Journey in Progress
Discovering music one album at a time
845
Albums Rated
3.42
Avg Rating
86
5-Star Albums
78%
Complete
244 albums remaining
Rating Speed
5
Per Week
1190
Days Active
Reviews
652
Written
77%
Review Rate
vs Global
0.22
Avg Diff
3.42
Avg Rating
Rating Distribution
How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
14
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rising Above Bedlam | 5 | 2.61 | +2.39 |
| The White Room | 5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
| Club Classics Vol. One | 5 | 2.82 | +2.18 |
| World Clique | 5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
| Infected | 5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
| Steve McQueen | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
| Car Wheels On A Gravel Road | 5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
| I See You | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| The Nightfly | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| Let Love Rule | 5 | 3 | +2 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| OK Computer | 2 | 4.1 | -2.1 |
| You're Living All Over Me | 1 | 3.07 | -2.07 |
| Caetano Veloso | 1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
| At San Quentin | 2 | 3.81 | -1.81 |
| Vol. 4 | 2 | 3.75 | -1.75 |
| Back to Basics | 1 | 2.75 | -1.75 |
| Grace | 2 | 3.71 | -1.71 |
| All Hope Is Gone | 1 | 2.7 | -1.7 |
| ...Baby One More Time | 1 | 2.67 | -1.67 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and high weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steely Dan | 4 | 4.75 | 4 |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| U2 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| David Bowie | 8 | 4.25 | 3.91 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.29 | 3.9 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.4 | 3.88 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 4.5 | 3.86 |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4.5 | 3.86 |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 4.67 | 3.83 |
| Dire Straits | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Curtis Mayfield | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Yes | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Massive Attack | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Rush | 2 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Paul Simon | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Kings of Leon | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 4.33 | 3.67 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 4 | 3.63 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums and low weighted score
| Artist | Albums | Avg | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinosaur Jr. | 2 | 1.5 | 2.4 |
| Frank Sinatra | 3 | 2 | 2.5 |
5-Star Albums (86)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Elbow
5/5
Best new find yet. I listened to it three times already and I’m liking it more each time. Peter Gabrielish voice, clever lyrics, good stuff.
6 likes
Brian Wilson
4/5
Really interesting, especially reading the history. Like a symphony at times, but bouncing between rich harmonies, complex songs, and goofy, childish tunes. Only a few that can really be called songs. A huge range of instruments.
1 likes
1-Star Albums (14)
All Ratings
MGMT
4/5
Beside the ones that got airplay - which are all good - I like 4th Dimensional Transition, which channels old, psychedelic Pink Floyd. The Handshake, Future Reflections also keepers.
Nick Drake
4/5
Minimalist but engaging, just guitar and voice, and sometimes just guitar. Short songs, gotta enjoy each while it lasts. Beautiful fingerstyle playing that I need to try.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
Fugees
5/5
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I can see why it was such a popular album, but it’s not for me. Her lilting style grates on me.
Lorde
3/5
Less clever and more teen angst and relationships than the first album, but grew on me on the second trip through
Moby
4/5
Every song is a different style. Groovy to atmospheric to soul singer. I can listen to this many times, and only skip a few.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Grooving to the sweet organ sounds. Somehow I missed out on the Jimmy Smith phenomenon. Will have to listen to some more of his MANY albums.
Depeche Mode
5/5
Classic. Good to listen to it again with a more attentive ear.
Talking Heads
5/5
One of my favorite albums from one of my favorite bands. All of the quirkiness and clever lyrics.
Ravi Shankar
3/5
This one was both challenging and fascinating. Took me two listens to *kinda* find the beat.
The Who
5/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Some of their best songs, sprinkled - like many of their albums - with a few blues/country clunkers. Take out 2-3 songs and this album is perfect.
The Smiths
4/5
Wire
3/5
Many very short songs, 2 min and shorter. Feels like brief, disconnected thoughts. As far as I know; I couldn’t understand much of the lyrics. Some catchy, some punk thrash.
Brian Wilson
4/5
Really interesting, especially reading the history. Like a symphony at times, but bouncing between rich harmonies, complex songs, and goofy, childish tunes. Only a few that can really be called songs. A huge range of instruments.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
The master of making a simple song so good. Teeters on the edge of cheese a few times, but forgivable knowing the time frame. I wouldn’t say powerful, or cathartic, but maybe soothing. Or empathetic, speaking for a nation in pain.
Raekwon
2/5
I’m Fred Armisen in the hip hop episode of Portlandia, trying to learn the roots of the genre. Clueless.
Dire Straits
5/5
My third favorite of their albums, which is still 5+ stars
The Mars Volta
4/5
Fun one. Tapped into my 70’s prog rock concept album pleasure center. A little like Muse making The Wall.
Beyoncé
3/5
A huge talent that I just don’t get into. Lotsa sexy lyrics in this one.
Sade
4/5
I listened to this one many times when it was new. On re-listen I found it still enjoyable, if a bit tired.
Dusty Springfield
5/5
Wow good! I had no idea. She nails every one of these great songs.
The Beach Boys
2/5
Meh. This kind of thing is not my bag, baby.
The Stooges
4/5
Rockin fun. I’d love to go back to 1970 and see them play this live.
2Pac
5/5
Really got into this one.
The Sonics
4/5
Garage band fun
Peter Frampton
4/5
That amazing, full-length Do You Feel Like I Do is enough. The rest is gravy.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
Janis showcase. She was so good.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
5/5
Never heard of them before but really liking the album. A mix of styles. A few songs sound like Soup Dragons meet Kate Bush. One sounds like Pet Shop Boys. One has a middle eastern or maybe Indian styled but the words are in Spanish.
Elbow
5/5
Best new find yet. I listened to it three times already and I’m liking it more each time. Peter Gabrielish voice, clever lyrics, good stuff.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
I liked this more when it came out. It didn’t really catch my interest on re-listen. Not bad, actually quite good, but it’s lost its newness.
Coldplay
3/5
Quick listen, didn’t capture my attention.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Hundreds of listens and I’m still hearing new details.
Nico
1/5
Bleh
Muddy Waters
5/5
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
First time I’ve heard the originals of some of these. Pretty interesting. I got a Beach Boys vibe at times.
Black Sabbath
2/5
I’d have gone with Paranoid but this has some interesting stuff.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
Loved it. Minimalist and clean and not a note or beat out of place. Perfect horns.
Rod Stewart
4/5
Goldfrapp
4/5
Pretty cool, lounge music and other styles. Voice like Portishead singer. Good one for a dinner party.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Most amazing first album. Classic right out of the gates.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Not really songs, more like he finds a hook and repeats it for a song length. Works sometimes, especially on Praise You. Just repetitive on others.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
So much smooth flowing Marvin goodness. Then I read the background and had to listen again.
Hawkwind
3/5
Psychedelic space rock. Not bad but not great. I only made it partway through, it’s a veeeery long album.
Björk
2/5
Couldn’t make it through the whole thing.
Tina Turner
4/5
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Almost spoken word, his voice is so low. Captures him at the end of life, still the wordsmith.
Neil Young
2/5
Sigur Rós
3/5
I didn’t listen to the whole thing, not really in the mood, but I still liked what I heard, mostly.
Elvis Costello
5/5
One of the great first albums.
Dion
3/5
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Garage band fun, but an upscale garage, with epoxy floors and glass doors
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Classic rap sounds, fun listening. Now I want to listen to more by them.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
No need to listen to this one again. Experimental sounds, interesting at times but not much there.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
First side is very Bowie-esque. Good listen overall.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Portishead
4/5
Songhoy Blues
4/5
“Desert blues,” a genre I didn’t know existed. Love it. Guitar driven, American blues influenced but very African. Great stuff.
The Specials
4/5
Bouncy ska fun. Turns out I only know two Specials songs, and neither is in this album. But it’s still a good listen.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Not as good as remember. For its time I suppose it was impressive but it hasn’t aged well.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Some CSN, some CBGB.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Love the song. The album isn’t as good.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
From what I read, one of the best albums of the nineties. I don’t see it.
Pixies
4/5
Lots of great songs. A few unlistenable thrashers.
Lucinda Williams
5/5
Song after song I thought Oh, this is a good one!
Otis Redding
4/5
Great soul and blues
The Doors
4/5
A few of my favorite Doors songs: L.A. Woman and Riders on the Storm. Some rough blues.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
TIL: John Fogerty didn’t grow up on the bayou. And he did write Proud Mary. And I’m still sick of CCR.
PJ Harvey
4/5
Raw, dynamic, rockin’ goodness
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Amazing singer.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Good to delisted to this, it’s been a while. Clever, raw songs and terrible vocals.
David Bowie
3/5
First side good, short songlets. Second side ambient and bleh.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Some greats that have aged well
Adam & The Ants
3/5
2/5
Typical not-quite-chaos of OC, hard to listen to
Silver Jews
3/5
Four stars for the lyrics, minus one for the terrible singing, which may or may not be an affect. Think of it more as a wobbly, spoken word performance.
OutKast
5/5
Saweeeet! Listen to this many more times.
The Pogues
4/5
Great Irish music, but it gets to be a bit much - 18 songs!
Primal Scream
4/5
There’s a common style running through these Scottish bands of the time: these guys and Soup Dragons and Jesus and Mary Chain. Very good stuff.
Megadeth
3/5
Not my thing, but they do play tight and high energy. Lyrics are meh.
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
We’re goths, not vamps! I don’t love the style. And that super low voice is distracting.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Brown Sugar, Wild Horses, Can’t You Hear Me Knocking and Bitch all on one album. And the rest is solid too.
Foo Fighters
4/5
The literal one man band. A few bland ones but mostly keepers.
Roxy Music
4/5
All new, to me, and a lot of good stuff. Makes me want to go on an exploration of their catalog.
Blur
4/5
I didn’t give this one enough time but I liked what I heard.
Various Artists
3/5
A bunch of the classic Christmas songs I’ve heard over the years.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Listen to this again when you have more time on
Ian Dury
2/5
A few fun listens but I skipped through a lot. Don’t revisit.
Mike Ladd
4/5
Listen to this when you have more time and the wife doesn’t have to hear it.
Liz Phair
4/5
I’m sure I would get more out of this if I took the time to listen to it head-to-head with the Stones. Someday.
Prince
4/5
Hard to listen to it objectively but I feel like it has aged well.
The Yardbirds
3/5
Significant at its time, I guess.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
Quite an assortment of styles. Goofy at times.
PJ Harvey
2/5
Really? Two albums by PJ Harvey already? Ok, this one is odd, kind of a cross between Bjork and Sinead O’Connor. Listenable but not very interesting. Maybe there’s more in the lyrics that I wasn’t hearing.
5/5
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Rocking goodness, and better with each listen.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Still works. Not my favorite of theirs, but high on the list.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Enjoyable but didn’t hold my interest.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Good album but I’m still sick of them.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
Excellent album. A slightly too-80’s production, like a smooth jazz backing band around her great, smoky voice.
John Martyn
4/5
Good stuff., a variety of folk and groove. Check out more of his stuff, there’s a lot.
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Great first album but my god, the squeakiness! Some stars for All Through the Night and Time After Time.
The Waterboys
3/5
Mixed bag. I could do without the waltzes.
Funkadelic
4/5
Great, rambling funk rock from the master.
5/5
Well, it’s SPLHCB. One of the greatest albums ever produced. I listened to it more carefully this time as a concept album, rather than the individual songs I’ve heard many times, and realized I’ve never really appreciated it that way before.
The Undertones
4/5
Notes of The Clash but less political and less known.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Possibly the same person as Otis Redding. Has anyone ever seen them together?
Motörhead
3/5
British KISS minus the makeup. I bet the mosh pit was a blast.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Ryan Adams
3/5
Bobby Womack
4/5
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Still my favorite male voice. Mostly great. A few songs are just plain goofy.
The National
2/5
Tried it twice. Bland and depressing. Two stars for decent lyrics.
Don McLean
4/5
You know you’re enjoying the album when every song seems to end too soon. Even the title track, which is more than 8 min long.
Morrissey
4/5
I only recognizes one song but enjoyed the whole album.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Too polished and produced at times but hey, it’s MJ. Always great.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Holds up well. Some straight up blues. Interesting to read what perfectionists they were. Their demos sound just like the album versions
PJ Harvey
4/5
My initial reaction in seeing this was WTF?! THREE albums by PJ Harvey?! Is she married to the editor?
Then I listened to it and realized this is the good one.
Khaled
3/5
Probably an important album but not my taste. I tried it twice but nothing grabbed me. Interesting, at least, to listen to and think about the different song structures and singing styles.
Green Day
4/5
Gave it a more thorough listen, the lyrics are better than I’ve noticed before and the non-single songs are good, too.
Eric Clapton
4/5
Mostly covers, but it’s Eric Clapton, so they’re great listening. Especially liked Motherless Children. I Shot the Sheriff is good, of course, but more credit to Bob Marley for that.
Dr. John
4/5
Most interesting listen yet. Smoky bluesy Cajun flavor that gets under your skin.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Hmmm. I loved Automatic. This one is even higher on the jangle-o-meter. Above my threshold for enjoyment on about a third of the songs.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Amazing album, so many huge hits.
T. Rex
4/5
King Crimson
4/5
Art rock / prog rock, the early edition. The first and last songs are perfect.
Q-Tip
4/5
Gotan Project
4/5
I would not have come across this one on my own. Different, enjoyable, worth another listen.
The Cure
5/5
My favorite version of them, the masters of gloomy, gothy, wonderful stuff. I’d only heard the hits from this album but the rest is great, too.
David Bowie
5/5
His “blue eyed soul” phase, lots of good stuff. The title song is one of my favorites from Bowie.
Common
4/5
Kate Bush
4/5
I’d have put Hounds of Love on the list instead, but this was good. I need to listen to it more closely some day.
David Bowie
5/5
So good. I listened to it three times and still want to hear it more.
The Soft Boys
3/5
Traffic
4/5
Some classic tracks, some meh. Winwood was so good.
Yes
5/5
Peak Yes, for my money. It’s a close race with The Yes Album but this is my favorite of their albums and their many lineups.
The Auteurs
4/5
I am not sure how to describe this one but I enjoyed it twice. I will listen again.
Spiritualized
3/5
Starts off interesting, unusual, and veers into drifty, ambient blah.
Guns N' Roses
3/5
Significant album, just not my thing.
Beatles
4/5
The Beatles hitting their stride
Massive Attack
5/5
Best of their albums? Maybe. Hard to beat Safe from Harm. But maybe. Tracy Thorn - great.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
I missed this one, it was well before I got into Latin music. Clearly he nailed this long before Gloria Estefan. Great album, and I will be listening to it again.
ZZ Top
4/5
I love old ZZ Top, when they were more blues, and less pop cheese and innuendo.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Darker than Pretty Hate Machine, still great.
Alice Cooper
4/5
First time I’ve really listened to Alice Cooper. Some good tracks that stick in my head, especially Hello Hooray, Raped and Freezin, and Bilkion Dollar Babies
Janis Joplin
4/5
She was so good. Just nails every song.
The B-52's
4/5
Impressive right out of the gate, and a true original sound.
Milton Nascimento
2/5
Got through most of it but nothing caught my attention
David Bowie
4/5
Enjoyed a couple of listens. Some throwback sounds, some hints of Blackstar.
Gang Starr
3/5
Like his voice, good beats, some good lyrics but too much “I’m great” theme. And lots of cliches in some songs.
Manu Chao
3/5
Spanish, French, English singing, interesting but not grabbing me.
Dr. Dre
3/5
Cheap Trick
4/5
Only knew two tracks: I Want You to Want Me and Surrender. Interesting that I only knew the live versions, which both still hold up. The rest of the album is similarly rocking, with great energy and screaming fans.
Sister Sledge
4/5
Classic grooves. The kind of stuff that gets imitated and sampled endlessly.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Kacey Musgraves
4/5
Country without the country formula and country cliches. Sweet songs, if a bit simplistic, or maybe child-like is a better description, in the innocent sense.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Impressive first album. Nothing I knew but all listenable and ages well.
Tom Waits
4/5
Like Heart of Saturday Night but live, with some funny commentary between songs. Good but doesn’t top HoSN on my list.
Gillian Welch
4/5
Sweet voice and guitar, lightly dark lyrics, nice all around
Cream
3/5
I feel like I should like this more. Just not into the genre.
The Pharcyde
3/5
Original style, some new ideas, some formula
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Beautiful voice, just not into it
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
I’m usually a sucker for prog rock albums but this is a bit beyond me.
Caetano Veloso
1/5
Bleh. Gio was right.
Arrested Development
4/5
I had this album! Somehow lost it and forgot about it but I still knew it well. Good to hear again. A nice departure from the gangster rap of the time.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Classic jazz, could listen to this any time
Beck
4/5
One of those artists who can keep coming up with new sounds and ideas. And make them entertaining.
Paul Simon
5/5
Prince
4/5
Great stuff, less pop-y and more thoughtful, mature and interesting than much of his work.
4/5
3/5
Louis Prima
4/5
Well this is straight up fun.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Three great classics, but the rest is good too. Hard to believe this album is so old! Barely out of the sixties!
Nirvana
4/5
They set the standard for Unplugged. Shows how talented they were.
Linkin Park
4/5
Great, amazing debut. I remember hearing this for the first time and asking “Who TF are these guys?!” And it’s the same reaction now. They get close to the ‘poor me’ genre but thankfully don’t dip too deep.
Duran Duran
4/5
Still sounds good. Poppy lyrics but with some complexity to the music.
The Black Crowes
4/5
Still great after many, many trips through this album.
N.W.A.
3/5
On the positive side, it was a groundbreaking album, launching the gangsta rap genre that still survives. And musically at least half of the tracks are pretty catchy. On the negative side, I don’t like the violence, the mysogeny, and the tough guy act.
Paul Simon
4/5
So good! Makes me want to pick up my guitar and play and sing them all.
Eagles
5/5
Al Green
4/5
New York Dolls
3/5
Sure it’s an important album but not my cup of tea.
Gang Of Four
4/5
Punk with a dance beat, or funk with a jangly guitar and British accent… I’m going to call it pfunk. Not to be confused with P-Funk. But pretty fun stuff and worth another listen.
Randy Newman
3/5
Every track is imbued with a certain… randynewmaness. If you love that sort of thing, more stars. Me, no.
Billy Joel
4/5
Lots of great songs. I join the 80’s soccer moms in my appreciation of Billy Joel.
CHVRCHES
4/5
Definitely worth another listen. Her voice is so high, though, it’s distracting.
The Strokes
3/5
A couple of keepers
Gene Clark
3/5
The original Byrd, apparently. Dylan-esque but fuller sound. Good but not my cup o tea
3/5
4th album on the list from PJ Harvey. I don’t get it.
David Bowie
4/5
The fourth(?) Bowie album on the list so far and I’m still loving him. Hard to believe he made this while coked out of his mind. Love Golden Years and TVC15 especially.
Nirvana
3/5
Groundbreaking I know, but I’m just not big on Nirvana.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Huge right out of the gates. Interesting how different his voice sounds on different tracks.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Hard to listen to, and not enjoyable. Novelty songs about all of the people they don’t like.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Enjoyable but I don’t need to listen to it again.
Soundgarden
3/5
Not as good as I was expecting. Their best songs are great but there’s a lot of filler.
Arcade Fire
4/5
They brought an original sound, which is not easy to do. Worth a few listens, at least.
Aerosmith
4/5
Turbonegro
3/5
Not bad, as thrash metal goes. Hard to connect it with any Norwegians I know.
a-ha
3/5
Bland
Patti Smith
4/5
Rockin’ poetry
The Who
3/5
So unlike where they ended up, it’s strange to listen to. Beatles influence and 50’s bubblegum rock. A few songs hint at the good things to come.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Brian Eno
3/5
The birthplace of ambient music, so I read. It’s difficult to listen to with any close attention, really by definition. I will say it is inoffensive.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Starts off sounding like The Cure - which is not a bad thing - but shows a lot of where they were headed.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
So many great songs. Peak Mac.
Oasis
3/5
Daft Punk
4/5
Tricky
4/5
Well centered on my trip hop taste. Interesting that he mixed himself down so low, letting the vocalists have the spotlight.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Typical RS album: one great song, Sympathy for the Devil, one my all time favorites. Street Fighting Man is good. One or two others in the not bad pole. And then a bunch of what seems like filler.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Listening to this I realize I’ve never actually listened to a whole album of his. Really good, and improves with each listen.
Miles Davis
4/5
Many trips through this album and I’m still hearing new things.
The Hives
4/5
Rockin’ good times. I mostly missed these guys when they came out.
The Byrds
3/5
Interested blend of styles, in an era when there weren’t that many to work with.
Queen
4/5
Ok, beyond the magnificence of Bohemian Rhapsody, there are other excellent tracks. The Prophet’s Song is similarly complex, You’re My Best Friend is an enduring and sweet love song, Love of My Life is beautiful. And then there’s I’m in Love With My Car… let’s not talk about that.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
I like the funk influence, the bass lines, and his vocals are great as always. Have to put up with the gangsta crap: the violence and misogyny.
Boston
5/5
I still remember every note and lyric, and it’s still perfection. Engineer rock for sure, with the precision and perfectionism. But also great composition and technique, and I love the harmony.
Travis
3/5
A little bit Radiohead, thankfully not too much. Listenable but not very compelling to me.
Faith No More
4/5
Still rocks. A mixture of heavy metal, funk and rap. Lyrics are a little weak. Nice cover of War Pigs.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Funny to hear what was considered hard rock in 1980. Pretty tame. Guitar tone sounds more like punk. 2.5 stars; I’m rounding up.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
So much goodness. (Except Backstreets - bleh.) The tracks that didn’t get air play are even better than the ones that did. I’m loving the last three.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I need to listen to this one more closely. It’s poetry with a little musical backing.
Saint Etienne
4/5
The Style Council
4/5
Reminds me a lot of Was Not Was: a big variety of styles, jazz and funk and rap and more. It’s a good listen.
Talking Heads
5/5
Maybe I’m rounding up a bit but I love this album. Inventive in so many ways, especially the lyrics and his vocal creativity.
The Offspring
3/5
Not a fan, but I can get into it I’m some moods.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Nice throaty tone but too lilting and vibrato for my taste.
Frank Sinatra
1/5
Sinatra smarm. I hate it.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
Reminds me of my childhood; mom had this album. Some beautiful songs, some goofy (the flea one, the laughing one). The African ones are the best by far.
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Iggy Pop
4/5
Pulp
4/5
Provocative, cynical, catchy, I can see why they were so big.
Scott Walker
3/5
Interesting but not my thing. Theatrical singing, with song style that borders on novelty. Steven Sondheim meets Spike Jonz meets Moody Blues.
Taylor Swift
4/5
I have now listened to a Taylor Swift album. I enjoyed it more than I expected to. She tapped into my 80’s / 90’s brain.
The Stooges
4/5
Starts strong with 1969 and I Wanna Be Your Dog. Then it wanders through a variety of oddities. Some hints of Pink Floyd influence.
Coldplay
4/5
A bit of a guilty pleasure, but very listenable, creative, and would be pretty dull in concert.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Love the fury of You Oughta Know and the words and music on most tracks. A few throwaways. And Ironic is just annoying. But great album.
Aerosmith
4/5
Sweet Emotion belongs on my “best songs ever” list, and the whole album rocks heartily.
John Grant
3/5
One of the more unusual new finds for me. Very personal songs for him, real anger about his upbringing. His style is unique, random words at times making it feel like a novelty album.
Ute Lemper
2/5
Oof, tough listen. Barbara Streisand and Bjork had a love child, who sang James Bond theme songs on Broadway.
Kanye West
4/5
Some cliche and self-absorbed lyrics but original style and a great break from gansta. All Falls Down is great.
Beck
4/5
Excellent, my new favorite (for now) Beck album.
Santana
5/5
A near perfect album, with classic after classic.
Elastica
3/5
I’ve owned this for years and only listened to it a few times. Which says a lot about how much I like it. Not bad but doesn’t really grab me.
George Harrison
4/5
A lot of good stuff, beyond the ones that got air play. The second half is straight up blues
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
4.5 starts really but it still rocks after many listens.
The Flaming Lips
5/5
Loving this.
Jethro Tull
5/5
Prog rock delight.
Depeche Mode
4/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Hmmm, I’ve always loved Automatic, but hearing this I realize that contained a lot of rehashing, and this album was first. So my Automatic love gets automatically transferred here.
Ray Charles
4/5
Genius might be a bit much, but he was definitely a classic
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Amazing talent, right out of the gate.
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Pretty voice, but I can only take so much of this music. And that is 1.5 songs.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Rock & Roll Woman and Mr Soul stand out. I suspect Steven Stills was the strongest part of this group.
The Byrds
2/5
Ok so they helped create the country rock genre. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Kanye West
4/5
R.E.M.
4/5
Transition album, from “I can’t understand what he’s saying” to “I can understand him but I don’t know what he means.” Great album though, with a few of my favorites from them, especially Orange Crush and the beautifully dreamy You Are the Everything.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Bruce hits the big time. Much pop-ier than earlier work but all good.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I preferred Lust for Life, but this isn’t bad. You can definitely hear the Bowie influence.
The Byrds
3/5
This thing is all over the place. Psychedelic, blues jam, even a touch of country. And the Lear Jet thing… Still, a few jems. 5D, Eight Miles High are keepers.
The Killers
4/5
One of the groups that keeps impressing me with their inventiveness. And it started with their first album.
The Doors
3/5
I put several of their other albums ahead of this one.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
That voice. Somehow sweet and powerful at once.
Stephen Stills
4/5
Not a lot different from CS&N, which I think is a good thing. Good listen, especially the first half
Kings of Leon
5/5
My favorite Kings of Leon, when they were raw, hillbilly-sounding rock. Everything later was more polished and produced. Still great, but this first album is the most fun.
Neil Young
3/5
R.E.M.
5/5
Possibly peak R.E.M., although it’s a broad, flat peak. Definitely one of my favorites.
The Prodigy
4/5
Not a lot of variation, some of the tracks are easy to confuse with others. But damn it’s a good formula. More punk influence than I expected.
Eminem
3/5
Self-absorbed, angry, violent, childish. But Stan is a great song.
The Cardigans
2/5
In a word, bland. Not bad but nothing I felt the desire to revisit.
Lou Reed
4/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
Too much gangsta for me. Guns and violence.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
Objectively, she’s a great singer. But I don’t like the diva style, with the never ending flourishes. And many of the songs are barely songs, with little to no melody, and just serve as vehicles for her singing.
Death In Vegas
4/5
Started off not liking it, morphed to okaying it, and gradually got to really liking it. Vibes of instrumental Pink Floyd, with a touch of Jesus and Mary Chain.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
My first CT, apart from the few songs that got airplay. I love the sound and style, full and rich, and her beautiful voice.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
All new to me. Like most of his albums, I might obsess on it for a few hundred listens.
Supertramp
4/5
Such an original group. The keyboards were amazing. Prog rock candy.
4/5
Juicy prog rock channeling the 80’s for my pleasure
ABBA
2/5
Bleh. This hasn’t aged well, and I wasn’t much of a fan in the first place.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
This thing is all over the place, from soft piano to rock to hard rock to heavy metal. Mostly great, though. I need to give it a closer listen.
Carole King
4/5
Amazing songwritier. Fun to hear some that are known for other performers
Anita Baker
3/5
I remember well when this came out. Beautiful voice, but sounds dated now.
Can
4/5
Enjoyably avant garde and cool. Lots of jazz influence. A bit of Bitches Brew.
Queen
4/5
Straight up hard rock but with luscious Queen harmonies. Plus Killer Queen, which is its own thing, and a masterpiece at that.
Van Morrison
4/5
Orbital
4/5
Ravey goodness. Holds up well.
Radiohead
2/5
I’ve tried to like Radiohead. And I do like a few of their songs. But this album is everything I don’t like about them. Drifty, whiney, self-indulgent.
Beth Orton
4/5
Cool and dusky, like a humid evening by the lake with your special person.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
Still trying to figure out Brilliant Corners.
The Avalanches
3/5
Plays like a DJ set on Mixcloud. Sometimes danceable, sometimes more atmospheric, but a busier type of atmosphere.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
Lots of country twang. Not a genre I enjoy.
Supergrass
3/5
Beastie Boys
4/5
Still great, with a few of my favorite B Boys tracks.
Blur
4/5
Multiple listens, and it got better each time. The whole album gives me a sense of enormous well-being.
The White Stripes
4/5
Typical White Stripes, raw and simple yet still catches my attention and sticks with me all day. It’s a magic touch.
The Pretty Things
3/5
Psychedelic concept album. Not bad, worth a more careful listen sometime to absorb more of the story. Sounds like early Pink Floyd at times.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Not my thing.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Really more like two stars, except for two great songs. Just too much hippyness for me.
Cat Stevens
4/5
High density of his better-known songs: five that I know very well. If I ever get back to playing guitar I’m sure I will play these again, he’s gold for guitar and voice.
Beatles
4/5
Peak Beatles, for me. Post bubblegum and pre wacko.
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Made after his experimenting with psychedelics, and it definitely has that vibe. He intentionally avoided releasing any singles, making it a true album experience. I like the experiment, and it’s pretty listenable, meaning not exceedingly weird. This was a fun one.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Jangly, unusual, typical Sonic Youth.
The Smiths
4/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
The Kinks
2/5
Maybe worth 3 stars but I don’t want to accidentally listen to it again.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Smooth and bluesy with some bounce, but a little repetitive within each song. Easily fades into the background. But it makes a good background.
Korn
2/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Unusual one, lots of spoken word, but not poetry, more like conversation with a background track. Speaker sounds like Noel Gallagher, which makes it quite pleasant.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
They were great right out of the gate.
T. Rex
3/5
Best of the strangely large number (three?) of T. Rex albums in this list. Very Bowie-esque.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Peak Wonder, for me. But it’s a broad ridge line.
Adele
4/5
I can’t argue with the great singing ability, but it’s not my jam, and some of the songs are actually kind of weak.
Maxwell
3/5
On first listen, it sounded dated, with the sappy KennyG-like sax and other easy-listening tropes from the 80’s and 90’s. Two stars at best. On second listen I found more to like, and I’m bumping it up to three.
The War On Drugs
4/5
It’s not that anything stands out, really (with the possible exception of Under the Pressure), but I found myself thinking “that’s a nice one!” for every track. Nice one, TWOD.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Launches with two mega hits, and maintains pretty well throughout.
The The
4/5
Great one from my old collection. Holds up well.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
That Lady earns this four stars alone. Interesting covers of James Taylor, Seals and Crofts, the Doobie Brothers.
Jeff Beck
3/5
Odd assortment. Solid blues, plus Old Man River (dubious choice) and Greensleeves (even dubiouser).
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Lots of good memories of this album. They nailed the combination of rock, disco and strings.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
A few classics, and sow gems I only just learned. Africano stands out.
3/5
Punk lite, some pretty catchy. Shades of Sonic Youth.
Lambchop
3/5
Unusual, varied, folksy/talky, a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll.
Black Flag
2/5
Only for mosh pit thrashing.
Joy Division
3/5
Oh, that 80’s melancholy. I can’t not see the goth kids from South Park shuffling back and forth to this.
David Ackles
1/5
So much no.
The Stranglers
4/5
A group that was huge in the UK and somehow incompletely missed them. Great stuff, lightly punk but more lyric driven. Peaches is a big winner.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Love it. So much tasty, groovy keyboard. Besides the two huge hits, I loved Big Brother and Maybe Your Baby.
The Zombies
3/5
Kings of Leon
5/5
Great songs one after another. 4-5 stars but I’ll round.
Kelela
4/5
Three listens, liked it more each time. Sweet voice, cool groove, nice.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
So many trips through this album, and it still shines
Dire Straits
5/5
Still my favorite album from them. Amazing guitar, dynamic and lyrical playing, plus Pick Withers on drums.
Radiohead
4/5
This one is good. Changes my opinion of Radiohead a bit.
FKA twigs
3/5
Some good ones, I liked Two Weeks. Overall more performance art than music.
Madonna
2/5
Mishmash time. She’s best with the dancier stuff but the autotuning is awful. The lyric-driven folk tracks are weak.
Pixies
3/5
This sent me down a Pixies rabbit hole, landing on Doolittle as my favorite. This one is good but not as
Queen
3/5
Art rock goodness from their early days.
OutKast
4/5
Up there with Speakerboxx / the Love Below, good stuff with a dose of goody
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
I have learned that I need to listen to more Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
All new, to me. He’s always good, great songwriting both music and lyrics.
David Crosby
2/5
Not composed songs in the usual sense. More like Crosby and friends hanging around a recording studio, diddling around with guitars and calling it an album. Better than most people trying to do that. but still.
Van Halen
4/5
More than holds up, this still rocks. I can’t hear the word Panama without singing it VH style.
Stan Getz
2/5
Too. Much. Bossa Nova.
Le Tigre
3/5
Punk grrl rock, good fun
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Great voice, some good stuff, some formula
Pulp
4/5
Listen to this one again, I didn’t get enough time with it the first trip through.
Beastie Boys
4/5
B.B. King
3/5
Machito
2/5
Afro Cuban big band
Johnny Cash
2/5
Oddly short album, and he repeated the title track. Plus a lot of between-songs chatter, so the actual music content is very thin. Not sure why this exists.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
Good examples of why this project is fun. Not that I want to listen to it again. Bjorkish voice, plus harp and strings.
Marty Robbins
2/5
Probably good for its genre. Not into it.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Such a pretty voice. Gershwin must have loved hearing her sing his songs.
Doves
4/5
Brit pop? Post Brit pop? Good whatever.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
Heavy, man.
Screaming Trees
3/5
One to listen to again, I didn’t give it enough attention yet.
Beatles
4/5
One of their best, I think. Post teenybopper, although barely.
Metallica
3/5
Tight, complex, thrash metal. No one does it better.
Soft Machine
1/5
Tedious, self indulgent explanation. And a jazz track. It was a struggle to get through.
Scritti Politti
3/5
Omg it’s so 80’s! Doesn’t translate well to 2024, but that’s not a SP thing, it’s the whole genre. Still a fun listen.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Hard to imagine a better blues album and artist.
Fela Kuti
4/5
I love the energy of his music, African funk that never stops driving.
Elton John
4/5
Starts especially strong with Tiny Dancer. Levon is decent but it’s never been my fave. Then more prog rocky.
The Blue Nile
4/5
Good one, and all new to me. Definitely needs more listens.
Metallica
4/5
One of their better albums. More songs, less extended, frenetic thrash.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Not nearly as enjoyable as his own stuff. I’d call this one for Willie superfans only.
Adele
4/5
Great voice, and she doesn’t overdue it with diva flourishes (looking at you, Christina). Gets a little weaker in the second half but finishes strong with Someone Like You.
Eminem
2/5
Nobody believed in me, everyone hates me, poor me…
Ice Cube
3/5
George Michael
4/5
Huge start to his post-Wham era, great songwriting that still holds up today.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
A wrong turn from their previous album
Stan Getz
3/5
Good in small doses
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Never gets old.
Prefab Sprout
5/5
Two Wheels Good here in the colonies. Loved it from first listen, when it was new, and it’s just as good now.
Skepta
2/5
Crowded House
3/5
I prefer their first two albums. This one is more poppy and cheerful.
Radiohead
4/5
I keep thinking I don’t like Radiohead, but then I listen to this album again and change my mind, at least temporarily.
DJ Shadow
3/5
Good and interesting one for a listen, don’t need to hear it again. But it sent me down a rabbit hole of similar music, which was a good time.
3/5
Solidly Dylan, with all of the vocal inflections that we made fun of for many years. Some of them are actually pretty annoying. But the songwriting is what we come for.
Pere Ubu
2/5
They called it avant garage, which is accurate.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Close to four stars. Listen to this one again, good tunes and lyrics
Fats Domino
2/5
Sure it’s good, sure he’s one of the greats. Doesn’t mean I want to listen to it.
R.E.M.
5/5
Still my favorite of theirs. I don’t think I’ll get tired of it.
Buzzcocks
3/5
Straight up punk, plus a few more in the rock vein.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Took a few listens to get into it, but now I want to hear more from them.
The Temptations
3/5
Papa was a rollin’ stone is all you need. The rest is gravy
Massive Attack
5/5
Still one of the best albums - and groups - that I’ve encountered.
R.E.M.
4/5
Strong launch, but they got better.
Ray Charles
3/5
Heavy on the violins and 60’s background singers and some big band. But damn, what a voice.
Sex Pistols
3/5
Gotta be in the right mood to listen to this, but it works if you are.
Talking Heads
5/5
One of my favorites from one of my favorites. I have not gotten tired of it.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
One of their albums - one of many - that I could listen to any time. A little scattered in style.
Big Black
2/5
Industrial jangle-punk
Beach House
2/5
Drifty dreamy soft rock. Occasionally likeable but gets increasingly annoying.
Tito Puente
3/5
So alive and full and precise
Deep Purple
3/5
Paul McCartney
2/5
Well, there’s Maybe I’m Amazef… beyond that not much. Some borrow heavily from earlier Beatles songs. Some experimental oddities.
Mudhoney
3/5
The industrial division of thrash inc
Taylor Swift
4/5
A different style for her, and I really like it. Now I need to go back to folklore
Air
3/5
Mix of lush and goofy. Like a weak Daft Punk
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
More enjoyable than I expected from such experimental oddity
The Police
4/5
I’d put this mid-pack in the Police catalog.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Objectively, good, I suppose, but not something I would listen to for my own enjoyment.
Queen Latifah
4/5
A little dated now - rap style changes fast. But she’s definitely the queen.
Jorge Ben Jor
2/5
Interesting but gets old fast.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
Four or five listens and loved it each time.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Not into the droning, wonky-pitched singing or the all-jangle guitar. Could have been saved with songwriting, but it wasn’t.
Randy Newman
2/5
I really can’t get into Randy Newman. Too much a novelty sound. Works with kid movies, not for adult music.
Air
3/5
Pink Floyd meets Alan Parsons and Jean Michele Jarre and they make a sleepy baby together
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
When they’re attempting American blues, which is much of the album, it’s weak. Shame on them for what they did to Little Wing. They probably should have stopped at Layla.
Traffic
3/5
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Full of great old funk and soul.
Billy Bragg
4/5
A Brit taking over folk music, and doing a very good job of it.
Anthrax
3/5
More approachable than most
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
Living Colour
4/5
Great memories, and it still rocks.
The La's
4/5
Simple music. D lyrics but well composed and catchy
Laibach
1/5
That was an experience. Musically it’s a train wreck, comically heavy, overly dramatic, simplistic and repetitive. Their whole gig is trying to be edgy, and push people’s buttons.
3/5
Enjoyable experimental weirdness
Koffi Olomide
3/5
Bouncy fun stuff, but cheesy electronic drums and dated synths.
The xx
5/5
Well now I can't stop listening to this. Cool club-ish grooves, great vocals, original sound.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
Got through more than half. What a project! More spoof of live songs than love songs. Plenty of clever lyricism and well written songs.
3/5
Vibes of The Who, ELP, lots of others of the era. Good listen.
Soft Cell
4/5
Moby Grape
3/5
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Quirky is, I think, the word for them. Bjork’s squeaky vocals, bounced back and forth with the male lead’s own odd inflections, but it works and the songs are interesting. Holds up surprisingly well.
Donald Fagen
5/5
I loved all that clean, flawless, jazzy goodness and clever lyrics. Still great.
Pere Ubu
3/5
Enjoyable weirdness. How does he even sing like that?!
Aphex Twin
3/5
Janelle Monáe
5/5
Loved this. So original and fresh, and what a project! I am now listening my way through the rest of her catalog.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Barry Adamson
2/5
Unusual, to say the least. A soundtrack album for a nonexistent movie.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
Several listens, there’s a a lot to hear in this.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Mostly not really songs. More like sung-spoken word. I found it annoying after a few tracks.
Japan
3/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Similar to Murder Ballads, but slightly more cheerful. At times.
Arcade Fire
3/5
They don’t vary much, in my view. Not bad, not amazing. How does one pick their best album?
Animal Collective
3/5
Cornershop
4/5
I think “eclectic” applies here. A blend of Indian, alt rock, spoken word, and other oddities but all enjoyably unusual.
Aimee Mann
3/5
More jangly guitar than I normally associate with her.
Hüsker Dü
3/5
Can
2/5
Sometimes enjoyable weirdness, but I don’t want to listen to it again.
Slipknot
4/5
I liked it more than I expected to. Screaming thrash metal with impressive drums. Somehow the singer is still understandable even at full scream.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Arctic Monkeys singer.
Soul II Soul
5/5
Aka Keep on Movin here in the colonies. I wore this thing out during college. Haven’t listened to it in many years, until now, and it is still a near perfect album.
The Vines
3/5
Violent Femmes
5/5
Thick with college memories, and it still clicks.
TV On The Radio
5/5
They were not on my radar. Now they are, and I’m going to have to listen to everything they’ve done, because this is great. Bowie meets Gorillaz.
Deep Purple
3/5
For a live album, I didn’t feel a lot of energy. Some of their extended live versions are great though.
The Zutons
3/5
Lenny Kravitz
5/5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
Bleh. A bland, 30 minutes of riffing on Bo Diddley, followed by little of interest.
Drive Like Jehu
4/5
Maybe 3.5 but I round up. Good thrashemo
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
Interesting, but not worth a second listen.
Django Django
4/5
Bouncy fun. Listen to this again.
Kanye West
3/5
Experimenting with styles, some work, some are annoying (see: auto tuning). I’m curious how much his tongue is in cheek on I Am A God.
Method Man
2/5
The Clash
4/5
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Reminds me of Muse with the throwbackiness, but more hard rocking.
Mylo
4/5
Cool dance mixes incorporating bits of inspiration from - and bits of - songs from the 70’s and 80’s
Elliott Smith
4/5
Multiple listens and it keeps getting better.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Pleasant, and some clever lyrics. But doesn’t hold my attention.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Faust
2/5
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Early Siouxsie, raw and punkish
The Who
4/5
Deserved multiple listens, to catch all of the detail.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
New Order
3/5
Still good but sounds a little cheesy now
David Bowie
5/5
Loved this one from the first listen, and it only gets better with age. Miss you, Mr Bowie.
The Stooges
3/5
Well… it’s raw, and it’s powerful. I have to be in a particular mood to get into it.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Probably a five star album that I like at a 3-4 star level
N.E.R.D
3/5
Funk and rock and a few other things. Worth another listen.
Wu-Tang Clan
2/5
Underworld
4/5
Nice find, definitely needs more listens
Goldie
3/5
I have a drum and bass tolerance that does not last for a full album. But this is pretty good, especially the tracks with the female vocalist.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Lots of jangly guitar, not his best songwriting
Jane Weaver
3/5
Cool, unique, psychedelic, all kinds of interesting
UB40
4/5
Their debut album, mostly originals. Clean, tight sound from the get-go. Excellent songwriting.
Bert Jansch
3/5
60’s blues with a country touch
The Libertines
3/5
Clever and cool, intentionally dissonant at times
The Slits
4/5
Quirky good stuff, shades of B52’s but more punk edge
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
The Beta Band
4/5
Shades of Alt-J, but even more unusual. Vocals often mixed down to be nearly inaudible.
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
Sitar (or dulcimer?) and flute, background music for a relaxation massage.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Metallica
4/5
Most of my favorites from them on one album.
4/5
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Great album, and still sounds good. Fast Car has been unfortunately played to death.
The Young Rascals
3/5
Ice Cube
3/5
Not into the gangsta rap but - conflicting - I like Ice Cube
Merle Haggard
3/5
Great earlier country. Much imitated voice.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Peak Stevie? Maybe.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Collaborations with many contemporaneous musicians. Some work, some don’t. The cheesy 80’s sound of the first track is difficult to listen to.
The KLF
5/5
Still great.
Frank Black
4/5
Fleet Foxes
2/5
Slade
2/5
Lots of terrible. Weak songwriting, simplistic junk. Some of the second half is a small redemption but I don’t want to encourage future me to listen to it again.
The Clash
4/5
Close to peak Clash, post punk and covering more styles.
American Music Club
3/5
Pleasant. Inoffensive.
Red Snapper
4/5
Love the combination of dance electronica with real instruments.
Bee Gees
2/5
Interesting 60’s art rock / concept album. God for one listen.
Gram Parsons
2/5
Early country/rock blend. Nice version of Love Hurts
The Who
3/5
Too much yakety yak.
Missy Elliott
3/5
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Straight up 80’s hard rock.
k.d. lang
2/5
Country, folksy stuff that puts me to sleep.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Still rocking, still original
Britney Spears
1/5
Just no.
Basement Jaxx
4/5
Motörhead
2/5
Straight up hard rock from the. early 80s most songs sound very similar.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
2018? Sounds like it dropped out of the 80’s. But fuller sound than then.
Throwing Muses
3/5
Alt rock, lacking. This kind of thing is not my bag, baby.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Enjoyable folk from across the pond.
Justin Timberlake
3/5
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
So much goodness. I can’t tell if it’s more groovy or funky.
Pentangle
3/5
British folk rock, lush blend, a bit hippy-dippy at times.
Os Mutantes
3/5
Goofy, psychedelic, Brazilian 60’s rock. Interesting and kinda fun.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Enjoyed this one a lot. Bouncy Irish rocking fun.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Destiny's Child
4/5
Good stuff, great harmony, solid songwriting, lots of powerful woman theme.
Norah Jones
4/5
Achieves epic levels of pleasantness
Blue Cheer
3/5
Blues rock jams, a good cover of Summertime Blues and, apparently, the birth of hard rock and the power trio. Who knew.
Sonic Youth
3/5
All the jangly coolness I expect from them.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Sooo dated, it’s almost funny now. No, definitely funny.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
Everything I like about LCDS, together in one place. Plus some newer sounds that only add to it.
The Darkness
3/5
Raucous fun
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
More theatrical than I like, but a few tracks got my attention
Megadeth
3/5
One of the more tolerable metal albums
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Difficult to give it just one rating, as it covers a lot of ground. Think Doors, Beach Boys, psychedelic, folk…
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Meh
Rush
5/5
For me, perfection. Although listening to it again I realize I think of it only as the first side. The tracks on side 2 are less impressive.
Dagmar Krause
2/5
You into old German musicals? This is your album. Me… not so much.
Beatles
5/5
Beatles at the top of their game. The ending medley is perfection.
The Charlatans
4/5
Was never on my radar, but should have been. And they should be bigger in the US. Oasisish.
Hot Chip
4/5
Solid, beat-driven all the way through. Just no real stand outs.
The Jam
3/5
Kraftwerk
2/5
Goofy German electronica
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
Good but oh so dated.
David Bowie
3/5
Much as I love Bowie, I’m not sure this one needs to be on the list.
Nirvana
3/5
I’m a little surprised at how much I disliked this. Lotsa yelling about things. Maybe given the right mood and a mosh pit…
Heaven 17
3/5
The Replacements
3/5
Not surprisingly, they were much rougher in their early years. There are notes of things to come but it’s a bit of a struggle to get through this.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
They weren’t on my radar back in the day but should have been. Good all the way through.
The Verve
4/5
Shades of U2, the Replacements,
The Cure
4/5
Wonderfully gloomy, minimalist, dialed in to my goth-curious side.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
I’d give it four stars in its era, but three for being very dated now. Difficult for even very good social and political commentary to maintain relevance over long periods of time.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I get it, important album, inspired many… doesn’t mean I want to listen to it again. Surprisingly, for me, I liked the Nico tracks best. Perhaps, like a fungus, she is growing on me.
Roxy Music
3/5
Exploratory, theatrical, probably influenced many.
Calexico
4/5
Good find, I really liked this. Laid back mix of Mexican and American styles.
The Shamen
4/5
I know I’ve heard this album before but I have no idea where. Good early house.
5/5
It’s Joshua Tree. ‘Nuf said.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Ethereal, unintelligible, wonderful. Best with excellent headphones.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Kings of Leon
3/5
Raw like their first album, not quite as good
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Mid-pack of the Zep catalog. Which is still four stars.
The Fall
2/5
Mercury Rev
3/5
New one for me. Sounds like Flaming Lips.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
C & BG, no B. Well done but nothing I need to listen to again.
Common
3/5
Good stuff, some hints of Tribe Called Quest and even Groove Armada.
Deee-Lite
5/5
So many listens, back in the day. I still know it by heart. It’s lost a tiny bit of its charm but it’s still a fiver.
Boards of Canada
3/5
Cool atmospheric
Judas Priest
2/5
M.I.A.
2/5
Credit for originality - she is her own genre.
TV On The Radio
3/5
I liked the other one better but this is very listenable.
Tori Amos
5/5
Dare I say… classic? Yes, I think I dare. It has lost nothing, all these years.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Guided By Voices
2/5
Mostly very short tracks, like song ideas that never grew.
Van Morrison
3/5
Not one of my favorites from him.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Post-punk, edgy and smart.
The Birthday Party
3/5
Reminded me a lot of Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads. Turns out he was the lead singer. So anyway, it’s like that.
Radiohead
3/5
Sounds like he was experimenting with how much he could take out and still have a song. Melody? Rhythm? Lyrics? Check.
Talvin Singh
4/5
Very cool combination of Indian and dance
Green Day
4/5
My first listen to the whole album. I didn’t realize it was a rock opera. And it’s a good one.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Oh, so hippie. In a renaissance fair style.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
One of their more random assortments. Immigrant Song is great but what’s with that mix? Then two strangely happy, good times songs. Then blues. It gets around.
Thundercat
4/5
Newly-minted Thundercat fan here. Three listens and it keeps getting better
John Lennon
3/5
Super Furry Animals
3/5
All over the place, but not bad.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Ugh. Theatrical, with the music better than the lyrics, which veer to the ridiculous. Seems to be striving to be as alternative as possible.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Nitin Sawhney
3/5
Very cool. Original blend of jazz, soul, hip hop, groove with Indian flair
Fela Kuti
4/5
Fascinating history behind this incendiary album. Powerful music.
Ramones
3/5
Rocking fun but often difficult to tell when a new song has started.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Genesis
3/5
Great art rock album rock. Nice to hear such good drumming from Phil Collins.
Beatles
3/5
Janet Jackson
3/5
More objectively good than subjectively.
The Monkees
3/5
Big Star
4/5
This group was not on my radar. Unusual and hard to classify, somewhere in the rock / folk spectrum. I like.
The Crusaders
4/5
Enjoyable jazz fusion, but the great title track is the key
The Roots
4/5
Many genres on one album: rap, acid jazz, techno, and rock.
Beatles
5/5
Thick with classics. For me this is prime Beatles
Paul Weller
3/5
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Jangle and dissonance, the tools of alt alt rock
Donovan
3/5
A few keepers in there
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
4/5
Keeps improving with repeat listens. Voice similar to the Jazz Butcher.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
No one does angry hard rock better than Rage.
Mudhoney
2/5
Proto-grunge
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Solo acoustic, country-adjacent, like Johnny Cash light.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
Early punk, more tongue-in-cheek than angry. Lives on the lighter, more fun side of the punk street.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
Dreary is, I think, the best one-word description. Self-indulgent. Even the title track is a slog, with a weak drum solo and, strangely, an appearance of God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen during the organ solo.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
So original and interesting
Public Enemy
3/5
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Covers of blues, R&B, rockabilly.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Drift, dissonant, not one I need to hear again
The Human League
3/5
Nice album, not just the one or two keepers I expected.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Chicago
4/5
Thick with classics, right out of the gate.
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
One of the more interesting and unique albums so far. Deep vocals and piano, mostly. Veers into theater feel at times.
Gary Numan
2/5
Meh. It all sounds so much like Cars.
Killing Joke
2/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Beautiful and moving. Try not to cry.
3/5
Keith Jarrett
3/5
We're not about to do a free-form Jazz exploration in front of a festival crowd.
Fred Neil
3/5
Everybody’s talking at me, plus similar stuff
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Wilco
2/5
System Of A Down
3/5
Rougher than their crisp stuff from later albums. But the same raw anger and oddly entertaining vocalizations.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Some fun ones. I could do without coconut
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Rod Stewart
3/5
Sam Cooke
4/5
The Triffids
3/5
Enjoyable lyricism.
The Jam
4/5
Slipknot
1/5
Follows the formula: deep-voiced rage screaming, tight guitar and drums, rapid fire bass drum. Too much of all of it. Too little originality. Occasionally there’s an actual song with actual singing, and those few moments earn a star.
Garbage
4/5
I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this one so much. I always felt like their popular songs were a little dull. But the album explores a lot of genres and there are less popular gems to be heard.
Brian Eno
2/5
Explores the edges of music, not usually in a way that I enjoy. I found it more irritating.
Sebadoh
3/5
Some decent strum-and-sing tracks, and a bunch of more adventurous indie stuff.
Sepultura
2/5
I like a lot of what they’re doing: tight guitar and bass and drums, lots of energy, some Brazilian influence… it’s the screaming I can’t stand. Ruins it for me. The same album, with a good vocalist, would be great.
Funkadelic
4/5
Classic funk goodness
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Probably a very “good” album by any objective evaluation. But not my cup of tea, and my reviews are for future me.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
So much goodness on one album. Really, on one side. He addressed conflict and violence and hate with positivity and love.
Suede
3/5
I listened to it twice and I still don’t have much of an impression of it. Not sure whether that’s my fault or theirs.
Sonic Youth
3/5
About as accessible as they get, which is still a stretch.
De La Soul
4/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
One of the better sounds from the 80’s.
Madonna
3/5
Van Halen
5/5
They nailed it so well right out of the gate. Crisp hard rock plus harmony. And Eddy took guitar to a new level.
Aerosmith
3/5
The Cramps
3/5
Minimalist surf punk rockabilly etc
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
Masterpiece. Compositions, not songs.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
A percussion dominated funk band that covers In A Gadda Da Vida? What’s not to love?
John Martyn
4/5
Solid Air, but with a touch of 70’s funk
Stereo MC's
4/5
Fun one to revisit. It still holds up well.
Bee Gees
2/5
More words than music, like the music was thrown in as an afterthought
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I keep trying to like Joni Mitchell, but it’s just not happening
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Great groovy organ heavy covers and the classic title track. They started strong.
The Kinks
3/5
Eels
4/5
Three listens and counting. Post teen angst but much cooler
The Doors
5/5
One of the greats. They were unique, and they still are.
Minor Threat
3/5
This sent me on an exploration of the difference between hard core and punk. Not sure I absorbed it, though
Magazine
3/5
Slint
3/5
Moody semi-singing and long, brooding instrumental jams. I kinda like it, but it drags at times.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Bleh. A few moments of interest but 90% annoying.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
I’m sure it’s quite good for what it is, but I don’t wanna listen to it.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
First half = greatness, everything I remember and more. Second half, not so much.
The The
5/5
My favorite of theirs. Great music and lyrics.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Poetic jazz. The revolution will not be televised.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Poetic jazz. The revolution will not be televised.
Wild Beasts
3/5
Now there is an interesting one. New sounds, very original.
The Only Ones
3/5
Post punk / rock, very brit
The White Stripes
4/5
It’s so simplistic it’s hard to define what makes it so great. They have mastered the art of rock.
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Early punk, female vocalist, sax
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I’ve tried to like them, and I listened to this album twice. I just don’t get it.
The Byrds
3/5
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
I guess there’s blues in there. Plus experimental screaming and other oddities.
Buck Owens
2/5
Good for its genre but not what I want to listen to.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
Goofiness and yes, a bit freaky. And clear hints of what was to come.
Paul Simon
4/5
I mostly missed this one when it came out. All good, some great. I’m a bit obsessed with Johnny Ace now.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
The usual problem with Nick Cave: I can’t tell if his lyrics are too deep and meaningful for me to understand or if they just don’t have that much meaning.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Three stars is generous but I give them credit for helping create the genre.
Suicide
3/5
Wonderfully original and weird. Minimal, repetitive rhythms and breathy vocals.
Love
2/5
Folk / psychedelic
Peter Gabriel
5/5
Third time’s a charm
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
The Thrills
2/5
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Solid background music. Too repetitive and too little there for active listening.
Tangerine Dream
2/5
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Light rock lounge musical
3/5
Devendra Banhart
4/5
Original style, like Alt-J went folk, and occasionally channeling Billie Holiday. Enjoyably odd
Bob Dylan
3/5
The Icarus Line
3/5
White Denim
3/5
Gets a bit jam-bandy at times but they are their own thing. So tight!
Big Star
3/5
Strong Byrds influence but more on the rock side.
Dolly Parton
3/5
It’s objectively, great, with beautiful voices and great songs. But I don’t need more than a few songs of it myself.
Gene Clark
4/5
Folk, guitar and voice. Sometimes like James Taylor. Always a country influence. Nice.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I feel like there’s an excess of Beach Boys on this list but ok. Still good to hear; all new to me except Help Me Rhonda.
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Kraftwerk
3/5
A little goes a long way
John Coltrane
4/5
Kid Rock
2/5
One or two keepers but mostly self-involved garbage.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
Sometimes interesting experimenting, whiffs of Incubus but more wandering than driving.
XTC
4/5
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Impressive, one man band effort.
U2
5/5
One great track after another. They reinvented themselves and still ruled the rock world.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
5/5
The Black Keys
4/5
Classic blues, brought into the modern age and coolified by 30%.
Coldcut
4/5
Fun, groovy, a little dated. Streams only on YouTube so I will probably never listen to it again.
Morrissey
3/5
Lighter on the alternative, heavier on the rock. Always great lyrics.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Just too repetitive for me. Each track gets on a cool groove but then runs it until I’m sick of it and skip to the next.
Bad Brains
3/5
Nice variety of styles, hard-cored a bit
The Cure
3/5
ZZ Top
3/5
They went popular on this one, and probably made piles of money. But their older stuff is so much better.
Ozomatli
4/5
Deerhunter
2/5
A few nice bits but they play each theme to death.
Syd Barrett
3/5
Strummy guitar and voice, not the psychedelics I was expecting.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
I’m gonna call this one a masterpiece. Yeah, I said it.
Justice
3/5
Daft Punkish but less
Yes
5/5
There are few perfect albums in this world. It would be a shame to ruin this one.
Neu!
2/5
Kraftwerk parte deux. Meh.
Jamiroquai
4/5
Their usual goodness, right from the start.
Rush
5/5
SAULT
4/5
Original, inventive, poignant.
Simply Red
4/5
Didn’t really catch on in the states and that’s to our detriment. Excellent album. Beautiful songs, beautiful singing.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
A couple of my favorites: Little Wing and Castles Made of Sand.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Black Sabbath
3/5
Earliest metal, simple and doom-filled
Stereolab
3/5
Fun stuff, gets a bit ‘early Goldfrapp’ at times.
The Specials
4/5
Steely Dan
5/5
Showing their stripes early in their career: clean, cutting, and spicy.
Orbital
3/5
Roni Size
3/5
Drum and bass meets Groove Armada
Van Morrison
4/5
Live VM, great backing band with horns and strings, lots of blues, excellent
TLC
3/5
Cowboy Junkies
5/5
I missed the CJ phenomenon when they came around. Great album, songwriting and sound. All recorded live in a church?! Wild.
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
One of the great songwriters, in peak form.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Vibraphone heavy, tango influenced, jazz with strings, etc.
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Cool indie, I dig it
Jacques Brel
3/5
Theatrical French singing
Burning Spear
3/5
Public Enemy
3/5
Morrissey
3/5
Duke Ellington
2/5
Not my thing
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Funk jazz fusion (fashion?) and it’s all good.
Neil Young
4/5
I have to be in the mood for it, and give it a good active listen (meaning pay attention) but then his genius shines
Fiona Apple
2/5
There were better things to come out of Covid. This is experimental renderings and not very interesting
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
His usual flawless songwriting, performance and production
Sabu
3/5
Enjoyable Cuban conga, sounds like African influence
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Excellent, sweet guitar and rolling desert blues
The Beta Band
4/5
More groovy coolness from the BB. One of the better finds for me from this project.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Alice In Chains
2/5
I thought I would like this more. The songs I remember are surprisingly slow and dull.
Elton John
4/5
The first side is like a greatest hits album
Ministry
4/5
Gotta be in the mood the bang heads and mosh pits, but it still works.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
New Order
3/5
Amalgam of rock and new wave
Baaba Maal
3/5
Full guitar(?) sound
Lightning Bolt
2/5
A rock version of free form jazz. Bits of structure, lots of chaos and noise, vocals mixed down to a barely audible level. Actually not bad, but it’s hard to listen to the whole album.
Nas
3/5
Rap clearly peaked in the 90’s.
Incubus
4/5
I don’t hear a lot of difference between Incubus albums but they are always good.
The Adverts
3/5
Understandable punk
Erykah Badu
5/5
So good! Once through with distractions, the second time with AirPods. Definitely worth a close listen. Or two. Or ten.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
A rare 1-star. Holy horrible!
Brian Eno
2/5
Charles Mingus
3/5
Gotta be in the mood for it but then I dig me some Mingus
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
The Byrds
3/5
Starts strong, gets less so
Primal Scream
4/5
Dub and drifties and lots of enjoyable weirdness
The Band
2/5
The Lemonheads
3/5
Orange Juice
4/5
Digital Underground
3/5
Goofy hip hop, it’s a fun listen
SZA
3/5
Elliott Smith
4/5
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
Surf punk with a female Jello Biafra singing
Steely Dan
4/5
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
Ice T
4/5
Def Leppard
4/5
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
Peak Peppers.
Steely Dan
5/5
Marilyn Manson
4/5
Better than I expected. Hard rock and solid lyrics.
The Go-Betweens
4/5
Australian 80’s alt light rock. Solid listen. Hints of The Church.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I keep trying to enjoy Joni Mitchell but I always find my mind wandering when I listen to her. And then realize I’m four songs into the album and can’t remember anything about it.
Circle Jerks
3/5
14 songs in 16 minutes! It’s a quick, hardcore pink rip through LA.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
The Coral
2/5
The Saints
3/5
The Temptations
3/5
Funkier brand of The T’s
Neneh Cherry
3/5
I had to teleport myself back to the 80s to appreciate this without it sounding so dated.
Elis Regina
3/5
Standard pleasant music from Brazil
10cc
4/5
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Tim Buckley
3/5
Oh so 60’s. Folk with a touch of paychedelia
The Undertones
3/5
Pretenders
3/5
Robert Wyatt
4/5
Fusion rock jazz psychedelia and atmospherics, feels like a Pink Floyd influence. Touches my art rock nerve in a nice way.
Björk
5/5
Beastie Boys
3/5
Robbie Williams
4/5
William Orbit
3/5
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
The Who
3/5
Holger Czukay
3/5
Miles Davis
3/5
Jeff Buckley
2/5
This strikes me as weak songwriting. Few real melodies, more like wandering chords and semi-notes. The best is on the extra tracks, where he goes hard rock and blues.
Small Faces
3/5
Peter Tosh
3/5
Supergrass
5/5
Good new-to-me find. Alt rock done well.
Miles Davis
4/5
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Spiritualized
4/5
Hookworms
3/5
The Monks
2/5
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
Love
3/5
A little paych, a little folk, a little rock and jazz
Bob Dylan
4/5
Nina Simone
3/5
David Holmes
3/5
Creative electronica
GZA
3/5
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
Gorillaz
5/5
The Associates
3/5
80”s goodness. Filing as “alternative new wave.”
Röyksopp
3/5
Pleasant background grooves
The Kinks
3/5
Pavement
2/5
The Pogues
3/5
Laura Nyro
3/5
James Brown
3/5
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
Better than average country
Elvis Costello
4/5
The Band
3/5
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
The Youngbloods
4/5
Good stuff, covers some ground: bluegrass, blues, rock, jazz, horns, organs…
U2
5/5
Neil Young
3/5
Mj Cole
4/5
Good grooves, drum and bass but not so frenetic, cool vocals
Steely Dan
5/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Psychedelic hippie renaissance fair folk