857
Albums Rated
3
Average Rating
79%
Complete
232 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
70
5-Star Albums
85
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby
Girls Against Boys
|
5 | 2.66 | +2.34 |
|
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
|
5 | 2.67 | +2.33 |
|
Yank Crime
Drive Like Jehu
|
5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
|
Group Sex
Circle Jerks
|
5 | 2.74 | +2.26 |
|
Rejoicing In The Hands
Devendra Banhart
|
5 | 2.82 | +2.18 |
|
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Want One
Rufus Wainwright
|
5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
|
Out of Step
Minor Threat
|
5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
|
Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
Billy Bragg
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Fire Of Love
The Gun Club
|
5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
|
1 | 3.74 | -2.74 |
|
Can't Buy A Thrill
Steely Dan
|
1 | 3.72 | -2.72 |
|
21
Adele
|
1 | 3.69 | -2.69 |
|
The Joshua Tree
U2
|
1 | 3.67 | -2.67 |
|
So
Peter Gabriel
|
1 | 3.55 | -2.55 |
|
Diamond Life
Sade
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
|
The Köln Concert
Keith Jarrett
|
1 | 3.4 | -2.4 |
|
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Cocteau Twins
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
The Band
The Band
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Talking Heads | 4 | 4.5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 4.67 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.67 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| The White Stripes | 2 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 4 | 1.5 |
| Emmylou Harris | 2 | 1 |
| George Michael | 2 | 1 |
| Bee Gees | 2 | 1 |
| Madonna | 2 | 1 |
| The Byrds | 5 | 1.8 |
| U2 | 4 | 1.75 |
| The Who | 5 | 2 |
| Adele | 2 | 1.5 |
| Everything But The Girl | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| ABBA | 2 | 1.5 |
| Missy Elliott | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elvis Presley | 2 | 1.5 |
| Dexys Midnight Runners | 2 | 1.5 |
| Scott Walker | 2 | 1.5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 2 |
| The Rolling Stones | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Cocteau Twins | 1, 4 |
| Fiona Apple | 2, 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 2, 3, 1, 5 |
| U2 | 1, 1, 1, 4 |
| Peter Gabriel | 3, 4, 1 |
5-Star Albums (70)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Soft Machine
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.
10 likes
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
There was a "game" for the ps1 called music 2000 where you could layer up a bunch of prerecorded samples and make "original" songs, and all of the songs you made sounded like this album.
In isolation there are a few bits here and there that sound like the precursor to interesting music but it's repeated so much and put together in such a lifeless way that I lost interest after 30 seconds. And then it would go on for 7 minutes.
I think there is a decent 4 minute album in this but as a whole it was dire and I can't imagine why it was included. Maybe the "electronic" music critic only had about 4 albums he actually wanted to include and after he ran out of orbital and portishead he has to scrape the bottom of the barrel for this nonsense.
9 likes
Prince
2/5
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.
8 likes
1/5
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.
5 likes
1/5
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.
3 likes
1-Star Albums (85)
All Ratings
Meat Loaf
3/5
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.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Tricky
1/5
Awful
Supergrass
5/5
Really good
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Blur
4/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Beatles
3/5
Lorde
2/5
Ya ya ya
Taylor Swift
1/5
Taylor has some tunes but not of them are on this album
The Cure
3/5
The Killers
5/5
Overplayed but still a classic
The Smiths
4/5
Morrissey's a prick but this album was pretty good
The Isley Brothers
4/5
Made the monday commute 100% smoother
Gang Starr
3/5
Has its moments, the guys flow strays into will smithy territory a bit
Kraftwerk
2/5
Definitely worth a listen, sure it's very influential, can't see myself going back to it.
Hole
3/5
Title track is class, rest of the album doesn't get close to it
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
Nice background music, can't remember anything that really stood out
Black Sabbath
5/5
Mint, really enjoyed it.
3/5
The critics who put this list together must really like blur! Familiar blur chord progressions, quite liked advert but no other standout songs.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Pretty fun
The Prodigy
5/5
Class
Gene Clark
2/5
Quite liked the title track, otherwise it was terrible.
The Stooges
3/5
Some good songs on this, knocking a mark for putting a 10 minute rubbish song on a 30 minute album
The Pretty Things
2/5
Very Beatlesy, quite liked it to start but it dragged after the first half
The Verve
3/5
The singles are really good, they sound pretty dreary on their album tracks, might improve with more listens
New York Dolls
3/5
Fun, sounded like green day sometimes and classic rock other times, enjoyed it but dont think I'll go back to it
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
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
Sister Sledge
3/5
It was okay, some iconic tracks but bit formulaic
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Great voice, loved the live feel, last few studio songs weren't as good
Aimee Mann
1/5
Didn't enjoy it at all, a slog to finish
Elliott Smith
3/5
Music was nice, lots of Beatlesy major/minor switching, wasn't too keen on the guy's voice though.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
Please no more country tinged pop. Slightly more interesting than Aimee Mann but still very very bland
Talking Heads
4/5
Felt way ahead of its time for 1979, eccentric music and lyrics but in a modern sounding way, really good
Radiohead
2/5
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
Wire
2/5
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
Garbage
3/5
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
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Expected riffs, got jangly guitars but it was still great
Queen
3/5
Some iconic tracks but didn't enjoy the album stuff as much as I thought I would
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
Meh, fine but dull
Fishbone
4/5
Very 80s movies soundtrack to begin with but each song seemed to change genre, really interesting and fun
Dion
1/5
Nothing interesting here
Le Tigre
3/5
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
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
It was alright, not a huge fan of elvis-era "rock n roll" but it was fairly enjoyable
Mylo
3/5
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!
Culture Club
1/5
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.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
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.
Tori Amos
1/5
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
The Strokes
3/5
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.
The xx
2/5
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
The Doors
4/5
Light my fire aside, first experience of the Doors, so much better than that song suggested. Trippy blues, big fan.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
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.
The Doors
3/5
More Doors! Preferred LA Women but this was still good. Enjoyed the weirder tracks the most.
The Kinks
2/5
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.
Queens of the Stone Age
5/5
Class album, weird and interesting all the way through. Lacks any obvious singles apart from regular John but that probably makes it better.
Beach House
3/5
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.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Was ready to pan it but as it continued the songs kept getting better, lots I didn't know were s+g. Surprisingly decent.
Fats Domino
3/5
Nice enough but nothing surprising or particularly impressive, better blues rock out there I think. Still enjoyed it.
The B-52's
2/5
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.
Metallica
4/5
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.
Soul II Soul
1/5
Not for me, very repetitive
Pulp
4/5
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.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
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.
The Black Crowes
2/5
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.
Animal Collective
3/5
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.
Caetano Veloso
3/5
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.
D'Angelo
1/5
Not for me at all, dull even by r and b standards.
3/5
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
Tina Turner
2/5
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.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Some great songs, short enough that it stays interesting, will definitely come back to this.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
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.
Big Star
4/5
This album was all over the place in a good way, really inventive for the time, shame they didn't have more success.
Pink Floyd
2/5
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.
Adele
2/5
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.
M.I.A.
4/5
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.
Iggy Pop
3/5
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.
Laibach
2/5
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.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
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.
Bad Company
3/5
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.
Mj Cole
1/5
This is barely an album, more a sample collection.
Def Leppard
3/5
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.
New Order
2/5
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.
Billy Bragg
4/5
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.
3/5
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.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
2/5
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.
Devendra Banhart
5/5
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.
Shuggie Otis
1/5
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.
Various Artists
3/5
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.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
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.
Coldplay
3/5
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
4/5
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.
The Stranglers
4/5
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.
Funkadelic
2/5
Not for me, basically a funk rock jam session.
Yes
5/5
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!
Dolly Parton
1/5
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.
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
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!
Pantera
4/5
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.
Nina Simone
2/5
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.
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
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.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
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
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
It's a bob Marley album, nice enough in the background on the right occasion but struggle to form a strong opinion.
David Bowie
4/5
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.
Beastie Boys
4/5
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.
Jeff Beck
3/5
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
Dr. Dre
1/5
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.
Pixies
5/5
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.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Still had the gravelliest voice of them all back in the day, enjoyed avalanche and some others but preferred you want it darker.
Beatles
2/5
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.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Sounds like they are trying to write James bond soundtracks, quite like the title track but it's a bit samey after that.
Slipknot
3/5
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.
Hookworms
4/5
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.
The Who
1/5
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.
The Cure
2/5
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.
Johnny Cash
3/5
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.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Thought it started better than expected, the more upbeat disco tracks were pretty interesting. Got worse as it went on.
UB40
3/5
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.
Dire Straits
3/5
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.
Neu!
3/5
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.
Sex Pistols
3/5
It's quick and fun, there's some good tracks, the singing is a bit grating so I couldn't have managed much more.
Nick Drake
4/5
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.
Genesis
2/5
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.
3/5
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
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
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.
Depeche Mode
4/5
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.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
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.
Everything But The Girl
1/5
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.
Queen
3/5
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.
The War On Drugs
2/5
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.
Radiohead
2/5
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.
Dead Kennedys
5/5
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.
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
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.
Gorillaz
3/5
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.
Nirvana
5/5
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.
Björk
3/5
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.
The Offspring
4/5
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.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Very Blur-y, a bit over the top and weird in places but it was nice enough.
Metallica
3/5
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.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
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.
Fela Kuti
5/5
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.
Morrissey
4/5
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.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
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.
The Jam
3/5
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.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
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.
John Lennon
3/5
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.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
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.
Thundercat
2/5
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 Lemper
1/5
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.
The National
4/5
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.
Cocteau Twins
1/5
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!
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
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.
Mike Oldfield
2/5
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.
Tortoise
4/5
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!
Cream
4/5
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.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
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.
JAY Z
4/5
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.
XTC
3/5
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.
Sonic Youth
3/5
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.
AC/DC
2/5
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.
Madness
2/5
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.
The Saints
4/5
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.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
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.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
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.
Snoop Dogg
1/5
Yeah it's basically more of Dr Dre's album, straps chronic bitches, terrible skits and the same lines over and over again. Terrible.
Adele
1/5
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.
Gram Parsons
2/5
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.
Bad Brains
4/5
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.
The Black Keys
3/5
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.
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
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.
Grizzly Bear
3/5
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.
The Dictators
4/5
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.
Weather Report
2/5
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.
The Velvet Underground
3/5
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.
Rush
3/5
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!
Rush
4/5
Preferred this Rush album, bit tighter, rockier and more pyschedelic. 2112 the best song of the lot, will definitely listen to it again.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
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
Gang Of Four
4/5
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.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
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.
Miles Davis
4/5
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.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
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.
Ozomatli
3/5
Couldnt get this on Amazon music but listened to about 3/4s on YouTube.
It was alright, seemed like quite a modern take on Latin American music with a few middle eastern influences? The brass was good when it appeared and in general pretty fun.
Can't say I'd seek it out again but a decent one listen. 2.5.
Korn
1/5
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!
Kid Rock
1/5
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.
Deep Purple
5/5
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.
Doves
3/5
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.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
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.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
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.
Tim Buckley
3/5
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.
Eagles
2/5
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.
Muddy Waters
3/5
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?
Carole King
3/5
Like Nilsson I'd never heard of her but this album was full of classics. Not particularly my thing but good for one listen.
Fiona Apple
2/5
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.
R.E.M.
3/5
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
Beatles
3/5
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.
David Bowie
4/5
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.
The Vines
5/5
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.
Orbital
3/5
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.
David Bowie
4/5
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.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
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.
Tears For Fears
3/5
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.
Marty Robbins
3/5
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.
Adam & The Ants
4/5
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.
Moby
3/5
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.
Beastie Boys
4/5
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
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
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.
U2
1/5
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.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
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.
1/5
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.
Yes
4/5
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.
Thin Lizzy
5/5
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.
David Holmes
1/5
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.
Queen Latifah
3/5
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.
Aerosmith
3/5
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.
Charles Mingus
4/5
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
4/5
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.
The Darkness
5/5
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.
1/5
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.
Megadeth
2/5
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.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
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.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
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.
The Fall
3/5
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.
Destiny's Child
2/5
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.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
4/5
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.
Björk
3/5
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.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
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.
N.W.A.
4/5
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.
Fred Neil
3/5
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?).
Crowded House
3/5
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.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
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.
Keith Jarrett
1/5
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.
Sheryl Crow
1/5
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.
Chicago
4/5
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.
Pavement
3/5
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.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
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.
The Specials
5/5
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.
Primal Scream
3/5
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.
Circle Jerks
5/5
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.
3/5
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.
Alice In Chains
3/5
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.
4/5
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.
Beck
4/5
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.
Black Sabbath
5/5
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.
Van Morrison
3/5
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.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
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.
Talking Heads
5/5
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.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
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.
Radiohead
5/5
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.
AC/DC
3/5
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.
Scissor Sisters
3/5
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
Louis Prima
4/5
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.
Prince
2/5
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.
Emmylou Harris
1/5
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.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
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.
Alanis Morissette
4/5
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
1/5
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.
The Yardbirds
3/5
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.
James Taylor
3/5
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.
The Undertones
4/5
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.
Bob Dylan
2/5
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.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
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.
4/5
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
The Crusaders
2/5
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.
Ramones
2/5
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.
ZZ Top
4/5
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.
Nick Drake
3/5
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.
Hole
4/5
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.
The Young Rascals
2/5
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.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
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.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
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.
The Band
1/5
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.
Syd Barrett
4/5
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.
Simple Minds
1/5
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.
Elis Regina
4/5
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.
Talking Heads
5/5
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.
Motörhead
2/5
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.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
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
Big Black
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.
Os Mutantes
2/5
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.
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
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.
The Who
2/5
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.
Bob Dylan
5/5
This is the Bob Dylan album, substantially better than the other ones we've had on the list. Clearly the best formula is stripped back with a guitar and a harmonica, and any additional elements just detract.
First half of the album was the best, most of it just as good as blowin in the wind, definitely a 5. Latter half not quite as good, so 4.5.
Soft Machine
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.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
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.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
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.
Duran Duran
3/5
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.
Linkin Park
5/5
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.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
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.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
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.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
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
3/5
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.
John Coltrane
5/5
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.
Joy Division
3/5
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.
Aerosmith
2/5
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.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
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.
The Stone Roses
4/5
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.
Cocteau Twins
4/5
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.
Beatles
2/5
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.
The Everly Brothers
1/5
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.
Miles Davis
2/5
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.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
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.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
2/5
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.
Neil Young
4/5
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
Stevie Wonder
2/5
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.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
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
4/5
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
Faith No More
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.
ABBA
2/5
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.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
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.
Massive Attack
2/5
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 Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
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*
Michael Jackson
2/5
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.
Tom Waits
2/5
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.
Stan Getz
3/5
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.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
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.
Nas
5/5
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.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
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
The Mars Volta
4/5
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.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
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
Judas Priest
3/5
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.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
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.
Don McLean
3/5
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.
David Bowie
5/5
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
George Michael
1/5
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.
The Police
2/5
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.
George Harrison
3/5
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.
Pentangle
4/5
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.
Rahul Dev Burman
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.
Billy Joel
2/5
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.
The Kinks
3/5
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.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
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.
David Crosby
3/5
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.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
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.
Meat Puppets
3/5
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.
Stan Getz
3/5
Didn't enjoy this quite as much as the last getz album, the lack of singing detracting from the beach side cocktail drinking atmosphere.
It was still pleasant, wouldn't mind it on in the background, but i couldn't recall any specifics now.
Thelonious Monk
4/5
This is exactly down the middle in what I expect from Jazz, it ticked all the boxes in a good way without ever really surprising me.
It might be that this was the trailblazer that makes jazz sound like this, but I doubt it.
Perfect background jazz when you don't want any curveballs but Im not bowled over by it. 3.5
PJ Harvey
3/5
Liked the general sound of most of these songs, liked the rough and ready feel, but they largely seemed to be one or two ideas short.
Nice vocals without being really impressive, feels like this is very much a 3.
The Louvin Brothers
1/5
Absolutely hated that. Encompassed everything I hate about country music.
Tediously repetitive, grating singing styles, a really unsettlingly casual approach to violence against women, absolutely no redeeming qualities.
Only lasted 35 minutes but checked if I was on the last song multiple times. The worst, kid rock levels of bad. 1 star.
TV On The Radio
3/5
Mixed feelings about this, definitely some interesting songs and mix of styles.
Most songs didn't really have any obvious hooks and together with the vocals/production it definitely falls into the pitchfork-y category for me, this sort of indie pop is one area I feel I'm an out of touch old man.
Something grabbed me a bit more than other albums of the sort have though, would like to listen again.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Mad to think this came out in the Beatles heydey.
It's really good, probably a bit less interesting than later zeppelin albums but still delivers what you expect. Vocals are great, handful of memorable riffs.
Doesn't have enough brilliant tracks to be a must listen id say but definitely a 4.
The White Stripes
5/5
Forgot how many great songs are on this, very few weak points on the album.
The guitar tone, vocals and general sound of it is perfect for blues rock, sounds really authentic but it's still fairly tight, imagine it takes a lot of effort to get this balance.
As discussed, I passed up on opportunity to see them that seems ludicrous now. Such a good album.
Talking Heads
4/5
Talking heads are one of the big discoveries from this list for me, listen to Remain in Light a lot.
This album has the start of them developing that off kilter dancey sound but it's a bit more straightforward and it didn't grab me as strongly.
Still a lot better than most mind, think it needs another listen.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Mike Oldfieldy electronic prog, found it very cluttered and all a bit silly.
There were some bits and pieces that caught me but they were largely covered in bleeps and laser noises, think Jean-Michel wanted to use all the settings on his new synth.
Not really for me as a genre anyway and this didn't change my mind.
DJ Shadow
2/5
I only know DJ Shadow through Nobody Speak by RTJ, which is such a good beat I was really excited for this. He's been around a long time!
There were some good beats here and there but it was largely quite restrained, didn't have as much swagger as I expected. There were a few parts that even reminded me of tubular bells, why does everything sound like Mike Oldfield?
Maybe with some rappers/singers this could have been better but as is I wasn't fussed.
Arcade Fire
5/5
First full arcade fire album I've listened to, know a few singles and really like some of them. Struggle to say exactly what genre they are and what I like about these songs, they are quite dramatic and unexpectedly dark for what would otherwise be more straightforward indie.
Wasn't sure about this album to start with but really liked the second half of it and on the second playthrough I was sold. There's a little bit of Brand New and Cursive in this, captures that dark, repetitive claustrophobic feeling very well. Weird that the frontman also turned out to be wrongun same as BN.
Will definitely listen again.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Quite enjoyed this, sounds very raw but I think that's a good thing. Definitely still finding their feet, vocals are a bit ropey, some songs are a bit too long, still must have been groundbreaking when it was released.
Don't feel compelled to hear it again which isn't a good sign but was worth hearing nonetheless. 3.5.
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
Had reasonable expectations for this, haven't listened to much BDB but thought he might be one of the better singer songwriters.
The music was nice in spots but I found it lyrically very bland and on occasion it strayed into toploader/keane levels of mediocrity. He doesn't have a great voice either.
It passed by painlessly enough but I wouldn't go back.
Missy Elliott
1/5
Was hoping for some interesting beats like get ya freak on, but this debut was paint by numbers terrible from start to finish.
Missy Elliott didn't seem to feature for the first couple of songs, giving busta rhymes the chance to get on my nerves, really glad they brought him back at the end as well, cheers. At least I remember him I guess, couldn't tell you anything specific about the middle of the album except it was a struggle.
Hard to see how this made the list.
The Only Ones
4/5
Know another girl another planet, I think from a blink 182 cover (though it's been covered by 50 other bands). It is very much a pop punk song about a decade ahead of it's time and by far the best track.
The wiki blurb mentioned new York dolls and there's a lot of similarities in the way they are pushing towards pop punk but also influenced by the older music, so the style flips back and forth a lot. Sounded like very old school punk and general pop rock for the most part, which while fine wasn't as exciting as the more modern sounding tracks.
Will listen again I think as I haven't quite made up my mind, I'd say 3.5 for now.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Some of this was absolutely class, there was a couple of times it was 5 worthy.
Most of the tracks were just too long though and I think the live recording detracted from the tunes.
Would like to listen to more allman brothers, if there is an album that is a bit tighter and a proper recording I think id be a fan.
Otis Redding
2/5
Otis does have a great voice for soul, if this music was my thing I think he'd be a favourite.
That said, an album of covers is a pretty weak inclusion in the list, didn't think he really added much to them except his voice and singing off the beat (which got in my nerves).
It passed by nicely but not really for me.
Iggy Pop
4/5
Enjoyed this, the hits are great and there were a few more tracks not too far off the level.
Quality fell off toward the end but it was fun and the songs were generally as long as they needed to be.
Think I still generally preferred the stooges, the punk sound was a bit subdued here, but I think as an album this was better than his band stuff.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
After the last MBV album I thought they'd grow on me with a few listens but I feel the same about this one as I previously did, don't think I'm going to become a proper fan.
There's some quite good tunes here and I generally like overdriven guitars with loads of feedback but the vocals and general feel of it is just a bit too spacey for me to be really interested.
It's not a bad album, they aren't a bad band, but I'm not converted.
Donovan
2/5
There definitely seems to be a sub genre of 60s singer songwriters with trippy album covers that have their face in the middle. Pretty sure they all vaguely sound like this with varying levels of psychedelia.
This one was a bit more straightforward and bland compared to the others. It has the sort of hippy sound youd expect but it didn't really take it to any interesting places.
Alright background music but wouldn't want to hear more, I stopped after the original tracklisting.
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Love this album, remember buying it in a massive queue at Sunderland HMV. Last time I recall liking a band involved in that sort of frenzy. Saw them on the NME tour and they were second on the bill, half the crowd left before Maximo park, mad.
Lyrics are witty and very northern in a way that I don't think any other band has captured. Much heavier than the imitators that followed too who all seemed to just copy mardy bum, probably because they don't have a drummer anywhere near as good as the AM guy.
By far their best album in my opinion, I like AM (sure it'll come up at some point) but this one is just a lot less cool which I'll always prefer.
Parliament
3/5
Surely the funkiest album ever recorded. Can't say it's a genre I listen to a lot (or ever) but they've completely met the brief.
It was fun but I probably wouldn't say good, quite repetitive, any of the tracks accomplishes everything you need. Except the last one which was mostly synth based farting.
Breezed by won't return, 2.5.
Emmylou Harris
1/5
Terrible, really bland and insipid, even for country. Didn't change gear once, all the instruments were pared back to be as radio friendly as possible. Never again
Shack
3/5
Never heard of these before, strange that a cult Scouse band would slip under the radar, guess they weren't active long enough to crop up.
Didn't mind this, shades of crowded house and Travis but thought it was delivered better than either of those. Really hope some Shack fans were inspired to visit Kensington by Streets of Kenny, sounds quite mysterious in the song (though the lyrics suggest they are trying to find drugs which is on point).
If it wasn't Scouse I'd be less interested I think, not really an essential album on its own, but nice enough.
Merle Haggard
1/5
Couldn't really shake Conway Twitty out of my head, very much of the era where music followed very stringent rules so there wasn't much variation, which is somewhat acceptable when it's big band stuff but dire when it's rockabilly/country.
All the songs were mercifully short, almost ridiculously so, not even the solos got more than a couple of bars. Not for me at all, just generally bad.
Jeff Buckley
5/5
Kind of blown away by how good this is, the first half in particular is brilliant.
I thought Jeff Buckley was from at least the 80s, not the mid 90s. I also thought he was quite a laid back acoustic sort of singer songwriter but he has a lot in common with Radiohead, hallelujah is admittedly great in its own right but it's been tarred by too many covers and it warped my perception of Jeff.
My one criticism would the vocals get a bit warbly at times, I think some parts would have been better if he'd sang them a bit straighter. That said, I'm going to listen to this again a lot.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
Found this was a lot of fun most of the time as long as I didn't take it too seriously, decent riffs, ticks the expected boxes.
There's something about LS that gets on my nerves though, can't quite place it. Maybe the vocals, or the slight country undertones. Not sure it's justified but can't shake it.
Probably would be a 4 for other similar bands but it's a 3.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Sort of a glam rock bob Dylan, not a combo I ever needed to hear.
Musically it was okay, had a few decent moments, but the Dylan drawl (which I don't really like anyway) was out of place here.
Okay to listen to once but won't come back, 2.5.
Frank Black
5/5
When this was good it was brilliant, particularly when it was more punky which was the case for the first few songs. Reminded me of Weezer and I thought this album would be exactly what I always wanted from the Pixies.
For the album as a whole there was a lot of pixies-sounding tracks, which while still great didn't stand up to the heavier stuff for me. Album was a little bloated too, could have trimmed about 25% of just okay tracks to end up with a better album.
Saying all this, some class songs on this, 4.5.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
Best mbv album so far, the actual music to this was great. Seemed to be more riff driven, reminded me of smashing pumpkins.
I really don't like the vocals, must just be a personal choice but it doesn't work for me at all. Loads of these songs would be so good if the singing matched the power of the guitar.
That's not what they are trying to do I guess, and there are arguably enough bands doing big rock numbers so it's probably refreshing to most that these are doing something different. Stops me from being a proper fan though. 3.5.
The Temptations
3/5
Pleasant funky soul, can't say the genre or band particularly so anything for me though. Don't know if this is the original heard it through the grapevine but it's definitely not the best.
Running out of ways to say I'm ambivalent about this sort of music but I still am, 2.5.
Eminem
3/5
Knew a few songs when I was younger but never listened to an album. Quite impressively offensive, don't know how he managed to get away with this stuff when it was released. Takes a lot of imagination to come up with some of this mind.
Some of the lyrics are very clever but it really got on my nerves how most lines had to end with a relevant soundbite, almost like some American comedy that cant trust you to get the joke and has to hit you in the face with it.
Don't think I would listen to anything that wasn't a single from this again. Completely groundbreaking album but wouldn't come back, 2.5.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Scooby snacks is great, they definitely have a unique sound. I hoped the rest of the album might be of a similar level but can't say any other song stood out.
It might be a slow burner but don't feel particularly keen to listen again. That said it wasn't terrible, just not that good either, but if a shame really. 2.5.
Pearl Jam
4/5
Pearl Jam only get called grunge because they are from Seattle and were big at the same time as Nirvana, when they are actually dad rock.
Eddie has a great voice for rock and I think carries what is a largely standard selection of tracks, except for even flow and Jeremy which are both class. Ive tried to get into Pearl Jam a couple of times but they just don't grab me like other bands of the time.
Why are there 11 tracks in album called Ten? Almost want to knock a point off for that. Overall I think it's a solid album but l feel other people are hearing something I'm missing, 3.5.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Toxic levels of prog rock, the random noises that replaced a large portion of the lyrics was particularly wanky.
Feels like Rob recorded what ever came into his head without stopping to think if it was any good, and it almost always wasn't.
I guess the general sound wasn't completely unlistenable but largely seemed to be strange in an attempt to be interesting and I didn't like it. 1.5.
Justice
5/5
Along with daft punk and MSTRKTFT, Justice are the sort of rock driven dance music I can get on board with.
Very nostalgic, D.A.N.C.E was an indie club staple in the uni days. While it isn't that varied, I'm not sure you'd expect much variation from an album like this.
While I do have this album on my phone, not sure if I've listened to it in the last 5 years, so was great to hear again.
Nirvana
4/5
Never listened to this in full before but has to be one of the most famous live performances, knew large portions of it.
Some great tracks, very rough and ready but enjoyed it. While the live aspect will appeal to big nirvana fans I think it would probably be better properly recorded.
Think the story surrounding this album heightens it's fame beyond what it probably deserves, but it's a good listen nonetheless.
OutKast
3/5
Generally like OutKast singles, they sound completely different from their peers, loads more musical influences. They mostly avoid the gangster tropes of other artists (there was a little bit on here) and are generally positive and fun to listen to.
A whole album was a bit much, especially one this long, the second half in particular started to blend into one. I really like Andre 3000s flow and it was underutilized, should have been some more straightforward rapping and less slow crooning.
Overall well worth a listen but not sure I'd go back.
50 Cent
1/5
Wouldn't want to jump to any conclusions but I think fiddy is trying to say he's a rich gangster with guns that you don't want to mess with. Maybe he could have added some bonus tracks along these lines so that more than the current 100% of content could have tackled these themes.
Heard one song and you've heard the album, except youve saved an hour of your life, congratulations. Sampling cocking a gun and using it in the beat for a whole track was equal parts hilarious and horrendous.
I guess the beats are generally okay but I find the smug violent posturing unlistenable.
Gotan Project
2/5
Couldn't decide if I'd heard a few of these tracks on car adverts or if they just generally sounded like car advert music.
Would have made acceptable background music I think but I listened to it on the train and it was a bit dull and aimless.
Inoffensive but not sure I can point to any part that stood out or interested me.
B.B. King
3/5
Loudest crowd noise I've ever heard on an album, it makes it sound more like a proper gig I suppose but it's a bit annoying to listen to.
B.B does have a great voice, this would be great to hear live and was fun to listen to on record once, I'm not sure it warrants repeated listens.
Metallica
3/5
More Metallica ey, can't have one Weezer album but we need the whole discog from these fellas.
It sounds very much like I expected it to, not as "modern" (relatively) as the one with enter sandman, not as old as the older ones. I think I quite enjoy most of the songs in isolation but as an album it all blends into one a bit.
As someone who quite likes odd time signatures and tempo changes, I find some of the changes in here don't really work for my ears, the drumming seems off, or at least not the correct choice of rhythm.
The song "one" is the highlight, the rest is acceptable.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Enjoyed this, think it might be more that sonic youth are starting to click with me than this being a better album than daydream nation, would have to listen to DN again to be sure.
It was very post rocky, at least in the first half, and had that 'barely holding it together' DIY sound that sounds really authentic, which is impressive for a fourth album.
Not many obvious hits, though this album did remind me of Kool Thing by them which I like. Think I'm on my way to being a fan.
The Beach Boys
3/5
I do understand the huge reputation this album has now, its much deeper and accomplished than other beach boys. Get the feeling it was heavily influenced by the Beatles and to be fair God only knows would fit nicely on any of their stuff.
Though I can tell it's a well made album, in general it isn't for me. It's all a bit too nice, there's kind of two gears, mildly happy and mildly sad. Think it's largely just how music sounded in that time but it makes a whole album a bit pedestrian.
That's not to say it isn't very listenable but I'm not excited.
T. Rex
2/5
Not really sure of the appeal of glam rock, though think I'd struggle to name what glam rock is outside of trex. Is Elton John glam rock?
I do think children of the revolution is a decent song so it was very frustrating that about 3 of these songs were ripping it off. They must have been running out of ideas at this point.
It's not appalling but I'd struggle to give it any compliments.
The Who
1/5
Another very long live album, why there's so many on this list I don't know.
Don't like the Who, while this included some of their older songs which are more palatable the Tommy stuff and other 'experimental' tracks are really dull. They hardly ever play a minor chord, it's just straightforward 'rock'.
Heard enough Who to last me a lifetime now, please no more.
R.E.M.
3/5
I'm in two minds about REM, sometimes they sound like the blandest band you could think of but they have some great songs and I'm not really sure why they are great.
The best REM songs werent really on this one, everybody hurts is too overplayed, and outside of man on the moon/nightswimming it passed me by. 2.5.
Love
3/5
Bit funky, jazzy and psychedelic, can see how they influenced the doors, particularly the last track.
Grew on me a bit as it went on, wasn't sold initially but I think another listen might help. Some use of harpsichord which I don't approve of, and generally just sounds a bit dated. Okay though.
Its aggressively 90s despite being released in 2000. There's a bit more nostalgia here than the other U2 albums we've had but I think that's as complimentary as I can be.
Like the rest of the U2 discography, it's aggressively bland. Songs like beautiful day and elevation might could be okay but the distortion is turned all the way down and everything is compressed. Dont like Bonos singing, the woohoos in elevation manage to make it sound worse.
It's a right dud, do not recommend.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Completely over the top and musically all over the place, proper tonic to the blandness of U2.
Sounded like glam rock, classic rock, gypsy punk, and (slightly reggae) soul at various points, bit mad but very interesting. Definitely want to hear more.
Wouldn't give it a five as I wasn't completely sold on any particular part of it but very glad it came up.
ZZ Top
4/5
ZZ Top are good fun, no long intros or experimental turns, just riffs and solos. It's frequently cheesy but I find it quite endearing.
They aren't doing anything a dozen other classic rock bands haven't already but every now and then ZZ top tick the boxes, and this was one of those days.
3/5
Odd choice for a muse album in this list, hope origins of symmetry is also on here. Though this may be the one which was well received internationally.
There's a lot to like here but it's also showing signs of all the annoying Muse attributes that make all subsequent albums unlistenable. Vague 'fight the power' themes, really leaning into the over the top rock opera side of things with lots of space sounds.
I really like earlier muse and Id be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the nostalgia of this album, but it deserves a lot of criticism.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Actually quite enjoyed this, much more focused than the Beatles, some good riffs, guess it's not too surprising that Lennon might have been bringing the majority of the trippy side of things.
Lost its way towards the end a bit and in general I find it hard to get excited about this sort of pop rock, but pleasantly surprised. 3.5.
System Of A Down
5/5
So happy to see SOAD make this list, wasn't expecting it. As a young lad who'd started listening to pop punk about 6 months before, System were a revelation for me, cheers to Wallys brother for the recommendation. Took Davei a little bit longer to get into them, he thought we were turning into goths for a bit, good times.
SOAD are unique, no one else really sounds like them, even today. Serj's voice is so strong, they can hit so hard but also be really weird and strange. This album is a bit less polished than the others but it's got loads of classics.
Went to see them in Manchester when we were 16/17, furthest we'd travelled for a gig back then and I can still remember how good it was. Love em, love this album.
Neil Young
3/5
Liked the first song, sounded like quite a modern singer-songwriter track, the rest of it was of variable quality and I can't really recall it very well.
I quite like Neil Young's voice, he can't sing all that well but it sounds quite indie and authentic. That said I don't think there was much to write home about here.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Too much Neil, tried to not let it cloud my judgement of this album but it would have definitely benefitted with a bit of space from the last one.
This was much more of a blues rock album but I don't think the heavier approach was a benefit, a lot of the music seemed a bit straightforward and I don't think Neil has the voice for it.
It was fine to listen to on a basic level but can't think of any part that stood out. Id probably give it a two now but I think if I hadn't just listened to the previous album I'd find a bit more in it, I'll say 2.5 again.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Seems like this was very influential to most 90s pop rock bands.
At its best this was a cross between the verve and manic street preachers, but there were a good few bland songs and a terrible country song I think about banging a ghost.
I think commercially it would have been better off sticking to the bland side of things, going the train/toploader route, or it could have leaned into the darker vervey stuff and been a better album. As it stands, it was okay and as I understand it not very successful.
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
There was a "game" for the ps1 called music 2000 where you could layer up a bunch of prerecorded samples and make "original" songs, and all of the songs you made sounded like this album.
In isolation there are a few bits here and there that sound like the precursor to interesting music but it's repeated so much and put together in such a lifeless way that I lost interest after 30 seconds. And then it would go on for 7 minutes.
I think there is a decent 4 minute album in this but as a whole it was dire and I can't imagine why it was included. Maybe the "electronic" music critic only had about 4 albums he actually wanted to include and after he ran out of orbital and portishead he has to scrape the bottom of the barrel for this nonsense.
Sinead O'Connor
1/5
Sounded pretty much as expected, not for me.
She's got a good voice I suppose but the music was very middle of the road, one of those albums where they can't have been excited with any of the music they came up with. A bit everything but the girl in that sense I think, where i get the feeling they think their lyrics are really interesting and it never occurred to them it had to sound good.
Won't be back, I'm not completely sure it's bad but it isn't what I want to hear.
Elvis Presley
1/5
Recently heard that Cliff Richard was made to be a UK equivalent to Elvis and musically the whole thing clicked, the vast majority of Elvis' music is schmaltzy tosh that would fit into Cliff's catalogue.
I think Elvis' status comes from his live shows, where he was unlike any performer of the time, but on this record that doesn't come through. I think a lot of his songs have had remixes that make sound more exciting and modern than they actually are.
This is definitely an influential album but not my thing.
R.E.M.
4/5
Enjoyed this more than the last REM album, prefer the slightly rocky/indier sound and orange crush and stand are top notch.
Mad that this is their sixth album and was released in 1988, they've been around bloody ages. Maybe their debut is hardcore punk and they've progressively mellowed over time.
REM will never be my favourite band but their best stuff is always welcome on a playlist and this album is a lot of their best.
Kanye West
4/5
This was frustratingly pretty solid. Kanye is a horrendous person but the beats were largely good, except for the pitch shifted singing which I've always hated.
Kanye actually had really good flow on this, and there were a few lines that were unexpectedly self deprecating, really worked against the general self promotion. For the genre it was quite light on guns and girls, I even laughed at the college skits.
It was still overproduced, too long and not very varied but far better than expected. 3.5.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Wasn't great background music. Not a huge fan of songs that are intentionally unlistenable, and I'd say Gristle mostly achieved this by recording random conversations and sounds.
I feel anyone with the intention to put out something like this could do it by recording the first things that came into their head. Much prefer Laibach who I think put a lot more effort into sounding unsettling.
Cypress Hill
3/5
Cypress hill have the quintessential old school hip hop sound, this is almost certainly what all of the other groups of the time wanted to sound like. It just sounds so authentic, nostalgic and cool.
It's a shame the content is 90% guns, 10% weed. I think if it was even slightly toned down I'd be coming back to this but it's just really hard to stay engaged when every bar is the same.
It's a shame because the flow is great and if you don't listen to closely it's brilliant but I can't strongly recommend the album.
Dire Straits
1/5
I feel like this is Dire Straits trying to be experimental, but they appear to have no idea what to do outside of soft guitar rock.
The pan pipes, the funk bass, the organ, there isnt anything they can turn their particular flavour of bland to. The vocals are just about okay in soft rock but they sound completely out of place on most of this.
Money for nothing is the most soft rock and so the best song, but even then the long intro is uncalled for. Really didn't like this, a proper stinker.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Calm singer songwriter stuff doesn't tend to be my favourite genre but I loved this. Joni's voice is brilliant and brings the less interesting songs up a few notches, but there are some songs that are great on their own merit.
Not sure if I'd listen to it a lot, it's not really my thing, but it's fantastic so I might get into it. 4.5.
Minutemen
5/5
This was brilliant. I generally like angular punk and this was clearly influential but just great in its own right.
Lots of it reminded me of taking heads, a bit of McLusky, but really there was loads of variety. The glory of man sounds so much like LCD Soundsystem. There was a good chunk of random filler, album could have been 20 mins shorter (which still would have been very long)!
Would have given it an extra mark for the Jackass theme but it's already a 5.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
Does Lana del Rey normally sound like this or is she usually more poppy? Kind of felt like she'd purposely made a stripped back album but it could be that's her thing.
Seemed to be just piano versions of songs that would otherwise have more going on, didn't feel like bon iver or the xx or something that was more cleverly pared back. Consequently found it very dull and samey. Sad piano music for 45 mins.
Not actively unlistenable but not worth listening to.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
Ive never listened to a rocket from the crypt album but I know on a rope, apparently not from THPS2 though. I'd made my peace that this list was diverse and I wasn't going to hear all my favourite bands but that they chose this to represent ska/punk is a bit galling.
It's okay, the singer sounds like the guy from less than jake, songs were nice enough. Felt the brass kind of took the edge of the punk side of things, but it wasn't ska enough to be fun, kind of got lost in the middle.
Was never hooked by on a rope back in the day to seek out the rest of their songs, and having heard it I won't be coming back. Think it's probably the sort of thing you need nostalgia for.
Germs
3/5
When I first started listening I thought it was fairly straightforward hardcore punk, decent enough but didn't really grab me.
After reading the wiki blurb it's the first hardcore punk album which is pretty impressive, it's very typical of the genre even today. To still sound pretty relevant after 45 years is a good sign.
The album does fall into the 'influential but not necessarily the best' category, there's better punk out there, but still a worthy inclusion on the list.
Can
1/5
The first half was a bit dull and repetitive but was okay in the background.
Second half was abysmal, all semblance of some sort of songwriting approach was abandoned and it descend into random noises. Not in an interesting way though, almost impressive how pedestrian they made it all sound.
Can't think of a single redeeming feature.
Death In Vegas
2/5
Most of this felt a bit like a low budget primal scream. There were bits that were decent, one song that was a sort of overdriven electronic nine inch nailsy thing, but by and large I wasn't too fussed.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
A bit like Duran Duran, this used the great 80s formula where you write a rock album but play the riffs on synth and funk bass instead of a guitar.
Loads of great songs, particularly like she bop, Jamie Lenman does a good cover. I think it could be a five if Cyndi's voice wasn't so grating. It sounds like she's trying so hard to sound cute and different and it gets on my nerves. It is quite iconic though, particularly on girls just want to have fun, maybe if she just toned it down a bit.
By and large though the music makes up for the singing style, really enjoyed it.
Neil Young
4/5
Definitely the best Neil album so far, had some genuinely good songs on it. Reminded me of Fleetwood Mac in some place, particularly liked Alabama.
Felt that the quality varied a lot though and there were still some duffers, particularly any stripped back song where Neil's not very good voice was more prominent. Double bad if he had to hold any notes for longer than 2 seconds.
Generally though I did enjoy it and would listen again so it has to be slightly better than average, 3.5
Fever Ray
1/5
Nope, didn't like this. Sounded really straightforward with some odd vocal effects and sounds added to give the impression of creativity.
Bet music journos/pitchfork love it, one of those where I just don't get it. There seems to be a genre of indie that amounts to strange production choices and I'm not a fan.
Carpenters
3/5
The Carpenters are definitely good at what they do, Im just not sure I'm on board with it. It's the least edgy music ever produced, very nice and relaxing but almost unnervingly so. Another example of music that would be good in a horror film because its positive to the point of unsettling.
For one listen I did quite enjoy it and I completely understand why somebody might give it a five but if I went back to it I'd probably go insane. 2.5.
Rufus Wainwright
5/5
For want two I said I enjoyed it but wouldn't go back (and I haven't) but I'll definitely go back to this. It was still a singer songwriter version of Thom Yorke in parts but also reminded me of Jeff Buckley and Beirut.
The classical influences were a bit too thick in parts, preferred it when it was a bit more indie. Otherwise a really good album. 4.5
Ravi Shankar
3/5
Hard to rate this one. I found it really interesting and I learnt about Indian music, the explanations gave a lot of context and I found myself getting into it more. That said, it was long and I can't say I'd ever listen again.
A great inclusion on this list but not personally a style of music I'd intentionally listen to. I'm going to say 3 but it's pretty arbitrary.
Stephen Stills
2/5
As far as I'm concerned Stephen stills is the talent from Scott Pilgrim, so disappointing that he's putting out country music.
The rockier side of country is more palatable, so when this was closer to lynyrd skynyrd it was slightly more enjoyable. Really though it was a bit bland, still undeniably country and very, very long.
Hard to pick out a song so that suggests it was very samey, I'm sure the first two tracks were the same chords at a different tempo. I was never going to like this and I think for the genre it's middle of the road so I won't give it a 1.
Coldcut
2/5
Painfully 90s, all of the beats and sound effects were completely of their time.
The song with all the phone calls was particularly annoying and I'm not sure this album achieves anything that you couldn't get just by listening to pump up the jam a few times.
I'm sure it achieved what it set out to, Mr motivator probably has it fairly constant rotation, but I can't think when I would ever actually want to listen to it.
Soft Cell
3/5
Mad that tainted love is a cover, and a Gloria Gaynor cover at that. Got to assume that soft cell have put their own spin on it.
That song is great, otherwise the first half was a bit underwhelming. Picked up towards the end, chips on my shoulder onwards was a good listen.
This album must be very influential, feels like it set the tone for the 80s. I generally like the darker skew this album has compared to the other synth bands too. That said, not my favourite genre and I probably wouldn't listen again.
Had to stop what I was doing to confirm that the guy indeed did say sex dwarf.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Love Joni Mitchell's voice but this album was more stories to backing music. She never really pushed her vocals like on the previous album, and the few times she sang properly just made it clear what the rest of the album was lacking.
The stories suffered from the same issues as other indie storyteller songs, a lot of specific places names and discussing a conversation back and forth but strip all that back and its just vague chat about love.
Some of the music was pleasant and I think Joni is great but this album didn't do it for me.
Venom
3/5
80s metal was basically ripping each other off all of the time. I can see why this is on the list because Metallica copied their entire style, but then Heavens on fire is almost identical to Ace of Spades (and I think the latter came out first). This must be why the genre sounds so samey.
This album was fine, basically a Metallica album, maybe slightly more over the top with the satan theme. Influential without being an essential listen id say, 2.5.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
Lauryn Hill is a great singer and rapper, after the first song I had really high hopes. Most of the album from then on was quite dull, no more rapping and straightforward music.
No excuse for it being as long as it was either, if the runtime is already over an hour maybe don't bother with the cover of can't take my eyes off of you.
Her voice does keep it from being a complete disaster, there were a good number of parts I enjoyed. Feel like it could have been so much better though, wouldn't listen again. 2.5 but closer to a 2.
Gene Clark
3/5
Quite pleasant singer songwriter, one of two songs that were quite beatlesy and a bit more complex but mostly just some decent acoustic songs.
Guys voice was nice without being amazing, it wasnt bland but it was all just fine. Nailed on 3
Drive Like Jehu
5/5
This ticked all the boxes for me, I generally like post-hardcore but this has just the right amount of aggression and complexity. From the first track I was hooked.
Still amazed the guitarist was in rocket from the crypt, the jump from this to radio friendly ska punk is very unexpected. Definitely prefer Jehu.
Wouldn't say I'm a proper fan of any 90s post hardcore bands but this could change with DLJ, loved this album and will be listening again excessively.
Steve Winwood
1/5
This was very bland, sounded like a lot of bad TV show themes with really corny synth and sax riffs.
I had it on while working and it all merged into one, my phone has played one or two random tracks before I realised it had finished.
As it was released in 1980 it was probably influential on the other 80s stuff that sounded like this, but I'm not sure that's better or worse.
Not for me, can't imagine it's anyone's favourite, even if you like this music you'd probably prefer something that stands out a bit more.
Throwing Muses
4/5
This sounded way more modern than it's age, only the singing really ties it to the 80s. The indie punk sound would fit in decades later.
Generally thought it was great, probably missing any obvious stand out tracks but most of the album was well above average.
I would listen again but I'm not sure if ever be a really big fan, so it's probably somewhere between 3.5 and 4.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Can't put my finger on why but super furry animals just don't do it for me. They generally sound like Ash, Weezer and lots of other bands I like but they are missing the riffs or something else that makes it work.
Bits of this sounded like they'd listened to too much Bowie but don't think they nailed that sound. There was nice little bits here and there but can't say I really enjoyed it.
Roxy Music
3/5
This was weirder and more interesting than expected.
A lot of the songs went on a bit too long and became a bit repetitive but the album as a whole was fairly trim.
Very 80s but didn't take itself too seriously and for one listen It was decent enough.
Sigur Rós
3/5
Ive tried listening to Sigor Ros before (and Mogwai) and find I like the idea of this sort of music more than I actually enjoy listening to it. It's great as background music but I don't tend to want to listen again.
I enjoyed this album more than anything else I've heard by them which is a good sign, there were a few tracks which stood out. That said, still sounds like it's being arty for the sake of it in a lot of places.
I might listen again but for now it's a 3.
Brian Eno
4/5
Only really know Brian Eno as a producer, didn't really know what to expect with this. First half was quite interesting, bit talking heads, some synthy stuff.
By the River is brilliant, by far the best track, and together with the last two tracks is the best part of the album, very dark (something something Brian Emo).
I'm not sure if I'd listen to the whole album again but I'll definitely come back to that last part.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
Well it doesn't sound like other bjork stuff but then again none of bjorks stuff sounds like other bjork stuff.
Sounded very 80s, decent enough but I feel like we've had a bit too much of this recently. Struggle to think of any songs that stood out for the better.
Can see why it's on the list but won't be back. 2.5 but closer to 2.
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Somebody once asked me if I liked the flaming lips and instead of saying 'no, are they good, any albums you would recommend?' I just said no, because I was a music snob despite listening to 90% pop punk.
I then listened to a few tracks and it turns out I would like them and they were bang on to ask me. They've got a grand sort of classic movie quality to them and combined with their indie sound it's really unique.
The only album I really know is Yoshimi battles the pink robots and I prefer it to this album which sounds like a much earlier one, apart from the first track there wasn't any standouts but I still enjoyed it.
Should listen to more flaming lips, this album was good but not an essential listen id say.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Pretty much the epitome of classic rock, sounds like what a dozen other bands on this list actually want to be. Robert plants voice really is the best for this sort of music
It sounds completely authentic and has most of Led Zep's best songs. I know stairway to heaven has a stereotype of being overplayed but I'm not sure where it's getting played, maybe back in the day, still sounds great to me.
Top notch, easy 5.
Deee-Lite
2/5
Actually listened to this a couple of days ago and thought I'd already rated it, guess I lost interest halfway through the review, very apt.
The introduction song was pretty good, thought we might get a genuine mix of jazz and hip hop. It was actually just a lot of 90s house music.
Groove in the heart is okay, pretty iconic, wouldn't touch the rest.
Bee Gees
1/5
Comically bad, every song is as edgy as a circle, the warbling vocals are equal parts hilarious and terrible.
The wiki page suggests the album wasn't successful or notable so I assume it made the list by way of an admin error.
The Youngbloods
2/5
Lots of different styles here, there was blues, folk, soul and a few others. Some attempts were better than others but I think it was bit too all over the place to really enjoy.
Decent enough vocals, no absolute clangers but I think you'd be better off listening to better artists from the numerous attempted genres. 2.5 but closer to 2.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Elvis' persona and the rock and roll thing must have been completely revolutionary because otherwise it feels like a huge practical joke that I'm not in on.
He can't sing anything that isnt a proper crooner, and even then he's not great. It feels like a parody of Elvis most of the time, until you remember that's what Elvis sounds like. And he's singing a load of songs they have been done loads better by other people!
I think blue suede shoes is okay and there's enough about it to get through one listen but it's really bad. 1.5.
Arcade Fire
4/5
I think I preferred the suburbs but again the album was a real grower and I think I need a couple more listens to be sure.
Arcade fire don't have any obvious hooks and I'm not sure what I enjoy so much about them. They definitely sound darker and more unexpected than most indie bands. There were some weaker tracks that while not being bad just didn't go anywhere.
Right now it's a 4 but likely to change.
Orange Juice
2/5
I admittedly wasn't paying full attention to this but as far as I can tell it was very 80s pop with a Morrissey impersonator on vocals.
It never made me stop and really listen to it so it can't have been completely awful but it definitely wasn't good, and the few times I tuned in the singing style was over the top to the point of being funny.
No need to come back, 1.5.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Quite like the chemical brothers, along with daft punk they were the only rock influenced dance music around at that time.
Never listened to an album and I don't think this one offered much more than the singles, though setting sun is probably my favourite chem bros track. Good background music though.
Don't feel inspired to listen to any more of their albums but I could put this on in the background again I guess.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Haven't listened to the other Dylan album we love had yet cos it's not on Amazon music but looking at the tracklist its probably better.
This was pretty good, he can definitely write a song. He sounds very authentic but he can't sing everything and it didn't always land for me.
Think I'll enjoy the more acoustic focused albums that will inevitably come up.
Steve Earle
1/5
Really easy to tick off country bingo with this one.
Shocked that it came out mid 80s and is considered an essential album, thought it sounded pretty dated for the 60s that I originally thought it came from.
The whole shtick was laid on a bit too thick throughout but none more so than little rock and roller which would make a great parody song. Laughed a lot.
Surely this guy is nobodys favourite, even people who like country can't be into this.
Kings of Leon
3/5
This appears to be the album halfway between the proper southern rock version of Kings of Leon and the serviceable if underwhelming indie band they were to become.
Some great songs on this, mostly the rockier ones, particularly four kicks. Quite a few were fairly standard though, seems like they'd started to emulate all the bands they were touring with.
It's very listenable but it's no youth and young manhood. 3.5 but closer to 3.
The Byrds
2/5
Sort of a Beatles clone, didn't really do anything for me. The best song was a bob Dylan cover and it largely blended into one.
It was short and inoffensive and that's about the best I can say about it.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
I know very little about tom petty, didn't recognise anything from this album, and looking at his discography doesn't spark many memories except for free fallin', assuming it's that one.
This album was very of it's time, breezy pop rock, there were a couple of decent songs, liked breakdown and American girl. Wouldn't rush back but it was fine, 2.5.
Miles Davis
3/5
Nice background jazz, was quite straightforward considering it was Miles Davis and John Coltrane, was expecting it to be a lot stranger.
Again, would be great live and was enjoyable to listen to but it's hard to recommend this over any other straightforward jazz album.
The Cardigans
4/5
Pleasantly surprised, thought most of this was really good. Their songs had lots of ideas and changes and quite a few riffs. I like cardigans singles so maybe it shouldn't have been such a shock.
The production was very 90s, think it would have benefited from having louder drums and guitars, though probably not in terms of broad appeal. The last quarter of the album was a drop off in quality too, everything from iron man onwards.
Still, I reckon their greatest hits album must be pretty decent, and this one was well worth a listen.
The Blue Nile
2/5
It was pretty unique and the guy was a decent singer but making a sort of laid back ambient indie thing doesn't give you many options to change it up, so it sounded very samey. These guys should do the opposite of putting a slow track in and have a heavy riff based banger in the middle.
As with a lot of chilled albums, the lack of contrast makes it sound like it never gets out of first gear. Nice enough though, 2.5 but more a two
Dennis Wilson
2/5
I think we've had enough beach boys on this list now, there was nothing here that was better than pet sounds, and that album was passable at best.
Trying to be experimental after your harmony vocal band doesn't seem to lead to good results. Not a painful listen but wouldn't recommend.
Ministry
3/5
Wanted to listen to ministry for a while given their influence on nine inch nails and their role as the concert Aesop Rock's brother was banned from attending in Blood Sandwich.
Sounded like I expected given the NIN link, industrial metal which Trent Reznor strongly ripped off in the early years. Would say it's less varied than NIN though, almost all songs used a variation of the same driving riff. The dark Christian themes would out off a religious household, can see why Aesop's mam didn't approve.
I quite liked it but I don't think I'd go back very soon, there wasn't anything that stood out enough.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
Only know of Will Oldham from the Jeffrey Lewis song where he's made out to be "king of a certain genre", and having listened to him I'm not sure what genre that is. Sad folk music?
It was okay, went be super fast, was on the last song much sooner than expected. It was very melancholy in a way that I could see getting a cult following but it didn't quote land with me, maybe another listen or another album might do it. 2.5.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Can't lie, actually quite enjoyed this. Was far more varied and interesting than I expected and felt like it was over too soon. 29 mins seems a bit too short to be considered an album!
Actually, when you then consider that there's also 2 mins of old people talking it seems they are taking the mick a bit. But I'll gladly take quality over quantity and despite it not really being my thing I would listen again.
The Monkees
3/5
This was more serious than I expected, I thought Monkees were a bit of a light hearted family friendly band. Very reminiscent of the Beatles.
A couple of songs stood out (shades of grey, randy Scouse got) but there was a general theme of chatting up girls, with some songs suggesting a troubling age range.
A pleasant surprise given my expectations but can't say I'll be back.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Don't really have any interest in this hey nonny nonny folk stuff, though I imagine it's very representative of the 60s flower power thing.
One song in isolation is quite nice enough, decent vocals, but a whole album is painful. Could have cried when the last song came round and it was 10 minutes long.
I'm probably an cynical uncultured prick but this sort of folk feels so performative, like appearing to be a hippie is the most important thing, when I think this whole movement was meant to be against materialism and pretension. Don't know what I'm on about really but this album isn't very good.
Goldfrapp
2/5
Rather odd on the face of it but the more I listened the more it just felt dull. Lots of ambient sounds and weird noises but every track just plods along without anything interesting happening.
Reminds me of a really bad bjork album, which kinda shows how good bjork is as she'd make something like this sound memorable. 1.5.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
I thought jesus and Mary chain were shoegaze, so either I was wrong or I still don't know what shoegaze is.
It was quite good though, reminded me of the cure a lot, must have been influential on a lot of bands to come.
Once the album finished there weren't any tracks that stood out but it definitely warrants another listen, 3.5.
Kate Bush
3/5
Kate Bush is a lot like Bowie, in that the good songs are great but a lot of it is a bit too odd.
I thought the second half was a lot better than the first, I was really struggling for the first mins. It's definitely an acquired taste, and not one I think I've acquired, but all in all it was decent.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
Another Liverpool fan band I've never heard of! Kind of a cross between talking headsy art pop and 80s synth pop with a bit of ska thrown in.
It was pretty good, obviously leans on TH a lot but there were some enjoyable songs. I'm not sure if ever listen to this over talking heads mind, and I think the ways in which it deviates from their sound are the bits I'm not as keen on. Still, would listen again.
Elliott Smith
5/5
Except for Buckley this is the best singer songwriter album we've had so far. First few songs were nice enough, very Beatlesy, but as it went on it deviated from this formula and stayed interesting.
One complaint would be that his voice is a bit subdued and monotone, I like it when a singer can do loud as well as quiet. That said it does work on these songs. Will be coming back, 4.5.
Willie Nelson
2/5
This is basically the pinnacle of country music and it's pretty much the same song over and over again.
It does sound very authentic, Willie has the perfect voice for country music. I wouldn't mind hearing this in some bar in Southern USA. But outside the right setting it's not worth listening to.
Hopefully this signals the end of country music on this list.
Dr. John
2/5
Trippy psychedelic music, sort of laid back rock/funk. Guy sounds like a cross between a gruff Mick jagger and the spirit of jazz.
Songs are very much a 'vibe' as opposed to any standout melodies, it's not really for me.
Paul Simon
3/5
First off, terrible album cover. Theres a joke involved 'Art' Garfunkel I can't quite reach, but regardless the cover is bad.
Paul Simon definitely can definitely write a pop song, a lot of this was better than it had any right to be. That said, the African-influenced 80s sound is far too close to Phil Collins territory for me to truly enjoy it.
Better than expected but not brilliant.
Al Green
3/5
It's funky soul, a genre I strongly associate with a themed 1p machine at metroland. I'm not sure if any of these songs were on its very limited catalogue but it wouldn't have been out of place, ticked all the boxes.
It's not a genre I'm particularly fond of but this album was a solid example, 2.5.
Ian Dury
1/5
Not really sure what the appeal is of the bouncy cockney chas and dave genre. Bawdy lyrics and being a cheekie chappie must have been really popular back in the day but it just sounds like a novelty act to me, may as well have Mr blobby or the crazy frog on here.
Rhyming as many words as you can to a girls name isn't the talent Ian seems to think it is. Sex and drugs and rock and roll was the best song by virtue of being a legitimate song, and along with blackmail man brings it up to 1.5, but I'm still giving it a 1.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Same as the other nick cave albums, I just don't get it. Quite like his voice, the music is fine without anything really standing out but the lyrics get on my nerves.
A bit like Paul Simon as Jack pointed out, the sort of random conversation/story approach to these songs doesn't work at all in my opinion. Wouldn't listen again, I'm just not a Nick Cave fan.
Erykah Badu
1/5
This almost seems like it was designed to be background music, which isn't a good goal.
All the songs blended into each other, even if you are making a laid back album there are ways you can keep things interesting but this album doesn't have any of them.
Can't remember how long it actually was but it felt like three hours.
Raekwon
3/5
The best parts of this are everything I want from old school hip hop, great beats and flow, sounds so cool.
Unfortunately as usual I find it hard to get past the content, the spoken bit at the start is a prime example of how little is actually being said. I think the message was they just want to look after their family, which isn't really the message for the rest of it.
It's very long too. Dont think it was as good as the Wu Tang album but overall, okay. 3.5 but more a 3.
4/5
We've all already had some MC5 right? They are nice enough but I'm not sure they warrant a live album inclusion.
They sounded like a pretty exciting live band from this but they weren't completely tight, the vocals were fairly ropey. The songs are fun but a bit samey, but you could definitely say the same about a lot of stuff.
Probably very offensive to the fans but I prefer the rage against the machine version of kick out the jams. Overall I think MC5 are probably very influential in picking up the pace of classic rock which would eventually lead to punk and harder rock music, so cheers for that, but this album isn't a game changer. 3.5
Skunk Anansie
4/5
I've never listened to skunk anansie and I'm not sure how, always been aware of them.
The singer is great, she has a voice that you'd initially more associate with soul but she can push it when needed for the music in a way most singers couldn't. Combined with the 90s rock music makes the sound really unique.
The best songs were the punky ones, really liked the skank heads in particular. I don't think there are enough standout tracks for a 5 but still really good.
Method Man
3/5
I was going to complain that he'd put protect ya neck on this album too but I must have kept listening after it finished so I think that's a good example that it was enjoyable to listen to but basically more wu.
I think as an album its better than raekown but I'm not sure if he's a better rapper than method, I think they compliment each other and I'd say 36 chambers is better than all the solo work.
It ticks the boxes for 90s east coast rap but it's not essential. 3.5.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Thought this was loads better than autobahn, felt like autobahn was just experimenting with synthesisers while this had actual songs. For that reason I assume the man machine isn't for the purists, probably their 'sellout' album.
I recognised the model but generally thought it was all very listenable. I do think most of these songs would be better with a wider range of instruments but I guess that's not the point.
Not sure id listen to it again but if it came on unexpectedly I'd be happy enough. 3.5.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Because it was so long I had to give it a good few goes to get all the way through, and because it sounds very samey it took me ages to work out where Id last got to each time. Think I probably listened to a lot of tracks twice.
This is a great example of why most garage rock albums are less than 40 mins runtime, there is a really good 40 min album here that is bloated with weaker tracks and repetition. Eyeballin was probably the best, was a bit trippy, reminded me of QOTSA.
I think this band are alright and would probably be good live, but this album is hard work. 2.5.
George Michael
1/5
I think Faith is a good song, and I think George Michael has a few solid tracks that put him above most of the similar 80s pop act.
None of the other good songs were on this album though, this was mawkish crap. Think he really wants to be Prince, very similar cringey sexual lyrics and unmemorable music that seems to be forgotten in the aim to sound very emotional.
Wouldn't recommend, wouldn't listen again, wouldn't put it on this list, 1.
Pixies
4/5
Preferred Doolittle to this album, there were a few tracks that didn't do it for me (including the cowboy intro) but when it's good it's great.
Still sounds loads like Les Savy Fav but there's more Weezer and Ash in this too. Velouria, Allison and dig for fire are great.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
I do like NIN, prefer year zero but downward spiral is their 'big' album and is the best example of what they are about.
I think the music is class, love march of the pigs in particular but most of the album is great. Lyrics are largely over the top depressive or made for a goth sex tape but I think they work for the music, though taken in isolation they are a bit silly. Hurt is obviously iconic too, major claim this version is better than the Cash one.
I think it suffers from being made when it did, the better production of today would improve it I think, guitars in particular are too overdriven and sound very muddy. Still, bit of a classic album.
Spiritualized
3/5
There was a lot about this I liked, there were lots of ideas and I thought the brass reminded of American Football in places.
Listening to it all was a bit of a slog, took me a few days, highlighted by the last track which was about 20 mins long but really just a 4 min track repeated 5 times.
They weren't really interesting enough to warrant the long runtime but it was okay.
Can
3/5
Proggy psychedelic instrumental music. Really enjoyed spray which sounded a lot like battles with the driving drums making it energetic, found the other tracks to be listenable but less interesting.
Impressive given when it was released but I don't think I'd go back.
Gary Numan
2/5
I would say that I think Cars is an alright song on its own. On the album so many of these songs sounded like Cars that by the time it actually came around I didn't want to hear it.
Some it sounded like ambient film soundtrack stuff, with the last track an 80s horror/stranger things scene. One of the songs was sampled by basement jaxx on where's your head at but it wasn't as good. This stuff didn't really add anything but it thankfully didn't sound like cars.
If you've heard cars, you've heard most of this album, and what you haven't heard isn't worth it, so don't listen to it. 1.5.
Bauhaus
3/5
Seemed to be a mix of 80s synthy indie, angular art rock and a bit of ska for good measure. This isn't at all what I expected from gothic rock.
It wasn't bad, there were a few tracks I really liked, particularly the one which had a weird screechy repetitive guitar line, sounded like black eyes. Overall I wouldn't say it particularly stood out, very much a 3.
Jimmy Smith
2/5
This organ led jazz didn't really click with me, the organ made it sound a bit lightweight and silly.
I think the music was decent and the guy was clearly talented, and when the sax was used it came together pretty well. The last song was the best for this reason.
If you like jazz organ I guess this guy is the goat, but I don't particularly.
The Cult
3/5
It was middle of the road old school rock but I still quite enjoyed this.
The singer was a bit of a Jimmy Page rip off, this whole sound must have been on the way out in 1987, and there were no stand out tracks but I had a good time all the same.
Hard to recommend it really, you may as well listen to led zep and have a much better time, but it was a painless listen. 2.5.
Green Day
5/5
Probably the biggest 90s pop punk album, must have heard it hundreds of times and still listen to it today.
Despite being called Dookie it's much less ironic and bratty than sum 41 and blink 182, it has a classic rock quality (like Weezer) that I think keeps it fresh. It's full of great songs too!
Billie Joe is probably the best frontman I've seen, gets crowds excited better than anyone. Would love to see Green Day in a smaller venue, fingers crossed one day. Easy 5.
Silver Jews
2/5
Very Nick Cagey this, and crossed with a lot of country based tunes this was never going to be my favourite.
Didn't mind the singing, it reminded of something I can't quite place but was very indie in a can't quite sing kind of way.
One playthrough was okay but I wouldn't come back, 1.5.
Radiohead
4/5
Quite enjoyed this, was better than the kid A/amnesiac albums but not as good as ok computer.
Pretty impressive they completed it in two weeks, probably a good sign that they don't put out minimalist stuff if they don't overthink it.
It's immediately recognisable as Radiohead but definitely has less obvious 'singles' than the other albums. Better than average but not an essential listen. 3.5.
Nirvana
5/5
Knew all the hits but I was never a huge Nirvana fan growing up and I'm really not sure why. This album completely deserves the hype, it's nearly all single worthy songs.
I think I prefer the slightly more accessible production on this to In Utero, sorry Albini. It's a fairly rough style of music anyway so I think it helps.
Not much more to say, it's class.
Madonna
1/5
Horrendous. Madonna is the purest version of style over substance and this album showed it perfectly.
She can't really sing and like a prayer aside the only songs I can remember are the ones that really annoyed me. Express yourself in particular was so long I genuinely thought I'd managed to hit repeat or something.
With all of this said, I will admit I like beautiful stranger from watching Austin powers as a youngun. But this album is dire.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Definitely the best Bob Marley album, a cut above the others on this list. If for some reason I wanted to listen to reggae this would be the album I'd choose.
As said before Bob Marley is an icon and the story around this album is similarly mythic. It is largely samey but I think that can be forgiven for the genre, and there is more diversity here than the other albums.
Slayer
3/5
Reign in blood is great, what a riff. In general, the thrash metal gets a bit tiresome and the album blended into one a bit.
Also, would it hurt to sing some metal without talking about the devil and that? Maybe something a bit more mundane? Makes me think about how good Blakfish's preparing for guests is, screaming about tidying up.
I wouldn't say I had a bad time listening to it, it's a great example of what it is, just not really my thing. 2.5.
The Byrds
1/5
More country. Very disappointed that The Byrds weren't even a country band really and made a decision to go in this direction. That said, this apparently did piss off ultra conservative country fans so feel a bit conflicted.
By definition it seems you make only make a country album by rehashing the same half a dozen riffs and tropes so nothing here was different or interesting.
The Fall
3/5
Mad that a) this is their 15th album and b) it was considered their most accessible.
The sort of dancey/indie rock mostly reminded me of primal scream but that was only a couple of songs really, it was all over the place. When it was just noises or repetitive dance I didn't enjoy it but then there were some more angular bits I really liked.
Can't truly recommend it as an album given the number of parts I hated. I gave their other album a 3 and it was slightly better, this one would be a 2.5.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
The singles on this are everything you want from hair metal, proper anthemic, huge solos, timeless.
The album tracks never really reached the heights of the big songs but there were some good riffs here and there. Given I give a lot of rap a hard time, this was full of misogyny, seems they kept it out of the hits.
GnR are a singles band really but this album is important in rock and definitely deserves to be included.
ABBA
1/5
Forgot to check if the deluxe edition had more tracks until I was halfway through the extra stuff. Though to be fair by doing so I heard I am the city which was the best track, even if it heavily ripped off does your mother know.
Never heard of any of these tracks, and after listening to them theres a good reason for that. It's pretty much devoid of hooks but I wouldn't say it's more complex or deep than their hits, it's just more dull. Guess they'd ran out of ideas.
Don't think this album should be on here, I hope this doesn't mean we have to listen to another half a dozen abba albums.
Nico
3/5
I'm not really sure about her voice, it's really unique but I'm not sure it suits this sort of music. I could see why someone might really like it though.
After the first song I'd written it off a bit, then These Days was brilliant and I thought I'd been a bit hasty, then the rest of the album was a bit meh.
It's a unique, different sound for a singer songwriter (though I think she got her cool mates to write a lot of it), I think it's worth a listen. But These Days aside I probably won't listen again.
The Who
4/5
A lot better than the other Who albums we've had, evokes all the cool Britannia stuff.
Sounds very 'classic', really like the splashy drums, sounds big and exciting compared to the other bands at the time. It's a bit rough and ready, singing is a bit ropey too but that adds to the charm.
For all of this I wouldn't say it has many great songs, my generation aside, but its so much better than their later stuff. 3.5.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
It's more Stevie innit. Quite liked the first song, there was one song that was basically Superstition, and the rest of it was the slightly funky soul you would expect.
I don't find it irritating but i can't get excited by it.
The Byrds
2/5
Couldn't find this album on Amazon music but the byrds have so many compilation albums I was able to find every song except the last one. Impressive dedication to milking the back catalogue.
It's all fairly nice psychedelic 60s rock, a lot better than the country we stuff we had by them earlier but not particularly exciting.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Enjoyed this, great authentic voice and sound. Not sure if this is full of covers or the songs just borrow a lot from older stuff but it works really well.
It's not inventive enough to be really interesting but I imagine CCR would be brilliant live and I think this album achieves what it's trying to do. 3.5.
TV On The Radio
2/5
Is a member of TV on the Radio choosing the albums on this list? Two albums is excessive.
I don't really get these, felt like a lot of musical choices were made to try and sound different as opposed to good. The highest rated song on Amazon was the acapella one which I really didn't like.
By and large it was fine but shouldn't be on this list, or I'm missing something.
Ice Cube
3/5
Well it was a lot better than The Chronic! Ice Cube stayed angry it seems, so it sounds a lot more like NWA which is a good thing.
A bit long, a lot of guns and the obligatory don't trust hoes track but I still enjoyed it. I don't think I need loads of this sort of music so would rather listen to NWA, but can see the appeal.
Minor Threat
5/5
Incredibly influential on all the pop punk I listen to, can hear a lot of offspring in this. It's great in it's own right though, has the wry, sardonic lyrics that most my favourite bands have.
Ian MacKaye is the most principled man in music and though I think Fugazi are more interesting, in 1983 this must have been revolutionary.
This album doesn't get close to outstaying it's welcome, very easy to put on repeat. 4.5.
The Cramps
2/5
Not really sure about this psychobilly stuff, quite interesting for a track or two but there really isn't anywhere for it to go so you get a dozen variations of the same song.
I don't mind the sound of it but it Im not a convert.
Tito Puente
2/5
A great album if you're holding a salsa event id think, not sure its an essential album to listen to.
Stopped listening halfway and when I came back I had no idea where I'd got up to, this album is very much a 'sound' as opposed to trying to do anything specific with the tracks.
All in all it was easy enough to get to but don't need to hear again.
The Specials
3/5
The first specials was so unexpectedly great which got my hopes up, making this one unexpectedly disappointing.
I can't imagine a worse direction to take your second album in than lounge muzak. You can still hear a great band in this being completely stifled by the songs they are playing. If I was the rest of the band I'd be pissed too.
Every so often it kind of works, particularly when they take it out and back into key every now and then, but it doesn't make up for how bland it is. Saying all this it's still okay, a 2.5, but such a letdown.
Spiritualized
2/5
Why are these coming up again? Preferred the other album, this one was about one third primal screamy bassy rock and two thirds ambient droneyness.
There were snippets of half interesting stuff but not enough take any of the songs to a reasonable level. Not 1 level terrible but underwhelming.
Suicide
2/5
Not to sure what to make of this, in many ways it was way ahead of it's time but it's pretty dire to actually listen to.
I don't think I minded the sound, lots of it was pretty straightforward but the low fi synth sound is pretty impressive for the late seventies. But the singing, lyrics and the length of some of the songs were grating, to the point that who cares if it sounds slightly more modern than you'd expect.
I think 2.5 but closer to a 2.
Billy Bragg
5/5
Never listened to Billy Bragg before despite hearing loads about him. Singing style reminds me of Morrissey and the folk-punk thing is right up my street. Definitely hear the influence on Frank Turner.
Would like to hear more, particularly if it leans into the punkier side of things. Not sure if id become a huge fan but just rating this album, it's great. 4.5
The Verve
3/5
Yep, that's the verve, mardy britpop.
Dont mind them and this album continued to support my mild appreciation. Bit more raw than their later albums but missing the clear hits of the later stuff. Otherwise its more of the same really. Wish theyd throw in a few tracks with a clear hook but that's not their style I suppose.
If you like the verve hits you'll like this but it's not going to change your mind about them.
Tom Waits
3/5
The more I hear of Tom Waits, the less I understand him. The first album we had from him was strange and this one is just as odd but in a completely different way. He doesn't seem to have any famous songs and he's also an actor, no idea who his audience is but he's definitely interesting.
This album was a mishmash of various experiments, most with his strange gravelly voice over the top. The last jazz piano track aside there wasn't anything that I actually liked but it didn't annoy me either, which considering the craziness has to mean something.
Worth one listen, unlikely to come back but it's probably worth being on this list. 2.5.
Sabu
3/5
Another nice example of a very specific genre that I wouldn't have heard otherwise and have no frame of reference for to tell if it's any good.
I enjoyed it, matched the sunny weather very well. Sure it would be very good live but it sounds like a jam session a lot of the time so it's hard to say a particular song is good or bad.
Good addition to the list, wouldn't go out my way to listen again but hopefully I can hear it unexpectedly in the future.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
This definitely falls in the 'groundbreaking and influential but not very good by today's standards' category.
The other run DMC album we had is much better, the flow is identical on every track here. I understand why you'd have both on the list though seen as this one changed the game.
Again, good lads, no hint of gangster rap, much appreciated. But the whole album is a variation one idea. 2.5.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Not sure how I feel about these, can't really put my finger on what they sound like. This album was very 80s, but kind of a mix of pop and indie, so I didn't know if it was more Duran Duran or the smiths.
It was generally alright but I think they are missing the stand out tracks that would have made them a bigger name. Lots of bits I liked but no particular song.
Can't really remember what the previous album we had by them sounded like to compare, which is telling. Decent but forgettable, 2.5.
Paul Weller
2/5
When I first started to learn to play guitar I had a book that was something like learn guitar in 40 songs, and the first one was Wild Wood. I'd never heard it and had no way easy of finding it at the time, so I just guessed. I had the strumming pattern well off and it sounded terrible but I learned Em and Am, so cheers Paul.
To the album, I had no idea this what post-Jam Paul Weller sounded like, what happened? He has a good voice that nearly saves a few of these Phil Collins-adjacent tracks but all of it is proper over produced middle of the road 90s mush. 1.5.
U2
4/5
Couldn't believe we were getting another U2 album but this was unbelievably okay.
Production wasnt completely pristine and Bono actually seemed a bit angry and emotional about what he was singing instead of just smug. The songs were largely decent too!
There was a bit of the blandness starting to seep in on a few tracks, it would seem they focused on these bits for their following albums and ignored the decent bits. Its by no means perfect but it's a solid 3.5, completely unexpected.
3/5
Quite liked this, a mish mash of jazz, soul, and a few other genres, definitely had enough ideas to keep my attention for one listen.
6 songs over 43 minutes definitely meant some songs were longer than they needed to be but it never got too frustrating. First song was the best.
Dont think I'd make the effort to listen to it again but I wouldn't mind it.
Peter Gabriel
4/5
So much more inventive and interesting than I would have expected. Lots of different styles that all sounded like great examples of each as opposed to just having a go, the jazzy stuff in particular was great. I have no idea what genesis sound like to be honest but I don't think it's this.
Every so often it reminded me a bit too much of pink Floyd but overall surprisingly good.
The Libertines
2/5
Never been really into the libertines, I think theyve got a few decent songs here and there but by and large their whole schtick gets on my nerves.
I like up the bracket/don't look back into the sun, but these are both on previous albums, the singles on this one are alright but a step down. Almost admire libertines' commitment to in no way changing their sound, either between albums or even songs really.
They were definitely influential on a whole host of far worse crap indie bands but I'm not sure that's a positive. This album is fine but wouldn't listen again.
The Damned
4/5
Never listened to the Damned before, considering this is their third album they must be very influential, they sound way ahead of their time. Seems like such a step forward from the sex pistols for example.
Production was strangely good for the era too, I guess maybe by the third album they weren't trying to sound too punk.
Its still mostly in the 'influential' camp but there is enough here to enjoy for what it is, 3.5.
Jethro Tull
3/5
Never listened to Jethro Tull but pretty sure my parents were keen.
Very inventive classic rock but the old English themes are very close to spinal tap in places, and the flute brings it even more into parody.
They are clearly talented but I'm not sure I can take it seriously.
The United States Of America
2/5
Nearly listened to the extended version tracks, checked just as I was nearly finished the last one. Also fell for thinking the release year of the extended version (2008) was the actual year. Was very impressed of how authentically 60s it sounded!
Now I know it's actually of that time, it's very much in keeping with experimental pop rock of the time, reminiscent of the Beatles, the kinks and others of the times. Maybe a bit more forward thinking, bit doorsy in places. Does a lot of adding to random noises to songs which is the worst type of experimental.
Probably would appeal to fans of the genre but not me really.
The Slits
4/5
An all girl punk band from the 70s who have a stripped back reggae influenced sound is way ahead of it's time. Shocked they aren't more wildly known though it seems they are on a lot of the top album lists so it's probably just my ignorance.
All the songs sounded thrown together so it switched between working really well and not very good, but there were several songs that were great. Same with the vocals, sometimes I really liked them and others they grated.
Not a perfect album by any means but definitely worth a listen, 3.5.
Bill Callahan
4/5
The title and cover art were extremely concerning but it turns out Bill makes "alternative country" music as opposed to actual country, which seems to mean a kind of slightly country influenced indie.
And it was actually pretty decent! He has a great country voice but applies it to far more interesting, enjoyable music, and the result is something very unique, at least to me.
Would love to hear more, think there's a lot of mileage in this sound. Really refreshing change to standard country.
LL Cool J
3/5
I don't know much about LL Cool J, seems he's sort of a link between the Run DMCs and the gangster rap era. He's a bit more boastful but it hasn't reached full gangster rap status.
It was all okay without any of it being particularly good. Title track stuck out the most but that might be because I recognised the words.
Probably worth listening to as part of understanding rap's progression but I wouldn't go back. 2.5.
Beck
4/5
This is more like what I was expecting from Beck compared to the last one we had. Stoner garage rock. Lots of it reminded me of the fun lovin criminals too.
Loser would have fit perfectly alongside the other tracks but that's an older album so pretty sure this is his default sounds.
I enjoyed it, loads of good songs. A touch too long but could definitely listen again.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
1/5
No more country. Enough.
This was slightly Beatlesy country, which means it was in some way experimental and worthy of inclusion. In practice it's the same as the other country albums, same themes, same music, same tropes.
No need to hear it.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Not bad to have on in the background, an interesting combination of sound from the two guitarists.
Never really turned it up a notch though, would have been better with some tracks with higher energy.
Would listen again but I probably won't.
The Streets
5/5
There really isn't anyone else like The Streets/Mike Skinner, they capture a certain aspect of British culture in a way nobody else does. The lyrics are often funny and interesting and the beats are also really unique.
The over enunciated delivery is great when it works and annoying when it doesn't, not addicted in particular gets on my nerves.
By and large though if you're in the mood for the streets nobody else will do. 4.5.
The Icarus Line
3/5
I love garage rock and post-hardcore so I thought I was going to love this, but it's a bit too middle of the road in both areas to really grab me.
The singer and band in general remind me of Jet, have that sort of try hard swagger in the lyrics and singing style and gratuitous use of wah pedal.
In isolation there were some bits I really liked, bass in the first song was class. Dont think it outweighed the stuff I didn't like though, 2.5.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
Quite enjoyed the first song or two, the singer has a nice enough voice. As it continued it blended into one, the music never loud or interesting enough to pull focus from the singer to the point it started to sound like hotel lounge music.
I played this on a bus and I could hear the background noise more clearly than the music, which is partly my fault for listening to it there but I think shoes it needs to at least increase the volume slightly every now and then.
The Go-Go's
3/5
Cyndi lauper-esque power pop, like Cyndi I thought most of the songs were good but the go-gos were a bit more samey.
Definitely has that 80s singing style that can either work really well or get on my nerves and both were true at various points.
This was mostly good but with enough flaws to hold it back. 3.5 but closer to a 3.
The Thrills
2/5
Only found out that The Thrills are from Dublin a couple of years ago, couldn't believe it. They lean into the Californian schtick harder than the beach boys. Wanting to make this sort of music is fair enough, singing in an affected American accent is a bit silly but fine, but constantly singing about Santa Cruz, Big Sur, San Diego, ridiculous. Fake tales of San Francisco is spot on for the Thrills.
Taking the album at face value, I like the singles enough, a nice addition to a summer barbecue playlist I'd say. A whole albums worth of it is bit testing though, another band that should be an EP I think. I'd say 2.5 but closer to a 2.
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
I have absolutely no frame of reference for this album, with very little knowledge/experience of traditional indian music.
Seemed nice enough to me, had it on the background, went by quickly enough. Can't say it grabbed me compared to other Indian music I've heard in the past.
Feel unqualified to pass judgement but as it neither annoyed or excited me, 2.5.
Beck
5/5
Favourite beck album we've had so far, had his classic sound but this was the best version of it.
Lots of good riffs and most of the songs had their own bits that stopped it being too samey, though I can see why he might have moved on from this sound after this, he's pushed it as far as it can go.
Will definitely listen again, 4.5.
Dexys Midnight Runners
1/5
This album seemed to be Dexys trying and largely failing to write songs that don't sound like come on Eileen. There were about 3 songs that took the various sections of Eileen and stretched them out into a full song.
Other than that there were some slow croony songs that did nothing for me. Didn't enjoy this.
Ryan Adams
2/5
Quite liked the acoustic guitar to begin with, Ryan Adams has a decent voice, thought I wouldn't mind this.
As it went on the cool American persona got ever more annoying until I felt like I was trapped in a party and Ryan had got out his guitar and wouldn't stop trying to show off. Put iTunes back on Ryan, she's not interested! We all know you're not some some of wandering troubadour, you definitely have a massive mansion.
So musically its not that bad but the content and themes are irritating.
Janet Jackson
1/5
Might be the most overproduced album I've ever listed to, the perfect vehicle for trite 'children are the future' bollocks.
Don't think I have anything else to say really, hated it.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
This hit the spot today, lifted me through the dreary commute in the rain.
Feel like this album just had a bit more than other instrumental jazz we've had, it was a bit more cohesive but still with some solos and interesting turns here and there.
Or maybe it was very much like the others and I was just in the mood today. Either way, enjoyed it.
Roxy Music
3/5
Had two albums now and I'm still not sure where I stand on Roxy Music. They have parts which sound brilliant combined with others that are awful.
While I'd say on the whole they are interesting enough for a listen I think this sort of art rock needs to be much more consistent to really interest me.
Given that the Brian Eno album we had is brilliant I'll choose to believe the good bits are his and the rest are Ferry's.
Traffic
3/5
Nice enough American pop rock, a slight psychedelic tinge maybe.
Started well, there was a pan pipe heavy middle section that annoyed me and then the last couple of tracks were alright.
Could have been influential on bands like cream, was a like a more subdued version. It was alright for one listen, 2.5.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
We can't have the blue album but we get a dandy warhols album that doesn't have bohemian like you on it. Absolutely essential stuff.
Felt like the band wanted to make quite a beckish album and the label insisted on a few singles that sounded like their older stuff. Generally liked it but I think other bands do it better, definitely a few tracks didn't go anywhere interesting.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Know the singles but never listened to a Fatboy Slim album. Enjoyed it far more than I expected to, was expecting some generic house for the album tracks but there were loads of ideas in this.
The way he samples the bits of speech/singing into ever smaller syllables gets a bit tedious but I guess he mostly pioneered this so fair play.
I think if I heard almost any of these tracks on their own id really enjoy it, as a full album I'm not sure, but still surprisingly good 3.5.
Fiona Apple
5/5
Might be the most unexpectedly great album of the list so far. Is this the album that Fiona Apple is known for? It should be.
Very eclectic in a way that would be terrible if the songs weren't so well done. Lots of time signature changes and lots of different melodies running over each other. Singing was really good too, reminded me of Hop Along, think this album must be very influential on a particular brand of indie.
The gulf in quality between Tidal and this is huge. There was a song or two that didn't land but that might just be a first listen thing. 4.5.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Wasn't paying full attention to this but it sounded like Marvin Gaye.
Reading the wiki blurb it would appear I missed the themes of album entirely but in my defense he delivered his thoughts on the Vietnam war in exactly the same style as his thoughts about getting it on.
He's probably the best soul singer I'd think but I'm not a particular fan of the genre. 2.5.
Björk
2/5
Found this to be a bit too bjorky, we already had a quiet, sparse record by her and I thought this one was even further in that direction.
The lots of harmonising with herself reminded me of bon iver a bit, could be quite influential, but by the time we reached the end I'd had enough really. First song or two was okay. 2.5 but closer to a 2.
Brian Eno
3/5
Brian Eno is clearly very talented and there were a few songs in here which were class but a lot of this felt like it was unfinished to me.
There were a few bits with a decent core of a song which didn't seem to develop. I think the Eno solo album we had before was far better and the more angular guitar songs on this album seemed to be getting towards that album.
It wasn't bad, there were lots of parts I liked but as an album I don't think ill come back. 2.5.
Sade
1/5
Excruciatingly smooth. The tempo of every song was the same, it all plodded along in the most obvious direction. Bland to the point of offensive. Hard 1.
John Grant
3/5
This was odd, half of it was a sort of moody singer songwriter album, and the other half was a scissor sistersy disco fuelled romp.
The faux German song was weird. So was the Jesus one. John wasn't afraid to use offensive language to get his point across. The swearing in this album in general was unexpected, you don't hear it in music like this very often.
It mostly wasn't my sort of thing, though I think a lot of these songs held up to similar artists. Couldn't help but enjoy supernatural defibrillator.
Giant Sand
2/5
What a slog. Soft spoken singing and what seemed like 50 dreary songs. The singer kind of reminded me of the guy from grandaddy but without the upbeat music.
There were a couple of songs I thought were alright near the start but I can't remember what they were after listening to all that. Not horrendous but not worth it, 1.5.
Deerhunter
2/5
Seemed like fairly standard indie with a washy, dreamy filter over the top to give it a sort of shoegazey nod.
This sort of music seems to be a whole genre in itself that just doesnt click with me. I don't mind the dreamy sound but it isn't a substitute for song ideas.
Beatles
3/5
I said this about rubber soul but this more sounds like the album halfway between their old rock n roll sound and the more experimental stuff.
It was okay, not many standout tracks (taxman probably the best) but then not many complete duffers as in the newer stuff. I don't really understand if yellow submarine is meant to be a good song or not, it sounds like monty python. So much of Beatles is mediocre songs being propped up by a handful of bangers.
It's fine.
Nightmares On Wax
1/5
As one of the global reviews said, it was like being on hold for an hour and a quarter.
That will do, not worth the effort of original thoughts.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
The quieter tracks that were mostly guitar were quite good, reminded me of Stevie nicks (particularly landslide).
The more country the songs got, particularly as the fiddle was brought in, the less I enjoyed them.
It was fairly short though and there weren't any completely unlistenable moments. 2.5.
Mekons
3/5
Sounded like a mix of the cure, the smiths and the jam to me. Started off sounding like the former before starting to sound more like a punk band.
It was pretty good without being incredible, assume it's influential
Van Morrison
3/5
The spectre of brown eyed girl hung heavy over this. The last song was very much a rip off if it but the whole album had that general feeling. Not Van Morrisons fault I suppose, that's what he sounds like. The perks of having one massive hit that clouds the rest of your work.
I don't mind the sound I suppose if I try really hard to forget brown eyed girl but it's not particularly exciting. Sounds authentic but could do with a bit more variation. 2.5.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Waited for this was one for a while, hoping it would be a revelation that made me finally 'get' pink Floyd.
Preferred it to the wall, had a more cohesive sound. There were a few tracks that worked, particularly us and them, and brain damage.
In general though it has the same problem as other pink Floyd, it's dad rock with the bass turned up. The guitar parts sound like Dire Straits cast offs where without any interesting lead guitar.
It's not bad per se, just underwhelming. In the context of it being this incredible prog rock masterpiece I don't get it at all.
CHIC
2/5
Sounded exactly as expected, it's funky disco. Once you've heard le freak you basically have the measure of chic.
Not a particular disco fan but it does completely nail the genre. Went by nice enough but would never intentionally return. They seem to have managed to make the most of the retro tour circuit, Nile Rodgers is everywhere too. 2.5 but more like a 2.
Brian Eno
3/5
Brian Eno has a lot of strings to his bow this sounds nothing like his other stuff.
There were some interesting parts to this, which is incredible considering how ambient it is and speaks to Eno's talent. It is much too ambient for me though, I can't think of when I'd want to listen to this. Without anything to offset it, I find the sparseness a bit dull.
Way better than an album like this should be but not really for me. 2.5.
Joni Mitchell
3/5
That's probably enough Joni Mitchell now. This was better than the last one we had but not as good as the one before that.
She still has a great voice and at least these ones were actual songs but I don't think there were as many stand outs.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Very 80s new wave electronica, reminded me of Ultravox, Depeche mode a bit and whoever do that Only You song.
It was alright, there were a few songs where the sound came together but it does sound very dated.
Had the thing where I thought the last track sounded class but it had actually already finished and Amazon had started playing Metric. So definitely better places to get this sort of sound out there.
Randy Newman
3/5
Very distinctive voice, to the point that everything sounds a little bit like you've got a friend in me.
I think that first track was a tongue in cheek heightened caricature of what Randy sees as misplaced southern stereotypes but it was still jarring to hear the toy story bloke sing it.
It's generally quite pleasant and nobody else sounds like him but I think his voice made him famous rather than the music which is fairly pedestrian. 2.5.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Lots of Alice Cooper in my house growing up, none of the big tracks on this though. It wasn't as macarbre as I expected though I love the dead was pretty on brand
Billion dollar babies was great, the rest of it was pretty so so but still generally liked it. Not sure if this is worth including on the list, surely there are better Alice cooper albums.
Grateful Dead
2/5
Never heard the grateful dead before but they have such a huge reputation, well known for being trippy in all senses but also strong musically I thought. That's despite them getting basically no airtime but I figured the drugs were to blame for that.
It is psychedelic but more than often than not it's all over the place to the point of shambolic.
The couple of more sensible tracks are alright, a bit doorsy, but dark star in particular is 4 people playing separate sections of incoherent nonsense. It's almost experimental jazz but it's clearly not intentionally like that.
I doubt anything sounded like this back then so probably hugely influential on the bands that made this sound coherent. It's a live album too where I imagine they are at their craziest. But I sincerely doubt I'm dead head.
Turbonegro
4/5
How did turbonegro ever make it on to this list? One of those bands that were always on festival bills, playing O2 academies and on the cover of kerrang without me ever proper listening to them.
They sound halfway between punk rock and hair metal, it's mostly fun stuff. As mentioned, some suspect song titles that seem to be filtered through a Scandinavian translation to English.
I'm not sure if Id listen again but it's exactly the sort of band I want on this list, 3.5.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Got free tickets to see these at the Albert hall a good few years ago. Didn't know much about them but they were great, even though I think Buena vista are one of those bands where half of the members have left and set up their own similar bands.
It's enjoyable Cuban music, Chan Chan is the best song but the rest of it is nice enough too. A band I would never really think to listen to but glad it came up, 3.5.
The Shamen
2/5
Very 90s rave, I bet their music videos feature glow sticks, strobe lighting and whistles, with the implication that everybody is on pills.
Some of the beats were alright but out together in a repetitive way, they didn't make the most of any of the good parts. The last quarter of the album seemed to be remixes of the rest of it as well, no need. The particular way the terrible lyrics are delivered is almost nostalgic now but it's terrible.
There is something half decent buried in here but it's really deep.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
This flew by, would have thought the run time was half the 40 mins it actually was.
Herbie's grounding in Jazz is clear but this is funky and a bit electronic. Thought it worked brilliantly and was something I hadn't quite heard before.
I'm not going to be sticking this on repeat or anything so I feel I can't give it a 5 but a strong 4.
The Band
2/5
A bit rockier and cool than a lot of other bands in the late 60s. Finding it ever more difficult to rate these sort of bands as we get through this list though, I think I've had my fill of influential proto-rock from the 60s.
Nothing really stood out looking back, except that last song that sounded like the gingerbread man from Shrek was on vocals. It was fine but underwhelmingly so.
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
Feel like this is a prime example of an unessential album. Another of those 'earlier albums without any of the famous songs' list choices but I can safely say this wasn't groundbreaking or influential.
Thought it was pretty tame in terms of guitar playing and riffs, would seem Lenny didn't become a radio friendly artist but was always that way. Most of the guitar tones were very weak and it just in general didn't impress.
Scott Walker
2/5
This didn't do much for me, a sort of croony folk rock, reminded me a lot of Elvis even if the wiki doesn't appear to think so.
The song about being a war hero was alright, a bit wry, but in general not a fan.
Van Halen
4/5
It's very over the top hair metal, when jump kicked in I wasn't really up for it.
As it went on it became clear how much better Eddie van halen/David lee Roth are at this than most bands. Hot for teacher is class and the tracks onwards from this were good too.
Not a genre I would listen to frequently but van halen have to be one of the best at it. 3.5.
Holger Czukay
3/5
Ah I forgot to rate this and it's been a few days... I remember the first song about being hot and cool in the pool being memorable and strange.
Other than I think the rest was quite odd? I can't remember particulars though I think it was fine.
Little Simz
4/5
Don't think I've heard little Simz before, her rapping and flow were great. Picked up a few great lines on the first listen but I'm sure I missed loads.
The tracks where the beats were also on point were the best, boss and 101 FM stood out. The ones where the beats were less memorable passed me by a bit more.
Will listen again but it's a 4 for now.
Buck Owens
1/5
More croony country adjacent "rock". Maybe it changed the game back in the day, don't know, don't care.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
Quote enjoyed this, the rhythm and repetition scratched the math rock bit of my brain but it has a lot of melody too.
All of the songs were a little bit different, had their own pace and interesting points. I could see myself listening to this again.
Soundgarden
3/5
Never listened to a Soundgarden song except for black hole sun, I know Chris Cornell better through audioslave and his solo stuff.
Really enjoyed it to start with, he has an amazing voice, the best 'rock' voice there is really. The album was far too long though and the sound isn't varied enough.
I thought the songs that were less grungy were best but that just be because they stood out. Overall it was decent but not a classic, 3.5 but more a 3 than 4.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Think this famously the underwhelming follow up to rumours and it definitely lived up to that. The Fleetwood Mac magic pops up here and there but it seems to be intentionally understated that is just a bit dull for an album this long.
Looking back at the tracklisting, storms was good, as was tusk, and there were a few others that I can't recall. Compared to rumours where half the album is instantly recognisable, I think tusk's reputation is warranted.
Still actually enjoyed it but unlikely to return.
FKA twigs
2/5
This reminded me a lot of the pared back bjork albums we've had, I'd wager FKA Twigs is a fan. Wasn't quite as good though.
Sometimes it would come together quite nicely but i think albums without much change in pace need to be quite creative to keep it interesting and this felt a bit repetitive.
Nice enough to listen to once but won't be back, 2.5 but more a 2.
The Soft Boys
2/5
Sort of beatlesy landfill 60s pop rock. Thought the attempts to be 'experimental' were pretty dreadful, maybe the Beatles aren't that bad at it after all.
Just read the wiki and apparently it was released in 1980 and is considered psychedelic? It's a bit quirky but I wouldn't go that far. Even less impressed now knowing it came out after a whole extra decade of progress. 1.5.
Blue Cheer
3/5
A very 'live' sounding overdriven guitar/blues album, lot of parallels with Jimi Hendrix, MC5, etc.
I enjoyed it but its very much of its genre, not sure there was anything new to grab me. 2.5.
The Replacements
5/5
Heard a lot about the replacements and let it be, another hugely influential post-punk album I've never listened to.
Sounds to me like this has a lot more melody than the other similar bands at the time and its right up my street, think Weezer, Ash and a million other bands I like would have listened to them. I love when a band has proper ropey punk production but plays music like this.
It didn't click as perfect on the first listen, a couple of songs didn't land but definitely listening again. 4.5.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
I think big band stuff like this is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, particularly Sinatra. It's really evocative of a classic, golden age in America. And Christmas, even though these aren't Christmas songs.
It's completely formulaic, feels more like light entertainment than music really but I enjoyed it all the same. Like some other albums we've had, I would definitely listen to this again in the right circumstances but I'm unlikely just to wack it on for the commute.
Heaven 17
3/5
I weirdly enjoyed the first half of this, felt like the missing link between 80s pop and 90s dance, the songs developed in interesting ways, had lots of little hooks.
The second half was a bit more monotonous and less clever and I found myself zoning out a bit. I think it balances out to about 3.5 but more a 3.
Klaxons
3/5
Definitely had this album when I was younger, only recognised half of it. The good songs still hold up mostly, except the higher pitch backing vocals which really get on my nerves. The other songs really don't work at all.
Think they should stick to the 'new rave' sound, all of the more guitar leaning indie leaning ones aren't as good.
Björk
2/5
This one felt terminally bjorky, the kid A of bjork. So stripped back that most of the time it was just her singing with a drum machine. Sometimes not even a drum machine.
Definitely wasn't in the mood for this but even then I think it wasn't as good as previous albums, particularly the first quiet one.
It was interesting sometimes, so 1.5 for that. Would not listen again.
The Clash
3/5
London Calling is such a good song, and I didn't mind the second one either, very punky. Found myself wondering why I'd never listened to this album before.
As it went on I was less impressed. It's got a real reggae/two tone thing going on for half of the songs, which I usually like but didn't fit here. It was generally quite bouncy and poppy, none of other songs have the edge of London calling.
It's alright but was expecting way better. 2.5.
Motörhead
2/5
They do sound slightly better live and I enjoyed the first few songs but this was longer than the studio album I think, definitely felt it.
They have one trick and it's perfected on ace of spades, no need for any of the rest really.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
Ridiculously long and completely dull, combined with misplaced arrogance trying to draw parallels with classic jazz artists for some reason.
The song where she'd cut her fans praising her into it was notably terrible, though I liked how some snippet of a fan was followed by a line about people don't tell the truth about her. Unintentionally correct.
The whole album was insufferable.
Public Enemy
3/5
I think my previous exposure to public enemy is basically bring the noise from the tony hawk soundtrack. This was similar but no nostalgia factor.
Some of the beats and samples were annoying but that's probably my fault for trying to work to it. Generally like the sound, can tell it's influential old school hip hop. Don't think I'll be back quickly but it was alright.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Actually thought this was great. Going through this list I've learnt I don't care for much 60s psychedelia, this is definitely the best example of it.
Has a classic 60s sound but thought the songs in general were just better put together than their contemporaries. Want somebody to love sounds about a decade ahead of it's time but even the more standard 60s stuff was good.
I might listen again but it's not a 5 for me, just not my genre. 4.5 but more a 4.
KISS
2/5
Tried hard to judge this album impartially because I think KISS' whole schtick is a bit silly.
The album is very 80s hair metal by numbers. First song was the best, liked that one well enough. The songs are either about rocking hard or have a creepy perv aura hanging over them, also standard.
It's sort of fine, I'm sure you'd have a nice enough time seeing them live. Would never intentionally listen to them though so can't really rate it.
George Jones
1/5
Took me a while to get to this because it's not on Amazon music, had to get most of it from youtube.
Don't think Jeffrey B has done many positive things but I appreciate him trying to save me from this album. Croony slow country, is there a worse genre.
The songs were mercifully short but they are all one verse and chorus so even the two minute runtimes are a pisstake.
Neil Young
4/5
I don't know if Neil young is growing on me or we're just getting his better albums later in this list. This was pretty decent too!
I'm starting to really like his voice, you don't get many people who can't really sing like this in his era, much more common these days. Makes it more interesting.
I'm not sure I'm a nailed on fan yet but it was good.
David Bowie
2/5
Didn't like this Bowie album much, thought the general sound was a bit more pedestrian for his usual weird standards.
Fame might have been the best song and I didn't like it all that much. The rest of them weren't terrible but didn't really go anywhere interesting. Not awful but not for me.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
A lot of this was pretty good, a pretty interesting take on pop music.
Janelle Monae felt like the sort of artist you get on Jools Holland a lot, somebody doing a quirky take on a well established genre, and the sort of thing I like well enough at the time but would never seek out.
The album was bloated full of nonsense, could have been about half the run time. The shorter, snappier songs were the better ones in general.
Not too sure how I feel about it, I think it might warrant another listen as long as I skip the dull bits. Probably a 3.5., closer to a 3 at the moment.
The Kinks
2/5
This is sure enough kinks now, how many albums do you need to get the measure of them really. This was more of the same, slightly experimental pop rock in the vein of later Beatles.
Waterloo sunset is okay and the only one I recognised. Otherwise more of the same. It's not terrible but I've had my fill, 2.5 but more like a 2.
Slint
4/5
In many ways this was right up my street, reminded me of slower/weirder McLusky/future of the left. Last song was probably the best.
Felt like it could have done with a bit more variation in tempo and singing style, without it some of the songs because a bit monotonous. Feel like there are better options for this sound but generally good.
The Sonics
3/5
Sort of like the sound, sort of early Beatles rock n roll with a better singer. Seems like the stooges might have listened to these.
Mostly covers though, which doesn't seem essential to me. That whole era where people would record a few originals and wack on a load of covers must have been tiring.
Not sure I'd listen again but I'd prefer more of these over another kinks record.
Tom Waits
3/5
Tom Waits makes weird music but that's about the only constant thread in his albums. This was weird in its own way.
His voice is unique, very gritty, don't mind it. Musically this was a bit darker than the other albums, sort of reminded me a cross between Nick Cave and the Halloween songs from nightmare before Christmas. I don't really like these songs where the storytelling seems to be the most important part but I liked this more than most.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Absolute classic, there's noone else like RATM really.
Went through a proper phase with them when I was around 15, the correct time really, but I still listen to them a fair bit now.
This album is probably their best, always find it mad that this was released before Evil Empire which sounds much more like a debut. Like RATM in general, Tom Morello starts with classic rock essentially and makes it sound like nothing else. Zak has to be the best 'rock' rapper and together it's mint.
Britney Spears
1/5
Horrendous, both musically and the creepy, exploitative way they sexualised a 16 year old to sell crap pop music.
On occasion it was enjoyably terrible (soda pop) but it was mostly unlistenable.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Better than I was expecting, I've been fairly dismissive of the happy Mondays in the past but its much more interesting than I thought. Think id heard step on too many times before and drawn my conclusions from that.
The guitar is really good, quite angular and choppy in places. I do find the singing quite drony, sort of like primal scream. Puts me off a bit.
Might listen again, 3.5 but closer to a 3.
TLC
2/5
From the limited music I'd heard I'd always thought that TLC were probably the best of this sort of poppy r and b/hip hop. Waterfalls and No Scrubs are decent and more interesting than the usual.
I tried to hold on to this opinion as we went through this album, there were a couple of decent beats here and there. Well before the official death knell of Busta Rhymes showing up I was forced to admit this was rubbish.
It didn't take any interesting turns and pretty much sounds like any other similar album on this list.
Did not realise the singer was Rod Stewart, listening again it's really obvious. He's got a distinctive voice, it works here.
Middle of the road bluesy rock otherwise, bit too much slide guitar that starts to stray into country music. Not terrible, not great, 2.5.
Primal Scream
2/5
I think I've summoned this album by mentioning that the bloke from primal scream has a full voice a few reviews ago.
Don't really get primal scream, I want to like them sometimes but I feel they are a proper nothing band. Never particularly exciting or chilled, happy or sad, they always just coast along.
Some decent sampling here and there, mildly psychedelic, but I'm just not a fan
Pink Floyd
1/5
Didn't know pink Floyd sounded like this at one point, maybe they a small amount of praise for evolving their sound through the years.
This particular album sounds like the Beatles if you took out all the actual good songs. Sort of semi-classical folk music with toxic levels of whimsy, all gnomes and mice and rhyming silly words cause we're all so spaced out and groovy.
Chuck in a few minutes of random noises likely under the guise of being experimental and it's got to be a 1.
Aphex Twin
4/5
I've had very little experience with Aphex Twin but know he's highly regarded. Didn't know what to expect but was worried by the word ambient.
This isn't ambient is it? Unless I don't understand the word. It had slightly background music qualities on occasion but was mostly full of ideas and interesting turns. Reminded me of the music in the game wipeout, maybe that's acid house. Anamanguchi/chiptune too.
Would like the tracks to build up a bit more, maybe that happens in the bin 'ambient' albums, hopefully we get more.
10cc
3/5
This was odd, it was sometimes really eccentric and fun, other times quite bland. First half of the album was the best and it got progressively worse I think. There were lots of little bits I like but not many full songs so I don't think I'd come back. 2.5.
The Byrds
2/5
Sick to the back teeth of Beatles rip offs now. Slightly psychedelic pop rock, ham fisted attempts at Indian music and general groovy vibes.
I don't think this was quite as offensive as say the kinks (no harpsichord) but I don't feel I've heard anything new from listening to this. Please no more.
Portishead
4/5
I was fully expecting ambient dance music from portishead for some reason. They were actually quite dark and strange, reminded me of nine inch nails more than anything else for most songs. We carry on in particular which was class, the discordant guitar bit over the top is in a dozen NIN songs.
Singing style didn't work on every song but overall thought this was surprisingly good.
Baaba Maal
3/5
Quite liked a few of these songs, some interesting beats and guitar bits. In general it faded into the background a bit but Baaba sounds like an interesting guy and I reckon it would be quality live.
The Stooges
2/5
Know down on the street from the RATM covers album, that's a good song.
I think the debut album we had way back when was a lot better than this, 1969 and I wanna be your dog bear everything here. I like the general sound but the short run times and guaranteed one completely awful song (L.A. Blues here) means it just seems very light on ideas.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Quite liked it, very 70s soul, sounded like a film soundtrack to me but I think that's because other similar albums were.
Curtis has a very good voice for this sort of music, cohesive sound, didn't outstay it's welcome. Saying all that, it's not a genre I'd seek out really. 3.5. but more a 3.
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
Another song from the rage against the machine covers album, this version of renegades of funk isn't quite as good.
This reminded me a lot of Run DMC, very similar approach to rapping. Didn't mind it but didnt blow me away either, think it's place on this list comes from being influential.
Aerosmith
3/5
This was a bit better than the other aerosmith album we had, wasn't as overproduced and felt like they were leaning on led Zeppelin a bit more than the other one which is preferred.
Run DMC version of walk this way is a lot better than the one here, think the more dynamic production is required for that song. Otherwise yep it was okay but still had a lot of the hair metal problems, 2.5.
Cee Lo Green
3/5
Cee Lo Green can rap far better than I expected, first song was the best showcase of this. Early doors I thought this would be an unexpectedly great album.
As it went on it became increasingly generic, from ludacris onwards I think. Music and lyrics were fairly forgettable. Failed to live up to early billing, 2.5.
Van Halen
3/5
Not really much to say about this van halen album that I didn't say about the last one, it's over the top 80s hair metal (ahead of the curve being released in the 70s) with better guitar than the others in the genre.
I think EVH invented tapping and would hide his guitar when playing eruption? Read that some here once.
I don't think any particular songs stood out but it was generally okay.
Bon Jovi
4/5
Parents loved Bon Jovi, listened to a lot of this growing up. Only recognised the big hitters though, think a greatest hits was typically on rotation.
He does the 80s rock and roll thing pretty well but after van halen and aerosmith recently I need a rest from this type of thing.
Nostalgia carried this up to a 3.5 for me but I think it's probably at least a point below that.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
It's finally over, feel like I've been listening to this for a week. This was what I was expecting from beefheart, unlike the other album we had before.
Every so often there was an interesting idea or things would come together in a decent way but these parts were given no precedence over the other 98% random noise and gibberish so it must be pure chance.
Not boring I'd say, bit definitely not good.
Baaba Maal
3/5
You (unknowingly) wait 600 albums for Baaba Maal and then two come along (nearly) at once!
This was one felt a bit more bluesy but otherwise I feel like I did about the previous one, interesting and enjoyable but mostly background music. Very long too.
White Denim
5/5
Don't think I've ever heard anything by white denim, think I'd dismissed them a bit cos the name is pretty dull.
They play quite a straightforward indie at first listen but seemingly through being class at their instruments take the songs into loads of interesting places. A few time signature changes too.
There was a vampire weekendy song and a sort of musey/radioheady song (anvil everything, probably my favourite). Was almost all good though.
Definitely listening again, 4.5. I think.
The Bees
4/5
Very eclectic, I'd struggle for describe exactly what genre the bees are. Funky sometimes, dreamy others.
For the most part I really liked it. Recognised A Minha Menina from somewhere, an advert maybe. There were a few songs that felt more like they were messing round with ideas than actually finished. Still enjoyable.
MGMT
3/5
The gap between singles and album tracks has never been larger, makes the klaxon album look consistent.
Time to pretend, electric feel and kids are so good, some of the best songs from that noughties electro-indie era. I don't think there was another song I actually enjoyed from this, let alone came close to those three. The other tracks almost sound like a different album, much more guitar focused but in a really drab way
2.5, but that is really based on the singles.
Moby Grape
3/5
A Beatles era rock and roll band but with more Californian beach boysy harmonies.
Went by quickly, seems a little bit dated for 1967 which isn't great considering, I guess it's probably more of an example of the actual time than of bands pushing the envelope at that time.
Not much more to say, not something I'd particularly go for but inoffensive. 2.5 but I'm leaning towards 3.
Barry Adamson
3/5
This really did sound like a film soundtrack, thought that before reading the wiki blurb. So goal achieved I supposed.
I'm not sure this is a good way to make an album with listening to, particularly more than once. Found it vaguely interesting this time but there's too much spoken word and background stuff to warrant every going back.
Some tracks were okay though and it was just about worth the one listen. 2.5.
Tom Waits
2/5
More Tom Waits, barely heard of the guy a couple of years ago and now I've been through half his discography.
This was definitely the most straightforward of the albums we've had, he has a good gravelly voice for blues rock but found it dull mostly, was waiting for the mask to slip and for everything to start getting weird.
I don't particularly like him when he's odd, or when he's playing it straight. Think I just don't particularly like Tom Waits.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Another friend of the list, though I don't mind when Neil comes up as much as Tom Waits.
This started like a Neil Young solo album and got progressively rockier, much preferred the latter half.
A lot of the same sensibilities as we've had on the other albums from this list, his singing style is quite endearing if objectively bad. Think he needs to switch it up a bit more if I'm going to be a proper fan but still generally liked it. 3.5.
American Music Club
4/5
Never heard this of this before and could only get it through YouTube. It was kind of Americana soft rock but with a bit more to it than most, reminded me of counting crows and the verve at various times. Liked it well enough but an overdone sound
Checking the wiki before reviewing says it was released in 1988, so it must have been a frontrunner for this sound that was prevalent in the 90s and just be why it made the list. In those terms it sounds as good as anything that came after so fair play.
Last song stands out but that might be because I heard it most recently, also liked bad liquor as it was a little bit noisy and unhinged. Not sure if I'd come back but it was well worth one listen, 3.5.
The Human League
4/5
Think it's mostly a testament to how much LCD Soundsystem I've been listening to but I thought this was really good.
That said, Gary Numan definitely influenced LCD and I thought his album was bad so human league must be decent. Songs with a proper bass run and shorter notes were the best, ones with more wishy washy synth not as good.
Had different opinions about the singing from one song to the next, when it works it works and when it doesn't it gets on my nerves. Having said all of this, enjoyed it.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I've never properly got in to Bob Dylan, know some of the big hits but as I wasn't able to get the other album we had on Amazon music this might be my first full one.
I like the sound in general, nice to have on in the background. He tells a story in a song in a way that not many can, knows exactly how to get the most out of simple lyrics I think. That said I don't think any of the songs were as obviously great as the bigger hits I know, it was all just quite good. 3.5.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
Well that was weird.
The actual music in here was really good, sort of noisy punk, considering when it comes out must be really influential.
Seems like they decided to intersperse the music with the maddest/funniest stuff they could think of, which is laudable but doesn't make it an easy listen.
If their later albums trim out the weirder stuff I could definitely be a fan but this album is too odd for me.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Haven't listened to much Bruce either, a bit like Dylan I think the good songs are a genre in their own right, copied by loads of stuff I like, and the other songs are a bit bland and look bad compared to the others. More good than bad here I'd say.
Darkness on the edge of town was probably the best, doesn't look like this album has that many hits?
I feel Japandroids really lean in to Springsteen on occasions so I'm thankful for that. 3.5.
3/5
Can't remember the last XTC album very well, my review said it was eclectic so there's a chance it was a bit like this.
I'd say this was strange but had a fairly cohesive sound of it's own. Reminded me of a musical or film soundtrack maybe. Worth a listen but I know it won't grow on me. 2.5
Norah Jones
3/5
Norah has a nice voice, it's a pleasant listen.
Otherwise I find this genre of radio 2 friendly singer songwriter hard to be enthusiastic about, doesn't excite me at all. A song or two of this level on an album with some angry or genuinely sad moments is great but this feels designed to be background music, nothing too distracting.
It is still nice and does have it's place but I'm not really a fan. 2.5.
The Temptations
3/5
Funky Motown soul, fair bit of this in the list.
Reminded me of the Curtis Mayfield albums we've had most I think as there were some social themes but I preferred Curtis, the music worked better as a movie soundtrack id say.
Not a favourite genre but listenable, 2.5.
Lightning Bolt
4/5
Been aware of lightning bolt for a long time but never actually listened to them, glad they came up!
Most of the actual music on here was class, really inventive noisey post punk. I really struggle with the very under-produced approach, though I get that it's intentional. Why would you make music this good sound this tinny!?
I will listen again to see if I can get used to it, maybe try other albums, but as it stands 3.5.
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
Liked this, it was sort of the cure/smiths indie for the most part but with a more angular punk thread running through it.
The drumming stood out for some reason, the beats were more varied I think, always makes a song sound better than you'd expect. The singing was a bit English 80s droney but largely worked.
All in all, good.
Underworld
2/5
I don't mind born slippy, think it definitely has something that no other dance track has, I think it's the huge change between the ambient bits and the drumming bits.
This album didn't really get anywhere close and had all the tropes of 90s dance that get on my nerves. Repetitive without any progression, just play the same bits over and over without changing or building to anything. A dedication to keeping things middle of the road that feels intentional.
Wasn't completely unlistenable but at no point was it any good. 1.5.
Robbie Williams
2/5
Yep that's Robbie Williams. Let me entertain you and angels are good pop songs (plus it's only us from the FIFA 2000 soundtrack was a banger) but I don't know how anyone couldnt be sick of him by this point.
Absolutely nothing of note from the album tracks. I can give him his dues that the big songs are classics now but Ive had enough now.
The Cars
3/5
First few of songs were a bit drab, thought it was some sort of classic pop rock thing.
It then became a bit better but still middle of the road. I'm sure it had some more new wavey art rock elements but I had a quick listen to some of the tracks again and it's very classic rock.
Fine without being noteworthy, 2.5.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
I thought this sounded more authentic than a lot of the country we've had on this list, quite liked the collaboration between the different generations of artists and I think this was a good advert for the tradition and culture of country music.
There was no need for this to be 2 hours long, all my goodwill was chipped away about 40 mins in. I'm now about 4 albums behind and I've learnt nothing I didn't know 2 days ago.
Despite the improvements in authenticity it was very repetitive. Might be alright live, any three tracks would be nice enough every now and then, but all of it was too much.
One of the best country albums we've had and it was mediocre at best.
Radiohead
4/5
Great album, just and street spirit are class.
Think this album is a bit too straightforward to be on the same level as OK computer, they sound like a britpop muse here. Not a bad thing for the most part but there a couple of tracks which sound like other bands, which is definitely not the case for all the Radiohead after this.
I will definitely listen to a lot of this again but not quite a 5.
The Lemonheads
4/5
Only listened to a couple of songs by the Lemonheads before but it's a shame they've passed me by, like half my favourite bands they are a punk band trying to sound as poppy and catchy as possible.
First song was the best but it was all pretty good, didn't outstay it's welcome at all. Id prefer it slightly edgier but they've got a sound that works for them.
Would like to hear more, 4.5.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Third Elvis Costello album so far and this one didn't particularly do anything for me.
Singing reminded me a bit of Randy Newman on this, has a similar sort of lack of enunciation.
Like the previous album it sounds quite varied and interesting initially and at some point it hits you that it actually sounds samey. Almost blue was a good track, his voice suits the croony ones.
Pavement
5/5
Been aware of pavement for ages but the few tracks id heard didn't land for me, think because it's not the sort of music that is made for immediate attention.
Enjoyed this more and more as the album went on, it's sort of like the pixies in the sort of ramshackle DIY sounding indie sense but was a bit more eclectic/post rocky.
Will definitely repeat this and almost certainly enjoy it more the next time. 4.5
The Boo Radleys
4/5
This album sounds absolutely nothing like wake up boo, completely different band.
Thile album was good, quirky indie rock, pretty impressive for 1993. Bit of a mash mash of sounds from that era, though reminded me most of blur I think.
Really solid.
Anita Baker
1/5
Boring "easy listening" music. Do not recommend.
Kanye West
3/5
There were some quite interesting beats on this and he delivered some of it in an engagingly angry way. I don't think he was ever as good as the hype but there was something about his music.
You can really feel Kanye starting to become unhinged on this, which was an interesting precursor to the horrendous prick he was becoming but a bit uncomfortable to listen to.
Musically it was the okay but no desire to repeat it.
Wilco
4/5
Feel like I've seen Wilco on things like Primavera line up posters, a vague awareness without ever hearing a song.
After one listen of the album I haven't made my mind up yet. I guess you'd say it was indie? There were some really good bits but I felt the general vibe that tied the whole thing together was a bit bland.
I suspect this is one of those that properly clicks after a few listens but I'd still say I enjoyed it at this point.
Violent Femmes
4/5
Blister in the sun is everywhere, heard it yesterday.
Quite enjoyed this, felt very b-52s influenced (one was particularly rock lobstery) without going too far in that direction. I think this sort of folky kitsch indie sound is pretty ahead of its time, which speaks to why blister is still heavily played.
I would listen again but I'm not super keen, so 3.5.
Frank Ocean
1/5
This didn't land for me at all. I'm not generally an R&B fan but this made me feel very old, like I didn't get the music these whippersnappers are playing these days.
While I understand making the songs slower with a lot of space and atmosphere can be interesting, I don't understand how this can be your only trick on a whole album. There were barely any attempts at hooks and nothing particularly notable to me about the singing or lyrics.
This guy is a huge deal I think, headlines festivals and stuff, how that could be a good closer I've no idea. Yep, hard 1.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Aretha Franklin voice and it sounds really classic and stylish, hard not to enjoy it for the one listen. All the more impressive given the recording standards of the time.
It's the sort of thing I'd enjoy in the background or live but can't say it grabs me. Unlikely to be intentionally back for another listen but I'll enjoy it when I unexpectedly hear it. 3.5.
Bob Dylan
3/5
More Bobby D, think that's three now. Would be surprised if it's the last.
Sounded like I expected, you have the measure of Bob after an album or two. Had a few more songs I recognised on this one. I like Dylan but I wouldn't say I'm a fan and this album didn't change anything in that regard.
Brian Wilson
3/5
Interesting story behind this, finishing the album nearly 40 years after it was originally conceived. It does have a sound that is at its core a 60s beach boys album but with a much more modern production.
I can't say pet sounds, this or the beach boys in general are really for me, when they are singing barber shop quartet songs about surfing they are fine if a bit one note, the more experimental stuff is in that 60s Beatles/kinks style that I don't like.
Was an interesting listen and not terrible but won't be back. 2.5.
Richard Thompson
3/5
Quite impressed in hindsight that these were original songs, sounded like they would be rerecorded classic folk. In that sense they nail the sound.
As an assumed bunch of classic songs it sounded like the sort of thing that would be good in a old fashioned pub and worked well enough as background music.
Nothing in there made me want to go back for a second listen though. 2.5.
King Crimson
2/5
This was frustrating, there were enough flashes of good stuff here that King Crimson could be Yes if they wanted to be.
Instead they employed possibly the worst example of big quiet gaps/ambient nonsense on the list so far. Multiple times I thought the song had stopped, you cant mix it so quiet that I need to be in perfect silence to appreciate your whispery string sections. I think they were strings, couldn't hear em.
Larks' tongues in aspic feels like a prog parody name, something from Spinal Tap. Part II was probably the best song and there were bits in the jam sessions at the end that were better than the actual songs.
1.5 for what could have been but a terrible album.
5/5
What an album, surely the best britpop album.
They quite rightly released half of it as singles, and the album tracks are much better than definitely maybe. Morning glory probably my favourite oasis song.
Terrible lyrics still, though the music is so good it hides this problem. Repeatedly there will be a great line followed by nonsense. Champagne supernova suffers the most from this, it's such an anthem it deserves better than the cannonball line.
Still, overall, absolute classic.
Frank Sinatra
4/5
Album of sad crooners from Frank.
As with previous Sinatra albums I really like the sound and general atmosphere of this era of music but I preferred the last one, nice to have some variety that was lacking here. I understand that they were going for a sad slow album but it's a bit one note.
All the songs in isolation were great but overall a 4.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Rod's been a cringey grandad for all the time I've been aware of him so effort was required to approach this with an open mind.
It was alright actually. He's got a powerful voice, quite unique at least for the era. The music was varied and the album was short and snappy.
None of the songs strayed into any really interesting territory, lyrics were all fairly standard stuff. So it was limited by being intentionally middle of the road. Last song where all the audio went through the right channel of my dodgy ear made rod sound like he was in a tin can.
So by being average, much better than expected. 3.5 but more a 3.
Saint Etienne
1/5
I thought saint Etienne were an indie band for some reason. This was more groove armaday house music.
By and large thought this was dull, most songs sounded like a bunch of stock samples thrown together in an obvious way. It went by in the background mostly inoffensively but nothing of interest.
Magazine
4/5
Quite liked this, the general sound was a lot like Cardiacs, the synth in particular was the same tone. Eccentric choppy art pop.
Was enjoyable all the way through but could have done with being a little crazier on a few tracks to leave a stronger impression.
Will definitely give it another go.
The Zombies
3/5
Sort of a Beatlesy 60s band with some mamas and papas style vocals on occasion.
Very of it's time, mostly in a good way. It's a step up from inoffensive but not sure that quite makes it interesting. A quick look through the track list and I cant remember any particular songs. 2.5.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Started really well, very cool psychedelic sound, reckon the Doors must have been fans. Second half the album was so much more straightforward and dull, felt like they front loaded the album.
Not as good as Jefferson airplane but enjoyed it enough.
The Beach Boys
2/5
Very old beach boys singing quartet stuff. Don't think they ever sang about surfing which defeats the point a bit, maybe at the time they thought that was a huge experimental shift in their sound.
Didn't recognise any of them except help me Rhonda and even then that was from a podcast taking the piss out of it.
It's all a bit pointless isn't it, it sounds like old beach boys, like the other old beach boys. As dated as anything could sound and completely uninteresting. 1.5 for not being distracting.
Ash
5/5
Expect for maybe 'A', Ash were the first band I was properly obsessed with.
Don't think I've listened to this album in full for probably a decade but it held up far better than I expected, the album tracks were much stronger than I remember.
I'd still say they are primarily a singles band and the singles are so good. Angel interceptor, Kung Fu, they have that Weezer like proper pop melody thing but they also sound so indie and thrown together, I love it.
1978 is the best album probably, though free all angels is also incredible. I'd give a five to everything though.
Ray Charles
3/5
Ray's a bit sad, some of those lines wouldn't be out of place on a my chemical romance song. The OG emo kid.
He's got a good voice, a nice sort of classic sound, there's some nice big band sort of brass sections every now and then. You only need to hear a couple of songs to get the measure of the album though and though it wasn't bad it never really grabbed me.
Couple of songs on a playlist would be alright, an albums worth is a bit tough. 2.5.
Fugees
3/5
Lots of good stuff on here, Fugees have a really good mix of talents and when it comes together it makes some good songs.
The album suffers from a lot of the same issues as previous hip hop/R&B albums, too long, lots of pointless filler, repetitive use of samples and lines. Not sure no woman no cry is different enough to the original to warrant inclusion.
That all said it was decent, none of the lines made me roll my eyes and it doesnt touch on any of the gangsta themes that plague other hip hop.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
More country, class.
I think I did genuinely like about 15% of this, there were bits of songs that were more indie than country where Lucinda's voice suited the song.
By and large though, usual tropes, some very obvious rhymes and just a generally well trodden sound.
Arrested Development
4/5
This definitely had it's own sound, quite different to a lot of other hip hop, particularly at the time. Different themes too, love when rap doesn't tread the same generic path.
As an album, some songs were brilliant, the ones built around the vocals mostly, lots of good flow. A lot of filler too mind, needed to be about a third shorter. There was an underlying current that felt a bit dated too, not their fault cos it is but it put me off slightly.
Want to listen again but enjoyed the first listen.
Joan Baez
3/5
Very 60s sounding hippie folk.
Good voice, quite like a lot of the guitar, was actually pretty decent thinking about it, especially for the time. Pretty repetitive as these folk albums often are and some quite silly lyrics here and there.
The fact I only thought it was quite good in retrospect is a bit telling that I didn't enjoy it all that much at the time, but overall okay.
The Waterboys
2/5
From the album cover I thought this was going to be something very traditional, proper Irish or sea shanty folk stuff. I did not expect it to be the band who did whole of the moon.
It was okay I guess but the mish mash of styles was less than the sum of its parts I'd say. Was very happy to see the 1 hour 50 run time included a special edition disc 3 I could ignore, so I'd definitely reached my limit.
Peter Tosh
3/5
Im not a big reggae fan so I flipped between thinking this album shows how much better bob Marley is and then how reggae is pretty samey anyway. Having finished the album, I think the best bob Marley stuff is a lot better than Peter and the standard stuff is very similar. Shows my ignorance that this is the only lens I could look at this album through I suppose, sorry Peter!
I would definitely say that Bob's positive messages are a much better fit but on the flip side was nice to hear reggae with a slightly more straightforward approach.
Not my favourite genre but listenable, 2.5.
Lambchop
2/5
Thought the album cover was quite good, looked like AI art way before it's time. Lambchop is a proper pub band level name, but I quite like it on a arty indie band like this.
I did not like the music. Reminded me of the newer arctic monkeys albums, strange crooning over elevator muzak. The last song was very Nick Cave which I also did not like.
It was fairly unique once you look past the AM comparison so alright for one listen I suppose.
Solomon Burke
2/5
Definitely a lot more Soul than Rock on this one.
Was short enough and didn't irritate but there's not much here to get excited about. Can't remember any songs standing out. So a nailed on 2.
CHVRCHES
5/5
This was brilliant, 80s synth-pop melodies with more modern beats and samples. They were just generally interesting and inventive songs though, would have been good on guitars.
Knew the name but hadn't heard anything before (except that marshmallow song as it turns out), will be going through their catalogue now.
Haircut 100
2/5
Felt very sorry for the rhythm guitarist in Haircut 100, the amount of muted off beat strumming required was immense. He probably has the biggest forearm imaginable, I'm sure he's sick of the jokes.
It was sort of Talking Headsy on the face of it but it's missing all the quirkiness and most of the talent. The first couple of songs worked the best and then the quality just steadily decreased without changing the sound.
It wasn't unlistenable but wouldn't come back, 2.5. but closer to a 2.
Love
2/5
Sort of folky psychedelic acoustic stuff. Was okay in the background as it seemed to finish without me noticing, really didn't mix it up very much.
I know the 60s were hugely influential on loads of genres but feel like I'm wading though landfill now. Didn't have to hear this, not painful but not worth listening to.
Scott Walker
1/5
Wow, that was terrible.
It was unsettling in a way that almost made it interesting, would make good music for a haunted radio to be playing in a horror film (like other albums we've had).
But to actually listen to full songs of this? No. Was like listening to the worst frank Sinatra tribute act while on drugs. Never again.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Didn't do much for me, not a huge fan of Bruce in general but if this is indicative if his 'newer' stuff then I like it less than his classic albums
Wiki says the main themes are reflections on 9/11, which I completely missed. I remember a couple of songs with very dodgy style changes and a lot of bland generic rock.
If Springsteen is the genius he's lauded as it's not because of this. That said it was basically fine.
SZA
2/5
There were some decent beats in here and SZA can sing.
Production felt very 2010s at times in a Frank Oceany way, lots of meaningful space which is an effect I'm tired of.
Not unlistenable but far outside my wheelhouse, feels very much like music for the kids these days. But then I do like lots of recent stuff so I think I'm just not a fan of whatever this is.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Never quite clicked with the Manics and I'm not sure why. On paper they should be right up my street, definitely in the Ash/Supergrass genre.
Recognised a few songs on here, this must be the big album. It's all decent and the guy has a good voice but there's something that stops it being any more than good.
Can't place it but that's my review. 3.5. but more a 3.
The Clash
3/5
Definitely more rough and ready than the last clash album we had, in a good way. The reggae side of things meshes a bit better with the punk too.
I'd say this album is better than London calling but that the song London calling is far better than anything on here, so it all averages out to about the same.
Maxwell
1/5
Not a fan of soft R&B/soul at the best of times but this album was a particularly bad example.
Overproduced 90s sound, everything at the same tempo, designed to be background music.
Had the worry when I stopped halfway through yesterday that I had no idea where I was up to but that cops come knocking song lasted long enough that I knew I'd finished that. Otherwise, not memorable, 1.5 but more a 1.
The Divine Comedy
4/5
I only really know national express from divine comedy but the general sound was vaguely familiar so good chance I've heard others.
I quite like it, its off kilter pop of the sort I think would usually get on my nerves so it must just be better than the others.
3.5 but have to round up my marks for the father ted theme. Would listen again, it was nice but don't think I'll ever be proper fan.
Steely Dan
3/5
Never heard Steely Dan before. This album really veered all over the shop in terms of quality.
Started badly, already starting to write it off, then there were some sort of jazz prog tracks that sounded like Yes and I was back on board. Finally it slumped back to being forgettable again.
Not really sure what genre they are, one of those where it's almost more annoying that they have the capacity to be good but frequently chose not to be. The good bits were great so I'm going 2.5.
The Fall
3/5
Definitely the best Fall album we've had, interesting post punk where they weren't pushing the boundaries so hard that they ended up putting rubbish in.
Definitely more influential than class in it's own right, though I did enjoy a lot of the songs. Futures and pasta and No Xmas For John Quays stand out from the tracklist.
I don't think it's a 4 but it's a stronger three the other albums.
T. Rex
2/5
Meh, feel like once you've heard one T Rex album your heard them all.
They definitely have their own sound, can immediately tell it's them. As I've said before, not sure what other bands even count as glam rock. That sound is defined by putting together about three riffs in various combinations though.
Didn't hate it but would never go back.
Eels
3/5
Recognised a few of these tracks but don't think I've had much of experience if Eels, only vaguely recognise the name.
Didn't mind it, was a bit Beck-ish. Some tracks were a lot better than others but overall still enjoyed it.
Koffi Olomide
3/5
This was nice, good vibes, made enjoyable background music.
Language barrier and what I assume are Congolese traditional melodies meant I struggled to pick out differences, blended into one a bit.
That said, do like when these African artists I wouldn't otherwise hear come up on the list.
De La Soul
4/5
Had high hopes for this, I think if I wasn't expecting a great album I'd have been happier because it was still good but not as good as it could have been.
It was too long, lots of small throwaway songs that didn't really add anything. Strip those out and there were some quality songs. Magic number, Eye know, Me myself and I, daisy age all great.
Think it's a 3.5 because I still like the sound but could have been more.
The Monks
3/5
This album wasn't on Amazon music but there was one called the early years that had most of these songs and I filled the gaps from YouTube.
Didn't think it was very punky initially, each song was announced at the start in a 50s/60s rock and roll way and the church organ and acousticish guitar didn't help.
Looking at a gig when listening to a missing track showed that they were proto punk in that they were unhinged and didn't give a fuck, an attitude that didn't really exist in bands at the time and could well have sparked the punk movement.
I'm not sure the music was particularly good but definitely worth being on this list. 2.5.
John Martyn
4/5
Listened to this while dozing on a train which admittedly isn't giving it the best opportunity but it turned out to be a great choice for this. Nice acoustic background music.
The second to last song was my favourite, quite technical, the rest blended into one a bit (my fault) but I enjoyed it.
Will probably come back at some point when I need some background blues. 3.5.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Normally I can't see the appeal of Pink Floyd but I have to concede this was great.
The dark bladerunnery sound worked so well. Being light on vocals seemed to put the focus on interesting music and 44 mins for a prog album is a good length, felt just right. Even the bass sounded like it was at the right level.
4.5, will listen again.
Eric Clapton
3/5
Definitely my first Eric Clapton album though I recognised some songs here and I'm sure I know more.
It was as adequate as I was expecting, not dull, quite well put together but very safe. Ticked along well enough for one listen but think repeated plays would start to grate.
Last song was nice, sure there were others but nothing better than nice.
Guided By Voices
4/5
28 songs, 41 minutes, minutemen levels of song numbers.
Guided by voices can clearly write the sort of songs I like but I think if theyd chosen the best 12, fleshed out a bit and increased the production quality a bit it would be a nailed on 5. As it was, the best songs were over too quickly and the lo fi production didn't do anything for me.
They have other albums so hopefully we get one that clicks better. It was still really enjoyable mind. 3.5.
The Young Gods
2/5
French Laibach.
Was nice to hear this sort of industrial music again but would have preferred Laibach. There were genuinely interesting parts but think the silliness of the whole thing overshadowed it.
The Who
2/5
More Who tosh, doesn't have the unpleasant undertones of Tommy but chock full of the bland filler.
Sort of radio thing interspersed with adverts is fine but not done in a way that marches the music, so I imagine it would start to grate even if you'd like the who. I think the harpsichord mingy stingy track speaks for itself.
So for the who, not terrible, but by normal music standards its very bad. 1.5.
Janis Joplin
3/5
Janis Joplin has an incredible voice and that was clear here.
I didnt like this as much as the big brother album which was much more raw and rocky. I think I was put off a bit by how much of this album I'd heard before on adverts.
Great voice, okay but overplayed songs. 2.5.
The White Stripes
5/5
The first half of this album is incredible, the second half isn't quite as strong but still great.
More raw than Elephant which I think is mostly a good thing, don't think it's quite as good but it's nice to have a bit of progression in the sound between albums. 4.5.
Bee Gees
1/5
This was dire, no wonder they turned to disco if this is what they were doing previously.
The instrumental orchestral bits were decent. The rest of it wasnt half as clever as it thought it was. I think the Beatles have a lot to answer for giving half the other 60s bands the misplaced courage to be "experimental", when really its just dodgy ideas dragged on too long.
Over an hour of this is not acceptable.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Pretty mad for 1968, very ahead of its time, makes a lot of the other 60s bands look pretty tame. Really sets the stage for 70s psychedelia.
Definitely the best velvet underground album we've had so far but still more influential than something I actually want to listen to regularly. Good list inclusion mind, happy it came up.
Common
2/5
Never heard of Common, this album seemed pretty standard for the hip hop at the time.
I guess a lot of the themes went over my head as the wiki seemed to think they were far deeper than I picked up. Not sure a film called pimp is really a "send up of his own conscious image".
There were some decent sections here and there but overall not for me.
Morrissey
4/5
Absolute prick but this album is very good, listened to the singles a lot on MTV2 back in the day.
It's bit more rocky than his usual output but keeps the best bits of his classic sound.
His warbly delivery doesn't always work but lands more often than it misses I'd say. This album is just really solid.
Ray Price
2/5
An album of slow knock off Elvis crooners.
Thought there was going to be a light entertainment intro to every song so was at least glad to see that didn't continue.
Struggling to think of another positive note though, it was dire. 1.5.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Stephen stills is the talent in Scott pilgrim, guessing the guy who wrote that stole all the names from elsewhere and I didn't have the knowledge to notice.
This was okay, really liked Cherokee and the rest of it was mostly bluesy stuff that drifted from quite cool to a bit dull.
Can't say I'd listen again but pretty good for this sort of music.
Alice Cooper
3/5
My parents were Alice Copper fans but I'm not sure they ever played this one, though Schools Out must be his biggest hit.
It was quite rough and ready, sounded more like a debut than a fifth album. Didn't really have the spooky pageantry that I would normally associate with him.
It was okay, but just okay, don't think anything really impressed. I'm sure there are good Alice Cooper albums out there but we haven't had one yet. 2.5.
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
Initially felt a 'kids these days' review coming on but after finishing it this isn't like Frank Ocean where it does seem like there might be something there I'm not getting.
This was just a bit vapid musically and fairly depressing thematically. Can't help it because I'm on my way to being an old man but in my day the sort of music that made people clutch pearls was angry and shocking. To me telling kids to think about money and sex in these terms is far more insidious and damaging. Kids these days ey.
The half hour runtime was about 5 minutes work of chatting which was a relief but a pisstake if you actually like this. The Other Side was alright, best track, everything else was terrible. 1.5 but more a 1.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
Sort of early Dylany folk. Seemed like a big mish mash of recording so sound was a bit all over the place. I'm sure the last few tracks were sung by other people too.
Could see it being very influential, very classic and authentic sounding. Good would seem like a bit of a stretch, though not necessarily bad. 2.5.
Paul Simon
3/5
I think we have the measure of Paul Simon now. I've heard enough of his wry observations on life and particular brand of jaunty 80s pop that it's becoming a bit uncanny valley. It's just a bit too overproduced, the drums are too echoey, sounds a bit AI.
I think assessing this album on its merits, it's alright. If you're throwing a middle class barbecue for the 50s-60s crowd I think it would get a lot of appreciative nods. It would be best if I don't hear him for a while though as I think I could grow to hate him. 2.5.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
4/5
Remember this 'supergroup' existing but not sure I ever listened to anything but them. Did not know this included Fela Kuti's drummer!
Thought it was really good, pretty understated for the most part but the constituent parts of the band came together really well. Last track was the best and I'm struggling to remember any other standouts, checking back herculean was quite good, almost a bit radioheady.
Can't think it'll grow to be a favourite but would like to listen to some tracks every now and then.
808 State
1/5
Love to waste most my Monday commute listening to someone cycle through a selection of samples.
In isolation there were bits that could have been grown into half decent songs but nah, just play with some of the settings and throw a few annoying high pitch sounds on top every now and then, job done.
Make sure to make the album last far longer than it has any right to as well.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Let it bleed is the album title for an over the top death metal band, between this and paint it black you'd be forgiven for expecting a bunch of goths.
Gimme shelter/can't always get what you want are good songs, the bit in the middle was a largely acceptable bluesy rock album.
When you hear this you think maybe Beatles did sound incredibly experimental at the time considering the other huge band were a bit straightforward. 2.5, more a 2.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Didn't completely hate the second half of this album, the subject matter is heavy and the sparse synths work quite well for it. Would not listen again though.
First half was pretty dire, as with other nick cave albums I feel a dodgy pub singer was given too much license to experiment and it's a big joke that I'm not in on. His success shows I'm in the wrong but I've heard enough to know he'll never be for me.
The The
3/5
Not bad, sort of 80s experimental synthy pop.
Liked the beat the first song was built around, the rest seemed nice enough but nothing grabbed my interest enough to pay attention.
Quite ambivalent about the whole thing so 3 will suffice.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
I get why this album is interesting in the story of the rolling stones and music in general, but I don't think these albums that are 90% covers should be on the list.
Sounds exactly like I expected it to, no surprises, didn't learn anything. It's not bad but it's pointless.
The KLF
2/5
For some reason I thought we'd already had the KLF, must have been something similar.
This sort of dodgy 90s house sounds so dated, very hard to take seriously. It was mostly just dull with a few moments of cringeworthy nonsense. 1.5.
fIREHOSE
4/5
Put this on when I wasn't really paying attention and it was good enough to make my listen properly. Then I find out it's the guitarist from minutemen, which makes a lot of sense.
It's definitely more cohesive than a minutemen album, a normal number of songs of normal length. Not quite as good I'd say but still great. Some things in particular is class.
Even quickly listening back now it's grown on me so could be a 5 soon.
Prince
2/5
Read a band interview recently where they talked about trying to avoid songs becoming "overcooked", where they neurotically tinkered with songs to the point they sounded worse for it.
Prince is the, er, King at overcooking. The songs on here were a lot better than the previous album we had but would have been far better if he hadn't thrown every idea and variation at them. They didn't need the extra verse or the outro with the slightly different melody. Needlessly padding the runtime and making it harder to listen to.
I didn't hate this album but it was frustrating and annoying which would make it very hard to listen to again.
a-ha
2/5
Sounded exactly how I thought it would, given I haven't heard another a-ha sing assist from the obvious.
Take on me is great and nothing else came close. There wasn't another song with same energy when really, it was all a bit slower and croony.
Not painful but no need to hear again.
Paul Simon
3/5
More Paul... To be fair I liked this one more than the last, far more stripped back, mostly just him and his guitar.
Still the same wry jaunty style, guess that is what he does. Can't remember a particular track standing out but nothing annoyed me so would be fine to have on in the background. 2.5.
The Stooges
4/5
Probably the best stooges album we've had, no really long padding track like the other two.
Didn't have any standout tracks but the quality was generally a lot better, sounded a little bit more like modern punk/garage rock.
Could tell when the album ended and skipped on to a random Iggy pop song and I didn't like it as much, so overall good stuff.
3/5
That was a lot of Dylan. Definitely prefer his solo acoustic stuff, the second half was a bit more generic and his voice steadily got on my nerves.
None of the ones that were in freewheelin were on here though I think the memories from that were often based on traditional songs still maybe he prefers playing the stuff that is completely his own.
He does sound pretty true to his recorded sound and I like it well enough but not a huge fan.
Dr. Octagon
3/5
A lot more interesting than most the hip hop we've had on here and definitely a precursor to stuff I like. The flows must have been really stood out at the time, much more complex than the standard.
Whole doctor framing seemed a bit pointless as did the little skits but it wasn't egregious. Not sure there was enough here to bring me back for another listen but decent all that same.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
This was very good for the time it was released. Love the triplet picking songs (The Stranger Song particularly) and the lyrics just seem more weighty than other late 60s artists.
He has a deepish voice but nothing compared to his later stuff so I don't think Leonard quite has the same presence here as he'd develop in future albums.
Would be happy to listen again but it's not a style I listen to a lot of, 3.5.
Blur
4/5
Didn't know any tracks but beetlebum and song 2, thought like most blur this was good but not quite great.
I like the blur sound, the chord progressions are always off kilter and getting places I wouldn't expect. Think there were a lot of songs which while good were more of background music than demanding your attention. Which is fine but unlikely to be a favourite.
Might benefit from another listen but it's not going to be a 5, 3.5 for now.
.
The Gun Club
5/5
Knew I recognised the name but it only clicked once for the love of ivy came on.
As well as covering the song there are a lot of clear influences on Japandroids, little turns of phrase and the general sound really. Must be super influential on garage rock.
This sort of music benefits from better recording/production options so it sounds a bit thinner than you'd like but the song quality shines through. At the time this must have been incredible. 4.5.
Fugazi
4/5
Really want to love Fugazi, Ian MacKaye is the most legit person in music and they are so influential on loads of my favourite bands. This album particularly sounds like early Cursive.
Still feel like they are in the good but not great category, feel like such a heathen. Maybe it hasn't clicked yet and you need to hear 40 tracks to get it, like olives. But I still don't like olives and I'm yet to love Fugazi, so maybe I never will.
Santana
3/5
Knew black magic woman but nothing else, sounded exactly like I expected.
Enjoyed it well enough but it was straightforward to the point of being bland a lot of the time. Good live I reckon but not particularly good on an album.
Definitely won't be back but acceptable, 2.5.
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
Michael Kiwanuka has a great voice and this album had a classic quality, really captured some of that vintage soul sound with modern touches.
Can't say it's a sound that really works for me though. Think he could have been a bit more incentive sometimes, I like the general sound of a lot of these songs but you know what you're getting from the first few seconds most of the time.
Wouldn't mind hearing more of his stuff but this album is just okay.
The The
3/5
Most of this album didn't much for me, wiki reckons this is post punk but a lot of it reminded me much more of 80s croon pop.
Was going to be a 2 until the last song, the mercy beat, which was like an arty post punk take on Duran Duran with loads of ideas. Will listen to that last track again but not the rest of it.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Love the cover art, you could have this in your house and other Fairport convention fans would get it while everyone else would assume it's your grandparents.
Like the last album this was a bit too classic 60s hippie folk for the most part but every now and then the band would just rip it and I'd be tapping along. Then back to being dull.
Not my sort of thing and the brief interludes of half decent music didn't save it.
Steely Dan
1/5
What the hell is going on with the cover art for this, I'm in two minds as to whether it's just base level awful or it's brilliantly captured the unsettling pain of this album. I'm going for the first one because the picture isn't dull.
I apparently picked up on some prog bits I liked on the previous steely Dan album we had but they weren't on show here. I recognised the first track which was okay but it just got worse from there.
Ice Cube
3/5
Like the other NWA solo albums, it's more arrogant and less angry than the group stuff.
I think Ice Cube is the best rapper of the bunch and some of the earlier tracks were decent but all the tropes are here and its tiring to listen to.
I'd say 2.5 but I'll go for a 3 on account of there being minimal skits.
Mercury Rev
4/5
Really enjoyed this, reminded me of flaming lips straight away so cool to see there's a link.
It's that sort of grand quite orchestral indie with a high pitched American on vocals. Can't remember any specific standout tracks but it was generally good. 4.5, go for 4 from one listen but will probably be more later.
Kate Bush
3/5
First half was really good, Kate Bush has her own sound of experimental 80s pop, only comparison is Bowie really.
Second half waned, the song quality dropped leaving only the weirdness which sounds a bit forced when it doesn't work with the music as well.
Think a Kate Bush singles album would be more appropriate for me, not enough of a fan for a whole album. Still decent though.
Sparks
4/5
Haven't heard any Sparks before except this town... always suspected they might be interesting, seemed to have the right amount of quirky but could go either way.
Thought this album was great, sounded like a cross between Queen and Cardiacs. Preferred the more punky art rock songs but it had great ideas all the way through. The strangeness would get on my nerves if the songs didn't hold up but they largely did.
Think I need a few more listens to get to grips with them but on this first go they are worth the plaudits they get. 4.5.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Probably the best beach boys album we've had I'd say, definitely the most interesting. Funny how it was marketed as a comeback cos theyd had a load of recent flops, you'd think they'd have made it more surf heavy in that case.
First half was better, got blander as it went on. I'm still not sure I'd say it was good, but it was okay.
Living Colour
4/5
Know cult of personality from guitar hero but haven't heard anything else so glad this came up.
Is there another 80s rock/metal group with any black members? Living colour really shine a light on how narrow that whole genre is. I think they stand out musically too, really good as a straight up rock band mostly at the start of the album but the funk that is more prevalent towards the end really works too. Lyrics were more interesting than their peers, no questionable lines about girls.
This isn't a genre I'm super keen on so I don't think I could give it a 5 but it's better than almost all of the other similar bands so 4.5.
Michael Jackson
2/5
Very hard to objectively review an MJ album. I think bad and smooth criminal are good songs, though I think the actual music on both is a bit flat and thin, both should sound bigger. Still on both of these the whole chamon stick does sort of work.
The rest varies between pretty bland to hilariously bad. Liberian girl was particularly funny, loads of it sounded like a parody to be honest. And most of the Michael Jackson tics sound ridiculous.
So even without considering MJ as a wrongun, thought this album was fairly bad
Goldfrapp
3/5
Was expecting discoy electro indie from goldfrapp but this was much more laid back and folky.
Quite liked it and recognised a couple of the singles but wasn't hooked enough to go back to it I think.
John Martyn
3/5
This guy sounded like a cross between Phil Collins and Randy Newman, want shocked for the first song played after the album had finished included Phil.
Couldn't love you more is a good song I think but after one listen it sounded like something people walk down the aisle to, it could grow to annoy me but currently still like it.
Otherwise first half was trying to force being too jazzy and the latter was a bit bland. Still okay I think, 2.5.
Travis
3/5
Feel like Travis are a good band who have made the decision to sound as bland as possible for mass appeal.
The album tracks were better than the singles as they seemed less focused on having a lovely singalong chorus, though it might just be that I've heard the singles too much.
Was quite surprised how much the bloke sounded like thom Yorke at times, like Travis were a blandie pop Radiohead.
Wasn't bad but I'd be lying if I said it was good. 2.5.
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
I was not expecting much from this, not knowing much about PIL I was expecting a sex pistols rip off.
Think there is probably a decent album in this if if it was half the length. At its best it reminded me of dance-indie like the Rapture but about two decades earlier, which is pretty ahead of its time.
Unfortunately this being a one man show where no one else can challenge crap ideas means it's stuffed full of rubbish too. Lots of annoying singing bits and songs going on two minutes longer than they should.
I wouldn't listen again I don't think, the bad parts ruin the enjoyment of the good stuff. Worth one go though I'd say, 2.5.
OutKast
4/5
Was worried when I saw it was a 2 hour double album but it didn't drag too much which is a plus straight off.
Never been into outcast enough to know too much about them so didn't realise this era was two solo albums stitched together. I think Bigbois was nearly exactly what I've wanted from outcast, more focus on rapping but with still slightly quirky and interesting. I approve of two features from Killer Mike too.
Andres was a bit too experimental for me and given this was released in 2003 it isn't that shocking he's making jazz flute albums now. That said, Hey Ya and Roses are brilliant and nobody else could make them.
I think a single album contributed with 80% BB would have been the best, id give bigbois a 4.5. and Andres a 3 so we'll say 4.
The Birthday Party
4/5
Nick Cave makes so much more sense as the lead singer of a psychobilly noise rock band. I assume he still dresses the same cos his style is bang on for this music which is why it's so jarring for everything else.
As an album it was a touch too loose but there were some great songs on here. Really reminded me of mclusky with big bass lines keeping the song together and the guitars doing mad stuff. Kiss me black the best of this sort I think, really enjoyed several sins too.
Turns out I'm a nick cave fan after all!
Elvis Costello
3/5
I'm two minds about this. I was quite on board to begin with, quite liked the cut of his jib, songs were quite interesting and varied albeit in a particular straight laced rock style.
As it went on it started to get on my nerves. The schtick is quite samey, it's a bit too breezy and lacks substance.
Thinking back though there were songs I liked. I think an album is too much, 2-3 Costello tracks is the correct amount. 2.5.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Nice to have on, didn't blow me away but that's because it's over 50 years old, think it would have at the time. Particularly if I was being force fed Beatles and kinks in the UK.
Writing proud Mary is a big one, probably an essential album on that alone. Think the covers have probably improved it mind, it wasn't my favourite track on here.
Not going to rush back but glad to hear it, like all the other CCR albums we've had it's a 3.5
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Felt like this melted out of my brain as soon as I stopped listening to it.
It was some sort of instrumental classic rock as far as I recall but there didn't seem to be enough going on to carry it without lyrics. Mostly sounded like a jam session.
It was decent enough I think, could have possibly been very influential if they were an early example of this sort of thing but cant imagine I'll ever be back. 2.5 I guess.
Eurythmics
2/5
Was hoping for more from this, sweet dreams really seemed like a cut above the rest of the album.
Some of the other tracks had decent bits in isolation but it never all came together.
Didn't know Annie Lennox was in the Eurythmics, so I learnt something from this. Won't be back though.
Suede
2/5
Suede have largely passed me by, though having heard this I have definitely heard other songs by them
It would seem they got lumped in as Britpop just because they were around at the right time but they don't really qualify. Definitely trying to sound like Bowie and there were bits that reminded me of Pink Floyd.
...I didn't really like it. Wasn't bad but had that issue where it seemed like they just chose some really route one chord progressions and accented them with the 'Suede' sound. Would struggle to pick out one song over the other.
The Coral
4/5
Mad that I've never listened to this album, always rated the coral but never quite made the effort.
It was more psychedelic than I was expecting, and I expected it to be a little odd. Definitely reminded me of the doors. Spanish main and skeleton key stood out I think but it could have done with one more obvious hit.
Could definitely grow on me more.
Pere Ubu
3/5
Was not expecting arty post punk from pere ubu, this was a pleasant surprise at least to begin with.
Ran out of steam towards the end, first half were good songs that were a bit weird and the second half was all weird no good bits.
Enjoyable enough without a need to return.
Spacemen 3
2/5
From the name and album cover I was very much expecting a 90s dance act. Instead it was a sort of shoegazey album.
Suicide was probably the most shoegaze of the lot and probably the only song that I was sort of onboard with.
Mostly I found it a bit dull, it was trying to be all airy and spaced out a lot of the time and I wasn't keen.
Hüsker Dü
4/5
Really liked the general sound of this, sort of somewhere between REM and the Lemonheads. Slightly more polished than I was expecting from husker du as post punk pioneers but it is a later album (though not their latest by any means, one out this year!)
It was very long though, there was a normal length great album in here padded out by similar songs that weren't quite as good.
Will definitely listen to husker du songs again but maybe not this album. 3.5.
Malcolm McLaren
1/5
This was a mad mix of sort of African beats, square dance country and house music. Really didn't gel very well was like listening to three bad albums on shuffle sometimes.
Radio phone in bits added nothing. I was more confused than an annoyed while listening but looking back I very much did not enjoy this.
Taylor Swift
3/5
This is the big Swift album I guess, most of the songs I know were on here I think. Though they are pretty much all big at this point.
Being called 1989 when the first riff kicked in I expected it to really lean in to 80s pop and after that it didn't really, maybe she was born in 1989?
Of the tracks I didn't know welcome to new York was the best. Taylor Swift is definitely the best of this sort of pop but the tracks without a hook are a bit washy and lyrically its a bit too relentlessly about relationships failing meaningfully.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Album name was very on point.
Was missing a lot of the eccentricity of other divine comedy songs which is their USP really. The songs were okay but didn't ever really grab me.
Now that I'm finishing off this review a day later I can't remember a single song except for the slow one near the end.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Yep that's kraftwerk. Sounded like it was somewhere between autobahn and the more poppy one we had, and I think I'd put it there in terms of enjoyment too.
Clearly groundbreaking to the point that they didn't need to do much more than repetitive electronic beats to stand out, felt like most the songs started well but never properly kicked on.
Enjoyed it and reminded me I should listen to more kraftwerk but probably not this album, 3.5 but more a 3.
Finley Quaye
2/5
Definitely wasn't up my street, was some sort of laid back reggae house.
Went by quickly enough, preferred it when it was more reggae than house, but definitely wouldn't go back.
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
Ms. Dynamite was big at an age where I was starting to notice music so I recognised a lot of this.
Sort of liked it from the nostalgia but I don't think it was actually good, felt a bit over produced like she was very much being pushed by the record label.
That said, wasn't overly silly or annoying and I did like some of the tracks, middle of the road.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Varied between fine and annoying, particularly the last track which was 9 minutes long and perfectly segued into a bonus track that sounded exactly the same.
Don't know if it was the name or because it was recorded in Nashville but I was expecting country music for some reason, so ones glad when it didn't come. But for sort of trippy folk music you can do a lot better than this.
X-Ray Spex
5/5
Didnt know what to expect here and it was great, garage punk is always going to score high. Amazing it was released in 1978 though, sounds really high energy for early punk.
First half was better, second half dipped a bit but that can be forgiven. Singing was great, think it would have got on my nerves a few years ago but this list has helped a bit with this type of vocals.
Put the start on again just to refresh my mind and it's staying on, 4.5.
The Jam
3/5
Like the last Jam album we had, this one didn't change how I already felt about them.
They have a few tracks here and there I don't mind but mostly I find it a bit with the bouncy bass and London focus it reminds me of a more serious Chas and Dave.
Didn't hate it but would never seek it out, 2.5.
Calexico
4/5
Sort of American indie folk, often with a Spanish sound that reminded of some Decemberist songs.
Thought it was largely pretty good, songs were pretty intricate and interesting at times, some blander patches here and there but that's often the case with this sort of music.
Would like to listen again, I suspect there'll be a few songs I really like to take from this.
GZA
4/5
The members of the Wu tang clan really lean into the Kung fu, even on their solo albums. Not complaining mind, I like the little movie snippets.
Album was really good, the old school beats are great, the flow sounds really natural, this was pretty much what I want from a rap album of this era.
It's a bit gangster but it doesn't go over the top. It's a bit too samey and doesn't have anything that completely stands out to be a 5 I think but a strong 4.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Another day, another Joni Mitchell album that isn't anywhere near as good as Blue.
Can't really remember the other non-Blue Joni album's we've had so I imagine they were similarly forgettable. She has a great voice that barely gets used here and the songs are generally straightforward.
Went by acceptably enough but not worth a listen.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
Bit Bjorky, all orchestral and dramatic and taking unexpected turns.
About 10-20 % was great when everything worked in sync but a lot of the time it seemed to be random ideas thrown together.
Largely interesting but not worth a second listen. 2.5.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
With superstition on the track listing I was hoping this would be a cool funk led album, but no, the rest was dull schmaltzy filler.
He's clearly a good songwriter and good singer but is let down by poor decision making, needs to improve that side of his game.
A Stevie Wonder greatest hits is probably decent but the albums aren't worth it.
Ray Charles
4/5
Didn't know Ray Charles did big band stuff! First few tracks were great, very Sinatra.
Also enjoyed some of the slower bluesy stuff too, though there were a couple of tracks that were a bit stuck in the middle, not big and exciting or cool and laid back.
Lots of these tracks were great and I should listen to Ray Charles more.
Joy Division
4/5
This was miles better than their debut album, understand the joy division hype a lot more now.
The Eternal in particular was class, felt very ahead of its time for 1980. Think they benefitted from slightly better production but it still felt raw and genuine enough.
Not quite a 5 yet, not enough stand outs at this point, but definitely could be! 4.5
Sugar
4/5
Makes sense that it was the bloke from husker du, this sounded like somewhere between the pixies and REM to me but after learning that I recognise hd in there.
The general sound was right up my street but did feel it was a bit too similar to other bands, second song was basically a reworked debaser.
When it landed it was very good so a 3.5 I think.
Machito
4/5
This was quick and very fun. No idea if its Latin Jazz in the mask soundtrack but that's what it reminded me of.
No songs particularly stood out over the others but don't think that's the point really. Don't have enough of a handle on this genre so not sure if this would stand out over another album, or it might be by far the best example. Either way, really enjoyed it.
Supertramp
2/5
For some reason I can't get it out my head that Supertramp are a 90s band, I think I've saved them in the same bit of my brain as Supergrass.
With this incorrect assumption I was impressed that they'd pulled off this homage to Pink Floyd, it's not my thing but they'd really nailed the sound of the time.
In actual fact it's just a band ripping off dark side of the moon which was released a year before. Consequently it had a lot of the issues I have with Floyd (dad rock with the bass turned up too high), though it was fairly listenable for one spin.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
So much of this was class but there was just too much nonsense that was also thrown into it.
Singing style reminded me of Beirut, lots of it was higher definition mathy like Battles. But Battles also seem to know when to stop with the "arty" side I think.
Gave it a quick listen again and with a bit of familiarity the weird stuff didn't annoy me as much so I think it will probably grow on me more. 4 for now.
Air
4/5
This was so much better than I was expecting. Knew the singles but air never really landed with me, the album didn't sound like I thought it would though.
I expected it to be quite monotonous electronic music but it's much more melodic with electronic bits, really sounds like a precursor to daft punk. Those Frenchies really know robot sounds ey.
Will listen again, didn't blow me away to a 5 level but still really good.
Elton John
2/5
That's wor Elton alright. You can tell he's a good songwriter, tiny dancer is good, but it all felt a bit samey.
It's all basically the same level of exciting, about a 5/10, never too loud and in your face or stripped back and quiet. That song about being an American Indian is a funny perspective for a British bloke to have a go at.
Looking back Im not a huge Elton fan but I think he has songs that are better than these. 2.5.
The Charlatans
3/5
The sound of this was generally fine but its a bit landfill Britpoppy I'd say, has the general vibe without any standout tracks.
It's a bit Mancunian but thought Tim Burgess leaned into Bob Dylan more than anything, so if you wanted a Britpop bob this might land.
A quick Google suggests I do not know any of the big Charlatans songs, or that they aren't memorable enough to be recognised by name alone, pretty telling. 2.5.
The Adverts
4/5
Off kilter punk is definitely my sort of thing so enjoyed this.
It felt like most songs were in a narrow band of tempos and sounds, could do with being a bit more varied. It was their debut mind so imagine they were more interested in doing one thing well.
Last song was the best, can't recall specifics about the others but it was only half an hour long. 3.5
The Byrds
2/5
Part of this list seems to be learning that the Beatles were actually very ahead of their room me by virtue of listening to the dross they were competing with.
Don't know how an album of twee Dylan covers represents the first American album to compete with the British invasion but it must have made the British band's sound even better. Sounds dated even for the sixties.
It isn't unlistenable but very dull, 1.5.
Pixies
5/5
It's class, can see why it was such a game changing album for the time but it holds up. Listen to a fair bit of Pixies these days off the back of this list so had already heard this.
Can tell it cost nowt to record, as the Pixies are a bit rough and ready anyway I'd say I slightly prefer Doolittle. Still full of loads of great songs, even ignoring where is my mind which is the most obvious hit.
Feels like it lasts about 5 minutes, flies by. Easy 5.
Iron Maiden
3/5
It's campy fun theatrical rock, Bruce Dickinson is a class singer and the band are talented. So I don't know why I just can't get on board with Iron Maiden.
The over the top 'metal' iconography and themes for a band who are basically classic rock with some galloping rhythm sections is slightly off putting. Actually I don't care how heavy it is, rather that it means everything is thematically one note, ah it's all scary and monsters and midnight and that.
Didn't know run to the hills was about native Indians, clearly a common topic of songwriting for 80s Brits, still the best song I'd say.
It was an enjoyable listen for one go but I'll never be a proper fan.
Peter Gabriel
1/5
Dynamic 80s pop, exactly what I thought this would sound like. So much similarity with Collins.
Shifted between funny and unsettling, definitely the genre that Patrick Bateman likes to kill people to. Excellent birds probably the funniest.
I really don't like this sort of music, I think on some level it isn't awful but it's a personal 1.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I really like Jane's addictions sound, it's a bit RHCP but the funk rock is taken in a different direction. Reminds me of that band The Music as well who must have been influenced by them.
It seems like they don't really do anything with the sound though, there aren't any obvious hits. I know been caught stealing but that's just the most well known of the tracks that sound quite similar. Could do a few clear riffs to build songs around.
Liked it for one listen, want to like it more but it's just missing substance.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
She has a great unique voice, interesting enough to make what otherwise quite dull songs half decent.
Don't think I'd heard any of these before, felt a bit more casual than her bigger stuff. Would struggle to pick one song from the other but that's generally the case with Amy Winehouse id say.
Well worth one listen, not sure id say it's good but completely understand why she was massive. 2.5.
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
Ahead of its time for 1966, must have been hugely influential on the doors. Pretty much exactly what I think of as psychedelic music.
Wasn't as interesting as the doors but that's to be expected given they seem to have invented the genre. There was actually a lot of non-Beatles interesting stuff going on in the 60s, a lot of it from America, so the narrative they were way ahead of everything is odd.
Anyway, liked this, didn't love it on its own merits but does seem like an essential album. 3.5.
Lou Reed
2/5
Wasn't very impressed with this, felt like Lou thought it was a lot more trippy and interesting than it actually was.
Some of the music was quite nice in parts, liked the guitar in the last one but generally think it was focusing more on trying to be arty than sounding good.
Found that song with the kids crying at the end particularly off-putting. Think I liked previous velvet underground despite the pretension as opposed to because of it and this album is missing most of the bits I liked.
Black Flag
4/5
Must have been mad to hear this at the time if you were used to the sex pistols level of punk, did pretty much invent the hardcore punk genre.
I like it but definitely prefer minor threat from those early bands. Sounds completely authentic and raw but I don't think it's aged very well, other bands did a lot more with the sound.
Rise above is class, happy to listen to them every now and then but bit too dated to get hooked. 3.5..
k.d. lang
2/5
Never heard of her, good pop voice, was interesting in parts.
All in all was a bit too bland to grab me, voice was the main attraction and the music was never allowed to get in the way.
Not bad but not for me.
The Police
3/5
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would actually, there were some songs on here that were a bit more loose and indie than I would have expected.
Generally though I find their 80s sort of reggae sound a bit odd to build a whole band around, so a whole album was tiring. Still beat expectations mind.
Ice T
3/5
Very NWA influenced I'd say, a lot of the beats had that droning sound under the beat that straight outta Compton has.
At the risk of my repeating myself I thought this sounded pretty good if you ignored the content and tiringly gagsta if you didn't. As with similar albums it's the narrowness of the themes that makes it a slog, Ice doesn't say anything he hasn't already made clear after the first couple of songs.
The rock song was an unexpected diversion and I did like the sound but unlikely to return.
Ananda Shankar
4/5
This was an interesting listen, you hear a lot of Western band incorporating Indian music in to their songs but not sure I've heard it the other way around.
Was a good mix of western songs on the sitar and Indian rhythms. Think my favourite one was the long one towards the end that had this repeating outro, bit mathy.
Unlikely to come back but well worth one spin. 3.5.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Enjoyed this album more than the other Jane's addiction one we had, was a bit rockier, slightly less funk.
The vocals in place reminded me of the guy from 'A' which is a big plus for me, A have a song called Jason's addiction so they must be aware of the parallels.
Only knew mountain song before listening but think I'll come back.
The Pogues
5/5
Hard not to enjoy the pogues but don't think I've heard an album by them and was surprised how interesting it was, I think they are just way tighter as a band than you'd expect them to be.
Its Irish folk music for the most part but they keep it as varied as you could possibly expect. Turkish song of the damned in particular was unexpected.
Listened to a few tracks again and its great, I'm not sure if the pogues are a 5 star band but this a 5 star album.
Joe Ely
2/5
Cornbread moon is the sort of thing Chat GPT would come up with, this whole album had a bit of an uncanny valley feel to it actually.
Still not a country fan but to be fair this guy could sing a bit and it was a short album so I wasn't immediately begging it to end. But it's pretty bad and I won't listen again. 1.5.
Elbow
5/5
I really like elbow, I love a proper northern singing accent which carries the quieter songs while there is a good heft to the darker songs, it has that emo tinged indie feel at times.
I do think that it has a smooth, soul like production that almost certainly ensured it was more commercially successful but blunts the edges of some of the songs. A song like the bones of you should sound more uncomfortable but it's produced like a lounge track. Only nitpicking cos I think the songs are good!
Good album, don't think I've listened to much more by them but I probably should. 4.5.
Coldplay
3/5
Coldplay were half decent back in the early days, if a bit dull.
The scientist is great and half of the rest are really solid but it sticks to a 4/10 level of excitement throughout. Alright for an album but I can imagine a gig is tough going.
Its solid, I'm sure I'll listen to most of this again against my will so no need to seek it out.
Paul McCartney
3/5
You can tell that Paul can write the heart of songs but needs help fleshing them out.
Lots of really nice ideas that don't really go anywhere, or at least don't go far enough. Felt like he was just jamming sometimes or trying things out.
Okay I guess, didn't hate it, feel like he should have spent some more time turning these into actual songs though. 2.5.
Laura Nyro
3/5
Good voice used over some indie jazz tunes, the sort of thing you'd hear on Jools Holland and 6 music.
A nice easy listen but hard to say too much more than that. You need an incredible voice to make these sort of songs stand out and so it was a bit forgettable. 2.5.
R.E.M.
4/5
Solid album, solid band. Very much leans into the indie folk side of punk but there's definitely a punk band in there.
As with almost everything else I've heard by REM this album never properly grabbed my attention though end of the world might have done heating it for the first time.
They are really good, not amazing, nailed on 4.
Madonna
1/5
Hilariously abysmal. So bad. The robot voices, the claims of keeping it real, the horrendous cover of American pie.
Laughed a lot, cringed a lot, never again.
Mudhoney
4/5
Never listened to mudhoney but heard a lot about them. Should have checked them out earlier, they were great.
Pulled apart by horses must be big fans, definitely a lot of similarities. I listened to extended version and I think the original 20 minute one would have been punchier but there were some good songs in the extra ones.
I don't think it's different enough to be a 5 even if they were the ones who kicked this sound off but a strong 4.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Rolling Stones don't do much from me and this album seemed to very much encapsulate their sort of American bluesy sound.
Sympathy for the devil is okay, rest of it not quite as good. Probably quite edgy for the time especially compared to other British bands but not worth the plaudits these days I'd think.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
More dexys, guess at least it has the big hit which I think is a good song but has been overplayed to the point I can't enjoy it.
Like the last album we had by them, I feel like a lot of the other songs sound a bit like come on Eileen but not as good. They definitely have their own sound but it is built on a small range of music.
They are just about okay to listen to once but I'm surprised they were as popular as they were.
4/5
This was really good, this list is introducing me to a lot of eccentric punk, maybe I'm ready to give the B-52s another go.
Thought this was British for some reason but listening again they definitely have American accents though I think they might be putting an English twang on.
Not enough clear standout tracks for a 5 but will definitely listen again.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Little note of excitement before I remember this isn't Jeff Buckley.
Seems we've had one of Tim's albums before though by all accounts it was a bit livelier than this. Very much a good for the time but not good full stop album I'd say.
I think most of the 60s slightly psychedelic albums on this list are just cementing how good Jefferson airplane are.
Gillian Welch
4/5
This was really good, the music was very different to what I would expect from a singer songwriter voice.
Revelator definitely the best song, musically reminded me of Brand New a bit so nice to listen to a bit of that sort of thing guilt free.
Overall the album only had one or two songs I wasn't impressed by, would definitely like to give it another go.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Quite liked bits of the music here, though it verged on Phil Collins at times it was mostly pretty interesting.
The singing voice grated though, the guy had a sort of crooning thing but he couldn't really do it. These sort of songs have an attitude like he was a really good singer though. I don't know, I didn't like it.
So on balance it was okay but not good and won't be back. 2.5.
Jane Weaver
4/5
First half of this album is so good, sort of electronic indie not too far from Churches with a bit of LCD on occasion, particularly the first song.
Second half except for the last track was more acoustic and a bit neither here nor there, would have liked it well enough if the first half wasn't so much better by comparison.
Never heard of Jane Weaver but will listen to more of her stuff, first half is a 5, second half is more of a 3.5, will say 4.5 but closer to a 4.
Faust
3/5
This sounded like a krautrock band and a prog band simultaneously recorded an album.
It seemed to be walking the line between sounding actually interesting and just random in the hope of being interesting, there were some good songs and some that didn't do it for me. Picnic was great, krautrock was pretty good, most of the others were okay.
For 1973 it's pretty impressive but I don't think I would be compelled to hear it again.
Screaming Trees
4/5
Never listened to screaming trees or mark lanegan really though am aware of him.
First half of this felt very 90s in the vain of pearl jam, was really solid though, feel like the ST should get more airtime as it was just as good as the other bands of the time.
The stoner rock/QOTSA sound was much more evident in the second half, both music and singing style. Again stood up in terms of quality and feels pretty influential for that sort of sound.
Think I'd be a bigger fan if I'd heard this years ago but still thought it was great and should listen to more.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Costello number 4 and I feel the same about this one as his previous albums, there are bits that are quite good but the singing and general musical style grate too quickly and I've had enough before the album is over.
Think I recognised a couple of these but I kept second guessing myself as another song would come along and I'd think maybe it's this one I actually know. So a bit of sameyness across the album too.
There were a couple of decent songs, there was one with a few discordant bits that sort of reminded me of that field music album Graeme recommended. Overall though pretty forgettable, 2.5.
Small Faces
3/5
Some decent sections but with the spoken word sections and general sound of the second half it was definitely leaning into aren't we all so quirky pythonesque version of prog/psychedelia.
First song was good though and musically when it was a bit more rocky than bouncy I did enjoy it, so another 2.5.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Like the other Wu tang solo albums we've had this showed that the members of that group were the best of the time.
First half of the album in particular was great with beats that allowed GK to show his best rapping. Album was too long though and gradually fell back on old tropes.
Think the group album was better, think they are more angry than smug as a group. Still enjoyed this though.
Jacques Brel
3/5
Well that's the most french thing ever commited to tape.
Quite enjoyed it for what it is, very authentic, definitely seemed to use a key stage 3 vocabulary most of the time so I had some idea of what he was banging on about.
Good for the list but obviously not converted to the classic french crooner genre.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
There was a repetitive slightly off beat in a lot of these songs I really liked, sort of a math rock blues thing. Most of the album flew by.
Was a bit too long though and there were a few songs that didn't land for me, and I wish I understood the lyrics to give it all a bit more context.
Overall it was good and I'd happily listen again but I've got a feeling I might not go back.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Would put this in the same basket as de la soul, a certain brand of old school hip hop where the beats are quite up near and quirky, and the rapping is a bit conversational almost.
I do like it, when it's good it's great, but the album was a bit long and meandering. Would be a lot better if it was trimmed down a bit.
Would definitely listen to some songs again, first one and can I kick it particularly, but probably not the whole album.
Megadeth
3/5
Definitely liked this more than the other Megadeth album we had, music was a bit more interesting and varied. Particularly liked that bit in the first song when the tempo kept changing.
Lyrically seemed to be about some sort of evil war, a classic topic to cover if you're in a metal band with this sort of schtick.
Seemed to rip off Metallica more than once. Not my genre really but enough to maintain interest for a listen or two.
Richard Hawley
4/5
Know Richard Hawley from his music being used for the standing at the sky's edge musical, though I only recognised Coles corner. The musical seemed to use songs like that are big and full of strings to show the happiness in northern communities despite the shitty concrete buildings and it definitely worked for me.
This album was mostly subdued and laid back, which I still liked but not as much. Do think Hawley has a great voice mind, soulful but northern, bit like the bloke from elbow. It occured to me that I think Alex Turner wants to be Richard Hawley these days but doesn't have the voice for it.
A best of album would score higher but I still think this one is pretty good, 3.5.
Sepultura
3/5
Was a bit samey this, only so much galloping guitar at the same tempo you can take.
Not as interesting as Metallica but probably sounded a bit more rough around the edges.
What else can you really say about it? Was fine, went by quickly enough but I'd struggle to pick it out of a line up if I heard it again. 2.5.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Knew the singles but definitely haven't heard the album before.
Can tell they are finding their feet and I like the slightly more authentic garage rock sound but the songs aren't as strong as colour/shape, except cows maybe.
Even here you can hear them bridging the gap between classic rock to something more modern though. Very enjoyable but not flawless.
Mariah Carey
1/5
Christ this was painful, made me very angry as it went on.
Overproduced tripe in the same vein as the aguileras and madonnas of the list. Carey has a great voice and crazy vocal range and she used it almost solely to warble like an xfactor contestant (or rather they are warbling like her).
Last song she belted it for a couple of bars but too little too late, hated this.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Know heads will roll but otherwise haven't heard this album before.
Definitely taking cues from the dance indie acts of the time, I thought it was really good. Still has the older YYY sound at the core but the electronic side of things added to it.
Got a feeling this might grow on me even further but from a first listen there was a bit of filler than knocks a star off.
Talvin Singh
2/5
Seems there's a bit of a story to this album but it didn't come through really when listening to it, probably my fault as I'd dismissed it as fairly laid back electronica a few tracks in.
Passed by quickly enough but I think that's because it is pure background music so I didn't really pay attention.
Not a genre for me, seems like a pretty standard example of it.
Deep Purple
4/5
Thought this was good for a live album and definitely elevated my opinion of deep purple, everybody was an expert in what they did.
Think the vocals stood out the most, the guy had the range and strength of Jimmy Page, just doesn't use it as much on the records.
It is fairly indulgent mind, if I was there I'd have rather they squeezed a couple of extra tracks in and cut a few of the solos and jam sessions out. All of that stuff would stop me listening again I think.
One listen was good stuff though.
Duke Ellington
5/5
Love this golden age jazz, scratches a similar itch to Sinatra for me in that it has a timeless American quality.
Great background music that every so often does something that makes you pay attention. Not sure we needed the announcer as much as we got though I gather the original release was much smaller.
Hard to say this is "the" album worth listening to as I imagine his recorded stuff is just as good, possibly better. But I loved this, would love to hear it live and is exactly the sort of thing I make Alexa play to make my midweek meals seem more classy.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Definitely prefer this to daydream nation, not sure about the other one. Can't quite remember it though I said it reminded me of kool thing, so probably safe to say go is my favourite sonic youth album.
It's got this unsettling atonal sound throughout which I'm a fan of. It feels like it pushes past eccentric to just random at points but I was largely enjoying it.
Hugely influential on lots of my favourite bands, I'm not sure id say I am definitely a nailed on sonic youth fan but I understand why people are.
Slade
4/5
Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would for some reason. They definitely fall on the rock side of glam rock and this is a proportion that works I think.
No songs with a runtime longer than three and a half minutes, no silly interludes or outros, it all ticks along nicely.
It's still fairly straightforward stuff, no completely unexpected turns. Even so, one listen was perfectly fine. 3.5.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Probably the best Neil Young album so far, definitely the heaviest. Reminded me so much of Weezer/REM/Lemonheads at times.
Fuckin up and farmer john the best of the bunch. Got a bit less interesting towards the end and I didn't like the more country focused stuff but still a great album. 4.5.
Cheap Trick
3/5
1001 rock band live albums recorded in Japan before you get through mid October.
Not really essential, and while I enjoyed it well enough the deep purple one was definitely more impressive and interesting. Being live didn't really add that much here apart from a few introductions which are a negative point, so would rather have heard this recorded.
Still basically fine but no reason to come back, 2.5.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Pretty iconic, a lot of the big tracks on here. It's very cool, hard not to like it to some degree but for whatever reason the album in general didnt hit for me as much as are you experienced.
Sounds completely live which adds to the authenticity but with all the feedback makes some bits hard to hear.
Well worth a listen and should be on the list, always happy to hear Jimi but don't really seek him out.
Mudhoney
5/5
Definitely an evolution on the debut album we had a few weeks ago, (slightly) better put together and a bit more varied.
Know who you driving now from an ash cover and I'm sure I recognise fuzz gun 91. Generally thought the album was great, this one sounded even more like lots of later bands.
There were a couple of tracks closer to the end that were more average so I'll say 4.5 but definitely listening again.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This is one of the big beasties albums though not sure I've ever heard it. Definitely is a prime example of them.
Generally like the vibe though not sure I recognised any of the tracks. Felt like they became a bit more polished than the debut which felt even more tongue in cheek.
Didn't wow me but it was good, 3.5.
Isaac Hayes
2/5
Not a big fan of soundtracks on this list, though the lead track is iconic and I could see how the film could have really pushed this genre.
Started well enough, quite like this cool funk heavy soul in patches. It goes on though, particularly that one near the end that was about 20 minutes long for no apparent reason.
I think it's a very good soundtrack for a film but that doesn't mean it's a good album.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, was good music to work to.
Feels a lot more like a mixtape than the other album we had with seemed to more track/hit focused. Sort of sounds halfway between chemical brothers and Mr scruff, mostly it's quite rocky and drum led but it's got an undercurrent of being quirky and relaxed.
Reluctant to say it's great because I don't feel the need to hear it again, though it'd be perfectly happy if I did there's nothing that made me specifically want to come back.
The Doors
3/5
Definitely the least psychedelic doors album we've had, disappointingly run of the mill by their high standards.
Every so often there'd be the spark of something interesting and trippy but by and large just a nice enough collection of rock and roll blues songs.
Still has Jim Morrison's great voice and general presence which suits make it stand out from the average but I expected more.
Willie Nelson
2/5
An album of pop covers doesn't seem like essential listening and id think if we're going to have more willie nelson you could find something better in his catalogue.
Of the tracks I knew I didn't think Willie tried anything new or interesting but also he doesn't really have a voice to make a standard take worth hearing.
Not so bad to be a 1 but pretty pointless.
Massive Attack
4/5
Exactly what I expected, though I did enjoy it more than I thought I would. Not particularly a fan of this Bristol chilled electronic sound but it clicked with me today for some reason.
I think massive attack are the best at this genre, it does seem to be put together with care and attention. Sly in particular was great but it was all listenable.
It's all a bit samey and I'm never going to be excited about this sort of music but I have to admit I liked it. 3.5.
Cat Stevens
3/5
Knew the big songs and they are classics, feels like when cat gets everything right he makes brilliant songs.
Found the stuff I didn't recognise a bit ropey, I think the quite simple style of the songs means if they dont land they sound clunky.
All in all it's okay but big swings in quality throughout.
The Style Council
1/5
Wow, this is what Paul Weller decided to do after the jam? Not that I'm a jam fan really but what in the Phil Collins is this?
I really can't get on board with that overproduced 80s pop sound with all the brass and the style council have it in spades. Does feel like they were trying to latch on to what was popular at the time.
Can't see past a 1 here, very much not for me.
2/5
Sort of a lo fi noise rock klaxons, reminded me of that band black eyes more than anything.
The foundations of some of these songs are quite good, I'm a fan in general of messy sounding post-rocky stuff. They didn't really build the songs up in any way though, like they'd decided that sounding weird and unsettling was enough.
So not bad, but definitely not good. 2.5 but more a 2.
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
The incredible bongo band actually seems to be a serviceable covers band you might found in a lounge bar with some added bongos.
I did like dueling bongos, the only bit that really showcased their bongo talent. The rest of it was just the sort of jazzy pop with an extra bongo beat that weirdly gave it the feeling of a never ending heist explanation. Were there a lot of bongos in oceans eleven?
Its very specific and I do like these sort of niche turns from the list but it's anything but essential.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Missy is at least slightly different in sound than the other 00s hip hop but a whole album was a bit too much.
No need to explain what your album is about I'm the album itself, unless I suppose it sounds like it's mostly about banging.
This isn't my sort of thing really, I'll give it a 2 for being mildly interesting at points.
Solange
3/5
Accidentally hit shuffle on this one and then had a really hard time working out which songs I had and hadn't heard, which means it has a coherent sound but also that it's very samey.
Thought the themes of anger and defiance weren't really suited to this sort of soft spacey r and b. Don't wish me well was the best track mostly because the music had a bit more to it.
Despite all of this I did think it was pretty good for a genre I'm very much not in to, so while I wont listen again one spin was okay.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
It's the best RHCP album I'd say, even if I'm far more familiar with californication. Breaking the girl, suck my kiss, give it away, under the bridge all among their best.
Even the album tracks are pretty good mind, very slap bass funk married with 90s rock in a way nobody else managed to achieve.
It's mad how well written they lyrics for under the bridge are only to be followed by the some of the worst you're likely to hear on other tracks.
Overall great but the lyrics bring it down.
Suede
4/5
Before this album I was under the impression that a) Suede aren't really britpop, just around at the time and b) I didn't really like them.
This album was great. A lot of the guitar parts could have been written by Coxon. It's a bit more whimsical than Blur but that works well with the slightly heavier songs than id heard from Suede. It seems to me they took the slight edge out of the songs I know until the whimsy was too thick.
First few songs probably stuck with me the most, though there was a lighter song halfway through I really enjoyed, but pumpkinsy.
Not sure I'm a full convert yet but this has definitely changed my opinion and I'll give them more time now.
Röyksopp
4/5
Have a soft spot for royksopp, I think because they were on a lot of adverts in my youth.
It's not my sort of music at all really but its well put together and has a sort of robotic quality that makes them a sort of chilled out washy daft punk.
That said I would never put them on myself but this was a nice listen. 3.5.
Tom Waits
4/5
I don't know if I'm just getting used to tom waits but I felt like this was the best album we've had by him.
I think we had an earlier one which had this sort of off kilter, slightly sinister sea shanty/carnival feel to it but it was even more prevalent here and it really worked.
This is the only waits album I think I'll go back to but who knows, might be the start of me really getting into it.
The Hives
5/5
Absolutely belting, must have listened to this album about 100 times between the ages of 15 and 20 and about twice since so was lovely to return.
Its a compilation of their first two albums and EP released in Sweden and it sounds like a greatest hits for the most part, just one great track after the other. AKA IDIOT always my favourite.
It would be a perfectly valid criticism to call them samey, which is why they tend to have a shelf life and drifted out of my rotation really. That said they are incredible live and I should really see them again.
Beth Orton
3/5
The first and last few songs of this were great, acoustically driven but a rocky tinge and Beth has a good voice for it.
Middle was very insipid music and Beth changed to channeling her inner Dido. Huge swathes just passed me by that were quiet and dull.
All in all I suppose it was okay. Some good songs but as an album won't be back.
Sam Cooke
4/5
As a live album this was brilliant, really felt the energy and showmanship. Guess I might be uncultured for not knowing Sam Cooke, definitely seems like he has a voice and presence to match James Brown.
For some I think it was interesting and unique enough to warrant repeated listens outside of listening to the properly recorded stuff. I'm not a particular fan of soul but I think this high energy version is the best.
Not sure I'm a big enough fan for repeated listens but enjoyed this listen and worth being on the list. 3.5.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
Two albums ago we had Beth's broken car, now we have Tracy's fast car. There's an underwhelming joke in there somewhere.
Know the big song but not sure I recognised anything else. Tracy has a good voice and a fairly unique style for an acoustic singer songwriter where it's often hard to stand out.
I would say the the shadow of fast car looms large over the rest of the album mind. Might be because of my over familiarity but a lot of the other songs had bits that reminded me of it.
I enjoyed it without being blown away.
Tim Buckley
3/5
More Timmy B, felt like this was a bit more of the same really, as far as I can recall the last album.
A bit of psychedelic whimsy without ever really impressing or annoying me. Which given it often annoys me I think is a plus point in general.
I want my psychedelic songs to have a bit more of an edge really, far prefer the doors etc to this jaunty stuff. Not a write off but not one to revisit.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
I really like the first 5 minutes of salsa music and after that it starts to grind me down a bit, I think because if you're listening to salsa you're going to hear exactly the same tempo and beat until you stop.
Right place right time I could enjoy this and I certainly wouldn't have heard it otherwise so glad it came up but I pretty much knew how it sound before listening. 2.5.
The Avalanches
3/5
Another band where Im aware of them off the back of one song. Frontier psychiatrist seemed to give them a more alternative following you wouldn't expect for an electronic band, I guess as its the sort of sampling you'd expect from hip hop.
Didn't mind the album but don't think psychiatrist is very indicative of the rest of it, was expecting a bit more tongue in cheek but it was fairly down the middle. Tracks did have beats and samples slightly more interesting than groove armada say, it definitely wasn't house, but it wasn't particularly interesting.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Fairly standard 60s pop rock for the most part. The last track has a great riff that cream completely stole for sunshine of your love and would have been a great 3 minute track bit they decided to pad it out with some jam sections that didn't go anywhere and an underwhelming drum solo.
That's about it really, I think it's a 2.5.
Pere Ubu
1/5
First couple of songs were alright and I hoped PU had decided to keep things a bit more palatable on this record.
From then on it progressively abandoned any semblance of thinking about song structure and became increasingly unlistenable.
Think there is a good band in here somewhere if they wanted to be but seems in an attempt to be truly alternative they've decided to be rubbish.
Bonnie Raitt
1/5
Pretty dire this, started off as sort of Shania twainy country pop and then meandered into even more generic schmaltz.
The entire album sounded phoned in, wasn't a single part where it sounded like the aim was to make interesting music. Wall to wall offensive blandness.
Possibly the least essential album we've had given how uninteresting it all is, a real waste of time
Metallica
4/5
That was a lot of Metallica, I don't mind them but that much in one go is not going to score favourably for anyone.
Overlooking that, Metallica are pretty on point assuming this wasn't touched up afterwards. It's a unique concert so worth being a live album, thought the strings added to some songs but made others sound like stage musical numbers. I think the grander the original song the better it worked, and the more raw ones sounded silly.
This was worth a listen but I need 6 months off Metallica now. 3.5.
Eagles
3/5
Definitely remember the title track, heard that. Then, despite being a reasonable length album, it all passed me by and it was over before I realised.
Felt like this was as professionally middle of the road rock as it's possible to make. It was acceptable, I clearly wasn't bored or annoyed but it was never exciting or particularly interesting.
I imagine they cracked this acceptable radio friendly sound earlier than most and so probably hold some responsibility from some following crap bands. This is the epitome of 2.5 if not for the first song which pushes it to a whole 3.
Brian Eno
4/5
This was good Eno, best we've had since Science, though not quite up to the same standard it was his debut solo album so very impressive.
Strange and interesting, with almost all of the odd turns improving the songs and still being casually catchy.
A bit less varied than Science but still preferable to the other albums we've had. Good stuff.
Hot Chip
3/5
Some really good parts to this but felt they were chasing snappier songs that got to the point quickly like the indie bands hot chip were always bundled in with.
The songs would have benefitted a lot from being given the time to grow a bit, for a band with an album called joy of repetition they avoided every chance for a good bit of it.
Not bad but feels like a wasted opportunity.
Buzzcocks
4/5
Haven't really listened to much buzzcocks but they are very much proto garage rock of the type I'm very keen on. Knew I don't mind from an Ash cover for example.
Wasn't so stand out that it blew me away but I'd happily listen again.
Peter Frampton
3/5
Another very long live rock album, far too many on this list.
Feel like not knowing who Peter Frampton is might be a bit of a blind spot, knew a few songs though! By all accounts this live album was his breakthrough album which seems mad.
Haven't said anything about the album because what can you say, it's perfectly serviceable classic rock of that era which loses a bit from being live. 2.5.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
This was a level of trippy/random that could only be achieved with psychedelics. There were parts that were reasonably enjoyable but peppered with a lot of choices that were strange for the sake of it.
One of those where you admire the guy for sticking to his one track drug fuelled intentions but you don't listen to it again.
Girls Against Boys
5/5
Brilliant post-hardcore noise rock, sounds more like McLusky than any other band I can think of. Great riffs made to sound really messy and abrasive, love it.
Rockets are red stood out the most, need to give it another listen to pick some more favourites which will happen in the near future.