My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
Rock Bottom Robert Wyatt	5	2.39	+2.61
Third Soft Machine	5	2.43	+2.57
Shleep Robert Wyatt	5	2.5	+2.5
The United States Of America The United States Of America	5	2.61	+2.39
Scott 2 Scott Walker	5	2.64	+2.36
Casanova The Divine Comedy	5	2.67	+2.33
Bright Flight Silver Jews	5	2.68	+2.32
Yank Crime Drive Like Jehu	5	2.7	+2.3
Movies Holger Czukay	5	2.71	+2.29
Medúlla Björk	5	2.72	+2.28

Album	You	Global	Diff
Who's Next The Who	1	3.91	-2.91
Back In Black AC/DC	1	3.85	-2.85
(What's The Story) Morning Glory Oasis	1	3.84	-2.84
American Idiot Green Day	1	3.76	-2.76
Highway to Hell AC/DC	1	3.66	-2.66
Definitely Maybe Oasis	1	3.53	-2.53
Tusk Fleetwood Mac	1	3.46	-2.46
My Generation The Who	1	3.43	-2.43
Lost In The Dream The War On Drugs	1	3.39	-2.39
Hybrid Theory Linkin Park	1	3.39	-2.39

Artist	Albums	Average
David Bowie	9	4.56
Talking Heads	4	5
Beatles	7	4.43
Radiohead	6	4.5
Björk	4	4.75
Nirvana	3	5
The Kinks	4	4.5
Nick Drake	3	4.67
The Divine Comedy	2	5
Rush	2	5
XTC	2	5
Kendrick Lamar	2	5
Air	2	5
LCD Soundsystem	2	5
Robert Wyatt	2	5
Siouxsie And The Banshees	2	5
Portishead	2	5
King Crimson	2	5
Cocteau Twins	2	5
Led Zeppelin	5	4.2
Sonic Youth	5	4.2
Joni Mitchell	4	4.25
Stevie Wonder	4	4.25
Bob Dylan	7	4
The Beach Boys	3	4.33
My Bloody Valentine	3	4.33
Brian Eno	5	4
Leonard Cohen	5	4

Artist	Albums	Average
Oasis	2	1
AC/DC	2	1
Ali Farka Touré	2	1
The Who	5	1.8
Van Morrison	3	1.67
Bruce Springsteen	5	2
Isaac Hayes	2	1.5
Elvis Costello	2	1.5
Eagles	2	1.5
Green Day	2	1.5
Ryan Adams	2	1.5
John Martyn	2	1.5
Emmylou Harris	2	1.5
Rod Stewart	2	1.5
The Verve	2	1.5
U2	4	2
Arcade Fire	3	2
Madonna	3	2
Aerosmith	3	2
The Rolling Stones	6	2.33
Miles Davis	4	2.25

Artist	Ratings
Pulp	5, 2
Barry Adamson	4, 1
Neil Young & Crazy Horse	4, 1, 4
Kanye West	2, 1, 4

Depeche Mode

3/5

While an album I cannot deny as influential with its sound and design, and some of the songs are indeed classics to stand the test of time, but the album as a whole is obviously meant to be listened to as an album, never on it's own. Many songs lead directly into the next dong, which is fine for those with lyrics, but the instrumental songs that are three in a row feel strange, like they're supposed to be an intermission, but it comes at the end, just making it feel like a movie soundtrack. Iconic, but not that fun of a listen.

Morrison Hotel

The Doors

4/5

While blues as a genre isn't always my thing, I still found my self tapping my feet to most of this album. It started a little shakey, but in the middle I was enjoying myself quite a bit, and while I wasn't a huge fan of the ending song, I still am extremely satisfied with it.

The Joshua Tree

U2

2/5

Every single song was just such a slog. Five minutes of quiet in the beginning, then starts to build up, then either stays built up or goes back to being quiet. Now, I know that sounds like most songs, but there is a specific brand of it with U2 that makes it all just blend together. It's only getting 2 stars because while I didn't completely enjoy it, there's no denying the 1-2-3 punch that is the first few songs. Would of been better as an EP with just those and Bullet the Blue Sky

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits

3/5

Some other review said this was weird Halloween music, and I agree, but in the best way possible. I actually quite enjoyed how weird this could get, but blues still isn't for me, so some of this album was a bit repetitive. Excited for other Tom Waits albums, though.

Play

Moby

2/5

When listening to this album a situation would arise often where I enjoy how a song sounds, and am thoroughly enjoying it, then it goes on another three minutes. That's not to say the songs are long, because they all don't really surpass five minutes, other than the B-Sides, but they don't go anywhere. Often I'll be waiting for the song to heighten or have some sort of climax, and that just never happens, and I understand this is not necessarily something that needs that "drop", this isn't Dubstep or anything, but even comparing it to something like Fatboy Slim, it just comes off as weak, and it really loses steam in the second half, mostly being over prolonged atmospheric music. I mean, three stars is still pretty good, because I didn't dislike the album, it's just hard to praise the album when we live in an age where this style of music has only been improved. Who knows though, perhaps I'm not smart enough for it.

The Boatman's Call

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

I almost feel as though I shouldn't be listening in to these songs because of how personal they can get, but I'm glad I can. Although I do find some songs kind of funny (such as Black Hair) I can still respect the message behind these songs, as well as the emotion. Into My Arms obviously being a standout performance that alone deserves the praise the whole album gets.

Stand!

Sly & The Family Stone

4/5

When I first started this album I really wasn't feeling it, and as such some of the early songs felt weird to listen to, but I gave it another shot with some proper earbuds rather than just my car speakers and man does this jam far better in that style! I'm also glad the version of the album I listened to had some songs twice for the singles version, because it gave me a second chance at some songs just in case I was on the fence, and this was just all around a solid album.

It's A Shame About Ray

The Lemonheads

3/5

I think some of the reviews here saying all the songs sound exactly the same is quite the exaggeration, unless sticking to one genre constitutes as that nowadays. Songs were enjoyable if a little simple, but sometimes something more lighthearted is good. I may be bias though, my parent's showed me Lemonheads at a young age, so I may be going easy on it.

The Yes Album

Yes

4/5

The Marshall Mathers LP

Eminem

3/5

God, my old review is so cringeworthy. No use defending some of Eminem's rhetoric here, no matter how ironic it may be. There are just better rappers worth more of your time, and while there are some great songs here, it does not deserve to be considered among the best.

The La's

3/5

This album was a weird one for me. Obviously there is an influence of an album that can be seen while looking at it, and it's obvious what this album did for this sort of rock going into the 90's. Bands such as Oasis are obviously inspired by this, and I could see why at the time this would be something big. The issue comes in to the fact that it doesn't change that I'm just not a fan of this album, or really this style of music. I mean, I enjoy some good jangle pop, but the singer's voice sometimes can go from just a little weird but okay sounding to very whiney (which ironically is a complaint I have for Oasis as well), and it makes a lot of the songs feel very repetitive. I'm not saying the songs all sound similar, because they don't, but it does start to blend together. I was honestly ready to give this a two star rating, purely pushing it up a little because of it's influence and "There She Goes", but I will push it right over to three stars purely due to the final song, "Looking Glass". I'm a sucker for long songs that get more and more frantic or "stressful" as the song goes on (see "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" by the Beatles), and this one stratched that itch pretty well.

The Stranger

Billy Joel

5/5

When it comes to Billy Joel I know some people get a little sick of it, stuff like Piano Man seemingly playing wherever you go, and a lot of his other songs being so well known that they seem to be heard at least once a week, but doesn't that just show the man's talent for this sort of thing, especially when the songs you don't hear everyday have that same level of quality? That level of quality doesn't shine brighter than The Stranger. Every single song on this album is excellent, even the longer ones which any other artist of the time would have caused it to feel as though the song is a drag, but not on this album. The album even flows well from song to song, with each placement just making sense. Sure, some of Joel's songs may be a little cheesy, but the musicality and enjoyment from each song on this album gives me no other choice but to give it five stars.

Live At The Regal

B.B. King

3/5

I've gotten quite a few blues-y type albums now, and I'm starting to warm up to it a bit more, so my new challenge is now overcoming the next threat: live albums. That's what makes this so complicated, I understand a singer can really put their all into a live performance to make it better than any studio recording (Frampton Comes Alive! springs to mind) but often these songs just aren't as good as something with no random audience members cheering the whole time or the usually less than optimal sound quality, but I will admit, despite what the number down below may seem like it says, I did enjoy the album. It's just when it comes to something like this it's hard for me to think too much of it, and the addition of blues, which I already struggle to decide if I like or not, makes it a bit more of a mixed bag for me. I can understand why this is considered one of the best live albums of all time, I just can't fully get into it.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

There is a semblance of an album that I like within this album, but all of the songs get close to doing something I like and then don't do it. I can understand why someone may not like his voice, but that isn't what bothers me, there's just something I can't fully grasp as to why I don't entirely enjoy this album, but I must be missing something, it's obviously considered a masterpiece of somesort. Perhaps I'll return to this on my own time and see if anything changes.

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

4/5

First off, very funny 1001 Generator, I don't know if I would've thought of doing that if I tried. Second off, fuck Morrissey. I won't be giving it a one star just for that, because I think that's unfair to the rest of the band, but fuck Morrissey. This album is excellent, not only do the notable songs actually stay enjoyable, but even the not so famous songs are enjoyable, which is an issue some albums from this era suffer from. I know some people think this just sounds sad and that's all to take away, but I think there's more to it then that.

The Doors

4/5

A nice album where you can obviously see the weirder and innovative roots you would see in later Doors' albums, but the organ solo stuff, while good, does feel a little too safe and extended at times. Still though, overall very good, and still earns a four star.

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

David Bowie

5/5

When I was younger, my knowledge on David Bowie was very slim, I basically knew Space Oddity and that he was in Labyrinth, but when he sadly passed away I decided to change that, but I always kind of ignored this album because it was more rock 'n' roll than his later albums, and I had grown tired of classic rock as a genre. Boy do I regret this, that was amazing. I mean, of course Starman is great, but the rest of the album is no slouch either. It's no wonder I usually see this at the top of rankings for all his albums, and I'm super excited for his other eight on here.

Nilsson Schmilsson

Harry Nilsson

4/5

This is another case of an album almost doing stuff that I like, but not quite reaching it, but this album is far better than the usual line up that does something similar. A lot of the songs just sound very manic, which has its place, but sometimes its hard to listen to, not in like a depressing way, but just like how a lot of stuff doesn't resolve how you want it to, and that's usually the whole song. Top tier album name, though. Its also weird hearing "Coconut" and realizing you knew a song off an album you had never heard of by an artist you had never heard of.

Hot Buttered Soul

Isaac Hayes

2/5

I really tried to like this. I tried getting myself into the first song, and all that jazz, but it just kept going, and going, and that's when I realized I still had two-and a-half more songs like this. The third song was fine, because at least it was normal song length, but then the beast that was the last song just never stopped, and I couldn't even get through it, for the first time on an album while doing this daily album thing. I decided perhaps I just didn't like the song itself, but I went back to the versions this song was covering, and the massive fifteen minutes of difference in length really showed me the filler this album can have. Perhaps I just don't understand soul, that seems to be the case with a lot of albums similar to this, but I really don't like this one. Only getting a two star because that third song I saw the appeal somewhat.

The Healer

John Lee Hooker

2/5

I admittedly don't think I get blues at all. All of these songs would start interesting and then drone on and on, not really doing anything more with the songs. It was just really boring. I liked Hooker's voice but his choice of perhaps five words to each song is underwhelming. Oh well.

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

Sinead O'Connor

1/5

I do understand a lot of O'Connor's songs are mainly built around the lyrics and what they are about, but that's only one part of a song, and sadly, I usually enjoy the sound of a song before the lyrics, in which these songs really lack for me, even "Nothing Compares 2 U", in which Prince's at least has it's own sound to it. All I could think while listening to this album is "This sounds like if Enya was the lead singer of The Cranberries, which makes sense, considering they all are from Ireland, but I still couldn't shake that feeling, and it made a lot of songs sound like nothing I've heard before. I don't sound too harsh, but literally nothing here was something I cared about, even pushing it below U2. It's just a nothing album for me. Guess I just don't like Irish singers, except the Cranberries.

Here Come The Warm Jets

Brian Eno

5/5

I admittedly knew very little to nothing about Brian Eno before listening to this album, but I was admittedly very worried judging from what kind of music comes up when you type his name in. Luckily, this album seems to be nothing like that, and in fact, was quite enjoyable. I can see why he was very much connected to both David Bowie and David Byrne. Looking forward to the other albums by him on this list.

Out of Step

Minor Threat

3/5

I saw the overall review score for this album and got a little worried, but afterwards I realize that's just because I'm guessing most aren't the biggest punk fans, and that's okay. I'm really not either, but I did generally enjoy this album. It did get a little repetitive at times but it's shortness and raw energy made up for it. I mean, I didn't find it anything super special, but it was still enjoyable.

Exile On Main Street

The Rolling Stones

3/5

Unlike a lot of other reviews here, I actually hadn't seen this Rolling Stones album before (somehow), so this was a whole new experience for me. That being said, it wasn't that special of one. I never was a huge fan of the Rolling Stones, as it didn't do much for me, but this album was okay. That being said it was just okay. There wasn't anything that truly stuck out to me and while it started out strong in never really went anywhere. It's a very consistent album, so those who like the Stones will probably enjoy this album quite a bit, but all this is for me is another driving force as to why I will never understand the Beatles vs. Rolling Stones comparison

Siembra

Willie Colón & Rubén Blades

5/5

First non-english speaking album, and man what a jam. Saw some comments saying all the songs sound the same and I couldn't disagree more, every song was a totally different song, just under one genre, and it was enjoyable throughout. Some songs went on a little long, but that's okay! It almost feels like something you'd hear in a game like Katamari.

The Sun Rises In The East

Jeru The Damaja

3/5

An enjoyable album that flows well together. It really felt like something I would hear in something like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater or something similarly 90s. A lot of the lyrics still accurate today, but sadly a lot of lyrics are also questionable, like the entirety of "Da Bichez", but at least somewhat enjoyable to listen to. Like one ear and out the other sort of deal here, can't see myself listening again, but we'll see.

Killing Joke

2/5

Well, it certainly isn't the sound I was expecting when I started the album. Sadly not really a sound I'm crazy about. It takes a very simple approach for a lot of the songs, but that just means a lot of the songs start out good then don't do anything to stick in my head. I will agree that the bass is very nice, and some of the songs remind me of other songs I do like (early Ministry comes to mind), but this really doesn't do it for me.

Architecture And Morality

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

4/5

This isn't exactly what I was expecting for this album to sound like, but it did sound pretty cool. Not like, regularly music cool, more like a roller-coaster of emotions from something you can tell was made with a music video in mind to the Metroid soundtrack, but still very good.

Raw Power

The Stooges

3/5

I will not deny that the guitar on this album is obviously very ahead of it's time, but save for that, I don't really get the specialty. I think the album cover is more iconic than the music inside of it. Again though, guitar is great, and is really carrying this score itself.

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Animal Collective

4/5

Moondance

Van Morrison

3/5

I'm not exactly a fan of Van Morrison as a person, so I figured this album wouldn't be up my alley, especially since I kind of despise Brown Eyed Girl, but this album was okay. I recognized far more than I was expecting to, and the standout songs the other reviews are mentioning are as good as they say. It is mostly just "You know that guy who did Brown Eyed Girl? More of that", though.

The Visitors

ABBA

4/5

The first album on here I've actually heard all the way through before this when I was going through all of ABBA's discography, but I'll listen to it again to freshen up my opinions. While not my favorite ABBA album, it is certainly up there. It's such a change up from usual tone of an album by the group, being far more open to minor keys and more "darker" subjects (not that the album is deeply psychological or anything), and I think it benefits from it. It certainly has that "final album" feel to it, which is why their new album, Voyage, is such a huge disappointment to me. Head Over Heels is a huge standout to me, which seems to not be the most popular song on here judging from other reviews, but I see it as a top five ABBA song easily. It's an album that shows ABBA is capable of a lot more than just generic pop like many seem to think it is. You can especially tell in the reviews who didn't bother to listen to the album (why bother rating it?) and who did. Oh well, very enjoyable. Perhaps not as good as I remember overall, as I don't return to listening to songs off this album as much as stuff like Voulez Vous, but still good.

Tigermilk

Belle & Sebastian

4/5

Just enjoyable. Songs had a similar sound but changed it up enough for each song to be discernable, and the big change ups like the electronic focus in Electronic Renaissance was always nice. Nothing hugely amazing here, but would happily listen to the entire album again, and I'm looking forward to their other album on the 1001 list.

When I Was Born For The 7th Time

Cornershop

1/5

I originally knew Cornershop from Fatboy Slim's remix of "Brimful of Asha", and man was that all I ever needed of Cornershop. Every song here was just boring, with a weird mix of folky sound and dance music not meshing together really at all. It got to the point where every song I was just waiting for it to be over after like thirty seconds. Best song was Brimful of Asha, but as I said, no reason to listen to it when a better version is right there.

Songs Of Love And Hate

Leonard Cohen

4/5

While I do think the album is indeed rather quite sad, I think that's hardly a reason to rank the album so sad. His voice is sometimes a tad droning, but it often works with the tune of the song, and it only heightens the emotions when his voice raises in pitch, it shows he really does view his writing as something worth sharing. I think if you view these songs as poetry first this really is an excellent album.

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

2/5

This is what I would think of if someone said "stereotypical rockabilly album", which isn't necessarily a good thing. I mean, I understand this type of album wasn't exactly common at the time, so I'll give it a couple bonus points there, but considering there are multiple other Costello albums to go, I'm not exactly revving to listen to more. I suppose I didn't dislike how it sounded, though, at least for now.

Double Nickels On The Dime

Minutemen

4/5

Man, I saw the amount of songs and that this was a punk album and got so worried I was gonna have a terrible time but boy was I wrong. This album rocks. Not every song is amazing but it all works so well together, and the amount of real topics mixed with just goofy shit makes this really enjoyable, and as others are saying, this is far funkier than any other punk I usually here. One of my favorite albums so far.

Let's Get Killed

David Holmes

1/5

Man, this was not good. Not even anything here was interesting like the samples. I mean, they made the 007 theme boring. How?

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

Everything Must Go

Manic Street Preachers

3/5

I relatively enjoyed my time with this album, but it was just pretty much 90s alternative rock, and nothing more than that. Nothing bad, but nothing absolutely remarkable either.

Buffalo Springfield Again

Buffalo Springfield

3/5

Just like the Neil Young I got before this, much of this album is exactly what I would expect from this. Not bad, not anything spectacular either, although I did enjoy it more than Young's solo stuff.

Dust

Screaming Trees

2/5

Well, I didn't hate this, but it really wasn't notable. Like stuff you'd hear on your local rock radio when it was feeling spicy and tired of other 90s rock.

Achtung Baby

U2

2/5

I was suprised by how many songs I knew off of here, whether that be songs I knew as Johnny Cash songs or just didn't know were U2. Sadly, while I do like this more than Joshua Tree, still nothing I care for whatsoever. I just don't get the appeal of U2. I suppose at least everyone was right and they do sound different between albums. Not good, perse, but different, made it less monotonous.

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

4/5

Surprisingly good, but I should have expected that from an early 2000s rap album, they are always surprisingly good. Funky and every song flowed into the next so well. Really enjoyed my time, even if it was a little long.

Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine

Cee Lo Green

2/5

Wow, this is not really soul, huh? I liked almost everything with this album except the main part, Cee-Lo's rapping. His voice just does not much what he is saying at all. The couple times he actually did sing were far better, but that was rare on this overly long album.

Nothing's Shocking

Jane's Addiction

4/5

This album really peaked in the middle, with banger after banger, but the beginning and end felt a little same-y. Still very good though, glad to have finally listened to a full album by Jane's Addiction

Birth Of The Cool

Miles Davis

2/5

Olive Garden

Kimono My House

Sparks

5/5

The Best Album of All Time Okay, admittedly I'm exaggerating a little, as the best of all time is yet to come from this very band, but if anyone ever said this was it, I wouldn't only believe them, I'd shake their hand for such a magnificent take. This album was my introduction to Sparks, as it was for many people, and I remember getting it via a random album generator and thinking I wasn't going to think much of the album. The album cover reminded me of one those more out there post punk, new wave albums like Germfree Adolescence, which would've been fine, but nothing to write home about. But instead, I put on the first track, and instantly fell in love. I thought Russell was a girl the first time I heard him sing, and only learned otherwise once the first two songs had sold me and I was already looking at the band's discography. He's a very attractive man, I'll tell you that much. His brother, Ron, is no slouch either, as not only is that persona of his to die for, but the man can WRTIE. These are some of the funny, most clever lyrics of all time, and most if not all the riffs coming from the keyboard are instantly iconic. That isn't to downplay any of the other band members here, who are new recruits, and while as not quite as iconic to the canon as the original line-up, all of them are magnificent. I mean, listen to that guitar, bass, and who can forget Dinky Diamond. Album cover is now to me as eye catching and beautiful, something that Sparks is very good at doing with their art, and it perfectly shows their charm to the world. While I won't do a track-by-track review, just know every single song here is a five star, and all stand out on their own. Sparks is the only band I know where they consistently do whatever is the most satisfying melodically and lyrically, and also knows the perfect lengths for their songs. Thank God It's Not Christmas is, ironically, the perfect Christmas song, Talent Is an Asset is a lyrical powerhouse, and Equator is equally funny and haunting that no other band has ever balanced. I love this album so much, and even if this was Sparks' only good album, I would still sing their praises evermore, it's that good. Luckily, this is not the case, as Sparks not only stayed on this high point with their next album, but their best (IMO) is yet to come still. Just know that my life would be completely different were it not for this band, and I'm eternally grateful. Thank you Ron, Russell, anyone who has ever performed for them, and thank God it's not Christmas!

Songs From A Room

Leonard Cohen

4/5

Closer

Joy Division

5/5

Maggot Brain

Funkadelic

2/5

Back to Mystery City

Hanoi Rocks

3/5

I'd like to preface by saying I have no clue why this album is on this list. It's the most steretypical rock album I've ever heard. My only thought was that perhaps it was ahead of its time, but it's from '83, so if anything it's behind it's time, so I can only assume it's because of the former Mott the Hoople production that got it on here. Other than that the album is alright. It's not like it's a bad album, just a boring one. Like a boring early Alice Cooper album. I'm still gonna give it three stars because I did find myself sometimes bobbing my head or just enjoying it, and the vocals are different enough, I suppose. It's a very light three, though.

Phrenology

The Roots

3/5

I started this album thinking it was gonna get a 2 star for being just kind of a standard R&B 2000s album, but god damn did this album do whatever it wanted. I really love how experimental it was. We've got rap, R&B, drum and bass, experimental techno, whatever you wanna call "!!!!!!!", and just a really experimental album. Was it perfect? No, everything that was safe wasn't that interesting, but I really love whenever it would do something weird, made it fun. That upper review that said something about hating rap obviously didn't listen to the album, because it's far more than that.

James Brown Live At The Apollo

James Brown

2/5

Really not a fan of live albums. I could see why this is a must listen to, but nothing really stuck out that made making it live any more important to it's musicality. Just a lot of screaming. My favorite song was the middle part of the medley for the fact that people would just let the man sing. Obviously he's having fun with the crowd, having them participate, but it's not that fun for the actual listener. Seems like I'd prefer an album by Brown that isn't live, huh?

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

2/5

In my experience listening to this album, it wasn't really anything all that notable. I wouldn't say the songs really sounded the same, but I wouldn't be able to tell you what any sounded like moments after the song ended. Nothing here was bad, but even the song I liked the most, "Jesus", wasn't anything too special. I can see why others may say differently, though.

461 Ocean Boulevard

Eric Clapton

1/5

I genuinely don't get it, and I tried not to let my already present disdain for Clapton bother me, as I do try to separate art from the artist when I can stomach it, but that didn't help this album. Every dong sounded like exactly what you expect it to, hardly anything stuck out, and when it did, it was because it was just notable how much worse the song was compared to the original. I just don't get it. Sucks, because 1974 was doing pretty good as a year so far, but this just felt like a compilation of songs you'd hear on the classic rock radio and forget as soon as they stopped playing. Not impressive at all, and doesn't really make me feel like "well at least his music is good".

Machine Head

Deep Purple

3/5

I had obviously recognized the album cover and band name because of Smoke on the Water (which I will say right now is far too overrated when there are far better songs on this album alone), but I never knew too much past that. This was just seen in my eyes as "dad rock" through and through. This was alright, though. I mean, nothing spectacular (besides that guitar, all of the soloes were wonderful), but certainly nothing bad, save maybe Space Truckin'. There were some times where songs genuinely surprised me with their quality, and I don't regret listening in. Will I be adding Deep Purple into my band rotation? No, probably not, but I still enjoyed it, in a middle of the road, one time romp, sort of a way.

Hms Fable

Shack

3/5

Most of this album was pretty mediocre, and felt almost like a more pop-y R.E.M., but I did enjoy some songs when they decided to change it up, and the last song was really quite good. I think the album would've benefited from more soft spoken songs such as that one. Other than that pretty middle of the road.

Timeless

Goldie

2/5

This album was just nothing for me. It blended into the background really well once it started, and it only had me start listening a couple times throughout the album. Did I hate it? No, but the only situation I could imagine actually liking it is in the middle of playing something like Gran Turismo, otherwise I can't imagine dancing, or just listening to this.

In It For The Money

Supergrass

4/5

I can't stand most 90s alternative British rock, other than Radiohead (yes that includes Oasis), so before I heard of this album I thought it would just add to the pile, but this was pretty great. A lot are mentioning influences like Oasis and Beatles, and while I do hear that, all I could think during was actually Smashing Pumpkins. Not only in his voice, but being able to rock out then reel it back in to really give the album some nuance. Not every song is a banger or anything, but this was still really enjoyable, and the last few songs were absolutely fantastic.

Gris Gris

Dr. John

3/5

The beginning of this album had me worried, as while I don't mind talk-singing, it didn't exactly sound great in the first song, and then the second song was mostly instrumental, but it wasn't interesting instrumental. Luckily, the third song, Mama Roux, was actually pretty enjoyable, and I enjoyed my time with the rest of the album. I don't know if I think it's anything all too special. Even if this was 1968, I'm sure plenty of other artists were making music such as this, as it's obviously inspired by such. Forgive my ignorance if that's not true, though. But yeah, okay. Perhaps I'll revisit this album sometime to see if my views become more positive, as I could see it doing that.

Low

David Bowie

5/5

It took quite a few listens for me to bridge the gap mentally between the A-side and the B-side of this album, dare I say I still don't fully understand the thought process of taking the momentum of the first half, via tracks like Sound and Vision and Be My Wife, and turn the pace down to deliver something that only lets you sit with your thoughts as you embrace it, but I think on this fourth or fifth go-around with this album I start to appreciate this album a lot more. It helps that I've delved into Eno's work a bit more since my last run, and this album tries its best to scratch the itches that Another Green World hit with ease. The whole album, however, especially the A-side, is magnificent, with Bowie crafting a record that destroys the walls set up by other pop records and creates something that will truly speak to all listeners. Bowie is no longer pouring out his heart to the audience, but rather pouring the audience's heart out to themselves, and in those moments of contemplation the album will truly allow the vague lyrics and ambient synths to whisk you off as a rocking guitar keeps you from going out of orbit. It's a grounded release, but one that isn't afraid to blow the listener away, and while it does become perhaps a little too much downtime for my taste in the back half, the album as a whole makes a strong argument for why albums are the way they are, and the fact that we've sort of lost that only makes this album's excellence all the more magical.

Pacific Ocean Blue

Dennis Wilson

4/5

Starting this album, I really didn't get it, as it just seemed like Pacific Rock from the era, and not much more, but the second half of the album, starting with Thoughts of You, really changed the album into something that felt a lot more impactful. His voice seemed like it genuinely meant what it was singing, and the musicality really showed through from that forward. It felt like the first part was like "Yeah, I was the Beach Boys, but these are my true musical abilities. It's a shame that he died so young and couldn't have a flourishing career, I truly think it would've only gotten better.

Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin

4/5

While I'm not as attached to this album as some others seem to be, I cannot deny that this album is excellent, or at the very least has excellent songs. Some of it is a little steretypical rock for my taste, but stuff like Stairway to Heaven and Black Dog are famous for a reason. No, the big surprise for me was the quieter song Going To California. I've never heard anyone talk about this song before, and it's probably my favorite. It's just so nice and calming, while still definitively having that Led Zeppelin flair. Almost reminds me of what I've heard from Zeppelin III coming into one perfect song. Album was great as a whole, though, not perfect, but deserves it's recognition.

Pink Flag

Wire

4/5

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

2/5

I don't think I'm much of a Prince fan. This is the first of his albums I've listened to in it's entirety, and while there were a couple songs I liked, a lot of songs felt like filler. Really the whole album felt like a filler album, and that's a shame. I thought giving Prince a proper shot would change my thoughts on his music.

Violent Femmes

5/5

I actually know this album pretty well, as my mother would play it constantly as I grew up. Despite now questioning if this was the best lineup of songs for a child to be listening to, this album is excellent. The song has a great presence of punk that a lot of folk "punk" bands miss. It certainly feels just like raw emotions, and sounds good doing it. Are the lyrics questionable? Absolutely, but I'd say not understanding that that's the point would be a major disservice to this album. Every song just knows exactly what beats to hit when needed, and ending on a slower, melancholy note really wraps it all up. Just wonderful.

Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago

4/5

Far better than expected. I'm more familiar with Chicago's later work, and while 25 or 6 to 4 is an absolutely excellent song, the more and more ballads the less and less interesting. Luckily, this album had none of that, it was just excellent Big Band/Funk/Rock all around that also had some unexpected very experimental sound. I enjoyed the first half more than the second half, but it was all good, and if Jimi Hendrix thinks the guitar sounds good, then you're doing something right. Now if only the songs didn't go on so long sometimes. Not like they're repetitive, they certainly earn there length most of the time, but it makes it hard to imagine wanting to listen to them again when half of them are twice or even three times as long as the average song.

Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey

3/5

Astral Weeks

Van Morrison

1/5

Van Morrison should really stick with the horns section he rarely uses. It always sounds the best of all his songs. Sadly he instead thinks aimless guitar playing a yell talking counts as music and just bad poetry with annoying sound.

Station To Station

David Bowie

5/5

Just amazing really. The album may be short with it's amount of songs, but when the "worst" song on here is better than most other songs, you know you have created something basically perfect. I just adore this.

Shaka Zulu

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

3/5

Relaxing, and the first album I feel asleep to, which no other album has even come close when I try. Not much actually notable about each song though.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins

4/5

This was actually one of the first albums I ever listened to all the way through without interruption, so I suppose you could say it holds a place in my heart of some kind. I mean, obviously it's a double album, but it's crazy how many memorable songs are on this album. 1979, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Zero, We Only Come Out At Night, Lily, and many more. It's just a really fantastic grunge album that has a lot of variety. I admittedly seem to like the first part more than the second part, but both have great songs and are a joy to listen to. Getting some good albums lately, can't wait for another line of stinkers.

Sound Affects

The Jam

3/5

Yet another case of a lot of songs on one album just not quite doing what I want it to do. That may be due to its short run time for a lot of the songs, but often they'd have a good backbone (especially with that bass) then just repeat it rather than building it. I know that's kind of how punk generally goes, but it's still disappointing. It did get better as the album went on, but it was still just okay by the end.

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin

4/5

When the album started I was gonna be one of those people going against the pack, as with the first couple songs I didn't understand the more than four star average rating, but as the album went on I understood it a whole lot more, especially the last couple songs. Obviously Franklin's voice is magnificent, but as the album went on instruments came in to compliment the voice rather than just copy it and it became a nuch fuller album. Not perfect because of those first few songs, but I do get it now.

Boy In Da Corner

Dizzee Rascal

1/5

The nicest thing I can say about this album is it certainly sounds different, but that still isn't a compliment. It sounds like they took all the Samsung ringtones no one ueses because they sound weird and made beats out of them, but squeaker and more repetitive.

Crazysexycool

TLC

2/5

Man, horny 90s R&B is gotta be one of the worst genres, so in comparison, this is... better? Still not very good... Some of this album sounds good but then I actually listen to the lyrics and I start wondering how anyone can take this seriously, or at the very least not get uncomfortable, but most of the time the songs boil down to the same thing, slow beat, and lyrics about fucking at night. Nothing much else to see here. I've also now had to listen to two different versions of "If I Was Your Girlfriend" because of this website now, and that song wasn't really worth more than the one try, didn't really need a lesser cover. Can't decide between 1 and 2 star, but gonna lean towards 2 star for the sake of not seeming overly hateful.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Beatles

4/5

I'm going to just go out and say I always thought this album was far too overrated. I mean, obviously there are some excellent songs on here that defy expectations of what a "pop" song can do, but then you have songs like "Fixing A Hole" that just come off as awkwardly paced and boring. I just always felt this was the worst of latter half of The Beatles musical career, and that includes Yellow Submarine and Let It Be, and that Magical Mystery Tour was just a better version of this album. Now, it sounds like I hate this alblum, but of course, a less than average Beatles record is still better than most albums in all of the history of music, and this album is no exception. A Day In the Life is fantastic, She's Leaving Home really shows that Paul just excels in more than just "silly love songs" and the beginning of the album until Fixing A Hole is hit after hit, really showing how important this album is. I view this album as an important stepping stone as to what we would see in the future, but doesn't quite hit that mark for me to be a perfect album.

Dry

PJ Harvey

4/5

Fromohio

fIREHOSE

2/5

Picture this: I start the album, and am greeted with a sick drum and guitar combo, I'm thinking this will be another Minutemen situation where I get a funky punk album I enjoy a lot. Now picture that all being ripped away ten seconds later, when the song completely changes to some folk punk that pales in comparison to bands like R.E.M. and Violent Femmes. The album isn't awful, but it never feels like it commits to the style, which I get would be a highlight, the variety, but despite this all the songs still blend together and only when that funky sound starts to bleed out does it get a little better, but nothing ever hits that high that those first ten seconds explore.

Fun House

The Stooges

3/5

Similar to my last Stooges album, Raw Power, I didn't think all that much of this one. It was full of manic energy and most of the songs were pretty blood pumping, but most of them also felt more like live renditions of songs, with lots of noise but not much back bone. Works in a setting where you're jamming in some sort of crowd, but not sitting and listening in an office or car, like many are when they listen. Just can't see myself choosing this over different energy filled songs when I'm in the mood.

Oxygène

Jean-Michel Jarre

4/5

I saw electronic album and figured I'd be in for a bad time, but the year did give me some hope, and hey, this was far better than I expected! It did something a lot of later electronic albums seem to forget as time goes on, which is to actually do something with your time. If you're going to take up ten minutes of my time, at least have it go somewhere, and this one did, at least moreso than expected. Was it a little goofy sounding at parts? Yes, but in a good way, really feeding into itself. My only wish is that some of the parts were split up a little more. Not removed, but split up, as I really enjoyed the first half of Part 5, but the second half wasn't quite my thing, and it also had a pretty big change, like it was supposed to be two parts but they kept it one to have less parts. Overall, surprisingly good, and if people are comparing this to Eno, then I have hopes when I get to his ambient stuff.

São Paulo Confessions

Suba

2/5

A lot of songs on this album give off the feeling like they're building up to an absolute breakdown that would be in place in the cutscene of a video game before a boss fight, but that "boss fight" music never comes. If not that than it's just basic bossa nova. None of it is bad, just elevator music with flare, and I generally like "elevator music". I also think it's funny many are saying it gets better as it goes but some of the later songs made me laugh out loud at how ridiculous they sound.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

3/5

I thought this one would be a little more definitively four star than it is, but it dtill earns it. Most of the songs are high quality and enjoyable, I'd just say some of them go on a little longer than needed. I do understand why the big songs from this album like Ex-Factor are the big songs, though. The skits at the end of some of the songs are cute and don't hurt the songs they are attached to like I was led to believe. Just a more solid than average 90s R&B. This should be the album getting the praise for this genre, not crazysexycool.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

3/5

It's very obvious this album is meant to be listened to with a sound system where you can hear all of the instruments and sounds blend together. The issue is that as an album, it's usually preferential to build an album out of that, but still make it good without that necessity. This album, without that help, is boring. It is not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, and I could understand liking these songs when you know them well, but nothing sticks. I wiuld struggle to tell you one thing about any of these songs once they're over. They usually have a good hook that never goes far enough to be catchy or interesting on a casual listen. Obviously an album can just be intended as a high art form where you listen from start to end with the best equipment, and that's the only way to listen, but that's hard to expect on a casual level. Again though, I did not HATE this album, there were parts I enjoyed, it just feels like something that went in one ear and out the other. I feel as though I'm being more aggressive than I am feeling, so it's gonna go right in the middle at three stars to show it is the perfect "this exists and is alright" album.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West

2/5

I have no clue how to feel about this album. First off, Ye, or Kanye West, is a certified crazy asshole. He always has been, and looking up to him for his personality, is questionable. That being said, after listening to this, I understand why this is some big event in rap and even in other genres. This album definitely sounds different than anything releasing at the time, and the sampling is easily the best part of the whole album in my opinion, which is actually one of my gripes with songs like Stronger from his earlier album. It has an energy to it where even songs I'm not liking get me enjoying it, it knows how to be a good album, and I cannot deny that. I do think it comes off a little egotistical, however. Both in the lyrics, which is expected, but also in the sound. A nine minute song where the beginning is single piano keys for the first bit? That doesn't come off as musically impressive, it comes off as full of yourself and thinking you can do whatever and people will call it art, and that's ehat people did. It's just so many pros and cons I gotta but it right down the middle. I will say the idea people found King Crimson through this album makes me happy.

Yeezus

Kanye West

1/5

ARE YOU KIDDING ME TWO KANYE ALBUMS IN A ROW?!! I see much more negative reviews on this one than My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, yet this has the same issues that one seemed to have for me, so I suppose we'll see. Okay, just listened, and man this is a step down, at least for me. I will say the pros is songs still get you enjoying them in the moment, so he still succeeds there, but nothing here sticks with me, and the production has not increased, in fact I'd say stuff like rather than clever samples and an orchestral sound we have this screech-y electronic sound with way too much autotune. Can I hear modern rap in this album? Absolutely, but not a compliment. It also feels worse as we go. Some of these lyrics are also pretty hilariously bad. This is Eminem's level of pun cheesiness for some of these. Just as self indulgent, but I don't see why this album gets that critique and not his other albums. I just don't know what to say. This is alright at best, aggravating at worst, but at the end of the day this was just unnotable. Perhaps if I was very into rap at the time of this release I would of seen the revolution being played, but all I hear is songs made out of dog barks are the drills in the car repair shop while a sex obsessed narcissist knows he can say whatever and will get a perfect score and millions of sales. Yet, I struggle to give this a 1 star. Truly an anomaly. I think it will indeed fall into that 1 star category though. I think fleeting memories of Kanye's work I do like will suffice for me.

Rio

Duran Duran

4/5

Wait, the album with Hungry Like the Wolf, the most overrated 80s pop song of all time, is not only good, but really fucking good? The bass is so suprisingly funky, and not at all scared to hide it, unlike a lot of other songs in pop. Everything has such a good energy to it I was tapping my fee the whole way through. Man, and I thought I disliked Duran Duran. Time to give them a chance. Only dropping it to a four because the songs do tend to go on a little long, and as I said earlier, Hungry Like the Wolf is just straight up not very good in my opinion. But it's a high 4.

Felt Mountain

Goldfrapp

5/5

Okay, I saw electronic and 2000, and braced for at best a two star, but this is nothing like other electronic music! The consistent vocals and more ambient tone really made me feel like I was listening to a calmer song in Radiohead or Muse's discography, rather than repetitive dance music with no clear goal. Songs weren't overly long and I just really enjoyed a lot of this. Songs were similar but not repetitive, and it was just excellent all around. Super shocked by this one.

Broken English

Marianne Faithfull

2/5

Man, this has the set up to be a good album, I like the instrumentation, and this feels like something I'd like, but that voice. I understand the back story and it's "unfortunate" (although it worked out for her so I suppose it isn't all bad) but the voice rivals Springsteen in annoying. It's comparable to if Nina Simone's voice was shakey and awkward rather than powerful and soulful. It just isn't enjoyable to listen to. I mean, it could be worse, none of the songs were bad per se, but they weren't good either. The best song was the final song, as her voice far more complicated the very harsh tone, but even that tacked on one or two minutes that really didn't feel the need to be there.

Tragic Songs of Life

The Louvin Brothers

1/5

Just to be safe I listened to both all of the main songs and the songs marked "(Religious Overtones)" included with the version of the album on YouTube Music. I promise you, however, that these songs do not sway my opinion of the album. This album just is not good in my opinion. Was it good in the mid-50s? Perhaps, but it isn't enjoyable now. A lot of my issue with modern country is it falls into stereotypes rather than pushing boundaries, and that's something I always liked about the country greats like Johnny Cash. Sadly, it seems this album leans more into the "falling into stereotypes" side of things. Lots of songs are tragic, so the title of the album fits, but that doesn't stop them from being repetitive and almost whiney at points. As another review pointed out, a lot of the harmonies you would expect from a duo, are near non-existent, with both brothers just singing in the same tune for a majority of the album. The guitar playing is also very ho-hum. I did enjoy the (I believe) mandolin that snuck its way in there at points, but it hardly seemed to do more than lead into said ho-hum guitar playing. At best the album was boring and inoffensive, but at worst it was hard to listen to and somehow made three minute songs feel longer than five. If these two are number four on Rolling Stones' twenty best musical duos, I hate to see what's 5-20.

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

2/5

Best part about these older albums is how short the songs are. Makes them far more digestible. This album seems to definitely have some iconic riffs in it, as often a song would start then I would recognize it moments later. Issue is that you never expect these riffs to be a small part of another two to three minutes. I mean, nothing overstays it's welcome, but nothing is extremely notable either, past the before mentioned riffs.

Selling England By The Pound

Genesis

5/5

Oh Prog Rock, the only genre where I see 10 minute songs and think "Cool!". Also, I didn't expect a band I know for much poppier sounds and members who make, again, much poppier sounds, to make such a banger of a prog album. Each song is super enjoyable and always keeps you invested, long or short. I wasn't expecting to love this album so much but each song brought something to the table I thoroughly enjoyed, and brings you back in pretty quickly if it starts to slip. Shame I got this album today when I just saw a vinyl for it yesterday; would definitely of bought it had I known.

Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

As far as Bruce Springsteen's discography is concerned, this is my favorite of his I've heard so far, but that still isn't saying it's anything special to me. His voice is still harder to enjoy than praise, and while some of the inclusions of things like saxophone do heighten the experience, a lot of it just feels like that classic rock 'n' roll your great uncle would play at the family BBQ, rather than something to actually rock out to.

Wild Wood

Paul Weller

2/5

This was okay. It kind of reminded me of Jack Johnson's music. You know, the guy who did that one song for Curious George. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the best part of this album was the instrumental songs, as their sound was far more up my alley. Weird that this guy was in The Jam, from what I've heard this is nothing really like that.

Crime Of The Century

Supertramp

3/5

This is an interesting situation for me, as my streaming service of choice does not have this album in full, so I had to go out of my way to watch a YouTube video with the full thing. Sadly, this is a little disappointing. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's good, but I had pretty high expectations, as I quite enjoy what I've heard from Supertramp (and that's more than just The Logical Song, I swear), but this was just an alright album. Perhaps it was my inability to listen at a higher streaming quality, but it felt often like something that was almost there, but often went in the wrong direction for my tastes. Again, still above average, but I was hoping to walk away with an eye opening prog experience, especially after the suprise that was Selling England By the Pound, but it just felt like decent music, and nothing more.

Hearts And Bones

Paul Simon

3/5

While I've never really dived into the solo career of either Simon or Garfunkel, I do have some songs from both of their times apart from each other, mostly Simon, so I was cautiously optimistic of this album, and while this does indeed sound like Paul Simon, I don't fully understand what makes this more notable than any of his other work. Perhaps because it sounds more folky than most stuff releasing in '83? I just didn't see too much from this to be more than a three star.

The Last Of The True Believers

Nanci Griffith

1/5

If I had one genre that I actually can't find much to like about it, it would be pop country, and this album is just that. It isn't as egregious as what you may hear on half of the radio stations available while you're driving in the middle of nowhere, but it still really isn't good for me. Country is built a lot on the stories the lyrics tell, but none of these songs feel any more interesting than what you could hear on something in any other song, and the instruments, while I suppose "soothing" are repetitive. That country twang can only be added to so many songs before I start to become numb to it, and then it goes from being annoying to boring, both things you don't want your music to be. Could I see why people may like this? Perhaps, and it's year of release was around the time when country music was starting to transition from more of a blues and folk focus to something more like what it is today, so this is probably for that "revolution" in music, but I just don't enjoy it. If you don't like country music, this does nothing to win you over, but it's certainly not the worst album I've gotten, and the last two songs on the album show some hint of something that could be good. Too little too late, however.

Murmur

R.E.M.

3/5

This was alright, and it was interesting to hear R.E.M.'s origins, but it wasn't super notable to me. His voice hasn't really developed into what it's recognizable for, and it makes it stand out less. There's some good songs on here, but also some that don't stand out. Basically one step forward one step back the whole time. Still good, just hoping for more from later R.E.M. albums.

The Chronic

Dr. Dre

3/5

This was pretty alright. I mean, the lyrics haven't aged well, and some of the back beats are a little grating. But for everything I didn't like was something I did like. The amount of featured artists was astonishing and kept it fresh, and how apmost every song flowed right into the next was a feat I don't know if I have heard to this extent outside of something like a prog rock album. I probably won't come back to this anytime soon, and the lack of it being on any proper streaming service is a pain, but I did enjoy my time. It did go on a tad long, and with other things I'm gonna put it right down the middle at a 3.

A Short Album About Love

The Divine Comedy

5/5

Wow, I was not expecting this! How is this from the 90s? Let alone considered pop? Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, but this never what I would picture if you said that. The voice is absolutely magnificent, and the orchestral backing is gorgeous. Are some of the lyrics a little cheesy? Sure, but I don't care, it sounds amazing, and while this isn't technically an "album", so maybe it shouldn't be on this list, but I'm so glad it is. Fantastic. Reminds me a lot of Nick Cave.

Franz Ferdinand

5/5

Recently my partner got this album, so it's fresh in my mind. Unlike my partner, however, who didn't like it quite finish to push it into the five star category, I think it clears the bar. Each song has this feeling of what made early 2000s rock sound really good, before it became to homogenized and relatively safe by the mid-2010s, and I'll say while the lyrical content isn't usually too crazy, songs like Michael feel very ahead of their time in discussing a topic like it does. Then there is of course the crown jewel, Take Me Out. Everyone knows this song and for good reason, the slowdown with the tempo absolutely makes it a bop-and-a-half, and that technical quality is through the whole album. This album and Is This It by the Strokes really felt like they formed the alternative rock genre into something amazing, and while it may have crumbled a bit, I still can't deny this album's quality and importance. It helps that it holds up. Two 5 star albums in a row, let's keep it up generator!

Blue

Joni Mitchell

5/5

Abbey Road

Beatles

5/5

A serious contender for the best album of all time. I have heard this entire album plenty of times and hear the songs present often, and while I have pages I could write about the amount of amazement this album holds within, I worry that this may have a word limit, and so I will keep it brief in saying this is just immaculately made, and while nothing here is my favorite Beatles' song, many come close. Perhaps not my favorite Beatles' album, but easily the best, and no matter what a 5 star. One of the few albums that deserves the overwhelming amount of praise it gets.

Master Of Puppets

Metallica

3/5

Well, I didn't expect this to be as hard to decide what to rate as it did. I figured it would either be a case where I only liked Master of Puppets and the rest was boring (I already have had run ins with Battery and Sanitarium and I still think those are boring), but the songs I had never heard are suprisingly good. In an almost cruel twist all the best songs are the long ones, while the shorter ones almost always seem too long. Basically the whole album is high highs, such as the absolute fantastic guitar, and lows such as the honestly very subpar singing, which wouldn't be that big of deal but it usually makes up half of the songs run time (seriously, Orion was a godsend and a nice break before the finale), and for whatever reason the band acts as though it's just as important as the musicality, when obviously the instruments were the most impressive. It does feel far better though then the Metallica output nowadays, where they actually seemed like they cared about the music and not just because they were THE metal band. I'm just all over the place here with thoughts, and I'm gonna smack it right down the middle of the rating system, but my thoughts here feel more conflicted than a star system can really express. All I know is that as this was Cliff Burton's last album, I wish his bass playing showed through more. Throw a bass solo in there, you were willing to back in your debut! It almost feels like they're hiding it in audio remasters, but perhaps my listening apparatus of choice for this album is at fault.

Lost In The Dream

The War On Drugs

1/5

The first song was okay. For two minutes. Then the next song was okay, for one minute. It didn't recover after that until the end of the last song, which I wasn't really enjoying after the four minutes I had to get through first. He sounded like Bob Dylan, but they music was just straight boring, and at times not good.

Led Zeppelin

3/5

This one is interesting because you can still hear the bluesy influence in some of these songs, something that definitely phased out as the albums went on. Sadly, that isn't a great thing in my book, as blues isn't exactly my favorite genre. This album was alright, and I think Babe I'm Gonna Leave You may be my favorite rock-centric Led Zeppelin song I've heard, but a lot of this album felt it went on quite a bit longer than needed, despite it's small amount of songs. And while the guitar and vocals were excellent, sometimes there was just too much empty space, due to the blues influence mentioned earlier. Overall an alright album, but you can definitely tell Led Zeppelin only got better with time, at least in my opinion!

Antichrist Superstar

Marilyn Manson

1/5

I am not looking forward to this. Scumbag who already makes middling music any way? I would just skip it, but if I listened to Kanye I should probably listen to this. What, the guy who made music like this is a terrible person? Color me shocked! I was actually thinking about a two star with this one, as I didn't mind some small parts of some small songs, and the production value is pretty good. It reeks of 90s, which if that's your thing, then here you go. But then it just kept going on and on, with no song really feeling that different from each other. Whoa, he screams a bit, then at the end of the song various background noises start happening that are supposed to be eerie and uncomfortable to listen to? It judt becomes mind numbing by song number 9. Issue is the album then goes on almost double that. I also soley blame this album for the people who have "no lives matter" bumper stickers on their 2003 Honda Accord, as if they think they're edgy. All of that plus Mairlyn Mandon himself makes this a pretty definitive one star. God I hate Nu Metal.

White Blood Cells

The White Stripes

4/5

I feel as though I'm betraying myself a little bit, but I'm actually struggling between a 4 and a 5 star on this one. Obviously those are both good scores, but I figured going in this would be an easy 5 star. However, once actually listening I do have some faults, such as despite most of the songs being relatively short, it does go on a little long, making the "oomph" of the music lose it's touch near the end, and some songs just aren't very notable and blend together. I think I'm going to have to go with the idea this is a very high 4 star, but not quite that 5 star material. Perhaps one of the other White Stripes albums on here.

Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival

2/5

Huh, I disliked this more than I thought I was going to. I knew southern rock wasn't really my thing, but even though musically it's impressive, it's also pretty boring. Non of the songs really stick out that much, other than perhaps Proud Mary (but that's because I already knew it), and the yell singing done by the singer even starts to get a little grating. None of it was BAD per se, just not interesting or my thing.

Nick Of Time

Bonnie Raitt

2/5

Wow, this album I have never heard of in my life sure does have a lot of accolades, huh? Guess we'll see if it lives up to it all, but I have a sneaking suspicion it won't. It indeed did not, but it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Perhaps on a bad day this would be getting a one star, but I didn’t particularly hate anything, and the rest of the album was so nothing for me that the bluesy sounding song, a genre I generally don't like, was actually pretty alright. No clue why this is deemed so important in the world of music though, and that first song reeks of 80s, but not in the good way like new wave, but in the bad way, like "oh this is why music changed so much in the 90s".

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

4/5

This album rocked pretty hard. The sampling and the back beats were extremely satisfying, and sampling themselves and news stations talking about them is a novel idea that works really well here. Plus the topics being way ahead of their times on ideals, despite the controversy one of the former members was apart of at the time, which is unfortunate. Album is only getting a 4 because it does lose the momentum it had gained as the album goes on, making the later songs feel a little unnecessary, but this album was still an absolute joy. Probably my favourite rap album I've had so far, and excited for the other Public Enemy record on the list.

Iron Maiden

4/5

Wait, I actually like Iron Maiden? Like I thoroughly enjoyed this? But this is the band your one uncle (you know the one) likes. Am I become that uncle? Oh no. Any way, this was super good, and I loved the energy. Some of the songs fell a little flat, and with an album this short that's more of a hindrance than normal, but it starts super strong and stays strong on most of the songs, making it really enjoyable. Not perfect by any means, but still shockingly good.

Licensed To Ill

Beastie Boys

4/5

Man, this is extremely sexist, but I can't help but enjoy it? Perhaps it's because I know by the next album the Beastie Boys were apologizing for the lyrical content of this album, but even after listening to stuff like the Chronic and the Marshal Mathers LP, this one feels even more apparent than those, even though it definitely comes off as more delinquent-y in this album than those. Just something to note before I praise the rest of the album. The absolute joy the (albeit cheesy) lyrics, the flow between the three, and the samples/beats really bringing it all together makes it super clear why this album is so important to rap, especially for the era. I could totally see comparing this to anything modern and laughing (as I said, it's almost childlike in it's attitude), but it really adds to the whole mood. Not to mention how many lyrics here I reference without even thinking about it constantly, just because they stick in your head so easily. My only fault here as mentioned before is the lyrical content, but it's such a stellar groundwork for more Beastie Boys albums to come that it certainly won't keep me up at night. It's also extremely good at blending genres, bringing in a lot of hard rock influences that I can only assume helped the album really take off, being the first rap album to be on the billboard top 200. I don't think this is my favorite rap album (I don't think it's even my favorite Beastie Boys album), but it certainly is very good. Very, very high 4 star. Would get a 5 if not for lyrics and perhaps not changing quite enough near the end (they kind of use all of there metal influences in one fell swoop in the middle). Both of these I think will be addressed in the other albums by them on this list.

The Atomic Mr Basie

Count Basie & His Orchestra

4/5

Well, this should certainly help my jazz and 50s score, as I enjoyed this quite a bit! I knew I actually quite enjoyed jazz in the right style, and this more big band approach is definitely more up my alley. Each song pops so much and it's really appreciated how Count Basie let's his whole orchestra speak rather than taking the limelight like some other jazz artists I hear, it makes it feel like a full group. It does suffer from songs being hard to differentiate, especially at the beginning, but in the middle and end it tries to fix that a bit. I also don't usually judge an album on being an "album", as not every album is meant to be a concept album, but this one also does just feel like a collection of songs taped together, which while expected of the 50s, does still drag it down a little. Just a suprisingly enjoyable album, although unsure what kind of mood I'll have to be in to listen to most of this again. Not exactly driving or chilling music, and I don't dance. The last song may be good sunny day walk music, but as it's snowy where I am, may have to wait a little on that.

KIWANUKA

Michael Kiwanuka

4/5

Huh, this wasn't quite what I was expecting, but also exactly fits? If that makes sense. I think this album was pretty in the middle. For the pros: the way each song is connected is phenomenal, it really makes it feel like such a tightly brought together album, despite the slight change in genres every now and then. The instrumentals are also pretty incredible, and I'd almost say this would really work as an instrumental album in it's entirety, but I'm guessing that's not what got this album such a high average score. As for "negatives", while his voice is impressive, I don't find it very notable, and it actually makes a lot of tracks a bit more of a lull. I also seem to be missing what makes this so important? Yeah, it sounds good, but it just sounds like a 2019 rendition of a style many albums throughout the decades have done just as well. I also don't understand how this won "best rock album", it's not really rock whatsoever, but that isn't this list's fault. It's hard to put into words my issues, but I don't see the fantastic album here. It's alright, and I can see why it's on this list, but I don't take much away from this as a whole. More power to those who did get something from this though, it's gotta have that high score for a reason.

BEYONCÉ

Beyoncé

1/5

Okay, I'll admit, maybe I'm just uncultured and don't know what I'm talking about, but this was awful. It isn't exactly "modern" pop (over a decade old!), but it sure feels like exactly why people say they don't like modern music. The ideas behind the album are in good faith, and the messages are okay, but the songs all sound pretty same-y, both in sound and in lyrics, and an over reliance on a heavy bass sound rather than any actual instruments really drags the songs down. This album also goes on far too long, with as I said, half the songs feeling like alternate versions of previous songs. Most of the featuring artists felt useless and in the background, usually in an annoying capacity (such as Drake's feature). The last song was sweet and probably my favorite on the album, but it didn't really recover the album at all. Just like Kanye West's "Yeezus", this may have changed pop music, but that isn't necessarily a good thing.

Golden Hour

Kacey Musgraves

1/5

Oh, awesome, modern pop country, my ffffaaaavvoooorrriiittteee. I'd first like to say I'm under the belief lyrics, while important to a song, are usually a backseat compared to the instrumentation, otherwise it would just be poetry. That being said, the lyrics in this are awful. When they're not cheesy they're just bad. "In Tennessee, the sun's goin' down, but in Bejing, they're headin' out to work", what the fuck does that mean? What does that have to do with this love song? Yeah, timezones exist, good job Kacey. It doesn't even rhyme within the song, which I would excuse as an artistic choice, except the very next two lines rhyme with each other, so obviously it wasn't that. There's other examples all throughout the album, but when your first song has a lyric that makes me burst out laughing, you probably don't have the keen-est sense of writing, and there's probably a reason most pop singers don't write their own music anymore. Another thing is the actual choice of genre itself. It's pop country with light sprinklings of more electronic-esque genres, but that isn't used in any interesting capacity, they just usually are either a light backing track that aren't notable enough to talk about, or start the song, hoping one of these songs will actually sound different, before switching back to pop country about five seconds later. This pop country is also aggravating. It's the worst of country, never really committing to the genre, which is fine by me because modern country is pretty awful in my mind, but I agree this is more pop music than anything. Bad pop music, that is, because none of this has the goal of pop music, which is to be catchy, and I don't remember these songs two seconds after they end. How do you make a song called "Space Cowboy" boring? Or "Velvet Elvis"? There's just really nothing here I enjoy whatsoever, and the amount of modern pop albums I could understand being on here compared to this makes this even worse. Is it as bad as a male lead vocal modern country song? No, it isn't about trucks and beer, it can attempt something more interesting, it just doesn't stick the landing whatsoever.

Moving Pictures

Rush

5/5

I've never spent the time to really listen to Rush, but my significant other considers them their favorite band, so I've been exposed to various songs by them for years now. So, after finally giving one of their albums a full listen, I've got to say I'm super impressed. I mean, it was slightly in good standings already, as I knew Tom Sawyer, YYZ, Limelight, and to a lesser extent Red Barchetta, which makes up more than half the album (number of songs wise), but I enjoyed the stuff I didn't know as well. I will say none of the songs really hit me with a strong feeling like other Prog Rock songs do (other than YYZ, that song has always, and will always, be one of my favorite instrumental pieces), but it was still all super solid and it's hard to say an album is anything but a five star when each song is good. It's a light five star, as I don't think the new songs will stick with me unless I give them a few more listens on my own time, but still a very good album I'm happy to have heard.

Dance Mania

Tito Puente

4/5

This was pretty good, although since it's very, VERY obviously meant to be dance music, it doesn't really jive with most of the other albums on this list and how you may listen to those. Some of the instrumental songs become background noise only a minute in, and the songs with vocals, save for one or two, are usually very simplistic. Again, this is all exactly the point in the context of the album, but I can't see myself listening to most of this in any moment of my life, other than a random shuffle. Still good enough to get into the four star range, but this is really in it's own category.

Skylarking

XTC

5/5

Wow, I was worried at first, but as thw album just went on I loved it more and more, then I went back and I loved the songs I was initially questioning, and the whole album really clicked for me. It's really interesting, as I hear the 60's sound people say they here, but I also hear some music that would come from the 90's britpop era, but like, not bad? It's hard to explain, but I encourage if you think this album was close to clicking with you, listen again, it was really lovely, and I think this album is great. Can be a tad whiney at times in the vocals, but it doesn't detract past a small part of a song near the beginning.

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

3/5

I absolutely adore Darlene Love's voice, it's magnificent, and I assume that's why of all the songs on here, hers are the ones I know the best. Sadly I'm not as crazy for the rest of the album. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), specifically this version, is one of my favorite songs. It's a shame it's produced by a murderer, but considering he doesn't actually sing in any of these (although he does talk like a weasel near the end) and it doesn't detract from the album. I think I would've adored this with just Love, but instead we'll have to keep it in the middle. Still pretty good for a Christmas album, I'd say. Also, again, very funny, giving this on Christmas. It's like the Queen Is Dead all over again.

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

5/5

The first time I ever listened to this, I recognized it as a good album, perhaps the best of its time, but I was really in unknown territory, as I knew nothing about modern hip hop, Kendrick Lamar, or the tone of the album in general. Now, I find myself thinking this truly is one of the best albums of the 2010s, and only cements Kendrick's role in music as an essential part of its history. Nearly every song has some sort of hook that is instantly memorable, and the storytelling throughout this whole album is stronger than most other concept albums. The album doesn't pull its punches, giving you concepts to weigh yourself upon with each step, and its long length is hardly noticeable among its brilliant pacing. You'll find yourself at the home stretch without really thinking about it, and Compton as a finale, sonically, couldn't be a better fit, even if it makes the story a tad more streamlined. That sacrifice of storytelling to focus on the music is what rises K-Dot above the rest for me. This decision not only built more intrigue within the story, but shows that Kendrick isn't only an immaculate rap artist, but knows what makes music, music. Despite its leanings into the more downtempo, the album constantly feels like it could be the soundtrack to a party and to sitting at home in the dark, and to be able to bridge that gap so well is fantastic. My only slight gripe is that the album doesn't experiment as much as his later projects, and while that could feel more thought out as a result, I find it making it so no one song truly stands out above another. Again, more consistent, but fewer things to truly blow the listener away. I will note, however, that I heard this album nearly a decade after its initial release, and so I was plenty exposed to tracks like Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe, m.A.A.d city, and Swimming Pools years before a proper listen. If you can help, go in completely blind, it will do wonders for the writing, and will show already how on top of the world Kendrick was even on his second proper outing.

The New Tango

Astor Piazzolla

5/5

Y'know, I look at this album after listening and think how much of an album this is in the "walk by without thinking about listening" spectrum, which is really a shame, because the contents inside are excellent. The violin's ability to go from scretching to being absolutely gorgeous at a moments notice, or the piano appearing sporadically to aid with the Vibraphone's more mellow sound, or the bandoneon really partnering with everything else to create this great album. Yes, the songs do go on a tad long, and I could understand why someone may find this more boring than anything, but just listening to the wide range of emotions really lets this one spread it's wings and be absolutely fantastic. Perhaps not music for a Sunday drive or a workout, but music for the point of listening.

Illmatic

Nas

4/5

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

4/5

Damn, I really am gonna become THAT uncle; first I enjoy Iron Maiden, and now I think this was pretty good too. I do have a few problems with this album to keep it from that five star, though. First, some songs do tend to blend together, especially in the middle. Axl Rose's voice, while impressive in range, can get a little annoying when he is doing his higher range, and finally Paradise City. Just in general a bad song in my opinion. So, just a pretty good album with some issues, which I suppose is exactly what I expect from late 80's hard rock. Slash's guitar playing is crazy for a (famous) debut such as this. Sure, the hits from this album are annoying now, but it's still crazy the amount of songs from this one album that get that treatment. Even the big boys don't get that

At Newport 1960

Muddy Waters

3/5

While I'm not a fan of blues as a genre, and this did not change my mind in anyway, it was more enjoyable than the average blues album for me. I really liked how snappy it was, never really lasting longer than necessary, and the crowd wasn't annoying like some other live albums. I just think this was an alright album that is dragged down by my dislike of the genre, pretty much putting it right in the middle.

Chirping Crickets

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

3/5

I completely understand how important Buddy Holly is to music, and it is interesting to think if he would've continued to be this huge influential presence without his passing, but in the real world, he was. So, why is this album so non-interesting? I mean, it's good, don't get me wrong. Nothing here is bad, and some of it is relatively nice (extremely short and sweet), but most of it goes in one ear and out the other. It's pretty much middle of the road for it's good sound but lack of intrigue from a modern eye. It isn't like I just dislike this style of rock, there's plenty from this era that can become an earworm, but this isn't it. I think my significant other will like it way more, though.

The Sounds Of India

Ravi Shankar

2/5

I'll start by saying it's super smart to start the album with an explanation of the music style, that way listeners unfamiliar with the instrument and style can perhaps understand it a bit more by the first "real" song. That being said, this is kind of extremely boring. Am I missing the point? Absolutely, I was listening to him in that first song, after all, but as the top review seems to imply, I feel a boatload of substances are needed for this to be anything I'd want to go out of my way to listen to. All the songs are unnecessarily long, and nothing ever sticks in my mind after even just a minute. I feel bad saying this, as with George Harrison being my favorite Beatle, I should be living it up with this album, but I'm not. I don't hate it, none of it sounds bad, but I don't really care, and will forget I even listened to it by tomorrow's album. I can hardly even remember the album's name.

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Arctic Monkeys

4/5

I do enjoy this album. In fact I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it took about halfway through for that enjoyment to really kick in. I mean, the first song had a such good energy to it, and then the next few songs just felt like the same level of energy? Like, to the point that everything was blending together. It wasn't until about halfway through where it felt that each song knew it's proper placement a bit more. The slower pace of a couple songs, or the rapidly changing energy is something that the early parts of the album would've really benefited from, and would've in my eyes pushed it to that 5 star range. Will just have to settle for pretty good, I suppose.

Kings Of The Wild Frontier

Adam & The Ants

3/5

Plenty of genres in here, yet they all sound pretty similar? I suppose you could call that both a success and a failure, depending on who you ask. This was okay, but most songs fail to do much more than the surface level presented, and it makes a lot of songs just alright. Certainly not a bad album, but I don't see myself putting this on again. Certainly not what I was expecting though, I thought Adam Ant was more new wave pop-ish than this.

Boston

5/5

I've known the first two songs off this album for a solid chunk of my life, so I'm curious to see what I think of the rest. There was this fainting familiarity with some of these other songs, but it doesn't matter too much because I know them now! Man, this album was awesome. Sure it was kind of generic but the riffs were nice, the music never got grating (something a lot of classic rock causes for me) and I was jamming most of the way through. I only wish this album was more prog-ish, because you can totally hear that in there with some of the songs, but it doesn't really go for that. Amazing album regardless.

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

Pink Floyd

4/5

The White Album

Beatles

5/5

Ah, the White Album. While it may not be the best Beatles album, it is a high contender for my favorite LP of there's, if not favorite album in general. It even sports what is perhaps my favorite song of all time, Julia. The album starts with, while not my favorite Beatles song, a great start to an album with hugh energy necessary for the ninety-three minutes ahead. It then flows perfectly into Dear Prudence, which is just super nice and calm, and I think of all things Rock Band really nailed in the visuals, adding color to the formally monochrome gameplay as the song heightens the sound. As we enter Glass Onion I remember thinking how I disliked the song for being a little to self referential, but I've grown to like it with this re-listen. Perhaps it's due to the focus on the severely underrated Magical Mystery Tour LP's songs. Next is Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, which is not that bad. I think people only hate it because John said he hated it so much, and it grew from there. It totally goes for the energy it sings about and nails it, and I think it's a great test to see if someone can just enjoy a happy song. This sentiment continues with Wild Honey Pie, which is absolutely hilarious, and is short enough where it isn't a bother. The first song that does actually irk me is The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill, which chorus does grate me a little on so many repeats, and the vocals on the rest of the song doesn't help, but this is totally forgotten by the time you're getting into the opening notes on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, which is a rare moment where despite being a famous song, absolutely earns it and does not lose any luster because of it. The absolute emotion coming from both the guitar and Harrison's voice speaks volumes to any listener, and is in my opinion one of the few times Clapton earns his recognition. We end the first side with Happiness Is A Warm Gun, and it's range from the beginning of the song to the end is such an impressive range of understanding how to write a song that it is an absolute joy no matter how it sounds. We start side two with a jolly song about a dog. How a song about a dog can be such a lovely tribute is astonishing, and may be the perfect example of how much McCartney truly loved things in his life with this joyful passion that sometimes other Beatles members feel too cold to take advantage of. I'm So Tired, while the weaker of the Lennon sleep duology, is really good at stripping back it's sound to let it stick in the listener, and to also build up the sound as Lennon sings "A Little Piece of Mind". Blackbird shows that McCartney once again is an excellent song writer. The guitar on this is fantastic and I've yet to hear a cover that recreates it just as well, and the vocals suit it perfectly. Not McCartney's best guitar focused song (how can you top Yesterday), but it is still amazing. We do next have a tad bit of a stinker in my mind with Piggies, which is a rarity for George, but this song has never worked for me. The harpsichord sounds too dainty, and the vocals almost sound drowned out by the orchestra at times. Perhaps a stripped down version would be up my alley more. Rocky Raccoon probably has my favorite outtake of any Beatles song, and tend to listen to more than the original, but this only makes me somewhat fresh-faced for this re-listen. I think it does an excellent job telling this simple story, something certainly not rivaling Dylan's storytelling, but just fun, which fits for once again Paul. The Old Timey piano hits this sweetspot for me that I think the harpsichord in Piggies was trying to go for. I may all be bias though, as my name is in this song. Next is Ringo's only song that he wrote himself other than Octopus's Garden (which George helped with anyway), and I should hate this, as the fiddle can come as annoying and Starr's vocal talent is less than ideal, but I don't. In fact, I quite enjoy this. It has the same energy some of the goofy Paul songs from earlier bring, while completely showing Ringo should have truly been a country music singer, and just so happened to be in the most famous rock band of all time instead. Why Don't We Do It In the Road? really shows that vocal talent I love about McCartney, and shows some of that not silly love song energy from Paul we'll see later with Helter Skelter. Paul gets a completely contrasting song right after with I Will, just a completely relaxing piece that is that silly love songs that McCartney fans, including myself, just adore. The little background instrumentation that happens is severly underrated in this piece. And then we get Julia. Dear God Julia. It's just so gorgeous. We have John just singing his soul out to his deceased mother Julia, who while their relationship is certainly... "interesting", it doesn't detract at all from the pure love in this song. The vocals, the lyrics, and the guitar playing just feel the most authentic the Beatles have ever and did ever feel, and while John has never been my favorite Beatle, he does earn my top spot for the song by a Beatle. I would write more, but I want to cut myself off now. Perfect way to end side two. Side three starts with Birthday, which I'm sorry but this song isn't that bad either. It is the perfect song for what the song is about, and Paul sounds genuinely more excited for my biethday than I have ever been. Just feels like an older Beatles tune, but if they didn't have to write about love for once. In my opinion this nails what Back in the USSR tries to capture. Which is of course why it is led up with John saying "Yes I'm Lonely, Want to Die" to really bring you back down from that pleasant high. A very bluesy number, which indeed makes this a song I'm not too crazy about, but that riff certainly sticks in your head, and those repeated lyrics I already mentioned are an excellent line to show people who don't know the lesser known Beatles discography. To pair with Julia we have McCartney's Mother Nature's Son, a very melancholic song, which feels like something you listen to while laying in the grass. Just so light and airy, and the orchestral brass giving it the weight to keep it tied down to earth. Not as emotional as Julia in my opinion, but glad this made it over of Child of Nature (especially so Jealous Guy could make to Imagine later on). What I would say is somehow the most forgettable song on the album is Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except for Me and My Monkey, which other than John belting out the title, I completely forget the sound of after hearing. Not a bad track, but nothing crazy, and totally doesn't earn that ludicrous title. With Sexy Sadie I remember thinking it sounde reminiscent of a Hunky Dory era Bowie song, but I have since noted the actual influence in Radiohead's Karma Police. This used to be one of my favorite songs on the album, with it's 50's style doo-whop type sound really sticking in my mind and the piano focus only taking a backseat for the guitar in the chorus (save for that enchanting guitar ending) really feeling great to hear. Then Helter Skelter starts. Now, this song has been in my concious for years and years, so it's nothing new, but this seems so crazy for 1968. I'm not about to say the Beatles solely invented metal, because that would be really narrow-minded, but the raw power on this track is stronger than the album Raw Power. We end side three with another Harrison song, Long Long Long to really round out the semifinal part of the album, which is just a heartfelt message from Harrison, something he is quite good at doing. We start the final part of the album with a taste of what is to come in just a few songs. Luckily this one is far more casually enjoyable. While I don't like this version quite as much as the high octane rendition the original presents, this is still a good head bopper that really feels from it's era in a good way. Shoo-bops and all. Speaking of songs alluding to other songs, Honey Pie is sorely underrated, often being undermined by it's far weirder and shorter sibling, when it deserves to be a highlight of the album. The way once again Paul just shows a true love of the music he is making really presents an enjoyment rarely seen in the music industry. It's almost criminal that the show tune style this song goes for is not given a chance more often, as it really gives it this nostalgic feeling while still being thematically relevant to the lyrics presented. I like this kind of music indeed. Savoy Truffle is a track I always thought when I first went through the entire Beatles discography was a McCartney track because of how bubbly it is, with the horns really adding to the song, and the food allusions really just makes it so groovy to listen to. With Cry Baby Cry, which I was saw someone say was the most British song ever, is enjoyable on it's own, although a little simple, makes an excellent choice of adding a snippet of Can You Take Me Back at the end to have relaxed sound after a slowly building up song. Perhaps it's good to have to prepare for what's to come. Now Revolution 9 is... well, it's bad. Is it super experimental, and thus perhaps impressive for the time? Definitely, but it isn't enjoyable to listen to or even dissect, as it's been done to death. It's boring at best, and extremely uncomfortable most of the other time. It's coolest thing is how it messes with the audio channels, but the actual song presented should never be listened to as a song, and is definitely something I consider a sour point on the album, especially so close to the end. Luckily we get to end on an extremely peaceful note, with Ringo using his suprisingly soothing voice to basically sing as all a lullaby and bring us back to peace after that... experience. It's no wonder he went on to narrate Thomas the Tank Engine for a time. The sweeping orchestra really makes me adore this one too, and is a perfect placement and a perfect send off to this fantastic album. Now, this album does obviously have small issues, but there's so much fantastic stuff here that it really destroys any negatives this album may have, and makes it what I consider a near perfect album, and certainly good enough for the 5 star. I love this album, apparently enough to write something about each song, something I've never done and may never do again, and I just really appreciate getting to listen to this all again in one sitting, haven't done that in so long, and it really made me remember why I love the Beatles so much. Once again, fantastic album.

OK Computer

Radiohead

4/5

As someone who listened to Muse over Radiohead most of their life, I had always heard Muse was the rip-off band, among other things. Personally, I don't hear it that much, other than both being alternative rock bands that tend to use electronic sounds, so space rock. That being said, this album is still alright. I mean, it's nothing too crazy, and I knew most of my favorite songs off this album before starting (Subterranean Homesick Alien, No Suprises, etc), so nothing was too big of a revelation, but I still enjoyed it pretty well. It certainly is claustrophobic and hits what it's trying to do super well, almost like being stuck underwater, but in a good way.

Tubular Bells

Mike Oldfield

4/5

I'm almost surprised how high of an average score this album has, and it's not really that high. Two nearly thirty minutes songs doesn't really seem like most people's cup of tea, but I suppose the beginning of the first song is an iconic theme in film, so perhaps that's what's bringing it up? As for me, I think it's crazy that this was written and played in its entirety by Oldfield at the age of just nineteen. That's a crazy age to be attempted to write something this influential, let alone succeeding. I'm not sure how to rate this album, however, as my usually rating system doesn't really work on an album so long yet with only two songs. I do really enjoy this album though. I don't think it's perfect, there are small parts that are either boring or a tad weird (what's up with the Korn-esque growling in the middle of the second part?), but I think the musicality of it is often very nice, and there were parts I genuinely would want to listen to over and over. The downside is I can't see myself listening to the songs anytime soon, due to the length of each song. Still, very nice. I think this would be really nice on a calm evening drive or laying in bed at night.

Modern Kosmology

Jane Weaver

3/5

This has got to be the most severe case of so close to something I like but not quite making the mark so far, and I'm not even sure why. My only thought could be is perhaps I wanted the songs to change a bit more as they went on, but I didn't really have that issue while listening. I think it was just a simple case of a song not really doing quite what I wanted it to. It was alright, I certainly don't regret listening to this, just wonder if there's more to be had with this Jane Weaver's other work.

L.A. Woman

The Doors

4/5

With less than 150 albums even generated, I have finished all of The Doors' content that is on this list of albums. This album actually had me worried at first, as it almost felt generic in the first half, save for what is perhaps my favorite song by The Doors, Love Her Madly, but similar to the Dennis Wilson album, the second half of this album came in clutch to earn it four stars. However, I thought this one would be my favorite of the three, but it's probably my least favorite, as some of the songs lack that style The Doors had in past albums. Definitely still pretty solid though.

Eagles

1/5

Man, this album was not good at all. Like, Witchy Woman was alright, but the rest was either at best a poor man's America or at worst god awful country rock with no variety or depth. I would give the little bit for the small parts that were okay, but of course they're also obnoxious about music streaming and make it impossible to play the only okay song on the album within the album itself. Nah, fuck this band, I knew all they were good for was Hotel California, and this album doesn't even have that radio fodder.

You Want It Darker

Leonard Cohen

4/5

Similar to David Bowie's Blackstar, this is a very fitting "final album, even if it isn't technically his last. It just feels so emotionally driven and his voice is absolutely haunting, bringing it all together is the orchestral sound. While I have enjoyed what I've heard of Leonard Cohen's guitar playing, having instead a hard hitting orchestra makes his words have so much more depth to them. I was worried I wouldn't like later Cohen due to the voice change, but if anything this may be my favorite one I've heard so far. It only misses the mark for five stars because some of the songs do go in one ear and out the other, or sound too similar to another song, but that hardly hinders this cool thirty-six minute album.

Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

The Pharcyde

4/5

Suprisingly good, albeit pretty childish at times. The flow and the beats are super satisfying, and a lot of the songs do stick in your head. Only issue, as mentioned, is the lyrics can be so vulgar they're hard to ignore at times, but otherwise very good.

S&M

Metallica

2/5

This feels like a really good idea executed very poorly. Metallica and even the crowd often overpower the orchestra in sound, causing them to become background noise you forget about. Perhaps if it wasn't live this would be a lot more impactful, but the constantly cheering crowd is never not slightly heard in the background, and really bothers the sound for me. The intro with Ecstasy of Gold really feels like the most self indulgent thing ever, too, get over yourself. None of my criticisms are towards the orchestra itself, of course, they did great for what they could, and maybe S&M 2 would sound better, but no way am I trudging myself through another two hours of a live metal album anytime soon if I can help it. I'm sure this was awesome live, but the only thing keeping it from the lower stars, despite my pretty negative reviews, is the rare moment when a song works, or when they do something original to the concert so the crowd isn't screaming all the words.

Your New Favourite Band

The Hives

2/5

It feels and seems weird that there is a modern band on here with an album that's a compilation. What makes this any different enough from other compilations, and what makes it more "allowed" than stuff like Queen's Greatest Hits or Changesonebowie? Besides that, this album was... fine? Really generic 2000's punk. Certainly not pop punk, but the complete lack of difference between songs, and this supposedly being the "best of"? Not terrible, but not impressive.

Doolittle

Pixies

4/5

A really awesome album that was ahead of it's time. Not much more to say about it for me. It doesn't quite hit the 5 star mark because a few songs aren't all that notable for me, but it's short, sweet, and a really high four star. We're talking super high four star.

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

4/5

Extremely strong start with the first few songs being all absolutely great, but the spark does seem to find a bit in the middle to near the end, with Mamunia Picasso's Last Words being pretty boring. However, the final song is a pretty great bop and ends the album on a high enough note to ensure a four star. This album was very good, but I still wish Ram was the Linda and Paul project that made it to this list.

Younger Than Yesterday

The Byrds

3/5

This is a weird mix of pretty generic meh 60's rock and some absolutely great songs, such as Thoughts and Words. I was expecting this to be a little more country than it was, which was a nice change of pace, but I'm going to have to be reasonable and say that the album overall was pretty mixed, earning a three star. Seriously though, Thoughts and Words rivals the Beatles in quality.

Screamadelica

Primal Scream

3/5

You know, after the name of the artist and the album itself, not to mention the slightly off-putting album cover, I was expecting a much more hard to listen to album than the one I got. This was a pretty joyful album all things considered, and while a lot of it was background noise, it was pretty enjoyable music. Perhaps this is heightened musically on something like LSD, but it's still pretty nice without it. Nothing amazing, and a lot of it forgettable, but I don't regret listening. I suppose just throw it in with other 90's electronica.

Rubber Soul

Beatles

4/5

A natural progression of the Beatles formula, and in my opinion the first time you can hear what is to come with albums like Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, etc. It's interesting how all over this album can be quality wise. Like, there's songs like Michelle and Girl, which while being very much like older Beatles songs, feel like a deeper understanding of that style of music. You also have songs like Drive My Car and The Word that really just feel generic and boring. Finally you have songs like Norwegian Wood and In My Life that sound like what's to come more than anything. It's just a situation where for every bad song there's three great songs, but those bad songs still sour the music, leaving to be unable to grasp that five star rating. Still a must listen for that transition period, and still has some fantastic songs (Girl being in my top three Beatles songs), but every Beatles album has good songs.

Penance Soiree

The Icarus Line

1/5

The worst parts of The White Stripes (which are rare) combined with the whiney-ness and "not knowing when to stop a song"-isms of Marilyn Manson to create an album that started out already at a two star and just got worse and worse. I had decided one star by the time we got to the nine minute song that was just a combination of the song before and after it for a twenty minute "epic" that just was repetitive and boring. Perhaps this should be a two because none of this was awful, per se, but as my partner taught me: if you find yourself turning the music DOWN as it goes on, it probably isn't your thing.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

2/5

Often when listening a song would start really strong, with all the instruments hitting pretty hard and grtting you pumped, and then that mope-y voice would start singing. It's certainly not a bad voice, but it feels so dainty that it takes a way a lot of energy that the songs often try and have. Obviously there are songs that work around this, with stuff like the Scientist being actually pretty good, but most of the time it almost goes for this sound with a "get up and fight" attitude yet no actual punch, and Clocks is just awful, but that's definitely due to overplaying and it just being plain boring.

Run-D.M.C.

2/5

I'd like to think I like Run-D.M.C, but considering many of their songs I have are from later albums, so I was cautiously excited for this album. Sadly, a good chunk of this album is a little hollow sounding, with lots of empty space and the flow of the rapping often being choppy. Obviously that's because it was very early in the genre, and I respect it heavily for that, but albums only a couple of years later in the genre don't have that issue. There are a couple songs without this issue, such as Rock Box, but then the other issue is the length, with most of the songs opting for an instrumental for long periods of time, or just ending when it should. This is close to something that's good, but the cheesy lyrics on top of all of that makes it something I'm not crazy about.

GI

Germs

2/5

Seemingly not available on my streaming service of choice, so YouTube it is! How is this hardcore punk album, something that is supposed to be pretty "out there", one of the most nothing albums I've gotten? It didn't even give me the honor of being short like some punk albums, just kind of being normal album length. I mean, this wasn't awful, but it sure was what it was trying to be and nothing more. I understand why it's on the list, but... yeah.

Foo Fighters

4/5

I recently saw someone call Foo Fighters "surprisingly safe radio rock" which I assume stems from the prior band Dave Grohl was apart of sounding not too similar to what Foo Fighters outputs. However, I would say it makes complete sense if you look at the music Grohl actually chooses to engage with. He may play the drums more intensely than the average band, but the man cried about the newest ABBA album, so I think he's a bit more sensitive than just "the heavy drummer should only make the heavy music". I know sensitive is a silly word to use, but you can kind of feel it here, since this album was pretty much solely made with the intention of being a sort of therapy after Kurt Cobain's passing. I think later Foo Fighters could get away with being called generic rock, but I think there's enough here for this to seem like a genuine effort. Having songs like "Weenie Beenie" sound the way they do gives off a Nirvana-esque energy, and having something like For All the Cows just two songs later, which is a completely different style tells me it's at least not all generic. I will admit there are some songs here that go in one ear and out the other, but I think this is more than just a pay check trying to be made.

Pearl

Janis Joplin

3/5

An absolutely amazing voice that is sadly restricted by some pretty generic songs from the era. Certainly not bad music, but it's hard to really get into music that if anything sounds like something from the late fifties. It's a shame, because there are some musical hints of greatness and definitely would've evolved had there been time to do so.

Suede

4/5

I'm not really sure what my issue was all that time ago when I first listened to this album, but I remember thinking it was generic britpop and moving on with my day, but re-listening I like this a lot more. I can here the Bowie comparisons pretty clearly, there's a decent amount of catchy moments here, and it isn't overly long, which I appreciate. It isn't anything mind-blowing, nor would I call it on par with the glam rock golden age, but this is a solid time with some tracks I would happily listen to again. Gonna give this another spin sometime, perhaps I'll gravitate to it even more.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

Other than their first album, this was the only Simon & Garfunkel album that I knew nothing from going in, so I was intrigued going in to see what I would get. This is the first album in their discography on this list, so I was also intrigued to see why this made it over Sounds of Silence. In the end I think this a pretty good album with some snags. There is quite a bit of variety for something from '66, and there is quite a bit to enjoy. I think some songs here are just not very notable. Other songs, such as the final song, are very strong sounding, but aren't something I imagine wanting to go back to. Overall I enjoyed my time and will be giving this a light four. You can think of it more as a 3.5 if that helps you sleep at night, if my score seems more positive than my review.

Fuzzy

Grant Lee Buffalo

4/5

Why is this marked as Country and that's all? There's a lot more going on here than that. This was pretty good otherwise. The starting songs were easily the best of the album, with some more good songs peppered throughout, but still pretty solid, was expecting to dislike this more than I did, though. It has this feeling of "meh" resonating from it.

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

1/5

Man, this really is just an "Ocean of Noise", huh? Really not good, and the addition of a member being an assaulter? Man, easy to hate this. It's pretty funny that this bad mix of Mumford & Sons and Modest Mouse is on here three times, yet nothing by either is on here. Not that I'm dying for Mumford & Sons to be on here, but all this feels like to me is indie rock with too much of a budget.

I'm Your Man

Leonard Cohen

3/5

This is kind of weird to listen to after just listening to this same man coming to terms with death just a few weeks ago, so the whiplash of this 80's cheese is a little goofy. Certainly not bad, but hard to get into, as the words don't much the artificial sounding music, unlike the guitar playing of earlier albums or orchestra of later. I have to give credit that a lot of similar singers were struggling in the 80's, such as Bob Dylan, but perhaps if I looked at these albums of Cohen's all as purely poetry they would all be equals.

Slippery When Wet

Bon Jovi

1/5

I sure as Hell won't become THIS kind of uncle. I draw the line here.

Armed Forces

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

Well, that wasn't as bad as I was expecting my second Costello album, with me originally thinking one was enough, but this still wasn't anything special. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's alright, or it wouldn't be getting three stars, but I really don't see what some see in this album. Just was boring most of the time and a lot of the good bits were a bit covered up. Only saving grace is it feels a bit more like its own thing, where I can see where someone may start to say "I like Costello because of this!", but not totally for me. Would rate lower, but I'm feeling nice, I guess. Very low three stars.

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

4/5

I always had this visual of Jimi Hendrix that was endless guitar solos and pretty so-so lyrics, but after this, I was blown away. When the (pretty much) first song comes on and it's soulful the way it was, and then songs afterwards kept being different genres with their own flaire, it was just consistently enjoyable. It was a bit long winded at points, dragging the score down a little, but I'm now even more excited for the other Hendrix offerings on the list.

White Light / White Heat

The Velvet Underground

3/5

Well, this was an interesting listen for sure. I'm usually not a fan of the random garage rock esque playing of the more Avant Garde style of music, but there was certainly stuff here that I enjoyed. The story of "The Gift" kept me legitimately enthralled for the whole eight minutes, and stuff like John Cale's voice was very enjoyable, which was surprising after really only knowing Lou Reed from this band. I mean, this has a lot of issues, definitely, so don't mistake my praise for enjoyment, a seventeen minute song is almost always unnecessary, and this was no different, and not much was actually notable, like a case of trying to be too artsy with no real direction, but I could definitely see the enjoyment here. Gotta give it right down the middle, but I will admit this is perhaps my closest to the four stars of all my three stars? I'll have to fact check that for myself, but it seems right to say.

Trio

Dolly Parton

2/5

I'm usually not a fan of country music, and in my opinion the 80s were when the genre really started pushing that "country pop" I oh so loathe. However, Dolly Parton is a treat of a person, so I won't dismiss this instantly. While the harmonies and vocals were impressive, the album left a lot to be desired. At best, it was pretty okay but less than notable country music, but it often dipped into either hard to enjoy 50s era country, or was very generic 80s country, the exact that I figured I would not enjoy. There is enough here to keep it out of the one star, but I see nothing here to make this album notable, save for vocals that are outdone by other singers or Parton herself on this very list.

Dirt

Alice In Chains

4/5

I actually just recently listened to this album for the first time a few months ago, and I loved it, so we'll see if that love sticks for this re-listen. I must admit, after re-listening to this album, I think the honeymoon era for me is over with it. Its still extremely good, don't get me wrong, but I don't find myself wanting to come back soon after this recent listen, and am satisfied with fewer of the songs overall. Once again, still a really good album, but not quite as perfect as I once thought. The songs present are really good at making your head bop around during, and the vocals hit this perfect blend of being unique without being annoying. This may have dropped from a five star to a four star album for myself, but I still enjoy it deeply, and must state this is a high four star.

Destroyer

KISS

1/5

Well, I always thought I vaguely liked Kiss and their weird mesh of genres, but apparently those songs I do like are flukes, because this was pretty bad. The album started pretty good with the first song, but past that it was generic and boring. It's a shame, because considering Kiss is usually seen as glam rock, I bet this will drag my score down for that sub-genre, which I figured would be my favorite by the end of this.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

4/5

Fever To Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4/5

Suprisingly good. I liked the White Stripes-like music and the nicer poppier stuff was nice too. Only thing holding it back is the weird moaning in a lot of songs. Hard to take that seriously.

American Idiot

Green Day

1/5

God I hate Green Day. Almost all of their famous songs either sound goofy, cheesy, or rip-off another song. You can argue that "songs sound like other songs" all the time in music, but Green Day does it so much that they constantly get called out for it, and that obnoxious voice only detracts from these iconic songs. Now, I will admit most of these rip-off songs are not on this album, but that doesn't excuse my hatred of this whiney ass band. So, let's just say I'm not going into this album with the most neutral mindset of these pop punk shit. Alright, this isn't any better. His vocals still suck, and knowing almost every song in some way just made me know right when it started I hated it. And why, oh why, is a punk album, what's know for being short and sometimes sweet, have multiple way too long songs. I realize they are usually multiple songs in one, but they are always listed as one, so they shall be punished as one. Just awful. Have no clue why pop punk is such a popular genre.

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

3/5

This album is mildly hard to rank, because I feel as though this supposed to be some sort of otherworldly experience judging from the composition and lyrics, but considering I'm as sober as a judge right now, this album tended to be a little boring. I really enjoyed Part 1 of Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and knew this before going in because of my significant other and Rock Band, but the rest of this felt pretty samey with some bright spots shining through. There were some musical effects that had hairs on the back of my neck tickling a little, but otherwise an album that's certainly just okay.

The Score

Fugees

4/5

I've known about this album for years now, and after finally hearing it, I understand why this is such a standout part of hip-hop and rap. Lauryn Hill impressed me as an artist earlier in the list with her solo album, so I was looking to enjoy this too, and it delivered. I would even say I enjoyed this more, with the little skits not being as intrusive as in that album. The only thing holding this one back is its overall length, with some of the songs feeling almost like filler, and are obviously lesser compared to some of the others. However, great album and I wish someone had forced Killing Me Softly unto me sooner.

Liquid Swords

GZA

2/5

I'm starting to think I'm not much of a Wu-Tang Clan sort of person. Both this and when I scanned through 36 chambers were pretty unnotable to me. Perhaps I'm being too hasty, as I said I only scanned through one of them, but I found this pretty boring.

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Incredible String Band

4/5

I've seen people say this is a "love it or hate it" sort of album, with quite a few people on this generator going for the "hate it" route, but quite honestly, I've neither. I just think this is alright and really interesting, with a sort of folk-psychedelic vibe going on that may be annoying at times but really works at times. There are times when the hard acoustic guitar, such as on "Swift as the Wind", goes really well and sounds great, with the dreary vocals adding to it. I just fail to understand how this apparently the fifth worst album on this whole list, as it reminded me a lot of Pink Floyd's first album on here, and yet that has a almost a whole star on this album. Guess it just goes to show that artist bias is most certainly a thing. You know what? This gets a 4, it may not have earned it totally, but it won't move the number too much any way, and I wanna help it get up a bit.

Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson

2/5

An album that really feels like it ushers in the sound of 90's pop and R&B music. The issue is that isn't really a good thing. The cheesy synths and the "we need to make the world a better place" lyrics really don't do much for me.

If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle & Sebastian

5/5

I had gotten Belle & Sebastian's album Tigermilk a bit ago on this generator, but knew of this album from my partner's love for it, so was hoping that may enjoyment from their prior album would just be heightened more in this, and it absolutely was. It is hard to explain what makes this album so enjoyable, but the melancholy feeling with the easy listening really are heighted with the almost "locomotive" feeling of some songs, while knowing when to reel it back to really make the album feel fuller. It's just a feeling that isn't quite folk, alternative, or anything else, but its own thing that is really quite enjoyable. Excellent listen.

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

2/5

Her voice is great, don't get me wrong, but this all sounds the same, and that's over three hours of all the same. That's ridiculous, and the fact that this is a compilation hurts it more. Lots of songs where words are rhymed by adding "-a" at the end, and that was annoying. Just an annoyed experience, overall, and her voice saves it from the dreaded one star.

Miriam Makeba

3/5

Hmm, this one is kind of tough to rate. The songs were nice and pleasant, but I never really felt as though I was getting into them most of the time, and there were small things throughout the album that were annoying more than anything, such as Charles Coleman's laughing throughout the whole song, or when Makeba's singing was muffled by herself via saying certain syllables. I really can't ignore the impressive vocals, however, and I didn't outright dislike anything, so I think it'll go in the middle with a three.

Fragile

Yes

4/5

An album that starts absolutely fantastic with Roundabout, then lulls around for a bit, but brings itself back by the end for an album that while certainly not perfect, feels like a solid little package. Nothing elevates above that opening song, though.

Black Sabbath

3/5

The supposed birth of the metal genre as we know it today, and its first song really tells you that. While I do enjoy this more than Paranoid, which I got a couple weeks ago, this still suffers from guitar solos that feel as though they go nowhere and lacking substance. I think there's a lot more to enjoy here, with it feeling more like a metal album than their follow-up album, but I still struggle to praise this too much. N.I.B. may tie with Sweet Leaf as my new favorite Black Sabbath song, however, I really enjoyed that.

Pretenders

4/5

I really love the variation in this album. You'll be getting a punky jam at first, then a new wave bop, and just moments later a ballad, all with really excellent singing and instrument playing. I mean, listen to those meter changes on Tattooed Love Boys. The thing holding this record back is perhaps a little too many instrumental only parts and a couple songs that aren't that notable, but this was super ahead of its time in pretty much all fields.

Phaedra

Tangerine Dream

2/5

The very essence of "in one ear and out the other". None of this was bad, per se, but other than some cool switching between audio sources, there isn't much here.

I Against I

Bad Brains

3/5

An album that's great for driving, with high energy and the vocals not really mattering. However, once you actually sit down and listen, it does seem to lack any nuance that was on similar albums from the era. Certainly good if you just wanna jam, but runs out of steam quick on an already short album.

Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth

5/5

Despite this perhaps being the most well-rounded Sonic Youth album, it is not what I would consider the best entry point into the band and its catalog. As someone who did start with this album, the first go-around was something I knew I enjoyed, but was difficult to process due to its unconventional instrumentals, offbeat lyrics, and dry vocal deliveries. I had known of the band because of Kool Thing, but I didn't expect something so raw and drastic, yet collected and catchy, especially for 1988, and it made it hard to realize the album's overall quality at the time. Now, however, I see it as an album with an immense amount of power, not just within its own chords and melodies, but also as one with an iron grip on the shape of rock music to come. Sure, not everyone today knows Sonic Youth, but they know the sound they helped create, and the destructive yet intricate nature helped spawn dozens, perhaps hundreds of bands that would now be considered rock staples. Obviously, within pretty wide music circles the band is blatantly known, but it's that slight injustice of ignorance in the population that is more of a shame than anything. They're missing out on vicious yet catchy guitar riffs to get you jamming instantly. They're missing out on lackadaisical yet devastating vocal deliveries to be unlike anyone else in the industry. They're just, in general, missing out on the most wonderful kick to the head that a person can encounter. It's rebellious, being the exact opposite of pop's late 80s sheen and precision, yet still has better hooks than most songs from the time. It is the perfect balance of most things music, and while genres like noise rock and mainstream grunge were certainly not born from Sonic Youth, those genres would not be commonplace were it not for Sonic Youth's help, and I think that alone deserves this album recognition, if it wasn't for the amazing overall sound, pacing, playing, lyrics, etc., etc. already. For a cherry on top of it all, note that Kim Gordon is yet another S-tier female bass player, pretty much solidifying my opinion that women are just the best bassists. I'm glad I gave this album another go, or I may have too thought of this album as nothing more than good. I'd say go listen to one of the albums right before this and one of the ones from right after, then return and experience rock bliss.

Suzanne Vega

2/5

A pretty un-notable singer-songwriter album and not much more than that. This album had an issue I hear for Joni Mitchell albums a lot where the songs seem aimless, but at least with Mitchell there is something there musically and vocally. This kind of reeks of 80's. Not in the way new wave does, but more like just in its boring production values that just feel like they're missing something, so songs can start to feel very much the same. Only saved from a one star because nothing here actively made me angry or annoyed. Most media I'd rather be angry than bored, but that does not stand with music, because this at least did not offend my ears.

Hejira

Joni Mitchell

3/5

I didn't enjoy this one as much as Blue, but I still liked this well enough that I'm not worried about the other Joni Mitchell albums on the list. I can only hope that I still haven't reached the peak of her music. I really adored Blue Motel Room off this album, though, may be my favorite song of hers, just not enough here to raise it to the four star rating.

Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Bill Evans Trio

2/5

I really feel like an asshole saying it, and I wish I had gone into more in-depth thoughts when I said it for Miles Davis' "Birth Of The Cool", but all this does is remind me of Olive Garden. It certainly is easy listening, and the bass has some really impressive moments, but otherwise this is dreadfully boring background music. Perhaps if I were actually there it would be one thing, but otherwise this is just long and repetitive, only saved by it having its enjoyable moments peak out.

I Should Coco

Supergrass

5/5

I genuinely don't understand how Supergrass (or Franz Ferdinand while we're talking about it) could be considered Britpop when Britpop is so awful yet these albums shine so spectaculary. I remember when I got In It for the Money I was genuinely surprised how good it was, but this is even better. No song here is filler, and the shock of knowing a song, that being Alright, without actually knowing who it's by was a good kind of whiplash. Just genuinely super enjoyable. There may have been a small dip in the middle of the album, but not enough to hinder the album at all.

Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Pavement

5/5

Perhaps the biggest jump any of my ratings has taken upon re-listen, while this album may not be as blistering and aggressive as its older sibling, Slanted and Enchanted, its melancholic take on slacker rock verges on alt-country at points, but its folksier sound only adds to this album's sense of pure teenage unbeknown-angst. It's stripped down, and for that feels all the more earnest, with a driving guitar-drum 1-2 combo that keeps every song trucking along, and the lyrical beats also follow this same sense of thought-provoking, though never halted too long sense of anxiety that is the perfect embodiment of trying to escape a bittersweet feeling you don't understand the meaning behind. It may not be the loudest, or the angriest, or even the most thought-provoking album of the 90s, but it is exactly what the era needed, especially by the mid-90s. The time for anger and rage had passed, and while the mainstream still hadn't fully realized it, Pavement was right on the money right away, and that's not only impressive, but mildly humbling. Unsure why I had so many issues getting into this over a year ago, but I completely understand it now.

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

5/5

Live Through This

Hole

3/5

I feel bad giving this a three, because my partner quite likes this album, but this just felt like generic grunge. There were some moments here that stood out a bit better, but I forgot it as soon as it left my ears, and had to remind myself what songs sounded like pretty often. Nothing here is bad at all, just kind of boring.

Music For The Jilted Generation

The Prodigy

2/5

I was listening to this album bobbing my head while also thinking the whole time: "I hate this". A head bob is a head bob though, most have got me enthralled enough.

Time Out Of Mind

Bob Dylan

3/5

This is my first introduction to Bob Dylan for a full album, and I have a feeling this isn't the best example of the heights this man can reach. This wasn't bad at all, but a lot of times it felt like a call back album, not something from the late 90s. It wasn't particularly innovative or interesting, and was really only saved by a few of the songs working with his voice, which I can see why its considered grating here. A completely middle of the road album at the end of the day.

Rock 'N Soul

Solomon Burke

3/5

It seems like until the Beatles came around (I'm not just attributing this to them) a focus on the voice was all that mattered, and it leads to a lot of songs from the era to sound impressive vocally, but missing something deeper. It is easy listening, certainly, but it's extremely surface level. I can't necessarily blame the album for that, but it doesn't change how I feel about it in the (currently) modern age. Another down the middle album with this one.

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

I absolutely love that you can think you know what you're expecting when you go into a Nick Cave album, yet get totally thrown off guard every time. This album's first part was pretty good, but The Lyre of Orpheus was only excellent from start to finish. It is a double album, however, so I must rate them as one, and that leads to a four. Seriously, though, that second half is glorious.

The Clash

4/5

Man, why is punk always so boring? I just don't get it at al- wait, I actually like this? My partner just listened to this and said it was pretty boring, but I enjoyed my time with this album, even if the voices did annoy me a little sometimes. I can understand why this is a pretty important start, and enjoy it enough as is.

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

5/5

First David Byrne/Talking Heads project I've gotten on this generator, as well as my first time actually listening to a full album, and it does not disappoint. I never realized how funky this could get, and the fact that this is so ahead of its time comparatively is just awesome. What an excellent album, looking forward to more.

Untitled (Black Is)

SAULT

4/5

I've tried to stop referring to other reviews in my reviews, as it feels less like my own opinion when I do mention it, but I feel as though it should be mentioned here. It is interesting how much people seem to hate this album for "shoving this movement down my throat". Now, there are plenty of good points within all these reviews, such as the amount of short interludes, or the lyrics leaving a bit to be desired at points, but I question why what I assume is a twenty-something white dude thinks this album is for them, or is trying to specifically tell THEM the message. This album felt a lot more like a love letter to black people for black people that also can be enjoyed by everyone, so viewing it as just "another piece of the BLM cog" and nothing more seems really ignorant. There are plenty of issues with this album as is, so why do you think writing a rant about BLM or any other black protests is gonna make you look like anything more than racist? Who knows, though, perhaps I'm wrong. As for me, I quite enjoyed this album. I agree the lyrics are a bit repetitive, but the musicality of it is really satisfying most of the time, and the just overall positivity of it was a nice refresher after so many of the albums on this list trying their hardest to be the most "nothing matters" shit and nothing else. I'm sure the score of this album is dictated more by politics than the actual thoughts on the album, and that seems like exactly the issue that people should realize as they write their rants on this random generator hardly anyone will ever see. Anything to get those likes and feel validated though, right?

Heartbreaker

Ryan Adams

1/5

The first couple of songs reminded me of The Avett Brothers and other folky stuff of the modern age, so I didn't hate that, but everything else afterwards felt like it dived hard into the the country music part of the genre, and they all blended in together, to the point where I was getting pissed off. Plus, it's way too long, which doesn't help at all. There's also the whole thing surrounding Adams that makes this a pretty easy one star. No clue how there's another album by him on this list.

Queen II

Queen

4/5

When I first saw which Queen albums were on the list, I was kind of shocked, because most of the picks certainly weren't the big ones but after listening to this album, I can kind of see why this was picked over others, as this feels a lot more like an fully realized album, rather than just an album of attempts at the next hit maker. That does benefit that album, feeling pretty consistent throughout, and enjoyable in such. Nothing crazy amazing, but very good, looking forward to Sheer Heart Attack, as I assume its more similar to this? Perhaps not, we'll see.

Five Leaves Left

Nick Drake

4/5

I'm a sucker for an accompanying strings section to an album, it was one of my favorite parts of Lronard Cohen's You Want It Darker. So, considering this is also a singer-songwriter album with an orchestra tied to it, I did enjoy this. It was pretty mellow most of the way through, so it wasn't like something insane was in here, but it was still pretty enjoyable. Considering all of Drake's discography is on this generator, guess we'll see hoe it improves as his career goes on.

Live At Leeds

The Who

2/5

I do not have an inherent issue with live albums being on the list, but man do they like to have parts that are too long for their own good. Now, I know that's the point, you want a long show to keep you entertained, but in listening it often is just boring, and there's no exception ere. It does not help this is my first album by The Who, so not a great intro, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it more when we get around to the studio albums. For now, we're tied to a pretty mediocre live album that certainly had its charming moments but otherwise is a weird addition. Must be big, though, as I see it at every record shop I've ever gone to.

Strange Cargo III

William Orbit

2/5

I feel like I'm going to get every 90s electronica album before I'm even halfway through this list, but at least this one was standable. Extremely boring, but standable, dare I say alright at certain points. Again, though, nothing notable, and I just keep getting confirmation that the 90s is the worst era of music.

Bringing It All Back Home

Bob Dylan

4/5

Solid Air

John Martyn

1/5

Man, what is that singing on the first song? It's nearly appalling. In fact, this whole album is kind of torture. It's so BORING. Usually that'd be a two star, but this album has zapped motivation from me for the rest of the day, it was that bad. Haven't had an album that boring since all the way back with my first one star. God, I'm falling asleep just thinking about it... zzz....

Done By The Forces Of Nature

Jungle Brothers

3/5

It is pretty crazy how quickly rap as a genre grew, as just five years before this rap was sounding pretty simplistic (in my opinion) and this album sounds a lot fuller in its sound. Sadly, the album still feels pretty dated still, not necessarily lyrically, but in its sound it reeks of 80s in a way that's hard to enjoy. Other than the album is pretty enjoyable, but the length is also pretty unnecessary, as I'm still waiting for one of the hip-hop albums on this list to not far exceed the cool forty minutes I feel most albums work best at.

Winter In America

Gil Scott-Heron

5/5

Absolutely gorgeous. I was a little wary with the first song, but the album pulled me in extremely quickly and rarely let go. It is an utter travesty that this is unavailable on any steaming services, because I want to listen to this constantly.

Getz/Gilberto

Stan Getz

5/5

Hey, one of the recently put on the generator albums, glad to see the missing ones are getting in here! Usually with an album like this, at this point it becomes common place for me to think not much more of the album other than being "Olive Garden music", but the fact that the vocals here are so pleasant really elevates this album a whole bunch for me. There are a couple times the saxophone appears a little too long for my liking, but it hardly hinders the album whatsoever. I completely understand why I've heard such high praises for this album.

Pieces Of The Sky

Emmylou Harris

2/5

Blah blah, excellent voice, but can the music actually be interesting? Put a guitar teang here, a generic country music sound here, throw in an okay Beatles song, and let's top it off with a Shel Silverstein poem for good measure. Just weird, but at least it's short, and I don't dislike everything here, I just wish someone in the country music genre realized they all sounded like each other.

The United States Of America

5/5

Whoa, this is crazy ahead of its time. At least, it sure feels like it. The electronics add to the music rather than detract, and man is that bass playing really satisfying. I actually love this album. It's just experimental enough without sacrificing the music to really bring me in. Sure, there's some weird circus-y stuff, but it hardly detracts it for me, in fact, I think it adds to the charm. Shame this is their sole album, would definitely binge their discography otherwise. I love how well it eases from psychedelic rock to baroque pop to ballads while all sounding like its own thing. Reminds me of what I've heard of the later Kinks but more rock heavy. Again, just crazy ahead of its time.

Parklife

Blur

3/5

I actually quite love Damon Albarn's other musical project, Gorillaz (which only has one album on this list, somehow?), and would call it one of my favorite bands. Despite this, I've never really dug into Blur as a band, save for Song 2, which I think everyone knows. I was intrigued to finally hear a full album, but my partner had gotten a couple of their albums already, and not thought much other than being better than average Britpop, so my expectations weren't set too high, and after it was all said and done, I'd say it's okay overall. It certainly is better than most Britpop (not Supgrass though), but it is overly long and often times a song will start with something I like then not do enough with me. Very quantity over quality feeling. None of it bad, but if this is the definitive Britpop album, then I have to ask why other Britpop albums like to change what they're doing comparatively.

Being There

Wilco

1/5

When I got the album Fuzzy by Grant Lee Buffalo, I thought it would sound like how this Wilco album does. Man, is this slow, boring, obnoxiously twangy, and way too long. After a while, I started to become numb. Glad they moved away from the alternative country stuff as they went on, as this certainly didn't do any favors for what I thought of Wilco.

Zombie

Fela Kuti

2/5

I kind of got the picture by the first song. Sure, it was pretty jazzy and catchy, but I would probably never go out of my way to listen to this again.

The Hour Of Bewilderbeast

Badly Drawn Boy

3/5

Some really cool ideas and pretty decent songs buried under trying to do weird things with pretty much every song that usually ruins a song, where a minute or two of a song is usually used up to build on the next song or just make noise. The album is also overly long, with some things repeating for seemingly no reason. I can't help but like this a little bit, but it's definitely a type of album that's been more so surpassed by internet music artists such as Jack Stauber.

Rum Sodomy & The Lash

The Pogues

2/5

The first song was energetic and enjoyable enough, and I liked it more than I thought I would, but then the album kept going. None of it was bad, but certainly not for me, and an eight minute song to top off the album just felt unnecessary. Just not really my genre unless in very small doses.

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

4/5

I always wanted to listen to this album because of its album cover, but I held off for one reason or another. Glad I finally got to listen to it, as it was really enjoyable. I did enjoy the more avant garde style of the first half than the pop sound of the second half, but overall still really enjoyable. Can definitely here where Rundgren's production style comes from. Also, Dogfight Giggle sounds like a song from Yumi Nikki, so there you go for the .1% that read this review and know what I'm talking about.

O.G. Original Gangster

Ice T

3/5

What is with rap albums and feeling they need to make their albums so long? Even the ones I like can usually shave a solid twenty minutes off the run time. Otherwise this album is alright. I like the lyrical content, and it is indeed pretty funny like many here say, but there's something here keeping it down, probably the length, honestly. Pretty average otherwise.

25

Adele

3/5

Definitely mom music, but some of the last couple songs, Million Years Ago and All I Ask, with just her voice and an instrument really blew me a way. I wish the whole album was that personal, but instead they mostly went the mid-2010's pop production style, and it really drags it down.

Clandestino

Manu Chao

3/5

I thought I'd like this one more, but with each song going into one another, it flows so much I can hsrdly tell songs apart, and makes everything blend together. Doesn't help when some songs use the exact same backing music as well. It was alright overall, certainly some good stuff, but it left a lot to be desired. Right down the middle with this one.

C'est Chic

CHIC

3/5

Certainly funky and groovy enough as an album, although it does go on a bit much for my taste at points, which was normal for the disco era, I suppose. Perhaps it would be better to listen whilst dancing, but not today, please. Otherwise, alright.

Aftermath

The Rolling Stones

3/5

Listened to the UK version, as I believe that was the intended album for this list. That means no Paint It Back, sadly. Overall, this was better than the other Rolling Stones album I got so far, but it definitely uses the best material early on, with it never really recovering from the needless eleven minute song. I could see why one would like this, but it still feels like it's set in its ways as to what rock was in the era, rather than evolving anything. I've gotta be missing something, I'm sure, but it does only confirm more for me that the Beatles vs. Rolling Stones argument makes no sense in a modern lense. Totally different things going on here, in my eyes.

Gorillaz

4/5

Hey, I was just talking about these "guys" with my Blur review! I much prefer this project to that one, but I never really gave their first outing a fair shake, much preferring the 2nd and 3rd proper LPs. Those aren't on the list, though, so... this one was pretty alright, although I thought I'd be more confident in the four star I'm giving this. Obviously very enjoyable, but you can tell there were times when they were like "what if we did a song with this?" and never expanded it past that. That certainly has its place, but it can feel aimless here. Still, the stuff that is good is really good, just wish this isn't all those new to Gorillaz had to work with on this Generator, as this certainly isn't their best work in almost any aspect, save for a representative one or two songs most people already know any way. Man, I sounded way more negative in this review than I really thought. Basically, Gorillaz good.

NEU! 75

Neu!

2/5

Hmm... I can definitely see why this is influential, being basically post-punk before the punk movement had even really fully taken off, but I find it mostly either boring or annoying, with only snippets of an enjoyable album peeking from behind. I could totally get why someone liked this, but not really for me.

The College Dropout

Kanye West

4/5

No, it's okay guys, he watched 21 Jump Street. Actually, I'm shocked, but I quite liked this. What happened between this and Yeezus that went from something so good to something so... Yeezus. Any way, this was pretty great, nothing amazing, but satisfying flow and great beats. Only some songs where my dislike for Kanye started to shine through, but that ego definitely wasn't fully developed yet.

Arise

Sepultura

2/5

I actually liked this more than I thought I would, as this is definitely the kind of music my father likes to listen to (as well as The Avett Brothers, if you wanna really see the duality of man) so it's almost oddly nostalgic. That being said, this isn't what I would call "good". Most songs sound the same, and while there is definitely technical abilities on display here, none of it translates to anything I would find worthy outside of a mosh pit. Probably fun on Guitar Hero or in concert, but not exactly for while catching fish in Animal Crossing, y'know?

Buena Vista Social Club

3/5

I was expecting this to be more up my alley than it was. I mean, it was alright, but some of it blended into music you'd here at a Mexican or Cuban restaurant and not much more. The only thing sticking it up there for me is the more folksy sort of sound present in the latter half of the album.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple

2/5

Watching the fine line when it comes to art pop of making a song that's enjoyable to listen to and still interesting is hard to walk, and in my opinion, this album fails at it. Often it feels aimless or like it needs to throw anything and everything in at once without really sticking with me. Definitely angrier than expected, and that led to some manic parts I liked, but it was definitely wearing thin by the end. It does make me curious about her 90s album on the list, as I can't imagine it's too similar production wise. Or perhaps it is?

Permission to Land

The Darkness

3/5

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

4/5

I was a little concerned that I just didn't get it with the first few songs on this album, with them not doing much for me, but Sir Duke and onward it was off to the races, with very few songs to slow it down. There are quite a few songs here I can't imagine I'll come back to too often, hence the four star, but otherwise an amazing album with some fantastic songs on here, such as the already mentioned Sir Duke, as well as Another Star, As, Summer Soft, and quite a few more. I'd say had the album trimmed the fat a little this would be a solid five for me, but as it stands still really good and I'm looking forward to the other albums present on the list.

1984

Van Halen

3/5

I was optimistic about this album, because my partner seemed to really like it, but this is kinda generic at best, save for one or two instrumentation parts. A couple of the last songs certainly picked it up, and Hot for Teacher has an awesome intro plus I quote "I brought my pencil! Give me something to write on," all the time, so I'll give it a really light three, but disappointing for sure.

Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division

4/5

I absolutely love how focused on the bass is in this album, often being the main part of a song, and it makes it so even the songs I don't like as much are still fun to at least bop your head to at various speeds. I was worried I would end up not liking this album too much, as I got their second album already and I figured they had honed their craft more at that point, but this was far more enjoyable. I liked the manic energy that I assume spawned from the punk influences, but the dreary sound makes it so each song doesn't really sound the same, which is my main issue with a lot of punk albums. A really solid four, and I imagine re-listens would only help its cause.

The Velvet Underground

4/5

Surrealistic Pillow

Jefferson Airplane

3/5

It is actually pretty amazing how similar this is to my album from yesterday, The Velvet Underground, and how it's that sort of Psychedelic Rock that never goes too far out there. This album, just like that one, I think would've benefitted from some more out there performances and more use of the female singer, as all the best songs are performed by her. No matter what, this was better than what Jefferson Airplane would be turning out by the mid-1980s.

Hail To the Thief

Radiohead

4/5

A really strong start with 2 + 2 = 5 that lulls for a good chunk of the middle before coming back with an excellent last few songs. I can see the idea with a lot of the album, with a lot of songs building up to one part, but this one part is not given enough room to breathe, and the song feels cut off most of the time. I think the album would actually benefit from less songs, but make them like seven minutes long, as I can here things that are predecessors to the longer songs by bands like MGMT and Tame Impala, but the songs here are far too short. Those last four or so songs are doing so much heavy lifting for this album that it gets a light four.

Swordfishtrombones

Tom Waits

4/5

Song from the hit 2005 animated film Robots and fourteen other hits! Pretty good, love the piano in here.

The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

5/5

I knew hardly anything about The Kinks before starting this generator, with them just being one of the other British Invasion bands for me, but as my partner got a couple albums by them and showed me a few of their songs, I really fell in love. It is just so creative and charming compared to the rock 'n' roll focus still happening at the time. Obviously, The Beatles were also at their creative peak, but that doesn't stop The Kinks, and especially this album, from really standing out. Really looking forward to their three other albums on this list, as this one was awesome. Shame that the leads of the band seem to be twats at times, but that doesn't matter here!

Revolver

Beatles

5/5

Damn, the generator went from giving me none of the Beatles stuff to almost all of it in the same 100 albums. Anyway, this album rocks. I've always said Abbey Road is the best album by the Beatles, but this is the BEATLES album, if that makes sense (and White Album is my favorite). Just the amount of musical innovation here that was overshadowed by Sgt. Pepper shortly after really goes under-appreciated due to it in the modern eye. Sure, Eleanor Rigby is the beginner's song for getting into the deeper Beatles discography, but are you jamming to the dissonate chords in I Want To Tell You? Obviously, no gate keeping here, like what you like, but basically, this album just has everything for everyone. Want rockier stuff? Sure! Ballads? Hell yeah! Weird trippy shit? Gotcha covered! It just is such an excellent thirty minutes that happens to have the smudge that is Doctor Robert, and that's okay! Even the punching bag of this album, Yellow Submarine, is too iconic and jolly to dislike unless you're too far up your own ass. I'm partial, personally, to I'm Only Sleeping (the better of the Lennon sleep cycle duology), Here, There, Everywhere and For No One. God, I didn't think I liked this album this much, but writing this reviews makes me feel I have so much to say here, that I'll cut myself off. Easy five stars, though.

Coles Corner

Richard Hawley

4/5

I really love this chamber pop style, which is the same reason I went against the tide and gave A Short Album About Love by The Divine Comedy a 5, horse lyrics and all. I really don't understand why people take music like that so seriously... any way, Coles Corner! I don't love this as much as that album, but this is still extremely good! I just believe it may have gone on a tad long overall, and some of the more guitar heavy songs weren't nearly as enjoyable as the more orchestral sound of the rest of the album. A lot of it reminds me of less so Sintra like a lot of people are saying and more so Roy Orbison if his voice was lower and not quite as vibratto-y. Any way, still very good, just maybe too big for its britches.

Fear and Whiskey

Mekons

2/5

I had hopes as the album started that it would be something that I would like, despite the country and punk influences, due to the era and some snippets I heard before, but this album just gets progressively worse as it goes on. The fiddle isn't the issue, it's the barrage of sound this album presents with no real weight behind of it. It gives it a "band playing at a music festival you don't wanna be at" vibe, that is only saved because it never is offensively bad save for the one or two times it absolutely zapped my motivation in the moment. I do think my sister will think this album is amazing, as she loves everything going on here, so thanks for that Mekons, someone is getting something out of this, it just isn't me.

Aladdin Sane

David Bowie

5/5

Y'know, I was gonna call this more rockabilly/jazzy Ziggy Stardust, but considering Bowie himself calls this album Ziggy goes to America, I can't think of a more apt description. Really excellent range of songs here that is brief but extremely enjoyable and still undoubtedly Bowie-esque. I love when this album gets really out there for the era, with stuff like the opening guitar for Cracked Actor, and when Lady Grinning Soul closes the album I know no other bliss. Not my favorite Bowie album, but still absolutely excellent, which seems to be a common belief around these parts.

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

1/5

Certainly not music you'd hear in Olive Garden, unlike the other Miles Davis album I've gotten before. However, I would of vastly preferred that over this noise. Is me slamming on a piano for ten minutes really count as a song? Sure, if you want, but why would you want to listen to it? I'm certain this album is purely being carried by the name(s) behind it, because otherwise this is awful. You're lucky if you hear even a minute of something that sounds vaguely organized, or even listenable, and the fact that there is an hour-and-a-half of this in this album just makes it all the worse. Maybe I'm just too dumb to realize how "amazing" this is, but it genuinely sounds like at best a sound check, at worst: toddlers. Makes me angrier just writing this review.

Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

3/5

Call me a prude, but this album is kind of gross. I feel like, while embracing this sort of stuff is important, and acting as though human-beings don't have urges is gross, but it being this on the nose with not a lick of nuance in sight makes me just roll my eyes when I hear some sort of allusion to sex for the billionth time an album, and don't even get me started on what the back of the album and the inner sleeve look like. If not all of that, then covers a plenty. Overall, the album is okay, but most of it is forgettable or dated. I imagine when people say they dislike new wave, this is what they're imagining. Very light three.

Paul Simon

4/5

Similar to the Simon & Garfunkel album I got prior to this, this album is realistically more close to a 3.5 than a 4, but considering I cannot do that here, it shall be rounded up. I enjoyed the overall vibe of this album, although not every song hits the mark for me. It is a huge benefit, however, that the album is pretty short. It makes it a brief and enjoyable experience I could see myself coming back to and re-examining as something I enjoy more.

Faith

George Michael

3/5

This album had a lot of moments within songs I liked, but not whole songs themselves. I think a big reason for that was how horny it was, which got old quick, and the lack of real instruments, instead opting for synthesized versions, save for Kissing A Fool, which was easily my favorite song. It just made the album feel incredibly dated and stretched out. So, when I give an album like this a three, it's purely due to one or two songs doing all the leg work, and not hating the rest of it. So, good job Faith, I guess. Light three.

A Grand Don't Come For Free

The Streets

1/5

Not going to lie, I went into this planning this one star, and it stuck through for the five minutes I could muster before I started skipping through. Each song is musically terrible, tone-deaf, and boring, and the story is not the perfect tale people (who obviously grew up with it and don't want to admit it's bad) say it is. The only reason I could see someone giving this a five is because it made them laugh so hard it's their new favorite comedy album. Seriously terrible. When the best song is still worse off than most other songs on albums I've given a one star too, then this is all the more terrible. God, this makes me angry.

Forever Changes

Love

4/5

This album is cool. I was under the impression this was generic 60s rock and nothing more, but I thought the heavy use of orchestral instruments such as brass and strings was really cool, and I loved the melancholic sound a lot of songs have. There are certainly times my mind starts to blend stuff together, but there is enough here to stand out that I could say I enjoy this pretty well. I could see myself returning to this and loving it all the more.

Bongo Rock

Incredible Bongo Band

3/5

I had quite the dilemma with this album, because it may surprise you (not really) to learn that ranking purely instrumentals with a bongo as the background beat as kind of difficult. I knew I enjoyed what I was hearing, and not too much past that, but I could totally see the enjoyment and novelty of this album. I believe I'll go down the middle with my ranking, as it just seems the most accurate.

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

5/5

While Fear of Music felt like a manic yet well-choreographed dance, Remain in Light is like a complete breakdown on the dance floor, both in the funky way caused by its anxiety-ridden grooves that'll get you dancing with the same ants in your pants that seem to plague David Byrne, but also in the complete and utter dread that can come with the existential. This album will have you start with an A-side full of new wave bangers to spin, twirl, and whirl to, but in the back of your mind you always feel something more sinister is at play. I mean, Once in a Lifetime may be one of their biggest hits, but it isn't really the goofy yet loveable piece of 80s goodness it is often described as, at least not fully. However, it is the A-side's tip-toeing around the grimmer subjects that give it the playful undertones to allow the listener to continue their awkward, solo cavorting in peace. It is full of rich production choices courtesy of Brian Eno, and every single musician here is at top form. Every single drum rhythm, every bass riff, and even the guitar solos, are all songs within themselves that any other album would present as the highest form of art the band can muster. Not Talking Heads, though, instead often being intricately put into the mix not to be buried, but rather discovered with each re-listen. The synth arrangements are perhaps the biggest underdog here, as while they are a mainstay in both new wave and post-punk, they often feel cast aside for the proclamation of the greatness that is the drum work, but the keyboard and synthesizer work makes a lot of these feel completely in-tune with not only their current contemporaries, but also ensure this album has all bases covered for decades still to come. Nowhere is this digital backbone more apparent than the B-side. The B-side instantly feels like something is trying to claw into the listeners thoughts, and therefore, their doubts. Sure, the danceable grooves of the first half are still present on Houses in Motion, but the slowed tempo and introduction of brass feels unwelcome in the best of ways. Something is changing, you can feel it, but not knowing what that feeling truly is gnaws at you. You keep dancing, but each following track forces you to look inside, outside, all around you, and by the end of it all, you stop dancing, and sit there and just take it all in. it's an overload of emotions, and you break down. Yet, the musicianship does not suffer, with the calmer, arcane, ritualism of it all hypnotizing you into a state of disbelief. The Eno-esque synths pull at your heartstrings, and do so with such a delicacy that you interact with the songs differently every time. Whether that be fear, loneliness, loathing, the B-side's emotional malleability is what makes it just as great as the openers. You may struggle to jump around and jam to it all, but you can still interact with it just as creatively, and an album being able to display this understanding of what makes music as a medium so enthralling this easily deserves nothing less than everyone's upmost respect, attention, and praise.

Group Sex

Circle Jerks

2/5

This was standable, and I was generally bouncing my leg along with it, but thank God this was only fifteen minutes long, otherwise I don't think I could even manage this two. Never been so drained so quickly.

Be

Common

4/5

That opening is absolutely excellent, and the rest of the album is pretty good too. I love the beats and backgrounds here, and the more jazzy sound of some of them. I'm not madly in love with this album or anything, but still very good, and the normal length (rare for a hip-hop album on thie generator) definitely helps.

S.F. Sorrow

The Pretty Things

5/5

One of my favorite psychedelic rock albums ever, and beat The Who to the punch in the rock opera field , so in my opinion this should only be more praised. Not to mention the varying genres that blow my mind for 1968. I mean, these dudes sounded like Black Sabbath for one track two years before Sabbath had an album out, and no one seems to care. Why?

Catch A Fire

Bob Marley & The Wailers

2/5

I feel bad giving this album this score, as there were plenty of parts of somgs I liked, but it always felt like it didn't go far enough into what I would enjoy, and would slip away from me being interested in the song by the end of each song, and that either happened with every song, or the song didn't catch me in the first place. I can completely see why this is something worth listening to, and I'm glad I did, but this is either not for me, or at the very least I am not in the mood at the moment, and probably won't be most moments of my life.

Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park

1/5

This is embarrassing to listen to. Lyrics that the kid failing school because he didn't try but blamed the school relates to and record scratches that puts Jet Set Radio to shame, there is nothing here that I enjoy. The fact that System of a Down is lumped in with this whiney rap-rock bullshit because the era of nu-metal just happened to be going on is awful. Everything here just sounds the same, and the best part here is that it is relatively short compared to most other albums on here.

Street Life

The Crusaders

2/5

The first song is definitely iconic, but there's a reason its more famous counterpart is far shorter. The rest of the album is the music that you listen to in the background. Not quite elevator/phone music like some reviews say, but certainly nothing special.

Close To You

Carpenters

4/5

This album starts pretty stereotypical, but after one-and-half Beatles covers and an amazing song in (They Long To Be) Close To You, the album shifts to this anywhere from melancholic to straight up dark sounding sound that really sounds great paired with the sometimes pretty, sometimes haunting vocals. Sure, it's nothing crazy, especially for the time of release, but there is more here than just Marge and Homer Simpson's song and other songs tacked on.

Melodrama

Lorde

3/5

Perhaps the lightest three I've given on this generator. It generally is just generic pop music, with moments that help it stand out. That production feels like every other song in the era, though, which really does not help it. The best thing when it comes to this album is the art, which I cannot deny is gorgeous. Just wish it was attached to something a bit more interesting.

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

4/5

Fuzzy Logic

Super Furry Animals

2/5

Not a bad album, but pretty boring. A good chunk of the songs had a decent hook they did nothing with, and I believe had this album released in the era the Super Furry Animals are trying to emulate, it would've been a release that just blends in with the rest of the timeframe. Voice wasn't as annoying as most other Britpop, though, so that is a plus, I guess.

Diamond Life

Sade

3/5

Planet Rock: The Album

Afrika Bambaataa

2/5

Choppy beats and flow, corny lyrics, and lacking substance are being merely held back by snippets of enjoyable music and inspirations surely brought forward by this album keeping it barely afloat. There are certainly other "items" to bring this album down more, but as it is not directly tied to the album itself, the album stays at that low two rating. Thank God hip-hop got much more interesting by the end of the 80s.

The Seldom Seen Kid

Elbow

1/5

The only album I've heard on this generator that has gotten definitively WORSE the longer I sit with it. Richard Hawley ain't saving this bore fest.

Djam Leelii

Baaba Maal

2/5

This album has nice, relaxing instruments in the background, but I cannot get past that singing. It makes me wish it was just the backing track most of the time. That and way shorter. Didn't like this, but I can't say I hate it.

Triangle

The Beau Brummels

3/5

There were parts of this album I enjoyed in small doses, and it helps that it is short, but this really feels like Bob Dylan-lite more than anything. There are parts of this album that feel like they could develop to be more, but the country influences hold it back from achieving something truly unique.

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

1/5

What a "nothing" album. I think this album pissed me off at first, but then it just kept going and started not caring more than anything. The singer's voice is obnoxious, but it's often so drowned out in the mix that it's hard to, once again, care. Why is this album so long? Why is this artist so popular? Why do people think this and the Beatles are nearly equals?! Jesus, what a mess. At least it didn't have Wonderwall.

Underwater Moonlight

The Soft Boys

3/5

This was pretty alright, but not too much past that. I think it's pretty obvious to tell this was ahead of the curve in a lot of ways, but that does mean a lot of sounds were done better by others later on. It's still good, don't get me wrong, but it left a lot to be desired at points.

Let Love Rule

Lenny Kravitz

4/5

I actually enjoyed this album a bit, but it was pretty repetitive and the topics of the songs started to repeat enough it got kind of old. Still, pretty good. There's a style to this that's generic but still it's own flair to make it different.

Exodus

Bob Marley & The Wailers

3/5

Better than the other Marley album I've got, as the variation near the end of this one helped it quite a bit, but it still doesn't do enough for me to think anything too crazy about this one, and the titular song, which seems to be considered one of the highlights of the album, is considerably boring. It was alright, just don't think too much past that. Reggae just isn't my thing, I suppose.

Dusty In Memphis

Dusty Springfield

4/5

She really does have an excellent voice, and there is some melancholic sounds here I enjoy quite a bit as well. I don't understand this "Son of A Preacher Man" praise, though, it was probably my least favorite song on the album. Heresy, I realize, but the album is very good nonetheless.

Kid A

Radiohead

5/5

I said one more listen and I would "get it", and that time has come. This album is breathtaking, its amazing, it would be ahead of its time no matter when it released, but even within the confines of its contemporaries, no, its own fellow Radiohead albums, it blows them out of the water. Every note is meticulously crafted to deliver an experience that is cold, distant, and disturbing, whilst also being comforting and even heavenly. Those moments of solitude oozing from these songs is matched by very little out there, and when the album does decide to pick up speed, it doesn't feel like its leaving you behind, rather it is aware it can push your limits to take you to jazzy soundscapes, ambient quarters, and droning infernos. You'll want to dance at the most simplistic beats, you'll want to lay there in wonder at the most groovy, and when the album comes to close you'll be more than ready to experience it all again, especially with an emotional gut punch like Motion Picture Soundtrack. I understand why I only thought this album was good on a first listen, but if you are in the same boat of not seeing the "big deal" I implore you to re-discover this album and infuse yourself with its twists and turns, its beeps and boops, and its colorful cascades of texture, and also see it deserves all the praise it gets.

Home Is Where The Music Is

Hugh Masekela

3/5

There is stuff here that is certainly good, I especially love when they let the piano shine, but it is still an overly long, somewhat repetitive jazz album. Still, better than most.

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

4/5

This is not really what I expected, but I dig it. The rapping parts remind me a bit of the verses in West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys, although sometimes it does start to feel a bit more like Inner City Preasure by Flight of the Conchords at points instead. Otherwise, though pretty good. I like the beats very consistently and the use of older songs never feels like a cop out. Just a very solid album, I can see the appeal.

Born To Be With You

Dion

3/5

This is so close to being something I like more, but the country influences and the lack of any real oomph in most of the songs makes it where it is on my rating system. However, I don't understand the super low score; just seems like those of the generator don't like this style of music most of the time.

Low-Life

New Order

5/5

What an awesome album! Sure, the vocals are a little rough, but so is everyone else's from the era, so it hardly had an effect. It just is really satisfying synth-pop that understands to use the synth to it's benefit rather than as a crutch. It can jump from pumping you up to being dark and electronic, and I really enjoy how it knows not to overstay its welcome. Always wasn't sure what to think of New Order, only really loving a couple of the hits, but not thinking much of other, but this definitely leans me towards liking this group a whole lot more.

Hypnotised

The Undertones

4/5

A light four with this now. It definitely is repetitive, but I think it has this light-hearted nature to it that is enjoyable, and I like the singer's voice more than most other punk acts. I sometimes think I don't like punk, but I think my partner's disdain and pop-punk are the reason behind that thought.

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

1/5

Screw you Fleetwood Mac, made me listen to this ten hour nap of an album instead of getting to listen to the new Sparks album.

Little Earthquakes

Tori Amos

3/5

These songs are definitely super personal, and I can recognize and respect that, but a lot of this album is just generally boring, especially due to the style at the time musically. Also, once again, overly long, which seems to be a theme for albums for me this week. Still, not as bad as I expected, there were even genuinely good parts.

I See A Darkness

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

4/5

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

3/5

This is eerily similar to the other Janis Joplin album on here when it comes to my opinions, that being that there's one especially notable song with the rest of it being not all too notable for me. I did like this album more, as some of the rock reminded me of other groups I enjoy and the such, but the fake "live" sound did start to annoy me near the end, and songs generally felt relatively similar. None of this makes this a bad album, because I can see the importance here, it just isn't my cup of tea musically.

Liege And Lief

Fairport Convention

3/5

Superunknown

Soundgarden

4/5

Despite me giving this a four (because it is good) I'm disappointed in this album. Black Hole Sun is just such a good song that I figured the rest of the album would be up to snuff, but there is definitely filler here bloating the run time, and it makes the album much less enjoyable to go through than I would've hoped. However, stepping back and actually listening to the album for what it is, this is tight, and can get you into it, no matter the situation, and the songs that are good are REALLY good. I think all of that earns it a light four, despite it's hiccups. I mean, Black Hole Sun gets it up to a three star all on its own, so why not add a star for everything else?

The Soft Bulletin

The Flaming Lips

4/5

Either I didn't notice how pretty and bombastic Yoshimi was, or this was way more up my alley. I love the orchestration and punch a lot of songs have. The lead singer sometimes isn't really up to snuff with the rest of the music, but it does add charm to it. Just a solid album.

The Specials

3/5

This was alright, certainly an albums you would bob up and down to, but it doesn't feel it has too much substance. Once you ignore that, fun enough.

The Blueprint

JAY Z

2/5

Just kind of nothing. Like, it was pretty repetitive and he is certainly full of himself. I just don't have much thoughts. It wasn't terrible, and not really bad. So, congrats.

Entertainment

Gang Of Four

4/5

Moon Safari

Air

5/5

What's with French electronic duos making everything else in the genre look like child's play? This was great, I loved how mellow it was, and some of the production felt years ahead of other electronic acts. Really chill, but never boring, and the mix of vocal and instrumental tracks kept the album fresh throughout.

The Man Who

Travis

2/5

Yeah, this was pretty nothing. Jangly 90s pop that's part folk influence, part Radiohead-lite. I wouldn't judge anyone for liking this or anything, but it's hard to get into something so lethargic and simple. I could get why people would like this, but I wonder what it did to get here. Best track is the hidden track at the end that of course is tied to another song and you have to sit three minutes in silence to hear it. Love that, totally.

Queen Of Denmark

John Grant

4/5

I actually went into this not interested at all, had my folk-rock fill with the Travis album I got yesterday, but I actually really enjoyed this. The music is very pretty, and the lyrics are never too seriously. It actually reminds me of Ben Folds (which makes me wonder where he is on this list) but gay. Really good, goes on a bit long, but most of these songs are very nice and a good mix of earnest and silly. Those last four songs are spectacular.

Kilimanjaro

The Teardrop Explodes

3/5

This sort of, to me any way, just sounds like an alternative version of Duran Duran, albeit before Duran Duran. It isn't bad at all, but I didn't hear anything here that was too crazy for the era, other than perhaps being pretty early on in the style of pop? Unsure. Pretty middle of the road with a good song here and there.

Sheer Heart Attack

Queen

4/5

I am living for these early Queen albums. I thought Queen II was good, but holy shit was this even better. I may have liked the theming of Queen II more, but all the songs here are at least good, if not all excellent, and I'm still a big fan of the non-hit maker Queen that we see here that isn't present on the later records. I'm starting to see why Dimery picked the Queen albums he did, for sure. Loved this one, just one left, the big one!

It's Too Late to Stop Now

Van Morrison

1/5

This album sucks!!!!! Van morrrisin more like van BORRISON,,!!!!! bitch

Talking Book

Stevie Wonder

4/5

Very close to being a five star here, I think there's just too many times on the album where songs go too long and it dampens the intial impact the song has. Otherwise, very amazing, I love the shift from ballad to funk bsck to ballad throughout the album, and Wonder's voice is as soothing as ever.

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane

2/5

I'm going to use my ignorance here as a crutch as to why I dislike this. I'd like to think I'm at least somewhat musically adept, as I've played both bass and piano for years now, but this sort of stuff can really come off as a wall of noise and not much more to me, where I know I'm hearing something musically impressive, but gaining nothing from it. It certainly isn't as hard for me to like as Bitches Brew in this case, but this album still suffers (for me) with this stuff. There was things I liked (like, shocker, the bass and piano), but there were also plenty of moments I was growing quickly sick of what I was listening to. This manages to claw itself out of the one star depths, but mostly because I feel it is more my fault than anything that I think, at best, nothing of this.

Bitte Orca

Dirty Projectors

4/5

How else can I describe this album other than overwhelming? Not in the same way that shoegaze can be, but more so due to this albums lack of focus or any sense of normal song structure? Lots of random things thrown into the songs to make it feel less like a natural progression and instead something where you're jumping up, down, and all around. This can be a negative on the album, with it being pretty poor listening music at points, but it can also make the album stick out, especially compared to other pop of the late 00s. It, at points, reminds me of a Vampire Weekend jam session, and that is both a blessing and a curse. I think that when I give this album a four, it doesn't necessarily mean I think it is on equal standing with some of my other ratings, but rather does enough to stand out and have bright moments that the oddities of the album don't bring it down too much. I do, however, totally understand the relatively low average score. I struggle to put into words how I feel about this, but despite my middling review, I did enjoy this, and that's what matters here, I suppose.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

This album has an absolutely amazing and gorgeous A-Side that is nothing but excellent music and the peak of folk music. This steam continues on to the B-side with The Boxer, but as the album winds down it starts to lose a lot of its muster, and the inclusion of a live piece, while it makes sense, is really jarring with how loud the crowd is, and it leaves a sour taste in my mouth, being pretty much the finale. I could see me coming arouns to a five with this album over time, but as it stands, this is an extremely high four. I'm glad one of the Simon & Garfunkel outings on the list didn't leave me feeling disappointed, even if they are also good.

KE*A*H** (Psalm 69)

Ministry

3/5

My partner hates this album; it was their first one star. However, while this list was their first time listening to this, I have some experience with these songs due to my father, namely "Jesus Built My Hotrod". Hell, I've been to a Ministry concert, even if I was only their for Primus. So, there is definitely some leverage here for me that makes me enjoy it a bit more, I'd even say the before mentioned song is my favorite thrash/industrial metal song of all time. Overall, the album isn't really too much for me, I'd say it's too mindless as it starts to unwind, which I'm sure was the goal, but it makes it difficult "listening" music. There are definitely things here I like enough, however, to get it into that middle of the road ranking, and I could see myself jamming to some of this while driving.

(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

3/5

This was alright. I'm not a southern rock kind of person, but there are things here that transcend that and are much more enjoyable like Simple Man, and I could see myself liking Free Bird if it was some unknown song I'd never heard of. Oh well, at least it's fun to play in Guitar Hero.

War

U2

3/5

This was leaps and bounds better than either Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby, and I understand that probably isn't the most common opinion. I mean, this still isn't anything super crazy for me, but I can at least find enjoyment in this, probably due to a good chunk of the songs actually having a beat and tempo that makes me excited to listen to rather than bored to tears, and the normal length run time is much more tolerable than whatever Achtung Baby thought it was getting away with. Maybe the other two do have those "blood-pumping" songs, but I certainly don't remember them, and I think that just helps this album's case more.

Elvis Presley

3/5

I much prefer the more somber sounding Presley songs, because his voice benefits a lot more from those than him trying to do a bad impression of black artists from the era. Luckily, there are a few of said somber songs on this album, and it makes it so those songs are really quite enjoyable, even if they still aren't his own works, then again is anything by him really? You can also hear some Lennon-like vocals in I'll Never Let You Go, but I have no clue if John Lennon actually took any inspiration from Presley at all. Overall, some good, and some pretty whatever for a decent album all together.

2112

Rush

5/5

I already knew going in that I was going to like this (A Passage to Bangkok slaps) but I didn't realize I was going to like it THIS MUCH. I've listened to 2112 before (albeit in pieces), but I apparently wasn't listening, because I was jamming the whole time, and even once we got past that behemoth of a song, each song afterwards was just as good, and varied, making this album never feel bloated, even with such a long song, and the instruments only add to the majesty of the whole thing. I also really love Geddy Lee's voice here. I mean, I enjoy it on other Rush albums too, but as this is pretty early in their discography, his voice is still at peak performance, and he nails every note with such perfection. Just an amazing album, I'm truly blown away. Gonna be honest with y'all, the Ayn Rand references completely went over my head until I read others reviews, and while I definitely see issues there, I still think the music is damn good, and Neil Peart, before passing, did rescind those ideas for the most part, so I look at it less as endorsement and more as seeing the beliefs of a songwriter that didn't know better. However, I could totally be making excuses so that my mind enjoys the album more free of guilt. Just thought I should specify that my five star is not in support of Rand's believes, just in support of music I like the sound of.

Ghosteen

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

3/5

I really like the synths on this, and I love how personal this is, even more than The Boatman Calls, but it is definitely too long, and very repetitive. It has me feeling conflicted, because one moment I'll be getting into it, and the next I'll be dying for it to be over. Still, it is not all bad.

Sincere

Mj Cole

3/5

I listened to my own Frankenstein's Monster version of this album, as the album on my streaming service of choice was all mangled and missing songs, so if that affected my experience with the album in one way or another, I apologize. As for the album, this was perfectly alright, in fact, I liked it more than most electronica albums from the era, so I really REALLY don't understand how this has such a low average rating. Like, it's weird this is where people drew the line, and not with a multitude of other albums that are just as bad if not worse. I liked it overall, it reminded me of the music in Sonic R, and that can be a good thing in the right mood, I think.

From Elvis In Memphis

Elvis Presley

3/5

This feels a bit more like Elvis' own style, rather than the pale imitation of black rock 'n' roll present in his first album, but instead you get an album that you can tell they were just throwing money at in the production phase, as it often feels that rather than having this really intimate collection of songs with just Elvis and his guitar, you get chamber voices and strings that really do too much for the whole album, and make it so songs feel like too much. I mean, it is certainly still alright, there are some pretty enjoyable songs here, but there's also a lot that just feels like music that is, frankly, behind on the times. I mean, 1969 was one of the best years for music period, so comparing this to all of that makes this feel still stuck in the early parts of the decade. Again, not terrible, but hard to praise, and I'd say in some ways worse than that intial outing.

Different Class

Pulp

5/5

Goddammit Britpop, decide if you're gonna be ass and one of the worst genres I've heard or producing some of the best albums I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, like this album is. Every song on here is a masterpiece in music, I'm not joking. The singer's voice is a perfect blend of the Bowie voice so many Britpop singers try to emulate and someone like Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy, and the understanding of making a good chord progression is unmatched as an album, with nearly every movement here so satisfying and enjoyable. It may be a little long, but I was never waiting for it to end like most albums, and stuff I actually knew before like Common People are suddenly extremely good even though I didn't think too much beforehand. I'm just utterly impressed by this gorgeous, whitty and frankly awe inspiring album.

Heaux Tales

Jazmine Sullivan

2/5

I'm not really sure how I feel about this, as I think lyrically I understand the album in concept, but a lot of it comes off as artificial more than anything, and it is hard to tell what I'm supposed to be like "oh, good point" and what is a played-too-serious joke. As far as it goes musically, I think the backing tracks are okay, but they all sound like something I heard somewhere else before, and not really their own thing. This just doesn't feel like anything all that notable, and considering I'd never heard of this album before the generator, despite trying to relatively keep up with modern music tells me it'll be probably removed to make room for another album on the next version of the list.

Arc Of A Diver

Steve Winwood

2/5

Perhaps the album I have the least amount of thoughts and opinions so far. The final song nearly dragged it down to a one star, but I like the synths in the first just enough for it to die in the "forgettable" pile.

Dire Straits

3/5

The guitar playing is immaculate and Sultans of Swing lives up to the hype (and then some) but the rest of the album leaves a bit to be desired, often being too country-rock-like for my liking, and nothing even matching the height of the album, which I already mentioned, even if there are good parts. It is more of a disappointment than anything, but it is still decent overall.

Remedy

Basement Jaxx

3/5

This album has its pretty high-highs and its pretty low-lows (looking at you Same Old Show) but is overall a pretty alright project with some really good songs on there. You just kind of have to sift through something nothingness at times to get there.

Penthouse And Pavement

Heaven 17

4/5

I swear I'm not just rating these more controversial albums high scores to be different, I just really like some of these albums, and I suppose that differs from others. It just has this groove to it at points that I get really into, and I like the singer (singers?) voice. It does start to fall apart a bit with some of the last couple songs, but otherwise an album I enjoyed my time with quite a bit.

21

Adele

3/5

Starts extremely strong with a pop song that definitely deserved its place on the charts at the time, but the album peters out pretty quickly and only has moments here and there reaching close to the same heights. The singles are singles for a reason for sure with this record, and I think the only new info I'm taking away from this album is that there is an Adele cover of Lovesong by the Cure. Of course her voice is fantastic, but you knew that, and I didn't have to hear either of the albums on this list to know that. Good album, just feel like Adele is always so close to being more than the "middle-aged mom pop artist".

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

2/5

I don't know, man. I feel bad giving this such a low score, but everything sounds the exact same, and when it doesn't it's because it was a boring instrumental. I usually like this sort of stuff, but the best song here was outdone by a far superior cover years later, and the rest of the album is rest than that, so... meh.

The Real Thing

Faith No More

4/5

While I think I may enjoy Mike Patton's other project(s), such as Mr. Bungle for their more showbiz-esque nature, this is still very enjoyable, albeit kind of long winded. I have to give credit to Patton, though, not only for his voice and range, but also for being one of the musicians out there that respects and has even worked with Sparks, always bonus points for that, as I am a Mael brothers shill, just the way I like it. Anyway, good album.

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe Called Quest

4/5

Listening to this is smooth, it really is super groovy and funky in the perfect way for a hip-hop album. Once again the issues come down to the length of it all, where it starts to become very long winded and hard to focus on what you're listening too, and the relatively relaxing samples and beats don't help to not keep you from getting too comfy with it and letting it all slip past you. Otherwise, very good, I'm glad I finally came around to actually giving ATCQ a proper listen.

Africa Brasil

Jorge Ben Jor

4/5

When the album started, I wasn't quite expecting the guitar to be such a major focus, but nearly every riff here is super catchy, and the samba style really lends itself to this blend of music that is familiar yet all its own. That final song being so aggressive comparatively puts a nice bow on this extremely well made package. Perhaps the language barrier makes this a tad repetitive, but it is a repeat of only banger after banger, so that is hardly a knock against it. Rod Stewart can eat his heart out when it comes to Taj Mahal, quite frankly. Sick of artists "sampling" (or in this case straight up stealing) amazing music and making it obviously worse. I believe George Harrison when he says he unconsciously lifts a melody from a song, not the "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" guy.

Risque

CHIC

2/5

This album has everything going for it that should make it something I quite like; it's groovy, funky, the riffs are satisfying, and all the music is technically well crafted. Yet, I cannot seem to care or get into this much at all. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, but it is hard time to see this as more than something you know would've played at the roller rink, and I think even Chic knows that. There is definitely a place in music for that, but perhaps that "place" was torn down twenty or thirty years ago for a reason.

Coat Of Many Colors

Dolly Parton

2/5

Dolly Parton is an excellent individual, surely being one of the most likeable still-living celebrities, but at the end of the day her music is still my least favorite major genre of country. There are some things here that are interesting to listen to, from her mom stealing her boyfriend from under her nose to a good ol' cucking (who the fuck makes a song about cucking?), but the music is so repetitive and boring that I hardly want to listen to it. It isn't offensive musically as a lot of country tunes are nowadays, but it still isn't that great or anything.

Night Life

Ray Price

3/5

I listened to the first song on this album, "Night Life", whilst actually driving in the middle of the night, and it absolutely fits the mood of the night, as does the rest of the album I'd say. However, issues arise when you sit down and actually focus on the music, as it becomes very same-y, and the longer-than-average country album (for the time) makes the repetitiveness all the more present. I enjoy the fact that his voice isn't that exaggerated warble that many country artists do, it makes it not excruciating to listen to, but otherwise a very safe album just a couple years before popular music as a genre really started expanding as an artform.

On The Beach

Neil Young

5/5

Wow, what a crazy step up from "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere", and I know that's unfair, as there are albums between the two projects, but the generator gave me this next, and it wanted me to listen to it, goddammit! Anyway, I actually adore this. It has that melancholic vibe a lot of America albums have, but with this grit that make them feel really weighted and like it all means something, and the intimate style of the album, feeling very personal between Young and the listener, all culminates into an album that is extremely enjoyable and that I like a lot. My only nit-pick is the amount of songs labelled "blues" that are hardly such, but that isn't an actual complaint, and would not drag this down to a four alone. This is a lighter five-star, as I'm not head over heels or anything, but I still enjoy this enough for me to finally "get" Neil Young.

She's So Unusual

Cyndi Lauper

4/5

Man, this has a lot of hits and singles on it, doesn't it? May as well be a best of album, save for one or two missing tunes. I do think it earns its popularity, however, being a very solid album throughout, with only one or two tracks that reek slightly too much of 80s cheese to stand out. Of course, I may not go out of my way to listen to most of this again, because I can hear half of it by just going grocery shopping anyway, but still very good. I particularly enjoy the punch of the final song, "Yeah, Yeah," as it's one of the few I'd not heard before, and it definitely sends the album out right.

The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monáe

5/5

I knew of this album prior to getting it from not only my partner getting it and loving it, but also seeing it on multiple "best concept album" lists, and I definitely agree that it is amazing. The range of genres and making it all sound so good is fantastic, and the length isn't even noticeable, which is quite a feat with me. Amazing album.

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

1/5

It is getting hard to remember if an album has baffled me as to why it is on this list yet, but this one certainly makes me feel that way. I mean, it has a pretty decent average global rating, and musically it is inoffensive at worst, but why is this here? Like, this genuinely makes me upset listening to it, because it is either the type of music I'd hear at a nice-ish restaurant trying to sound intellectual, or the background music of a baseball documentary, depending on which instrument has the focus, and even though it is only four songs, it gets old FAST. I mean, wouldn't have one song sealed the deal as to what my thoughts would be? Again, this is extremely technically competent, but I can't seriously be in the minority for thinking that it is insane that this made the cut over so many other iconic albums? Just upsetting, and drags it way down. I'm sure the dog on the front had nothing to do with it, though. He's a good boy.

Viva Hate

Morrissey

4/5

God dammit, Morrissey is such a fucking nonce. The whole time I was listening to this I was reading quotes of his that just displayed what an asshole he was. And yet... this was good. The nonce makes good music, because of course he does, its like a requirement of a musician. Usually hear I'd praise the singer for liking Sparks, because I am the your local friendly Sparks shill, but nah, fuck this. Bad fan to have, thank God Sparks have never joined in on his comments. Hell, they told him "lighten up" in a newer song. Anyway, he doesn't get praise. Just enjoy your four star and get out of here. Oh, and that album font on the cover is ugly.

Blackstar

David Bowie

5/5

God, what a gorgeous send-off to a brilliant artist. It is amazing to me that an album can sound so reassured yet so scared, so at peace yet not ready to go, and so relaxed yet so on edge. The use of avant-garde jazz is used to the benefit rather than just as meaningless noise, and the short but sweet album knows when to bring in something to changed it up. It is also completely admirable that nothing here sounds derivative of anything else Bowie-like, going out with a bang rather than a "best of" situation. Just fantastic from beginning to end. Bowie really nails those short track listing albums to a tee. Seems like a ten minute opener is a guaranteed fantastic choice. Also wild to see Kendrick Lamar and Death Grips as inspirations for this, but I can hear it. I also really liked the allusion to A New Career In A New Town in the final track with the harmonica, whether intentional or not.

Scum

Napalm Death

1/5

How can an album that has pretty impressive technical feats present be so tone deaf in the actual musical department? Every song isn't just flawed because of how it sounds, because that, at the end of the day, is preference, but every song sounds the exact same, and the short song lengths only highlights this, rather than makes it stand out. Yeah, I can't deny there were times where I liked where it was going, but then the dog-like singer barked into the microphone for twenty seconds and they just repeated that at different paces into the mix for a excruciating thirty minutes. I thought maybe I was going to give this a two about a quarter of the way through, because it was more funny than anything, but by the halfway point I was exhausted and tired. It wasn't funny, or impressive, or even interesting, it was just soul sucking. Perhaps that's what they wanted, but it sure as hell doesn't make it anything more than being edgy on the surface level while far more interesting musicians actually get famous off their metal. This is just noise. Awful, awful noise.

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

3/5

Pretty alright musically, but I don't understand really what the point of each of these songs are, as they pretty much go over variations of the same topic in a loop that feels especially more apparent here than any other album with love songs, and just like "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", there is a ten minute song here that could very easily be three or so minutes and get the same point across. Just a very forgettable album, but I liked what I heard enough.

Da Capo

Love

3/5

One of, if not my favorite, thing about Love's other album, Forever Changes, was the strings present that made it stand out from most other psychedelic rock that was around at the time. However, this earlier album seemed to be going for a more forward thinking stance on the genre. That is not a bad thing, as there are some songs here I like just as much if not more so than Forever Changes, but it also blends in more with artists like the Rolling Stones and other hits from the time. None of that is more evident than with the needlessly long final tune on the album that feels like a jam session that really didn't need to be on the album and got quite annoying after a while. Is it interesting for 1966? Perhaps, but it really brings down the rest of the albums pretty rock solid line up into something that feels more "holier-than-thou" in its production, and I lose interest in the four star I was thinking for the album. Had it been the beginning or even the middle of the album then perhaps I could forget about it and still warrant the four, but putting it at the end leaves a sour taste in my mouth that really middles the album out. Hearing people having sex (or pretending to) has never been one of my favorite genres of music, and someone yelling in my ear about it for nineteen minutes is, I imagine, no one's cup of tea. This is a cool album, in theory, but at the end of the day hating half the album really doesn't seem fair to my other four stars.

Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches

Happy Mondays

2/5

This album reminds me of U2 if they were a bit more dance focused with the music they produced. That is not really a good thing in my eyes, and the lead singer sounds like the guest singer in Gorillaz's "DARE" when he was drunk at that one live performance. Could be worse, but did definitely got on my nerves at points.

Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

TV On The Radio

3/5

Certainly alternative rock from the early 2000s, there's this sound you can pick up from it, but I like the addition of a sort of soul sound to it all, like if Lenny Kravitz started making music in this era instead. That being said, it is very repetitive, and almost none of the songs have a climax, it's usually the same song it was five minutes before with an extra voice and instrument or two. That isn't always true, but it certainly felt like it. Otherwise pretty alright, just feels like it should've done more.

Queens of the Stone Age

4/5

I'm a sucker for fuzz guitar, and this album has plenty of that. That and big, crunchy bass, which also gets me. This album reminds me of a modern take on one of the earlier Black Sabbath albums, and that isn't a bad thing, despite my pretty mixed views of Black Sabbath. My partner was not a fan of this album despite both of us being big fans of Them Crooked Vultures' (currently) sole album, which surprises me, because listening to this, I don't see what this doesn't have that that album does. Just really enjoyable. I'm actually pretty close to giving this a five, but there's just some small things holding it back such as the goofier sounding instrimental track, the straight up creepy sounding ending, and the realitive repetitiveness of it all, it could stand to be shorter. Otherwise, really enjoyed this, and if this is a weak QotSA record according to some fans, then I really need to give their discography a listen.

Stankonia

OutKast

4/5

OutKast have been one of those duos that I've always said "I've liked," but I've never actually listened to one of their albums, so this is my first full experience, and this was good. I really enjoy the more regular song structured pieces, I assume courtesy of André 3000, but that doesn't stop the raps from being good too. I think if the album were just shorter (I don't know if I remember a single skit) and more tight in general, as some of the more jokey songs weren't what I would call good, then this could have made more of an impact towards me. All the big songs here, though, are great though, and even stuff like Toilet Tisha really caught me off guard with how good they were. I'm excited for The Love Below, and maybe Speakerboxxx will be good too, and that's what this album has basically made me think. Is that how people usually see OutKast? I've really got no clue. Still, solid album. Starts really strong then peppers good bits throughout.

Ys

Joanna Newsom

5/5

Fuck, I really like this, and I was not expecting that AT ALL. I mean, five songs all longer than what I consider casually listenable? Seems like something I'm destined to be annoyed or at least bored with, but I really adored this. Firstly, it's gorgeous both musically and lyrically, with the strings really meshing well with the weirder choices such as a mouth harp and banjo. In that way it reminds me of a Leonard Cohen album, but I'd say the lyrics are far more abstract than Cohen's works, but it still really works. I like that there s no regular song structure yet it returns to the same line every few minutes to bring the song into its own orbit and not let it stray too far outwards and become a mess. I don't know if I'll go out of my way to listen to most of these songs separately due to their length, but as a whole album this is certainly up there as something great. I will admit her vocals remind me a little bit of whoever sings "Dance Monkey", but not really annoyed at it here. Then again, I never found the vocals on that track too annoying either, so perhaps I'm the one broken. Any way, amazing album, truly unexpected.

Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones

3/5

I feel often that with this generator I'm getting nicer and more open towards the albums I get, which is probably good overall, but it's making my positive-to-negative ratio feel slowly more and more lopsided to the former of the two. Luckily, I can count on The Rolling Stones to put me straight and remind me that my tastes and opinions are still consistent with when I started. For instance, here is the third Rolling Stones album to get a three star. Is it bad? No, in fact I could totally understand why someone would like, nay, love this, but it just feels so generic in a modern lense where Rolling Stones was falling so behind on the revolutions happening around them in music that they decided to fall back and rest on what they knew, and there can be merit in that, but what makes this more special past an admittedly great opening track. If I wanted music that sounded like this I would either go earlier into the 60's or later into the next decade, not give the very personal genres of folk and country to the British boy band. I''ll never deny Rolling Stones their iconic status, as they've certainly earned it from various track to track, but I don't understand so far what any of their albums as a whole work of art has done for the music landscape but seem like music your great uncle swears is better than the Beatles.

Raw Like Sushi

Neneh Cherry

2/5

There are beats and (I assume they're) samples that I like on this album, and sometimes the way Neneh Cherry raps reminds me of Chuck D's flow of all things, but the album feels like a bygone era that struggles to be interesting both in the realm of pop and hip-hop, so a mix of both just spoils moments after starting, and while this album isn't too long, each song feels like it drags. It's okay in short doses, but a whole album can be a bit much. Just a whatever album.

Supa Dupa Fly

Missy Elliott

3/5

Since he doesn't have an album of his own, I'll mention here that Busta Rhymes has a really interesting flow that is super charming. As for the rest of the album, it's pretty alright. I like Missy Elliott's rapping, and some of the backbeats are great, but the bragging gets annoying, especially the praise of Timbaland that I assume he wrote himself. None of the features feel that present to me either, other than the before mentioned Busta Rhymes. An alright album that just feels very much like an album that you'd imagine if I just said "rap album".

Raising Hell

Run-D.M.C.

4/5

A huge improvement over their debut album, with beats never feeling empty between lines, and the flow between the two is also much improved. My only issues is that sometimes you can tell they found a soundbite they lacked and spammed that shit, and the fact that some lines are still ridiculously cheesy and outdated, although that does add to the charm in a weird way. Anyway, very enjoyable, so many hits here that are all deserving of such, and it feels like a soundtrack to a skating game from the PlayStation 1. Although, it is incredibly funny to me that they didn't actually want to collab with Aerosmith, and it was kind of forced on them. See? Even people profitting off Aerosmith don't like them.

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

3/5

I have no clue why I find Black Sabbath to be so mediocre, as it seems like it'd be something I'd be far more into, but even the hits don't do anything for me anymore, and considering this album doesn't even have those, it's hard to understand the praise. However, it is still alright overall and easy listening (for metal) that doesn't have any ridiculously annoying parts. Although just making random noise for a minute-and-a-half is definitely pushing it. Again, this is okay, but I've gotten all three Black Sabbath albums on the list now, and none of which have switched me into thinking anything more of them. Definitely influential, but outdone by all their pupils.

First Band On The Moon

The Cardigans

5/5

I have so much to talk about relating to this album, so apologies to whoever reads this if you choose to do so, although I doubt anyone will. Firstly, I've been looking forward to listening to this album for years, with it always being something I wanted to get around to listening to, but always forgetting. This is because not only is Lovefool easily one of the best, if not the best, pop hit of the 1990s, but because The Cardigans have always been compared to and been put into this bubble along with some of my other favorite bands, with Cloudberry Jam (which sadly seems to have been mostly lost in the streaming age), Stereolab, and one of my favorite bands of all time, Komeda. Cloudberry Jam always had some jazzy sensibilities, Stereolab, who's pretty well known, was the electronic one, and Komeda has a bigger alt-rock focus. The Cardigans, however, were far more pop-y then those others, and it had me worried I might not care for this quite as much as those other bands, but this was just as excellent as those. I love the whispery singing of Nina Persson, and they completely understand what I am looking for with a song, with each movement of a piece being satisfying in its own way, and they know when to bring into horns and woodwinds and all sorts of really creative stuff that sets their music apart without being too out there. I'm happy to finally listened to this. If you disagree with me, then know I'm the type of person to give a Black Sabbath album a three, and enjoy this cover of Iron Man far more than the original. Amazing album. What can I say, the Swedes make good music. Also, just to make this review more niche than it already is, the bass riff in Lovefool is the same as Persona 4 Golden's intro theme, and that's knowledge I don't know what to do with. Also also, the first song sounds like a Katamari song, even more bonus points there. God, I love this feel good shit, pump it into my veins.

High Violet

The National

2/5

I like when he sounds like Nick Cave, but man is this album boring. Nothing here bad, but this came in one ear and out the other, and you can easily place what time this was made in the history of music, and in that case it is not a good thing. It's just so wishy washy, none of the "intense" moments feel like they earned it, and I'm just left questioning why this album has so much praise. Especially with such deep lyrics as "I'd eat your brains, 'cause I'm evil, 'cause I'm evil." Not bad I guess, but I never wanna hear this again. I'm thinking a light two at the moment, but it may be a one by the time I rate it. Nah, it doesn't annoy me enough for a one star.

Smash

The Offspring

3/5

This makes me feel like I should be playing Crazy Taxi. It also makes me realize I really only care about this music while playing Crazy Taxi.

Live At The Star Club, Hamburg

Jerry Lee Lewis

2/5

Aren't people who do terrible things supposed to be really talented? This was boring. Sure, the piano playing is impressive, but it's just rock 'n' roll standards played slightly faster than usual. I can find more impressive piano-centered pieces from a century before this album. Thank god it's short, or I'm more than sure I'd hate this.

Destroy Rock & Roll

Mylo

2/5

Maybe it's just the mood I'm in, but I did not care for this. Nothing here struck a chord with me, and it just felt boring. I really have nothing to say other than that this is a light two.

Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan

4/5

I've always had dueling thoughts when it came to Steely Dan, as my father would always say the music made by the group was awful, but my partner thought it was pretty alright. I'm gonna have to lean with my partner with this one, probably even more so, as I wnjoyed this one pretty consistently. I'd say each song has something I like about it, and the shorter length for each track makes it so nothing takes up too much time if you are disliking something about it. Perhaps had I not just listened to all of America's discography in the last year, which is very similar, then I wouldn't care about this, but I've got more of an ear for yacht rock now, and that definitely helps this album out.

Immigrés

Youssou N'Dour

3/5

I like the viba of this album, but the first song kind of satisfies that style with the rest of it being unnecessary fluff. I enjoyed what I heard, though.

Fleet Foxes

4/5

L'Eau Rouge

The Young Gods

2/5

Literally none of this left an impact on me. Is it loud and abrasive? Yes, but none of it actually struck a chord with me, for better or worse. There's parts that sound like Tom Waits, but when this guy does it, it feels gross, not interesting. I don't hate this enough for a one star, but I wish stuff like the string samples were used more interestingly.

Amnesiac

Radiohead

4/5

An overall much more consistent Radiohead album in its tone and quality compared to most of their albums, but it doesn't nearly reach the highs of any of their other albums on the list, including stuff like Hail to the Thief. Still a solid record for the consistency and high polish, but it does feel like it's riding off the high of Kid A. Great album, otherwise. Seem pretty negative here but I should specify that this is still great. Would have loved more of that jazz influence we see at the end.

Locust Abortion Technician

Butthole Surfers

4/5

The terriblness and disturbing-ness of this album has been greatly exaggerated by the reviews on here. If you have any experience with any sort of grit in your music, you should be just fine listening to this, and the fact that Nirvana's albums have such high scores compared to this, kind of tells you that I think a lot of Nirvana's fans miss exactly what made that so special. Anyway, speaking of grit, this album is so gripping audibly that it scratches every itch I would try and achieve with any music I would ever make. And the varying genres and styles basically making fun of various types of music keeps the album light hearted without sacrificing the musicality (most of the time), despite the downright evil sound of most of the music. Overall I think this pretty entertaining, and at a cool thirty-two minutes, what's not to like? Are most of the songs something I wouldn't put on casually? Absolutely, but I think as an album and an experience it's pretty great.

Floodland

Sisters Of Mercy

2/5

This felt extremely stereotypical and almost like a parody of oneself. That isn't to say it's bad, it's completely competent as an album, but everything just sounds like surface level 80s dark wave. Now, at the time I'm sure this was revolutionary as a darker sound in new wave, but now it feels like the bare minimum as to what someone would be playing if there was a soundtrack for the 80s. It just screams angst, but that angst is hard to take seriously with the cheesy synths and repetitive drum machine. Maybe if one of these songs alone was on a whole album that sounded different, then I'd be interested due to the darker tone, but instead I was just bored by the end. Maybe in the right mood, but I have no clue what that mood would be, and why I wouldn't pick something like Depeche Mode or Joy Division first.

The Wall

Pink Floyd

4/5

Not counting their debut, as it's quite different from the rest of their discography it seems, this is my first experience with Pink Floyd through a whole album, and it certainly feels like a new experience. I like the thorough storytelling and how it is all one cohesive "thing" while still managing to get those singles in there that stand out. Also it looping over and over if you so choose is a really cool touch, no matter how simple. That being said this does feel like it thinks it's higher art than it really is. At the end of the day this still feels like a pretty normal rock album, and there's nothing truly here that makes me go "wow, this was super important to listen to." I loved the reoccurring motifs, something I feel a lot of concept albums lack, and this is a good package, but I see why this is usually seen as the weakest of the big three (four?). Still giving it a four, but it's a light one at that. Also, the best song from the Wall, What Shall We Do Now?, isn't even on the actual album, so that sucks.

Joan Baez

4/5

Her voice and guitar playing is amazing, and her songs can range from the folky traditional tunes of Bob Dylan to the dark, introspective tracks of Leonard Cohen, a few years before either were apart of the mainstream concious. So, to all of that, hats off. I just think the album sometimes suffers feom being an older album, as those more country tracks feel like something put on their to appease the masses, rather than be something truly groundbreaking throughout, which Dylan took and and ran with a few years later. However, this is still a very good album, and I'm still at awe of that final track.

Clube Da Esquina

Milton Nascimento

5/5

Holy shit, this is awesome. The singing, the influences, the gorgeous chord progressions, and how ahead of it's time it feels. This is a powerhouse of a double LP with both singers bringing their S+++ game. Perhaps it's a little long, but it's hard to notice when every song is a banger. The Beatles influences are clear, but Borges and especially Nascimento take those influences and run, making one of the best pop albums I've ever heard. You can hear influences that inspired pop and rock bands all the way up through the 90s, and the fact that there's some that won't like this because it's not in English is a crime against themselves. I don't understand a single word and it's already a five, so imagine what the lyrics bring to the table. I adore this, were it not for Kimono My House this would be my favorite album so far.

Grace

Jeff Buckley

5/5

From this generator my partner and I have discovered two things, with each of us discovering one. On my side, I got Kimono My House, which pointed us towards discovering Sparks and now having a mutual favorite band of all time. And for them, they discovered the Buckley family. First it was Tim Buckley, in which they loved his voice and more eccentric musical pallette, but then they got Jeff Buckley. Now, it's safe to say this album would rank in their top ten favorites of all time, and that obviously means I got to hear this one before I got it on here too. As for the album itself for me? It's amazing. Buckley's voice is angelic and mesmerizing. The band performing with him knows the exact mood to go for to really know when to go all out and reel it back in, and the obvious inspirations this had on artists like Thom Yorke and Matt Bellamy is worn on their sleeves. To say that this album is amazing in every way is a very easy statement. I mean, I really don't know what to say that hasn't been said. The opening track is fantastic and keeps that solid energy all the way through to the very end of the album. If I had slight critiques it'd be the length of some of the tracks, but that really doesn't matter too much when you're in the mood for this sort of stuff. I may not love this as much as my partner, but this is still an easy five star (two in a row, woo-hoo!)

Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan

5/5

Before this album, I lumped Bob Dylan into that group of musicians that old-heads really liked, but were dull in a modern age. However, after living with this album in my life for almost a year now, it has become increasingly obvious how wrong I was. There are a couple duds on this album, yes, but almost every other track here is folk bliss, with Dylan's lyrics being so astounding that you get wrapped up in trying to translate them, only to come out of each song with a different connection than another may have had to the song, and only his vocals could make these songs sound as earnest as they are written. There's heartbreak and strife, playful whimsy, and everything in-between to rock your world with each new track, and you're still getting some of the best songs over an hour in; front loaded album, this is not. Hell, by your third or fourth time around (hehe) you'll start to take to even the lesser tracks, as they still outmatch all of Dylan's contemporaries, as does his harmonica, which is perhaps the only time where I don't find the instrument grating, rather I wanna pick one up myself. If you have to attach yourself to one double album, you'd be hard-pressed to find one better than this, and I'm just astounded that something like this can totally flip my beliefs on a musician and even a genre. Its that good. Final note, Dylan's voice is actually fantastic, and anytime I see a post online criticizing it I want to keel over and cry.

Time (The Revelator)

Gillian Welch

2/5

I kind of figured seeing the fourteen minute song awaiting me at the end of this album that it'd make or break the album for me, but it didn't really affect my view of this album from the rest of the songs at all. I mean, it got tedious a little past the halfway mark, but it wasn't so annoying it pushed the album over to the one star. This is just an album full of little things I like, such as the guitar playing, or some of the more interesting chord progressions, but none of it really comes together for me. This doesn't feel like a congruent album to me, which stuff where songs sound decades old to newer more "sophisticated" country tunes, and even a random live(?) song. Perhaps this is just supposed to be a love letter to a bunch of commonplace country musician moments, but none of it left an impact. Don't hate this, but I certainly don't get it.

The Band

2/5

It's kind of funny that I got this so close to a Bob Dylan album, but this left a lot to be desired. Felt boring the whole thing, and gave a vibe the same way CCR does for me where it feels close to being something I like but instead just feels like southern rock 'n' roll stereotypes all rolled into one album. I have nothing wrong with this, just disappointed really. Hope Music from Big Pink is better.

Kind Of Blue

Miles Davis

2/5

Eh, I prefer this over the sound of everyone tuning on top of each other for twenty minutes at a time, but Miles Davis continues to prove to me that I don't get jazz. I just don't understand what makes this so amazing. Often it is boring more than anything, and with how long winded each song can be, it can even be annoying. I could see enjoying this in the moment at a club or something, but just listening? Total bore. Nice piano playing, though.

California

American Music Club

3/5

Modt of the album was extremely nothing, even starting to get annoying and bad near the 75% mark, but the last four songs were all really nice and bleak yet beautiful. Nothing crazy good, but earns a three for its troubles.

New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)

Simple Minds

2/5

Some notes to start is that this is one of the ugliest album covers on the whole list, and that man, do a lot of one hit wonder bands have albums on the list, for better and worse. In this case, it's worse. The album isn't bad, per se, as I like some of the ideas here, but nothing stands out as some crowning achievement in new wave, synth-pop, pop, or even electronic. Some of it is pretty okay, but nothing gravitates to me any more than anything else that blends together from the era. There could definitely be days where I could see this getting all the way up to a four, depending on how open I am to just stereotypical synth pop, but today is not it, and thinking of all the other much more deserving albums from the era that were probably axed for this makes it all the sadder.

Freak Out!

The Mothers Of Invention

4/5

It's super interesting to see parody and satire of music still happening at the time of the music being made at the same time as this album. It would be like if Weird Al made Eat It before Beat It was even released. It's even better because Frank Zappa and his bandmates don't sacrifice the quality of the music (most of the time) for making fun of various genres, topics, and lyrics. It all turns into an album where you can only think more and more "holy shit, this was made in 1966!" I think the end of the album pretty much going crazy is also a great choice to keep the album from getting stale. I will say, though, that the length is a bit much, and even with only fifteen tracks, there's definitely some filler in here, with some songs seemingly repeating paordies of things like Doo-Wap. Still, really blown away by this, and I feel this is a high four.

In Utero

Nirvana

5/5

It's kind of hard to rate this album, as I've known most of these tracks for quite a few years now, into my single digits, so to critically rate them is hard to do as something fresh. I used to think that this album went too far off the deep end compared to Nevermind, but listening to this now, while I'll still say this is lesser to Nevermind, this is also fantastic. You can tell Cobain and crew were much more into the music they were making here, and the creative variety really shines here. I could see why some may see this as too much, but that's exactly what makes it so fantastic. It's that first Nirvana album mixed with the commercial success they tasted from Nevermind, making just hit after hit, turning out an album in which a song like "Rape Me" could become a relatively mainstream hit. No other band could even dream of doing that. Kurt's voice is fantastic, the drums are great, and it'd be hard to discredit anything here. It's like Endless, Nameless becoming a full album, and just like that song, it takes a few listens, but then it truly becomes something fantastic.

Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room

Dwight Yoakam

1/5

How is this supposed to be on here? I'm guessing because it's traditional country in an era of Reagan-infused-country, but that doesn't make this good. Were this an album from the 50s or early 60s I'd give it some wiggle room, but this is the same year as Teenage Riot, for God's sake, Havwe some edge, something interesting, ANYTHING. It's a two star album, but this gets a one on principle. I will say the instrumentals are nice.

Black Monk Time

The Monks

2/5

An album that is definitely proto-punk from the mid-60s. Sadly, it doesn't nail either side of the coin, just leaving no impression. Some of the lyrics are kind of funny, and the instruments at times nail that intensity that punk has, but its pretty forgettable all things considered. I can see why I had to hear this, but it isn't going in my musical rotation any time soon.

Music in Exile

Songhoy Blues

2/5

Despite some of the songs on this album sounding like the soundtrack to a Ford truck commercial, this album does enough to stand out as its own thing and not the just be the rock band you hear on the "alternative" rock radio station. However, that difference is still rather boring, with songs blending together towards the halfway point of the album, and very little making it easy to tell the tracks apart. I wouldn't call this solely a rock album, but just like that genre, it's so vague what this album presents it's hard to have strong feelings about it. The film centered around this band from the same year seems interesting though, and I assume that may be why this album was on the list. Also weird that Julian Casablancas got it distributed over here in the United States. Small musical world.

Myths Of The Near Future

Klaxons

4/5

This album is really cool sounding, it feels like nothing else I've ever heard. Sure, that does equate to a lot of it just coming off as harsh noise and not something I'd listen to casually all the time, but this does feel like a natural evolution of much of the music that was being made out of the UK in the 90s and early 00s. It's like some really heavy metal, but lightened up with some alternative dust and synths to make it more appealing, and it works. Could see myself liking this more on a future listen, so I'll get ahead of the curb and give this a solid score now.

Ritual De Lo Habitual

Jane's Addiction

3/5

I may just not be the mood for an album like this at the moment, but this album impressed me far less than their prior album. I feel a lot of songs almost hit the mark, but then either went on too long and made me lose interest, or felt more like I was being yelled at, in a weird, not yell-y way. Pros are there, such as the inclusion of pretty solid string sections, and a song like Been Caught Stealing is of course a banger, but this just feels like snippets of a better album, yet runs longer than that better album probably would. I sound overwhelmingly negative here, so I should specify that this is still an alright album, and will be getting a light three, but I am pretty disappointed. Again, though, could be that I'm just not in the mood for this style of music.

B-52's

The B-52's

3/5

I thought this would be right up my alley, but it's just okay. I think it isn't funky enough for my taste, and I don't see this album doing anything that Talking Heads doesn't do better. It has got some pretty funny and non-serious lyrics, which I appreciate quite a bit.

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

3/5

I'm a fan of Johnny Cash when he's on and performing, but I've never gone outta my way to listen to his music, and this hasn't really changed my mind, but it was still a nice enough live performance. Pretty crazy to think the room is full of criminals and he's just cracking jokes about the wardens with them, really makes him seem like a cool dude, but the music itself was just okay. Got a bit repetitive near the end.

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

5/5

We did it everyone, a rap album has received a five! It took over a year, but I kind of figured this would be the first, and I hadn't even heard it before. Kendrick Lamar has certainly become someone I highly respect since I got Good Kid a while ago, being such an excellent artist that I will happily praise in my free time, and this artist was my white whale that I was waiting for the right time to listen to, and after finally getting to, I understand all of the hype. Not only is the story and lyrical content interest enough that I'm invested throughout, something that a lot of hip-hop albums struggle to get me attached to, but the jazz influences throughout make the album something so wildly different from everything else in the genre that there is nothing to match it. Each song fits with the ones before and after it while still feeling wildly unique. Even the songs I would consider "lesser" on the album had me getting into them pretty closely, and despite the length of the album, I never once was dreading the next song. Features were well thought out and used incredibly well, and again I just have to praise the instrumentation. I can totally see why Bowie was influenced so much by this on Blackstar, and that just earns the album more praise from me. A true masterpiece.

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

I have to agree with the top review, this is the best Elvis Costello I've heard, but I don't mean that in quite as negative of a light! There is quite a bit here to enjoy, with Costello feeling liking he is putting the most effort into the music he's making more than anything else that I've heard, and it doesn't fall into that problem a lot of his music has where he never hooks me with the songs, as there are quite a few songs here that catch my attention. The issue is that even with most of the songs being pretty short they still feel too long and never do anything particularly interesting, at least, most of the time. Good album, I'd say, but still doesn't quite hit that four star mark, and I'm worried if this one doesn't, none of them will.

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

2/5

I wanted to like this, I felt like a lot of the songs hooked me at first, but then it just collapsed into what every live album from this era seems to sound like. Everyone is having a blast, sure, but I'm not there, and so each song sounding the same is a lot more noticeable, and the album feels nearly there with each new song that appears, but it seems to always to devolve to something about swinging. I understand why people would like this, but I feel not invited to the party everyone on this album is having, but I wanted to stay home that night anyway.

Ramones

4/5

I'm a big fan of the shared riffs between the bass and guitar throughout the album, it not only feels very vindicating to get an album with the bass playing at the forefront, but it makes it so they're all catchy too. I'll admit every song here starts to sound the same, I wouldn't be surprised if they were all born from the same general idea, but the slight changes they make to each one pushes some songs to being really pumping tunes, like the opening credits to a really fast paced film. I just wish the singing on it fit the oomph of the rest of the instruments a bit more, as his voice can feel a little wimpy, like Ray Davies trying to sing how he sings on Village Green whilst performing You Really Got Me. Then again, someone else sang on this album at a point, and that voice sounded much worse, so maybe it's for the best? Album could've stood to be shorter, even at it's short runtime already (again, lots of repeats), but if you're in the right mood, the blood-pumping is good.

Dr. Octagonecologyst

Dr. Octagon

1/5

Can I stop listening to this? This is boring at best and disgusting at worst. Nothing here earns that musical quality seal to excuse some of the things said on here, and while I know that's the point, that doesn't mean I want to listen to it. Yes, the scratching and some of the beats are rarely good, but any album that thinks using Canon in D as a back beat is clever is no musical genius in my eyes. I'm only halfway through this and already want to stop, and that's rare for an album, even my one stars. After finishing it (although I did skip a good chunk of the songs once I figured out he was just gonna be rapping about rectums once again) I can confirm this is the lowest of the low. This may be my least favorite album so far, and if not, it's still terrible.

Eli And The Thirteenth Confession

Laura Nyro

4/5

I've actually heard this album before via my partner getting it probably nearly a year ago now. I do remember liking it more then, as a lot of songs here do blend into each other for me into one homogenised "album", never feeling a drive to listen to a single song, but that isn't a bad thing, right? That's sort of the point of an album, at least in 1968 it was. I still like this quite a bit, with her voice being a standout point of the album for me, and musically it is very pretty too. It's a lighter four than expected, but it has that same melancholic enjoyment as something like a Simon and Garfunkel album.

This Is Fats Domino

Fats Domino

2/5

This definitely peaks with the first song, as the rest of the album is very bland proto-rock 'n' roll with no substance save for some nice instrumentals and surprises peppered throughout (the instrumental, the guitar in the final track, etc.). It certainly isn't a bad album, but considering this album is already confusing enough to track down what to listen to, it isn't really worth the end result.

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

4/5

MGMT understands the enjoyment of being enveloped in a wave of sound like a shoegaze album whilst keeping the catchy hooks like your favorite pop song. This leads to an album that certainly has its fantastic hits and moments on it, and the whole album otherwise is still incredibly solid. My only worry, and the reason it stays from the five range, is I question how much this will stick with me past the singles. Some of the sounds of songs already allude me just after the album ends, and it does sort of give off the vibe of the music the alternative kid listens to just to stand out, albeit far better than most other groups that fall into that genre. I certainly don't dislike it, far from it, I just could use some more form in my pop and some more overwhelming noises in my wall of sound.

Casanova

The Divine Comedy

5/5

I was worried at first, as the first few tracks were certainly not grabbing my attention, despite being the singles for the album so I was worried that despite my (controversial) love for A Short Album About Love that this album would not reach even close to the same level of quality. However, after those first tracks, this album just starts rocketing off with quality song after quality song. Hannon's voice starts shining through again, and the strings are just as excellent as always. I've also come to really appreciate the goofy lyrics, as so much Britpop takes itself too seriously, and this feels like this guy was certainly in on the joke. I do wish the album grabbed me quicker and was shorter, but I really like quite a few tracks here, and look forward to getting to know them better. This dude really likes horses, huh? You know what, fuck it, this album is also amazing. I re-listened, and while some of the early tracks are still lacking, all the tracks after are so amazing, like Franz Ferdinand's lead singer singing parody James Bond themes, its the perfect schlocky album but in the best of ways. Plus, it could use the extra help on the average rating, it seems. I suppose I can officially say I'm a fan of the Divine Comedy.

Rage Against The Machine

4/5

Of course I know Rage Against the Machine, but I've never really listened to any of their deep cuts, save for one or two, so listening to a whole albums of theirs is new for me. I do quite enjoy this, super bumping with each song, just probably a bit repetitive, with each song following the same general format. Still good, and goes hard.

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest

4/5

I've been interested in this one, considering it's believed to be up there as one of the hip-hop greats, and it was certainly good, but I did expect a bit more. For instance, this is labeled Jazz-Rap, but I feel the jazz influences are very light, due to the simplified production. You won't be finding any interesting jazz riffs save for one or two. Q-Tip's voice and flow is still super tight though, and I really recommend you walk with earbuds whilst listening, and you'll get pretty into it. This one may grow on me in future listens, but for now, while I get the praise, I don't think I can put it way up there.

Under Construction

Missy Elliott

3/5

Not at quite the same quality as Supa Dupa Fly, but the features are still used very well, and some of the beats are nice. I like the emphasised use of R&B stylings, because Missy Elliott can certainly sing, makes me surprised she didn't do one that's just that. Unless, of course, it's not her singing on some of these? I suppose that's possible. Anyway, still decent.

London Calling

The Clash

3/5

I have to be missing something, right? Like, there's no way I like their debut MORE than this? Well, I guess I do, but I reslly don't know why. I mean, this one is decent, but even the good songs I can't remember after finishing them, and his voice feels really grating when not doing proper punk tunes. There is enough here to be enjoyable, but that's probably because it's a double album that goes much longer than it needed to. Really mixed on this way, but I for sure don't see the hype.

Brilliant Corners

Thelonious Monk

2/5

Gentlemen

The Afghan Whigs

2/5

This album is boring, and the main singer sucks at his job. His voice isn't bad in an interesting way, it's just straight up bad, and it doesn't help that his voice is so bad it distracts from pretty decent guitar playing, with a few good riffs, and when the album featured an actually good singer for one song, I could see an alternate reality where I liked this a lot more. The last song having no words was a godsend that saved my my mental state and this album from getting the lowest of low scores. Still not good.

Emergency On Planet Earth

Jamiroquai

3/5

The other reviews were not kidding, this guy really wants to be Stevie Wonder, but I think he wanted to do so out of inspiration, not to make money off his style. I was hopeful for this album because of this common comparison as well as "acid jazz" being listed within the subgenres, but I sadly found a lot of this album just okay. None of it really had that punch I find Wonder's music to contain, and no real slow tracks had the album start to feel monotonous more than something to get up and dance to. Everything here is solid enough, but I can live with one or two tracks from this guy and don't need a whole album. Also, say it with me everyone! TOO. LONG. Normalize thirty-five minute albums again.

The Genius Of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

4/5

The first couple tracks didn't do much for me, but the more the album went on the more I really liked the somber and string-filled tracks. He's got a great voice, and the choir enhances the songs rather than feeling unnecessary, something that happens too often in this era of music. Piano is great too, jazzy without being overwhelmingly nonsensical. Sure, it's mostly dinner party music, but it's pretty, I could see myself liking this a lot more as time passes, but I already like this quite a bit.

Exile In Guyville

Liz Phair

4/5

This was way better than expecting. I was figuring it would be a Alanis Morissette situation, but this is a bit more personal feeling than that! It's got an alt-rock vibe from the 90s that feels right on the edge of being mainstream and more lo-fi, and it makes it so while not every song song here is notable, a lot of it is at least interesting, and usually pretty good at that. It's at the very least way better than the Rolling Stones album this is riffing on.

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

5/5

Hey, I've listened to this album before! I was so inspired to listen to it one week that despite my knowledge that it was on the generator, I knew I had to sit down and listen to it. I was blown away then (but somehow God Only Knows didn't grab me) but it's even better now. The harmonies on here are gorgeous, and the small orchestra Brian Wilson was controlling on this album is some of the most gorgeous displays of instrumentals on any modern pop record. No wonder there's two different instrumental tracks on this. Brian Wilson really did make a masterpiece here, and it's a shame the other band members saw that and still shut him down with "Smile" eventually. I've seen the average score the realization of that album has on here, and I'm hoping it's just a case of people totally misunderstanding the story behind that album after years of mental issues from Brian, because the man at least displays his genius here. 1966 to 1969 really was a magical era for music, huh?

Teenage Head

Flamin' Groovies

3/5

I've not listened to all of Rolling Stones' blues rock-style albums from this same era, but I think I prefer this over those, as this is far more consistent throughout the album, rather than just having one or two great tracks and the rest being forgettable. A lot of this album does feel generic, yes, but I never found myself especially disliking any track, and in fact, I'd say there's enough here I actually like quite a bit, varying from the strict blues sound to actually feel like it's from the early 70s, rather than just relying on nostalgic stylings. Just decent music you'd here on your local classic rock radio.

Automatic For The People

R.E.M.

3/5

This one really has me confused as to what exactly makes R.E.M. such an important band to so many, as while I usually get the appeal of most of their hits as I hear them, the biggest song here, "Everybody Hurts," is a slog of a song that comes off more dreary and dull than something worth spending time on, and most of the other songs presented on this album are very similar tonally. The singer seems to think his voice is something much more dramatic sounding that it really is, as his voice does not lend itself well to these ballad-type songs, and while musically it is very solid, it needed far more times where the music picked up, such as on "Ignoreland," to not be a repetitive drag. So, you may be confused, why am I giving this a three? Well, it's more of a 2.5, and I'm just rounding up, because that's math for ya. There are moments I like, even whole songs I'd say I enjoyed, it just struggles to be anything I'll remember in a days time. I think I said something similar for Murmur, but in retrospect, that album is a very solid three, while this one is hanging on by a mere thread. Hope other R.E.M. albums on here pick up, because this was meh.

Go Girl Crazy

The Dictators

2/5

Eh, just feels like generic proto-punk. I enjoyed some of the rock focused stuff, as it felt a tad bit on the glam rock side of things, but it still didn't grab me. Also, some of the song topics are questionable, to say the least, but considering it's punk I imagine it's at least somewhat ironically. Hopefully, any way.

Too Rye Ay

Dexys Midnight Runners

4/5

It kind of reminds me of a Celtic Electric Light Orchestra, but that is not a bad thing. Actually, it reminds me of all sort of influences, as you can hear artists like Talking Heads, David Bowie, and the entirety of punk having huge marks on the music at play here. Yet, it is all entirely its own thing here, with each song having this unique charm that feels just new wave enough to be catchy enough without coming off as just jumping in on the times. The change of music from ballads to bopping pop tunes is great and balanced well, and that fiddle is a fantastic addition to make it all its own musically. Not every slow ballad grabs me, and the hit here, Come On Eileen, I've heard far too much to give it a proper time of day, but otherwise this album is great, and I hope the somehow other two inclusions by the band on the list live up to being as good as this one.

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

3/5

I've now heard three different albums in full by this group, which I imagine is more than most people who consider themselves CCR "fans". This one is better than Bayou Country, or least feels like it. There's a tad more variation, and you fan kind of see the direction the band continues to go in, but I still don't see what makes this so special. It's just swamp rock, right? I'm not missing something special, right? Because I really feel like I'm missing something with these. I hope Cosmo's Factory opens my eyes in some way.

Vanishing Point

Primal Scream

2/5

Is this really the same band as Screamadelica? I mean, I wasn't crazy about that album or anything, but I actually liked a decent chunk of that one, where this one other than one more actual rock heavy tune in the middle I could not get into this, and at some point was actively disliking this, like whenever the songer decided to put on that cringey voice changer. THAT got hard to listen to. I could see a band like Radiohead being influenced by the electronics on this album, but I find it much more likely that they found that on their own merits as a good sound, and not on this record. Not bad enough for a one, but it's close.

Southern Rock Opera

Drive-By Truckers

2/5

I'll start by saying that this album, musically, is not very good, and at over an hour-and-a-half long, that is not a good thing. Sometimes you'll get a guitar lick or a hook that is pleasing to the ears, but otherwise you're either getting stereotypical country rock, or Lemmy doing stereotypical country rock. It gets old fast, and whenever the lyrics are just like "I got drunk to Lynyrd Skynyrd hyuck-hyuck" the worst of the album shows. I understand that it may be relatable to some guy in Alabama who grew up in the 70s and 80s, but for most of the world, it verges on parody. However, I must admit, despite not wanting to, that I don't hate this album. Especially not enough for a one star. There are lyrical nuisances here that show more deptch and humanizing of the American South than their "culture" has ever shown, and the looking inside the album tries to display at times is endearing at worst, but genuinely interesting at times. Not every song does this, mind you, but after years of Alabama being the butt of every joke you've ever heard, to see someone actually from the state talk about their thoughts and opinions on various topics can be genuinely thought provoking, and they can definitely tell jokes that are more clever than just "Alabama lol". Needing all twenty fingers and toes to "hold the closet door closed" is one that is especially clever as a comment of the stereotypes of the state. Most of this is not good, and I'd rather not hear this again, but I have to give credit somewhere. This is too long, though, were half of these songs necessary? Still, expected worse. Looking into this album a bit more, I'd say just listen to disc one, as disc two is the part of the storyline where the fictional band of the story "Let there be rock" and while most of the decent parts musically come from this section, nothing on this back half will stick with me.

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

Limp Bizkit

1/5

Man, why is this here? Like, I get this is an important part of nu-metal or whatever, but isn't that why Kid Rock is here? Or Korn? Like, I see no reason this is here if not for the author trolling everyone. The instruments suck, the lyrics are AWFUL, and the same song is on here twice, just to really say "fuck you" to your audience. Is that the point? Why would you want to listen to this if the artist hates you as the listener actively on the album? Jesus, just terrible.

Beauty And The Beat

The Go-Go's

3/5

This is a weird case where as a pop album, it has the issue a lot of punk albums have of being too repetitive, and a lot of songs blend together. It's like punk-lite, though, as it still feels like you could hear each of these songs on the radio and think "yeah, this belongs here" and not think anything of it for a moment. I could see myself liking this a lot more in a different mood, as each song is catchy and had me tapping my foot, but I'd forget the song as soon as it ended nearly every time, and that makes the whole album feel forgettable. Like, I completely get why this is here, and I think if I were to dig into this album deeper I'd really like it, but as far as impressions go, this just doesn't grab me enough to earn repeats in my own free time.

Elastica

3/5

I think this album is alright, and not too much more than that. Just has that general quick fix rock that makes it so no one song is bad, but no song especially sticks out too hard either. I do get why this is here, though. It starts really strong with the first song and has parts here and there that grabs you again for moments at a time, but overall it's just decent.

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

3/5

I'm unsure how I dislike this album more then Pretzel Logic, when this one has a bit of a higher average score, but I thinj my issue here was it felt like every track went on too long for its own good. None of the songs are bad, but I cannot deny I wasn't getting annoyed at points when songs felt like they were just repeating stylistic beats. However, none of this is to say that I disliked this album completely, as I think it does well what it is aiming to do, which is soft rock that you put on for background music. This album does feel a step elevated above that, almost being yacht-prog more than anything, and so increased attention is recommended, but definitely not required. A decent first outing, but this band still has yet to truly prove to me why it is something more than other soft rock bands from the era.

Mothership Connection

Parliament

3/5

It certainly is funky, and a good amount of the time that is a good thing on this record, as I felt myself slowly getting into it with each song, but if I take a step back and truly look at this album as a whole, it's very repetitive and lacks a whole lot of substance, to the point where a good amount of the tracks lack lyrics for a portion of the song. I understand I'm supposed to be getting down with it and not caring, but it's a little hard to when you're just sitting at a desk, doing work. Perhaps that's unfair to the album, but I mean, if I'm still getting into it while doing menial tasks, then it must be pretty good funk.

Funeral

Arcade Fire

2/5

This is far better than Neon Bible, because at the very least it isn't boring, at least not most of the time. There are some songs I would even dare say I enjoyed here. Nothing I'd add to my personal library, but it works as an album. What irks me the most here is the singer's voice, as its not only very whiney, despite none of the songs expelling specifically sadness, but also that it just sounds like Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse but less interesting and singing songs that lend themselves far less to the voice. It makes some songs that feel like great indie rock tunes conceptually turn into songs that sound like stomp and holler shit you'd hear out of the Lumineers or some other early 2010s indie folk band no one likes. Another issue I find is a lot of songs tend to pick up and start to do something interesting like a minute too late, and the song ends up ending before the payoff really does its job. I just feel like this is almost there, and who knows, maybe if I gave this a couple more tries I'd start to like it quite a bit, but for now, I can only claim that this is ten times better than the slog that is Neon Bible. Okay, this actually got REALLY boring with the last few tracks, so it's still a two, but it slipped down a bit from that. No matter what I do not get the praise here. While we're comparing them to Modest Mouse, how does this band have three on here and Modest Mouse has zero? So weird.

Who Killed...... The Zutons?

The Zutons

3/5

The inclusion of (I think) a saxophone is a nice touch to stand out, but it doesn't help the Zutons from sounding like every other band of this era any way. Certainly not a bad sound, but I feel had I heard this in passerby nothing would've stood out to me. The more country-like influenced tracks here are weird too, just feel off. Light three.

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire

3/5

Giving me this and Funeral just a couple days apart is pretty messed up. Maybe not Kanye back-to-back messed up, but close. As for the album itself, I'm conflicted, because I find some of the songs here to be the best of the band's whole discography (of what I heard) but other songs here are just as boring and soul sucking as Neon Bible, which I gave a one. Generally my system has it so it at least gets a three if I enjoy a few songs to add to my musical rotation (rounds up from a 2.5) but my disdain for not only this band as a whole, but the rest of this album still makes me feel like this is a two. You're probably thinking "then give this a two," but I hate to break tradition, it would bother me. So, if you're reading this, this three is the lighest three I've ever given, and I think as an album, Funeral is far and away the best of their albums here, I just seem to like parts of this one the most, and that helps it in my system. It's flawed, but I'm in too deep. One thing I can say no matter what is Arcade Fire is not a good band by any means.

Homework

Daft Punk

3/5

This album is decent, as I'm sure was expected from Daft Punk. I mean, I was hoping for a bit better, but this first outing gets the job done and there's some great songs here. You can really hear the influence it would have on acts like Justice. So, instead, let me take the time to ask: Where's Discovery? The far more iconic and very obviously better album from the duo, it seems extremely weird that it is omitted from this list, as it had just as much influence if not more as this album, and does not go on too long or start to become background noise like this album. That album would be a five, no doubtm this one? No where near as close, sadly.

Modern Life Is Rubbish

Blur

4/5

I am surprised I like this more the Parklife, as that is generally considered the better album by the band, but there was just something here I enjoyed a lot more. I think the british-ness of it all isn't too overwhelmingly annoying, more Supergrass-esque, less Oasis. Nothing mind blowing, but this one was good. Went on too long, though, and that's removing the two hidden tracks seemingly not apart of modern digital releases.

Ray Of Light

Madonna

1/5

It may be a genre-defining departure for Madonna, or some production masterpiece that shook the musical world into the 2000s, but that does not excuse the fact that this album is so BORING. We're not talking not my cup of tea boring, but that kind of shit that grew out of favor for a reason as the years went on. None of the beats here stick in your mind as none of them are catchy, the slick nature seems like a total relapse of everything pop music had learned earlier in the decade with the rise of grunge, and I just straight up don't care as I'm listening to the point of anger. And at over an hour long despite the slim thirteen track length, why would I bother? That's not to mention the fact that Madonna does nothing here. Her voice is inoffensive but not notable, and I cannot imagine she's the one who made all of these "futuristic" backing tracks, leading me to believe the only praise this album tends to get from music critics is those who already love William Orbit's style and want to praise this boring "choose your car!" sounding shit. Feels like a crime this can be considered trip hop because putting this and acts like Björk and Portishead in the same sentence seems like blasphemy. Bleh.

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

2/5

It kind of reminds me of those really old union songs that workers would sing whilst working, and I think that's neat with modern production, but it is also overwhelmingly British, in an annoying eay like many Britpop artists, and that makes it so the album ranges from actually decent to incredibly annoying. By the end, it doesn't really leave any sort of an impact. I think more to the production or even less to the production would help, because it doesn't sound bombastic like the instruments try to make it sometimes, and it isn't personal like the lyrics suggest.

#1 Record

Big Star

4/5

Man, this album is so close to a five star that it hurts, as the first four tracks and final four tracks are all fantastic pieces of folk-y power pop that scratches that itch the way a calmer Led Zeppelin song does. My issue is that three of the four middle tracks lean a little too heavy into the rock part, and feel bland due to it, as it sounds like a poor imitation of admittedly acts that would come after this, but I still don't enjoy the style. However, none of that should detract from the fact that I think this is an excellent record. This is a glorious debut where you can see inspirations like George Harrison, T. Rex, and as mentioned before, Led Zeppelin, yet this is definitively all Big Star's, with tracks like Thirteen and the Ballad of El Goodo being master class power pop pieces that I will never forget. It is a shame this group didn't take off, because I think they really could've blown the music world open. I suppose they did inspire R.E.M., but I'll just say this is better than anything that group put out by a mile. Just an awesome album, wish I could give it that five, but I gotta be fair to my system. Perhaps one day it'll get there.

Dig Your Own Hole

The Chemical Brothers

2/5

I'm unsure to give this a two or a three, admittedly. On one hand, I didn't straight up dislike any part of this album, and you could even say I got into a song or two here and there, but this album commits the sin of being boring and over an hour long, and while it doesn't make it unlistenable like some bore fests, it is exhausting to get through, especially around the 3/4s area, where the songs seem to just be making random noises. I think I'm going with a two, because if we compare this to another dance record that's over an hour long I recently got, Daft Punk's Homework, then this is worse.

White Ladder

David Gray

2/5

This is dreadfully boring, to the point where I have nearly nothing to say about it. It comes in one ear and out the other, and does not earn its extended run time at all. Perhaps there are parts that remind me of singer-songwriters like Bob Dylan, but why would I not listen to him, then? Because this certainly is worse than anything he's ever made. Scrapes by with a two.

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Soft Cell

4/5

I'll admit I'm one of those freaks who thinks Tainted Love is just alright, but I was still cautiously optimistic for this album. I mean, how can one know Sex Dwarf is on here and not be excited?! As it seems, I was right to be optimistic about this one, because this was pretty nice. Nothing absolutely mind blowing, but I feel this album is far less wishy-washy than most new wave albums from the area, telling it as it is both lyrically and with its beats. It's harsh, but in a good way. I think the first step to liking this album is understanding that Tainted Love is the exception, not the rule.

Disintegration

The Cure

4/5

Debut

Björk

5/5

Finally, it's been a while since I got something fantastic, but it makes sense that someone I really only know bits and pieces about would come and be the one to do it. This album is great, it's so cool and unique, whilst also being very honest and feeling like some of the most genuine music I've ever heard. Björk is singing her heart out here, and it's blend of jazz, trip hop, and just general pop makes this an incredibly great release. I know her stuff after this is a bit more experimental, but this certainly lays down ground work to be someone I adore the music of.

Slanted And Enchanted

Pavement

4/5

I'm unsure what I was smoking the first time I experienced this, but whatever it was, it gave me the "genius" idea to listen without headphones. Well, not today! Instead, I took the obvious path, and experienced this so the band could be as noisy or intimate as they felt like, all while making every song hit as hard as possible. I still adore In the Mouth a Desert, and think it's one of the best rock songs of the 90s, but now I've also come to appreciate the light chaos surrounding the rest of the album, as it feels like if a Guided By Voices album extended their tracks to full tunes, and it is magnificent. It still has some song-by-song memorability issues, but as an album this is a great project with the right amount of fuzz to scratch the inside of my head, and I just think it is extremely solid. Just a tad too much filler songs for the sake of hitting nearly forty minutes.

Kenya

Machito

3/5

Really danceable, it feels like this would be an amazing film score to a very slick movie. Otherwise, it's just alright jazz that I enjoy far more than most jazz. I could see myself liking this more on future listens, the question is if I will ever partake in those listens.

Walking Wounded

Everything But The Girl

3/5

I find this album to just be a better executed version of what Madonna tried to do a couple years later with Ray of Light. It's still relatively boring here, but there's more actual interesting beats here, and it went by a lot faster. I feel like this album just is good at feeling like a more vocal heavy version of a vocal track on one of the electronic artists' albums from a few years earlier, and that makes it more interesting. Still don't get including remixed tracks on the main tracklist, that's annoying.

Guero

Beck

4/5

My first Beck of which I believe are three on this generator, and it's kind of weird to start with the last of the three, as knowing what I know of Beck, this feels like a sequel to something I haven't heard yet, and in turn can't completely appreciate it. However, this is still good, and I enjoyed my time with it. You can hear the Gorillaz comparisons everyone is saying, but there's also something here that is completely unique, and I appreciate that. Nothing beats that opening track though, makes sense it was the hit from this album, because it hits HARD.

So

Peter Gabriel

3/5

I was excited for this album, so I'll say I'm a tad disappointed by what I got. After the Genesis album I figured I had been sleeping on Peter Gabriel this whole time, but hearing this I feel like no one was above the risk of falling into the production trends of the time, and it leads to an experience that feels just as cheesy as any other adult oriented pop record from the time. Sledgehammer is obviously fantastic, but it is only so great because my mind has had the time to accept the production and see past it, but the rest of this I was completely blind to, and in turn just found it boring. The album does pick up quite a bit at the end however, with the second to last track being something that I could see jamming out to with some time, but I truly think had the rest of this album sounded like the final track, we could've had Gabriel's very own Low. Otherwise, Sledgehammer is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for this rating, I must admit.

Mr. Tambourine Man

The Byrds

4/5

I'm unsure if I'm just more open to the Byrds sound this time around, or if this album just is better because they're ripping off much better acts and blending them together, but this was pretty alright. I feel a lot of the power of the Bob Dylan tracks was stripped here, but a lot of the other covers had an energy to them that was appreciated, just like the brief runtime of the whole album. Perhaps I should give the other Byrds album another try.

Close To The Edge

Yes

4/5

All Yes albums officially gotten! My partner seems to really like this one, and I've heard all of it before, but I admittedly cannot remember a single ounce of the contents of this album, so let's hope it holds more of an impression with a more thorough listening, eh? Yep, this is certainly very good. I mean, when I add a nearly twenty minute song to my song rotation, you know you made a good album. I can't quite give this a five, as it did start to lose my attention with all the long tracks not broken up by anything more stomachable, something I feel a lot of five star prog records have, but this is still an excellent experience.

Warehouse: Songs And Stories

Hüsker Dü

1/5

I'm now about halfway through this album whilst writing this, and I have to say, this is incredibly "nothing" music. It's like R.E.M, but far less interesting and notable. Every song comes in one ear and out the other, to the point of being tedious. We'll see if it does better in the back half, but if it doesn't, I can see this being a one star just for wasting my time. Yep, this was a waste of time. I mean, why bother with a double album if nothing is gonna change in the whole runtime? Perhaps not a one star on a song by song basis, but as an album, this is pointless.

Lady In Satin

Billie Holiday

4/5

I really did have to get used to her voice at first, as while I'm not unfamiliar with the vocal style, it can certainly be jarring. Once I did get accustomed to it, however, I really thought it was very pretty. It's filled with so much heartache, and feels all the more genuine due to the strife behind each word. Those strings are also great, and were the reason for helping me get used to her voice. My main issue is that this album is pretty repetitive, and at forty-five minutes long, which is big for an album from the 1950s, it does wear on you after a while, but otherwise this a great piece of music history, showing you don't need some impeccable voice to stand out and even stand above your contemporaries.

Mama's Gun

Erykah Badu

2/5

This album is like one big song, with songs oozing into each other and just feeling like one coherent thought, which I imagine is a big plus for those who are fans of this album. I, however, am not. It started to drag quite a bit pretty early on, and the long runtime just made it hard to stomach. I mean, it wasn't awful, but it turned to background noise very quickly, and any time I did tune back in, it felt like something not good was happening, like her weird country twang thing she does on some of the songs. Really at the end of the day this just wasn't really for me, but I can at least recognize that something good is here.

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

3/5

Really? This is the second highest rated album on the whole site? I mean, it's certainly okay, I wouldn't be giving it a three otherwise, but there are so many albums on this list I would not only say are better, but FAR better than this one that are struggling to even get a 3.5, or even worse, are lagging behind this one by a whole point. I just don't get it, it's certainly decent soft rock, but what else does this album do other than have hits on it everyone knows? Is that it? It's recognizable and therefore, safe? Bleh, makes me want to give it a two just for the annoyance of it, but it's not the albums fault, so I'll be fair. I have nothing to say about the music itself, save for impressive bass playing on some songs, and the Chain deserves its fame. The other hits? Not so much...

Deep Purple In Rock

Deep Purple

3/5

Was Machine Head this prog-y? I like this one a lot more because of it, it feels way more earned when something aggressively happened, as it comes to be a payoff rather than only a simple hook. Still a three, as it feels a little generic biker rock at times, but this is at least cool, especially for 1970.

I Am a Bird Now

Antony and the Johnsons

4/5

Henry's Dream

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

3/5

Nick Cave either I enjoy quite a bit, or is just alright, and this is one of the latter. There's some good tunes here, but also a good chunk of boring ones, and despite the normal length, it does drag on. Still, pretty okay, just know there's better.

Abraxas

Santana

3/5

Black Magic Woman is a fantastic track, and there's some other pretty solid songs here as well. Just a bit too instrumental for my taste, and the other vocal tracks just don't scratch the itch Black Magic Woman does.

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

3/5

While I understand the pride here comes from the quality of the music playing, I do struggle to see why one may prefer most of these versions to that of their studio counterparts. At the end of the day, it's a Deep Purple album, and you know what that means? Three stars! Truly the band of all time!

american dream

LCD Soundsystem

5/5

We all know that this is viewed as "lesser LCD Soundsystem," with its emphasis on a slower, synth-heavy production that oozes the sound of the after party more than the party that is prior albums in their catalogue, and while I understand that at first that can be really deterring to one looking for this band to be their 21st century Talking Heads, with the dance-y existential grooves to get their toes tapping and hips swaying, but I think once you remove a little context from an album like this, you start to appreciate it a little more overall, and those slow songs become deeply layered tracks with so much to enjoy and pick apart, that are so deeply moving they sweep the listener away with each trembling, robotic chord, and you really get taken up away in it all. This is an album not for partying, but rather the loneliness that strikes when the party is over, and I know very little in the musical world that captures such a feeling so well, especially in the titular track, perhaps one of the best in the entire group's discography. It does have those moments of dance to them still, such as the seemingly fan-favorite Call the Police, and nearly every track here having that build up that is always landed with perfection, making each song something to look forward to, because even if the start slow, they almost always make the long listen worth it, and at over an hour long, its incredible how little the album drags, only really rearing its head with the final track's admittedly hefty load which is not worth the sum of its parts, unfortunately, but even sitting there in those final moments of loneliness I'm taken aback into a feeling I've hardly experienced, and it can certainly be a gut punch, but one I'll happily embrace multiple times over. I do hope that an eventual LCD Soundsystem return will return to the upbeat dancing, but its important to explore a group's options, and I feel time will only be kind to this album, and if we never do get that next album, then this will be something oddly poetic as closure, something I'm happy to say I enjoy. That album, is personally, my least favorite of all the Talking Heads on this list because of that reason, controversial, I know, but I feel when a whole album is made with that style rather than just a couple of the songs, it works far better. There's songs here where the synths feel like they're sweeping you off your feet and it's magical, and when it does get you moving on the rare occasion, it is very satisfying. I can definitely see this as boring, but I think in the right mindset, this can still be very engaging. Even the bloated length doesn't feel too bad, which is impressive.

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

5/5

I actually had such a strong urge to listen to this album a while ago that I figured it would be a bit before I got it on the generator. That was about six months ago, so I was mostly right! This album is really great, the opening track "Turn to Stone" is such a good opener, and the album gives you that same dopamine rush throughout the album with various other tunes. It's just so fantastical, and despite the whole genre of "baroque pop" I don't think any one band has mixed orchestration and pop music this well, save for perhaps Moddy Blues' Days of Future Passed. It admittedly does lose a little steam, since the long length can make the album feel a little bloated, but they pepper in so many goodies throughout that I hardly minded, and it still holds true enough for me that this is a fantastic record.

Oedipus Schmoedipus

Barry Adamson

4/5

I think this is the first album to ever scare me, as the son It's Business As Usual had me looking over my shoulder, and wasn't a pleasant experience, but in a good way, as it was really effective horror if it got me that wrapped up in it. I'd say the album as a whole is cool, it's got this neat spy thing going on that was surely a big inspiration to artists like Portishead and Goldfrapp. I'd say it started to drag a little near the 3/4s mark, but pulled me back in enough with the Nick Cave appearance. Just don't listen to this album at night, is all.

Shaft

Isaac Hayes

1/5

Okay, when people say "elevator music," they are usually highly exaggerating for the point of saying they find an album or song is boeing, but most of this is literally the equivalent of elevator music. Boring, Kenny G. like woodwind, generic brass blasts, and singing (when it rarely appears) that fails to make any sort of impression. I understand that this is a soundtrack, and in turn is perfect background music, but that's just the issue! It's meant for a film, not for me to spend my day casually listening to. It has the gall to tack a twenty minute track near the end to really seal the deal that this is "nothing" music. Perhaps in the context of the film this is great, but this isn't 1001 films (in which it is also on that list) it's 1001 albums. This wasn't made to be music to listen to solely and consume, it's a soundtrack, and I can name far better soundtracks if we're doing that.

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

5/5

Dog Man Star

Suede

4/5

I remember finding the other Suede album to be a pretty lackluster album that did not leave an impression at all, so to see this one do far better in being something worth listening to is nice. I find that this album strays away from the stereotypes of britpop far better than most of its contemporaries, being more alternative rock than anything, and at least attempting to avoid that nasal that many bands similar have. I think this album just tries a lot harder to be its own thing, and I respect that quite a bit. The Pulp/Divine Comedy-like closer really bridges the gap to becoming a love letter to the era Suede is currently apart of, and it works magnificently. At the end of the day, still a britpop album, so there's a few boring tracks, especially on the front half, but the back half is good enough to really let the album pull through. Perhaps I need to give their self-titled another shot.

Maxinquaye

Tricky

2/5

I was somewhat hopeful for this album before I listened to it. I mean, I liked the Massive Attack album pretty well, and Goldfrapp appearing on a few tracks was also a really good sign, but this felt very lacking. It felt like a Massive Attack album without any of the intrigue or smoothness for the most part. Sometimes the vocals that weren't Tricky were good, but then I question why this album is even credited to Tricky, or why he felt the need to split away from Massive Attack, as most of the time he is hardly in the song, being more of a hyper man, and his weird "Hamburger Lady"-esque vocal edits on his voice got annoying. I feel like the author only put this album here because he liked Massive Attack, but then again he left off Mezzanine, so I don't know what to think.

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

3/5

Very solid background music, but it doesn't feel more. In fact, don't some of you find this to be a tad cheesy? Some of the payoffs in songs sound like the soundtrack to a movie where the characters are celebrating, and it starts to wear a little tiring by the end. Certainly a decent little project, but probably won't stick out too much to me in just a few days.

Sister

Sonic Youth

4/5

I can see where the harsher sounds found on Daydream Nation came from, but I think the poppy-er tunes from that album help balance out the package a bit more. I mean, this is still good, especially a fan of the final track and it's guitar, but I can't imagine anything here will stick with me quite like 'Cross the Breeze or Teenage Riot. Again, though, I was bumping to this enough to inch into four star range.

Tarkus

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

3/5

I like the idea behind this album, it feels cool to have such a synth heavy prog album, pretty much removing any signs of guitars, but all it really does is open my eyes to how much guitars are needed for an album like this. The whole album, even the twenty minute song to an extent, felt like a build up to some amazing pay-off that never really came. Unless you count a weird rock n' roll track at the end as the payoff. Still, I will give it credit for the attempt here, and the church organ on one of the later tracks was the closest the album got me to feel like something here was truly trying to do something that wasn't done before.

Cupid & Psyche 85

Scritti Politti

2/5

This album feels extremely generic, and gets to the point where it is trying to cash in on the success of artists like Prince and just the Minneapolis sound in general. The issue is that this a British white guy, so it does rub me the wrong way ethically. Outside of that, however, the music sure is from the 80s. Artificial sounds aplenty, and reeks of cheese, but it is inoffensive. The album flies by, and I'm 100% sure one or two songs played without me even noticing. Sounds like their EP "4 A Sides" is something far more worth listening to, but we'll see if I get around to it ever.

Bad

Michael Jackson

3/5

There are absolutely great songs on here like Smooth Criminal, and I cannot deny that, but everything here feels incredibly aged, for mostly worse, and the fact that the best song (Leave Me Alone) isn't even on the original track listening is kind of the final straw that makes this album feel incredibly mediocre. 2.5, round up to a 3.

Document

R.E.M.

3/5

Similar to the other two R.E.M. albums I've gotten so far (and I can only imagine there's more) this album didn't leave too much of an impression on me. That isn't to say it's bad, it's just most definitely R.E.M, and that's the only way I can seem to describe it. If you like R.E.M. that's a good thing, but for me it just means that even though each of these albums sound somewhat different, they still blend into one homogenized glob.

Fisherman's Blues

The Waterboys

3/5

Like a weird combo of U2, The Pogues, and Bob Dylan, but certainly better than the former two. It had a great, no, amazing thing going with the first part of the album, but let itself go into basic celtic rock with no interesting deviation as the album went on, with only hits of that great start the album had. I didn't outright dislike anything here, though, and the length of the album was hardly noticeable, which was unexpected. I'd say if one were to shave this albums rougher parts off you'd have something here that really is great. Instead, I can just say I'm glad I listened to this for those parts that did shine through.

Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus

Spirit

2/5

I had big hopes for this album, and the opening of the first track had me thinking this was going to be a lot folk-ier than what the genres had told me, but I was okay with that, as it sounded nice, but that was ripped away from under me mere moments in, and it never really returned to that sound. There was a repeating motif throughout the album that sounded nice, and they started getting somewhere with the final couple tracks, but it was too little, too late, as I was already pretty bored out of my mind. None of it is BAD, per se, but psychedelic rock in its lightest form comes off now more as dad rock than anything with actual edge, and they would've, quite frankly, been better off just going the folk route I so desperately hoped they would aim towards.

The Lexicon Of Love

ABC

3/5

Despite I think being earlier than a good chunk of bands I would compare this to, I still can't shake the feeling that this is like if an AI was told to make a sophisti-pop album. It is certainly surface level solid, but past that nothing here grabs me, with it being funky, but no baseline being memorable, and the singer has a great voice, but I'd never be able to pick it out of the crowd. I'll give it credit for being something I'd say I enjoyed, but it doesn't go much farther than that.

Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals

2/5

This album was far better than the other Super Furry Animals album I got, but unfortunately on a five star scale the difference isn't big enough to add that extra star, so they look like they're equals here. I just feel as though I'll actually remember this one way better, and there were even some tracks here I liked quite a bit, but I have to agree with the consensus that I don't know why I wouldn't just go seek out the musical styles they're trying to emulate here. The singing feels like a mix of Blur and The Flaming Lips, which is interesting.

McCartney

Paul McCartney

3/5

As a massive Beatles fan, I'm disappointed by how just "okay" this album is. It's certainly not bad, but as the first of the actual solo Beatles albums (I think?) this leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe I'm Amazed is certainly a fantastic ballad that matches with McCartney's output in the late Beatles era, but the rest of the album feels like ideas that don't come to fruition. I mean, having both "Junk" and "Singalong Junk" just to fill an already small runtime reeks of too many idea with hardly any fleshed out. It really is just okay, nothing more, nothing else. So, I'll ask, where's Ram? How did this get here over Ram, which is not only the best McCartney album (Wings or otherwise) but arguably the best solo Beatles project, although All Things Must Pass comes close? Ut seriously baffles me. I feel like the author just didn't want to include more McCartney albums than Lennon, but this album didn't need to be here, that one did. If you're reading this, listen to Ram. Perhaps the low production values led this album to be one of the first "indie" (I use that term loosely here) albums of all time, but then why aren't artists like the Shaggs here for also inspiring artists without being something actually of high quality themselves? And once again, WHY ISN'T RAM HERE?!

Sweet Baby James

James Taylor

2/5

This is very close to a one star, but the more America-like moments (the band America, I mean) keep it above the water for me, and the final song is at least something different, actually feeling like that "rock" and "funk" he was talking so much about earlier on the album. But those country tracks, and especially those blues tracks? Man, those SUCKED. Just hanging on by a thread, but can't in good faith give it a one.

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

4/5

The uncle saga continues, with this album also being an unexpected solid heavy metal release that I definitely underestimated in passing. Perhaps not as good as the debut, in my opinion, but this still definitively rocks, and I really need to open myself up to more Iron Maiden, especially when fans don't even consider either of the inclusions here the best the group has to offer.

Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury

The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy

3/5

This is weird because it feels like Chuck D got warped into a group that is just slightly different than Public Enemy. I don't mind this though, it has enough variation in it at points to be an easy enough listen, even if some of the topics feel very, VERY 90s. I'd be curious to see what happened after this album for this group, as I see high potential, but they unfortunately only made this, and I can't be bothered to check the lead guy's solo stuff.

Vento De Maio

Elis Regina

4/5

This album's year is such a trip. I was researching when this came out, because the year in the book (and here), 1978, is wrong, and it took me a hot minute to figure it out, but if you're curious, this album is actually a compilation of songs by Regina that released in the mid-90s, years after her passing. It almost exclusively has songs from her 1980 album "Elis," her last before her passing. It also has one song that seems to not be on an album, but was perhaps released in some other manner. That means twelve of the thirteen tracks are from a single album. Quite the "compilation," huh? I just have no clue how the author of this list got 1978, as half the songs on here weren't even out yet, and even if they were, she didn't have an album release in 1978, so the year is wrong no matter what. Just an utter mess over something so small. Anyway, the music itself! It's pretty good! I was already aware of Regina from my partner getting this album, and there's some great tracks on here that bop, and even the songs I didn't know up until now that also bop! However, I'd say it does start to become a little repetitive listening in one sitting, and the more ballad-like tracks leave a bit to be desired, but overall this is a good to great set of songs, compilation or otherwise.

...And Justice For All

Metallica

3/5

An underrated thing that this generator has led me to being able to do is understanding a bit more when an album has bad (or "bad") production. That doesn't mean I understand why people would say such a thing all the time, but I can wrap my head around it most of the time. Metallica is no stranger to this accusation, famously with the drums on St. Anger (which if you can't hear the issue with those things after a few moments of listening you're deaf) and today's album, ...And Justice for All. I mean, it certainly isn't as bad as that album, but where is any of the oomph with this album? It just feels so stringy with nearly no bass in sight, and it can come off as hollow. Does that stop the album from having good tracks? No, the opener is great, and One is basically Metallica's Stairway to Heaven, but a lot of the remaining tracks get repetitive with nothing to really set them apart, as you get the same guitar-drum shtick with each song, and the length of the album despite only having nine tracks just means it's all the more noticeable. I love the inclusion of an acoustic guitar in this album, it really helps break up the monotony, but they seem scared to even toy with the idea of a full song of something more mellow, and I understand why, but that's what makes it hard to stomach too much Metallica at once for me. I do sound overly negative here, as I tend to when I have glaring issues with an album, but this is still a solid metal album from the band, with tracks I do think deserve their iconic status. I just struggle to give this more than a more middle of the road ranking, when I know bands like Anthrax and Megadeth will do far better ranking wise once I get them on here.

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

5/5

This is an album that just makes you feel sad. It's a hollow feeling, but in a good way, which I don't know if I've experienced in an album before. It just is so obvious Drake is going through something terrible, and over fifty years later you can't do anything but sit there and listen to his sorrows. It still has this melancholic feeling to it which could make you feel perhaps more uplifted, but like getting gut punched by a flower. It really helps that the album is short, because it does get a bit repetitive, just being Drake and his guitar, but it still is the perfect representation of what folk music would be going through in the coming years, and Nick Drake was just too ahead of the curb to know it. Fantastic record, and a folk magnum opus.

My Generation

The Who

1/5

I'm thinking that I don't like The Who, as it feels, just like the Rolling Stones, they're trying to appeal to more American-like musical styles all the time, rather than developing their own ideas, and it just gets annoying. I mean, I really can't stand the singing here, with all the repeating and stuttering here, and I only like it when it feels as though it isn't so self-indulgent. Plus, for thirty something minutes, this drags. The final track trying to be some mega-wild instrumental comes off as more self indulgent than something cool, and again, this just annoys me. Actually, this album really annoys me. All the music here is just exactly the type of music I dislike from the mid-60s-era. I mean, Rubber Soul came out this year, and in comparison, this is a real drag, man. I was going to go with a two, but writing this review made me realize how little there is I like here. A couple okay tracks don't make up for songs that actively make me angry.

Dear Science

TV On The Radio

3/5

Unfortunately, I really wanted to like this more, as it felt like every single song had gripped me right away, but only a couple tracks held on to me the whole way through the song. It's all definitely "good," but it also feels of its era, just being critical darling-indie rock, and feels predictable in a modern lens. Perhaps had I heard this when it released I'd be singer higher praises, but instead it is just okay.

Ten

Pearl Jam

4/5

I have to admit that some of this rating is based on nostalgia, as my dad absolutely loves Pearl Jam and this album, so I know each of these songs at least a little bit, but I still think this is a rather good release. Sure, Eddie Vedder sometimes sounds intelligible, but it feels so raw and honwst that it really works on tracks like Black and Yellow Ledbetter (not on this album) so I can't help but like it. Perhaps were I coming in fresh this would be a three, but I think this is a grand enough time to warrant the higher score.

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

Eurythmics

2/5

I was really hoping I'd like this album a lot more than I did, with the first song having me hopeful with its stranger than expected synths, and obviously the powerhouse of a hit that is Sweet Dreams, but by the end of the album I found myself mostly just being a passive listener, not engaged positively or negatively, just listening. I'd say it is mostly just forgettable, an all too common occurrence with synthpop, I've come to learn. All the stars align for Eurythmics to have an album somewhere in their discography I like, but as of this review, it remains to be heard.

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

2/5

This feels definitively like a "rock" album, what someone out there thinks is the peak of the genre, despite sounding extrem safe and predictable by modern standards. All your usual suspects are here, guitar solos that really aren't that memorable, far too long drum solos, and of course a whole section introducing people in the band as if those listening to the album can see them. Is there stuff here that caught me by surprise? Sure, and of course songs like The Boys Are Back in Town have earned their place in the rock 'n' roll hall of fame, but there isn't enough here to stand out as one of the great live albums to me, and when I realize there are some blatant live picks over this one, I scratch my head even more. Not bad, just generic.

New Wave

The Auteurs

4/5

It's interesting to get some Britpop obviously inspired by Marc Bolan, that isn't a usual suspect when it comes to this genre. There are other influences here, obviously, but I'm glad this album chose the whisper-y sounds of Pulp rather than the whining of Oasis when it comes to Britpop, as it makes it so I love the sound of this album so much more. It's all jangly and earnest without being boring, and I like the lyrics, they're suprisingly engaging. This is literally right next to being a five star, but I think it just needs that next little push to be something amazing. Until then, I am very intrigued by this band, and will be keeping them in mind for future reference. This is on the good side of britpop.

Legalize It

Peter Tosh

2/5

This was almost exactly what I expected it to be. Bloopy reggae jams that are criminally inoffensive, but generally boring. There is harmonies and stuff I like here, as they remind me of some great 50s and early 60s doo-wop, but otherwise this is stereotypical. Sure, albums like this had to be a thing for this sound to be stereotypical, but that doesn't make it any less so to a modern set of ears.

Elvis Is Back

Elvis Presley

2/5

This is that stereotypical-Elvis sound that I was surprised wasn't super prevalent in his debut, but that is hardly a good thing. I find this album to be boring most of the time, with the changing sounds of including jazzier instrumentation to be predictable rather than something daring from the pop star. Perhaps were I alive in 1960 and heard the changing sounds I'd be like "holy shit!" but instead I feel like I'm hearing what everyone else hears when the name "Elvis" is muttered.

Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

1/5

I knew when I saw the word "blues" and the name "Eric Clapton" I was going to not be a fan of this, and despite a somewhat strong opening, I was right. Every song reads as the same boring, repetitive, misappropriation of a genre I already don't care for, and every time I had a hint of joy stem from the music it was because the song happened to be short and ended. I mean, Clapton isn't as big of a part of this as I thought he was, but that doesn't mean I still don't find his guitar picking to be dull and the songs to all feel the same. It got to the point where I was pretty much numb to everything this album threw at me, and not even clocking in at forty minutes and still getting that feeling is mighty impressive. Was this a big part of the British blues scene and Clapton's career? Perhaps, but that doesn't instantly make it good, in fact I'd argue we're all worse off for it.

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

Ice Cube

3/5

This album has a great, energetic start that got me invested right away, but the next few tracks seem to repeat the same song and dance (musically) with only some tracks bringing it back into the limelight throughout. There's also great topic discussed here ruined by songs about Ice Cube getting his dick wet, and its mostly distracting. Just a very down the middle album that I give the more positive spin due to not playing itself overly long, cutting itself off at a reasonable time, which I really appreciate.

Ragged Glory

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

1/5

This is a chore to listen to, with its extremely boring musicality, Neil's less than enjoyable singing, and just the utter "whatever"-ness of it all. I was coasting through most of this album thinking it could scrape by with a two star, but the second (!) ten minute song on the album really broke me, with just a complete lack of joy coming from within. This is music made to appeal to the most trivial of stereotypes from the era, and the fact that this has been lumped in with grunge for years now is a sin. This is dad rock, through and through, and while I absolutely love Young's On the Beach, this is nothing similar to that at all, and is much worse off for it. Maybe its Crazy Horse's fault? I'll have to keep that in mind when listening to his other albums.

Tres Hombres

ZZ Top

2/5

Oh no, not more blues influenced rock for middle aged dudes... I mean, this one was okay, but even the iconic track La Grange didn't feel like anything special here once it just started having rambling guitar, which seems to be what every track here devolves into. This felt more like strutting down the street than biking down the interstate, and I mean that as a positive, but it is certainly clear why this band as a whole is more iconic than most of the tracks they produced, let alone a whole album.

Private Dancer

Tina Turner

3/5

This album has the exact save issues that I have with Michael Jackson's Bad, where the production is so cheesy and dated that it really hurts a good chunk of songs as I can hear a solid base for a lot of the songs here, but the style of the time made it so every song oozes the same gratituous-ness that seeped from every 80s pop record. I suppose this was a tiny bit before that production style really took off into the stratosphere in the late 80s, but that doesn't make it any less out of touch by modern standards. I think Tina Turner's voice does carry this project mostly, as while it isn't anything I adore, it's aged in a way on here where it feels mature and natural, but at the end of the day this feels like an album to make money for all parties involved, and it sure did.

Happy Trails

Quicksilver Messenger Service

4/5

This was far better than expected, as while I knew guitar noodling was a major part of this, I actually didn't find it to be too aimless that often. In fact, I'm super impressed this is a live album, as you could hardly tell with the thought put into some of what they did, and the theming on the first half of the album is cool. It does get a bit boring at times, especially when they decide to do more ambient noise stuff that goes on for seemingly days, and I'm not a huge fan of the singer's voice, but I still enjoyed this enough to get it up to that positive rating.

Deja Vu

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

3/5

This album contains some excellent songs, and I really enjoy Young's contributions, but I think the overwhelming country twang of it all does turn me off from it quite a bit, as stuff like those country guitars feel cheesy and stereotypical, and the rock hevay numbers are forgettable. Still when the album pulls something off, it really pulls it off. Our House is really pretty, especially.

If I Could Only Remember My Name

David Crosby

2/5

This album reminds me a lot of America's output, being like you're relaxing on the beach, but that beach is in the middle of the woods, on a cold day. However, unlike America's early output, which I quite enjoy, I found this to be pretty boring. I understand that perhaps this was a big step for the soft rock genre, but is that really a genre worth highlighting? I mean, half the time, David Crosby and Co. decide to replace actual lyrics with slow, thoughtful vocalizing, but it leaves the song feeling hollow. There were small bits of joy when everything did come together properly, but as someone who just listened to Deja Vu, why would I pick this over something like that?

Tical

Method Man

2/5

This has to be one of the most forgettable hip-hop albums I've gotten so far, which seems to be a theme with Wu-Tang's solo albums. Each song just feels the exact same after a while, and I'm not a fan of the raspy-ness of his voice in long sessions. This just feels like it covers the exact things that the GZA album I listened to already covered. Not terrible, but entirely forgettable, save for a bar or two.

Rising Above Bedlam

Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart

2/5

Well, this is interesting. It isn't what I expected this album to sound like, but it still isn't really my cup of tea. It gives off that "desert in movies" vibe to a lot of it, and while some of the songs around the 3/4 point are better, it still leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps were it more engaging up to that point I'd be more happy eith my experience, but it was getting to be a slog, and really only survived because of picking up. I really hate albums at this length. Either commit to the over the hour or cut down your filler.

Space Ritual

Hawkwind

3/5

I've known about this one for a little bit, because my partner listened to it and showed me Sonic Attack because they thought I'd think it was cool, and it was. The rest of the music here carries that same space-y energy where nothing their saying feels real, and usually it isn't really, but suspending your disbelief for long enough to get sucked in a little is a neat enough experience, and there are most definitely some songs here that bang. However, the length and repetition of the whole package is a big turn-off, and by the end everything is starting to leave the same taste in my mouth. Its amazing that this is mostly all live, but it also feels sloppy enough that not knowing the music this stems from leads to aimless tracks that could use a few studio pass-overs. Overall, an experience with good and bad qualities, but I can't imagine coming back to it, unless I were to become a big fan of hallucinogens.

Os Mutantes

4/5

This and the United States of America record from the same time were so ahead of their time that it is insane how overlooked they are in the US. I mean, some of the electronic effects are so crunchy and powerful that one can't help but be taken aback by the brash sound this album presents. Can it be a bit too much? In this album's case, yes, I feel it can be, with often some songs losing focus and feeling a tad bit like just noise, and the language barrier certainly doesn't help, but can you really blame it when it's all just so cool sounding? And it is certainly varied too, which helps. There is certainly some filler here, but otherwise top notch and ahead of its time, I need to dig into more of this underrated, late-60s psychedelic rock, it's bating a nearly perfect score.

Foxbase Alpha

Saint Etienne

3/5

Well, this was kind of disappointing. I've known the cover of Only Love Can Break Your Heart for a while now, and that song is a solid bop and a half in the right move, but it seems the rest of the album is struggling to reach that same level of excellency within the trip hop genre. That isn't the say the album is bad, because it isn't, but it leaves you not really thinking much other than "okay," and that feels sometimes like a greater tragedy than an album being bad with one good song. Instead, this just lands somewhere in the middle of pretty much everyone's scale of alright-ness, and not much else needs to be said.

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

3/5

Johnny Cash comes off so cool on this album, man. He's quick to a joke, he is so blunt that his aggressiveness also comes off as super charming, and he just deserves the title of "the man in black." I do wish I liked country music as a whole more, as the music here doesn't grab me too much, but when it comes to being a live album, I can't imagine the audience to performer contact gets much better, and I just like it on that alone.

School's Out

Alice Cooper

3/5

This is better than I remember it being the first time I ever heard it, with the mix of this showtune-ness of it all with American glam felt like it was no one but Alice Cooper's. That doesn't mean every song here is memorable, though, which isn't great when an album is already pretty short. However, you'll never not hear me sing the praises of Alma Mater, which is one of the band's best tracks, and brings this album up from okay to good, which is quite the feat for one track. This album is nothing spectacular, in fact I'd say there are multiple Alice Cooper albums that are better before and after this, but this is still a solid release from a group/performer that I feel can go much lower quality-wise.

The Man Machine

Kraftwerk

3/5

I'm going to sound like someone who has no idea what they're talking about now, because I don't, but is this really that ahead of its time? I mean, it's pretty decent techno, and was huge for its time, I understand that, but there were other electronic artists at the same time who made songs that I feel captured this up and coming sound better and fuller. I often see the argument "this is crazy for 1978," but Giorgio Moroder had already made multiple tracks that were electronic powerhouses, and artists like Phaedra, while not rocking the house, were showing off the world of ambient along with Brian Eno. So, this album is just an awkward middle ground that doesn't appease either part of my brain. It is pretty decent, as I said, but I would never see myself thinking this is the pinnacle of 70s electronic. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go listen to No. 1 in Heaven.

Slayed?

Slade

3/5

Music that is barely hanging on to its "glam rock" status, similar to Kiss or some Alice Cooper, but I'd say this is pretty okay. Most of it is inoffensive rock 'n' roll riffs with vocals that are neither forgettable nor iconic, but every now and then something leaks through that I find enjoyable. I'd say it makes me hopeful, but then I remember its just because I like glam rock, and I can find that in much better artists and albums.

E.V.O.L.

Sonic Youth

4/5

This album just reads to me like a lesser Sister. That isn't to say this is a bad album, but I feel like the sense of dread they are trying to portray here doesn't come off as anti-establishment-y as one would hope, and instead can feel aimless. However, when this album does decide to rock out, it rocks out pretty hard! I love the guitar here, which is the case with all Sonic Youth projects, and the more often whispery voices are a cool change of pace compared to the louder sounds on some of their bigger releases. I see this as an interesting step in the band's catalogue, as well as a necessary one, but you can do better Sonic Youth-wise. You can do much worse in the music-as-a-whole department, though.

More Specials

The Specials

3/5

This has some really cool sounds to it for a regular ol' two-tone album. You could definitely tell the band wanted to change up their sound to adapt to the changing sounds of music, without removing their personality from it. That doesn't necessarily mean the whole album is up my alley, as there are often moments where the vocals annoy me pretty badly, and usually this style of music can get old pretty quick, but this is still a solid release that I feel probably at least has one enjoyable song for everyone.

Either Or

Elliott Smith

4/5

Well, ain't this purty? The style of playing and singing fewls like its been copied countless times, to the point where as the album went on it was starting to feel a tad derivative, despite it being the origin point, and that did start to sour the album, even though it's quite short, but that doesn't stop that there are some really pretty chord progressions here, and the more stripped down nature reminds me of Nick Drake, but 90s-ified. Just something that's really chill and relaxed, while still having this uneasiness to me, like something else is wrong and you don't know what, and I really enioy those types of albums. Am I rambling? I'm rambling.

Lust For Life

Iggy Pop

4/5

I know Iggy Pop wanted David Bowit to have less of a grip on this album, but I feel if anything this just feels like if David Bowie had continued his glam-ish hard rock rather than experimenting with different musical mediums in the late 70s. That leads to a record that has got some great emotion and gripping parts of it, as well as that Stooges edge that can be enthralling if done right. It does lose me a little on some of the lyrical choices (especially on songs like Sixteen) and a good chunk of songs losing me when they were oh so close to bringing me in, but this is still a rocking tune that feels like the perfect blend between that proto-punk sound and that more intense grip music had going into the 80s, and I think it pulls it off really well.

Duck Stab/Buster & Glen

The Residents

4/5

This sort of feels like the evil version of Sparks. I mean, you got high register, goofy songs that take some getting used to, especially when it comes to this album. However, the Residents are not here to make pop masterpieces, but rather avant garde art that can be hard to stomach for the average person. Me liking this album does not mean those who don't are dumb, because of course not, this is just straight weird. I'm just intrigued and pulled in by the shock of it all, so when you get something that actually rocks, it really does rock. If anything I'd say the amount of songs makes it repetitive to listen to, not so much strange, although that is certainly there. I don't know man, I just think this is a neat collection of the anti-mainstream and macabre, and it scratches some itches doing so.

Pyromania

Def Leppard

3/5

I see this album as the good ending of a band like Bon Jovi. It still isn't anything special, but at least there are some competent tracks present on this album to make it stand out a little bit. Stuff like Rock of Ages and Photograph are at the very least enjoyable in the moment, and there are some solid hooks for hair metal. Again, it isn't something worth going out of your way to listen to, but I can only assume this is on the positive side of the glam metal movement. The fact that said positive side only reaches a 2.5 for me is not a great sign, however.

Another Green World

Brian Eno

5/5

I've regretted giving Here Come the Warm Jets a 4 initially for a while now, and while it is at a 4.5 now, it sitting on my 1001 Album profile in the 4 category hurts my soul. Luckily, this album comes in clutch to at least make me look like I have some intelligence. This album is gorgeous, with so many moments where just sitting back and letting the music swallow you will do wonders. I mean, this is 1975, yet it sounds light years ahead of even now. I can picture a whole film from the very music that pours from this album, and still enjoy it on an average drive to and from work. Those moments of contemplation from the instrumental tracks make the vocal tracks even more gorgeous, with Eno still showing he can write a banger of a pop diddy. I could see why one would find this boring if you were expecting something more exciting, but I urge you to let this record play whilst you are laying in bed in the dark, and let everything wash over you. You don't need drugs to feel transcendent, you need In Dark Trees and The Big Ship.

69 Love Songs

The Magnetic Fields

4/5

I made a mistake with my Minutemen album, and that was giving it a 5 because I liked many of the songs, missing the idea that I found much of the rest of the album forgettable. Well, I won't make that same mistake here, as I once again like a lot of tracks here, enough where I get why this would be here, but it is far too long, and much of it comes off as filler at best. It makes the good tracks stand out all the more, yes, but it leaves a good disc-and-a-half worth of songs feeling unnecessary, and it leads to an album that is definitively good, but could be better, such as what could've been an amazing video game only be good because it is open world. His voice is really impressive, but the female singer got on my nerves sometimes. In that way it is also right down the middle, but I'd say its quality overall is high enough to bump it up a bit.

Wild Gift

X

2/5

This starts promising, but I find it to be really generic sounding. Like if you asked someone to make punk rock with no strings attached, this would be the outcome. Its fine, but hardly notable in my eyes, save for the intrigue of a shared lead singer position between a girl and boy, but Sonic Youth pulls that dynamic off far better.

Goodbye And Hello

Tim Buckley

4/5

It is evident listening to this album, despite how much he may have despised me saying so, that this had a huge influence on Jeff Buckley's sole album, and his musical style in general. Perhaps not as many medieval castle references as his father, but the wistful, guitar heavy tracks have this same energy to them as the tracks presented here, especially as they ramp up in the emotion presented, such as on tracks like Pleasant Street. So, it comes as no surprise that I do enjoy this. Perhaps it is no Grace, because nothing really is, but it has that same simple beauty to it that I appreciate in the latter Buckley's work, and it makes me happy. That, and Tim's more androgynous vocal delivery here really striking a chord (heh) as well. It can breeze by without you gathering much from the songs at points, and that titular eight minute track really didn't earn its run time, but as a whole package it is something that I find earns its place among other famous psychedelic folk records, and I'll be looking forward to listening to Buckley's other records, even if it seems this higher voice is not a mainstay.

3 + 3

The Isley Brothers

3/5

This album starts strong with a pop sensation even a three minute guitar solo can't ruin, but I think after that track the album mellows out a bit and tends to lean more towards being just alright. I mean, the nice, Summer-y vibes are all there, but sometimes the tracks get too smooth, and you start to forget you're listening to music to pay attention to. I suppose that's the point of these funky tunes at points, but I wouldn't mind something a tad more engaging. Light years ahead of its time in its soulfulness, however, and for that it earns some major ups for me. Plus, riding that high of the first track really can carry the whole album in the right mood.

Yank Crime

Drive Like Jehu

5/5

FUCK. YES. This is exactly the type of longform, noisy shit that I love when Sonic Youth does it, and this shit rocks hard! Whatever the singer is usually inaudible, and quite frankly, indistinguishable from the rest of the noise, but I hardly care, because this rocks so hard that I'm jamming harder than most albums have ever had me jamming before. I could perhaps understand this being annoying, but I'm too busy loving this to care, even if it is a little longwinded. If this is the closest we get to emo on the whole generator then sign me up to finding more noise rock like this. Fuck yeah!

Aqualung

Jethro Tull

4/5

This was a solid enough listening experience. It felt a bit like what you'd expect out of the term "progressive rock," but considering that's a pretty safe genre when it comes to my experience, that's alright. There were times I wish the songs just did that little more to stand out as much as the titular track, but I liked the choices that made it stand out, such as the flute or the blend of a hard rock sound with that Renaissance faire sound, it works nicely. Nothing mind blowing, but I don't regret my time with this album whatsoever.

Pictures At An Exhibition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

2/5

For those of you who are unaware (I doubt most of you aren't, but just in case) this is ELP's own take on a series of iconic orchestral pieces that are relatively out there compared to their contemporaries of the time, and in turn are not difficult to play, per se, but take some amount of effort to get right. Something that would be a definitive challenge for a high school orchestra, y'know? So, this album being mostly made up of ideas from that collection is really cool, but it also leaves a sour taste in my mouth. Certainly the instrumentation here is good, but comparing a single organ/synthesizer to the feats, leaps, and bounds that a group of musicians with classical training go through is nearly non-comparable, and in turn, leaves a lot of these songs sounding messy, and not in an artistic way, but rather in a way that is just altering art for the Hell of it. Sure, its neat to add some lyrics and more modern ideologies to these century old tracks, but they were good as were, and when you take a step back you realize this crowd is going wild for near butcherings of some amazing pieces. I know, I sound like a music snob, but it really does come off that way. There are parts here that I really must congratulate as a neat addition, but often I found myself just wishing I was listening to an orchestra performing these pieces, or at the very least, that these alters were studio recorded so that they could be cleaned up a bit and really brought to life. As is, its just something that's more novelty than anything. The nutcracker cover really hammers that point in, I find, and honestly, really doesn't even fit.

Sulk

The Associates

4/5

At first I was struggling to get behind the vocals, as while they certainly aren't the most polarizing I've heard, they do catch you off guard, especially after a instrumental opener. However, as the album went on, I was more enthralled by the near perfect blend of pop with that more gothic sound, where every track has you bobbing your head, tapping your foot, all whilst this sinister atmosphere surronds you. The vocals are no longer something to fear, but rather something worth embracing in the more surreal parts of an album. It's glamorous, like a party, but grimy, like an alley, and I think this album as a whole captures the scene of the mid-80s and its music perfectly.

Basket of Light

Pentangle

3/5

I often find people comparing an album or other set of songs as a "Renaissance faire" in a negative connotation, even when I don't completely see a connection, such as with Tim Buckley's Goodbye and Hello. However, an album like this brings that comparison into an understandable light a bit more. I've heard albums that trend similar to this one, such as Leige and Lief by Fairport Convention, which I wasn't a fan of, but while that one trended towards boredom more than anything, this one just bothers me because of its potential. There are some excellent tracks hidden among the dullness here, such as the opening track and Train Song, but much of the album needs that extra oomph to not feel like I'm just exploring the basic "folk songs" section of a music library, or perhaps like a forgettable track on a Jefferson Airplane album. This album has lots of potential for me, but in the end just is a gateway into seeing what others see when they refer to something as "Renaissance faire," and mean it harshly.

Inspiration Information

Shuggie Otis

2/5

I felt like every track almost pulled me in, with the feeling that by the end songs would finally be grabbing me enough and I'd be enjoying myself, but then halfway through it felt like the album gave up and became relatively boring instrumentals. Nothing bad, but we went from smooth vocals and neat progressions to what many would consider elevator music, and it left a sour taste in my mouth, even if I did enjoy the intial run of tracks on side A. Perhaps I could turn to enjoy side a enough to bump the score up a bit on this album, but as it stands I just leave feeling a tad ripped off, and not much else.

16 Lovers Lane

The Go-Betweens

2/5

I mostly found this to be a very dull experience, where instead of the side of jangle pop with cutting lyrics and unique vocals, you instead get something that feels cobbled together to be a hit, without any of its own flavor. Almost every track is bland, and you can see the inspirations on the wall, to the point where they're more like poor imitations. This leads to songs that aren't bad at first glance, but I only wish my time is psent elsewhere, and when there is something worth listening to, it is but a fleeting moment on an overall sleepy experience.

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

4/5

In seemingly direct contrast to Either/Or, Smith decides to go out with a bombastic release, full of sweeping finales and heavy hitting choruses to show his more chamber-y side of his indie pop antics. This leads to a record I find to be more engaging and with higher highs than its more famous sibling, but the longer length and repetition here seemingly brings the album down to a score just as solid, or at the very least, slightly worse. I found myself being sweeped off my feet at moments by the pop brilliance on display, but I did admittedly miss the more personal feeling presented by Either/Or. However, as a final album many artists dream to go out on as great as a record as this one.

Real Life

Magazine

5/5

An incredible ride of alien-like synth, carnival-esque beliefs, and a downright whimsical yet oppressive nature to the whole album leads to an experience not found on many other big names in the post-punk genre. Its seemingly needless drive to weird out the listener than pull them in with the catchiest of hooks and breakdowns is fantastic, and its only when that purely punk side starts to shine do I lose interest ever so slightly, however that same heavy punk influence from the time in The Buzzcocks leads to an experience that feels sharper than its more dreary contemporaries, and I admire it all the more for it.

Trans Europe Express

Kraftwerk

2/5

I had hopes with the first track, as it had this good blend of interesting vocals and a cool synthy beat to keep me interested for most of the durrstion, but it just kept getting more and more dull past that, to the point where I was starting to actually get droopy eyes. I understand it is important as an album to the world of electronic music, but I can respect history and still dislike it, and that stands to be the case here.

You Are The Quarry

Morrissey

3/5

I find this album to be a pretty mixed bag, as often it feel as though it thinks its doing something fantastical and breathtaking, and it really isn't, while other times it really is something special. That isn't even only the hits that get that reaction either, as some of the deeper cuts here are great, as well as the big tracks. However, truly puzzling is parts that Morrissey seems to think he can get away with, such as lesbian slurs, and poor "critiques" of the U.S. that make this album hard to care for at points. I think this album has a decent amount of potential, but at the end of the day, unlike many Morrissey releases, this doesn't feel special enough to listen to despite the singer's more than idiotic beliefs. If this is your only encounter with solo Morrissey so far, I would understand sticking with The Smiths, even if tracks like First of the Gang to Die are fantastic.

Now I Got Worry

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

2/5

I suppose I sort of respect this? I mean, its evident listening to this that there were plenty of early 2000s groups influenced by this project, but at the same time if all of those groups had said they'd never heard of this geoup in their lives I'd believe it? I mean, almost everything here seems like a surface level version of being "out there," without actually doing anything that challenging for the listener, and it leads to an album that feels like a snooze fest more than anything. It tries to wake you by the end with random noises and screaming, but if anything its too little, too late, too loud.

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

Genesis

3/5

I must admit, this is a disappointment, and a huge step down from their previous album, Selling England by the Pound. Its heavy use of synths lead to an album that hardly feels like it means any of the music its producing, and while there are certainly cool and good uses of the synths, it isn't anything that artists like Brian Eno weren't already nailing. I will say that the album does get close a lot to grabbing my attention, with many tracks catching my attention at first, and I must give it credit for that. It just fails to prove itself minutes into each song, and even the best tracks have nothing on its sibling that I once again can't help but compare it to. Cool concept, middling execution.

Second Toughest In The Infants

Underworld

2/5

I figured this album had a chance to be something a bit more special when I noticed the use of whisper-y, trip-hop-esque vocals mixed with something obviously influenced by the Britpop wave of vocal inflections. However, with the tracks being so long and hardly doing enough to earn that length, it lost my interest quick, and turning into your generic, PlayStation 1 era racing game music about halfway through rubs yet even more salt into the wound. I think there is something here that could be good, especially with more vocals to make actual songs rather than just sleepy rave tracks could benefit this album a lot, but as it is, you can just throw it in with the dozens of other generic UK downtempo techno records.

Rattlesnakes

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions

3/5

I think the main crime this album commits is being instantly forgettable. When it comes to jangle-y pop songs, you can assuredly do worse than this album, but one has to question if it really does anything all that special, and in my opinion it doesn't. It has a decent hook there, and nice bridge here, but as an album I struggle to find this to be more than a somewhat pleasant listen in the moment, and nothing more. Again, you can do worse, but you can also do a lot, LOT better.

Back to Basics

Christina Aguilera

2/5

I'm surprised how much I wanted to like this, more than anything. I figured going into this it would be an easy one star, but I found myself enjoying many of the samples, and the production in general. What holds the album back for me is the vocals. While her voice is technically amazing, it hardly ever feels honest, instead feeling like a hollow recreation of the voices of the greats that came before her, and the constant references to said music doesn't help to draw away the comparisons. It is an amazing voice on the surface level, but it never moves me, and when an entire album feels as though it is built on that voice, it takes away a lot of the credibility. Still, I have to give this album credit, because it was far better than I had anticipated.

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

I seem to be a fan of Neil Young sans Crazy Horse, but with the group I find often that his music goes from personal, introspective tunes with a soft guitar accompanying it, to brash, boring, and even dull rock tunes with very little to care about. However, this album seems to reach that solid balance point of being something for everyone, similar to Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited. The contrast between the A side and B side give me a larger appreciation for the range of the Young, and while not every song hits here, unlike his solo works often seems to, it still is a far more enjoyable collection of songs than other albums between the pair. I also feel that this album has more grunge, especially in that last track, than Ragged Glory would ever hope to, and that certainly also helps.

One World

John Martyn

2/5

I find this man's voice incredibly grating, to the point that by the first track on the B side I was getting pretty annoyed, but I do find this better than Solid Air for the fsct that it feels as though some effort was put into the catchiness of the album here, unlike there where a man who could not enunciate to save his life rambled over random musical beats. It causes this album to be just as forgettable, but perhaps a tad more enjoyable in the moment.

Ingenue

k.d. lang

4/5

This is the sort of album I mean when I wish for a singer who sounds genuine in their admittedly very cheesy outlook on love, with every vocal inflection feeling intended to get the full emotion being presented out there, and it seems these albums with only hints of country do it the best (see: Grant Lee Buffalo's Fuzzy) and keep me intrigued. I love, love LOVE her voice at points, and the polished production tends to help it stand out, rather than detract from the emotion in her voice. It doesn't always work, it could stand to have a few more high energy tracks mixed into it, but otherwise I enjoyed this far more than expected. I should keep an eye out for these alt-country projects, because they tend to sit well with me, unlike their more mainstream counterparts.

Oar

Alexander 'Skip' Spence

1/5

This is an ugly album, and I'm not sure how else to describe it. His voice is annoying, to the point where I was groaning every time in a song that he started "singing," the guitar work (or lack thereof) feels like something picking it up for the first time and randomly plucking notes, and the whole album really gives off that vibe, for that matter. Nothing feels pre-determined, thought out, or even well executed. It isn't even like jazz with its ad-libing, you can tell every note here was planned by some musician, but whether that musician was this Alexander Spence, or a ten year old slamming on a keyboard, is unknown to me. Perhaps I can admit that sometimes a moment here and there is more standable, but there was never a moment I was truly enjoying this. It isn't even psychedelic or folk-y, its just dull and aimless.

3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...

Arrested Development

4/5

This is some feel good shit, and I'm actually digging it. I mean, the religious parts (which are a lot of the parts) can feel a little hamfisted, but it isn't groan-worthy like that of Christian rock. It just makes you feel sunny and happy, all in a thoroughly 90s way. I think the real killer here is that the love tracks here can feel "not like other boys" at best, and sort of predatory at worst. I mean, I know that was sort of expected as a direct response to gangster rap, but in a modern viewpoint it causes far more eye rolls than that it is competing against. But I cannot deny I was still grooving along with it for a good chunk of the album, and that has to count for something.

The Rise & Fall

Madness

4/5

I obviously knew Madness for their sole (US anyway) hit, Our House, but I never had an urge to explore the rest of their catalogue until my partner started getting into a couple of their tracks. I mean, it sounded, most of the time, like cartoonishly evil bad guy music, in the best of ways, and that made me far more optimistic to listen to something from their catalogue. Actually listening to it, it still sounds like the sonically condensed version of "mwah hah hah," but there are some lighter, pub rock-esque tracks that I wasn't as big of a fan of, but I think that goofy energy throughout gives off a light sound whilst still feeling deadly serious, but all in good faith. If I could compare it to something completely unrelated, it would be when They Might Be Giants has those tonally dark songs that are completely goofy once you actually tune into the lyrics, and I think that can be a blast. My only real detraction is the repetition, as I feel this album could be cut in half and almost nothing would be lost, but perhaps some adore songs here that I just shrugged at, so I suppose its best as is. When this album does hit though, hoo boy, certainly can see why Madness are one of the most famous two tone outfits. Now if we can just address the black face on the album cover we'll be golden.

Caetano Veloso

3/5

I've found myself generally liking what I've heard from Brazil and its weird ventures into the psychedelic, but I feel as though this album doesn't really perfectly strike those points that I enjoyed in works like Os Mutantes. Its still good, but could stand to commit to a song more often, as there are many times in a track where it'll stsrt to get good just to end a few moments later, and believe you me, I love a short song, but an unfinished song is not how you do it. There's a lot here to like, with fun tracks that make you feel like bouncing up and down, but one has to wish for a little bit more substance in its tracks, because if I want to party, this would probably not be my first choice for dancey, flavorful tracks, but again, a solid enough venture.

Bossanova

Pixies

4/5

Pixies as a band is a geoup I've always been aware of. I knew their big hits, I knew Doolittle by name, I even knew what came of members splitting into groups like the Breeders. Despite all of this, I had no clue this album existed. I knew not a single track off of its selection, and not even the cover rang familiar. In fact, it reminds me of a Primus album cover more than anything for some reason. So, this was an all new, fresh experience for me. It is certainly a step down from Doolittle and its copious amounts of power and strength it presented, but we're still looking at a good album with tons of catchy riffs, jarring-yet-satisfying vocal change-ups, and a solid record over all. I think it just loses a bit of that staying power that the album prior had down already, and feels like its standing in the shadows of its older brothers, but if you go in with an open mind you're still getting a great rock record with a lot to like.

Happy Sad

Tim Buckley

4/5

While I haven't listened to a good chunk of Tim's discography, I do consider myself a fan of the Buckley's. Their voices are so amazing that the listener can't help but be entranced by their highest highs and when they go for those low notes. When it comes to Tim, I preferred his voice during that Goodbye and Hello phase, as his soulful high notes pulled me in. It was wistful, yet still so full of energy. So, finding out this (and most of his albums for that matter) chose to go to a lower register for most of the duration was disappointing, but I was still vaguely hopeful. That energy does feel a little invisible here, but that woeful singing does remain, and I still think his voice is really pretty. It makes it so when he sings on topics like his estranged son, it feels genuine, like he regrets his decisions to be apart, even though it seems Tim Buckley never really tried to meet Jeff. The backing instruments, and even Buckley's own guitar playing can feel a tad aimless, but when it does come together it really does stick with you, as long as you give yourself to it, and really pay attention to those nuances. Its an album that walks the fine line between the casually listenable on a sunny afternoon as well as engaging in your sorrows in the dark of the night. I appreciate it more once re-visiting the tracks I already enjoyed the first go around, and I think it makes sense that this is the style Tim Buckley is known for, rather than the more renaissance faire-esque stylings of his prior works, even if I do prefer them that way. I can still appreciate this.

Vincebus Eruptum

Blue Cheer

2/5

Considered an early pioneer of what we now see as heavy metal, Vincebus Eruptum seems like an anomaly to me. I mean, it is said to have performed very well both critically and financially, yet unlike Black Sabbath, I've never heard a song off of this album, let alone this band in general. Now, I realize that is very self-centred of me, as I was not around to hear this album at release (not even close) but you'd think I'd at least here some hint of this album in passing. Perhaps an older, more rock-savvy uncle, or just from passing. Yet, I've heard nothing, nada, zilch, and once I actually sit down and listen to the album, I start to understand why. Black Sabbath were so iconic with their newfound genres because it was dark, it was demented, and it truly felt like something new was rising from Hell to take over your pot smoking-son's brain. This? This just feels like someone performing aimless, meandering blues rock with a blown out amp. The sound here doesn't feel like its an active choice that benefits the album, but rather an experiment that turned out in the band's favor. However, the lasting power fails to reach beyond that initial wave, and whilst it may have been something worth exploring in the year of 1968, more contemporary ears will find this pales in comparison to what came after it, and even before it, and while it deserves to be an important part of rock history, I feel outfits such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Black Sabbath have it covered.

Get Rich Or Die Tryin'

50 Cent

1/5

This album started out okay enough, Hell I even thought I was enjoying it, which was shocking, but then as the hour(!) dragged on I started realizing how tiring this "I'm so cool" shit is. I'm all for being a cool as fuck, ballin' gangster, you do you man, but not a single thing here feels real. It feels like a guy coping with the fact he is a nobody, and can't handle that, so has to build himself up, give confidence by repeating the same tired stereotypes of fucking things up in the streets and the sheets, and not a single moment feels justified. It only explains to me why so many YouTube comments under these songs are like "these are my hustling songs" or "this gets me pumped" because no one is actually impressed with 50 Cent's accomplishments, they only take his place because they wish they were as cool as his lifestyle, and they daydream about it while working their 3rd shift at the gas station. If you enjoy this, more power to you, as I said, at first I get it, but if you think this whole album's existence is justified, rather than just one or two tracks, I want to know what draws you in, because all I'm seeing is a wannabe gangster rap great, and they make that abundantly clear that's what 50 Cent is, with all the allusions to other, BETTER rappers. 50 may have had hits, but he fell out fame pretty quickly, and this album explains that.

The Next Day

David Bowie

4/5

While a solid album overall, it does feel a bit distracted. None of the songs stand out in a poor light or anything, in fact tonally I'd say it all matches, but I still can't help but think with the amount of tracks and the length that there was far too much thrown at the wall, and while plenty of it sticks, the stuff that did fall, falls flat. It just leads the album to be hard to remember, and while I know I listened to something good (hence the rating) I'm unsure if I'll remember it beyond that (hence the rating).

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

George Michael

3/5

I've never been a fan of the hit off this album, Freedom 90, as it feels a bit too predictable and overall cheesy in a way that only a song from this era can be, and I personally hate that sound. However, the rest of the album was an improvement over George Michael's debut, as the inclusion of a lot more real instruments and tracks not all fighting to be a stereotypical pop tune was refreshing and felt more earnest. That being said, something about this album still rubs me the wrong way. It may be Michael's over-singing, or it just feeling like a lot of tracks are still trapped in a time that did not age the best sonically, but I just cannot get into this, despite my best efforts. It gives off the same vibes as artists like Christina Aguilera, oddly enough, where it feels like the whole thing is compensating for something, but I've no clue as to what this is. This album didn't do anything to make me a George Michael fan, but I at least understood it a bit more this time around. Perhaps it was destiny, as I have been watching a lot of Arrested Development, so my album listens seem to be subtly influenced by it. That or its all coincidence... yeah, its probably that.

Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

Bill Callahan

4/5

I have grown up most of my life listening to what isn't quite country music, but rather an Americana-esque genre with vocals that don't grate my ears as they come out of the speakers. This includes groups like the Avett Brothers, later Johnny Cash, and to an extent, Wilco, Violent Femmes (at points), Nick Drake, etc, etc. Despite this, I've never come across this album to any capacity, despite releasing at the peak of my family introducing me to what would develop as a part of my music taste. This is not the first time that has happened, as I See A Darkness by Bonnie 'Prince' Billy also sort of falls into this blind spot, but unlike with this album, where I think things like the vocals and the stripped down production hindered my enjoyment of that album, this album only flourished with its sombre, vocals backed by lush, sweeping strings that make me naturally sway, and make me feel as though I'm encountering an old friend in the form of a genre I've not embraced in a long while. The vocals are simple, and flat, but they carry the same weight Nick Cave's similar demeanour sometimes presents, and I really do get entranced by the orchestra. I do find the album tends to drag out its songs a tad, and in such, loses its luster rather than ending in a big, moving finale, but that start is something that really felt like something electrifyingly chilling, yet also like a warm embrace, and it made the album something I did really adore at points. The whole package is a little lacking, and I don't think it will sell anyone on a genre they didn't already have a relationship with, but I really got into this, and can only see myself liking it more on re-visits.

Histoire De Melody Nelson

Serge Gainsbourg

2/5

I'll start positive by stating that the strings and instrumentals are gorgeous here, with a lot of the big moments left up to them rather than Serge Gainsbourg, and it pays off fantastically. I also find the short runtime to be a Godsend when so many albums feel so long now, even the forty minute ones seem to run me dry, so something more stomach-able such as this leads me feeling far less exhausted than an album that sounds like this would leave me were it hitting an hour. That all being said, I really can't stand that whisper singing Gainsbourg does, as whilst I can see the inspiration for bands like Pulp, the way the microphone seems to peak really irritates my ears, like an annoying, overtly French ASMR. Maybe the songs are really nuanced, but being a stupid American, I couldn't understand them if I tried. Here, let's look up what this album is about! ...oh. Gross. Still, great strings, perhaps another topic with actual singing and this would be an awesome album. Instead, it is most definitely French, and I can fill my French needs elsewhere.

Bummed

Happy Mondays

2/5

There were a couple tracks here I could see getting into in this album, they've got that solid new wave/dance-rock feel to them that I could see being something I would enjoy out and about. However, the album seemed to get aggressively more British with each track, and not in a good way. We're talking the most annoying acts from Britpop assuredly took influence from this album, and didn't realize that iconic whine was something that is grating on the ears. Some of the instrumentals are fine, its all very fine, but after a while it just was all blending into the same thing, with little to make it stick out.

Siamese Dream

The Smashing Pumpkins

3/5

I'm disappointed to say this, thinking I was a fan of the Smashing Pumpkins after Mellon Collie, but I found this to just be alright. There isn't as much variety in this album, and it leads to a lot of songs that feel like the stereotypical image of "alternative rock" were it to be formed as one, singular album. There are great things here, stuff I already know, such as the hits which are stellar, but I felt much of the rest of the album often had a decent hook, but felt aimless by the end, or just feels like a lesser take on one of the singles from the album, and it makes it so I can't help but feel this project is bloated. On the bright side, again, those hits are fantastic, and the instrumentation is great, it just feels like its missing something that made Mellon Collie special. Perhaps I shouldn't be comparing them, but its hard not to, because this pales in comparison.

Garbage

4/5

I've always, with my limited knowledge of the band, lumped Garbage into those bands that are associated with grunge even though they aren't, and I think listening to a whole album of it breaks that stigma for better and worse. Its certainly got a unique style that's a mix of the angst of the 90s with the more laid back approach of trip hop, all with this alternative rock undertones, and it certainly gives it its own vibe, but it also leads to a lot of the tracks feeling confused as to what they want to be, rather it being angry yet seductive, or bored rebellious, it all gives a feeling of trying to emulate many of the greats from the time, and while it certainly stands on its own in parts (especially on the tracks you'd least expect, rather than the hits) it also feels confused. Her voice is great, however, and I really like some of the effects they messed with here. It breathes fresh air into a genre that was stsrting to be consumed by more and more just trying to emulate the style for a quick buck, but I think a more focused approach could do wonders for this album. I did really enjoy what I did like, though, and thats always pleasant.

Rock Bottom

Robert Wyatt

5/5

This isn't your average progressive album, as instead of powerful hooks, entrancing guitar solos, and storylines to give Hollywood a run for its money, you instead get a skittish British man seemingly rambling over jazz-y rock, with this weirdly beautiful dread consuming the air as you listen to it. However, this change of pace is completely welcome, in my opinion. The haunting atmosphere that is formed from the manic piano, and alien synths give it this otherworldly feeling, but whenever Robert Wyatt starts singing, in which you can assuredly tell he is looking at his shoes whilst seeing, too nervous to look you in the eye, it all becomes too close to home. You feel nervous, anxious even, but the songs always relieve you of this feeling with these transcendent key changes that are always gorgeous and breath-taking, and the off-tone pianos become angels in a choir, and the space-age synths feel Heaven sent, and I can feel put together again, and truly say this is one of the greatest albums I've ever listened to.

Live!

Fela Kuti

2/5

I struggle to understand the appeal of anything I've heard by Fela Kuti and friends. It tries too hard to be dun, dance-y music and instead becomes repetitive down to the "one more time" being said far more than once. Is the musicianship quality? Sure, and I can recognize some good little moments in there, but when you're rocking four tracks that almost all exceed ten minutes, you need more than a solid lick or two to get me invested. Perhaps this was a party-and-a-half in the moment, but on wax it just feels like a man yelling at you for not enjoying his music enough.

It's Blitz!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4/5

I sometimes get the feeling that if I heard most of the mainstream, electropop music from the era this album released, then I would've liked it a lot more than I did at the time, because this whole album has the same vibe as that dance heavy, bass-y synth sound that every pop singer wanted to jump on in the early 2010s, but here, perhaps due to not hearing every track as its own single, I appreciate the songs here a lot more, despite it being tonally similar to those songs. I mean, its not like this album didn't have mainstream hits, but I heard songs like Head Will Roll just enough to be intrigued before it disappeared, rather than hearing it for the whole decade because the charts fail to have radio-friendly hits, before radio itself became obsolete. Any way, this album gives off that mainstream pop vibe, but like hearing it all for the first time. You don't have to hear it again if you don't want to, but very few pop songs are that bad if you don't subject yourself to overplaying, and this album embodies that feeling in my opinion.

Olympia 64

Jacques Brel

3/5

There is certainly a language barrier for someone like myself who only speaks English, and you can almost certainly tell that with any of these French albums. They just have this feeling towards them where I know I'm missing something lyrically, and its my fault. However, I feel music is music, and the music part should carry still, and this one only kind of does. His voice can be powerful, and some of the instrumentation is nice, the horns remind me Sgt. Pepper, but it feels very repetitive even in its short runtime, and that language barrier really is killer, but perhaps I should give it the benefit of the doubt? There's no way its another French album about diddling kids, right? Then again, perhaps I should be moved by the music enough to find out what he's singing, and I'm not. So, mixed feelings on this one.

Two Dancers

Wild Beasts

5/5

God, that voice is lovely. I understand people not liking androgynous vocals sometimes, but this is like a mix of the lows and highs of famous androgynous artists all rolled into one voice, and it hooks you pretty quickly. That being said, I did check out the first run of this album, so I thought the album was repetitive and could use some more change-ups. However, I decided to re-listen to a good chunk of the tracks and... I love it even more! Sure, the production is very of its era, but you come to appreciate the little, danceable intricacies, and that voice just gets more stellar! Its a very relaxed album, but it still has that persistent drumming to drive you tapping your foot, bobbing your head, and having a good time. I just find this to be an incredibly solid release, and a re-listen only solidified it. Man, that voice, so pretty.

Trout Mask Replica

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

3/5

I'm genuinely at a loss for words. I mean, I've known for a while now the mysticism of this album, and all the oddities (putting it lightly) that come with it, but I don't think I've ever been so taken aback by an entire album. I've dabbled in the avant-garde, and it hardly ever ends well, but I still went into this with pretty blank expectations for the sake of my sanity. However, this is appalling, yet appealing, like a car crash you can't look away from, even though you really want to. I spent the majority of this album with my head in hands, trying to live through the utter lack of cohesion or basic enjoyability, and at eighty minutes, that's difficult, but my brain seemed determined to find something I liked here: "Oh, that guitar lick was nice," or, "wow, this drumming is such an odd time signature," but yet I was ready to tap out at nearly every moment. I understand this album is the complete antithesis of all other music, but I just can't listen to this like you would look at an abstract painting, it defies music itself for me, and my brain genuinely does not know how to react to it. It is not enjoyable, it is not catchy, nothing here is music to me. Yet, I don't hate it. As I said, I hear a lick here, a still solid song here, and it makes me realize that despite defying music itself, it has those charming moments that some albums trying to be the pinnacle of music making fail to have, and I feel that makes this album somehow even better, despite being one of the worst albums I've ever heard. Its too long, many of the tracks are unlistenable, but as an album perhaps one day, I too can join the ranks of those who understand the "art" of this album. For now, it sits somewhere in the middle for me, as it represents the back-and-forth I had whilst listening. I will note the album is kind of funny at moments, as when I remembered to tune into the lyrics I'd get such wacky, zany shit that I can't help but appreciate it in that aspect.

Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter

3/5

I don't know about this one, I feel like I didn't retain anything I listened to for the entirety of this album, even the stuff I liked, and that leaves me with this awkward feeling where it feels like I can't really give the album a fair shake if I hardly have anything to talk about, but I highly doubt another listen or two will change my utter lack of views I had on this album. I liked when it stopped being so lethargic, as it didn't feel ethereal enough to live up to the dream pop style, nor noisy to be a solid shoegaze record. That all being said, I think I enjoyed listening to it? It wasn't boring, and I was generally pretty alright with the music playing. It feels like the perfect record to enjoy in the background of something else, or a nice car ride with another person, but I hardly find this essential. Just a decent time.

Vespertine

Björk

5/5

An album that not only exudes its love lyrically, but becomes the pinnacle of this feeling of feeling safe in one's arm via the mixture of strings that make you swoon and synths that make you feel as though you are lifting off, all perfectly illustrated by the album cover. Its sensual, its personal, its even got this tinge of sadness in its coldness, but its the type of freezing that makes you excited for the fireside, window view of falling snow with the love of your love. Every part of this makes me feel an emotion that it captures perfectly. Similar to Radiohead's Kid A, Bjork is so ahead of her contemporaries, that this still sounds light years ahead of any music being created now, and is really its own thing. Sure, perhaps it blends at points, but isn't that what you want out of this sort of album? To be infused with it, rather than a bystander, you are feeling the pure and utter love that Bjork has for her partner, and whilst that tinge of sadness only grows stronger with the knowledge that Vulnicura is about the very person this album is about, but in the moment this is bliss incarnate.

Paris 1919

John Cale

4/5

I very melancholic experience, where every song has this tinge of sadness to it, despite often being mainly very pretty and touching, both lyrically and tonally, but it still feels as though there's this effect that makes one feel a sense of longing, perhaps nostalgic, and I genuinely think its impressive how well the album makes you feel that way. Even the songs I'm not as much of a fan of, such as the country-twange-esque ones, capture this feeling like no other, and it really makes one wonder how Lou Reed was able to catapult into stardom, whilst Cale fadded from the public psyche, because I'm sure, had this album been known better, that this would've been oh so popular in today's world.

Exit Planet Dust

The Chemical Brothers

2/5

A very boring electronic album, and I'm starting to get the feeling that's the story for every big beat album. They all just give off the same vibe of not being interesting enough to make it in today's musical economy, not when so many songs have advanced so far past this, and while context when reviewing a piece of music is important, this still fails to interest me any way. There's something to hook you in at the beginning, and the use of actual lyrics at the end helps again, but between that just feels like you're getting the same information over and over until its finally over. It sprinkles good moments throughout, but hardly enough for me to imagine this actually being danceable at any point in time. Racing music at its finest. Nothing more or less.

Fifth Dimension

The Byrds

3/5

This album feels sort of like if Simon & Garfunkel decided to hire a bunch of musicians to do whatever they liked overtop their harmonies, and I mean that in a good way, but also that it could be better. There's weird, psychedelia infused guitars mixed with space-y effects that feel like Psychedelic rock is finally coming into its own, but while that makes the overall calmer lyrics more of a novelty than anything, it does feel weird to have tracks stating the usual "gonna kill my wife for cheating on me" lyrics while someone goes ham on the strings. It works sometimes, while other times it doesn't. I think Beatles were mastering the craft already at this point, and the Byrds just didn't want to let go so they could really launch into the stratosphere here, instead they still seem to orbit Earth. Still, for 1966, its out of this world.

Arrival

ABBA

5/5

As someone who has gone through ABBA's whole discography (for some reason) I have severely underrated this album. It used to be an issue where I thought only of this album as the Dancing Queen album with some super underrated tracks like Dum Dum Diddle and Tiger, while most of it was forgettable, and while I still kind of think some of the tracks due have this forgettable quality to them, the album as a whole is top notch. The bass playing is on point, the vocals are strong throughout, and the whole thing oozes that pop charisma the band is known for whilst hardly ever slowing down, save for a single ballad that has good, slowed down grooves to ensure you never stop jamming. Sure, the ending is a little unnecessary, and there are still iffy moments, but as a whole this is an album I really should have appreciated more years ago, because this is nonstop heat, in that ABBA only kind of way.

Billion Dollar Babies

Alice Cooper

4/5

I suppose we're having a "I already listened to this" sort of week, although unlike ABBA, this one stays in the same place it started for me. It is certainly Alice Cooper as a band's best album, but the album suffers from forgettable tracks all throughout, and while some of the most iconic from the band's career spawn from here, it really suffers from those boring tracks. That being said, I love when this album ditches the rock n roll sensibilities and goes for a more theatrical approach, it was what Alice Cooper (the person) was born to do, and fits the creepy style far more in my eyes than boring Who-like guitar solos. I do sound like I hate this album, but there is plenty to like: the lyrics still generally hold up, and the whole album has this feeling to it like it was so immaculately planned that there are no flaws to see. It feels all born with a purpose of being on this record, which is interesting considering Elected I believe was a couple years old at this point. A good album, but Alice Cooper's solo work was always his best (and worst) material, and this only sits somewhere in the middle of it all. Scraping by with its score here.

New York Dolls

2/5

When looking at the genres for this album, you may expect something closer to David Bowie, perhaps The Stooges, or maybe even KISS. What I was not expecting was the Rolling Stones performed by another band. Obviously these are all original tracks, but everything exudes the same energy as the rock 'n' roll tracks you'll find on Exile on Main St, with very little to make it feel like its own thing, save for a lyric or two being a bit more eclectic comparatively. It leads to an album that I'm sure is fun for that roots rock approach with a tinge of punk mentality, but in my eyes it is an album with a poor singer (and not gruff; poor) and songs that tend to drag, which the album itself does. There are times where it decides to be more appealing and take a momentary break from the electric guitar, but then the before mentioned vocals kill it for me. At best, you're listening to something that would probably be more fun to actually perform than listen to, so boot up that copy of Rock Band and go at it, I guess. I'll sit this session out, you have fun.

Bug

Dinosaur Jr.

4/5

An album that feels as though it is teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown throughout its runtime, we start with a song that is rather pleasant, almost noise-pop rather than rock, with an almost dance-y quality to it, like a mid-era Sonic Youth song, yet by the end of the album it feels like the band finally starts to snap, and you get screaming with harsh yet catchy guitars and some great drumming, and it all fits into this package of music that I live for. I love the catchy qualities, the noisy qualities, and all in-between. It does at points start to lose some meaning, becoming music that comes in one ear and out the other, but it is certainly worth your time as a record when you are at your highest and lowest.

Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan

4/5

Nearly a decade after Blonde On Blonde, one would figure that Bob Dylan would start to slip as a songwriter, and would not even touch the greatness that was his mid-60s album run, and while this is technically true, I can't imagine anything topping Blonde on Blonde for me, this does attempt to get pretty close, which is impressive for an artist fifteen years into their professional career. This album contains the type of "white guy with guitar" shtick that I actually enjoy; introspective lyrics, soulful guitar playing, and sometimes another couple of instruments in there to really bring the point home. The more blues-folk-rock tracks near the middle do disrupt the album in a way in which it doesn't really recover, but that A side really does the trick at being a solid showing when for most artists this would be the peak of their careers. This, however, just comes off as a good, but otherwise inoffensive part of Dylan's career.

Gasoline Alley

Rod Stewart

2/5

This is non-music to me, with that roots rock blues that go in one year and out the other, with no in-between. I can recognize instruments, singing, even lyrics, but to me this is the bare minimum in which music can be. Stewart's voice is that high pitched gruffness that you find a lot in music like this, but otherwise it is completely unnotable to me as a record. No bad moments (save for his voice in the beginning when you're getting used to it) but certainly no good moments, and isn't that a worse offense than something being so bad its entertaining? Maybe so.

Safe As Milk

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

2/5

I was not expecting to think this lesser than the listenable case of Stockholm Syndrome that is Trout Mask Replica, but this album is far more dull than anything that album came up with. Replacing odd time signatures and recognizably talented instrumentation is boring bluesy rock 'n' roll with a singer who doesn't have a great voice, and nothing more. There isn't anything overtly ironic about this record compared to Frank Zappa's band at the time, and even if there us I'm not picking up on it. This record is probably a solid enough time if you follow the garage rock scene from the era, but this feels more like "predictable as milk."

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean

4/5

R&B has always been a very hit or his genre for me, with greats like Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder being masters of not only their craft, but tend to run circles around others, whilst groups in the 90s tend to annoy me at best, be some of the worst music I've heard at worst. When we get to the modern era of R&B, however, I'll admit I'm very in the dark. I mean, I know artists like Drake hit those mainstream checkmarks to count as a R&B artist, and there are smaller cases of stuff I know, but it is assuredly a blind spot in my music taste. So, here comes Frank Ocean to open up that horizon a bit more for me. Now, I obviously know of Frank Ocean (although I'll admit I didn't know the difference between him and Billy Ocean at first) but I had literally never heard a single track by him, other than a meme video parodying it back in the Vine days, so this was a new experience. However, I knew the modern classic that is Blonde existed, and plan to listen to it very soon, but I knew very little about this release. Frank Ocean with this single album, though, has completely opened my eyes to one of my blindspots. That's not to say I now know every little thing on the genre; Hell, this is technically "alternative," so it could very well not represent the genre at all, but at the very least this release puts into perspective a big portion of music I've been sleeping on, and I hope to correct that soon. The instrumentation is catchy and funky whilst still oozing you into the groove, no drugs needed, and can allow any emotion to seep into the music without much issue. Ocean's lyrics are also very poignant, reflecting on moments that are easy to relate to whilst still having a deep sense of personal feeling sfrom him himself. Every feature also fits into the album perfectly, never being overused to make up for what may be lacking elsewhere. It is a very cohesive project that is extremely good at its own art. Not every track is something worth going crazy over, and I do think that is the biggest flaw here, is variation. There is plenty of changes in tempo and subject matter, but it all feels like one coat of paint, and that would be great on a shorter record, but at almost an hour long, things can wear thin in seemingly random places. The amount of interludes feel unnecessary, and it can sometimes feel like the same style of track get thrown back-to-back, rather than being spaced out, leading to awkward pacing, but when this album gets it right, it really nails it. If there's one thing this album does for me, its that it gets me hyped for Blonde better than any one figure's word of mouth does, and I'll be looking into listening to that record in the coming days. Until then, this was a solid venture into unknown territory.

The Colour Of Spring

Talk Talk

2/5

Well, this is honestly kind of deflating. I was hoping for my first experience with Talk Talk to be some major, life-changing experience where I opened my eyes to the Joy Division of the late 80s, but this is very dull. Every song has the same production issues that I have with most late 80s album, and while this feels a lot more genuine, often using real instruments, it still has this hint of mainstream appeal that cannot be shaken off. I don't inherently have anything wrong with that, but then I feel it at least has to be catchy, something to grab my attention, and this certainly isn't. Everything flies by and drags at the same time, and never is it a moment to remember one way or another. I'd perhaps look for solace within the lyrics, but they feel unintelligible most of the time, and when I can tune in, they seem repetitive and its hard to discern any meaning behind them. I really am broken up about not liking this, but this album really feels like a colors on the cover, various shades of a muted brown-ish tan, and not much more. There's no vibrancy, no reason to excite, nor any dark colors to bathe yourself in. Its just, there.

Don't Stand Me Down

Dexys Midnight Runners

2/5

This comes off as a joke more than anything, especially if you've listened to thier prior album(s). Its as if they were spooked by the overwhelming success of Come On Eileen and decided that fame was not for them, and did everything in their power to ensure they did not have a successful follow-up. That all culminates in an album that shows signs of the same fun found before; there's great violin work here, and when it does decide to pick up its feet, it can be just as fun, even if that fun is packed into a needlessly long track. However, even if they are in on the joke of the silliness of being a down-tempo, almost country-like band, that doesn't mean its all that funny. His voice seems worse here for no real reason, and the amount of rambling is insane. You could cut this album down a solid ten minutes were we to remove the talking bits, and him singing doesn't tend to feel all that more strenuous. Overall its just a huge step down, and as someone who for some reason has listened to some of their most recent albums, this "joke" seems like its what they really wanted to do, and good for them, I guess, but I understand why this didn't take off.

Scream, Dracula, Scream

Rocket From The Crypt

2/5

This is just bland, with any interesting influence from the singer being in Drive Like Jehu only being viewed through some decent guitar licks and perhaps a lyric or two. Otherwise, its hard not to see this as anything more than a predecessor to groups like Bowling for Soup and other pseudo-pop-punk outfits. Its harmless most of the time (although his voice can be rough) and the addition of horns reminds me of Alice Cooper more than anything, but this is nothing special, and would fail to stand out in a line-up of other garage rock groups from the time.

The Rolling Stones

1/5

This is an infuriating experience, although not one where I'm begging for it to end, or checking out halfway through. Instead, it is an album that causes anger due to utter lack of intrigue. Perhaps over across the pond bluesy rock 'n' roll was a novelty, and this made the snarling grip of it finally take hold on the British populous, but from a US state of mind, and for that matter a modern set of ears, this is just dull, repetitive blues rock with nothing there. The same guitar riffs are used two or more times on the album, it never has any variation so that you'll remember the songs, and it almost feels like a science with how generic it is. Perhaps it isn't, and this is utterly shocking for 1964, but I know for a fact that blues was not invented by five British white guys, and there is no reason to check this out if you have any experience with the history of the genre. Even as someone who doesn't like blues, this felt like a lower low for the genre than usual, and the lack of anything original does not help that cause. I'm sure this is interesting to see if you're a Rolling Stones fan, and I know it helped open up some of Europe to blues rock, but sixty years later this is a blemish more than something to present with honor. Best part of the whole thing is the album cover; I'll give them that, Rolling Stones make a good album cover more often than they don't.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon

3/5

YouTuber Elliot Roberts once called this "the first grunge album," and while I don't think that is the most apt title, the amount of honesty and anger pouring out of this album is rivaled by almost no other record from the time. John Lennon seems at his most visceral of any point in his music career, with more guttural screams than you can shake a Midwest emo band at, and lyrics like "I don't believe in Beatles" to really show that he is done with it all. It truly feels like a personal project more than an album for the common man to hear, and I imagine in 1970 that was shocking for many Beatles fans ready to follow John anywhere after Paul """broke up the Beatles.""" However, despite this thrilling deep dive into the mind of perhaps one of the more misunderstood persons in popular music, there are flaws here. The album feels like it tends to ride on the trauma epicenter of it all, and it can lead to barren tracks that are just not enjoyable to listen to. Sure, that makes an exciting first listen, but it does not encourage repeat visits, and can make some of the songs very forgettable musically, despite the enthralling lyrics. Due to this, the album feels like it doesn't earn that magnum opus status that tends to be lauded upon it, with John's usual musical know-how seemingly lacking without a backbone like Paul to reel him in. Its a picture of a broken man with a lot more on his mind then it felt he let on whilst in the Beatles, but as a musical journey the music does not add much. Still, a decent romp, especially for a first listen.

Electric Warrior

T. Rex

4/5

I've always got to give credit to the creators of glam rock, as while some of my favorite bands and singers, such as Sparks and David Bowie, would still exist, they would not be the same without Marc Bolan and co.'s influence, and show how good they are making one of the best record's in the genre very early into its lifetime. However, I do think some flaws with the album peek their head in as the album can feel sort of repetitive, and I think it tends to be too mellow, never really exploding into something that forces you to listen like most glam albums. Its sensual, but never makes its move, y'know? This is still a great time though, its smooth, Bolan's voice is fantastic, and there are some certifiably amazing songs in this one record to make it a worthwhile listen.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

2/5

An album that you don't expect to be standable for those not really into the genre, but is overall an easy, albeit tedious, listen with moments of quality sprinkled into something that is just too long for its own good. The best parts were when they were all talking because it was far more interesting than the equivalent of your grandma going through the hymn book on her piano while you sit there, uninterested, but too afraid to leave. At first I liked the instrumental tracks the most, but putting as many in a row as they did left it feeling tired and repetitive. Again, easy listen, but not worth the time spent.

Leftism

Leftfield

1/5

Usually the thing that saves these sorts of "choose your car!' 90s albums for me is the vocal performances, as they usually have one or two tracks that save the album from complete monotony, despite all of their insistent needs to be over an hour long. Not this album though, all the vocal performances are so dull, or even straight up suck, and it makes every song suffer when they are there. It doesn't mean the instrumental tracks are much better. They're just as forgettable and robotic as every other house album from the decade. It just all feels so cold, not in the good way, and I fail to have a single thought worth writing here as I listen. Its all just so tedious, and when you've listened to quite a few of these now, it really makes the whole genre look worse.

Teenager Of The Year

Frank Black

3/5

The CD era really was a terrible time for concise, solid throughout albums, instead opting for throwing everything in the artist could that would fit on a disc, and it leads to albums like Teenager of the Year. Frank Black has some solid ideas here, with that signature feeling of Pixies throughout, but it feels like something is missing. What's missing, of course, is the rest of the band, but also those intricate decisions of what songs were deemed worthy of an album are gone, instead allowing for far too many tracks on an album that could be cut down to 1/3 of its size and be better for it. There's good playing, good song-writing, and strong enough melodies to be found on the whole project, but after an hour it all starts to feel the same, with little to help it stand out.

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

3/5

My family has always hated Pink Floyd for just being "noise with no substance," and after hearing Wish You Were Here (the album) I thought they were crazy. However, I'm wondering if they only ever heard this album, because this feels a lot less special. Songs seem to drag and have long introductions for little reason, and while the song topics are intriguing, its hard to take them seriously when you remember that basically the whole plot of the album is "sympathy for the ultra famous musicians," or at least that's what I took away from it. Obviously Syd Barrett is excluded here, but it just feels a bit too much like the band is tooting their own horn here. Its more nuanced than that, but it doesn't feel like it. I also feel that the guest singer on a few of the tracks is extremely cheesy, and ruins the experiences she's on. Its not ethereal to hear her singing, it's jarring. Otherwise, you know why this album is good. Great instrumentals, iconic status to the point of everyone knowing the album cover, in which only a couple bands have achieved that, and there are good tracks here, such as Time and Money, it just feels too self-indulgent to be anything revolutionary for me, and in comparison to some of their work before and after this, I don't fully understand why this is THE Pink Floyd album.

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Dead Kennedys

4/5

While it suffers from the same issues as most punk albums, that being extremely repetitive, it also has plenty to stand out against its other famous punk acts. Not only are Jello Biafra's vocals iconic, charming, and really suits the lyrics that are coated in so much irony they feel more earnest than any other punk act, and the alien-like guitar playing lends itself well to it all. Songs blend, but you're never gonna feel like resting while listening to this, instead you're gonna feel like causing havoc, and other iconic punk acts from the time can't say that, I feel.

System Of A Down

5/5

I've considered myself a System of a Down fan for quite some time now, but I have then realization every now and then that the only two albums by them I've properly listened to are Hypnotize and Mesmerize, which I know aren't exactly the two big ones. Luckily today I can finally change that by listening to their debut, and quite a debut it is! I'm normally more down for their more out there stuff found on the later records, instead of this heavier, nu-metal influenced sound, and I'll also say I'm missing Daron Malakian's voice, but otherwise this album makes up for all of that by just being an incredible metal album. Every note feels purposeful, rather than just being technical noise with no melodic qualities, and the more the album went on the more I found myself absolutely enveloping into the rawness of each yell and silly little scream produced here. Its powerful, while still having a lot to say, and while the album is perhaps not as memorable as those hit tracks as their career goes on, in the moment of this record playing I don't care, as it is just so gut punch-y. It never annoys, it never is a bore, and its pure, avant-garde, bliss, in the heaviest of ways.

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

Mudhoney

4/5

I wish the audio quality of the album was better, as I feel many of the tracks would benefit from a heavier sound that blows your socks off, and instead it feels like you're just listening to a band off in the distance. Still, what can be salvaged is usually pretty good, with some great parts sprinkled in to keep the listener interested. Sometimes it gets a little too punk flavored for my blood, but there are great, juicy bits of grunge to snack on throughout, and including instruments like the organ and harmonica help it stand out. Its nothing awe inspiring, but I enjoyed my time listening to this.

The Modern Dance

Pere Ubu

3/5

First impressions of Pere Ubu's first outing may make you think they lean more "punk" in the post-punk realm, especially due to David Thomas' vocal inflection, yet as the album goes on it opens up a bit, and you start to get that more dreary sound associated with many a post-punk album; stir in a woeful saxophone and some waxing poetic lyrics like reading off the random items in the room with the band, and you've got yourself a 70s art punk stew. It has its moments of greatness, such as the before mentioned sax and some great out-there moments that channel David Byrne more than anything, however it often misses the mark in the melodies department, in which I often struggle to remember a single tune after its over, and as the album gets more and more formless over time, the issue only grows more with it. You'll always be entertained by the record, and at a brisk thirty-seven minutes some experimentation is more than appreciated, but one has to wonder why to choose this over any other post-punk band for their needs, and it doesn't make an argument, just tries to please you while you're there, then send you on your way. Like a stew, its filling, but never a main course if you can help it.

Stephen Stills

2/5

An utter chore of an album to listen to, with music that your dad and grandfather can agree is good, but in a way that isn't a good thing, rather only scares you. It bores me to tears at most points, and is only saved by some good instrumentation and a decent down tempo track at the halfway point, that reeled in me just enough to not despise my time here. I respect if you like this, because you must see something I don't, as all I hear is music that is too safe musically, and often times questionable lyrically.

Giant Steps

The Boo Radleys

3/5

The CD era takes yet another victim with an album that has every right to be a solid albeit forgettable indie album in the forty minute range, and instead drags it out another twenty-five minutes, killing any and all momentum found at the start of the second, and only finding its footing when its too late and the album has turned into a throbbing lump of 90s, with nothing to set it apart. Saving this one from going off the deep end for me particularly is that it would be solid on a song by song basis, and that final track, while derivative of its era, is very solid and catchy; a solid homage to the Beatles, better than anything Oasis ever did, any way. I really wanted to like it, but halfway through I just gave up. No one track is bad here, it just struggles to earn its length, and left me disappointed more than upset.

G. Love And Special Sauce

G. Love & Special Sauce

3/5

Similar to acts like Sublime or even at times the White Stripes, this album is an inoffensive take an a niche sub-genre of blues rock that feels more trip-hop than blues, with repetitive beats and a rap-like flow to the singing to ensure even the least interested listener is bobbing their head. However, this album here leaves a lot to be desired in an already aged genre, as the CD era strikes again and takes this decent twenty minute concept of an album and stretches it to nearly an hour, with no variation to warrant the time spent. You won't hate your time here, but you'll most likely not gain anything either.

Toys In The Attic

Aerosmith

2/5

This is as generic as you can get for what many would call "classic rock," and while usually that would stand to mean inoffensive, I do find this album grates on you as time goes on. To be fair, I have a negative Aerosmith bias, so I already wasn't looking forward to it, but so many lyrics here are that creepy, cheesy, and sleazy suaveness that makes my skin crawl, and while vocally the album is competent, it still isn't anything groundbreaking. The only saving grace for me is the instrumentation, which is extremely solid, and leaves to some really catchy moments, were Steven Tyler not squealing over them. It isn't a bad album, but it feels just safe enough to be disingenuous, and songs like Big Ten Inch Record don't help that claim. Oh well, its fine, I guess.

Playing With Fire

Spacemen 3

2/5

This is a very noisy album, especially as it goes on, and while now I'm more accustomed to albums attempting to destroy my ear drums for better or worse, I'm glad I did not listen to this record back when I first heard of it a year or two back, as I would have been ill prepared, and taken it on this album. However, that isn't to say this record is good, in fact I'd say its still a hard listen, but not for the noise, rather because it can be painfully mediocre. Songs constantly have really good ideas that seem to never go anywhere, and stretch things out to ungodly lengths for the sake of what I assume is art. I'm all for noise, but my favorite part of noise is those little melodic beats you can still pick up in all the chaos, and this album lacks that for the most part. There will be a part here, a part there, and sometimes the album mellows out enough to be boring yet enjoyable, but when it desides to yell at you, it'll do it for what feels like dozens of minutes at a time. I respect the space-y quality of it all, and for 1989 there are aspects here that feel ahead of its time, but otherwise its a slog that I can only imagine is too droning to be catchy, but too pop-y to have a life changing experience in the dark of the night. It just exists more than anything, and that hurts it greatly.

Here Are the Sonics

The Sonics

2/5

I was actually surprised by the ferocity of this record at first, with the opening track really feeling like the pinnacle of "proto-punk" and while it wasn't really my thing, I could respect it. However, that feeling was quickly subdued by the rest of the track listing just being rock 'n' roll standards performed with a blown out speaker. The energy is there, but there's no balance present on the record, going as fast as you could for 1965, but I feel it just causes the album to be dated and repetitive, as for most of the tracks all I can think is "Oh, the Beatles did this, but those are their worst tracks," and while I know that isn't fair to the Sonics, it doesn't help to know that this was basically made obsolete by the wave of rock coming in the late 1960s, and by the time punk was emerging, the Stooges seems like the more obvious influence. This just feels like Jerry Lee Lewis on steroids, and at the end of the day that's still boring rock 'n' roll, even if it is raw for 1965, it doesn't feel it holds much prevalence today. Its okay at points, but hardly feels essential, and that scream he does on every track can be grating very quickly. Check it out for punk origins or if you like simple rock 'n' roll classics, otherwise don't bother.

The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails

3/5

Man, the synths and bass riffs on this album are DIRTY. Like, they're sick as well, and were this album completely instrumental, I could see myself liking this a whole lot more, as it has so many cool sounds, especially for 1994. However, my issues with this album lie in the angst of it all. If you like that sort of thing, that's awesome, I can dig some anger every now and then, but at over an hour long, this album tends to go from cheesy lyrics to just being a bit dull by the end, and while Trent Reznor is certainly the mastermind behind this album, instrumentals and all, I still think his singing is more cringeworthy than piercing, and it leads to a lot of awkward moments, I feel. However, when this album sucks you in, dear lord is it surprisingly funky, and that mood, which is more prevelant in the first half, really skyrockets the album for me from the depths of "ew" to a more understandable "oh, okay!" I can totally see why one would consider this one of the best albums of all time, just a little too much 90s-ness for me.

The Idiot

Iggy Pop

4/5

The intro had me worried that I'd be thinking more of Kraftwerk than Bowie whilst listening, but by the middle of the album I was very much enjoying myself, and by the end I would consider this an extremely solid album, full of those long, dreary songs that I tend to love, and this oppressing atmosphere that I believe only David Bowie's production could pull off so well for another artist. Do I admittedly believe this album would be all the better were Bowie singing here, and at the end of the day is it more Bowie than Iggy? Perhaps, but that isn't to discredit Iggy Pop, because I believe his lyrical additions suit the music well, and give it this of punkiness that I think others would struggle to grasp. In that way it feels like a remix album of Stooges songs, where someone with killer production skills completely flipped Stooges songs on their head, and I think that really works in its favor. I still don't think too much of those first two tracks, and on a short album that can really kill it, but the rest of the album is top notch stuff. Could see this being a higher score someday, for sure.

Let It Bleed

The Rolling Stones

2/5

I'm almost 100% sure that the reason the Rolling Stones are so big in the United States compared to other British bands from the time (save for maybe the Who) due to their insistent need to make themselves "countey," that way it appeals to all those with an affection for country rock. Now, admittedly, Rolling Stones are better at it than the average country rock group, but as someone who can't stand the genre most of the time, this isn't that much better. Mick Jagger's voice never is pleasing on the ears, and a lot of the tracks here can blend together, despite being pretty varying in sound. It also has lyrics here that feel questionable at best, such as "We all need someone to cream on," which just left me feeling awkward. Rolling Stones at thie point seems to have completely abandoned any sort of psychedelic influence by this point, which is a real shame because their best tracks came from a mixture of bluesy rock and that era's brand of psychedelics, see Paint It Black. It leads to this album being a really sobering experience compared to its contemporaries, and in an era of so much experimentation, this feels too safe to be all that special. I get why it has its fans, especially for those who grew up with it, but for a more modern set of eyes, I'd question choosing Rolling Stones over any of their British Invasion siblings, and this album is the perfect example as to why.

Jazz Samba

Stan Getz

3/5

Jazz Samba is smooth, its classy, it feels like living a day in stereotypical 1950s/1960s new age corporate North America, but it also lacks something. It is great as a coherent record you slap on in the background of your day-to-day life, ignoring the music itself, but even diving deeper for a moment you'll kind to find there isn't much there. Its elevator music, and while I like my fair share of what many call "muzak," this needs more layers than it presents to be anything that'll stick with me. Its a pleasant time whilst listening, but I doubt I'll remember the music itself much longer. I'll take the beautiful vocals of the Gilberto's any day.

Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin

4/5

It's amazing how quickly Led Zeppelin turned around and put out another record in the same year with an even stronger track listing than its predecessor. It's not unheard of, but its just rare enough to be impressive, and considering there's some great tracks here, you can tell they were having a creative overflow. The album itself is extremely solid, with great, memorable riffs, a solid thumping beat, and bluesy guitar just rocking enough to not be repetitive and therefore, dull. The album loses its momentum as it goes on, and could stand to cut off a few tracks (although you can tell Moby Dick was purely made to be a live track that would go on for ages) but otherwise this is an album where you can only see the upwards trajectory the band was headed in.

Red Dirt Girl

Emmylou Harris

1/5

An utterly boring album that drags on for far too long, with melodies that would make a Christian pop radio station blush, and the lyrical content isn't too far behind. Its slow, but it isn't lush, it has layered production, but there is nothing dreamy about it. Just an utter waste of time, only really challenging to your grandparents. The CD era was a blight on the music industry.

Movies

Holger Czukay

5/5

What an incredibly cool and fun album! Its so charming and has some gorgeous moments that really are just awe inspiring. Most of it is just background music, but its really chill background music that I can easily sink my teeth into, and Holger Czukay's voice is a little silly, but overall really nice, making for a really great little jam thing with bits of greatness sprinkled in; enough so that I don't have anything but praise for this record. Really surprising, but a welcome surprise nonetheless.

Ace of Spades

Motörhead

2/5

I choose in my life to constantly make fun on the leading track, Ace of Spades, because Lemmy's voice is so unique its hard not to pay attention to that track. It wouldn't be a notable song without the delivery, but I understand that pulling people in. Lucky for those people, every single other song here is the exact same track but chopped up with different lyrics, some far more disgusting than others. Its fine in short bursts, but a whole album of it, even at only thirty minutes, can lead anyone to groaning every time a track starts and it sounds the exact same as the last one, two, three, etc, etc. I get why those looking for a pick me up would like the rough energy of this, but nearly everything about this has aged like milk, and it feels only like it passes due to the joy I feel singing "MY ASS IS GAY!" to the tune of "The ass of spades!" Its a cathartic experience, truly, and gives me some amount of pleasure, which I feel deserves it some indirect credit.

Drunk

Thundercat

4/5

A really fun album not afraid of being too blunt, nor too modern. It doesn't try to wax poetic, rather being blunt with things like anime, video games, and other "silly" things that may feel out of place in a soul album, but the record as a whole stands out more because of this. It helps that Thundercat isn't just throwing these things around, but rather using them in a way that feels just right for the tone at hand. Sometimes it can feel a tad internet-brained, in which I'd rather look for an artist like Jack Stauber to fill that void, but when it hits, it can be relatively dreamy more than anything. My only main flaw is its length versus its variety. Every song here is at least good, but tracks can blend together very easily, especially at the amount of them here, and it could've easily been trimmed down as a result, but otherwise this is a great time with some sleepy yet funky jams to get you rocking out in any mood. Quite enjoyed this, I feel only a record like this could pull Kenny Loggins and Kendrick Lamar back to back and do it well.

American Pie

Don McLean

4/5

I'm actually a tad shocked by this record, not only because I thought it would be all American Pie-esque tracks, when it was more so all Vincent-esque tracks, but because I found myself enjoying it pretty thoroughly, even American Pie, in all of its overplayed glory. It has some amazing sleeper hits on here, and even though there is some repeat tones that feel like Don McLean is copying off his own homework, when this recordtries boy does it try, with sweet little tracks aplenty, and even a Bob Dylan-esque track about ¾s of the way in that's pulled off pretty well. Its short and sweet, and I'm just impressed this bargain bin, at every record store in America-of a record is not only good, but I'd argue great.

Maverick A Strike

Finley Quaye

3/5

This album ended and I said aloud "Oh is that it?" I was so sure it was going to be dragging on for another three or so tracks, and I had completely tuned out from it at that point that it was the most surprising thing of the whole listen. The album is... fine? Its extremely safe, never venturing far from its obvious inspirations and stylings, save for a reversed guitar that feels tacky here more than anything, but its inoffensive. It can be okay background music, and as I said, despite rocking far too long of a runtime, it actually breezed by pretty quickly. Otherwise, there isn't much to say, and you can get better dub experiences elsewhere.

Suicide

3/5

I realize not every song out there has to be catchy. Hell, not every song has to necessarily be a "song," but it is always so jarring when something like that comes along, and its incredibly hard to adjust in a timely matter. Such is the case with much of this album, where any sort of normal song structure is thrown out for droning synths, sinister vocals, and an overall oppressive atmosphere. It works for a majority of the album, with its repetitive drive being oddly infectious, albeit many of the songs go on for too long, and I'd even say it has a melancholic feel to it at times, not unfamiliar to Velvet Underground fans. However, what seems to be considered the star of the show is Frankie Teardrop, and I mean that in any which way. Its a piece of avant-garde brutality, both on the mind and the ears. The piercing screams can cause even the most iron-willed listener to shiver, and... I hate it. I know its supposed to make me uncomfortable, but its downright a blight on an otherwise pretty decent record. Its too long, it comes out of nowhere, and in a modern age it doesn't come off as disturbing, rather edgy for the sake of nothing. Its the musical equivalent of a jumpscare, and in that aspect its memorable, but nothing to actually ponder, save for a throwaway line about there being a Frankie in all of us. The rest of the album is a synth-punk classic that earns its notoriety, but that single song bumps it down in such a way I can never see myself listening to this front to back again. Wish I could be enlightened enough to get it, but I'm not, and I really don't care to get there if that's what's awaiting me.

A Little Deeper

Ms. Dynamite

2/5

A very generic album, that feels like it was made to be a massive hit in its era, but that's just caused it to age like milk two decades later. It just reeks of the early 2000s, the vocal delivery, the beats, the song titles, they're all so cheesy, and while there are decent moments in here, the CD era still seems to think anyone wants to hear an hour long album with no reason to be that long. Its fine technically, and inoffensive for most of its runtime, but I was pretty tired by the ending song, and I can not pinpoint a moment that was worth listening to the album for. There are plenty of records to cover this style of hip-hop, and this one isn't one of them.

Want Two

Rufus Wainwright

5/5

This is one of the most gorgeous albums of all time. Rufus Wainwright's voice strikes the perfect balance between whine and perfect pitch to paint a truly hurt individual, which many of these songs needed to be perfectly executed. His piano playing, and all the instrumentation for that matter, is simple yet very effective, and there is such a beautiful amalgamation of pop and ballad that its easily very near the top of its class. Perhaps its a tad long, but its hard to argue that time is wasted, as every second in every song feels purposeful, and no song is dragged out more than needed, not even the nine minute finale. It just all feels so grand, and I can only assume Wainwright was going for that, and in that case he nailed it. Shame he's known for little outside of his Hallelujah cover, because this proves he has every right to stand amongst the greats from the time such as Jeff Buckley (which he pays a lovely tribute to) and Elliott Smith. I only wish this album was more beloved, as I fail to see how this isn't considered one of the greatest albums of the 2000s, because it is.

Our Aim Is To Satisfy

Red Snapper

3/5

I appreciate this album being far less poorly aged than a lot of other albums from the time, as it has a lot of effects that feel more graceful(?) than even effects from half a decade prior, and the slow leaning away from electronica near the end of the album makes it stand out all the more as a careful blend of genres. Its still relatively boring like a lot of its contemporaries, far too long, and the vocal tracks are just bad for the most part, but when this album lays its cards out it can be a good time. Just have to have a lot of patience to get there.

Eliminator

ZZ Top

2/5

This is about as generic as you can get when it comes to 70s rock, which is strange, because this came out in 1983... its certainly got the technical ability at times, but otherwise this sounds like nothing in particular for most of its run time, and I genuinely forgot I was listening to music until I looked down and realized I had four tracks left, all of which I could also tell you nothing about. Its fine, I guess? It has a quality to it that isn't as cheesy as the glam metal outfits that were starting to sprout at the time, nor are the synths used in a way to overshadow the main instrumentals, something groups like Van Halen failed to do, but still this album is incredibly dull. Sharp Dressed Man has a good hook and riff, but otherwise this is the kind of music people mean when they say they like "classic rock," and I don't mean that in a good way.

The Bones Of What You Believe

CHVRCHES

2/5

An album of its time, with the same production choices and vocal inflections that seemed to get every pop station itching for more of the same you could argue this era of music has permanently left a crack in the pop industry, one that didn't really start to heal until the last couple of years. It just feels like every song from 2013 sounded like this, and if it didn't, it was trying to. This specific attempt is inoffensive most of the time, with decent moments buried under what feels like heaps of overproduced beats and synths, only feeling especially eye-roll worthy when the male vocalist appears and it becomes a cheese fest. I know this era is trying to emulate the 80s in its design, but the 80s has a charm to it that this lacks, and I say that as someone who did not grow up in the 80s at all. That isn't to say all 80s music is free from the issues here, because its far from that, but nothing from this brand of synthpop seems to have that memorable quality to it, only leading to me asking if I know any of the music here, or if its just the flavor of the week. Anyway, I've gotten a tad off topic. There's some neat things near the end (although not that final track, yuck) with scratchy bass lines and neat soundscapes that I could see getting one pumped in the right mood, but otherwise I feel this earns its way as memories of a bygone era more than something to still listen to today, and if I'm talking like that about an album from only a decade ago, then who knows how poorly this could age in another ten years?

Scott 2

Scott Walker

5/5

I've listened to this album before, about a year-and-a-half ago when my parter listened to it, and I remember being caught off guard by its quality, but otherwise forgetting most of the album, with only one or two tracks making it into my regular shuffle. However, re-visiting this album all this time later, I've heard far more that is obviously inspired by this record, such as The Divine Comedy, and I've in turn fallen in love with this style of music. The amateur-ish yet insanely captivating vocals, the questionable yet charming lyrics, and God those strings! The whole ensemble of instruments on this record in general is flawless, and makes the album what it is. Most of the songs are covers, and I feel that does help Scott Walker's serious case of "Huh?" lyrics, and I'd happily swoon over this album time and time again if it were only to enjoy each orchestral sweep, dive, and peak. Its an album that somehow displays raw emotion whilst feeling cold and distant, and I think the idea of a crooner in the late 60s matches this feeling perfectly. The style is dying out, the art of music is moving on, and yet something about this simple baroque pop record leaves a massive impact on me. If this is what I have waiting for me with the rest of Walker's material, but even better, then sign me up.

Porcupine

Echo And The Bunnymen

4/5

This album had me nearly instantly hooked with its odd combination of high energy guitars, pulsing, danceable bass, and a neat inclusion of acoustic guitar to give it a more natural sound compared to its synth-y contemporaries, striking against a dreary atmosphere and that odd vocal delivery you can't help but tune in to. Its as if you're being forced to dance to something you'd never think to fance to, yet you can't help but have a good time. This feeling permeates throughout the A-side, into the B-side, but unfortunately does not stick the landing, with the energy and tempo slowing going down, but not shockingly enough to keep your attention, rather just kind of ween you off the record before its over, that way you aren't really dying for more, but you had a good time while it lasted. Really strong showing from a band I've had mixed feelings on, and while this album doesn't really have its own "Killing Moon," it tries damn hard, never settling for just one or two good tracks, and to that I applaud and appreciate it.

Chore of Enchantment

Giant Sand

4/5

As the album was still getting on its feet I was feeling as though this would be on the more dry side of alt-country; one that can be hard to sludge through without some endurance. However, the album picked up some speed a little bit in and stayed rather good throughout, with a lot of Neil Young influence to keep you entertained, and a surprise or two in the form of noisy tracks to keep you on your toes. As much from the era, its far too bloated, and I could see this being repetitive for some, as it does keep a general tone that can feel flat all in a row, but if you let the album take you places, its really good at being something rather pretty, and I'd even argue has some of that melancholic feel that Leonard Cohen presents, although its not as captivating lyrically as Cohen. Overall, a solid record that I'm glad I spent time listening to.

Sunshine Superman

Donovan

4/5

When looking back on Donovan in his heyday, its easy to draw comparisons between all of his contemporaries, and how they often rose above his output, to the point where his biggest namesake in the current day is a soda "probably" named after one of his songs, which to be fair, not many musicians can say, but you get what I mean. However, if you separate his work into its own bubble, there is quite a bit to enjoy. He's got an unconventional yet pretty voice, amateur-ish enough to feel genuine on most tracks, and his guitar playing is simple yet sweet, giving to a relaxing album to put on and enjoy in the background. I'll personally say that the hits here actually do very little for me, but the deep cuts are exactly what I'd want out of this era of folk, with great pop-production to make it feel mainstream without pulling out the roots, and a just solid theming throughout. It may be a tad stereotypical, but its still a nice time. Obviously this is no Bob Dylan, Tim Buckley, etc. etc, but on its own merits, this is a worthwhile addition to anyone's collection.

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

4/5

This album is an insane powerhouse of sampling and just pure confidence, but not in a way that comes off as smug, rather something more fun to be around that knows its hot shit and you agree. Nothing like this could be made today, and even if it was, it would cost millions to clear, and ain't no way there would be a whole song of Beatles samples. Despite it being a party album through-and-through, just like Licensed to Ill, it has a new sense of maturity to it that comes with the expert level production and flow of each verse that's shared so perfectly between Mike D, Ad Rock, and MCA that it doesn't have the choppiness issue many rap groups tend to have. Everything here is so professional despite how loose it is, and it just feels like the pinnacle of hip-hop in the 80s. Everything changed after this record, sadly for better and worse, but the fact that we got something so funky just in time really feels like a gift more than anything. Flaws include that it feels a tad long, and due to its nature it can feel repetitive tonally, but the change-ups instrumentally are well worth seeing this album through, especially with some of the best beats coming from the last stretch in B-Boy Bouillabaisse. I can now see why this is considered Beastie Boy's crowning achievement.

Faust IV

Faust

3/5

The first track is a tad hard to get through, giving me the same feeling an avant-garde jazz album may give to one not interested in jazz in the first place (hey, that's also me!) but after that beast of a track the album mellows out a bit and actually has some pretty nice stuff in it. I'll admit that this album being from 1973 earns it the sense of being far ahead of its time, but it doesn't feel like it does enough to really stand out, other than a surface level striking layer to get you feeling euphoric, only for it to mellow rather quickly and then just be a decent, albeit playful and inoffensive, time. There's some stuff here to enjoy, and parts of the longer tracks are nice too, but it never feels like a proper package, and the long tracks never seem to stick the landing, save for Jennifer, which I quite enjoy and see why it would be the "big" track from this release. Its a decent time, and I can see why many quite like this, but also why one would just find this boring.

Feast of Wire

Calexico

3/5

This album is far too hot and cold for me to really get into it. Its got a lot of neat moments that I quite enjoy, but its bogged down by instrumental tracks that not only pad out the run time, but bog down the theming of the album by dragging it into genres it really has little business attempting, even if said attempts are inoffensive. It does have stuff to enjoy, however, as I'd say some of the vocal tracks are pretty enough, and put a different enough spin on the alt-country tone for it to stand out in a crowd. It just feels very self-indulgent, as if at no point no one told the band "no." I could see another project by this band being better, but as it stands this one is an extremely mixed bag of good and "Eh? Eh..." to just be alright on a good day, with a tad nudge upwards for the originality.

Atomizer

Big Black

4/5

An excellent blend of that industrial sound with something less meandering than the sound I tend to associate with the genre due to the post-hardcore and noise rock injections. The instrumentation is tight and rapid, the production feels of its time, but just futuristic enough to feel influential, and I can see why everyone and their mother wanted Steve Albini's two cents (or more) in the late 80s/early 90s. It relies on its texture, but isn't lacking a kick of flavor to it so that tracks can still have a catchiness to them all. It does lose grip a little at the very tail end of the record, and many of the tracks can come off as repetitive, but there is enough impact with each note to leave me rocking out for nearly the entirety of the album. In all essence the name Atomizer is perfect. It could probably kill a whole planet with its power, but man if those using it don't look cool as hell.

The Modern Lovers

3/5

I find it very comedic that seminal albums in the proto-punk, punk, and post-punk genres all came out within the same year, as it really shows how loose those titles are. This album, in particular, doesn't feel especially punk-ish, save for its indifferent vocal delivery and some more strange guitar solos. If anything, its just a 70s take on rock 'n' roll with more angst-ridden lyrics, but it can still feel pretty stereotypical. The coolest thing to come out of this band, in my opinion, is the members that went on to be in bigger projects like Talking Heads and the Cars, as you can hear it a little here, and its neat enough as is, but when you start to forget the influences and changes, you start to suspect that perhaps the world of punk would have continued without this album, as its more of a Velvet Underground re-hash at its most out there, and while it certainly had its sway on the music world, as I mentioned it was already competing with punk and post-punk acts at the time of its release. Its more of a cool story tied into an alright album, with a good track or two to keep it in the limelight. Certainly not bad, but outclassed by everyone around them, and its hard to see it another way, personally.

Signing Off

UB40

2/5

I understand that UB40 is a very left leaning, interracial, mega reggae band from a time when most of those words in that order could make an old woman faint with shock whilst her husband shakes his head disapprovingly, but this music feels anything but rebellious; I'd even say it even comes off a bit ignorant, but I know very little of the socio-economic status in the United Kingdom forty years ago, so perhaps I'm the ignorant one. It just all feels like capitalizing on others' sounds and songs to make bloopy, outdated pop tracks that you could see making their way to and through the radio waves, and spinning it to feel like you're fighting against something big and overpowering like the UK government, but in reality those within the UK government were the ones spinning the record! I think it all lines up pretty well with tha album having a cover of Strange Fruit to (basically) close out the record. Does it fit the M.O. of the band and their beliefs? Yes, undoubtedly, but a song so powerful and heartbreaking feels nothing but disrespected to be surrounded by tracks for forty-year-old hipsters to get high to, while the cover itself is already rough with its synth-heavy wubs and beachy tones. Does it all match reggae and the genre's goal? Sure, but it just feels too quaint for the subject matter at hand, and the whole record matches that issue. Throw in way too many instrumental tracks that seemingly serve no purpose in an already bloated track listing (seventy minutes? And they have the audacity to make the D-side only nine minutes long? Seems like highway robbery) and you've got yourself a record that perhaps would've done something en masse in 1980, but now just comes off in poor taste at best, purposefully malicious at worst. As for the songs themselves? They're fine, incredibly dull and repetitive, with very little in the way of getting the listener re-engageed, save for throwing one of the singles in halfway through to wake everyone up, but they certainly aren't bad songs, save for one or two. Its just a shame that something that easily could've been a random record with nothing offensive or inoffensive and been forgotten near instantly is instead probably going to stick with me due to its over zealous nature, and that will only lead to more disdain as time passes.

Shalimar

Rahul Dev Burman

3/5

Surprisingly good for what I expected to be just a stereotypical pick for the 1001 Albums list to fill out a quota, and while some of that generic sound is there, especially in the middle, the instrumentation is catchy, the singing is usually quality, and I would say I enjoyed a good chunk of the songs to some extent, especially that opener, what a great tune! It just fails to leave a lasting impression compared to film soundtracks, and as an album its lacking, but taking it at face value I'll admit I was expecting worse, so this was a pleasant, albeit forgettable, surprise.

Rust In Peace

Megadeth

5/5

There's some part of my brain that seems to have taught itself that Megadeth was the weakest link of the "big four," with them just eating Metallica's dust. However, actually listening to their respective albums has taught me anything but. This album goes hard, REAL hard, and tapes you to your seat instantly with the one-two combo that is Holy Wars and Hangar 18 back-to-back. Its an insane pair that sets the tone for the rest of the album perfectly, something it rarely strays from, and other than some miniscule hiccups, the album keeps you enthralled with excellent instrumentation and Dave Mustaine's unique yet catchy vocal delivery. I understand why would could find this grating, but you're doing it wrong if you don't find at least one song to love here. Best part is it doesn't overstay its welcome, leading to a brisk pace that makes sure the listener isn't just sitting there waiting for the next tune. I mean, you already heard the best at the start, so why not just enjoy the rest? Not to say the rest isn't trying to be just as good, with golden nuggets of thrash excellency peppered all over the record, with the whole album truly climaxing at that Tornado of Souls solo, which still stands to be one of the best in the industry. Just a destructive force of album, but one that perhaps it would be worth to reckon with, just so you too can understand Megadeth superiority.

Quiet Life

Japan

4/5

If you want to know how ignorant I was (and arguably still am) about music, I'd not heard of Japan until I played Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain a number of years ago, and I always remembered Quiet Life being one of the weaker tracks on that game's soundtrack. To be fair, its hard to discern quality over the sound effects of a guy huffing and puffing, but I basically did not touch this song, and in turn this album, until right now, nearly a decade later. I wasn't NOT looking forward to this though, I mean, Japan is pretty well liked in small circles, and there is no denying that David Sylvian isn't SO HOT DUDE OH MY GOD HUBBA HUBBA AWOOGA HONK HON- Excuse me. So, I had some amount of hope this would be a good time, and I'd say it was! Quiet Life is far more appealing with a good set of headphones, and the whole album gives me Duran Duran vibes, but in a good, more sophisticated way, as if I'm listening to Hungry Like the Wolf for the intellectual. It isn't really like that, its pretty predictable, albeit grand pop music, but I still had a good time listening, and I think this album has its own charm that sets it apart from its contemporaries, such as tHE LEAD SINGER MMM GIVE ME SOME OF THAT B-OING WOO WO- But I seriously think this could be a good time if you go in knowing what to expect. Its a tad dated, and starts to drag near the end, but there's enough here to be a more romantic view of a musical era (new wave) that tends to be overdone in a modern setting. Looking forward to digging into more Japan stuff in the future, I've heard their albums after this one are even better.

xx

The xx

3/5

Save for the first track, I recognize the album cover more than any of the tracks on the album. They're not bad songs, but they can tend to be dull, and feel ot their era, which just means I imagine this album will get worse with age, but at least I would call nothing on the record bad, just a bit dry, and could stand to vary itself a bit. There's cool moments such as that iconic intro or the overwhelming bass on Fantasy, but otherwise this feels like an album reaching for the critical acclaim, and judging from the reaction at the time, I'd say they got what they wanted. However, I've seen no one mention the xx since, and it has me wondering how many agree with my poorly aged sentiment. For now, its just okay. Light three.

Music From Big Pink

The Band

4/5

This album is proof to me that I've gone soft whennit comes to music. That, or I've broadened my horizons when it comes to the medium, but I'd be surprised something like that happened so quickly. I say that because I used to quite dislike this album, and as recently as Autumn of 2023, I still didn't get the Band. However, this listen I found myself quite enjoying this. Sure, its got a lot of dull moments, especially in the middle of the album, but it has a feeling of amateur, fireside music with some true passion behind the music, and I found a lot of the songs sticking with me more than I would have ever expected it to. Its repetitive tonally, I don't think all the hits are zingers, and I still totally see why I disliked this only half a year ago, but there was just something nice about this go around. Perhaps that's the power of a good set of headphones, or maybe I'm getting soft suddenly, but I enioyed this. I'm actually quite happy about that, as I've always enjoyed Bob Dylan's artwork as the cover, so I was sad all that time that this didn't live up to the hype for me. Still just an alright album, but I'll say I'm certainly pleasantly surprised. Suppose that should tell you to check in with the music you don't like every now and then, you may just change your mind.

Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

Spiritualized

3/5

The album instantly hits you with a fully realized version of multiple music tropes. You have the "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You" cover, you've got the Canon in D like chord progression, and you've got it all under the veil of British sadness that was oh so prevalent. Normally this would be a terrible combination that I would hate listening to even a second of, but Spiritualized does it with such finesse and beauty that its hard not to be blown away by something you've assuredly heard thousands of times in other songs. Perhaps its the space-age instrumentation, or the layering upon layering of vocals, all until your brain is fuzzy, but no matter what it is great, and was worth the price of admission alone. However, the rest of the album is mostly a snooze fest, ranging from generic 90s rock that doesn't stand out whatsoever among its contemporaries, to music that is just random noises for the sake of what I can only assume is creating the best drug trip album ever, and not actually for the sake of music. Sometimes you will get something good peeking through, such as the devastating Broken Heart or the Pink Floyd-inspired Stay With Me and Cop Shoot Cop... but most of this album is forgettable to even bad at points, and should have honestly stuck with the "floating in space" mindset the first track nails, rather than bringing it back down to Earth for needless blues rock-esque numbers and thinking random instruments layered with no cohesion is even kind of achieving the effect they're going for. If anything its sobering, which is not a good thing for this sort of album. Its an album with hints of something better, but the best way to describe it is as a disappointment, with moments that shine through to keep the experience somewhat positive. I was, however, just waiting for the whole album to end so I could re-listen to the first track again, so I'd say stick with that one.

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

4/5

My sibling has always said this album reminded them of my late grandfather, and while I don't totally see it, I do get the vibe that those who would've heard this album when it released would've been the coolest of cool, a total cowboy in the truest of (fictional) forms. The guitar playing is great, the singing is great, and its all got this mix of coziness and great storytelling, like watching one of those Western TV shows. Its repetitive, I'd even say some songs sound the exact same save for a chord here or there, but I still enjoyed myself enough. Perhaps cut out some of the fluff and this would be like an exciting addition to a story you were already in the middle of, but instead it has too much filler. Someone should make a list of all the episodes (songs) I have to watch (listen to) so I can skip the fluff, eh?

Horses

Patti Smith

3/5

I've had high hopes for this album, and I'll be honest, I'm not totally sure why. Perhaps because I like the album cover, or the outfit Patti Smith is wearing, but I hardly knew anything about the music itself. So, going in and realizing it wasn't totally my cup of tea did hurt a little, as I really wanted to like this, but it never really grabbed me, save for a manic display of songwriting power here and there. It is good though, I can recognize that, it really does feel like "stream of consciousness" the album, and that can be a blessing, and a curse. However, as someone who generally fails to get passed the intial barrier of entry for proto-punk, you can do a lot worse than this.

Germfree Adolescents

X-Ray Spex

4/5

It takes some getting used to her voice, and in turn I could see listening to the songs on this album out of context from each other could lead to annoyance, but once I got over that hurdle, this was a pretty good punk album. It feels just pop enough for its anti-establishment attitude to feel a tad tongue and cheek, something the album refers to a decent amount of time, and the variation on the genre, not only with a female lead vocalist in a male-dominated genre, but also with the inclusion of new wave elements a year before The Clash made that a standard in London Calling, and saxophone playing to make it stand out instrumentally as well. It doesn't even suffer from the repetitive tone issues that plague many a punk album, having enough speed-up and slowdown to feel like there was actually some thought put behind it all. It can still fall into that grating sound at times, and I'll admit I don't remember a great deal about the record when it comes to specifics, but as a whole I'm glad I enjoyed this pretty solidly, and perhaps this means I should start exploring the feminine side of the punk movement, because so far it seems a lot more honest, and therefore, good, in my eyes.

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

4/5

Still flabbergast by my opinion of Disintegration, I've been even more shocked by the fact that I seem to enjoy every other Cure album (that I've heard) more! This album has those moody bass riffs, that brooding atmosphere, and just an overall cold exterior yet warm interior that will make a listener feel right at home as they ooze into the angst of it all, but just threatening enough to scare off any unwanted guests. Sometimes they dive too deep into this side of them, leading to songs that feel like lesser copies of others, but often times it hits it right on the head to deliver something that feels like the perfect statement entering the 1980s. None of this is startling, per se, but it is distant, and you have to reach out for it in order to make a true connection with the songs here, and while not everything hits, its still doing its best to invite you into a growing subculture that I think this album is a great poster-child for. Not too pop-y, not too alienating, its the perfect goth rock album, and while that can only get you so far in today's world, I find this to be an incredible solid piece of work for that time-frame. Perhaps its the cold exterior of this album instead of the lush instrumentals of Disintegration that makes me prefer it, who knows? All I'm saying is I had a very good time here, and the short run time certainly helps.

Back In Black

AC/DC

1/5

You know, I really thought I'd hate this enough that it would instantly go into my shit list. I mean, I always thought AC/DC sucked, and I still do; the vocals are terrible, the riffs are boring, and each song feels like a copy paste job of the last, although usually worse. HOWEVER, this album was just dreadfully boring, and I don't know if that's enough of a sin to be instantly cast away. It's repetitive, but at least its relatively short, they could have easily stretched this out another twenty minutes and sixty year old dudes would still lap it up as if its the highest form of music, so I respect it for keeping it mercifully brief. Some of the tracks on here suck, and the whole thing reeks of soiled adult diapers, but I just don't have enough energy to care. Its bad, its terrible even, but its not the worst. Still getting a one though, lol

Reggatta De Blanc

The Police

4/5

The Police have some great tracks, we all know this, but how many of us have taken it upon themselves to explore a whole album from the band? Well, obviously quite a few of us, but the point still stands, I was going in completely blind here despite my knowledge of the first track on here, and while at first I was worried because the A-Side seemed to feature similar, arguably repetitive tracks that were technically good, but boring otherwise, but the B-side was filled with that weird shit that I quite like. The drummer singing? Sure! More odd backing tracks rather than the stereotypical bloopy reggae stuff? Go for it! I just appreciated the change up, it made the album feel a lot more memorable, and while the A-side was far more in line with what I imagine Police fans would want, I was digging the B-side's zainy nature a lot more. Nothing here beats the song Synchronicity II, and in turn I'm excited to get around to that album more than this one, but I was pretty happy with this one. Here's hoping that I enjoy the Police as a hits band and a deep cuts band.

Peggy Suicide

Julian Cope

3/5

This certainly pulled itself together at the last second to become something I can at least say was alright, but for most of this album I found myself bored of Julian Cope's impression of Iggy Pop performing Velvet Underground songs that plagued the first half, and the more out there stuff on the second half, while better, often struggled to gather my attention more than a simple head bop, but at least it started to do something that didn't feel like britpop's response to the more avant-garde, and I'd even say I enjoyed a bit of it by closing time, but it just took far too long to get there, with very little happening that you could just achieve by listening to any other musical artist, most of which made said better songs and albums two decades or more before this. It isn't bad, just unnecessary really, and the CD era strikes again to hammer that feeling in further.

Cross

Justice

5/5

This is the peak of electronic music, this is where it ends, and while other albums have tried to revitalize it in its entirety, whether that be the rise and fall of dubstep, its influence on pop music, or even good attempts such as Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, this is still where I consider it to have gone all out. It scratches every itch in my brain with its sharp melodies, while still knowing when to make a fantastic pop song or two, and on the opposite spectrum making the most sinister club bangers to ever be on market, all made on GarageBand of all things. There's rich instrumentation, fantastic bass, and I really love the more experimental stuff, such as the radio fuzz in Newjack, or the raw terror of Stress, which is perhaps the most apt song title in music history. Every single song here gets me hyped instantly, whether I actually feel like moving, am just driving my car, or sitting at home, this album always gets me in the mood to fucking jam. And those transitions! They're holy, some of the best in music. You can start this album and play it through to the end as one big song and be just as satisfied, something I feel a lot of albums from the 2000s lack. There isn't a track on here that I haven't adored at some point, and I truly find it to be a masterclass of music in general. I see why some would find it be generic, especially after the before mentioned dupstep boom, but for 2006 this is out of this world. It wears its influences on its sleeve, yes, but it elevates those influences to be something greater, and I truly think there is no match for it, save for perhaps Daft Punk's Discovery (well, and Sparks' No. 1 in Heaven but we're talking about another world with that one) and I'm so glad to have it in my life. The whole album is as if you were to ascend to Heaven and find out its just one big rave up there, and that is perhaps my favorite depiction of Heaven, and the religious iconography is a cool set piece without feeling cheesy. I just adore this record. God!

Elephant Mountain

The Youngbloods

3/5

An honestly very jam band-y album, which while not unheard of in 1969 by any means, feels oddly out of place in an album format during a period of tight, condensed rock masterpieces. Instead, The Youngbloods seem to go in a different direction of something a bit more messy, with lots of influences from country, jazz, and psychedelia, and while it struggles to make it work for a good chunk of the album, it is commendable. Songs containing more laid out, predictable song structures seem to run away with my heart pretty easily, to the point where I wish it was mainly that, as they are often very pretty, with soft vocals and instrumentals while still having a tiny kick to them to ensure the listener doesn't fall asleep. However, nearly every song that doesn't follow this ideology is often iffy at best. Long, drawn out periods of seemingly random instruments playing with no cohesion or thought, stretched out sections that add nothing to the album, or at best you get a dull folk rock track that leaves far too much to be desired to be a true tip. Sunlight and Ride the Wind are easily my favorites, but the other thirty minutes can have you tuning out and just like that four songs have gone by with nothing to grab the listeners interest. Its an album of potential, but considering they seemed to do very little like this album before or after, mainly reaching for that blues rock crowd, I imagine this faded mainly into obscurity until being included on the 1001 Album list, and I can find very little to say otherwise.

Music Has The Right To Children

Boards of Canada

3/5

I know this is probably the opposite of what many who love this album would want to hear, but someone please rap over this album, I beg of you! The drums, the bass, the samples, the mixes, it all beckons even the most simple minded, creatively stricken individual to start perusing his mind for a simple bar or two that would fit just right between the man and woman saying orange back and forth. Otherwise, this album has an incredibly solid foundation that sadly is rarely built upon in a manner to warrant its egregious run time, both as a whole album, and on a song by song basis. This songs can be funky, cosy, hell, half the tracks can be downright creepy, but the feeling almost always abandons the listener by the end of the track because each song seems determined to either be too short to process, or too long to remember any important changes. Its a shame, because I would often get into every track, but the feeling of grooving along or just chilling would go away, and then I'd realize I still have three minutes of song left. Boards of Canada must be aware of this issue too, as the best song, Roygbiv, isn't even three minutes long, and takes full advantage of this time. I think were this to be produced outside of the CD era, it would be more efficient in its production, and this thing really does sound like its from the future, so this releasing even a decade later wouldn't hurt it at all. It really is crazy that this is 1998, but it either needs more to the songs, or less of them.

Marquee Moon

Television

5/5

I was a tad worried by this album's opening track being a bit too stereotypical rock, but as soon as Venus presented itself (a song I know very well) it was "smooth" sailing from then on. You can hear so much of the DNA found in the music industry in this one album, with complex percussion, fantastic guitar solos/riffs, and lyrical content that seems to actually be trying to say something. That isn't to say none of these things existed in music prior, because obviously that isn't the case, but this album takes all of those features, whether it be its poeticism, or its almost jazz instrumentation, and makes it unabashedly a rock statement. Its almost like the anti-punk, with its long songs and complete and utter dreariness when examining the world and itself, but still has this rebellious energy that can easily be found in New York at the time, but somehow this just makes it feel all so devastating. Very little artists would be able to pull off a song like Marquee Moon, yet Television did it on their first try, and that is breathtakingly impressive. This may not be an album to dance to, or an album to jam out in the car with your friends to, but its still an album to FEEL something with, and considering it bore an entire genre of its own (albeit with some help of the likes of Brian Eno and Pere Ubu years before) its no wonder that this is considered essential listening today. It just strikes you the longer it goes on that you are listening to one of the highest forms of musical art, and I cannot express how amazing yet oddly terrifying that is at the same time.

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine

5/5

Let this play on a whim about half a year ago, and while I very much liked it at the time, I could tell I wasn't totally prepared for it. It's not really an album you just put on casually, but something you really have to focus on, and when I knew I had some blind spots within the album, I left my true feelings for whenever it would appear randomly again, and here we are. My thoughts are still relatively similar, with a strange amount of focus being necessary to gather the tranquil melodies from the noises overlaying the entirety of the album, and if you let it slip into the background, you're bound to miss some great moments. This time I was prepared, however, and made sure to give a listen to every guitar strum, every dreamy, synth-y riff, and Hell, I even think I caught a lyric or two! All of this leads the listener to finally get launched into the same galaxy as the band, to be on their wavelength, and to see the beauty in the messy. Sure, it scratches the parts of my brain that makes me happy, but it also is oddly is crystal clear once you start accepting your fate and embrace the bliss pouring out of every chord. It may not sound it at times due to the noise, but this is a very joyful album, melancholic at its most downer moments, and when you ease into that same joy, you come out just willing to hover alongside the songs, and that focus you tried so hard to retain melts away, and you just ooze into each and every track. While not every song is equal here, all of them strive for the same powerful wave of emotion to be swept over the listener, and it pulls that off in strides. You may not know where you are, what you're doing, or what's being said, but you know that you're loved, and in somewhere safe, despite its scary exterior, this can only be described as cosy, as if a direct opposition of the coldness of the 80s, and it nails that too. Its the perfect album for what it sets out to do, and while it may not be the average day listening sort of album, this album will be there for you when you need it, and I find it, that being Loveless, extremely lovely.

Metal Box

Public Image Ltd.

4/5

You know what helped me get through this album? Pretending that its like disco without the dance! Wait, no, that defeats the purpose... oh, I know, its like System of A Down without the metal? No, that's not really accurate either. It's like... Real Life by Magazine but worse? Yeah, that's kind of it, but its certainly not bad, in fact I'd say its pretty good. It has this groove to it through most of the album thanks to Jah Wobble's bass playing, yet is still haunting due to its music seemingly looping over and over and over, as if you were stuck in a spinning ballroom straight out of the 80s, except its still the 70s and you have one of the most baffled sounding guys warbling in your ear for a good chunk of it, once again in the best of ways. Actually, even better, it just feels like being trapped inside of a cold, derelict tin can (emphasis on the Can with the repetitive nature of most of these tracks) while there's a party down the street, and you're yelling for help, but the party is too loud and your screams are futile. If I haven't sold you yet, this album probably is not for you, but I had a good time, even if it is too long by the end.

There's A Riot Goin' On

Sly & The Family Stone

4/5

While I enjoyed their prior album, Stand! I was still anxious that I wouldn't "get" this album, being as I don't consider myself a funk version at all, I openly admit that, and my partner, who admittedly has not heard Stand! is not a fan of this release. However, I'm happy to say I quite like this release, and while I'm sure I still don't "get" it fully, I do at least enjoy it quite a bit. The groove within the grooves of the vinyl don't always get me funking, other than some great bass playing, but what I truly appreciate here is the melodies. See, my issue with someone like James Brown was always that I felt every song tended to feel like a carbon copy of the last, but here you can tell songs apart extremely well, and I'd even say there's some tracks here that focus mostly on being catchy pop tunes, such as Smilin' and Runnin' Away, and do an incredibly good job of adding a solid chunky texture to these songs to really make them stand out, and I think it rounds out the album marvelously. It does still have my usual qualms with this sort of stuff such as some of the tracks going on too long (this could easily be a flat forty minutes) or just the fact like songs like Family Affair don't hit the same as they did some fifty years ago, but they're more nitpicks than anything, and I totally get why this would be considered a vital part of the music canon.

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

4/5

Well, this is a bit of a surprise. Despite seemingly being the favorite of early Beatles, I always considered this the worst of their whole discography, or at least tied for Beatles for Sale for that position. However, I apparently never listened to the harmonies on this record, because there are some gorgeous, breathtaking transitions here that floor me for 1964. I mean, this shows the Beatles weren't just a boy band, but a band with a near perfect bond that made some great pop songs. That isn't to say there isn't other great aspects as well, such as the increased quality in hooks and musicianship. I mean, some solos here are not only good, but damn good, and its just an overall solid package. My main issue is the album starts to drag with the copious amounts of "I'm gonna hurt my girlfriend" songs, to the point where its hard not to see why John Lennon was viewed as an abuser. Those songs are rarely fun, catchy, or even rocking, they're just lacking in so many areas that it really drags the album down with it. Other Beatles albums have this issue, sure, but this one feels like they're trying to hammer it in by the end, and it doesn't feel bluesy, it feels like the closest thing to admitting domestic abuse. Otherwise I would definitely see the best of the early era, and it may just be even with those issues.

Club Classics Vol. One

Soul II Soul

2/5

While I could see this as a somewhat fun album in very specific scenarios, it mostly comes off as repetitive, aged, and almost a parody of itself. It uses the exact same drums for the back-beat on multiple tracks, or at least so similar that its hard to discern, and none of the songs leave a lasting impression due to their stripped back production and just general "old school" vibe. I'm 100% sure in 1989 this felt like the birth of a new era, because this album sounds like the 90s, but thirty-five years later it feels goofy and hardly as soulful as the R7B acts of the prior decades, nor as dance-able as the house acts of the following. It's just kind of sitting there now, perhaps influential at one time, but now only remembered as a product of its era. The dude's voice also reminds me of Jermaine Clement, and I cannot decide if that's a positive or a negative, but it certainly doesn't help my "parody of itself" mindset.

Make Yourself

Incubus

3/5

This kind of comes off as "the thinking man's nu-metal" for better and worse, with cringy, poorly aged moments of record scratching, poor rapping, and lyrics that could only move an angsty teenager to tears, but admittedly it is far better at creating compelling hooks than its contemporaries, and even has some musicianship that is quite commendable, with some really high quality bass-lines, and admittedly that record scratching, while dull within a song, is quite commendable as a nearly four minute solo, to the point where I'd put it above most of the actual songs here. It's a mixed bag of mixed emotions, and it leaves my rating feeling just as mixed. All that can truly be taken away here is that Stellar is the only true song worth salvaging today, but that isn't to say every other song is bad, just poor in modern lenses.

Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

Terence Trent D'Arby

3/5

It feels like two things are happening in this album, neither of which are very good. One: he is trying to make music less synth and drum machine heavy, and more gospel-like. Admirable, but does feel generally like going against the grain for the sake of it, as this stuff comes off as just as generic as the music it's trying to avoid. Two: Terence, now Sananda, is doing his best "not Michael Jackson" impression. BY that I mean, he sounds just like Jackson at multiple points, but often goes into ranges outside of Jackson's usual location purely to bring as little attention to it as possible, but it's hard not to spot. That makes me feel that despite this album trying to give off a vibe of the second, err, third, err, fourth coming of soul, it really just wants to be famous, no matter the means. I don't know this for certain, but it certainly gives off that feeling, and hey, I'm all for generic 80s soul if you do it right, but you gotta wear that generic sound on your sleeve, or you'll just be the one looking weird in a crowd. It has some decent tracks on it, and most of it is forgettable, but inoffensive, but I would struggle to sell an individual this record on any means other than maybe his voice, but even that feels fake. It tries its best to avoid the plastic sound of the 80s, and only comes off feeling like a different brand of fake. Alright, but certainly fake, and no amount of frankly terrible breathy pure vocal tracks are gotta fix that. Skip As Yet Untitled to save yourself from the most uncomfortable six minutes of your life.

Steve McQueen

Prefab Sprout

5/5

An album that is hard to pin down, both on the outside and the inside, is a tricky thing to pull off well, as a poor mix of styles can cause an album to feel distracted, while the vague image presented on the cover can lead the listener to think of many genres before something like sophisti-pop comes to mind. So, with that initial run down, you may expect just another longue-y new wave run with perhaps some rock roots due to its leather clad, motorbike riding cast of characters. What you get, however, is far more fascinating, with those jazz infused keyboards and sleek guitar riffs being assuredly sophisticated, but that Thomas Dolby production leads the record to be far more in depth, with great, moving musical passages, more change-ups in some tracks than some twenty minute prog masterpieces, and just a consistency between each track that can always make you dance and sway with the best of them, and sure those Dire, Dire Docks-ass sound font may be cheesy, but do you really care when you're being carried into 80s pop bliss in a way every other album from the era can only dream of achieving. It narrowly avoids cheesy and is instead incredibly endearing, and Paddy McAloon's vocals benefit it even more so. It's more lush, more passionate, and more thoughtful than its contemporaries, and with the very underrated Horsin' Around being like the perfect bittersweet odyssey to really carry the B-side to the finish line after an amazing A-side and let the listener ride the last three tracks off the highs it produced makes it easily one of my favorite songs from the era. It may feel like bona fide 80s gleam, but for one of the few times in musical history, that is certainly not a bad thing.

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

5/5

A haunting, more Halloween-esque take on post-punk, which may seem like an obvious connection to some, but boy does this album go the extra mile to make it feel like Halloween night. You've got the upbeat costume party songs, the haunted house tracks, and you've got songs that just genuinely make you tense up, like walking home alone at night. However, the album isn't droning, instead still having those energetic drum and bass (not the genre) pick-ups to get you still grooving despite the unease, and Siouxie Sioux's vocals are just unique, especially since having a female vocalist is oddly rare in the genre, at least when discussing the big players, so for her to stand toe-to-toe with the best of them is not only impressive, it's a critical achievement. Pull it all together with tight songwriting, and a relatively quick album, and it's not hard to see why they're considered one of the heavy hitters of the genre. Spooky yet catchy is starting to become one of my favorite things an album can be, and this is a subtle yet impactful banger. Now please put it back on streaming!

The Stooges

2/5

I was never a big fan of Fun House or Raw Power, but I at least understood the importance of each album as a display of aggression and noise that was a major player in the shape of music for the rest of the 20th century, but this is just lackluster. It doesn't have that subtle groove found on Raw Power, nor the angst found on Fun House, just a vaguely bluesy Mick Jagger impression with some sparse production that can leave the album feeling noisy but not aggressive, as if playing with blown out speakers is the only advancement needed to be seen as visionaries. Sure, the lyrics are blunt and forward and the instrumentation is crass, but it doesn't feel punk, it feels amateur, and when up against its two younger siblings, it hardly holds a candle. Add in a frankly unnecessary cultist chant that nearly runs 1/3 of the album's runtime, and you've got yourself something that just feels hollow. Perhaps in 1969 I'd be blown away, but there is very little reason for this album now, and I feel Iggy Pop's solo ventures really trump above all.

We're Only In It For The Money

The Mothers Of Invention

4/5

While this album may be a little less casually listenable than Freak Out! while also having a far more vague message involved, this album still manages to blow the listener's socks off with its utter bizarro approach to music. It still has a lot of that doo-wop, tongue-n-cheek pop flavor, yes, but it also injects some hints of ketamine to really cause a sort of dreamlike effect that can go from being a bubbly wonderland to a nightmare in a matter of seconds, and that approach to music, especially for 1968, is not only nerve wracking, its flat out impressive. There are hardly any songs here that start at A and end at Z, but the snippets you do get of pop are not done poorly, as they are still incredibly thought out, catchy, and could swing with the best of the genre they satirize. You can tell Zappa does not hate the music he parodies, rather his inspiration from it takes him places very little others can even see coming, and it leads to not only great tunes, but an oddly thrilling narrative one can hardly piece together, some soundscapes straight out of a horror film of the future tucked in with some pixie dust to always ensure that you're willing to keep going. Sure, it's creepy, but it's also so playful about it that you often find yourself still loving what crumbs are given to you, and for an album to jump back and forth and do it all so well is easily commendable. I can't imagine turning most of this album on for any ol' reason, it still has this energy that very little even today could replicate, and for, again, 1968, that's amazing.

Duck Rock

Malcolm McLaren

3/5

Surprisingly versatile and varied, with plenty of genres being displayed at a pretty competent level, and with influences on hip-hop so early in the genre's lifetime, it is done relatively well. I think the gimmick of the album is interesting, too, being that of a radio show that's the "best" on the airwaves. While actually catching most of these songs in the middle of the night would scare me more than anything, its basis is pretty solid. Most of the songs are cheesy, or even arguably annoying, and it has far too much filler for what could've been a very solid, early case of plunderphonics, but it's fun enough that I'd say I enjoyed my time. Certainly not essential listening, you really only need two or three tracks to get the whole picture, but I'll admit I'm at least pleasantly surprised, albeit more so than actually in tune with the music at play.

Bad Company

2/5

This album feels very generic to me in all facets. The name of the band feels like the first thing a bunch of bikers would think of when naming a band. The music feels like a weird Lynyrd Skynyrd copy with some more soul stuff thrown in. Really, the thing as a whole just feels surface level. It isn't anything offensive, but it drags, with repetitive lyrics (it is blues rock after all) and a general formula of building the song up way too quick. The final two-to-three minutes of nearly every track tend to feel useless, or at the very least, annoying. It tries to do this deep-down “I love you so” soul thing a lot, but it feels disingenuous. The lead singer, Paul Rodgers, just doesn't have it in him to swing with the best of them, but I suppose I can respect the trying nature? I don't know, when I listen to this I only think of better 70s rock to listen to, and very little else. Guitar playing is the best part, but it's still forgettable. Not technically a “bad” album, but let's just say the band and album name is apt.

The Beach Boys Today!

The Beach Boys

4/5

An admittedly somewhat predictable yet quality A-side, the real show here is the entirety of the B-side, with not a single miss for a single one of the SONGS. Quite frankly, counting B6 doesn't really do that much damage, as it's short and somewhat endearing in the same way snippets of a Beatles interview is unnecessary but has its own charm. Back on track, however… The Beach Boys, especially Brian Wilson, show their dominance over their knowledge of how to warp songs around intricate melodies that may seem like the usual doo-wop shindig at first. But once you dive into the pure melancholia of the whole record, you can tell that something deeper is stewing. I don't mean to imply that this is proto-Pet Sounds, as it still has those early band stereotypes that leak out before and after the golden age of Beach Boys: The somewhat strange Don't Hurt My Little Sister or the generic Dance, Dance, Dance, but there is that glimmer of hope shining here. With a B-side as stacked with perhaps not commercial hits, but still some of the best output of 1965 lyrically and just in terms of pure mood and feel. It's not hard to see why this is considered the start of something greater. Add in Brian's always gorgeous falsetto, a cool Dennis opener, and I guess Mike Love does okay (for once) here. You could argue this is the peak of the Beach Boys as a band, rather than one leading voice, and I could see why some would prefer it that way. It certainly has its hiccups at the start, but I see this as essential listening for the whole Beach Boys experience.

Actually

Pet Shop Boys

3/5

My favorite album of all time, No.1 In Heaven by Sparks, is often said to have influenced many synthpop groups from the 80s, including New Order, Erasure, and, yes, Pet Shop Boys. However, the Pet Shop Boys themselves have either always avoided this fact, or in ways denied it, and as someone who has only spun singles by them, rather than a whole album, I hadn't a clue as to why. It turns out this reason is because they know they don't hold a candle to it. Perhaps that is an unfair comparison, but this album feels a tad bit like a direct response to the high-energy driving tempos that defined the late 70s, early 80s electronic scene. Instead, we get keyboard-coated, monotone vocal semi-ballads that only tend to pick up speed when the album, and honestly, sales of the album, need it. I mean, it certainly has lovely tracks to share. It's a Sin is one of the best of the mid-80s, and honestly the entire B-side is solid, albeit a little long-winded. There are layers upon layers of electronic bliss to dig through here, and to top it off, even the album cover is pretty funny. But something about this album just feels off to me. It doesn't feel like it even attempts to speak to me, and can come off as sterile; not in a cool, robotic way like Kraftwerk, rather in the sly, particularly British way that can come off as dry, but in turn can also come off as disinterested. There isn't a rewarding tug-and-pull between listeners, and it still suffers from that infamous 80s sheen that makes everything too clean production wise. It is certainly a good album, and no one could deny the effect this had on a niche, pop-focused musical market into the 90s. But as time passes, this becomes all too similar to the new wave it was trying to break away from. Really, it's a sin that this album doesn't lean into that energy that the hits have, as they are just powerful enough to leave me feeling fulfilled despite its flaws. However, I can only see improvements being made upon this formula. As it stands, I leave with mixed feelings, but a slight edge to the positive side of things because I can only assume the band did improve. I assume this was not just another drop in the 80s “one solid album wonderland” bucket many of their contemporaries fell into, and I look forward to confirming that theory in due time.

The Message

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

3/5

I've known the Message for a while now, everyone has, but what I wasn't expecting was this goofy little album attached to it, and I still don't know if I mean that as an insult or not. It's never a dull moment, you got the early stages of hip hop, you have some disco elements, you have synthesized voices that would make Kraftwerk blush, and oddly you have ballads and gospel. Everything here doesn't fit together at all, but they try and smash it together in such a way where it's kind of like watching a movie so bad it's good. Except, this hypothetical film has a relatively profound albeit dated ending that shaped its genre long after. The gospel track genuinely made my jaw drop when I realized what was happening, and nearly every track before it (especiallt including that Stevie Wonder track) wasn't far off in terms of my sheer bewilderment. It actively feels BAD, but I was having a good time, and I guess that has to count for something? I don't know, stick with the titular track if you're looking for serious origins of hip hop and not something to laugh at for thirty minutes. Honestly? Funnier than most hip hop skits of the 90s.

Copper Blue

Sugar

2/5

Pretty generic, feeling like if Michael Stipe of R.E.M. decided to have a slightly harder sound for an album. In-turn, sacrificing anything unique about R.E.M. I realize the singer here, Bob Mould, was in a band that was a relative inspiration for Stipe, Hüsker Dü. But quite frankly both R.E.M. and even this album are far more interesting to me than their output, but I digress, this isn't really about them. Basically, this album is dull. You have a lot of generic power chords, repetitive vocals and lyrics, and just a general 90s vibe that leaves a lot to be desired. It isn't bad, but you won't find anything here that most other bands from the time don't do better. Considering the album gets softer as it goes on, one has to wonder if they front-loaded the album with the more forward bass riffs and rougher guitar effects because the rise of grunge spooked them. I mean, it was all happening while this album was being recorded, so it would make a bit of sense. It was financially successful, but assuredly you won't be getting anyone saying this is their favorite album out of the alternative 90s scene. As I said, it's just dull, and just kind of… exists.

Songs The Lord Taught Us

The Cramps

3/5

Repetitive and in that aspect very punkish in its delivery. Most of it comes off as raising Elvis from the dead, but it gets that rebelliousness back in his wake, and while it doesn't do much for me, you can still respect the craft. It's fuzzy, noisy, and very slimy, and I think that is exactly the style the Cramps wanted. I think it could've just benefited from either a way shorter run time or more thought put into each individual song. Do yourself a favor if you haven't already, and listen to Human Fly by this group, as it gives off the exact same vibe while being leagues better and still pretty short. In conclusion, average LGBTQIA+ friend group.

Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan

4/5

If there is one thing I think Bob Dylan's albums stir in me, it is a hope that they'll catch something more on future listens. They do just enough to keep me interested, but the deeper cuts always take two, three, four, maybe even five listens before they tend to click. That's how it was with Blonde and Blonde, and I still think Bringing It All Back Home would benefit from me listening two or three more times. Dylan is fantastic at making the listener want more, and even if on initial listens I only find his releases "good," it is safe to assume in half-a-year I'll be singing the praises of one of his albums, just like everyone else. Highway 61 Revisited is no different, with exemplary songwriting, solid instrumentals that are just amateur and raw enough to be clear why this was such a shock to the folk audiences of 1965, and Dylan's voice isn't even generically poor here, despite the best efforts of those to discredit him. It hits every note with an emotion many artists strive for, and very little achieve, matching his music perfectly. Even if you find yourself bored musically, the lyrics will at least keep you invested even on the longest of tracks. Despite all of these qualities, I still fail to see past the musical flaws that this album is still too folksy. It can be repetitive, every track is a minute too long, and fails to have the variation found on the next album in his discography. This sound may have been risqué in 1965, but in 2024 it is mostly expected throughout its fifty-minute runtime, and can leave the listener fatigued. Not helping is the frankly boring closing track, which hardly has the hit power possessed in the opener, despite perhaps being the second-biggest track on the album. It has amazing highs, such as the back-to-back Ballad of A Thin Man into Queen Jane Approximately, but there are still kinks that will leave those ill-equipped bored, and in-turn, develop a deeper disdain for Dylan. Perhaps his most critically praised, but in my opinion, not a starting album for the musician, but rather a wonderful twilight on the general era this was produced. Music was changing, and Dylan decided to completely uproot a very traditional genre in the most fantastic way possible, but roots are roots, and those roots negatively affect this album the longer time passes. Dylan as a purely folk musician peaked here, but he had far more room to grow. That all being said, I promise you within a year's time I'll have this at a five star and think it is the best of its whole year. For now, though, I struggle to push past the couple barriers keeping me back from seeing this album's full potential. Still a great album, I continue to get the Bob Dylan hype.

Deserter's Songs

Mercury Rev

3/5

Far more Flaming Lips adjacent than I was expecting, as I was expecting something more ethereal and space-lie. Instead, you have this tinge of 90s nasal with an alternative synth aesthetic to make the listener really feel as though they're truly on some otherworldly shit. It really only succeeds in this effect, however, in this department on the first track, where the blowout really strikes me in a way not unfamiliar to Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space, and just like that album, it similarly feels as though it is trying to chase that initial rush for the rest of the album. Luckily, it doesn't feel too up its own ass, with lighter, pop-ier tracks to ease the dreamy haze, and the hidden track really achieves this lighter effect. It is a flawed album, but one I can respect more overall. I think this neo-psychedelia movement just isn't fully my cup of tea, and that's a bit of a shame.

Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette

2/5

This album was commercially successful to a fault, leading to me today finding this extremely obnoxious and repetitive. Would I have thought that were these my first time hesring half of these songs? Maybe not, as I suppose her voice is interesting enough, and it's predictable but standable 90s rock, which I generally don't have a problem with. However, we don't live in that world, and instead all of these songs bleed the exact same "girl power" energy, leading to absolutely no difference between each one, and at nearly an hour long, with even a duplicate song closing, it's at nauseum. I have no problem with empowering albums, and if this is the one for you, that's awesome, but this comes off like the most commercial form of it. A "girl's world" t-shirt. An Avengers Endgame shot. It's just so bland, and feels like something to strike just the right chord, appeal to everyone, and make a bajillion dollars. I guess that's the best thing you can do in this world, is stick it to the man and prove these kinds of songs can be big hits, but when four or so of them still play on the alt-rock radio into the 2020s, it's hard not to get sick of it. The deep cuts aren't much better, some of them are even worse, I'd say, but I guess at least they were new to me, and I'll probably never think about them again. It's not the worst thing I've heard, but I was some form of exhausted by the end. Disappointed that the deep cuts didn't prove my prior notions wrong, but at least I don't have to be one of those people obnoxiously saying "the deep cuts are better!" every time one of these songs come on. That may be more annoying than the album itself, I'm sure.

Stripped

Christina Aguilera

2/5

I am not a fan of the late 90s, early 2000s R&B infused pop sound. That made it so that this album had an uphill battle from the start. It did not succeed in overcoming these prior biases, but it was inoffensive, at least. I agreed with most of the messages presented on the album, but found them getting repetitive over its nearly hour-and-a-half runtime, and the sound itself changed very little as well. There were more hits here than expected, but I still fail to remember them despite their popularity, and the whole thing is just of its time. It isn't bad, but every passing day makes this age worse, not due to its message, but rather the aesthetic behind it. Just a bleh feeling, it's hard to put into words, but it is easy to recognize when you go through it all.

Aha Shake Heartbreak

Kings of Leon

4/5

I'm one of those sickos who doesn't mind the song Sex on Fire, but I completely understand why it seems to be the bane of those listening to rock radio in the mid-2000s. However, this seems to be a bit more bluesy, and while that isn't usually my cup of tea, this has a similarity to other garage rock acts of the 2000s such as the Strokes where I actually enjoy it a little bit. His voice takes some adjusting, but the grooves are all accounted for, and while it can be repetitive, no song is ever with you for more than four minutes, so it flies by. This is an album I can appreciate just for its respect of the listeners time and energy level. I wouldn't say it has something for everyone, but it seems just safe enough to be cool, Summer vibes, and I can vibe along with it.

Alien Lanes

Guided By Voices

4/5

I know this album isn't niche, as it is probably one of the more famous indie releases of the 90s, but this album could've only ever been heard by three people and a dog and I still think it would have this vagueness coating its outer layer that would drive away additional listeners. Once again, not saying this is hard to listen to for the common person either, as it is surprisingly listenable, catchy, and has a good driving tempo throughout that actually most reminds me of Nirvana's MTV appearance in its sound and structure. It is just so fast past that things fly by, and you realize three songs have been played for you, and you thought it was one. It actually makes me most surprised that the band isn't brought up more, because Guided By Voices' seemingly disdain for the three-minute pop/rock tune feels so very 90s anti-establishment in its own, melancholic way that I can't help but really dig it. Each song is fresh and unique, with my earlier confusion on the fusing of songs instead coming to realize the whole project is like one big song, with an overall theming that I can't quite pin down, but the feeling is just there. That is all to say, I love the low fidelity: the fuzzy guitars, the offbeat production, the unique lyrics, all of it. Sure, there are definitive "better" songs (there's a reason Game of Pricks ended up on the IT Crowd and not Cigarette Tricks) but there is never an obvious song to pick out and say "this was made to be the best," it just feels like an album jammed out in a couple of days, with the best of only being discovered in post, and that feels like the best way to make an album. It has some pacing issues, as it does feel like the idea becomes a little tired in the last ten minutes, and as I said, not every song is one you're going to be putting on over, and over, and over... but this whole thing is just extremely well-made, despite its coarse exterior, and I quite enjoyed my time with it.

The Pleasure Principle

Gary Numan

4/5

Far more Eno-inspired than I was expecting, this album's synths are exactly why many modern takes on the synthpop experience just don't grip me in the same way as releases from the late 70s. The technology wasn't new, nor was it perfected, so you get a good mix of experimentation that may not always work perfectly, but has so much variety behind each note, each layer, that you can't help but be entranced by little intricacies. Whether it be the low bass that grips onto your ear drums, or the bloop-y high notes that feel like they're from the same future as the film Alien's computers. It is all so charming, yes, but it has some serious merit in its crafting of a good pop hook with so little; Cars was a minor hit for a reason. It isn't overproduced, and it also isn't lacking in substance to keep the listener entertained at every miniscule change-up from song to song. Sure, Observer is just proto-Cars, but admiring the small differences is what brings be joy from this era of music. Just pure musical experimentation, and being able to make it onto the airwaves with that experimentation? That's when you know you have something cooking.

Future Days

Can

5/5

I'm absolutely sure that this album, as well as the rest of Can's catalog, clicks instantly with certain people, but I've only discovered Can's album is a sonic groove that goes over my head with every initial listen. To combat this, I've basically tuned myself so that I can expect to listen to any of their releases multiple times before I fully form any opinion. Yes, Tago Mago's length does scare me with this ruleset, and yes, I realize I should be doing that with most albums, that's a flaw I'm willing to acknowledge, but I will do very little to fix it, and for that I apologize. But I digress, once I get over this first listen hurdle, that's when I know the fun is truly about to begin, and this album does not disappoint. In fact, I would say in general that it absolutely blew my expectations out of the water, with that repetitive yet hypnotizing beat sucking me in almost instantly once I had accepted my fate, and under that spell I was album to see this album for its subdued attempts of making sure the listener is just having a good time. Yes, it may be niche in its exterior presentation, but on the inside you discover a perfect blend of the naturalistic sounds of the jungle with the robotic discotheque found on every street in the year 3000. You may have to sift around a little for those truly magnificent nuggets, until you realize you've been panning for gold on a river of the stuff. Every note, every decision, the correct one. An album to make you dance, an album to make you lay in bed and contemplate, and maybe an album to make you (awkwardly) do both. What I'm saying is this may not be the near perfect psych-pop showcase that is their Ege Bamyası project, but it still goes somewhere beyond that. I'm entranced, and I'm loving every second of it.

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

3/5

Ray Charles assuredly deserves his notoriety within the American lexicon, and his seamless bridging of R&B, soul, pop, folk and country music into one solid sound is certainly to be praised. However, over sixty years later, the album gives off an unintended side effect of being too homogenized to sound like anything remotely worth talking about. It has its hits, it has his voice, and it has a swinging production not unlike Sinatra's best, but something just feels bland. Music's ability to vary and shift is one of its best features, and to mold it into one blob does wonders for bringing people and taste together, but only damages the songs inside. It is an album with tons of passion, but nothing to truly call remarkable, and I can only imagine this issue worsens with each passing decade. Good music of the past, but still definitively music of the past, and I can't help but think this rang true only a couple of years after this release.

Me Against The World

2Pac

3/5

I have mixed feelings while exploring such an important part of hip hop. You see waves of 2Pac fans wearing t-shirts, streaming his music, and generally just sharing the word of 2Pac at least once a week, and even if you manage to escape that, chances are your mind jumps to him when discussing almost anything 90s related. He and his brand are together a cultural phenomenon, one that you wouldn't expect to still last nearly thirty years after his death, but that very death probably only heightened his notoriety. I understand the success to some extent too. Conscious rap and gangster rap were at the top of their game in this decade, and to combine them could only lead to success. There had been crossover success stories like that in the past, you could argue it's Public Enemy's very brand, but something about 2Pac's take on the genre seems so... commercial, and that is both a blessing and a curse. The beats are repetitive, the lyrics predictable, and just the overall tone reeks of a bygone era, but it also makes the lyrics extremely digestible and relatable. Sure, you probably weren't slinging drugs in the hood, but you probably have felt bad for silly altercations with your mom that you only wish to apologize for. That at its core makes 2Pac unique, as there is very obviously something for everyone. There's some hardcore stuff, some softer stuff, some gangster shit, and some introspective meditations, and while it doesn't do any of these things remarkably well, it's that influence that drives so many of today's rappers to who they are today. There most likely wouldn't be acts all the way from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, to more cheesy pop stuff like acts like Alicia Keys and even Ed Sheeran. His reach was insane, and when you then think of all the new artists inspired by those acts, it shows how big of a web 2Pac created. Maybe that is a negative to you, maybe it isn't, but it is certainly something to look upon with a certain fondness and appreciation. I don't find myself loving most of the songs here, and, of course, it is far too long to be enjoyable as an album, but there is certainly stuff here to like, and I can't look down upon that, even if the album isn't for me.

Idlewild

Everything But The Girl

2/5

This thing is a rough listen, despite its clean production and great vocalists, as the whole thing is impeccably fake sounding. The instrumentation varies from smooth jazz lounge guitar playing to drum machines that would make the biggest pop stars from the time look away in fear, and the singing, while technically impressive, is a dime a dozen, and does nothing to stand above contemporaries. Perhaps it is to be celebrated for its safe textures in an era of unknowing, as if there is one thing this album is sure of, it's itself, but the whole thing is sleep inducing, and that can get aggravating even forty minutes later. An interesting juxtaposition to the music they would go on to make, but certainly not something to enjoy, as there are far smoother albums from the era in the same general genre as this one that go down far better.

Central Reservation

Beth Orton

3/5

After the first song, I was sort of expecting a Cranberries-adjacent singer over bland acoustic rock for an hour, but luckily the rest of the album was a lot more downtempo and folksy, leading to my genuine enjoyment of a lot of these songs. It isn't anything I'm over the moon for, but it has the just right amount of 90s edge to make some songs go in a direction you don't expect, and considering the appearance of trip hop beats at some points, the rest of the album mostly feels like an analogue take on that style of songwriting. It is still far too long, and a lot of the songs can come in one ear and out the other, but there's a consistency here that's solid and kept me surprisingly entertained. I think stronger instrumentation would've taken this much farther, and I hope one of her other albums does just that.

Microshift

Hookworms

3/5

I am highly disappointed with this album, and I'm unsure as to why. I know nothing of the band, the music inside, or even why it had a mini-Renaissance as something popular enough to make the rounds, but there was some part of me that was intrigued by that elusiveness, and wanted to see what this was all about. So, finding out it's a half-baked, very commercial impression of indie acts from the 2010s such as MGMT, Tame Impala, and any other act you may hear in a hybrid car commercial was really a bummer. The real crime here is that it sounds like it was made purely to be commercial, rather than just finding unexpected success, and that rubs me the wrong way. There are glimmers of something promising, as they have decent build-ups that promise something greater, and even a few tracks here worth checking out, but once you hit the six-minute mark and nothing of great importance has happened still, or you've sifted through thirty minutes of songs to find that one track, you tend to just feel there a tad defeated. It is completely competent music making, and I feel the mix of LCD Soundsystem and Can is an intriguing one, but it rarely works here. If anything, the standout to me was the short interlude Boxing Day because it is unlike anything else on the album. It's loud, it's quick, and it stops in the middle of its build-up to go fuck off somewhere else, and I really appreciate that, because it defies every expectation so far. I can see this being a lot of people's cup of tea, just because it is so accessible due to its bubbly, sugar-coated take on psych-rock, but acts like Stereolab were doing that exact style twenty years earlier, and they did it far better. Again, technically good, but I wanted more.

Medúlla

Björk

5/5

Like a combination of Robert Wyatt's (who appears on this album) Rock Bottom and Sparks' song My Baby's Taking Me Home, Medulla is perhaps my favorite of the Bjork albums I've had the pleasure of listening to, because while its gimmick is just that, a gimmick, it does that gimmick so incredibly well that for 99% of the album I am entranced. Obviously the human voice is easy to manipulate into any form or context you'd like, but to be able to make an album where I struggle to discern the genre, yet have me totally invested from start to finish, with impressive melodies, a great amount of experiences I would only describe as "out of body," all the while Bjork has gathered some of the best voices I've heard to synchronize with and within herself to make something so (ironically) breathtaking is remarkable. I'm actually at a loss for words because it's hard to describe the feeling this album puts me in, but it is not one unfamiliar to that of other Bjork albums. She can make you feel frigid yet cozy with a single note, and that atop having a pretty solid hook among each of the songs makes it, in my eyes, something worth savoring every moment of.

Haunted Dancehall

The Sabres Of Paradise

2/5

Despite being called "Haunted Dancehall," this album had very little going on to be worth that relatively interesting title. I understand that IDM is supposed to be something to ingest more subconsciously than anything, but this album does very little to ever stand out in a crowd, and one has to wonder if this is included in the 1001 albums list purely due to the Portishead inclusion. Otherwise, it is the same song and dance, over an hour long, electronic, and its from the mid-90s. I know the scene was truly blossoming at the time, but that does not make every album vital. It's sleepy, it's forgettable, and it's just that tad bit of corny so that you can just sit there and wait for it to be over. Otherwise, it's inoffensive to the ears, which I suppose you could argue is a plus compared to some other works from the time. Tedious.

Fever Ray

2/5

The voice effects on this album make or break an album for many, I can only assume, as the electronic backing, while often minimal, as a sinister yet smooth blend that compliments that era and cryptic lyrics nicely. Unfortunately, I am one of those who finds the effects annoying rather than haunting. I imagine this album's core audience would fall under the same one as that of Bjork's, who I am a fan of, but the lack of a real singing voice throughout nearly the whole runtime, or least one that felt real, was really a turn-off for me. An album that feels like I'm traveling in a dark and SppoooOOkkyy forest slowly becomes repetitive and cheesy. There are hints of something better, but I tend to find myself just wishing the album was an instrumental, more ambient one.

Moss Side Story

Barry Adamson

1/5

I cannot comment on how its quality as a film soundtrack would be, as I'm not an aficionado on a medium, but I know that as music to listen to, this stinks. It starts out harmless enough, with a mix of creepy but nevertheless intriguing ambient tracks and stereotypical film noir jazz that feels a touch outdated due to the late 80s production. However, once you get to the halfway point or so, it becomes just noise for the sake of being noise, with a lot of industrial sounding guitars to muddle the mix and make my ears bleed. Not helping is that there is very little going on beside these noises, as it lacks texture, or even some solid samples to keep things driving. It just gets lost in being shocking, as if it were to be paired with a scene meant to be overwhelming to the senses, but once you strip away those scenes that never existed, and just view this as music, it completely and utterly gets on my nerves. Once we finally return to something more musical on the closing track, even that bugs me with its macho brass and complete lack of intrigue other than just being loud. There's no emotion behind it, just a volume that bugs the Hell out of me, and I was sick of it nearly an hour after it started. It has moments that possibly could be appreciated, but it had exhausted any intrigue by the end of it all.

Ready To Die

The Notorious B.I.G.

3/5

This album has both similar and completely different problems from 2Pac's Me Against the World, which only makes sense. Despite the media pitting these two against each other, there's a reason the same general group now adore them, and while that may be some amount of nostalgia, they still hit similar beats of gang life in their area, and take time to both bring down and rise up women, as well as various other day-to-day activities for them. However, I think what this album lacks lyrically compared to 2Pac's introspection is its flows and beats, which are great. Biggie seems to never stop talking, and that is all the more impressive by its runtime being over an hour. Sure, some topics are touched on a couple of times, but it is always a pleasure to just listen to, and the beats, while minimalistic to a degree, are notorious for a reason. There are some deeper topics covered, such as the final track's heavy, destructive closing statements that just make you sit there and wonder if the whole rest of the album was a cover, but what makes it fall apart for me is that the rest of the album doesn't seem to reflect this idea. Rather, you get guns, sex, and drugs, and man is there A LOT of each. Really don't need to hear this man get sloppy toppy nor rigorous, greasy sex, I could live without hearing that, and while the songs discussing these topics sound good, often times tuning in lyrically leads to a few eyebrow raises. Nothing crazy, but it took me out of the flow more than once, and was aggravating even. It's an album with a ton of potential, but I feel like that's lost in its coat of 90s sleaze. I understand the bravado was admirable at the time, but now it just feels goofy, and can really hurt this album for a listener ill prepared. Tons to enjoy, and for this to be someone's only album while alive is impressive to say the least, but you will not be finding something new to enjoy if you didn't like gangsta rap before this album.

Savane

Ali Farka Touré

1/5

Going in, I already know that blues is something I do not vibe with at all, so just going with the flow of the music is hardly an option for me. Flow, to me, feels like something to groove to, perhaps even dance a little, but this album suffers heavily from seemingly having nothing going on. Perhaps lyrically it is more investible, or maybe I should be blown away by the guitar picking, which I can admit is technically quality, but is incredibly dull, and the appearance of minimal percussion as well as rarely a brass or woodwind instrument, just leaves the album feeling barren. Not in a personal nor gripping way, but rather something to understand as its bare minimum the moment you hear it. Once you hear the first track, that't it, you are not getting something deeper here. It won't have a shocking twist track, it won't courtesy you and change to something more interesting, and even if you are a person only here for the "vibe," its hour long runtime only aims to make every track even more repetitive. I was sick of the songs here, ten minutes in, so another forty-five only lead to pure annoyance. It never dives into something offensive, and maybe you'll find yourself getting it more than me and be pleased by the overloaded tracks, but I find this to be a pretty obvious case of an album receiving more praise due to its creator sadly passing away before it release, and while that is a shame, and I mean that, I do not see anything truly remarkable about the music. Add in the fact that this from 2006, and I fail to see why this would be any more essential than any other blues record, and the genre crossover of Songhai music does nothing to the blues presented other than making something more dry a little more humid, and that isn't really a good thing, I feel. Tedious, and due to its length, annoying.

The Bends

Radiohead

5/5

Y'know, this used to be the only Radiohead album I understood the hype for. As someone who was always more of a Muse fan (still am a Muse fan, fight me) at the time of listening, I got this one pretty quickly because it was definitively alt-rock. No gimmicks, no weird electronic stuff, and feeling like death was around every corner is more "subtle" in this one, perhaps not lyrically, but tonally. I love all those things about Radiohead now, and I'm obviously simplifying what makes them great, but nevertheless I was curious if returning to this album after all this time would make it hit different, or if I still consider it one of their best. After doing so, I can still confirm for myself that this is one of their best works, in my opinion. Sure, it is very straightforward, but because of that it feels like a perfected statement. Sure, there are lesser tracks here, but everything is at least solid, and oddly I didn't notice it before, but you start to get more of that stereotypical Radiohead vibe the longer the album goes on. Things get more dreary, more exhausting (in a good way), and overall I think it really wraps the package up into something that perfectly defines this era of their career. Sure, Fake Plastic Trees is great, but the melancholia of tracks like (Nice Dream) is far more what I'm looking for with an album like this, and it nails it. Guitar work is fantastic, as is Thom's singing, which feels less like trying to chase the coattails of his contemporaries, unlike the prior album. I think if you like pure 90s rock you will find yourself enjoying this above the others, as I did at one point, and no matter what it is a great gateway into something more, and while I don't consider this their best anywhere (not enough emotions stir within me, y'know) this is still a fantastic record with plenty of amazing songs to make it well worth the listen.

Fishscale

Ghostface Killah

3/5

Lyrically, this album is incredibly stereotypical, and perhaps one of the last instancies of an album I would describe as vulgar for the sake of being vulgar. It feels stuck in the 90s, berating women, slinging drugs, murdering fools, all with the same guests seemingly on all the Wu-Tang albums. I know they were all in a group together, but jeez, find new people. However, the production on this album is fantastic, with appearances from some of the greats like J Dilla and MF DOOM (unfortunately, only producing, no raps from the mad villain here) and it really sells the entire album. I mean, there are whole songs here that purely live off their beats, and it really elevates the whole experience into something pretty enjoyable. It's too long, not a single joke hits, and it's just relatively icky, but if you wanted to show the powerhouse of production going around in the mid-2000s, this album exemplifies that fantastically. That being said, it's a sick joke that this the closest the 1001 Albums gets to, again, MF DOOM or J Dilla. That's an entire sin of its own, albeit not one that is this album's fault.

That's The Way Of The World

Earth, Wind & Fire

2/5

This album was full of ups and downs, but by the end I was pretty annoyed with this album because of the sheer amount of cheese oozing from its grooves. Yeah, some of the instrumentation is impressive, and at times the vocals and melodies were pretty, but that stretch of gospel funk on the entire B-side felt all too goofy to ever be taken seriously, and that final track just felt preachy and sanctimonious. There was hope in the beginning, as even I know Shining Star and enjoy it, but I cannot really seem to look past my flaws with it. If you're looking for something incredibly easy for everyone you know to enjoy, but not much above that, this is that.

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

4/5

Jazz is always a daunting genre for me, as I find myself either bored, hating it, or very rarely, in love. However, I feel like I've not gotten to encounter a lot of piano-focused jazz, let alone solely piano. I know how to play piano, or at least I like to think I do, so listening to this album, I was just in awe the entire time by the moments packed here. Many, MANY fantastic little ambient interpolations among chord progressions and passages of pure euphoria among Keith Jarrett's playing, and you can tell he is certainly into it as well, with his moaning and the such, which reminds me a little of Robert Wyatt. The first track, despite its length, has a ton of stuff to love, and is worth the price of admission, so the next three tracks are just cool bonuses. They capture the concert hall feeling perfectly, where you are solely focused on the playing, and very little else, and it can be entrancing. It is pretty long, and because of that parts of songs can feel unnecessary, but whenever a moment pops up I truly adore it all feels worthwhile. This may be a bit different of a jazz record, but it is pretty far up my alley, and I'm glad to have enjoyed it.

Shadowland

k.d. lang

4/5

k.d. lang confirms to me that she has perhaps one of the most underrated singing voices in all music. Sure, this record has far too many country music sound effects (you know the ones) and is generally not my thing, but she doesn't care and makes me really enjoy my time any way. Everything feels genuine and I, for the first time in my life, feel the bittersweet sorrow of country music, and I highly doubt I'll suddenly love country music now. I just seem to really enjoy k.d. lang, and of course that means big ups for the tracks here that are more vocal jazz-esque. It stumbles near the end, with perhaps the two worst songs on the album closing it out, but it is just short enough to not really hurt too much. I hope to explore more of her catalog soon, because she seems to have transcended barriers for me, even if it is only by the tiniest of bits, and that is truly impressive.

Chris

Christine and the Queens

3/5

Generally, I am not looking for my pop tunes to harken back to an era of mediocre synths and instantly dated instrumentation, the late 80s, but I feel like this album balances it just enough for it to not be too egregious. However, this was a little bit of a slog to get through, just because the album is other an hour-and-a-half with both parts, and while some songs shine on one or the other more, it can still be tough to get through in one sitting. It leads a lot to the album feeling repetitive, because not only is it pretty similar throughout already, but listening to everything twice with slight delivery tweaks is not worth the time spent. You may say "then don't listen to both parts," but I feel if they spent the time to translate every song here, and put it all in one bundle, then the full thing must have been intended. It is an album that I think would've been enjoyable, but nothing special, but that length hurts it all the more. I could see myself liking something more by Chris, something more upbeat or darker in tone, but for now this is an okay dive into 80s synthpop nostalgia. If you're only going to listen to one side, do the French one, it is delivered better and was surely the intentional route.

GREY Area

Little Simz

4/5

A great opening run that benefits from a short overall run time to give a concise overall package full of great production, amazing flow, and an overall solid debut to what may currently be the best female rapper of all time. Its subject is a bit repetitive, and in turn the back half can end up feeling a little redundant, but still a solid showcase of Little Simz's musical abilities.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

Raekwon

3/5

As with seemingly all of these Wu-Tang releases, the production is the redeeming factor to what are otherwise often sexist and seemingly meaningless lyrics. However, I will at least appreciate the mafia backdrop throughout the album, as it works extremely linearly within the context of Wu-Tang's Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang fighting style storylines. It's neat in theory, but feels not totally fulfilled in practice, not really worth the length. However, still enough to enjoy that I understand why it is considered one of the best of the group's solo projects, although I feel I've listened to most of the big ones at this point, and none have stuck out enough for me to understand what makes these worth listening to in conjunction with the 36 Chambers.

Kick Out The Jams (Live)

MC5

1/5

Glad to hear that punk had cemented its iconic repetitive and annoying nature early on in its lifespan by giving a live album full of the same song six times in a row, only to end with frankly disturbing mouth noises and a rock space odyssey somehow just as meandering and dull as the rest of the album. Sure, you could argue that the raw energy is what fuels this record's angst and influence, but by '69 I could've certainly found that within another album, live or otherwise. The instrumentation is sloppy, the vocals are poor, and the message is ham-fisted. Must be a punk record! A bad one, at that.

In Rainbows

Radiohead

5/5

This is it, this is what all other Radiohead albums were building towards, almost like a season finale. Obviously we've gotten albums past this one, but this really feels like the culmination of what everything they had done before was forming into. There's more rock heavy tracks blended with more ethereal tracks, all with fantastic percussion that keeps the pace of the album up, even in the more solemn moments. The guitars and other strings are fantastic, Yorke sounds finally content with life, rather than seemingly relatively whiney, and it just feels like such a relaxed, Summer-y album (by Radiohead standards) that can still work on a cold, dark, Winter night. This is amazing, and the fact you could pay whatever you wanted to listen to this back when it released? Insane.

Technique

New Order

3/5

This album feels a little bit like New Order are on autopilot, and I can't help but blame the era in which this album was conceived. The late 80s are the bane of my existence, and it just feels as though every act from the time either got worse or was never good to begin with, save for some harder rock sounds exploding on to the scene at the time, and this album is no exception. It feels like if you put "New Order" into an AI generator, this is what would be spit out, a multitude of tracks that are certainly synth-y and melancholic, but lack that extra push to be something truly worth experiencing. However, despite this, I find New Order's aesthetic to remain relatively intact to a degree where none of the songs are bad. There's plenty of weird, poorly aged sounds, but the general idea is still there and accounted for, so if you like that "party at a funeral" vibe, you may get that here just as much as Power, Corruption & Lies or Low-Life, but it is clear that New Order has forgotten most of their roots, and it can lead to a solid, but mind-numbing experience where you only recall their older, BETTER tracks.

All That You Can't Leave Behind

U2

1/5

This album is like bad Coldplay. It's like hearing that ending, feel-good song on an album that no one likes twelve times in a row. It's like tuning into the Christian rock station, and getting what you deserve for thinking that was a good idea. It's awful. Bono was already slowly becoming the dullest vocalist to hit the big time, but luckily this album also lacks any interesting instrumentation, quality hooks or choruses for that matter, and really just reeks of "let's do what everyone else is doing!" Throw in some terrible lyrics that really don't even try, the entirety of Grace can show that off, and I think you have yourself the perfect mix of horrible, early 2000s schlock that only aims to be just inoffensive enough so that your grandma can finally become a fan of U2. Maybe that's why they've made permeant residence in Las Vegas for the time-being? So that your great aunts and uncles can catch them while they're on their biannual trip to the casinos to "make it big"? How did Eno get to be this dull; boredom? Was Talking Heads too much of a party, and he had to cool down with Jesus and the disciples for a few decades? Just rubbish, makes me more mad just thinking about it, don't put yourself through this, all is revealed in that "baby's first pop rock" of a hit single, so get your rocks off there, if you really need that U2 kick and War, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, literally any other album, or going outside doesn't satisfy that craving.

Live At The Witch Trials

The Fall

3/5

File this on the punk side of post-punk, the Fall's singer really breaks this album for me, as compared to the excellent bass playing, the solid drumming, and that perfect late 70s guitar tone, his voice comes off like one of those mediocre UK hip hop rappers that you can't help but laugh at from initial listen. Less Public Image Ltd, more The Streets, y'know? However, I would be lying if I said it didn't break barriers for me at points and deliver something I enjoyed, as the raw energy in some of the tracks really allows the instrumentation to shine, and if you bury Mark E. Smith in the mix just enough, his delivery becomes less laughable, and instead something more manic. Certainly not one of the great post-punk records in my eyes, but still something with enough merit on its own, and at the very least, it certainly stands out.

Meat Puppets II

Meat Puppets

4/5

Of course this album was a big inspiration to the alt-rock acts of the late 80s and early 90s, I mean, just listen to it. Just enough country twang to be subversive. Enough fuzz to rock hard, but still melodic enough to gather a crowd willing to jam. It's its own thing through and through, with only small things you can pick out and go "oh they probably did that because of this act," but otherwise you're listening to the sound of an all new era of entertainment, and while its still ironing out some of the kinks, okay, A LOT of kinks, its otherwise nothing short of revolutionary.

Welcome to the Afterfuture

Mike Ladd

2/5

This album was frankly just too late, as there is some part of me that wants to respect the abstract choices made with this album; the ambient tracks, the spoken word that feels more like poetry than anything hip hop related, and the lyrical concepts are generally something that would fit well on some sort of concept album. However, most of the album I was only thinking that these concepts and styles had been done before relatively recently upon this album's release, and it makes Mike Ladd unfortunately look like a copycat at best, a complete poser at worst. This isn't really fair to Ladd, but it doesn't mean this album magically becomes timely or really all that well-thought-out. A major issue this album possesses is that it often feels like it can't balance the ambient instrumentals with the rapping parts. Many of the instrumental tracks would make great backing beats, meanwhile most of the actual main beats come off as weak and uninspired. Ladd is also not a great MC flow wise, as even though it undoubtably has to do with the spoken word and poetry influences, it still comes off as choppy, and lyrically it also is reminiscent of a stereotypical slam poetry show; talking. Like. This. To. Make it. Sound... like you're smart. It can just be incredibly goofy. The album does improve upon its growth, with some of the final tracks easily outshining the rest of the album, but at over an hour long it is too little too late. Had this released in the mid 90s, I may be singing a different tune, but by 2000 you had acts like MF DOOM, and while again it isn't Mike Ladd's fault that this has aged like milk, it can be hard to return to, I imagine, five years later, let alone nearly twenty-five.

Picture Book

Simply Red

3/5

This album would be far better were it to have released either earlier in the 80s, or into the 90s. However, I also think this album could've never been made in any other time, as it is so perfectly 80s, so of course it released smack-dab in the middle of the decade! It actually is funkier than expected, and judging from the appearance of a Talking Heads cover (the worst song on the album, by the way: it isn't a good cover) I'd say they were going for something relatively danceable while still being solid sophisti-pop, allowing the album to slow down and become more introspective when needed. It all succeeds in doing what it is trying to, but it's hard to not still roll your eyes at the very thought of this album. It is just too cheesy, too cream-filled (a-yo?), too passé, and too predictable. But, I can't help but get into it a little bit. Not via the major hit, Holding Back the Years, no, no, no, no 80s ballads for me, thank you. Rather, I think it does its upbeat tracks rather well, and while it is no Talking Heads in the groove department, it can still be relatively solid for what's there, and I could say I enjoyed it with relative ease. It really isn't special, or frankly, good, but I had my fun with it, and luckily the CD wasn't too prominent yet, otherwise I could see this being one of those needlessly long LPs, but we have been saved on this glorious day. Rejoice! 80s mainstream pop is still just okay!

Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Aphex Twin

3/5

Quite frankly, this album and perhaps all of Aphex Twin are too smart for me. I don't pick up on the intricate time signatures, the mellowed out drum and bass backing to allow the sound to always have a thumping heartbeat, or even the general vibe brought to the table by its simplistic yet thoroughly crafted beats. However, I do at least respect it. It may sound like the soundtrack to a PlayStation racing game, but that can be a good thing! So, when I say it isn't my thing, I recognize completely that it is at the fault of my own patience and musical tolerance, rather than any outright flaw with the album. However, I do still think there are issues worth addressing, such as the length. The album suffers from 90s-itis, which means it must be double the length of a (now) standard album for the sake of filling out a CD, and while this does fit electronic music better than most genres, it can still feel like this collection of stoned club bangers are stretched to their limit for the sake of the ethereal ambiance, and it makes it so most tracks don't feel like they fit in a day-to-day lifestyle. Once again, an unfair critique, I realize, but I often think songs should be something I want to come back to, and I struggle to think of a reason on why I would return to Xtal over Pulsewidth, and even if I were to put on the whole album for one amazing session of "testing my new speakers," what effect does the album bring to the table that one singular track off this album doesn't pull off instead? There are differences between songs; tracks like Hedphelym offer an obviously more sinister tone than simple, floaty tracks like I, but I still think at the end of the day this album is something praised on influence and standards more than being something truly fantastic in it of itself. I'm obviously talking out of my ass, I know nothing about IDM, but when looking at its contemporaries from later in the decade, I see so much improvement and style injected into the genre that this comes off as hollow and aged. In my opinion, better than what others were doing in 1992, but save for a couple tracks and moments, this doesn't seem like an album worth returning to in full. So, what your main takeaway here should be is that I'm saying there is no reason to return to this album, yet this is my second time listening in full in the last year. Says something about the pull this album gives off, huh? Whatever, I'm an idiot, now bugger off. luv u

Smokers Delight

Nightmares On Wax

2/5

There really isn't much to say, because there isn't much going on. I don't smoke weed because I'm a loser, but I can't imagine someone high would choose this over hundreds of other chill-out albums to vibe and relax to. Nothing is annoying, nothing is catchy, nothing is ear-catching. It just persists in the background. Sometimes you question if a new song has started, sometimes three songs go by and you don't bat an eye. It just, exists. Exists for over an hour, that is. Kind of inexcusable for what's presented, but I suppose you may need background noise for a while if you're gonna get high. Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about? Probably not, but this album bores me to tears sober, and I can't imagine that shifts to masterpiece quality stoned. Not awful, just prepare for wishing you were listening to a different album.

Urban Hymns

The Verve

1/5

An album that I remember being so bad and dull that I honestly refuse to listen to it again. Songs dragged on with little interesting instrumentation to accompany it, and the singer's wispy, psychedelic singing often came off as more posh and up its own ass than actually done well. Yes, there is a singular good riff here, that being Bittersweet Symphony's string backing to keep that song moving along at a pace just fit enough for it to become a hit both in the UK and US, but when you learn that small snippet of strings is all you get, you'll be rolling your eyes by the end of the track, and realizing it is a sample pulled from a Rolling Stones' orchestral live album makes it all the worse. Sure, sampling is cool, but not that lazily, it just makes you look bad. Otherwise, you get that same level of self-important nothingness that plagues the likes of their contemporaries, such as The Charlatans or Oasis. Pulp and other Britpop acts work for me due to their self-aware lyrics and cheeky but solid instrumentals. This just feels like they came up with "sad" lyrics then noodled on their instruments for five minutes, cut it, and shipped it out. How this is considered some of the best the UK had to offer at the time is beyond me, but I just find it ridiculously drab, and I really don't want to go through that hour of meandering songwriting again, even a year or so later.

A Northern Soul

The Verve

2/5

Due to the Verve's initial take on Britpop being a more psychedelic fever dream with noisy guitars and wailing vocals, it at least is understandable why they were big enough to score airplay by the time of Urban Hymns. It stands out among the crowd, and really shares more similarities with acts like the Flaming Lips or Mercury Rev than Pulp or Blur. In doing so, I find myself liking this album more than their later projects, as it feels a bit less forced, like they weren't just trying to cash in on a trend to make money. However, it still is incredibly boring, with at least half the album being repetitive, nearly ambient guitar playing backed by otherwise boring instrumentation, and lyrically the album is as simple as possible. Part of the fun of 60s British psychedelia was its quirk, its self-awareness. Acts like the Beatles and the Kinks knew it was weird and overwhelmingly British, but many groups from the 90s seem scared to embrace that, save for acts like Pulp or the Divine Comedy if you count it. I'm all for serious, mystifying music, but you have to try a bit harder than this record is. No one song stands out, and over the course of this hour-long record you'll encounter what feels like the same six-minute flat circle song about ten times, with slight variations that allows some tracks to be definitively BETTER, but still not good. It's fine, if you like it, I understand it, but it still has to be one of the weakest showings from this era. Perhaps still better than anything Oasis ever put out, though.

Post Orgasmic Chill

Skunk Anansie

2/5

At the start of the record, I found the vocal style incredibly unique for this era of rock, but found the butt-rock instrumentation to be goofy, like a song you would hear close a Michael Bay film. However, once it started escaping that sound and was oddly ballad songs with a hint of rock band, I found myself sorely missing the heavier sound. The album never really settled down, causing it to exhaust its welcome far sooner than what was intended. A sound following the second track's punky delivery and brash lyrics is what would've benefited the album the most, I feel, and twenty minutes shaved off the runtime. To be unique is always welcomed, but you have to go all in, otherwise you just fall into a midpoint of mediocrity and forgeability, destined to be forgotten in an era you assuredly thought you were avoiding.

90

808 State

4/5

This album manages to seamlessly be both evocative of the 80s without being outdated, nearly pioneering a sound that can be heard not only in acid house scenes of the 90s, but also genres such as hip hop or IDM. It knows how to tread lightly when it comes to sampling, although that doesn't mean you don't get a few cheeky ones in there that are fun to spot, and overall the whole project is just a lot of fun. More energetic than its contemporaries, 808 State manages to present a mostly instrumental release while still keeping it engaging to the common folk, especially boosted by its oh-so-familiar PlayStation-like sound design, although obviously years before that console's appearance. It just comes off as a love letter to the lighter electronic tunes that came before, whilst ushering in a new scene that takes the genre more seriously, giving way to a nice blend. Helping things tremendously is its relatively short runtime, in which later electronic albums seemed to ignore concise and tight instrumentation, while this one nails it. It does have some hiccups in the way of still being relatively repetitive, as many tracks can be cut down a minute or two with little loss, and I can't imagine legitimately getting up and dancing to this, instead it feels more like playing a racing game, and I'm never sure if that's a compliment or not. But this album still has enough bright moments for me to appreciate and enjoy what it presents. Hoping an earlier or later release from this group may click with me even more, but this album may have hit that groove just right.

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

5/5

If there is one thing I adore about music, it is finding what is seemingly an artist you love out of nowhere. It happened with me and Sparks, my now favorite band, and while there could be a world where I still hadn't discovered them, I'm extremely happy that my music journey led me to them. So, getting that feeling again is always great, and that seems to be the case with me and Siouxsie and the Banshees. I mean, I could assume I would like them just because of my general enjoyment of post-punk and, to a lesser extent, gothic rock, but to find out they may be one of my favorites of the genre and era is an extremely nice surprise. Siouxsie's vocals are unique and emotionally strained without being difficult to listen to, and their instrumentation on this album is amazing, with tons of riffs and hooks that are surprisingly catchy for such a dissonant album. This should be an album where you stare into space and overthink every thing that has ever happened to you, but you can't help but rock out a little while you do it. Siouxsie and the Banshees seem to love their unique covers, and this features a fascinating Helter Skelter cover that towers over other Beatles covers for actually doing something different whilst not removing the ton of the original, and the whole album is just haunting. The album cover is perfect, just being something relatively normal, but distorting it to a point of being terrifying, and while perhaps by modern standards this album could come off a little cheesy, by 1978 standards this feels like a nightmare, albeit a lesser one. This debut just feels like something sinister is afoot, and while their later, more rock oriented releases are amazing in their own right, this take is something I just really enjoy, being exactly what I go to post-punk for. That pure anxious energy that few others can balance with purely great songwriting so well. It is a treat, and I look forward to diving into their discography more in my own time.

Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo

MC Solaar

3/5

I wrote a whole review about I couldn't possibly fairly rate this, as it wasn't meant to ever reach me sitting in the middle of the US twiddling my thumbs, but it unfortunately got deleted, and I couldn't possibly re-type it with nearly the same amount of gusto. So, I'll just say that while I can recognize this album may do something for others, I feel its merits that I can process do not rise high enough for me to seek out more information, as at its core it is relatively predictable conscious hip hop album from the early 90s, and those are, frankly, a dime a dozen. I will give it the benefit of the doubt and boost it a little because I was still vibing to the solid production, but I gathered very little from listening to this, and I'm unsure if you can really blame me. A genre that is 70% lyrical focus being listened to by an exclusively English-speaking person is bound to cause problems, and while I realize that is not the album's fault, it cannot be ignored.

Kenza

Khaled

2/5

I'm unsure if I actually listened to everything from this album, as the playlist on YouTube said a song was unavailable, but song titles seem to be slightly different between language barriers, so I couldn't tell completely. That being said, I think I got the general picture just fine, and my main takeaway is that I just don't like this vocal style. I know it seems to be the main vocal delivery of a lot of middle eastern (is that insensitive? I'm ill-informed on what's correct there, so I'm sorry) singers, but it just feels stereotypical and annoying. Perhaps that comes from Hollywood using songs that sound like this album whenever characters are in the desert, and those settings annoy me, so maybe it's an association thing? Who knows, I just know this album isn't saved no matter what for me, as the instrumentation is so aggressively western that it sounds ripped straight out of the 80s. Issue is that it is from 1999, and lacks any decent hooks to actually get me grooving along. Not to mention the terrible runtime of seventy-five minutes, and you've got yourself a release that could only ever be known by me, a guy sitting in the middle of the USA listening to this, because some British guy thought it was an album I had to listen to before I died. It is not, and wasting my time on it made me annoyed. However, the album is actually better than I expected still, with enough interesting moments to at least keep it entertaining at points. An Imagine cover that is same-y but not bad, some genre switch ups such as a French ballad or a Spanish guitar inspired dance track, it definitely is unique in the fact that it is trying to be something. That something may be appealing to as many people as possible, which means it appeals to no one because I'd rather listen to ANYTHING else, but I have to give it a little credit. However, you will understand the gist of this album via a couple of the first tracks and maybe a song here or there. In no world should you sit through all of this, and considering the album ends with that same French ballad AGAIN with very little noticeable change (it's in Arabic now, but it seems the chorus is still in French?) makes it so sticking around until the end is just a waste. This album was destined to be some niche thing never known across the world, and it still isn't, but Robert Dimery tried, and failed, to make it something known in 2005. But he was wrong, and I can't look past that when it is the only reason I spent my Wednesday morning listening to it. It just isn't worth the time of day.

Ctrl

SZA

4/5

The first time I ever heard this album about two years ago, I found it bad, but in a funny way. I found the relatively crass language to be so blunt that even though I cringed at nearly every lyric, I was also having a grand ol' time due to how funny it was, intentional or not. However, I look back on that outlook on this album in a negative light. It is juvenile that I couldn't get past her being insecure about herself and relationships because she said "pussy" one too many times or something, and I feel having some more experience with music under my belt, I'm able to understand the plight a little more. Don't get me wrong, I know the album has its jokes, just listen to the way Kendrick Lamar says "pussy," it is obviously light-hearted, but it isn't lyrics formed without some amount of weight behind them. It is tonally repetitive, as lyrical content orbits around the same three or four issues with slightly different perspectives, and I wouldn't say the language is the most creative, despite being quite colorful, but it is a solid foundation on top of what is a solid singer and great production. I'm a big fan of those lo-fi, melancholic guitars that come in every other track or so, as they're just spacious enough to give SZA time to get her licks in without being ambient. I do think it leans into that bedroom pop aesthetic a little too hard, and could maybe benefit from a shorter runtime to compensate, but I enjoyed this project a lot more on a second run, as I find myself not necessarily relating, but vibing with its tone and message. I think SZA can create a great pop hook, and if this isn't your style because it's too chilled out, or too "inappropriate," check out her more recent hit Kill Bill, it's great and really had me re-examine modern pop as not just a dumpster fire to hate on just to be "unique." There's great music in every corner, you just have to keep your ears and mind open.

Green

R.E.M.

3/5

I think five albums into this band's discography, I can officially say I'm not really a hater nor a fan of R.E.M. They create plenty of songs I enjoy, and can even make an album or two that I would define as "good," but whenever I have to sit down and check out another one of their albums, I sort of just sit there in disinterest. I'm not a fan of Michael Stipe's voice, and it feels like the later you get in their discography, the more he plays it up, but at the same time the instrumentation is solid. Albeit, it is a bit generic, but I do enjoy enough of it to say an album usually comes out somewhat on top, but I really feel like I never needed to listen to all of this from them. Any song that does catch my attention here seems to refuse to have a bridge or climax to change the song up, and it leads to me enjoying the first two minutes consistently, before realizing I've heard everything the song has to offer. There are the hits here, and they're okay, but they follow the same formula, and it all just comes up empty for me. I'd say it is burnout, but I've listened to these albums so far apart from each other that I think I can accept it just isn't for me, much to the chagrin of my mother. Sorry, mom. At least you were right about the Smiths.

Every Picture Tells A Story

Rod Stewart

1/5

I think I hate this era of rock, where if you weren't trying to figure out where you were in a post-Beatles world, you were copying the Rolling Stones' "I miss the old days of bluesy rock 'n' roll" shtick, and boy do I already dislike it when they do it, so when I have to listen to another lesser artist do it worst, with a voice that sounds like he's choking on gravel and instrumentation only fitting in a Celtic rock record, my blood boils. This is just not a good album, if it has hits I wouldn't be able to tell them apart because they all sound the same, and I knew this would be pandering to the "good ol' days" the moment a song that has already gone on too long ends with Amazing Grace. Talk about pandering, and while I know Rod Stewart can make good songs, I've heard them, I didn't find a single good one here.

Elephant

The White Stripes

4/5

You flubbed it right at the last moment! Ah, well... this album is extremely well done, with great guitar playing and singing via Jack White, and even if you don't like the style you cannot deny that this style is undeniably his. Meg White may be a basic drummer, but it gets the job done, and I'd say the constant thumping tempo allows things to hit even harder on tracks like The Hardest Button to Button. What really makes this album shine for me as opposed to their prior work is how hard it goes in on the rocking. Very few songs let up here, and even tracks like Ball and Biscuit at their most bluesy feel like garage rock at its finest. For a majority of this album, I could only classify it as something great. However, unlike White Blood Cells, that's what makes the folk-inspired tracks, such as the before mentioned final song, stand out negatively. On their own they would be solid, but in the context of the album they tend to kill the pacing, and while tracks like I Want To Be The Boy To Warm Your Mother's Heart feel like they're supposed to be the We're Going to Be Friends of this album, they end up feeling lesser and overall unneeded. I really want to bump this album up to that next tier, but with a flaw like that really striking the album down at the very end, plus an odd thirty seconds of silence (on my version any way) makes me sit there in relative disappointment. Still, that does not detract from the fact that this album has some excellent songs, and is for the most part some of the best rock we got in the 2000s. Just a couple of things that me feeling unfulfilled, albeit still satisfied.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

2/5

I had to listen to a Frankenstein of a version of this album via YouTube because apparently at some point recently this album got stripped from streaming, and it doesn't feel worth going out and tracking down a vinyl for an album I already know is going to be anywhere from mediocre-to-not my thing. Tom Petty's voice isn't bad on a surface level, but it always sounds like he is a nerdy kid trying to hold in a sniffle because he has a cold, and it can be noticeably bad the longer you sit and listen. Not helping things is that this album just doesn't have the star power throughout. Yes, American Girl is a classic, and that guitar solo at the end is great, but do the rest of the songs hold up? No, not really... it just leaves this album feeling like it is the epitome of 70s dad rock, which is ironic, because my dad can't stand this guy. Either way, the album isn't bad, it is actually mostly inoffensive, but I have no thoughts after listening that I didn't already have from his hits. His deep cuts aren't spectacular, and the singles are baseline good, but don't reach the upper echelons of classic rock, so this album just feels like it exists. Really easy pill to swallow, at least; that run time is fantastic for this kind of music.

Tank Battles

Dagmar Krause

3/5

It is strange to me that this is an album "you must hear before you die," yet no album by Dagmar Krause's band, Slapp Happy, made the cut. If you know anything about that band, you would know it is quite a bit better than this, or at the very least deserves it a little more. This album can be daunting, as despite its average runtime, the amount of tracks in juxtaposition to the lack of variation can lead to a lot of songs whizzing by with very little to recollect later, and it leads to the majority of the album being forgettable, even to the point of annoyance by the end, but I'd be lying if I didn't say the sappier, more musically well-constructed material had me more intrigued. Krause's voice is not stereotypical, but it is technically impressive at times, and I'd say the strange delivery combined with the off-tempo instrumentation lead to a lot of moments where I think I could enjoy this in small bursts. It is hard to tell, as the songs not being on streaming means I can't quite remember a favorite or two to listen to later, but I know they were in there, and while that was bound to happen with a whopping twenty-two tracks, I still have to give it some (Stockholm Syndrome-esque) credit. It isn't a good album, and I can't recognize why many would come away from this confused and angry at what they just listened to, but I think it barely scrapes by as just weird enough for it to be barely up my alley. You won't see me recommending it to anyone else, though, and it certainly isn't an album to listen to before you pass away.

Vauxhall And I

Morrissey

4/5

Blah blah, Morrissey bad, music good, blah blah... mentioning it every single review is redundant, so no need to harp on it here. Morrissey shows on this album that he recognizes the second British Invasion he helped spawn and takes beats from Pulp among other similar acts to create a very consistent record, with that usual whispery, lackadaisical crooning Morrissey oh so loves, with a dash of relatively generic instrumentation to create a record that is good, but never great. It has those driving, alternative riffs and that thumping percussion to keep things moving, but he knows you are here to love or loathe him and his voice, so he is mainly the star of the show. If you want an album that is definitely aging, but still has enough to come back to, then I think the melancholic tone fits best here since his departure from the Smiths, but I find myself preferring Viva Hate because it sounds fresh and like he's roaring to make his own music. This album feels like he has been there, done that, and knows how to make you happy in the cockiest of ways, and I have to admit this is still got enough good parts to win me over.

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Richard Thompson

3/5

British folk seems to be like the European equivalent of classic American country music, and in that I mean that I can find it enjoyable, but often times it is a swing and a miss. This album took until near the end for me to truly understand what I was listening to, because at first I thought it was just folksy and had the lyrics to back it up, but the final two haunting, existential tracks really did something for me, and made me realize that the whole record was lonely snapshot of spending a night alone in thoughts. I still have issue with both singer's voices, as they can really drag in some of the more "up-beat" tracks, and still most of the songs lyrically are typical "I'm sad and alone," but those final two tracks really boosted this for me into something I can see the appeal of, even if the genre isn't totally my thing still.

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

5/5

My partner is gonna kill me for this... this is the best Led Zeppelin album, and unless I get around to Houses of the Holy and that shocks me to my core even more, I can't imagine it will be topped. Sure, the final side is pretty iffy, with only the Wanton Song's guitar being something amazing, but the rest of the album is exactly what I want from bluesy hard rock. Great guitar riffs, varying vocals, memorable soundscapes, and a whole vibe that makes it no wonder that Led Zeppelin was such a big influence on the garage rock revival. If anything, I was shocked by how much of a standout Kashmir ends up being, with its instrumentation being unlike anything else on the record. But, again, that's what makes this album truly great, is they take a frankly insane concept such as thinking we needed a Zeppelin double album and making it work. It could be shaved down, sure, but then how would one come to appreciate what feels like a send-off for the band? Old, cut tracks that certainly aren't hiding (I love having my titular track on the album after!) and songs that feel like love letters to not only blues rock, but their contemporaries, and even themselves a bit. It is an album with all the swagger one of the biggest bands in the world would have, and I cannot deny it its greatness, even with some filler at the end.

The Holy Bible

Manic Street Preachers

4/5

I like this more than their later work, it has an edge to it that feels genuine and angry, and even if they aren't so good with their grammar (it's) the songwriting feels just haunting enough for you to relate if you've gone through any of these feelings, and disturbed and worried if you haven't. However, the mix doesn't match the tone, as it feels really flat and doesn't allow any particular moment to shine. So, there are tons of great hooks and memorable moments, in theory, but by the end nearly every song sounds like the last, and while I enjoy the general sound enough to see it as a good time, I could also see it being a slog for those just wanting to rock out, and feeling blue-balled the whole time. Still, I think this effort is jarring yet catchy enough to win me over, and while Manic Street Preachers still haven't won me over completely, I can see why this is the defining moment for them.

Third

Soft Machine

5/5

Wow, I re-listen an album I liked before and find out I actually love it? Who Could've guessed something like that would happen to me! Sarcasm aside, this album is magnificent, with a hard-coded display of jazz rock at its instrumental finest, with a sonic blast of buzzing organs, complex drum patterns, and bass playing that is just subtle enough to feel like a texture that keeps my mind fuzzy. Even better is the third track's vocal performance via Robert Wyatt, who's voice I adore to no end, and I really soak in each word he speaks, as, alas, this is our only moments with him vocally. I originally was turned off by the opening track for being too all over the place and nonsensical, and while it is still the weakest track, I can wrap my mind around it just enough to love the parts where all the instruments explode at once, or when the music reverses and goes forward at the same time. Assuredly a sick experience to see live, and the rest of the album's non-live performances are also top-notch. Figures that I like it when British white guys do crazy, long form jazz instead of albums like Bitches Brew. Because I'm a bad person. Ah, well... someday that album will click with me. Maybe. Probably not. But this one does! This is fantastic, and worth the re-listen just a month later!

Water From An Ancient Well

Abdullah Ibrahim

2/5

Enjoyable jazz that is extremely thin and forgotten mere moments after listening. That isn't to say the album is bad, but the whole thing feels like it is meant to be the soundtrack to an old Disney Silly Symphony. Y'know, the things that Disney used to sync their animations with? The music is okay enough, but it just feels like jazz music purely meant to elicit relaxed vibes, and nothing more. A soundtrack to an Olive Garden, perhaps? Or something more spicy, like the Old Spaghetti Factory? Either way, the music is sound, it's fine, but would you catch me listening to it in my free time? Hell no. The instrumentation is fine, the variation is fine, the improvisation is fine, it is all FINE. But there has to be better jazz coming out of the mid-80s, yes?

Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A.

3/5

Influential, and Dre's production is fantastic, a pinnacle moment in hip hop history, but the lyrics are mixed, with a lot of points that still ring true today, but tons of homophobia, sexism, and a general view of violence for the sake of fun. It is hard to even say "that was just the time period," as groups like Public Enemy already had It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, something far more nuanced with just as good production. However, it is tough to deny the impact here. I mean, you still have people quoting the first two tracks' opening lines constantly, and there are tons of production moments that overshadow the lyrics so much that it is easy to tune out anything too hateful, but sometimes it just felt like being edgy for the sake of it. It spawned so many careers that did go on to create greater projects, but when it comes to classic hip hop groups, easy to put NWA on a lower bracket if this is their best material.

Bright Flight

Silver Jews

5/5

Perhaps it is because I'm sick, it's storming, and I just feel generally gloomy, but this album really hit for me. It's like if Pavement was put through the Americana machine and given a few extra twangs for good measure, but some of the lyrics cut so deep and are so devastatingly dripping with loneliness that I felt like I was on the verge of tears whilst listening. His voice took a bit of getting used to, not being quite as smooth as other acts in the genre, but again, that only draws more Pavement comparisons. It's actually kind of ironic, as this is one of the few albums where Stephen Malkmus didn't partake, but the slacker sound permeates still. It's intricately produced to feel like being alone at a bar, but still be the epitome of a big hug when needed most, and I overall just really vibe with this sort of stuff. I can't quite cross over to that pop country sound, no matter the era, but this wallowing bottomless well of an album is exactly what the doctor ordered, and I'm living within it.

Rattus Norvegicus

The Stranglers

3/5

I knew the Stranglers for the song Golden Brown, and that was it, so admittedly this gave me a little whiplash, as its punky, crass personality doesn't fully coincide with the dreamy, drug-filled expedition that I took the band for. However, that doesn't mean the album is bad, as the bass playing and the keyboard are both absolutely stellar, and make most of the album for me. The early tracks especially, are stellar punk tunes with enough post-punk influence to be good times. The album does start to lose me a bit as it goes on, however, and even the big tracks such as Peaches and Grip weren't grabbing a hold of me, but I could certainly see this being a grower if I ever decide to come back to it. It really just misses the mark for being too repetitive, and not quite manic enough for the Doors-like organs and straight up dirty vibe many tracks give off. I think just a bit more pep in each song's step could've really improved this for me, and I'm hoping that's what some of their later albums will do for me.

Beach Samba

Astrud Gilberto

4/5

I fell in love with Astrud Gilberto's somber yet cozy singing whilst listening to Getz/Gilberto, she was easily the standout performer there, as I wasn't expecting the non-credited singer to be the best part of my introduction to proper bossa nova. It only makes sense, then, that she got a solo career to rival her ex-husband and many other vocal performers from the time. When this album is trying to capture that same spirit as Getz/Gilberto, sans the titular leads, it still works really well, as Astrud's voice is just meant for that easy-listening, elevator music style, and I mean that in a good way. It's so lounge-y, as if I'm stepping into a picturesque version of the 60s, and even the more "high-energy" stuff that appears throughout still works pretty well, such as the final track which reminds me of something that'd be found on an album by Stereolab or Komeda. However, there are a lot of moments here that try too hard to do something different, and really ruin the mood. Parade is straight up not good, and while some of the other songs that are just as repetitive are better, they still are too short to do anything interesting, and when you get tracks like that back-to-back-to-back, it can be kind of draining. It really does shape up in the back half, I feel, and I even think the song with her son is cute, albeit not a song I'd listen to in my free time. Is the album anything spectacular? Absolutely not, it isn't an album I'd consider even a good showcase of its genres, but Astrud Gilberto's voice is oh so sweet and the whole album is so light and breezy that it is difficult to look at the album with too critical of an eye. It's just an enjoyable time, and one that gave me my fix of bossa nova, although all I realize now is I need to listen to her earlier solo albums, as I can only assume those are more what most are looking for out of Gilberto.

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

The Byrds

2/5

I've not come in contact with the Byrds album that bridges this and Younger than Yesterday, but it must have some explanation, because this full-on, honky tonkin', rootin', tootin', cow fed country album is not what I really expected this band to go with after listening to albums like Fifth Dimension. It often feels like parody of country music, with lyrics about God, killing wives, and rotting in jail cued up with the same twang that could send thousands of farmers to the jukebox in seconds, and lyrics that bow down and rhyme to no man. It's quite honestly a bit sickening, and as someone who feels they've come around to parts of country, this generic stew of country """rock""" may have been one of the first, but it certainly had to step up from this. What keeps me from outright hating this is those bits of Byrds-like songwriting that made them so good with the pop scene, the psychedelic scene, and I can only assume the country scene. It is easiest to catch in the opener and closer, where it feels as though the band took an already written song and added some sound effects to give it that authentic country charm, but still be a Byrds song at the end of it all, but I'm going to have to agree with the fans from '68 on this one, this album feels like a bit of a betrayal after everything leading up to it, and while perhaps it is influential to a big genre, being influential doesn't always mean good, otherwise I'd like Yeezus, too. Now that I think about it, I promise you I'm the only person comparing Yeezus and Sweetheart of the Rodeo. Can't really tell you what that means, but damn if it doesn't mean enough for me to call it a night.

The Sensual World

Kate Bush

3/5

I truly despise the late 80s, it ruined many things it dared to touch, including many great artists, and while the finale to Kate Bush's "holy trinity" is still a good album, even as someone who isn't the biggest Kate Bush fan can recognize this is the obvious lesser product. It really does start to grab hold of itself by the final couple tracks, and morph itself into something harrowing, with big moments and revolutionary realizations about the world sonically, but most of the album feels like dated, half-baked ballads with synthesized instruments galore. There's little nuggets of something good buried deep down, but it feels more interested in being the people pleaser, and it can leave me feeling bored over its relatively short runtime. It can drag, but those moments of quality do keep you going, and the reward at the end is worth the time, I'd say, but I can't help but feel that all uniqueness, all quirkiness, all charm, is lost here. This feels like an okay enough late 80s pop record, but it doesn't feel like only Bush could've made it, and that left me disappointed. There is a silver lining, and that's that I'm only more excited to listen to her other projects more, and give them a proper time of day once and for all.

Let's Stay Together

Al Green

4/5

Al Green has a great voice for his line of work. It is oddly aged for how old he is (twenty-five on this album) but still has a pep in its step that keeps the grooves and funk moving, while feeling completely and utterly earnest. These may be love-making tunes, but it never really slows down, save for the Bee Gee's cover at the climax of the album, and so with its brisk speed and short length, you can let this album absorb you in a simple lunch break. Sure, it may be a tad derivative of other soul acts, and in retrospect the influence Al Green had ensured many other singers would try to sound like this for decades to come, leading to an influx of very similar sounding tunes, but Green pulls it off the best if you just want something to get you through the day. I love the fuzz of the album, too, as it makes the whole thing just feel warm. A nice juxtaposition to the cool (in both temperature and style) looking Green on the cover. Not my favorite soul record, but certainly wins me over more than most, with just the right amount of jamming and love to win me other and get me, at the very least, tapping my foot.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

4/5

Extremely stripped down compared to the Dylan I'm used to, but it is honestly extremely refreshing, as while melodically I prefer the later era's fuller sound, the lyrics here are so easy to just dig yourself in to, and Dylan's voice is honestly so charming here. People like to say he can't sing, but I feel like this album shows he can subdue his cadence, and make something that is pure, unadulterated folk. It may feel like it checks out too early on the album, with a lot of the B side being filler or just not as good as the A side, but there is a lot to like here, and it's honestly just impressive that Dylan could come into his own only two albums in. In a world full of jazz and classical, this album really put us into a new realm of music, and I think it deserves a lot of credit for that. The British Invasion may have flipped pop and rock on its head, but this flipped songwriting on its head.

Punishing Kiss

Ute Lemper

4/5

I know by now that this style of crooning baroque pop inspired by the likes of Scott Walker is right up my alley, even arguably a guilt pleasure, thanks to Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy. Hell, right before I generated this album I was checking out an album by them that I had never listened to before, so it is almost like destiny, even to the point where you can tell that a lot of the songwriting was done by Hannon himself, as if Ute Lemper's voice was used as a vessel for him and many other artists to try out cabaret, or bring themselves into a different perspective. I actually surprisingly quite enjoyed Costello's additions, as the pop-ier sound was a nice change of pace, and I wish they were a bit more spread out, because I was seeking shelter by the end from the musical theater displayed in front of me by the end of the album. I mean, Tom Waits also had some great additions, and whenever Neil was actually singing on one of his songs it was a blast, even if he felt like he was making fun of his own singing voice at times, but forty minutes in the album seemed ready to wrap up. Luckily, Scott Walker himself comes out of nowhere to deliver one of the darkest sounding songs I've heard from this subsection of music. It's repetitive, long, and droning, but God does it send shivers down my spin and feel like it is the perfect stop to the album. The first half of the album is truly amazing, though, with some pieces from everyone that are truly great, especially the Nick Cave tune that is undoubtedly, well, Nick Cave, but in the best of ways. Sure, the album can be seen as not really Lemper's, and that can cause it to feel like a fish out of water situation where I can't imagine too many who listen to this get what they want, but I feel this fits me just right, and is just as much of a force of nature as any of the albums of those who appear here alongside Lemper, and that makes me glad I got to check it out.

Here's Little Richard

Little Richard

2/5

I'm impressed by how much variation there is in this album, as I was expecting a situation similar to the Jerry Lee Lewis album where every single song was the exact same riff, pacing, and energy, but this album slows it down at times, and I appreciate that. However, by the end of this very short LP I was still ready to tap out, as many of the songs are not only regular ol' teenyboppers, but they've been covered to death, and while I have to give some level of credit, if I don't like the song when the Beatles do it, I'm probably not going to care here. I know about half the tracks, but I liked the deep cuts more, as Little Richard's androgynous vocal delivery was intriguing at the very least, and that shined the most on the slow paced tunes. I understand how this shaped rock 'n' roll, and that many of my favorite musicians wouldn't be here without Little Richard, but that doesn't change the fact that I just don't care for it. I can give respect, but that's about all I'm willing to muster, although I admit I think a later record from Richard could grab me more, if his sound was tweaked a little bit.

In The Wee Small Hours

Frank Sinatra

4/5

Is it a requirement for white guys to adore Frank Sinatra's voice? Perhaps, unfortunately, because I really adore this. It is a bit long for the repetition found in the lyrics and tone, but God, as a pioneer of the concept album, and LPs that aren't just a collection of singles in general, this album truly captures the feeling of theatrical heartbreak. Those strings are destructively sorrowful, and that harp that chimes in is dreamy and wistful in the perfect manner. All of this on top of Sinatra's powerful, booming voice that may not work when trying to do quiet tracks like I Get Along Without You Very Well, but nearly every song benefits from his contributions, and if he did truly help write some of these songs then man is the sorrow pouring out of this man's voice 100% believable and heartbreaking. I think it could just benefit from some song cuts, and I can completely see why one would find this too hammy to be trustworthy and required listening, but I think this is a great pick when it comes to important albums, and seeing that I am a white guy, I truly was smitten with this record nearly for the whole run.

Mott

Mott The Hoople

3/5

Glam rock is such a weird genre. You either have an act like Sparks, that feels like it is entirely focused on the glamorous aspects, being more art pop at the end of the day than anything, then you have acts like the New York Dolls, that are more rock than glam (in terms of the sound of their music), and it can feel like you're just listening to if rock 'n' roll survived to the 70s. However, the more underrated aspect is the acts that fall between these two extremes. David Bowie is the most obvious example in this category, as Bowie is unequivocally rock and roll during his Ziggy era, but has just enough weird stuff thrown in to be an interesting and unique listen. Mott the Hoople, in essence, is mainly just another version of that Bowie, stretched into a band rather than the effect of Ziggy where a good deal of people give credit to just Bowie when a whole band was at play. Mott the Hoople's biggest hit is often confused for being a Bowie song, and the band even is similar line-up wise, as Mick Ronson would be in the follow-up to this album a year later. Overall, it is a band that just feels like it was meant to be "kind of famous," and this album portrays that in spades. We have two different odes to glam rock, we have some quirky things to keep the album unique, and it can be described as a good time, but I highly doubt there are many out there who consider this a defining moment in rock culture. It's solid, it has good instrumentation, the vocalist has a Bowie meets Bob Dylan impression going on, and the lyrics feel glam-y, but there just isn't that wow factor to push it past the barrier into something truly amazing. If you like Bowie, you'll like this. If you like 70s rock, you'll like this. Hell, if you like rock you'll probably like some aspect of this, but I feel you'll be hard-pressed to find someone who LOVES this, especially over so many other classic glam albums.

Superfuzz Bigmuff

Mudhoney

3/5

The guitar work on this EP is fantastic! If there was one thing that kept me excited about the next song, then the next song, and so on and so forth, it was the instrumentation, as it is pure, raw energy, but still has enough melodically to be praised as something that walks the line between alternative rock and punk. I think the EP is just held back a bit by Steve Turner's vocals, as they can be rough, and not in a hardcore, "fuck the man!" sort of way, but rather in a chain-smoked two packs before rehearsal way. It can be adjusted to, but it is absolutely rough, and the release's short runtime don't give a lot of wiggle room. However, this is still a rocking release, and if you enjoy your noise rock and grunge overlords, make sure to pay due respect here.

Bat Out Of Hell

Meat Loaf

3/5

I'm unsure how to feel about piano rock. I thought I liked it, not only because Elton John's hits are very deceiving for the rest of his studio output, but also because Billy Joel's output is shockingly good, or at least the album The Stranger is. I feel this album only adds to the mystery, as Meatloaf has his share of hits that I quite like, this album containing one of them: Paradise by the Dashboard Light, and I like his additions to Rocky Horror Picture Show well enough. However, I always cringed a bit when encounter the schmaltzier side of piano rock, and this album is full of that. Predictable, self-righteous chord progressions, a booming voice to make everything sound more important than it truly is, and throw in perhaps the most misleading album cover ever for good measure. Yet, I found myself liking the schmaltziest track, For Crying Out Loud, only second to Paradise, and that only adds to the befuddlement. The whole album feels too cheesy for my blood, but when it truly digs into it, with the orchestral sweeps and the climactic finish, it works pretty well, and it allows the ending of this album, all nearly twenty minutes of it, to be oddly pleasurable. Perhaps not totally my thing, but I can appreciate it in the same way I like some blatantly terrible 80s songs. Just, God forbid, do not listen if you can't stand bravado and showmanship in a musical artist. This album is 80% that, 10% music, 10% weird sex stuff.

Who's Next

The Who

1/5

I've officially decided that I am not a fan of the Who in any way, shape, or form. All the vocals annoys me, the instrumentals are about as generic old white guy as you can get, and frankly it just isn't impressive or enjoyable to me. I can recognize the quality of Keith Moon's drumming, but a single drummer does not make a band good, and frankly with one of the most obnoxious finales in rock history, I'm going to throw this into the "influential for the worse" pile alongside Yeezus. Congrats, Who, you made power pop. Now every single other rock band will outclass you on it. That's truly revolutionary.

Wonderful Rainbow

Lightning Bolt

4/5

What is wrong with me? Alternate yet very similar question: What is wrong with YOU? This album contains a bunch of infectious grooves hidden under ten tons of sludge, with bass riffs that shut you up as soon as they start, the playing being something that will rock your ear drums out of your head, and drums that force you to listen to its racing heartbeat, Sometimes too noisy for its own sanity, Wonderful Rainbow is an album that is perfectly exemplified by its album cover: a landfill of nonsense barely blocking that rainbow you long to see, but when you do catch a glimpse, it is extraordinary. Songs make you sit and wait for the payoff. You will appreciate the purely technical instrumentation presented to you, and if you've been a good boy, you get one sick climax that makes the whole song something to just sit and be astonished of. Perhaps it is self-indulgent, and this feels like something you would kill your grandma with only a note in, but letting yourself sink into it is truly something to get pumped about. My ears are ringing and I love it.

Scott 4

Scott Walker

4/5

Close, but no cigar. Scott 4 feels less quirked up than the other album I've heard by Walker up to this point, Scott 2, but I think that strive to have an album that is more subdued melodically, but stronger in tone has its strengths and weaknesses. When this album is Scott with an orchestral backing and very little else, the beauty of what is presented is so strong that I'm genuinely at a loss for words when it comes to describing it, as it is truly legendary. However, when the songs start to aim for a more straightforward art rock sound, it can be more hit or miss. The Old Man's Back Again is something special, but other tracks that go for this tone, such as the final couple tracks, fall flat, and leave the album without a satisfying closer. The lyrics are top-notch throughout the whole record, but when presented under a pop-ier light it can feel more cheesy than dramatic. It's so close to something great, but I think the oddball songs that line the wax on Scott 2 allow that to be a more memorable, better experience, while this album has higher highs, but more middling lows, and it leads me to think this is a great album, but a great album with some filler. Still, it's short enough that it certainly doesn't hurt to get through to experience some fantastic singer-songwriter material, and if that first track doesn't pull you in to this man's style, it's unlikely anything will.

Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

I'll give it credit, this album perhaps had me the most interested in anything Springsteen had done musically that I've had the opportunity to listen to. Stripped-back production Springsteen lends itself the best to his voice, and the lyrics are easier to care about in-turn. However, this still is a pretty dull record; many tracks that go on far too long, and oddly all feel like interludes that should be a minute. Makes me wonder if perhaps the big sound usually accompanying Springsteen is to mask repetitive melodies. It's a fine enough listen for one or two tracks, and I agree that the A-side is pretty good for what it is, but by the end I was completely out of it, and I think another listen would only heighten my disdain. For now, I'll say that seemingly every album of his seems to be better than the last, but when you're on a five-star scale, the difference is miniscule enough that it really doesn't matter in the long run.

Crocodiles

Echo And The Bunnymen

4/5

This is a light score, as I think for a debut the Echo & the Bunnymen sound is already pretty established, but you can tell they are also trying to go for that stereotypical goth rock sound established by Siouxsie and the Banshees, and it can leave this album feeling like it doesn't have a sound to call its own. Hell, if I didn't know better I'd be calling this a Cure rip-off, but obviously it is much more than that. It's cryptic, but less cold and mysterious, more chaotic and warm, and it leads to a lot of odd moments that can come off as charming, but dated, and I think that's how I would describe this whole album. It's important to see the start of an important post-punk group, and it is solid, but it does little to stand-out in a crowd, and I even think their later releases out class it in every way. However, comparisons aside, this is still a good little record, with enough there to be praised on its own merits, it's only the passage of time holding it back, truly.

Nighthawks At The Diner

Tom Waits

3/5

This album has a lot of pleasant instrumentals with pretty enthralling stories and world building, to the point where I'm genuinely always intrigued in the next tale, and was even getting into the non-jokes Waits was spewing that the crowd couldn't get enough of. Nothing actually gut-bustingly hilarious, but the charm got to me at about the forty-five-minute mark. However, I struggle to call this an album of music. It feels more like stand-up and poetry with instrumental backing that may be my favorite part, but feels needless, and if this album is truly not actually live, it just feels like the whole album is mocking itself. Perhaps that is the intention, I don't know, but a lot of tracks are just not songs, and so I think rating it on that same musical scale feels unfair, but if this is one of Waits' main releases, I kind of have to look at it that way. All the pieces are there for it to be a cool, albeit long, live album, but as a studio performance with lots of rambling and relatively simple songs, I know Tom Waits has a lot more in him, whether it is from this early era or not. This is a good one-and-done album, but I can't see myself returning to this, and I think if any other artist tried this same shtick, I'd be far more annoyed. It truly is worth that single listen though, mileage will just vary.

Damaged

Black Flag

5/5

I mean no disrespect to other hardcore punk albums when I say that they had no reason to show up other guitarists in the genre as hard as they did with this album. Every song's riff isn't just technical thrashing, but elaborate guitar riffs that are not only extremely catchy and raw, but are just straight up nasty, and paired with Henry Rollins' "on the brink of death" vocals leads the album to perhaps one of the most earnestly aggressive and destructive punk albums of the 80s. There is no wonder in my mind how this became such a massive hit, as only as the album went on did I find myself into the style more and more, and while the vocals did take some getting used to, returning to the earlier songs after going through the whole album had me realize just how consistent this record is, and featuring fifteen tracks and still pulling that feat off is quite the achievement. It's juvenile in the most charismatic of ways, and while perhaps it can come off as a bit dumb, sometimes that's what you need to get through a day. Great record, I look forward to checking out their sludgier follow-up.

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Public Enemy

4/5

Chuck D has an amazingly powerful voice, and commands not only the room, but the ears of those that hear his booming delivery. Everyone already knows that, though, so I'd also like to praise Terminator X's DJing for being a perfect time capsule while still being immediately fresh. It's not only sick as Hell, but really charming that Public Enemy has their own catchphrases to fall back on in every beat, every chorus, and just overall fill out the tracks. Even Flavor Flav as a hype man feels less goofy here than other projects by the group, even if his track doesn't align with the tone of the rest of the album. The whole album just has a chokehold on everything it speaks on, and while some of it comes off as dated (She Watch Channel Zero?! has a fantastic beat, but the framing device feels off-putting), it's an album with purpose, with sole intent, and it'll either destroy you if it finds you in its path, or get you to join in on the destruction. Also, just a little thing for the 1001 Generator, but that 2nd top review is laughably bad. Like, Jesus.

Black Metal

Venom

3/5

I think I like this? There was a stretch in the middle of the album where the tracks were starting to get pretty same-y, but it recovered by the final couple tracks to deliver a project with a lot of influence not only for black metal, but also thrash acts from the mid-to-late 80s. You can hear groups like Slayer a ton, and while I don't know if that's a true connection, it certainly helps a listener feel right at home in something that could've been seen as relatively new in the 80s. However, the music itself is just okay. I know that the production was a rush job, but everything feels muffled and makes it difficult to appreciate any intricate instrumentation hiding below the surface. The lyrics are also just plain goofy, which works in some areas, but for songs like Teacher's Pet, it can be plain gross. At least the singer isn't putting on that silly voice most black metal bands seem to have, otherwise this whole album would be a comedy. It's an album that deserves to be listened to because of what it helped bring into the music world, but it itself is just okay, and were I more familiar with the genres and influences I would be far more undogmatic about the whole thing. Eh... still find myself feeling that way, anyhow.

Third/Sister Lovers

Big Star

5/5

Perhaps one of the few times when I'm purposefully listening to a version of an album with multiple bonus and re-arranged tracks, as it seems that is the intended album layout not only according to the original artists, but also what Robert Dimery has me listening to with the 1001 Albums list. I'm not complaining, as even if the bonus tracks are weaker than the meat and potatoes of the album, tracks like Nature Boy are fantastic covers, and earn their place. The main bulk of the album, though, is utterly fantastic! It's wonky, production and tone is all over the pace, and it is just plain a mess, but within that chaos is perhaps some of the best pop to bless music. It starts strong enough with Kizza Me sounding nothing like the band's prior power pop, but it's the variation that allows it to stand out all the more. Alex Chilton, at his most explosive, sounds very personal and vulnerable, and it almost gives his voice this feminine, glam cadence, but with all the punch of a singer who knows how to pull at the heart strings. However, it's when the album slows down that really blows me away. The back-to-back of Holocaust into Kanga Roo is mind-blowing, and nearly had me chocked up by the end, and nearly every song from then on was an emotional punch in the gut in the best of ways. Even when the pop rock roots returned, there was always this tinge of melancholia, and when this was their final run, their final record, it must have really felt like goodbye. Hell, it still does, and it truly is a great feeling to experience via music. There are a few songs that don't reach their full potential, but this album is so loaded that it doesn't matter. I mean, even on top of great song after great song, you have a wonderful Velvet Underground cover, and still a handful of power pop masterpieces to get the blood moving, but this album, despite feeling nothing like Big Star's prior two albums, feels like the perfect culmination of every emotion Big Star ever evoked, and despite the messy outcome, I think that only adds to the bittersweet emotions this album spawns, and that easily makes it my favorite of their records.

Endtroducing.....

DJ Shadow

3/5

I mean… it's alright, but perhaps due to just being used to this sort of instrumentation, the album just comes off as another drum focused electronic album in the 90s. Is that fair to this album? Probably not, but that doesn't stop me from feeling like this an album with far more importance to those who were alive during its creation. That isn't a mutually exclusive rule, but I fail to think more than "that was neat." It had some cool parts: the intro to Mutual Slump was brash, sudden, and a pleasant surprise, and I'd say from then on the album was hitting a cool groove in my head where I understood the hype a little more, but a lot of the other tracks felt too mellow for me to get anything I couldn't get from an album I'm already familiar with. An album probably influenced by this, no doubt, but that doesn't change that I'm just not feeling as impressed as I think I should be. It suffers from the curse of the 90s length album, and while the scratching was neat, anytime it wasn't there I didn't gather anything from it that wasn't already acquired via Aphex Twin on the mellow side, or the Avalanches on the plunderphonics side. I can recognize the quality, and as I said, "part three" is pretty great, but there's too much to sift through now to get any deeper enjoyment from it, in my opinion.

MTV Unplugged In New York

Nirvana

5/5

While Nirvana has some great moments here performing their own songs, I think everyone comes here for the immaculate covers. The Man Who Sold the World, Where Did You Sleep Last Night, the whole Meat Puppets section, they are all amazing covers and fantastic songs in general that Kurt Cobain especially makes his own, and really allows this album to shine. This album not only has a tinge of humor thrown in (only exemplified watching it) but Dave Grohl feels especially into the whole act. You can tell the passion is truly there from the whole band, and the inclusion of any other musician gives this album a weird effect where it feels like being a love letter to itself. I think Kurt Cobain's death happening between recording and musical release really makes it so every song feels special, as if they are the essentials in Nirvana's canon, even if some of their biggest hits here. This album, being unlike a good chunk of their discography, feels like it is truly them musically, and just getting the chance to listen to a truly great musician on the verge of meltdown is almost awe-inspiring, not touched by another live performance save for Alice In Chains' just a few years later. This album may have a song or two that I'd prefer the studio cut of, but this album just feels right, and it is a shame seeing a band flowing with still so much creativity getting snuffed out, but at least they parted with such an amazing gift. All I'm saying is that there is a reason many think The Man Who Sold the World is a Nirvana track, even if it isn't a good reason, the album is full of moments like that that trample over everything, and you could almost twist it in to something worse. All of these songs are now more famous because of Nirvana, and I somehow guess Kurt Cobain wouldn't have wanted it that way, and that gives the album that hint of extra tragedy. It is just such a fantastic record, I can't help but give it nearly full marks. Just cut a couple of the renditions and we're golden. Then again, I'm sure that misses the point of this track listing, too...

A Walk Across The Rooftops

The Blue Nile

4/5

Sometimes perhaps a bit too mellow and smart for my 80s filling, Blue Nile's A Walk Across the Rooftops is an excellent showing of that warm Summer night part of pop. The moments where the synths feel just subdued enough to be cozy, and the compositions are intricate whilst still having those bits and pieces to make it onto mainstream radio. It isn't a genre I ever thought I'd like, but it seems to constantly be hitting well with me, and this album is no different. The vocals aren't smooth, but it's that odd sounding, mellow-toned 80s gruff-lite that works oh-so-well, and I'm just a fan of the whole thing. It isn't mindblowing stuff, you'll find yourself a little outdone by the songs' long-winded runtimes, but those moments of just enjoying the urban, humid rain that make this album shine; enjoy the feeling as it presents itself, I say.

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell

3/5

On my album journey I've grown very accustom to something that once was a killer to my Gen Z, short attention span brain: long songs. Often times now, I get excited when I see a long song because I know the artist often poured more of their soul into that track than any other song on the album. Even better if the whole album is ten minute-plus tracks, as then I know I'm about to go on a trip. However, there is still one variation of the long song-riddled album. An album with the average twelve-or-so songs, all in the five-to-six minute range. I hate that kind of album, every song feels it drags on to long, and ruins the general good will I had towards the song at the start, and I fall into its trap every time. 90s R&B is a good example of this, as the baby-making nature of all of these songs leads to a lot of tasty, sexy jams that become tired with time, not helped by the fact that each song is generally the same sonically. You'll be relaxed, sure, but perhaps too relaxed, to the point where the difference between track five and track nine is non-existent in your memory. This album is no different. I really want to like it more, and there are moments of something great all throughout, but at an hour long I was just not in a mood worth caring by the end, and it really knocked the album down for me. Each song was so close that I could taste it, but as it went into the four-minute mark and always seemed to be at a perfect stopping point it instead went "Nah, time for some more slow jams!" and I was exhausted. It's good, instrumentation is great, Maxwell's voice is stellar, and the vibes are immaculate, but I don't know if I could sit through one of these songs again anytime soon, let alone a whole album.

New Boots And Panties

Ian Dury

2/5

This is an odd one, huh? It's extremely crass, vulgar, and immature, but I'd say it is all done with so much goofy disinterest in the world that it often comes off as charming even at its weirdest and creepiest. I wouldn't label this as punk, per se, but in some aspects it sticks a middle finger up against all those surrounding, no matter how "against the man" they truly are. Ian Dury will win in a pissing contest against you, every time. The issue, however, is that the music just isn't good. Dury's voice is flat, and not in a charming, foreboding way like many late 70s acts, but in a "you never should've been a singer" sort of way. The instrumentation is solid, but extremely predictable, to the point where even the actual punk closer wasn't a surprise. Lyrically, as I've mentioned, it can be off-putting. It is something you can laugh along with, but I can see many going in and instantly being turned off by the first track's implications. It has cute moments that I enjoy, feel the need to show to others even, but never because the song is good. Actually, it reminds me of the Streets in an over the top, so bad it's good, British sort of way. Except this actually feels like I'm laughing with it, not at it. For that I'll give it credit. However, this album is not good musically, and I do not view it as a positive listening experience, nor do I really want to go through it again. At least, not alone. Perhaps in a road trip with a few mates would this be more of a cracker. Innit?

For Your Pleasure

Roxy Music

4/5

This teeters upon the edge of a three and a step up for me, but I think I'm going to give it to the latter purely because of how much of a step up from the debut this is for me. It isn't as predictable, nor as safe, as their self-titled LP, and because of that the final escapade that is the B-side doesn't totally work for me, going for something more ethereal that Eno would do better in his own work over the course of the rest of the decade, but the A-side features some fascinating moments in rock history, with ominous build up and freaky delusions poured into a glam coating, which admittedly feels like an alternate reality Jello Biafra, but it works, and makes nearly every track there at least somewhat worth the listen. I still think Roxy Music comes off as a B-list glam act, but this album did at least pull through and give something that leaves a better taste in my mouth after the disappointing debut.

Hard Again

Muddy Waters

2/5

I enjoyed Muddy Waters live performances that I heard, and I knew this one was one of his bigger studio releases, so I imagined I'd like this too, but while the energy was certainly there, I think I just have to accept the fact that I do not enjoy the blues. I understand the appeal of it while listening, and this is certainly better due to never feeling empty like many older blues records, but nothing here grabbed me, and with its run time I got sick of the same song and dance relatively quickly. Nothing here is bad, and I get the praise, but it just isn't for me.

Imperial Bedroom

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

My last venture with Elvis Costello was Brutal Youth, which was... bad. So, in comparison, this is pretty nice, but it still suffers from the same issues I have with Costello in general. Too often does it sound like he has no clue where the song goes next, as if he is improvising his sung notes, which could be jazzy in a certain way, but just comes off as amateurish, and an orchestral backing can only take you so far. Lyrically it often comes off as just strange, and while it is refreshing to have Costello gently sing to me rather than yell at me for a whole album, it oddly gets old quick. I could see a lot more of these songs clicking with me on a repeat listen, but for now I only continue to see potential, both in Costello himself, but also my possibly enjoyment of one of his albums. One of them has to click with me to a higher degree, right?

Dummy

Portishead

5/5

God, record scratching is so cool when it isn't shoved into a metal album. If Goldfrapp creates the 007 theme of trip hop, then Portishead makes the soundtrack for the 90s film noir. This album is the heartbeat of everything from the era: the hip-hop influenced beats, the re-introduction of jazz into the mainstream, the soft-spoken vocals of pop, and that use of sampling just subtle enough to be incredibly influential. I mean, look how many artists spawned from this new take on an already established underground style. Bjork, the already mentioned Goldfrapp, Gorillaz, I wouldn't be surprised if Massive Attack themselves took from this album to fuel their albums past this point. Everything is done incredibly, with Beth Gibbons' vocals perfectly steering the heartbeat of this album's engine via the methodical, thumping drum and bass, and that hint of strings and your usual rock instruments allow for an album that perfectly shows off the grimy yet slicked back feel of the 90s, and it is magnificent. It is the dark alleyway, the rain drops falling upon a sunken-in roof, and it is pure, unadulterated, and sinister class.

Nowhere

Ride

2/5

At first this album felt like if you took George Harrison's more psychedelic Beatles tracks and replaced all the sitars with guitars, effectively proving George's use of the former instrument correct. The album just became boring, British neo-psych as it went on, however, and the album was all in one ear and out the other, with some mild hearing damage in-between. I'm no shoegaze expert, but this just doesn't stand up to the likes of My Bloody Valentine or even more modern acts like Candy Claws. It just feels like cashing in on a sound. Like a Pearl Jam to grunge. It is quality, it pulls off the sound well, but something is off, and it really feels like it doesn't belong.

Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen

3/5

Congratulations, Bruce Springsteen! You finally surpassed the three-star boundary! It's by a small margin, I'll admit, but that doesn't mean you didn't do it. Now, if you could please make music that doesn't sound like a backyard BBQ at the whitest guy you know's house, that'd be great. I cannot deny that some of the hits here, specifically the second rate ones, are quite good. However, the deep cuts and the biggest hits both make me land somewhere from rolling my eyes to wanting to hurl. I understand the lyrics of Born in the U.S.A. are not what your racist uncle think they are, but that doesn't excuse the terribly repetitive, dated synth, the awful chorus, and that terrible voice Springsteen is putting on. It's like asking to be lumped in with the same crowd you're criticizing when you're that indecipherable. It just feels like an album that the "middle-class hero" is supposed to live by, but all I hear is what spawned modern country rock. However, there are just enough moments here where I'll admit this is my favorite of his career. It's just mainstream enough that I imagine anyone could find one song here to like (I choose Cover Me), and that has to count for something, I think. This album just feels like the kind of satire that hits the nail on the head so perfectly that it stops being parody, and just being another roots rock album, and I just can't into that; not enough, any way.

Logical Progression

LTJ Bukem

2/5

Same old song and dance at this point, as I'm only here because of one Robert Dimery, and that probably goes for most drum and bass albums I sit through. They are, as always, solid background songs with this PS2-esque nostalgia, as if they'd fit perfectly into a racing game that doesn't exist, but, again, I say that about every one of these albums. Maybe this one has more energy than others in the genre? Can't say that for certain, as I'm sure I've said that before, too. The length is utterly insane, though, and its lack of streaming capability makes this a tough to track down, and it is even harder to sit through. It's... fine. It is an album that does exist. Maybe the production is amazing here? Maybe LTJ Bukem and pals are the cream of the crop when it comes to jungle influenced drum and bass? I don't know, I tuned out about twenty minutes in.

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

The Kinks

4/5

This is a fun little album, with many quirky moments that shine spectacularly as unique to what everyone else in the rock scene (that The Kinks helped create) was doing, while surprisingly returning to their rock roots more than some of their most recent records at the time with tracks like Brainwashed or the drawn out outro of Australia. A lot of it works with me, such as the vocal inflections of the Davies brothers and their charming styles, or the sudden speed-up/slow-down found throughout the record. It allows for an album with plenty of memorable moments. I do think the album leans a bit too hard into the rock aspects at times, and I, personally, do not like the Kinks for their rock tunes, but the quirky pop tunes such as Drivin' feel like they'd fit right in on their prior album. It's hard to say too much about an album that I see as just unmistakeably "good," but this album will be a pleasure of any fan of the British Invasion, which is funny considering the concept of the album. Could see myself having far more to praise on a future re-listen. Just one more quick tangent; why does Australia, the song, deliver some of the best melodies and harmonies on the entire album, only to sour it with four minutes of random fiddling and rifling? It hurts my soul.

En-Tact

The Shamen

3/5

More pop focused than expected, this album dips in quality quite a bit in the middle, where tracks whiz by the listener in a blur of dated dance tracks that fail to hold a candle to most other dance musicians from the time. However, this album makes up for that in its pop sensibilities. From what I can tell the Shamen used to be a pretty different sounding band, and some of that difference comes together whenever their tracks turn into a homage (rip-off?) of Pet Shop Boys. It's cheap and cheesy, but the formula works, and it allows the first few tracks to be solid dance-pop tunes in an era full of them. I also think the album brings it back around in the end, with a lot of sampling that makes the mix feel busy and cluttered, but can come together to be okay. That's the name of the game here, okay. I don't think it's anything special, certainly not an album to hear before you die, but I've heard worse in the genre, and at least this one TRIES to do something. It's inoffensive, and I came away from it less hateful than albums in this genre generally make me, and that's gotta count for something, personally. Still, just meh.

Life's Too Good

The Sugarcubes

3/5

Well, this is disappointing, but I suppose it should be at least a tad expected. Bjork plays a relatively small role here, feeling like nothing more than being the "female vocals" to a strange, B-52s-like band. Obviously, she is the highlight, and makes tracks like Birthday shine as her own, but Einar Orn really is trying his best to sing over her with the most obnoxious noises he can make, like a child going "nanananana," while a parent is trying to work. It can get annoying, and if it wasn't for some solid hooks and sound changes in the latter half of the album, I think I'd be more upset by this. The album luckily pulls through enough for me to come away somewhat happy, and while I don't think the album even comes close to Bjork's solo work, it still works as a neat little capsule of her work from before. It just isn't all that special, and so I can't really rank it higher.

Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Derek & The Dominos

2/5

Honestly, less dreadful than expected. I am not a fan of Eric Clapton as a person or as a musician, and this does not change that fact, but the first few tracks are solid bluesy 70s rock, and the final two tracks show off the dichotomy of the record beautifully. It is everything in-between that makes me roll my eyes and tune out. It's just half-cooked white guy blues with nothing to stand out, and, man, does every song feel like it goes on forever. The whole album is too long, quite frankly, and it really hurts the album. Just the first three songs and the final two combined would be longer than some blues rock albums, and would make this an all-time, short album great. Instead, the album has to reek of filler treatment, and it is incredibly dull. Not to mention it feels difficult to have any sympathy for the singer whenever he mopes on a song, so that just makes it more difficult to watch. It's fine, I get why people like it, especially classic rock enthusiasts, but this album just feels like an old guy's garage secluded Summer vacation, and that sounds like MY personal Hell.

Let England Shake

PJ Harvey

4/5

Apparently, this recently disappeared from streaming services and has yet to reappear as of the time of this review. Well, that's too bad, as I find this to be my favorite PJ Harvey album from the ones I've heard so far. It's difficult to explain why I like this album more than those, but I think the instrumentation hits a lot harder for me when Harvey slowly builds up to an explosive sound in each song, rather than starting at the climax such as with her earlier albums, or never going anywhere like with her early 2000s albums. It's the same layout she used on her prior (solo) album, White Chalk, and that plus the stripped back production with a unique sound equals something that is up my alley. I can recognize now more than ever that Harvey has a great voice, and it lends itself great to this folk-y yet powerful art rock album. I just wish the final four three or four tracks hit harder, as it doesn't really feel like a finale, especially when compared to the front half. Will assuredly be buying this on vinyl on my next trip out, it deserves better than streaming any way.

Vulnicura

Björk

4/5

Bjork is not unfamiliar with these haunting, devastating sounds, so on paper if you were to describe this album's sounds it may not sound that different from her other projects, but when actually sitting down and listening to the album, there is something at the core of the musicianship that has changed. The album is sporadic, manic, and sometimes aggressively ugly, but still with her trademark lush instrumental fills and angelic vocals, as if you're listening to a whole album that exemplifies the highs and lows of grief. On the surface the album isn't overtly depressing, but even cracking that thin top layer reveals the pool of sorrow that Bjork is wallowing in, and while the album is still incredibly catchy at times, downright gorgeous in others, it can be like a brick wall to break through to the other side and get through it all. It's a long album, and it feels like it. Each song is a hurdle, and it is very satisfying to triumph over, but within the moment it can sometimes be draining, whether it's just due to Bjork's mood, lyrics, or even the sound of the song. I respect this album heavily, and even a "different" Bjork album such as this one is still an incredibly rock solid four out of five stars, but there is just a barrier here, and I don't know if I'm truly worthy to break it down completely.

Deloused in the Comatorium

The Mars Volta

4/5

Well, I wasn't expecting to like this. Not because I wasn't hopeful! In fact, I'd say The Mars Volta exude everything I'd want out of a rock band in the 2000s if they aren't going for the Strokes sound. It's prog-y, it's hardcore, and the vocals are just androgynous enough to tickle something in my brain that I'm pretty sure I'm subconsciously trying to keep under wraps. It's just... I remember Frances the Mute, their sophomore album, to be so disappointing when I gave it a whirl, so I thought this would be more of the same. However, it doesn't cause me pain; in fact, I'd say I quite liked it! It still wanders too much for my own liking, leading to a lot of droning moments that only make you say "Get a move on," which isn't helped by the group's general lack of variation, but what is there is great, with some great instrumental and vocal performances, and some moments that truly do rock. The whole thing oozes the art of the "weird," and while bands like this, especially from this era, tend to come off as stuffy, this album is just fun enough with the inclusion of some more out there lyrics, time-signatures, and some instruments not often found in a progressive record, and I come away from this pretty pleased. It isn't my favorite in the world, there is something about the production I dislike that I'm sure only Rick Rubin is to blame, but color me shocked because I'm re-invigorated to give this band another try.

Brown Sugar

D'Angelo

1/5

I understand that at the root of R&B, this album is the epitome of what sets apart the boys from the men. The silly little attempts at sounding sexy versus those who FUCK. This album is 90s soul above all other albums. D'Angelo is smooth, rich, and probably what your mom and dad put on to conceive you. But, frankly, I think it sucks. Now, is this just a situation where I think 90s R&B production is second worst only to late 80s pop rock? Maybe, but save for some jazzy (yet simple) bass lines this album offers nothing to me but sleep inducing ballads where D'Angelo spends a quarter of each song MAX coming up with lyrics that attempt to say something, anything, before devolving into repeating the same five to ten words for the last three to four minutes, which feels more realistically like an eternity. The instrumentation doesn't bother notably changing between any of the ten songs over the course of an hour, and whenever I wasn't groaning for the song to end, I'd instead tune into to find lyrics about sex, sex, I'm sexy, I stabbed my significant other to death, and sex, and I just had enough by the end. I completely and utterly believe D'Angelo is a sex machine who knows his way around a smooth track or two, but I just personally can't be bothered to care. If this is something you adore, whether it be for its hints of funk or for the sheer energy (or lack thereof) more power to you, but this is not for me.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

While I can instantly recognize why this is considered Red Hot Chili Peppers' best work, with multiple iconic tracks, amazing, funky instrumentation, and Anthony Kiedis at his zaniest, it only seems natural that this album is their most well regarded. However, I can't shake the feeling throughout the whole album (save for Under the Bridge) that I'm listening to a questionable imitation of many other funk rock greats. They pull it off well, and while many songs feel pretty similar, it still is a solid album, but I'm still uncomfortable choosing this over your Funkadelics of the world, or, Hell, even Faith No More. This album just doesn't feel genuine, as if rather than pulling from their inspirations, they are just appropriating them instead. I doubt that was the intention, as the 90s is rampant with much more explicit acts of stealing from much more solid acts from decades prior, but even on songs I like such as Give It Away, where Flea has created one of the most iconic basslines in alt-rock history, does the album fail to sit right with me. What I do know is that the album is too long, and I don't like it enough to see past the weird energy it gives off, but on the surface this is alright. I'm sure sure many a college frat boy love it.

Apple Venus Volume 1

XTC

5/5

This album has been constantly on my mind for the last few days, as with each re-listen I became more and more entranced in what it had set out to do, and if it succeeded in that fact. I've been, what I consider, a fan of XTC for about a year-and-a-half now, and never has an album of theirs made me want to explore their catalog and their lives more than this album. The instrumentals are methodical and calculated, yet oddly rhythmic. Very similar to the sounds of post-punk acts from the late 70s, everything feels off and strange, but the pleasant instrumentals and "running through a field of flowers"-esque vocals allow the once sterile and cold rhythms to instead make me cling to a brighter future. There's an air of sadness throughout the album, but a hope at the end of the tunnel keeps things bouncy and Summer-y, and even the more nocturnal tracks feel like getting ready for the forever sleep, but being satisfied. Of course, Andy Partridge's vocals are still comedic and light, but the melancholic nature of the whole album just makes it, quite contradictory, becalmed and floaty. This album is not a stereotypical slice of Heaven, but it just feels like this is XTC's view take on it, and I'm at peace with the idea. Light-hearted, yet the weight of the world on its shoulders, I can't imagine a better swan song and depiction of the band's situation at the time. Seeing this album as the true finale of the band, and Volume 2 as a bonus encore makes everything just make sense, and while I don't adore every song on this album, I think it is good enough to be considered one of the band's best.

Soul Mining

The The

4/5

Well, this was relatively strange, huh? Ahead of its time in some ways, this album has a sound to it that would blend right in with 80s pop radio, but those bits and pieces underneath the surface would surely cause the casual listener to question what they were listening to. The synths here can be bloopy and goofy, just like any 80s pop album, but when it wants to get it in to high gear, it will. Helping things is Matt Johnson's oddly seductive voice that seems to go all over the track, messing with your sense of security. As if the whole album is a collection of 80s pop tunes from a slightly different, but more devious dimension. I think I'm a fan? I like whatever Johnson's got going on in the vocal department, it just felt like the album took a second to kick it into gear, and with each track being pretty hefty, you can find your opinions going all over the place within the span of one track. I think that's the message at play here, which is breaking out of your comfort zone, and this certainly would be a good stepping stone for that. I liked it, but it'll take more time in the oven before I truly have a takeaway from it, but if you love 80s new wave synth-pop, and you haven't heard this yet, give it a whirl. It may just be the thing for you.

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

3/5

Well, one thing I can take away from this album is that in a rare case the extended (normal) version of Money for Nothing is actually better than the radio edit, as the additional lyrics and longer outro allows the song to feel far less repetitive. Otherwise, this album feels exactly like what being middle-aged in the 80s probably felt like. It's got some good tracks, but it feels like driving on dirt roads alone whether it be day or night, having good moments and bad moments, and overall being a solid enough life, but overall insignificant. That may seem a little harsh, but save for some of the songs playing in every fast food joint across America, this album feels like a time capsule of music that just isn't all that intriguing right now. I like the droning feel of the B-side, and the hits are catchy, but nothing here is impactful, and I can't justify giving it higher than a middling score.

Public Image: First Issue

Public Image Ltd.

4/5

This album lays the groundwork for the far more experimental Metal Box, and in turn, also has those moments of pure creative, destructive, funky punk, where John Lydon and co. (especially Jah Wobble's bass) deconstruct punk rock to its amateurish, raw roots and ironically make something a bit disco. Because of this, the album has a lot of great, heart-racing moments with an actual pulse behind them and a reason to keep listening to the end. I think what leaves this one a tad bit lesser than its follow-up is that this album feels less haunting, less demented, and instead, juvenile. Does that fit the punk aesthetic more? Yes, but after the first track you're going to get something "lighter" in tone, and while just as quality musically, it isn't quite as memorable. However, still a great new step in the punk landscape, and if that new era wants to end with a goofy ass song, so be it.

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

5/5

Easily one of my favorite albums of all time, Odessey and Oracle treats you to pop perfection right out of the gate with Care of Cell 44's mind-blowing, jaw-dropping chorus, and only tries to top itself to the very end of the album, with twists and turns, such as the percussion heavy sound on Changes, or the oddly fear-inducing Butchers Tale, culminating in yet another pop masterpiece, fit not only for 1968 with its more devious storytelling and oh-so memorable organ solo, but even relevant today as proof that the pop sound left behind by the greats like the Beatles was not tapped out of potential, and while the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds may have mastered the sunshine pop sound, this album perfected it. Every single moment is used perfectly, not a moment of the listener's time is wasted, not only leading to a concise yet filling album experience, but also ensuring every single note, harmony, and lyric leaves the listener in pure bliss. Its lush, its teeming with life, and its easily one of my favorite records of all time. Were the Beatles not the masters of music that they were, this would easily be my album of the 1960s, and if you've skipped out on it because Time of the Season didn't do it for you, give it in a listen any way, you won't be disappointed by what's offered.

The Fat Of The Land

The Prodigy

3/5

This feels far more deserving of being a hit album over other electronic 90s albums. It has the definitive classics for better or worse, the deep cuts that also keep the pace moving, and enough filler to still give it that stereotypical big beat sound! Less racing game, more street-racing game, the Prodigy is an act that has the potential to grab me, but often it just comes off as shallow. Party music, fun in the moment, but not worth the listen any other time. Perhaps I seem harsh, and I don't mean to be, as the album has good moments, especially when it takes influence from industrial scenes, but the album just feels like nothing extraordinary. Definitely from the 90s, which gives it its infamous success with tracks like Smack My Bitch Up, but thirty years later all I can think with a modern mindset is "look at that little guy on the cover go!" Still, will give it that boost for influence so it can scrape by into a middling spot for me.

Orbital 2

Orbital

2/5

Boy, this album is draining. Like, "music that makes me want to stop listening to music for the day" kind of draining. Yet, I can't outright say I dislike it. Perhaps that is because I don't remember most of it despite just listening, or because it was criminally inoffensive, but this album just made me tired, and didn't actively make me want to rip my hair out or anything, soo I guess that's good? I don't know, I've given albums lower scores for committing the sin of boredom, but I just don't have the energy to be angry at this. A waste of an hour of music, but otherwise too relaxed to type up a rant about. Just cut the songs in half, it's not like anyone is dancing to this anyway.

m b v

My Bloody Valentine

4/5

While the album isn't as consistently fuzzy as their prior album, as the fuzz is mostly abandoned after the third track, the entire album captures this dreamlike state of exploring an abandoned town, but rather than feeling fear you instead feel at peace. This feeling may be familiar to those who've listened to Cocteau Twins' more ambient records, and I'd say while the overwhelming emotion that comes from heavy distortion is missed on this record, its ethereal substitute feels very mature and is a perfect natural progression after nearly twenty-two years in the melting pot. It isn't as mind-altering, or as much of a force to be reckoned with, but it is something to just gaze into. Like a Summer's night to Loveless' Summer's day, this album may not be a worthy follow-up to some, but in my mind this just feels like a natural conclusion is a sound decades in the making. That being said, I wouldn't mind a fourth album, Kevin...

Fly Or Die

N.E.R.D

4/5

I'll admit, I'm pretty shocked how much I enjoyed this album. Pharrell Williams may be a bit of a laughing stock in the general conscious because of his work on many a pop song in the mid-2010s to a ridiculous degree, not to mention his close work with Illumination, but can the man produce. This is obvious to anyone who has heard a hip hop album in the last couple decades, but it is clear on this record as well, where it really makes a lot of the tracks. Kudos to Chad Hugo as well. I think the album can be great when the listener is just stewing in the vibes, which is why my main flaw with this album can be such a dealbreaker: the lyrics. Some of them are just plain bad, and most of them make you kind of just wish there was solely harmonizing going on. The lyrics add nothing, and most of the time they're just so weird and a special brand of 2000s uncomfortable, it can really take you out of it. There is enough good instrumentally for it to be ignored and allow the album to glide through to the end with no major hiccups, and in the end I can call this album good because of that, but just be prepared for a few eye rolls. Otherwise, a pleasant surprise.

The Undertones

3/5

It completely lacks the interesting variation present on the follow-up album, leading to a pretty generic pop punk album that struggles to separate one song from another during its short run time. What helps its case is the fact that the formula is strong enough to make it almost hit for most of the album, but it rarely if ever hits its mark, and so it's just mediocre instrumentals with lyrics that admittedly are weird enough at times to grab your attention, but, still, it could be doing a LOT more.

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

Joni Mitchell

4/5

I, at the very least, understand where her idea for her album, Mingus, came from, as this album is far jazzier than expected, although once you actually hear Mitchell perform this way, it makes total sense. She has always used her voice as an odd, "do whatever the Hell it wants," sort of instrument, and that allows a lot of the tracks to not only exemplify the poetic lyrics a lot stronger, but also be catchy in a way no other musical artist can be. It can be repetitive, but every song here is at least good, and some unique ideas allow this album to feel like a new experience to those familiar with her work while still feeling like you're right at home. A solidly great album, with very little notes.

This Is Hardcore

Pulp

2/5

This is a disappointment to a nearly immeasurable degree. Sure, it still sounds like Pulp, with Jarvis Cocker's ironic suave swing found in his voice, and the sensual lyrics and melodies that sound like they came straight out of a 70s Bond film, but it nearly completely lacks that pop-focused outlook on music, and it makes the music sound aimless. Many songs just don't have that driving charm with a vision, and it leads every deep cut to be extremely forgettable, save for maybe Seductive Barry, but that certainly isn't remembered positively. The hits fair a bit better, but they try much too hard to be different. "No, I don't wanna be popular!" Cocker cries, as he pens The Fear. Maybe it would've been a genuinely daring tone change in '98, but sad British white guys aren't meant to be frightening, and it is just a little goofy. Especially when that funny feeling bleeds into styles JArvis and co. already nailed on the prior album, such as the seductive tunes. The titular song has a great instrumental, but the lyrics are so stupid that I can't help but groan by the end, and the whole album gives off that unfortunate feeling. Just a few knob shifts and this could've been an album on par with Different Class, but it just leaves me hollow inside, and wishing I spent my hour elsewhere.

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

4/5

A simply good album with songs that admittedly took some growing for me to appreciate, such as the extremely famous Running Up That Hill. The whole album does feel a bit of that 80s age, but it goes for a surreal tone just enough for it to stick out, especially how the instrumentals are a tad more sparse than your average 80s pop song. I think the album gets a little too full of itself during the back half, as while some great songs do still appear, the pseudo-instrumental tracks feel odd and repetitive, even boring at times, and it sours the experience for me. However, there are so many good pop tunes on the A side that I still come away from this album with a positive mindset. I don't think it is one of the best albums of all time, but it's good, and that's satisfying enough for me.

Infected

The The

2/5

Lots of 80s for me lately, and that means that I'm starting to get a bit sick of the sound. Feels unfair to go into this album with those expectations, but I don't think it would've helped it much, any way, as the production is the culprit behind the murder of a lot of great melodies here. The songs have a good outline, a blueprint for something to be just weird enough to not appear on the top forty, but have more than a simple underground success, but decades later nothing pushes this over the mark for me. It just feels safe, and while Soul Mining was weird enough for its time, by '86 I think this album is just begging to enter the sound of a new era, but it must wait until the 90s to escape the fake sounding strings and repetitive choruses. It's an album with a lot of great moments, but they're buried, and you'll have to dig to get to them. Not to mention the fact that they're all in the A side, I wouldn't even bother with the back half.

Good Old Boys

Randy Newman

3/5

Satire is a tricky topic, one that I have no right discussing, so I'll just avoid the slur can of worms that this album can be. Otherwise, this album just sounds like the guy who wrote the Toy Story soundtrack decided to make a bunch of Harry Nilsson-esque tunes, which is exactly what it is. That means there are some really pretty tunes, some songs that make you want to bob up and down, and a lot of songs that feel just like they could be played on a speaker and no one would bat an eye were they not paying attention to the lyrics. It's okay, dare I say pretty, but whenever I focus on Newman's voice something just bothers me. It isn't grating, per se, but it is lacking, and that fits for most of these songs, luckily, but thirteen tracks of it can be a bit much, even with how short it is. Still, nice enough, I suppose.

My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts

Brian Eno

3/5

Boy, what a bunch of quirky yet funky grooves, if only two extremely talented vocalists were attached to this, it would be better with actual lyrics. Shame no one was available.

Eternally Yours

The Saints

4/5

I was wondering what route this album would be going after the first song's big band, proto-ska, influence, and even after the album is over I'm wondering what was going on here. You have post-punk, garage rock type stuff, some pretty noisy, aggressive works (especially for 1978, holy cow!) and more jangle-y guitars like something outta Violent Femmes, it leads to a very versatile album, especially for the punk scene. It can still be pretty repetitive because of the amount of songs here, but I'm just impressed by the work involved here, and it leads to a pretty cool sounding album, especially, again, for 1978. No, Your Product is an awesome punk track.

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

4/5

This album is perhaps the most definitive evidence that despite the naysayers, Neil Young can absolutely sing, he just has a unique cadence as well as a roundabout way of getting across his emotions. This album is mostly just pretty, with hints of that regular ol' rock 'n' roll edge sprinkled throughout its short runtime, but I would call this album mostly a ballads album. Now, Young is talented when it comes to making those types of songs, and it is why I prefer his solo works over those with Crazy Horse, but I'll admit I was a tad fatigued by the sound, and was happy it ended pretty quickly. Otherwise, I could've seen this album not sitting with me quite as well, but instead I was happily whisked away into a somber lullaby, and when everything swelled into a climactic piano paring or even a rock song, it was all the more mesmerizing. I think it could just stand to cut some of the fat, such as the oddball finale, and I'd say the ballad after ballad approach can lead to the idea well feeling a tad dry, but this album still earns its title as one of Young's best, even if it isn't my favorite.

The Notorious Byrd Brothers

The Byrds

3/5

I thought from the album cover we were going to get something less psychedelic than their prior two albums, but save for some country influence that'll become a lot more apparent on the next album this is still pretty trippy at points. That means a lot of perfectly okay psychedelic rock songs that don't really do anything to blow me away, nor is there anything obviously poor. It's just another album from the era for me, and it is obvious at this point that most of the other rock groups from the time are outdoing the Byrds at what was originally their own game. It's alright, but as time passes and the necessary classics shift and change, this one fades from view.

Snivilisation

Orbital

2/5

Perhaps my mood is just improved from when I had to trudge through Orbital 2, or Brown Album, but seemingly controversially I found this album to be just barely better than its predecessor. I think that comes from far more engaging hooks that feel less "holier than thou" in their delivery, as well as just catching my attention for longer periods. However, Orbital still tries to fight these enjoyable aspects by creating songs that refuse to end filled with frankly obnoxious verbal interjections that don't pose the same intrigue or mystery as an act like Boards of Canada, nor does the album do anything interesting with these chilled out grooves, just letting them hang for multiple minutes with no variation to a degree where I can only imagine a listener is blown away if they are tripping in some other way. A build up to a climax is always great, but stop edging me Orbital, seriously. Your contemporaries are way better, and I really don't want to resort to faking it.

Life Thru A Lens

Robbie Williams

2/5

Not so painful from its Oasis influences that the album falls into bottom of the barrel territory, but this album still suffers from being so incredibly dull and stereotypical, not to mention derivative of the rock sound that came from across the pond at the time, that it fails to have any memorable identity of its own. I couldn't tell you anything about the instrumentation, or Robbie Williams' voice. It'll always pick the route you expected melodically, it'll always hit you with the easiest rhymes, which leads to some truly terrible lyrics, and it'll always make you groan with each track, without fail.

The Predator

Ice Cube

3/5

Ice CUbe's flow and beats have assuredly taken influence from other west coast rappers at this point, and because of this influence Ice Cube's lyrics and flows feel punchier, more aggressive, on this album, and that alongside some great lyrics in the first half, it wouldn't be difficult to compare this to some of Public Enemy's best work! ...at first. Unfortunately, the album quickly devolves into having the same issues as his prior work: "Women suck and my life is monotonous." There are some new ideas here that keep things feeling fresh, and the beats are stellar, albeit homogenized, but after a while you start to realize that the album seems to lift every radical idea from an earlier, stronger hip hop album, and those influences become copy-and-paste jobs. It can be a good time in a bubble, but with any outside context this album loses a lot of its standing. It Was a Good Day stands out because it flips the script while still putting in everything Ice Cube is known to spit about, but the rest of the album doesn't follow suit, and you start to piece together why the album only had one hit of that magnitude.

Crosby, Stills & Nash

3/5

I almost like this a lot more than I actually do. It has great harmonies and melodic structure to put it among the greats, but there is a shallow softness to it that no doubt inspired acts like America to get together and truly embrace the sound arguably coined by this and some Byrds records. However, that just makes this album sound simple for the most part in retrospect. My favorite parts of this album are when Graham Nash comes on and delivers his more oddball tunes, as they have a unique style to them that feel like they inspired the twee sound of the 90s, but a lot of the album just feels like it is missing something. You may be thinking "Then listen to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young,' but I already tried that one, and my opinions come out the same. It's decent, it has merit, but I don't think it stands up much against other '69 offerings, not that it was trying to do so in the first place.

Youth And Young Manhood

Kings of Leon

4/5

Man, this guy's voice stinks. I mean, it certainly has a draw (or should I say drawl) to it that makes me keep listening, but only in a "can't look away from a car crash," sort of way. That being said, I still enjoyed my time here. I find this to be more monotonous than what I remember of Aha Shake Heartbreak, and the sound of garage rock revival bands I do like is absent more than that album, too, but there is just enough rocking southern anthems to keep me engaged, and I quite like the softer, almost folksier stuff, even if they are still going in too hard sometimes. A different singer and some better, more understandable lyrics and I think this band would've been just as critically liked as commercially. Not LOVED, just liked.

Fred Neil

2/5

I've found myself fond of folk music as my album journey has continued, and I've also been eyeing this one for a while. I mean, it has it all: simple yet eye-catching album cover, a simple but unique artist name, and it just exudes folksiness. However, after actually listening to this album, it is safe to say this is nothing more than awkward attempts of someone who has little right performing folk music attempting to perform other genres that they have no right attempting. You've got it all, half-baked blues, half-baked raga rock, half-baked, plain ol' folk rock, all with someone who has a very generic voice I would never be able to pick out of a line-up. It's standable, all in one ear and out the other, but it is a waste of time in its truest form, so it is a pain to sit through all forty minutes of. I think some plain folk music would've worked better, and maybe that's what Fred Neil was doing before this album, but this is just rough, a bore and a chore.

Take Me Apart

Kelela

1/5

Perhaps my most unfair one-star, and I recognize that this album could really hit the mark as something for others. Its smooth, candy-coated exterior is complimented by its gooey exterior that isn't dissimilar to acts like Sade, but with a modern coat of paint in the production and lyrical content to make it a truly definitive modern R&B record. However, I just find it incredibly tepid. Nothing here ever aims to do anything to get my gears actually working, or to even remotely interest me, and I just find it BORING. I know that tends to be a no-no word for music, especially slower stuff, as it doesn't define any issues I have beyond a surface level, but it is hard to help to feel anything else. I found myself completely tuning out before each song had even hit its halfway mark, and I paused the album entirely to take a break, as my eyes were glazing over, and I needed to refresh. That just isn't something I do with music normally, and for an album to disinterest me that heavily is something fierce. Songs meander and feel like they're dragging their fit so that they don't have to show the next song, which is assuredly just as sleepy. It has structure, yes, but that doesn't stop every song from seemingly going nowhere and everywhere at the same time, and it just seems scattered. Not helping is the runtime, which is frankly unnecessary, especially when there is very little variation amongst this album's tunes. Perhaps this could be something sexier, but then I can only think of better acts to cover that niche as well, leaving this album feeling uninspired on top of the boredom claims I'm fronting. I get why someone would like this, and I even understand praising it, but to me this just seems lethargic and my initial lukewarm feelings quickly developed into disdain over the course of an hour, feelings I can't really shake.

...The Dandy Warhols Come Down

The Dandy Warhols

3/5

This is perhaps the most Britpop-y, unabashedly stereotypical 90s alternative rock albums to come out of a band from the US of A. That doesn't mean it's all bad, there's some fun rocking jams with a level of pride that has just enough quality to not come off entirely as cockiness. However, I think you'll struggle to find a record with more clichés. Too long? Check. Distortion guitars? Check. Singer with unique yet bland vocals? Check. Way too long outro to "feel something?" Check. It's all just very run of the mill, with hints of something greater bubbling underneath. It kept me intrigued over the four or so days it took me to get through it, but I can't imagine sitting down and calling this an all time great, and I am 100% sure Robert Dimery put this album in the 1001 Albums book just because it sounded vaguely britpop-y and extremely 90s. That's his favorite.

Surfer Rosa

Pixies

4/5

While certainly not full of catchy, almost pop-y hits like the two albums following this one the foundation of a new wave of rock was certainly being organized via this album. It has its softer, jangle-y moments, but otherwise this album is blasting ahead at full speed, with little concern for who it may take out along the way. That means you get a lot of blistering songs that in the right mood can be a destructively great time, with oddball lyrics and instrumentation out of this world for 1988. It just tends to lack a polish that similar inspirational acts like Sonic Youth nailed already at this point, so the album can sometimes feel a little hollow. However, still full of great tracks that fueled a generation, and that big track is truly something special.

Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby

Girls Against Boys

4/5

I would say this feels like it's hopping on the post-hardcore bandwagon, but considering I can't imagine that movement was mainstream enough for there to be anything to hop on to, unlike grunge or nu-metal, perhaps this is just the safer side of the genre. There's some great, violent tracks with a lot of gusto, and it can really scratch that itch of throwing something across the room for you, so you don't destroy that pretty little phone of yours. It just feels like a good but vague showcase of a genre that may need some explaining when showing to your mom, so this is certainly a landmark achievement of being the Stone Temple Pilots of something or other. It's good, nonetheless.

Virgin Suicides

Air

5/5

This is better than Moon Safari, and may just be the second best ambient pop album I've ever heard, only being bested by Eno's Another Green World. I see many comparisons to Pink Floyd, but I've not heard such emotion pulled from beeps and boops combined with strings and general film soundtrack attitudes, and it feels like the album tells a story of its own that had it's own fun piecing itself together. Vocals are nesrly non-existent, but it is better that way, as every aptly named piece really sits and stews within the listener, and it can be truly breathtaking, especially when the norm breaks and you get anxious speeds and a rock-focused attitude. Awesome album, and I will be checking out the film as well if I get the chance!

Heroes to Zeros

The Beta Band

2/5

Sometimes this album has something to give, it certainly feels more fulfilling than their prior album, Hot Shots II, but this album tends to come off as weaker takes on far better bands' shticks. Whether it be Animal Collective, XTC, Radiohead, or even themselves at points, this album feels like it's trying to be all over the place to be quirky and unique, but instead I just keep thinking "oh, they got that from ____." It can be an exhausting listen because of this, and every time it does something "better" it seems to refuse to elaborate on those ideas, and goes back to mellow jams that feel like they could've never escaped 2004, and it seems that was indeed the case, as the band disbanded the same year this released.

Chemtrails Over The Country Club

Lana Del Rey

3/5

Lana Del Rey has a very pretty voice, and I know she is capable of creating some great musical pieces that play into her strengths. However, this album feels like it misses most of those. It stars songs that go on too long and do very little to change, so unless you enjoy some waxing poetic lyrics over somber, subtly country instrumentals, you are best to look elsewhere for your pop-coated Americana. It's innocent enough, and if you like this you'll probably like most of Lana's catalog, but it's mostly just okay with moments that hint at something more; something... on a different album.

Guitar Town

Steve Earle

2/5

So generic, so perfectly 80s, that I feel anyone slightly a fan of country from this era must love this. Unfortunately, I am not, and this sounds grating, and I feel like even ten minutes more would've pushed it over the edge for me. However, this album isn't offensive enough to warrant it, and instead I'm just left feeling like these are the same thoughts I have coming away from every country album from this time. I've just hesrd enough of it now to be used to it. Not sure if that's a positive or not.

Emperor Tomato Ketchup

Stereolab

5/5

My doubts crept in with this album after my partner listened to it and found it just okay, but re-listening I see that this is still an art pop masterpiece, with enough repetitive yet irresistible grooves to make anyone from Can, all the way to LCD Soundsystem, blush. This is apparent with the opening track, as its hefty eight-minute runtime can see daunting, especially with little change appearing in the song, but it is those subtle grooves that will keep the listener dancing, or at the very least, vibing, until the closing moments. And just to prove the listener wrong, the next song throws most of that away and instead becomes a pop sensation, ignoring the trends of the mid-90s (save for maybe the Cardigans) and creating something just as space-like, but more airy and floaty, something to snack on before digesting the rest of the album's various pallets. Yes, it returns to its grooves, but there's also more rock-heavy moments, such as The Noise of Carpet, and even some more acoustic stuff to break from the synths and space station elevators. An album where you'll never stop moving, and each moment, no matter how predictable, will blow you away as the next French sensation toys with your senses, and you're all here for it. At least, hopefully. I do understand why one would be bored by this, and if repetitive music isn't your thing, perhaps steer clear, but anyone searching for something insatiably infectious, this is it.

Ocean Rain

Echo And The Bunnymen

3/5

While they aren't completely absent, the gothic rock sounds that made up Echo & The Bunnymen's earlier albums take a backseat to a bigger sound on Ocean Rain. A sound that evokes the alternative landscape of the mid-80s, a style that now is commonly just lumped into "new wave," even when it isn't really. Either way, this album feels like it's reaching for the stars, as well as a broader appeal, and that can lead to some absolute classics that are still some of the best in the band's catalog, such as the iconic The Killing Moon, but it also means a lot of the album feels like it was inspired a little too heavily by U2's growing popularity and notoriety. The A-side has some good songs, but you won't find anything truly worthy of your time until the B-side, and it comes off as high quality, but sloppy. It has the songs to keep you happy, but I personally think this band was made to be in the goth pantheons, and this album tries to distance itself from that for seemingly little reason, making it weak in comparison to Crocodiles and especially Porcupine.

Jack Takes the Floor

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

2/5

Why does this album have a billion different alternative album covers? Anyway, the first track presents a lot of hope for something with a lot of promise and definitive influence, but it quickly loses that hope and replaces it with folksy yodeling and, well, rambling. The picking is nice throughout, and you can tell this album could be seen as influential, but it itself leaves a lot to be desired, especially after a strong beginning. It's just generic folk music, nothing more, and maybe even a little less.

Goo

Sonic Youth

4/5

Kim Gordon's vocals are at their peak performance here, in my opinion, and it makes all of her tracks here stars of their own show. Thurston Moore's songs are mostly good too, and insteumentally the album is also great, balancing the artsy noise rock with something a bit more mainstream. I think sometimes they just dive back into old habits a little too hard, and it can really botch some, what would otherwise be, great tracks, such as Mote. Still, one of the band's best and a great place to start when looking to get into the more out there side of the late 80s/early 90s rock scene.

Woodface

Crowded House

2/5

The 90s were weird, where in order to be "daring" and "different" in a post Smells Like Teen Spirit world, you had to copy the sound of a bunch of 60s and 70s soft rock groups in order to stick out. Throw in some XTC for good measure, and you get Crowded House's Woodface. Crowded House was a band I thought I'd like more, as I quite enjoy their hits, but this album is a bit of a bore, and while often vaguely enjoyable in its America-esque hooks, it only brings in to question for me why this is considered somewhat of an essential album, while anything by those infamous soft rock groups is considered weak and inessential. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth that all this album had to do to stand out was copy and paste decades old sounds, but I suppose that's how art has always been. Still, not impressive enough to be considered even just "okay" in my book.

Country Life

Roxy Music

4/5

Almost every song here is so close to being something great, and so most of them just end up in the good territory. This still leads to a solid album that's lacking in Eno weirdness, but is solid glam rock nonetheless. It just always feels weirdly lacking, whether it be the vocals or the instrumentation, if one piece is peak, the other is mid. Good album, even great at times, but it falls short of the god tier glam rock album I took this for in passing.

All Mod Cons

The Jam

3/5

At first this album just feels like taking all the worst parts of mod and proto-punk and modernizing it in a way that avoids all the great additions brought on by post-punk and new wave, but as the album goes on it develops its personal punk sound more and more until it comes into its own by the end. It still isn't an album I especially favor, it feels comedically British and like many pop punk albums too many of the songs go in one ear and out the other, but I can at least respect this album for what it was trying to do. I don't know if the Jam are especially a band worth admiring in insert current year here, but I suppose I get the appeal enough.

Only By The Night

Kings of Leon

3/5

I was always a defender of Sex on Fire amongst its controversy and dumb lyrical hook, but I can see why this album was both their most successful record commercially, as well as the final nail in their musical coffin. It's a massive step down from their prior albums, and just puts me to sleep with It's attempts at being something more, when at the end of the day I only really liked Kings of Leon for scratching that garage rock revival but in the South itch. This is just pop rock you would've heard on the radio in the 2000s, and while it's mostly technically quality, it can be pretty hit or miss, and nothing really is as good as Sex on Fire, so if you already don't like that song, I can't imagine sitting through this album. It's fine, but it could stand to be much better, and you can really see the band slipping here.

The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett

4/5

I'm honestly a little shocked how much I enjoy this, as I not only am not that big of a fan of Syd Barrett's contributions to Pink Floyd, but I'm not the biggest Floyd fan in general, but the folky, amateur style of this album feels just quirky enough to come off completely earnestly, and oddly charming. Syd Barrett's voice isn't the strongest, the compositions aren't the most enthralling, and the instrumentation is usually pretty simple, but because of all of that this just feels like predicting the sound of 90s twee twenty years in advance, and comes off as in tandem with Nick Drake's discography to create an all new sound in folk, something light and breezy but still oppressing in their lyrics and under the surface oddities. This album has some great moments, and while sometimes I think Syd lets that strong songwriting get away from him at times, most of the album is surprisingly concise and well-written, and in turn I find myself enjoying a lot of this album.

Come Find Yourself

Fun Lovin' Criminals

2/5

A lot of predictable, 90s stereotypes, mostly under a thin veil of chilled-back funky hip hop tracks, sometimes delving into straight up rock or funk to mix it up, but it somehow all feels very derivative of much better acts. It isn't the strongest rap rock, nor the best lyrically, and the funky, relaxed vibe is done better by hip hop and neo-psychedelia on both ends of the spectrum. However, I wouldn't say the album is bad, per se, it just feels simple, and so I fail to see why I had to listen to it. I don't even know the single that every one is calling a one hit wonder song, so even the hit couldn't bother to stick around in the popular hivemind. I like the complete change in direction for the finale, but it still feels like other acts have that scene covered.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen

2/5

After the smash hit both critically and financially that was the pair-up of Damon Albarn and Danger Mouse on Demon Days, you'd think another album with the two plus a slew of other characters would only be a knock out of the park, but the album leaves a lot to be desired, and quite frankly wastes the listener's time on every song. None of it is bad, but it all has the exact same setup of starting a song quiet, building it up over the course of the track, only to end the song before it actually goes anywhere. This doesn't matter whether the song is two minutes or seven, you will always be disappointed, and I'm just gonna come out and say I entirely blame Simon Tong. No clue how much he had at play in this album, but it reeks of Verve-isms, with boring track after boring track that only leave the listener waiting for something more, which never comes, as if the whole band is scared to get too loud and wake their parents who are just in the other room. Its inoffensive, but that wraps around and makes it aggravating, because you just sit there ingesting it waiting for something, anything to happen. I don't entirely blame Danger Mouse, as when the production itself is good, its good, but it could just use another voice somewhere teaching the lot here how songs have to end, not just stop. I will give it credit and say it sounds nothing like Albarn's other two major projects, but I'm also just gonna say there's a reason those are still famous today while this faded into obscurity on the 1001 Albums list, with very little other accolades to hold it up.

Truth And Soul

Fishbone

3/5

My dad LOVES Fishbone, he was a teenager during their heyday, after all, but I do find this metallic infused ska to be very hit or miss, personally. When it goes hard it works really well, and even the late 80s-like production can't touch this album's powerful moments. However, I think a lot of it still carries those cheesier moments that plague ska-revival into something perfectly of its time. I'll admit that this is ahead of most of those 90s acts that made up the Pro Skater soundtrack, but its pretty rare that the funkier, more upbeat moments make me feel much of anything. It's the guitar heavy One Day or the odd Ma and Pa that feel a lot more unique, and therefore, quality. The rest of the album is fun enough, it just doesn't have that lasting impact, and even lacks most of the truly great songs Fishbone is known for, such as Sunless Saturday.

Roxy Music

3/5

An extremely disappointing album, as it seems to be pigeonholed into glam rock just because it has some light motifs of the genre, but this just feels like a stepping stone for us to get Brian Eno one day, as Bryan Ferry just doesn't feel like that notable of a lead for a majority of the album, and anything quirky about this release is quickly subdued by cheesy saxophone solos and rock able to appeal to any dad. It isn't bad, I just expected this group to be something truly out there, with an oddly all-star line-up and a peculiar set of album covers, I knew very little about the group going in except that I was hopeful, and I come away seeing that the genre change to soft rock makes far more sense than it used to. Still hopeful for their other releases but my expectations are far more tempered. (Written prior to listening to For Your Pleasure and Country Life, two FAR BETTER albums)

D

White Denim

2/5

More jam band-y than I was expecting, in a way similar to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's more Grateful Dead-esque albums, it had some of that Southern rock charm infused with the sound of hundreds of indie rock bands on the 2010s. However, I find it to be weaker than most of its contemporaries and influences, lacking any real defining personality, and getting bubbly and psychedelic for the sake of it. We're talking about an album with a song just called "Drug." Even Talking Heads knew to throw a plural form in there! It isn't offensive or really all that bad, but it is surface level with its tone, and that can really be a shame when you know this style of music can be pulled off by many others while this album gets left in the dust covered 2010s. Certainly a step up from your other folk-influenced indie groups of the time, I'll take this over the Lumineers or Mumford and Sons any day (not that they're all that comparable) but I would not prefer to sit through this again, as I think the sound would just start to bug me.

Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor

Lupe Fiasco

4/5

An album that feels pretty of it's an era, but when comparing it to the status of hip hop at the time, this is pretty good for the time. It falls into a lot of production trappings that date it pretty quickly, and it wears it's influences on its sleeve in such a way I wouldn't blame you if you just went to go listen to those influences instead. However, there is still a lot to enjoy here. I love how varied the styles are here, with some jazz influences sneaking their way in along with straight up pop songs in a way that mesh surprisingly well. Lupe's flows are also incredibly solid, especially when it comes to hooks, and while I never want to hear a Daydream sample again, it did get some creative variation via Jill Scott. I think most of the features did a good job, actually, with Jay-Z actually feeling the most phoned in. It's just a solid hip hop album from a rocky era, and I would say this album was an early stepping stone into the fantastic era we'd jump in to in the 2010s.

Odelay

Beck

4/5

As many have pointed out, Beck was in the right place at the right time, and that really allowed his career to flourish, more so than your average white guy-hip hop-rock-electronic-folk album, in which I'm sure there was more than you'd think by 1996. Beck just did it really well, setting the bar pretty high. It's weird, but not bizarre, it's heavy, but not destructive, it's poppy, but not bubblegum. It just is a well rounded 90s album that perfectly shows the landscape of a new era in a post-Nirvana world, and while some of it feels a little too of its era for me, much of the album is at the very least catchy, and I really enjoy the folkier moments hinting towards future Beck endeavors. Just a solid album that has held up very well, and was certainly an inspiration for many artists of the 2000s.

Survivor

Destiny's Child

2/5

This album seems confused on its own personality, and man if that isn't a turn off for any sort of R&B. Slut shame here, but my ass is too fat for you there. I need to be respected, but that guy is so fucking HOT. I don't carry an issue with any of the songs on there own, but as a whole package it is clear there is no actual message to any of these songs. Just what the songwriters came up with so the three could strut their stuff. Except, that isn't great either, as the album is so front loaded there is nothing to speak on in the last half-an-hour. You may as well skip it. The album is just a time capsule into the musical scene in the late 90s and early 2000s, and I see no reason to listen to it in any other aspect. The hits aren't even catchy compared to other R&B hits from the time, and it just leaves the album feeling soulless. Inoffensive, but soulless, and like a cash grab.

You've Come a Long Way Baby

Fatboy Slim

3/5

Man, I really thought I was liking this. I thought I was being hypocritical that I enjoyed this over so many other electronic 90s albums, but I couldn't deny how great Rockafeller Skank or Praise You were. However, looking bsck on it made me realize how much of this opinion was built upon comfort. Sure, the other, lesser, tracks are okay, but do I really care? Especially enough to sit there and act like the album is better for them, running over an hour long? It's an okay album with some great tracks, but if you stick to the greatest hits records for Fatboy Slim, you will be missing very little. Luckily, this album has a good chunk of those hits, so there is something here to enjoy.

Autobahn

Kraftwerk

3/5

FirstMate Oct 07 20242.50 stars A fairly simple album, with a first track that towers over the rest of the album via its length and stature, but admittedly flies by, especially compared to the remaining four tracks. I, personally, find the highlight to be Kometenmelodie 2, as it is filled with so much unexpected energy and drive that it instantly caught my attention as the music of the future. I can hear all of electronic music in that one song, and I can say that more than any other one piece I've heard by Kraftwerk, it's truly magnificent. The rest of the album suffers from this, in all honesty, as the album feels lesser from then on, and I've little in the way of positive words for the final two tracks, It's certainly revolutionary, Kraftwerk deserves that title, but it just doesn't scratch itches as a whole album that other electronic acts don't achieve later on in the pantheon of music.

The Stone Roses

3/5

Starts off noisy, but nice enough. It has that same vibe I get from many shoegaze-y albums where it starts out and my brain is too overwhelmed to truly take it all in, but unlike your My Bloody Valentines or Candy Claws, I never adjusted to this overwhelming sound, and I'd say it even started to give me a headache. The melodies are okay and the instrumentation is a solid enough 90s fare, but it doesn't feel like there's any texture to the madness. It's just loud and echo for the sake of it, and it was starting to drive me a bit mad by the end, despite enjoyment at the start. Leads to a vexing album where I understand the hype to some extent, but I can't imagine returning, lest I want even more of a migraine.

Teen Dream

Beach House

4/5

I first heard this album a couple years back and it really caught me off guard. I'd never heard of this band despite Beach House being around for nearly two decades at that point, but this album was really the jumping off point for them, and really carries on the dream pop legacy dominated by acts like Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, and a multitude of other great acts. What's important, though, is it modernizes the sound not to be derivative of these acts, but rather, take little bits and pieces and give them a 2010s pop coat of paint. Great, strong vocal patterns, big, sweeping movements, and a sense of melancholia that cannot be beat. While I think the duo still had room to grow after this album, as some tracks can read similar to the last, this is still a great album where you could tell they were really becoming their own thing, artistically, and it is a treat to know they are still making music today, just as strong as ever.

Court And Spark

Joni Mitchell

5/5

An excellent blend of Joni Mitchell's odd yet satisfying vocal delivery with the genre that matches it, Court and Spark's combination of this soft but complex pop with the always moving nature of jazz leads to tracks with many all-time climaxes. Everything in nearly every track builds up to something greater, and it almost always pays off, with a good touch of 70s mainstream folk to keep the album grounded and lyrically thought provoking. Nearly every track was destiny for Mitchell to perform, and she knocks it out of the park, exceeding anything up to this point, and still standing above anything after it, at least from what I've heard. It's that slight variation between tracks that really flexes Mitchell's musical muscle, and the bluegrass-y Raised on Robbery surprisingly sealed the deal for me; this is a amazing record.

Arular

M.I.A.

2/5

I quite like a couple tracks from M.I.A.'s second album, Kala, so I was hopeful for this album, but this feels like it is very shallow despite the fact that I know it isn't. It's weird that it's generally considered a hip hop album, because the rapping on this album is kept to a minimum. The album more feels like an electronic dance album with a focus on unique beats and musical styles from all across the world, but at the end of the day pop-y dance music is still just pop-y dance music. The beats are ahead of their time in some fashion, and it seems extremely unique compared to most 2000s works, but I thought very little of most of the music here, and only wish there was more going on, because most of the songs don't change, even from track to track. I completely understand someone liking this, but I'm pretty disappointed. Still cautiously hopeful for the follow up.

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

3/5

Well, my streaming service decided to shuffle the whole album around on me for no reason, but I didn't even realize until Anarchy in the U.K, so I suppose that goes to show my interest. I can like punk pretty easy, and I even like John Lydon's other project, Public Image Ltd, quite a bit. But this album is just boring. It's what you think of first when you hear the word "punk," and it knew that even when it came out. This may be the voice of a generation, but it is infamously not always true to its words, and while I don't know this album for it as much as some, it is hard to forget when realizing how many other great punk albums and even post-punk albums were doing this album's schtick but... better. It's okay, Anarchy in the U.K. is great, but you really only need one or two tracks from this album before you get the whole picture, and I think it's public opinion shift over time makes some amount of sense.

Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

Bob Dylan

4/5

I love the dichotomy of this album, it feels like two different people are performing when it's just Dylan scaring off some close-minded folk freaks with some good ol' rock 'n' roll. And it's some DAMN good rock 'n' roll at that. I love the loud, chaotic instrumentals mixed with the barely audible heckling to make for perhaps one of the rawest musical experiences up to that point in history. I do think the quiet tracks on the first part are good too, I just feel like Dylan likes to drag a tad more there when it comes to length vs. content, but damn if there isn't some good tracks to drive on a lonely road to. A great live album, I was fearing this one due to its length and infamy, but this is one of my favorites from him.

They Were Wrong, So We Drowned

Liars

2/5

Has a lot of promise and good ideas, but it feels wasted on the album's needless drive to be "odd." Not so much in a way like The Residents (although comparisons could be made) but rather just taking perfectly good post-punk melodies and adding random noises to drown out the flavor. The more dance punk elements cause me to crave LCD Soundsystem, while the dissonance projected only evokes a Swans-lite palette. Sure, there are elements I like, especially in the first track, but the whole thing constantly feels like it is building up to something great, but it just falls flat and seemingly gives up, and I'm just left feeling confused.

Palo Congo

Sabu

1/5

So destructively boring that it made me genuinely upset at multiple points as some of the worst vocalists ever yell in my ear while insipid drumming completely fails to deliver a funky or groovy experience. The only saving grace is the guitar playing, but it is still generic and, often times, lacking. Is it jazzy? Fun? I don't know, I seemingly clocked out early about halfway through, and I couldn't be bothered to once again interact with anything here.

Cafe Bleu

The Style Council

1/5

At first it was cheesy, then it was boring, but I think most offensively it was obviously made purely to jump upon the success of black artists' musical stylings and genres. This may seem like a brash accusation, but if we can critique Jamiroquai for his Stevie Wonder "impressions" then it seems ignorant to turn a blind eye here. At first you just get stocky sounding Olive Garden jazz that is generic, but the B-side opens with perhaps the most "we can make money off this "rap" thing" song I've ever heard, trying its best to copy the flow and delivery of the best of the disco-rap acts of the early 80s, obviously in the best way a couple European white guys can, and it doesn't stop there, with various (terrible) takes on genres and influences the pair just quite frankly has no business attempting, not only because they really shouldn't, but also because they cannot. It sounds awful, going past cheesy into the realm of disturbing quickly, and even if songs after that and Strength of Your Nature do try to gather their composure, the damage has already been dealt, and it's impossible to not see every song as disingenuous and only in it for some sort of financial gain or at the very least brownie points for trying something so different to their prior work. Songs tend to start with good hooks, but get old quick, and in that time I'm left waiting for the song to end, only thinking of the middle of the album offense that is hard to ever forget, and frankly has soured my little views on Paul Weller to an extreme degree. This is, frankly, not good, and should be forgotten into a bygone era, for everyone's sake.

Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

Frank Sinatra

4/5

I absolutely love this sound, and I wish there was more exposure for the likes of Jobim or even Gilberto, as while they are certainly famous it is a crying shame that bossa nova has basically been shrunken down to "elevator music" in the societal concious, despite great albums like this one being out there. I do think Sinatra's voice is a little too powerful for the melencholia often presented here, and tonally many of the tracks can come off as similar, but everything is just so pretty I can't be bothered to be upset by it. Sinatra is an obvious choice for great vocalist, but album's like this one really show his range, and deserve to be more recognized.

Follow The Leader

Korn

1/5

Honestly, not as dumb as was expected, but the ridiculously drawn out length tied with the goofy, almost parody level delivery takes this album from being just a boring time waster, to something offensive to the ears. This isn't because of the lyrics, although Fred Durst and co. does spew some garbage, but rather because with each additional track your brain dissolves bit by bit. Seemingly the same forgettable guitar, the same vocal delivery, and you're lucky to make it a track without Jonathan Davis putting on a ridiculous voice that is difficult to take seriously. When we got the bagpipes, I knew no one should take it seriously, no matter how badly Korn wants you to. It's just tiring, a product of its era, and the else said about it perhaps the better. Oddly enough, still see plenty of Korn shirts in 2024... huh.

Here, My Dear

Marvin Gaye

3/5

I really wanted to like this album more, as When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You is perhaps one of the best R&B/Soul songs to grace music, but the rest of the album really opens my eyes to how uncomfortable this whole situation makes me feel. At best it's an odd peak into dirty laundry that shouldn't be aired out like this, but there are many times on this album where Marvin Gaye feels ultimately bitter and hateful, despite how much he swears he isn't. I know nothing of their relationship, but it is difficult to cheer for Gaye when listening in, and while the raw aspects are relatively inspiring, it just feels off here, and I couldn't shake that feeling for the nearly eighty minutes I was stuck listening in. Gaye's voice is magnificent, and often times the production is stellar, too, but nearly every track drags, and you can tell how much filler is here to really pad things out. Perhaps some re-listens would do my mind good, it took a few listens of When Did You Stop Loving Me for it to click, but after sitting through this thing I really don't want to go through this again. I suppose I can respect an album this brutally honest, especially for 1978, but I'll be honoring it from afar.

Step In The Arena

Gang Starr

2/5

The more older jazz rap I listen to, the more I love the jazz rap of the last couple decade or so. Albums such as To Pimp A Butterfly or Modal Soul really seem to understand what makes jazz so great, and doesn't take away from that genre for the sake of simple beats and an easy song structure. However, that, in turn, makes albums like The Low End Theory, and our album today, Step In The Arena, feel hollow and cheap, in my opinion. I am not denying the jazz is there, because it is, but it all feels so plain, and with flows and bars that feel like I could make them whilst parodying hip hop, it just doesn't have much in the way of something interesting. I'm glad acts like Gang Starr were around to add more layers to the rap game than gangsta rap or boom bap, but when returning to these earlier albums it can feel a tad goofy, and it really disappoints.

Tellin’ Stories

The Charlatans

1/5

I've listened to this album before, and I'm listening to it again, and I'll probably listen to this album again before I did for some God forsaken reason, and I don't know why. This is the kind of music that makes you think you'll never find a song you like again, an album that lacks a soul so much that you question if the forty-five minutes you sat there listening were even real. The music here is so generic, so void of life, that it has affected my very being for the worse. It isn't even necessarily bad! It is just such a homogenized glob of an album that I fail to see how this does anything for anyone. Vocals are like a dull blade, the guitars are just power chords for forty minutes, and if this album dares try anything "new," it does it in such a way where it just sounds like they took a genre and baked it into their own bland sound. There is nothing here worth listening to, and its complete lack of identity makes it more offensive to the ears than most terrible albums, because at least I have something to say about those. A waste of time, at least they had the decency to keep it under an hour.

Opus Dei

Laibach

2/5

Y'know, this album wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It really isn't all that good, at least to my American brain, but there are parts where I think the militaristic march pairs well with the silly fake horns and stuff to create an oddly uplifting Industrial sound, something you don't get a lot from the genre. Now, I'll admit that has me worried because prideful German + 80s Industrial usually equals something pretty bad, but it quotes Churchill at the end, so maybe we're all good there? Either way, this album has its charm. I don't think it's worth listening to outside of the context; production is poor, singing is strained, and you get the schtick with song one, but it's certainly better than acts like Rammstein, and that has to mean something, right? Right? Meh, still, I'd almost get one of those other questionable German acts in here. They may have iffy lyrics, but at least the music sounds good.

Sail Away

Randy Newman

2/5

I feel bad rating this kind of low, as I feel like I was distracted, talking over it the whole time. But, frankly, I don't know if this is worth a revisit. First off, I know what Randy Newman sounds like, so that aspect is covered, and two, it kind of is the same thing the whole album. There's minor differences, but not enough to comment on, and that leaves it feeling kind of bland. I respect Newman, and this isn't bad, but I see no reason to return to it.

With The Beatles

Beatles

4/5

I feel as though this album shows all of its cards too early, as the beginning tracks are absolute classic after absolute classic. However, Don't Bother Me and beyond is the wild west. You'll definitely have some fantastic tracks peppered in there, but you have to get through a lot of boring, basic rock n roll numbers to get there. Even on this short album they feel as though they pad out the run time, and are unnecessary. Luckily, those peppered in good tracks are fantastic, from Till There Was You to Not A Second Time's amazingly simple piano solo, those tracks and more are highlights of the early Beatles era, and elevate the album. However, I could still see the argument that this is the weakest of the entire Beatles discography, and while I'd disagree, I'd at least hear you out.

Hot Fuss

The Killers

4/5

It was alright, the Killers are definitely a hits band that can stand by their hits modt of the time, but some of these songs are so overplayed that I can't help but find them a bit cheesy. However, the album still is good, and some of the deep cuts are pretty good, too.

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road

Lucinda Williams

2/5

Feels more like it's on the country side of Americana, this album reeks of that 90s aesthetic, but lacks anything that makes those other albums, such as the Silver Jews, interesting. Just feels like a more tired version of what you'd hear on folk radio, and barely ever did Lucinda Williams' performance feel genuine enough to pull at any heart strings.

Rocks

Aerosmith

2/5

If this is the funkiest group of white boys you've ever heard, you need a new supply of white boys.

Talk Talk Talk

The Psychedelic Furs

2/5

If you want to listen to Pretty In Pink about eight times on this ten song record, then you'll love this! However, I'm more of a Love My Way fan.

Sticky Fingers

The Rolling Stones

2/5

I try my best to respect the Rolling Stones, but with each album I fail to see more and more what exactly this band did that was so amazing. At this point multiple other bands had done the "British band likes American rock" schtick better, and that leaves this apparently "iconic album" to be one of the Stones' weakest so far, only because it lacks that absolutely iconic hit each album had for the sake of a few okay ones. It just doesn't spark intrigue. I'm sure this makes it clear I prefer the Beatles in that debate, but frankly the two aren't even comparable.

Disraeli Gears

Cream

4/5

Sunshine of Your Love is iconic, and there are some great, almost glam-y tracks after it that are really up my alley, too. Nothing mindblowing, but this is some good straight up rock and roll, especially for 1967.

Dare!

The Human League

5/5

Color me impressed. This feels like generic, run-of-the-mill 80s synthpop, but that sinister undertone that gradually becomes lighter until the hit arrives is actually quite thrilling, and reminds me heavily of the other synthpop greats. Wonderfully layered production, unique hooks, and a sense of pop music pride that it still wears on its sleeve despite the new wave boom trying its best to avoid it all still. I am thoroughly enthralled by most of this album, and consider it something quite amazing.

Black Holes and Revelations

Muse

5/5

This album is unfortunately what I consider the beginning of the end for Muse. You've got far more political topics sneaking into the lyrics, the whole thing has an extremely "daytime rock radio" vibe going on save for a few tracks, and the general synth undertones really hammer in the feeling Muse would continue to awkwardly explore nearly twenty years later. However, do not mistake my words of sadness as an adverse reaction to the music on this album, because while this may be the start of something worse, it is also the end of something amazing in the best way possible. Every song walks this fine line between pop rock and alternative rock immaculately, and when it takes time to slow down and let the band (Matt, in particular) show off their musical chops, it succeeds with flying colors. The commanding piano riff in Hoodoo, the solo of Invincible, and the choir in Soldier's Poem, all perfectly showing the immense talent the band posses even on their senior outing. Even the more synth pop-esque takes are solid, almost Depeche Mode-like, runs that fill a perfect hole in a modernized 80s heart. This album has a lot of commercial moments, Starlight, Supermassive Black Hole, and the magnificent closer, Knights of Cydonia, you couldn't escape at the time, but they don't feel like massive blockbusters for the sake of it, they just happened to be, on top of being some of the premier rock hits of the late 2000s. This album may be the sound they'd fail to perfect as time went on, but they didn't need to, because they nailed it on the first try, and I'm satisfied with seeing it close here. Just a fantastic collection of songs, you're bound to find something you enjoy here.

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Stevie Wonder

4/5

It's Stevie Wonder, so of course it is extremely solid, with a lot of fun experimentation specifically on this album that laid the groundwork for Songs In the Key of Life. It can feel a tad safe when it wants to be, and that doesn't allow the album to surpass any other Wonder album that I've heard, but this is assuredly a good time.

Better Living Through Chemistry

Fatboy Slim

2/5

It's fine, but lacks most of the original ideas that makes Fatboy Slim stand out on later albums. That means this album has some newfound style that isn't present in those later albums that makes this a pretty decent dance record, but I dislike it more because I can't imagine sitting through any of this again. I grew up with a couple of these tracks on his greatest hits record, but it's telling I've never craved listening to these songs like I did with his other hits.

Darkdancer

Les Rythmes Digitales

4/5

Surprisingly catchy, with some great, albeit basic 90s beats that almost seem to be a love letter to late 80s pop, judging from the features. Now, I'm not the buggest fan of that era of pop, and so some of this album can be a bit goofy and certainly long winded, but it carries enough gusto to stand out far more than I thought it would. The bass playing in some of the tracks is great, and those comic book evil like synths in the final track really won me over. It's all 80s cheese, but with a 90s coat of paint to really give it a simple but pleasant vibrance.

1977

Ash

4/5

Starts great and really holds on to that noisy, destructive edge that is desperately needed in most other British rock albums from the time, and for that I have to give it tons of credit, because I was really having a good time up until the midpoint, in which the excitement started to fade away. Songs were still good, being just ferocious enough to be extremely accessible, and while I've heard far better noise rock, it didn't stop it from being enjoyable. I think the pop-ier moments were just a bit silly, especially when you could make out the lyrics, and it really lost stream by the end of the hour. Not helping things is having to listen to people throwing up for five minutes. Terrible end to an otherwise pretty decent album.

Hunting High And Low

a-ha

4/5

I see people describe A-ha as a one hit wonder quite often, which just doesn't seem accurate to me. Despite this, before actually listening to this album a few years ago, I would say the same thing. Take it as a sign of my U.S. brain thinking our popular culture is the end all, be all. A-ha had multiple other hits on this very album, but I didn't recognize that until I sat down and listened to their discography. Now I, myself, am a preacher at the house of A-ha, and this album is assuredly one of the reasons. It starts with one of the most iconic pop tracks of the 80s, walking that fine line between new wave and cheesy late 80s pop that it just feels like its oozing the sound of the era in the best of was. However, I think the album only gets better with some of the other tracks, as they stand out in a way very similar to the opener, and it makes the album a very solid piece of lush 80s pop. Morten Harket has one of the best voices in pop, and shows off his chops here in a way hardly have rivalled. Perhaps some of the tracks here could stand to be a bit more memorable overall, especially when put against the greats, but you're still getting what is, in my opinion, one of the best straight synthpop records of its time.

Le Tigre

4/5

While it does stumble as it goes on, leading to bouts that don't quite get the listener as engaged, the majority of the album has this perfect blend of raw energy perfect for a punk album while still having a more, well, 90s side, that allows for the listener to not only get up and dance to the grooves, but also feel like they're rebelling against something along with the band, and that makes it feel like the perfect blend of 90s electronic dance with something just angry enough to stage a riot. The vocals can be seen as annoying perhaps, but they're easy to adjust to, and then I find them pretty enthralling, like the radio show filter over everything perfectly matches the electronic influences, and I do enjoy how it kind of mellows out near the end, closing with something more jangle-y than anything, it's like a nice treat. This is just an album that feels like it appeals to everyone, and those it doesn't appeal to it wouldn't want to any way, and I can jam with that, for sure.

Time Out

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

3/5

A lot of this is the kind of jazz you stereotypically snap your fingers to, the kind of music that makes the toe tapping in a jazz club rock the whole building, and that is to say, very exciting for cool jazz, but very basic in a modern sense. This is often considered one of the best of its time, and I can see the appeal. The playing is all top notch, and the arrangements are also unique. I also love the use of piano, really selling to me some tracks that would've otherwise been exactly ehat I expected from this album. Unfortunately, it's a little too far between piano passages, and I get warped right back to that cool jazz club, where everyone is having a good time, but I just can't tap along. Not as much as I want to, any way.

I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail

Buck Owens

2/5

A generic, old school country album with enough very minor twists to make the formula at least standable, such as the odd rock n roll track at the end, or the multiple plays on the phrase "let the good times roll." However, it still was repetitive and predictable, and I fail to see what makes this shine above any other country "album" from the time.

American Gothic

David Ackles

4/5

Like an odd blend of Scott Walker with Geordie Greep's urge to include showtunes in his music, this album was a shockingly good bit of "folk" music with plenty of gorgeous moments on top of whimsical verse, in a matter most similar to pretty much every other act that tries this style. For some reason, the folks on the generator seem to really dislike this style of music, and I fail to see how, because I adore it. Not what I expected this album to be at all, but I really liked it nonetheless.

Tuesday Night Music Club

Sheryl Crow

1/5

Yet another album where I actively dislike the song I used to have in rotation because of the tracks I had to slog through to get to it. All I Wanna Do is a solid, jangle-y pop rock tune with a neat enough slide guitar riff to get by, but it cannot save the rest of this album and its horrendous pacing, instrumentation, and frankly, just plain lack of pleasure. Every song lags behind itself to ensure the album drags for as long as possible, and even when there is some glimmer of hope, it is immediately squashed so that Sheryl Crow can warble over some other snooze fest. Most of the album I was figuring it would scrape by doing nothing to truly anger me to the point of a one-star, but that final track would NOT END. There's a solid minute or two of her barely audibly singing the name of the song, and it is infuriating beyond belief, and completely ensured I never want to hear a song by Crow again, because if this is the best popular music had for singer-songwriters, I can't imagine what sums up the state of pop music any better in the early 90s.

Tonight's The Night

Neil Young

3/5

Very bluesy for Neil Young, and I don't mean sad, because most of his albums are sad, but this one feels like I'm in a dingey bar with poor lighting, and that can be a good and a bad thing. A good chunk of the songs just feel too stereotypical rocker for my taste, but sometimes this album gets very powerful, and you can hear ALL the inspiration for those 90s slacker rock groups, which was particularly great. Perhaps the most mixed bag Neil Young album I've heard, it was still a treat to engage with at times, just wish it embraced the somber side more, even if every other Neil Young album does that too, I'd prefer leaving it to Crazy Horse collaborations for the rock.

Dookie

Green Day

2/5

Half of this album sounds the exact same as the last pop punk song you heard. The other half has decent melodies and is famous/iconic enough, but then you remember half of THOSE were probably lifted from better rock songs. It's inoffensive without context, but still nothing special in the long run.

Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington

2/5

Inoffensive big band that never really struck a chord with me throughout our time together. Maybe I find the faux-live style disingenuous? I don't know, Duke Ellington is certainly someone to be respected, but this was just stereotypical "50s music" to my ears.

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

3/5

I fell asleep whilst listening to this album, but I don't think it's the album's fault... in fact, I'd say the album does a lot of great things, despite abandoning the noisy elements of their first album. It has a solid alt-pop sound, and fits right in at the time of jangle innovation. It feels a bit too wishy washy at times for my taste, and that led to an album with a lot of "almosts," but I can still see the appeal as a picture of bands changing with the times, and in that aspect it isn't amazing, but it is neat.

Meat Is Murder

The Smiths

4/5

Once again we arrive at the juxtaposition of Morrissey's assholery compared to his lovely, softspoken vocal style. However, this album has the interesting case of almost feeling like Morrissey knows he's an asshole. It doesn't peek through crystal clear or anything, but the topics this somehow darker Smiths album takes feel like Morrissey just doesn't care anymore. This is funny, of course, as it's their second record and they frankly didn't have the multitude of massive hits to fall back on quite yet, but that gives this album a sharper edge that feels fed up with the world rather than accepting being just another pawn in it. It wants to do something, but it can't, and I really enjoy that. It knows what it wants to say, and it gets in and says it then dips pretty quickly. Do I agree with all of it? Maybe not, but if the message "Meat Is Murder" resonated with my mother enough for her to become vegetarian, then it must be doing something right.

Highway to Hell

AC/DC

1/5

Genuinely one of my least favorite listening experiences ever. Back In Black I went into knowing I'd dislike because every hit there is the bane of my existence, but I had some small hope that the deep cuts here would be better in some way, shape, or form. But, nope! In fact, every single song here is arguably the exact same track as the last, and when it finally bothers to change it up on the final track, it may be different, but it's still bad. Seriously, you guys critique the hip hop albums for their objectification of women and their repetitive lyrics, but at least they don't have Angus Young producing the most mediocre guitar riff on top of that. I just fail to see how anyone cares for this band. You want high octane energy? Go five over the speed limit, you'll get about the same high.

Doggystyle

Snoop Dogg

3/5

Admittedly better than I expected it to be, with a lot of great melodic hooks that make each song have pretty catchy moments, and while Snoop's flow is iconic to the point of parody nowadays, here it's pretty solid. I think most of it lyrically just feels a tad one note for my liking. This doesn't dive into the world of the life nearly as much as its peers, and it means much of the album is very laid back and relatively safe. This fits his demeanor, but it still struggles to stand toe-to-toe with other iconic hip hop albums from the time, but I will admit it has the potential to be better than a lot of them. It just barely misses the mark.

Tea for the Tillerman

Cat Stevens

3/5

Lots of pretty, solid moments here, but I find it to be very formulaic. Each song has the same general build up and pay off musically, and while it is a good song structure, it can be repetitive. I mean, I kept waiting for Peace Train to show up because I could hear all of that song from other pieces of songs here, but that's on a totally separate album. It was nice and soothing, but I think I'd need a bit more tonal variation to praise it much more.

Electric

The Cult

2/5

A hard rock album that evokes the sounds of the genre throughout multiple decades, from the new wave influences of Billy Idol to the metal-esque sound of AC/DC. We even have an iconic cover (maybe a couple?) of classic rock songs to wrap it all together. However, this love letter to the genre rarely comes off as creative, or even charismatic. Instead, you just get a lot of lesser versions of iconic bands' sounds, and it can be a bore at best. Sure, everything is technically sound, but it isn't important or even that high quality for a genre shift for a band. It really is like if U2 got a heavier sound, but if you don't like U2 or that heavier sound, what are you left with?

Brutal Youth

Elvis Costello

1/5

Elvis Costello never sounds like he knows where the song is going, and ad libs both lyrics and melody in order to make something that is totally unique to him, because no one else would ever think to go in the directions that he takes songs. Sometimes, this thought process works out, and even though I'm not a fan of his music, I can at least see the effort behind it. This album, though? Utter incompetence, like watching a dementia-ridden patient try and recover some semblance of music creation in a genre he arguably helped start, all while his audience just sits there and seem to spout variations of "you can do it, buddy!" despite their knowledge of its subpar at best presentation. Every song here is sloppy, annoying, and even struggles to be a vague idea of catchy. There's so little going on, and yet every time Costello opens his mouth it just sounds like someone purposefully singing with the worst voice possible to annoy their friends, and with each subsequent track it just digs into you more and more. Perhaps there is a track or two that is "better" as the album goes on, but clocking in at nearly an hour, you start to stop caring about ten minutes in, which just leads to every single track past that timestamp being torture. I listened to this album less than twenty-four hours ago, yet I could not tell you anything about any of the tracks save for "boring and annoying," and that really stings when you're subjected to just that for longer than what should ever be necessary. Lyrically it isn't much better, with nonsensical lyrics trying to be deep for the sake of sounding smart plaguing the whole thing, and only relax on the more stereotypical love songs, which are still, say it with me, boring and annoying! God, its just obvious that this is an album where a singer has completely lost his touch, and with no band to support him positively musically, and no Nick Lowe to produce, the cracks of Elvis Costello really start to show. Perhaps not one of the worst albums of all time, but one I immediately despise.

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

4/5

I think I like this one more than Electric Ladyland, and while I don't know how controversial that is, I quite enjoy how compact yet thoroughly enjoyable this album is. The guitar playing is raw and powerful, but feels like it is keeping up appearances just enough to be groundbreaking instrumentally, and this album does a fantastic job showing off Hendrix's tapents without sacrificing the audiences attention. I think the only flaw is that some of the tracks fall a little too much into the late 60s stereotype, and so the vocal heavy tracks can feel a bit dated, but this is still an excellent rock record, perhaps the best instrumentally for the time that I've heard, but that was to be expected with Hendrix at the helm.

Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

Public Enemy

4/5

Easily the weakest of the trilogy of hip hop albums Public Enemy put out from '88 to '91, where the group was falling a bit behind sonically compared to performers such as A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul. Hardcore political hip hop was out, a more mellow, concious sound was in. Still, Chuck D and co. don't let this album completely slip into a gutter, with still plenty of great cuts, and a genius combination of metal and hip hop via an Anthrax collaboration, something that wasn't the first, but was far ahead of it's time, and still one of the best takes on that combo. A good album that wasn't quite as impactful, but crtically it still hits all the right beats to be a good and proper Public Enemy release.

The Last Broadcast

Doves

2/5

We're to the Keane tier on Jeff Buckley worhsip, where the band doesn't even know who they're emulating anymore, and the music suffers for it.

The Trinity Session

Cowboy Junkies

3/5

Portishead MTV Unplugged

Sound of Silver

LCD Soundsystem

5/5

Oh my God, perhaps one of the most "a good pair of headphones" albums I ever have heard, LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver has been elevated for me beyond on unimaginable limit due to not only its masterclass production, pure danceability and funk, as well as its consistency, but also because it is perhaps the best understanding of what made New York acts like Talking Heads so fantastic. There's variation, there's intrigue, there's layers upon layers upon layers, not unlike Eno's production, to every song so that focusing on just one singular instrument in each track can give you its own groove, its own song entirely. Even when the album slows down for the final track, it is so gripping in its blend of amateur vocals and heartbreaking melancholia that it's hard not to be pulled in. This album just feels like a pure passion project executed to the best of all involved's abilities to deliver one of the most outstanding dance albums of all time; one that can still appeal to those from the past looking for a new dance-y post-punk fix, and those just looking for some 2000s alternative goodness, it is an amazing time no matter how you get here. I just heavily recommend good headphones, you won't regret it when you jump out of your chair to dance.

Electric Music For The Mind And Body

Country Joe & The Fish

4/5

White Light

Gene Clark

4/5

Ananda Shankar

3/5

Face to Face

The Kinks

4/5

Bandwagonesque

Teenage Fanclub

4/5

I never travel far, without a 90s Big Star

No Other

Gene Clark

4/5

Like A Prayer

Madonna

3/5

Nevermind

Nirvana

5/5

Kala

M.I.A.

4/5

Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

5/5

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

5/5

All Hail the Queen

Queen Latifah

2/5

Slipknot

2/5

Honky Tonk Masquerade

Joe Ely

2/5

Devil Without A Cause

Kid Rock

1/5

I'm actually shocked this isn't the worst album on the list, but that doesn't mean it isn't still bad, terrible even.

Beautiful Freak

Eels

2/5

Seventh Tree

Goldfrapp

4/5

Butterfly

Mariah Carey

3/5

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

4/5

No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)

Motörhead

2/5

Blunderbuss

Jack White

4/5

Mermaid Avenue

Billy Bragg

2/5

World Clique

Deee-Lite

3/5

Imagine

John Lennon

4/5

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

5/5

Treasure

Cocteau Twins

5/5

evermore

Taylor Swift

2/5

Cut

The Slits

4/5

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

4/5

The Rising

Bruce Springsteen

1/5

Machine Gun Etiquette

The Damned

4/5

The Libertines

3/5

Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman

John Zorn

1/5

This making it on here, but nothing actually by Ornette Coleman, is the perfect summary of the 1001 Album list.

Django Django

2/5

Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

Nixon

Lambchop

4/5

Blood And Chocolate

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

2/5

Reign In Blood

Slayer

3/5

Repeater

Fugazi

3/5

Stardust

Willie Nelson

4/5

Pelican West

Haircut 100

4/5

Something/Anything?

Todd Rundgren

4/5

White boy Songs In the Key of Life

Madman Across The Water

Elton John

2/5

Tiny Dancer is perhaps my least favorite of Elton John's big hits. It's melodramatic, cheesy, and feels like a gross, sloppy kiss from a relative you've met twice. It just is too ballad-y for my blood. So, it doesn't surprise me all too much that this album does absolutely nothing for me, but, man, what a slog. I don't care for Elton John wanting to be held, sure, but I especially don't want to hear him sing like he is a Native American going through it, that's a tricky topic on all sorts of levels, and a white, British guy is not doing the topic any favors. It just felt like every song wanted me to ask "What am I doing here?" and even when the album tried to sound better, it was too little too late. I have always seen Elton as a hits guy, and this album with no (IMO) good hits means I'm just listening to melodrama for the sake of melodrama, and it's kind of obnoxious. I'll take Billy Joel for my piano rock needs, I suppose.

British Steel

Judas Priest

2/5

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

2/5

Is this mind-bending for 1967? Yes, but I still find it easily the weakest of the three Jimi Hendrix Experience albums. It is fuzzy and destructive, but it's all really only a thin layer over pretty predictable blues rock, a craft Hendrix would come to nearly perfect less than a year after this release, and it leaves this one feeling plain. Even the best song from the period, Purple Haze, isn't even on the original release of this album, so there's just not a lot of reason to experience this cut from the Hendrix canon unless you're a completionist.

Apocalypse Dudes

Turbonegro

2/5

Isn't Anything

My Bloody Valentine

4/5

This is from 1988?! Holy shit...

Psychocandy

The Jesus And Mary Chain

2/5

Manassas

Stephen Stills

3/5

Man asses!? Where!?

Headquarters

The Monkees

4/5

This reminds me of MGMT. No, I will not be taking any questions.

Hotel California

Eagles

2/5

Shleep

Robert Wyatt

5/5

Robert Wyatt is a genius.

Red Headed Stranger

Willie Nelson

2/5

American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash

4/5

Your Arsenal

Morrissey

4/5

In A Silent Way

Miles Davis

4/5

You finally got me Miles, I quite enjoyed this.

Dig Me Out

Sleater-Kinney

4/5

I feel entirely uncultured when I first realized that one of the lead guitars and vocalists in Sleater-Kinney was the same person that duos Fred Astaire on Portlandia, only to then realize I'm uncultured even more so for knowing Carrie Brownstein as "the person that duos Fred Astaire on Portlandia." The album itself lies among similar outfits from the time into this Riot Grrrl bubble, in which I feel I'm kind of starting to get a feel for. Songs that make you want to speed down a highway and overthrow someone or something, but tend to have the slight issue of variation. It's a good time, with solid tracks throughout and a lot of raw emotion pouring from the vocals and those scratchy guitars, and I even enjoy when they real it back a tad and make something more pop-y, a la Little Babies, but you definitely get your fill pretty quickly, and in turn the middle portion can live you spacing out for mere moments only to realize three tracks have passed you by. It is effectively noisy, but constantly runs the risk of just becoming noise for the listener. Luckily, I think I was just enough in the mood for this to get into it a little bit, especially with those great opening tracks, and I found myself looking at this rather fondly by the end. It is definitely repetitive, but I think it carries (hehe) itself just long enough for an extremely heavy ending track to effectively close out what is a solid bit of the 90s alternative canon. Oddly, the Kinks homage fits rather well, and I couldn't tell you why.

Hunky Dory

David Bowie

4/5

Tracy Chapman

2/5

I respect Tracy Chapman a great deal. She pretty much defies all stereotypes of the late 80s music scene, and even in her own folk field she stands out because her tunes just feel that more genuine. However, I still don't much care for most of this music. Fast Car is iconic, but I could go the rest of my life without hearing it, especially after that so-so Luke Combs cover, and every other song here is okay, but not all too special. It's something to admire, and if Bruce Springsteen was doing them I would dislike them a whole lot more, but I still don't care for this era of music, defying expectations or not.

Beyond Skin

Nitin Sawhney

3/5

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

2/5

Like Water For Chocolate

Common

3/5

All Directions

The Temptations

2/5

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

5/5

Frank

Amy Winehouse

4/5

The Dreaming

Kate Bush

4/5

The Contino Sessions

Death In Vegas

2/5

Heartattack And Vine

Tom Waits

2/5

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

2/5

Why is this considered their best? It doesn't even have any Effigy.

Moby Grape

3/5

Spiderland

Slint

5/5

Third

Portishead

5/5

Sheet Music

10cc

5/5

A collection of some of my favorite pop rock tunes sandwiched between a mediocre yet seemingly popular opener and, to a lesser extent, closer. Every track from A2 to B4 is this odd Beach Boys/Frank Zappa crossover where you can't quite tell how seriously the band is taking it, but in that aspect it rivals Sparks (my favorite band) in its eclectic take on pop music, not to the levels of parody where 10cc feel like they're better than the music on the radio, but rather, are so appreciatory of the music that they were built upon, that the jabs feel more in good fun. Those Beach Boys harmonies and manic bridges are not laughing at, but with, the 60s, and I think that's not only intriguing, but 10cc does it very well here. Clockwork Creep keeps me moving, and Somewhere in Hollywood should be one of the great progressive pop songs. Alas, it is not, and that's a shame, because it and many other songs here are amazing. Sure, it is sort of the same shtick as The Mothers of Invention, but the 70s sensibilities add a lot to the sound, and give it that extra kick to be something grand. Add in a hint of glam, and you have something that really is a hit with me. I find that opening track too "hard rock" to get the feeling I desire, so it is a shame that's considered the hit here, and there are certainly some lyrics that haven't aged the best (Hotel, in particular, has some eyebrow raises in it) but it tends to be so fun I can't help but enjoy it all. Just a great record, I love their voices. I'm worried not much else in their discography has all the right stuff like this one, but at least I have this to enjoy. Man, May 1974 was a good month for music!

Let's Get It On

Marvin Gaye

4/5

Heroes

David Bowie

4/5

Just like Low before it, I'm 100% sure I'll consider this one of Bowie's best in a year or so.

The Renaissance

Q-Tip

4/5

Bert Jansch

4/5

At the start I was worried Needle of Death would not only be the only song I knew starting out, but the only one I'd like by the end of the album, but luckily the album shaped up rather quickly, and although I'll admit almost every song I like off this album feels like a copy of Needle of Death, Bert Jansch's guitar picking mixed with his somber and soft vocal style allows many of this songs to shine through as personal ballads of a tortured yet satisfied soul. Not unlike Joan Baez's debut, many of the tracks are sold by the sheer talent at play in every facet of the album, and with artful lyrics in tow, this is just an extremely solid folk album some great instrumentals to really fill out the package.

At Budokan

Cheap Trick

3/5

I Want You to Want Me was one of the best live songs ever to me a few years ago, and it still shines in a category that is easy to mess up. The rest of this live album makes me want to honk memememe, though.

Grievous Angel

Gram Parsons

2/5

Very

Pet Shop Boys

4/5

Since I Left You

The Avalanches

4/5

Marcus Garvey

Burning Spear

2/5

(What's The Story) Morning Glory

Oasis

1/5

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

The 13th Floor Elevators

2/5

Among The Living

Anthrax

4/5

Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts

The Adverts

3/5

The Who Sell Out

The Who

3/5

Perhaps my favorite Who album I've listened to, but I think it's still pretty telling that I enjoyed the sound of the "Radio London" parts more than most of the songs themselves.

I’m a Lonesome Fugitive

Merle Haggard

2/5

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

4/5

Cypress Hill

2/5

New Forms

Roni Size

2/5

Blood, Sweat & Tears

2/5

I just listened to this a mere day-and-a-half ago, yet I already forget what this album contains within it. I was admittedly expecting some amount of soft rock, not dissimilar to Chicago or the Eagles, but with a 60s flair, and I suppose I was sort of right on the Chicago aspect, but more in terms of their debut, rather than their later cheesy ballads. However, while Chicago's debut shines due to its loud big band backing atop surprisingly solid rock tracks and amazing guitar playing, this album comes off more like if the guys over at King Crimson wanted to make music for the Average Joe. Now, credit where credit is due, this is a year before both of those projects, but that doesn't make it worth sitting through. You get a couple solid pop-y tracks right before the tedious closer, Blues - Part II, leading it so the whole album just comes out extremely mediocre. The only thing really to note is that I only truly enjoyed the opener and closer, as I'd forgotten about Gymnopedie, and this was a nice reminder.

Gold

Ryan Adams

2/5

Music

Madonna

2/5

Talking Timbuktu

Ali Farka Touré

1/5

I've come to discover that I really hate this kind of music. It's so repetitive, dull, and for whatever reason every album is thirty minutes longer than it should be. I'm assuming there is a culture barrier keeping me away from appreciating this, as it is solid instrumentally, and nothing is obviously "bad," but there are very few things I'd rather not do than listen to this or Ali Farka Touré's other 1001 Album again.

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

5/5

Every other dream pop album can go home, this is literally the peak of what the genre can do. Every song is so space-y, it makes you feel as though you are constantly hovering slightly above the ground so that you're still in touch with what is happening around you, yet you'll find yourself swaying with each and every track, in a trance like state that does not break until the album finishes with one of the greatest songs of all time. You may not always understand the lyrics, but you know every emotion behind them is real by the intensity of every instrument, along with the amazing, angelic delivery from Elizabeth Fraser. Drugs are not needed to get swept off your feet by the love and just general musicianship, and capturing every season of the year on top of that is truly expert song craftsmanship. In short, I love this album, its dreamy.

John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic

3/5

I was both interested and scared for this album, as I knew it could I either be some folksy prog jazz that would alter my life, or a Steve Winwood-coated snore fest with very little to speak on. It ended up being mostly the latter, with a lot of potential within the walls of the first two tracks, but instead of continuing the Winwood woodwind escapades, it becomes pretty generic rock tunes for a couple tracks only to completely stumble on what could've been a folk-prog masterpiece a la Led Zeppelin III and then end on cheesy rock power ballad. Maybe the horns and flutes stuck around, but I forgot about them as the tepid guitar playing continued and the embodiment of every generic white guy sang through Steve to give a so-so performance. There is a lot of hope within this album, and it starts pretty good, with two solid progressive tracks to keep the baby and soul at least engaged, and when it comes to a six song album that's a decent amount of songs, but the rest is so forgettable I find it hard to say this is worth the check-in when there are so many other acts doing this exact style of album multiple times better. It is alright, but nothing to miss out on here.

Heavy Weather

Weather Report

3/5

Perhaps I treated you too harshly, Weather Report. I originally listened to this while building LEGO a couple years ago, and I found it cheesy and boring, but perhaps it's that Black Midi jazz (the band, not the genre) but some of these songs kind of struck a chord with me this time around. The early stuff flew by and was nothing to write home about, but the later into the album we got the more I could appreciate it for what it is. Is it all that special? Nah, it's still dated and cliché, but I don't dislike this as much as I was lead to believe.

Roger the Engineer

The Yardbirds

2/5

Normally with albums I've already listened to in the past like this one, I check it out a second time when it comes time to rate it, that way I get my fully accurate opinion on it and not my opinion from a year ago where I was only half listening. However, with this album I have no doubts rating this album a rather poor score, as I just remember the boredom that came with this rather tepid release. Is it important in the history of blues rock as well as Led Zeppelin, a band I'm rather fond of? Yes, but that doesn't make this any more dull. Only really giving bonus points because of the history surrounding it, but when you listen to What's Going On by Marvin Gaye right after, it's hard to have any thoughts about a release like this.

One Nation Under A Groove

Funkadelic

4/5

Songs From The Big Chair

Tears For Fears

3/5

What's the big deal with this album? Yeah, it's decent, it has some hits that are good, but songs like Shout are awful, and the deep cuts are bores. So many better albums came from this era of synthpop, and before, so why does this album get all the new wave glory? The Fleetwood Mac of synthpop, in that aspect. It's good, but not the best.

The Cars

3/5

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

2/5

This album often felt like Bitches Brew-lite, and as someone with quite the disdain for Bitches Brew, that is NOT a compliment. It feels often that nothing is happening for the sake of another part of the song, but rather everyone sounds like they're performing different songs than the other players, and if that isn't happening, its issues lie in just how mellow it is. It doesn't feel like an album to put on while having a drink on a Sunday evening, its too excitable for that, but its not an album for a party environment either, as it can get as slow as sludge, to the point where its hard not to call it "muzak" and nothing more. Usually a chilled out vibe would be something I would appreciate for the breather it provides, but on this album it just feels like too much of a 180° to be relaxing, and instead has the listener going from zero to 100 back to zero, giving one whiplash more than anything. There are parts to enjoy, as everyone is at the top of their game performance wise, and it also sounds quite ahead of its time for 1973, giving it a futuristic tone that rival the coming synth-heavy instrumentation of the late 70s. It just feels too much and too little, and I either have little time to process it musically, or little reason to care. I can see its revolutionary style, it wears it on its sleeve with that slick album cover, but this does nothing for me musically but annoy.

...Baby One More Time

Britney Spears

2/5

I think this albums inclusion perfectly exemplifies what is wrong with most of the 21st century picks for a list like this, even if this album is before the turn of the century. The list was first made in 2005, and that causes a lot of (at the time) recent albums to have no time to sit and see if they truly are something worth sticking around for. Instead, it felt like the author needed to fill out the list with recent big artists to sell copies of the book; albums with one major hit, but not a lot of staying power otherwise. This strategy has worked in the lists favor since, just look at the Kendrick Lamar inclusions, but many of the albums don't feel like "albums" you should listen to before you die, but rather one hit single and ten to fifteen other tracks, and it really makes it the dullest part of the list, in my eyes. There is no wonder that this album (among many others) got removed to make room for new albums that fall into the same issues. Rinse and repeat. This album on its own merits is fine enough. The hit is decent but overplayed, and most of the other songs range from fine to okay, with only some true stinkers, but Spears has better albums, and if we were going to go with an album that had a hit on it by her before 2005, why not make it In the Zone and include Toxic?

In Our Heads

Hot Chip

4/5

Veckatimest

Grizzly Bear

4/5

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

4/5

This used to be my favorite Pink Floyd album, but I've come to discover Animals and Meddle, and it leaves this album paling in comparison. Still, their best that the generator has to offer, for sure.

The Only Ones

3/5

Blur

4/5

Back To Black

Amy Winehouse

4/5

The Poet

Bobby Womack

3/5

Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Wu-Tang Clan

3/5

Tommy

The Who

2/5

I'm like 70% sure that this album is mainly meandering instrumental, 20% meandering story, and then, like, 10% solid songwriting. The Who had assuredly come into their own musically at this point, but this weird middle-ground between what the Rolling Stones were doing and what the Beatles were doing just leads the album to feeling wholly unoriginal, not helped by its constant credits with inventing the rock opera, which is just not the case. Sure, there are hits from this, but does Pinball Wizard truly stand against the other 1969 powerhouse hits every other band was releasing at the time, let alone a whole album? No, not really. Would be entirely forgotten were it not for the fact that somehow the Who managed to squirm into the upper echelons of the British Invasion, and for that I'll forever be just confused.

Groovin'

The Young Rascals

2/5

A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse

Faces

2/5

So sick of Rod Stewart. Glad there was another singer to balance him out.

Frampton Comes Alive

Peter Frampton

2/5

Vivid

Living Colour

3/5

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Iron Butterfly

2/5

La Revancha Del Tango

Gotan Project

2/5

Hot Rats

Frank Zappa

2/5

Man, this is a disappointment. I'm not going to sit here and pretend I know anything about jazz, nor do I understand why some of it clicks with me, and some of it doesn't, but I know this mostly is just not my style. It feels too schmutlzy, and while I can tell everyone playing is an amazing musician, there are no passages here that feel any more special the prior or future ten minutes of this record. There are bits and pieces of something more, certainly, but I just found this to go from kinda boring to even vaguely annoying by the end, and while it certainly isn't to a degree of hate like Bitches Brew, I still think this isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when I've now interacted with jazz albums that've spoken to me. I was just hoping this album would be one of those jazz albums.

Sex Packets

Digital Underground

2/5

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

3/5

Want One

Rufus Wainwright

4/5

American Beauty

Grateful Dead

2/5

Melody A.M.

Röyksopp

4/5

Traffic

2/5

Call of the Valley

Shivkumar Sharma

2/5

The Slim Shady LP

Eminem

3/5

Lam Toro

Baaba Maal

2/5

I know the language barrier makes it hard to fully feel in-tune with the music presented, but I just found this album to be exactly what I expected from it. There were no hidden gems, or cultural shake-ups, but rather just an album that feels like it is included in lists for the sake of diversity, and is by no means bad, but by no means a seminal release. I will admit getting up and moving a little while listening did make it a bit more enjoyable, but not enough to be anything magical. Just a record of filler.

Aja

Steely Dan

3/5

Before And After Science

Brian Eno

4/5

While I'm admittedly lacking the knowledge currently on the scope of Eno's ambient works between Another Green World and this album, but a return to pop music form seems like a solid move from the musician in context. It proves to his audience that he hadn't run out of ideas, rather, he was following his true calling of ruling a genre, and returned to his A-B-A song structure roots to prove he is not only a creative powerhouse, but handles variety in strides. Not every song here is some great art rock song, in fact, I'd say a lot of the rockier stuff pales in comparison to his works on Here Come the Warm Jets, but those slower pieces are on equal grounds with the vocal tracks from Another Green World, and just because Eno doesn't quite have that glam appeal anymore doesn't mean he can't pull off other fresh and new genres quite well. King's Lead Hat is not only a great love letter to the emerging Talking Heads, but a great new wave track to boot. A showcase of range and scope to the mysterious Brian Eno, this album may be best in its quieter moments similar to his most recent works, but it still is a solidly odd yet catchy release that is sure to show off its influence to anyone who hears it. It's a darn shame Eno mostly abandoned vocal albums post this work because this new wave of Brian Eno rock tunes could've really altered the 80s. Oh well, he left his influence via Bowie and Byrne, surely.

Thriller

Michael Jackson

5/5

Larks' Tongues In Aspic

King Crimson

5/5

Calenture

The Triffids

2/5

Looking at the genres, I expected this to be a folkier take on Morrissey's shtick. Instead, I got if the worst of Nick Cave was produced by U2. Bleh. I usually think these low average scores are an overreaction, but I completely understand why this left a bad taste in many people's mouths. It's not awful, but oh so dull.

Hot Shots II

The Beta Band

2/5

The White Room

The KLF

2/5

Roots

Sepultura

2/5

Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

Dexys Midnight Runners

4/5

Konnichiwa

Skepta

3/5

I heard Man from the song generator (R.I.P.) a couple of years ago and found it pretty good. Was hoping this would be up to snuff, but sadly it's just okay, and I'm wondering if I only like Man because of the Queens of the Stone Age sample. Still, not horrendous, but this certainly isn't winning me over to U.K. hip hop.

Berlin

Lou Reed

3/5

Lou Reed continues to be not quite up to snuff with John Cale's solo material, in my opinion, but this is certainly interesting. I just sometimes wish Reed would get to the point, as his poppiest tracks are almost always his best.

Femi Kuti

3/5

What's That Noise?

Coldcut

2/5

This feels as though it was an album purely made to later on be a milestone in which we would look back on and go "Wow, electronica has come so far!" as this is extremely dated. There's good ideas, with some decent samples that generally felt tonally justified, they aren't just thrown in all willy nilly, but the actual turntable efforts are boring, and would make my eyes roll were they a part of a greater album, such as a hip-hop album from the same era. It isn't necessarily bad, but will I remember this tomorrow? No, probably not.

Let It Be

The Replacements

3/5

Smile

Brian Wilson

4/5

Surf's Up

The Beach Boys

4/5

The whole album is worth it for the titular song.

Another Music In A Different Kitchen

Buzzcocks

4/5

God, this album is so close to getting me absolutely enthralled with Buzzcocks. Almost the entirety of the A-side, in my opinion, is a great mix of punk and a proper energy that doesn't get repetitive. Oddly, the riffs remind me of post-hardcore and the feeling that gives me, so I really thought from the beginning up to the start of the B-side that I would love this album, but while it is still superb, the final four tracks leave a fair bit to be desired. They slow the pace down, but don't make up for it melodically, even though the faster paced tracks were able to have some great hooks, and it is a bit disappointing. Fiction Romance is solid but doesn't stick the landing, and Autonomy is RIGHT THERE, but also falls flat. The rest of the album is so good, but I was a bit burnt by it, and so it dropped a couple notches for me. However, this is still one of the best pop punk albums I've ever heard, and I know something here will grab be upon re-listen to the point where I could see myself really liking it. For now, it's just good, and y'know what? That's okay.

Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

Small Faces

2/5

Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

3/5

Colour By Numbers

Culture Club

3/5

The World is a Ghetto

War

2/5

Pump

Aerosmith

2/5

Is this better than I expected an Aerosmith album from 1989 to be? Yes, but that doesn't mean it's good.

Kollaps

Einstürzende Neubauten

2/5

Trafalgar

Bee Gees

2/5

Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes

3/5

Mama Said Knock You Out

LL Cool J

2/5

An album with a couple hits, one I know pretty well, but the whole album reeks of being a transitional album. The album has beats and production sometimes reminiscent of the 90s, other times the lyrics and and flow is purely 80s. It not only suffers from that "I'm the illest," bars that were dated years before this album, other times the lyrics are just terrible. "Surely I won't rape you?" Seriously? Sickening, and just plain creepy. The beats are also cut too short, leading to anger only a few songs in, as they hardly do enough to warrant the 4+ minute runtime. It not only is dated, but it is aggravating, and while I cannot deny the catchy factor found in Mama Said Knock You Out, the rest of the album fails to even sort of reach that song, and even that falls into the same realm as something like Hammer Time, and I'm sure you don't need explanation on how that's an insult. If this is the best LL Cool J gets, I fail to see how he was one of the main MCs of the time.

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo

Devo

4/5

Odessa

Bee Gees

2/5

Hysteria

Def Leppard

1/5

Tom Tom Club

4/5

I think a major reason that this album is only remembered for one or two songs is because its not Talking Heads, in fact its quite different, but I think the charm here is on par with Talking Heads, even if it is presented completely differently. Obviously the hit Genius of Love is catchy and a sampling machine, but most of the other tracks are also extremely catchy, such as Wordy Rappinghood asking "what if Blondie's rap was a whole song?" and Lorelei giving this sad edge to a still quite dance-y track, it has enough variety even in its short run time to be a really good time at points. I think the middle run on the album can tend to run too long, but the tracks at the start and finish are far too good to pass up, and Booming and Zooming is almost terrifying to me for some reason, with a eclectic yet catchy riff with dialogue just audible enough to give off a tense edge, I think its a fantastic closer. Were the album to replace some of its lesser tracks with even better runs from the time, such as Under the Boardwalk, then I could see this being a really great album from an admittedly bygone era. Unfortunately, it seems to just be remembered for the one track, and that's a shame in my eyes, because there's some great stuff here under the surface level.

So Much For The City

The Thrills

4/5

Peter Gabriel 3

Peter Gabriel

3/5

Something Else By The Kinks

The Kinks

5/5

Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche

Koffi Olomide

1/5

In the United States there is a group of water parks in Wisconsin known as the Wisconsin Dells. This includes various massive, themed water resorts in which you'll get the "premium" water park experience. That is, to say, as little used band aids in the lazy river as possible. One of these parks is known as the Wilderness, which is vaguely jungle themed. Of course, that means cheap sounding, vaguely African music plays throughout the whole location. On repeat. All day. This album, is that music. A bare minimum, diverse selection of tropical songs that fail to sound any different from one another, being just "not American" enough to fit the oddly racist themeing, while still not scaring any visitors away with anything too different. Just like the Wilderness, this album was selected by a white guy trying his best to be open to other styles and cultures, but does the bear minimum in actually embracing these vultures and looking beyond surface level. Not helping things is of course the selection chosen is a pedophile. I'm pretty sure Wisconsin Dells at least avoids that with its selection. Maybe. Who knows. This album sucks.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John

3/5

Van Halen

3/5

Vulgar Display Of Power

Pantera

4/5

If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears

The Mamas & The Papas

3/5

Mama Cass deserved the world. The other three? Varying levels of "not so much."

Scissor Sisters

4/5

Sunshine Hit Me

The Bees

2/5

Millions Now Living Will Never Die

Tortoise

3/5

The first track is enthralling for being such a long song, although that may be due to its hyperactive nature, being more like four or five songs in one. Then the second track is even better, instantly blasting you away only to tease you with that high for the rest of the song, and it leaves you itching for what else this album can come up with for its shorter tracks. It proceeds to, unfortunately, kind of lose me after that. The album was atmospheric and mellow background music before the drop-off, but it still felt like any moment I could tune in and find something great, but after the second track Tortoise lean into the background music nature of it all, and it becomes something more similar to acts like NEU! or Boards of Canada. Luckily, the final track ends us off on a haunting, devastating spaghetti western of a track that fills me with so much cinematic despair. It's a great closer and perhaps my favorite on the album, but the more ambient tone that takes up about ten minutes of the album does a lot of damage for my enjoyment. I think had they committed to that ambient tone more thoroughly, I would be singing a different tune, but as is it leaves me wishing we got more post-rock instrumental wonders, and less Kid A demo backing track.

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

Red Hot Chili Peppers has become an artist that I used to look at with hope and intrigue, mostly because my dad liked them, and I liked the songs I did know by them. Even when discussing specifically this album, Scar Tissue was a big hit for me in my formative years, although I can't really tell you why. Basically, what I'm saying is that I used to look at people who wore RHCP shirts and wouldn't very lightly cringe at the sight. I don't really, now, either, but maybe I will after hearing this album. The hits are most definitely still strong, and I can at least see why Scar Tissue appealed to my younger self's music taste, but any deep cut on this album is pure filler. I tried latching on to any instrumentation present on the album in my hour with it, but often my brain just went, "These drums are alright... doesn't that guy kind of look like Will Ferrell? That's so silly..." then I'd tune out anything else the song did for its often bloated runtime. It isn't technically bad, but despite Anthony Kiedis' popping vocal style, the whole thing just felt very sleepy, and ironically only woke me up a bit at the very end when they took things in a softer, slower direction. Perhaps a shorter album wouldn't of suffered from this fluff issue, but considering it is an album of the 90s, alas, it must. Just something I don't consider essential listening, and even makes me consider if RHCP was a singles band this whole time.

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

4/5

Harvest

Neil Young

4/5

While some of the bombastic string sections are a nice surprise, I do prefer a Neil Young album that feels more tempered and personal, or at the very least something more rock-y and analogue. So, there's a little less than half this album that does not speak to me, and that does include the major hits, Heart of Gold and Old Man. However, there is a decent chunk of this album that is magnificent and worth the praise lauded upon it for the half-a-century since its release. It walks that perfect line between too cryptic and too mainstream (Neil Young is obviously mainstream, but y'know what I mean) that allows it to feel like it pulls at those old soul heartstrings and every country-esque tone and feeling are condensed into a collection of warm, cozy yet lonely tones that are perfect for introspection. Neil's voice isn't magically easy to listen to, nor is it some level of poetry on the same league as fellows like Dylan or Cohen, but it's that simplicity that makes it hit all the harder. I do wish the album was as consistent (for me) as an album like On the Beach, as I think it can come off as overproduced and a tad schlocky, but when this album hits, it really hits and is something at least worth some consideration of praise, even if Young does have better projects.

Rip It Up

Orange Juice

4/5

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

5/5

Magnificent, incredible, indestructible. This album has some of the best musical moments I've ever heard, being the perfect balance of suave and sleazy jazz that makes me want to get up and dance while also making me want to bawl my eyes out all within seconds of each other, and it does it to such a seamless degree on top of it all. Everything fits, every player is in top form, every note means something, and this album is incredible. The hints of Spanish guitar, among other genres, are just cherries on top.

A Date With The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers

3/5

You're Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr.

5/5

Bone Machine

Tom Waits

3/5

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

OutKast

4/5

Celebrity Skin

Hole

3/5

A Seat at the Table

Solange

4/5

Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra

4/5

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye

4/5

Man, that A-side is utterly fantastic, showing exactly why albums are so important, and can often triumph over a song-by-song listening experience. So much to say in one medley, and it all is not only peaceful and catchy, but thought-provoking and even devastating in modern contexts. However, the B-side is extremely ho-hum to me, to a pretty bad extent. You have two tracks too long and aimless for their own good, and a bible thumping cheese-fest sandwiched between to only lead to a lacking finale. I can see why one would like the final track, but after that glorious string of songs on the A-side, and even other Marvin Gaye tracks off other albums, I know better exists, and it deters me from it a little bit. A good album, certainly, but the best of all time just feels like a stretch.

Lost Souls

Doves

3/5

Tago Mago

Can

4/5

Talking Heads 77

Talking Heads

5/5

Sea Change

Beck

4/5

I don't think Sea Change is a great starting point in any sense of the word. It hardly represents Beck's overall discography, and when it comes to alt-country you certainly have acts better suited to ease you into the genre. This is why my first go around with Sea Change a couple years ago was something I could recognize as great, but ultimately decided was not for me. However, now I find myself liking outfits like Silver Jews or Big Thief more than ever, and it allows this album retroactively to flourish, albeit still pale in comparison to its contemporaries. Beck's monotone delivery compliments the sweeping instrumentation gorgeously, and the heavier moments pack the right serving and balance of emotion and grandeur. It can be a bit dull in its weaker moments, and as with seemingly all albums of the 2000s, it is too long, but this album deserves to be seen as one of Beck's crowning achievements, even if it isn't the best representation of his overall catalogue.

Bubble And Scrape

Sebadoh

4/5

The Infotainment Scan

The Fall

4/5

Young Americans

David Bowie

4/5

The opener is magnificent, and the closer is great too, but hardly anyone talks about the rest of the album, save for perhaps the infamous cover of Across the Universe, which I will admit is probably the worst track here. However, the rest of the album carries that same white boy funk that Fame masters, and had me grooving along with it for the entirety of the A-side. I was actually surprised by the tone of some of these, with tracks like Right having darker undertones, which I wasn't expecting with this record. It is an extremely commercial album, and yeah, it is kind of obvious with context that this was made with tons of drugs involved, but I think it deserves the mild recognition it has garnered over time, and while it certainly isn't one of his best, this is a solid step into a genre you would think someone like Bowie would have no business in, and that's what makes it all the more impressive.

Purple Rain

Prince

3/5

Honky Tonk Heroes

Waylon Jennings

2/5

Tapestry

Carole King

3/5

Unhalfbricking

Fairport Convention

5/5

Is This It

The Strokes

5/5

An album that sometimes suffers from the same fate as Seinfeld, of all things, as its impact, while still noted today, has been diminished to the point where I see many state that this is just the same as every other indie rock album from the time, or even that this is lesser than what came before it. I can't see it, this album has too much weight behind what it did for music to the point where, sure, much of the music spawned from it was radio fodder and even a "pleb filter," whatever that means, but this album still is like doing a complete 180 to the music that preceded it. Mainstream rock had only gotten angrier and angrier in a post-Nirvana world, and while there were calmer acts to keep the world at bay, they flew under the radar for most mainstream audiences, and Nu-Metal reigned supreme. Then, this album came along and flipped everything on its head, leading to a musical boom that some may look back as obnoxious, but I for one, quite enjoy, and even if acts like Vampire Weekend, Franz Ferdinand, or even the Killers don't do much for you, I struggle to see how there wouldn't be something to enjoy here. Julian Casablancas, instead of being an idiot hotshot, is a seemingly shy asshole with a lot on his mind, and while some of it may come off as a little whiney, it fits perfectly within the anxieties of the next generation. The world was changing, and no longer was rap rock in-charge, but rather anxiety was at the forefront of society, and this album exemplifies that perfectly. Hell, it even seemed to predict the coming war on terrorism, as the song New York City Cops was replaced by When It Started by the time of its US release for obvious reasons (and honestly, it's for the best, as NYCC is probably the weakest track here, while When It Started may be my favorite) which only proves my point more. This album was the future of indie rock, and while now for some it can come off as tired, at its release there was a reason everyone copied it. For the music, OH MY GOD, IT'S SO GOOD. The Strokes are the masters of the chorus and bridge, nearly every one here is some of the best in its genre. They're catchy, brilliantly condensed, and don't sacrifice any amount of Julian's nonchalant tone to get their feeling across. He knows when to get angry, and he knows when to hold it back to create an incredibly charming experience where there's a satisfying tug-and-pull throughout. The riffs, both guitar and bass, are also superb. It is clear from the first track that the bass playing will always be immaculate, but paying attention to the single but raw guitar allows each song to truly blossom, and matches the deadpan tone perfectly. The whole album can only be described as concise and never a dull moment. You're hopping from one hook to the next, and not a single song suffers from overstaying its welcome. It allows for a constant, albeit subtle, change that is thoroughly great. This may not be my favorite rock album of all time or anything, but it's hard to deny its greatness, even sans context. It deserves its praise, and I only can hope in the next decade or so it will receive the mini-Renaissance it deserves.

Midnight Ride

Paul Revere & The Raiders

3/5

Protection

Massive Attack

3/5

The Grand Tour

George Jones

3/5

Live / Dead

Grateful Dead

2/5

If I Should Fall From Grace With God

The Pogues

2/5

Parachutes

Coldplay

3/5

Throwing Muses

4/5

Music From The Penguin Cafe

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

4/5

Street Signs

Ozomatli

3/5

Peace Sells...But Who's Buying

Megadeth

3/5

Truth

Jeff Beck

2/5

Graceland

Paul Simon

2/5

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis Redding

3/5

Synchronicity

The Police

3/5

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

4/5

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

5/5

This album feels like pure anxiety, and that doesn't always mean it's a manic mile-a-minute, but rather a look into an individual riddled with paranoia and submerged in conspiracy. The album still has this funk, and if you've explored the album before or after it, you know this feeling is not unfamiliar to Talking Heads, but the pure disbelief happening around this album and its emotions is what drives the listener from track to track. Some of the topics here are relatively trivial, while others just seem deranged, but it's those moments of actual fear that oddly keep the band moving, and while its anxieties perhaps make for a more jittery sound, that blends incredibly well with the minimalist funk introduced in the beginning track. The whole theme of the album just feels like making complex issues simple, and vice versa, and that makes for an incredibly engaging album, one where you always wonder what Byrne will warble about next. Its loss against its fellow Talking Heads albums, in my opinion, is that while the slow descent on Remain in Light felt tonally justified, here the slowdown across the tracks doesn't feel quite as earned, nor as heavy, and can lead to a noticeable drop-off in quality in the final stretch. Still good songs, of course, but the slow-course anxiety displayed on Air is done to perfection, leading the other slow tracks to be easily cast to the side when looking for a fix. However, that does not detract on how well the band was able to not only represent the sound of the era, but also form it themselves into something heart-pounding yet groovy, and that more electronic sound found here really adds to the cold mental state. Being able to create a feeling of anxiety and translate it into music is incredible, and being able to still make it extremely dance heavy is just that much more so.

Mask

Bauhaus

4/5

Devotional Songs

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

2/5

Junkyard

The Birthday Party

3/5

Peter Gabriel

3/5

We Are Family

Sister Sledge

3/5

Chelsea Girl

Nico

4/5

1999

Prince

3/5

Highly Evolved

The Vines

2/5

The Age Of The Understatement

The Last Shadow Puppets

4/5

John Prine

4/5

Dub Housing

Pere Ubu

4/5

Joan Armatrading

3/5

All Hope Is Gone

Slipknot

2/5

Tidal

Fiona Apple

4/5

D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle

Throbbing Gristle

2/5

Get Behind Me Satan

The White Stripes

4/5

Greetings From L.A.

Tim Buckley

3/5

Behaviour

Pet Shop Boys

3/5

Pornography

The Cure

4/5

Metallica

2/5

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

2/5

Dirty

Sonic Youth

4/5

I feel like I'm going crazy, but Do Kim Gordon's vocals sound different here? Not necessarily worse, but I'll admit while the punk style fits the album's tone more, I did miss her more bored delivery that's present on past albums, and I was happy to see those vocals make a return more and more as the album went on. I suppose the payoff was that I was pretty much always anticipating Thurston Moore's songs, in which the guitar playing and singing felt tighter than ever, and just showed how solid of a rockstar Moore is. Sure, this album is far more commercial than previous works (other than maybe Goo), but it's that mix of mass appeal with Sonic Youth sound that allows this album to have some fantastic moments with sheer power of will being presented in every facet of its being. Not every song is a slam dunk, but when this album gets good, it gets superb, and leads to a satisfying entry into the 90s alt-rock scene that Sonic Youth themselves helped spawn.

This Nation’s Saving Grace

The Fall

4/5

Rid Of Me

PJ Harvey

4/5

Connected

Stereo MC's

2/5

At Mister Kelly's

Sarah Vaughan

2/5

Very cozy, but hard to get too into once you get past the first track, and it turns into solid but forgettable background music that I feel bad saying is rather dull. I adore when Vaughan adlibs songs, wish this album had more of that, otherwise the album being live is inconsequential.

The Coral

2/5

This gives off internet-age vibes, sort of like the kind of music someone mostly on Tumblr would listen to back in 2013, which is impressive considering this came out a decade prior, however that circus music-esque design just sounds goofy, especially when paired with a garage rock-lite sound. It has its moments of solid melodies where everything comes together, but then the singer will decide to make his voice sound like gravel, or they'll repeat the same lyric over and over, and it'll get tiring quickly. It isn't a bad album, it blows by pretty quickly, but there's nothing special here, or if there is, its buried under layers of mid.

Justified

Justin Timberlake

2/5

The Gilded Palace Of Sin

The Flying Burrito Brothers

3/5

Tanto Tempo

Bebel Gilberto

4/5

Brothers

The Black Keys

3/5

Shake Your Money Maker

The Black Crowes

2/5

Illinois

Sufjan Stevens

3/5

I See You

The xx

2/5

Lazer Guided Melodies

Spiritualized

3/5

Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)

Loretta Lynn

2/5

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

2/5

Sort of just had this in the background, so perhaps that wasn't the best environment for this album, but this thing took a WHILE before it got even somewhat interesting, and ended pretty soon after that. For a majority of the album, my main thought was shock that the voice was coming from a British white girl, and that it sounded nothing like Dusty's later albums, but otherwise the songs themselves were forgettable and repetitive. It finally started to either shape up or click in the final stretch, but the songs zoomed by so quick I didn't really process what I was listening to. Perhaps a more proper re-listen would give it the credit it deserves from me, but I don't get anything from this that I wouldn't most likely get from a different version of the songs here.

LP1

FKA twigs

4/5

Transformer

Lou Reed

3/5

I'm starting to think I dislike specifically New York-style glam rock, because this thing really only had the hits for me. Otherwise, it sounded too stereotypical and of its time, feeling more like a Rolling Stones record at points than anything by Lou Reed or even Bowie. However, I liked the show tune influences at points, and when this album slowed down it actually benefitted it quite a bit. Lou Reed is great with melancholia, but once it gets straight up rock it loses me quite a bit. Y'know, now that I think about it this feels like proto-Iggy Pop, as if Bowie was testing the waters for what it is like to produce someone else already famous, and for that I think it suffers from moments of doubt. Basically, there's a reason the two biggest songs here are the ones that are the least glam, the least rock, and in turn, the most influential.

A Night At The Opera

Queen

4/5

This album feels like a perfect blend of the hard rock, prog, and glam bits of Queen all blended into one quirked up smoothie, so why is it one of my least favorite I've listened to from the group? Don't get me wrong, this album is good, Bohemian Rhapsody alone would assure that, so all the other stuff here just feels like a neat bonus; I'm especially a fan of the shorter, goofier tracks. However, that's exactly the problem, even the other hits here just don't feel all too special. You're My Best Friend just feels like it is made for commercials, and Love of My Life has a solid base, but I wish it did more with said base. It's a pleasant experience, and worth your time if you like the sillier side of rock, but it feels like they made some momentous shit, and filled out the rest of the of album quickly in order to get that/those songs out as soon as possible. I think a combination of this and its sister album, A Day at the Races, would make one of the best rock albums of all time, but for now I just feel like this is a tad half-baked. In the way where a half-baked cookie still tastes good, but it's missing something.

Fire Of Love

The Gun Club

2/5

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

4/5

The Nightfly

Donald Fagen

3/5

Ambient 1/Music For Airports

Brian Eno

3/5

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

4/5

1989

Taylor Swift

2/5

The Slider

T. Rex

4/5

Whatever

Aimee Mann

3/5

Parallel Lines

Blondie

5/5

At Fillmore East

The Allman Brothers Band

1/5

Rejoicing In The Hands

Devendra Banhart

4/5

Rapture

Anita Baker

2/5

Countdown To Ecstasy

Steely Dan

2/5

OK

Talvin Singh

3/5

Very anticlimactic finale, but this generator has been life changing, and I am very thankful for that. This album, on the other hand, is just okay. Onwards to the user submitted albums!

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