this album. But it is nostalgic nonetheless! I will give the rest of their catalog a listen for sure!
Great 90's vibe to this album. Super aggressive vocals, yet with cool harmonies and melodies. I recognized a handful of the tunes from the radio. I miss the angry angsty woman tunes of the 90's.
Interesting listen for my first listen of a Bowie album. Synths typical of the era, or a bit before their time. Unusual choice to put an instrumental at the front of the album.
Super fun and lively, but not the best album to listen to while relaxing. Abrasive in a fun and punky way. Will listen to it again for sure.
Awesome predecessor to old school West Coast Gangster Rap. Jazzy backing tracks with heavy synth drums. The Beatles sample caught me off guard. Simultaneously unfamiliar and nostalgic album.
Great vibes, great accessible electronic music with electric guitar. Would love the album if it wasn’t attached to a negative time in my life. Will give other Moby a listen for sure. Super chill, but you can tap your foot to it.
Great mix of electric and acoustic. Perfect playing by all involved. Guitar heavy in a perfect way. First four albums really show them developing and improving on their influences.
Fun arena rock lite typical of Bruce. Guitar tones are a bit abrasive and high in the mix for the genre. Nice mix of intensity levels on the tunes. Nothing was tough to listen to, the entire album had a nice listenable and nostalgic vibe.
Fun and very listenable album, was only familiar with the title track. Nice textures with the unusual instrument choices and cool synth sounds. Radiohead vibes with more pop hooks. Very creative all around, and will get more listens in the future for sure.
Interesting first listen of a Stones album front to back. Hard to think that back in the day the were competing with the Beatles, this seems very different from the Beatles. Much closer to Zep. Fun poppy but bluesy tunes. Mix typical of 60's-70's rock and pop.
Solid album. My introduction to alternative and without realizing it at the time. Huge guitars, great effects and tones in all the vocals and guitars. Nice mix of Pink Floyd, 80’s hair metal, and what was to come with the grunge era.
Very fun combination of hip hop, humor, and rock guitars. Less music samples than is typical of the genre. Has a definite Cypress Hill/Sublime/mid 90s vibe to it. Will give this album another spin in the future for sure.
Perfect. Perfect lead vocals, harmonies, arena-ready guitar playing, mix, lyrics, peaks and valleys, it’s all here in this album. The acoustic guitar really contributes to this in this album. Like many, (but not all) debut albums, it’s hard to peat this one.
Springsteen and War on Drugs vibes. Thick, plush instrumentation. Catchy singable dark arena rock tunes. Will get more listens in the future. Great combo of arena rock bangers and indie sensibilities. Not as strong of an album as “The Suburbs”, which is definitely more hooky, but I will definitely give this album more spins in the future.
Definitely super fun album and nostalgic for anyone who is over 45 in 2022. I was kind of mad when I saw this on the list, but it was quite ok in the narrow retro girl band holiday songs produced by a murderer genre.
Love how this band is always reinventing themselves. Nothing is of limits. Unpredictable as an album and a band. Love everything about it. Always staying the same by always changing.
Instrumental opener, seems to be a theme among some of these albums. Synth pop/alternative at its finest. Tinges of punk as well. Such delicate vocals by the singer that do a great job of reeling in the listener to the story. Song structures atypical of 80s radio pop. Familiar guitar tones. No musicians stand out as a virtuoso, this album is more about mood than playing out individually. Somber, melancholy. Mix is amateurish, vocals very low on some tunes.
Fun indie pop with a rock edge. Tinges of dance music as well. Fun catchy song writing. Hints of electronic music as well.
Amazing album. I love the history behind the band. Amazing playing, flawless rhythms, so much great dissonance, Latin rhythms… I could go on forever about this album. A masterclass in Latin musicianship.
Sounds 20 years older than it is. So mixed between genres. Too stuck in the 70s and 80s for my liking.
Nostalgic album from friends that have listened to this band during my life. Catchy songwriting, easy to play tunes for musicians, yet super listenable.
Amazing album. This band is always putting out great, powerful, relevant, creative music. Much like Radiohead, they are constantly reinventing themselves. One of the most creative guitar/vocal combos in popular music, and the bass and drums are always flawless both live and in the studio.
Very mellow, reminds me of something that would play during the credits during The Sopranos. Definitely an acquired taste. Relaxing. Very strange vocals, but I guess that’s what he’s known for.
Diverse group of 60s pop tunes that remind me of the Monkees. Typical pop instrumentation, great vocals, but overall kind of bland.
Old school country. Amazing slide playing. Super tight band and vocals. Very short catchy songs.
Awesome indie rock album. The mix of male and female vocals is unusual and refreshing in the genre. Great synths mixed with crystal-clear guitars. Super listenable album that has some tracks that I've heard on the Sirius XMU radio station.
Amazing playing, quite a few hits, super creative early prog rock.
Pleasing old school soul, fuzzy guitars, strings, and wah make this album super fun to listen to. Hypnotic, very cool old school use of stereo makes the band sound like it is swirling around you as you are listening.
Chill electronic music, cool for listening to in the background.
Old school style that I am completely unfamiliar with. Pleasant enough tunes that would be fun to listen to while cooking dinner or having a candle lit dinner in the city.