User Albums Journey
Exploring beyond the book, one album at a time
View 1001 Albums Summary244
Albums Rated
3.02
Average Rating
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1960
Favorite Decade
Hip-hop
Favorite Genre
UK
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
19
5-Star Albums
8
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Peasant
Richard Dawson
|
5 | 2.56 | +2.44 |
|
The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads
Lift To Experience
|
5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
|
Symbolic
Death
|
5 | 2.78 | +2.22 |
|
Katamari Damacy
Various Artists
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
Friend
Rozi Plain
|
5 | 3.04 | +1.96 |
|
Discipline
King Crimson
|
5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
|
Rip It Off
Times New Viking
|
4 | 2.25 | +1.75 |
|
Stretch 2
Arca
|
4 | 2.31 | +1.69 |
|
Only God Was Above Us
Vampire Weekend
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Madvillainy
Madvillain
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Up To Here
The Tragically Hip
|
1 | 3.01 | -2.01 |
|
Are You Shpongled?
Shpongle
|
1 | 2.7 | -1.7 |
|
Love Is Hell
Ryan Adams
|
1 | 2.69 | -1.69 |
|
Game of Fools
Koritni
|
1 | 2.66 | -1.66 |
|
Wildflowers
Tom Petty
|
2 | 3.58 | -1.58 |
|
Kick
INXS
|
2 | 3.58 | -1.58 |
|
Save Rock And Roll
Fall Out Boy
|
1 | 2.54 | -1.54 |
|
Nightbirds
LaBelle
|
2 | 3.47 | -1.47 |
|
Look Sharp!
Joe Jackson
|
2 | 3.44 | -1.44 |
|
Ænima
TOOL
|
2 | 3.41 | -1.41 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Weezer | 2 | 5 |
5-Star Albums (19)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Shpongle · 11 likes
1/5
No, no I am not.
Duncan Dhu · 4 likes
4/5
Far more entertaining than I could've ever expected from the nearly hour-and-a-half Spanish pop rock album. I thought I was in for a beating, but this album's energy is balanced very well, with a lot of variation on what pop rock can be. Sure, it's never intensive or a challenging listen, but the vocals are nice, the instrumentation is solid, and it surely works as a cool insight into other cultures' takes on music eras I know all too well. Good add, user, don't let the naysayers get you down!
They Might Be Giants · 3 likes
4/5
Hey, this is definitely more deserving than Join Us being on here, no diss to that album of course, but this is just iconic. I think Lincoln is still their best, but this is the album that's obviously missing from the OG list, especially considering it actually had hits, and good ones at that! Still can't tell the Johns apart, though. Oh, how I've tried... anyway, good pick!
Vince Guaraldi Trio · 2 likes
4/5
Happy Holidays from a "cool jazz" (the genre) album better than any "cool jazz" album on the main list.
Pink Floyd · 2 likes
3/5
Y'know how Stop Making Sense is the highest rated live album, at least on the user list? You know why? "Because it's Tallking Heads!" Yes, but also because the original is less than forty minutes! It also is an interesting live album because it changes the sounds of the established tracks, or even has stuff never performed by Talking Heads the band, such as What A Day That Was. Pink Floyd is a band that absolutely has great tracks, and those great tracks could certainly be performed live to great effect. There are some moments of that on this album, but coming in at over two hours long, there is not enough here to make me want to listen to this over any Pink Floyd studio recording. It feels more like a greatest hits compilation, with late 80s and 90s cuts we now know didn't stand the test of time. It isn't a bad album, Pink Floyd has good moments, of course, but I'd rather have had Meddle, or if we have to do a live album, their performance at Pompeii was released in album form just this year, and that performance had icon status before this album was even released. At the end of the day, this is a Pink Floyd live album, and unfortunately not much more than that. But, still alright.
4-Star Albums (68)
1-Star Albums (8)
All Ratings
Jóhann Jóhannsson
4/5
It's nice to get a sound completely absent from the main 1001 list, it really shows the benefits to user submission. Album was very pretty, and I loved the overall theme, it was always satisfying to come back to.
Polvo
4/5
Always love me some Polvo, althought I'll admit I like their later on, more math rock-y stuff, but this is still a great addition.
Deltron 3030
4/5
I think my favorite part of this album were all the oddities hidden within. I mean, obviously, as it is abstract hip hop but the combination of memorable and futuristic lyrics in an "Alien" sort of way, that meaning retro futurism, and beats that sound like no one could rap over them, yet Del pulls it off with flying colors, never leaving a moment to let the listener pause, as even the interludes are so intriguing with these light sprinkles of lore that only add to this plot that starts to become more and more opaque. This album ran so that so many other rappers could sprint alongside it. I have to give it 100x credit for that alone. I think some of the songs are noticeably lesser compared to others, and I could see that leading to "skips," but I was constantly entertained in some fashion, and look forward to diving into most of these songs even deeper.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
2/5
This is inoffensive, I guess? The length isn't as much of an issue as it seems, as plenty of albums on the generator extend past this album's length, so I'm used to it. The playing is also quality, dare I say GOOD at some moments, but the album as a whole just doesn't do much for me. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but the person who added this has to be a member of this band, right? Friends with them, at least? They obviously have a small following, but this feels too niché to be the album I just had to listen to at the end of the 1001 rainbow. I'm all for small acts getting represented, but this feels a bit suspicious, is all. Again, though, it's fine. Not as bad as some other reviews are treating it.
The Upsetters
2/5
I suppose I respect this to some extent, and some of it works for me, but by the end I wanted off the trip.
Duncan Dhu
4/5
Far more entertaining than I could've ever expected from the nearly hour-and-a-half Spanish pop rock album. I thought I was in for a beating, but this album's energy is balanced very well, with a lot of variation on what pop rock can be. Sure, it's never intensive or a challenging listen, but the vocals are nice, the instrumentation is solid, and it surely works as a cool insight into other cultures' takes on music eras I know all too well. Good add, user, don't let the naysayers get you down!
Operation Ivy
3/5
Love getting the genres missed on the main generator, and while this is technically a comp, it may as well count with how limited this band's discography is. Not a huge skate/ska punk fan, but with this many quick tracks some are bound to appeal.
Nik Kershaw
3/5
I like the middle part, it's just wacky enough to stand out, but the rest of the album does feel like it's chasing other sounds, especially Stevie Wonder. Still, solid enough, and certainly better than I thought it'd be.
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
3/5
I understand including this, it's better than you'd expect, and you can find it in every record store and Goodwill in America, so it certainly left its mark. I just feel like this sort of album was done better with other acts on the original list, and something about Old Time Rock & Roll rubs me the wrong way, feels like Bob Seger is an old man yelling at a cloud, when he was barely thirty. Fine album. Still the Same doing A LOT of heavy lifting.
That Handsome Devil
3/5
Oddly unique and predictable at the same time? Listening to pretty much anything by Mr. Bungle will have you set for this record, but there are far worse things to take inspiration from, and this album does have enough of its own identity to keep it fresh. Nothing spectacular, but a good hint of something new to my palate. Palette? Pallet? Fuck off, English.
Enter Shikari
1/5
Sorry person who added this, but this visually made me cringe up the moment the instrumentals started, and every time I started to ease into it a bit, it would do something to toss me right back into the Hellfire that is this album. The sound is that of an album that could be realistically played anywhere and nowhere at the same time. I could imagine hearing this blaring out of a stranger's car and not batting an eye and being concerned simultaneously. Post-hardcore just has so much great product in the world, I don't know why you'd try to drag it down with dated 2000s synths, and I say that as someone who added a 70s disco album. I could see the appeal, I guess, but if an acquaintance puts this on, I'm laughing at them, and they know they deserve it just a tiny bit.
Killswitch Engage
2/5
My main takeaway here is I could of wish the main vocalist would chill it on the screeching more often. I don't mind a strained vocalist, but it just sounds uncomfortable here, and not in the good way. Plus, he has a pretty decent voice when he is singing sans strain. The album for me was in one ear and out the other otherwise. Metalcore isn't really my thing, but this album feels especially safe, and while that means this is more digestible than you'd expect, it's still a rough listen to get through. I mean I can at least admit this is better than whatever Killswitch Engage submitted for Guitar Hero III.
Gurrumul
2/5
Hooked me very quickly, but unfortunately it didn't really stick for very long, as I realized a lot of the tracks follow the same general structure and sound. That, plus the length of the whole album led to me being ready for it to be over by the end, even if there wasn't any part I strictly disliked. It's very pretty, I give it a lot of credit, I just don't think I could sit through it all again.
3/5
I really like the guitar in this, its space-y, its fuzzy, and it has this other-wordly feel that can really put you in a certain mood. However, I get pulled out of all of that instantly by most of the singer's choices vocally, with it all sounding a bit too whiney at points, like he's about to break out into singing like one of those nasally mainstream emo voices, and it is a really unsatisfying listen because of this. Sometimes it works, like the biggest track, Stars, but otherwise I feel it just is a record with a lot of wasted potential, with a good atmosphere, but not enough holding it up with the other shoegaze, post-hardcore greats.
Crystal Castles
4/5
Knew Untrust Us from... uh... I actually don't know, but I was excited for the rest of the album, and I'd say it mostly delivered? I think by the end of the album a lot of the songs were coming off relatively meaningless and repetitive, but I'd say the front half of the album is good enough to make up for it. Just may need some more manic energy to thoroughly enjoy this one, but still, of course, very good.
Sports Team
4/5
Really like these kinds of monotone vocals, and I was actually kind of sad when he would go for something more akin to the Darkness of all things. The punkier stuff was way better than the rock heavy stuff, but the whole album was objectively just okay, but I personally quite enjoyed my time. Nice to have a shorter album, and there are some bangers on here.
The Heads
3/5
Talking Heads is one of my favorite bands of all time, but I try to avoid their personal lives when it comes to their band because it really sours the reputation of all involved. They are certainly not the worst rock stars out there personality wise, but it can be rough. Luckily, their fantastic music and eccentric personalities always shined first and foremost. Not here, though. This album puts their inner turmoil front and center, making it known to the listener that David Byrne is NOT here, and they don't need him. But frankly, after listening to the whole, nearly hour long experience, it is pretty obvious that the group still needs their talker. There are slight bits of funk, but the whole album screams 90s identity crisis, and while some features make the band their own, looking at you Andy, others sound so off here you question how the connection even came to be. The whole album is needlessly angsty, and while there are some great moments (hi again, Andy) there is enough here to definitively say this isn't Talking Heads showing they don't need Byrne, but instead exactly showing why they had him in the first place. Without the context the album is okay, but with it this album is just a spiral of emotions in one mixed bag of a record. 2.5, rounding up to a 3 star.
Calibro 35
2/5
This sure is.
TOOL
2/5
I don't think I like Tool? Or at the very least, this album. Which is weird, because most of my life I've thought "yeah, Tool is good," but I've never listened to much outside of Schism, and I never really wanted to. But today marks a start into another controversial opinion of mine, because I find this album to be overly long, somewhat full of itself, and rarely kind of gross. I get what it's going for, and I can see the start of that more progressive metal sound leaking through, but this album shares more DNA with acts I couldn't care less about than anything interesting. I already know almost the rest of their discography is in the user albums, so that'll be fun, but maybe it'll make me see something in them as we go on. But this one is a bit of a stinker.
Death
5/5
It truly is disturbing to me that this album has such a low average rating when it is the absolute pinnacle of death metal as a genre, with just enough hints of thrash and progressive metal to create a truly fantastic piece of musicianship, and while I'm sure vocally it is challenging at first for the unprepared, Chuck Schuldiner truly put his all into making each part of his performance on this album feel unwavering. It is one of THE metal albums, and to see that 2.7 is saddening, but I suppose vaguely expected from the group of people that have Metallica's black album a whole point above.
Stromae
3/5
I bet this album would be really great performed in its entirety at a club or festival. Instead, it's just okay as an album, with a lot of great ideas, but suffers from the whole "early 2010s" of it all.
The Groundhogs
4/5
Hey, that was a good bit of blues rock! Was expecting boring and was pleasantly surprised by some interesting chord progressions and an overall more adventurous aesthetic than I'm used to with the genre. Neat!
Amon Düül II
2/5
This is a lot to take in, but at the same time I can ground this album a lot by saying All Things Must Pass has a rival in "last few songs really weren't needed on the main release, dudes." Rest of the album was okay, but the main 1001 had a better showcase for Krautrock. Just need someone to add Ege Bamyası, thanks.
Garbage
3/5
This was, okay? It's not as good as the original, but it also isn't that different? It's a re-tread more than anything, making that 2.0 feel more like a stability update more than anything, and if there's one thing I think Garbage needs, it's variety, not stability. Still, Garbage is decent, and so is this album.
Chromatics
3/5
It is a shame how synthpop went from such a lively and lush genre in the disco era into the 80s new wave, to something rather stripped down in the 2000s. Obviously it works sometimes, and this album isn't bad, but I like my ice cold synthpop to be more meaningful than a simple long drive through the night. When things pick up, though, the album shows hints at something more that I really do like, and I'll give it credit for that.
The Decemberists
2/5
I really want to like this album, I like what I've heard of them, and they seem like solid songwriters. But this album felt long and repetitive. I appreciated when the musicianship switched about halfway through, but nothing really stuck out, and the album seemed to drag on. I want to try more from this style of music, and I appreciate a modern rock opera, but this wasn't my cup of tea.
Modest Mouse
4/5
Has fantastic moments, great moments, and I'd even say it doesn't have bad moments. However, I would say it lacks a little bit of proper pacing, and with an album this long, that is pretty important. But, all the right beats are there, and this album's dire cry for help is as relatable as ever, and the fantastic blend of indie rock and alt-country, with a pinch of post-hardcore, leads to one of the best of the late 90s rock scene. It just needs some of the filler chopped off to make it one of the greatest of all time.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
4/5
Just taken off of streaming, but I don't mind, I bought the album on Bandcamp the moment I found out, and you should, too. Support artists directly if you can! That being said, listening to that very version on Bandcamp, as the LP, vinyl version, while the original, is not exactly quite as accessible.
Anyway, the album itself is mystifying. There are plenty of moments on this record that you could argue aren't even fully "music," but the overall tone of the album is such a foreboding, heavy feeling that feels like the world could rip itself apart at any moment, and when it all comes to a climax, you find yourself swept up in all the right emotions. It can be a long wait, and if you're impatient like me you may start to doubt the album, but it always pays off; just let it cook.
Boredoms
3/5
Hey, quick note 1001 Generator users. Remember when you'd all complain about how long some of the albums were? Why have I gotten five albums in a row that go over an hour? I know I have to attack Springsteen and Phish live at some point, isn't that long enough? Ten minute albums from here on out, okay? Thanks.
In all seriousness, what a trip of an album. I don't know if that is necessarily a good thing, but man did the longer this album went on did I feel the joke of it all start to land more and more. It isn't the most melodic album, and I don't think I'd come back to a particular track if I could, but I respect this album enough sonically to boost it into the 3's area. Just... maybe ease some people in with Vision Creation Newsun first? Then again, that's not a ten minute album. Hmm... tricky.
The Amazing Devil
2/5
Was kind of hoping for more here, but it was mostly just inoffensive? Lots of songs feeling like they were on the verge of a religious montage backing track, but there was softer moments I enjoyed a bit more. The whole album kind of just exists, though.
The Avett Brothers
4/5
The Avett Brothers are such a strange band in my life. They are my parents' favorite band of all time. Have been for nearly two decades. That means when I was younger this album had just been released I heard each song probably literally 100s of times. You'd think that'd make me despise these songs, especially when my music taste doesn't match theirs all too exactly. Yet, call it some form of Stockholm Syndrome, but I don't hate, dislike, or even think any of these are boring. Too safe? Maybe... but I still liked this little trip down memory lane, and while they certainly have better albums, I think this album has charm, and far exceeds similar music from the era. The biggest crime this album commits is no "Pretty Girl from..." songs like the other albums had. Those were always the best.
Johnny Winter
2/5
Just regular ol' blues rock. Not offensive, not interesting. Found in every bargain bin record box in America.
Stray From The Path
2/5
Everything I read about this album made it sound worse than it is. It's an album that obviously loves Rage Against the Machine, but misses the nuances that make that band so special, which causes this to mostly boring. Lyrically it's blunt and of it's time, but I suppose it's still apt for now, at least. I understand wanting to put this here, but I feel like this album and its messages were exactly covered on the exact album it pays homage to, all sans Tom Morello guitar.
Fontaines D.C.
3/5
The children yearn for the days of 2000s Arctic Monkeys, but that is probably discrediting this album far too much. There's a lot of great and good stuff on here, just have to wait long pauses to get to it.
Alexisonfire
2/5
Hey, I think I talked to the person who added this on the Subreddit when they got done with the generator. Hi!!!
Unfortunately, album wasn't really my cup on tea. Felt a little too on the nose for the kind of music here, and the vocals just flashed me into a Hot Topic in 2004. Instrumentally, it was solid but probably not enough so to lift this up. Liked the ideas, and I may like their debut more, who knows!
Jeff Rosenstock
4/5
I respect the energy of this album, and I certainly appreciate it scratching that itch that a lot of power pop seems to miss for me. This is what Weezer should be up to now. It is constantly moving and shifting and as a whole album it is one solid art piece that I quite appreciate. Just hard to wrap my head around sometimes to give it too high of praise, but it is undoubtably good.
Bon Iver
3/5
I was so, so, SO close to enjoying this in the same way I'd enjoy Fleet Foxes are even Sufjan Stevens, but instead it felt pretty middle of the road. Nice and brief, with some stand out moments, but nothing so incredible that I came to see why Bon Iver is nearly a household name.
Shpongle
1/5
No, no I am not.
Amyl and The Sniffers
4/5
I've seen this band's album covers, but I knew nothing about them otherwise. It was fun, though! I love the energy Australians seem to bring to punk, and the guitar playing was nesrly sludge metal at points, which I quite enjoyed. Just wish it was less repetitive and a tiny bit more melodic at points, but this is punk we're talking about, so that seems unfair of an ask, huh?
Kano
2/5
I'll give you this, I wouldn't have blinked twice were this on the main list.
Touché Amoré
4/5
Devastating.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
That sure was Earth, Wind & Fire.
Emicida
3/5
I may not be able to understand most of the album, but I am a sucker for when hip hop is paired with a genre you don't see too often and MPB is a great pairing. Just wish it kept that pairing the whole time and I think this would be something truly special.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Suprisingly solid for a two hour, Bruce Springsteen live album. That is to say, a two star.
Stars
2/5
Kind of just incredibly plain. It never feels like it's going for anything, and when it does "pick up" it still is far behind the competition. I suppose it feels a couple years ahead sound wise, but still far too safe, and therefore, boring.
Harmonium
3/5
Some of you are acting like this is naptime-worthy, but compared to the likes of Belle & Sebastian, Nick Drake, etc, etc, this is metal.
Pretty nice, I like a lot of parts of this, I just think some of the tracks got too long for the contents within. I can jam with a long track, but not these, for some reason. Still, pleasant enough.
Cardiacs
3/5
Kind of funny considering their first album in twenty-six years just released a couple weeks ago. Cardiacs certainly has some good songs, some of them are on this very album, but man if they are not too much for me. After a while of their music my eyes start glazing over and I just get bored. Talented musically, and always creative, but only sometimes my cup of tea.
Al Stewart
4/5
Shockingly pleasant and perfectly epic in its execution and production. Just a couple more tracks like the opener to replace the less exciting stuff and this could truly be an all time great, but it's still very good and explains why I see it in every record store in America.
Ween
4/5
Weener
Chico Science
2/5
This is one of the only times I think I've ever said "this isn't what I expected" and meant it negatively. The album cover screams 90s, but the genres and general vibes told me this may be something fun to dive in to, despite its length. However, after the first few tracks the rock influences started to wear on me, just being cheesy, and by the end, despite a couple tracks almost grabbing me, I was ready to be done with the singer's frankly annoying voice and the general repetitiveness of the whole project, despite the small variations between tracks. Maybe if it was a shorter album I would be nicer, but I come away from this just feeling like I wasted my time, but maybe I should've expected that would happen the whole time.
Hombres G
3/5
Very pleasant slice of 80s pop, although I can't shake the feeling the whole album is overly... familiar? You'll catch samples of other song's melodies, and just the general tones of a lot of these tracks feel like already established big artists. Now, I'm not saying they copied those artists, the chances of that are unlikely, but it makes it so this album doesn't really have its own identity, y'know? It's 80s pop rock, and that could've been a lot worse than this was, so I'll take this experience away as a net positive.
Porter Robinson
2/5
I'm so happy that this album makes so many people out there happy and uplifted. I've been familiar with Robinson's work for a bit now, and I remember liking it, so I was hopeful for this album, but... this kinda not good? I mean, instrumentation can be solid at times, but the whole thing comes off like Owl City but louder and more daring, and starting from Owl City and working your way up only gets you so far. This isn't an album I can really hate on, I just actively disliked listening to parts of it, and too many of those parts (because the album should have ended three different times) makes the whole experience sour. I think this album is something really special for lots of folks, but I'm not one of them.
Final Fantasy
4/5
I only know Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy) by name because of the soundtrack for the movie Her, which he did with Arcade Fire. Because of that, I was worried this would sound like Arcade Fire, a band I don't really get the hype for. However, this is really simple but pleasant chamber pop, and has some really fantastic pop tunes near the end to keep the energy going throughout. I think if that variation was more consistently woven into this album this could be really great, but it is still very good nonetheless.
Nuyorican Soul
3/5
Pleasant with bits that are pretty good, but too long winded and a bit meandering at points.
Childish Gambino
3/5
Always found this album disappointing compared to Awaken, My Love, but it still has its moments and charm. I suppose it's not really fair to compare them, any way.
WHY?
3/5
Proto-Twenty One Pilots (Derogatory and complimentary)
Dead Boys
2/5
Probably deserves to be something I listened to before I died, but I still don't really care...
The Tragically Hip
3/5
Very Gen X, very R.E.M. inspired, but there are certainly worse things to be. Just fails to have its own identity. Like, at all.
Phish
2/5
Not as bad as I expected, dare I say it's good at parts. But making me listen to this is arguably criminal, especially when there was already "better" jam band represented on the list. Phish is fine, but not in one large dose like this. It's not even one of the ones with a neat Talking Heads cover.
Spinvis
3/5
Had nearly zero expectations going into this, and have little thoughts coming out of it, but it is certainly one of those albums you can tell I could've pulled more from if I could understand more than a small pledge to the drummer Mike Clark.
Wishbone Ash
4/5
Suprisingly good when it wanted to be, it just had some downtime that made it feel a little weaker than it could've been, but I can certainly see why this was a missing link between hard rock and progressive rock on the main list.
Martha
2/5
This is very generic power pop/pop punk that's about a decade too late. I'm glad you can love this, OP, but this was not an album I needed to listen to before I died.
Madvillain
5/5
Not even MF DOOM's best project and it's STILL a five star. Madlib creates some utterly insane beats that seem like they'd be impossible to rap over, and yet DOOM handles them with eaze. Fantastic wordplay, great storytelling, and just plain intoxicating, this album isn't even DOOM's best project (IMO) but it deserves all the praise in the world.
The Tragically Hip
1/5
Oh, thank God, I was worried The Tragically Hip always copie- I mean, was influenced by R.E.M, but luckily, they instead were big fans of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, one of the worst "famous" bands of the 80s. What joy! Bleh, this album was almost fine enough, but as it just kept going I was just more and more annoyed, to the point where I'd call this actively bad. Is the Tragically Hip gonna be the Costello of the user list? I really hope not, or at the very least that third (and final?) album better be fantastic, to make it all even. Sorry, OP, I'm sure this band means a lot to you, but this is far from for me.
The National
2/5
I'm sorry, but I found a lot of this to be incredibly safe and sometimes dull. There were moments near the start that had me hopeful, but this plus the album on the main list tells me that I don't especially care about this band. Offensively inoffensive.
Mr. Bungle
4/5
This album is utterly batshit. It's no wonder why Retrovertigo and Pink Cigarette are the two biggest songs off this album, as they are perhaps the only two tracks on this album with some semblance of normality. That factor both works for me and irks me, as sometimes the insanity is a nice refresher when it comes to music in general, because it makes you look at music in general even deeper than you would otherwise, albeit only for a little bit. But also, I found myself missing the status quo by the end of this album because while every single track had a part I loved, or better yet, a whole song I enjoyed, but often times that joy would require a little bit of sifting around in the pits of silly little guy Hell. The music is goofy, but almost frighteningly so, not dissimilar to Frank Zappa or the Residents. It works for me at times, while other parts I start to find myself output, or even worse, bored and ready for the song to wrap up. I'm all for a wild time, but I feel like the pacing of each individual song brings down the whole experience, if just a tad. Mike Patton is an insane vocal powerhouse, and the instrumentation is also very impressive, but do not go in seeking Pink Cigarette ten times. Not that I mind, just was a lot... wilder than I was expecting, and I have to mull over if I appreciate that a little longer.
Kaizers Orchestra
2/5
Eh. There were moments that feel like the pop-ier cuts from the Mars Volta, but I think something like this really gets lost in translation (literally) when you can't understand it almost at all. The instrumentation is pleasant but very stereotypical for the time, and while I can see why this would be important to someone who bonded with it, I can't see past it just being another rock album of the 2000s. Albeit, in (I assume) Norwegian.
Salif Keita
3/5
Pleasant enough, but too long like most 2000s albums, and I think the magic of the first song was really all I needed, not a whole album. Always appreciate more of this stuff, though! Many of the African albums on the original generator always felt like an afterthought, and they feel it even more now when compared to this.
Tom Petty
2/5
Better than expected, but I don't think that's saying much for an overly long, stereotypical 90s adventure with Tom Petty. The softer moments really show some maturity from the singer far later than you'd expect in his career, but then you'll get a track like Honey Bee or Cabin Down Below and realize it's all just checking boxes so that everyone listening (in the 90s) walks away happy. Shout out to Ringo Starr on the drums for that one track, that's really my biggest take away from the whole album.
Chuck Berry
3/5
Chuck Berry is one I see who a lot of people say should've made the original list, but I personally didn't see a specific album that should've been chosen. I suppose this is the best choice, though. Ironically, despite Berry's guitar picking being out of this world (not to mention influential) for 1964, it's the piano led You Never Can Tell that is the highlight here, with the the bluesy B-side never really coming close to that high.
Koritni
1/5
Very much not for me. I'm one of the few that gave AC/DC's albums both one stars on the main list, there was no world where I'd be giving this anything higher. I don't even really understand the add, with plenty of other artists having generic hard rock covered thirty years before this album existed. I mean, look at the user who submitted this and you'll probably find I don't think the user exactly listens to anything BUT this kind of music, so... good for them? Do what you enjoy, but don't make everyone else listen to fifty minutes of nothingness.
Slowdive
4/5
Not quite as much shoegaze perfection as the works of My Bloody Valentine, but still a monumental release in the genre that deserves a listen. Although, I'll admit I'm more partial to their debut.
LaBelle
2/5
Everyone seems to be saying this was an "obvious" absentee on the original list, and that it was a shock it wasn't there before, but... I don't see it? Sure, Lady Marmalade is iconic in some sense, but frankly it isn't so amazing the rest of the album is carried by it, and the rest of the album is pretty regular ol' soul music, and when we're missing albums like Love Deluxe, Pastel Blues, Hell, even Igor on the original list, I don't know if we need another album that is just here for one song's iconic status.
Psyche Origami
4/5
Very neat, albeit a bit predictable and doesn't have a whole lot of it's own ideas, but I do really like what's here. Just don't use this as an excuse to brush off any other modern rap, okay?
Depeche Mode
4/5
I think it says more about my character that I liked this more than Violator, rather than acting like this album is good, per se.
Titus Andronicus
2/5
Part of me wanted to like this, especially as it went on and I understood what it was trying to do more clearly, but it seems the curse of Springsteen lives on in the bands he inspired. It's just missing... something for me. It could be a little angrier, a bit more melodic, have clearer production, less predictable lyrics, but I really don't think any one of those is the main issue. I think it just is embedded in a project like this at It's core. And when you don't care for the core, it's hard to want to listen to an hour of it. I can tell this means a lot to millennials especially, but I like my punk with a bit less Heartland put into it, I suppose.
Roky Erickson
3/5
It seems on modern releases this is a mash of two albums. It has the cover of one and the title of the other. Guess my album today is two albums. Oh well, at least they're both short, and have some.
These were pretty basic occult rock tracks, but there were some decent stand outs, and I agree with the general sentiment that this is far better than the 13th Floor Elevators, but I also feel like this album cover is better than the album inside it.
Roky Erickson and the Aliens (5 Symbols) - 2.5 Stars
The Evil One - 3 Stars
Dolly Parton
2/5
Dolly Parton may be a national treasure, but this album is nothing all that special. Bluegrass is a genre that probably would need more covering on the list, if it weren't for the one on the list being nearly two hours long. This is decent, but we're still missing Parton's Jolene (the album) and that seems like a more obvious pick.
Times New Viking
4/5
It's interesting: if this album didn't have the distortion, tape hiss, and overall static-y sound, it would probably have a lower score on websites like RateYourMusic and Album of the Year, but a higher score on here. Either way it seems no one truly loves this record, and while I generally agree it doesn't blow really anything away, there is a definitive mood this album brings, and if you're able to put up with the harsher sounds this album presents, I think you'll find a pretty solid noise rock release underneath. If the whole idea got a little more fleshed out, I think you'd truly have something special. Then again, probably goes against the general idealogy of this release, huh?
Tom Misch
2/5
"Just because a record has a groove don't make it in the groove."
STARSET
1/5
Man, this was not good. This was bad, even. Sorry, person who added this, but this is as stereotypical as it comes for alternative rock in the 2010s, and the Michael Bay movie trailer soundtrack going on as the backing track the whole time just makes it more groan worthy. Add in a ham-fisted space theme and you've got yourself an album your 12 year old brother is sure to love, and that should probably concern you. Is he okay? Getting enough love and/or attention? Go check on the little guy. And show him the Beatles or something while you do.
4/5
Even if I don't absolutely adore this album, it's so nice to hear something with some actual grit and emotion after the last couple albums I've gotten. Sophie was one of the best producers out there, and her sudden passing is still heartbreaking. I can understand this being a lot for those not too keen on this sort of production, but this truly was a new wave of music that opened the door for artists like 100 gecs, and really put Charli XCX on the map. And this album gives you a nice sampler package of all of that. And when it hits, it HITS.
Nic Jones
2/5
An 80s Second British Folk Revival is bound to be a bit off, and there's this feeling I can't shake this whole album where it just feels... goofy? I mean, it just starts to feel like a parody of itself at this point, and decent instrumentation even wears thin after so long. Maybe singing this with some mates in a bar would make it much better, but this just feels off, and I can't do much in my mind to understand why, but I don't think I really care enough to figure it out, either.
Jimmy Eat World
3/5
Kind of peaks of Sweetness then drags from there, but I'll admit this was better than I would expect, considering before this I kind of despised The Middle. Now I think it's pretty solid. Probably would like one of their earlier albums more, though.
Type O Negative
2/5
Y'know those metal covers on YouTube where they cover a rock song and make it more "hardcore," and in turn miss the entire vibe of the song, and just in general aren't very good covers? Now I know where they got their ideas from. Only started to perk up at the end with the shoegaze-y final run of tracks, but those vocals are still too goofy to ever want to dig into this again.
Marillion
4/5
Marillion dares to ask the question: "What if Phil Collins lead Genesis was good?" The answer may shock you...
Weezer
5/5
Very obviously missing off the original list, to the point where this was a no-brainer addition. I may like to say Pinkerton is better, but at the end of the day this is one of the greatest power pop albums of all time without a doubt, and Only In Dreams may be in my top ten favorite rock songs of the 90s. May be a bit sick of some of the tracks here, but I cannot deny its brilliance.
Richard Dawson
5/5
Hell yes, dude. More of that exact itch that Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom scratched for me. This stuff is awesome with great, powerful acoustics and vocals that are just meek enough to seem devastating at every push, every falsetto. Ogre is especially beautiful, but the whole album really feels like a cozy yet heartbreaking story to be told for ages.
Warren Zevon
2/5
You'd think with me playing piano most of my life I'd like piano rock more. But, you'd be wrong. I think? Jury may or may not still be out. Schrödinger's Jury. If I don't listen to more piano rock, I'll never truly know, and it's better that way.
Shihad
2/5
Teetering on the edge of a one, I've never heard an album be so unsure of what sound it wants to being to the table, while still sounding absolutely generic the whole time. It's just a late 90s rock album. Nothing less, and certainly nothing more.
Igorrr
4/5
Sure, dude, I can go for some of this every now and then. Weird genre combinations are usually sick, and this is no different.
The Mountain Goats
4/5
I really enjoy the lo-fi vibe of this. It reminds me a lot of Daniel Johnston, but with a 2000s indie approach. I feel this does kind of all blend into one homogeneous blob after a while, however I suppose that is what an album is at the end of the day.
Les sheriff
2/5
I appreciate that you won't give any album a one or a two out of respect for the process, OP, but unfortunately, if I don't care about an album, then I can't act like it's better than it truly is. This type of music can be solid, but only really when playing Crazy Taxi, and, unfortunately, Offspring has that game covered, for better or (more likely) worse.
Nujabes
4/5
The originator of lo-fi hip hop beats is still some of the best out there, with vocal features that has a cheesiness to it, but comes off more earnest because of it. I think if this was just slightly tighter pacing wise, this would be absolutely amazing, but it's still great as is.
Neutral Milk Hotel
5/5
I didn't get this album fully when I first listened to it a couple years ago. I do now.
Alex Cameron
2/5
When I saw new wave and synthpop as main genre descriptors, I was not expecting new wave in the "The Killers sing like Bruce Springsteen" sense, but if they were a lot more obsessed with the word pussy.
The Weeknd
4/5
I am not absolutely head over heels for this album or anything, but if any mainstream album from the 2020s deserves to be on the 1001 list, it's this album. It was quite literally the soundtrack to the COVID-19 pandemic (nothing else was sure coming out), and while that makes a few of the hits a bit monotonous at this point, the foreboding synths and high register vocals lead to a unique and daring change up in the pop scene that perfectly captured the feelings at the time. Certainly a bloated album, but far better than I would've ever expected back in 2015 hearing Can't Feel My Face.
Boards of Canada
4/5
I don't know if I find this better then the one on the generator, or if I just like this style of music more, but this is great nonetheless. Just mysterious and off putting enough to be engaging without trying to bait an uncomfortable response, and it's surprisingly catchy for how low profile it can be. It just needs to cut off some of the fat near the end, even if it was just going for that sixty-six minutes and six seconds thing.
Ani DiFranco
2/5
Being somewhere between's Alanis Morissette's annoying-ness and PJ Harvey's greatness, Ani DiFranco feels like a page in the 90s alt-rock history books that's kind of been left behind. I only knew her name in passing, and considering how popular this sound seems to be at the time, it's a bit of a shock she isn't more of a household name, because I feel like most people would eat this up. Hell, I think I would, too, but it felt very much like this album dragged, and I'd being lying if I said I didn't feel like all of this album had been done multiple times over by other artists of the 90s, leaving me wanting to like this more, but not caring enough to put the effort in. Especially considering this is yet another hour long album. It is becoming increasingly clear a majority of generator finalists grew up in/had formative years in the 90s, and that'd be fine if it wasn't for the fact that it seems every album from then was way too long for its own good.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Y'know how Stop Making Sense is the highest rated live album, at least on the user list? You know why? "Because it's Tallking Heads!" Yes, but also because the original is less than forty minutes! It also is an interesting live album because it changes the sounds of the established tracks, or even has stuff never performed by Talking Heads the band, such as What A Day That Was. Pink Floyd is a band that absolutely has great tracks, and those great tracks could certainly be performed live to great effect. There are some moments of that on this album, but coming in at over two hours long, there is not enough here to make me want to listen to this over any Pink Floyd studio recording. It feels more like a greatest hits compilation, with late 80s and 90s cuts we now know didn't stand the test of time. It isn't a bad album, Pink Floyd has good moments, of course, but I'd rather have had Meddle, or if we have to do a live album, their performance at Pompeii was released in album form just this year, and that performance had icon status before this album was even released. At the end of the day, this is a Pink Floyd live album, and unfortunately not much more than that. But, still alright.
Jack Johnson
4/5
The top review on an album like this on RateYourMusic reads: "Music for people who do not care about music." Now, I generally trust RYM, and I'd even say it is a great source for finding some fantastic music, but this review from 2007 really shows how much hatred fueled the internet in the late aughts. This album is just a pleasant listen, with great guitar playing and a tone that isn't afraid to dive into hints of other easy listening genres. Is it daring? Exciting? Even, dare I say, original? No, but it is an extremely pleasant listen that at worst is very easy to stomach, and at best something iconic enough to still be remembered twenty years later.
Glass Animals
2/5
Heat Waves is one of the worst pop songs of the 2020s, but this was nearly half a decade earlier, so let's give it a fair shake here. Finished the album, and it really isn't anything special. Is it terrible? No, but it's awfully sterile, and none of its quirks feel genuine. There were some decent songs, but then it would throw in a weird part that just made the whole song clunky. Would rather not listen to this again, may make me dislike it more.
Gerry Cinnamon
2/5
Wow, this is, extremely dull? No offense, everyone. It has no personality of its own and can't seem to decide what it wants to be. A folkier pop? A pale imitation at folk legends' stylings? Either way, this has nothing to be worth listening to, IMO. It's nearly parody of itself. It isn't offensive enough to be a one, but... man.
Joe Cocker
2/5
Mad Dogs & Englishmen by Joe Cocker or: A Bunch of Mediocre covers by a Guy Most Well Known for a Mediocre Beatles Cover.
Garmarna
2/5
Most of this album was just boring, but there were parts of it that felt like something a thirty-something would post on their Facebook with the caption "everyone else listening to rap and country music while I'm just over here listening to REAL music 🤪"
Maldita Vecindad Y Los Hijos Del 5to. Patio
3/5
Not really the type of music I go for generally, but I respect the energy here quite a bit, it's perhaps the most genuine an album of this nature can feel.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I think I'm in the camp that prefers the prog-ier Pink Floyd, where you get 3, 4, 5, or 6 long songs and those songs are filled with fantastic hooks, great guitar playing (that is admittedly often somewhat cheesily produced) and songwriting that is just plain enthralling. I mean, making an album like this just seems so obvious that I'm not only sure someone else has come up with it, but I'm guessing other artists have tried to make concept albums purely based on the animals. However, Pink Floyd knows how to do it right here, keeping it oh so specific to that animal yet so vague that simple metaphor would feel too complex, but it just works, and when you're getting those driving basslines in Sheep or that oddly charismatic psychedelia in Pigs (Three Different Ones) (great song title, by the way) it really evolves these songs from something meandering and self-indulgent as seen on albums like Dark Side of the Moon or the Wall into a powerhouse in the prog world to such a degree where there's plenty out there who don't even think of the band as a progressive rock band. They're that at the top of their game here, to the point where the Average Joe can brand the band on their shirt and no one bats an eye. It's just impressive, and the fact that the band has this ability yet often their (in my opinion) lesser works get held in higher regard is a shame. My only nitpick is that Dogs drags in ways earlier long Floyd songs don't, and when that's nearly half of your album it is noticeable, but certainly not an album killer, especially when the next two tracks completely cover that miniscule flaw up. Pink Floyd may never fully speak to me, it is just how I was raised, but I can recognize something here, certainly.
Beyoncé
4/5
What a great glow up compared to her album on the main 1001. This album has great energy, and is non-stop with its infectious beats and raunchy lyrics, all with a confident strut that really brings the whole thing together. No wonder this was such a big deal a few years ago, this album is good as is, and would be perhaps fantastic with some of the filler trimmed. Still, really great and once again another album from 2020s that deserves to be here.
Ian McDonald
4/5
Hey, this was pretty good! Much calmer than King Crimson, obviously, but also tonally kinda similar? It's like two sides of the same coin, in a way. Anyway, I would've loved to get Discipline or Red on the user list, but this is a great album in its own right.
Ween
4/5
My partner made the guess that I was going to give this album a four. Congrats to them, they win a brand new toaster!
Mastodon
3/5
Not totally my kind of music, but considering I do not follow the progressive metal scene and even I know who Mastodon is tells me all I really need to know. That, or I've played too many fan charts for Guitar Hero.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
5/5
Shoutout to the guy who added this. We follow each other on RYM, and you're cool as hell. Just like this album. Cream of the crop with so many cool moving parts both musically but also as a concept. There's a reason King Gizzard is big enough to still be making hit albums nearly a decade after this release, but this is still their best, IMO. I could see them out doing themselves, though. They're THAT GOOD of a band.
Bon Iver
3/5
The first couple tracks had me hopeful I'd like this more than the other Bon Iver album I listened to so far, For Emma, Forever Ago, but as the album went on I realized they're about equal in quality, although Emma is more consistent. This album's finale really sealed the deal that I didn't care that much. Paying homage to late 80s pop is never a good idea, IMO.
ROSALÍA
3/5
Damn, y'all work quick. I've heard about this album, though, so it must be something to get enough notoriety so quickly. However, I find it to just be alright. I can see why someone would be entranced by this album, though. I was myself at some points.
Joe Jackson
2/5
All the reviews are talking about how great it is to have some actually good new wave and how this should've been on the list rather than fifty billion Costello albums. Then, it just sounds like an early Costello album. Credit to Got the Time, but that's because of Anthrax's cover, where the song was fully realized.
65daysofstatic
4/5
While this album does make me realize why Post-Rock has such long build ups in its songs, as it's a bit too quick on the draw for my liking, I really appreciate how cathartic this album can be. It may be safe in what it tries to do compared to its contemporaries, but this album knows exactly what to do to get the juices flowing. Some better pacing and this could be spectacular.
Jimmy Eat World
2/5
Arguably better than Bleed American, but I think the length tied with a constant feeling of longing and nostalgia for teenage years from this album's fanbase makes me even more averse to it.
Crash Test Dummies
2/5
Yeah, I'm sorry, but the vocals make this whole album feel like a parody of itself, and the lyrics aren't doing much to help. Maybe it's some of that Gen X sarcasm at work, but then you know there are better albums for that. Such as the Divine Comedy, which this user gave a one star. So, I'm not really sure what this album is appealing to, but it ain't me.
Various Artists
5/5
Everyone's negative scores are objectively wrong. Thanks! GOATed game, even better soundtrack. Play We Love Katamari, listen to Bluffing Damacy, and have a great night!
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
2/5
This was fine, but blues music is blues music, and so I can only care for so much of it. The Thrill Is Gone was the best, and there was an hour of content after that.
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
I like Teenage Fanclub, they're pretty good. This isn't as good as Bandwagonesque, but I'll take this over most of the britpop in the world any day.
Shudder To Think
4/5
Looking at what was ahead of me with this album I was hoping I would absolutely adore it, but thinking it's pretty good is still a plus, I'd say.
Lift To Experience
5/5
I love when the user generator forces me to stop procrastinating and listen to albums I've always wanted to listen to. It pretty much always works out for the best, and this album is no exception. Perhaps one of the most powerful pieces of music I've heard in a while.
Songs: Ohia
4/5
You feeling okay after this one?
Alexisonfire
3/5
I didn't realize this was a big enough group to have two of their albums on the user generator. I wish I liked them more, but this one was still better than Watch Out!
Shania Twain
3/5
This feels exactly like stuff I'd hate, pop country from the 90s that's an hour long? Yuck! But I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some small amount of fun, even if it was dragging a lot by the forty-five minute mark.
System Of A Down
5/5
I'm actually surprised to find I still think Mezmerize is the best of their albums even after finally listening to this, but this is still utterly fantastic. No band can scratch so many itches at once like SOAD.
The Chats
3/5
I've known the song Smoko for a few years now and was pretty excited for this album, but it's just alright. I like the song The Price of Smokes, so I think I just like when they make music about smoking and how it relates to capitalist society. Good niche, that is.
Vince Guaraldi Trio
4/5
Happy Holidays from a "cool jazz" (the genre) album better than any "cool jazz" album on the main list.
Savages
4/5
I like'd this quite a bit, but I'll admit there's very little to get out of this if you already are familiar with Siouxsie and the Banshees, which everyone here should be. The saxophone in the last track should have been throughout the album, would've really added that extra something to make this album really stand out. As it sits, it's good. I have to ask, person who added this, why not give the Siouxsie albums fives?
The Angelic Process
3/5
I'm not sure if it finally won me over by the end or if it's just Stockholm Syndrome, but I was starting to get the sound by the end. I love the texture and the vocals are nice most of the time, too. I just feel like at first I really felt like each song was what a movie trailer sounds like if you played it back at half speed, 140p. It got old fast with the first few tracks. But I liked the calmer side shown on the last few tracks, and I wish the ambient feeling was more present throughout, but I respect this more than I like it, probably.
2/5
It's relatively different from the album on the list by Eels, but it still isn't really my thing, although it does get better as it goes on.
2/5
I'm unfortunately with the negative side when it comes to The 1975. With how popular they seem to be you would hope for something a bit more standout, but instead you get predictable 2010s pop. Sometimes slightly better or slightly worse, but never enough so to really leave an impression. Still, happy to finally see what this band is all about.
Roger Waters
3/5
Probably the (former) member of Pink Floyd's solo work I'd want to listen to the least, but I'll stay open minded. And I did. It was better in the back half, but it does feel like a repeat of The Wall, albeit with an entirely different story. It just feels like you're listening to a condensed version of a better album, and that album cover really makes the whole package feel like it was only finally finished to pull in some extra revenue for Waters before he dipped from Pink Floyd forever. It's a decent package, but I'd honestly rather spend my time with another Syd Barrett work, or that weirdo Nick Mason album with Robert Wyatt on lead vocals. Oh yeahhhhhh, that's the stuff.
The Breeders
3/5
At the start of my generator journey I was looking at all of the albums on the list (can only not be curious what's all on there for so long) and thought that it was weird there was no albums by the Breeders on the main list. However, having listened to a few of their records at this point, I kind of get why they were left behind. The group have some fantastic hits, some of which are on this very album, and Kim Deal deserves all the credit in the world, but none of their albums feel especially special. They have the staying power with their hits to make this album something alright, but nothing here makes it an amazing ALBUM. Obviously, the main list has albums with this same issue (See: Britney Spears) but this makes me just realize that the Breeders are a band worth being known of, but none of their albums are the blow the listener away extravaganza that a lot of their contemporaries are. Still, No Aloha is a perfect song, and is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
Fall Out Boy
1/5
This is not music in my head. I turn it on and I instantly shut down the part of my brain paying attention to it. It isn't the worst sounding thing in the world, but it is not good. And having to listen to the hit, My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark, for the last decade plus really drags the whole experience down. I don't instantly hate the idea of listening to a Fall Out Boy album, but why did it have to be anything from past 2010? Just seems like a weird choice.
The Notwist
2/5
I'd like to think I could've enjoyed this album more. All the elements were there for me to think this was a hidden gem in early 2000s indie pop, but it kind of just did nothing for me. An album I can see the appeal of, but only from afar.
Portishead
4/5
Yes, very happy to have the complete trilogy of Portishead albums on the generator now. It's a shame there's not more by this group, but they are the definition of quality over quantity. Now if someone just adds the live album Roseland NYC Live we'll be set. Admittedly, I do think this is the weakest of the trilogy, but it's still a damn fine album with some fantastic tracks like Elysium.
Louis Armstrong
2/5
I genuinely thought I was about to be listening to a nearly five hour album, but I noticed the words "the best of" thank God. Louis Armstrong is iconic in the music scene, so I understand wanting to give him some credit, but does this really count? Not only is it a compilation, but really a compilation of a compilation. It isn't an album to listen to, per se, rather just "hey, this artist deserves credit so he should be on the list!" Kinda ignores the "album" part of the list, but oh well. Won't instantly give it a one, though, that's a dumb thing to do, too. Just setting up my prior views before I say that this isn't really all that much to write home about. Was it a century ago? Probably, but now I hear this and just think "Portillo's." It's Dixieland jazz, nothing more, nothing less. Is it an important milestone in modern music? Of course! Is it a very good album? No, not really.
Bo Burnham
2/5
Bo Burnham is probably one of the most famous comedians of recent memory. Or, at least, he WAS, but when he stopped making content for that stretch of time everyone kinda seemed to forget about him. That was, until this came out. INSIDE was HUGE, to the point where everyone I knew was watching it when it came out. I missed that window, but I was aware it existed well enough to hear Welcome to the Internet a few times before now. And my main takeaway is... eh? It's fine for what it is trying to do, I think, but it isn't all that funny, with lots of jokes that are basically "look, I'm white, and so I shouldn't comment on this, so this is my commentary." It's self-referential without actually putting a spin on most jokes, and that irks me. Whoa, the puppet said something out of pocket? Who could've seen it coming!! The music is easily better than the lyrics, but Burnham's auto-tune is distracting on even the best songs, and the balancing of humor and catchy songwriting is near nonexistent. Could he make an actually good song? Probably, he gets close on here a few times, I love the "harsher" tones on Bezos I, but this project is too focused on being "the return of Bo Burnham" rather than anything too deep, and it's more of a shame than anything.
Modern Life Is War
4/5
I think there's probably better acts in this subset of punk music, it is a little derivative, unfortunately , but that doesn't mean it doesn't absolutely rip, and the short runtime is fantastic.
Yoko Ono
3/5
I'm gonna play Devil's Advocate just a little bit here and say it is insane how ahead of its time this album was. Not only are we getting deranged vocal stylings found later on post-punk works like Public Image Ltd, but the slow moments a la Big Star (more literally than one expects) and the funky freakouts that are reminiscent of Can, this album is a smorgasbord of weirdo shit, and after 1089+ albums of sometimes weird shit, it's cool to see one of the OGs at work. Yoko Ono is easy to dunk on because of how outlandish she is, but if you really open your heart here I think you'll enjoy at least one track here. If you go into this album hating Ono because "blah blah blah, she broke up the Beatles, and did you see that Chunk Berry clip? Blah blah blah..." you're bound to have a terrible time. That's just self-fulfilling prophecy, yo. I'm not saying the album is fantastic, either. No way. It's too long, in fact the entire second disc could be removed with very little lost except some cool moments on Airmale. Fly is silly to me, but I understand why it's dreadful to others, and overall nothing here is utterly fantastic. I mean, back to Big Star for a moment, Holocaust blows Mrs. Lennon outta the fucking water, sorry Yoko. So, is it worth the time sink for most people? Probably not. I bet most would get more out of Approximately Infinite Universe or Season of Glass, but this is still a pretty important record for those underdogs out there, and if you go in spiteful, you're just doing yourself a disservice. High three, could be a four with some more spins of disc one.
Bohren & Der Club Of Gore
2/5
A neat vibe, but I can't help but yearn for the vocals of Alison Goldfrapp or Beth Gibbon, and the tone, in my opinion, was mastered by Akira Yamaoka for his work on the Silent Hill franchise. It would be foolish to call this album bad, but a couple tracks was enough to capture what the album was going for, and I was exhausted by the hour mark. Perfect for a nightime drive, surely. But it's midday and I'm at home playing Fire Emblem, so I don't think it was ever going to truly work out.
The War On Drugs
2/5
Is this what the album by The War on Drugs sounded like on the main list? I genuinely don't remember anything about it except that it was dreadfully boring. This one isn't very interesting either, but I suppose I don't hate it? I don't know, I don't really care for Bruce Springsteen, but I especially don't care for this kind of Springsteen worship, either.
Powderfinger
2/5
For every Australian band that seems to completely flip music on its head, there's ten that are just generically copying whatever seems to be popular at the time. This is the latter.
Tosca
3/5
The first full track, Suzuki, was really cool, and had me hopeful for this album, but the rest of it was only marginally more interesting than the electronic albums on the main list. I don't know what makes the first song the best looking back on it, but everyone seems to agree so it must be destiny.
Boy Azooga
3/5
Very generic 2010s rock, you'll probably hear every big alt-rock band from that era in this album, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad.
Sam Fender
2/5
I mean no ill will towards the person who added this, nor people who enjoy Heartland Rock, but if I hear one more person pay homage to Bruce Springsteen I may just lose it.
Bob Mould
2/5
Better than both Hüsker Dü and Sugar, still not good. My cat threw up while I was listening to this, so I don't think she liked it, either.
Bruce Cockburn
3/5
Wanted to love this a lot more than I did, but I still think I like it.
Great Big Sea
2/5
I think if this had even one more track on it we would've been diving into one star territory. Somehow a rip-off of The Pogues and The Waterboys while still being definitively (and obnoxiously) 90s, this album offers very little that wasn't already present on the main list, and man does that album cover and title 1-2 combo make my eyes roll to the back of my head.
Malibu
2/5
This is nice enough, I feel bad giving it this low of a score, but looking back there really isn't much to grab on to, and when one my only foundations for ambient is the mountainous Brian Eno, it leads to a pretty unfair climb for everyone else.
Guy Clark
3/5
I'm partial to Townes Van Zandt when it comes to "country singers who didn't make the original list," but Guy Clark probably deserves a slice of the pie, as well. I really like a lot of the instrumental and melodic choices on this album, I just have some nitpicks when it comes to lyrics feeling a bit basic. Or in the case of L.A. Freeway falling into the stereotypes country music falls into constantly nowadays. Although, this is 1975, so it's excused, I suppose. What my main issue is with this album is the back-up singers. They feel so cheesy, and ruin a lot of really great gooks and choruses. I have no issue with back-up singers on most things, but it really irked me throughout the album, and it made the last track easily the standout with how stripped down it was in comparison.
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
2/5
Album cover is iconic, but you'll probably be just as musically enriched by listening to Spanish Flea for twenty-five minutes straight.
Lo Fidelity Allstars
2/5
I would've loved more of the bombastic jazz-rock found on track six, rather than what was mostly here, which is another 90s big beat album.
Daft Punk
4/5
Was probably absolutely phenomenal to see live, the energy is fantastic. However, I definitely think it loses some luster when chilling at home alone. Still, Daft Punk is good at their jobs, and so this album is good.
Carly Rae Jepsen
3/5
I was excited for this album, so I'm sad this album is so middling in my mind, but I see the idea and potential.
Jellyfish
4/5
Man am I really perplexed by my thoughts on this one. This is perhaps one of the best sounding albums I've ever heard? It's so crisp, so beautiful, so immaculately produced, and pulls influences from the Beatles to Queen. From Supertramp to Big Star. Everything here should be a slam dunk. And frankly, for a couple tracks, it is. That finale is fantastic, and makes the entire album worth listening to, and moments just as magnificent sprinkle their way into the rest of the record, but the whole package feels a bit... shall I say... off-putting to me? Like the lesser parts of Queen or the Kinks sneaked their way into this record, and drag it down to an album I can't say more than "pretty good." If this is your piece of the pie, "this" being glam-infused power pop, then dig in! A feast for the soul, mind and ears, but if Supertramp's deep cuts leave you rolling your eyes, then perhaps pick at this one piece by piece, and join the party of praise once you feel you've had your fill, otherwise you may step away feeling a bit bloated. I'm excited to come back to this one some day and enjoy it to its full extent, though.
New Model Army
2/5
Post-Punk that sounds like it could break into Celtic Rock at any moment, and that SCARES me.
Jimmy Buffett
2/5
Very generic country that is lacking even the hits Buffett is known for, so one has to wonder why add Buffett other than his recent passing. Manager at a Margaritaville, perhaps?
Arca
4/5
I don't know what I just listened to, but I know I liked it a hell of a lot more than 50% of the stuff y'all have made me listen to.
Less Than Jake
2/5
Man, I was sick of this by the end, but it is objectively inoffensive so I can't really knock it harder than anything else.
Ryan Adams
1/5
Did you really add an album by a groomer with two other albums already on the list just to tell everyone you think Bruce Springsteen should've sang Jeff Buckley's Grace?
Auri
2/5
Not as bad as I thought it would be, but it really only sounds like a subdued version of that kind of metal with the far too clean production and instrumentation that is still insanely popular for some reason. Considering the vocalist used to be in a band just like that, I think that only explains the sound here more.
First Aid Kit
2/5
Got this album same day as my partner, so I was excited to listen to this with them. Wasn't really worth the artificial build-up in my mind.
Procol Harum
4/5
While I'd like to think I'm pretty well-versed in the major progressive rock bands at this point, due in part to this very generator, the moment you step out of the major outfits I completely am back into unknown territory. Thankfully, there's albums such as Procol Harum's A Salty Dog to show me it's not all that scary to dip a toe in the unknown.
Vulfpeck
4/5
Never did I think listening to Back Pocket and only Back Pocket years ago that this band would be a soul-funk outfit that can lay down some fantastic instrumentation.
Marillion
4/5
Listening to some of this makes me wonder why other classic progressive rock bands struggled so much to stay, well, good in the 90s, but when I think about it I realize it's because the others didn't go to the Talk Talk school of "throw some post-rock in there," and Marillion thankfully partially got the memo.
Slapstick
2/5
Wow, you guys really like ska punk, huh? I don't.
Weezer
5/5
Seemingly the current resurgence-love of the internet, to the point where I've seen many say this is Weezer's best outing, and I understand why one would say that! It has Weezer taking their initial power pop route and giving it an injection of noisier rock to really boost its credibility, and the addition of lyrics that are brutally honest, there's no wonder as to why many an internet homebody would gravitate to this album. Every performer is at top form, and even if you subscribe to the idea that Matt Sharp is to be credited with making Weezer good, Rivers Cuomo obviously put his heart and soul into this album, and embraces all parts of himself in one of the most reflective albums of any musician's career. The album does peak near the middle, and it can leave the last couple tracks feeling lesser, especially when compared to their debut's closer, but nearly every track here is the definition of noisy alt-rock for the masses, and while obviously that attempt was lost on many for years, it still leads to this mysticism that the album now carries with itself today. It plainly deserves the recognition, and while I think this album falling into the wrong hands can lead to some questionable ideas, it is very obvious that what Weezer was going for here is something worth standing on the podium along with its older sibling.
The Civil Wars
2/5
Feels extremely predictable and generic, but I'll admit this whole era of folk just tends to irk me unless it's well done. This is technically well done, but lacks anything below the surface.
Fontaines D.C.
3/5
I really think this band has potential to be something I enjoy, but they have yet to really "wow" me. It's solid, though.
Mac Miller
4/5
Mac Miller was someone I knew very little about when he was with us, but he deserves a lot more credit then I feel he got when he was with us. I shouldn't have known him just as "Ariana Grande's boyfriend," not with albums like this under his belt, posthumously or otherwise.
Spose
2/5
This album actually has a ton of great beats that would be great if given to an MC that didn't sound like Lin-Manuel Miranda's understudy. Spose's ambitious Get Rich or Die Ryan would probably be better received if lyrically the album wasn't childish and wasn't over an hour-and-a-half. I could see standing this for thirty minutes or whatever, but this album had me generally annoyed an hour in, and just pissed by the end. Did the person who added this listen to I'm Awesome way to much when they were in middle school? Probably, but it's healthy to stay away from this genre of white rapper, I feel. There's just something about this that feels... concerning. Rick and Morty shirts, Joker vanity license plates, the whole nine yards. Feels unfair to this album that is definitely trying, but the feeling cannot be shaken off after AN HOUR AND A HALF.
Danny Brown
4/5
I came into this album expecting to find another hip hop love, and for that reason I'm a bit disappointed. It takes a bit to get going; around the fourth track does it really start giving off this destructive, sinister energy that is all so alluring, but at that point you're a somewhat decent chunk through the album with nothing to really latch on to, and after the villainous, arguably monstrous track that is Ain't It Funny, nothing ever feels that outwardly impactful, which can leave the back half full of very good tracks, but tracks that don't quite scratch the same itch, although some do certainly try. Now, I've been sober my whole life, so "relating" to this album was thrown out the window the moment I pressed play, but you can still really feel this stuff take over Danny's life. I mean, this took two years to come to fruition, surely that's a sign of the issues at play here. And even if you ignore every single lyric, the production is immensely layered and intricate, leading to an album that could make its way on to "best of" lists with no vocals at all. But I just feel like I'm missing something. There's too much rest, the whole album is played up to be far zanier than it truly is, and going in with expectations absolutely through the roof, I was a tad let down. Luckily, it is surprisingly digestible this way, blowing by incredibly quick, and you're always on your toes, no matter the pay-off, and I think that is commendable at the very least. It is just so close to something truly amazing, but falls just out of reach for me. A few tracks cut, perhaps, or maybe a slightly different delivery vocally? Nah, can't be that, Danny's voice certainly adds to the record and its feeling of spinning in circles for hours until you're dizzy and sick. I have a feeling, returning to this one, I'll be blown away just that tad bit more to "get it."
David Allan Coe
2/5
While I do agree classic country has some holes in the original list, this is not what is missing.
Clutch
2/5
I'm a little befuddled by this album. It sounds... fine? But I don't understand what makes this album, and Clutch in general "good," but similar modern musical artists going after this sound seem to get constant ridicule. Not that they don't deserve it, but I genuinely don't hear how this is any different. Fun in Guitar Hero? Maybe, but brain-numblingly predictable as an album.
The Sound
3/5
While I do think the original list had gothic rock pretty well covered, if there were a band missing, it would be The Chameleons. But after that it would Swans late 80s and early 90s output. B-but! Then, The Sound, for sure! Love how bass driven this music is, I just wish it had a bit more to separate itself from its contemporaries and even the rest of the album at times.
Queens of the Stone Age
5/5
This album deserves the hype, because the stars aligned for this album to come out at the perfect time, with the perfect line-up of band members, and just enough hits to make an hour fly by. Listening to something like this after the snorefest that was the Clutch album makes this only stand out more, and it's no wonder that this album made it to the big time.
INXS
2/5
Kinda just background music. I have to hear half of these songs nearly daily at my job, and that can get sickening, FAST. Never Tear Us Apart is the best the album gets, but it can't save that mind-numbing A-side run.
Charles Aznavour
3/5
Man, I hate how older musical artists seem to have fifty names for each album. It makes it hard to know exactly what you're listening to. Charles Aznavour is a very important part of French music history, but I don't know if a whole album of his was what was missing from the album list. Especially when both crooners and chanson are well covered. Just find it funny when this stuff is all hunky dory with the users here, but Scott Walker and/or The Divine Comedy are big no-no's. They're, like, the exact same!
blink-182
2/5
Whoa, this is way better than I ever could've expected a Blink-182 album to ever be!
Daft Punk
3/5
I suppose this could be seen as required listening for a Daft Punk die hard fan, but otherwise it's just a solid film score, and in that field I imagine we would get Hans Zimmer or John Williams first. For those looking for that Daft Punk sound, just listen to Derezzed and you'll be satisfied. Or I suppose you could watch the movie? You do you.
R.E.M.
3/5
There was plenty of R.E.M. on the original list, but I'll admit it was weird that this wasn't one of said albums. Still, R.E.M. is not an impactful enough band on my psyche for me to be dying to fill in the gaps I missed. Losing My Religion is really all you need here, IMO.
4/5
Long, but pretty all the same. Adrianne Lenker has the perfect voice for this kind of music, and there's some genuine all-timers on this album.
Extrechinato y Tu
3/5
I'd like to think I'll be a fan of Extremoduro whenever I get around to one of their albums, but as for this sorta spin-off project, it's okay. Spoken words part don't do a ton for me as an English speaker, unfortunately, but the instrumentation is solid enough.
Dream Theater
2/5
Oh, I get it. It's like Rush but replace the amazing instrumentation for just good instrumentation! ...I'll stick with Rush.
Graham Parker
4/5
Oh, so this is what Costello was going for? Well, Graham Parker wins that race, for sure.
Korn
2/5
I'm going to assume that this was added to say "See? Korn can be good!" And person who added this, you're right! This is much better than Follow the Leader. But this is still mostly dull.
Steven Wilson
3/5
It's alright, but I know Steven Wilson is capable of better and worse, leaving this somewhere in the middle.
Lady Gaga
2/5
I know this will be hypocritical considering the album I added would also fall into this criticism, but I hear that this album is "ahead of its time" a lot on more modern reviews. Thus, it is starting to be more fondly looked upon in the 2020s than it ever was in 2013. And, sure, does it sound very 2015 for something in 2013? Yeah, but it hardly is something to congratulate, especially when much more deserving Gaga albums are still lacking on this list. Better than critics let on a decade ago, but certainly not some hidden gem.
The Mountain Goats
3/5
This is like if They Might Be Giants went cold turkey on joy. And whimsy. And stuff. Totally true, man.
Paramore
3/5
I respect Paramore a great deal, but I don't much care for their earlier, more emo era. I like what they've had going on the last decade with the dancier style, it's oddly one of the closest modern bands to Talking Heads. This is just okay, though, but, again, I respect it.
BABYMETAL
2/5
Better than the other album by BABYMETAL on the user list, but I don't think we need any more. This one just gave me a headache...
Susanne Sundfør
3/5
Yay for John Grant making a repeat appearance on the user list, no matter how small, but the rest of the album was a bit stripped back for me. The back half's more bombastic buildup works a lot better, in my opinion.
Rita Ora
2/5
It starts out fine as an inoffensive homage to early 2010s pop music, but quickly sours when lazy interpolations and megachurch sounding choruses start entering the field just a few tracks in. It never really recovers.
Interpol
4/5
I don't find this album to be the all-timer that many seem to, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't good at all. Plenty to love here, and anything that feels tired and/or overdone probably has this album to thank for that. Don't adore it, but it deserves its notoriety.
Backstreet Boys
2/5
Not really anything to do with the quality of the album, but I thought Justin Timberlake was in this one, not *Nsync. Or maybe I thought he was in New Kids on the Block? Busted? ...O-Zone? Anyway, not sure how anyone keeps these bands straight. And what was with the four ballads in a row at the end?! That was excruciating... rest of the album was inoffensive, I suppose.
Vampire Weekend
4/5
I've kind of been taking a break from the user generator after getting far too many stinkers and being a bit exhausted. At this point I've really only been rating albums I already have listened to. However, I've wanted to listen to this one for a while purely because I grew up with earlier Vampire Weekend and loved their recent Only God Was Above Us. This and the album after it, however, were total blind spots for me, and while I'm still scared of Father of the Bride, this seemed like a pleasure, and it was! I really liked it more as it went on, which doesn't seem to be the common opinion, but getting wrapped in its baroque blanket was cozy and unique in a way that's pretty cool for the 2010s "indie" scene. Not a release that completely flips the script or anything, but a jolly jaunt, assuredly.
Espers
4/5
Man, this completely upstages any other ren faire-like folk album on the main list or user list, the long, intense build-ups remind me a lot of I Want You (She's So Heavy) by the Beatles and that's the best compliment.
Eric B. & Rakim
2/5
Absolutely an album that should've been on the original list for how influential it was. I mean, this album is from '87, and competes with some albums from the next decade pretty easily. Unfortunately, that doesn't really mean I enjoyed it. Beats are inconsistent, sometimes being fantastic, and sometimes being whatever the last three tracks were. Meanwhile the rapping was cheesy and predictable for a good chunk of the run time, only being good in small doses. It's an album that deserves all the credit in the world, but I personally did not enjoy it very much. Not necessarily dated, just not my jam, especially in the back half.
Low
2/5
Man, I really want to like this more, but the absolutely decimated instrumentals get grating after a while, and the vocals feel like they hardly match that punchiness. I think something just has to give here, and unfortunately, that's me.
Zamilska
3/5
This is okay, great for getting really in the zone with something, but I can't shake the feeling that every song needs that little bit more to be truly something special.
Everything Everything
2/5
I once again really want to like one of these user submitted albums, but I think the production for this one is so mid-2010s that it can only remind me of pop songs from that era, albeit it is more technically impressive. I only really feel disappointment in myself, because I was looking forward to this one, but just nothing does anything for me here. Sorry.
Hamilton Leithauser
4/5
Well this was pleasant. Not too much more to say, but you can certainly hear the Vampire Weekend-ness of it all.
Freddie Gibbs
4/5
The production courtesy of Madlib does a lot of heavy lifting in this album, to the point where I would say this album is only truly worth listening because of him, but it does benefit Freddie Gibbs due to the fact that the start the album, Gibbs is incredibly dull, but over time you come to appreciate him more, to the point where you're generally enjoying the whole package. Some of the bars are generic gangster stuff, yeah, but there's more introspection here the deeper you get than you would expect, and there's a solid groove throughout that makes it so you start to kind of just sit back and enjoy the ride. Again, this is mostly due to Madlib's production being phenomenal, with great samples and crisp loops, but its still a smooth enough experience, despite the talk of violence and sex permeating throughout the album. It does go on a tad long, however, as I think, to compare it to another Madlib project, Madvillainy, knew when to cut it off in the forties, while this has some fluff that repeats not only topics in the lyrics, but also samples and beats that sound very similar to songs sometimes just before it. At first this can make it feel cohesive, but as it nears the ending you tend to be ready for things to wrap up. Still, a very good release, and I'm happy to see that seemingly anything Madlib touches turns to gold, as I may not have explored Gibbs' catalogue without his contributions.
David Baerwald
2/5
I'd love to see the timeline here, because this does not seem to be a very big album, which means it must have a pretty close connection to the person who added this. That's completely respectable, so no judgment there, but this album has so many inspirations that it wears on its sleeve, so I wonder how those albums continue to slip through the cracks. Things anywhere from Talk Talk's discography and Blue Nile's second album all the way to even some stuff that's pretty niche itself like Momus. This album isn't necessarily bad, but I just wanted to listen to, like, five other artists while sitting through this. It just doesn't leave much to be desired.
Chris Thile
2/5
Has some pleasant moments, but I can't imagine finding this to be anything more than semi-okay, semi-annoying background music.
Dave Matthews Band
3/5
I kind of liked a Dave Matthews Band album? My parents must never know...
GRiZ
1/5
I guess at least this is more... uh... colorful than most brostep albums? I don't know, this is rough. Boring at best, downright obnoxious at worst, and no offense person who added this, but it's hard to not think you know this artist or are this artist, because this seems like it was pulled from out of nowhere. It's just not good.
blink-182
3/5
I'm actually shocked at how good I found this to be. Not that I think it was great or anything, but blink-182 has always been one of those nothing bands to me that everyone seems to love. I found the vocals grating, and the hits especially predictable. However, the deep cuts, the more skater punk like tracks, are pretty solid, and I'd even say I liked a song or two. I think that equates to some amount of proper recognition, no matter how little.
Courtney Barnett
3/5
Not at all what I thought this album would sound like, thought it was more twee, but it was pleasant enough. Feels like it could've been, like, ten minutes shorter, though.
Caroline Polachek
2/5
You guys gotta stop adding albums I'm excited to listen to for the first time, they always seem to disappoint.
Sea Power
3/5
I mainly know of these guys because they did the music for Disco Elysium, but I need to play more of that before I can comment on that game's soundtrack. This, however, was nice, albeit a bit predictable for the time. Some good noisy bits, just could use some of its own identity more often.
Denzel Curry
4/5
Denzel has to be one of the best rappers right now, and while I probably prefer the more aggressive sound of TA13OO, this is still great. Opening couple tracks and closing couple tracks are both fantastic.
BABYMETAL
2/5
This is the kind of music that people online like to share as something unique or fascinating, purely because of location, genre, and style. What isn't known is all the other bands who, dare I say, perfected this sound years ago. As one of the top reviews says, let's get some Midori in here.
Death Cab for Cutie
4/5
I prefer Ben Gibbard's work on the Postal Service rather than Death Cab for Cutie, but this is pretty solid work from this group, feels less wishy washy than their later work.
Rozi Plain
5/5
Reminds me a lot of Adrianne Lenker's vocal style, but injects enough twee energy (or lack thereof?) into it to make its own thing, and it's great! This is the first user album I am completely unfamiliar with to get a five, and I think that's pretty neat.
Broken Social Scene
3/5
A neat album with a lot of potential energy, but it seems disorganized and like they're throwing too many ideas on this record at once, making it feel bloated and a bit boring. I would guess You Forgot It in People would be a bit better.
My Morning Jacket
4/5
I kinda thought My Morning Jacket would be one of those bands I thought was just okay, with a hit here and there that I love (shout out One Big Holiday) but this was pretty good.
They Might Be Giants
4/5
This is the bridge between Ween and Sparks' 21st output that I really admire. I do think both of those bands do this oddball stuff better, and I of course think anything from They Might Be Giants debut to John Henry probably deserved to be here more than this, but this is still great. In fact, I struggle to imagine a "bad" TMBG album, so I guess anything is really a safe bet.
David & The Citizens
3/5
I'd think you'd gain more from a Neutral Milk Hotel listen, but this is alright.
Yo La Tengo
4/5
Lots of different flavors here, but it's pretty consistent in quality. Just wish it hit higher highs.
Aesop Rock
4/5
Because of its nerdcore tendencies, there are some parts of this I roll my eyes at a little, but for the most part this was pretty solid and personal hip hop.
Sahara Hotnights
2/5
I listened to this album partly, listened to the other part later, but accidentally shuffled the songs the second time. I didn't notice until I was done and looking at the track listing that I listened to some songs twice.
Turnstile
2/5
I was excited to see "Post-Hardcore," but this is that more poppy brand of the genre that feels far too fluffy for my tastes. It got close to being something a lot, but I mostly liked the odder stuff, and I highly recommend The Garden if that's more your speed. This just felt like the same reasons I don't really care for Deftones, but updated with a more dreamy sound rather than shoegaze.
Living Colour
3/5
This was a nice enough addition, but I admittedly didn't hear much here that wasn't already covered by their prior album within the main list. Still, certainly not bad.
Debbie Gibson
2/5
It's completely harmless background music, but every time I focused up on it I just got more bored and annoyed. It's inoffensive, but I can hear this or stuff that sounds like it at every major retailer across the United States, why would I listen to a front-to-back album of it?
Matthew Good Band
2/5
So close to being something, but instead just comes off as overly generic and safe, this era after grunge and Britpop seemed to confuse every mainstream rock band but Radiohead.
Queen
5/5
I genuinely think this is Queen's best album. Sure, it doesn't have a Bohemian Rhapsody or a The Shoe Must Go On, but it makes up for it in just having an insane amount of range and style. You get anything from classical crossover style Take My Breath Away from to the Big Star-esque Long Away. From pop masterpieces like Somebody to Love and Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy, to the more experimental Teo torriate and Drowse. The whole album isn't 100% perfect, but it just has so much charm that I can't help but love it when compared to most of Queen's other albums post Queen II. It just has that unique style that doesn't make Queen feel like just another rock band that successfully crossed into the pop world. At least, not yet. I think a combination of this and A Night at the Opera would be one of the best albums ever, but for the meantime this is still fantastic.
King Crimson
5/5
Obvious Talking Heads comparisons incoming, but to call it a rip-off would be a heavy disservice to this amazing album. So much blood and sweat goes into almost every inch of this record, and the David Byrne esque vocal style only accents the amazing guitar work and demented funk that this album exudes. Listen to that vile anger on Indiscipline, or the sweet melodic guitar work on Matte kudasai. The new wave helped this album stand on its own, but to just call this "King Crimson goes new wave" does such a disservice to this album that I truly wish everyone could listen to this with a fresh pair of ears and hear all the nuances allowing this album to be light years ahead and all its own. Even if Adrian Belew does do a sick David Byrne impression.
Charly García
2/5
Charly Garcia seems to have this legendary aura about him that makes it so even I know of his status in Spanish speaking communities. I've tried a couple times to get into his music, but it just feels too 80s for me. Every time I feel like I'm getting close to it clicking for me, then the album ends, and no amount of re-listens seems to fix that. So, definitely deserving of a spot on the list, but just not for me.
They Might Be Giants
4/5
Hey, this is definitely more deserving than Join Us being on here, no diss to that album of course, but this is just iconic. I think Lincoln is still their best, but this is the album that's obviously missing from the OG list, especially considering it actually had hits, and good ones at that! Still can't tell the Johns apart, though. Oh, how I've tried... anyway, good pick!
Childish Gambino
5/5
This is frankly just a really pleasing collection of sounds for my ears, the whole album. It's smooth, it's funky, and the vocals throughout are strong. I feel many in the mainstream (including myself) see Donald Glover as a rapper first, before anything like this, especially due to his biggest hit being a trap hit more than anything. However, if anything, I think that assumption going in leads to an album that only catches you more off guard with its dream-like rhythms, and tight synths, all while a funky riff you'd find on a Sly and the Family Stone record gets your head bopping and your toes tapping. It just is a cool experience that always feels like it's building up to something, and the final track certainly delivers. I could see some turned off by the use of auto-tune at times, and it catches me off guard at points, but those strong vocals in the rest of the album more than make up for it. I only hope that someday Gambino revisits this sound and really perfects it, because the slip-ups here are small and infrequent, and another real try, and it could lead to something astonishing, and this already is fantastic.
100 gecs
4/5
Perhaps not as silly or shocking as 1000 gecs, but I think their attempt at parodying 90s and 2000s rock music allows the duo to shine musically, as there are some incredibly catchy and solid hooks, as if some of these songs could have been lesser hits in their respective genre. That is, until you dig into the lyrics, which very rarely are serious or deep, and if they are, you argue with yourself on if they are doing it ironically or not. What is known is that this is a step in a direction of making extremely solid, albeit niche, songs that cater perfectly to Gen Z and younger's deteriorating attention span, and from what this album portrays, building it back up again after the hyper and distracted first album. Some of the songs don't work for me, and I still don't appreciate my ear drums being ruptured by tracks like Billy Knows Jamie, but I think I officially consider myself a 100 gecs fan.
The Caretaker
4/5
I really like the concept for Everywhere at the End of Time, and as a precursor to that project this is a nice little example of that six hour behemoth. Of course, I also can't stand the discussion of that project, as people are either far too childish about it, or treat it as the second coming of Christ. It is a solid Hauntology/Ambient record that you'll enjoy if you like those sorts of albums (Boards of Canada, Weather Forecast, etc, etc) but it's certainly gotten more spectacle surrounding it online than it ever needed. Anyway, supposed to be talking about this album, but how do you when it really is just that project before that project? This album is good, it has a neat concept, and the mixing is top notch, but, no pre-teens, it will not give you dementia, and everyone else, this album is not just a filter over pre-WWII tracks. And that one guy in the reviews calling the sampled tracks "50s music," Uh... what? Anyway, all of that is to say, good add!
Refused
4/5
Pretty brave to make reference to one of the most influential jazz albums via Coleman's album of a nearly identical name. Just swap out punk with jazz and you got yourself something that really changed just for the 1960s. This album, however? The claim is a bit more dubious. Post-Hardcore and Metalcore both existed prior to this album's release, and while maybe those releases weren't as... bombastic(?) it wasn't this album that flipped hardcore punk on its head in the 2000s, at least not solely. However, that doesn't mean the album is poor. A bit full of itself, maybe, but the energy is top notch and there is certainly some things that feel unique, such as the blend of Electronica, or the strings on Tannhäuser / Derivè. Is it an album that's perfect? Nah, somw of it feels like it's a precursor to cheesy Mall Screamo, but there's enough here to be something worth crediting. The 90s and 00s Post-Hardcore scene already feels underrepresented on the main list, so this being added is a pleasant addition, even if plenty of other bands are still needing their chance in the limelight.
Os Mundi
4/5
Perhaps the most American sounding I've ever heard Krautrock be, this album takes the idea from Electric Prunes' Mass in F Minor and cranks it up to 11, and I'm all here for it. Perhaps droky to some, the Latin vocals make the instrumentation all the more intense, and pulling from Liturgical Music allows for the whole thing to be grandiose in design. It struggles a bit from a song by song perspective, but as a start to finish record this is a neat, niche little corner of the progosphere.
Hikaru Utada
3/5
The original list is massively lacking in any Japanese albums, Hell, I'm pretty sure the closest we get is Damo Suzuki in Can, and that feels like cheating. In that aspect, it's nice that the user list can rectify that by allowing users to add the stuff that's really lacking. Bands and artists like Fishmans, Boris, Sheena Ringo, Susumu Hirasawa, Tatsuro Yamashita, Masayoshi Takanaka, and so, SO many more! Thankfully, the user list already has it all covered with... BABYMETAL...
Okay, admittedly, they got Nujabes in there, too, so that's a win, at least, but I'l admit I was incredibly anxious seeing this album pop up in pairing with its average rating. Now, I know Hikaru for their work in the Kingdom Hearts games, and those songs are iconic, but a full album felt like it was destined for some sort of repetitive slog, especially at nearly an hour long. Luckily, I'm happy to say it was at least pretty alright throughout. There was a lot of downtime between the great opening run to the good finale, but those songs carried the album enough for me to be happy someone had the balls to add something like this. Did they probably add this because of Kingdom Hearts? Maybe! But I think this album is a neat look into the changes going on for 2000s J-Pop, and certainly carries its weight as more than a random pop album, but from Japan. Now, let's just get some Lamp in here to balance it out, okay?
Muse
5/5
Not only the best album Muse ever release, but still perhaps the best high alternative rock ever reached. The beginning is full of powerful piano sweeps, the most futuristic of guitar tones ever to reach the masses, and amazing bass and drums that will rev the listener up no matter the occasion. Meanwhile, the back half's more somber approach leads to songs that feel like B-sides, but considering Muse has some of the best B sides in the business, it is hard to view that as a negative, with Screenager's more jungle-esque atmosphere and Darkshines' hints at what is to come with Absolution, it is hard not to fall in love with the variety at play. Even the album's weakest track, Feeling Good, would Rank among some of the best covers in rock history, and never for a moment does Matt make it feel phoned in. Every note has been contemplated again and again, ensuring that the listener always feels as though they are floating in space, in fear of crashing down to Earth at every moment. Micro Cuts, an especially underrated track on the album, shows off his sheer ability to perform among the best falsettos of all time. Its anxiety-induced paranoia makes you scramble to find the lyrics as soon as possible, like the best shoegaze acts, because one has to wonder what could fill one with such much raw fear. It's an album full of angst, and its production is still mixed somewhat strangely, but it balances its out of this world aesthetic and dense instrumentation in such a way that it finally surpasses any comparisons to its contemporaries, and quite frankly the comparisons that can still be made it goes above any way. I, for a long time, found myself sticking to the rainbow-coated nightmare that is Space Dementia, or the prog masterpiece, Citizen Erased, for the longest time, but I urge you to re-examine the final stretch as something remarkable in its own right, and I cannot see this album as anything short of a masterpiece. No matter what, you will come away with a new favorite rock song of all time, I guarantee it.*
*No money will be returned to you in the event that no song grabbed you. Listen again. AGAIN. AHHH!!! Just kidding, like what you want to like, I appreciate your opinion, and have a good day! :)
Talking Heads
5/5
While the initial release of this live album is missing a lot of tracks that make Stop Making Sense truly special, I think in that aspect it makes this album stand out more, as if you want the true, definitive experience for this show, you're best off seeing the film, as it is truly one-of-a-kind and you will not regret it. Meanwhile, this being built in the way it is feels more like a proper listening experience. It is easy to stomach, is built in a way where songs never get tired, and has a proper finale to call its own, even if I do prefer Crosseyed and Painless as a closer. What you WILL be getting, no matter what version you listen to, is the greatest live show of all time. Every single person is full of so much energy where you can't help but want to dance around, and not a single track is similar to its studio counterpart, making the album worth listening to no matter if you've heard these songs a thousand times, or never. Even the outlier, What a Day That Was (Byrne's own song), shines as a fantastic change-up that only rivals Pull Up the Roots (a song sadly not included to this day) in that every single one of its parts is equal in their majesties. However, every other track here is also fantastic, with some stand-outs that rise above the entirety of their main discography, and truly makes this album shine. Byrne's tonal ad-libbing gives it a boost of energy, not that it truly needs it, with not only the main four at peak performance, but also every single guest musician ensuring that this is the most "studio" a live album could get. You get all the energy and joy of a live release, right in your living room, and that makes it so this absolute party of an album is something to jam along to no matter your location, and the fact that this audible only version is the LESSER version is insane. Check the movie out, check this album out, and really check everything related to this project out, because it is all amazing. Final note, listen to the Cities cut from these performances. It wasn't included until a few years ago, but it may be the best track of them all.
Ornette Coleman
3/5
Iconic album, album title, and album cover. And it really did shape jazz for the decade following. Even if Sun Ra and others preceded this album, this put free jazz on the map. Should have been on the original list. And all of that makes me sad I'm giving this a three star, but it was sort of inevitable. I'm starting to understand jazz bit by bit as I listen to iconic record after iconic record, but that doesn't mean I can always stomach the twists and turns it provides. Still, this album has earned its flowers, and I'm glad that it has been received warmly on the user list, at least compared to the main list's tribute to Coleman.
Vampire Weekend
5/5
An album with such a mind-blowing first part that I had to listen to each track multiple times before finally moving on to the fourth track about three go-arounds in. Admittedly nothing really ever reaches that high, at least not yet, but it tries its hardest to enthrall the listener into a band still evolving nearly twenty years in rather than stepping into mediocrity, and its admirable at worst, but most of all its just plain a great album. I actually quite enjoyed the strange guitar-tone present, and whenever the piano or orchestra appeared it struck me as Arctic Monkey's recent shtick done just that tad better to be a fan-favorite rather than a controversial decision, and as a fan of both slightly-different styles I'm all for it. Ezra Koenig's voice still sounds unique and great all these years later, and the whole album has this fresh feeling that not only recalls music of a decade ago, but also what could be the indie sound of the future, and that is most certainly something to praise, and I'm happy that Vampire Weekend slowly but surely got the credit they deserved.
The Sundays
4/5
Here's Where the Story Ends is one of the best songs of all time, but there's some other golden nuggets in this album, as well.