Don't like country music at the best of times but this mardy Dolly knock off was a bad example of it. Loretta needs to choose her partners better as this bunch of pricks have driven her to write the same song a bunch of times. At least Dolly adds jaunty tunes to the songs that are actually about job issues and domestic violence. Down with this sort of thing.
Got to respect artists who completely commit to their own ideas, do everything their own way. Bjork comes to mind musically but Prince probably went further than anyone with this mindset. But... This is 80% awful, cringe inducing most of the way through. Every decent moment was surrounded by terrible parts that would have been shouted down by anyone else with any creative control. The big Prince hits are decent but this album and his music in general are not for me.
Awful
Overplayed but still a classic
Not for me at all, dull even by r and b standards.
Don't know where the review for this one went but remember saying (the song) bat out of hell was brilliant and the rest of the album couldn't keep up.
Awful
Really good
Ya ya ya
Taylor has some tunes but not of them are on this album
Overplayed but still a classic
Morrissey's a prick but this album was pretty good
Made the monday commute 100% smoother
Has its moments, the guys flow strays into will smithy territory a bit
Definitely worth a listen, sure it's very influential, can't see myself going back to it.
Title track is class, rest of the album doesn't get close to it
Nice background music, can't remember anything that really stood out
Mint, really enjoyed it.
The critics who put this list together must really like blur! Familiar blur chord progressions, quite liked advert but no other standout songs.
Pretty fun
Class
Quite liked the title track, otherwise it was terrible.
Some good songs on this, knocking a mark for putting a 10 minute rubbish song on a 30 minute album
Very Beatlesy, quite liked it to start but it dragged after the first half
The singles are really good, they sound pretty dreary on their album tracks, might improve with more listens
Fun, sounded like green day sometimes and classic rock other times, enjoyed it but dont think I'll go back to it
My Amazon music had moved on to shuffling other count Basie music long before I checked if the album had finished, it was really good
It was okay, some iconic tracks but bit formulaic
Great voice, loved the live feel, last few studio songs weren't as good
Didn't enjoy it at all, a slog to finish
Music was nice, lots of Beatlesy major/minor switching, wasn't too keen on the guy's voice though.
Please no more country tinged pop. Slightly more interesting than Aimee Mann but still very very bland
Felt way ahead of its time for 1979, eccentric music and lyrics but in a modern sounding way, really good
Like Radiohead but never listened to Kid A, started well but the sparse quiet electronic thing isn't interesting enough to carry a whole album, pretty disappointing
With 20+ tracks in half an hour was expecting something a bit more exciting. Maybe this album is very influential but wasn't that impressed
Conflicted about this one, there were some good riffs and the grunge pop mix works sometimes, but every now and then seemed a bit silly. Might listen again
Expected riffs, got jangly guitars but it was still great
Some iconic tracks but didn't enjoy the album stuff as much as I thought I would
Meh, fine but dull
Very 80s movies soundtrack to begin with but each song seemed to change genre, really interesting and fun
Nothing interesting here
Deceptacon is class, there were some other decent bits and pieces in the rest of the album but it largely never reaches the same heights
It was alright, not a huge fan of elvis-era "rock n roll" but it was fairly enjoyable
Enjoyed it a lot more than I expected when I heard the first track, each one was decent but seemed to be missing an extra riff or part that would make it stand out. Really good as far as house music goes!
Really grating, every song outstayed it's welcome, definitely captures what's it's like to listen to heart FM. Massive respect to wham for making this sort of music remotely palatable. Another one where I made sure to check the original tracklisting so I could skip the 'bonus tracks' on the remaster.
Never listened to Rufus Wainwright before, great singer and songs were engaging the whole way through. Sometimes sounded like a 'singer-songwriter' version of Thom Yorke. Not sure if it's a style I'd go back to again and again but would like to hear other albums.
Not for me, whole album was stuck in one gear, very repetitive. Graeme described it as 'boring Kate Bush' and I can't beat that
Pure 00s indie nostalgia. Never actually listened to the album but half the album was singles so felt very familiar. Enjoyed it, started slow and a lot of the tracks are understated but by the end of most of them I was on board.
There are songs on this I liked but again think I struggle when an entire album is based on a stripped back sound, gets repetitive. The breathy vocals get on my nerves too
Light my fire aside, first experience of the Doors, so much better than that song suggested. Trippy blues, big fan.
Interesting story, rhythms were mostly straight up blues rock but the beat was often more interesting and the vocals kept it fresh. Well worth a listen.
More Doors! Preferred LA Women but this was still good. Enjoyed the weirder tracks the most.
Trying too hard to sound like the Beatles (I previously thought sunny afternoon was the Beatles!). The 'baroque pop' elements are bizzare. Best songs were the more straightforward ones, enjoyed little miss queen of darkness.
Class album, weird and interesting all the way through. Lacks any obvious singles apart from regular John but that probably makes it better.
Didn't like it all initially but grew on me as the album progressed. Used to be and Better times were the picks for me, seemed to have the most going on. Very pitchforky in that they are another band that get huge praise from them and sound just okay to me.
Was ready to pan it but as it continued the songs kept getting better, lots I didn't know were s+g. Surprisingly decent.
Nice enough but nothing surprising or particularly impressive, better blues rock out there I think. Still enjoyed it.
Was expecting an album as crazy as rock lobster but most the other songs started interesting and became increasingly repetitive, glad to have heard it but wouldn't go back.
Never listened to a Metallica album, some really good songs but they all had about three too many choruses in them and by the end of a few I was bored. Would definitely listen again mind.
Not for me, very repetitive
First pulp album I've listened to, always dismissed them a bit but this was really interesting, the hour run time went by quickly. Would like to hear this again and more pulp in general.
Hallelujah aside this is my first experience of Leonard Cohen, guessing it's a strange point to enter his catalogue! Powerful stuff to hear him grapple with his life and faith shortly before his death and he's got the gravelliest voice I've heard. Really good.
Sound a bit like aerosmith sometimes but without the fun 80s hair metal bits, and that band that do all right now (called 'free' apparently). Hard to handle is a decent song, don't really need the rest of the album. Seems like they are just repackaging the sound of older country blues rock bands.
Wasn't sure about it to begin with but it grew on me towards the end, sounded like Battles with more synths and less drums.
My Brazilian colleague says this guy is the most famous musician in Brazil, mad that we don't hear of him at all (or maybe I'm not cultured enough). It was a nice change, light and breezy, but it didn't spark a desire to keep listening.
Not for me at all, dull even by r and b standards.
Clearly groundbreaking and influential but lots of odd kitschy songs (when I'm 64 is like an 80s sitcom theme), surprised this gets so much praise from a music standpoint. Was alright
Starts an ends like an intense 80s film soundtrack loses its way in the middle a bit. Steel Claw the best montage song of the lot, though it's basically a rip off of one section of bat out of hell. Beatles cover was particularly painful. In summary, nah.
Some great songs, short enough that it stays interesting, will definitely come back to this.
She has a really good voice, quite enjoyed though it's not really my thing. This version of windmills of your mind would have made a good bond theme.
This album was all over the place in a good way, really inventive for the time, shame they didn't have more success.
The daddiest dad rock of them all. Just don't get pink Floyd, they sound like dire straits but with less interesting guitar parts and the bass is too high. My parents didn't listen to them so don't have any nostalgia for them. Like a concept album though, so probably have pink Floyd to partly thank for that (though mostly The Who). Never listened to dark side of the moon so maybe it will all click when that comes up.
Her voice is brilliant which makes it even worse that she makes the same bland song over and over again. Sounds like it's been professionally honed to be inoffensive as possible in order to maximise profit. Hope this is the last Adele on here.
Great pallette cleanser after Adele, this is anything but bland. Loads of different influences and styles but still feels cohesive. A couple of songs don't really go anywhere but overall it's quality.
A very different album to the Stooges material, all made sense after reading the blurb that's it's basically a Bowie album. Quite enjoyed it in parts but didn't blow me away, prefer the Stooges.
That was unlike anything I've heard before, it just kept getting weirder as it went along. Don't think Slovenian avant garde industrial music is my thing but it was well worth listening to.
Most of the album was very straightforward, I enjoyed murder mystery though it should be half as long and after hours sounded like hop along which I liked. Wiki suggests their older albums are weirder which I think I'd prefer.
Classic rock, was an enjoyable half an hour, would be great on guitar hero. Not really sure I ever need to hear it again but nice enough.
This is barely an album, more a sample collection.
More rawk, this time very ACDCish. Was alright. My dad liked Def Leppard but didn't recognise any of this, think my mam got control of the music most of the time. They put out an album this year which is impressive longevity.
I thought all of new order sounded like world in motion (and a lot of it did) but there was also a fair chunk that sounded like Smiths/stone roses. Can't say I cared too much for it but wasn't offensive.
Really enjoyed this, thought loads of times I should listen to Billy Bragg but never actually bothered, this was pretty much what I expected and I liked it. Interesting story behind the album too.
Better than face to face, victoria was good and it was largely enjoyable. Leans on the Beatles a bit too much still and the harpsichord still sounds ridiculous.
Well that was odd, there were some elements I liked but it was a bit all over the place, seems an odd choice for this list.
That was brilliant. Took me a little while to get on board with the singing but the slightly mathy riffs/timing is right up my street. Poughkeepsie, there was the sun and insect eyes stood out on first listen.
Very very dull, would listen to several songs without realising the track had changed. Accidentally listened to the start of the second album it's paired with on Amazon, exactly the same. That's enough Shuggie Otis for a lifetime I think.
Haven't heard this particular album before, most of the versions of the songs on here were decent ones but won't be coming back next Christmas to get this specific album. So overall fine.
The best singer in this genre, her voice is amazing, but it's not the sort of music I listen to casually so not a 5.
It's alright, love shiver but it's otherwise pretty much one gear the whole way through. Think it was fairly unique at the time, guess it's not their fault they were followed by a dozen other bands doing the same thing.
Supergrass are the standout band I hadn't heard before starting this. Much more inventive and strange than I'd assumed, deserve more praise (though by all accounts they get quite a bit). This was a bit more polished than Coco so lost a bit of charm but still full of great songs.
Only song I really knew by the stranglers previously was golden brown, and this album shows they were heavily into drugs way before that. Sounded like the Jam in parts but much more fun, would like to hear more.
Not for me, basically a funk rock jam session.
Wow, Yes are mint. Exactly what I've always wanted from prog work, so many ideas, roundabout sounds like Mars Volta, We Have Heaven sounds like Battles, think it's one of those bands that influenced loads of stuff I like without me knowing. And Amazon suggests it's nowhere near their most popular album, got loads of Yes to listen to!
Varied between dull and hilariously bad (Hobo's meditation was a particularly ridiculous take from Dolly P and her two clones). Dont like country in general and though I can appreciate some of Dolly's songs are well written these were all rubbish.
Another band that sound a decade ahead of their time, the 'wall of sound' approach if this record must have influenced about 90% of my favourite bands. It was really good in its own right mind, though the production was a little raw even for me!
Very fun, some rock club staples on here, walk in particular is a classic. Prefer Pantera to similar bands and would definitely listen to again in the right mood.
Meh, wasn't impressed, found Nina a bit droney and the songs were a bit all over the place. Apparently this album is comprised of off cuts from other sessions and it sounds it.
Given Kendrick Lamar a good few chances and still don't understand the status he's given. Clearly a talented rapper, lots of impressive lines here and there, but the constant posturing gets tiring and those parts tend to be the weakest lyrics. Good kid and mAAd city were the standouts in terms of production and flow.
Aggressively beige, with lyrics that aren't as clever as the guy singing them things they are. Not offensive but wouldn't go back, it's a debut though so maybe I'll prefer later stuff
It's a bob Marley album, nice enough in the background on the right occasion but struggle to form a strong opinion.
Bowie is always unique and interesting, and when the songs work they are great, but when they don't they sound ridiculous. But it's kind of cool that he puts out some complete nonsense and doesn't care. I'll never be a super fan but this album was an enjoyable listen, the guitar led stuff better than the piano ones.
Ridiculous and fun, they sound like American chavs at this point and it's class. Prefer later beasties, think the music and lyrics get better, but still some brilliant tracks on this.
Kind of passed over me in the background, every so often I'd catch something interesting and enjoy it, this happened half a dozen times and then it was over. Might be a Monday morning thing but don't think it needs more than a 3
Had to listen on shuffle on a SoundCloud stream as it's not on Amazon, think I covered most of it. Really disappointing, quite like Dre so didn't expect it to be 100% themed on drugs and dicks, a complete regression from NWA which had better beats and where the bravado made much more sense as a pushback against the police. Here it's just offensive, won't listen again.
Lost count of the times I thought "that bit sounds like [a band I love]", unbelievably influential. Les Savy Fav in particular are a couple of steps away from being a Pixies cover band. Great album on its own merits though and definitely has a sound of its own. Only knew the hits before this, will listen to more Pixies.
Still had the gravelliest voice of them all back in the day, enjoyed avalanche and some others but preferred you want it darker.
I thought this middle era Beatles stuff might turn out to be my favourite, was hoping for a good blend of rocky earlier stuff and experimental later stuff. Turned out it was just quite bland stuff.
Sounds like they are trying to write James bond soundtracks, quite like the title track but it's a bit samey after that.
Definitely the most dramatic Beatles era, the costumes push boundaries even further than Sgt. Peppers. Content wise it's at odds with their usual message of peace and love, maybe John and Paul were having a bad day, I imagine their masks were chafing. ...Don't mind slipknot in small doses, wait and bleed is a banger but shortly after it I developed 'Slipknot fatigue', it's a bit full on for an extended listen.
That was really good, just the right blend of electronic loops and indie. Heard a lot of other bands in there and this was better than most of them.
Heard Tommy lauded as the first rock opera and assumed this was based on a solid album underneath. What was that? Equal parts boring and disturbing, seems like they'd decided on the mad story first and then arranged some music around it as an afterthought. Pinball Wizard is alright but I don't need to hear anything else from this again.
It was okay, the short runtime meant it passed by quickly, nothing stood out, nothing offended, would be a 2.5 if it was available.
An interesting listen, about as 'live' as an album gets considering it includes all the support acts. Not a particular Johnny Cash fan and not sure id go back to this but glad it came up.
Thought it started better than expected, the more upbeat disco tracks were pretty interesting. Got worse as it went on.
The perfect accompaniment to my strike day commute involving a bus, tram and tube. Started off quite nice before becoming increasingly monotonous and when I started to wonder when it would end there was still half an hour to go. Made me want listen to Sublime who I think do this sort of ska a lot better, though that's probably fighting talk in Birmingham or Coventry or wherever these guys are from.
Sultans of swing is brilliant, but their general sound is bland so when they aren't stuffing their songs full of ideas it's quite dull. Mark knopfler can't really sing either so they have to keep everything in a very narrow vocal range. Inoffensive.
This went by really quickly and didn't leave much of an impression, I think lots of the sounds reminded me of BBC educational programmes/look around you? Not much like kraftwerk so I'd clearly not understood krautrock before. Yeah it was alright.
It's quick and fun, there's some good tracks, the singing is a bit grating so I couldn't have managed much more.
Really impressive and criminally underrated judging by the wiki, hear lots of 90s/00s singer songwriters taking cues from this. Apparently the most straightforward of his three albums so looking forward to the next two.
I think Phil Collins might be the blandest musician of them all and while Genesis clearly had more ideas than his solo work, there's a tangible dullness that permeates everything he touches. There were a few parts where I couldn't tell if I was judging them harshly from Phil Collins bias or if he just has a unique quality to make otherwise interesting music beige. Either way, never listening to this again, ta Phil.
Hilariously bad in loads of places but it's got some riffs and it's hard not to feel nostalgic, they can have a 3 and count themselves lucky the cheeky scamps
Found this to be really hit and miss. The songs are so story focused that when they contained loads of details or back and forth conversation it sounded really forced, to the point of being cringey sometimes (stagger lee, o malley). On the other side, song of joy and curse of Millhaven were brilliant, think when it's just one character speaking the story flows more naturally and the music is given more focus. First time listening to Nick Cave, great voice, think I'll prefer other stuff.
Really good, knew the singles but thought the rest of the album stood up too. Mad how heavy a synth band can sound, a lot of these songs reminded me of nine inch nails. Hopefully another album or two in the list.
Was ready to pan it after the first couple of songs but then guinnivere was really trippy and interesting and the following songs were largely decent. This sort of folk isn't a style I listen to a lot but this was probably my favourite example.
Contains a lot of the things I love about 90s rock. Reminded me of placebo, pixies and can't ignore comparisons to early Biffy, with exactly the right level of polish on the production. Will definitely listen again. ...is my review for Jack's recommendation of 100 Broken Windows by Idlewild. Idlewild the album by Everything but the Girl is Heart FM anti-music, offensively devoid of ideas or even differences between songs. No.
If this makes the list I guess we're getting half a dozen Queen albums! Was an interesting listen, they sound like a typical rock band for the first few songs and then it gets increasingly fantasy themed and familiarly over the top. I like queen but they are overplayed and I don't feel like I need to revisit their back catalogue, though it seems like we'll have to.
Can barely remember how this sounded now, it was a bit 80s I think? And there was a constant drum loop in a lot of the songs? Can't have been remarkable but I remember it has about an hour runtime so can't have been too offensive. Guess I'll give it a two.
Great, the outtakes album for Kid A, the album that sounds like a bunch of outtakes. There is about half a really good album across both and there were some songs on this I enjoyed (pyramid song is a belter) but haway Radiohead, you can't just pad it into a double album with a bunch of offcuts. I feel like I'm really close to being a big Radiohead fan but this sort of thing puts me off.
Was pretty sure I'd like this but it was so much better than I expected. Clearly very influential on all the pop punk I like (particularly green day) but it was interesting, witty and weird in its own right. One of the best so far.
There were a few decent tunes on this but it largely passed me by, not my favourite funk album and it's not a genre I particularly like.
Another real hit and miss album, when Gorillzaz are good they are great but there's a lot of filler in here. Still enjoyed it overall, more like a 3.5.
Yeah it's mint, not sure I've listened to this all the way through before, was much more varied than I expected. Flew by, definitely listening again.
Unexpectedly enjoyed a lot of this, I like bjorks voice and it reminded me of bon iver and some minus the bear in parts. Unfortunately there's a lot of pointless madness going on that detracts from many of the songs and there could be a bit more variety.
Must be peak offspring this, never listened to smash before but it has the best singles on and the rest of the album kept up. Always liked offspring but would have put them below blink/green day/sum 41 in my teenage pop punk heydey, and now tbf. Saw them at Leeds one year, they had marshmallow cannons for some reason, knacked when those hit you, not sure what they were thinking there.
Very Blur-y, a bit over the top and weird in places but it was nice enough.
Best Metallica album I'd say, lot of tunes on there. Recognised a lot of album tracks as well, probably from various rock clubs over the years. Even so, have no interest in listening again really.
Perfect dinner party music, went by quickly and smoothly. Not sure id listen again of my own accord but would enjoy it if it happened to come on.
Had to listen through YouTube as the version on Amazon music was two drum solos that I guessed wouldn't have made the 1001 album cut. Glad I did, it was great! Loved the African jazz sound, drumming was great, more Fela Kuti please.
Enjoyed this a lot, more than most Smiths to be honest. As has been covered, difficult to marry this with the fact that Morrissey's such a prick.
Sounds like a film score from the 60/70s, short enough that it was only starting to get irritating. Has that overly sanitised sound that makes it a bit creepy (particularly the singing child), the sort of thing that would be played on a radio that turns itself on in a horror film. Bit pointless but nice enough for a bit of variety I suppose.
Find the Jam a bit underwhelming and this album didn't change my opinion, definitely influential on a lot of indie I like but nothing grabbed me here. This album seemed to stray from their typical sound a bit more but not sure it was any better for it. Having said all that, they are generally fine.
They must have released most of this album as singles cos I recognised about three quarters of it. On its own merits I think it's okay, she does have a great voice and her sound is pretty unique especially for the time. Completely sick of hearing her though and that's got to be at least partly due everything being a bit samey.
Imagine is a brilliant song, up there with the best of the Beatles. The rest of the album, like other Beatles stuff, varies between great and awful. Thought the second half of the album was far better than the first, particularly enjoyed how and Yoko. More evidence that supports the theory John and Paul are time travellers that nicked the best songs from loads of other bands and filled the rest of the albums with their own rubbish.
This was more interesting than I expected, their sound is varies, sometimes like Beatles/kinks, sometimes beach boys, sometimes stooges. Not sure they do any of it better than those bands but I enjoyed it.
Well that was odd. There were a few bits and pieces that I thought a good tune might develop but it never did. Does this guy normally produce for rappers, seems likely from the cameos? I think if you looped a few snippets from this you'd get some good beats. Though there's loads of it that's a bit too r and b or just weird. Absolutely love the album cover though.
Ute has a voice for stage musicals and most of these songs seem to have been written with this in mind. Largely reminded of me Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff which I can't stand so it was tough going. She has a good voice, quite like purple avenue which was mostly acoustic but the album is a 1 for me.
I've heard snippets of the National before and they never grabbed me but I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Reminded me a lot of Elbow who also take a bit of getting into. Afraid of everyone and bloodbuzz Ohio were highlights. Wouldn't mind hearing another album or two from them on the list.
Generic late 80s/early 90s dross, sounded vaguely like a mish mash of loads of other bands. Sounded tinny af as well, like it was designed to be played out of a car radio. I know I say it about every band I don't like but all their songs genuinely sounded the same!
What an album, obviously a classic from the first listen. Not quite sure how I didn't get into this at the time, it combines all the best bits of noughties indie and older electronica but does it better. I knew most of the singles but the whole thing is consistently quality.
While I understand songs can have different 'movements' or whatever, Mike has clearly just stuck a bunch of different bits together and called it a day. Obviously know the exorcist theme at the beginning and nothing else, which I don't think is enough to call it an essential album, don't imagine other film soundtracks are coming up in the list. There were some parts I enjoyed in isolation but there's nothing that made me want to repeat.
Lots of this was mathy post rock that is exactly my sort of thing, and there were parts where I thought 'this is a nailed on 5/5'. Overall there were a few too many sparse, expansive sections that dragged a bit. Bet this was unbelievably influential though!
Cool psychedelic rock punctuated by a couple of dull Beatlesy songs, though I can only really remember the baby down the plughole song now! Went by git quick which is always a good sign. Went to a brewery called strange brew by chance the same day this came up, beers were also a 4/5 I'd say, would recommend both.
Kinda surprised how well regarded yeah yeah yeah are, headlining festivals and making these lists, not like CSS or the klaxons are going to show up are they? ...though to be fair YYY are better than both of those. First time listening to the album and there were a few non-singles that were of equivalent level to the big songs, and a few that weren't. Overall really good.
Always quite enjoyed jay-z, think his beats and flow were more interesting than other popular rap of the time (and the collision course linkin park crossover definitely helped make him accessible to me as a teenager). The album was as expected, think he still holds up. Wish he would mix up the themes a bit mind, got the message that he thinks he's class after the first couple of tracks.
Very eclectic, over the course of the album I thought parts sounded like blur, madness, the Beatles, jazz and other stuff I've already forgotten. Really interesting for one listen but not sure it would grow on me.
Listened to most of this in one or two song pieces across a couple of weeks which probably isnt the best approach but the sound is pretty consistent the whole way through. Reminds me a bit of psychedelic smashing pumpkins stuff but felt like most songs were missing something that would make them work. Lead singer reminded me of the guy from Ash which I appreciated. Solid 3.
Basically the same song 10 times. At least three of them sounded like you shook me all night long, even though it isn't on this album. Highway to hell is a banger mind but another band that should condense their back catalogue into an EP.
I quite like the chaotic ska side to madness (house of fun, one step beyond) but this album was a bit dour, reminded me of chas and Dave in parts which isn't a good sign. I know our house was a big song but seems like an odd album choice to include.
Never heard of the saints before, I think some sort of subconscious expectation that it would sound like all saints made it particularly surprising they were a punk band. Reminded me of a more punky Stooges with a brass section that really made it stand out. First half of the album was better but still great overall.
Meh, never really seen the appeal of the rolling stones, they don't have any of the anthems that the Beatles have in my opinion and this album is all very samey. Never listened to them growing up and won't start now unless one of their other albums on this list changes my mind.
The male 'singer' was awful, a lot of the songs didn't go anywhere, but there something about it I enjoyed. I think the drums were great and there was a nice rhythm to a lot of the tracks. Not a brilliant album by any means but decent for one listen.
Yeah it's basically more of Dr Dre's album, straps chronic bitches, terrible skits and the same lines over and over again. Terrible.
Same as the last Adele album on this list, she has a great voice and uses it to make various versions of the same song. There are some limited differences in the music but it's ridiculous how every song to a tee is a vague love song about nothing in particular. Surely she must sometimes consider writing about a slightly different topic? Who cares, will never intentionally listen to her anyway.
With a name like grievous angel I thought this might be a Scandinavian doom metal concept album but it's a largely schmaltzy country thing. There was something about it that was slightly more interesting than similar albums but I couldn't tell you what.
That was a crazy mix of punk, heavy metal and reggae, short enough to not get stale. Very 80s film soundtrack-y and reminded me of the very limited faith no more I've heard. Recording vocals over the phone while charged with marijuana distribution is about as punk/reggae as it gets so they definitely lived the ethos.
Always found black keys to be middle of the road and this album is no exception. It's nice background blues, never particularly annoying but nothing that stands out. The 1 hour run time didn't drag for me which probably means it's slightly better than average.
This was exactly what I want from old school hip hop and I get the feeling it's what the other gangster rap on this list is trying to emulate (and missing). It hits really hard and the flows are impressive. Recognised loads of lines that have been used by other artists (particularly RTJ as Graeme said). Enjoyed the Kung Fu samples but the excessive skits/talking lose a mark for me.
Vaguely pleasant but nothing really grabbed me, another pitchfork-y band that are okay but I can't understand the appeal. Runtime a bit too long as well. Okay for one listen.
Really fun and way ahead of its time it would seem. Most of it sounded exactly like what I think of as punk, unlike the new York dolls say which was kind of half way between punk and hair metal. Would definitely listen again.
Weird experimental 80s sitcom theme jazz plus a live rumba in the middle. Not sure why this is in the list, wish it wasn't. I think it was slightly better than awful as it was interesting in some places, a 1.5 really.
Seems my review of this went missing, I basically said it was more interesting and psychedelic than Sgt pepper and I quite enjoyed it but on the whole it's not a genre for me.
Enjoyed a few parts of this but overall was a shade too classic prog for me. 'A' the band, who I loved as a wee nipper, were big Rush fans but I never bothered to seek Rush out. Not many similarities between the two. Guess we'll see if the next album is any better!
Preferred this Rush album, bit tighter, rockier and more pyschedelic. 2112 the best song of the lot, will definitely listen to it again.
I think this is a better album than good kid but it's not a huge difference. Kendrick is a good rapper when he turns it on but most of this is strange beats and repetitive spoken words. Can't even see the appeal of alright really, thought there were better songs on this. Think this confirms I'm just not a fan
Unbelievably influential, so many angular indie bands owe so much to gang of four. Loads of my favourite bands take cues from them and the Futureheads lean on them heavily so Sunluns finest have a lot to thank them for! The album itself was great, stands up well against all of its 00s indie offspring. Only listened to bits and pieces before this but will delve deeper.
Very nostalgic, not a particular dance music fan but it was played on the radio a lot in my youth and I think the samba-y drums and actual use of riffs/hooks made it stand out to me at the time (along with chemical brothers, daft punk etc). The first half of the album stood up to the singles, though some of the songs dragged and I largely prefer the radio edits of the singles. Got a bit more ambient and started to grate towards the end. A 3.5ish I'd say but 3 seems most appropriate.
Recognised most of this, think it's heavily used by generic live jazz bands, which makes sense cos it's really good. Pretty much the pinnacle of background restaurant music which is a bit of a back handed compliment. I would never specifically put this on to listen to it but it's great for what it is.
Most of the beats sound like default settings on a casio keyboard and the lyrics are largely corny but the flow is decent and they are lovely lads who don't do drugs and respect women, so that's got to be worth a star or two. Plus tricky is class and walk this way is probably good but I've heard it too many times on kerrang in my youth to be sure anymore.
Korn really aren't for me, took me four tries to get through the 1 hour+ runtime. Freak on a leash is okay but a whole album of the weird whimpering vocals and angry teenager lyrics wore thin quickly. Some of the riffs are okay too I guess but not when presented in this way. Not a 'nu metal' fan!
Comfortably the worst album so far. Offensive, cringey lyrics, terrible music, terrible autotune. Kid Rock grew up well off in Detroit making the ghetto cowboy thing even more ridiculous than it already is. Can't imagine how this isn't bottom of the whole list.
As good as classic rock gets, full of riffs and leaves you wanting more. No hint of prog so no random noises or filler tracks to hide behind. Smoke on the water is a classic but I thought nearly all the other tracks were a similar level. Mint.
Enjoyed it more than I expected to, the acoustic tracks in particular were great and the guy has a pretty good voice. In general I find Doves a bit bland and I've glossed over them in the past but they on this showing they probably deserve more of a chance. Will listen again.
Unexpectedly great, started pleasant enough but got better as it went on, with Coconut the highlight. Not my sort of music really so must be a great example of it. Without you is a bit much but its probably not wor Nilsson's fault it's been overplayed by others.
Thought I had an album to catch up on but it turned out I'd listened to most of this yesterday and forgot. It's Beatlesy, kinksy, a bit doorsy sometimes, didn't really stand out at any point. A weird baroque harpsichord song in the middle as well, the worst signature of this era of pop rock. Not for me.
Generally okay in the background, enjoyed the rockier side of funk theme and the guy has a good voice for it. Didn't outstay it's welcome either. Can't see myself returning though so can't go higher than a 3.
Very middle of the range, nothing to really get excited or angry about. Got a feeling it's on heavy rotation in Hard Rock cafes. I like hotel California so it was annoying not to find it here. Peak meh, more of a 2 than a 3.
Quintessential blues, great voice. Would be great live I think and I enjoy it as background music, listen too closely and it's very repetitive. Can't help but find the album title and cover hilarious, what is meant to be 'hard again' exactly?
Like Nilsson I'd never heard of her but this album was full of classics. Not particularly my thing but good for one listen.
Enjoyed this more than expected as I thought it would be very tough to get through but it passed by pretty comfortably. That said it was pretty bland and I wouldn't listen again.
A bit like the cure debut we had ages ago, this must have been an impressively different album when it was released but in terms of REM's career it's a bit meh, and it's bit of a meh career anyway. Nice enough, 2 would be harsh but its all very REM-y with no standouts
Reviewed the whole thing on a long train as a personal record to confirm Beatles are a singles band. Come together - Arguably the best Beatles song, really cool, ahead of its time. Something/Oh darling- forgettable slow songs. Maxwell's silver hammer - has the 'when I'm 64' vibe if it was about a violent serial killer. Disturbing in a 'Tommy' sort of way. Octopus's garden - Novelty village hall-y inoffensive song with bouncy bass. Drug fuelled I guess. I want you - Enjoyable blues rock, a bit Hendrixy, liked the singing/lead guitar doing the same notes, would have been too long at half the runtime. Here comes the sun - A belter, positive, laid back but interestingly arranged. Love it. Because - Queenish harmonies, quite nice. You never give me your money - Bland and slow to start, with a novelty harpsichord bit woven in. Weird mish mash, doesn't really work in my opinion. Sun king - Passed me by so I'll never know. Mean Mr mustard - offensively loud, overdriven bass, pointless. Polythene Pam - Also a throwaway song entirely built around three chords. She came in through the bathroom - didn't realise the previous song had ended until a minute in, slightly better but unmemorable. Golden slumbers - Piano driven with some strings, a bit let it be, liked it. Carry that weight - Ran straight on from golden slumbers, basically the beefed up second chorus, still good but diminishing returns. The End - Blues rock and piano, again reminded me of queen. Her majesty - 25 seconds of acoustic guitar, fine I guess. Overall, not totally impressed but probably the best Beatles album we've had so far.
On brand Bowie, weird rock. Good length, as interest started to wane it ended. I would never actively listen to Bowie but I'm always happy when his albums come up here. 3.5.
Great album, somehow I have about 3/4 of this in my library but enjoyed the whole thing. Get free in particular is timeless, amazing riff, sounds huge, always puts me in a good mood. Love this sort of garage rock and even though as the Vines' careers shows it does get a bit samey, one album's worth is spot on.
Was dreading this as I thought Orbital were strictly chilled, ambient electronic music. It was a lot more upbeat than I expected I quite enjoyed it as a background album but it's too long and unfocused to warrant repeated listens.
Like Leonard Cohen's last album, very heavy to listen to someone who knows they are about to die. Musically I thought it was pretty strong, Bowie treads the line between wanky and interesting pretty well. Would preferred it a bit more rocky and a bit less jazzy but would listen again.
Amy Winehouse owes a lot to Dusty Springfield it seems, can't say this is a genre that I particularly enjoy but this is as good if not better than back to black. Has that old school less than 3 mins a song thing going on which keeps it ticking along. Sounds more authentic than the modern versions which are pointedly trying to sound retro. Overall, decent.
Decided against listening to the 5 hours 4 mins super deluxe version and stuck to the actual album. Don't get much more 80s than tears for fears. Everybody wants to rule world is such a good song and I really enjoyed broken as well but these were the only two with a real indie sound. Otherwise it was a bit too 80s, shades of boy George/Duran Duran, but by and large delivered in a more acceptable fashion. Not great but not awful.
It's hard to rate this properly, it's so heavily themed it's like a Christmas album or Disney soundtrack. Can't deny it nailed the brief. I enjoyed it for what it is, think the first song was the best, had a bit more edge than the rest which varied from pleasant to hilarious. I would listen to again at a Texan themed restaurant or theme park attraction but probably not in general life.
So much better than expected, only Adam and the ants song I know is price charming and it's not my thing. Thought this would be art-rock that was weird for the sake of it but it was weird in the way I like! Reminded me of gang of four and other off-kilter indieish bands sometimes. The pirate song didn't do it for me but otherwise good stuff.
It's weird that the fact Moby is most well known for being a Buddhist vegan that I assumed his music would reflect this. Turns out he makes Fatboy slim-esque dance music. I think this album is well known for having a large number of songs used in car adverts which explains why I recognise most of it. First half much better than the second, lost its way a bit. Overall I liked it but it felt a bit sanitised, like something an AI would make.
Much more interesting than licensed to ill, the beats are better, the punk songs are great and sabotage is the best beasties song. That said, there are a lot of tracks without any rapping that makes it feel like they were thrown in to pad the runtime. Would have preferred it to be trimmed down or have a few more obvious bangers. 3.5
I was a complete Smashing Pumpkins fanboy for a good few years, long sleeve zero shirt, probably one step away from shaving my head. That being said, this is still the best double album ever made. I got into SP through Cherub Rock from Siamese Dream which is classic SP but Mellon Collie is much more in every direction. There are really heavy tracks, grand uplifting tracks, super light tracks and it's all cohesive as an album. Jimmy Chamberlain is my favourite drummer and takes songs like Jellybelly to another level. Can understand if people can't get away with the singing and I think it would have been even more successful with a Chris Cornell or something on vocals but I think it does grow on you! In short, easy 5 stars. It's a real shame how much the SP quality has dropped off but there are still decent tracks here and there.
Do not get the popularity of U2 at all. Guess they have a broad appeal, no bold choices, but as this album went on I got more and more frustrated. Do something interesting! Sure I heard bono say he spiked someone's drink in until the end of the world too.
Never heard such a strong Michael Jackson influenced singer, which is weird considering how popular he was. Michael should have brought him out on tour, following this guy would have made him sound even better. MJ sounded ridiculous even though he was really talented, this guy giving it the woos and that is cringe inducing. Definitely not my sort of music and I didn't find anything to enjoy here, but it went by reasonably quickly so a 2 will do.
Don't like country music at the best of times but this mardy Dolly knock off was a bad example of it. Loretta needs to choose her partners better as this bunch of pricks have driven her to write the same song a bunch of times. At least Dolly adds jaunty tunes to the songs that are actually about job issues and domestic violence. Down with this sort of thing.
Hugely talented band with loads of music ideas that separate them from their prog rock peers. Doesn't quite reach the heights of Fragile but still thought it was great.
My parents loved thin Lizzy and this album was on constant rotation in my house. Weird how some songs I can barely remember and some songs put me straight in my kitchen at 8 years old, guess that's how kids minds work. Sure there's a good dollop of nostalgia in this but I think Thin Lizzy are probably the coolest band there is. As anthemic as all of the other classic rock but more varied, great guitar work and a band that clearly sound amazing live. Would be high up on my dream festival bill.
Not sure what I listened to here, reminded me of the music behind the bits in heist films where they explain how they'll nick the stuff, or the music on the home screen when you first turn on a hotel telly. Basically music designed to be in the background and make the atmosphere vaguely positive. Which is fine but not really essential listening. The bond theme thing was also pointless. Not for me.
Didn't mind this, reminded me a lot of Run DMC, similar flow but with slightly better lyrics. Preferred the songs with latifah only, tended to have better beats and strayed less into r and b territory. Suffers from the same thing as many rap albums of this era, constant bragging with almost no other content. Overall it was okay.
Definitely Aerosmith, didn't have any of the hits (that I know) but exactly the formula I expected. Runtime is short enough to enjoy it all the way through but can't say I wanted any more. It was alright, Aerosmith are alright, next album please.
Caught up with this one at the weekend, it was admittedly an odd gym soundtrack. I really liked it though, was what I want from jazz, trippy and inventive with lots of tempo changes. Must be an eventual influence on math rock as it definitely feeds the same part of my brain. Will put Mingus on in the background next time I'm trying to be classy.
Oasis are great and the bangers on here are top notch, rock and roll star possibly being their best song. Noel Gallagher is a top notch songwriter which means the 'lad rock' thing is just their style on top of this, as opposed to most of their copycats where being geezers is their entire thing. I think Morning Glory is a lot better than this mind, a lot of the album tracks sounded like variations of the singles and nothing really stood out. I would probably be a huge oasis fan if their lyrics weren't so awful, some of the worst of any major band. Generally speaking the less Liam is involved the better.
How did this come out in 2003!? Can't believe it was 20 years ago. I loved this album at the time, it doesn't take itself too seriously and there's some great riffs. They were victims of their own success really, would have probably had a longer career if they hadn't shot to number 1. Don't think I've listened to it since my teens and I really enjoyed going through it again, really nostalgic and kept me smiling. Won't listen again very soon but have to give it a 5.
Brazilian instrumental background music. Not particularly interesting to me, listened while working and only it distracted me a couple of times when there were some discordant noises that didn't really work. It might sonically capture sao Paulo really well, can't say, never been, but it wasnt a great listen so regardless it get a 1.
Never actually listened to Megadeth but they have the perfect over the top heavy metal band name so feel like I've always been aware of them. It's largely Metallica-y heavy metal but not at the same level. Didn't completely hate it but won't be going back.
Excellent pun, massive respect but not really a soul fan so the title immediately put me off. In actual fact it was way funkier than expected, maybe I just don't like more modern soul? Isaac has a fantastic voice and I really enjoyed the first couple of songs but it lost its way a bit towards the end. A real shame he is (or at least was) a mad scientologist and got himself kicked off south park.
I really don't get this guy at all. The first song was alright but couldn't enjoy anything else. Like his other murder album, lots of the lyrics were very odd, to the point where I'm not sure if he means it seriously, could be satire and he's just very dedicated to the bit. Black hair in particular: Of her beautiful black hair As deep as ink and black, Black as the deepest sea The smell of her black hair Upon my pillow Where her head and all its Black hair did rest. Is straight out of a Garth marenghi opening monologue. Don't particularly like the crooner singing so I'm probably letting that colour my judgement, but safe to say I'm not a Nick Cave fan.
Never heard of the Fall which seems like it may get be sacrilege in some parts. The most DIY punk production you're likely to hear, was a bit too rough and ready at times. I generally enjoyed it, was off kilter and wry in a gang of four/mclusky sort of way, but I struggle to think of any specific songs I liked. Would listen to other stuff but I don't think I'd progress to being a proper fan.
The singles off this were heavily on rotation in 'Innfusion', the bar I worked in during college which did trebles + mixer for £2.50. So it's the audio equivalent of sticky floors, sick, aftershock and knobheads. I imagine it's a similar listen to everyone else regardless of their employment history. Very much not my thing and when I think about it there were better songs in the '90s/00s RnB' category. 2 for nostalgia.
Never heard of this before, political leanings to rap albums nearly always make them better and I thought this was great. Did verge on just becoming a political rant at various stages, it was much better when the guy was focusing on his flow as opposed to getting his message across. Would like to hear other stuff, as this one is a bit scattered I reckon he could make a five star album if he tightens everything up.
Eclectic as Bjork tends to be, there were songs on this I really liked (particularly the last one) and songs on this that were awful, particularly the very '90s' ones that sounded like spice girls b sides. Always happy to listen to a Bjork album once, guaranteed to be interesting. Just too all over the place to become a proper fan.
The most overplayed band in the world, I've actively avoided listening to RHCP for some years as I was getting sick of them. Consequently, haven't heard this in ages. It's the best RHCP album I reckon, has the most hits. Not as funky as blood sugar obviously but still has a little bit of that sound. The video to Californication was seared into my brain from a young age but it's probably one of the weakest songs on this. Listening to this album unexpectedly, it was really good, but I don't need to hear it again for a good few years now.
Basically the best west coast rap album, so much better than all the follow ups it spawned, including those released by NWA members. The beats hit harder, flow is better and even though the core theme is very gangsta it's much wittier than say Dre's debut album which makes it much more palatable. Even the skits are kept short and actually add to to the songs! I think the straps/hoes schtick is a bit too grating to give it full whack but overall it's great.
Never heard of Fred Neil. An old-school American singer-songwriter, bit Johnny Cash. Went along nicely in the background but can't say anything jumped out. Can't tell if I recognise everybody's Talkin' or it just reminds me of another song I cant quite remember (something by David Grey maybe?).
Generally this is the sort of Phil collins-y middle of the road pop rock that really gets on my nerves but there's something about crowded house that makes them a bit better than that. The hits on this are very nostalgic and the only a couple of the album tracks were really bad, the rest being quite enjoyable. I wouldn't seek this out but considering my initial assumptions I was pleasantly surprised.
Didn't mind this, the Brazilian funky blues was an enjoyable combo, worked well as background music. There was a heavily used instrument that sounded like a yappy dog that wasn't for me.
I'm not one for solo piano music and so apart from isolated sections I didn't find this very engaging. Trying to appreciate it for what it is, I thought it was fairly linear, with few changes in tempo or style. While Keith is clearly a very talented musician I needed more variety to keep my attention for the hour. Wouldn't come back.
I'd rather never have to listen to sassy country pop rock, but if I'm forced to I'd prefer if it was Shania Twain. All I wanna do delivers everything the rest of the album does in a slightly better package, but it's not even that good. Probably a 1.5 as i wasn't angry most of the time but I can't bring myself to give it 2 stars.
Never heard of Chicago before. The first track blew me away, it was so inventive, loads of tempo and time changes, I thought we were on for a 5 star. The rest of the album was quite good but a lot safer, what I would expect from a jazz/funk/rock band, and the fact the first track promised so much left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. Free form guitar was pointless filler. I think it's probably a 3.5, I'll round up to 4 but it could have been so much more.
Aware of pavement as a very influential band on all the stuff I like but never really listened to them. This was alright, reminded me of sonic youth, pixies and other low fi indie bands where I feel theres a really good band there but for whatever reason it doesn't grab me. Think it's probably just a little too thrown together, the more polished stuff might be more up my street.
Can't make my mind up about Springsteen, some of his songs are iconic, sound huge and I can convince myself that hes brilliant. Other songs on this make him sound like a dodgy cover band and I don't get it at all. I think it's to do with if his voice is appropriate for a particular song, I think the longer the note he sings the better. It's decent, I do get why he's a megastar but he's not a personal favourite.
I know the big songs by the specials and Id always assumed they were an 'influential' band that helped create the sound without being that good themselves. Turns out I'm completely wrong! Couldn't believe how well the majority of the tracks stood up to contemporary ska, no wonder people take the piss out of the genre when the Specials did it just as good nearly half a century ago. Loved it, downloading this for sure.
Was not impressed for the first half, seemed to switch between ambient electronic music and fairly run if the mill rock songs. Grew on me as it went on, some of the songs reminded of me of lighter Smashing Pumpkins stuff, particularly the last song. Overall it was okay.
Never heard of these but it turns out the lead singer was in Black Flag who I vaguely know of and are a hugely influential hardcore punk band. 14 songs, 15 minutes, bosh. To start with I thought 'yep, way ahead of its time, not sure it's great in its own right', then by the end I was putting it on again. Loved it, ludicrous that it came out over 40 years ago.
Really getting both ends of 80s music the last couple of days ey. 80s pop takes itself far too seriously and I find it hilarious a lot of the time so hard to judge it properly but there's a lot of guilty pleasures in there. Love a bit of Wham. ABC: the bass lines are mint, I prefer the hard hitting stuff with over the top drums and they had a lot of this. The look of love is hard not to like. But it's all so overproduced and stiff that I can't listen to it too often. In this single listen I didn't mind it but I wouldn't come back very quickly, if ever. 2.5.
I think this album makes that the most eclectic week of music so far! Never actually listened to Alice in chains, thought they were vaguely grunge, maybe Soundgardeny. To me they sound like the unnecessary missing link between Metallica and Korn, with some songs clearly being the inspiration for nu metal. Probably deserve a 1 for that. I actually thought the album was okay, some nice riffs, just nothing interesting enough to take it past that. Won't listen again but glad to tick this one off.
Maybe the best Bowie album we've had so far I'd say, most recognisable songs and very straightforward rock for him. Not quite sure what the Ziggy stardust theme is, very loose concept. Didn't really detract from the enjoyment though. Keep the Bowie coming.
Only heard loser by Beck before, though I knew he had a much wider range of songs/albums than that. This was really good, there were some great songs here. I think he has a country music voice and applying to it to acoustic singer-songwritery stuff makes it much more interesting. Only complaint would be it's all pretty much one gear, so listening in one sitting started to get repetitive. I'll probably cherry pick some tracks from this but not listen to the album again.
Full of tunes, production is brilliant, captures a 'live' sound perfectly. Flew by. Wouldn't really consider myself a black Sabbath fan but that's two five star albums now so guess I am.
Loved a couple of songs on this (particularly Astral Weeks), found others to not go anywhere and get increasingly annoying (Madame George the worst of the lot). There's clearly far more to Van Morrison than brown eyed girl so in that sense I'm pleasantly surprised but not really compelled to listen to more.
More Bob. Not a huge reggae fan, would struggle to name any other purely reggae artists. The man himself is an icon and rightly lauded but I struggle to get any deeper with his music than putting it on a barbecue playlist. This album was nice enough, can't say it stood out from his other work.
Completely on the talking heads train now. I bet all music critics constantly describe them as "irreverent" and there's a good chunk of my favourite bands that fall into that category. Was already giving it a 5 before psycho killer but that is the best track.
I've given My Bloody Valentine a listen previously as on paper shoegaze should be my thing. I hear their influence on lots of great bands but I don't think I'm quite on board yet, though this was better than last time. Preferred the heavier, more overdriven stuff, some of the poppier songs passed me by. Will probably be a fan in 2-5 album plays, for now it's okay.
By far the best radiohead album, like lots of bands it's the peak between their straightforward and experimental stuff, best of both. Don't think I've ever given this a full spin though I knew most of it. The other album tracks were largely great too. Will definitely listen again.
Definitely a time and a place for AC/DC, very fun, iconic riffs. Like the previous album, all very samey mind. No surprisingly good or bad songs, mostly just the same song. Always liked the singers voice, really good for rock, very over the top, bit axl rose. It's a 3.
Definitely more inventive than the average pop group. Laura is a tune and don't mind take your mama out but find anything with two much singing in the high vocal range to be pretty grating, comfortably numb in particular. Think they deserve the accolades, it's just not really my thing
Really iconic, recognisable voice. Didn't really know the name but know loads of his songs (particularly that one in Elf). Hard not to enjoy it, sounds so authentic, makes me feel classier by association. Not sure I would get a specific urge to listen to Louis but top background music. The hit you in the eye line in the second song was a bit of a surprise but a quick Google suggests he probably isn't a wife beater so I'll let it slide.
Got to respect artists who completely commit to their own ideas, do everything their own way. Bjork comes to mind musically but Prince probably went further than anyone with this mindset. But... This is 80% awful, cringe inducing most of the way through. Every decent moment was surrounded by terrible parts that would have been shouted down by anyone else with any creative control. The big Prince hits are decent but this album and his music in general are not for me.
Classic example of female country singer, typical songs, typical warbly vocals, typical themes. If you like country you'll probably like this, if you don't this isn't going to change your mind. Hard to believe this is a must hear album given its almost certainly not the first to sound like this and doesn't offer anything new.
It was enjoyable but not as good as Sound of Silver. Leans into the Krautrock side of things a bit more and some songs packed direction, my favourite tracks were ones like emotional haircut that had an indie side to them. Might grow on me with a few more listens, right now it's a 3.
Mad that this came out nearly thirty years ago and is far more provocative than the 'shocking' artists of the last decade. The big songs are great, you oughta know in particular, completely stands out from similar records of the time. The production is too 90s for me to really love it, drums are tinny and the guitar distortion is scaled way back to make it sound 'rocky' without actually being so. 3.5
Awful, like Phil Collins all the songs have completely rounded edges, anything interesting is sanitised for mass appeal. Anything that seems like it might be worth listening to is repeated for ages until you forget how it could have been interested in the first place. With or without you is the best track and it's terrible.
I thought the first few songs suggested there was something a bit different about the Yardbirds but as it progressed it became clearer they were similar to a lot of bands of the era. Talented group, went by quickly but not a particular fan.
Two songs in I had already written this guy off as more country landfill, even more annoying than most. As the album progressed it got bluesier and there were a few songs that were great. Hard to rate given there were songs that were dire and enjoyable. A 3 I suppose? But theres an EP in here that's a 4 and one that's a hard 1.
Think I've only ever heard teenage kicks from the undertones but this was pretty good. Sounded like the precursor to a lot of pop punk in parts which I preferred but then it was a bit all over the place. First half definitely better than the second, hope the teenage kicks album comes up and that it kicks on from this.
I don't know Dylan that well, his iconic songs are great and I've always wanted to dig into his catalogue a bit. This album wasn't really for me. It was too long, not very interesting and his voice was starting to annoy me by the end. I assume this was an early album and he hadn't settled on his sound yet? Some flashes of good stuff in there but I'm hoping for some of his bigger albums to come up.
The ratings are on point, this album is class. Parents loved it so very nostalgic but it's great in its own right, it has such a large section of their best songs, must make up most of the greatest hits album. Can't decide if Fleetwood Mac have a sound that noone else seems to be able to copy or that there are loads of similar bands but FM just have way better songs.
Never heard of spirit and it seems like they have a pretty large discography. Trippy, proggy, sometimes funky rock. These guys must have taken a lot of drugs. It was interesting, at times really enjoyable, the rockier songs where the singer was pushing his voice were the best of the bunch. A few tracks didn't land for me but that's to be expected from a band like this
Funky soul music isn't my top genre and I'm not sure I'd pick anything out of this as worth listening to again. As background music it wasn't overtly offensive, which isn't a great review.
Very iconic, knew the singles and the rest of it sounded exactly like I expected to. Think this one falls into the 'very influential on music I like but not that good itself ' category. It sounds thrown together which is very punk but the drums in particular sound terrible. Once you've heard blitzkrieg bop you don't need the other songs really. Musically very important, glad it happened, probably won't listen again.
Know a little bit of ZZ Top but no albums, this delivered what I expected. They are more talented than your average classic rock band so everything is a bit more interesting. They have the required swagger of this sort of music nailed down as well. Not really pushing the boundaries too much but it's great for what it is, would be happy to hear more.
Nice, soft, contemplative singer-songwritery stuff. A bit drug tinged, which is par for the course in this era. Some major-minor switching gave some songs a Beatlesy touch. It was largely an album for the background though, no real changes of pace to make you listen more closely. A solid 3.
Surprisingly good, way better than the other Hole album. See where the rumours Kurt Cobain was involved come from, there a real Nirvana streak running through it. Some songs were forgettable but 1/3 of the tracks were bangers, glad this came up.
Reminded me of early Beatles, like a lot of these albums I thought the first song was really promising and then it lost its was as it progressed. Never heard of the young rascals, this album list has shown me there are far more Beatles copycats than I was aware of. It was pleasant enough, there were some nods to other genres here and there, no need to come back.
Depressing as owt this, Leonard was the OG emo ey. Was class though, his voice lends itself to these sort of songs so well. Sailed through it and I knew straight away once Amazon music started playing tracks off other albums so this one must be very cohesive. If I was going to nitpick I'd say he could have mixed it up slightly, there are a few songs with almost identical picking and tempo. As it is, well worth a listen.
Really good, like wu tang Clan the beats and flow were a cut above other hip hop from the same time. As often happens when going through this list, I learned a couple of parts of songs from other artists I like have been lifted from quest, which is an endorsement. I can't truly put it at the same level as my favourite hip hop (RTJ/Aesop rock) but ill definitely be listening again.
Complete wet flannel of a band, every song sounded like an 80s sitcom theme. The most middle of the road as it is possible to be. More like 'The Bland by The Bland', ey? They completely deserve a pun as terrible as that.
Weird in a good way. Very Beatles influenced but the chord progressions were very ahead of their time, most of the tunes went off in directions I wasn't expecting. Reckon Graham Coxon is a fan. You really get a sense that Syd is functioning very differently to most people, I imagine that's where a lot of the creativity comes from but it does lead to a lot of the songs barely holding together, particularly the later tracks. Really compelling listen but I'm unlikely to stick it on again, I'd say 3.5.
Not much of an 80s pop fan and this contained all of the tropes that put me off. Takes itself way too seriously, a particular crooning singing style that wears thin and overuse of wishy washy synths. Sounds more dated than a lot of the 60s/70s stuff we've had. Bass is tight though.
Wasn't expecting much but I really enjoyed this, musically really impressive. So many interesting guitar parts and tempo changes. Reminded me of Japanese math rock band Tricot in places which probably just means I throw everything that sounds a bit complex and foreign in the same bucket. The slow tracks didn't have the same inventiveness and brought it down a bit but there's tracks on here I'm definitely downloading, sai dessa in particular.
Loved it, best talking heads album we've had. I knew once in a lifetime but everything else was new to me, not sure I've heard anything quite like it before. The repetitive loops and odd percussion reminded my of some 00s dance indie like the rapture, maybe LCD soundsytem on occasion. Really unique though, definitely occupies its own space. Already listened twice but definitely going back.
Had highish hopes for this, ace of spades is great, album was just over half an hour long, thought it would be a quick, enjoyable rock album. Actually turned it off about four songs in the first time, was very bored. All of the songs are essentially worse variations of ace of spades. In hindsight it makes sense but I didn't think Lemmy was such a creepy fucker either, bit disappointing. Jailbait can't have been acceptable at the time, he's telling everyone he's a nonce! Also surprised to hear he's not from some desert town in USA, but stoke-on-trent. Should be singing about oatcakes and pots really. Ace of spades is brilliant, everything else is awful, let's say 2.
This guy is pretty impressive, especially for the time. The first half was better than the second, things started to become increasingly samey but there was always a few decent bars per track. As usual the parts where he strayed away from bigging himself up were better. I'd put it a shade below Quest, so 3-3.5
Not bad, some sort of cross between industrial nine inch nails-y stuff and hardcore punk. Felt very influential and the good songs were bangers but the intentionally rough production starts to grate when the songs aren't as interesting. Will probably cherry pick some tracks from this but unlikely to listen to in full again.
Passed me by a bit this one, it was sort of a Brazilian Beatles thing for most of it, think it had some slightly more interesting turns but be damned if I can remember any of it. Nothing else to add, sorry Mutantes, had quite a busy Thursday.
Loved it, full of most of Jimis best songs and the production is as authentic as it comes, classic rock albums should sound like this. While there was a definite quality gap between the big songs and the album tracks the other songs are great background music until a single pulls you in. Foxey lady is very nostalgic due to featuring in Wayne's World. Hendrix is probably the best marriage of talented guitarist and cool rock icon and this album shows both sides.
Well it wasn't as long or offensive as Tommy I guess, so they made some progress. First track is okay, the best example of the repetitive approach throughout the whole album. I checked the amount of time left on a song half a dozen times because they were over 4 minutes long and nothing had happened. There was one called the song won't end or something so I'm pretty sure they knew what they were doing. Painful but fairly short, 1.5.
Way way too much prog, disappeared up its own arse before the first two minutes of ambient nonsense had finished. Pointless, annoying, way too long. Its not big or clever to make music like this. The most jazzy parts reminded me of cheap tickets I got to the proms where we left after forty minutes. Wish I left this after forty minutes. Bad.
This is more like it, prog full of ideas and no pointless gaps! First song the longest and best, reminded of final fantasy boss music if the boss had about 10 different stages and one of them was Ozzy Osbourne. Other songs sounded like ideas they couldn't quite fit into the first song, except the last one which was rock n roll, not sure why they put that one in. Overall, very interesting, happy it made the list.
Fairly pleasant, couldn't say much more about it. Can't remember a single specific song. Joan has a nice voice but it doesn't stand out enough to pull these songs into being interesting. Probably wouldn't know if I listened to this again as it didn't stick in my brain at all.
80s pop is a genre I've already made clear I don't like but this is probably the best version we've had so far. Most of it is quite snappy and riff driven as opposed to other stuff that has been fairly drab. Particular shoutout for the last track The Chauffeur which (apart from the pan pipe section at the end) was genuinely great. The rest of it, well it's still too 80s for me but it's okay. 2.5.
One of the first albums I ever bought, peak 15 year old nu metal angst. The lyrics are undeniably general cringe but I think it's musically better than a lot of similar bands and the singing/rapping combo was a revelation to a teenager who didnt listen to much outside of pop punk. I was never a Linkin Park megafan in the way I was obsessed with SOAD around the same time but I loved them all the same. Saw them headline Leeds the first year we went straight after getting GCSE results, half a lifetime ago. Can't really objectively review this, but it's a massive 5 from me.
This was brilliant, I didn't mind the last Siouxsie album we had but this was so much better. Must be hugely influential on a particular sort of rough 00s indie, reminds me loads of be your own pet in particular. I struggle with the singing style a bit, I think it would have been a 5 otherwise but I can't say it's a complete winner because of it.
This was so much trippier and interesting than I expected somebody associated with Phil Collins to produce. Maybe he's the anti-Collins and he had to leave Genesis to get away from him. Hard to pin down from one listen, it was full of ideas and took a lot of unexpected turns. A bit industrial and heavy in parts but then quite a bit of 80s sax too I think. Didn't blow me away like some other prog on this list but certainly didn't offend me like some other prog on this list.
Technically impressive and quite varied jazz, think I'd love this live in a bar/restaurant. Trouble is you can dip and out in those scenarios whereas here it was 75 minutes nonstop, so it took me a few goes to get through the full runtime. Would give it more if it was half an hour long I think but as an album, too much.
Elton John is great at what he does and this album sailed along given the runtime. That said I wouldn't say I'm a fan, it's very theatre musical-y and I'm not sure I'd ever choose to listen myself, even to the hits. Its inoffensive but not in a bland way, which is basically the key to his worldwide success.
It's tempting to label all jazz as more of the same, then an album like this comes along that is so much better. The previous jazz album was pleasant, background music, whereas this wasn't in the background at all! The third track in particular was so complex and in your face. The short runtime meant I was interested throughout. Wouldn't say I'm a bonafide 'Jazz fan' but I'd definitely listen to this again. Talked myself into a 5 here, it's mint.
I don't really get Joy Division, feel like I'm missing something everyone else hears. Guess this is a bit like when Jack listens to the Talking Heads? They aren't bad, kind of thrown together 80s sad indie. Ian Curtis does sound pretty troubled and I think people probably have a deeper connection with it due to that. Nothing grabs me though. Don't understand where the mythical status comes from at all.
Couldn't really be arsed with this, might be on me but probably means the album wasnt great. Steven Tyler's letchy old man routine was an uncomfortable listen and wore thin quickly. This album highlighted that Aerosmith borrow quite a lot from country music, and I don't approve. First track was alright, love in an elevator is an interesting riff, rest of it isn't worth it.
Never really listened to Biggie before. He's a great rapper, much better than the others in his era, and I think if he mixed up the content a bit id be a fan. Unfortunately this album is gats/drugs/bitches from start to finish and the songs veer from tedious to uncomfortable listening. Think the blowjob skit might have the been worst section of audio on the list so far. Won't come back, it's definitely better than the chronic and when it the flow is on point you can tune out the content for a bit but ultimately I'm not a fan.
Don't think I give Stone Roses enough credit, I think because they are aggressively Mancunian I'm always surprised they make music that sounds like The Cure and put them down a bit. The tone of their songs is always very middle of the road and I think that means they are brilliant songwriters as so many tracks are great. Never listened to a whole album and it was consistently good. Find it hard to get excited about them so can't give a 5 but I understand why they are so popular.
Never heard any shoegaze outside of my bloody valentine before. Wasn't sure what to expect, it doesn't really sound like MBV to me. I enjoyed a lot of it though, feels a bit ahead of its time for 1984. Hard to describe it, it was quite light and breezy in some places and then dark and heavy in others, singing sounded like Kate Bush. Reminded me of bits of more modern indie/pop in places but mostly quite unique. Sounds a bit raw, hope their big album comes up on the list so I can properly judge. 3.5.
Yep, that's old Beatles. Usually used to hearing it from snippets of live footage completely being drowned out by screaming girls. Very much of its time, early rock and roll. Hard to imagine this being any sort of counter culture, it sounds so painfully family friendly. Breezed by fairly quickly but there's nothing to get excited about.
Mercifully short, this music sounds like a completely different era, totally detached from anything I'd actively listen to. Very much the boy/girl band pop genre of the day, where the most important thing was they were good looking and inoffensive, and the music was irrelevant. Completely pointless.
That was an ordeal, don't care how good you are, can't have a 90min+ album Miles. A real struggle to listen to, the timings and general atmosphere of the first two songs in particular is really unnerving. Its impressive and unique, just a really difficult listen. Think this is one for the jazz superfans. Mellowed out a bit towards the end but didn't really get any catchier. Think it is worth a listen and on some level probably an incredible album but can't really recommend it. 2 to 2.5 I'd say.
I've definitely heard this before but can't place where. It's like lounge jazz with a few more experimental turns than expected. Quite nice, went quickly. It's not this albums fault I have jazz fatigue but unlikely to come back.
This was a bit all over the place, the church organ made it sound a bit Christian rock sometimes, then it's funk, soul and blues on different tracks. It was nice enough but not sure any of the genres were really worth listening to.
Quite liked this, a lot of the songs caught my interest. While listening l was never really sure if Neil Young could actually sing, which is the same for a lot of my favourite singers, prefer it when people sound interesting even if they aren't actually that good. It wouldn't say it's an essential listen but glad it came up. 3.5
Pure funk, no overlap with jazz or soul, just funk. The first song and higher ground are basically rock riffs but played on funk bass, enjoyed both. The genre and album as a whole isn't really my thing and I was tiring of it by the time it ended.
Very much a heavyweight of the noughties indie that soundtracked my early 20s, they were completely overplayed but they have some really good songs. It's short enough so it ends as they start running out of ideas. The faux posh English accents get on my nerves, not sure why they sing like that. Would be better if they took a few more experimental turns but despite the negativity of this review it's generally great.
The smiths/Morrissey's music has grown on me through this list, they have their own sound which is definitely 80s but has aged much better than other acts of the time. This album was enjoyable but didn't really have a killer single or two, wouldnt know which tracks to recommend. Nevertheless pretty solid, 3.5
Wanted to listen to this for a while now, read an interview with the lead singer and he cited a few influences that suggested there would be more to Faith No More than Epic. There was a little bit more but I think I'd expected a great album so left a bit disappointed. To me they sound like a late 80s/early 90s American teenagers favourite band, like the musical equivalent of teenage mutant ninja turtles. It's a weird mix of punk, metal and sort of rap in an in your face way. The bass was very slappy. It was listenable but I don't think I'll be back.
While they are horrendously overplayed, I have some time for ABBA, they are good songwriters and a lot of their more lively songs have good hooks. Except for money money money the lively songs were absent from this album, lots of piano and sweeping strings, and I spent most of it bored. The songwriting talent is still clear but these songs aren't for me. Will probably score their other albums higher.
Well that was trippy, imagine the amount of drugs taken during the writing of this makes the doors look like the beach boys. I enjoyed a lot of it, reminded me of cream sometimes and Beatles at others. Felt like it might fall apart at any moment and kind of did towards the end. Not enough stand out songs for a 5 but still very strong.
Never clicked with this genre of ambient background music, always sounds like they built the foundations of a song and didn't add any of the ideas that are actually interesting. Unfinished sympathy is by far the best song and is the only time this approach seems to come together in any way. Wasn't a painful listen but it's just so dull.
The breakthrough album by SP, this one has the 'classic' sound they are defined by. Hearing cherub rock on MTV2 was my first exposure to them and it's such a great opener. Theres a few songs on this like Hummer that sound a bit like Pearl Jam and are the only time the grunge label makes sense. Mayonaise is their best song, gives me a nostalgic feeling without having any strong memories attached to it. Always shocked it's an hour long, flies by. Its not as ambitious as Mellon Collie but it was only their second album so you wouldn't expect it to be and it makes it an easier listen. 5*
Not a huge MJ fan, thriller, beat it and Billie Jean back to back was pretty good, the rest of it didn't really land for me. The Paul McCartney track was very funny, particularly the spoken bit at the end, so glad that was on here. He was already a bit of a parody of himself even at this point it would seem (although it clearly got worse) and I find all the noises and that hard to take seriously. The Billie Jean baseline is top notch, the other singles I mentioned are very good, otherwise not fussed.
Quite like the sort of love vibe, tom has a nice gravelly voice, first track or two I quite liked as an intro. Then it basically continued for an hour and bit. More spoken word/stand up routine with a backing track than an actual album, cant remember any specific songs, was mostly a double bass going up and down the jazz scales. I could see the appeal if it was built around some actual songs but as it was, not good.
Bossa nova is such a niche genre, not quite sure how I feel about it. Enjoy it in short bursts like this but it has such a particular sound that most songs sound the same. Definitely heard girl from Ipanema before and a few others were recognisable. Like jazz I think it's a music for the right setting and not something I would just pick up and listen to on the commute.
Only know the name, had never previously heard a song. This album was really good, the songs with odd time signatures and trumpets were class, reminded me of American Football/Beirut/Clever Girl. The other tracks were sometimes a bit too twee but by the end of the first listen I wanted to go again which is a good sign. Also didn't fell too long despite being over an hour. Definitely over a 4, not quite a 5.
Never heard Nas before, this was brilliant. His flow was amazing and lyrics were interesting and witty from the first listen. While it was hustler/gangster themed I'm okay with that when delivered like this, it was also more angry than arrogant which I prefer. Definitely listening again.
Always wanted to listen to these, cult heroes in Liverpool so they come up a lot. Decent, very much in the vain of Smith's/Cure. I drifted in and out a bit so can't say there were any clear hits. Think I'd need to listen again to make a stronger opinion, at this point it was okay
When Mars Volta are good, they're great, the guys voice is so unique, really intricate angular prog rock/punk but with a Latin American tinge. They are however very self indulgent, even by the standards of the genre. This album is actually fairly focused compared to some of their other stuff and I still found myself waiting for the wibbly ambient bits to end. There a 5 star 40 minute album in here but as is it's a 4.
I vaguely know the name captain beefheart and for some reason I thought they were meant to be completely crazy and strange, maybe their later albums are weirder? This was definitely odd in places, particularly the singing, but largely it was bluesy pop rock not too dissimilar to other bands at the time. Kept my interest a bit more than similar bands but wouldn't particularly recommend this album, 2.5
Ticks all the classic hair metal tropes and it's as silly as the rest of them but I thought it had more variety and better riffs than the average. Only knew breaking the law beforehand but it tells you most of what you need to know about the album. Not really one to be over analysed is it, you know what you're getting. Enjoyed it for what it was.
Very much cut from the same cloth as Shaft, it's a very cool soundtrack but not sure I'm up for listening to it separately. Muted wah pedal sounds so good the first time but there's diminishing returns and I wouldn't listen again. Found the love song/cocaine song names very funny and it was a fairly pleasant experience, 2.5.
American pie is overplayed, even within its own runtime I couldn't believe how many times I had to hear the chorus. I think it's probably an okay song but I can't hear anything to enjoy anymore. The rest of the album was largely a much softer acoustic sound. Some of the songs were genuinely decent though I don't really like Don's voice. It seems like American pie eclipsed the the sort of music he actually wanted to make. By and large it wasn't interesting enough to return to but it was a pleasant surprise relative to what I expected.
Thought this was brilliant, really modern sounding for an artist from the 70s, not sure if anyone else would be able to adapt like this. Reminded me of a lot of angular indie, talking heads, blur, lots of stuff I wouldn't associate with Bowie. It was a bit too long I'd say, probably needs trimming by about 25%, but I'll listen to this again. 4.5
I can't help but like wham and George's big hits, club Tropicana, careless whisper etc. A bit like Duran Duran, the style is ridiculous but the songs are good enough to make it work. When the songs aren't good enough, you end up with the overproduced schmaltzy dross of this album. Can't recall any redeeming qualities, the preachy theme annoyed me and stopped it from being remotely funny for being so bad. Avoid.
Not a huge fan of wor Sting, his mad Geordie/reggae way of singing is very funny but I don't think it's very good. Synchronicity was decent, bit proggy but interesting timing. The next one about dinosaurs was hilarious and then I can't remember much after that except Mother which sounded like a completely different band, wouldn't think it would be on the same album as every step you take. Every step you take is a well written song but overplayed these days. Would not listen again.
Listened to the first two albums, felt like it was acceptable to skip the 'jam' album. George can feel hard done by that he wasn't allowed to include any of this in the Beatles as it was significantly better than most the album tracks, without having anything that matched the big singles. Generally more interesting and cool than the average Beatles song. Therer was an annoying number of reprises for an album this long, clearly wasn't interested in trimming it down. I enjoyed it more than the average Beatles album but I don't really like the average Beatles album, it was okay.
Generally quite liked this, soft artsy folk of the type that would have done very well in the last ten years (bet this is a often cited influence). Quality varied, some songs were better than others, Train song the best of the lot. Not generally my type of music and this hasn't changed my mind but I thought it was a good example, 3.5.
A bit like superfly it's hard to judge this about of the context of the film, particularly when I'm not familiar with the genre. This might have really changed the game but I don't feel I have the knowledge to say. On its own merits I didn't mind it, it was interesting and largely entertaining. Can't say id go back to it though, should probably watch the film and maybe it will click.
I got Billy Joel and Billy Idol mixed up, so I was very disappointed rebel yell wasn't on this. Lots of songs on this I'd put in the 'American Pie' bucket of hugely famous, overplayed songs that are painfully bland and get on my nerves. Otherwise it was very much American 80s standards, bit too much saxophone than is necessary, just not my thing.
Lots of kinks on this list. Preferred this to the previous one (which I think was the album released after this), this one was them starting to become experimental and without going too far. less harpsichord in this album too. Generally I prefer the kinks to the Beatles but they don't have the big marquee songs. Can't tell if the whole village green thing is just a theme to hang the album on or genuinely how they feel, if it's the latter and they thought things had changed too much in the sixties they must have been massive Tories, which I should mark them down for really. The album in general was a middle of the road 3.
Ive heard a few things by Janis Joplin before but much softer songs, didn't realise she had such a powerful voice. The music itself was fairly enjoyable but she really took it a step further. The live tracks were probably the best ones as she was really pushing it there. Might have to listen to some more Joplin stuff.
First half of this was really good, reckon Crosby is probably better than Stills and Nash, probably why his name is first. Second half gradually descended into ethereal whale song. This signature brand of folky harmony is better in small doses I think, so 36 minutes was acceptable. Not particularly my cup of tea but very listenable until the last couple of songs.
More interesting than the other album we had by these (why are there 2 EBTG albums on this list), some of the sampling feels forward thinking for the time. The singing style sucks all of the energy out of every song, everything is a laid back lounge track. For the slower songs it works (though I don't really enjoy it) but it kills the slightly more exciting ones. Kept expecting it to pick up for a song or two but it didn't. No need to hear this again, 1.5.
19 songs, 48 minutes, you know it's going to be punk... except it wasn't for large parts of it. Very eclectic. Apparently they played on a few songs on nirvana unplugged and the singer did remind me of Kurt in parts. I liked lake of fire and lost and a couple of others stood out but I'm not sure I'd say the whole album was good.